#Kate Callahan

[flaminghotjareau]

happy international women’s day to all women: cis, trans, lesbian, bisexual, straight, women of color, disabled, fat, young, old, poor… you are all strong and should never let men or society tell you otherwise. i’m proud of being a woman, i’m proud of our history, and i’m proud of all of my sisters in the world.

and for the occasion, i’m celebrating the strong women of criminal minds

[reidologys]

CASSANDRA •S.REID

do you believe me now?

summary: you had tried so hard to convince the bau that there was something more to the disappearance of crazy women. and they didn't believe you until it was too late. paring: spencer reid x reader cw: reader is very elle greenaway coded, post prison! reid, emily is the unit cheif, misogyny, ableism (?), angst, implied situationship, mention of drugs, mention sa (not graphic), mention of dv ( not graphic), mention of stalking, gender neutral (i'm pretty sure) wc: 1.6k

a/n: i actually really don't like this and it didn't turn out the way i wanted so if she disappears after a while..

GETTING CALLED IN on your day off wasn't uncommon. what was uncommon, however, was the way everyone was treating this case.

nobody was taking it seriously at all. and that irritated you.

a woman named cassandra dyer had been reported missing. the bau didn't typically get calls like this. and maybe that's what intrigued you. what made you fight for them to take this seriously.

cassandra had a history of extreme paranoia. she had a large two story house to herself. it was the only victorian house remaining in a modernized, cookie cutter neighborhood.

she was young. and beautiful. her report said she was only twenty-seven. which stuck out to you. she was young. and here were your coworkers diagnosing her with all sorts of medical disorders.

it took you threatening to resign for emily to fly the team out to medford, oregon.

you and spencer had gone to the last place cassandra was seen while jj and and luke went to talk to family members. tara, and emily stayed at the station while matt and rossi went to cassandra's job.

you had a habit of putting yourself in people's shoes. but it normally worked out for you. while spencer looked around her home, you became cassandra.

"i was in my new house placing daydreams.." you spoke quietly. but the walls were so thin, spencer could still hear you. he let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head while looking for any sign of struggle.

there was a bucket full of spackle sitting on the floor. on top rested a rusty putty knife. the ladder sat next to it, pressing up against the wall.

"patching up the crack along the wall.. i accidentally pass it and lose track of what i'm saying 'cause that's where i was when i got the call." you remembered garcia tracing an odd call from cassandra's phone.

spencer caught up to you while you ventured deeper into the old house. floorboards creaked under him. his hand reached out, gently grabbing your shoulder.

"you don't really believe she's missing, do you?" he had a small grin pulling at the corners of his lips. your eyebrows knitted together, unsure of what he found so amusing.

your lips parted slightly, a small, disbelieving scoff leaving from them. "you don't think she's missing?" your words came out harsh and spiteful. but the way the bau had been handling this case, made you realize one thing.

maybe the bau had changed for the worse. and maybe---just maybe---you needed to get out before it was too late.

you shook your head when he didn't answer. brushing past him, you walked to the back door. "i'm just saying. she's got... issues. the rossi said that people in the town say she's genuinely cra-"

a gasp escaped your lips when you saw the scuff marks on the back door. they didn't even look like scuffs. that was paint that had been chipped by nails. "what's that then, spencer?" you looked at him, a knowing look plastered all over your face.

"that, babe, is a sign of struggle." he admitted. "do you believe me now?" you had to ask.

reporting the only evidence besides cassandra being nowhere to be found to emily felt surreal. but it also felt.. off. like there was something emily wasn't telling you. that there was something the entire bau knew. except for you.

but regardless, you had leads. cassandra had enemies. matt and rossi had found that out by not telling her coworkers that cassandra was missing.

so here you and spencer were. in a dingy interrogation room where the overhead light flickered and hummed above.

spencer held your hand under the table, his veiny fingers rubbing against your knuckles while you stared at a man who had faced multiple sexual assault allegations against him. he had a violent past.

he had a history with drugs of all sorts. heroin, meth, you name it. not to mention his last two girlfriends had accused him of domestic violence. but he was a charming man. so obviously, the police didn't want to ruin his reputation.

you cleared your throat, opening the very slender file you had on cassandra's disappearance. "tristian, you have some very serious accusations against you. were you aware of that?"

and the sick creep smiled. your body tensed, eyes narrowing. spencer obviously noticed. he squeezed your hand, attempting to help settle your growing irritation.

