Title: Eighth Wonder
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Spencer Reid
Fandom: Doctor Who/Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Table: VRD challenge - Green, 5_prompts
Prompt: Green means go
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.

***

"But I'm not a good driver!" Spencer protested as the Doctor opened the passenger side door of the car. The young man stood there looking at the vehicle in consternation, then back at the Doctor. "You're taking your life into your hands if you let me drive."

"Spencer, I'm no good at driving at all," the Doctor told him, his voice deceptively calm. "And we can't very well just fly the Tardis at the moment. You know that she's damaged and needs to recover. What do you propose to do? Call a cab?"

Spencer shook his head, knowing that what the Doctor said was true. The Tardis needed some time to recharge; even though he didn't know much about the inner workings of the ship, he took the Doctor's word for it. They had no choice but this one.

His driving had been one of the many things that his BAU teammates had made disparaging comments about -- and actually meant it. They joked about what a bad driver he was, but they were right. He wasn't good at this at all, and he didn't want to get behind the wheel.

Calling a cab would take too long. They had to get across the city now -- and if the only way to do it was for him to drive, then he'd have to risk it. They couldn't afford to spend time waiting for a cab, or for someone else to come and pick them up.

How could he explain to the Doctor just why he hated driving? The very thought of it tied his stomach in knots; he was so used to being ridiculed and told that what he was doing was wrong that even the thought of taking the wheel made him nervous.

There was no other choice. He had to drive. The Doctor had already said that he would be useless at it, and if they were stopped for some reason, he had no driver's license -- which would obviously only get them into trouble that they wanted to avoid.

They needed to get to Hotch, to tell him what was happening. Earth was being threatened, and they had to make sure that the authorities were prepared for an attack. The Doctor would try his best to thwart it, of course, but there was no guarantee that he could.

Sighing, Spencer slid behind the wheel and closed the car door. With shaking hands, he fastened the seat belt, then took a deep breath as he turned the key in the ignition. So far, so good. He hadn't done anything to mess up yet.

But of course, they weren't out on the road. They were just sitting still; he wasn't actually driving, having to interact with the other drivers on the road and try to remember to do a dozen things at once when there was so much else on his mind.

His former teammates had often told him that was the problem with his trying to drive -- that he always had so much on his mind there was no room for the rudiments of driving properly. He accepted that as a likely explanation, though he didn't really believe it.

The Doctor looked over at him expectantly, raising an eyebrow. "We can't just sit here and expect the car to drive itself, Spencer. We have to get across the city, and we really should already be there. Don't just sit there, let's get going."

Spencer nodded, gulping and hoping that he could get them where they needed to be without causing an accident -- or getting the two of them killed. "Okay, here goes," he murmured as he put the car into gear and turned the wheel, pulling out of the parking space.

It only took a moment for him to swing the vehicle out into the traffic; he was going slowly, but that was because they were in a zone where the speed limit was low. It would get worse when they turned onto the freeway, he was sure.

He stopped for a red light, aware that his palms were sweating and that his heart was beating insanely fast in his chest. This was at least a slight reprieve before the real test came; but at least he'd managed to do well so far. Maybe their luck would hold.

"The light's green, Spencer," the Doctor told him, his voice soft. "Green means go, you know. We can't just sit here all day -- either the people behind us will get angry, or we'll be stopped by a traffic warden and get a ticket. You've got to put the car in gear and go."

Spencer nodded, taking another deep breath as he eased the car forward and turned on the signal to get into the lane that led to the freeway. Here was where he was going to be more nervous than ever, when he could speed up and get them to their destination.

Checking the rear-view mirror, he pulled out into the traffic, speeding up gradually until he felt as though the car was almost flying. This was what made him more nervous than driving in the city; he always felt as though anything could happen on the open road.

"We have to go faster, Spencer," the Doctor told him, glancing over at the young man. "We'll never make it there in time if you don't speed up. I know you're not used to driving, but you have to realize that this may be a matter of life and death."

Spencer gulped, speeding up more than he wanted to. The car seemed to fly down the freeway, passing others in a blur. It didn't take long for Spencer to realize that the Doctor was holding on to the dashboard with both hands, his knuckles white.

"Try to keep the two of us alive, love," the Time Lord whispered, his eyes on the road as though he couldn't force himself to look away. "I want to actually make ti there in one piece. Green might mean go, but it doesn't mean drive recklessly."

Just as the Doctor finished speaking, Spencer recognized the turnoff that they needed to be on. Thank goodness he was in the right lane to take that turn! he thought, feeling grateful for small favors. Turning the wheel slightly, he let the car move onto the offramp, slowing their speed.

They were almost there, he told himself with an inward sigh. And somehow, he'd managed to get them there without any accidents -- and without getting them killed. His former BAU teammates would have said it was the eighth wonder of the world.

Almost there, Spencer told himself, slowing down the car as they merged into the traffic from the ramp. Only a few more blocks .... just as the thought crossed his mind, he automatically turned into the parking lot of the building they needed to be at.

Spencer wanted to slump over the wheel and let out his breath in relief, but the Doctor was already fumbling with his seat belt, obviously waiting for his lover to park the car. As soon as he did, the Doctor already had his door halfway open.

They couldn't afford to spend any time sitting here. But even as he unfastened his seat belt and opened the car door, Spencer was sending up a prayer to whatever deity might be listening. He might have done this without causing a catastrophe, but next time they might not be so lucky.

***