Chapter 03
BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA
Everyone even tangentially related to government function was called in to the office, into every office. Once there they sat around drinking progressively worse coffee and started at the big monitor in the conference room. "Did you tell them we can't do a profile yet?" Dave asked.
"I did." Emily replied.
"What did they say?"
"Try anyway."
But there was no profiling going on. There was just starting. Staring at the small armada of ships that had been spotted entering the system and were now headed in the direction of Earth.
"I thought we had contingency plans for this sort of thing." Tara said.
"Well, no plan survives first contact with the enemy." Matt replied.
"Yeah." Luke agreed. "I bet the Pentagon is collectively shitting itself at the moment."
"Especially when you consider that most off-planet traffic right now is contracted through the Russian space agency." Spencer pointed out.
"Most?" Dave asked.
"Space X." Spencer replied.
"Oh." Penelope said. "I wonder if they would help."
"I think the correct term for that is nationalized." JJ replied.
"So, do we have any kind of profile?" Emily asked.
"We might be able to come up with a movie list." Luke replied.
Emily sighed. "Great."
They went back to watching the space ships again.
Capitol Plaza Apartments
Apartment #25
Washington DC
"So I want to say something, but I don't want it to sound like I'm volunteering." Penelope said.
She had driven Spencer home, when it became obvious that the ships weren't moving that fast. Driven him home and admitted that she was scared of staying alone and his place was bigger. So they went back to her place first where she packed a couple of bags and Sergio and went to sleep on his big, comfortable sofa for a few nights.
Now they were both comfortable decked out in cozy pajamas and robes and having a cup of sleepytime tea. "Okay". Spencer replied as he stretched out his mismatched socks to the fire. It was a gas insert, but it got the job done. At least Sergio was happy in front of it.
"I'm sorry about what happened with Maeve."
"Um, thank you. But how is that volunteering?"
"She was your first serious girlfriend, right? I mean, I know you couldn't do anything with Lila or Austen because those were open cases and you and Dorian didn't really hit it off but it seems like you and Maeve did."
"Yeah, we did." She had been special, so very special. "I still don't understand the volunteering part though."
"Well, the aliens are coming, and we all might die in the next few days…."
The proverbial penny dropped. "Ohhh." Right. The whole dying a virgin trope.
"That's just sad is all. Not volunteering, you're like one of my brothers."
"I can say the same. Sister anyway."
"Awww. But, you know, if there was a chance I'm sure Emily would understand if you wanted to take a day or two."
To go have some wild, end of the world tryst. "Yeahhh, unfortunately there isn't. And I'm actually okay with that. It just never felt right somehow." He didn't know if it just was never the right person or if sex alone felt unappealing. That might be the case.
"Never? I am hearing this right, you didn't date anyone in college?"
"Not any girls."
"Oh, damnit." Penelope sipped her tea and another penny fell in the slot. "Wait, what about not girls?"
Might as well dump the whole coin jar. "It never went that far."
"But you did date boys!"
"A…couple."
"Spency!" She bopped him gently on the leg with a pillow. "Mu junior G-man is bi and never told me?"
"To be fair when I joined up the Bureau was not exactly LGBT friendly."
"True, it has come a long way in the past ten years. But you should have said something at some point!'
"What difference would it have made?"
"I would have had a whole new list of people to set you up with, that's what!"
"Great." But really, so bad? "I don't know that I want everyone to know though. I don't know how they'll take it."
"Oh ph-lease. You know how JJ and Will felt about his former partner Charlie? They won't care. Hell, she'll help me come up with a list. And Dave's nephew has a husband now, you know how excited he was about the wedding. And, okay, just between you and I and the fireplace?" Spencer nodded. Penelope went on. "Our boss lady had a girlfriend in London."
"Seriously?" Emily?
"Yeah. I can't imagine Tara not being understanding and if Luke and Matt have issues I'll turn their tablets to bricks. We love you, no matter what."
Spencer smiled into his tea cup, even as his ears turned red. "Thank you. That…that actually means a lot. I guess it really doesn't matter how someone looks to me. What matters is their heart."
"Awww. So now I have to come up with a list." Penelope reached into her knitting back for a notebook and a gaily feathered pencil.
"You mean in case the world doesn't end?"
She considered this for a moment. "I am taking your coming out as a good omen."
If nothing else he got her to smile again. "Works for me."
