Shore Leave

It was pretty much a typical day for Penelope Garcia as she scuttled through the foyer of the Behavioral Analysis Unit on her way to start another day at work. She would have to look through the requests and prepare the briefing for the team and on top of that she would have to man her post in her sanctuary and forward and find information as the team needed it. It may have been typical but her arms were full with a few more file folders than usual and she couldn't see very well what was in front of her.

She almost dropped them entirely when she bumped into someone but a hand reached out and helped prevent the fall while saying in a rather pleasant voice, "Whoa. Sorry about that."

Garcia shifted to get a good look and she thought she had died and gone to heaven. Standing in front of her in handsome goodness was a man who was the perfect image of the perfect man. Dark brown hair styled in a short cut but still soft looking enough to run your fingers through and it had that handsome messy look to it, dark brown eyes, olive toned skin, and he was tall. He was about Derek Morgan's height if she had to estimate and he was fit. Really fit, like defined abs and super strong fit even though she couldn't tell under the messy professor look that he was sporting. He put handsome to nerd.

He had a kind smile and seemed bemused at her expression as he teased her, "I guess I should watch where I'm going."

"No," Garcia protested with a slight stutter. "I ran into you. I'm sorry. Just…"

The smile was still there and Garcia got the impression that he was laughing at her or something about her. She had to ask, "What is so funny?"

"Nothing. Just reality surpassing expectation."

It was comment meant to put at ease but Garcia sensed that there was more to it. She noticed that he was wearing a visitor badge and figured he was here either for an interview or was a consultant. He didn't seem lost so… "Well… uh, I'm sorry and I have to be going."

It was a surprise when half of the file load was removed and he stood there. She made a slight sound and he said, "Please, let me help. Lead the way."

"I… I don't think this is…" Garcia started walking.

Whether it was because he was so gentlemanly, Garcia sensed that the handsome hunk wasn't going to let her continue carrying everything by herself. He also seemed to have a strong personality in that he could be pushy if he was goaded even though he appeared mild mannered. Not liking the silence, she tried, "So… here for an interview or someone?"

"For someone."

"Are you a consultant?"

"Depends."

That told a whole lot of nothing. Still it helped until Garcia was at her office. She accepted the excess files, "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He held out his hand.

Taking it, Garcia introduced herself, "Garcia. Penelope."

"Pleasure, Miss Penelope," he replied, "Michael."

The rich tones were enough to make her swoon and Garcia could do nothing but smile. It was all she could do as her hand was released from his strong grip and he turned to leave. He seemed to know where to go and figured that he had been in there before with one of the other personnel or with IRT. She was about to get to work when Emily came up and asked, "Who's the hunk?"

"He was just waiting in the hall. Consultant?" Garcia shrugged knowing that it was probably not a good thing that she didn't know but he had to have been cleared otherwise he would not have been allowed to enter the building.

Emily stared at the man that had accompanied Garcia into their bullpen. She didn't fail to notice that any other woman in the area with a pulse also turned to look. She didn't blame them. He was handsome in that bookish kind of way. "Maybe."

"I saw him first," Garcia teased.

"Yeah and you have competition from everyone with a pulse," Emily countered giving a slight toss of her head to indicate that others were watching.

Garcia saw that. She made a slight face and wanted to chase after the man but she couldn't. She had a job to do and reluctantly turned to do it but not without giving the blessing to Emily with the promise that she tell her everything that she could find out. Emily agreed to it and started in the direction he had gone leaving Garcia to do her work.

Emily caught up with the man as he made a leisurely circuit of the cubicles. She noticed that he was observing everything with a practiced eye. That told her that he probably had some experience somewhere that made him hypervigilant. He could have been FBI and retired or he was a civilian working with them. They were plausible ideas but she wasn't going to know if she didn't find out.

She caught up with him as he paused to look at the wall of the fallen. He had a somber look about him that gave the impression he understood what it was like. He adjusted the strap of his messenger bag and said, "I always check my surroundings."

Emily took a back step and almost fell speechless when he turned his brown eyes towards her. She managed to say, "Commendable but…"

"I have worked for a law enforcement agency before and private security. Old habits." He gave a gentle smile before turning to look at the wall.

"Explains things," Emily allowed. "But doesn't explain why you're here." It was better to go for the throat. There would be little room for misunderstanding.

He chuckled at that, "Reality defies expectation." He cleared his throat and shifted to look at her. He replied, "I am here meeting someone. I am in town for a week and I was asked to stop by."

