Think Again

Landing in Lost Angeles, we all got off the plane, sore from the uncomfortable positions we had fallen asleep in. Spencer was the one who had woke me up when we had landed. I had my copy of Jurassic Park on my stomach, have fallen asleep while reading it. I smiled at him while removing my headphones, the lack of engine noise revealing the embarrassing volume of the heavy metal music I was listening to. Hurried, I turned off my iPod and blushed.

"Sorry about that," I said, "My iPod sometimes plays angry music."

He frowned, "You listen to heavy metal?"

"Only when it comes on my iPod."

"You can sleep through that?"

I smiled, "It's music.... Any kind of music can put me to sleep."

He frowned again, "I don't understand."

"Music is a strong part of me... I can't really explain it."

When we arrived at the main office for the LA police, everyone was greeted like old friends at a funeral; I was introduced and we were shown to a room with everything set up to how we liked it. According to Derek this was not their first trek in these woods.

We divided ourselves into teams, I was going to stay here and work on a geographical profile with Spencer, while JJ handled press, and the others went to the crime scenes. Spencer was putting up the clear map on the glass board while I looked over victimology.

"They're all very beautiful girls." I said.

"Who are?"

"The victims."

"Oh... didn't notice."

I smiled, but continued, "According to the statements gathered by friends and families, they were all very excellent stage performers."

"What's the significance of that?"

I sighed and turned to find him watching me, "Spencer... I've been with you guys for two months now. I think I know what I'm doing."

He smiled, "You're... you're very right. I'm sorry."

I smiled, "But to answer your question, could their killer be a rival?"

Spencer frowned, "One that goes all over LA?"

Looking at the map Spencer put up I frowned, "These aren't popular theater companies, and if they're anything like the ones I performed in, they don't care who auditions, but know their regulars and are usually very biased. If the UnSub was new to the acting community and didn't know how they worked, killing their number ones could theoretically put them in better standings for a lead."

"Did you have a problem getting leads?"

I smiled and shook my head, "No, I got all of the parts I auditioned for."

He nodded, obviously impressed.

"We should see if the companies keep a record of their actors." I moved to the phone and dialed Hotch's number.

"Hotchner."

"Hey, are you still at the first theater?"

"Yes."

"See if the owner has a roster of all the companies that used the space."

"Why?"

"Looking for actors that over lap."

"Got it. I'll give those to you when we return."

"Thanks, Hotch."

Hanging up, I turned to find Spencer watching me. He realized I had noticed and quickly turned away, acting like nothing weird happened. He's been doing that for a while now. We haven't had alone time together for a while, not since our ice cream trip. We've been near each other when we worked or went out with Derek, JJ, or Garcia, but those weren't times for intimate conversation.

I leaned against the table and watched Spencer mark in the areas where the bodies were found with red dry erase markers. He felt my eyes on him and he turned around.

"Feels weird doesn't it," I said, "To have someone watch you."

He shrugged, "Yeah."

Moving forward I said, "Usually... when someone stairs at others, it's because they like what they see."

A blush formed on Spencer's face as his cover was slowly being blown away.

"Do you like what you see, Dr. Reid?"

The blush deepened as he struggled to form a sentence.

"You don't have to answer," I said, taking a step back, "Just please stop staring."

He nodded, "S-Sorry."

I smiled at him to let him know he was not in the wrong before I turned back to the files of the three girls.

~Spencer's POV~

I wanted to find a moment to ask Kelsie if she wanted to go on a date with me, but something told me asking her now wasn't a good time. Morgan told me that any time would be a good time, and JJ wanted me to act soon before someone else did. Kelsie has assimilated into her neighborhood well, and now was becoming very familiar with Quantico and D.C, and the surrounding areas, it was totally understandable for someone else to latch onto her.

I am uncomfortable using the word 'love' to describe how I feel about her, but it's something rather close to it. I don't know what it is, but I am just so overly enthralled by her that I can hardly focus on anything I'm doing. It's very weird for me to be in this mind set, so confused and yet so aware. I wanted to act on every thought I had, even the more riskier ones.

I finished marking the crime scenes and places of residences of the girls then turned to the table and picked up a folder, "What am I looking for?"

She shrugged, "Whatever stands out for you."

"Like the fact that according to their acting resumes they all acted in predominantly Shakespearean plays?"

Looking up, she frowned, "What?"

"Brittany Shaw, has played every Shakespeare heroin in every production over the the past four years."

She shuffled through the file she had and said, "So has Marla Zimmerman... there are other plays due to her high school, but she only participated in the companies when they had one of Bill's plays."

We both reached for Cameron Galloway's folder and our hands bumped into each other. "Sorry," I said, blushing as I retracted my hand, "Take it."

Opening the file, we found the same patter in the resume. Kelsie frowned as she moved to the clear board and wrote down: actress, armature, Shakespeare. Taking a step back, she looked at them, then frowned harder. Going back in she wrote: poison.

"What kind of poison was used on the girls, did the report say?" She spoke to the board.

I checked the reports and said, "Hydrogen cyanide."

"Prussic acid?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"I don't know.... I guess it sounds familiar."

"What does?"

Waving at the board she said, "This."

"This sounds familiar to you?"

"Yes."

I instantly racked my brain for any similarity with the case to that of a serial killer that I've studied and came up blank, "How?"

She shrugged, "Don't know."

"Let me ask this, would it be something you've read?"

"Maybe... like in the newspaper or something."

She went over to the laptop we had set up and began typing. I went back to reading the files over and over again. This was how the team found us hours later when we all had to meet. I watched as Hotch handed a very long list of names to a more-than-just-a-little-frustrated Kelsie.

"What does the list mean," asked JJ.

Kelsie sighed, "What all of the girls had in common. I don't know if it's a type or a signature, or just a coincidence."

"No with this UnSub it's not a coincidence," said Hotch, "What are you doing?"

"The list sounds familiar to me... so I'm looking it up." When everyone gave her a weird look she said, "I know it's weird, and don't worry, Spencer already pointed it out."

"Did you call Garcia and ask for her help?"

Kelsie looked at Hotch, "Damn...."

He smiled slightly and slid the phone to her, "Put her on speaker."

"This is you very friendly neighborhood Tech-Kitten, send out your distress signal and I'll come to your rescue."

"Hey, Tech-Kitten, it's Kelsie. You're on speaker, first off, and I need your help looking for something."

"Right on."

"Looking for any sort of crime involving an aspiring actress of a young age, 16 or 19, who specializes in Shakespearean plays, and was killed with hydrogen cyanide."

"Anywhere in specific?"

"Not really?"

"Alright then.... Anything else I can help you with, Mary Jane?"

"Garcia, we need you to look up any strange happenings involving the acting companies in the city." Hotch's voice was stern.

"Any you want me to focus on?"

"The smaller ones," said Kelsie, "The ones that have little or no overlap with others."

"Gotcha, bye."

"How did you know it was the small companies?" asked Rossi.

"Actor, remember?" Kelsie smiled then went back to her computer screen.

Everyone sat down and brainstormed for a while, then we surrendered and called it a night. We went to our hotel and departed to our own rooms. Once in mine, I undressed and put on my pajamas. Crawling in bed, I closed my eyes knowing that I wouldn't be able to do anything until tomorrow.