The Epic Tale of How Running in the Hallway Forever Changed the Nation

A/N: My old computer went wonky so now I'm using my brother's to write this chapter. I hate the way the keys are spaced and I hate the way it makes it uncomfortable to type while laying down because (fun fact) I typed pretty much the entirety of this story and The Essentials lying down.

I'm lying down right now because I'm a gangster and sitting upright just ain't my steeze.

Get at me, playa.

-BlueOhNOSHEDIDNT

Chapter Twelve: Seventeen Smiles

Spencer

The moment Spencer walked onto the bus the rows of children went silent. They all stared up at him as he paused before them with nothing to do but stare back. Spencer gulped and looked down toward his feet, taking tentative steps forward. The silence was deafening - roaring even as Spencer slowly rose and walked past them. He could feel their eyes on him, glaring and staring, teeth baring and raring, eyes wide and uncaring. Spencer nearly lost his mind. The walk to his seat in the back took hours upon hours, it seemed. He even walked past Tobias, whose large baby blues were slanted in the shape of something he couldn't read.

The silence didn't make it very far after that.

As he took his seat, Tobias stood up and walked to the back of the bus so that he could lean backwards onto his knees on the seat before Spencer's. Spencer took a small breath and looked up at Tobias, waiting for his long-time bully to say something crude, hurtful, and unjust. At this point, Spencer cared much less about the public slander. For the first time ever he had someone who told him he was beautiful and brilliant and worth it on a daily basis, so whatever Tobias had to say could take a fucking number.

Spencer nearly smiled as he thought about Derek, but his mind caught up with his heart. There was no way Derek was feeling any type of "beautiful and brilliant and worth it" right now. The poor boy was being driven to his own personal guillotine right now. Derek must be a wreck. Spencer could almost feel Derek's discomfort pounding over distance and time, and he suffered the pain for a reason unknown.

Tobias spoke, locking eyes with Spencer, "...I got a couple of cats sayin' that you planned this."

Spencer paused and gave Tobias a confused look, "What do you mean? What did I plan?"

"You got the class half-breed expelled," Tobias grinned, a look on him Spencer had never seen before. It suited him. Too bad his words didn't.

Spencer furrowed his eyebrows, "I didn't do that. And Derek's not expelled. Not yet, anyway."

Tobias reached over the seat and Spencer tensed up, flinching and covering his face with raised arms, before feeling a manly pat on his back, "Dude, you don't have to pretend, okay? We all know. You were shakin' and bakin' it with the black kid so that you could get his ass out of our school. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer! Man, that's so freaking hep! I knew I liked you!"

Spencer reared his head back to get a good look at his tormentor, "You... like me?"

Tobias laughed gleefully, "Of course, bro! You were Einstein enough to have come up with this shit! Now, thanks to you, the school's purified like it should be."

Spencer asked incredulously, "Purified?"

Tobias nodded, "Yeah, man, you washed the stain out. We should be thanking you right now."

Spencer gasped loudly, "Stain?!"

Tobias grinned, "Duh. Kid was an eyesore anyway. I mean, Jesus, walking all around the school like he owned the joint. We all know who owns who... if you know what I mean─"

Spencer shook his head and spoke thoughtlessly, "How dare you talk about Derek that way! You treat him like he's not even a person! Everybody on this bus ─ everybody at this school─does, and he doesn't deserve that! Derek's a good guy, a great friend, and the best thing that's ever happened to me! All of you can't see how awesome he is and─"

Tobias opened his arms and shouted to the bus, "You hear that, guys, it's true! Spencer Reid got rid of the black kid!"

Spencer hissed, "I did nothing of the sort─"

Tobias leaned forward and whispered harshly, "You do what I want you to do. End of story, geekface."

Spencer protested, "I will not."

Tobias chuckled under his breath as the bus began to titter with rumbling uproars of approval directed toward Spencer, "Little black boy saved you, right? You worship him? You love him with all you got? Huh? See how much he likes you after he hears this."

Spencer crowded back into his seat, "You wouldn't."

