PROFILER, PROFILED 

Amelia Rowe hated change. Despised it, would rather have a cold bath than go to a different coffee house. But, in the last six months she'd experienced so much she felt sick every morning when she woke up.

She didn't want to leave her house, didn't want to go to work, but still, every morning, she walked into the FBI headquarters, sat at her desk, did her paperwork and got on the jet.

She missed Elle. 

The only positive change in her life was that Spencer had started wearing glasses. Well, and she was now no longer 'shadowing' Gideon, but that was minuscule compared to Spencer Reid in glasses.

Amelia heads into the elevator up to the BAU, but someone enters behind her.

"Morning Rowe!"

"Hey,"

Lia had met Emily Prentiss two weeks ago and had determined that she would fit in easily, but she still had to get used to her.

Again, change.

The two women exit the elevator and walk into the bullpen, Emily holding the door open for Amelia. They see Spencer at his desk, JJ and Penelope stood behind him, before any questions can be asked, a cap hits Emily square in the forehead.

"Ow!"

"I am so sorry Emily!"

"What was that?!"

"Don't you recognize a rocket when you see one?" Garcia grins

"Oh! We're doing rockets again?!" Amelia drops her bag at her desk and joins JJ and Penelope behind Spencer

"I- I was merely demonstrating a physics law I- I-I didn't mean to hit-"

"Oh, show me!" Emily is just as excited as Amelia and stands next to her

"All right. Uh... well, turn around, please,"

"Turn around?"

"Yeah, he's not gonna show you how it's done," JJ sighs

"A magician doesn't reveal his secrets!"

"But I thought you said it was physics?"

"Physics...magic,"

Amelia laughs and Spencer glances at her, but her back is turned. Garcia spins Emily around "Trust me. It will not do you any good to argue with him,"

They wait a few seconds "All right, all right, turn back and observe," the women do as they're told and cheer when the rocket goes up in the air...then go silent when they see the cap has landed by Hotch's feet.

JJ turns to pick up some paperwork in a panic, Emily runs to her desk, Garcia just turns and hopes she turns invisible, but Amelia ducks down and tucks herself under Spencer's desk.

"Physics magic?" Hotch asks

"Yes, sir,"

"Reid, we talked about this,"

"I'm sorry, sir,"

Hotch places the cap on Spencer's desk "Really starting to get some distance on those," as he walks away he shouts back "Amelia, get up from under Reid's desk!"

"Yes sir!" she slowly stands up and fixes her hair while Emily walks back over

"So he does have a sense of humour,"

"Sometimes,"

"Hey, where's Morgan?"

"In Chicago. He goes there every year for his mother's birthday," Spencer explains

"Oh, that's sweet," Emily nods as she settles into her desk chair.

The team hadn't been called in for a case, but Amelia had a profile to construct for the LAPD, and she found herself working on it all day, finishing long after the rest of the team had gone home. She prints off the profile and heads up to Hotch's office where his desk lamp was illuminating the space, she knocks gently, not noticing his stressed face.

"Hey Hotch, I completed that profile, I just need you to review it - what's wrong?"

"We've got to go to Chicago," he looks up "Morgan's been arrested,"

"What?!".

CHICAGO PD

Hotch leads everyone onto the police station where Morgan was being held and Amelia is stood at the back of the group with Spencer and Emily.

"Special Agent Hotchner, FBI, I'm looking for detective... " he checks a piece of paper "Gordinski?"

"I got this, Chuck," a bald man walks up to greet them "How you guys doing? Wally Dennison, CPD,"

"Where's Agent Morgan?"

"Detective Gordinski's in with the suspect now,"

"I need to see him,"

"When my partner's finished talking to him,"

"I have your superintendent's personal cell number, and in the interest of not running roughshod over another police agency I've resisted calling him...so far. I need to see agent Morgan now,"

"I'll get Gordinski....He's the, uh, primary," Dennison walks off in a huff and Amelia rolls her eyes

" I don't like them calling him a suspect,"

"Me neither," a few minutes later, a larger man with brown hair walks into the main office

"Detective Gordinski, CPD," he introduces himself

"You think an FBI agent, a BAU profiler committed a homicide?" Hotch isn't pulling any punches

"Actually, three homicides at least, over fifteen years,"

"You-you think he's a serial killer?!" JJ exclaims

"This is ridiculous!"

