Chapter Text
It’s an early morning when Hotch arrives at headquarters to find a young man, more a boy really, rushing up to him. The teen holds out his hand, though Hotch can see him grimace lightly when he shakes it, as he introduces himself: “Hi, I’m Dr. Spencer Reid and I’m here to talk to you about a missing persons case.”
The kid, Spencer, seems far too young to be a doctor and Hotch assumes he is trying to sound more mature, because he’s desperate to be listened to. “Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner,” he says in return nonetheless. “You should go to the police to file a missing person.”
“I- I did,” Spencer practically trips over his own words with how fast he tries to get them out. “They won’t listen to me.”
Hotch doesn’t think he can shake the kid without listening to him, so he turns and hopes Spencer has a good reason for coming to the FBI. “Why not?” he asks.
“You see, my mom, she’s- she’s a paranoid schizophrenic, so they think she wondered off. She’s done it before, so they’re not taking it seriously,” Spencer tells him, relief audible in his voice when he realizes Hotch is listening to him, which makes the agent feel bad about replying: “And why would that not be the case?”
As expected Spencer looks frustrated by that reply, but still he diligently answers: “Because she wouldn’t disappear the way she did.”
Hotch sighs, he can’t do anything for this kid. So Spencer wants to believe his mom wouldn’t leave him behind or is scared that she might not turn up this time, but that is no reason to go to the FBI without supervision.
“Look, I’m sympathetic to your situation,” he starts, “but we cannot take this as a case. Your mom will turn up again, I’m sure. Why don’t you go to the Quantico Police Department and file for a missing person and see if they can get into contact with your father?”
“No,” Spencer says, suddenly more forceful that his stature would have you think. “I’m from Las Vegas, first off, so the Quantico Police Department won’t do me much good. And I am telling you that she is kidnapped.”
It isn’t that Hotch doesn’t feel bad for the kid, but he really has to go to his office, because there are more people in danger. People, who actually need the BAU’s help.
“She left it too neat,” that catches his attention. “When she leaves during a psychotic episode it’s because she thinks the government is watching her. The house will be turned upside down with sockets torn out of the walls and lamps unscrewed. She’ll empty her bookcase to look for microphones before she disappears to hide from whoever is watching, but that wasn’t the case. The house was neat. Too neat.”
“Okay, I’m listening,” Hotch tells him, seeing how Spencer’s shoulders sag as if a weight has been lifted.
“I’ve been spending more time on campus because I have an increased workload right now,” he explains and Hotch can maybe believe the kid looks young for his age and just started college. “I haven’t had the time to clean and she wasn’t in a frame of mind to do it last time I saw her. Yet the house was organized and not the way she would. The books were in alphabetic order, she organizes by time period. Little things like that.”
Hotch knows they’re gathering a bit of an audience in the hall of the FBI headquarters, but he’s not going through the hassle of getting the kid through security until he has something more than: the house was too neat.
“So when the police didn’t take me seriously, I looked into it,” Spencer says. “I know you must get thousands of people in here telling you about how their loved ones couldn't have been anything but taken in a grand conspiracy, but I wouldn’t have come unless I thought I had something. People with schizophrenia have been disappearing throughout the entire USA for the last ten years at regular intervals. It’s the same four dates, never a same state within the same year. It’s like a sick rotation of kidnappings.”
That is concerning, Hotch thinks, as he watches Spencer reach into his satchel and produce a thick packet of papers, which he hands to Hotch. “This is all I have, please, just take a look at it before dismissing me. She usually is found within a day when she wonders off, but she’s been missing for a week now. Please, my mom is all I have.”
As much as Hotch wants to walk away and, indeed, dismiss this as someone who can’t accept a loved one has passed away or left , the papers tug at something in him. “I’ll get you a visitor's batch and run it by my commanding officer.”
Spencer lights up. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Agent Hotchner.”
“I cannot make you any promises, you might still get dismissed,” Hotch warns, not wanting Spencer to get his hopes up while the chance is slim.
“I understand completely,” Spencer tells him seriously. “I’m just glad you’re willing to hear me out at all.”
And with that Hotch gets Spencer a visitor’s badge, before carting him to the conference room and settling him down with a cup of tea, even if the kid asks for coffee. As he does, he gets looks from the team, but he ignores them until he’s made sure Spencer won’t move.
Emerging into the bullpen it’s Garcia, who speaks first: “So, who’s the adorable gumdrop you have in there?”
