Season 1, Episode 1:  Extreme Aggressor
Overall Episode Number:  1
Episode Air Date:  September 22, 2005
Created by:  Jeff Davis

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In a classroom at the B.A.U. in Quantico, Virginia. Up on the wall screen, there are photos of various victims.

"Anyone recognize these faces?" Asks a deep voice.

"Victims of the 'Footpath Killer,'" answers a female student.

"That's what Virginia newspapers are calling him. We refer to him as the unknown subject or unsub."

The lights turn back on. The deep voice belongs to Jason Gideon, who's teaching the class.

"I told Virginia PD – we're looking for a white male in his 20s... who owns an American-made truck in disrepair. Works a menial job. I told 'em when you find him... don't be surprised to hear him speak with a severe stutter."

One of the students raises her hand. "Not to sound skeptical, but come on... a stutter?"

Gideon looks at the student. "Where'd the murders occur? Hiking paths. Isolated. If I'm a killer who has to use an immediate application of overpowering force, even out of the middle of nowhere, I lack confidence. I can't charm them into my car like Ted Bundy did. I can't because I am ashamed of something."

The side door opens. Dr. Spencer Reid and Dr. Lacey Gideon step into the class. Spencer holds up a file folder and taps it. Lacey looks at her father, her eyes filled with urgency.

"Excuse me," Gideon tells the class.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Spencer, Lacey, and Gideon walk through the hallway as the two doctors fill Gideon in on the details. They're looking at a crime scene photo of a dead body.

"They're calling him the 'Seattle Strangler.' Four victims in four months. He keeps 'em alive seven days. The handle serves as a crank," Spencer informs.

Gideon overlooks the crime scene photo. "Allowing him to control the rate of suffocation."

"To prolong it?" Lacey asks.

"To enjoy it," Gideon tells his daughter. "Seattle's hit a wall?"

"Physical evidence is nonexistent. There are no tangible leads." Spencer explains.

"And another girl is missing," Lacey reveals.

Gideon grabs the photo from Spencer and heads into his office.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In his office, Gideon stands behind his desk and looks through the file.

"I looked the case file over. I'll get some thoughts to you ASAP."

Aaron Hotchner and Derek Morgan walk into the office.

"You're gonna be with us in Seattle ASAP," Hotch says.

Gideon looks up from the file. Morgan holds up a photo of Heather Woodland. Gideon takes the photo from him.

"22-year-old Heather Woodland." Morgan tells Gideon.

"Before she left for lunch, she downloaded an email with a time-delayed virus attached. The killer's virus wiped her hard drive and left this on the screen," Hotch adds. He hands Gideon a photo of the message.

Gideon reads it and recognizes it immediately. He glances at Hotch before walking over to the nearby wall.

"'For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself,'" Gideon reads.

On the wall is a framed photo with the inscription on the bottom:  WILLIAM HEIRENS, THE LIPSTICK KILLER, 1945. The message is the exact one written on the wall in the photo.

"He never keeps them for more than seven days, which means we have fewer than 36 hours to find her." Hotch speaks.

"They want you back in the saddle. You ready?" Asks Morgan.

Lacey sighs. "Looks like medical leave's over, Dad."

Gideon looks back at Hotch. "They sure they want me?"

Hotch nods. "The order came from the director."

Gideon turns and looks at the photo. "Well, we'd better get started."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Joseph Conrad said, "The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."

- Jason Gideon

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

At the airport, two black cars stop on the runway in front of the airplane. Gideon, Lacey and Spencer step out of the car with their gear, and they head for the plane.

Once they settle on the plane, Lacey looks to the open seat next to Spencer, who's at the small table on the plane.

"Pardon me, Dr. Reid, but is this seat taken?"

Spencer looks at the woman with a playful smile. "It's all yours, Dr. Gideon."

Lacey sits down next to Spencer, tapping her fingers on the case file. Spencer could tell she was anxious; it wasn't that hard to see based on her behavior.

"Something on your mind, Lacey?"

The youngest member of the B.A.U. glances at the Vegas native. "I'm just worried about Dad. It's his first case in six months, Spencer. This is big — for him and for me. Is it bad that I keep thinking something might go wrong and he might have a freak out?"

"There's nothing wrong with that. He's not just your boss; he's your dad, too. It's perfectly normal for you to worry about him. I'm worried, too. He's my friend. Worrying shows that you care," Spencer tells her in a quiet voice.

Lacey smiles. "Thank you, Spence. That really helps." She thanks her fellow genius with a kiss on his cheek.

Spencer's cheeks flush lightly, and his throat goes dry. "Y-You're welcome, Lace."

Spencer was currently debating if he should get off the plane right now. He's had feelings for the youngest and smartest team member since they met. His feelings for Lacey were continuing to build up, and he didn't want to ruin his friendship with her.

He also didn't want to cause any trouble with Gideon... or Hotch, for that matter.

What would they say about the only two geniuses on the team being in a romantic relationship? Surely, they would be furious with him!

