Spencer's heart

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING !

She nervously glanced at her oversized neon pink watch again. She hated going into new places where she didn't know anyone. Anne was confident in who she was, but times like this even her self-confidence took a nose dive. She entered the large multi-story building and went to the front desk. She saw a large man, dressed in a navy security guard uniform, standing behind the desk. Walking towards it she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and dived head first. "Um…Hello."

The large man smiled at the slight quiver in her voice and softly asked "How may I help you?"

Anne shifted her feet as she tried to make her average 5'4" height seem even taller. "Yes, there is a visitor pass waiting for me to pick up."

The large man, who name badge read Scott, asked, "Name , maam?"

"Anne…..Anne Smith." She had been warned to have her identity ready when she went to get her pass, so she handed Scott her license.

Scott, couldn't help but not notice the shake in her hands and the light southern drawl, verified her identity and passed back her license. " You new to the area?"

Tucking her hair back behind her ear, she nodded and replied, "Yes, this place just seems overwhelming."

"Yes, ma'am, at times it is. Here is your visitor pass, and you are looking for the 5th floor, once the elevator doors open, it is through the clear glass doors that are straight ahead. Have a nice day." Scott added as he watched her stick on her pass and head towards the elevators.

"You too." Anne answered as she pressed the button for the elevator. "Gosh…Oh…I am 5 minutes early…that shouldn't be too bad." Anne was so focused on getting to where she was going she failed to notice the older gentleman in the elevator with her.

"From my experience, it is better to be early for an appointment than late." The older gentleman said with a slight as Anne thought, yankee accent.

"Oh.." Anne turned her head to the side and glanced at the man. "I don't have an appointment appointment, I am just meeting someone, and new places and people make me nervous." She said as she now felt her confidence start to slip. Here she stood in an elevator dressed in her normal blue jeans with a few holes, her warmest University Of Georgia sweatshirts on, her black and red converse shoes and her hair half in and half out of its headband, standing next to a man in a suit that probably cost as much as her first car. She didn't think about putting her going out clothes and make-up on, she was just meeting her boyfriend here and they were going to dinner.

"Oh,….well then you will be fine. First time nerves are normal, just be yourself." The older man said as he felt the elevator slow down and the floor number light up.

Anne moved to stand in front of the doors, and mumbled, "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

She heard the old man chuckle and felt him give her a tap. "Look, you didn't know me and we had a semi-conversation and you are charming and sweet. Whoever you are meeting is a lucky guy."

As they both exited the elevator she was stopped in her tracks by his words, " Wait, I never said I was meeting a guy." But as she turned to see if he was still behind her, she had missed him pass her on the other side and enter the glass doors. "Strange guy." Anne once again took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and tried to hide just how terrified she was of opening those doors. "Here goes nothing." She said to herself as she pushed open the doors and entered. The floor was mostly quiet, it seems most people had left for the day. She walked slowly further into the office area and was met by a stunning brunette. She was well dressed, and perfect posture. The brunette approached her with a quizzed look on her face.

"Can I help you?" She asked Anne. Her speech was clear and articulate, no clear trace of where she was from.

Anne was now back to nervous again. "Um….yes. I am looking for Sp…Spencer Reid."

The brunette seemed to be studying her, or as Spence would put it…profiling her.

Anne now had a sense of whom the stranger was and felt a ease. "You must be Emily Prentiss, or as Spence just calls you Emily." Anne started rocking on her feet a little and pushed her straying hair behind her ear again.

Emily was surprised. "Well, it seems I am at the disadvantage here, you know who I am and I do not know who you are." Emily at first had thought Anne was a witness involved in a case, or maybe someone's adult child who had gotten turned around, but hearing her tell her who she was changed her mind.

"Oh, I am so sorry, how rude of me.. I am…" Anne was cut off by a loud familiar voice booming from the catwalk.

"Anne….what are you doing here….wait…. is it already that time." Spencer said as he took large steps to try to get to Anne as soon as he could. He had hoped that the team would have already been gone by now, and he was hoping that on the high chance that they weren't he would be here to run interference for Anne. He dealt working with profilers every day, but he didn't know how Anne would feel.

Anne was curious as to Spencer's actions, when they were together he was always the funny, confident one, and yet here, by his eargerness to jump into a conversation, to the way he now physically stood in between herself and Emily, she knew something was off. " Spence….I am…" At the same time she called him Spence she had felt four more different sets of feet coming towards them. She saw an almost panicked look in his eyes and that had her even more concerned.

Spencer had linked his hand with hers and was starting to pull her towards the door when she heard a large voice bellow out. "Hey, kid….who's the girl you trying to run away from us with?"

Anne knew when she heard the word 'kid' who the voice belonged to, Derek Morgan, Spencer's best friend and brother, for a better term. She felt Spencer stop and take a deep long breath and then whisper softly, "Sorry." She was confused by what he was sorry for as she watched Derek close the gap between him and them in 4 long strides.

"Sooooo..introduce." Derek teased out, he loved to make Spencer sweat. And if one thing Derek had learned from his sisters, is that when anyone in the family brings in a new date, they have to pass the family test.

Spencer, cheeks pink from embarrassment, turned to Anne and said, " Anne Smith this is…"

"The infamous Derek Morgan, I can assume." Anne said with a slightly acidic tinge to her voice. Here she was a guest and Spencer's brother was trying to make it uncomfortable, just like her brother will do to her when her family meets Spencer. Anne quickly smiled and turned her attention to focusing on the conversations that were taking place on the catwalk. Anne was born with a congenital defect that affected her hearing and it wasn't until 8 years ago that she had underwent cochlear implants and now had partial hearing, but it left her with the great ability to read lips. She was only getting hit and misses when she heard Spencer clear his throat to get her attention.

AHEM! "The team wants us to all go to the local bar and grab a bite and meet you." Spencer said with a slight tug on her hand. He pulled her aside and lowered his voice. "I understand if.."

Anne interrupted him to ask just one question. " Do I embarrass you?"

Spencer, taken aback at her question, shook his head and answered, "No….no, never." Spencer tugged on her hand a little harder so that she was now standing almost flush with him. "Why?"

Anne pulled her hand free and stood back. "Look, Spence, I came dressed for a normal fun night, I can't go out with Mr. Italian Suits , Ms. Perfect Body Prentiss and Stop Traffic Derek Morgan looking like this."

Spencer was touched by her honesty and loved the way her small insecurities made him feel like her hero. "No…you are perfect…as always." He grabbed her hand and drug her to his desk where he grabbed his messenger bag and turned to the team and yelled out. "We'll meet you there in 15." Spencer then smiled as he tugged her out the doors and pushed the button for the elevator when her words fully hit him. "WAIT! What do you mean Stop Traffic Morgan?"