"Are you mental?!" Spencer and Amelia are both shot a warning look by Gideon

"Has he been charged with anything?"

"I got 72 hours for that,"

"I'd like to see him,"

"Be my guest," Hotch is led away by Dennison

"Agent Gideon, right?" he shakes his hand

"Yes,"

"I owe you a big thank you. I had no suspects at all until you looked over my case for me and sent me this profile. Everything in it points to that son of a bitch, Derek Morgan," Amelia raises an eyebrow and Gideon reads the profile he sent over.

Spencer and Emily try to explain that a profile is merely a guide, but Gordinski goes into a long talk about the profile, and how it apparently applies to Morgan. Morgan discovered the first body, Morgan visits the grave, Morgan asks for updates on the case, Morgan had a criminal record...

When Gordinski leaves, Gideon turns to the team "We're dealing with a desperate detective here. Three dead boys, no evidence at all, so he applies the profile directly to someone he already suspected. It's easy to get tunnel vision that way,"

"One begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts," Spencer says "That's, uh, one of Sherlock Holmes's favourite quotes,"

"We need to figure out who really killed these boys before they decide to charge Morgan,"

"What do you want us to do?" Emily asks quietly

"Last victim was someone Morgan was seen with. Conveniently, Morgan was already a suspect in the other two,"

"Someone set him up?"

"We should consider Morgan a victim,"

"Prentiss, you, Amelia and Reid talk to his family, learn about him - especially around the time of the first murder,"

"Do we have the address?"

"I can take you," Dennison offers

"We're fine," Amelia's voice is flat and dismissive

"No, actually, that's not a bad idea," Gideon gives Emily and Amelia a knowing look.

"Right. Okey-doke, lead the way, detective," Spencer and Amelia follow Emily out of the police station.

DEREK'S MOTHER'S HOME

Morgan's family was very welcoming to Amelia when she'd knocked and introduced herself, not so much towards Dennison however. Amelia and Spencer had been given leftover birthday cake and were unashamedly eating it while Emily asked most of the questions.

"Is, uh, Derek all right?"

"He wouldn't let us go down there,"

"He's fine, our boss is with him.

"Did he tell you Gordinski's been harassing him since he was a kid?"

"Why's that?" Spencer asks through a mouthful of cake

"You'd have to ask that bastard!"

"Oh, Sarah," Derek's mum scolds

"It's true, Mom," the youngest mutters

"Sure it is," Dennison rolls his eyes

"What are you even doing in my mother's house?!"

"They asked me,"

"Not really,"

"I don't understand how they could think he did this," Derek's mother sighs

"Someone may be trying to make it look like he hurt those kids,"

"And the police believe it?"

"Just following the evidence,"

"You're not really helping," Amelia snaps, turning to Dennison "I understand you have a job to do, but so do we, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop interrupting," the Morgan women all glance looks at her, nodding in slight approval.

"He's an FBI agent!"

"Actually, law enforcement officials are just as probable statistically to commit a crime as anyone else. Look at the cross-section of a society, there's a general population and a small fraction-"

"He's not actually saying we believe Derek's involved in this," Emily quickly stops Spencer

"Oh, no, no, yeah, not at all! I'm merely, um- speaking theoretically,"

"You're Dr Reid, right?"

"Mm-hm,"

"Derek talks about you,"

"He does?" Spencer asks quietly and both he and Amelia smile

"You're Lia right?" Sarah points and Amelia nods "Didn't put the nickname and who you introduced yourself together until now," Amelia smiles and takes another bite of the birthday cake.

"Anyway, so... someone may be trying to make it look like this was Derek," Emily tries to get them back on track

"But Derek loves kids. Every time he's here, he goes to the youth centre,"

"Youth centre?"