Spencer wished that he could have had feelings for someone rather than Lacey.

The 23-year-old was brought out of his own thoughts when Hotch and Morgan boarded the plane.

Time to stop thinking about romance, and start thinking about the case they had.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

The plane flies in the night, carrying the team of profilers to Seattle.

Gideon walks up the aisle to join Spencer, Morgan, Hotch, and Lacey.

Spencer reads from the file. "His first victim was 26-year-old Melissa Kirsh. Stab wounds, strangulation."

"Wait, wait. Back up, back up. He stabbed her... and then strangled her to finish her off?" Morgan asks.

Gideon shakes his head. "Other way around. Why do you think he started using the belt with the second murder?"

"Strangulation with your bare hands is not as easy as one would believe. He tried, probably found that it took too long..." Lacey trails off.

"So he stabbed her instead," Morgan finishes.

Hotch adds, "And realized it would be hours cleaning up the blood."

"Next time, our boy's got a method — the belt." Morgan inputs.

Gideon nods. "He's learning, perfecting his scenario. Becoming a better killer."

The remainder of the flight to Seattle is tense amongst the profilers.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

The team arrives at the FBI Northwest Field Office in Seattle, Washington.

They exit the vehicle and enter the building.

In the lobby, Gideon and Lacey pick up their bags from the conveyor belt after entering the metal detector. The father and daughter head inside. Behind them, Spencer and Morgan follow.

Morgan nudges Spencer. "He never stands with his back to a window. When I was between him and a doorway, he asked me to move."

Hotch comes up behind them.

"That's hyper vigilance. It's not uncommon in post-traumatic stress disorder," Spencer tells Morgan.

"Just how much disorder are we talking about?" Morgan questions.

Hotch decides to intervene. "Morgan, it's been six months. Everything's okay."

Morgan shakes his head once Hotch walks away. "For Gideon's sake and for Lacey's... everything better be okay."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In the bullpen, Hotch makes the introductions.

"This is Special Agent Gideon, Special Agent Morgan, our expert on obsessional crimes, Special Agents Reid and Lacey Gideon."

Gideon stands over by the map. "Dr. Reid and Dr. Gideon," he clarifies.

Hotch corrects himself. "Dr. Reid and Dr. Gideon, our experts on, well, everything, and after two years busting my butt in this office, I hope you remember me."

The office chuckles.

Gideon is looking at the board — just one of the many they have set up in the office. "He's willing to travel with the body."

"Then he drives a vehicle capable of concealing one," Hotch deducts.

"1 in 7.4 drivers in Seattle owns an SUV." Spencer states.

"Explorer with tinted windows." Morgan guesses.

Lacey shakes her head. "Explorers rate higher with women."

"But how do we know it's his car?" Morgan asks in response. "Ted Bundy drove a VW Bug."

"What about a Jeep Cherokee?" Hotch supplies.

"Jeeps are more masculine," answer the two geniuses.

Gideon turns away from the board and looks at the group. "We all know how an unsub feels about asserting his masculinity."

Hotch looks to the group of Seattle agents. "When did the Bureau become involved in the case?"

"After the fourth body," replies a Seattle agent. "He dumped that one out of state."

Hotch turns and looks at Gideon. "On purpose."

"If so, knowledge of law enforcement does suggest a criminal record," Spencer states.

"Or that he watches television," Morgan inputs. "May I?"

Seattle Agent 1 hands Morgan the file.

Seattle Agent 2 looks at Hotch. "So you wanna see our suspect list?"

"No, we don't look at a suspect list until we come up with a profile. It keeps our perspective unbiased," Hotch explains.

"When do we sit down with your task force?" Gideon asks.

"‪Four o'clock‬," replies Seattle Agent 2.

Morgan looks up from the file. "An accurate profile by four o'clock today?"

Gideon is looking at something on the far victim board. He walks past Morgan and other agents. "That's not a problem," he says absently.

The agents follow Gideon as he nears the board.

"Agent Gideon, where would you like to start?" Asks Hotch.

Gideon walks up to the board for Victim #2, Anne Cushing. He points to one of the photos. "Let's start at the site of the last murder."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

At the underpass where Anne Cushing was found, Gideon and Lacey walk around the very area where the body was found. An officer and Morgan follow at a distance. Morgan looks around the area.

"Lacey, you're the unsub. Why do you dump her here?" Gideon asks.

Lacey takes a few steps to the side and stands at the spot where Anne Cushing's body was found. "I don't have much respect for women. I want her to feel the way that I see her:  disposable and worthless."

Gideon nods. "So, why the underpass? You could dump her in an alleyway or a dumpster bin."

Lacey thinks for a second. "Because I want the body to be found. I want people to see what I'm doing to these women."

Morgan walks up to the Gideons. "22-year-old Anne Cushing was found right here. Nails clipped just like the others. He wants them to fight back."

