Chapter One

"Come on Kid, one drink, that's all I'm asking."

"I appreciate the offer, but honestly I'm happy enough with a quiet weekend."

Mentally preparing himself for the upcoming argument Morgan would start in an attempt to convince to go out Spencer didn't need his high IQ to understand why the older agent took such an interest in his social life; or lack of one to be more precise. Although he appreciated the fact that Morgan was simply looking out for him, the simple fact was that he didn't share Morgan's ease with social interactions; meeting new people never seemed to go well for him. Realising that the strap of his messenger bag was slipping from his shoulder Spender managed to rest his phone under his chin as he attempted to readjust the strap. Focusing on the task at hand he failed to notice the obstacle in front of him until it was to late, suddenly finding himself in a heap on the pavement.

Finding himself surrounded by a sea of books Spencer had a moment to wonder that just happened before hearing a low groan. Quickly gathering himself together he automatically began gathering the books around him, only to halt mid action as a hand appeared on the very same book as his own. Glancing upwards Spencer suddenly felt his nerves hitting him badly as he met stormy grey eyes, various flecks of blue mingling in the centre. Despites the numerous eyes he had seen during his career none had affected him as instantly as those before him, for once it felt like his mind had completely shut down.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm . . .I'm the one who should be apologising. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Rapidly coming back to his senses Spencer internally cursed as his shutter presented itself, his only saving grace that he managed to quickly get it in check. Managing to look away from the eyes before him Spencer was able to take in the person before him; although most of the auburn hair was tied back there were enough loose strands to frame her face, highlighting homely yet delicate features. It was just his luck that when he did meet an attractive woman he would once again go and make a complete fool of himself.

"Please, you've nothing to apologise for, it's my own fault. I should have known better then to try and bring stock in on a weekend."

While the voice alone sent shivers down his spine, the sound of her gentle laughter at that moment only added to the affect this mystery woman was having on him. Watching her place, the books she held into a box beside her Spencer followed her example, trying in vain to avoid looking at her however, he was unable to stop himself glancing towards her.

"You…you own a store?"

"You could say that. It still needs the finishing touches, but I'm hopefully the work will be completed soon."

Handing over the final book Spencer quickly looked around for his own belongings; his messenger bag not far away however, upon spying his phone he could only groan as he picked up the shattered remnants.

"I'm sorry about your phone, I'll cover the cost of a new one."

"It's fine really, it was my fault for not watching where I was going."

Silently watching his mystery woman give the area one last check over Spence knew he'd done his good deed for the day by stopping and helping her collect the scattered books however, for some reason he didn't want to leave.

"Would you like a hand with that?"

"I'll be fine, you've already been so helpful."

"I really don't mind; I'd like to help."

Instantly smiling at the comment Niamh could see the genuine honesty within the brown eyes before her, glad to see the nervousness which had once filled them gone. Watching as he pushed his hair behind his ear, she found it adorable when it instantly fell back into its original lace; the slightly shaggy look suiting him to a key. Although he might not hit the radar for most girls Niamh couldn't deny the attraction she felt; from his soft brown eyes to his lanky frame, there was just something about him.

Offering no resistance as the box she'd been carrying was taken from her Niamh quickly locked up her car before leading the way to her newly acquire store. Looking upon the two-storey building she felt a warmth fill her heart as she took in the newly painted front, yet it was the gleaming gold lettering which made her day. With its name proudly on show it really felt that things were coming together. Realising that the one beside her must be taking in the store as well she could only ponder what he was thinking, no doubt thinking the same as everyone else, that the name was silly. Seeing that the workers had at least tided after themselves on this occasion Niamh was not only glad to have some breathing room, but from the looks of it they might be ahead of schedule.

"Is there anywhere in particular you want these?"

"I'm sorry, my minds wandering. You can put them over here."

Setting the box down Spencer took the opportunity to fully take in the woman before him as she surveyed the store. Giving an extra inch or so to the auburn braid which fell down her back Spencer guessed it would reach her waist once unbound. While the slim jeans drew one's attention to long legs, they worked well alongside the shirt to both enhance and complement her curvy 5ft 9" frame. Estimating her to be around his age Spencer was a little curious about her business venture, plus the unusual store name had him even more curious.

