Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
A/N: Shout out to Sue1313 for being the 60th reviewer of this story. Please keep all of these reviews coming!
Spencer and Olivia woke up at the same time and got dressed for the day before making breakfast together. While they were eating Reid looked at Olivia.
"No one mentioned me turning 30 yesterday." said Spencer
"You should tell your teammates about how you feel." said Olivia
"I just don't feel like it." said Spencer who took a sip of his orange juice
Spencer looked at the clock and saw that he had to get going.
"Can you give me a ride to the train station?" asked Spencer
"Sure I can." said Olivia
A few hours later
Reid sat down at the round table for briefing.
"Does anyone remember this picture?" asked Garcia
"Hotch and I were there. That's principal Doug Givens. We had to drag him to safety." said Rossi
"High school bombing in Boise, right?" asked Emily
"School shooter and school bomber. A kid named Randy Slade shot 3 students and then set off an I. E. D. in the cafeteria via cell phone, killing himself and 13 kids total, but not before posting all of his plans online. It was one of those "Where were you?" events. My whole campus was glued to the TV." said JJ
Reid knew that he was in Pasadena during that time and he was watching it with his classmates on campus.
"Last night, Principal Givens was killed by a bomb modeled exactly like the old one." said Garcia who pulled up a picture on the screen
"It feels like the unsub wants to attack the man who kept the school together after the bombing. It's a pretty symbolic target."
"And this week is the 10th anniversary of the massacre." said Hotch
"And today is the first day of a 4-day event to commemorate the bombing at the school." said Garcia
"Except commemorating it isn't enough for this unsub." said Emily
"No. He wants to relive it." said Hotch and looked at his agents "Wheels up in 30."
Hotch looked over at Reid and wondered why he hasn't said a word during briefing, and he thought that with this case it is bringing up his bad high school memories
Reid stood up and pulled out his cellphone to call his wife while heading to his desk to get ready. He ended up getting voice mail so he left a message.
"Livy, I have to go to Idaho and I don't know how long I will be gone. I will call you this evening when I have a chance. I love you." said Spencer who hung up and met up with Hotch to head to the jet
Reid met up with Hotch at the elevators and Hotch looked at him.
"Called your wife?" asked Hotch
"Ended up leaving her a voice mail since she is probably with some students right now." said Spencer
"It will get easier to leave your wife alone at home for a few days." said Hotch
"I know that." said Spencer
Hotch decided to get right to the point about why Reid was being quiet during briefing
"So why haven't you said anything during briefing?" asked Hotch
Reid didn't want to bring up that he was upset about everyone except his wife, mom, dad, and aunt forgetting his 30th birthday so he brought up high school.
"This case brings back high school memories." said Reid
"Just let me know if it gets too personal for you." said Hotch who was thinking about what Jack's teacher said about Jack being bullied and he wondered if Reid should talk to Jack "And Jack is hoping to see you and Olivia sometime." Added Hotch
"Jack is a great kid." Said Reid
A short while later, they were on the jet and Reid sat down next to JJ, A few minutes later the jet was in the air.
"Perpetrators of school violence are often sophisticated with their weapons. Randy Slade carried his bomb in his backpack. This guy hid his in Givens' clock radio." said Reid while looking at the case file he was given
"Yeah, and progressive. Each one tries to top the body count of the one previous." said Emily
"And they're loners by default, not by choice. They try to join various social groups, but they get shut out." said JJ
"Randy Slade wasn't a loner at all." Hotch
"The family cooperated fully with us. He was a high-functioning psychopath, straight-A student, varsity wrestler, lots of girlfriends." said Rossi
"With an above-average intelligence that made him incredibly resourceful. His explosive of choice was Semtex. It's found at demolition sites, but it's held under lock and key." said Reid glad that his PhD in chemistry could be useful while dealing with bombs
"Which made us consider the possibility of a partner. Never found one." said Rossi
"Slade was too much of a narcissist to share credit. But he was also an impulsive teen, which is what bothers me about this unsub." said Hotch
"His sense of control?" asked Emily
"And the end game that he's working toward. Slade's pathology revolved around the big kill. This unsub could have done the same if he'd waited for the candlelight vigil." said Hotch
"Which means there's no blaze of glory fantasy here. This unsub has more bombs made, and he's savoring the anticipation of his next attack." said Rossi
They continued briefing and Reid heard his phone vibrate and saw that there was a text from his wife.