Gideon looks at the photo in his hand. "But not enough to hurt him. And he left the belt around her neck." He hands the photo back to Morgan.

"He's probably in his early 20s," Lacey adds.

Morgan shakes his head. "What's your reasoning?"

Lacey looks at her father and then at Morgan. "Youthful arrogance."

Gideon stops as he thinks about his daughter's words.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

At the Woodland residence, a sandy-colored dog barks at Spencer and Hotch. Spencer is startled.

David, Heather's brother, grabs the dog's collar. "Sandy, no, no, no. I'm so sorry."

Hotch shakes his head. "No, it's okay. It's what we call the Reid effect." David and Hotch glance at Spencer. "Happens with children, too. I'm Agent Hotchner. This is Special Agent Dr. Reid."

David looks at Spencer. "You look too young to have gone to medical school."

"They're PhD's — three of them." Spencer says.

"Are you a genius or something?" Asks David.

Hotch begins petting Sandy.

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified — but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute. Yes I'm a genius," Spencer explains. He turns and looks around the room.

Sandy barks.

"Sandy, you get a lot of attention, don't you?" Hotch asks the dog.

David nods. "Yeah, Heather loves this dog. I feed her when Heather's away. Usually, she's fine, but... lately, she won't eat. It's almost like she can sense something's wrong."

"Not sense. Smell. Our apocrine sweat gland releases secretions in response to emotional stress," Spencer corrects.

"Sandy's worried because she knows you are." Hotch summarizes.

David nods.

Spencer looks at the magazines on the dresser. "David, does your sister drive a Datsun Z?"

"No, but she's in the market for one. How'd you know?" David asks.

Spencer picks up the magazine and shows it to them.

Sandy barks.

"Come on, Sandy." David says. He takes Sandy out of the room.

Hotch looks at Spencer.

"There's an immediate relationship established between a buyer and a seller, a level of trust. If I want to coax a young woman into my car..." Spencer starts.

Hotch nods. "Offer her a test drive."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In an office of the FBI building, Morgan tosses a baseball and paces the floor as he thinks.

"Okay, then how 'bout the fact that on one hand, we have paranoid psychosis... but the autopsy protocol says what?"

Spencer twirls around and around in his office chair. "Adhesive residue shows he put layer after layer of duct tape over his victims' eyes."

Hotch listens as they talk. So does Gideon, who is standing on the other end of the room looking at photos on the wall.

"He knows he wants t o kill them, but he still covers their eyes. He doesn't want 'em looking at him, apparently. Okay, but then he takes the body and dumps it right out in the open, murder weapon nearby," Morgan continues.

"Not the M.O. of a paranoid convinced he's being watched or surveilled." Lacey adds.

"Paranoid psychosis, but behavior that's not paranoid." Morgan sighs.

Hotch jumps into the conversation. "Maybe he's schizophrenic."

"Maybe we just don't have enough for a complete profile," Morgan argues.

Lacey looks at Morgan. "We have enough to narrow our list of suspects."

"We're looking at less than 12 hours to have to find this woman."

Hotch sighs. "We don't know exactly what – "

Morgan interrupts. "Hey, Hotch, we don't know anything!"

"All right, enough," Gideon interrupts.

Everyone is quiet.

"Let's tell them we're ready," Gideon adds. He turns and heads out of the room.

Hotch, Spencer, and Lacey are very quiet.

Morgan is stunned. "We're ready?"

Gideon leaves the room without answering him.

Morgan turns to look at the others. "Reid. You're good with this? We've got a woman who's only got a few hours left to live, an incomplete profile, and a unit chief on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

The door opens and Gideon rushes back in to grab something. "They don't call them nervous breakdowns anymore." Gideon leaves the room, Lacey hot on his heels.

"It's called a major depressive episode," Spencer corrects.

Morgan shoots him an annoyed look. "I know, Reid."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In the FBI conference room, Gideon is presenting the case.

"The unidentified subject is white and in his late 20s. he's someone you wouldn't notice at first. He's someone who'd blend into any crowd. The violent nature of the crime suggests a previous criminal record – petty crimes. Maybe auto theft. We've classified him as an organized killer – careful. Psychopathic as opposed to psychotic. He follows the news, has good hygiene. He's smart. Because he's smart, the only physical evidence you'll find is what he wants you to find. He's mobile, car in good condition. Our guess – Jeep Cherokee, tinted windows. The murders have all involved rapes. But rape without penetration is a form of piquerism, and that tells us he's sexually inadequate. Psychiatric evaluation will show a history of paranoia stemming from a childhood trauma – death of a parent or family member. And now he feels persecuted and watched. Murder gives him a sense of power. Organized killers have a fascination with law enforcement. They will inject themselves into the investigation. They will even come forward as witnesses to see just how much the police really know. That makes them feel powerful, in control. Which is why I also think... in fact, I know... you have already interviewed him."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

After the presentation of the profile, Lacey goes into a conference room and pulls out her cellphone. She scrolls through her contact list, and she finds the one number she needs to call. After a few seconds of waiting, the person on the other end of the line picks up.