"Oh, don't worry, Pretty Boy. I already did," Tobias smirked before standing up and walking back to his seat, face full of contentment.

Spencer's eyes widened, "How did you know about that?"

Tobias turned in his seat, "I know a lot of things I shouldn't. And that should terrify you."

Spencer sat back in his chair as the children leaned forward and gathered around him with cheers and jibes of happiness. No. No, no, no. Spencer didn't do this. He didn't do any of this. But, soon, the whole school will think he did. Word will get to the popular Jennifer who will tell the sporty Will, who will tell the techy Kevin. who will tell the fluorescent Penelope, who will tell Derek. All of the friends he had just made will hate him.

This was much worse than being occasionally harassed.

This was much worse than being completely invisible.

This was THE worst thing he can imagine.

As the bus pulled up into the school, Spencer saw quickly that even though he couldn't imagine worse, he sure could see it. It was disgusting. It was vile. It was fucking shameful to witness. His bus chugged along and oceans of "concerned" parents and citizens, screaming and shouting and picketing like hell-hounds to their prey. The bus slowed around the people as they barely budged to make room for the large vehicle. They were so loud that Spencer could hear them clearly through the plexi-glass windows of the bus. The adults swore and threw things and shrieked to rally against one single kid ─ against Derek.

He hadn't come out of the building yet, but Spencer knew he would. And he would see all this. He'd have to hear and see all of these people spitting their disapproval, grabbing at his things, and calling him every name under the sun. All of this happening because he wanted to finish school.

This all made Spencer so mad that he wanted to jump up in his seat, throw up his fists and pummel each and every one of them. They got louder and louder as they surrounded the bus. There were hands pushing at it and signs being raised into the windows. The screaming adults probably thought that would rile up the students to stand with them.

It did.

The children on the bus screamed along with them and Spencer curled in on himself, sliding down the seat until he was hiding at the bottom of it. His arms were around his knees and his hands clutched at his blue slacks that were sure to get dirty. Even though Spencer had taken much extra time ironing his clothes and picking them out so that he looked as good as possible today, all of that went out of the window. He was ready to celebrate Derek's success this morning, dressed in blue slacks, a grey sweater vest, white button up and a blue tie. His glasses were cleaned. His teeth were flossed. Spencer even washed his hair this morning instead of washing it at night.

Spencer couldn't give one single fuck about that now.

Derek was on the line here, and that transformed everything into a big, horrid pit of ugly that neither of them could escape. Not without a fight, anyway. And Spencer was so very weak.

The crowd got louder and louder and Spencer rushed up his seat to see Derek and his mother walking out of the building. Ms. Morgan was crying and Derek's arm was around her shoulder, steering her through the crowd. His expression was stony and silent as the crowd rushed forward to yell into his face, grab at his jacket, and thrust their signs at him. Derek acted as if he couldn't see it, but Spencer could tell that it was bothering him. He kept his head down and went through the thickest of the crowd.

The kids of the bus joined in and Spencer snapped, forcing down the window, banging on the glass and screaming out into the crowd, "Derek! Derek!" He couldn't hear Spencer over the angry noise and Spencer shouted louder and louder. As loud as he could scream, he screamed. Spencer shouted and threw his hands out of the bus, waving them over and over. Derek needed to see his face in the midst of all of this. Spencer knew that it would give him hope. It would give him something to fight for just like it did in the hallway... their love.

Spencer waved his hands harder and Derek looked up, seeing something from the busses and making eye contact with him. A small smile quirked on Derek's lips as he saw Spencer. Derek pointed at his own lips with his free hand. He wanted Spencer to smile. Derek seemed to want Spencer to do that a lot more often lately. As the days leading up to the hearing zipped by, Derek would ask Spencer to do it more and more often until Spencer was smiling hourly. If there was anything he could do for Derek right now, it was this. He needed to know that through all of the darkness, there would always be Spencer. And Spencer was willing to smile every waking moment if that was what gave Derek the strength to go on.

