Evolution, a Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 8. Garcia Muzzled

Hotch returned to J.J.’s office with Morgan in tow. He was relieved to find the group talking companionably. There were so many questions; most of which Reid couldn’t answer. Curiosity seemed to have overcome awkwardness and Hotch thought the team just might survive.

Morgan’s entrance rendered the group silent.

“Kid, I’m sorry. That wasn’t what it looked like.”

“It looked like you running away.” Prentiss’ overt disapproval was obvious.

“Prentiss.” Hotch warned her off, giving Morgan a chance to explain without interference.

Morgan approached the doctor. Crossing his arms, he looked Reid up and down. After a moment’s thorough inspection, he shook his head. “What am I gonna do with you, Pretty Boy? I have to learn you all over again just when I thought I had you figured out.”

His heart contracted when Reid replied. “Me, too. I don’t know who or what I am anymore either.”

Morgan’s voice was soft. “I’m a little scared, you know?”

“You don’t have to be scared of me, Morgan.”

He took a step closer. “Not scared of you, Reid. Scared for you.”

In the moment of silence that followed this important distinction, the difference between wanting to run away and wanting to help, Prentiss’ phone chimed.

Her eyes were fixed on the reconciliation scene playing out before her. She didn’t check the caller’s ID. Holding the phone near her ear she spoke softly, loathe to intrude on the moment.

“Prentiss here.”

Garcia’s voice rang out loud and clear for everyone to hear. “Emily! What’s going on? Did they close the blinds? Can you see them? Is Hotch getting naked? Is anyone getting naked?”

“Garcia!” Prentiss realized it was too late to warn her colleague she had an audience  which included a mortified boss.

“What? Should I come over? I’m coming over! Bye!”

The phone blanked. Prentiss pocketed it and gave Hotch an apologetic shrug. “I have no idea where that came from.” Hotch’s face did a fair imitation of chiseled granite. “Really. No idea.” Sometimes he could go an entire minute without blinking. “Seriously, not a clue.”

“I think we need to set some ground rules when Garcia gets here.” Hotch’s scowl was unrelenting. Prentiss did her best to look innocent. It wasn’t something she did very well.

A flash of color seen peripherally announced Garcia’s entrance into the bullpen. She balked at the deserted area where she’d expected to find Prentiss and Morgan. In seconds, she located them, along with the rest of the team, in J.J.’s office. In response to her look of uncertainty, Prentiss gave a small, apologetic finger wave.

Hotch addressed the group as Garcia navigated the stairs in four-inch spangled pumps the color of sangria. “On second thought, I think we should meet off-site to discuss this latest…uh,… development. Until then, no one is to speak about Reid’s situation. We keep this within the team for now. Understood?” As a slightly breathless Garcia reached the doorway, there were nods accompanied by a ragged chorus of affirmatives.

Hotch glanced at his tech analyst as he dismissed the others. “We’ll decide on a place and time to meet later. For now, everyone back to work. Garcia, J.J., Reid, you’re here with me.”

When the others had filed out and the office door had been closed, Hotch faced Garcia. Her glitter-lidded eyes were darting frantically from J.J. to Reid and back, trying to decipher the mood, signaling the nervous suspicion that her call to Prentiss had been overheard. Hotch lost no time in verifying said suspicion.

“Garcia, I never want to hear you using my name and the words ‘getting naked’ in the same sentence again. Is that clear?”

“Yessir.” She tried to seem contrite by looking at the floor, but curiosity kept her shooting glances at Reid, the focal point of heated conjecture for the last three days. Hotch pressed his lips together to conceal his amusement. Even for a non-profiler, Garcia was such an open book; a big, bright, colorful, open picture book.

“Reid, do you wanna tell Garcia what’s going on?” He thought if she didn’t receive satisfaction soon, she might explode. Hotch didn’t relish the image of J.J.’s office walls spattered with beads, feathers, glitter, and whatever that thing in her hair was….He wasn’t quite sure, but he thought it was…looking…at him.

The tech analyst turned her full attention to the young doctor. He fidgeted a little, but having experienced the rest of the team’s supportive reaction made it easier to broach the subject one more time. And J.J.’s arm linking through his was an immense help. Nonetheless, his voice was quiet, and Garcia hadn’t seen him so reticent in a long time. She drew closer.

“Penelope, I, uh…” Reid looked toward Hotch. The Unit Chief nodded encouragement, but it was the kindness in his eyes that made it easier to find the words. “Garcia, it turns out I’ve got some…talents…that are kind of odd.” Before he had a chance to elaborate, her excited squeal made everyone within normal hearing range flinch.

“Oh!….My!….God!…I knew it! I knew it would happen to someone I know someday. Of course it’s you! Who else would it be?! Oh, Reid! It’s like super-powers, right? Tell me it’s super-powers! This…is…so…cool…” She stood before Reid in all her glittery enthusiasm, completely overwhelming this shy, strange man until Hotch called her to order.

“GARCIA!! Enough!” She paused verbally, but continued to accost Reid with small, explosive gasps and, finally, an enveloping hug that almost unbalanced him. Hotch stepped in again, but he had a hard time hiding his own grin. “Let him breathe; he’s had a hard time with this.”

“But it’s so incredibly, fantabulously awesome, sir!”

“Yes it is. Reid is a very ‘awesome’ person. Now give him some room.”

The techie backed off, but couldn’t tear her eyes away from her new hero. “Oh, Reid, wait until I tell Kevin. He is going to go so absolutely…”

“GARCIA!!” This time the note of command in Hotch’s voice made her stop and turn toward him. “This is a direct order, Garcia: you are to speak of this with no one other than the members of this team. You are to speak with them only when no one else can overhear. There will be no e-mailing, no blogging, no electronic or digital depiction of this at any time, anywhere. Got it?”

Her face fell. She peered up at her leader through purple frames sporting silver polka-dots. “But, sir, this is…HUGE. How can I not tell someone?!...Oh, sir!!”

Any amusement Hotch felt vanished. “Listen to me. Reid’s been through enough. Until we know more about…all of this…we do not advertise him; we protect him. He’s not a novelty, Garcia. He’s…ours. We protect our own.”

The simplicity and sincerity in Hotch’s statement cut through to Garcia’s heart. Her excitement ebbed as her empathy expanded. She took the arm J.J. wasn’t holding and kissed Reid’s cheek, branding him with a fuchsia print.

“Okay. But this would have made the best website ever. I’m thinking anime. I’m thinking Wonder Boy Genius with a really cool cape and everything…”

“Garcia!!”

“Yessir. I mean… No, sir. I’ll be good.”

Hotch let himself smile as the two women escorted Reid down to his desk. They were treating him with love and respect.

No one could ask for more.

After a moment, squinting down into the bullpen, he frowned. It still looked as though that thing in Garcia’s hair was watching him. He decided maybe Reid wasn’t the weirdest creature at the BAU that day.