"Penelope Garcia – goddess of all internet knowledge. Speak and be heard, o fortunate one."

Lacey smiles. "Morgan isn't with me, Garcia. But I do appreciate being the fortunate one to speak with the goddess of all internet knowledge."

Garcia's smile can be heard through the phone. "You know how to flatter a girl, Lace. So... what can I do for my favorite Gideon?"

"You should've received a list of suspects that the Seattle agents gave us a few hours ago. I need your help narrowing down our list to see who fits our profile. Are you ready?"

"Oh, sugar, I was born ready. Hit me with all you got," Garcia responds.

Lacey nods. "Okay, we're looking for white males whose age ranges in the 20s."

"Out of all the possible creeps from the creepy creep factory, the list has been narrowed down to 20 possible suspects."

"Look for men that may have had a death in the family. A parent or another relative – this will have been between 10 and 15 years ago," Lacey continues.

"Searching... and, oh you're good, Lacey. Your list has been narrowed down to 5." Garcia says, impressed with the youngest agent of the B.A.U.

Lacey smiles. "Thank you – I do try. All right, this unsub... he's got a past criminal record. Look at anyone with a sheet, Garcia. Their crimes will include petty stuff, such as B&Es and auto theft. He'll also own a Jeep Cherokee, and it's possible that he's had his windows tinted within the last six months."

"I love you, Lacey Gideon. Out of all the parameters, I have one person who fits." Garcia says.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Lacey runs up to Gideon and Hotch with a piece of paper in her hand.

"What's wrong, Lacey?" Hotch asks, seeing Lacey's urgent expression.

Lacey shakes her head. "Nothing's wrong, Hotch. Garcia and I took a look at our suspect list, and we think we have a possible unsub who fits the profile."

Both Hotch and Gideon look genuinely impressed. Gideon flashes his daughter a proud smile. Hotch looks at Lacey. "Do we have a name?"

Lacey smirks. "Richard Slessman. What's even better is that Garcia also gave me his address."

Gideon grabs his coat off the back of a chair. "I think it's time we pay this Richard Slessman a visit."

Hotch nods. "I'll grab Morgan and Reid. Great job, Lacey." He runs off to get the other two agents.

Lacey smiles at her father. "I learned from the best."

Gideon chuckles. "Yes, you did, sweetheart. Yes, you did."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Emerson said, "All is riddle, and the key to a riddle... is another riddle."

- Lacey Gideon

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Inside the Slessman residence, a framed photo of Richard Slessman hangs on the hallway wall. The front door opens and Hotch rushes in. Other agents quickly follow.

"I'm going up," Hotch announces.

Gideon walks into the house; Spencer and Lacey join him.

"There's no sign of the girl here." Spencer acknowledges.

Lacey nods. "We can arrest him with probable cause, but we won't be able to hold him."

Gideon walks down the hallway enough to glance into the kitchen. He sees Mrs. Slessman sitting at the kitchen table, the woman carrying the baby standing next to her.

"Slessman's been at the top of the suspect list," Spencer adds.

"Is that the mother?" Gideon questions.

Elle Greenaway steps into the hallway. "Grandmother. The mother died in a fire when he was 13."

Gideon walks past her and towards the kitchen. "Probably not the only fire in his childhood."

Spencer looks around the room. Morgan is behind him. "Before his 'Son of Sam' murders, David Berkowitz set a multitude of fires."

Morgan raises an eyebrow. "Exactly how much is a multitude?"

"According to his diary, 1,400 and..." Spencer trails off, trying to think of the number.

"...88," Elle finishes.

Gideon turns to Elle. "Luring him out was your idea, right? Greenaway?"

"Elle. I don't send a SWAT team into a house with children."

Gideon nods. "Hotch says your background is in sex offender cases. What can you tell us?"

"The last four murders show he's an anger-excitation rapist. He'll keep a victim for a couple of days. He probably records or videotapes them so that he can keep reliving the fantasy," Elle informs.

"You okay with Hotch being in on the interview?"

Elle nods. "I'd like him to lead, actually."

Gideon nods. "Fine. But hold off. Slessman's done time, and he knows the process. And all you will get now is a demand for a lawyer."

Gideon turns and heads out. Elle looks a little disappointed.

"Hotch, Lacey, let's check the garage, then show me what you got."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Hotch opens the garage door. Inside is a dark-colored Jeep. "Well, we got the Jeep right."

Gideon shakes his head, showing that he is unsatisfied. "And everything else wrong. The bodies had defensive wounds. Richard doesn't have a mark on him," he shakes his head. "We're missing something."

Lacey frowns. "But what? If Slessman isn't the one killing these women... who the hell is?"

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In the attic of the Slessman residence. Elle walks into the attic and finds Gideon, Lacey, and Spencer already there. They're staring at a Go board. Hotch stands in the back of the room behind them.

