Related episode: 1.6 L.D.S.K.

Patter-a technique in Italian opera where a large amount of text is delivered in a short period of time

"So, we need to go shopping for some cute clothes," Alicia said at lunch one day in early November. "I heard from Lizzie that Jenny Thiele might be hosting a party."

"And why would Jenny invite either of us?" I asked with one eye brow raised. In addition to being a gossip, Jenny is also rather stuck up. Alicia and I weren't in the popular crowd for all the three of us were in band together and Jenny and I were in orchestra, we aren't all that close.

"Lizzie said that Jenny wants to show off the new entertainment system her parents bought," Alicia explained. "She wants everyone to see it."

"Well, let's wait and see if the party is actually happening, and if we're actually invited, before we worry about it," I suggested.

"But come on," Alicia protested. "Let's at least go out and get some new makeup to feel pretty, even if we just go to a movie or something."

As it happened, Jenny had placed a party flier in everyone's music slot—Alicia and the other band kids would find them tomorrow—and it did mention the new entertainment system. I was already thinking of asking Mom to take us to the mall on Saturday to shop.

I had to take the bus home since Mom was working that afternoon and Dad was on a case in Des Plains. We had come to a compromise of sorts about his cases. He would still only tell me where he was going and a little something about what he thought he'd be dealing with and not much more. But if I asked questions, he would answer honestly. I don't think Mom was too happy about that, but I'm pretty sure she realized it was better than our fighting about it.

Dad hadn't sent a text that he was on his way home, so I was really surprised to walk into the house and find him and Reid playing chess in the living room.

"Hi, Dad, hey, Reid," I greeted as I dumped my back pack and flute case at the stairs down to my room and took off my shoes.

"Hi, Rae, how was school?" Dad asked, his eyes never leaving the game.

"Pop quiz in history," I answered. "And I got invited to a party."

And just like that, Reid and chess was dismissed from Dad's mind in a second. He frowned.

"What kind of party? Who's hosting? What will be happening?"

"Well, gee, Dad, I heard it was a strip club theme party with a couple of dancing poles, some Jell-o shots, and crack to spice things up. Oh, and it's some college boys who invited us."

Now both Dad and Reid were staring at me like I was the chessboard and I burst out laughing.

"Can't profilers tell when someone is being sarcastic?" I asked archly. Reid quirked a smile and relaxed where Dad didn't, but hey, I wasn't Reid's daughter. "It's a party with music and movies, Jenny Theile from orchestra is hosting, and if I'm lucky, there will be only a small dose of teenage angst and all around good fun."

Dad waved his hand in my direction, like he could make all this go away if he tried hard enough. "No, I don't like it. You're too young."

"Dad," I protested. "Nothing bad is going to happen."

"Do you know how many people think that before something bad happens to them?"

"I'm not one of your victims, Dad!"

While Reid tried desperately to disappear into the couch, Dad and I faced off. I don't know how it is for other kids and their parents, but I know that my dad can be scary when he wants to be; I have no doubt that he can intimidate suspects into confessing. But as both of my parents point out, I am pretty stubborn and I'm used to Dad, so I hold my own, especially when I think he's overreacting.

I stood there with my arms crossed over my chest, waiting for Dad to break. Eventually, Dad broke the silence. "Ask your mother."

I tried not to beam from my triumph. Mom wouldn't mind the party at all. I sat down on the floor opposite of the couch and the chessboard and finally saw the bruise on Reid's cheek and how stiffly he was perched on the cushions.

"What happened?" I demanded.

Dad and Reid looked at me and then I saw Reid look at Dad. I waited for an answer as Dad gave Reid a nod in the affirmative.

"Hotch kicked me," Reid explained with a rueful smile. I just about felt my eyes pop out of my head. "We were being held hostage by our unsub in an ER and Hotch was trying to get me his back up gun on his ankle."

"So the only way to do that was to kick you?" I asked, absolutely confused.

"Well, it worked," Reid said. There was a flash of something in his eyes.

"Did you shoot him?" I asked quietly, about half certain Dad would cut Reid off at this point. But he didn't, probably to avoid another staring contest.

"Yes," Reid answered just as quietly.

"Are you okay?"

Reid smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "I think so."

I swallowed down the panic I felt, thinking about him and Hotch cornered by an unsub, a term Dad had explained when he told me more about profiling. It felt silly to worry now that they were obviously home and safe, but I took a few deep breaths anyway.

"I'm glad you're okay," I said after I felt like my voice wouldn't shake.

I left Dad and Reid to their game and made some brownies from scratch before pulling out my homework. I had started a Crock pot full of onion soup this morning before school so dinner was mostly covered.

Dad beat Reid, no surprise, and then questioned me more about Jenny's party. I knew I had gotten off too easy earlier. I think he eventually came around to the idea after picking up on how much I didn't like Jenny and was really only going for Alicia's sake. He still told me to ask Mom.

I thought it was a normal evening for us until Mom came home. She walked in, kissed both me and Dad on the cheek, and then turned to Reid to give him a hug. Mom felt that Reid needed mothering and tried to hold herself back as much as possible. But Reid went pale and rushed for the bathroom down the hall.

"Jason, what's wrong?" Mom asked, taking a step to follow him. Dad's arm shot out and grabbed her.

Dad told her what had happened and I learned a little bit more this time around.

"He shot Dowd between the eyes and killed him. This is the first time he's ever killed anyone."

"But he was okay until now," I pointed out.

Mom winced. "I smell like the hospital."

She and Dad seemed to understand that, but I was still lost. "What does that have to with it?"

