"Does anyone remember this picture?" Penelope asks.
"Hotch and I were there." Rossi says. "That's Principal Doug Evans. We had to drag him to safety."
"High school bombing in Boise, right?" Emily asks.
"School shooter and school bomber. A kid named Randy Slade shot 3 students and then set off an I.E.D. in the cafeteria via cell phone, killing himself and 13 kids total, but not before posting all of his plans online." JJ says. "It was one of those "Where were you?" events. My whole campus was glued to the TV."
"Last night, Principal Givens was killed by a bomb modeled exactly like the old one." Penelope says.
"It feels like the unsub wants to attack the man who kept the school together after the bombing." Derek says. "It's a pretty symbolic target."
"And this week is the 10th anniversary of the massacre." Hotch says.
"And today is the first day of a 4 day event to commemorate the bombing at the school." Penelope says.
"Except commemorating it isn't enough for this unsub." Emily says.
"No. He wants to relive it." Hotch says.
+++
"Okay. So the unsub has to be tied to the school somehow, right?" JJ asks. "Current student, alumni, family member who lost someone?"
"It could be Slade groupie celebrating his hero." Spencer says. "He taped nails to the exterior of the bomb, specifically to rip open flesh. That's a sadistic detail of Slade's the unsub copied."
"Except he tricked Givens into blowing himself up. A groupie probably wouldn't show that much self control." JJ says.
"But someone with an axe to grind against the principal would. Maybe he's a surrogate for the tormenters in high school he can't punish." Spencer says. "Who were yours?" He asks.
"Every jock guy. Plus all the stupid ass cheerleaders. Mainly Brittany Roberts. The bitch." Bedelia mutters the last part.
"I don't even remember." JJ says.
"You don't even remember?" Spencer frowns. "Wait, were you one of the mean girls?"
"No." JJ scoffs.
"Valedictorian, soccer scholarship, corn-fed, but still a size zero. I think that you might have been a mean girl." Spencer says.
"I was actually one of the nice girls, even to guys like you." JJ says.
"That confirms mean girl status." Bedelia says.
"Wha--" JJ frowns.
"Guys like me? I'll have you know that my social standing increased once I started winning at basketball." Spencer says.
"Oh, yeah, you played basketball?" JJ asks.
"I didn't play. I coached basketball." Spencer says. "I broke down the opposing team's shooting strategy."
"Is that why Morgan kicked you out of the pool last week?" JJ asks.
"Yeah. It took him 3 rounds to realize I was hustling him." Spencer smiles.
"Huh." JJ hums.
+++
"So. As you can see from your board there, this kill list is weirdly similar to high school." Penelope says. "Group one is like the popular kids -- prom court, football team, Dean's list. The Heathers, if you will."
"Kids in Slade's social circle." Hotch says.
"What about number two?" JJ asks.
"Uh, mm-hmm. That would be the kids from the other side of the tracks, 180 degree difference, kids this close to getting kicked out -- stoners, burnouts, mental cases. Chelsea Grant is on this list." Penelope says.
"Maybe Slade targeted them because they disgusted him?" JJ asks as Spencer's phone starts ringing.
"But they didn't threaten Slade's sense of superiority." Hotch says. Spencer declines the call. "He wouldn't have even cared about them."
"All right, well, maybe the partner put them on the list. They'd be closer to his social status than Slade's." JJ says as Spencer's phone rings again.
"Why would the--" Spencer sighs, taking his phone out. "I'm so sorry." He silences his phone. "Why would the unsub list kids that he fit in with?"
"Apparently that's how this clique worked." Hotch says. "The kids in it were meaner to each other than kids on the outside. Garcia, separate out all the kids who got into trouble regularly. Then eliminate the names that the partner put on the list. Now, who's left that came to the memorial?"
"Right. Whoever made the list wouldn't put their name on it." Penelope says. "Uh... sir, I think-- I think I've got him."
+++
"There's a medical condition called pain asymbolia, where patients register harmful stimuli without being bothered by it. They've been documented holding their hand over an open flame because their brain doesn't send pain signals to the central nervous system." Spencer explains.
"Sounds pretty rare. You sure the unsub has it?" Rossi asks.
"The crime scenes prove it. This unsub displayed an unusual level of savagery towards his victims. And consider this -- he smashed through a glass display case, but there were no cuts on Jerry. That means he most likely punched through it as a show of force. Now, the only way the human body could withstand that level of pain is if he couldn't feel it at all." Spencer says.
"It must take a major toll on someone's emotional development." Rossi says as Spencer's phone starts to ring.
"A significant contributor to our sense of empathy is the way we personally experience pain." Derek says while Spencer declines the call, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"And the unsub didn't develop his sense of empathy because it was cut off." Hotch says. "Does every person with asymbolia have this?"
"Actually, most feel empathy just fine, which makes me think the rest of our profile is still accurate." Spencer says. "Loner, invisible, outcast, boiling rage--" His phone starts ringing. "Son of a bitch!" Bedelia's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"Hi! This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is--"
"Reid." Hotch calls. Spencer hangs up.
"Sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me." Spencer says.
Bedelia gives an amused yet concerned look, glancing around the others, noticing Derek's amused look.
"Where were we?" Spencer asks.
"I'm going to have Garcia check medical records." Hotch says. "Uh, what causes asymbolia?" Spencer looks at Derek who looks down.
"S-s-severe trauma produces lesions in the insular cortex, usually after a stroke. But this unsub's so young, it's most likely caused by an external factor." Spencer says while staring at Derek who tries not to smile.
"Like a bomb going off next to him?" Rossi asks.
"Yeah, like a bomb going off next to him." Spencer nods. He looks at Derek again, the man smirking. Hotch walks off to call Penelope.
"I will crush you." Spencer whispers.
"What?" Derek asks.
"What?" Spencer acts innocent before walking off.
+++
"He's holding hostages in the restaurant. They're clearing the upper floors now." The detective says. "We got this video feed from the security camera. Two entrances -- the front, the kitchen. Either way he can see us coming."
"He's nowhere near the window, so there's no line of sight." Derek says.
"Yeah, but why take them hostage at all?" Rossi asks. "If this is a vendetta, why not kill them now?"
"We profiled this would be like a reunion to him." Hotch says. "He wants people to recognize who he is."
"I think I know what he wants to be recognized for." Emily says.
+++
They're on the jet and Bedelia is sitting on the couch and reading a book.
She hears faint screaming and her eyebrows furrow as she looks over to the four chairs, noticing Derek's annoyed expression pointed at Spencer. She can just barely hear Spencer's screaming coming from the headphones.
"Okay, kid, that was cute. But that's all you got?" Derek asks.
Spencer continues to pretend to sleep.
Derek's phone rings and he answers it.
"Hey, baby gi--" He pulls it away as Spencer's screams come through.
Rossi waves a white napkin between them.
"Uh-uh." Derek denies. "All right, Reid, it's on. Just know that paybacks are a bitch." Bedelia smiles a little, returning her attention to her book.
+++
Bedelia wipes her sweaty palms on her jeans, gulping as she stands in front of the familiar door. She raises one hand, hesitating, but then knocks softly a few times.
After a couple seconds, the door opens, Spencer's face dropping when he sees it's her.
"I don't want to talk about it." Spencer starts to shut the door.
"Wait, wait. Wait." Bedelia puts her hands on the door, stopping it from shutting. "Please, Spencer. Just..." She sighs as he opens the door. "Look, I already apologized to the rest of the team. Just... I understand, but give me one chance to talk. And then if you still never wanna see me outside of work, I'll leave you alone."
Spencer stares at her for a few moments at her pleading look. He pulls the door open a bit more, stepping aside. Bedelia lets out a nervous yet slightly relieved breath as she steps inside. Spencer shuts the door.
"I am... so, so sorry. About all of it." Bedelia tells him. "I never wanted to lie to you. I did want to tell you. I tried to tell you once. I just... I chickened out. I knew I couldn't. I couldn't risk Emily's life like that. I know you wouldn't tell anybody, but... I just couldn't. And I know I shouldn't have let you kiss me or-- or let us become a thing, I... I wasn't thinking clearly at all."
"I've been drowning in guilt for months when I wasn't supposed to. I wasn't supposed to know about any of this. I wouldn't leave the closest spot to the operation so I had overheard Hotch and JJ's plan. I didn't mean to, I didn't want to. I was supposed to be with the rest of you guys."
"And I know none of that makes this better. None of that justifies anything. I know nothing can fix what I broke. I'm so sorry. I can't even put into words how sorry I am, how much I hate myself for putting you through all of this."
"You did not deserve that. None of you did. I wish I could've done something different. You all should've known the truth, it should've been some sort of team secret. I don't deserve your forgiveness, I get that."
"So... if you wanna keep hating me, I understand. I won't even be mad. I deserve it. Or-- or if you want me to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness, I'll do that too. I'm sorry."
Spencer's gaze stays on the floor for most of her speech, the man barely able to look her in the eyes.
The two stay in silence for a little bit while she waits for Spencer for say or do something. He rubs the back of his neck, still not looking at her.
Bedelia's heart breaks when his hand reaches for the door and he opens it. Spencer continues to look down while he holds the door open.
Bedelia rolls her lips into her mouth, her eyes stinging with tears. She looks at Spencer as he still refuses to make any eye contact. Bedelia harshly swallows, walking out of the apartment, going for the stairs. The brunette flinches when the door softly shuts and she looks back at it, a few tears streaming down her cheeks.
Bedelia sniffles, pushing the rest of her tears back as she descends the stairs, making her way out to her car.
Spencer's hand stays on the doorknob, wrestling with himself to open it again or not. He looks through the peephole, not finding anybody. Spencer locks the door, his mind reeling over everything, the familiar anger starting to replace the conflicted feelings he has for her.