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

67.0: Butterflies & Races

A/N: Continuation of 7x08 Hope

WARNINGS: THERE'S SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER

TRIGGER WARNINGS: THIS CHAPTER HAS MENTIONS OF S**ICIDE, R*PE, KIDNAPPINGS, FORCED PREGNANCY, GROOMING, AND PEDOPHILES

"Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. "
― Jacob M. Braude

Morgan handed Crystal a mug of tea, he took a sip of his coffee as Reid pointed to the map while looking at the team. "I may have narrowed down the unsub's comfort zone, the gas-station was the third point I needed to complete the geographical profile. Factoring Monica's abduction site and her apartment, I think the unsub lives somewhere in this area."

Morgan nodded, "That would make it easier for him to learn her routines, that zones around 20 miles." JJ hung up her phone and looked over at them, "So all the local employees that were on duty last night checked out, no one saw a thing."

Crystal sighed, "To the untrained eye, they looked like any normal couple having a small argument before she storms off." Rossi looked up from his file, "Y'know, it looks like there are 5 different reported incidents that we might be able to attribute to this unsub."

JJ looked over at Garcia, "When was the first case reported?"

"6 months before Hope's abduction a 12 year old girl reported a man taking pictures of her on her way home from school, 3 weeks later she thought he was peeping into her window and then burglarized her house in which he only took her clothes."

Morgan frowned, "If that's him then there was a clear escalation in his M.O." Rossi sighed as he put his file down, "He was building his confidence to abduct Hope and 7 years later he took Monica."

Emily walked over to them with documents and evidence, "Hey, these were found on Heather Wilson's bike 2 weeks after Hope disappeared." Emily passed it over to them and Garcia stood up from her seat, "That's the girl Hope was playing with when she was abducted."

Rossi raised an eyebrow at the necklace, "Look, butterflies again." JJ held up the note, "'Without you, she wouldn't have been set free. This is a token of my appreciation"?" Garcia looked confused, "He sent a thank-you card to the girl he didn't abduct?"

Rossi frowned at this, "That doesn't make sense, wouldn't he send a thank-you card to Monica instead for leaving her daughter unsupervised?"

"Unless they missed something in the investigation," Crystal took a sip of her tea, "Heather most likely witnessed something or knows something." Emily nodded, "Me and JJ will head over."

"Want me to go with you?" Crystal asked and Emily walked over to her and leaned near her ear, "I would, but a little birdy told me that Hotch got you a very nice birthday gift and I would hate to take you away from him right now when he's been staring at you playing with your necklace with a smile on his face from his office."

Crystal's eyes widen, "He is not." Crystal whispered and Crystal let go of her necklace once she realized that she was playing with it again, Emily laughed. "He is." JJ gave them a confused look as her and Emily finally left, Crystal turned to look at Reid. "Koj puas yog ib tug noog? (Are you a bird now?)"

"Tweet-tweet." Reid replied and Crystal smiled as she ruffled his hair, Garcia looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

___

JJ had called saying that Heather had seen the man who abducted Hope the day of the abduction, he had a jar of butterflies that he used to distract her. Crystal took a bite of her apple slice, "Explains the butterflies now."