Of Dreaming Spires: Paperchase Interlude III – Spencer

Spencer 

“Sorry if I kept you waiting,” Spencer says as he walks up to the rest of the team. He can’t watch the limo drive away without feeling sad, and he needs to be on top of his emotions if he’s going to carry this off. So he juggles his go-bag and the gift Daniel handed him, and makes his way through his still gaping colleagues, jogging quickly up the steps of the jet.

He’s nearly finished getting settled in his usual seat when the others make a tight circle around him.

“What the hell, Reid!” Morgan exclaims. “Who was that guy?”

Spencer arranges his features into his best innocent, wide-eyed look (the one that works on everyone but his mom – who even in the depths of her psychosis has always been able to see right through it) and gazes up at them all, only to see Emily and JJ giving an irate Morgan twin looks of sheer amazement.

“You mean you didn’t know who that was?” JJ gives Derek a slightly shocked smile.

“I was too busy watching him lip-locking with Pretty Boy and handing him gifts, to really take notice of who he was…and why would I know him anyway…is he someone famous?”

“Only the most famous man on the planet…Or at least one of the two most famous men on the planet.” Rossi claps Derek on the back with a dry chuckle. “The man ‘lip-locking’ with our genius here, was none other than Dr. Daniel Jackson.”

Morgan’s mouth drops open. “The Stargate guy?”

“The very same.”

“Famous, rich and handsome too,” JJ teases.

Spencer grins at her and nods. “Yeah, that was Danny.”

Morgan looks seriously affronted at how easily Spencer is dealing with their shock. “And how long have you known ‘Danny’? Can’t have been long, you’ve never mentioned him before. What did you have to do…put out for your limo ride and gifts from the rich genius?”

“Morgan!” Hotch barks in irritation. “Cut it out.”

“Did he just accuse me of whoring myself out for gifts.” Spencer asks with a raised eyebrow, too pleased by Hotch’s quick defence of him to care how seriously out of line Derek’s comment was.

Hotch seems just about to say something else to the other agent when Emily, ever the peacemaker, butts in. “So where did you meet him, Spencer?”

Spence remembers the advice Daniel gave him and uses the truth to weave a convincing story. He doesn’t really want to out and out lie to his team, but he needs to pull them in and these people make their living from reading others. If he wants to find out once and for all if Hotch really does want him, then he has to be ready to use some dirty (or at least slightly grubby) tricks.

“I was read into the program about three years ago,” he begins and he’s a little gratified to see the frown lines on Hotch’s forehead which usually signify shock. “I was offered Atlantis, but mom was still alive and I couldn’t leave her.”

“You were considering going to another galaxy and you never said anything?” Emily asks, with wide eyes.

Spencer shrugs. “It was all really highly classified at that point. I couldn’t say anything even if I wanted to.”

JJ squints slightly as a thought strikes her. “That was the point you started dressing better…had your hair cut.” She turns to Emily in triumph, “I knew there had to be a reason, I just couldn’t work out why. That’s when you met Dr Jackson.”

Oh, bless you, JJ, Reid thinks as she takes what he said and makes up her own interpretation of it. He’d changed his look about that time, but of course it had nothing to do with the interview or Daniel. He’d just got sick of being treated like a child and had decided to be a little more grown up, at least on the outside. He’d hated the shorter hair – and, if his comments had been anything to go, by so had Hotch – so he’d grown it out again, and if anything, it’s slightly longer now than it had been before.

“So,” Rossi drawls as he slides into the seat opposite Spencer. “Are you going to open your gift or what? Or is it likely to be something you don’t want us to see,” the older man teases.

“I have no idea what it is.” Spencer replies, honestly intrigued to see what Daniel could have arranged in the very short time he had. He reaches inside the gift bag and finds a large, leather bound box with a hook latch. Nestling next to it is an envelope, with ‘Spencer’ handwritten on it. He slides a finger under the seal and pulls out a thick, gilt-edged note card.

Spence,

So even when we’re apart, you’ll always know what time it is – wherever we are in the Universe.