"What kind of game is it?" Elle asks.

"In China, it's called Wei-Chi. Here we call it 'Go.' It's considered to be the most difficult board game ever conceived." Spencer answers.

"Chairman Mao required his generals to learn it," Gideon adds.

Lacey notices something. "It also looks like he's playing himself."

"How can you tell?" Elle questions.

Lacey reaches down and spins the board. "This might provide an advantage, actually. Go is considered to be a particularly psychologically revealing game. There are profiles for every player — The Conservative Point Counter, The Aggressor, The Finesser."

Hotch raises an eyebrow. "What kind of player is Slessman?"

Lacey leans forward to study the board for a moment. She looks at Hotch. "Extreme Aggressor."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Elle, Spencer, Lacey, Gideon, and Hotch enter the second floor bedroom just as Morgan finishes setting up a laptop to get into Richard's computer.

"Okay, here we go." Morgan states.

The laptop hums and a deadbolt defense login appears on the screen.

"What's the number 6 at the bottom of the screen?" Elle asks.

Morgan sighs. "Number of password attempts before the program wipes the hard drive."

"There could be an email or a journal in the computer, something that tells us where Heather is. Do you think you can break in?" Elle questions.

Suddenly, Gideon is listening in on their conversation.

"In six tries?" Morgan scoffs and shakes his head.

"'Try again. Fail again. Fail better.'" Gideon quotes.

Lacey looks at Morgan and nods. "Samuel Beckett."

Morgan blinks. "'Try not. Do or do not,'" he counter-quotes.

Spencer turns and looks at Gideon. "Yoda."

Gideon turns and looks on the small wall shelf. He suddenly sees something and reaches out to grab a book from the bottom of the stack. He pulls the book out and looks at it. The title of the book is "Journal of Applied Criminal Psychology."

Gideon flips through the pages of the book and finds a newspaper clipping inside. The partial headline reads: "-BLAST KILLS SIX." The photo under it shows two men. One of them is Gideon, his hands and pants bloodied.

Lacey, who is standing next to her father, also looks at the article. Her focus then shifts onto Gideon.

"I wanna talk to him," says the senior agent. He closes the book and heads out of the room.

Lacey looks back at Elle, Morgan, and Spencer. "I'll be with him the whole time. Focus on the password, not my dad. We're here to work; not question the well-being of our former unit chief." She walks out of the room and heads to the kitchen.

The others — including Lacey, herself — were all worried about Gideon.

However, they were here to do their job and save a young woman's life. Lacey wanted them to focus on saving Heather Woodland.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Richard Slessman sits at his kitchen table. Gideon walks in, tosses the book on the table in front of Richard and takes a seat opposite his.

"You read my paper. Learn anything?"

Lacey walks in the kitchen, standing a few feet behind Gideon's chair.

Slessman looks at Gideon. "Heirens said a man living inside of his head was the one who committed the murders. You said he was lying, that there'd never been an actual case of multiple personalities."

"You have an academic interest in dissociative identity disorder, or you just planning your defense?" Gideon questions.

Slessman chuckles.

Gideon takes the newspaper clipping out from the book. He spreads it out in front of Slessman. The Boston Sentinel headline reads: "Shrapnel Blast Kills Six."

Gideon looks at Slessman. "You a fan of Adrian Bale's work?"

"No," Slessman answers. He looks at Gideon. "I'm a fan of yours." He leans forward. "You know... they never give you the real facts about CPR... that outside of a hospital, it's only effective 7% of the time. Your friend had a 93% certainty of dying, but you kept trying... even after you'd broken his ribs, even after his blood was all over your hands."

Gideon shows a stance of discomfort. Lacey walks up to her father, a hard look in her eyes for Slessman. "Why don't you tell us where Heather Woodland is?" She asks.

Slessman sits back, "Woodland... isn't she the girl that went missing a couple days ago?"

Lacey nods. She looks around the room. The wood block on the counter reads: "Good little boys are like sunshine." The cookie jar on the shelf reads: "Cookies for Good Boys Only."

"Get him out of here," Gideon says. He stands up and leaves the room, and briskly walks past Hotch.

Lacey walks up to Hotch, giving him a 'Let's go with him' look. Hotch sends her a knowing nod, and they walk towards the door to find Gideon.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Hotch and Lacey walk out and around the side of the house where Gideon is. Gideon takes several short breaths.

"Hey." Hotch acknowledges.

Gideon turns around. "He said 'isn't she the girl...' . If he'd already killed her, he would've said — "

"Wasn't she the girl..." Hotch supplies.

Something clicks in Lacey's brain. "That's why we got everything else wrong in the profile."

Gideon and Hotch look at her. "What is it, Lacey?" They ask.

"I think — no, I'm certain — that Slessman has a partner. There's a second unsub."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

After digging into Slessman's criminal record, the team found a possible suspect that could potentially be the dominant unsub: Charles Linder, Slessman's former cellmate in prison.

