When she joined the BAU, Ashley Seaver had known that she was joining a kind of large, extended family. She’d witnessed that on the consult trip they’d taken her on. And for the first few weeks, she thought she understood the dynamic between them. She thought she understood them. She’d taken the time, looked them all up individually. Googled them, really.
Aaron Hotchner, a workaholic to the bone. He was the stern team leader who had lived through so much and yet, as time went by, apparently seemed to be the better for it instead of worse. He had a way of talking to you that made you stand up and pay a little more attention. There was the understanding that, if you messed up, he might not shout at you, but his stern lecture and his disappointment would be so much worse. The other members of the team respected him, even David Rossi, and they all listened to him as the leader he was. Or, as the ‘father’ of the group.
David Rossi really hadn’t changed much from the person she had known. He was still the same easy-going guy, quick to smile when the humor in life struck him. Dressed in his casual and yet professional jeans, shirts and suit jackets and, of course, the shoes. Always with the nice shoes. But then, Ashley thought with a smile, David had always had a thing for Italian leather.
He was quick to throw his opinion in when the team bounced their ideas off each other. Sometimes he even seemed to be the one to ask the question that no one else would. But he didn’t do it in a condescending manner. He was almost like, well, like the Uncle of the group. Enjoying them all, occasionally running herd on them, yet not fully stepping into the role of parent.
Derek Morgan. Now, at first glance, Ashley had thought that he would be easy to profile. Easy to understand. How wrong she had been! There was so much to the man that she wondered if anyone had ever figured it all out. At once glance a person would see a tough FBI Agent, not afraid to chase down and tackle an Unsub or kick his way through a door. They’d see the muscles and the stern face and think he was tough.
On another side of it, in the privacy of the team, she would see a great sense of humor come out. The way he laughed with Emily, or picked on Reid, or even occasionally joked with David and Aaron. In that humor it was easy to see the love and respect he held for his team members. There was trust there, too. Trust that Ashley had learned was very hard for Derek to give. She didn’t know the whole truth, but she heard things around the FBI, things about Derek and a man named Carl Buford. If even half the rumors were true, there was no wonder that the man trusted as little as he did.
Next on Ashley’s list of observation was Emily Prentiss. This woman took a little work to even begin to understand. But some of what Ashley saw was easy. Emily was the tough girl of the group. Soft on the inside in some ways, yet hidden underneath humor and a thick outer shield. Not many people got to be close to Emily’s heart. She would talk with you, laugh with you, and work with you. But trust? That was something she didn’t give easily or lightly.
But Emily trusted her team. Maybe it was a fragile thing, still. Maybe it wasn’t fully formed. But it was there. She loved them as well and respected them. That part was easy to see. She was also highly protective of them. Most especially of one particular team member.
Then again, Ashley didn’t think there was a single team member that wasn’t protective of their Dr. Spencer Reid.
Out of all of them, she had thought that Dr. Reid would have been the easiest to profile. The absolute easiest. When she’d first met him and he’d listed all the things he’d had problems with in academy training. That, eventually, they’d had to make exceptions to let him enter the field. She’d been nervous about working with him, if she was honest with herself. Afraid that maybe those field skills hadn’t improved. How did you trust someone like that to have your back?
Sure, she’d heard all about his eidetic memory and his 187 IQ. She’d heard that he was a pretty good profiler. But, as she watched him, she saw how socially awkward he was. A nerd who never quite felt comfortable speaking to anyone but his team unless he was allowed to speak the facts or statistics that seemed to just roll off his tongue. She had thought he was the easiest to peg and had been confident in her understanding of him.
It was amazing exactly how wrong she was. As time went on, she saw more and more how different the real Spencer Reid was from first images.
Yes, the man spouted out facts and statistics as easy as some people breathed. He was a fountain of useless knowledge in some moments and yet, in others, he carried exactly the information they needed at just the right moment. He was viewed as the weakest link on the team, but the more she learned about him, the more surprised she became. There was an inner strength to him that no one could see unless they knew where to look.