I WAS IN A FACULTY MEETING WHEN YOU CALLED. PLEASE STAY SAFE AND I LOVE YOU. ~ OR
Spencer smiled and sent her a reply
I HOPE THAT YOUR MEETING WENT WELL, WILL BE LANDING IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. LOVE YOU LIVY. ~ SR
Spencer put his phone away since the jet would be landing soon so he focused on the case more.
When the jet was descending Hotch looked at his agents and gave assignments.
A short while later Reid and JJ arrived at the crime scene.
"OK. So the unsub has to be tied to the school somehow, right? Current student, alumni, family member who lost someone?" asked JJ
Reid bent forward a bit to look at the bomb.
"It could be Slade groupie celebrating his hero. He taped nails to the exterior of the bomb, specifically to rip open flesh. That's a sadistic detail of Slade's the unsub copied." said Reid
"Except he tricked Givens into blowing himself up. A groupie probably wouldn't show that much self-control." said JJ
"But someone with an ax to grind against the principal would. Maybe he's a surrogate for the tormenters in high school he can't punish." said Reid and he decided to ask JJ about her high school tormenters since everyone knows that he was severely bullied "Who were yours?" asked Reid
"I don't even remember." said JJ
"You don't even remember?" asked Reid and added "Wait, were you one of the mean girls?"
"No." said JJ
"Valedictorian, soccer scholarship, corn-fed, but still a size zero. I think that you might have been a mean girl." said Reid
"I was actually one of the nice girls, even to guys like you." said JJ
"Guys like me? I'll have you know that my social standing increased once I started winning at basketball." said Reid who revealed his favorite sport
"Oh, yeah, you played basketball?" asked JJ wondering if Reid played with other 12 year old boys at a community center or in high school
"I didn't play. I coached basketball. I broke down the opposing team's shooting strategy." said Reid
JJ now realized why Morgan was irritated Reid
"Is that why Morgan kicked you out of the pool last week?" asked an amused JJ
"Yeah. It took him 3 rounds to realize I was hustling him." smirked Reid
"Huh." said JJ
Spencer and JJ continued going through the scene.
A few hours later Reid and JJ were told by an officer that there is another body. So Spencer and JJ headed to the hotel where Chelsea Grant was staying and Reid looked over the hotel room while JJ looked over the body. JJ called Hotch and put him on speaker.
"You're on speaker, JJ." said Hotch through the phone
"So we might have another one." said JJ while Reid observed the hotel room
"Might?" asked Hotch
"One of the North Valley alumni was killed in her motel room. No bomb or gun this time. Looks like he used his bare hands." said JJ
"You got a name?" asked Hotch through the phone
"Chelsea Grant." said Reid
"She's on the list." said Morgan
Hotch decided that the crime scene investigators needed to process everything so he addressed Reid and JJ.
"You two go to head to the hotel and Reid you and I will go through the fresh crime scene tomorrow morning." said Hotch
"Do we have to double up or have our own rooms?" asked JJ
"Doubling up because of the candle light vigil that is happening in a few days." said Hotch
"Who am I with?" asked Reid
"With me." said Hotch
Reid and JJ arrived at the hotel where they got everyone's rooms keys and dropped off their bags before heading to the lobby.
Hotch looked at the clock since he knew that everyone must be hungry.
"Let's go get something to eat and then we will get some rest." said Hotch
They headed to the restaurant at the hotel and ate supper while talking about their findings. Then they headed to their rooms.
Reid looked at Hotch.
"Mind if I shower first?" asked Reid
"Go ahead while I call Jack." said Hotch
Reid took a quick shower and a few minutes later he walked out of the bathroom in his glasses, cotton pajama pants and an FBI t-shirt and Hotch gathered his toiletry items and headed into the bathroom.
Reid pulled out his cellphone and called his wife.
"Hi Olivia." said Spencer
"How is it going Spencer?" asked Olivia who was sitting in bed
"Sharing a room with Hotch because of the candlelight vigil that is happening this week." said Reid
"You sound exhausted." said Olivia
"I will be heading to bed in a few minutes." said Spencer
"I should be in bed now too. I love you Spencer, and please stay safe." said Olivia
"I love you too." said Spencer who hung up and stretched out in bed. He took out the crime scene photos from Chelsea's hotel room and started looking over them. Hotch came out of the bathroom in his pajamas.