Spencer and Lacey are waiting at the fax machine in the FBI office. Hotch enters the office and heads for the geniuses.

"We got an address on Linder?"

Spencer nods. "It's coming right now." He continues to look at the fax printout.

Hotch hands something to the agent sitting at the desk.

"Does senior management want a field assessment on Gideon?" Spencer asks. Lacey looks up at the mention of her father.

"Don't worry about it," Hotch tells him quietly.

"Are they nervous about him being in charge?" Spencer questions.

Hotch changes the subject. "Aren't you and Lacey on your way back to Slessman's house to help Morgan?" He turns and walks away for a moment.

"Do you know why he always introduces me as Dr. Reid?" Spencer wonders.

Hotch turns and heads back toward Spencer and Lacey.

"Because he knows that people see you as a kid, and he wants to make sure that they respect you. And before you ask, Lacey, he always introduces you as Dr. Gideon because he knows that people will see you only as his daughter, and he wants people to know that you are not living in his shadow. He also calls you Dr. Gideon so that no one confuses you for him, and vice versa."

Lacey nods and Hotch decides to change the subject. "What's the address?"

Spencer shakes his head. "Don't think it matters anymore."

Hotch sighs. Lacey groans as she reads the fax printout.

"Linder died in a car crash two months ago. Come on, Spencer. Let's go help Morgan with the laptop."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Winston Churchill said, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you will see."

- Lacey Gideon

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

The drive back to Slessman's house is filled with awkward silence.

Lacey glances at Spencer briefly before turning her attention back to the road. "You're awfully quiet there, Spence. You okay over there?"

Spencer looks at her. "I'm okay. Are you okay?"

"Why is everyone so keen on asking me if I'm okay? Do I not look okay?"

"Lacey, Gideon's on his first case with us in six months. Your behavior's changed a lot since we got here. You're always at Gideon's side, which speaks to the loneliness you felt while he was away. Your comment to Morgan, Elle, and I about doing our job was very abrasive; it's as if you're protecting him from possibly relapsing into the state he was in six months ago." Spencer informs.

Lacey's quiet for a few minutes. She doesn't say anything for the remainder of the drive.

When Lacey pulls up to the Slessman house, she puts the vehicle in park and gives Spencer a dangerous look.

"Reid, it would be in your best interests to never... ever... profile me like that again. Your job is to profile the unsub, not your teammate. I appreciate the concern you have for me and for my father, but with all due respect... how I feel about Dad being on this case is none of your damn business. So for the love of God, Spencer, don't you dare think of pulling that little stunt ever again."

Lacey gets out of the driver's seat, shuts the door, and walks into the house... leaving Spencer alone in the vehicle.

Spencer fiddles with his hands. "Why did I profile her?"

Because I care about her.

"She looked so mad. I made her mad."

Gee, for a genius, you sure have your dumb moments.

"She called me Reid. She never calls me that."

It's your own fault; you're the one who profiled her.

Spencer sighs in defeat and heads into the house, avoiding Lacey at all costs. He felt so embarrassed and ashamed of how he made her feel.

Maybe they could patch things up once this case was over with. Spencer Reid wouldn't be able to go on if his best friend in the entire world/secret crush was mad at him.

He has to make this up to Lacey.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Morgan is pacing the floor of the attic, muttering. "Aw, c'mon. I need a password. I need a password." He looks around the attic. "What am I looking for? What could I possibly be looking for?"

Spencer enters the attic, carrying an open paper clip.

Morgan sits down and sighs.

"I've been thinking about the CDs," Spencer says.

"Oh, Reid, come on. We tried the CDs. We searched, sifted, and sorted through every one of this guy's head-banging heavy metal collection. We gotta find something, or this girl is dead." Morgan states.

Spencer starts using the paper clip and fiddling with the laptop. "Think we may have missed the obvious."

"What are you doing?" Morgan questions.

Spencer slides the CD holder open and finds a Metallica disk inside.

Morgan is genuinely impressed, "Reid, what made you think of this?"

"It was the only empty case."

Morgan nods. "All right. I'm an insomniac who listens to Metallica to go to sleep at night. What song could possibly speak to me?"

"'Enter Sandman.'"

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Lacey walks into the attic a few minutes after Morgan and Spencer gain access to Slessman's laptop.

When Lacey walks over to the two men, she discreetly gives Spencer an 'I'm sorry I yelled at you' face. Spencer nods in acknowledgement before both he and Lacey focus on the laptop.

"So... we have full access?" Lacey asks.

Morgan nods. "Complete access. Do you think you could find any key as to where Heather Woodland might be?"

"I'm not very efficient as Garcia is, but I might be able to work some magic." She replies. She begins to work with the laptop.

"We know that Slessman is an anger-excitation rapist, which means he'll most likely have saved recordings of his sexual acts with the victims." Morgan remembers.

Spencer nods. "But he won't hide them in plain sight; he's too smart for that."

