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

104.0: Remembering The Past

A/N: Continuation of 8x08 The Wheels on the Bus 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: KIDNAPPING, D*ATH (KIDS)

Warnings: Implied sexual content

Whole chapter is a trigger warning again, so please read with caution!

Crystal hung up screenshots of the game up on the board, having visual on what the unsubs were trying to pull off would help them visualize some of the things that their victims were going through. The unsubs have most likely known each other for years, so that bond could be hard to cause a rift. Footsteps were behind her and she turned to see Reid walking in, "Garcia's looking into the game to see who's been kicked out."

"Kicked out?" Crystal questioned and Reid nodded, "These guys are violent, it's something that has to have been built up over time. Why start playing a live version of the game instead of sticking to it?" Crystal slowly nodded as she understood, "To replicate what you've lost. Smart, Doc." Reid smiled at her and cleared his throat, "So, your anniversary is coming closer." Crystal sighed and turned back to the board, "Don't remind me, I still don't know what to do for it." Reid walked over to her, "I think you're over thinking this."

"I have to, it's my first ever wedding anniversary. Sure, maybe years down the line we'll just stick with the 'have a good anniversary' and continue on with our lives. I don't want to do that this time though, I want to make it special." Crystal explained and Reid raised an eyebrow, "I don't think you or Hotch would ever be like that, are your parents like that?" Crystal smiled at this, "No, but you hear a lot of stories and complaints down at the bakery. My dad makes my mom dinner for their anniversary. He makes what they ate on their first date. He took my mom to a local diner that served apparently the best chocolate milkshakes in town, and he spent years figuring out how to make it after they went out of business."

Reid smiled at her story, "Did he figure it out?" 

"He did, and he makes those with burgers and fries. Not the most romantic dinner, but it's what started it all." Crystal smiled at the memory too before pausing, "What started it all...Doc, you're a genius." Reid looked at her confused, "I know? But for what exactly now?" Crystal just shook her head and smiled, "Don't worry about it, focus on the case."

I've got a plan now.

___

"Kevin found something." Rossi stated as he walked into the room with JJ, "He downloaded this...what was it?"

"TPF file," JJ informed and continued where he left off, "There were these mod levels that were hacked modifications of the game. They weren't apart of the original game design." Crystal hummed at this, "So like secret levels." Rossi nodded, "Exactly, and the only ones who could find them are those who knew they existed. There's this thing called hell mod where it was battle royale. No rules, everything goes, and if you died while playing this mod then the entire gaming profile was deleted."

Hotch crossed his arms, "You think this was the trigger?" Rossi nodded, "It would've taken them years to build up their profile." JJ looked over at him, "And the sudden loss of access to their game could have spun them out of control." Morgan frowned, "So instead of starting over, they decided to build their own twisted game?" Reid cleared his throat as he sat up in his seat, "It's a bit more than that though, it's like they're competing. They each picked their players."

"And now they're fighting." Crystal finished and sighed, "Seeing who's the winner." Blake stood up from her seat, "I'll go see if Garcia's got anything new." Morgan nodded and stood up as well, "I'll go with you." An officer came in and asked for Hotch, he pressed a quick kiss to Crystal's head before walking out with them. JJ and Reid left to go grab coffee, and that left Crystal with Rossi.