When she had first learned of what had happened to him on that long ago case in Georgia, she had been sure the stories were exaggerated. So, out of curiosity, she’d asked David about it one evening. He’d sat her down and told her the whole story. When she’d finally left her office, it had been with wide eyes. Kidnapped, beaten, drugged, and made to dig his own grave before he finally managed to shoot his captor? The team hadn’t even technically rescued him! They’d arrived right after he’d been forced to shoot the man who had been holding him captive. That should have been enough to make anyone want to retire. To never want to step foot in the BAU again.
All of them had been through some serious events in their life. Each member of this team had been knocked down almost as low as a person could go. Yet, here they still stood, one giant, dysfunctional family.
Smiling to herself, Ashley Seaver looked around at the team. Her team. Working with them was going to be a learning experience, that was for sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As she sat in her chair, sifting through the endless files that were piled in front of her, Ashley Seaver watched the rest of the team do their work around the station. She knew she should be reading, but sometimes it was so much more interesting to watch the interaction of her teammates. Most especially the quirky Dr. Reid. Out of all of them, he fascinated her the most.
It wasn’t just the man himself that fascinated her, but his interactions with the people around him. Namely, his friends. The funny part was, half the things his friends did with him, he didn’t even seem to notice. She’d spoken with Reid a few times and had learned how self-conscious the young man was. How much he doubted himself and his abilities.
In her life Ashley had come across a lot of people who pretended to be modest, but in reality they were pretty self-confident. There were others she’d met that might have doubted themselves, but they knew their worth. They all had something that they felt confident about or that they were sure they did well. Most people actually tend to take for granted their abilities, assuming that others automatically respect them for it. Then there were those who had worked to earn that respect and were justified in expecting in.
Reid didn’t seem to fit into those categories. Ashley had never met someone quite like him. He had three degrees and was working on a fourth. He had the highest IQ of anyone she had ever known and he knew more facts that some of the greater minds that Ashley had encountered. Yet, instead of making him confident, he simply acted as if they were nothing. She’d seen the man blush more than once at being addressed as Dr. Reid by people who were older them him.
He was shy, slightly awkward, absent minded when he worked, occasionally self-deprecating, and he had a heart of gold.
Anyone who spent any amount of time with this group of people couldn’t help but start to notice that they treasured their ‘little genius’. Not just for his mind, but for him. Each member loved him in their own way. Hotch treated Reid like he was his son sometimes; trying to make sure he took care of himself or that he was paired with someone who would watch out for him. Feeling guilty any time anything happened to the young Doctor. David picked on Reid in a friendly sort of way but he also was there to listen to him if Reid needed to talk serious, which was rare. That man sure locked away a lot of things down inside.
Emily kept her eye on him in a more subtle way. She was also known for nudging him towards eating when she thought he wasn’t getting enough food in his system, which was often. When working, Ashley had noticed that Reid tended to forget the lesser things in life, such as eating and sleeping.
Out of everyone, though, Morgan was easily the most protective. Anytime anything happened to Reid, the other profiler took it like a personal attack. He was constantly picking on Reid, calling him little nicknames like ‘kid’ or ‘pretty boy’. He would walk past and ruffle his hair, or put a hand on his shoulder in silent support. The two were best friends, no denying that. When Reid was having problems, the team automatically made sure that Morgan and Reid had some time alone together, even if it was just on a drive to a witness house or to a crime scene, giving them the opportunity to talk. It was well known that Reid would talk to Morgan about his problems before he would talk to anyone else.
But these were things that any person could observe. They weren’t surprising facts, really, considering Reid’s age and lack of social abilities. Even Ashley could admit that she had felt the urge to stick up for the young doctor on occasion. He tended to get picked on by people who weren’t part of the team.
There had been once that Reid had been working on a code that they’d found on an Unsubs computer. None of them had been able to figure it out, of course, but Reid had tacked the papers up on a board and grabbed a dry erase marker and set to work. It had taken him an hour, tops, before he’d cracked it completely and had the written translation for him. On the board had been tons of variations of the code that he’d tried until he’d found what had worked.
