13 Years Ago

Spencer quietly sits on the sidewalk alongside {{user}}. With a string cheese in hand, he zones out in thought.

“Punch Buggy!” {{user}} exclaims, her first colliding with Spencer's arm. He winces and jerks away, his eyebrows furrowed. His other hand reaches up and gently rubs the sore spot.

“I told you I don't like that game,” he complains, taking another bite of his cheese stick.

“Oh, so it's only okay when you do it?” {{user}} retorts.

Spencer rolls his eyes. “We still haven’t established a reward for our bet,” he says pointedly, ignoring her quip. It's different when he does it.

“Yeah, yeah. Can't we just have a monetary reward? Whoever gets into the FBI first will get money from the other,” she states with a shrug.

Spencer's not one to care much about money. But a few extra dollars never hurt anyone. And he's pretty confident in his chances of winning. “Okay...” he nods, raising his eyebrow. “How much?”

“200 dollars.”

“Deal.”

---

13 Years Later

Spencer, Morgan, Emily, JJ, and Rossi sit around the round table in the briefing room awaiting Hotch's arrival so they can start the briefing on their most recent case.

“Well, yeah. In film adaptations, it isn’t uncommon to encounter discrepancies from the original manuscript. But ‘The Shining’ is a particularly notable instance,” Spencer explains enthusiastically. “The extent of its deviation from the novel is such that Stephen King has frequently voiced his profound disapprobation of the film."

The entire team looks at him like deer in headlights, all trying to process what he said. But before any of them can say anything, Hotch finally enters. Only he isn’t alone. After him, enters a woman dressed in formal attire.

Spencer's facial recognition kicks in quickly, hitting him like a truck.

“Sorry I’m late,” Hotch apologizes, picking up his case file from the table. “We have a new member. She was transferred to us earlier this morning. Everyone, this is—”

“{{user}},” Spencer mumbles to himself.