A/N I decided to do something different. To take the information we know from the show, fill in the missing information and hopefully, readers will enjoy it. If you do, please let me know. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

G-Girl

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Flashback May 21, 2004

He did it. Graduated from the FBI Academy, at twenty-two years old. Now he could add Special Agent to his title. And he had received an award for the highest academic scores during that 20-week training session. That was the easy part. His training mentor, the Unit Chief of the BAU, Jason Gideon, who also recruited him, had somehow secured special waivers for many of the physical requirements of the job. As he put it, The FBI would benefit from your unique capabilities. Maybe that's how he talked the higher-ups into the special waivers.

Spencer stood half-listening to Gideon talking with his Uncle Gordon. More accurately, his great-uncle; his mother's brother, Gordon Markham. He was an odd but sweet guy. And he was a genius who worked at JPL as a Systems Mechanical Engineer. He made good money but rarely spent much. Gordon had a pleasant house, filled with books and had two cars; two Volvos, but rarely ever drove them. While attending Cal-Tech, Spencer lived with Uncle Gordon in Altadena, less than two miles from JPL.

While Spencer rode his bike to school, Uncle Gordon rode his bike to work. Except in the rain. He'd drive Spencer to school and then go to work. And he would drive to the grocery store. Which was odd in and of itself. He drove to the Super King, passing two other markets closer to home. He said he liked it there, and he shopped there before the other two markets opened. He was a loyal customer.

Still standing next to Gideon and Uncle Gordon, he lost track of what they were talking about. The conversation started on his graduation from the Academy, side-tracked onto his education at MIT and Cal-Tech and somehow side-tracked again, onto the best trails in La Canada Flintridge, for bird-watching. He stopped listening and pulled out his FBI credentials holder. The gold badge was mesmerizing.

"Spencer?"

"Hmm?" Spencer's attention snapped back to the here and now. Uncle Gordon and Gideon were both staring at him. He slid his credentials holder back into his jacket.

"Where did you go, boy? I said Blue is yours now."

"Blue? Oh. Your Volvo? Thanks, Uncle Gordon." Well, now he had a car. So, all he had to do was find an apartment." His thoughts started drifting off and he heard Gideon say apartment and his attention was once again riveted to his mentor. "Apartment?" He asked.

"Yes, Agent Reid. I said I know of one that's available."

Agent Reid, Spencer thought to himself, trying not to grin like an idiot. That sounded so cool. "Where?"

"Just outside the district, about a thirty-minute drive to Quantico. Now that you have a car, you'll be able to drive to work. And there's a lovely park nearby. Are you sure you'll have enough money to get set up? First, last, a security deposit, furniture… food—"

Gordon held up his hand. "—Whatever the boy needs, if he doesn't have enough, I can help him."

"Thank you," Spencer cut in, "but you already pay for mom to stay at Bennington. I'm sure I'll have enough. I've been saving for a place. As a trainee, I make 1,044.40 every two weeks, after taxes…" But when he thought about it, that pay ended with graduation, and he'd have to stretch the last check, being automatically deposited into his account next week, until he got paid again. Next month. The eight thousand, nine hundred and eighty-two dollars and nineteen cents he had in the bank surely wouldn't go far. He must have paled with worry. Gordon laid his hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"Spence, I told your mother I'd look out for you. And I intend to do continue doing that. What I pay Bennington comes out of the money she inherited from your grandparents and there should be enough to last at least two more years."

He nodded and was going to say something, but Gideon told him they could go see the apartment today. Spencer still had two weeks until he started work, and he was going to need that time to get set up. Today was graduation day. It was supposed to be a day to celebrate, but reality hit him hard. Two weeks. He had to find a place to stay until he moved into an apartment. Gordon and Gideon were talking about a couch or something, and here he was worried about the bigger picture. At least he had a checking account. One less thing he had to do. He chuckled, just from the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

"I'll need more than just a couch."

