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

69.0: Troubling Issues & Trust

A/N: Continuation of 7x09 Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

WARNGINGS: THERE'S SWEARING

TRIGGER WARNING: THERE'S MENTIONS AND TALKS ABOUT S**ICIDE

"People can cry much easier than they can change."
― James Baldwin

Crystal took a bite out of her apple as she sat with Reid and Garcia, "Tucker didn't have the same M.E reports?" Reid nodded, "The other boys had similar injuries reported, but Tucker never did."

Garcia looked over at them, "Maybe he was just more careful?" Crystal shook her head and looked over at Reid, "Any indications as to how they got those injuries?"

"I'm still looking into it, do you have an idea?"

"No, but I'm wondering what could've made that happen...or who." Crystal stated as she looked at the board, "Josh took down 5 alpha males..." Garcia looked over at her, "You don't think so?"

"I'm just saying that it's a bit hard to believe that Josh went on that trip with bedsheets, was isolated, no one questioned it, and took down 5 guys at the same time without one of them waking up to take him on." Crystal stated and Garcia hummed, "That's true, how did not one of those wake up to hear the other one struggle?"

Reid was going to answer when Rossi and Prentiss walked over to them, "There's apparently a point system and the trip required 20, guess who didn't have enough to go on the trip?" Reid frowned at Rossi's words, "Josh."

Emily nodded before looking at Garcia, "Is there anyway you can try to see who had the most points?" Garcia smiled, "Oh babycakes you know it." Garcia typed on her laptop, she stood up and walked over to the board with it. "So Tucker Calhoun has the most points."

Reid raised an eyebrow, "Who approves them?"

"Massey."

Emily looked over at them, "Maybe Tucker was his little pet, leader of everything. It comes with attitude, steamroller-types like that don't let anyone get in their way." Rossi nodded, "Nothing was nice about that kid, sounds like he strong-armed everybody."

Crystal frowned, "Could the points be for bad behavior then? If he wasn't nice, he had to be mean." Garcia nodded, "The points are for bad behavior then they're trying to hide it."

Emily stood up and walked to the board, "We need to look at the points of everyone who died in those woods, my guess is that they were all bullies."

"Except for Josh." Reid stated and Crystal looked at the board, "Yet he was on that trip..."

___

Tawes had found the body of Bailey's father in the woods in a ditch, he had died from wooden stakes planted in the ground. Rossi and Prentiss had went to go check it out, they called to let them know that Bailey's father had bedsheets in his bag which meant that he most likely killed the boys. 

Josh hadn't run because he was guilty, he ran because he was being hunted which made the death of Mr. Shelton self-defense. Crystal walked next to Hotch as they headed towards Massey, he was sitting on the bleachers watching the cadets play.

Massey turned to glance at them before looking back at the boys, "I made a promise to protect these boys, in a way they're my own, but something like this happens and I lose 6."

TRIGGER WARNING*

Hotch looked over at him, "Colonel, you said that Josh was sleeping in his room the night Bailey hung himself?" Massey sighed, "What is with you people and repeating questions? I've already told Agent Morgan."