"Dreams surely are difficult, confusing, and not everything in them is brought to pass for mankind. For fleeting dreams have two gates: one is fashioned of horn and one of ivory. Those which pass through the one of sawn ivory are deceptive, bringing tidings which come to nought, but those which issue from the one of polished horn bring true results when a mortal sees them."

"The Odyssey, book 19."

Not expecting a reply to the quote, she had spoken Niamh had to admit she was impressed by her companion's knowledge, although people might identify where the quote came from, she doubted few could give the exact book. It would appear there was far more to the individual before her than meets the eye.

"I see your familiar with Homer's work."

"I've read both his pieces, The Odyssey and The Iliad. Did you know when it was originally composed in the 8th Century BC it was meant to be sung not read, back then it would have been performed by aoidos."

Realising he was rambling again Spencer quickly turned from the one before him, for some strange reason not wanting to see the usually look he got when he showed his intelligent. Apart from his friends at the BAU and one or two others he always got the 'what-a-freak' reaction once people realised what he was like.

"Night's swift dragons cut the full fast, and yonder shines Aurora's harbinger; at whose approach, ghosts, wandering here and there, troop home to churchyards."

Not expecting to hear another quote Spencer looked back towards his mystery woman, not falling to notice the playful gleam within her eyes.

"Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3 Scene 2. It's a quote by Puck."

Although aware of the smile she was sending him Spencer was unsure of how to deal with this unusual response, yet despite himself he couldn't help but become more intrigued.

"Impressive, very impressive, I've never had anyone give me the exact part before, the correct story maybe but that's about it."

"To enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself."

"Herman Melville's Moby Dick. First published in a three-volume edition entitled 'The Whale' in London on October 18th 1851."

Noting the surprised look upon his face Niamh could feel her own amused smile as she rested her hands upon her hips. Patiently waiting for him to recover from his initial surprise Niamh was unprepared for the sudden flutter her heart gave at his shy smile. It was obvious to anyone that the guy was smart yet, despite that Niamh could sense there was an element of uncertainly about him, a shyness which only added to his charm. Realising she hadn't even gotten the name of the one before her Niamh quickly decided to change that.

"Niamh Brennan."

"Reid...Dr Spencer Reid, but you call me Spencer, or Spence if you want, though everyone tends to call me Reid."

Feeling a slight widening to her smile at Spencer's returning nerves Niamh had a feeling that his babbling was a way of dealing with it; although she wasn't a hundred percent sure she had an inkling that Spencer didn't have much confidence when it came to social interactions. However, as she took note of how young he looked and the fact that he was a doctor she had an idea that his childhood couldn't have been the easiest for him. Children could be cruel when faced with people who were different.

"It's nice to meet you, Spencer."

Liking the shy smile directed towards her Niamh realized that she was responding to Spencer in ways she never had with anyone else, sure she'd had a couple of boyfriends and been on her share of dates, but none of them had made her heart go pitter patter quite like this. What was it about this guy that intrigued her so, she'd only just met him? Feeling a bravery, she rarely had when it came to guys Niamh could not believe what she was about to do.

"If you don't have any plans, would you like to grab some lunch?"

"Su. . .sure, lunch sounds good."

"Great. I know a fantastic little place we can go to."

Caught of guard by the lunch request Spencer felt his initial surprise turning into one of disbelieve at not only the delighted gleam with Niamh's eyes, but the even brighter smile at his agreement. Despites his experience with Lila and the bartender he had never seen a woman light up so much at the idea of spending time with him. Yet despites the slight uncertainty he felt Spencer had a feeling that she would be like no other woman he had met before, and part of him was eager to know more about the woman before him.

"We can even see about replacing that phone of yours on the way, something tells me being able to reach you 24/7 is essential."

"You could say that."

"You can tell me all about it over lunch."

Unable to prevent his light laughter at Niamh's teasing tone Spencer found himself liking this unusual woman even more. Following her lead out of the store Spencer could not help but think what Morgan would be saying right now if he knew about his current situation.