Gideon laughed. "Actually, I said you're welcome to sleep on my couch until you move into your own place."

"Oh." Whew. He really wasn't looking forward to living in a car for two weeks. He thought about the car, a light blue 1966 Volvo. He'd have to get the registration renewed in DC. Oh, and a new driver's license. Easy. Ten minutes to memorize the DMV handbook. Behind the wheel, he was fine; he had gotten used to driving both of Uncle Gordon's Volvos when he was living there.

Gideon and Uncle Gordon were talking about the same things, so he paid attention.

"… and I'll show you around the neighborhood. Do you know how to cook, Spencer?"

Uncle Gordon snorted. "The boy hardly eats anything. Takeout he can do. And coffee. Best show him where all the used-book stores are."

He had a point. Spencer had left all of his books in Altadena when he went off to MIT. And most of the books he had in Gordon's storage shed were from his mother's house in Las Vegas when he had her committed to Bennington Sanitarium. She begged him to keep all the books she couldn't take with her.

Gideon offered to drive him to the apartment while Gordon went back to his hotel. His uncle was going to sign the car over to Spencer and make arrangements for a flight back to Southern California. Gideon had suggested a travel agent he knew and gave him the information. They made plans to meet up later for dinner at the restaurant at Gordon's hotel. Since he didn't even have a cellphone yet, Gordon would call Gideon if plans changed. A cellphone was something else he had to get. He mentally added it to his growing list.

As they walked into the lobby of the apartment building, a casually dressed man introduced himself as Stuart Boswell from Union Property Management. He showed Spencer and Gideon to the Manager's office. His mother-in-law, Kit Jenkins, was the on-site manager, and she handed Stuart a key ring with two keys on it.

Stuart was talking about the building and the neighborhood while they walked up the stairs, which Spencer scarcely heard. When they got to apartment number 23, he opened the door, explaining it was partially furnished. That Spencer heard as Stuart went on. It took a tremendous load of stress off his mind.

"This unit was refurbished recently. The bathroom fixtures are all new. It comes with a refrigerator and stove. Utilities are included in the rent. The previous tenant left the bed, a dresser, and a couple of upholstered chairs behind. If you prefer to bring in your own furniture, these can be taken out."

"No, no… uh… these will be fine. Thank you." Spencer looked in awe at the bookshelves built into the walls. Four of them. Four. That would be more than enough for his books. Thankfully, Uncle Gordon said he had packed the trunk full of everything Spencer had left there. And now he wouldn't have to buy a bed. He looked over at Stuart and Gideon talking, so he snuck a peek into the bedroom. He wouldn't need much. There wasn't a closet, so he considered a clothes rack... or something.

Having Jason Gideon, the Unit Chief of the BAU as a personal reference, seemed to be good enough for Stuart. Though he still had to fill out an application, which Stuart approved on the spot and told Spencer he could write a check. 1500 for the first month's rent, 483.87 prorated amount for the partial month, and a 1500-dollar security deposit. Spencer hesitated for a moment and looked at Gideon, who simply smiled and nodded. Then Stuart told him it was a rent-controlled building. He yanked the checkbook out of his back pocket and wrote it out, shaking a little as he handed a large portion of the money he'd saved over.

He signed the month-to-month lease and as he handed it back, Stuart gave him the keys. One for the apartment and the other for the mailbox. Spencer let out his breath slowly.

Gideon reminded him of his starting salary, plus the locality pay for the DC area, the availability pay, and his recruitment bonus (for the first 36 months) would almost double what he was making as a trainee. That helped to alleviate his fears. Originally, when he and his friend Ethan started at the Academy, they had planned to share an apartment after graduation. Now it was all on him since Ethan dropped out on the first day. After he took off, Spencer received a letter from him; Ethan was living in New Orleans. And as he thought about that, he realized he'd have to go to the Post Office for a change of address card. At least that detail wasn't going to cost anything.

Now all he had to worry about was keeping his assignment with the BAU after he started…