"Flight 112." Spencer scanned the monitor. "There is it. Luggage Claim 8." Spencer took off at a light job, Derek Morgan trailing just behind him.
Derek laughed. "You are something else, Reid."
"What?"
"You're like a kid at Christmas. All over a couple of city cops."
"One, they aren't just city cops. They are detectives, very good detectives." Spencer said, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. "And Danny Messer saved my life."
Spencer stopped at the barricade and leaned over, scanning the crowd. There were easily three hundred passengers crowded around the four luggage ramps.
"There's Flack." Spencer waved at a tall, lanky fellow with dark hair. A second man, slightly shorter and sporting a flipped around cap and glasses looked up as his friend nudged him.
Moments later, they were crossing the security barrier.
"Yo, Spencer." The shorter fellow gave him a one armed hug. "How's the arm?"
"My back hand is still a little off." Spencer laughed.
"You play tennis?" The taller fellow asked.
"No. But I'm hell at the ping pong table."
"We'll see about that."
"He's telling the truth." Derek laughed. "I've had to buy lunch every day for the last week."
"This is Derek Morgan. He's BAU." Spencer nodded to his fellow agent. "These are Detective Don Flack, Homicide, and Detective Danny Messer, CSI."
"My pleasure." Derek shook their hands. "Reid's been yakking about you guys and your team since he came back. You'd think he'd met some big superstar. Angelina Jolie, or maybe that British chick from the Disney flicks."
Derek led the way out of the terminal to the car left at the curb claiming 'official FBI duty'. Membership did have a few useful privileges.
Danny and Don both laughed.
"I think I'm gonna like this guy." Danny laughed.
"They remind me of you and Montana. Only without the unresolved sexual tension."
"I told you, I don't like her like that."
"So you won't mind if I ask her out."
"Be my guest. Just watch out. She's tougher than she looks. Serious right hook."
"Montana?" Derek looked at Spencer.
"Another detective. Lindsay Monroe."
"From Montana right." Derek popped the trunk and tossed the luggage inside.
"Right."
Rush hour traffic meant it took over an hour to drive from the airport in Fairfax to Quantico. They stopped at the dorms, dropped off Danny and Don's bags and then drove to the BAU headquarters.
"You do this for everyone?" Danny asked as Security handed them visitor passes.
"No. But Gideon wanted to meet you." Spencer led the way up the stairs to the unit office.
A dark haired woman approached them as they entered the general office. "I'm Elle Greenaway."
"Hello, Agent Greenaway." Don grinned. "I'm Don. Flack. Homicide."
"What about Montana?" Danny whispered.
"Intra office relationships are messy."
"These the guys?" A man and woman walked up.
Spencer nodded and quickly introduced Hotch and JJ to their visitors.
"Gideon just left a training seminar. He'll be here in a moment. Would you gentleman care for coffee?"
"Sure. Thanks."
"Agent Jareau?"
"Please, call me JJ."
"Can I ask you something?" Danny said as they waited for Gideon.
"As long as it's not a matter of national security."
"I don't think so." Danny laughed. "I have a friend that lives here and I wanted to take her out for dinner."
"You need a suggestion."
"Yeah."
"Fancy, not so fancy."
"Not so fancy. And she's rather a unique person."
"Unique?"
"Freethinker, smart, not the type to work in an office in a suit."
"Lucio's." JJ said with a grin. "Laid back, great pizzas. Even better calzones. Plus a second level bar/cantina/pool hall with a fantastic microbrewery. You eat, go shoot some pool, listen to some very pretentious gang of local kids that thinks they can be big one day and are actually pretty good."
"Sounds like you've been there before?"
"My cousin is a bartender there."
"Cool. I bet Penelope will love it."
"Penelope? Our Penelope?"
"Yeah." Danny laughed at her look. "Long story."
"Detectives." A man strode into the room. "I'm Jason Gideon and I'm very pleased you came." He glanced at Don. "No matter the impetus."
"Thank you for sending Spencer to help us with the Stokes case."
"Reid gave us an overview of the case but I wonder if you wouldn't mind giving me a full retelling. Perhaps over dinner."
Danny blushed. "I have plans."
"He has a date." Derek laughed. "With Garcia."
"So that's why she came to work dressed extra special." Elle laughed.
"uh." Danny gulped.
"Don't worry," JJ laughed. "Special just means that she made sure none of the pattern's clashed."
"Cool." Danny looked at Gideon. "If that's not a problem."
Gideon nodded. "Tomorrow will be fine. Provided we don't get called away. Of course."
"Of course."
"While Danny's off playing Romeo, I was hoping I might find a gym, work on my jump shot so I can stop buying all the time."
Derek lit up. "You play?"
"Street rules."
"Just the way I like it."
Spencer looked around the room with an amused grin. He'd been a little nervous about how the team would treat Don and Danny. Danny, in particular, had been so accepting of him from the start. Not treating him like a freak because of his bizarre genius and nervousness around strangers. He didn't his friend getting a cold shoulder.
But watching Derek and Don talking about basketball and JJ drawing a map for Danny while he, Hotch and Gideon talked about forensics. It was like they had been there for years. And it made him feel really good. They accepted Danny and Don the way he had been accepted by the CSI team.
"Earth to Reid." A voice cut into his thoughts. "That's him right." Garcia nodded at Danny, whose back was to the door.
"Yeah, that's Danny." Spencer glanced at Garcia. Elle was right. She did look extra special. She had on a long skirt and what appeared to be a vintage peasant blouse with tiny flowers embroidered around the collarr. Her hair was pinned back with two clips that looked like roses. "Wow."
"What?"
"You look really nice."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."