A/N-I realized when I looked back at this chapter after uploading it that it was the unedited version that was uploaded. Sorry folks! Enjoy!

Chapter X

In mid-August, the girls of the BAU decided the team should do a night out since they were between cases. Grace had heard that a bar near the office was going to be doing a 1980's themed karaoke night. Hotch and Gideon begged off for the evening, but the rest of the group, including Spencer, were going out. He preferred their quieter outings, but went to make Grace happy.

Grace was the first one of the group to get up and sing. She had chosen Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler. She was hoping her song selections over the course of the evening might get the point across to Spencer. She'd been bolder in her interactions with him lately, but had stopped short of actually kissing him or saying exactly what was on her mind.

Grace sang with everything that was in her. She had a rich vibrant alto voice. During the first part of her performance no one said anything. Most of the group was so stunned by her ability to sing that they were silent. As the group watched, Morgan leaned over to Spencer asking, "Did you know that your girl could sing like that?"

Slightly dazed, Spencer shook his head in response before commenting, "No, not really. I mean, I knew she could sing. She sings in the car sometimes, but nothing like this. I never realized she had such a powerful voice or she could sing with such feeling. And Morgan, Anna Grace is not my girl. We're just friends."

"Pretty boy, for an excellent profiler, you suck at realizing when a girl is interested in you. You never talked to her about our conversation at the hospital did you?" Morgan knew from the look on Reid's face the answer was no. "Have you ever really thought about how she interacts with you or the ways she's different towards you than she is with, say, me?" Spencer looked at Morgan thoughtfully for a moment, but turned back to watch Grace singing.

Grace had noticed Morgan and Spencer's tete-a-tete. She hadn't missed the look Spencer had given Morgan before turning back to look at her. She smiled directly at him. Seeing Grace looking at him, he smiled faintly back at her. He felt as though she was singing directly to him. The words of the song didn't really fit him in his opinion, he wasn't exactly a hero or a superman, but at the same time Grace had teasingly called him her hero on several occasions after the near misses with ex-boyfriend over the summer.

As Grace finished her song and attempted to make her way back to the table several different young men stopped her and tried to entice her to join them for a drink or a dance. Grace was polite and thanked each of them for their compliments, but refused each invitation. After the fourth guy stopped her, Spencer stood up from his seat and went to Grace's side. Reaching Grace, Spencer placed an arm lightly around her waist deterring any further questions from the men around her, though his actions earned him a few glares and questions. Grace smiled up at him as he lead her back to the table. "Thanks Spencer. I didn't expect to be so popular after singing one silly song."

Spencer glanced down at Grace's upturned face, "Well, when you sing like you just did and are beautiful too, it's not surprising you had a line of guys trying to be the hero you were just singing about." Grace blushed and look away from his intense gaze before responding, "There's only one person I want to be that hero though."

Clearing his throat nervously, Spencer was glad they had reached the table where everyone else was waiting to congratulate Grace on her singing, relieving him of the need to respond. Sitting down, Spencer watched as the other girls all congratulated her on a stirring performance. Morgan had seen the exchange between the pair as they walked to the table and though he couldn't hear what was said he could guess at the contents of the discussion. Leaning across Grace's empty seat Morgan said, "Still think she's not your girl?"

Spencer turned and just stared at Morgan. There was no possible way he had heard what Grace had said to him. "What are you talking about Morgan?"

"Kid, I didn't have to hear what Grace said to know what she was telling you. I could read between the lines of the looks you were giving each other. Not to mention she turned down all of those other men and walked off the dance floor with you. That should tell you something."

Glancing away from Morgan, Spencer caught Anna Grace's eye causing her eyes to light up and a broad smile to spread across her face. She quickly turned back to her conversation with Emily, JJ, and Garcia. "I'm telling you Reid, she's yours, whether you are willing to admit it or not."

Towards the end of the evening Grace and Garcia were flipping through the book of songs to find one to end the evening on. Garcia pointed at a particular song causing Grace to wrinkle her nose saying, "Garcia, don't you think this one might be a little too obvious? This could be a complete disaster and totally backfire."

"Nah! Have fun with it. Let's see if maybe our little genius picks up on more obvious hints, because no offense sweetie, your method of doing things isn't working. The songs you've sang haven't exactly worked. I say its time we up the ante and go big. I'll do the first part and mess with him and Morgan, and maybe it won't be quite so glaringly obvious what you are up to." Garcia said winking. "Besides, it's a great song!"