When Reid had left to get coffee after telling them it was done, another Officer had pointed at Reid and made a rude comment to his co-worker. Ashley hadn’t heard it all, but she’d heard the words ‘nerd’ and ‘...he become an agent?’ and other things like that. It had infuriated her. Just because he could do something like these, people felt the need to pick on him for it?
The officers had left the room right when Reid came back in. Ashley had noticed Morgan and David’s eyes following the two officers. They’d exchanged a look before setting off together, acting casual. But they’d been going in the same direction as the two officers had. Curious, Ashley followed them.
She’d stayed out of their line of vision, but angled enough to watch the show that had unfolded.
“Hey, Officer Eric!” Morgan called, flagging down one of the officers. The one that had made the meaner comments. Officer Eric stopped, turning around to face Morgan and David. His friend, Officer Zach, stopped with him.
The two profiles strolled up casually, as if they hadn’t a care in the world. Ashley knew better. She could see the tension in Morgan’s body. See the way David deliberately moved to present his casual image. The two men were beyond angry. They were pissed.
“What is it, Agent Morgan?” Eric asked politely. His voice held nothing but respect.
Morgan stopped in front of him, hooking his hands into his pockets. “I couldn’t help but notice back there that you seemed to find something amusing about our code.” He spoke in a friendly voice, obviously meant to set the two at ease. It was non-combative, as was his posture. An illusion, Ashley knew.
Eric and Zach exchanged a quick look. “Oh, uh. Not amused, Agent. Just surprised. Your um, other Agent in there sure cracked it fast.”
“He’s good at things like that.” David said with a smile. “Dr. Reid really is a brilliant man. He’s a valuable member of this team.”
“I can see why, Sir.” Zach said.
“Do you?” David asked. His smile grew a little. “Because I could have sworn I heard someone muttering about the ‘skinny nerd’. Something about letting a computer out into the field.”
Morgan added his two cents, not even bothering to smile. His face had turned just a little hard, a little angry. “You know, I heard that too. Just like, lately, I’ve heard some remarks about his age, his intelligence, and some remarks about lack of field skills. Jokes and the like. I even heard someone say that they’d trust a kid to have their back before they’d trust Dr. Reid.”
The two officers paled as the agents fixed them with hard stares, all signs of friendliness gone. David took a step forward, arms crossing over his chest. “Now, I really had hoped that these kinds of remarks would stop after the first day. Once you all could see how valuable a member of the team he is. Instead, I see the remarks have been getting bolder. Some have even had the nerve to actually say them to Dr. Reid.”
“I, we, I mean we didn’t-”
Morgan shook his head, stepping up beside David and effectively cutting Eric off. “Reid hasn’t said anything to any of us about it, though he should have reported you two to your chief. That’s just not the kind of guy Reid is. He takes your crap, just like he takes it from others whenever we go places, but let me tell you right here and now, we won’t take it.”
“Morgan’s right.” David said softly. He was always the most dangerous when his voice went soft like that. The two idiots didn’t know how badly they’d pissed these two off. “And I will not hesitate to report this to your chief if I catch any hint that it’s continuing. Neither of you could even begin to comprehend the things that man in there has done to save the lives of others. How many people he’s helped. Just because you think he’s not the greatest with a gun doesn’t make him less than you. Have either of you been unarmed, without your Kevlar on, and talked an Unsub into not only giving you his gun, but coming peacefully with you and letting you put the handcuffs on them?”
While the two gaped, Morgan took his turn to speak. “I’ve seen Reid walk into a situation that was beyond dangerous with no thought to his own safety. I’ve seen him put his gun in his holster and hold his hands up to show an Unsub he has no weapon. Then, using that ‘nerd’ mind that you so willingly make fun of, he knows just the right thing to say to diffuse a situation. To stop a man from shooting a child in the head, or to convince a psychopath to release hostages. You think you’re better than him because you’re a little more built or you shoot better? You’ll never be able to compete with him when it comes to his mind or his heart.”
“So, we’re here right now to warn you, continue these smart remarks of yours, these little torments you think are so funny, and you’re going to find yourself in more trouble than you ever dreamed possible.” David’s voice was harder now. The two officers before him were obviously scared by it.
