Invisible String (Reid/Alvez)

I Did Something Bad

When Emily told Luke that Spencer had been arrested in Mexico, he couldn't believe it. He didn't even know Spencer had gone to Mexico. All Spencer said was that he was taking some time off to take care of his mom. Luke had talked to him the night before, and he seemed fine.

He had been arrested on suspicion of drug possession with the intent to distribute, and for the murder of Nadie Ramos. They found cocaine and heroin in the car he was driving. 

Luke volunteered himself to go to Mexico with Prentiss and Rossi. As soon as they arrived at the station, he found his way to the holding cell. 

"Hey, Reid. It's good to see you. It's me, Luke." Luke could tell Spencer wasn't all there.

"Luke. Thank you for coming."

 "Of course."

Rossi and Prentiss joined the conversation, asking Spencer who his contact was and what he remembered. Luke spoke to JJ on the phone to relay the details. 

Reid's cognitive interview didn't help. He told Emily he had been holding the knife. 

Matt Simmons and Clara Seger had arrived to get an immediate extradition, but that was just the beginning. They were able to stop by the BAU once they landed back in the U.S., but they had to take Spencer directly to the federal jail after. And, to make things even worse, Spencer was ineligible for the Bureau's legal assistance because he had not gone to Mexico on government business. 

 Luke didn't get to go with them to bring Spencer to jail. Prentiss, JJ, and Rossi took him. He didn't get to say goodbye, and it broke Luke's heart. 

Luke didn't sleep that night. He didn't even lay in bed. When he got home, he fed Roxy and took her for a walk, and then sat on his couch. He stared at the wall for hours, worrying about what would happen to Spencer. 

The next day was awful, and the next week was even worse. Spencer had been incarcerated, and his attorney Fiona Duncan had informed the team that his trial wouldn't be for at least three months. Luke didn't know what to do. 

 Garcia made a visitors list for who got to see Spencer each week, and Luke was the sixth to visit. That meant he wouldn't see Spencer for five weeks. While they all wrote him letters, Luke couldn't include any real details. Writing his first letter to Spencer hurt. 

Spencer, 

I'm so sorry this is happening. I know you didn't do this, and I'm going to do everything I can to get you out. Please be careful. I don't know what's safe to share in these letters, but you know what I mean. Garcia made a visitor's chart. I'm sixth. I'll see you then.

Luke

Luke knew he wouldn't get a letter back. Spencer could only send so many letters, and he was sure the first would to JJ, Emily, and Garcia. Boy, was he wrong.

Garcia walked into the bullpen carrying an envelope, and reluctantly handed it to Alvez.

"It says it's from Reid." she stated.

"You got a letter from Spence?" JJ asked.

"I wrote to him." Luke stated, simply.

"So did the rest of us! Why are you the only one who got one? What does it say?" Garcia huffed.

Luke refused to read it out loud. He had no idea what Spencer's response would be. Instead, he snuck the letter with him to the bathroom and opened it there.

Alvez,

Thank you for writing me. I don't know what's safe to write here. I'm okay for now. I hate it in here. I wish you could visit sooner. Please keep sending letters. You be careful, too.

Reid 

Luke didn't even know what to write in the letters to Spencer. He couldn't talk about work or their relationship. He hoped his next letter would make Spencer feel normal. 

Reid, 

I read about eugenics today. I didn't know much about genetic engineering. I only really knew that Hitler was kind of trying to do that. I'm sure you know all about it, and I'd love to hear what you know. Garcia said you're not okay. I'm doing what I can to help you. Be safe. 

Alvez

Spencer's response was exactly what Luke had hoped for.

Alvez, 

The term eugenics was coined by Francis Galton in 1883. He was influened by Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection and created a system that would allow for more suitable races or bloodlines over less suitable races or bloodlines. The entire thing was unethical. It was racist and wasn't based on any actual science. Eugenics actually made its first appearance in America from marriage laws. In 1896, it was made illegal in Connecticut to marry someone who was considered feeble minded or epileptic. The American Breeder's Association was created in 1903 to study eugenics. A pedigree registry was established, and there was a Eugenics Record Office. From 1909 to 1917, there were actually like 20,000 sterilizations in mental institutions in California. The people claimed it was protecting society from their offspring. The Supreme Court actually ruled in 1927 that forced sterilization of mentally or physically ill people didn't violate the U.S. Constitution. The ruling was eventually overturned in 1942, but thousands of people had the procedure already. There was also sterilization implemented in Mexico in the 1930s. It's believed that some sterilizations happened without consent during other procedures, and it was actually found that between 25 and 50 percent of Native Americans were sterilized. It's disgusting. Yes, Hitler was into eugenics. He wrote about American eugenics in his book. He thought races that were non-Aryan were inferior, hence the holocaust. In 1933, the Nazis created the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring. A lot of people don't realize that there were thousands of forced sterilizations along with the genocide. Josef Mengele oversaw a lot of experiments for things involved with eugenics. Its crazy. 

I'll tell you more about it eventually. It's bad in here. I think I'm okay for now. I miss everyone. Be safe. Tell Roxy I miss her, too.

Reid

Luke couldn't help but smile while reading Spencer's letter. It made him feel good to have a remnant of their old relationship.