Echos of a Genius | Spencer Reid

Lifeguard

Stephie

"One, focus on the front sight not on the target. Two, control the trigger press. Three, follow through. After the shot, you come right back to the target. Now what did you do wrong?" Hotch is standing directly behind Spencer as we practice for our firearms qualification.

"I didn't follow through," Spencer says with a sigh, I can see he's over this. As am I, i'm sick of standing here listening Hotch yell at him.

"Right, You came off the target to see where you hit."

"Hotch, my firearms qualification is tomorrow morning. I barely passed my last one." Spencer sets down the gun and removes the earmuff covers from his head.

"Stepheni," Hotch glares over to me and then points to the target. I switch places with Spencer and pick the gun up.

"Front sight, trigger press, follow through." Hotch says as I fire the gun at the target in front of me. I notice Spencer still covering his ears even when he puts the earmuffs back on.

"Good," Hotch looks to Spencer, "You do those three things you'll hit your target every time." Spencer and I switch places again, I pat his shoulder in condolences.

He misses again, I swear for the smartest guy here he sure as hell can't figure this out. You'd think he'd use some math equation to figure it out but he just really has bad aim.

"Did Elle teach you that?" Hotch sort of giggles when Spencer fires the gun and it hits the crotch of the target.

"They're gonna take away my gun." Spencer admits, he's not wrong.

"Profilers aren't required to carry," Hotch tells him and I chuckle over that fact knowing what I know.

"Yeah? And yet you carry two of them." I point out and Hotch glares at me like I'm no help. He pulls the gun from his ankle and shoots the target perfectly over and over.

"Okay, show off we get it." Hotch puts his gun back and then takes off his earmuffs, Spencer and I doing the same.

"When I joined the BAU, Gideon said to me, you don't have to carry a gun to kill someone." Hotch puts his hands back on his hips and Spencer and I look at each other briefly.

"I don't get it," Spencer looks to Hotch again.

"You will." He pats Spencer's arm and starts to walk out of the room. "Good luck tomorrow you two,"

"Alright Reid, we're gonna get this." I point to the gun and he sighs before he can speak In talking again.

"I'm not going to listen to you mope around and complain you failed your qualification, put your shit back on and hit the damn target."

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

He is cooked.

"Reid failed his qualification," Elle says when Gideon and I walk into the office, how does she know that? We just took it this morning.

"He can retest again in two weeks," Gideon keeps walking and I walk to my desk, until Elle opens her mouth again.

"Yeah, but he's gonna be embarrassed about it. So let's not mention it." She shoots her eyes to Derek who looks to Gideon.

"Yeah, let's not." Gideon looks at Derek too, he throws his hands up and looks offended.

"Not a word." Just as he speaks Spencer walks into the office and goes to his desk quickly. I watch as Derek stands up and walks towards him, one hand behind his back.