Hello everybody! I decided that I need a little drabble series to play with while I await inspiration for my other stories.
This is going to be a collection of one-shots (I don't know how many), ranging in length, and all drawn from the same muse. I want to see how many different ways I can manipulate Hotch's line at the end of An Elephant's Memory (Season 3 Episode 16), the one where he's berating Reid and says that he may be the smartest kid in the room, but he's not the only kid.
I'm ashamed to admit that this one was also inspired by Twilight. When everyone is trying to teach Bella how to act human after she's turned? Yeah. You'll get it if you keep reading. If you haven't ever read Breaking Dawn, then don't worry about my shameful act =P
I'm going to shut up and let you read now.
"According to the report," Reid pointed out, scrambling around the cluttered table for whatever report he deemed important, "her left leg had a single puncture wound in the calf. That could be where he had to inject the drug, because she was struggling to get away."
There was a murmur of assent as the rest of the team added on to the Great Doctor Reid's theory. From my position against the wall, I watched as Reid gathered papers and referred to the map on the board for confirmation. Reid, as always, had broken the case wide open. His constant reading of the reports, maps, and anything else he could get his hands on combined with his computer-like brain that assembled all information turned Reid from a simple profiler and genius into the master of the universe for a few brief moments.
And, not for the first time, I wondered why he did it. Not the job; everyone had different reasons for joining the team. I wondered why Reid always had to look back to the papers. With his eidetic memory, he doesn't need to. All the facts are up in his head, ready to be pulled out and demonstrated at a millisecond's notice.
"Hotch, you comin?" Morgan asked, waiting by the door. I nodded and strode briskly past him. Unsub now, Reid later.
-
The flight home was comfortable and lighthearted. We had been able to save the hostage and capture the unsub without any trouble. The rarity of the occasion was not lost on my team. Morgan was listening to his iPod and grinning at his phone; most likely he had a date to rush off to when we landed. Rossi was napping across from JJ, who was in the process of selecting pictures of Henry to send to her mother. Emily was playing solitaire while discreetly trying to read Morgan's text messages.
Reid sat across from me, a thick book in his hands. His eyes flicked back and forth as he read line after line at his usual incredible speed. Even though I could tell that Reid was reading at an unparalleled rate, it took him at least forty-five seconds to flip the page.
Staring at Reid over the edge of my own book, I studied him. He read the same pages at least three times, THEN he flipped the page.
Just like with the reports, I saw what he was doing but not why he was doing it.
Frowning, I returned to my own book. Confronting Reid was always a difficult task; either he would insist (with his eyes too wide and his tone too cheerful) that everything was great or he would become defensive and insist that he could take care of himself.
I tacked the new information in my mind with the reports incident. I'd think of a way to question the elusive Dr. Reid at a later time.
-
Sitting at my desk, I shuffled reports restlessly. There was no reason for the few peculiarities of Reid's I had noticed to bother me so badly. At that thought, I had to stop and chuckle. A few peculiarities? This was a man who's socks never matched, couldn't use chopsticks, was a master of sleight of hand, counted cards, and held a terrible fear of the dark. Reid could also see the universe unravel in his mind, pulling at the strings until the answers of the cosmos fell into place before him. Reid was like a child trapped in the body of a young adult, with a mind like a computer. All of that put together, I still had no idea why the reports vexed me so badly.
A tentative knocking at the door broke me from my irritated contemplation. "Come in," I called, grabbing a report and trying to look productive.
Reid slipped into the room and closed the door carefully behind him. Standing awkwardly at the door, he waited quietly for me to finish up the report that I had absolutely no interest in.
"Reid," I said in some form of brisk greeting. "Was there something I can do for you?" I had no idea why he was here. The case had gone smoothly, unless I had not been paying close enough attention. Scrutinizing Reid closely, I noted the dark circles that always surrounded his eyes. Other than that, he seemed fine. "Are you alright?" I asked, just to make sure.
Clearing his throat nervously, Reid sat in one of the chairs across from my desk and placed his ridiculous messenger's bag on the ground. "I, uh, saw you watching me on the plane. And in the police office earlier?" It was a statement, but as per the usual Reid syntax, it tilted up at the end to form a question. "I just wanted to make sure that I hadn't done anything…" He trailed off nervously to stare at me in expectation.
It was as good a time as any. "Yes, I was watching you. I'm curious as to why you always refer back to the reports and files when I know you have them memorized. It seems like it would be quicker to just recall the information."
Reid squirmed uncomfortably, so I continued. "And on the plane, when you were reading. You must have read those pages at least three times each before you turned the page. I just want to know why."
We sat there in silence for a few minutes while Reid struggled with himself. When he finally reached a decision, he looked up and asked, "Would you mind not telling the others?"
"Of course," I assured him with a nod. The rest of the team hadn't even noticed the quirks, so it was an easy promise to make.
Taking a deep breath, Reid blurted, "It's so that I can pretend to be normal."
I furrowed my brow in confusion. This boy, this brilliant, innocent, kind boy whom nature had gifted with such intelligence, wanted to be normal?
"Not normal like you're thinking!" he assured me quickly. I gestured for him to explain. "It's just, when I start rattling off information and pulling facts and, well, talking in general, I kinda freak people out. Normal people can't hold all that information and consciously use it, and when I do they think I'm lying or that I'm a freak. I developed the habit of grabbing for a folder whenever we're on a case, because it prevents the local LEO's and others from being distracted and uncomfortable."
I nodded in understanding. We never seemed to deal with open minded people. "I'm sorry that you have to do that, Reid. It's not easy being the smartest kid in the room, is it?"
"At least this way I'm not the only kid in the room. Honestly though, Hotch?" he said, grinning like a kid, "Most of the time I don't even bother to grab the right folder."
I chuckled, more at his obvious amusement than at the act itself. I still had a question that he had not answered. "And the reading on the plane?"
"For the same reason. Also, I read faster than I can flip the pages," he admitted, ducking his head with another grin.
I shook my head, trying to hide my smile. Reid may not have liked being the only kid in the room, but he was good at it.
Review, tell me your thoughts, and feel free to suggest interpretations of my self-imposed prompt!