Every Man Gets His Wish, Spencer Reid

three

THE INSTINCTS
04x06

"Spencer?" Abby asked, shaking the man beside her, who seemed to have fallen asleep, "Spencer?" he opened his eyes, and shot up, carefully, remembering Abby's injured knee was on his lap.

the blonde had been off crutches, but still had to take it easy, so her work in the field had been limited. she was still cautious when it came to stepping on or bending her knee.

"sorry, i was dreaming." Spencer apologized, rubbing his eyes. "ha, no kidding." Emily laughed, and Abby shot her a glare. "you okay?" Abby asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"we found a 6-year-old boy who had been abused and stabbed. your baby was at the crime scene." Spencer stated, pointing over to pregnant JJ, "i was trying to get him out of there."

this was when everyone looked at Spencer with confusion.

"sorry." he apologized again, embarrassed now realizing everyone was staring. "it's okay." JJ frowned.

"you know, Reid, simple dream analysis- if there's a baby in your dreams, that baby's actually you." Morgan tells him. "i don't believe in dream analysis." he shakes his head, doing his upside down smile.

"i don't know. it makes sense." Hotch shrugged, "the case we're working on and the case in your dream both involve children. maybe your subconscious is telling you, you want to sit this one out."

"i don't." Spencer shakes his head, putting his hands on Abby's leg. "well, maybe you're just stressed out about going home to Las Vegas." Emily suggests.

"did you tell you're mom we're coming?" Abby whispered, looking over to Spencer. "no, i didn't." Spencer shakes his head. "Spence, why not?" Abby questions, quietly, "you never get to see her, and you know she misses you." "but, if i tell her she's just gonna-"

"is there something you two would like to share with the rest of us?" Morgan asks, breaking up their hushed conversation. "no." Abby says, before clearing her throat.

"why aren't we reviewing the case file?" Spencer questions, backing up from Abby, who he got close to when they were whispering. "i don't know. maybe because someone fell asleep on the jet." Emily joked, making Spencer smile and roll his eyes.

"all right, let's start from the beginning one more time." Hotch instructed. "this is Ethan Hayes he was 5." JJ states, holding up a picture of the boy, before passing it around.

"2 weeks ago he was abducted out of his own front yard." JJ finishes. "where were his parents?" Spencer asks, looking up from his case file that was rested on Abby's knee.

"his mom just ran inside to grab her purse. when she came back he was gone. she wasn't away for more than a minute or two. police found his body exactly one week later in the desert. he was in a new change of clothes. his nails clipped. his hair was combed." JJ explained.

"that's a lot of remorse." Rossi points out. "no sign of sexual assault." Hotch told them, "the medical report suggests he was smothered. unsub could see this death as merciful."

"who's the new boy?" Abby asked, looking to JJ. "Michael Bridges." JJ responded, passing Abby a picture of him, which she shared with Spencer.

"yesterday, he set out to walk by himself to a friend's house a block away. he never showed up." JJ told her team. "are we sure these cases are even connected?" Spencer questioned, making Abby look up at him in confusion.