Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for being the 190th reviewer, and also a shout out to Hippichic81, Tannerose5, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 52.

I have a feeling that this story will have more than 200 reviews by the time I post chapter 55 because I have 193 reviews as of now.


Spencer looked at his wife who was standing by a chalk board that has 17 weeks and some facts written on it and spoke up.

"Smile." said Spencer

Olivia placed her hands on her belly and grinned for the camera, and Spencer took a few more pictures as Olivia made a few other poses in-between shots.

"Are you done taking pictures yet?" asked Olivia

"Just a few more." smirked Spencer

Olivia decided to be funny and flipped the bird, causing Spencer to burst out laughing which causing Einstein to investigate, and Olivia looked at Einstein.

"Come here Einstein." she said

Einstein walked over to Olivia and she scooped him up.

"You won't be able to carry him soon." chastised Spencer

"I just want to enjoy being able to carry him." said Olivia as Einstein kissed her face causing Spencer took a photo of Olivia and Einstein.

"Done yet?" asked Olivia after Spencer put the camera down

"Yeah I am." said Spencer as he walked over to Olivia so she could see the pictures with him

Olivia set down Einstein who decided to go into the dining room so he could leave a surprise for his mommy and daddy who were busy looking at photos.

"You took some great pictures." said Olivia

"Want to help me choose which one we need to send to my parents and aunt?" asked Spencer

"Sure." said Olivia before sniffing the air, realizing that Einstein had an accident "Einstein just did a number two."

"I will get his mess cleaned up." said Spencer as he grabbed cleaning supplies

"How about you take out the trash as well." said Olivia

"I am planning on it." said Spencer as he picked up the poop using a plastic bag before spraying some cleaner on the floor and wiping it

"Hopefully he will be potty trained before I reach the third trimester." sighed Olivia as she opened the patio door so Einstein could go outside

"You are almost halfway through the pregnancy Olivia." said Spencer as he removed the full bag from the garbage can so he could take it out

"And we still have a lot to do yet before Piper is born." said Olivia as she walked over to the patio door to let Einstein in and Spencer slipped out to take out the trash

"But hopefully we have everything set up for her when you reach 8 months." said Spencer as he came back inside


"How about we get out of the house for a few hours?" suggested Olivia as she put on her winter jacket and winter hat

Spencer followed suit by putting on his navy blue pea coat and his winter hat.

"I just love seeing that jacket on you Spencer." said Olivia as they got into their SUV

"Pretty much all of my teammates have a wool jacket to look professional, even though Morgan prefers to wear a leather jacket." said Spencer as he started the SUV "Where should we go?" he asked as he pulled out of the driveway

"How about the National Mall area?" asked Olivia

"OK." said Spencer

"I'm hungry." said Olivia

"We should have an early lunch first before we walk around the National Mall." said Spencer


After lunch, Spencer and Olivia were walking towards The Lincoln Memorial when Olivia looked at her husband as they sat on a bench.

"Are we going to visit our family in Las Vegas before it will be too uncomfortable for me to be on a commercial flight?" asked Olivia as she rested her head on Spencer's shoulder

"We probably should visit them because my mom wants us to visit in person before Piper is born." said Spencer as he stroked Olivia's hair that wasn't covered by her winter hat before wrapping an arm around her

"If we spend a weekend in Vegas, I have a feeling that one of your coworkers will be glad to watch Einstein for us." said Olivia as she curled into Spencer's side for warmth

"I have a feeling that Hotch and Jack would be willing to take care of him for us." said Spencer as they watched families walk around

"I can't wait for us to take Piper to museums and walk around this national park in a few years." said Olivia as she smiled at hearing children laugh

"I can't wait either, but she will enjoy seeing the sights of Virginia too." said Spencer

"Mind if I ask you something that has been on my mind since I met you?" asked Olivia

"You can ask me anything Livy." said Spencer as he kissed her on the cheek

"Even though you are stationed in Quantico, why did you choose to live in Washington DC instead of closer to Quantico?" asked Olivia

"When I saw Washington DC for the first time, I knew that there would be a lot of places I would want to check out because of what I learned in school about it. And Hotch told me that a lot of agents stationed in Quantico reside in Washington DC despite the longer commute to work, so he recommended that I find an apartment in Washington DC if I wasn't planning on getting a house." said Spencer

"I still have a lot of sightseeing to do, but I am glad that you are my tour guide Spencer." said Olivia as she started to shiver

Spencer frowned when he felt Olivia shiver and spoke up.

"Are you cold Livy?" asked Spencer

"Yes I am, and I want hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream to help warm me up since I can't have coffee like you can." said Olivia

"You can have whatever you want, my beautiful queen." said Spencer as he helped Olivia get up "And I could go for some hot chocolate myself since I cut back on coffee."

