Title: Try Again
Author: Kadeeleigh
Rating: Mature/Explicit language and situations
Pairing: Hotch/Reid Slash
Summary: A chance to re-write history
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters residing in the world of Criminal Minds…I just like to take them out to play.
This story has been expanded, freshened up and fleshed out...enjoy the newness
Getting the time off from Strauss had been surprisingly easy. Hotch brought up the idea of a team-building trip, and she had enthusiastically agreed. According to her, it was high time that, as team-leader, he spent some time seeing to their mental health, and congratulated him on an excellent idea. Expressing curiosity as to their destination. Hotch had explained that Agent Jareau had suggested the site, one that she had visited as a child. This seemed to satisfy his supervisor. Not only did she approve their leave, but also facilitated the authorization of their trip with Canadian Authorities.
Hotch came back to the round table room with his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Strauss thought that the trip was an excellent team building exercise, and she is looking forward to reading my report upon our return. She's letting us take the jet! I know she's trying to get rid of me, but does she think that she can do it by getting us lost in Canada?"
"Well," announced Garcia. "...we have some shopping to do."
Morgan stiffened slightly. "For what?"
JJ laughed. "Camping equipment, Derek. We'll need tents and sleeping bags and lanterns..."
"Cooking stuff and coolers..." added Prentiss.
"And food!" added Rossi.
Morgan looked horrified. "You mean we're actually going camping? I thought this whole camping thing was a euphemism for hunting the Unsub. I'm from Chicago...the only people sleeping in tents are well off homeless people!"
Spencer laughed. "Morgan...I grew up in Las Vegas, and I'm right there with you. But if we're going to convince the Canadian LEOs that we happened upon the crime scene accidentally..."
"Then we are going to have to have a campsite." finished Garcia.
oOo
Reid's research on modern camping practices, while plentiful, yielded very little practical information. Since JJ was apparently the only team member with any actual camping experience, she led the shopping trip. The team spent almost an entire day hitting several sporting goods stores for supplies. Ultimately, they found easy to assemble tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses, propane lanterns and cooking equipment. At Reid's insistence, they also purchased a portable toilet, solar shower, and an additional tent to house the 'bathroom facilities'.
At Emily's suggestion, they also included a percolating coffee pot, three pounds of coffee, a pound of sugar and powdered creamer, so that their youngest member would remain calm for as long as possible.
Rossi took it upon himself to make sure that they had enough food, water and liquor to keep them happy for at least a week...delivered directly to the destination airport, and loaded into the rental cars...before they had even arrived.
Garcia, understanding her role, packed her laptop and a satellite link, satellite phones for the team, GPS location equipment and spare batteries, to assure that the entire team would be in constant contact.
Confident that they could survive in the wilderness for several days, the team loaded the jet, and headed out.
The walk from their vehicles to the site they had chosen as their home for the next few days, was a little over a mile. As expected, this group of city born agents had little knowledge about what they were doing, and it showed as they laboriously trudged through woods.
About a third of the way to their chosen site, Reid unceremoniously tripped on a tree root, and fell to the ground in a heap. The others started to laugh, as Hotch leaned over and offered a hand to the young genius. Spencer looked up at his lover with embarrassed frustration. "Why couldn't we have just rented RVs?"
Morgan walked over to the young man, and grabbed the pack off his back. "Here ya go, Pretty Boy...let me help you." Spencer smiled in relief, until Derek continued. "...but if you need someone to carry you too, you'd better get Hotch to take care of that!"
The young man's face turned beet red at the comment. He quickly moved towards Garcia, who was already pulling him into a bear hug. "All you meanies...leave my baby alone. And, Derek Morgan if you tease our Vegas boy one more time, I'll make sure every ant in this forest finds it way to you sleeping bag!"
Reid's head snapped quickly to look at his lover, with eyes wide in fear. "Aaron? You didn't tell me there would be ants!"
oOo
"For Christ's sake, Spencer!" growled Hotch in frustration. "You have a PhD in engineering! Why is it so difficult to put this thing together?"
