That was the last of it. Seventeen year old Spencer Reid set down his box on his new bed and straightened back up with only a small wince for his back. He was grateful that he didn't have all that much to worry about transporting. Just a bag and the few boxes. Those boxes, however, had mostly contained books, and those were always heavy to carry. Thank God for Derek. Not just for driving him and his stuff here, but for helping to unload it all as well.

As if thinking of his friend had summoned him, the bedroom door opened and Derek Morgan strolled in, having a much easier time with his box than Spencer had. It probably had something to do with the fact that the man was tall with a body that was made for the football field. The twenty two year old grinned at him as he dropped the box onto the ground. "There, that's everything." Without hesitation, he dropped himself down onto the bed and folded his hands behind his head, resting it against the wall. "Not a bad room you got here, kid. Better than my bedroom!"

"Anything would be better than that closet you call an apartment." Spencer pointed out dryly. He'd been in Derek's apartment and he knew what it looked like. Small was putting it kindly. Spencer had been amazed countless times at the fact that Derek had been able to stay there. It was a tiny place, the living room doubling as a bedroom with one of those beds that folded up into the wall.

Derek laughed and stuck a foot out, pushing against Spencer's hip and making him stumble back. "Watch it, kid!"

A hint of a smile touched the shy teen's lips. It wasn't many that were able to tease him like that. Not many that he would've allowed close enough to tease him that way. Derek was just…special. Unique. Their whole friendship was unique, really.

Spencer had met the football player almost three years ago when Spencer had first started at Caltech. Being only thirteen at the time—he'd graduated high school the year before that—he'd been let into Caltech only because of his extremely high IQ. Spencer knew he was a feather in their cap that they were eager to show off. They'd worked with Spencer and his mother to accommodate everyone, including setting it up for Spencer to always be able to take the bus back to Vegas for weekends at home, and they had carefully selected someone to be his roommate in the dorms. Someone responsible, who would act as a sort of guardian while he was there. He'd been lucky in that he'd gained Aaron Hotchner as a roommate. Through him, he'd met Derek, one of Aaron's close friends. Somehow, for some reason Spencer still didn't understand, the men had befriended him despite their age difference, and while Aaron tended to act more like a father or an uncle, Derek had become one of Spencer's best friend. Their friendship was odd to most people. The taller, dark skinned man, obviously into sports, most definitely into football, hanging out with what one of Derek's friends had called the 'nerdy little white boy'. They were the source of plenty of humor, though neither of them cared.

Spencer had no idea how he would've made it through the past few years without his friend. He definitely wouldn't have survived the events of the past year without him.

Shivering, Spencer pushed those thoughts back. He wasn't going to think about that. This was a new town, new school, a brand new start. Things were going to be different here. This wasn't going to be like Caltech at all. He was older now, not as naïve. Not as stupid. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes twice. Besides, this could be considered a good thing, right? Stanford was said to have a fantastic engineering program, and what he knew of their psychology program seemed to be pretty decent. Those were his courses this year.

"Hey." Derek's voice cut in to Spencer's thoughts and brought him back to the present. He found his friend siting up now, watching him with concern. "You all right there, Reid?"

Spencer summoned up as best of a smile as he could manage and nodded at him. "Yeah. Just…just thinking, that's all." He turned his attention to one of the nearby boxes, using that as an excuse to turn away from Derek long enough to compose his thoughts.

"Having second thoughts?"

"No." No, he definitely wasn't having that. This was the right move for him. Staying at Caltech…that wasn't possible. Not anymore. Spencer laid his hands flat on top of the box in front of him and took a steadying breath. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit steadier. "No, I'm not. This is what I need to do. I, I couldn't stay there anymore. Stanford was a good second choice. Their programs here are well known and the school is considered exceptional. I'm sure I'll be academically challenged here, which you know doesn't happen frequently for me."

He heard the slight squeak of the bed as Derek shifted his weight. "You'll make friends here, too. Just give it time."

