Please Stay | A Dr Spencer Reid fanfic

Chapter 8- Elena Knows

Spencer had hoped that he wouldn't have to address the looming invitation again, but it seemed at every turn he was reminded off it. Colleagues at the University, who had received an invitation kept pestering him. He had received numerous calls from the Dean, confirming his attendance. Even his regular coffee barista asked him if he had bought his tux for the Fete. He couldn't get away from it.

All around the campus preparations were going on. The whole courtyard and all the paths leading to it had been prepared for the instalment of illuminations. It made Spencer want to climb inside the book he was trying to read, while enjoying so fresh air. He hadn't been sleeping so well, so he had woken up much earlier than he needed too. He had decided to arrive on campus early and sit on bench reading, before he headed over to his office. However, he found the buzz around the Annual Fete distracting and resolved that he was going to abandon his initial plan and just head straight to his office, and work through the assignments he was marking.

As he marched towards the building housing his office his attention was drawn towards and amalgamation of students and professors, bee lining for the building housing the laboratories.

As curious as he was, he opted to ignore it. He was sure in some way this would end up in him bumping into someone, who would inevitably ask him about the initiation. At first, he had wondered why, but it soon became obvious. He had a free plus one. Spencer may be a genius on paper, but he finds certain aspects of socialising difficult to grasp. Mostly because he is trying to avoid being in any awkward situations. So, when people around campus began flirting with him, more than they had previously, considering he was a new professor. It had taken him by surprise. It wasn't until JJ explained to him, after she heard someone trying to flirt with him when she was on the phone with him, that he clocked on. It made him feel even more uncomfortable. That, and the fact that apparently when some people flirt, they like to touch. Spencer shuddered at that feeling. When someone's hand would land on his arm he would visibly flinch. All respect for personal space was thrown out the window.

In his thoughts, Spencer had taken too long to make his escape and he heard a voice call out to him.

"Dr Reid, I see the crowd drew you in too." It was Professor Elena Croft, head of the medical school.

Spencer paused, allowing her to catch up to him.

"I was just passing by, but I am intrigued," he admitted.

"As you should. If anyone should be privileged enough to witness what's happening today it should be you. Would you care to join me?"

"Absolutely," he consented. "What exactly will I be privy to?" he asked, as he followed her lead towards the building.

"The Daris research team is showcasing some of their research on tissue regeneration, particularly against neurodegeneration this morning. Well, I wouldn't say showcase, it's more along the lines of 'they are working on it and people are going to see what they see as they see it.'"

"Okay," Spencer responded, elongating each letter in uncertainty. "They want to do that. They don't know what the research means yet. Whether its worked. They could find out that months of their work is for nothing, and everyone will be there to see it," he deliberated.

"Hmm. Go to commend their transparency and commitment," Elena mused.

When they entered the building, the lobby was abuzz with chatter, but no one was in sight. As they rounded the corner and went through a set of double doors, Spencer was surprised to see the corridor full of people peering in through the glass windows that lined the left side of the hallway and provided visual into the humongous ground floor laboratory. The juxtaposition between the relatively empty spacious lab and the cramped crowded hallway was laughable.

"Quite the site isn't it?" Both Spencer and Elena turned, and were face to face with another group of professors from the life sciences department.

The professor who had originally spoken, continued,

"9 am on Friday morning. Who would have thought we would see this? None of my mandatory 9 am classes get this type of turnout, and these kids here turned up by choice," he laughed.

"I guess we are not quite as exciting." Elena replied back. "Shall we head in?" She said, turning back to Spencer.

Before Spencer could reply, Elena had already started marching downing the hallway, creating a path towards the main door of the lab. Spencer scurried behind her to avoid the crowd closing in behind her.

They arrive at the main door of the lab and entered the viewing room. He was scanning the room and, peering into the main laboratory, when Elena startled him.

"Dr Reid, this as far as we are going to go. We can watch comfortably from here. I'm just going to check that everything is ready, and then I'll be back. In the meantime, make yourself as comfortable as you can in a lab that you know deals with infectious disease," she joked. Spencer knew she was joking but his inner germophobe was still innerved.

He watched as Elena scuttled into an office off the side of the room.

It had only been a few minutes and Elena came back, grinning from ear to ear.

"I believe we are ready," she announced. She skipped over to the main observing window and raised her hand to a switchboard panel on the right side of the window. She then turned back to glance at the office she had just been in and could see the laboratory staff file into the room, abuzz with excitement. It wasn't just the staff that was excited. Spencer felt like every particle around him was radiating excited energy. As if by instinct he stepped closer to the window.

The lab was mostly empty aside from a small huddle of several people, all hunched over single computer screen. He recognised a few of the faces, as staff of the university and assumed the rest were probably Daris researchers.

Just as Spencer was craning his neck to see if he could see the face he really wanted to see, Elena spoke, causing him to jump.

"I think Dean Thompson has noticed you are avoiding him."