Hidden In Plain Sight

Dormant

"No new kills today?"

Derek looked surprised as he walked into the bullpen and sat at his desk. It had been a few months since the last time Dr. Skitz had attacked anyone in the area. In typical media fashion, the news had long since forgotten about Dr. Skitz since he hadn't killed recently. 

Garcia looked up from what she was doing, sighing quietly. "He hasn't hit in months. Maybe he's just decided to quit while he's ahead."

Derek nodded and sighed. "Yeah. That'll be a nice break for a little bit. Anything new going on?" He asked curiously.

"Gideon's interviewing some potential new guy... You remember that Spencer Reid guy we tagged a few months ago for that article he wrote on Dr. Skitz?"

"Yeah?"

"He applied to work here. He seems really nice. Naïve, but nice."

"You think he's gonna fit in?"

"With us? Oh no doubt. While he was waiting on Gideon, he and I talked about a Sci-Fi convention we both planned to go to."

And with that, Garcia was gone, giggling as she went off back to her own little lair.

Derek merely shook his head and went to work at his desk, not paying too much mind to the idea that there was a potential new guy in the BAU. His mind was on Dr. Skitz, and how the serial killer went from killing once every week, to suddenly going silent. Derek didn't like the thought of it, almost as if there was some sort of plan going on with Skitz and his little company of thugs.

"Morgan!"

Derek was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Gideon standing in front of his desk with the new guy, a pretty little thing that looked almost too skinny to be a fed. "Sorry, Gideon, I was thinking about the case."

"Aren't we all, can you stick with Dr. Reid for the day? I figured you could show him the ropes and whatnot."

Derek looked over to Dr. Reid, looking him up and down for a moment. All he got was an awkward smile and wave from the lanky man. "Sure. I've got nothing better to do with my time." He shrugged and gestured at the empty desk next to his. "Besides, it'll be nice to finally have some company."

"Ignore that." Gideon rolled his eyes and walked away from the two, heading off to Hotch's office to talk with the stoic male.

"Take a seat, kid."

Spencer visibly recoiled at the nickname, but sat down nonetheless, watching Derek cautiously.

"What? Would you rather I called you Pretty Boy?" Derek shot back suddenly.

"Actually, I would prefer that over 'kid'. I hate that nickname." Spencer shot back, slightly irritated.

"Alright, Pretty Boy. My bad. Lemme guess, kid makes you feel small?"

Spencer's face contorted into a look of confusion. "How did you-"

"I hated it when anyone called me kid, too, Reid. It made me feel like less of a person. I kinda defaulted to that."

"Instinct?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah."

Spencer nodded and played with the watch on his left wrist a little, glancing to said watch to look at the time for a moment. "So, uh... what now?" He suddenly asked.

"Up to you, genius."

"I'm not even going to ask how you-"

"Because it takes practically a genius to somewhat profile an organized, psychotic serial killer without having any prior knowledge or inkling of what profiling even is."

"Oh... Uhm... Lucky guess, I suppose?"

Derek shrugged. "Anyways, to answer your question, nothing really. It stays like this for a while... especially since that Skitz guy died down on his killings and whatnot."

"Well, maybe he just decided to quit and go into hiding?" Spencer offered.

Derek shrugged. "That or he's got a plan to do something huge. Either way, fucker decided to go dormant, and I personally couldn't blame the guy for going into hiding."

Spencer tilted his head like a confused puppy, raising an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

Derek sighed and shook his head a little, thinking about his next words carefully. He didn't want to scare the new guy off, but he knew that, no matter how he said it, it was not going to hint at anything pretty. He sighed and as he adjusted in his seat, looking over at Spencer.

"Because the public isn't the only group of people who want this asshole dead, Reid."

Spencer paled at the thought of people wanting Dr. Skitz dead, seemingly lost in thought. He shook his head and sighed. "I just want him to be put to justice, whatever the judge deems justice is for that guy." He noted aloud.

Derek nodded. "I just wanna know why he started killing. Maybe your lucky guess was right, or maybe there's another reason we're just not hitting on yet." 

Spencer nodded, glancing to his phone for a moment before hastily texting on his phone and shoving the electronic device back into his pocket, looking back up to Derek after doing so.

Derek noted the paleness of the genius, and the hasty movements. He tilted his head. "You alright, Pretty Boy?"

Spencer smiled at Derek and nodded, flashing him a thumbs up. "I just got a text from someone I was talking to about getting this job. They were just asking how it's going." He chuckled.

Derek nodded and smiled warmly at the eccentric genius, before noticing what kind of phone he had. "Damn, Pretty Boy, that's an old-ass phone."

Spencer looked at the phone, now in his pocket and shrugged. "I prefer it to modern technology."

Derek scoffed lightly and shook his head. "Of course. Why am I not surprised?"

"You have a problem with my taste in technology?"

"No, just that it seems like every genius hates modern technology."

"I don't hate it. I just prefer to not use it."

"Gotcha."

Spencer shook his head and looked around, then reached into his bag and grabbed out a book, flipping through the pages until he found his spot. He then settled in and started reading, his quick reading speed surprising Derek.

"Are you even reading that?" Derek asked suddenly, shocked and intrigued.

Spencer merely nodded, not even looking up from his book. "I have a twenty-thousand word-per-minute reading speed."

"Wow."

And with that, Derek shut his mouth, opting instead to find something to busy himself with instead of bugging the new guy. He looked out the window and groaned as he saw it pouring down rain.

"You don't like rain?" Spencer asked, now glancing up from his book to see the weather outside. 

"It's a love-hate relationship." Derek grumbled.

"Why do you hate it?"

"It can wash away evidence."

Spencer tilted his head slightly, then went back to his book. "I rather enjoy the rain. The sound of rain can be quite relaxing."

Derek rolled his eyes at the response, chuckling lightly.

"Whatever you say, Pretty Boy."