With his usual skill, Derek had cut neatly through Spencer's jabbering and down to the truth underneath. There was no denying that Spencer was exceedingly nervous about being alone here without any of the support system that he had back at Caltech. At the same time, he didn't really want a new set of friends. He wasn't going to be looking around here for that. He'd had enough of most people to last him for a long time. "I'm not here to make friends, Morgan. I just, I'm here to learn, to study. That's it. Everything else is secondary. Besides, I still have you guys, even if you aren't here."

"Reid." The bed squeaked again and he heard as Derek rose to his feet. His best friend came over and stood at his side, close but not touching. He was always really good at reading when Spencer was in the state of mind to be touched and when he wasn't. He was one of the few people in Spencer's life who'd ever taken the time to learn all those little quirks and remember them. Spencer had appreciated that more than he'd ever been able to put into words. Expressing his feelings wasn't one of Spencer's strong suits. He was much more comfortable in the safety of books and facts and numbers.

Derek leaned in just enough to let their shoulders brush and then pulled back so that there was space between them again. "Listen, kid…you know I understand why you came here. I get it. You need the fresh start and that's cool. Just, don't shut yourself off, all right? No one should be alone all the time."

"I'm not alone." Spencer looked up at him with a shy little smile. "You'll still call, right?"

"Call, write, visit—you aint getting rid of us, pretty boy. That's why we got you that cell phone."

Immediately Spencer's hand went to the pocket where the slim phone sat. His lips parted, the same protests building there that he'd already said countless times, and Derek quickly cut him off. "Don't even start that again, Reid. I don't care if your pride doesn't like it; you need a phone and Hotch and I can afford it. It'll give us peace of mind to know you've got a way of calling if you're in trouble, or if you need us."

"I told you, Morgan, I'll be fine."

A low sigh slid from Derek and the older man shook his head. Pressing any further right now would only get Spencer to shut down .He knew him well enough to know that right now was the time to back off. If he pushed Spencer too hard and made him shut down, there was no telling how long it would take to get him to open back up. So he softened his smile and held up a finger to point at him. "It doesn't have to be just us calling, either. You better call and check in; especially if you need us. It's like, a six hour drive here. That's not that bad. You need me, you call, y'hear?"

Spencer smiled. "I hear you."

"Good."

It wasn't easy for Spencer to escort his friend back down to his car. The great big hug that Derek swept him up in was no real surprise. It was just part of how the man was. Still, it never failed to startle him a little. He always flinched at the initial contact and took a second to relax into it. Derek knew that and held the hug a little longer than most might so that Spencer could have a chance to relax and reciprocate and enjoy the embrace. When they pulled back, Spencer was a little flushed, his gaze darting down and away from Derek's face, but that wasn't anything unusual. He had issue meeting people's eyes most of the time. "Thanks again, Morgan."

"Anytime, kid. And I mean it—anytime."

He climbed into the driver's seat then and Spencer stood there and watched and waved as his closest friend pulled away. Only when Derek was out of sight did Spencer turn around and head back up to his new dorm room. Time to start unloading things and getting them organized.

Spencer had three days in his apartment before his new roommate arrived. Three days in which he got himself settled in and as comfortable as possible before his new space was invaded.

One thing Spencer had been grateful about with coming here was his living arrangements. No residence hall for him, no tiny little dorm room split down the middle to share with someone who would make his life hell. Because he was seventeen, housing options were limited, but Spencer's recent emancipation meant that he was allowed to stay in one of the college run sets of apartments. One of his scholarships helped with living expenses, which was great. He knew at least that his rent was always going to be covered. Food, that was up to him, but rent was paid for, and he could always use the dining plan that the school had.

The apartment he got put into was pretty well set up. Since it was an apartment, not a dorm room, he and his roommate had separate bedrooms. There was a decent sized living room, plus a kitchen for them to make use of. Spencer didn't really plan on using much else except his room. He had his room set up perfectly and he really hoped that he'd be able to spend enough time in here to avoid his roommate for the most part. He wasn't looking to make friends like he had with Aaron. He didn't want to get to know people here.