Much love, Danny

Still mystified, Spencer turns to the rich blue box and flicks open the latch with a fingernail. Presented inside is the most beautiful watch he’s ever seen. A warm, rose gold case surrounds a deep blue face, etched with a representation of the Milky Way onto a moving transparent disc. It’s stunning and Spencer can hardly breathe. Surely Daniel doesn’t mean him to keep this?

“You don’t wear a watch,” Morgan says sullenly.

“Only because I’m allergic to base metal,” Spencer counters. He can’t get too angry with Derek. He can see the way his behaviour has changed Morgan’s worldview, and how in turn it’s making the agent feel unsettled. Reid pulls the watch from the box and holds it with slightly shaking fingers. It’s gorgeous and he has no doubt it’s a very expensive gift.

“So why did he choose now to buy you a $1000 watch? What does he want, and what does ‘wherever WE are in the Universe’ mean? Is he trying to get you to work with him?”

“Danny’s being trying to get me to work with him since I’ve known him,” Spencer answers truthfully. Of course, he doesn’t say he’s only known him since last night.

Hotch frowns at the exchange but his eyes never leave Spencer, and the younger man can see he’s genuinely curious about his answer.

Dave Rossi reaches over and with a raised eyebrow asks unspoken permission from Reid to have a look at the timepiece. He turns it over and then stares at the case-back for a moment before he glances over at Morgan. “Oh, I think this little beauty cost a hell of a lot more than $1000.”

As Derek opens his mouth to no doubt make some other crass comment, Spencer’s phone chimes with exquisite timing. He flips it open to find a text message from Daniel, and reading it he almost giggles. His friend is proving he really knows how to play this game.

Missing you already, sweetheart. Have you opened your gift?

Emily shamelessly reads it over his shoulder and repeats it aloud. Spencer can’t help blushing at the endearment. His heart starts beating faster when he notices how Hotch’s hands fist against his thighs. It’s one of the man’s only tells and signifies he’s upset…concerned. Maybe Daniel is right and there is something to hope for.

JJ nudges him and Spencer shakes his head at his friend in mock irritation as he texts back.

Morgan is wondering what I had to do to get my $1000 watch…  

…Cheeky bastard! Tell him you didn’t have to do anything. I don’t need excuses to give the gorgeous Dr. Spencer Reid a gift…and tell him to try 360. I’m not cheap!

JJ reads the message back, again without asking permission, and Reid fleetingly wonders whether he should be pissed at the way his team is invading his privacy.

“$360. So, it isn’t even real gold plated then,” Morgan scoffs, his words only managing to show how winded and out of kilter he is after the complete turnaround of his view of his team-mate.

“Try $360 K,” Rossi corrects, “And yeah, its very real. I know my watches and this is a beauty. Unique.” The Italian looks impressed and deeply envious.

Its gorgeous, but Danny…too much, babe.

He’ll have to find a way to give the watch back to Daniel when he visits Quantico, although how he’ll do it without the others noticing he has no idea. He won’t be able to wear a watch like this for work anyway.

Nah…nothing’s too much for you. I’ll get you something a little less flashy for work, but I wanted you to have this asap. I’ll speak to you later tonight, and then see you in a few days. I can’t wait. Don’t forget to give my offer some thought.

The man is fucking psychic, Spencer thinks and he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised at the possibility; after all he’s died and been resurrected a few times…It has to have had some effect. He looks up from his phone and finds himself looking right into Hotch’s eyes. The other man is gazing at him with a strange, questioning, unsure look and Spence wants to kiss it right off his face.

It’s all wrong. Hotch is the steady one, the one who’s always in control and sure of himself. It’s Spencer who’s prone to wobbling insecurity. But he knows there is nothing he can do right now. He has to let this play out. It feels cruel, but Daniel’s right. He needs to know.

His mind says maybe there’s nothing here for him, that he’s seeing what he wants to see…But his heart’s telling him there really could be a glimmer of need in Hotch’s dark eyes.

He swallows hard and forces himself to look away, tuning back in to Dave Rossi as he launches into a story about Spencer’s very expensive, one-off Patek Phillipe Celestial watch, a charity auction and a third of a million dollars.

The next few days will tell him whether he’s going to get his hearts desire, or if he’ll be starting a whole new phase of his life in England.

Spencer knows which one he’s holding out for.