What scared them the most, though, was when Morgan grinned at them. “And if it continues, not only will we tell your Chief. We’ll go one better.” His grin grew. “We’ll tell ours. You think we’re scary? You think you’re Chief is scary? You don’t want to piss off Hotch. Especially when it comes to harassing his team. Just think on that.”
The two profilers had left then, heading back out to the work area, leaving behind two gaping officers who were properly chastened. Ashley had watched the rest of the time they were there; neither officer had even gone near Reid unless they’d had to.
That was just one of the many times the team had protected their clueless friend. Because, as Ashley observed, she noticed that Reid seemed oblivious to all of it. Then again, when working on a case, Reid tended to be oblivious about everything but what he was working on.
Looking up from the file she was holding, Ashley couldn’t stop her smile. Right at that moment was a perfect example of Reid’s absentmindedness. Also a perfect example of how close the team was and how much they looked out for their younger member.
Reid was standing in front of the board, explaining something to the Sheriff. By the way Reid was waving his hands and the small stutter that Ashley could hear, it was obvious that whatever it was really had Reid’s interest. And judging by the confusion and surprise on the Sheriff’s face, it probably wasn’t understandable to anyone but Reid.
The young doctor turned toward the board, the file in his hand waving with his energetic gesture. Just as it started to fall from Reid’s hand after a too vigorous movement, Emily leaned over and caught it, setting it on the table by her without even breaking stride in her conversation with Aaron. The gesture was just automatic. It made Ashley want to chuckle.
It got even better. Aaron asked Reid something and the young man cut off his current ramble—the Sheriff looked eternally grateful and Reid was yet again oblivious to that look—and he turned to answer whatever it was that Aaron said. In whatever explanation he was giving, Reid apparently needed his paperwork to back it up. He grabbed a file, trying to shift through and find what he needed. While rambling, he started to pat his pockets, looking for something. Curious, Ashley wondered what it was.
Her question was answered a second later when Morgan walked over and picked up a pair of glasses off the table, opening them and sliding them onto Reid’s face. Grinning, Reid looked at his friend before turning back to his papers and finding the one he wanted. This time Ashley had to duck behind her folder to hide the grin she knew was stretching her lips.
After a few minutes she looked back up, once she had her features under control. Reid had a map stretched out on the table, pens in hand and one hanging from his mouth. Each one was a different color. She watched in amazement as he mumbled around the marker, looking up for something, and Morgan pointed to a spot on the map. Apparently he’d understood Reid’s gibbersh, though how, Ashley had no idea.
Dave came into the room then, two cups of coffee in his hands. He walked over, handing one to Reid before settling down with his own at the table.
Ashley knew she really should be paying attention to what they were all talking about. They were working, after all. But she really couldn’t stop watching their interaction. It was funny.
It got even funnier when Reid was looking at the board again, his geographical profile forgotten on the table. He had that look he got when something was running through his enormous brain, which usually meant he was going to start spouting off any moment or he was going to figure out something brilliant that no one else had thought of…
The excited exclamation that echoed through the air had Ashley‘s grin coming back. She’d been right. He’d thought of something.
Reid thrust his hand out, passing his coffee to a pair of hands that was automatically there to take it. Surprisingly, it was Aaron who not only took the cup, but who stood there with it and waited as Reid babbled about whatever connection it was that he’d found.
These people really were one giant, dysfunctional family. Somehow they all got around the board, looking at something, and yet they didn’t crowd one another. They moved like they were different appendages of the same unit. When Reid moved to grab something, Emily’s hand was on his elbow almost the instant he started to stumble, as if she’d known he was going to do it. Morgan was at his shoulder, looking over him at the information there.
She chuckled once again. Whether the young genius realized it or not, he was the center of this little family. He was just too blind to see it.
“Seaver!”
The sound of the Unit Chief snapped Ashley from her thoughts. “Yes, Sir?” She called back, rising.
“Grab your gear. You’re going with Dave.”
With one last smile, Ashley grabbed her coat and headed off with her friend. Yes, a giant family, but for the moment, she was a small part of that family. It was a great feeling.