That didn't mean that he could be rude, though.

With that in mind, he hesitantly made his way out of his room when he heard the front door start to unlock. Only one other person would have the key to just let themselves in and Spencer never left the door unlocked. The two bedrooms were set up in a small hall, doors right across from each other, and the bathroom sat down at the end of the hall. In the other direction, just a few feet to Spencer's right, the place opened up to the living room. To the right of that was the kitchen, and the front door sat right between the kitchen and living room. From his door, Spencer couldn't see the front door as it opened, but he was still standing there when people started to make their way inside.

He had his arms around his waist, bundled up in a sweater that had belonged to Aaron, and was leaning against the door frame when the first man appeared at the end of the hall. Spencer sized him up with one quick look. It was a skill he'd learned over years of being the smaller, smarter, more easily picked on kid in school.

The guy—their RA had said his name was Alec Hardison—was tall and slender, though not as slender as Spencer. He was dark skinned, just a little bit darker than Derek, but he looked to be about Derek's age. The Lord of the Rings t-shirt he wore made Spencer's lips twitch into a faint hint of a smile and something about the wide and bright grin the guy wore left him feeling just a tiny bit more relaxed than normal. This guy carried himself comfortably, easily, like he knew who he was and what he was doing, someone who was at ease in themselves and the world around them.. Then again, that probably had a bit to do with the relationship he was in. Spencer could see the leather cuff the man wore, on which there were a few beads and then, in the center, the symbol for polyamory. If he were to make a guess by the three colors of beads that ran in a pattern on either side, he'd have to say the man was part of a triad.

That was both good and bad. Good, because it meant that the man was more open to alternative lifestyles, and that generally meant a person was more open mind about other things as well. But bad because that also meant that there were likely going to be at least two other people who would visit on a regular basis. Spencer really didn't want to have to deal with one another person, let alone three. He wished more than anything he'd been able to get single housing. There just hadn't been any available.

In the time it took for Spencer to give him a once over, his new roommate had finally noticed him. His smile grew impossibly wider. "Hey, man. You must be the roommate—Dr. Reid, right?" He shifted the bag he was carrying to dangle better over one shoulder so he could stick a hand out Spencer's direction. "Alec Hardison. It's great to meet you."

The small flinch and slight retreat that Spencer gave were instinctual. He fought against it, though, and stepped forward, reaching out hesitantly to shake Alec's hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

If Alec thought it weird how hesitant he was, or how quickly he withdrew his hand, he didn't mention it. He just kept on grinning as he moved right up to his room and opened the door, tossing his bag inside like it carried nothing important in it. Then he turned back to Spencer at almost the same time two other people came into the hall. One was a slender, perky blond girl, and the other a long haired gruff looking man who almost immediately set Spencer on edge. That tension only got worse when he realized that, no, this wasn't just some tough guy. There was an unmistakable air about him that Spencer had learned far too well this past year. It screamed Cop.

"Guys, come meet my roommate." Alec called out to them. He leaned against the wall and gestured over towards Spencer casually, though there was something about him, an almost tensed air of waiting. "Guys, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. Doc, these are my partners…"

"I'm Parker." The blond called out, cutting Alec off. She bounded forward, the box in her hands shifted to one arm in what should've been an impossible hold. Her other hand came up and she waved it brightly at him.

The cop nudged her forward and his sharp eyes went right to Spencer. He didn't offer his hand. Didn't even move the box he was holding. "Detective Eliot Spencer." He introduced himself in a voice that was low and rough, kind of like heavy gravel.

Spencer fought every urge in him that screamed to simply fall back into his room and slam the door shut. How on earth had he managed to get the one college roommate that had a detective for a partner? Trying not to show just how rattled he was, he offered them all a small smile and a quick wave of his own. "It's nice to meet you guys."