Reid sat on the ground with his legs crossed, reading the instructions that came with the tent. "Aaron...deciphering these obtuse instructions was definitely not part of the curriculum. If It had been, there is a very high probability that I would only have two PhDs right now!"
JJ rolled her eyes at Prentiss and Garcia, as she grabbed the tent poles from their supervisor. "Come on girls...if we wait for them to finish this, we'll be up all night!"
Their supervisor looked relieved as he handed the mess to his female agents. "I am, luckily, very familiar with a barbecue. I'm happy to do the cooking, in trade for a completed tent!"
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" exclaimed Morgan loudly. "Get those steaks outta the cooler..." clapping his hands together in excitement.
"Down boy." said Rossi with a chuckle. "Instead of standing around drooling over dinner, why don't you go help Penelope set up her equipment. JJ and Prentiss look like they have Hotch's tent under control."
True to his statement, the women had raised the tent, and were currently in the process of inflating the air mattress inside. Reid was grinning excitedly, as he was finally able to unpack his bag.
Once the work was complete, and dinner had been served, the team relaxed a bit. As the team sat around the campfire, they discussed strategies for the best way to happen upon the crime scene.
"I could always show up at the house pretending to be a lost hiker." said JJ. "I doubt that Mason Turner will feel too threatened by me...in fact, he may see me as an easy target."
Hotch was horrified. "JJ, there is absolutely no way that I am going to put you in that kind of danger..."
Rossi stood and paced a bit. "Aaron...I really do understand your consternation, but she may be right..."
"No!" shouted Reid forcefully. "Lucas Turner is massively built. He may have developmental issues, but he is also totally controlled by his brother...he could snap JJ's neck in a heartbeat."
"The problem is, we have no idea about timing on this thing..." began Morgan.
Garcia interrupted. "Oh...that isn't exactly true, my chocolate god...I researched the disappearances before we left. Hotch and Reid were spot on...the majority of the men are being abducted around the 1st and 15th of the month..."
"Meaning that we are in a perfect position to catch them in the act." announced Prentiss.
Once the plan was in place, the team retired to their tents. The darkness was unnerving to Spencer, so Hotch made sure that he had set up a lantern in their tent. "Are you okay, Baby?" asked Aaron quietly.
"Can you snuggle a little closer?" asked Spencer with a bit of trepidation in his voice.
Hotch grinned in the shadowy darkness. "I'm right here."
"I don't like nature." confessed the young man quietly.
Hotch nuzzled his lover. "I know that you don't...I'm right here."
"Hey, we don't need to hear the pillow talk, guys!" Morgan grumbled from the adjoining tent. "Get to sleep!"
"Derek!" yelled Garcia from her tent. "If you don't leave my baby alone right now, I will come over there and..."
Sounding contrite, Morgan relented. "Sorry, Mama...I was only teasing..."
The women giggled in their tent as Morgan apologized. "I'm sorry Reid...I know you're uncomfortable with this..."
The final word was from Hotch. "Everyone! Sleep now. We have a big day tomorrow! Leave Spencer alone!" He pulled his lover in tight, and closed his eyes. Soon, he felt the young man relax in his arms and begin to snore lightly. Satisfied, he fell asleep.
oOo
The smell of coffee roused Spencer from sleep. Looking around, he noted that he was alone in the tent, but was quickly distracted by the additional smell of bacon wafting into the air. The young genius scrambled to get dressed, but the fact that the tent was only five foot five inches at its highest point, made the act of pulling on his pants, difficult. Fighting with the height issue, was the fact that the air mattress kept throwing him off balance, until he ended up tumbling out of the tent opening...no shirt...pants unzipped...his chucks still gripped tightly in his hands.
He lay flat on his back in the dirt, staring up at the rising sun...laughter surrounding him. "Everyone needs to shut the fuck up right now!" he growled in frustration.
