Disclaimer- I do not own CBS or Criminal Minds
BAU HEADQUARTERS
MONDAY OCTOBER 30
"Hey Spencer," Jareau called out as the members of the BAU all prepared to leave for the day. "We're all going out to grab a bite to eat. You wanna come with us?"
"I'd like to," Reid said. "But Lyssa and I already have plans."
"That's too bad," Jareau said. "Maybe next time."
"Definitely next time," Reid said as he slung the strap of his messenger bag across his shoulder. "See you guys later."
"Reid seems more outgoing than he was before," Prentiss commented as Reid stepped inside an elevator. "Have you guys noticed?"
Morgan nodded, thinking to himself that they'd all known Reid a lot longer than she had and if she'd noticed something unusual about his behavior then of course the rest of them had. "I think we have Lyssa to thank for that. She's been getting our boy out in public more often."
"Hey, have any of you guys actually met this girl?" Jareau asked.
The others all shook their heads. While Reid did speak of his girlfriend from time to time no one in the BAU had actually met her.
Reid drove to his apartment and took a quick shower and then he met Lyssa at the restaurant that she had chosen. "Sorry I'm late," Reid apologized as he walked up to Lyssa and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "The team worked late today."
"It's okay Spencer," Lyssa said quickly. "You don't have to apologize to me. I know how important your job is. I understand."
Reid smiled and offered her his arm. Lyssa took it and together the two of them entered the steakhouse. They were barely inside the door when they heard someone call out, "Look who it is? Boy genius!"
"Oh no," Reid groaned as he glanced around and saw his colleagues sitting together at a large table.
The hostess walked over to the couple however Garcia had walked over to them by this time and she smiled at the woman. "They're with us sweetie, thanks." Then she seized Reid with one hand, Lyssa with the other and led the startled couple over to the table where the BAU team was seated.
"Are these your friends Spencer?" Lyssa asked with a smile as Garcia pulled over a couple of chairs for them while everyone else made room at the table. Reid nodded and pointed toward each of his colleagues in turn. "Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, Aaron Hotchner, Emily Prentiss and Jason Gideon. Guys this is Lyssa Knight."
Lyssa offered the group of profilers a friendly smile. "It's nice to finally meet you guys. Spencer speaks very highly of you all."
Reid listened as each of his teammates greeted Lyssa, wondering as he did so exactly what he'd ever done in life to deserve this. Charlie was still giving him a hard time over Lyssa and he could only imagine how Morgan was going to act. As if she sensed how nervous he'd become Lyssa reached under the table and grasped his hand. Reid couldn't help but smile as Lyssa gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
"So has our boy been treating you good?" Morgan asked, flashing Lyssa one of his winning smiles.
Lyssa nodded. "Spencer's one of the nicest guys that I've ever met. I really enjoy spending time with him."
Reid blushed, slightly embarrassed about her reply but pleased none the less.
"Are you good to him?" Garcia asked.
Reid's head spun around to stare at the computer tech, that having been the last question he'd expected one of them to ask. "Garcia!"
"What?" Garcia asked, an innocent expression on her face. "It's a completely valid question."
"It's okay Spencer," Lyssa said with a smile, giving his hand another comforting squeeze. "I think it's great that your friends are protective of you. And to answer your question, yes I try to be."
"Good answer," Garcia said, nodding her head in approval.
"So Lyssa," Hotchner said. "Reid mentioned that you have an interest in profiling."
Lyssa nodded. "I'm a psychologist and I find what you guys do extremely fascinating."
Reid sighed in relief as the topic of conversation shifted away from his relationship with Lyssa and on to profiling. Thankfully the inquisition seemed to be over, at least for the moment.
"Have you ever thought about a career with the FBI Lyssa?" Hotchner asked, catching everyone off guard.
"Not really," Lyssa replied honestly, shaking her head.
"Maybe you should," Hotchner said, his serious gaze focused on the young woman in an appraising manner. "You could be BAU material in a few years."
"Really?" Lyssa asked. "You think so?"
Hotchner nodded.
"You should take that as the highest compliment," Morgan said, offering Lyssa another one of his winning smiles. "Hotch almost never says things like that."
Lyssa smiled while Hotchner just shook his head.
About an hour later Lyssa turned to Reid and offered him a smile. "Spencer, this is really fun but I have a test tomorrow that I should probably go home and study for."
"Alright," Reid said with a smile, getting to his feet and pulling back her chair. "I'll walk you out to your car."
Reid pulled out his wallet and handed Hotchner the money for their portion of the check and then he and Lyssa left the restaurant together. "I'm really sorry about that," Reid said as the two of them walked across the parking lot together. "I had no idea that they were going to be here."
"Don't apologize fro your friends Spencer," Lyssa said, standing up on her tip toes so that she could kiss him on the cheek. "I think they're great."
Reid nodded. "I do too, most days at least."
"Give me a call later Spencer," Lyssa said as she climbed inside her car.
Reid nodded as he watched her leave. And as he stood in the parking lot the young profiler was soon surrounded by his colleagues from the BAU. He felt someone clap him on the shoulder and he glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Morgan standing beside him.
"Hey Reid," Morgan said, for once dispensing with the torment that he usually heaped upon the younger man. "She's a good one kid."
"Definitely a keeper," Garcia said, coming to stand on the other side of Reid.
Reid twitched a smile. "You guys think so?"
Morgan and Garcia both nodded. That pleased Reid more than he would ever admit, the fact that his teammates all seemed to like Lyssa. For that matter, everyone seemed to like her, the girl made friends where ever she went.
