Title: Call of Duty
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Spencer Reid
Fandom: Doctor Who/Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Table: Buffet 1, fc_smorgasbord
Prompt: 76, Duty
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Spencer Reid, unfortunately. Please do not sue.

***

Spencer stomped out of the BAU offices, a scowl on his face that resembled a thundercloud. The Doctor looked up from where he'd been waiting patiently, surprised by the angry look on his young lover's face and wondering what had caused it.

Certainly Aaron hadn't spoken to Spencer in such a way as to make that scowl so pronounced. And the Time Lord doubted that any of the women had done so, either. There was really only one person out of his former teammates who could bring that expression to Spencer's face.

The Doctor had decided that he didn't want to be in the office when Spencer told the rest of the team that he was leaving for good -- that was something that he felt was between the team, and he really had no place in the situation.

Of course, he was the reason that Spencer was leaving -- and he himself wasn't entirely sure that the younger man was making a decision that he'd be completely happy with for the rest of his life. But he wasn't going to attempt to tell Spencer what to do.

Spencer had told them a few days ago that there was a good possibility of his not coming back to the BAU -- that at the moment, he was taking a sabbatical of sorts. And he'd told them freely that he was going to spend time with the man in his life.

Only one person of the team had seemed to be unhappy about that decision, and had tried to convince Spencer that he was making a mistake to take time off.

The Doctor could just imagine how it had gone when Spencer had announced that not only was he going to take time off, he was leaving them for good. He was rather surprised that there hadn't been an explosion of magnificent dimensions coming from those offices.

But there hadn't been. He'd stood here anxiously, shading his eyes from the glare of the sun and looking up at the windows, wondering if he would be able to see anyone pacing in front of them. But he'd seen nothing; all had seemed calm and inconspicuous.

That is, everything had seemed calm until Spencer had pushed his way out of the front doors, looking as though he was the one who was ready to explode. The Doctor could guess what had made his lover so angry, though he was hesitant to bring it up immediately.

Instead, Spencer did that for him, stopping in front of the Time Lord with his fists clenched. "How dare he! Trying to tell me about my 'duty' and saying that I owed it to the team not to leave. That I'd given up the right to my own private life when I joined the BAU."

"What?" The Doctor was startled by Spencer's words; he hadn't thought that anyone who worked with Spencer had that sort of idea about the work they did. Everyone had a right to a private life, no matter what they might happen to do for a living.

Spencer nodded, his scowl deepening. "He even told me that I had to stay with the BAU since I have the kind of mind that they need working for them."

The Doctor wanted to gnash his teeth in frustration, or run into the building and up to that office. He wanted to grab the man who had said those words by the throat, and send him flying through one of those plate-glass windows. Preferably from one of the upper stories.

Of course Morgan hadn't been thinking of what was best for Spencer when he'd said those words in a desperate attempt to make Spencer stay with the BAU. He'd only been trying to keep Spencer under his watchful eye, waiting for the moment when Spencer was vulnerable.

The Time Lord was glad that he'd gotten Spencer away from that environment; this young man didn't need to deal with someone trying to talk him into a relationship that he didn't want. Especially when he had made it clear that he didn't have feelings in that direction.

Using Spencer's strong sense of duty in an attempt to force him to stay was utterly repellant, but the Doctor wasn't surprised that Morgan had used that tactic. He would do anything to try to worm his way into Spencer's life, and eventually his bed.

But that hadn't happened, the Doctor told himself, looking up at the window again with a smug smile on his face. He hoped that bastard was looking down at the street, and that he could see him as he slid an arm around Spencer's waist.

The Time Lord was gratified when Spencer's arms slid around him and the young man pulled him close; with that gesture, Spencer was showing the world just where his affections lay.

The Tardis was just around the corner; they could walk to the ship within a few moments and be gone from this planet. They wouldn't have to come here again, not unless either of them wanted to. Not to this particular place and time, at any rate. But there was one more question he had to ask.

"What did Aaron tell you?" he inquired softly, studying Spencer's face. Aaron was someone the Doctor respected; he had a quiet dignity about him, and even though Spencer had been in love with him at one time, it was impossible to be jealous of him.

In fact, if he hadn't met Spencer first and fallen head over heels in love with this extraordinary young man, he might have fallen for Aaron, the Doctor mused, a small smile fleeting over his features. He was certainly an attractive man, along with his other good qualities.

But if hadn't worked out that way. He'd met Spencer first, and there was only room in his heart for one lover. Spencer was the man he wanted, the only man he intended to give his heart to. No one else would ever come close.

"He said .... that the only duty I had was to myself, and to what I needed," Spencer said slowly, his voice taking on a contemplative tone. "He said I should do what was best for me, and not worry about what anybody else might think of my decision -- that I'd already gone above the call of duty."

"Aaron is a very perceptive man," the Doctor murmured, the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth again. "I think you can trust his judgement."

"You like him, don't you?" Spencer asked, a frown creasing his brow. "You're not jealous of him at all. I mean, because of how I used to feel about him." He shook his head, looking down as though he was unable to meet the Doctor's eyes.

"Of course I'm not," the Doctor said softly, raising a hand to press two fingers under Spencer's chin, tilting the young man's face up so that their gazes met. "I know you don't have those feelings any more. I trust you, Spencer. I know how you feel about me."

"What I felt about Hotch ended a long time ago," Spencer told him, his tone slightly anxious. "Before I met you. I've known since way before we met that he and I would never work. Now he's just a friend -- he's somebody I trust and admire, but I don't love him."

"Do you admire him out of a duty to your team -- or because you feel some residual affection for him?" the Doctor asked, knowing that he might not like the answer, but needing to hear it, whether it meant that he might feel jealousy or not.

"I'll always have some affection for him," Spencer said, his voice soft. "But that's affection felt for a friend. It's not the kind of love I feel for you, not even close. And even though I feel like I have a duty to him, I admire him because he's a brilliant man. And because he's right about a lot of things."

The Doctor nodded, smiling as he leaned forward to brush his lips over Spencer's. "He certainly is," the Time Lord murmured, not caring if anyone was watching. "And he's right about your first duty being to yourself. I couldn't agree more."

"Yeah?" Spencer's voice was soft, almost a caress. "I'm sorry I came out of there so upset. I'm okay now. What Derek said just made me mad."

"Me too," the Doctor admitted with a soft laugh and a shake of his head. "But that's over and done now -- and we both have a duty to go back to the Tardis and get on with our lives. So I think we should start making our way back to our chariot without any time to waste."

Stepping back slightly from his boyfriend, he made an exaggerated bow, holding out his arm to Spencer. The young man laughed as he slipped his arm through the Doctor's, brushing his hair out of his face and leading the Time Lord back to where th ship was waiting for them.

The Doctor cast a last fleeting glance back at the windows of the BAU offices, startled when he caught a momentary glimpse of someone looking out before the window blinds fell into place and blocked them from view.

Who could that be? he wondered, a frown marring his features. Any of the team could be looking out, watching Spencer walk away from them. But he had the definite feeling that the choice was between two men -- both of whom could be watching Spencer, but for very different reasons.

That didn't matter, he told himself, resolutely looking away. He had a duty, too -- a duty to move on with the life he was leading with Spencer, and make the most of every moment they were together. And that was a duty that he intended to fulfill to the very best of his ability.

***