That threw any other possibilities out the window in Emily's mind. "Really? Who are you waiting for?"

He was going to say something when the beep of his watch went off. He looked at it and his eyes widened slightly in alarm. He looked up and apologized, "I'm sorry. I have to go. I'm not where I'm supposed to be."

Before Emily could say anything, he was heading towards the elevator. She watched as he stopped when the doors opened and Rossi and Hotchner got out. They eyed the departing man with raised brows. Emily thought she saw recognition on Hotchner's face but it was gone in a millisecond and it was back to work. She pursed her lips as she headed back to her desk where Morgan was sitting at his, working. Reed wasn't even in yet. She didn't get much but at least she could fill in Garcia with more about the mystery hunk that strolled in.

~0~0~0~0~

"Sorry, I was helping…"

"Damsel in distress?"

Michael Nassar chuckled as he gave a brotherly hug to the man that had been his best friend since college. He patted his friend's back before stepping back and joking, "You know I was instilled with that Texan charm, Spence."

Spencer Reid grinned as he shoved his hands in his pants pockets. Out of all the people he knew, only two people called him that. One was a coworker and friend and the other was a friend and almost brother. He joked, "You mean the Texas boyish charm that failed every time?"

"That's the one," Michael replied. He gave a slight shrug, "Though this one looked like I had descended from the mountain with the holy word or something." He let his Texan drawl out since he was amused and it was Spencer. "I have to admit Spence, your descriptions were nothing like reality. That Penelope Garcia… like you described and then some."

"You were helping Garcia?"

"She bumped into and almost dropped those files she was carrying. Just helped her out," Michael gave a shrug like it was no big deal. "You have a pretty nice layout up there."

Spencer shook his head slightly. It was no use worrying about the legality of his best friend being up there since his friend would more than likely say he had authorization, which he did. And it wasn't like he would actively snoop. He would just observe and no doubt people were curious and the women would have been staring. "Did you meet anyone else?"

"One. Female. Dark hair and asked a bunch of questions like she was trying to interrogate me. Emily, right?" Michael looked upwards to think about it as he described Emily Prentiss. He looked at Spencer and said, "Another reality surpassing expectation. Oh and I passed Hotch. I don't think he recognized me and he was with one other guy."

"That would be David Rossi…"

"Oh right, book writer." Michael looked at his friend and said, "Don't worry, Spence. I answered but didn't tell. I wasn't going to embarrass you in front of your coworkers without you around. I would do that when you are front and center."

"I know," Spencer replied giving a slight grin and a roll of his eyes. "It's okay though. I know you. So how was the flight?"

"About as well as it could be considering that I was stuffed in a cargo hold," Michael replied with a grin. "You know how it is."

"More than I'd like to know." It was a joke and Spencer couldn't help it. Michael was always the one to draw him out into social situations. The comical thing about them bonding was that they both were highly intelligent. Prodigies in their own right but Michael had always been more sociable and down to earth, athletic and never hid his intelligence from people whereas he had always been the definition of bookworm and nerd. Yet they clicked from day one and they looked after each other while at Cal Tech.

Michael chuckled as he looked at his longtime friend. He was amused that Spencer was still dressing like the schoolboy professor with the button downs and the sleeveless sweaters over them. The messy hairdo gave Spencer the look of an intense intellectual and that genius look that could be intimidating. Still he liked him and they got along. They were an odd pair but it worked out. They were like family. "How's your mom?"

"She's doing fine," Spencer replied, not at all put out at the question. "She thinks that you are a guardian angel, Mike." He gave a slight frown at that.

"Not a long feat considering," Michael replied with a gentle smile. "Thank you for introducing me to her. Did she like the first edition I got for her?"

"She loved it. That's when she called you the guardian angel."

Michael made a slight sound and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at his friend and gestured with his head, "And what about you? Everything okay? You were upset about Gideon leaving."

"I was but… I understand," Spencer replied with a slight frown and a nod. He knew his friend was concerned about him and while he could lie, it wouldn't last since Michael knew him as well as he did him. "What about you? Last time you said that you had a lead but it didn't pan out."

"Yeah but there is always another day. Patience while working with impatient people is a virtue," Michael replied with a grin. "It's a gift and a curse."

"And one you're very good at."

Michal gave a playful and narrow look at Spencer. It turned into a grin as he said, "You're getting better, Spence." He gave a pat to his friend's arm. "You've picked up some nasty habits from me."