"and those were all dropped, agent." he spoke your title like it was a slur. like it was an unimportant, displeasuring occupation.

chewing the inside of your mouth, biting down on the gummy flesh of your lip. "i have reports here that you had been stalking cassandra dyer up until september twenty-third. would you like to know what day she disappeared, mr. haplin?"

he sneered, his nose turning upward. even being thirty-two, he had braces. and he definitely needed them. his teeth were all crooked and stained with tabacco. "september twenty-fourth."

it was more of a statement than a question. spencer's phone buzzed while you had been talking to that sick man. yours didn't, so you assumed nothing of it.

but when spencer's face paled, you grew nervous. "spence..?" your voice was small. he brushed you off.

spencer stood up abruptly. he pushed his chair in before moving to pull yours out. "this interview is over." he told both tristian and you.

his calloused hands pushed you out of the room by your shoulders. "spencer, what's going on?" you demanded. you felt small and weak. unheard.

"nothing is wrong. we just don't have any time to waste." his eyes looked glanced over to emily before looking back at you. his nose twitched.

you found it odd then. and you would only realize what that nose twitch meant later.

it was only hours later when a hovel was found. body after body was piled up. they were all women. women who'd been burned.

you stood in the morgue with spencer by your side. you examined the charred skin of all five women. and then---

the forensics team brought in a sixth victim. that bright, almost white, blonde hair. you recognized that body. cassandra.

the woman who'd wheeled the body in looked at you with a sad expression. "she was the first to go." she'd informed you.

you turned to spencer, a frown on your face. "so they killed cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst." it wasn't even a question. spencer wasn't even sure it was a statement.

looking at security footage for the murders was hard. you watched from the recording of the parks grainy cameras as a dark figure---around 5'9, 196 lbs--- hung cassandra to the tree. he poured gasoline all over her body.

and right before he flicked the lighter on, he shouted something. "burn the bitch." it was more of a shriek than it was a shout.

when the first stone's thrown, there's screaming. he threw rock after rock at cassandra. it hurt your heart just to watch. made you feel nauseous and lightheaded.

but that voice. you recognized that voice. it was him.

tristain haplin.

and the other five women? the women who'd had reported to the authorities about him.

you stalked back into the police department, spencer trailing behind you. he looked like he was trying to.. stop you?

"tristian killed cassandra first because she feared the worst and tried to tell the town." you shouted, watching him sit smugly in a plastic chair.

prentiss looked guilty. everyone in there looked guilty. an officer unlocked tristian's handcuffs. with a flick of his wrists, tristian looked at you with a smile.

"thanks for letting me get out of here, gorgeous."

your heart dropped down to your stomach. you ran up to an officer. "you're letting him go? he's a serial rapist and a serial killer?" you were shouting.

the cop let out a dry laugh. "we already knew that, agent. that's why you shouldn't have come here. was a waste of your time."

when the truth came out, it was quiet.

they knew. they knew. they knew the whole time. that you were onto something.

the families in that town. they all said nothing. the bau said nothing.

spencer reached out to touch you but you shoved him off of you.

"you knew this whole time that i was looking for a dead woman." you pointed your finger at emily accusatory. emily looked at you, her lips parted like she was about to apologize.

but you didn't let her get a single word out. "you all knew. and yet you said nothing. you knew she was dead. bloods thick but nothing but a payroll, huh?" you let out a scoff.

tristian haplin was the senator's son. and he hadn't just bought the police's immunity. now he'd bought the fbi's.

"bab-" spencer started. but you held a hand to his face, not letting him say a single word.

"i was onto something. i was onto something. and this? this is pure greed. emily? i--- forget it. i quit. find my replacement and then find replacements for the rest of you. because i'm not going to let a serial rapist walk."

you made your exit despite the team begging you to think clearly. you couldn't help but feel guilty. guilty for lashing out. but especially guilty for not being able to save cassandra.

but then again, that whole team never spared a prayer for your soul.

[gublersangell]

Your camera roll if you were in the BAU

[queenjenniferlove]

KATE CALLAHAN Criminal Minds 10.01 'X'

[mortalscience]

LIVE BAU REACTION:

[youbutstupid]

What I love about Criminal Minds is that the female characters aren’t tough simply because they ‘grew up with brothers’ or because their dads ‘made them brave’.

JJ and Kate grew up with sisters. Emily, Elle, Seaver and Todd were all only children and Emily’s past was shaped by her mother’s actions. Tara, Penelope and Alex all had brothers but those brothers weren’t credited with their success and bravery.