"Thanks guys," Reid said quietly. "I think I'm going to head for home myself. I'll see you guys at work tomorrow."
"Have a good night kid," Morgan called out as the young man walked away from the rest of the group.
Reid waved over his shoulder, to show that he'd heard.
REID'S APARTMENT
LATER THAT NIGHT
When Reid arrived home he set up his lap top and signed on to his Instant Messenger. He was pleased to see that Charlie was also online.
FBI PROFILER: Hey Charlie
MATH WHIZ: It's Spencer! How are you buddy?
FBI PROFILER: I'm okay. Just got back from dinner
MATH WHIZ: With Lyssa?
FBI PROFILER: Among others
MATH WHIZ: What others?
FBI PROFILER: Morgan, Gideon, the whole BAU team
MATH WHIZ: How exactly did that happen?
FBI PROFILER: The team decided to go out to eat together and it just so happened that Lyssa and I chose the same steakhouse they did
MATH WHIZ: Oww. So how did that go?
FBI PROFILER: Surprisingly enough, not that bad. Lyssa had a good time and they all seemed to like her.
MATH WHIZ: That's good
FBI PROFILER: I thought so. So how have you been?
MATH WHIZ: Pretty good. I've been helping out at the FBI quite a bit lately to make up for the time I was away for the mathematics conference. Oh and Don told me to tell you congratulations on your girlfriend.
FBI PROFILER: You told him about that?
MATH WHIZ: I mentioned our little double date
FBI PROFILER: I guess the next time I talk to your brother I'm going to have to mention our little Scrabble game
MATH WHIZ: You wouldn't. . .
FBI PROFILER: Think not?
MATH WHIZ: Okay, you would. Please don't. He already knows that I'm a terrible speller and I don't need any new grief and that's exactly what I'll get from Don if you tell him that I took bad spelling to a whole new level.
FBI PROFILER: Guess that means you should be a little nicer to me from now on.
MATH WHIZ: Isn't blackmail a federal offense? Not that I wouldn't do the exact same thing in your position
FBI PROFILER: Would. . . Have. . . You have absolutely no right to talk.
MATH WHIZ: I surrender, you win. I get the point.
REID'S APARTMENT
TUESDAY OCTOBER 31
Reid was incredibly thankful for his ability to get by on not a lot of sleep as the alarm sounded at six o'clock in the morning, barely four hours after he'd finally gone to bed. Slapping the alarm to silence it Reid rolled out of bed to get ready for work, almost wishing that he hadn't spent most of the night chatting with Charlie on the computer.
Almost.
After the events of the previous night Reid was kind of dreading going to work. Now everyone in the BAU had met Lyssa and he was sure someone, most likely Morgan, was going to make a comment about the two of them being complete opposites.
"I could call in sick," he briefly thought to himself as he climbed out of the shower and dressed in khaki slacks, a white button down shirt, covered by a blue blazer and a red and yellow striped tie, left slightly loosened. The young man quickly abandoned that plan however and, after funning a comb through his damp hair, Reid gathered up his things and crammed them into his messenger bag.
With a sigh Reid slung the strap of the bag over his shoulder and left his apartment, locking the door behind himself.
BAU HEADQUARTERS
AN HOUR LATER
When Reid arrived at the complex that housed the Behavioral Analysis Unit he ran into Gideon at the front entrance. "Hey Spencer," the older profiler said by way of greeting as the younger man walked up to him.
"Hello Gideon," Reid said in a quiet voice.
"You're a little early today aren't you?" Gideon asked, glancing down at the watch that he wore.
Reid nodded. "I was actually hoping I could make it upstairs without running into anyone."
Gideon nodded his head in understanding. It didn't take a profiler to tell that Reid was worried about how his colleagues were going to treat him after last night. "Don't worry Reid, everyone seemed to really like the young lady you were with."
Reid glanced at his mentor out of the corner of his eye. "What about you? What did you think about her?"
Gideon held a thoughtful expression on his face before he replied, "I found her to be very engaging and I think Hotch was right. She could very well be BAU material in a couple of years with the right training."
Reid smiled. "It made her day when Hotch told her that."
Gideon chuckled. "Better watch out Reid. Next thing you know she'll be taking the FBI entrance test."
Reid had no reply to that. He honestly couldn't say whether that would upset him or not. When the elevator stopped on their floor Gideon and Reid parted ways; the former going up to his office while the latter made his way across the bullpen area to his desk. Placing his messenger bag on the floor under his desk Reid sat down and ran his hands through his almost dry hair.
"Lyssa in the FBI. That would definitely be interesting."
"Hey Reid!"
The young profiler jumped as Morgan called out to him from across the bullpen. Turning around in his chair Reid watched his teammates approach not sure what had surprised him more; the unexpected greeting that had jarred him from his thoughts or the fact that Morgan hadn't called him boy genius. "Good morning."
"We didn't offend your girl or anything last night did we?" Morgan seemed genuinely concerned as he asked this question.
Reid shook his head. "No. She seemed to really like you guys."
"That's good," Morgan said in a serious tone of voice as he sat down at his own desk. "You should definitely hang on to this girl. She's good for you."
This said Morgan flipped open a file folder and began to write. Reid watched his colleague work, unable to believe that was the end of it. He'd fully expected Morgan to give him grief about his very outgoing girlfriend. "Weird," he thought to himself. This was the one scenario that he hadn't played out in his mind before coming to work.
TBC. . .