Lacey sighs. "That means that he most likely has a hidden webcam software in his system. And I bet that his software is encrypted under the name of a Metallica song."

"What makes you say that?" Spencer and Morgan ask.

Lacey looks at the pair very briefly. "His password was 'Enter Sandman.' Odds are that he's got something else Metallica-related on this computer."

Spencer and Morgan watch as Lacey enters 'Killing Time' into a search engine for Slessman's other softwares. They're both in awe when she finds it and clicks on it.

The awe wears off once they see what's onscreen.

Lacey stands up and whips out her cellphone, dialing her father's number. "Dad, Heather's alive."

"How do you know?" Gideon asks from the other end.

Lacey kneels down in front of the laptop. Morgan, Spencer, and a few other agents are huddled around the monitor as well.

"'Cause we're watching her right now."

On the monitor is a live webcam viewer of Heather Woodland inside the cage. A video close-up shows Heather taped and gagged inside.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Lacey, Spencer, and Morgan are watching the monitor.

"Morgan, can you show me the last twelve images lined up next to each other?" Spencer asks.

Morgan nods. "Yeah."

The images line up, filling the monitor.

"Spence, what're you looking for?" Lacey questions.

Spencer points. "Right there. You see that? The light bulb hanging from the wire?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Inquire Morgan and Lacey.

"It's shifting positions like it's swaying... like the earth is tilting," Spencer observes.

"Not the earth, Doc." Morgan says.

"The ocean." Lacey corrects.

The three profilers look at each other.

Lacey looks at Morgan. "Get Hotch on the phone."

"Already on it," Morgan says and walks away to call Hotch.

While Morgan is on the phone, Lacey looks at Spencer. "Spence? About what I said earlier..."

Spencer cuts her off. "You don't have to apologize about it."

"Yes, I do. I was out of line to speak to you like that. I'm sorry that I treated you like crap; it was unbecoming of me, and it was also inappropriate and inexcusable. Can you forgive me for being an ass?"

"Of course I forgive you. I'm sorry, too. I should've known better than to profile you about your behavior. I promise that until I absolutely have to do so, I will never profile you again. Can you forgive me, Lace?" Spencer asks.

Lacey gives him a quick hug. "Of course I forgive you. I don't know what it is about you, Spencer Reid, but I can never find it in my heart to be mad at you."

"Thank you... I think," Spencer says with confusion.

"Trust me, Spence. It's a compliment."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Through two short phone calls, the three profilers at Slessman's house were informed that the unsub was Tim Vogel, a prison guard who worked on Slessman's block, and that Heather was being held at Allied Shipyard.

While watching the webcam from the attic, the video cam updates. Lacey, Morgan, and Spencer can see Tim Vogel is there inside the room.

"Reid, he's inside." Morgan says.

Lacey watches as Vogel unlocks the cage and removes the chain. She looks to Spencer. "Get Elle on the phone."

Spencer gets out his phone to make the call.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

The drive to Allied Shipyard is tense.

Morgan drives with Lacey in the passenger seat and Spencer riding in the backseat. No one says anything, but the profilers were all wondering the same thing.

What were they going to find when they got to the shipyard?

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

When they arrive at Allied Shipyard, Lacey is the first out of the vehicle. She runs over to her father. Elle is standing a few feet away with Heather Woodland, who is alive, and Vogel is lying dead on the dock.

Lacey kneels down next to Gideon, who's clutching at his upper arm. "Dad, are you okay?"

Gideon hisses as he removes his hand, and Lacey sees that he was shot. She gives him a pointed look. "How many times have I told you not to provoke the unsub? You keep this up, and you'll have frequent visits to E.R.s."

"I did it to save Heather's life. Greenaway shot him after he shot me. I'm fine, Lacey; it was a graze," Gideon argues.

"Graze or not, you were still shot, Dad. Give me two seconds to call an ambulance. Put your hand back on it; I'll be back with some gauze and tape until the paramedics can get you stitched up."

Lacey gets up and walks to the truck, looking for her first-aid medical kit. She gets a few squares of gauze and a roll of tape before she shuts the truck door and walks back to Gideon.

"Sweetheart, I don't need it." Gideon protests.

Lacey gives him a look. "Yes you do. Now shut up so I can keep this wrapped up; I'm not having you get an infection from a gunshot wound."

Gideon doesn't argue, and rolls his sleeve up so Lacey can have better access to his wound.

After Lacey bandages her father's arm with gauze and tape, she's on the phone with 911. "This is Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Lacey Gideon with the FBI. I need an ambulance at Allied Shipyard immediately..."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

The next morning at Allied Shipyard, Heather is on a gurney as Gideon looks down at her. He puts a hand on her forehead, turns and leaves as the EMTs put Heather into the back of an ambulance. Gideon walks away.

Hotch, Morgan, and Lacey sit on the side, watching Gideon.

"So what kind of report do they want on him?" Morgan asks.