Women don’t need to be around masculine energy to be tough, they don’t need to be influenced by men to be brave. The fact tv shows need to justify their female characters being strong by saying they were around men is just insulting.

Stop treating women like they are weak unless there is a man there to teach them not to be.

[buddiesronance]

criminal minds be like “we’re looking for a white male”

[cece693]

A Bright Place in the Dark

pairing: spencer reid x gender neutral reader tags: first impressions, reader sees Spencer as innocent and too good to be true, pre-relationship, all knowledge of this fandom comes from Tumblr fics and personal opinion, not fact checked

By the time you arrived at the Behavioral Analysis Unit, you were practically reciting facts about Dr. Spencer Reid in your head:

Over 187 IQ

An eidetic memory

A heart too big for a world as harsh as this

Those whispers, however, never prepared you for how human he would be. No legend of brilliance or office gossip about his quirks ever quite captured the softness in his eyes, or the halting way he spoke when he was nervous.

Your first day at the BAU felt like entering another planet. The bullpen buzzed with conversations about suspects, horrifying details of cases, and the flickering overhead lights seemed to spotlight every anxious beat of your heart. And then you saw him—a lanky figure hunched over a precarious tower of files, as though he didn’t know quite how to balance them against his chest.

You caught him looking around, scanning for an empty spot to set the documents down. Except he chose the worst possible moment to shift his weight; the top of the stack slid, pages scattered in every direction.

Dr. Spencer Reid froze, a rush of panicked words tumbling out of his mouth. “Oh no—sorry, sorry. I’m usually not this clumsy. Statistically, people trip at least—”

You bent down to help, offering a friendly grin. “Hey, it’s okay. It happens.”

He paused, as though your small kindness were a revelation. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, and for a split second, you glimpsed the vulnerability behind those gentle hazel eyes. When you straightened up with an armful of papers, you noticed the shy half-smile tugging at Spencer’s mouth. His cheeks had gone just a little pink, and he quickly busied himself by reorganizing the files.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, more subdued than before. “I’m Spencer Reid, by the way…Dr. Spencer Reid. You must be the new profiler—”

“That’s me,” you replied, introducing yourself. “It’s my first day, so I guess we can both say it’s a learning curve.”

He nodded, an anxious laugh slipping out. Then, as if remembering his role, he cleared his throat and motioned to the files. “These are some old case studies. We…we keep them around for reference, though I try to digitize them in my spare time.”

“Sounds fascinating,” you said. And you meant it, curiosity tugging at you like an impatient child. “I’d love to take a look sometime.”

His eyes flicked from the pages to you, wide and a little uncertain. Then, almost imperceptibly, relief smoothed the lines of tension on his forehead. “Sure. That’d be…good. Really good.”

In the following days, you quickly learned that your new job was every bit as tough as everyone warned. Each morning, the team assembled to face tragedies as mind-boggling as they were gruesome. Photos, crime scene details, and psychological autopsies filled your laptop.

Amid all the darkness, there was always him, moving through the chaos with a gentle sort of efficiency. Spencer held a wealth of knowledge in that brilliant mind, quoting statistics, classical literature, and obscure references effortlessly. Yet, you noticed how he spoke as though he feared his own intellect would push people away.

You tried to reach out, offering a smile or a small joke whenever he started rattling off something about “differential equations” or “geospatial profiling.” Each time, his shoulders would relax a fraction, as if he was grateful someone was listening rather than judging.

It wasn’t long before you started working late alongside him. You’d catch Spencer hunched over his desk, stacks of books and case reports spread in front of him, a half-full mug of coffee growing cold.

“Hey,” you said one evening, easing into the adjacent chair. “Mind if I sit?”

He lifted his gaze, blinking as if coming up for air. “Oh, of course, sure.”

Silence settled, filled by the low hum of the overhead lights and the distant clatter of a cleaning cart in the hallway.

“How do you handle it?” you asked, your voice quiet. “All the darkness?”

Spencer leaned back, momentarily lost in thought. “I—well, I guess I try to understand it. If I can figure out why someone does something terrible, maybe it’ll help prevent the next tragedy. At least that’s what I tell myself.” He gave a self-conscious shrug, eyes darting away. “I’m not sure if that’s the best answer.”

You offered a gentle smile. “It’s an honest one. And I think that’s what matters.”

As weeks turned into months, you and Spencer found yourselves gravitating toward each other. Lunchtime in the break room became a quiet sanctuary, where his commentary on quantum theory or historical murder cases was punctuated by the sandwich you’d share half with him because he often forgot to pack lunch.

