Wicked Game

namesake

Spencer Reid knows Emily has bad news as soon as the team assembles around the round table. Her lips are pressed together, and she has that line between her eyes that signals her last meeting with the director probably brings unpleasant news to the B.A.U.

"So, as you know, there are no ongoing cases at the moment and we have been... idle for the last few days. This has not gone unnoticed, and my meeting with the director included a lively discussion about where to assign some of you while we wait for our next case." Emily says, "He asked us to consult some other units that could use our help." She gives Spencer a side glance before she starts handing out assignments. Spencer notices she skips him and clears her throat before finally meeting his eyes.

"Reid, you're helping the secret service and local PD with a delicate case – it involves a personal friend of the director, and he is very eager to have us take a look at what they have so far." Prentiss states it plainly without breaking eye contact with Spencer. He is bouncing his pencil on the table, waiting for the bad news. "This is a stalking case. The target is the daughter of a former senator, Veronica Hastings. Miss Hastings is currently running for a seat herself, and the situation escalated in the last few days. The file with the details will be sent to you as soon as you check in with the joint task force."

"A joint task force?" Spencer glares at Emily, not trying to hide his frustration. "I think Rossi would probably—"

"Reid, I'm sending you. From what we've got so far, she seems to be holding back information that could help us narrow down the profile of the unsub. Building trust takes time, and we don't have that, so since you're close to her in age, you'll have an advantage none of us have. I understand," Emily pauses briefly and shoots him a soft look, "I understand stalking cases are... difficult. But from our experience, it can escalate quickly, and they will take any help they can get. Hastings apparently has been through something similar before, so please get down there as soon as you can."

"Wait, I think I know a bit about the case. Veronica Hastings is from Pennsylvania. Her daughter was part of the clique of that missing girl case from Rosewood in like 2009, right?" J.J. asks, as she sits down holding a cup of coffee. "I remember it was all over the news – a year later they were stalked and assaulted by someone pretending to be the missing girl. It was a circus; I think the FBI got involved at the end." Emily nods to J.J. and she makes a funny face at Reid. "Well, good luck. The town where she is from is strange, and her family has a lot of influence in D.C. Her mom is a shark."

"Great. More good news." Spencer replies sarcastically, smiling without his teeth at J.J. He turns to Emily, waving his hands. "Why doesn't J.J take the case?"

Emily shoots a cold glance in his direction, and the banter they were sharing just moments before stops on its tracks. "Because I assigned it to you, Reid."

J.J. glares Reid a winning grin and takes a sip of her coffee. The rest of the team is going to nearby towns in Virginia to oversee some open investigations the local law enforcement highlighted as critical. They wouldn't have to deal with a joint task force, politicians, or old gossip from small towns in Pennsylvania.

There is also the nature of the case. Reid avoids stalker cases whenever he can after everything the team went through with him and Maeve. But with so much time passed and with Morgan gone, Reid understands why Emily would want him to rip the band-aid off as painlessly as possible. A local case, a high-profile victim, and a potential suspect in her past all make for a pretty optimistic picture of a case that wouldn't take long. The best way for him to overcome his fear was to face it, and what better situation to do it than in a case with so little apparent danger?

On his drive to the Hastings residence, Reid studies the case files at red lights and on his stop for coffee. He laughs to himself when he realizes they share the same name: Spencer Hastings, the victim, was a few years younger than him, but their similarities went beyond just their name. She was clearly an overachiever, with an impressive academic record, too many awards, a rich social life (according to the number of clubs she was part of during school), a Law graduate from Georgetown, and former lobbyist. Emily has a wicked sense of humor.