The profile briefing:
Reid is clearly nervous. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why this still made him so anxious. He had been part of hundreds, if not thousands, of profile briefings and was even teaching now. Speaking in front of people shouldn't bother him at all anymore. But then he wasn't usually running the briefing, he could usually get away with just standing there and interjecting his points here and there. And he taught statistical analysis so it wasn't like anyone expected him to be cool or funny or even all that interesting. He had only been asked to take the lead on a handful of profile briefings and every time he felt unprepared even though he was anything but. Luckily he had Prentiss with him and she knew how shy and nervous he was by nature. Reid sighs in relief as Prentiss starts talking. She knew that he would have no trouble jumping in once things were rolling.
Prentiss: This unsub profiles like a revenge killer. Except for the fact that he doesn't kill. He doesn't seem to want to kill.
Reid: The victims represent people who harmed the unsub; caused him humiliation.
Prentiss: The injuries to the victims are meant to mimic the abuse he suffered.
Police Officer: Abuse? Like his parents?
Reid: No. Abuse from classmates; our unsub was most likely horribly bullied as a child.
Prentiss: And we're not talking about name calling or theft of lunch money. This would have been severe; physical assaults that left the unsub psychologically scarred, perhaps physically scarred as well.
Reid: He is now feeling the need to physically scar others. We know from Kellen Darcy's account that he is very pale and of slight build—and no, I am not the unsub. I have an alibi.
There is a small amount of laughter from the assembled law enforcement.
Reid: He's more than likely in his mid-twenties to mid-thirties. This is something that has been festering inside of him for a long time.
Prentiss: He's smart. I would expect we'll find he was, and perhaps still is an academic over-achiever.
Reid: Probably successful in his career and he would have thought that he came out on top of all of those who tormented him. But something happened to make him feel high school still wasn't behind him. Perhaps a relationship broke up or he was passed over for promotion. He may see that the person chosen over him, either for affection or his profession is like the people who were cruel.
Prentiss: This is someone with a very flexible work schedule. He stalks his victims to know their routines. Stalking is very nearly a full-time job in itself. He either lives alone in a free standing house with a cellar or he has unfettered access to such a place. He keeps his victims for days and there would be noise with the things he does to them.
Reid: It's possible someone saw him lurking around where the kids were abducted. Agent Jareau is going to issue a statement with this profile to the media and there will be phone lines set up for the public to contact us. But we also need all of you out there canvassing.
Prentiss: Thank you. That's all.
Hotch walks over to Prentiss and Reid.
Hotch: Good job. Is there something you left out Reid?
Hotch sees that Reid has a frown on his face, the kind he gets when he is thinking about something he should have thought of before.
Reid: No, but I think I need to have Garcia check on something.
He dials his phone.
Garcia: Did you stop loving me?
Reid: What?
Garcia: You guys got on the plane and I didn't hear from anyone after that. I thought maybe you stopped loving me. It made me feel very sad.
Reid: No, I mean, well…
Garcia: I'm only teasing Reid. Now tell Mama what you need, sweetie.
Reid: Something Emily just said in the briefing, that the injuries to the victims in some way mimic whatever the unsub endured as a kid. Go back about ten or fifteen years. See if you can find cases of similar burns, sexual assault, anything.
Garcia: Call you when I find something.
Later while the team is processing leads that have been called in after J.J.'s press conference, Prentiss is standing next to Reid as they are both getting coffee.
Prentiss: Ever fantasize about it?
Reid: What?
Prentiss: What the unsub is doing—getting revenge.
Reid: When I was younger, I'm sure I thought about it. I guess it doesn't occupy my mind the way it did back then.
Prentiss: Same here.
Reid looks utterly shocked.
Reid: I know why I was targeted but you? I mean you're, well, pretty. Not that, um, well, what I mean is…
Prentiss laughs.
Prentiss: It's okay. Thank you for the compliment by the way. It's sweet of you to say that. Pretty doesn't always matter. Or it's not the only thing that matters. I was always the new kid in school. We never lived anywhere long enough for me to be anything else. So, I was always trying to fit in and be accepted. Unfortunately the way I went about it sort of backfired.
Reid: I don't understand.
Prentiss: And you call yourself a profiler. I put out, Reid; a lot. When I was 15 I had an abortion. My locker always had "slut" or some other even less nice variation written on it. And more than once, well, let's just say that the sex wasn't always my idea. I won't go as far as to say I was raped because I never said no and that's not really fair but…
Her voice trails away.
Reid: I'm really sorry, Emily.
Prentiss: Thanks, Reid, just know that you're not the only one with those kinds of memories.
She squeezes his arm and then walks away to join the rest of the team.