He’d fret, insisting you didn’t need to share, but you found a simple joy in seeing his face relax when he finally took a break. Sometimes, a ghost of a smile would linger at the corners of his lips afterward, as if he was unused to anyone caring enough to notice his hunger.

You don't know exactly when your interest in the doctor turned into adoration, but perhaps it could be pointed back to when the team was out on a case and you were stuck trying to piece together a spree killer’s timeline. You hit a wall and decided to take a short break—heading to the building’s small courtyard.

Outside, you found Spencer leaning against a concrete pillar, lost in his own world. The afternoon sun gleamed off his hair, painting him in soft yellows and gold. For a moment, you hesitated. He looks so peaceful. But then he glanced up, and the sun highlighted the hope in his eyes. He waved you over.

“Hey,” you said quietly, sidling up next to him.

“Hey,” Spencer replied, his voice warm.

You stood together, the hush of traffic and a distant bird cawing filling the space between you.

“I was thinking about that timeline you mentioned,” he began without prompting. “If the unsub is traveling by bus, then the times might not match traditional driving estimates, and—” He stopped himself, a self-conscious smile forming. “Sorry. Work brain doesn’t really shut off.”

You laughed softly. “Don’t apologize. It’s actually pretty helpful. I think I’ll re-examine the public transit schedules as soon as we go back inside.”

His gaze lingered on you for a long moment. Then, so softly you nearly didn’t hear, he said, “I’m glad you’re here, you know…with the team. With me.”

Warmth flooded your cheeks, and you hoped he couldn’t see it in the bright afternoon light. “I’m glad, too.” Silence settled, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Sometimes no words are needed to enjoy someone's company—so, as you stared at nothing in particular, you developed the courage to ask Spencer out.

“I, uh, know it’s not exactly typical, but I was wondering if maybe you’d like to grab dinner sometime? Outside of the office, I mean.”

The request hung in the air. Spencer blinked, seeming to mentally catalog the entire situation. You could almost see the wheels turning behind his eyes.

“I-I’d like that,” he finally answered, voice a little too fast. A delicate pink brushed across his cheeks.

You had heard the rumors. You’d been told about his genius and his gentle heart—how he deserved the world, though the world often failed to deserve him in return. Watching him now, shoulders slightly hunched as he mentally rehearsed how to do something as simple as dinner, you couldn’t help but think:

If the world won’t cherish him…maybe I will.

He deserved that much, at least. And from the way Spencer offered you a shy smile—a small piece of his guarded heart—you knew he was willing to let you try.

[marril96]

Criminal Minds 10.11 | The Forever People

[strawbeerossi]

I’ll be 23 next Friday so let’s pretend I’m 23 rn.

[spencestiel-michelle]

Criminal Minds characters and their halloween costumes

Penelope Garcia - Glinda (Wicked 2024)

Spencer Reid - Albert Einstein ;)

Emily Prentiss - Catwoman

Aaron Hotchner - Batman (pic source)

Jennifer Jareau - Marilyn Monroe

Derek Morgan - Masquerade Party Member

Tara Lewis - Beetlejuice

David Rossi - Chef Skinner (Ratatouille)

Elle Greenaway - Katerina Petrova (The Vampire Diaries)

Luke Alvez - Captain Jack Sparrow

Alex Blake - Emily Dickinson

Kate Callahan - Animal onesie (pic source)

[flaminghotjareau]

the BAU ladies as “things to never say to someone who just came out”:

elle greenaway

penelope garcia

jennifer jareau

emily prentiss

ashley seaver

alex blake

kate callahan

tara lewis

bonus:

erin strauss

[agathasstrap]

Paget Brewster

Paget Brewster — Icons

[criminalmindsbauagent]

Criminal Minds Quotes

[queenjenniferlove]

If I had a nickel for every Jennifer Love Hewitt character that responded to a plane crash, I'd have 3 nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened thrice. ✈️💥

Ghost Whisperer 1.22 Criminal Minds 10.03 9-1-1 8.03

[reiderwriter]

reiderwriter 5k writing challenge

hello, my lovelies, and thank you so much for 5k followers~♡ it's been just under a year since I started writing on here, and it's been so fun interacting with everyone and writing for Spencer and the other members of the BAU team! I was a bit unprepared for some of my other milestones and threw some stuff together last minute for them, but I've been thinking about a writing challenge for a while and I finally decided to do it!