He stuck his head out of the bus window and smiled bigger and brighter than he ever had. To add a genuine edge to it, Spencer thought of Sunday night that just passed. Spencer had sat on Derek's bed, holding his hand, kissing him softly, gently. He was wrapped up into Derek's smell and warmth and emotion. Together at last after a long day, Spencer felt the light sparks in behind his eyes zip around and light up as he fell into Derek's passionate caresses, kisses, and breathy words. He wasn't sure, but Spencer thought that for a moment, he heard Derek say that he loved him. That was enough to fuel a smile to light Derek's world for days.

Derek's head raised as he saw it, the sides of his lips quirking up. He pulled his mother closer and glanced at the crowd, taking their aggressive hatred as if they were a small litter of yowling kittens. Derek was somewhere else in his eyes, but Spencer's smile was enough for him. It was enough for it all.

Spencer

As Spencer walked into the crowded, bustling cafeteria, he headed quickly to the BAU table. Kids were reaching out and grabbing his shoulders and back, patting him with grateful cheers. Spencer ignored them as best he could. Touching people are one of his biggest phobias, and all of this attention was making him want to zip open his satchel, climb in, and be left alone.

Oddly, the table was quite silent. Not everyone was there yet, just Penelope, Jennifer, Will and Emily. Upon seeing him, they all stared him down. Spencer slid into his usual seat which was beside Derek's. Well, it would be if he was sitting there. The empty space shoved Spencer back into the deep, dark place he was in at the bottom of the bus floor earlier this morning. Spencer wanted to cry.

Emily spoke tightly, steal in her voice, "So... is it true?"

Spencer looked up into her eyes, "Do you think it's true?"

She glared at him, "I don't know. I once heard that answering a question with a question is the first sign of a lie."

Jennifer hissed at Emily, "He's not lying. Spencer's in love with him! Why on Earth would he do something like that?!"

Spencer dug around in his backpack for his lunch, "Love's a strong word..."

Penelope smiled up at Spencer as he pulled out his brown paper bag, "I know you wouldn't do something like that, Spencer. You're not that kind of guy."

Spencer sighed deeply, "Thank you."

Emily stared at Spencer harshly for a long moment and spoke eventually, "...I believe you."

Spencer smiled.

Emily rolled her eyes and grinned back, "Jeez, kid. You have the most infectious smile. Quit it."

Spencer's eyes fell a bit, "That's what Derek says. He asks me to smile for him when he's sad. I smiled for him seventeen times last night."

The table grew quiet. Penelope reached over the table and took one of Spencer's hands in her own. Spencer let her. Jennifer cooed and walked around the table to sit in Derek's old spot wrapping an arm around him. Spencer leaned his head on her shoulder. It just felt like the right thing to do. Emily giggled beside him and rubbed Spencer's back gently. Jennifer spoke, "It's all going to be okay, alright? Derek's going to come back. We'll do something, we promise."

Spencer worried aloud, "What if we can't? What if I never see him again?"

The girls let out a soft, "Aww..." before holding him closer.

"Damn, Spencer, since when did you become the luckiest bastard in the building?" Will called out. He and Kevin walked over to the table together and Kevin plopped down beside his girlfriend. Spencer looked up at them and sighed, "Where did you get that notion? I feel terrible right now."

Will nodded, "Oh, you're bent, so you don't understand how jealous I am right now. I totally forgot."

Spencer grumbled under his breath, "I'm not bent!"

Kevin chuckled, "Dude, you're frisking Derek. What do you call that?"

"Tuesday," Will joked. Kevin began to laugh and raised his hand, which Will gleefully slapped.

Penelope sent a sharp, soul-searing glare their way before replying, "Fuck you. They love each other and it's cute."

"We don't love each other, okay? We're just friends. Besides, Derek and I aren't 'frisking'. I don't even know what 'frisking' is, so we must not be doing it." Spencer sighed heavily and the girls bustled around him again, patting his arms and hair and hugging and fussing over him. Kevin sighed back at him, "I would give my left leg to be where you are right now."

Will nodded, "Amen."

Emily stuck up for Spencer, "Quit it, you two ! He misses his boyfriend! We're comforting him."