Hotch shrugs. "I suppose whether he's fit to be a field agent. You know, Haley and I were looking at a baby names book. Well, guess what Gideon means in Hebrew."

Spencer passes by and hears the question. "Mighty warrior. Appropriate." He walks away. Hotch smiles at him.

Morgan changes the subject back to Gideon. "So what are you gonna tell them?"

"What would you say?" Hotch inquires.

"Gideon saved her life." Morgan points out.

Lacey stands up and looks at the two men. "That's good enough for me."

Lacey walks away just as Morgan stands up and leaves. Both agents leave Hotch there.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

After talking with Hotch and Morgan, Lacey walks over to Gideon, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Despite the fact that I want to slap you upside the head for getting yourself shot... I really am glad you were on this case, Dad. The last six months without you at the B.AU. have been lonely for me."

Gideon frowns gently. "Honey, you could've said something to me; we still live in the same house. I'm your dad – you can tell me anything."

"I know that. It's just... I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable if I talked about work. I know it sounds stupid, I know, but I saw how badly Adrian Bale screwed you over, Dad — all the nightmares, paranoia, depressive episodes... I didn't want you to go back to that dark place if I told you how much I missed you being at work. I'm sorry I didn't tell you; I didn't want to come across as selfish or impatient. I just wanted you to get better so you could go back to being my dad again."

Gideon wraps an arm around his daughter's shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "Sweetheart, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I'm sorry that I scared you so badly – I know that the last six months have been hard on you, as well. Thank you for being the best daughter anyone could ever ask for. You've done one hell of a job taking care of your old man. I wouldn't have thought you were selfish or impatient; I would've thought that my daughter is the most caring young woman that I have ever met. You're selfless, kind, empathetic, and you're the most intelligent individual in any room that you walk into. You have no idea how proud I am to be your dad. I just don't want you to feel like you have to keep secrets from me. I love you, Lacey; you're my little bird."

Lacey wipes at her eyes. "I love you too, Daddy. I'm so proud and honored to be your daughter; you were my inspiration for wanting to become a profiler, and you taught me everything I've ever known about this job. Thank you for being the best mentor and father I could ever imagine."

Gideon smiles and brings her in for a full hug. "You're very welcome, Lacey. Now... let's go home."

"Let's go home, Dad."

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

In the BAU's plane, Morgan is sleeping in his seat, the file he's reading off to the side.

Spencer is sitting in a chair, his jacket covering his upper body like a blanket.

Lacey's head is laid in Spencer's lap, her body laying across multiple seats. Her jacket is also covering her body like a blanket. Whenever Lacey moves, Spencer shifts his body when she moves — this provides maximum comfort for the younger agents.

Gideon is awake. Hotch walks over to him with a cup of coffee in his hand. He sits on the armrest across the aisle from Gideon. "Hey."

Gideon looks at Hotch. "You and Haley pick the baby's name yet?"

Hotch chuckles. "It's funny... Haley liked the name Charles, but, you know... all I could think of..."

Gideon chuckles. "Manson."

"Then there was Henry."

"Lee Lucas," Gideon adds.

Hotch smiles. "Uh... Jeffrey."

"Dahmer."

Hotch shakes his head. "There's just too many of them."

"Kind of hard to feel good about catching one when you know there are fifty more still out there," Gideon comments.

Hotch stands up.

Gideon drops the bombshell. "How's your report going?"

Hotch smiles and scratches his head. He's busted.

"Didn't think you could hide that from an old profiler, now, did ya?" Gideon smiles.

Hotch smiles back. "You know, you saved that girl today. You can feel good about that."

Gideon nods. "It is good. It's a good thing."

Hotch looks over Gideon's shoulder, his attention on the sleeping Spencer and Lacey. "Do you think they'll ever know that we know?"

"Do I think Reid and Lacey will know that we know about their feelings for each other? They'll never have a clue. They're incredibly intelligent... but they have no idea what to do when it comes to romance and relationships. But I have a feeling that their relationship is only going to get stronger from here on out."

Hotch puts a hand on Gideon's shoulder. He turns and walks away.

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

Nietzsche once said, "When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks into you."

- Jason Gideon

~ CRIMINAL MINDS ~

7548 words

Next Update: Compulsion

Referenced Criminals:
* George Metesky, The Mad Bomber
* John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, The D.C. Snipers
* Theodore Kaczynski, The Unabomber
* Ted Bundy
* The Lipstick Killer
* David Berkowitz, Son of Sam
* Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, The Toolbox Killers
* Charles Manson
* Henry Lee Lucas, The Confession Killer
* Jeffrey Dahmer, The Milwaukee Cannibal

*I know this is a pretty big episode for the series as a whole, and I wanted to start the series off right. I added a lot of Lacey content, and gave you all a preview into her friendship with Reid, as well as her very strong father/daughter relationship with Gideon. I'm sorry this was published so late, but I spent a lot of time making sure that I wrote this just right.*

Published: 3/13/2021