❝ baby steps. ❞

AFTER A FEW very long months, the BAU was back from their hiatus and they were permitted to come back to work. Olivia — along with JJ, Spencer, Luke, Rossi, and Penelope — stood in the conference room of the BAU, catching up on things they've all missed. The team's attention averted to Emily who walked in with Tara and Matt. Emily smiled at them, "It's so great to see all of your faces again. I have a couple of announcements, please hold your applause until I'm done. As you have obviously heard, Dr. Spencer Reid has been fully reinstated. Welcome back, Spence."

The team smiled as Penelope cheered, "Woo-hoo, yes! Oh, that's not the end, is it? Carry on."

Emily continued, "I would also like to thank the newest member of our team, Matt Simmons, for holding down the fort when we were on the sidelines. IRT's loss is our gain. So welcome aboard, Matt."

"Thank you. It's great to be here, guys." He nodded.

"Was that the end?" Penelope excitedly asked. Emily confirmed, "That is the end." Penelope cheered again as the team began to clap, radiant smiles apparent on their faces. "Okay, let's get started." Emily said as the team sat in their seats around the round table. Penelope walked towards the big screen in the room, "Ah, allow me to provide the unhappy transition to the sad part of our day job."

She continued as she pressed the button on her remote, pictures from the case showing up and the team reading their files. "Okay, uh, yesterday afternoon in Naples, Florida, two bicyclists stumbled upon 26-year-old Ann Baker. She had been put in a suitcase and left by the side of the road."

"Disarticulated?" JJ asked.

"I hate that I now what that word means. No, she was in one piece. Police found this in Ann Baker's apartment." She told, clicking a button on her remote that revealed a picture of her kitchen. Spencer noticed, "She was getting ready for dinner. Food was chopped and pans were ready."

Luke added on, "A special dinner. It looks like wine, candles flowers, the works." Matt commented, "Table for two." Rossi examined the photo on the screen, "Maybe her dining partner suddenly acquired an appetite for something else."

"Police report says no sign of forced entry or struggle." Tara read. "Yes, however, some of the victim's blood was found in the apartment, so that means she was probably killed there and then moved." Emily suggested.

"If the unsub simply wanted her dead, why not just leave her there?" Olivia pondered aloud. Rossi spoke up, "The obvious answer is it wasn't that simple."

"It's not easy to fold somebody up like a road map. Our unsub is strong." Luke deducted. "He's had practice." Emily told.

Penelope nodded, "Two weeks ago, police found this. She has not been identified yet besides the fact that she is a she." Rossi noticed, "Similar suit cases."

JJ added, "And they look old, almost vintage." Emily looked at the team, "We have suitcases of our own to pack. Wheels up in 30."

───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────

         After the team discussed more about the case on the jet and had settled at the precinct, they immediately began working. They realized their unsub could be compared to Ted Bundy, given their deduction that the victims were most likely on a date with their unsub. The unsub uses a discontinued lipstick named, Midnight Surprise. The team believes the more time passes by, the more reckless he'll become.

         The victims didn't really have anything in common. One worked in the hospital and another was in a support group. However, Garcia was able to find out that their latest victim recently catered at a funeral for Edith Lynch. Before her demise, Edith received palliative care from Ann Baker. Penelope then found that Edith's grandson, William, or Billy, had fit the profile. He also sought counseling at the community center where Laura, a previous victim, worked in after Edith's death.

         As Tara, Matt, and Emily went to Billy's work and Luke, JJ, and Olivia went to his apartment, Reid and Rossi were at the precinct. Reid questioned whether Billy's mother purposely abandoned him. She was a fairly good mother despite her drug issues. Rossi traveled to Fort Myers to speak to Billy's mother's friend, Susan, who had filled out a missing persons report for her and Reid stayed behind. After a while Spencer got a call from Luke. "Hey, Reid. It's me, Liv, and JJ." He spoke as the three walked towards the black SUV.

         "What's going on?" He asked. Olivia answered, "Billy Lynch isn't at work or his apartment."

