Thank you, Hannah (grahamlecter) for Beta-reading my story and finding my mistakes so that I can fix them.
To All, I'm not sure how this happened but I didn't post Chapters 33 and 34. Please forgive me. Enjoy.
G-Girl
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Chapter Thirty-Three - FBI SSA, Dr. Spencer Reid
Spencer woke first. Peaceful sleep replaced nightmares of the past. He could hear the sound of Susan breathing next to him, and he turned over onto his side.
She was lying on her stomach, her face turned towards him, one hand down by her hip, the other near her chin; her hair in a loose, messy braid down her back, and a lock of hair lay over her cheek. Spencer saw her twitch and stretch… and shudder. He smiled, wondering what she was dreaming about, but he had a pretty good idea. She shook again, her closed eyes darting from side to side. He watched, fascinated. Susan moaned his name, breathing faster; her hands clutched the bed, and she gasped as her eyes opened wide. She jerked her head up, still breathing heavily, looking around, and saw him laying a couple of feet away. "Huh? How did you get over there so fast?"
"It looked like you had a good time. Did I have a good time, too?" Susan laughed, holding her hands over her face, still lying on her stomach. He found that endearing and adorable.
She propped herself up on her elbows. "Oh, it was such an intense dream and seemed so real. Even better than in the past. Wow!" She turned over toward him. "What time is it?"
Spencer looked over at the clock. "Almost 8 am."
She smiled playfully. "Well, then, we have time, before we have to leave for class."
"Who's the insatiable one, now?" He leaned over and kissed her, cupping her cheek in his hand.
"Hey, if it feels good, it's not illegal, and we have time…"
They got to class with donuts fresh from the bakery and the bag of miniature chocolate bars they bought at the store a few days before.
On the dais, Spencer set the bag on the desk, then wrote out information for his lecture on the whiteboards, while the last few students filed in.
Susan didn't have to remind her students to take a donut. And no one was late. Once her students had taken their seats, Susan addressed the class. "As I promised, Dr. Spencer Reid, from the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI."
He stood at the center of the dais, feeling relaxed and confident. "If anyone has questions, please save them for the end." Spencer talked to the group about a few of the recent cases he assisted with, and the psychological behaviors in each of the cases exhibited by the un-subs. He went over some profiles, explained how the information was compiled, and how, at times, the team had to make changes to those profiles on the fly by using newly discovered information that helped the team track down and eventually catch the offenders.
Susan sat in the chair on the side of the room and kept her focus on the whiteboard, trying not to think about anything that would make her start shaking as much as she possibly could. She didn't want to distract him; he was on a roll. The students were attentive and alert. Looking over, Susan noticed many of the female students and two guys were smiling and sitting up straight.
Spencer left half an hour open at the end of his presentation. Once he finished, he asked if anyone had questions.
The student who asked Susan about the FBI recruiting process a few days before raised his hand and asked the same question. Spencer tossed a piece of candy to him, asking how many students were interested in joining the Bureau. Several hands went up. He gave them a quick outline of the process and a website to look up more information, handing out business cards to those students. Another hand went up; the young man asked how long he had been with the BAU. He told him, 15 years and ten months, tossing him a piece of candy. Many of the students had questions; several had two. A young woman auditing the class asked if he was married.
He chuckled. "No, but I'm engaged to be, and very happily so." He glanced over at Susan, then tossed the woman a candy.
Callie, the student who asked Susan about Spencer earlier in the week, lifted her hand and commented, when he called on her, "You're engaged to Dr. S, right? Judging by your body language, the smile on her face, the recent addition of a ring on her left hand, and the fact both of you arrived together today."
Spencer smiled as he reached into the bag. "You might make a good profiler. You should consider applying to the FBI academy after you graduate." He tossed a piece of candy to her.
Another student raised his hand. "Dr. Reid? You didn't actually answer the question."
Spencer's eyebrows rose as his smile widened. "Was that a question?" There was laughter from the students, as he continued, "For those who feel the need to know, yes, Dr. Spencer and I are engaged." There were more questions about the lecture and more candy handed out.
He glanced up at the clock and asked for one more question as he took two pieces of candy out, then rolled the bag up, leaving several pieces still inside.
Jeremy, the TA, was sitting on a chair by the wall. "Dr. Reid, will you come back for another talk soon?"
"Yes." and Spencer tossed him the bag with the remaining candy, then unwrapped one in his hand and popped it into his mouth, offering the other to Susan. He turned back to the class. "Thank you for your time and attention, and to Dr. Spencer, for the opportunity to present this information to you. See you next time. Have a great day and a great week off. Oh, and remember to keep those psychological profiles in mind while you're on Spring Break!" Several students laughed, and a few nodded knowingly as Susan went out the side door to her desk to get her things.
Her grad student walked down the steps. "Dr. Reid, I'm not sure if you remember me… from… ten years ago? I'm Charlie—"
"Charlie… Hillridge? How's your mother… Sarah?"
"She's good… better… stopped drinking after I came home. And it took several years in counseling to get my head straight and to catch up in school, but now… I'm on track to get my doctorate in Psychology next year. Dr. S. is my advisor."
Susan closed the side door behind her as she came back out. "And he's one of my best students. Any plans for Spring Break?"
"Yeah… going to New York City with my girlfriend. We'll go see a show or two and do some of the usual tourist stuff."
Spencer stuck out his hand, and Charlie shook it. "It was nice to see you again, and I'm happy you're doing well. Have a great time in New York… and say hello to your mother for me."
The young man said goodbye and went up the steps, talking with Jeremy as Spencer put his notes back in his bag.
He turned to Susan. "Dealing with all the… unpleasant aspects of my job is worth it, seeing the good… in people like Charlie." He almost said in people we've saved.
On the way to the car and the drive home, he told her all about the Roycewoods and how they had abducted at least 12 children, including Charlie, when he was only eight years old. And he told her the conclusion of the case.
"And only three survived? How heartbreaking. He didn't say anything about it before I read his assessment, only that he had a difficult childhood. But he's doing great now. He's got a sharp mind and thoroughly enjoys helping people, and I believe he'd be a good fit with the emergency intervention staff, so I asked him to apply for an intern position this summer. Well, him and Jeremy."
"I could write him a letter of recommendation…"
"I'll let him know, Love. Thank you." The door unlocked as they walked up the steps and once inside, they went to gather their things before the driver showed up to take them to the airport.