Whatever had been making Alec tense before, it was apparently gone now. He must've been judging something in Spencer. Some sort of test had happened that the young genius had missed out on. Not that it mattered. Whatever it was, he'd passed, it would appear. His smile and body language were much more relaxed now. "I hope we weren't disturbing you or anything like that."

"No, no, it's fine." Spencer hurried to reassure him. "I won't keep you from what you're doing. I just wanted to look out and introduce myself. I'll stay out of the way while you unpack, though."

Maybe it was cowardly, maybe it was a bit weird or pathetic or a million other things, but Spencer didn't really give the other man a chance to say anything, nor his companions either. With another small wave, Spencer slipped back into his room, and he shut the door most of the way. He couldn't help leaving it just slightly cracked; habit, really. It helped him keep a general ear on things and make sure he knew what was going on nearby. At least, that had been the plan. He hadn't really counted on getting so absorbed in his book again. He certainly hadn't planned on any of the three people actually coming to his door to speak with him.

For a good twenty minutes he heard them all going back and forth as they unloaded things. Then, the noise had changed, settled into something else, something a bit further away. It sounded like they were setting up out in the living room. Good. Let them do that. Spencer had no real desire to do much outside of his own room.

Perched in his desk chair, Spencer was so caught up in his reading that he didn't hear the door open. He didn't even know anyone was there until suddenly a low, gruff sounding voice said "You know, I checked you out."

The sound of a voice where he'd been expecting none had Spencer spinning quickly around. He hadn't heard the man coming up behind him and it took everything he had not to scramble away. The only thing that kept him from doing that was the recognition that hit when he saw who was leaning against his door frame. Alec's boyfriend, Eliot. The cop. Then, just as his racing heart started to slow, his words sank in and Spencer had to fight the panic all over again. His throat tried to close off and he wondered if Eliot could hear his heart pounding across the room. One hand curled around the book he still held. Somehow, he managed to keep his voice somewhat steady as he said "I beg your pardon?"

Eliot met his gaze with a cold one that made Spencer want to shiver. "I checked you out." He repeated in that same calm, steady voice. "I do it to anyone that's sharing a space with Hardison. I keep an eye on what's mine."

Jesus. Oh, Jesus, why did this have to happen? Spencer had left Caltech to get away from this. He should've known better than to think it wouldn't follow him.

The whole time he was panicking internally, Eliot was watching him, those sharp eyes of his assessing everything until Spencer felt like a bug under a microscope. He didn't flinch, though. It took more than a terrifying cop to make Spencer come apart. Something in his gaze had Eliot's lips twitching in what Spencer was shocked to see might actually be a smile. A ghost of one, really, but a smile nonetheless. What the hell?

"I'll ask you right out—you still involved in any of that shit?" Eliot asked.

Immediately, Spencer shook his head. "No, sir."

"You plan on getting back into it?"

"No, sir."

"Then we're good." His eyes narrowed and his gaze somehow chilled a few more degrees even though Spencer would've thought that impossible. If looks could really freeze, he'd be an iceberg right then. "But I'll warn you right now, you bring any of that shit around here, you pull any of that, and I'll haul your ass in myself."

Spencer swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Yes, sir."

For a moment longer Eliot just stared at him as if assessing how true to his word he was going to be. Then he gave a nod and slipped back out of his doorway. A second later he was gone, not even the sound of his footsteps in the hallway. Spencer didn't release the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding until after he got up and shut his door.

Well, this was a hell of a start to his new school, wasn't it? Leaning back against the door, the teen stared in his room and tried to still his racing heart. It could've gone worse. It really could've. That hadn't been bad, had it? Just a warning to behave and nothing more. And so long as Spencer kept his nose clean and behaved, there wouldn't be any problems. Which was fine by him. That was the plan anything.

He blew out a breath that was just a little bit steadier and then drew himself up straight. He wasn't going to let one incident with his roommate's boyfriend rattle him. He was here to start over fresh, to leave behind the boy he'd been and the mistakes he'd made. That was what he was going to do. He wasn't going to mess things up this time. He wasn't.

This time, he was going to do things right.