“Claims he’s Dr. Spencer Reid,” Hotch starts and some snort at the title. “His mother has gone missing and he thinks it’s tied to a cross country kidnapping operation that has been going on for ten years already. I don’t think he’s lying about his name, but I want everything you can get on Spencer Reid and his mother.”
“I will type faster than the flash, sir,” Garcia tells him, before flaunting off to her lair.
“A kidnapper? Really, Aaron?” Rossi asks. “How come we haven’t heard of it yet.”
“Apparently his mother is a schizophrenic,” Hotch sighs, rubbing his brow. “Known to wonder off, so the police didn’t take him seriously. The other victims according to Spencer, are schizophrenics too.”
“And you believe him?” Rossi says. “No disrespect to the kid, but it’s an unlikely story.”
“I agree, but he has given us this,” Hotch produces the stack of paper Spencer has given him and puts it on the table. “So, let’s see if this is really a case or if we should contact his closest relatives to come pick him up.”
“If you say so,” Rossi trails off, picking a part of the stack to sift through, while Hotch delegates another part to Morgan and Prentiss, taking the biggest part himself.
He doesn’t know why, but his gut tells him this kid is telling the truth, no matter how unbelievable it is. And if he is, Hotch isn’t letting a serial kidnapper, and god knows what more, walk. Not if the unsub has been getting away with it already for so long.
The more he works through the pile, the more it seems like Spencer is on to something. When he looks up he meets Prentiss’ eyes and while s he’s relatively new on the team, but she isn’t afraid to say: “I think we might have a case here.”
“I have to agree with Prentiss,” Morgan flips through a few pages, frown on his face. “How the hell did this kid even connect all this?”
“Seems through sheer dedication,” Rossi comments.
“I’ll go tell Strauss we’re taking this case. Morgan, tell JJ to talk to Spencer, see what he knows and how he’s doing,” Hotch says, before getting up. “You all, keep working through these.”
JJ isn’t sure what to expect when she tentatively opens the door to the conference room. Spencer looks up at her from where he was seemingly skimming through a dense textbook about Chemistry, his tea practically untouched.
“Hi, I’m Jennifer Jareau, the media liaison of the BAU, but you can call me JJ,” she smiles gently.
“I’m Dr. Spencer Reid,” the kid says and JJ wonders why he’s maintaining that, though she decides not to comment. “Are- are they going to look into it?” he asks, uncertainty shaving even more years of his already young appearance.
“Agent Hotchner is trying to get permission to take on the case,” she’s happy to break that news to Spencer, especially when he nearly collapses in on himself in relief, small smile finally gracing his delicate features. God, he can’t be older than fourteen.
“Thank you so much,” he says and he sounds so grateful that it tugs on JJ’s heartstrings.
“So, where are you from?” she asks, trying to start small.
“I’m from Las Vegas, Nevada,” he answers and JJ feels her brow creeping up her face, which she quickly stomps down.
“And how did you get all the way up here?” she inquires, curious how a kid got here all by himself, since he doesn’t appear to have a guardian with him and his mom is obviously not there.
“It’s easier than you think to buy a plane ticket,” he tells her. “I walked closely behind a couple and they didn’t really ask any questions.”
Alright, so, dedicated kid. Also tragic how he’s seemingly used to getting by on his own, with how little issue he saw in flying across the country just to talk to them. “That’s pretty far from here,” she says. “Where do you go to school?” Perhaps there’s a teacher they can talk to about Spencer and his sudden trip.
“CalTech,” Spencer answers without hesitation.
JJ isn’t sure if Spencer thinks he’s being truthful or if he’s a good liar, but both would be an issue on the case. “You seem a bit young to be going to college, Spence,” she tells him as gently as she can, the name slipping out without her intent, though Spencer doesn’t seem to mind.
“Most sixteen-year-old's indeed wouldn’t averagely go to a college yet,” Spencer agrees with her easily. “And while I do not think intelligence can be accurately quantified, I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute. I have a Bachelor's in Psychology and Sociology as well as a PhD in Mathematics. Right now I’m getting my PhD in Chemistry and I want to pursue a PhD in Engineering after, though I might go to MIT for that one. I heard of the BAU when I was taking my Psychology courses. Agent Gideon gave a guest lecture. It’s- It’s how I knew what you did and that you can help me.”
“Wow, uhm, that’s- that’s very impressive,” she replies, unsure of how else to react when she has no way of fact checking what Spencer is telling her, even if Gideon gave lectures all over before he retired.
“It’s okay if you don’t believe me,” Spencer smiles self-deprecating. “Most don’t. It’s natural to react uncertain when faced with an anomaly in your perception of the world. I get it quite often, especially since I’ve started to introduce myself as doctor. I wanted to stop, but my- my mom-” he stops talking tears gathering in his eyes suddenly, making him look that much younger.
