Continued from "In The Wake"

I looked around my new apartment. Garcia had done well! My new home had two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a nice deck outside. I loved my kitchen and I was settling in. All, except for the boxes.

I just flew in yesterday, navigated the metro for the first time, and now stood in a sea of boxes and furniture. Most of my large furniture had come, such as my couch, TV stand, kitchen table, bed, and dressers. I silently thanked Garcia for organizing all this moving for me. This would have been a nightmare to do myself.

I wasn't sure where to start. I decided to start in one room and work my way from there, but that didn't work. Anything I needed seemed to be in another box. Everything seemed necessary to unpack sooner rather than later.

I'd gone for a run earlier this morning and was still in my running shorts, tank top, and sports bra. My hair was up in a messy ponytail, perfect for unpacking. I pulled open a box in the living room and looked in. Most of my throw pillows and blankets were in it. Eh. That could wait till later.

I marched into the bedroom, pulling another box open. It was full of jewelry and knick knacks for my dresser. That didn't seem too important to do now…

Ugh. This was getting nowhere… maybe I'll start in the kitchen.

A knock came at the door. Maybe it was a new neighbor introducing themselves. Did they do that over here like they did in Tennessee?

I unlocked the door and opened it.

Garcia. Plus minions.

"Hello there, darling doll! I've brought reinforcements!" she announced, stepping into my apartment.

"Oh…um hi…" I said awkwardly. I was not dressed for company and was still barefoot.

"This was all I could round up!" Garcia called from farther in the apartment, gesturing to the rest of her group walking in.

She had brought Morgan, Reid, and JJ. Great, more people to see me less than presentable. To their credit, however, they didn't say a thing.

Morgan went straight for the TV. "Why isn't this thing set up?"

I shrugged. "I haven't needed it. Be my guest!"

He scoffed playfully and began to assemble it back together, plugging wires in everywhere he could.

"I'll help Garcia in the kitchen," JJ offered with a smile, heading to join Garcia who had started banging pots and pans. It didn't bother me to have other people put my things away, especially in the kitchen.

My eyes fell back on Reid. He stood at the dresser in the hallway. I'd left my keys on the edge. I had a decorative bowl I'd put them in but who knew where it was in all these boxes. For now, they rested on the dresser. Reid was looking at my keychain, the one he'd gotten me in Kansas City. 'The Birth of Venus.'

I smiled, feeling like I'd caught him in the act, he didn't see me watching him. Or maybe he did. He raised his head, slightly embarrassed.

"Morgan's hooking up my TV and JJ and Garcia are in the kitchen putting things away," I said, as if he wasn't sure where anyone was.

He nodded silently. I noticed he had a drink carrier with four cups of coffee in it. He sauntered off into the kitchen quietly, past Morgan who was mumbling about my cable box. The sliding door to the deck was open behind him.

While they were working on those things, I was going to take full advantage and start unpacking boxes myself. I entered my bedroom, loving the breeze coming through the windows. I had curtains somewhere that I could set up… or maybe have tall Morgan do for me… hmmm…

"You know it's often unadvised to leave windows open. Sure it helps curb electric costs and is better for the environment but often times criminals see it as an open invitation to come in. Some have delusions that the window was left open just for them and that the occupant actually wants them there, then they get defensive and upset when the owner tries to get them out. Especially in rough economics situations like the one we find ourselves facing today, you never know who might be coveting your things or status and might want to make it theirs, seeing that they've lost everything they've had."

Oh Reid…

I turned to see him examining my window.

"You know your fire escape doesn't seem that stable. In the event of a fire, it may be more opportune for you to use your deck exit and then the fire escape next to it. This may also be the most likely point of entry if there were to be a crime. Statistically, fire escapes often cause more harm than safety," he looked at me, immersed in his own words.

"Reid! Stop it!" Morgan called from the living room, "Don't scare her back to Kansas City!"

"Statistically, less crime is reported in Kansas City than in DC and the surrounding areas. Actually this place is more of a crime hub, criminals coming in and coming out quite frequently. Kansas City only sees the usually resident psychopath or a traveling one, but not near to the degree of DC. Articles have quoted that the metro makes it easy for business people and criminals alike to move around the city, making the crime hub more accessible and anonymous."

"Hey! I ride the metro!" Garcia called from the kitchen.

"Exactly, everyone uses it," Reid retorted, making his point, "Normal people and the unsubs, you never know who you could be standing next to in a metro. It's a 1 to 5 ratio that you're standing next to someone who has committed a crime, the odds go up significantly if that criminal has been charged with or arrested for that crime. Although you're in a sea of criminals and hard timers, you're actually safer on a crowded metro than you are taking a secluded cab. Car accidents are indeed paramount in DC and-"

"Reid, I'm asking you again, man," Morgan threatened, "Shut up!"

Reid looked at me apologetically, "Too much?"

I nodded, "Maybe a little."

He smiled and shrugged. As I started to unpack a box of towels, Reid looked at the few things I'd put on my dresser: a few knick-knacks and pictures.

"Looks like you're settling in well," Reid said, looking around, hands still in his pockets.

"Yeah, I guess," I said, head still down, rummaging through the box, unloading all the towels, "It'll take some time before it really feels like home."

