The crime scene photos stared back at you from the evidence board, their silent weight pressing against your already frayed patience. You had been working this case for weeks, an exhausting, meticulous effort, and now, suddenly, the BAU had arrived, called in as if your own department wasn’t competent enough to handle it.

The worst part? You were expected to just welcome them in, as if their presence wasn’t a glaring reminder that someone higher up thought you weren’t enough.

“Detective,” a voice interrupted your thoughts. Spencer Reid. Tall, awkward, and entirely too observant for your liking. He offered a small nod, his hands tucked into his pockets. “We’ve gone over your case files. Your deductions on victim selection were—”

You interrupted, saying something about how you knew your victimology was good. That you didn't need his praise.

His brow furrowed slightly. “I was going to say insightful.”

You didn’t reply, instead turning back to the board. The victims were different backgrounds, different ages, but there was a pattern, one you had been on the verge of cracking before the FBI’s interference.

Reid stepped closer, eyes scanning the evidence. "The time between abductions is getting lower and lower.. if it keeps declining, we don't have as much time as we thought we had.”

If he gave you two more damn seconds, you could've come to the same conclusion.