Evolution, a Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 32. Misplaced Trust

Spencer Reid made a mistake.

When Dr. Bescardi approached him and his entourage of two, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Beneath a lifetime of pain and loneliness, Reid had managed to remain a kindly soul, who knew from experience what it was like to suffer the harsh judgment of one’s peers. As a child, he’d vowed that he would never go out of his way to make someone uncomfortable without a solid, worthy reason to do so. He would never exclude or bully or taunt or snub just because someone was ‘different.’ Such taunting and bullying were the hallmarks of his childhood and adolescence. Although less frequent, they were still present in his adult life, too. True to his superior intellect, he chose to use his own bad experiences as stepping stones to reach a higher personal plateau. He could just as easily have let them ruin him or turn him toward vengeance for the cruel teasing he’d suffered. But in the end, gentility and thoughtfulness were his guides. Not the memories of pain.

So Reid tried to put himself in Bescardi’s place and find explanations for the discomfiting vibes both he and Ana picked up from her.

More than anyone, even if she doesn’t share in it herself, she knows about the ability to read someone’s thoughts and feelings, to know things you shouldn’t…couldn’t. Wouldn’t anyone be a little  uncomfortable knowing they were around such abilities? Maybe she feels vulnerable with people like me and Ana. Maybe we should cut her some slack. She’s putting herself in a difficult position in order to learn, to break new ground in a new field. And what she learns could help Ana and me understand ourselves.

So when Reid felt a shiver of anxiety as Bescardi approached, he discounted it. When he saw Ana give him a wary glance, reflecting her own reaction to the doctor, he decided to ignore it for the moment. And when Bescardi looked at Hotch with a flicker of displeasure, Reid had no trouble explaining it away.

Hotch is a stranger to her; an unknown variable imposed upon an experiment. Any scientist would be unhappy about a wild card popping up in her control group. Reid saw Hotch lift his chin and look down his narrow nose as the doctor drew near. And Hotch doesn’t exactly present a welcoming façade.

It was with the best of intentions that Reid stepped up to smooth the first contact between Bescardi and his boss.

“Dr. Bescardi, this is my Unit Chief at the BAU, SSA Aaron Hotchner. Hotch…Dr. Carol Bescardi.”

“Ma’am.” Hotch was sometimes unaware of the effect he had on people when he met them for the first time. It was second nature for him to subject them to professional scrutiny. His job had made him a cautious man who catalogued and characterized, rather than greeted warmly.

But Bescardi took his hand and gripped it with just enough pressure to let this fierce-eyed chaperone know that she was not intimidated. Not by his height. Not by his glare. Not by the suit and tie that she interpreted as his version of professional armor. Privately, she acknowledged that she tried to convey the same thing with her ever-present lab coat. It was an announcement to the world: I’m a professional. Don’t touch. Respect, but don’t touch.

“Mr. Hotchner. I was expecting David Rossi. I hope his absence isn’t indicative of anything…um…wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m here as part of the agreement Dr. Reid has concerning his participation in your studies.” Hotch returned the pressure of her grip just enough to convey his own dominance when it came to physical strength. “I hope that’s not a problem for you?”

“Not at all.” She released his hand and turned to where Reid and Ana were standing side by side. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Bescardi adopted a new strategy. She elected to drop as much pretense as possible without giving her entire game plan away. She would pare down secrets and subterfuge in order to better conceal the most important items. She thought such a course of action would be wise in the presence of her subjects’ combined talents.