"Recent crime scene photos?" asked Hotch
"From Chelsea Grant's hotel room." said Reid
"Get some sleep, and you can tell me in the morning." said Hotch who noticed that it was past 11 PM
Reid put down the case file but kept his glasses on and looked at Hotch.
"With the list that Randy Slade made 10 years ago, I would have never done that to my high school class." said Reid
Hotch was glad that Reid was bringing up the bullying he went through.
"I know that Reid." said Hotch
"I know that you decided to room with me since you don't want a repeat of the Owen Savage case." said Reid
"That is one of the reasons why I chose to room with you, just in case you needed to talk." said Hotch
Reid yawned which Hotch noticed.
"Get some sleep Reid, since we are going to the crime scene right away in the morning." said Hotch
Reid took off his glasses and set them on the night stand. He got himself to lay down in bed and fell asleep.
The next morning
Reid ducked under the crime scene tape with Hotch following him while speaking to Hotch.
"The unsub crushed Chelsea's throat so she couldn't scream, then he pulverized her ribs, sending fragments of bone into her heart." said Reid
"Principal Givens was high-profile. Chelsea wasn't. Right now the only thing connecting them is that they're both on the kill list." said Hotch while looking at Reid
"A list that Brandon kept secret for 10 years. But he was in custody when this happened. The question is, how did the unsub get the exact same list?" asked Reid
"We ruled out a partner, but not conclusively." said Hotch
"Slade made every part of his plan public. It doesn't make sense that he would hide a partner." said Reid
"He didn't want to share the credit. And this weekend is the partner's best chance to claim it." said Hotch who knew that they were ready to give the profile "We are ready to give the profile." said Hotch
On the way to the station, Reid's phone rang and he didn't know why. But he was glad that he put his phone on silent before he went to bed the night before despite turning on the volume when he woke up.
"Partners of dominant psychopaths are usually submissive, but that doesn't mean that they can't be intelligent or that they're physically weak." said Hotch
"This unsub laid low after the bombing and successfully evaded police and FBI. That took cunning and patience, which he's exhibiting now with his current murders." said Morgan
"We think he fits the loner profile Slade debunked. He grew up in an abusive home, which kept him from forming the normal social bonds in high school." said JJ
"We interviewed all the outcasts from back then. How did this guy slip through?" asked Chief Cole
"Even outcasts eventually form friendships. But this unsub was the outcast the outcasts rejected. He won't stand out in any capacity, and as a matter of fact, most of his fellow students probably won't even remember graduating with him." said Reid
"And that invisibility is what made him attractive to Slade. This partner wouldn't steal the spotlight." said Rossi
"Slade turned to the cafeteria because most of the names on his list ate there together during fifth period." said Reid
"So his hatred festered when the names on the list emerged from the cafeteria as media heroes. And now he wants to finish the job that Randy started." said Morgan
"Emotionally, this weekend is more a high school reunion to him than a memorial. We go to reunions to show who we grew up to be. Often that means changing everything about who we were." said Rossi
"Consciously or not, Randy Slade revealed clues as to his partner's identity when he detonated his bomb. Agent Prentiss will be conducting cognitive interviews to see what the survivors might remember." said Hotch
Reid sat down at a table with Hotch and JJ and they were having a conference call with Garcia.
"So, as you can see from your board there, this kill list is weirdly similar to high school. Group one is like the popular kids, prom court, football team, Dean's list. The Heathers, if you will." said Garcia
"Kids in Slade's social circle." said Hotch
"What about number two?" asked JJ
"Uh, mm-hmm, that would be the kids from the other side of the tracks, 180-degree difference, kids this close to getting kicked out- stoners, burnouts, mental cases. Chelsea Grant is on this list." said Garcia
"Maybe Slade targeted them because they disgusted him?" asked JJ as Reid's phone rang and vibrated and Reid canceled the call
"But they didn't threaten Slade's sense of superiority. He wouldn't have even cared about them." said Hotch while Reid's phone went off again
"All right, well, maybe the partner put them on the list. They'd be closer to his social status than Slade's." said JJ as Reid's phone kept going off
"Why would the" asked Reid as he canceled another call "I'm so sorry. Why would the unsub list kids that he fit in with?" asked Reid while Hotch looked at him
"Apparently that's how this clique worked. The kids in it were meaner to each other than kids on the outside. Garcia, separate out all the kids who got into trouble regularly. Then eliminate the names that the partner put on the list." said Hotch who heard Garcia typing "Now, who's left that came to the memorial?" asked Hotch
"Right. Whoever made the list wouldn't put their name on it. Uh... Sir, I think I think I've got him." said Garcia who gave info and hung up
Hotch looked at Reid.
