Twice in a Lifetime (Criminal Minds)

The Awakening

"Spencer!" Jennier Jareau's (J.J.'s) voice filled his ear.

He woke up panting and covered in sweat.

It was just a dream.

It was just a dream. Reid repeated the words trying to get himself to believe them.

He sat straight up and stared around the plane, at the bewildered expressions of his team.

"Reid, are you alright?" Hotch asked worried.

"Yeah i'm fine, just a bad dream," Reid explained. Just a dream.

"I'll say you've been mumbling for five minutes. We tried to wake you but you wouldn't come to. We were starting to worry." Morgan stated.

"Sorry about that. Anyway where were we?"

"Reid, you don't have to do this you know. We can do the case without you."

"No it's fine really," Reid said. He was still shaking. The memories of the dream still etched in his mind.

"Alright, well let me know if you want to take a few days off." Reid nodded and said no more.

Hotch continues, "as you all know two couples have been found dead in there Georgia homes. The UNSUB called 911, just before slicing the throat of each victim. They also left a page from revelations behind at each of the crime scenes." Each team member took the time to look over at Reid.

Earlier that day after Garcia had finished briefing the team about their new case, Rossi and Blake had pulled Morgan aside to ask him about Reid. They had noticed the odd looks and worried expressions that spread across each of there team members faces, as Garcia talked about the victims, and the UNSUB's unique MO. They could tell Morgan was uncomfortable talking about the horrific events of Reid's kidnapping. The drugs, the torture, and emotional damage done when Tobias had forced Reid to choose his next victim. The team had watched only some of what Tobias had done to Reid, through a video feed he had sent to his home computer. When Morgan had finished telling the story Rossi and Blake didn't dare ask questions they just nodded and followed Morgan out to the black SUVs that were waiting for them.

Reid noticed the eyes on him and quickly looked down pretending to examine his hand. They knew the case was bugging him, even if he tried not to show it. If this UNSUB was copying Tobias then he might come after him. He wasn't sure if anyone else had come to that conclusion, but he wasn't planning on telling anyone.

He sat quietly as the team dicussed the case, voicing his opinion every once in a while.

"Reid I want you to work on victimology at the station, Rossi and Morgan go to the first crime scene, J.J. talk to the victims familys, and Blake and I will go check out the second crime scene.

After what felt ike forever the J.J.came into the cabin after speaking with the pilot. "The pilot said we will be landing in approximately 15 minutes." She was acknowledged by quick nods from her teammates. Except one. Reid was lying in his chair with his eyes closed. "Has Reid fallen asleep again?" J.J. asked. Morgan, who was sitting beside him, shook his arm.

"I'm awake." He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright? Are the nightmares back?"

"I'm fine," Reid snapped bitterly, not really answering the question. Morgan sensing that he had hit a nerve, pushed the subject no further. It was true, the nightmares had come back, but they no longer included the abuse and torture Tobias Hankel had inflicted upon Reid. These dreams were different. The pain of seeing them was worse, no longer physical pain but emotional. Seeing his friends, dead, was much, much worse then being tortured, drugged, killed and then revived.

The FBI agents were silent as the plane slowly descended into the airport. Reid was the first one off the plane. He quickly jumped into the first of two black SUVs that were there waiting for them. Hotch, J.J. and Rossi joined him, while Morgan and Blake hopped into the other one. On the way to the police station, Hotch got a call from Garcia.

"Garcia, i'm putting you on speaker. Okay, what do you got?"

"I got quite a few things actually, take your pick," she responded. Everyone could hear her smiling through the phone.

"The case, Garcia."

"Fine you're no fun. Well I took a look into the first couple's background and Spencer and Clair Evans have clean background."

"I'm sensing a but."

"But, there daughter doesn't. She is 13 years old and has spent a year in juvy for assualt with a deadly weapon, has been charged for possesion, and has been charged for vandelism."

"How old was she when she went to juvy?" Reid spoke for the first time.

"She was 11."

"And what was the weapon?" Rossi asked.

"It was a baseball bat. According to the police report she was on her schools baseball team and, yikes, after she struck out she chased the pitcher around, until she caught up with him and hit him multiple times." The team looked at each other in suprise.

"What about the second couple?" J.J. chimed in.

"Reid Griffin is clean but his wife Jasmine has been charged with possesion." The team grimanced at the name connection between the victims and the teams youngest member.

"Okay thanks Garcia."

"You are ever so welcome my liege, I will answer if you beckon." Garcia hung up.

"Do you think the daughter could have something to do with her parents murder?" J.J. asked.

"I don't know. She's someone we can look into," Hotch answered.

"I don't think she could have done this," Reid exclaimed. "Although she has a history of violence, going from an assault, to the murder of her own parents is a huge escalation. 27% of teenagers in the United States think that violence is ok, but only 9% of all murders commited in the U.S. are because of teenagers."

"Reid's right and both of the crimes have the same MO. Her killing four people is highly unlikely," Rossi agreed.

"It's still something to look into." Everyone nodded and fell silent.