"If I am your queen, will Piper be your little princess after she is born?" asked Olivia as she interlocked elbows with him

"Yes." said Spencer as they walked towards their SUV so he could drive them to Starbucks

"After we get some hot chocolate and brownies can we go and buy some paint for the nursery?" asked Olivia

"Why not?" said Spencer


Spencer and Olivia entered the hardware store and headed towards the paint section. Olivia saw a light pink that she loved.

"Spencer, I like this shade of pink." said Olivia as she showed him the paint card

"Thinking about ditching the gender neutral theme now?" teased Spencer

Olivia glared at him before speaking.

"I want Piper to have a cherry blossom tree themed nursery because of the pictures I have seen of the cherry blossom trees." said Olivia

"You will be amazed when the cherry blossom trees bloom next month, and maybe we will attend the yearly cherry blossom festival next month when I am not working." said Spencer

"You better take me or you are sleeping on the couch." said Olivia

Spencer shook his head before flagging an employee to help them out with getting a few cans of the color that Olivia wants.


Spencer was working on a consult when he felt Hotch's hand on his shoulder and looked up to make eye contact since Hotch made it a habit of waiting for him to make eye contact before speaking.

"Is there a case Hotch?" asked Spencer

"I am going to the firing range for about an hour, want to join me?" asked Hotch

"Sure." said Spencer as he made sure that he has everything that he needs with him before following Hotch

"Olivia and I were talking about taking a trip to Vegas to see my mom before Piper is born before Olivia can't handle flying commercially when she reaches the third trimester." said Spencer as they walked towards the shooting range while being greeted by other agents and civilian staff members

"Not a bad idea." said Hotch

"Once a week I have Olivia pose for a picture in front of a chalk board stating how far she is in her pregnancy and the size of the baby and we will email the pictures to my dad who takes them to my mom." said Spencer

"Not a bad idea." said Hotch

"Apparently my dad did the same thing with my mom, having her pose for a picture so she could remember going through the pregnancy because as soon as I was born she had to go back on her medication." said Spencer as they reached the indoor shooting range where they signed in


"It's been a long time since I saw you two enter the range together." said Agent Peterson, remembering how Hotch used to coach Reid on shooting a gun

"It's been over six years." said Spencer

"I was going to spend some time here while a few of my agents have some duties to attend to at the academy, and I wanted to give Reid a break on his stack of consults." said Hotch

Agent Peterson got them set up and before they knew it Hotch and Reid were putting on their safety glasses and ear protection and started shooting at their targets.


Agent Peterson approached Hotch and Reid and looked at the target that Reid shot at and looked at Hotch.

"What ever happened to the rookie agent who use to have trouble with his re-qualifications?" asked Agent Peterson

"He learned that there are some situations when he will have to shoot the unsub to save his own life and the lives of others after his first kill shot." said Hotch

Agent Peterson looked at Spencer and spoke up.

"How many unsubs have you shot now Agent Reid?" he asked

"I have shot four unsubs, even though one of them survived after getting shot in the chest and is currently in prison." said Spencer

"Didn't you get shot a few years back?" asked Agent Peterson remembering that he once saw Reid on crutches and wearing a brace

"I was shot in the knee, but with the help of surgery and physical therapy I was able to regain the use of my left knee. On the bright side though, all those months on crutches and physical therapy helped make me not so skinny anymore because I became one of Rossi's pet projects during that time with his cooking, even though I love my wife's cooking." said Spencer


Agent Peterson and Hotch walked further away and Agent Peterson spoke up as they watched Reid started firing shots at the target.

"Weren't you Agent Reid's training officer?" asked Agent Peterson

"I was, but I started working with him when he was a 21 year cadet so he would be comfortable working with me when he joined the BAU at 22." said Hotch

"I heard through the grapevine that Agent Reid is going to be a father to a little girl this summer." said Agent Peterson

"His daughter will be born in July, and he is definitely going to be wrapped around her little finger once she is born." said Hotch

"Aren't all father's like that if they have a daughter? Because my daughter was like that with me before she became a teenager." said Agent Peterson


Garcia approached Spencer's desk and looked at Spencer and JJ.

"We are going back to Cali." said Garcia as she went over to Morgan and Emily who had just gotten off the elevators

Spencer looked at JJ.

"Don't you think it would be better for us if we were stationed in the middle of the United States instead of here in Virginia? Because then we would have shorter flights and not get too exhausted by jet lag." said Spencer

"I agree." said JJ

"I second that." said Rossi as he walked into the conference room with Reid and JJ where Hotch was already waiting for them

Spencer sat down at the round table and a few minutes later Garcia spoke up after everyone was seated.