Later that day

"Despites, the hopefully 'fingers-crossed', opening in the next week or two, mostly everyone I know still can't believe I'm about to open a bookstore/café. Everyone is still expecting me to have a change of heart and pursue a higher career opinion."

"It's important that people follow their own dreams, they should so something they really believe in. If this is what you want you should go for it, regardless of what others think."

Looking towards his companion Spencer was glad to see Niamh's lowered gaze disappear as her eyes once again met his own. Noting the shift of light play across her eyes Spencer found it strange yet bewitching at the same time as a slight blueish tint overtook the grey. Having noticed the unusual colour shift within Niamh's eyes during lunch earlier, one moment a smoky grey, the next a strange mixture of grey and blue. However, rather that viewing it as unusual Spencer had come to see it as a very bewitching feature.

Pulling his focus from her eyes Spencer silently watched as Niamh rested her chin upon the back of her unraised hand, a soft smile gracing her. Although he still could not understand what he had done to cause such a smile it was one he had quickly come to like, unlike most of the fake smiles people wore around him this one was truly genuine.

"Have you finished?"

"Yes, thank you."

Waiting for the plates to be collected Spencer was still having trouble believing that a simple lunch invitation had resulted in them spending the rest of the afternoon together. For once he had found his usually awkwardness around people quickly vanish, instead feeling an ease he rarely left in Niamh's company. Once they had become aware of the time Spencer easily accepted the invite to dinner, surprised by his lack of nerves at the unexpected request. Although they had simply spent most of the day talking, he could not remember the last time he had enjoyed someone else's company so much.

Not having to wait long for the bill Spencer could not prevent his smile as he noticed Niamh stop herself from reaching for her purse. Paying for dinner had been one of his conditions before agreeing to join her, he felt it only fair considering she had paid for lunch.

Waiting for Spencer to pay Niamh found his gentlemanly nature sweet as she thought back to their earlier debate which had arose when she had invited him to dinner. He had been gentle yet insistent about buying dinner, seeing the determination he had when stating his condition had just made her fall even more for him. Yes, she could honestly say to herself that she fallen for one Dr Spencer Reid; if one afternoon with him could cause such a reaction within her then she did not want the day to end. However, realising that it was getting late Niamh knew it had to come to an end as Spencer let her go before him as they left the restaurant.

Taking in the darkening sky as she breathed in the evening air Niamh felt as nervous as a schoolgirl as she clasped her hands in front of her, risking shy glances towards her male companion. Seeing Spencer push his hair away from his face she hoped she was not the only one nervous as she noted his fidgety hands.

"I had a nice time today, Spencer."

"I had a good time to, thanks for inviting me."

"Well, I guess this is good night if you're ever in the area you should stop by. I seem to be spending most of my time at the store than anywhere else these days."

Sparing one last glance towards Spencer's silent form Niamh hoped her cheerful tone hid the disappointment she felt; she had hoped that despites his shy nature he might have asked her out again. Perhaps her outspoken approach to asking him out earlier had not been the best approach to take; that was just typical the first decent guy she meets, and she scared him off.

"Niamh are...are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

Fighting the smile which wanted to break out as she heard the slight stutter Niamh managed to voice a negativity about plans as she turned back towards Spencer, surprised at the faint blush she saw.

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to catch a movie."

"I'd like that."

Immediately taking note of Spencer's surprised expression at her reply Niamh could not stop her smile, once again finding it hard to believe that the one before her could be everything he was, smart, endearing, attractive yet, lack in self-confidence. Finding a scrap of paper and a pen within her bag Niamh quickly wrote her number down before holding it out, happy to hand it over as Spencer took it.

"That's my number; give me a ring tomorrow with the plans ok."

Watching Spencer glance down at the number Niamh did not even realise she given him a kiss on the cheek before she had done it, feeling the heat coming to her cheeks as she did.

"I'll been seeing you tomorrow then Spencer."

Quickly recovering Niamh gave a Spencer a wave as she hurried off, the heat rushing back to her cheeks as she thought back to the little kiss. If she had taken the time to glace back one last time, she would have noticed the smile Spencer wore as he watched her leave.