Prentiss held out her hand in assistance. "Slick, Reid. Have any other moves in the bedroom you want to share with us?"
Reid glared up at Emily, before taking her hand, and finally getting his feet on solid ground. "I will have you know that in no way can THAT be considered a bedroom." nodding angrily at the tent behind him.
Morgan clapped him on the back, and guided him to a large rock, allowing the young man the opportunity to finish dressing in a vertical position. "Take it easy, Pretty Boy...I think all of us did that exact same dance on the way out of our tents...you were just the only one that got caught!"
Reid smiled up at his friend, before frowning. "Where are Aaron and Rossi?"
"Well," said JJ as she brought Reid a cup of coffee, "...after they made breakfast this morning, they went on a little reconnaissance hike."
"I'm tracking them right now," added Garcia, "and they should be coming over that hill in 5, 4, 3, 2...and there they are!"
The two senior agents crested the hill as Garcia predicted, and Aaron beamed as he saw an extremely disheveled Spencer greet him. "I see that camping isn't your best look."
Reid looked flustered, and blushed brightly. Suddenly, the three female agents surrounded him. "Hotch that was a horrible thing to say!" cried JJ indignantly.
Hotch smiled, as he cupped Spencer's chin in his hand. "Ladies...Spencer knows from experience, that on his worst day, he is more handsome to me than anyone else could ever be. He also knows that if he looks pathetic, you'll coddle him!"
The three women looked at their youngest, and noted the embarrassed smile on his face. They all laughed heartily, and nodded in agreement. "Use the tools you've got, Sweetie!" said Prentiss knowingly.
The women went to get some breakfast, while Hotch sat next to Reid on the rock he currently inhabited, handing him a comb, and straightening his collar. "We found the Turner farm...its actually closer than we first thought. Babe...I want you to stay here with Garcia when we go in..."
Reid stiffened noticeably, catching his lover off guard. "No, Hotch...JJ is the one that needs to stay here. I am not going to let you marginalize me, or my contributions..."
Aaron looked shocked. "I would never marginalize your contributions to this team..."
"Then quit trying to sideline me, Aaron. I can take care of myself..." said Reid in anger.
"I am trying to protect you, Babe. Please, don't be angry...but I am looking at reliving the worst moments of my life. If this doesn't work, and if I l were to lose you too, I'd have nothing left inside...nothing left to give to Jack."
The young genius placed his hand lovingly on his supervisor's cheek. "We are going after a simpleton and his quadriplegic brother...unless you think that I am going to fall into the pig pen, and stay there long enough to be eaten..."
Hotch laughed at the notion. "Okay, okay...you're right. But promise me that you'll be careful, yea?"
"I promise." said Spencer with a sweet smile. "I'll be great, as soon as I can get some coffee and bacon!"
oOo
In general, nonchalance was not their strong suit. While Hotch, who had, at the very least, previous acting experience, the rest of the team traveled the distance to the Turner farm like a raid, rather than a casual hike. Their supervisor tried to explain the virtues of behaving slightly more relaxed, but his advice fell on stiff and inexperienced ears. "We are supposed to be on a nature hike." said Hotch gruffly. "Can we all take our hands off of our weapons and pretend that we're enjoying a nice vacation in the woods, rather than about to shoot the first person we see?"
The group chuckled, and made a futile attempt to relax their postures. Seeing that it was a no win situation, Hotch threw his head back in frustration. "I am assuming that, other than Spencer, the rest of us have hiked before, yes?"
There was a cumulative confirmation from the team. "Okay, then...appreciate the fresh air and the gorgeous view! Spencer...I'm sure that you know a lot about the area...tell everyone about the indigenous flora and fauna in this area."
From back at the campsite, JJ and Garcia were hysterical, listening to the team being subjected to a lecture on Canadian wildlife, according to Spencer. "Oh, Penny...I am so glad that Reid insisted on going. It's so much more entertaining from this end."