"San Bernardino, California. Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart. Exact same M. O. Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines cut, and they broke in through a back window." said Garcia as everyone started going through crime scene photos

"In each case the entire family was shot and killed?" asked Spencer

"Yes, that is right. I present to you the Mitchells and the Lewis families." said Garcia as she showed everyone photos of the families that were killed

"They took out the power and phones to isolate them. Their alarm systems wouldn't work and they can't call for help." said Rossi

"Most modern alarm systems have a backup generator and a cell phone connection to the security company." said Spencer, knowing that that is the type of security system that he and Olivia got

"Yeah, but the Mitchell family had an older system, and the Lewis family were behind on their account, so it was inactive." said Garcia

"An assailant was killed in each case?" asked JJ

"Affirmative. But the sheriff hasn't I. D.'d them yet." said Garcia

"So both families were armed and fought back and shot one of their attackers." said Emily

"Is that a coincidence or a connection?" asked Morgan

"What concerns me is the frequency of the kills." said Hotch

"Only 4 days apart." said JJ

"Right. It's a long flight. We'd better get going. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch as everyone but Reid got up

Hotch looked at Reid who was looking at the photo of the baby and little girl.

"You alright?" asked Hotch after everyone left the room

"I really hate cases that deal with kids being murdered, even though my daughter isn't born yet." said Spencer as he closed his file

"Everything will change when you hold your daughter for the first time, and if you need to step back during this case, please let me know." said Hotch

"I know that." said Spencer

"How about you call your wife and let her know that you have a case." said Hotch as he and Reid left the room

Spencer sat down at his desk and called Olivia.

"Have a case?" answered Olivia

"San Bernardino, California." said Spencer

"California again?" asked Olivia

"Yeah." said Spencer

"Sometimes I think that the BAU should just be stationed in the middle of the country rather than in Virginia so you guys can have shorter flights." said Olivia

"I think so too Livy, but my teammates and I have duties to perform at the academy." said Spencer before looking at his watch "I have to get going since I have to be on the jet in 15 minutes."

"I love you and please stay safe." said Olivia

"Love you too and I will stay safe." said Spencer as he hung up


Reid was sitting next to JJ when Emily started talking

"Brian Mitchell was an avid hunter. Matt Lewis was an Iraq war vet. Not surprising they both owned guns." said Emily

"Last year Southern California's inland empire ranked fourth in the nation in foreclosure rates. Typically, as the economy falls, crime rates rise." said Spencer

"Times are tough. Desperate people do desperate things." said Rossi

Garcia's face appeared on the laptop as she spoke.

"Greetings, all. Your herald bears tidings." chirped Garcia

"What you got, mama?" asked Morgan

"The sheriff I. D.'D both the dead home invaders. First up is Alex Collison, 20. Made an impressive list of bad life decisions before he croaked, included but not limited to... Possession, a couple of drug charges, a card-carrying member of the Verdugo Heights boys." said Garcia

"They're gang members." said JJ

"Oh, he was, but slow your roll, homegirl, because next up is Ronald Underwood, 19. Zero record, unless you want to count some volunteer work. Straight-A student, putting himself through school." said Garcia

"Not exactly the home invasion type." said Emily

"Both from a poor area of town, grew up a mile apart." said Hotch

"Hard to tell from the crime scene photos how many assailants there were." said Rossi

"Well, if it was gang-related, there could be a lot of them." said Emily

"The homes that got invaded were on the other side of town, a predominantly white area full of middle-class families." said JJ

"Hey, guys, the M. E. Report just came in. Both of them had high levels of Oxycodone in their systems." said Garcia

"That's strange. Violent crimes like these are normally associated with the stimulant drugs, like methamphetamines." said Spencer

"Underwood's as straight as an arrow. Collison's a garden-variety gang-banger. I grew up with knuckleheads like that. High-risk break-ins and Oxy, that's not their M. O." said Morgan

"Regardless, we need to get ahead of it. The press has got the community on the verge of panic. JJ and I will coordinate with the sheriff's office. I want the rest of you at the crime scenes." said Hotch


Spencer entered Mackenzie's bedroom and looked around with a pang of sadness, thinking about how Mackenzie and her little sister were too young to die while thinking about the recorded 911 call before going downstairs to meet with the others.

"Mackenzie Lewis was the fourth and final victim. She made the 911 call from under her bed. The M. E. didn't see any signs of a struggle, so he obviously dealt with her rather quickly." said Spencer as Emily came down the stairs "Ballistics confirmed that the rest of the Lewis family was shot with the exact same .357."