"The upward youth centre,"

"Does that have some sort of significance for him?" Reid asks

"What are you saying there's something in it for him?! Other than giving back to the poor kids of your neighbourhood?!"

"Sarah," Amelia interrupts "We're Derek's friends, we're just trying to help,"

"When we ask a question, it isn't to denigrate or demean anything he's done. We just have to know everything, so we can figure out where to look next," Emily explains "Is there some special significance to the youth centre?"

"The youth centre saved his life," the BAU agents look at Derek's mother curiously "My husband, um, their father, was killed when he tried to stop a robbery...Derek was with him, he was ten. A year or so later, he started getting into trouble,"

"What kind of trouble?"

"He started running around with older kids. They would give him money to run errands for them. Not drugs. No, Derek would never disgrace his father's name,"

"But they were gangbangers," Sarah emphasises "So people started looking at Derek like he was one of them,"

"One night, he and a friend were attacked by some boys from another gang. Big fight. And one of the other boy's head split open,"

"And that was the first time Gordinski arrested him. Now, he wasn't a detective yet, just a street cop, but from that night on, no matter what happened in the neighbourhood, he'd pick Derek up for it,"

"Probably because he was involved,"

"The hell he was,"

"Stan's never arrested anyone who didn't need arresting!" Dennison stands up

"He did. With Derek,"

"Dennison," Amelia smiles "Please, try to remain calm," her words are inoffensive, but her tone suggests otherwise

"Until Carl Buford stepped in," Derek's mother continues the story

"Carl Buford?"

"He runs the youth centre," Dennison mutters

"He took Derek under his wing. Mentored him. Became like a surrogate father: he taught him football and that changed Derek's life. He got a scholarship to college, with it he got his degree-"

"Where is Carl Buford now?"

"He still runs the youth centre,"

"Is he still...friendly with the younger kids?" Amelia asks

"I guess so," Derek's mother shrugs

"He's never retired, settled down with a family?" Sarah shakes her head

"I'd like to talk to him. Detective, do you think you could take me over there?" Emily stands and grabs her coat

"Just you?" Spencer asks

"Yeah, I thought maybe you could stay here and keep going through this stuff," Emily is clearly trying to get Dennison out of the apartment.

"Good idea. Yeah, keep going through the stuff,"

"Yeah, we're great with people," Amelia nods and Emily smirks as she leaves.

CHICAGO PD

"You have to tell your officers that Morgan's not a threat!" JJ is trying to calm Gordinski. Spencer and Amelia had been called back to the station after Morgan had escaped custody, Amelia had muttered the words 'good', and Hotch hadn't appreciated that - Derek's family had.

"Like hell I will!"

"But this-"

"Lady, as far as I'm concerned, he is a threat, ok!"

JJ sighs and walks back to the team "They're beyond reason! We have to find him first,"

"Any ideas?" Gideon asks

"His mother said that Buford practically raised him after his father died, he mentored him, took him on trips, and spent all of his time with him. Basically became a surrogate father," Emily explains

"Gideon, you said he might be a suspect for the murder of the kids right?" Gideon nods "Well he had access to them all, he's run the youth centre for years, never settled down, never got a family, apparently he practically picks a new kid to mentor - oh," Amelia goes quiet during her ramblings.

"Amelia?"

"Oh,"

"Oh?"

"Oh," Amelia sighs "Hotch, I need to speak to you. Now," she storms away from the group, Hotch following "Don't tell him I figured it out but..."

THE UPWARD YOUTH CENTRE 

Once Morgan was found, and Carl Buford was arrested, Amelia was stood outside the youth centre, she sees Morgan exit, and his eyes find hers "Hey,"

"Hi," Amelia doesn't let him get another word in, wrapping her arms around him, Derek laughs and hugs her back

"What's gotten into you huh?"

"I feel like Garcia," she mutters quietly "You've been sat in that cell all day, 50 meters away and all I wanted was go in there and hug you," Derek doesn't reply, but blinks rapidly, kissing the top of Amelia's head "Anyway," Amelia laughs nervously and pulls back from the hug "Your sister makes an amazing birthday cake,"

"You met my family?!".