The girls turned in the slip with their song request and headed back to the table where everyone was sitting. As Grace resumed her seat between Morgan and Spencer, Spencer glanced at her smiling. Grace smiled back and as she leaned towards Spencer to talk to him she heard, "Next up Grace and Garcia singing I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick."

The girls made their way up to the small stage as the music began to play. The mics were wireless making it easy to put Garcia's plan into motion. Morgan knew from the look on Garcia's face that they were up to something, but he wasn't sure what until Garcia sashayed towards him singing.

I want you to want me.

I need you to need me.

I'd love you to love me.

I'm beggin' you to beg me.

Gracia sauntered behind Morgan running her hand suggestively up his arm and across his shoulders. Smiling at her antics he turned his head to look at her and she tweeked his nose smiling back at him. She playfully swatted his arm.

Then Garcia moved on to do the same to Reid. Who turned bright red as she sang and flirted with him while doing so.

I want you to want me.

I need you to need me.

I'd love you to love me.

Spencer wasn't sure what was going on but Garcia mercifully left him alone after not too long. He could feel his face blazing. As she finished her portion of the act and danced her way back to the stage, Grace took over. Grace started out singing from the stage. Spencer swiftly realized that she was going to do something similar to what Garcia had done. She sang the first two lines of her portion without leaving the stage but while looking directly at Spencer. As she sang she gestured first to Spencer then back at herself.

I want you to want me.

And then looking at Morgan she repeated the motions for the second line.

I need you to need me.

Then she left the stage to follow a path similar to Garcia's earlier walk, but instead of going behind them she leaned on the table with the arm holding the mic. With her free hand, she reached out and ran a finger down the side of Spencer's face while singing.

I'd love you to love me.

Grace followed that up by taking ahold of his tie and gently tugging on it to pull him closer to her all the while looking him directly in the eye and smiling.

I'm beggin' you to beg me.

By the time Grace finished the fourth line and had let go of Spencer's tie, he was the color of a ripe beet and thoroughly confused about what was going on. Grace glided around the table and stopped directly between Morgan and Spencer, Grace leaned back against the table smiling at the two of them and continued singing.

Oh, Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I,

See you cryin' (cryin, cryin')

Feelin' all alone without a friend

You know you feel like dyin' (dyin', dyin').

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I,

See you cryin' (cryin', cryin').

Feelin' all alone without a friend

You know you feel like dyin' (dyin', dyin').

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I,

She flirted with one, then the other. Morgan was playing along with her and was having fun with the whole routine. Spencer, on the other hand, was hoping the song would end soon because everyone in the bar was looking at them and he had no idea what to do. He was slightly hurt because he felt like there was some inside joke that he wasn't privy to and that everyone was having fun at his expense. JJ and Emily were finding the whole proceeding funny, though they both noticed that Grace seemed to focus more of her attention on Spencer. JJ's suspicions from earlier in the summer were being confirmed by Grace's portion of the performance. She glanced at Reid's face to gauge his reaction. Reid looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He didn't seem to understand that Grace was trying to tell him how she felt without coming right out and saying it, though she was coming pretty darn close.

Grace moved back to the stage where she and Garcia finished up the song together

Feelin' all alone without a friend

You know you feel like dyin' .

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I,

See you cryin'.

I want you to want me.

I need you to need me.

I'd love you to love me.

I'm beggin' you to beg me.

As the song finished up Grace and Garcia put the mics back, linked their arms, and bowed as the crowd clapped and cheered. They made their way back to the rest of the group and resumed their seats. Smiling and laughing Morgan said, "That was an entertaining performance ladies."

Spencer, looking disgruntled said, "I'm not sure entertaining accurately describes their performance."

Grace turned, frowning at Spencer, and said, "Oh, come on Spencer, you didn't enjoy it at all? We were just playing around. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it." She smiled at him, lighlty touching his arm.

Looking at her hand, he cleared his throat before saying, "It was fine I guess. I thought you were just going to sing. Not make a complete spectacle out of all of us." Spencer just really wanted her to drop the whole subject. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed it, but that he enjoyed her attention more than he thought he should.

"Grace, you and Garcia were great. You can entertain us again anytime." Morgan said chuckling. "Come on pretty boy, the girls were very entertaining."

"Can we just drop it?" Spencer said irritably. He stood abruptly and moved towards the bar. Glancing at Morgan confused, Grace hopped off her stool to follow Spencer, worried she had truly offended him. "Spencer wait." He stopped but didn't turn around. Touching his arm, she softly said, "What's wrong? I'm sorry if I crossed a line Spencer. I really didn't mean to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable. We were just trying to have some fun. And I was, well, the thing is . . "

"What is it Grace?" he snapped cutting her off. Turning to look at her he felt guilty for reacting so badly. She looked scared and worried. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Anna Grace. She had come to mean more to him than he was ready to fully admit; not only to her, but to himself. "What are you trying to tell me and not managing to put to words?"