"I know," agreed Garcia. "We can just sit here with s'mores, and wait for the big event."
Shortly, the women heard a shout from the team. The farm was in sight.
Now on full alert, the team huddled together to discuss their plan of attack. Decisions made, Prentiss and Morgan made their way through the brush, walking down towards the farmhouse, while Rossi, Hotch and Reid served as backup...moving towards the back of the barn.
Once in earshot of the house, Prentiss yelled. "Hello! Is anyone home? Hello?"
Getting no answer, the pair walked closer to the house. This time, Morgan called out. "Hey. Is anyone home? We got a little lost..."
Hearing nothing from Turner, Emily suddenly remembered what Hotch and Reid had mentioned about the pig pen. She moved towards it, trying to act as if she was simply going to greet the animals. Morgan, noticing her change in direction, followed with curiosity.
The two agents leaned over the fence, to examine the pen. The large animals grunted and snorted as they moved around the sty, looking for food. One particularly large pig appeared to find something, grunting his approval. Both agents watched as his snout unearthed his prize...a human spine.
Emily's scream was deafening, followed almost immediately by enough gunshots to empty both her and Morgan's service weapons.
By the time that Rossi, Reid and Hotch had made it to the pig pen, Morgan had pulled Prentiss away, and was trying to comfort her. Relieved that no one was hurt, the other agents holstered their weapons and knelt beside the young woman.
"They were gnawing on a human spine!" cried Emily. "What the fuck?"
All the pigs were now dead or dying, but right in the middle of the carnage, sat what was undeniably the remains of a human torso.
Hotch took control immediately, speaking directly to Penelope. "Garcia...please call the local authorities and tell them that we have found human remains. Give them our coordinates, and let them know that we are FBI agents. We need them to take this seriously, and that's up to you. I have no doubt that Mason Turner has already called the police." He thought for a second before he continued. "Garcia...I also need you to contact Strauss...we're going to need her."
oOo
By the time the local LEO's arrived, the agents had all been reminded more than once by their supervisor, that they knew nothing...nothing, other than the fact that they had found a macerated body in the pig pen. They had no contact with anyone in the home, and had conducted no search of the property. That sat together on the ground, as the first official vehicles arrived.
Looking more than a little confused, the officers exited their vehicles and approached the group sitting together near the entrance to the home. Hotch stood and greeted them officially. "Hello, officers. I am Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation..."
"You're a little far away from home, aren't you?" asked the man that Aaron recognized as Officer Bedwell.
"Definitely." answered Hotch with a smile and a handshake.
"FBI agents, huh? Wait...wait just a second." said the officer, looking at the agents intently. "Aren't you David Rossi?"
Rossi smiled warmly and offered his hand. "I am, Officer...Bedwell, isn't it? Jeff Bedwell?"
"Yes, Sir. I'm surprised you remember."
Dave grinned and turned to Hotch. "Officer Bedwell's unit was part of a fellowship training program the BAU did in Canada a number of years back."
"I have to tell you, Agents...we were called out here on a trespassing complaint. Can I ask what you're doing here?"
Aaron smiled at the man. "My agents and I were on a camping trip...a team-building exercise, and honestly, a well deserved break from our normal duties. We came out here to relax...for a while, at least."
Officer Bedwell nodded. "I understand, but I need to check with the homeowner. He called in to report trespassers..."
Prentiss stood defiantly. "We also called in..."
Bedwell's partner chuckled. "You mean that report about a dead body? That was you guys?"
"Officers," began Rossi. "Please take a look in the pig pen..."
Walking over to the pen, the other officer looked over the fence. "Holy Christ!" shouted Bedwell's partner. They killed all the pigs!"
Bedwell had a disgusted look on his face as he surveyed the US agents. "Did you kill the pigs? What were you thinking? I don't know what goes on in America, but..." The man looked at the team with derision, until Morgan spoke up.