Please note: This is a writing challenge! All the prompts below are meant to inspire you to write your own fics and not as prompt requests for me. I hope you can use them as a starting point to write~♡

The theme for the challenge is:

daydreams and shooting stars`☆

There are two sets of prompts to choose from! The daydreams' prompts are based on classic fanfiction tropes that we know and live, and the shooting stars prompts are based on the zodiac signs. There are 12 prompts in each list, and you're welcome to mix and match prompts as you like! Maybe you'd like to combine your star sign with your favourite trope, or two particularly match well, or if you like a single prompt, you can just write for that. I don't mind if the fic is only very loosely based on the prompt, too, do whatever you'd like!

The writing challenge will run up until my 1 year writing anniversary, July 27th, so you have plenty of time to get your fics in! I'll be reblogging all the entries, and at the end, I'll add them to a recommendation list! Be sure to tag @reiderwriter in your fic, or use the hashtag #reidersdaydreams or #reidersshootingstars in your tags! I'll be tracking both~♡ You can submit as many entries as you like!

Rules for submissions will be at the end. Please read them before submitting~♡

without further ado, here are the prompt lists~☆

DAYDREAMS

ONLY ONE BED - a true classic in the sense that I will be reading only one bed fics down to the second I take my last breath. Feel free to invert this to "too many beds," or even "no beds at all, but somehow we're still cuddling," either way, I will read it and likely enjoy it greatly.

GRUMPY X SUNSHINE - which character is grumpy, which character is sunshine? my favourite grumpy x sunshine dynamics are the gloomy character trying their best to become more sunny after a tough life 🫡

FAKE DATING - we, in the criminal minds fandom, have written possibly every undercover mission possible to make our characters make out, but I'm coming in as a simple woman to ask - please do it again 🫶

OH. OH. - the plot revelations! Give me them! The sudden moments of clarity! I'm a fan, goddammit.

IDIOTS IN LOVE - there is nothing better than two huge dumbasses falling head over heels in love with each other in an "aw shucks" kind of way. Also, I'm an idiot, representation matters.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE - coffee shop AU? Soulmate AU? HANAHAKI AU? If someone could please un- or re- traumatise my favourite characters I will be eternally grateful

SECRET IDENTITY - give the character their Emily Prentiss Lauren Reynolds moment, or just make them dress like a clown for like 30 minutes. Both count.

MUTUAL PINING - This harkens back to idiots in love, but it's about the LONGING, it's about the PITIFUL STARES, it's about the BURNING PASSION.

SECRET RELATIONSHIP - my love of gossip makes me a sucker for secret relationship stories because I truly want to be in everyone's business. Character A and B are dating? Brilliant. It's a secret? BRILLIANT.

SICK FIC - your poor little meow meow has a cold. Or your poor little meow meow has been poisoned with anthrax. Or your poor little meow meow is dealing with possible symptoms of schizophrenia. Or your poor little meow meow has been shot-

PSYCHO X PSYCHO - reidams fans, this one's for you 🥰

ENEMIES TO LOVERS - half of my requests are enemies to lovers requests! Feel free to include rivals to lovers, lovers to enemies, friends to enemies to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers, or any such dynamic that your heart desires.

SHOOTING STARS:

Aries - "I burn for you. I can't sleep at night for wanting you. It's the most maddening, beguiling, damnable thing, but there it is."

Taurus - "There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me."

Gemini - "There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne, it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting."

Cancer - "I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."

Leo - "There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion."

Virgo - "They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered."

Libra - "Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are."

Scorpio - "She didn't understand why, but faced with those decaying buildings and straggling grasses, she was nothing but a child who had never lived."

Sagittarius - "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Capricorn - "There's a low-level, specific pain and having to accept that putting up with you requires a certain generosity of spirit in your loved ones."

Aquarius - "An education was a bit like a communicable sexual disease. It made you unsuitable for a lot of jobs, and then you had the urge to pass it on."

Pisces - "I think it's perfectly acceptable and rather admirable to be moderately delusional."

Rules:

I'm accepting reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fics for this challenge. It can feature any Criminal Minds character or any character from any fandom you write for. I assume a lot of people will stick with CM, but feel free to write for whoever you choose!

Please tag me in your entries or send the link to me in a DM. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge. Again, the tags I'm tracking are #reidersdaydreams and #reidersshootingstars ♡

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I will not endorse, nor do I want to read smut written by minors. I will check the ages of accounts posting smut.

For smut or angst fics that could include triggers, please include a content warning above the fic so we can be aware before reading!!

Enjoy!!