The Axiom Of Equality [SPENCER REID]

two.

CHAPTER TWO
          january 2012, spencer

"It's on a trial basis while we interview further. She's very anxious about the increasing work load, according to Aaron."

"That's natural," Spencer replies emptily.

"I think an internal promotion was the right thing to do," says Rossi. "Someone we know and trust."

Know and trust is an over exaggeration, Spencer thinks, but Rossi is right. Someone close by is important after everything that's happened with Hotch and JJ. Truthfully, Spencer is surprised that the day Agent Fisher joined the team hadn't come sooner.

Katherine Fisher started at the FBI two years before him, and yet has always been his inferior. In rank. Not in intelligence. Mentally, he'd been calling her Kat of All Trades since 2010 simply because she has the sort of dexterous intelligence he's always been jealous of; there is not a single person in the office that she can't have a conversation with. She's interested in everything — books, film, 80s punk music and Carly Rae Jepson, Doctor Who fanfiction and Eminem. He has books, science — next to her, he's truly a Master Of None.

It was about time Hotch offered her the promotion. She's hardworking, eager to put in the hours, and has the warmth that the team will be lacking now JJ was leaving. His JJ.

Truthfully, Spencer is still reeling from the news. It's been a few weeks, and he doesn't know if the word 'only' should precede that. He doesn't know how long it should take him to recover from the loss of his closest confidant, his best friend, his — Hm.

He's sat in the round table room with Rossi, waiting for the others to arrive, but his head is twisted to his right to look out distractedly into the bullpen. Katherine has occupied a double desk in the corner for the past five or so years. The person opposite her has rotated in and out, until Agent Adam Joyce took up residence there and stuck like glue. Right now, they're hugging — a congratulatory thing. Katherine had also insisted on keeping her desk where it was, and not moving to the space opposite Spencer's.

Spencer suspects they're dating. Or have dated. Or fucked. Either way, they have that chemistry, that look that says either 'I want to take your clothes off' or 'I know what you look like with your clothes off'.

Either way, they're close enough to warrant breaking procedure and insisting on keeping that desk.

"Do you know much about her?" Spencer asks, turning to Rossi.

Rossi gives him a curious look. "I've worked with her for years."

Spencer raises his eyebrows. A what does that entail gesture.

"I know the same about her as I know about Garcia. Enough."

Typical. Rossi was probably not the person to ask.