"Since when are you a doctor? Last I remember, you were no better than a tabloid journalist."
Tatum Katz had a rough start with the BAU. Her papparazzi-adjacent photographer being a suspect in one of their cases wasn't exactly a great first impress...
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seventeen || "true genius" season 7, episode 11
A couple was found murdered in a park on the other side of the city the next morning. The whole team responded to the crime scene. Hotch and Tate joined Emily and Spencer on the edge of the area that looked over the city. Tate immediately linked her arm with Emily's and rested her head on her shoulder.
"He used the same code that was broken years ago in a riddle we cracked in seconds. He knew we'd solve it. It was a decoy," Spencer said.
"No, it's a taunt. He wants to prove that he's smarter than everyone," Hotch corrected.
"And we fell for it," Reid muttered. "Well, if he's trying to compete with me, then it means he's most likely within five years of my age. The question is why."
"But the message might not have been for you, Reid."
"A letter was hand delivered with his name on it last night," Tate contradicted.
"But the comment to the paper was written at 9:03 a.m. We weren't even in the city yet, so how would the unsub know Reid would be involved in the case?" Emily said, agreeing with Hotch.
Tate sighed and buried her face in Emily's shoulder. "He gave his name to the press later that day," she groaned.
"And you said yourself, Reid, he knew we'd be in the park," Emily continued, pausing before pivoting the conversation. "If he's doing his best to emulate the Zodiac, killing in such quick succession would be a mistake."
Tate nodded. "The shortest time span for the Zodiac was something like two weeks."
"Maybe the unsub doesn't have a choice. Maybe he's experiencing a time pressure that he has no control over."
"We're ready to give the profile," Hotch decided, sauntering away.
Emily followed him, but when Tate noticed Spencer was staying put, she took a step back and rested her hand on his arm for a moment before moving to join the rest of their team.
<3
Emily and Tate found him in a coffee shop later that day. He was obsessively going over the comments again, looking for what he missed. They hesitantly took their seats as Emily said, "Hey, are you gonna tell us what's up?"
When he didn't look up from the papers, Tate sighed and resigned herself from reaching out to touch him. "Spence, it's us."
He sat up and clicked his pen closed, still avoiding their eyes. "Do you ever wonder if you lived up to expectations?"
"Mm... I beat 'em," Emily said. "I figured I'd be a bored socialite by twenty-five."
Tate furrowed her brows in thought. "I think I did, too. I was basically homeless, but was able to put myself through college. And even then, never thought I'd end up an FBI agent."