         Luke spoke up, "Yeah, but Garcia said there's also his grand mother's house. After she died, the city said it wasn't up to code, so I don't think anyone's living there." JJ told, "Hey, Spence, you're closer than the rest of us. Do you think you can check it out?"

          "On my way." He stood from his chair.

         As the three agents sat in their own seats in the car, Luke informed him before hanging up, "All right, we're 10 minutes behind you."

         By the time the three of them did get to the house, Reid was already there, talking to Billy. Their guns were aimed, prepared for anything that may happen. Billy kneeled on the floor, pointing a utility knife at a girl's throat as she was sat down. They stood outside the room they were in, Spencer still talking to the unsub. "She was angry because she had been abandoned, too, once by your grandfather, and she didn't want to be left alone again.

         Billy glared at the empty chair placed in the middle of the room as he stood up and Reid pointed his gun towards him. "It's over, Billy. Drop the knife." Instead, he threw the utility knife in the direction of the chair as he collapsed on the floor and started sobbing. Luke, JJ, and Olivia then walked inside the room. Luke arrested Billy as JJ stood next to Spencer at the door and Olivia walked towards the other girl in the room to untie her wrists. "You okay?" JJ asked him, to which he nodded in response. "I'm good, thanks."

         He approached Helen, the girl, as he helped Olivia untie her and JJ called Emily to let her know they got Billy. Once her wrists were free, Helen instinctively wrapped her arms to the person next to her, who was Reid. Olivia rubbed her palm on her back as a way to console her as she began crying.

          On the jet, Rossi, Matt, JJ, Tara, and Emily sat together, reviewing the case. They mostly talked about new information found on the case and a few of their own opinions about it. On the other side of the jet, Luke and Olivia sat across from each other, both admiring the night sky and the passing cities while Spencer sat in the other seat across from Luke, reading a book from his go-bag.

         Luke turned his head to speak to Spencer, "You did great back there. I mean it." He nodded. Spencer looked back at him, "Well, Rossi did most of the work. He found the information I needed, and Billy was no Mr. Scratch."

         Olivia almost smiled at the grin that twitched upon Spencer's lips in the beginning of his sentence. "Spence, sure he is. All those guys are the variations on the same theme. You know, a box cutter's a box cutter in anybody's hands." She assured him.

          Then, JJ went over to the three and sat down in the vacant seat across from Spencer, "Hey, how's it feel to be back, Spence?"

         "Feels good, you know? It's a little strange, but good. And I can't put my finger on it, but it kind of feels like something's changed." He replied.

         "Well, you were in a maximum-security prison. I mean, if you were unchanged by that, you wouldn't be normal." Luke commented. "The weird thing is, it doesn't feel like it's all necessarily bad. I think maybe- maybe something good came out of it." Spencer responded.

          "Like?" Olivia questioned.

          "Do you remember how I used to be freaked out about germs?" He asked as the other three chuckled. It's not like they could ever forget. I mean, Olivia and JJ had still never seen Spencer shake hands with any of the detectives they work with and Luke didn't shake hands with him when they first met because he already knew about his germ problems. JJ joked, "You and microorganisms, no. It's not ringing a bell."

          "Well, I'm not all that bothered by it anymore." Spencer admitted.

           "I guess all those days in the prison yard, you know, germs don't seem so bad." Luke remarked, a slight laugh escaping Reid's mouth. Olivia grinned as her legs were curled up in her seat and her elbow being propped up by the armrest with her head resting on the palm of her hand, "That's great, Spence."

          JJ leaned forward, revealing the nuts that were in her hand to him, "Yeah, here, dig in." She offered. He glanced at the snack then at JJ, "Baby steps." She playfully winked while holding in a laugh, "Baby steps." She repeated, leaning back in her seat as the four of them ended up chucking in their seats.

ANGIE'S NOTES ☺︎︎
WAIT TILL WE GET TO THE LINDA
BARNES STORYLINE
ugh you guys might be so mad at me
for this act, i apologize in advance🙏
i know i keep saying that and that's bc i'm
scared of your reactions😁

also look at me being kinda active😩
should i update again tomorrow🤨