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A/n I neglected to set a timeline for this story with the first chapter. It takes place after the seventh season, so there's not Emily.

I Never have any Normal Fans.

Reid stretched like a cat. He sighed long and loud, and reached both arms up over his head. "Hmm, I suppose we should go to bed," he said to the woman curled up on top of him.

They were lying on her long, chocolate leather couch. She hugged his waist and groaned. "I don't want to move Spencer Reid, and you can't make me."

He laughed. "It's three in the morning."

"So, neither of us has to work tomorrow, oh I mean today," she corrected glancing at the clock on her DVR.

"You're right, let's just stay here."

He pulled the knitted blanket he'd made for her, tight around them and sighed again. "I'm so glad you were up for a Star Wars marathon with me."

"Just as long as you don't make me sit through Episodes 1-3 and I'll be happy."

"What's wrong with 1-3?"

"They're inferior prequels, Spencer. Come on, you can't tell me that Jar-Jar Binks doesn't drive you to distraction."

He refused to meet her eyes, which were so blue, they were nearly purple. He decided to look at her long, wavy blond hair that was a bit mussed from his fingers constantly stroking it while they'd watched the movies together.

"Alright, he is very annoying, but the story of Anakin Skywalker is fascinating from a profiling standpoint."

"Oh really," she sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Pray tell, do enlighten the class, Professor Reid."

He tugged on the end of her hair. She always smelled like plums and cinnamon. He breathed it in and closed his eyes. Carolyn Strickland was the best thing to come into his life in a long time. Perhaps his mother had been right when she said that when he was ready, the right one would come along, but it sure seemed like it took excessively long for his liking.

"Hey, are you going to tell me or not."

She nudged his shoulder hard with one cute little finger.

"I don't think so. I don't like your tone."

She laughed. "Sorry, sir, I promise I'll be good." She snuggled back into his arms and kissed his chest.

"Well, Anakin never had a father. His mother raised him and they were both slaves so they were treated lower than the animals. He had these abilities that no one could explain to him, that set him apart from everyone else."

Carolyn sat up again and cupped his chin in one hand. "You do know that he's a character in a story and you are you."

"You have to admit that there are similarities."

"Well yes, but the big difference is that your mother is still alive, and you haven't gone to the dark side as it were."

"I know, but -"

"Spencer, it's three in the morning. I think we can table this for another day."

He yawned. "You're right. It's just a movie. Let's go to bed."

She winked at him and lowered her voice seductively. "Is that all you think you have to say, sailor, to get me into bed?"

He slapped her butt good-naturedly. "I'll have you know that I'm too tired for that, Ms. Strickland."

The sudden light of challenge in her eyes had him sinking back on the couch since he couldn't run away as she was still sitting on his legs. "I think I can change your mind about that."

"I do love a good challenge," he said, while his fingers began unbuttoning her blouse.

"Yeah, that's my favorite thing about you," she sighed as he reared up and applied his mouth to her neck.

"Shh, I'm trying to concentrate."

Heaven was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. "Shit," she hissed and got up off his lap.

"Don't go," he whined, his hair mussed and his face red.

"It's three fifteen in the morning. You know what that means."

He nodded and reached for his phone. "Damn it," he muttered irritably.

He answered just before it would have gone to voice mail. "Reid."

"Is this Dr. Spencer Reid of the FBI?"

The voice on the other end of the line was deep and melodious, but it had an edge that Reid didn't like.

"Who's calling?"

"My name is Detective Prescott Messerly with Richmond PD. I have a situation here and I need you in Richmond ASAP."

"Detective, I'm sure you're aware that we have proper procedure when we're invited by the local LEOs to consult on a case."

"I'm aware of that, Dr. Reid, but I have a unique situation. If the press get a hold of what we found with the victim, you're name will be all over the morning news."

"I don't respond well to threats, detective."

"It's not a threat, Dr. Reid, it's simply fact. Your name is connected with this case."

"How?"

"Not on the phone, please just come to the scene and look at what we found. Then, if you need to, you can call in the rest of your team. In fact, I'd appreciate all the help I can get with this."

"Alright, where are you?"

Reid took the address from the detective, slapped his phone shut and turned to Carolyn, who'd just re-buttoned her blouse. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay; just remember your place for later."

She gave him lascivious wink.

He lifted her tiny, five-foot body off her feet and held her for a few moments. "I promise I'll remember."

He captured her mouth for a long, soft kiss that sent little tendrils of warmth through his stomach and up to his scalp. She always tasted so sweet, like honey.

"Be careful," she admonished as he set her on her feet.

"Always, I have you to come home to. My God, I don't know how I did this before I met you."

She grinned; her smile lighting up her oval shaped face and her lovely eyes. "You're the luckiest man alive, Spencer."