He nodded. "Did you know that the feeling of home is actually a release of hormones and chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenalin? Your brain recognizes familiar sights, triggering memories and the neurons in your brain begin to fire. When they're good memories, your brain releases those chemicals and helps you to relax. Serotonin makes you feel comfortable and at ease, just like how you feel when you come home. The same is true for familiar faces and locations. If you don't have a previous memory or feeling for a place, those chemicals won't be released and you won't have that warm feeling of being home. The same can be true for smells. Sometimes a smell can trigger a memory and brain chemicals."

When Reid talked, he put his hands together like he was putting the pieces of his thought puzzle together, manipulating them and sliding them into place.

I stood up, brushing my hair off my shoulder. Reid actually made sense.

"What about déjà vu?" I asked, continuing to take out towels but honestly wondering what Reid's explanation for this would be.

"Aha," he said excitedly, taking a step forward, his hands moving once again, "Déjà vu is French for 'already seen', that feeling you get like you've done something or been somewhere before but you haven't, or it's a different memory you have. Some scientists insist it's brain neurons and nerves crossing wires, if you will, connecting one memory with another, creating a new one. Other scientists claim that the brain recognizes before it can recall the memory. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are responsible for memories. If the medial temporal cortex recognizes familiarity but the prefrontal cortex isn't aligned, you may experience déjà vu, where something similar did happen, but your brain just can't recall the true memory. Even in new situations, where you know you haven't been somewhere before and couldn't possibly have a memory of it, you could. You may have seen a place casually in a magazine or a movie and stored the memory without realizing it; then, your brain can't pull the memory because you didn't consciously store it. Since I have an eidetic memory, I can remember everything I've ever read and 99.5% of what I see outside of written text. I've never felt déjà vu because I consciously store memories at all times."

I stopped with my towels. Reid was a bank of information. I stood thinking, glancing towards the ceiling. Reid had me captivated. My head swam with all kinds of questions and thoughts. He looked at me intrigued, smirking.

"What about Alzheimer's? If a brain deletes a memory, is it completely gone? Or is there a kind of placeholder for it? If a person loses a memory, and something familiar is introduced, would they remember the memory or having a feeling of déjà vu because their stored memory is gone?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.

"That's a good question," Reid started, but I knew he already had an answer, "Typically in dementia- Wait… you're actually listening?"

I stood stunned. He had had my full attention. I could listen to him talk all day. How could anyone not be interested in what he was talking about?

"Um…yeah… I asked the question, why wouldn't I be listening?"

Reid smiled. "No one ever listens past the fifth word…anyways dementia patients lose short term memories but the long-term memories are preserved. Dreams are also stored in long-term memory. A dementia patient could have déjà vu if their brain remembers a dream or past memory but can't place it, they could have déjà vu. In the case of what you're asking, about short-term memories being lost forever, or being misplaced in the brain, well, Alzheimer research is still continuing to find answers for those sorts of things…"

"Wait a second…" I head Morgan call from the living room. He came and poked his head into my bedroom. "Did you just ask Spencer Reid a question he didn't know the answer to?"

Reid frowned. "I did know the answer, research is still continuing to-"

"Aha!" Morgan called, "The research, you didn't have an exact answer! Finally!"

"You could ask me if monkeys existed on Mars and I'd give you a theoretical answer, not an exact yes or no but an answer nonetheless!" Reid said defensively.

"Scott," Morgan directed at me, "Welcome to DC, you've done what none of us could do: stump Reid for an answer!"

Morgan retreated to go tell Garcia and JJ while Reid stood angrily.

"I did know the answer," Reid repeated.

"I know you did," I offered, picking up my towels again, "That was a very stimulating conversation. I enjoyed it."

Reid nodded. He was still bothered by Morgan's accusation.

"I don't know if I'm ready to start work tomorrow," I said, hoping to get Reid's attention elsewhere.

He picked up a towel, examining the threads. "You'll be fine. As long as you don't try to put you hair up again."

Reid wasn't smiling and his tone was lower. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I continued to pull towels and blankets out.

"I mean, you'll be fine," he said slightly brighter, "At least you know everyone."

I nodded. Maybe it just wasn't worth it to try and pull him out of his mood. Reid tended to be in his own bubble.

"Do you know how to get there?" he asked gently, keeping his eyes lowered.

Shit. I didn't know how to get there. I would have woken up at 6am tomorrow morning and not known how to get to work!

"Um, I actually don't," I said, hoping for some helpful metro tips, without how to avoid the many criminals that were apparently on them.

"Well, I get on a stop before yours, I can come by tomorrow morning and escort you, um, walk with you, er, show you," he stammered, "how to get to work from here…"

Reid was already blushing, frustrated by his own stammering.

I smiled. I wasn't sure if it comforted him or made him feel like I was mocking him. I didn't like not knowing but I knew if I asked, that was one answer he wouldn't give me.

"Yes, please," I said as graciously as I could.

Reid nodded quickly. "Ok, well, um, see you tomorrow."

He backed out of the room like his shoes were on fire, leaving me standing folding towels. I shook my head, smiling. He was full of information and eloquently speaking in one minute, and running out of my room the next.

'Oh, Dr. Reid… you sure are something."