Spencer added, "He's not my boyfriend."

Penelope waved her hand around, "Yes, he is."

Spencer sighed, "But, we don't─"

Jennifer interrupted, "Yeah, you do."

Spencer struggled, "We can't─"

Emily finished, "Si, se puede."*

Derek

There was a big rap at the door, and Derek heard his mother call from her room, "Derek, get the door! I'm hideous right now!"

Derek shouted back, "You're beautiful, Ma!"

"My mascara ran and now my whole aura is off!" she replied loudly, "If you don't get that door, I will beat you with the closest thing I can find!"

Derek grumbled and rose from his bed blearily. He padded out of his room in the same suit he had been in this morning. He hadn't the heart to change after hearing the decision. His tie was loose, his shirt was untucked and his face was splotchy, but Derek made his way down the steps to open the door. He prayed that it wasn't reporters.

As he fit his hand around the door, Derek pulled it open to see a gaggle of kids at his doorstep. The entire BAU was here, Jennifer, Will, Penelope, Kevin, Emily, and... where was Spencer? Derek couldn't see him. He tried not to look to downtrodden as he let his friends into the kitchen. Gazing out of the door behind them, he noticed Spencer jogging over to the door with something in his hand that seemed to be from his neighbors' yard. Oh, God. They were going to get arrested.

Spencer ran so horribly, and it was obvious that he wasn't used to doing such a thing. But, he did it anyway. His legs flailed, his arms were held in tight to his sides, it was laughable. Derek leaned against the door frame and watched with an amused expression on his face as Spencer approached. Wow, he looked great this afternoon. His outfit was very pressed and his hair looked softer and looser than he'd ever seen it. As he got even closer, Derek could see that his glasses were even more reflective.

Arriving before him, Spencer held out a limp dandelion, "I saw it on the way and it was pretty, shut up."

Derek grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, "You're a fucking idiot."

Spencer started to laugh and hugged him back tightly before he pushed Derek away, blushing and shoving a lock of hair behind his ears before slipping past him into the house, "Not in front of the guys..."

Derek closed the door behind him with a tired smile, "Hey, I'm not the one that brought in a wack-ass weed and thought he was being cute."

"My turn!" Penelope raced forward and wrapped Derek in a well-received hug, "How are you holding up, Black Beauty?"

Derek sighed, holding her and resting his head on her shoulder, "I don't know, Baby Girl. I don't have many options left."

Jennifer moved forward to hug the both of them, "We'll figure something out."

Emily walked over and tapped them, "May I cut in?"

Jennifer patted her shoulder softly, "Sure."

Emily pulled Derek into a hug and replied, "I have something you might be interested in."

Derek raised his eyebrow as the hug ended, "What might that be?"

Emily reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin, white business card. She handed it to Derek and he let his eyes travel along it. DAVID ROSSI. Derek shook his head. Why would he call up this guy? There's no way he can get Derek back in school now. No other school would take him either; especially if this got out into the public (which it already had). No amount of connections could do that for him.

Derek spoke up, "What's this clown going to do?"

Emily replied with a grin, "He can do more than you think. You see, he's not just a lawyer... he knows people. He's got money, he's got eyes everywhere, there's nothing Rossi can't do. And, if he can save Haley, he can save anyone."

Derek asked, "Who's Haley?"

Emily shrugged, "Mr. Hotchner's ex-wife."

Derek paused, "And you know his ex-wife because..."

Emily answered, "I babysit his kid on Sunday's."

Derek cocked his head to the side, "You babysit the detention teacher's kid?"

Emily winked, "He's hot. I would babysit a tiger if it meant seeing what his bedroom looks like."

Penelope gasped, "Oh, my God. You saw Mr. Hotchner's bedroom?! What does it look like?!"

Emily turned to her, "Well, he keeps it really neat and─"

Spencer spoke up, "Weren't we talking about getting Derek back in school?"

"Ah, yes. We were," Emily continued, "Now, listen closely... this right here, will blow your mind..."

A/N: Aww, yeah. Cliff hangin'.

-GreenOleandar