Dark Academia- Spencer Reid

Chapter 27

A.N - Hello loves.  I'm back!! Finally, a hellish semester is over and I have the entire summer to write write write.  Much love! Reach out to chat xx

"Hello and good morning my beautiful little nature lovers. We have an exciting lesson to cover today, so take out your writing utensils and lets get going!" The semester had proven to be quite fantastic for Zena and her three classes so far. The students gave the young professor their undivided attention, and Zena couldn't help but feel honored. In the age of smartphones and laptops it was refreshing to have young adults that yearned for the human engagement that she felt her class provided.

The lesson came and went, and before Zena knew it, it was two hours later. "Good work today everyone. You're all going to ace the exam next week. Now, you know you are always welcome to reach out to me to set up a meeting. However, I do have extended office hours this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday assuming I'm not called out on a case with the FBI. If I end up in the field, you know the drill; exam is postponed until the week I come back.  I'll make sure to keep in touch if that does happen.  Please feel free to stop in, if not to ask a question than just tell me how your semester is going! Alright that is all, have a great rest of your Monday."

The class busily bustled out of the room, the lack of chairs scraping the floor and chatting fading off into the halls signified to Zena that everyone had left the room. However, when she turned around she was face to face with gigantic eye; one cerulean, the other umber. Letting out a slight gasp of surprise, she quickly composed herself.

"Hey Brian, right? How can I help you?"

"Hi Dr.Barbarage, I was wondering if you had time to talk?" He leaned in closely, tilting his head.

"Currently I am about to go to give another lecture. Would you be available to speak tomorrow during my office hours? If not, we can definitely meet later today," Zena explained kindly.

"Well, I was just a really big fan of your work. Well more so your husbands than your own," he stated, taking a step closer to her.

"Oh, that is very kind, I will definitely let him know. I don't mean to be rude, however I do have places to be, young adults to teach," she said politely, pushing past the young man, making her way out of the lecture hall.

"We can talk later if you're in a rush, I just want to know what its like to be out in the field," he shouted running after her.

"I try not to integrate the two parts of my life together, Brian. I'm sorry, I just don't think that this is appropriate to talk about. I must go now, I am late."

Zena had decided that she would separate her two occupations as much as she could. After the video of her abduction reaching a good portion of Hopkins students, she decided she would address it at the beginning of the semester and explain her second job to her students. To a certain degree she believed they had the right to know where she would disappear to. However, after explanations she refused to speak of her second job as a profiler in the classroom.

Zena was busy creating the exam in her office the next day. Plenty of students had popped in throughout the afternoon. Some concerned about the contents of the exam, some asking to walk through specific metabolic cycles, and others to talk about their day. Quickly the sun began to set resulting the automated pixie lights to awaken.

"This always was my favorite time of day in your office," Spencer said making his way into the room. He looked absolutely exhausted, bags encasing his eyes, tie askew, and hair disheveled.

"Woah, welcome back! I wasn't expecting you," she exclaimed excitedly hopping up from her desk chair to give her husband a hug and kiss. "I've got another hour until my office hours are officially over and with their exam coming up, I don't want to leave until it is over. Are you cool with staying? If you are tired I can meet you at home," she explained sincerely.

"Oh, I would love to stay," Spencer said making his way over to the comfy yellow chair and grabbing her publication.

"Spence, I have added so many new books to that collection. I know you already have that memorized. Why continue to read it?"

"Because I like to see my beautiful wife's words on the page as much as I can. You are truly a brilliant human being." With that, Spencer opened the book from the beginning, and began to read, ignoring Zena. Zena sat back down at her desk that was filled with papers and highlighted notes, and began to type out more questions for the exam. She was distracted from her work by a single knock at the door.

"Oh, hello Brian. Nice to see you again. How can I help you?"

"I was hoping you would reconsider continuing our discussion from yesterday," he said hopefully. However, his eyes darted over to the corner where Spencer sat engaged in the book he was more than half way done with.

"Oh my god, Dr.Spencer Reid," he exclaimed causing Spencer's head to shoot up.

"Oh hello there," Spence replied awkwardly.

"I was telling Dr.Barbarage that I am such a big fan of your work. Would you be willing to talk about what it's like putting those bastards away?"

This caused rage to boil inside of Zena, and Spencer saw the shift in her mood immediately. "I'm sorry, man. But I'm sure you know the rules. No talking about the job on Hopkins premises."

"Now is there anything related to our coral reef biology exam that I can help you with," Zena asked sternly. She never had an issue with a student in regard to her profiling. And while she wanted to give him benefit of the doubt and consider this to be natural curiosity, something within her knew that it wasn't curiosity, but rather that this kid was being a jackass.

"No, not for now. Thanks."

"Has he been pestering you about this?" Spencer looked over at her concerned. He knew that it was a sensitive topic for her, considering that the abduction video went viral, and she was insecure of her students seeing her in a vulnerable scenario.

"He's been very persistent to talk about your work," she explained making her way back to the cluttered desk.

"My work? Why my work?"

"Spence, I have absolutely no idea."