Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, other than River Constantine. I am not making money from these stories. I like writing and this is a terrific distraction for me.
Welcome to the Team
Chapter One
"Alright, team, listen up!" SSA Aaron Hotchner said loudly. The team was getting settled, having just arrived for the day.
"What? Do we have a case?" Derek Morgan asked.
"No. Not yet anyway. JJ is looking over files we have received, though. We're going to meet in the conference room at 9:30 am. Right now, I just need to let you all know we are getting a new addition to the team. She should be here in around 15 minutes." Hotchner paused, trying t gauge his team's reactions. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he continued. "She just transferred from one of the child safety teams. Mainly, my bosses believe we could use her. She's smart and good at her job. Apparently, she is also skilled at getting information from suspects through casual conversation."
"In other words, she is manipulative," Emily Prentiss stated. It wasn't a question. She knew Hotch wouldn't outright say the new team member was manipulative.
"Well, she should be here any minute. So, on with the show. Her name is Dr. River Constantine. She has PhD's in Psychology, Biology and Mathematics. Also, her file says she is experienced with weapons and hand to hand combat," Hotch paused, noticing that Dr. Reid was no longer paying attention. "Reid?" he asked, hoping to get an explanation for the strange behavior. Dr. Spencer Reid was always paying attention, even if most people didn't notice that he was.
Reid looked up, embarrassed he had been caught. He had been thinking, not that it was strange for him to be thinking. After all, he was a genius. Thing is, River was a genius too. Her IQ was 182. Not as high as his, but still high. She also had an eidetic memory, like him, and to top it all off, they were born on the exact same day. He had gone to college with her. She was the only person, other than his mother, who really knew what it felt like to be him. She understood. And now, they would be working together. Happy didn't really seem to cover what Reid was feeling at that moment. Excited didn't work either. Scared seemed more appropriate. He had had a crush on her during under-grad, and it didn't go away when they ran into each other while working on their Math PhD's. Yeah, scared pretty much covered it.
*Okay, think! I need to say something. Everyone is looking at me!* Reid tried to make his mouth work. He was very rarely speechless. It has happened before, though, and it was happening again, at that moment.
"Uh, yes, Sir?"
"Something on your mind?" Hotch asked.
"Um, no, not really…"
"Come on, kid. We know. We are profilers, after all. Out with it," Derek prodded.
"It's nothing. I just, um, I know her. We were in college together," Reid said awkwardly.
"Yes, we were. And it got extremely annoying not being the best in the class."
River Constantine had just walked in.
And Spencer Reid's face went from awkward embarrassment to sheer and utter terror in 0.2 seconds.