"So if it was a gang, there was only one shooter." said Rossi

"The second and third victims were Trisha Lewis and 6 month old Blake. The injury pattern suggests that Mrs. Lewis tried to shield the baby with her own body." said Emily

"Matt Lewis was found right here, Ronald Underwood just over there." said Rossi as he pointed to where the victims were found "Underwood was shot 11 times in the head and abdomen."

"But Lewis himself only had a single gunshot wound to the head at almost pointblank range?" asked Spencer

"How did someone get that close?" asked Rossi

"He could have been subdued first." said Emily

"The M. E. didn't see any signs of a blitz attack or struggle." said Spencer

"Well, it had to be an ambush of some kind. Probably when he was confronting Underwood." said Morgan

"But that's almost impossible based on where the body was found." said Spencer

"It's right in the middle of the room. It's too out in the open to surprise somebody." said Emily as Morgan started walking around

"Matt Lewis wasn't shot here." said Rossi

"No, but someone moved the body to make it look like he was." said Spencer

"Forensic countermeasure designed to make us think these guys died in a gunfight that never occurred." said Morgan

"Bullets and blood everywhere. Too messy for an accurate reconstruction." said Rossi

"OK, so the unsub gets the drop on Matt Lewis, kills the rest of the family, and then leaves a drugged-up patsy behind to cover his tracks?" asked Emily

"This wasn't a burglary at all. There was a higher purpose here. They're staging the crime scene to send some kind of message." said Spencer

"This guy's trying to make it look like black kids from the hood are killing white families in white neighborhoods." said Morgan

"A pretty powerful message." said Emily


Spencer pulled out his cellphone and pressed the speed dial for Olivia.

"Hey Spencer." said Olivia

"Hey Olivia." said Spencer quietly

Olivia realized that Spencer was acting off, based on the tone of his voice.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia before adding "Please don't lie to me Spencer. I married a profiler, so I picked something up from the sound of your voice." said Olivia firmly

"Entire families are being killed." said Spencer

"Even children?" gasped Olivia as she rested her hands on her 17 week pregnant belly, feeling a small kick from Piper

"Two little girls were murdered and one of them was six months old." said Spencer

"I think you should attend a meeting when you get home." suggested Olivia

"I am planning on it, but I am hoping that you can help distract me when I get home." said Spencer

"Oh I am planning on distracting you." said Olivia before speaking "Even though I have classes to teach, I will always call you or text you back if you need to talk."

"Hotch told me that he would allow me to take a step back if I need to." said Spencer

"I have to get going because Alex and I are about to watch a movie, and she offered to stay in the guest bedroom to help me out with Einstein so I can rest my feet." said Olivia

"Please tell Alex that I appreciate her helping you out when I am on cases." said Spencer before saying goodbye to Olivia


Reid looked at the crime scene photos from the night before and sighed when he saw the photo of the eight month pregnant woman. He looked at Hotch who was looking at him with a concerned look in his eyes.

"I am glad that you didn't send me to that crime scene, even though I picture my wife in that photo." said Spencer quietly

"Remember that your four month pregnant wife is in DC and not here in California." said Hotch

"I keep on repeating that mantra to myself." said Spencer


"We believe we're looking for a white male in his late 20s to early 30s." said Hotch

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry, I thought we were looking at black gang-bangers." asked a deputy

"The unsub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible." answered Morgan

"Why would anyone do that?" asked the same deputy

"We think he's trying to create some sort of racial conflict." answered JJ

"In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-la Bianca murders in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites that he referred to as Helter Skelter." said Spencer

"A name he stole from a Beatles song." added Rossi

"Members of the Manson family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in blood in the hopes of convincing authorities that the Black Panther Party was responsible." said Spencer

"Hate groups like the Aryan Nation believe that race war is not only inevitable, but necessary." said Hotch

"Our unsub may be a member of one of these groups. Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prisons, so he may be an ex-con or even possibly related to a convict." said Emily

"We think he may also be some kind of zealot. He believes his war is already being fought. And these murders are a mission to him." said Rossi

"And like a soldier, he is willing to put himself in harm's way." said JJ

"The unsub may also be vulnerable somehow- weak minded or even lonely. His cause gives him a sense of power and belonging." said Spencer

"He's physically fit enough to move dead bodies, so he's probably young." said Morgan

"But not so young as to be impulsive. These attacks took planning and focus. So, he's disciplined." said Rossi

"He uses Oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners. But he does so without killing them, which means he's knowledgeable about dosages." said Spencer

"And Oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals and caregivers, anyone with access to prescription drugs." said Emily

"This unsub is dedicated and driven. It makes him especially dangerous. Surrender is not likely part of his strategy." said Hotch


A/N: Part 2 of A Thin Line will be up in a few days.