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

45.0: Walking Tall

A/N: This story will be based on 6x16 Coda

"Change not only was inevitable, but usually brought its own rewards."
― Nicholas Sparks

Crystal sighed as she stared at Emily's empty desk, she had taken a late lunch and still wasn't back. It was now mid January and Emily was still on edge, she hadn't confided in Crystal and it looked like she wasn't talking to anyone on the team about it.

Reid turned to look at her, "You've been sighing a lot, did Hotch do something?" Crystal smiled over at him, "Hotch didn't do anything Doc, I'm just worried about Prentiss."

"She's been picking her fingernails again."

"Yeah, I've noticed that too." Crystal stated as she looked at Hotch's office, he walked out and motioned to the conference room.

We've got a case.

Crystal nodded at him as she stood up, "We've got a case Doc, let's head up."

___

Crystal sat next to Hotch and Morgan, they were waiting on Emily and Crystal sat up when she heard footsteps. Emily walked in and sighed, "Sorry, traffic." Hotch gave a nod before looking at Garcia, "Let's get started."

"Okay, 10 year old Sammy Sparks of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, showed up to school covered in blood this morning. Police went to the house to find that his parents, Charlie and Alison Sparks, were gone." Garcia stated as she stood by the T.V, Morgan looked at his tablet, "Forensics indicate that at least one of them was injured, by the looks of it the injury's severe."

Emily nodded before looking at Garcia, "Has ransom been demanded?"

"Negative, no communication whatsoever."

Rossi frowned, "Then why call the BAU?" Hotch looked over at him, "New Orleans is hoping we can interview Sammy." Crystal raised an eyebrow, "He hasn't been interviewed?"

Seaver cleared her throat, "Wouldn't there be a chance of him identifying our unsub? Why'd they leave him alive?" Hotch shook his head, "Because Sammy is autistic, getting him to tell us what happened isn't going to be easy. We need to try and find out where his parents might've been taken, wheels up in 30."

Hotch stood up and left and the team followed, Crystal went over to Emily with a smile. "Traffic sucks, hope you didn't rage on the road." Emily looked at her confused, "Rage? Of course not, just a friendly hand gesture with my middle finger." Crystal laughed and Emily joined, they walked to their desks and Crystal smiled to herself.

I don't know what's wrong, but at least I can take your mind off of the situation for awhile Prentiss.

___

Crystal was leaning against a table next to Hotch as Garcia appeared on the screen, "The blood at the crime scene matched to Charlie Sparks, so we can assume that he's the injured party."

Morgan flipped through his file, "Shell casings by the door indicate that he was shot, robbery gone wrong?" Emily shook her head, "No robber would break into a family residence before the start of school and not expect to find them home."

Hotch looked up from his file, "No I think he came for Charlie and Alison Sparks, he wanted access to the house." Crystal hummed, "He planned the abduction, but I don't think he planned on hurting them."

Rossi nodded, "Scene's frenzied, disorganized. He wasn't thinking it through." Seaver looked at the team, "There's no way that Sammy's our unsub, right?"

Rossi shrugged, "What's the number one motive of kidnapping?"

"Financial gain."

"Can't gain anything from robbing your own parents." Rossi stated and Seaver relaxed, Garcia sighed. "Well if that's what they wanted, they're barking up the wrong money tree. The family runs a music store that's been with the Sparks since the 1940's, but business is down and a loan against the house is the only thing keeping that store afloat."