________________________________________

BITTERSWEET
:: xxxiii. | mood ring colored eyes

"Miguel, our children are back in Spain with my parents! I can't just leave them there. I have to go back." Bethany yelled at the man who she's been arguing with for the last twenty minutes.

"I know! I know. But for now just stay low, ok?"

"You don't want her to see me?" She questioned.

"Wow, you actually have more than one brain cell." Miguel spoke sarcastically.

"Asshole." Bethany lightly pushed him, making him stumble back a bit.

"Just stay here." He sternly told her before leaving her hotel room and then heading back on his way to Vanessa's house.

Miguel was trying to find a way to come clean to Vanessa but also maintaining whatever he still had with Bethany. He didn't know how he was going to pull it off, but he did know if he didn't hurry, he would be late to dropping off Cole at school.

After getting back to the states, he made a few calls and soon found himself with a vehicle. He figured he needed to get around without a taxi. So after a fifteen minute drive, he was parked outside of vanessa's house. He pressed on the wheel, honking to let them know he's outside.

As soon as Cole heard the honking, she bolted out her room and down the stairs. She said bye to her mom and grandmother as she exited the house to her dad's car.

Eventually soon, she was on her way to school.

• • •

After Cole left from her locker, she began her way to her first period. Just as she was walking down the hall, she was suddenly pulled into an empty classroom. It was pitch black, Cole couldn't see anything. The next thing she knew, her books were hit out her hands and then she was pushed back into a wall.

Soon after her back hitting the wall, a fist met her stomach. She groaned in pain, holding her stomach. Then another fist came and collided with her face. She soon fell to the floor, wincing in pain, still holding her stomach. It was faint but she heard multiple footsteps and the door opening and closing.

Cole realized as she continued to lay on the floor that she didn't want anyone seeing her like this. So even though it hurt like hell, she managed to get up and grab her books before walking out the dark, empty classroom.

She didn't need to guess who ambushed her, she already knew. She made eye contact with the group of girls before going back to her locker. She unlocked it and aggressively shoved her books back in. As she slammed her locker shut, Arlo and Ashton popped by her.

"Dude, what happened to you?" Ashton turned Cole to face him.

"Nothing." Cole shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Seriously."

Arlo and her brother both shared looks, they knew something was up and they were willing to help Cole.

Arlo shrugged, "Let's ditch."

"You got to defend yourself, dude." Ashton agreed, "And we can help with that."

Cole looked between the siblings, "None of us have a car."

Ashton put his arm around his sister's shoulders, "We made some new friends."

With that alone sounded suspicious, but Cole didn't give much thought to it. She and the James siblings suck out the school and to the parking lot to get to this alleged car. It wasn't flashy or anything but it was a car nonetheless. It wasn't stolen, more like burrowed and though Ashton only had his permit, he was ultimately a safe driver. . . only when there was police around.

The three got in, Ashton on the driver's side, Arlo in passenger's, and Cole in the back seat. The siblings didn't really know their way around Virginia yet but that wasn't going to stop them from having some fun.

• • •

The case was only getting thicker and spottier. The team was realizing that none of this was making any sense and their was evidence to support that. Spencer found out that the murders started after Miguel was released early but maybe that wasn't the whole picture. These killings could've started way before then. That's what Spencer shared with his team as they all sat in the conference room.

Jj was biting down the cap of the pen, staring at her notes. She was deep in thought. It was almost like she was searching through her memory files in her head, trying to recall an important piece that might have to do with this case. Just as she thought she would never remember it . . she did.

"Guys, you remember that case a year and half ago?" Jj stood up, "Me and Vanessa were taken."

"What does that have to do with this?" Hotch spoke sternly.

"She mentioned that something similar happened and when I asked about it, she shut it down."

"You think it has some relation to this case?" Hotch claimed.

"There's a strong possibility, Hotch."

"Alright, but Morgan goes with you." He informed them.

Jj glanced at derek and gave a slight nod as he got up to head to the elevator with her. There was something wrong and she could feel it. Her gut was telling her something was up.

As the two got on the elevator and Morgan pressed the garage floor button, jj glanced at him yet again.

"Don't you ever get a feeling that a case won't end well?"

"Sometimes." He mumbled, "Why?"

"I just have a bad feeling about all of this." She shook her head.

"It's the first of many cases, jj."

Soon the elevator dinged and they were on ground level, the garage. The doors slid open and the two agents walked out, heading to one of the many black suvs so they could head to Vanessa's house.