"More like you got them from me," Spencer countered as he lifted the flap of Michael's messenger bag to reveal the first editions of classic literature and thought. "None of that professional and technical reading you like."

"That is a necessity," Michael countered with no heat behind it. He was grinning though because Spencer was grinning at him as well. He glanced at the wall clock and noted the time. "Well I better get going. Can't let you be late."

"How long are you in town?"

Michael paused at that. He had mentioned a week but his intention was to just say hi and check up on his friend before doing whatever. He didn't really want to head to the family home and figured he would just crash somewhere in the city. "A week or so. I'm on leave."

"You got a place to stay?"

"I got a room."

"Then get your money back. Stay at my place."

Michael studied his best friend and shook his head slightly, "Spence."

"Mike, come on. You and I both know that your leave is a bit longer than a week and you have no intention of going home for whatever reason." Spencer paused to calm himself so he didn't sound like he was scolding his friend. "Please. Stay at my place."

Michael thought about it. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea and Spencer was right in that he never really went home. That was a whole other thing but the point was made. He just didn't want to impose. "I don't want you to be put out."

"And I'm saying it's fine. It'll be like old times."

Sighing, Michael nodded, "Okay. You win. I'll bring my gear tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Got a few things to take care of."

It was a lie but Michael wasn't going to impose more on his friend. It was too generous to offer a place to stay. He was looking into getting a place so he wasn't footing a bill for motels or crashing at a friend's place. He also wasn't going to hurt the feelings of his only friend who actually understood him. He gave a reassuring grin, "Research."

Spencer accepted that knowing that his best friend was trying not to impose. Things hadn't changed much between them and it seemed that it would always be like that and he accepted it. He accepted his friend with his flaws and vice versa. They understood each other. "Okay," he replied, "Come back here and we go from there."

"And your coworkers? You have any plans?"

Spencer knew that they could get a call out. "If we get called out, I'll call you. Fair enough?"

It was fair. If it were the other way around, Michael would have done the same thing. Neither expected the other to play the role of entertainer for the other. They both had busy careers but both would drop whatever they were doing to help the other out if there was trouble. It had been an awkward introduction for Spencer in college but he quickly learned that Michael was all about learning how to figure out things for yourself and be self-sufficient but he was the first to jump in if he had gotten into trouble. Back then it was the occasional bully.

Michael was agreeable to the terms. "Fair indeed. Thanks, Spence."

"You're my best friend and almost brother," Spencer replied with a smile. He reached over and grabbed his friend in a one armed hug. "Besides, I'd like to see what Garcia does when she knows you're my friend."

"You are too cruel, Spence," Michael replied with a grin. "Don't be. I like her and I can tell that you and your team depend on her."

Spencer nodded and smiled. There was nothing to disagree about with that sentence. "Okay, so tonight, here and I'll call if…"

"If you get a call. Got it," Michael replied like a kid would after being given an instruction that had been repeated multiple times. He was humoring his friend but it was also reaffirming that they were friends and looking out for one another. "I've been doing this for a while too," he joked.

Spencer gave a smile as he adjusted his bag. He knew he had to go otherwise he would be seriously late. He nodded and turned to head up to where the team was waiting. He was down the hall when he paused and turned. He saw his friend waiting like a parent seeing their kid off to school. An idea hit him, "Mike, come by early. I'll introduce you to the team."

"Wilco, Spence," Michael replied as gave a slight wave. He waited until Spencer was on the elevator before turning to leave the building. He turned in his visitor badge and adjusted the strap of his messenger bag. He had come with the intention to say hi and check up on his friend but it seemed that plans changed and it felt… refreshing. The offer to meet the team probably had been spontaneous but it sparked interest and he was looking forward to at least seeing Hotchner again.

Spencer felt elated that his friend decided to stay with him this leave. Typically it was a phone call and a meet up for one day and that was it with Michael citing an excuse. He knew that his friend stayed in town the entire time of his leave and he looked up the length with some digging. He sensed that something was going on with his friend that wasn't necessarily bad but he wanted to talk about it. The offer to stay at his apartment was a good idea and one that he had entertained for a time since the last time they met. As he walked into the bullpen, he noticed people talking and figured that his friend would be the highlight of the day. It would only make the introductions entertaining if not for him then at least Michael. This leave would be different from the others.

A/N: Just an introduction of a character for a story that is in the planning stages. Reid has a friend that is like him in many ways but vastly different in others. A teaser for a potential story. Read and review if you like the idea. Enjoy!