"Are you two for real?" growled the dark skinned agent. "You're worried about the pigs? We were trying to make sure that they didn't eat the fucking evidence!"
With that statement, both Canadian officers looked back into the pig pen. Once they had wrapped their minds around what they were actually seeing, they recoiled in revulsion. "Is that a spinal cord?" asked Bedwell shortly before he vomited.
oOo
Bedwell, accompanied by Rossi, made first contact with Mason Turner. As Hotch and Reid's had described, Mason Turner was a hostile and arrogant quadriplegic, who denied all knowledge of anything that may have transpired at the farm. Rossi smiled knowingly when Turner immediately cast suspicions on his brother, and intimated that they should shoot him on sight, or suffer the consequences.
By the time that Officer Bedwell had contacted his entire department, Garcia and JJ had joined the scene, and Strauss had called the Canadian Government, offering the assistance of her agents.
Grateful for the help, Officer Bedwell pulled the team aside. "I don't understand any of this. Mason Turner, the owner here, he's a quadriplegic. He couldn't have been involved, right?"
Hotch was determined. "According to our analyst, Turner has a brother with developmental disabilities. It's likely that he has been using him in some way."
Rossi agreed. "Did you notice the mirrors in Mason's room? I checked it out...with those, he has a perfect view into the the barn near the pig pen. We need warrants...for the house, the out-buildings and for his computer. There is something horrible going on here...and you can feel it too."
oOo
Warrants final secured, Garcia went to work on Mason Turner's computer, as Prentiss and Morgan discovered the bloody shoe bin and the nearby kill area...exactly where Rossi had indicated...in Mason Turner's reflected sight line.
Quietly, Reid made a suggestion. "Considering the amount of shoes in the box, and the lack of missing persons in the local area, could he be hunting in the U.S.? These victims are going missing from somewhere, yet no one is reporting the disappearances. That indicates a high risk population...prostitutes and drug addicts. The closest urban area to the farm would be Detroit."
Garcia had already been coached to narrow her search to a specific area on the waterways connecting the Michigan/Canadian borders, so with parameters in place, possible landing sites were quickly located.
Mounties found Lucas just past the Canadian border, with a homeless man bound and drugged in the back of his van. Frightened, Lucas, as the team predicted, charged the Mounties, forcing them to shoot in self-defense. He died at the scene, just miles from the underground bunker where he originally lost his life.
Based upon the horrifying experiments detailed on his laptop, Mason Turner was arrested for facilitation of kidnapping, torture and murder. As they were getting ready to transport Mason Turner from the home, Rossi turned to Hotch. "You were a prosecutor...Do you think they can get a conviction?"
"I don't know, Rossi...You asked me the same question the first time, and I still have no answer. All I know is that neither of them will be able to hurt anyone ever again."
oOo
The team crawled into the BAU headquarters, after a very long two days, tired and dirty. Their camping supplies had been stored in the basement storage, and the agents wanted nothing more than to file their reports and get home for the rest of the weekend.
Strauss slipped into Hotch's office shortly after they arrive back at the BAU. "Aaron...we need to talk." said Strauss gravely.
"About this week, Erin, or a new case?"
"This week, Aaron, unfortunately. I just got a call from Officer Bedwell with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."
"And?" asked Aaron cautiously.
"It seems that the ambulance transporting Marcus Turner was involved in a car accident roughly 17 miles from the farm. The ambulance driver took his eyes off the road when Mr Turner suffered a seizure. He ran a red light, and collided with another vehicle. Other than the driver, all occupants of the ambulance were DOA, as well as the passenger of the other vehicle. Her name was Lee Hightower, an American from Detroit. Her brother William was taking her to a rehab clinic in Canada."
Aaron closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "Did William Hightower survive?"
"Aaron? Did you know him?" asked Strauss cautiously.