Looking up at him with her hand still resting on his arm, "Spencer, I," Grace couldn't get the words out.

Reaching out to brush a stray piece of her hair behind her ear he rested his hand on the side of her face and said, "You can tell me anything. You know that." Instead of responding verbally, she turned her face just enough to kiss the palm of his hand, while stepping closer and looking up at him in hopes her message was clear.

When Grace kissed the palm of his hand Spencer, felt a shockwave of emotion and the mad desire to close the distance between them and kiss her. Before he could stop himself he started to give in to desire. He leaned down to kiss her sweet face. Grace saw the look he gave her and his movement. She inhaled and closed her eyes, waiting expectantly for the kiss she knew was coming, when Morgan came through the crowd calling, "Hey, you two ok?" Spencer checked his movement and dropped his hand. Eyes snapping open, Grace cleared her throat and looked down, but not before she saw a variety of emotions, including longing and annoyance at Morgan's interruption, flash across Spencer's face as Morgan reached them.

"What's with you two?"

Running his hand through his hair, Spencer quickly said, "Nothing. We were just talking."

"Yeah, ok." Morgan said suspiciously, eyeing them both as neither one was looking at him or each other.

"I'm going to sit back down," Grace said, escaping before Morgan could stop her. She felt mildly guilty leaving Spencer alone at Morgan's mercy, but she figured he would be able to handle himself. Sitting down next to Garcia, she continued watching Spencer and Morgan who appeared to be arguing before Spencer turned and headed for the bar. Garcia leaned over to say, "What's up Grace? You look white as a sheet. Is everything ok?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure." Turing and looking at Garcia, Grace said, "I need to tell you something."

Spencer moved to head back to the table but was checked by Morgan. "Seriously, Reid, is everything ok with you two? It looked like I unintentionally interrupted something."

"Everything's fine. We were just talking. You didn't interrupt anything," he replied, deciding not to return to the table just yet. Turning, he moved towards the bar. Morgan watched him go without saying anything further. He was fairly certain he had interrupted Spencer attempting to kiss Grace, and if that was the case, she was going to be furious with him. She'd been hoping all summer that Spencer would notice she wanted to be more than friends.

Grace and Garcia slipped away from the table for a few minutes so Grace could tell Garcia what had just occurred. Grace quickly filled her in on the details of the encounter with Spencer and about having been interrupted by Morgan. "I could kill Derek for walking up at that exact moment. Of course, I think he realized what he'd done as soon as he saw my face." Grace said regretfully.

"So why are you over here with me and not with Spencer?" Garcia ask.

"Because I knew the moment had passed and until Derek makes himself scarce I can't very well expect Spencer to try again."

"True, well let's sit back down before we make people even more suspicious than they already are. I think JJ and Emily may have both figured out what was going in our little performance."

Taking a seat at the bar, Spencer waited for the bartender to take his order. He had a thousand things running through his head. He could kick himself for trying to kiss Anna Grace. He had no idea why he had felt the sudden urge to do so. Sipping on his drink, Spencer played back in his mind everything that had happened over the summer. He knew he and Grace had become good friends; he also knew that she was Hotch's baby sister and he shouldn't have feelings for her, but he did. He had known he had feelings for her since the night in the hospital when he had talked to Morgan. He wasn't sure though if Grace wanted more. He was fairly certain, given her performance with Garcia and by her reaction to his attempt to kiss her, she wasn't opposed to the idea of taking their friendship further. Morgan had advised him to talk to Grace, but he hadn't because, if he was misreading everything, he didn't want to destroy the friendship they had formed. He had never had a friend like Anna Grace. Though he was close to Morgan and JJ, his relationship with Anna Grace was so much more than those friendships. In many ways Grace was Spencer's version of Garcia. He thought about what Hotch had said to him at the start of the summer and questioned whether that was Hotch's way of warning Spencer to leave Grace alone or telling him, he was ok with Spencer being interested in his sister. Spencer regretted never asking his mother's advice about this, because he felt sure she would have been able to help him. Spencer had told his mom about his friendship with Anna Grace, just as he had about everyone else on the team. But he had been very careful not to tell her too much. After mulling over his options for a long while, Spencer finally settled on not pursuing anything more than friendship with Anna Grace. He paid the bartender and made to leave the bar before things could get out of hand again. Before leaving, he looked towards the table where the rest of the BAU team, including Anna Grace, were sitting. She was deep in conversation with Garcia, but she suddenly looked up. It was as though Anna Grace knew he was watching her. Smiling in a way that made him want to throw caution to the wind and kiss her, Grace said something to Garcia, causing her to turn and look at Spencer smiling.

