Wheels Down in 30

~ i'm a genius ~

~ when you fully trust someone without any doubt, you finally get one of two results: a person for life or a lesson for life ~

It felt like my first day at the bureau. I had to force myself to seem confident, sure of myself. I already regret agreeing to give a two weeks notice. I should have just quit, no one could be mad at me about it. Who would want to stick around if you just found the last year and a half of your life was a huge lie?

I ignore the looks that I receive from everyone I pass, including my coworkers, and head straight into my office, taking note of the files on my desk. Although I wasn't a profiler, I wasn't surprised when a knock sounded on my door. Dr. Spencer Reid stuck his curly haired head in, a blank face on his young face, "Can I come in?" He asks.

I nod slightly, narrowing down our case options to two. Spencer sits down in front of me, coughing awkwardly to get my attention. "So uh, how are you?" He questions.

I look up at him, my face clear of emotions, one of my many terrible coping skills, "Reid the last year and a half of my life had been a complete and utter lie, the fact that I'm here right now shows that I'm fine." I state, slamming a folder shut, deciding on a case.

Reid nods, "Ya you are surprisingly put together, glowing even." I tense at his words, subconsciously rolling my shoulders back before typing in my computer password. Hate profilers.

"I used to work in the media, I can make myself seem whatever I want to seem and you'll believe it because that's what I was trained to do."

"Rossi said you're leaving."

I don't look up from my computer, "Would you want to stay?"

"No I guess not but I wouldn't just up and leave."

"I'm not, I have my two weeks notice, if anything you're lucky I'm not gone already."

"Studies have shown that luck has more to do with psychology than probability. The feeling of it is just that, a feeling, a way someone perceives a situation."

"So how would you perceive my situation?"

"Unlucky."

The room fills with sounds of clicking as my fingers glide across my keyboard. It grew silent as I continued creating my 'presentation' of sorts.

"Everybody makes mistakes," Spencer suddenly says.

"You're a genius."

"I mean ya I'm a genius, but that doesn't mean that even I don't make mistakes."

I look up at him, "You had to of known this wasn't going to end well."

Spencer sighs, "I'm a genius but Strauss has a tendency to not listen to facts. She's narrow headed when it comes to some situations. It's like when we work with local PD, they sometimes get tunnel vision." He tries to explain.

"I hope you're not defending her."

"Of course not, I- it's just- on that case with Derek's cousin we all knew that whether we wanted to admit it or not, we would do anything to get her back. Especially for Derek."

"That's not the same. No one was looking for Derek's cousin, it was practically a personal case and we were getting nothing from it but Derek back, it would have broke him if we didn't find her. Strauss made this decision." I motion between me and Reid, "So she could move up her political ladder, not so she could do the world some good by getting rid of one more bad guy.

"You're mad."

"Gee, did your cheeky IQ tell you that." my voice was flat, and although it was a question there wasn't a hint of curiosity behind my words.

"I'm a genius, but that doesn't mean that even I don't make mistakes." he repeats.

I breath out a small laugh, "Oh that's what this was?" I shake my head in disbelief, "A mistake?"

"What would you like to call it?"

"Betrayal. Lying. A job. Anything but a mistake because every one of you deliberately went along with this with the knowledge of Erin's real intentions, that's not a mistake."

"You can't blame us."

"I don't. I know you were only doing your job." I pause, debating if I wanted to continue, "Part of me completely understands where you all are coming from, why you chose to do what you did. But this other part, the part that took forever to built even the small amount of trust I have with you all, the part that is extremely hurt by your actions, the part that for some stockholm syndrome reason still cares for you guys wants to press your eyeballs so far into the back of your head that your brain oozes out of your ears."

Reid looks at me surprised, "You know that's not medically possible, s-"

"We have a case." I interrupt him, standing. He looks at me and slowly nods, standing to follow me out.

*

Emily was crouched down in front of me, starring at the body in full fascination. I worried about her sometimes. "Do you ever want to have our jobs?" she asks me.

I bend down slightly, sunglasses on, looking at the body, "Nah, I usually get the profile right. Why would I waste time and money going to school if I already practically have the job?" I ask.

She glances up at me briefly than back at the body, "How long had she been missing?" ah a test.

"6 days. Husband had reported her missing after she didn't come home Sunday night."

"Report says she was missing for a week."

"Then why did you ask?"

Emily just stares at me.

Rolling my eyes, I sigh, "The call was over due, brief, and he had no idea where she even was. She's not wearing her wedding ring, the other victims were, so she most likely spent the night out with someone else and was kidnapped on her way home." I shrug, standing up, "Then there is the obvious evidence, every victim being kidnapped and tortured for 6 days." I sarcastically state, walking towards the reporters. They were getting too close for my liking.

They start shouting, but I pay attention to only a few questions, "Are these murders connected too the last 3 that have taken place here in Orange County?" one reporter asks.

I nod slightly, "The FBI has probable reason to believe the cases are connected."

"How is the FBI planning on keeping the citizens of Orange County safe."

"The FBI suggests that all females, whether you fit this unsubs victimology or not, stay vigilant. Travel in groups. Stay home at night as much as possible. Don't talk to strangers, open your door for strangers, help strangers. This unsub likely has a ruse that helps him still be able to get victims even when the danger of him is presented on the news and radio."

"Do you have any suspects."

"At this time, the FBI does not have any viable suspects."