"No, ma'am...not personally." Aaron struggled to provide a plausible answer. "I believe I recall his service record. He was a decorated Marine, that was injured in Iraq. I was acquainted with his commanding officer. He had recommended him for a position with the Bureau."
"That is unfortunate", answered Strauss. "He might have made a good agent. He will survive his injuries, but as of now, will probably be a paraplegic for the rest of his life." Shaking her head in dismay, she added, "the Turner family has caused more pain and destruction than even we can imagine."
oOo
Feeling defeated, Hotch called JJ, to gather the team in the conference room.
The team gather around the table, as Hotch paced.
Morgan was the first to speak, unaware of recent events. "Hotch. Why so uptight? We caught the bad guys...we should be out celebrating!"
Hotch took a deep breath, then exhaled. He took a moment to make eye contact with his lover, before speaking. "Strauss just informed me that Marcus Turner died in an automobile accident on the way to the prison medical facility."
The statement caused Reid to sit up straight in his chair and study his lover's eyes carefully. He could see that this was larger than a random event. "What happened, Aaron?"
Hotch rubbed his hands swiftly over his face before continuing. "The ambulance driver was distracted by one of Turner's outbursts, and ran a red light." He paused, as he tried to compose himself. "The ambulance collided with an SUV...Mason Turner and the other paramedic aboard the ambulance were killed, along with the passenger of the SUV...Lee Hightower."
Aaron let his head fall back in frustration, as one person at the table made the horrible realization.
Reid's eyes grew wide. "What happened to William, Aaron?"
The rest of the team looked confused as Aaron turned to his lover. "He will be a paraplegic for the rest of his life."
Reid lowered his gaze.
Hotch regained eye contact with his team. "If you recall from when we first discussed this case, William Hightower was the person that originally confessed to ten of the murders. He was so desperate to find his sister..."
"Crap..." interjected Reid. "I was sure that we were ahead of the game when it came to the Hightowers."
"Obviously not." stated Hotch sadly. "In our time, William was with us when we searched the farm. He was the one that killed Mason the first time. It seems that we are affecting certain events, but not always in the way that we would like."
Rossi sighed. "Sounds like there is more than a bit of Karma involved..."
"Karma?" asked Prentiss.
"Yea," continued Rossi. "Mason was obviously the mastermind behind what his brother did. Whether it be God, the Universe or Karma...he paid the piper...then and now."
"And what about Lee and William Hightower?" asked Reid quietly.
"Reid...you know this concept occurs all throughout literature ...sometimes it's just someone's time to go." stated Emily with a sympathetic smile.
"From the very beginning," said Hotch, "Hightower had only wanted closure...for himself and for his mother. In our reality, he killed Mason, and went to jail. In this reality, he's paralyzed, but his mind is clear, and he is free. Her death is a tragedy, but not the nightmare that it was."
JJ spoke up sheepishly. "If we are still going along with the 'Quantum Leap' theory...then we have to accept that there are certain inevitabilities that we can't change. Certain events are fixed points..."
Spencer smiled broadly. "You've been watching Doctor Who, haven't you?"
JJ blushed a bit, but nodded and smiled. "We have to consider that no matter which reality we are in, certain events can't be materially changed."
Suddenly, Aaron had a thought. "Garcia!" growled Hotch. "Can you check to see if anything has happened with the surviving Anthrax patients? Did some die later? Or maybe in other ways, since the original incident?"
"Certainly Sir!" said Garcia with a smile. Their tech goddess tapped her keyboard furiously for several moments before she frowned. "Oh, wow..." exclaimed Garcia, as she finished her search. "It's only been two weeks since the attack, and of the 13 survivors, 3 have since died. Two in an automobile accident, and one from domestic abuse."
Hotch closed his eyes. "So, it is highly probable that no matter what we do..."
Reid put his hand firmly on his lover's shoulder. "It is also highly possible that what we do..."
"...can save Haley." finished Dave. "We have to try."