Before he could move Spencer realized that Grace had started towards him. Flustered, he started for the door. Grace was unable to catch him before he vanished through the doorway. "Spencer, please wait. You aren't leaving, are you?"

Turning to face her he said, "Anna Grace, I think it's best I leave before something happens I can't take back."

"What are you talking about Spencer?"

Looking down at her upturned face was the worst thing he could have done. Glancing away, "Grace, I don't want to do anything we might regret later. I need to go home."

"I would never regret anything we might do. Spencer, is this about before? You didn't do anything I haven't wanted you to do all summer." Grace pleaded trying to make him understand that she wanted him to kiss her.

"Yes it is. Grace, listen, I shouldn't have tried to kiss you and I know that and I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin our friendship. I just need to leave before I do something incredibly stupid."

It was as though he hadn't heard anything beyond her initial question. He completely ignored the fact she had just told him she wanted him to kiss her.

"Spencer, please don't do this. You have nothing to apologize for. I didn't stop you from trying to kiss me did I?"

When he didn't respond she continued, "I didn't, because I've wanted you to kiss me for a long time. And what about what I might want? Don't I have a say in where our friendship or relationship or whatever this is might be going?"

"No, you don't. I've made my mind up Grace. We're friends and I'm not taking any chances on messing that up. Not to mention you are my boss's kid sister. I don't think he'd be very pleased with either of us."

"That's not fair Spencer, you can't unilaterally decide things for me. And just so you know, Aaron told me months ago if our feelings for each other changed, he was fine with us dating. I think you're just scared and not willing to take a chance on there being more between us."

"I'm not scared and whether or not it's fair, this is the way it its going to be." He said without truly looking at her, knowing if he did he would lose his nerve and kiss her. He had ignored the rest of what she had said about wanting him to kiss her and about Hotch. He was surprised that Hotch would have told Anna Grace such a thing but, she wasn't the type to lie, so it must be true. "Go back inside Anna Grace. I'm leaving."

"Please Spencer. Listen to me. You are all I want. That's what I've been trying to tell you all night." As she spoke, Grace reached out her hand to touch his face only to be stopped by Spencer taking it and saying, "Good night Grace."

Angry, now she didn't say anything, but snatched her hand back, turned, and walked back inside with hot tears streaming down her face. Spencer knew she was crying, but couldn't bring himself to go after her. He knew he had to get away before he did something they would regret in the light of day. Anna Grace might think she wanted more than friendship, but when she got back to school she'd realize he'd been right to not take their relationship any further. He wasn't the right man for her.

Maybe she had been partially right saying he was scared. Spencer knew he wasn't beyond the age where a schizophrenic break was more likely to happen. No matter how much he wanted to be with Anna Grace, he didn't want to potentially put her through the pain of watching him go through what he had to watch his mother go through. He knew he loved her too much to put her through that. It was better to hurt her now, before she was more deeply involved, than later.

Garcia saw her coming and saw there was problem. She spoke quickly to Morgan, got up, and ushered Grace to the ladies room before JJ and Emily realized there was a problem and causing an even bigger mess. "Grace, come with me." Garcia guided the sobbing Grace towards the hallway where the bathrooms were located. Getting her inside and locking the door behind them, Garcia turned Grace around and said, "Grace what happened?"

"I hate him. How can he be so stupid?"

"If that were true, you wouldn't be standing here crying. And, yes Junior G man isn't always the smartest. Talk to me." Garcia said.

"Oh, Garcia, it was horrible. We've never had a fight like this before. He's decided—without any input from me—he doesn't want to ruin what we have by taking our friendship any further. He never even asked me my opinion. He apologized for trying to kiss me and I tried to tell him that was exactly what I wanted him to do and he just ignored me." Grace finished with "He's so stupid sometimes."

Garcia smiled sympathetically at Grace. "Yes, he is. Reid is, well, a genius. But when it comes to the ways of the heart, he knows very little."

"Don't I know it," Grace snorted, wiping away the tears. "Let's go back before the others start to worry and come after us."

Garcia agreed, and they left the ladies room to rejoin the rest of the party for what remained of their evening.