"Was it your wife, your mom's doctors, or your dad calling you?" asked Hotch
"I keep on getting phone calls from the press." said Reid who was confused "Normally Olivia will text me unless I call her. And my dad knows that he needs to text just in case I am on a case. He knows that I am not in DC right now since I sent him a text telling him that I will be in Idaho. And I talked to my mother's doctor about how my mother is doing two days ago." said Spencer
"Huh." said Hotch
Reid decided to get to work while he constantly had to cancel phone calls. After Emily, Hotch, and Morgan returned, he was told what Lewis and Jerry talked about while he was writing on the white board.
"You buy it?" asked Emily
"He fits the profile, and the evidence points to him, but he seems sincere." said Hotch
Reid decided to bring up what he figured out about the note.
"He's not the unsub. He was the partner, but look at how Slade added "all the LoSeRs in this Godforsaken school." said Reid while he wrote LoSeR on the board "This capitalization isn't an accident. Look." said Reid while he circled the capitalization "L S R Lewis Stuart Ramsey." said Reid while turning around to face Emily and Hotch
"So Slade named his own partner. Ironically, Lewis' marijuana addiction saved his life." said Reid
"Well, that puts us back to our original problem. If the unsub isn't the partner, how did he get his hands on a list that Slade and Lewis kept to themselves?" asked Emily
"The only answer is that part of the profile is wrong. The unsub's vendetta has nothing to do with the list." said Hotch and he looked at Emily "Did you get anything from Jerry Holtz?" asked Hotch
Reid looked at Emily while she answered Hotch.
"Only that he mixed up the cell phones that Slade used. It felt like he was making the story up, but I only had a hunch." said Emily
"We need to find him now. There's a connection to the victimology that we're missing. Whatever he's holding back might be the key." said Hotch who walked away
A short while later they got a call about a body found at the school and Reid headed to the crime scene with JJ.
Reid was looking around the covered body when Emily approached them.
"Jerry Holtz? How long?" asked Emily
"Less than an hour. Security guard heard the commotion, but the unsub was already gone." said JJ while Reid looked at the display case
"The only people who knew we were doing the cognitive interviews were the other survivors. The unsub must be part of that group." said Emily and she noticed the wheels in Reid's brain were turning
"Well, we don't know that for a fact. He could have been lying in wait. Look, Hotch wants me to go through the victims' lives and find the overlap. We can compare their histories with the unsub's." said JJ
"Well, what else do we have to go on?" asked Emily
"Spence said the unsub would have broken his hand beating Chelsea to death. Did you notice anyone with a cast on their hand, someone who seemed hurt?" asked JJ to Emily
"No." said Emily who was wondering what Reid is thinking about
Reid finally figured it out with what might be wrong with their unsub since Emily said that she saw no one with a cast or looking hurt.
"I might know why. This unsub doesn't feel pain." said Reid and explained about his revelation while they headed back to the hotel
Reid walked into his hotel room and saw that Hotch was already changed for bed.
"I have a revelation that I will tell you guys in the morning." said Reid
"Are you going to call Olivia?" asked Hotch
"It's too late right now to call her, and I turned off my phone for the night because of the constant calls that I am getting." said Reid who walked into the bathroom to shower and get into pajamas.
10 minutes later, Reid walked out of the bathroom in cotton pajama pants and an FBI t-shirt and crawled into bed right away.
The next morning
Reid was standing in the conference room that they were given to use and he was sharing what he figured out with Hotch, Morgan, and Rossi
"There's a medical condition called pain asymbolia, where patients register harmful stimuli without being bothered by it. They've been documented holding their hand over an open flame because their brain doesn't send pain signals to the central nervous system." said Reid glad that he got to share some interesting information
"Sounds pretty rare. You sure the unsub has it?" asked Rossi
"The crime scenes prove it. This unsub displayed an unusual level of savagery towards his victims. And consider this" said Reid while he pointed at the crime scene photos "he smashed through a glass display case, but there were not cuts on Jerry. That means he most likely punched through it as a show of force. Now, the only way the human body could withstand that level of pain is if he couldn't feel it at all."
