Little Boy Blue (Criminal Minds Fanfiction)

Chapter Six: School

"Spencer, is that you? It's been years!"

The former Miss Andrea, now Mrs. Talser, looks at Reid, her hair now greying.

"It's been ten years and nineteen days exactly," Reid states.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot you did that thing!" Mrs. Talser smiles.

Hotch smirks. "So he's always done that?"

"Oh, always! Well, what can I do for you two?"

"It's my mom... She's been... Kidnapped."

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Talser cries. "I'm so sorry, Spencer! Well, what can I do?"

"Do you remember anyone, any boys who were picked on specifically?"

"Besides you? Oh, sorry."

Reid smiles weakly. "Yeah, besides me."

"Well, there was Tobey Flynn, Max Smith, Jeff Paisley, Alex Kennedy-"

"Alex!" Reid exclaims. "I remember him!"

"What about?" Hotch asks.

"He used to sit next to me. He was quiet. I got bullied just like he did, but I got good grades. He had NOTHING going for him. He was quiet and uh, not exactly smart. I was awkward but smart. I had it better then him, I guess."

"I'll call Garcia, I'll have her see what this Alex is doing now," Hotch says, taking out his phone and dialing Garcia.

"So, what have you been up to, Spencer?" Mrs. Talser asks.

"Trying to find my mom."

"Uh, no I mean before this happened."

"Oh, well, I've been working for the Behavior Analysis Unit of the F.B.I."

"No, I mean with your life. Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Someone in your life?"

"Oh, no, I don't right now."

"Right now?" Mrs. Talser smiles. "Who were they?"

"Her name is Lila Archer. I don't know if-"

"Star of the hit television show EMOTIONAL CAGES?!" Mrs. Talser exclaims.

Reid raises an eyebrow.

"What? I'm hip."

Hotch comes back and announces, "Alright, Alex works at a CVS nearby and Garcia texted me his address. You and I will go to his address and I'll send Morgan and Prentiss to the CVS. Maybe JJ and Gideon have gotten somewhere at Bennington's."

"Hopefully," Reid replies. "My mom's probably running out of time."

"Well, let's hurry, then."

"Oh, wait!"

Reid turns back to Mrs. Talser. "Mrs. Talser, have you received any letters or envelopes? It'd be blue."

"As a matter of fact," Mrs. Tasler says, as she pulls open a for and fishes out the same blue envelope they'd been repeatedly receiving, "yes. I hadn't thought anything of it and hadn't gotten around to opening it yet. Here."

Reid hastily takes the letter and in a mad rush, rips it open. He clears his throat and reads it aloud, "My, my Spencey, by now I bet you've figured out who I am. But can you figure out where Mother Dearest is before it's too late? No more poems. You know who I am. Figure out where I am. You're really in a hairy situation now."

Reid drops the envelope and sits down hard in a desk chair.

"What, Reid?" Hotch asks, picking up the envelope

"Look inside it."

Hotch knits his eyebrows and look inside. He pulls out a small lock of blonde hair.

"That's her's. That's my mom's."

"We better hurry."

*************************************

"Yeah, Hotch. We'll head right over," Prentiss says and hangs up the phone. "Reid thinks that he knows who the unsub is. Alex Kennedy. We're gonna' head to the CVS he works at."

"Alright, sounds good," Morgan nods and the two agents head out to their SUVs.

"Why does everything bad happen
to that kid?" Prentiss asks suddenly. "Well, I mean with the childhood I heard about, the whole Tobias Hankel debacle, and now this. Geez."

"Yeah, I don't know why all this bad stuff keeps happening to him," Morgan sighs. "He doesn't deserve it."

"No, because he's the sweetest kid," Prentiss replies. "He always got everyone else's needs in mind. I literally don't think he has a bad bone in his body."

"That's why we NEED to stop this Kennedy guy," Morgan says, gritting his teeth in anger and clenching the steering wheel to death.

"Hey," Prentiss pulls out her phone, "Garcia texted me a picture of Alex." At a stop light, she shows Morgan the picture. "So, keep your eyes peeled."

"Oh, I will. Don't worry."

The two agents stride into the CVS and walk up to the girl behind the front counter.

Prentiss flashes her badge at the girl. "Agents Prentiss and Morgan. This is an urgent matter. Where is Alex Kennedy?"

"Um, he should be in the back," she replies. "I'll go get him."

"God, I hope we're not too late for- Morgan, that's Kennedy!"

Prentiss points to a man running for the door, wearing a baseball cap and a red jersey, with long, dark hair. The agents take after the man and Morgan (obviously) tackles the man easily to the ground.

"Alex Kennedy!" Morgan yells. "Where is Diana Reid?!"

"Who?"

"Don't mess with me, or I'll kick you ass into next week, you dickbag! Where is-"

"Look, I don't know who Alex Kennedy is but, what's going on?"

"Morgan," Prentiss sighs, showing Morgan the picture Of Kennedy, "that's not the same guy. Their faces look nothing alike."

"Did someone pay you to dress like that?" Morgan asks.

"Well, some guy just gave me a free jersey and hat and I took it."

"Why?"

"I mean, I'm homeless. Of course I took free clothes."

Morgan sighs. "What all did he say?"

The man thinks. "He said, 'Have a jersey and hat, on me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of in my basement."

Prentiss gasps. "DIANA."