Rossi first catches sight of Reid out the corner of his eye as a fast moving blur climbing the stairs. Now the kid excitedly racing around the office isn't anything new. He's taken note of the number of barked 'Reid's' he's heard while on a case from Morgan and Hotch, the shoulder taps, the looks, the simple instructions of walk don't run. From what he's seen so far Hotch has taken it on himself to steer the kid in whenever he gets off track and it's amuses him that the often serious FBI agent he knows Hotch to be is pandering after one of his subordinates like a kindergarten teacher, but right now it's the urgency with which the kid is moving that has Rossi out of his seat and walking into the corridor to see what's the matter.
Watching, careful not to be seen, he can tell Spencer is having some sort of crisis. The way he stops dead strides away from Hotch's office door, looking forlorn, big brown eyes so expressive even the most psychopathic of unsub's couldn't help but feel for him suggests he needs help and fast. Moving closer gets Rossi a better look into Hotch's office and seeing Strauss the puzzle pieces fall mostly into place. Spencer is already backing away so neither Hotch nor Strauss can see him and looking down into the main bullpen Rossi notes not one member of the team is in sight. Checking his watch confirms it - lunch time. Question is why isn't the kid with them? A better question is why is Spencer running through halls like his ass is on fire, looking like he'll burst into tears any minute?
Morgan calls him Pretty Boy quite often and Rossi can see how the nickname fits, even though Reid seems to be oblivious. He certainly isn't the kind of field agent Rossi is used to. For starters he looks all of 12 years old and at first he thought maybe he's the only one who notices, but after his welcome to the team drink out where Emily, Morgan and even Hotch proceeded to take the piss out of Reid's young looks by sending him up to the bar to get carded by every new bar tender he conceded it's just something they and him are used too by now. Since their recent case of Angela Miller in Texas, where the militia landlord threaten to snap him like a twig Rossi gets that protecting Reid from the general populace that wants to label him is simply part of the job. And really how can anyone not want to look out for the kid? Especially now, seeing him looking lost and alone even in his own office.
Bringing himself back to the problem of the moment, Rossi comes to the conclusion that something is definitely very wrong when he catches sight of the slight shaking in Reid's hands, with Hotch occupied and the others gone Dave knows he needs to step up to the plate. Mainly because it's the right thing to do, but also because if he lets him leave in the state he's in Rossi's sure Hotch, not to mention Morgan and the women, would rake him over the coals for it later when they found out.
"Spencer?"
Reid spins around looking surprised to see him. "Agent Rossi? I- I'm fine." He squeaks, quickly averting his eyes.
Rossi smiles, he can't help it. Forget twelve! The startled upset baby face in front of him right now has to belong to a kid barely out of diapers. What's wrong he doesn't know, but he's now compelled to find out.
"I didn't ask, but okay." He says smoothly, making out he's going back inside his office. "I've heard you lie better though."
Reid looks skittish and for a second, head cocked to the side looking back at Hotch's office Rossi thinks he might just make a run for it. The office door is shut now though and his disappointment is evident.
"Why don't you come inside?"
Reid whips his head back around, watching him carefully.
"I think they're going to be a while," he nods at Hotch's closed door.
"It's okay," he coaches, taking his hand, noticing the now very visual all over shaking of Reid's thin frame. "Sit down, you look a little peeked." He tells him, guiding the kid towards the nearest chair.
Taking his own seat behind the desk Rossi maintains his calm exterior, not wanting to let on that he knows something's wrong.
"What's happening?" Reid speaks, looking completely confused.
"Hotch is busy,"Rossi says carefully, keeping his voice light to hide his concern. "Strauss has him pinned, nothing to worry about, but knowing the wicked witch well I doubt it'll be over quickly."
The twinkle in Reid's eye and focused expression tells Rossi he's realised his own behaviour as off and from the short time he's known the kid Spencer is about to try and make an excuse to leave. He needs to distract him, before he has a chance to over think the situation.
"Despite what you may think I have no ulterior motive." Rossi grins at the expression of surprise, but then leans forward and allowing his concern to show asks seriously, "Is it something I can help with?"