"It must take a major toll on someone's emotional development." said Rossi
Reid heard his cellphone ringing and silenced it again while getting irritated with the constant ringing.
"A significant contributor to our sense of empathy is the way we personally experience pain." said Morgan who was being entertained at watching Reid getting irritated
"And the unsub didn't develop his sense of empathy because it was cut off. Does every person with asymbolia have this?" asked Hotch while asking Reid
"Actually, most feel empathy just fine, which makes me think the rest of our profile is still accurate. Loner, invisible," said Reid while his phone rang "Outcast, boiling rage son of a bitch!" yelled Reid while he answered his phone "Hi! This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is-" yelled Reid into the phone
"Reid." scolded Hotch
"Sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me. Where were we?" asked Reid who canceled the call not knowing that he hung up with his wife
"I'm going to have Garcia check medical records. What causes asymbolia?" asked Hotch
"S-s-severe trauma produces lesions in the insular cortex, usually after a stroke. But this unsub's so young, it's most likely caused by an external factor." said Reid while watching Morgan
"Like a bomb going off next to him?" asked Rossi knowing that Reid realized that it was Morgan's fault that his phone is constantly going off
"Yeah, like a bomb going off next to him." said Reid while watching Morgan and he looked at the table while Hotch walked away "I will crush you." said Reid quietly
"What?" asked Morgan
"What?" repeated Reid and he walked over to Hotch
"Hotch may I turn off my phone?" asked Reid
"Yes, so your phone can stop ringing." said Hotch
"When we get to DC, I will have to change my number." said Reid
"You should do that Reid." said Hotch
Reid decided to get busy so they can find the unsub and he can get home to his wife.
Meanwhile in Washington DC
"Hi! This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is-" said Spencer and Olivia looked at her phone while her husband picked up and she left a message
"Spencer, please call me because I don't feel so good." said Olivia who puked into the waste basket again and decided to take a nap
Back in Idaho
JJ figured out about the top 10 and shared what she found with Hotch. Hotch decided to have Reid stay at the station.
While Morgan left with Hotch and the others, Reid took Morgan's cellphone and MP3 player and did some tinkering on it. When he was done, he put it back in Morgan's bag. He used a land line to call his wife, and didn't get an answer so he thought that she was taking a nap.
A few hours later after their unsub was killed
Reid decided to sit across from Morgan so he can have a view of Morgan's reaction when his payback prank happens. So he sat next to Rossi and closed his eyes with a book on his chest while Morgan listened to his music.
Morgan looked at Reid when his music stopped.
"We interrupt your regularly scheduled musical selection with an important announcement. Never wage a practical joke war against a Caltech graduate, because we have a history of going nuclear. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the dulcet sounds of me screaming in your ear. Aaaah!"
Morgan pulled off his headphones and Emily looked at him funny.
"OK, kid, that was cute. But that's all you got?" asked Morgan
Reid let out some snores since he messed with Morgan's phone and didn't ask Garcia to help him.
Morgan's phone rang.
"Hey, baby gi-" said Morgan
"Aaaah!" Morgan hung up his phone while Rossi waved a napkin between Morgan and Reid. Morgan looked at Reid "Uh-uh. All right, Reid, it's on. Just know that paybacks are a bitch."
Reid let out a snore. He thought about why Olivia hasn't answered any of his phone calls or text messages since she always makes sure to call or text him back.
Three hours later
Reid walked into his apartment and heard some quiet sobbing. He rushed to the bedroom and smelled vomit in the small wastebasket so he had a feeling that Olivia is sick
"What's wrong Olivia?" asked Spencer
"It hurts." cried Olivia while curled up in fetal position
Spencer felt her forehead and instantly became worried.
"You're burning up, where are you hurting?" asked Spencer
"Lower right hand quadrant and I have been in pain for 10 hours. I tried calling you but you answered the phone rudely so I decided to lay down. I have puked a few times also. But we both know that I am not pregnant since I am on the pill." sobbed Olivia
Spencer came up with an idea since he realized what the symptoms are so he felt her belly and pushed down.
"Does that hurt?" asked Spencer
"No." said Olivia
"This is going to hurt Olivia." said Spencer as removed his fingers from her belly.
"Oww." cried Olivia
"I know what is wrong with you and we need to go to the hospital as soon as possible, can you walk?" asked Spencer
Olivia shook her head no.
Spencer grabbed his cellphone and dialed 911.
A/N: I am so mean about this cliff hanger.