"Smell is actually the sense most closely linked to memory," Reid said, coming back to join us. "More than sight or hearing."

"Reid, I'm sorry, I'll go get cleaned up," Mom said, disappearing down the hall to her room.

"You remember what I told you," Dad said to Reid.

"Yeah," Reid nodded. "I'm better, it just hit me."

On impulse, I gave Reid a hug and then backed off quickly. Reid was blushing and Dad was smiling.

It wasn't until I was grating cheese over the individual crocks of soup and croutons that it hit me that Reid had killed someone. The geeky guy who was less than ten years older than I was, still got excited about Halloween and was an expert on just about everything had killed another person. I wasn't naïve enough to think that Dad had never killed anyone, but I always tried not to think about it.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, jerking myself out of my line of thought. "I have more bread if you still aren't feeling well."

"I'm starving, actually," Reid admitted.

Mom came out by the time the cheese had melted into bubbly, golden brown gooeyness and put together a Caesar salad to serve along side the soup. We sat down and shared dinner, catching up on everyone's day. Mom okayed Jenny's party and agreed to take Alicia and me shopping over the weekend.

Reid helped me with my chemistry homework while Mom and Dad sat by themselves. I've never really understood how they work. When I was little, of course I asked why my mom and dad weren't married and why we didn't live together. When I was little, they would tell me it was complicated and that they both loved me very much. When I ask now, I still pretty much get the same answer. So for the most part, I just try to accept the fact that my parents aren't married, live at separate addresses, love me, and are very good friends at the very least.

"Hey, Reid, why did you become an FBI agent?" I asked. I'd always wondered.

"Well, I was finishing my third doctorate when I met your dad on campus," Reid started. "I was attending one of his recruiting seminars and stayed to talk with him afterward. He convinced me to apply to the academy the next fall."

Reid had been learning too much from Dad about stalling. "But why did you want to be an FBI agent?" I rephrased myself. "I mean, you're so smart, you could do just about anything."

Reid sighed and thought for a long moment. I finished another equation in my notebook, looking up at him every few seconds to let him know I still wanted an answer.

"There's always something new to learn in profiling," Reid finally said. "And what I learn I can use to help people in a way that very few others can."

"And do you feel like that today after what happened?" I asked.

"Yes," Reid answered without hesitation.

I stared at him for awhile and tried to see past the grad-student image. I think I finally saw what Dad had seen years ago.

"You know what, Reid? You're pretty special."

I grinned as he blushed. Reid tucked his hair behind his ear and bent over my notebook again. "Good work on that one. Now try the other one."

After eating brownies with ice cream for dessert, Dad and Reid left for the night. I finished the rest of my homework and then called Alicia to fill her in on the party and shopping. Fifteen minutes of excited squealing later, I was able to hang up.

"Sweetie, are you and dad okay?" Mom asked before I could go downstairs to my room.

"He didn't want me to go to the party and compared me to a victim," I said honestly and bluntly. If anyone could understand my frustration, it would be Mom.

"Oh, Rachel," Mom sighed. "You know it's because he wants you to be safe."

"I know that," I repeated in exasperation. "But why does he always have to pull that card when he's trying to win an argument? It's annoying."

"I know," Mom agreed with her own exasperated smile. "He's like that with me, sometimes, too. But it's always because he cares."

"He's paranoid," I groused.

Mom didn't correct me. She asked after my homework and then kissed me goodnight. I took a shower and then sat on my bed, listening to some Mozart, and played some Solitaire to try and calm my mind.

I hadn't told Alicia that I had almost been denied going to the party, or that my dad had felt the need to remind me that bad things happen to normal people all the time, or that I had been forced to change my view on Reid now that he's killed someone. Well, maybe not that so much because Reid was still like a big kid in a lot of ways to me and mostly I felt sorry that he had had to kill someone and grateful that he was alive.

But she wouldn't have understood why Dad had said what he did and why it annoyed me. Dad sees so much go wrong in the world and I know it would probably kill him if anything like that ever happened to me or Mom. But what annoyed me was how hypocritical he could get, wanting to keep his work and his home separate, and then saying that kind of thing to me.

But I had shopping to look forward to and a party to attend in a week. So I guess that I can deal with it.


Notes: Sorry for the late update! A lot is going on in my family right now that's been upping my stress level in addition to the usual job (or lack thereof) problems. Don't worry, I have written this out to the end of the first season, it just might take awhile for the next season to come out.

Does anyone besides me think Gideon would be a paranoid dad? Just wait until I post the next chapter. P.S. this is probably one of my absolute favorite episodes from season one, mostly for Reid telling Hotch that he kicks like a nine year old girl.

Also, if you're looking for an example of 'patter' you've probably heard it already. Has everyone heard the aria where it goes: Fiiiiii-ga-ro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Fiiiii-ga-ro. The part of the song where most people mumble because the words are coming too fast, that's patter. Ironically, this aria is not from the opera, The Marriage of Figaro, by Mozart. It's from The Barber of Seville by Rossini who was from almost a century later. What happened is that the libretto (the script) of both operas are from the same author who used the same characters. Barber comes first where Figaro helps the Count to rescue the imprisoned young woman whom he later marries. Marriage is years after when Figaro, now the manservant of the count, wants to marry the Countess' maid. Just a fun little bit of trivia. Also ironically, I was explaining this to my sister one day and literally the next day she was playing a trivia game and was able to answer the question about who the barber was in The Barber of Seville (answer, Figaro).

Anyway, the next chapter should come out this Thursday. Thanks to my reviewers! You help keep me going.