They sit looking at one another, but Rossi is content to wait him out, he isn't in a rush. As he casually drinks the remnants of his late morning coffee Reid fidgets a little under the scrutiny and starts rubbing his thumb against his index finger in a repetitive motion. Dave mentally adds it to the numerous other ticks he's noticed about the young genius Hotch is so intent on protecting. They were on the jet for his third case with the team when he first learned of Reid's eidetic memory. Blindsided he'd been unable to hold in his surprise when the kid started reciting his book verbatim. Morgan's less than subtle cue to shut up which encouraged the kid's softly utter apology was unnecessary though. He wasn't angry, or weirder out. In fact put together with Reid's dislike of personally tense situations, lack of social skills and amazing IQ a minor form of autism would explain a lot. He's had experience with all types of people over his vast years in the marines, FBI and lustrous book career and can recognise the combined traits as something more than inconsequential ticks. Now no parent likes to hear anything upsetting about their kid, and telling Hotch his youngest is almost certainly mildly autistic is probably a really stupid idea this early in the game. But then that's assuming he doesn't already know, no one has said anything, but Rossi gets the feeling they're all aware Reid is different and compensate for it accordingly, even if Reid doesn't seem to notice it himself.
"Did you know acorns were used as a coffee substitute during the civil war?"
Rossi blinks at the out of left field announcement. It's a short statement considering Reid's penchant for talking without stopping for breath and so he feels compelled to say something to break the resurgence of silence.
"Interesting."
Spencer's face drops even further if that's possible. He hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, but being a good profiler and convincing actor are not necessarily harmonious. He can convince a hostage taker willing to kill everyone around him to surrender but no way in hell can he convincingly pretend that fact was even remotely interesting, but knowing Spencer is different to most Agents Rossi does something different than what he'd do with say Morgan or Prentiss. He stands from behind his desk and takes the chair next to Reid. The kid doesn't seem to even notice, so lost in the rhythm of his fingers moving one over the other still, expression lost and vulnerable.
"Sorry," Spencer mutters to the floor upon finally noticing him.
Rossi smiles sadly, it's hard not to feel for the kid. No wonder the team love him with such protective passion.
"You know my grandfather once said something to me after I married my first wife, 'David, always weed your lawn, otherwise they'll tske root, grow to five times the size and be a real pain to get out.'" Telling his story Rossi realises he's actually more than old enough to be Spencer's father, which is a frightening thought.
"What does that mean?" Reid looks at him with a frown marring his youthful features.
And that is what he's coming to love about this kid, his honesty when he doesn't understand something. As a genius he could easily be smug and try and lord it over everyone every chance he gets, but he doesn't. There's plenty he doesn't understand and he knows it, but most of the time Reid isn't ashamed to admit it, even when others are laughing around him. Rossi's just ashamed that seeing the kid's vulnerable side makes him feel like not such the idiot.
"I've no idea." Rossi laughs.
Spencer smiles back at his admission and it feels good to make the kid happy, but he sobers at his next thought which the father revelation invoked. His son, had he lived more than that one day, would have been only a few years older than Spencer and though he doubts his own offspring would have been quite so awkward, or dare he say adorable as an adult, he still can't help comparing the two by looking at Reid and seeing what James could have been.
He sees Spencer has sobered too, though Rossi can't guess why he'd bet it has everything to do with the reason he came running up to Hotch's office in the first place. The smile gone, his eyes are now distant, wide in fear, breathing shallow and Rossi thinks he knows what this is, he's seen it before in others, enough to recognise the symptoms even if he doesn't know the trigger.
"Reid?" Rossi inches forward in his seat.
Dave slips to the edge of his seat, taking Spencer's palms he repeats the same phrase over and over, reminding Reid where he is, when and that he's safe. Sandwiching the kid's hands between his own, Rossi runs his thumbs over the thin wrists in concentric circles.
"Spencer, listen to my voice, you're safe."
After a minute Spencer blinks and Rossi feels relief flooding his body as he comes out of the flashback. They sit in silence for a second, Rossi giving him time to catch his breath and come to terms before speaking.
"It's okay, take your time," he comforts, keeping in contact with him, Reid's grip being the main reason he isn't letting go.
"Sorry," Spencer nods snuffling, trying to hide the tears.
"Nothing to be sorry for, take your time."
