Evolution, a Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 6. A Defining Moment

“Welcome back. How’re you holding up?” Rossi took a closer look at Reid’s anxious eyes and pale face. He turned to Hotch. “How’s he holding up?”

“We’re gonna tell the team.”

Rossi’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure about that? Once the cat’s out of the bag, you can’t get it back in…or control where it goes.”

“We discussed it. We’re gonna start with J.J. and see how it goes. Kind of a test case.”

Rossi gave a speculative nod. “That sounds…cautiously appropriate. J.J. can keep secrets if you change your mind along the way.” He watched Reid’s Adam’s apple bob nervously and gave him an encouraging smile. “And she likes you Reid. She calls you ‘Spence.’”

“Yeah.” But Reid couldn’t help wondering if by the end of the day, J.J. would be calling him ‘freak.’

xxxxxxx

Morgan, Prentiss and Garcia tracked the three agents as they tapped on J.J.’s door, entered and made certain it was securely closed behind them. Prentiss leaned back in her chair, making no effort to hide her interest.

“So now J.J.’s in on it…whatever ‘it’ is.”

Morgan bent over the reports littering his desk. “Don’t stare, Prentiss. It’ll make it harder to get stuff out of her if they think we might try. They’ll throw up roadblocks, like making her take a vow of silence or something.”

Prentiss tilted her head and sighed before returning to her own overflowing inbox. “I just wanted to see if Hotch was gonna undress again.”

“Emily!” Garcia gave her shoulder a reprimanding slap in passing on her way back toward IT. She hesitated, cast one more look toward J.J.’s windows and leaned in to whisper near Prentiss’ ear. “I missed that last time. If he does it again, if anyone starts to take their clothes off, will you call me?”

Prentiss gave her a thumbs-up.

xxxxxxx

“Hi, guys. What’s up?” J.J.’s voice was wary. She sat up a little straighter and looked from face to face, trying to garner clues that would explain this mini-invasion of her office. It was common knowledge that Reid had been MIA for two days and the three agents’ solemn expressions made her imagine the worst. Rossi and Hotch were watching Reid. Reid was staring at her in a disconcerting way, his blink reflex the only part of him that seemed to be working. Hotch stepped forward when it was apparent that the young doctor wouldn’t be the one chairing this meeting.

“Reid has discovered some things about himself lately. Uh…In order for the team to remain…functional,…I thought it would be best to have as few secrets as possible.” He looked at Reid, but he was still mute. Hotch licked dry lips. “J.J., it’s just that you’re really easy to talk to and you don’t over-react, so we thought, maybe, Reid wouldn’t mind trying out his news on you first.” Hotch didn’t look as sternly official as when the trio had entered. “That okay with you?”

“Su-u-u-re.” J.J. stood up and caught Reid’s focus. “Are you alright? Spence?”

Reid saw the concern and growing alarm in her eyes. He closed his own briefly and wished with all his heart that what he was about to do didn’t destroy one of the best friendships he’d ever had. “J.J., for the last couple days I’ve been getting tested for some weird stuff…” She brought her hand to her mouth and he could hear cancer? waft from her like a chilly, spectral draft.

“No, it’s not cancer.” Her eyes widened. He wasn’t sure what her expression meant, but he couldn’t bear the thought that he was turning into a monster, right before her eyes. Reid’s fear ratcheted up and, true to his prediction of its effect on his…freakdom!…his sensitivity increased proportionally. He could feel waves of emotion all around him. Whispers of thoughts washed over him. He felt Hotch’s steady hand grip his shoulder and it was like an injection of reassurance and support. Reid struggled to ignore the telepathic maelstrom whirling through the room and silently begged J.J. not to desert him.

“J.J., I’m one of those weird, ESP people you read about in science fiction and fantasy. Only I’m real.” His voice was barely audible. He sounded…ashamed.

She stared at him. She lowered her hand from her lips and came out from behind her desk to stand before him, only inches away. She looked utterly blank. It felt like hours until she found her voice.

“But you’re alright? You’re not sick or leaving us or anything like that?”

Reid blinked. “J.J., you’re not hearing me. I…I’m a monster…a freak!”

Hotch had always considered J.J. to have more than her share of empathy, along with a healthy dose of intuition and steadfast courage. He watched those traits come into play, pushing shock and fear aside in the name of friendship, of love.

“Yeah, maybe. But you’re our monster. You’re our freak.” She wrapped Reid in a hug. He closed his eyes and felt mostly kindness and affection…there was also some skepticism edged with alarm, and a little bit of anger that he’d scared her by letting her think, even for a second, that he might be ill. She’d probably give him a piece of her mind for that after the hug ended.

“Spence, your brain has always been surprising. To tell you the truth, I think an eidetic memory is kind of creepy. But it’s you and it comes in handy.” She pulled back and looked at him. “Make no mistake: I am freaked out, and I’m not sure how I feel about this, or even what it really means, so I need some time to figure it out. But at the end of the day, you’re Spence. Our Spence.” She did a good job of producing a creditable grin. “Our weird ESP guy.”

She kissed his cheek.

Leaning back against her desk, she crossed her arms and turned her attention to Hotch and Rossi. “You know when Prentiss finds out about this, she’ll take him to Atlantic City so he can help her beat the odds, don’t you?”

Reid would always remember telling J.J. the scariest secret he’d ever had as one of the defining moments of his life.

He would always love her for that.