Change My Mind ~ Criminal Minds (Aaron Hotchner x OC)

25.0: Heading Home & Out Again

A/N: Final chapter of Exit Wounds and the start of Our Darkest Hour, the new case will have Crystal not really involved since I really like how it originally is written so she'll not be involved. Don't worry, there'll be lots of soft Hotch moments to make up for it~

"Failure is a bend in the road, not the end of the road. Learn from failure and keep moving forward."

― Roy T. Bennett

When they both woke up they were told the bad news, Carol was murdered last night at her home. Crystal sighed as she rubbed her face, Rossi put a cup of tea in front of her. "Well our suspect pool is gone."

Crystal gave him a sad smile, "We've gotta tell Josh about his mom, the unsub changed his M.O?"

Hotch nodded, "Morgan and Prentiss said it seemed personal, her guts were splayed everywhere. I'm heading over to them, Dave and Reid head down to the station, Archer can you stay here and help Garcia out with background check?" Crystal nodded as Rossi and Hotch left, Crystal looked up to see Garcia heading down the stairs. "Ready to start?"

"Yeah, let's get this guy."

___

The rest of the team arrived back at the tavern and the sheriff was with them, Rossi and Reid explained what happened at the station. "I've got one of my deputies tailing Josh, if he does something stupid we're gonna know." The sheriff stated as Hotch nodded, "There's a connection we're missing, Garcia did you find anything?"

"Their lives have been torn apart, figuratively and literally, and I can't find anything. I've looked into everything about Josh and his life here as well as in Seattle." 

"Try again." Crystal sighed at Hotch's words, her head was hurting again. "Maybe we're going at this the wrong way, if Carol was personal we need to figure out why and how. She was an overkill and had anger towards her, but according to Josh she had no enemies so maybe it's someone who feels wronged by him. Josh figured it out, so why can't we?" Crystal shrugged before taking a sip of her tea, she noticed no one was talking.

Crystal looked up at them, "What?" Morgan chuckled, "You just said the right thing Archer, Carol was mutilated as well." Rossi looked over at him quickly, "Mutilated? Sheriff you said you found the remains of animals in the woods right?" 

"Yes, so what?"

"Did you take pictures?"

"Yes, they're down at the station." 

"We'll need to see them right away." Rossi concluded and the sheriff nodded as him, Reid, Hotch, and Rossi headed down to the station. Hotch called them not long after, they adjusted the profile.

"We're looking for a teenage boy."

___

Hotch and the sheriff had headed down to the school again to question the teacher while the rest of them were at the tavern, Garcia looked up at them. "Huh." Morgan looked over at her, "What's up baby girl?" She didn't answer as she called Hotch, "Sir I think I've got something, in Josh's application essay he talks about being an older brother had on his life."

"I thought he didn't have any siblings?"

"He doesn't, yet he's talking about how hard it was to leave him behind when he moved to Anchorage and left him unprotected."

"Thanks."

Garcia hung up and Crystal massaged her head, her headache was back and it got worse. JJ walked over to her, "Maybe you should go lie down, I'll bring you some medication."