He grinned at her quip despite the pit in his stomach. Detective Messerly's words of warning weighed down on him like a heavy feather duvet on a hot summer night. He decided that kissing Carolyn was a good idea.

"Go, before they call again," she shooed him away with her hands, but her eyes called to him in a way that was nearly impossible to resist.

"Hey, Reid," she called when he walked away. "I think I might just be falling in love with you."

He smirked over his shoulder. "Hey, Strickland," he said. "There's a 99.9567% chance that I might be falling in love with you, too."

CMCMCM

Reid was relieved to find that when he got to the Wal-mart, that the press hadn't arrived yet. One less problem he had to deal with. He parked his ancient Volvo and stepped out of the car to find a very young officer in front of him with his hand up. "I'm sorry sir, but this is a crime scene. I'll have to ask you to move on."

"I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," he held up his badge.

"Oh sorry, sir, we're been ordered to keep back the press and the public."

"Its fine, I completely understand and thank you, Officer…"

"I'm Rindenhouse, sir."

Reid almost laughed as the young cop blushed. "You're doing a fine job, Officer Rindenhouse."

"Thank you, sir, um, Detective Messerly asked me to take you in."

When Reid was introduced to Prescott Messerly, he was surprised to say the least. Messerly was nearly as thin as Reid was and he stood about an inch taller with so much graying brown hair, it was a though the hair had sucked all the vitality from him. His light green eyes were bloodshot and his face white, in the harsh lights.

"Thank you for coming," he said when Reid waved at him and his partner.

"May I see what you found with the victim?"

"I'd like to get your opinion on the victim before I show you the envelope we found."

Reid nodded and entered the circle made by the harsh crime scene lights. He ignored the CSIs and the officers that were erecting a privacy screen around them.

She lay nude, with her arms and legs spread eagle. The wounds to her chest and torso stood out like awful, ragged, black holes in her skin. He saw that she'd nearly been decapitated. He swallowed hard against the bile, trying to climb into his throat. He blanked everything out of his mind, except what had been done to her and concentrated on what he saw and felt about the scene.

"I'm seeing extreme rage and overkill," he said.

"Yeah, I got that," Messerly agreed sourly.

"This isn't his first time. You can tell by the wounds to her body."

Wo and Messerly followed Reid's pointing finger. "There're no hesitation marks." His hand hovered over the slash in her neck. "He's absolutely not conflicted about what he's doing, but something's changed because this demonstrates a near loss of control."

"How do you know, if this is the first of his victims we've seen?" Wo wanted to know.

"Unfortunately, there's plenty of precedence for this behavior."

"Do you know her?" Messerly asked after they all mulled over Reid's words.

"No, I've never seen her before," Reid responded through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure?"

"Detective, I have an eidetic memory. I can't forget any face I've seen."

Wo and Messerly glanced at each other. Reid ignored them and stepped carefully around the body to her head. He snapped on a pair of gloves and knelt down. A look at the back of her head told him the story.

"See here," he pointed out to him as he turned her head. "She was struck from behind. See the evidence of blunt force trauma. I'd have to check with the ME after he or she has finished, but it looks like the body's been sterilized. There's no blood, and just from the look of it, there's no trace either."

"He's right," one of the female CSIs broke in. "So far there's nothing on the body to tell us anything."

They all studied her for several minutes in utter silence, with only the sound of the wind to keep them company and the flapping of the privacy screen against its frame.

"Come on over here, Dr Reid, and I'll show you what we found."

They went to a corner of the scene under one of the big lights, but out from its bright, harsh glow.

"We found it under the body. The CSIs have already processed it for prints and trace. Except for what looks like parking lot asphalt, we've got little to go on.

He handed Reid the evidence envelope. The profiler turned it over and his heart thudded at the sight of his name in black, block letters on the front. He carefully removed it from the bag, and turned it over again, studying the paper stock.

"Do you have a knife?"

Messerly handed him a pocketknife. The note inside was on plain paper that looked cheap and that you could buy it anywhere. It was cream colored and the text was typed.

"Dear Dr. Reid," it began

I've admired your work for many years. You're the best in your field so I'd like to present you with a sample of my work and a new challenge. Please accept her in the spirit with which she was intended, for truly she was exceptional in life. I'm sure you'll be fascinated.

It wasn't signed.

"So this guy knows you?" Wo asked.

"I've written several articles, printed in criminology journals. I've also traveled all over the country working with the BAU. It could be anyone.

Messerly put his hands on his hips and looked up at the sky, which was just beginning to lighten with the coming of the early summer dawn.

"I'd say you have a fan, Dr. Reid."

"I never have any normal fans." Reid remarked.