Crying is something JJ is familiar with and soon she has a crying boy under her arm, sobbing into her shoulder over the loss of a person he might never see again.
While JJ consoles Spencer, Hotch is returning with permission to pursue the case. Right after he has announced it to the others, Garcia comes walking in, mouth already moving a mile a minute. “So, you will not believe this, but our sweet baby boy over there is already sixteen, turning seventeen in a few weeks. He’s also truly a doctor, though not the medical kind.”
“Wait, hold up,” Morgan says. “He’s a doctor? Are you sure, baby girl?”
“Yes, we have a little genius here,” she replies. “He is registered as a PhD student at CalTech, where he is now pursuing his second PhD, this one is in Chemistry and he already has one in Mathematics. He also has Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology and an IQ of 187.”
There are a few surprised looks at the information, but Garcia keeps on talking either without taking note, or just ignoring it. “His mom, Diana Reid, used to be a professor in Medieval Literature until she was forced to quit due to her schizophrenia, leaving her a single mom after her husband, William Reid, left the two in 1990. She has been picked a quite few times while wandering, but nothing serious on her record. Spencer is also clean. He works at a convenience store as well as doing work on campus that he’s getting paid for, keeping the two of them afloat.”
Morgan whistles. “That is one hell of a journey. Kid got smarts and troubles. With a mom like his, she wouldn’t usually be missed. High risk target, even if she doesn’t live on the street.”
“It also explains how he’s been putting together all of this,” Prentiss says, gesturing to the case file Dr. Reid put together single-handedly. “He probably knows the case better than we’ll ever hope to know it.”
“We can’t involve him in this, he’s too close,” Rossi says before Hotch can put it out there. The older profiler must’ve seen it in his eyes.
“It’s ten years of abductions across the entirety of the US. If we want to give Mrs. Reid a chance to come back to her son alive, we must use everything at our disposal,” Hotch replies, not liking what he’s saying either.
“Hotch, he’s just a kid,” Morgan protests.
“A probably traumatized kid,” Garcia adds. “I saw him crying into JJ’s shoulder on my way here. Poor thing looked wrung out. Also, it’s also Dr. Reid. We have two Dr. Reids. The only not-Dr. Reid is William, the absent father.”
“I say he’s going to interfere no matter what,” Prentiss says, surprising them all. “I mean, he flew here on a plane by himself after putting together the entire case. He’s not going to sit at the sidelines, even if we put him there. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather know what he’s doing than him showing up somewhere dangerous.”
At that they all fall silent, looking over to the conference room as if it will give them answers.
“I’m not babysitting him,” Rossi informs them all and somehow it’s decided that Dr. Reid will help them find his mother. It must be a new record in the FBI, a sixteen-year-old consultant. Hotch mostly hopes Strauss doesn’t get wind of this before they’re on a plane.
“Alright everyone, wheels up in thirty. We’ll hear more from Dr. Reid on the plane,” Hotch says as everyone springs into motion.
He himself walks over to the conference room cautiously, but whatever crying Garcia might have seen is gone now, with only JJ next to him as proof along with slightly puffy eyes. When Hotch enters Dr. Reid’s attention is on him immediately.
Hotch knows JJ won’t like this, so he avoids her eyes and looks into Dr. Reid’s. “We’re going to Las Vegas and have decided that you are the best to consult on the case, Dr. Reid. If you have any belongings you need to pick up, do it quick. JJ will accompany to see you get back in thirty.”
Indeed JJ looks at him as if he has two heads instead of one, but with Dr. Reid there, she can’t say anything about it until they’re in private, which will be on the jet.
“Thank you so much,” Dr. Reid says. “I hope I can help. I won’t be in your way. I have all I brought here, so I’m good. Thank you, again. Also, just Spencer is fine, or Reid. The doctor really isn’t necessary.”
“Alright, Reid. Good to have you aboard,” Hotch says, before turning on his heel to grab his go bag and head to the landing strip.
Everyone is already on the plane when JJ and Reid arrive. Reid has a disposable cup in his hand and it’s filled with coffee if Hotch is going off the smell. When faced with the entire team suddenly, Reid freezes slightly.
Morgan, luckily, steps in and greets: “I’m SSA Derek Morgan, nice to meet you.”
“Hi, yes,” that snaps Reid out of it. “I’m Dr. Spencer Reid, but you don’t have to call me doctor. It’s nice- it’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
“And it’s nice to make yours,” Rossi says. “I’m Agent Rossi.”