They sit together in silence for barely a minute, then without warning he suddenly starts talking. Several words stick out for Dave. Beaten, tortured, Dilaudid. Rossi doesn't take his eyes off the kid as he explains what happen eight short months ago. Rossi squeezes his hands at the drug admission sensing there's more and understanding Reid's asking for absolution for whatever may come apparent.
"How old are you Spencer?" Rossi leans back once the story ends, eyeing him carefully.
He has to ask him a second time before Reid understands the question.
"Twenty-six, one month and six days" Spencer nods.
Allowing a small smile at his precision Rossi realises Gideon must have missed his birthday.
"You know when I turned eighteen I was drafted to Vietnam. Scary as hell. Over 40 years later I still have nightmares."
"How'd you know I'm having nightmares?" Reid asks seemingly shocked he's worked out what's wrong already.
Rossi smiles meaningfully, not knowing whether to be insulted or not, Kid maybe a genius, but that doesn't equate for age and experience. "You ran into the bullpen looking like you'd seen a ghost. I knew something was up."
"Strauss made us all see a FBI physiatrist after Gideon left." The kid announces with a sigh. "It was a condition of Hotch staying on as unit chief. He's awful, he's mean, shouts at me when I have no idea what to say and is obsessed in trying to get me to talk about what happened last February."
Rossi listens to Reid bad mouth the shrink. One who either has no idea about Reid's possible difficulties or at the very least his personal history. The idiot is treating him like any rookie agent and that's his first mistake. If Rossi is right and he's pretty sure he is then it isn't surprising Reid's struggling to answer the questions. He can possibly fake his answers, but clearly being that devious isn't in his nature, not from what he's seen, not unless pushed to shut down, which he will soon if the shrink keeps up. Only he wouldn't just shut down with him, he'd shut down with everyone and that is Rossi's main worry right now.
"Why?"
"Because I've stupidly told him about how when I was ten my father left, leaving me with my schizophrenic mother who couldn't remember what day it was let alone that she had a ten year old son sometimes." Reid diverts his gaze to the floor, looking closer to the edge now than he did while telling him about the Dilaudid.
To say he's mad would be a gross understatement. At the shrink, at the bastard that kidnapped him and especially at the kid's father, who granted he's never met, never heard anything about until today, but any man who abandons his family like that isn't anyone David Rossi wants to share a room with.
"You okay?"
Dave snaps his gaze forward to see Spencer, head still bent, looking up at him through his long hair.
Rossi schools his features, "I'm good," then quickly continues before Reid can call him out on the obvious lie. "Let me guess, this quack thinks you have unexplored abandonment issues?" softening his features he asks "Gideon left the same way your father did I take it?"
A shy 'yeah' is his only response.
Rossi promptly sits forward and takes hold of his hands again. "I don't know about your father, but I hope you're not thinking Gideon left because of what happened to you." Seeing it in his face as the truth Dave hastens to correct him, "Whatever had Gideon walking away was all him kiddo, trust me."
Spencer blushes and smiles weakly at the nickname which pleases him.
"I forgot you knew him too."
"You forgot?" Rossi mocks.
"Figure of speech." Reid smiles, a real honest smile that warms Rossi's heart because he knows he put it there.
"Everything okay?" The stern words come after a swift knock on the door.
Rossi looks over to see Hotch standing there looking drawn and tired, worried gaze landing on Spencer.
"Better than you," he shoots back, assuring him they're good and he has a handle on it. "Strauss giving you hell?"
"No more than usual," Is Hotch's eventual reply.
Their eyes meet and without a word they have a conversation. Spencer's between them, staring at the floor. Feeling a slight tug Rossi lets his hands go and watches him swipe at his eyes, removing the slight dampness that appeared when he'd spoken of his time as a hostage and reappeared upon his mentioning Gideon's departure. Hotch notices too and Rossi sees the slight panic in his face, but one solid look stops him before he can move, and a raised hand tells him he'll explain later. Hotch takes the cue reluctantly and instead acts like he hasn't seen, asking Reid to join him for coffee instead when the kid tries to make his escape.
Reid nods and stands, waving a little goodbye to Rossi before ducking out the room Hotch following. Rossi watches them go with a surprisingly heavy heart. He's pretty sure he doesn't know everything about the kid yet, or any of the team really, but despite the short time together he realises he's coming to care for them all, in ways he's never imagined possible.
.