Title: Let's Get Lost
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Spencer Reid
Fandom: Doctor Who/Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Table: slash_me_twice
Prompt: 99, Map
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.

***

"How do you find your way around the universe without a map?" Spencer asked, looking up from where he was bent over the console studying one of the viewscreens. "I mean, there's so many different galaxies -- how do you keep from getting lost?"

The Doctor laughed softly at the question, shaking his head. "I don't always manage not to get lost!" he answered, his amusement apparent in the tone of his voice. "I've landed myself in some strange situations because I don't always end up where I intended to go."

Spencer's eyes widened as he straightened up, looking surprised. "You mean the Tardis doesn't always know where to go, either?" he asked, looking around him. "I would have thought that she could adjust where you to to make up for human error."

"Human?" The Time Lord arched a brow at him, his smile growing wider. "I think you forget who and what I am, Spencer. And yes, I make mistakes -- even though I hate to admit that. I do have something of an ego at times, you know."

"Sorry." Spencer was abashed, ducking his head as though he wanted to hide his face for a moment. "Sometimes I forget you're not human. I mean .... you look human, and there's not much about you outwardly that would lead anybody to believe you're not."

"That's something of a compliment to me," the Doctor said softly, bracing his hands on the console and smiling at his young lover when Spencer raised his head again. "It's good to know that I can pass for a human that well when we're on Earth."

"I don't think anybody would ever guess that you're not human," Spencer told him with a smile. "That is, until you start talking about other planets, and going to places like ancient Rome and meeting Shakespeare ...."

The Doctor held up his hands, shaking his head and laughing. "All right, all right! I'll admit that I can get carried away sometimes. But I've learned to be good about watching what I say. Actually, I learned that a long time ago. I'm not likely to forget."

"At least you only talk about that kind of stuff around me!" Spencer told him, glancing down at the viewscreen again. "But you never answered my question. How do you find your way around the galaxy without maps? Especially if you don't always get it right?"

The Doctor moved around the console to where the young man stood, sliding an arm around Spencer's waist. "I don't always find my way to the places I intend to go -- at least not on the first try. But I always seem to get there sooner or later. Well, usually."

"What happens when you don't? Do you just accept that and go explore whatever place you've landed on?" Spencer looked over at his lover with a frown. "That could be dangerous, especially if you don't know anything about the place."

The Time Lord nodded, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the console. "Oh, I know it can be. I've gotten myself into some bad situations in the past because of that. But isn't that the fun of being a traveler? Finding new places and exploring them?"

Spencer nodded, though the action was a bit reluctant. "I still think you need to put your safety first," he said, obviously preferring to err on the side of caution. "But I can see where finding a completely new place would really appeal to you. Or to anybody."

"What's the use in always worrying about keeping yourself safe?" the Doctor asked him, turning his head to meet the younger man's eyes with his dark gaze. "If you're always concerned with that, then you don't truly let yourself be free to explore and learn."

"I guess you're right," Spencer said slowly, considering. "I never really thought of it like that before. All those years in the BAU, I guess. My main concern then was keeping people safe, and it's probably spilled over into my own life."

"There's nothing wrong with keeping reasonably safe, Spencer," the Doctor told him, reaching out to take the other man's hand and squeezing it gently. "But when you're a wanderer like I am, it can't be your first concern, or you'll never experience everything that's out there."

"Safety isn't always my main concern," Spencer protested, waving a hand around at the Tardis. "I don't think I'd have had the courage to come with you if I was worried about playing it safe. I've got a little bit of the adventurer in me."

"More than a little, I'd say!" the Doctor laughed, nodding at the viewscreen. "You threw yourself into discovering new things on the last planet we went to. You didn't seem to be at all concerned with what might be 'safe' and what wasn't."

"I wasn't thinking about that!" Spencer told him, laughing ruefully along with the Doctor. "I knew you'd been there before, and I figured you'd tell me if I was doing anything that I shouldn't be. And since you didn't, I kind of got curious about some things."

"Just don't become too curious when we're on a planet that I'm not familiar with," the Time Lord cautioned him. "You see, I do worry about our safety sometimes, love. There's a line between being adventurous and being reckless."

Spencer nodded, sighing as he looked down at the console again. "So what happens if we want to go to a particular place and we don't end up there? Do we just keep trying until we do? You haven't steered us wrong yet since I've been here."

"It will probably happen eventually," the Doctor murmured, shaking his head. "I'm not always the best navigator. Though you're right about the Tardis making up for error, at least some of the time. But she's not infallible, either."

The Tardis' lights dimmed, as though the ship resented the words that the Doctor had just said. The Time Lord laughed, resting a hand against one of the pillars near the console until the lights came back to their former brightness again.

"I should probably apologise for that remark, but she knows I'm right!" he said, his laugh ringing out again. "Neither of us are perfect when it comes to getting us to the right place on the first try. But we've always gotten to where we needed to be -- in time."

"It's got to be a lot to remember, all the different galaxies and different times," Spencer said, his tone contemplative. "Don't you have it all written down somewhere? I mean, what you did to get to a certain place? Or is it just hit and miss?"

"Hit and miss entirely," the Doctor said cheerfully, pointing at the console. "If it happens correctly, and I get to the right place, then I'm happy. And if it doesn't, then I just put those plans on the back burner and explore what I've found."

"That's a good way to think -- unless someone needs you to be somewhere and you end up in the wrong place." Spencer frowned at the thought that had just occurred to him. "What then? Do you just keep trying until you get to where you need to be?"

The smile was gone from the Doctor's face, his head shaking decisively. "No, I don't. When someone needs me, I don't make mistakes. That's one thing I always take seriously. If someone needs me, then there's no margin for error or exploring."

"So where are we headed to now?" Spencer asked, wanting to restore the Doctor's good mood. "You mentioned something last night about wanting me to see some old friends of yours, but you didn't say where they are -- either in space or in time."

"Yes, I did, didn't I?" The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment, eyeing Spencer as though he was imagining his lover in some particular place and time. "Do you want to take a chance on getting there? We may get lost, you know."

"Then let's get lost," Spencer said immediately, without even needing to think about the prospect. "Like you said, playing it safe all the time keeps me from exploring new places. Let's enjoy the place if we get there -- and if we don't, enjoy the one we find."

The Doctor moved to the console, pressing a few buttons before he looked up at Spencer with a grin. "I hope you're prepared to wear a toga for a few days," he said, laughing as the young man's eyes widened in surprise. "Ancient Rome is headed our way! Allons-y!"

***