“I’m Agent Emily Prentiss,” Prentiss introduces.
Reid nods to both of them in greeting, before Garcia speaks up from the screen: “Is he here? Is doing okay? Let me see him!”
Hotch sees Morgan shake his head fondly, before motioning the kid over. Reid cautiously does so before spotting Garcia on the screen and waving lightly. “Hi, I’m Dr. Spencer Reid. It’s nice to meet you.”
“God, you are adorable, my good doctor,” Garcia tells him with no professionalism. “I’m Penelope Garcia and I’m the tech analyst for the BAU. My fingers will fly over this keyboard as fast as they can to help.”
Now Reid finally smiles a true small smile, not a nervous one as he says: “Thank you, Miss Garcia .”
“No problem, sweetheart,” Garcia says and Hotch makes a note to tell her not to baby the kid, no mater how tempting it might be.
“So, Reid,” Hotch starts, getting everyone’s attention on him. “How long has your mother been missing.
“I think a week,” Reid says biting his lip guiltily. “I haven’t been home much with all my courses, so I noticed a day late. I thought she’d gone to bed already, but she wasn’t there the next morning. Then I noticed someone had messed with our stuff.” Tears spring to his eyes. “God, I can’t believe I didn’t check on her.”
“It’s okay,” JJ comforts him. “You did everything you could the moment you did notice. We’re going to try and find her and bring her back to you. Please, tell us what you know.”
Reid nods and takes a breath. “She was taken on the 21 st of June, all of the victims were taken on the 21 st of the month, all three month apart. The 21 st of the June is the longest day in the year, while the 21 st of December is the shortest, however on the 21 st of March is nothing of that sort and although some say the fall begins on the 21 st of September, it usually only does until the 22 nd or 23 rd .”
“So the dates could be something personal to the unsub,” Rossi summarizes.
“But then why the perfect three months interval?” Morgan asks. “I mean, they are almost all an entire season, four chunks, all three months. What happened to a person at such regular intervals at those dates?”
“It might have something to do with the cardinal points,” Reid says. “I noticed a pattern in the victim abduction sites. He takes from the North, the East and the South, in that order, never in the West. If he started in the South as the missing reports suggest, he would be on the East now and my mom would be the 39th victim.”
“Why would he skip the West?” Prentiss wonders out loud.
“I- I don’t know,” Reid admits, almost apologetically as if he’s supposed to.
“Garcia,” Hotch starts and after getting a ‘yes, sir,’ he goes on: “See if the possible victims have been found anywhere and if there are more. The sooner we have an MO, the better.”
“Don’t worry, sir,” Garcia says. “I will fly like an American imagines an eagle,” before disappearing from screen.
“And what about victimology,” Morgan asks.
“It looks like all the victims had schizophrenia,” Prentiss says. “He could be using their disorder against them to lure them out.”
“That could very well be,” Rossi agrees. “He must know they have it, because all his victims do, but if he travels, how would he know that information?”
“Maybe he has it himself and finds the victims through support groups?” Prentiss offers.
“No,” Reid says, shrinking a bit when everyone looks at him. “The way these kidnappings are done is too organized for someone with schizophrenia. And even if he was posing as someone with schizophrenia, he wouldn’t have found my mom. She doesn’t go to any support groups or an institution. She says she’s fine most of the time…”
He trails off at the end and they’re all uncomfortably reminded of how young Reid is and who it is they’re looking for. He still says kidnappings because it’s easier than saying killings. He wants to cling to the hope that his mom is still alive. A mom, whose word he still defers to.
“Okay,” Prentiss breaks the silence, “that rules that out at least. Maybe it’s blind dates?” Reid chokes on his coffee slightly. “Do we know if all his victims are women?
“Probably not,” Reid answers quickly and relieved. “I thought so at first, but that would leave strange holes in what I found, which could be filled through including male victims.”
“Bisexuality is still an option,” Morgan points out.
“But the likelihood of this being a sexual crime has vastly decreased,” Rossi counters.
“So what is his motivation?” Prentiss wonders.
“We’ll know when we have more information,” Hotch says. “JJ, I want you and Rossi to come with me to the Police station, we’re going to have to smooth some feathers. Morgan, Prentiss, you go with Reid to the abduction site, see what you can find out.”
Everyone nods before going to do their own thing, with Prentiss and Rossi pulling out a book, while Morgan gets his headphones. Reid obviously notices and pulls out a textbook that is comically large next to his small frame and also incredulously high level for his age. As they do that, JJ motions for him to come talk to her in private, which he does after letting out a small sigh.