• • •

The three teens were in a deserted like area. They had all just gotten out the car as Ashton grabbed Cole's hand, taking her out into the open with Arlo following close behind.

"Hit me." Ashton instructed.

"What?"

"Right here." He lightly patted his cheek, "Do your worst."

Cole sighed as her hands turned into fists. She stepped into a fighting stance, before retracting her right arm back then colliding it with Ashton's cheek.

Arlo snickered, "What the hell was that?"

"I'm not a fighter." Cole shrugged.

"Well you gotta stand up for yourself. Take no shit." He gestured towards her, "Try again."

Cole sighed as she stepped back and pulled her arm back, before once again hitting Ashton in the cheek. This time is was bruised up a bit and now wincing as he crouched down.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" Cole rushed to his side.

Ashton suddenly stood up, "All good, all good."

"Take no shit." Arlo came around and put her arm around her brother's shoulders.

Ashton lightly chuckled as he stuck his fist out for a fist bump which Cole happily complied too.

After sometime, a couple of hours, the three teens roamed around Virginia, having the time of their lives. Eventually, they got to the James' household. The household that's filled with weed, alcohol, drugs. Their parents were quite known to be crackheads. They don't necessarily influence Arlo and Ashton but they also don't tell them not to do anything of that stuff either.

Which is why when they got to Ashton's room, Cole was kind of having a mini freak out. She thought of her mom, her dad and all the trouble that could come along if they found out — if they found out.

"Hey, if you don't want to do it — " Arlo began to light the cigarette that was already between her lips, "You don't have too."

After a few moments Cole finally said, "I want too."

Arlo took the cigarette from her lips and passed it to Cole. She's had wine and stuff like that before but weed, it was a whole different ball game for her.

Cole put the cigarette between her lips before inhaling then exhaling, releasing the smoke from her mouth. Coughing quickly came after as well as a light chuckle.

She then passed the cigarette to Ashton whose cheek was now turning a bit purple which Cole definitely noticed,

"That looks like it hurts, I could get you a ice pack or something?"

Ashton nodded, "Thanks."

"I'll go with." Arlo got up, then following Cole out of Ashton's room. Arlo showed Cole the kitchen and where the plastic bags were to get the ice pack for Ashton. As Cole began to put ice in the plastic bag, arlo's dad walked in. He was drunk as per usual and it was definitely noticeable. Alro approached her dad, "We'll be out of here in a second, alright?"

"Take your time, take your time." He slurred, as his eyes looked Cole up and down.

Arlo noticed, her eyes drifting towards Cole as she suddenly turned around.

"Everything ok?" Cole looked in between Arlo and her dad.

"Yeah. I'll meet you up there." Alro mentioned before approaching her dad once again, "Back off."

The young teen then headed back upstairs as well, rejoining her bother and Cole. They continued to smoke while Ashton held the ice to his cheek.

Cole thought for a second that she maybe found her people and that this was where she needed to be all along. That didn't mean that she was going to stop being friends with Mia or Daniel. It meant that she didn't feel a weight on shoulders anymore and that is what she was happy about.

• • •

Morgan and jareau had just approached the front door of Vanessa's house. Derek knocked on it and the two waited for about a moment or so, before the door swung open, revealing Mabel.

"Agents." She greeted them, then turned her head, "Vanessa!"

Vanessa soon came to the door and let the agents inside, walking them into the living room. She didn't need to say anything, she already knew what it was about. So she stood there with her arms crossed, waiting for one of them to ask the tough questions.

So jj began, "Remember what happened almost two years ago?"

"I thought that case was closed?"

"It is." Jj nodded, "But you mentioned something and we need to know what you meant."

Vanessa shook her head, "Whatever I said, I didn't mean it. Slip of the tongue."

"Do you even remember?" Morgan chimed in.

"Yes." She calmly spoke.

"Just to refresh your memory, we're profilers so we know when we're being lied too like right now." Morgan mentioned, implying giving Vanessa one last chance to come clean.

Vanessa bit the inside of her cheek before finally speaking again, "I have to protect Cole."

"And we can help with that." Jennifer urged, "We just need to know everything."

"I understand but if I talk, someone or something pays the price and I can't risk that." She gestured towards the front door, "So with all due respect, could you just leave?"

Morgan and jareau both shared glances at one another before exiting Vanessa's house and back to the suv. They knew Vanessa wasn't telling them something and they couldn't make her but then again, they do have other ways of getting information.

Morgan sat in the passenger seat as he stared at the house out the car window, "This is gonna get real ugly before it gets pretty."

a/n:
you're welcome !!