Work Text:
If you asked Reid why he was getting a third B.A, he’d say symmetry. Three B.A’s to match his three PHD’s. At least that was the simpler answer. He started his third B.A as a way to put his mind to use. He’s nearing 30, and he hasn’t felt like he’s lived up to his potential.
Sure, saving lives is rewarding. But he always felt like he could be doing more. That his mind was his biggest asset. That’s what people used him for anyway.
He knows that people don’t actually like him. He knows that. He’s made peace with it. He knows that they only like him for his brain. For what he can do. Not who he is. Nobody ever liked him for who he is. They just wanted him to be useful. He was always used for what he could do. Hell, the kids in high school didn’t even respect or like him until he stared doing stats for the basketball team.
He's working on a ten page paper. For his philosophy of law class. The paper is due tomorrow, and he only has down two words. His name. For some reason, he isn’t taking to philosophy as much as his other subjects.
It’s too abstract. He has to think outside the box. Something he was never good at. He knew facts. Figures. Statistics. Those were his strengths. His shields. In this courseload, he has to say how he feels about things.
He’s so used to deflecting, and pushing them so far down he just forgets about it. He’s not used to having to be forced to give his opinion, and having it be apart of the class. He’s always used to his opinions being validated unless it’s for a case. Even then, he could tell he was only being tolerated.
So, here he is at the end of the workday, working on the paper. It’s almost his scheduled time to leave. Not that he was planning on going home anyway. He always felt he did better work at the office.
He’s writing now, something he thinks is really profound. Related to the study. That was, until Morgan decided to peek over his shoulder to see what he was writing about.
“What you writing about, pretty boy?” Morgan asked, as Reid jumped, and quickly minimized the tab.
He hadn’t told anyone he was doing the new program. Except Garcia. He knew she would’ve figured it out eventually. So, he ripped off the band-aid and told her. He swore her to secrecy. The genius knew the team would make fun of him for it.
They would ask why he keeps needing to prove he’s smart. Why he needs to show off his IQ. He already has five degrees. He doesn’t need a sixth. So he kept it to himself.
“Nothing,” He lied.
Reid couldn’t think of anything better to say. His brain had been foggy lately. He hadn’t eaten in the past few days, and sleep was few and far between. He had been killing himself trying to keep up with the online courses, as well as full-time cases.
“Cat got your tongue?” Morgan asked, as the kid was never at a loss for words. “You okay?” Morgan then asked, as Reid was obviously a million miles away from the room.
He nodded, and realized that was a mistake. The room span, and everything was blurry. The last thing he remembers is slumping out of his chair, and Morgan screaming for someone to help him.
He comes too in Rossi’s office. The team is all there, looking concerned as ever. “Wha-what happened?” He asked, as he doesn’t even remember hitting the floor.
“You kind of face planted on your desk. What happened?” Prentiss asked, as she had no idea about the new degree.
Garcia looked like she was ready to explode. She couldn’t keep the secret any longer. Especially if it was hurting his health. “Boy wonder, I think you need to tell them,” She said, as everyone looked at him.
“Tell us what, kiddo?” Rossi asked, as he was ready to call a medic for him.
Reid burst into tears. He didn’t want this to happen. His paper is due in three hours, and he’s not even close to being finished. He’s just so tired, and the last thing he wanted is for them to think he’s incapable of taking care of himself.
“Hey, hey, kid, you’re okay,” Morgan said, as he tried to reassure the youngest was alright.
He shook his head. Everything wasn’t okay. “I have a paper due. Ten pages, I haven’t even started,” He lamented, as the others were confused.
“Paper? What paper? Your paperwork was completed well before five,” Hotch said, as Reid wasn’t making any sense.
Reid laid back on the couch, defeated. He had no other choice but to tell them. “I’m taking another B.A. Philosophy,” He admitted, feeling more embarrassed than ever.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” JJ asked, as it was weird for Reid NOT to talk.
He cried even harder at that. How could he tell them everything? About how he was close to 30, and felt like a complete failure? Or how he knew he would be met with constant teasing about his new degree? They wouldn’t understand.
“Kiddo, you could have told us,” Rossi said, trying to calm him down.
He couldn’t. “You would’ve made fun of it,” He mumbled, as that wasn’t what they were expecting to hear. “You would’ve questioned why I still need to prove that I’m smart.” He continued, as he wiped his eyes.
Reid couldn’t believe that he just told them that. Now, he’s embarrassed he said anything. He shouldn’t have said anything. That’s where it always gets him into trouble. Talking. Flaunting his intelligence, as if it’s his fault that he was born with the eidetic memory and the 187 IQ. In fact, there were some days he wished he didn’t have it. That he could just be normal for one day.
Everyone’s faces fell at that. They knew they were all guilty at making some kind of quip or joke at his expense. Though, none of them figured he thought they actually meant them. “Kid, we make jokes, yeah. But that’s because we like you. We never meant for them to land wrong,” Morgan explained, as they never meant to hurt him.
“I have a 10 page paper due. I need to write,” He stated, as he tried to get out of the conversation that was happening.
“Kid, I saw what you were writing. You just had ‘the’ written for about half a page. There’s no way you’re getting it done tonight,” Rossi said, Reid visibly panicked as it was worth about 20% of his final grade. “But I think your professor would understand if you need an extension.”
Reid’s face scrunched up. Extension? But he had other classes. Other assignments to complete. This was just his midterm. “How could you manage that?” He asked, as he knew Rossi had no idea who his professors were.
Rossi scoffed, as it was the most obvious thing in the world. “All I have to do is send an email stating that THE David Rossi is proofreading your essay. I’d think they’d understand,”
“Okay,” He whispered, as it did make sense. He needed food. Sleep. Rest. He was doing too much, and it was finally catching up to him. “Thank you.” Reid finished, as he knew there was no getting out of this.
“Don’t mention it, bambino,” Rossi said, as Prentiss had one more question to ask.
“When’s graduation?” She asked, and Reid narrowed his eyes.
He was so used to no one going to see the ceremony, that he usually opted out of it. Plus, it always saved him money not having to purchase the cap and gown he would only wear once. “Next May,” He mumbled, as he knew he would be forced to do that as well.
And when graduation came the following year, and the announcer read ‘Spencer Reid’, he walked across the stage with six other people cheering for him.