“What were you thinking, Hotch. If I may be so bold, sir,” she tells him. He appreciated her fire when hiring her and is now having regrets, though he knows she is right and is glad to have her on his team.
“I was thinking that we have an expert on the case, who will put himself in danger regardless. This way we have some control about which situations he is in,” Hotch answers her.
“He’s just a kid, Hotch,” JJ says. “He’s smart sure, but that doesn’t mean he’s not just a kid. He knows the lingo and makes a compelling case and I’m not saying we shouldn’t investigate and that he isn’t a witness at least. But a consultant? Do you know what he’s going to see and hear? He’s not old enough for that.”
Hotch nods in agreement. “He’s the only source we currently have. If we get more leads we can distance him, but until now he stays on. I understand your concerns, but I have decided.”
“I know you’re the profiler, but he choked when we suggested his mom would go on a date,” she replies, her voice gentle as if she’s convincing a parent of a victim to do a press conference. “What if it turns out he tortures his victims for three month, maybe assaults them sexually? What if he has to see crime scene photos of his mother, dumped in the trash, for example. What then, Hotch?”
This is the part of his job that Hotch hates. The part where he has to make decisions that can impact the mental and physical health of people around him for life. The part where he has to weigh the possible lives they can save against how far they can push a person.
But there is no other way. Not now. Not yet.
“I’ll tell Morgan and Prentiss to keep an eye on him, as will I the moment he’s in my sight. If I see him deteriorating, I will pull him out immediately,” he promises.
“Thank you, that’s all I can ask,” JJ sighs.
“I know it’s hard, JJ,” he says, “but I’m glad you have my back.”
“Of course, sir,” she tells him, but there is a smile on her face again as she leaves Hotch behind to question his own judgment.
He returns to the other just in time to hear Morgan ask: “So, Reid, you’re a Vegas boy, right? Know how to play poker?”
The smile that comes onto Reid’s face can only be classified as mischievous and suddenly he looks very much his age, making Hotch once again doubt his decision to let him stay on the case. Reid answers: “Of course I do. Are we playing for anything?”
“People under 21 are not allowed to gamble,” Hotch warns before Morgan can reply and both look at him immediately. Morgan looks guilty, but Reid looks terrified. Hotch feels bad about the latter, so he adds: “Play with snacks, not money.”
“Yes, sir,” Morgan grins, grabbing a packet of pretzels for himself as he hands Reid peanuts.
“Oeh, can I join?” Prentiss asks, grabbing peanuts too, while Rossi sits down as well with a packet of pretzels.
Soon Reid is raking in ‘money’ with a victorious smile, a smile that has been rare since Hotch first met him.
“Counting cards is cheating, kid,” Rossi informs him.
“It’s actually not,” Reid shoots back. “It is both legal and encouraged within poker, since it cannot give you an edge over the house, but rather to help make profitable decisions against other players, which is necessary to win money long-term. There’s even a mathematical equation to calculate when it’s best to raise.”
“That’s fascinating,” Prentiss tells him, slightly sarcastic. “Now redistribute the pot so I can kick your ass in the rematch.”
As Reid does, Morgan grins: “Oh my god, you’re butthurt because a kid beat you at poker. All those Sin to Win weekends didn’t pan out like you’d hoped?”
“Uhm, said kid also beat you Supervisory Special Agent Morgan,” Prentiss shoots back. “And I held out longer than you, so seems you’re the butthurt one.”
Reid looks at the two with big eyes, almost confused and unsure yet amazed. Rossi leans in and says: “Don’t worry, they’re just not that bright. Still children themselves too.”
“Hey!” both exclaim, having found a common enemy in Rossi.
After that Reid continuous to kick their asses at poker and all other card games they can think of until they land. Then they put on their game faces to head out and the heaviness returns to Reid’s shoulders, as if landing on the ground has made it all more real again.
There are two black SUV’s waiting for them at the airport. Before Morgan gets in the car with Prentiss and Reid, Hotch says: “I expect a bit of trouble at the police station. I will call if it’s best not to come, if you don’t hear from me within the hour, it’s okay to come by.”
“What sort of trouble you expecting?” Morgan frowns.
“Reid has already gone to the police and been dismissed, we’re not invited. It’s only a federal case, because we think the unsub crosses state lines. They won’t be pleased with us being here,” Hotch explains.
Morgan nods in understanding. “Good luck.”
“Yes, you too,” Hotch tells him. “Keep an eye on Reid. Tell me if you think he can’t handle it.”
“I will,” Morgan promises, before they part ways.