Chapter 34
BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA
Spencer looked down the lane and sighed.
"You really are getting better Spence." JJ said.
"No I'm not." He replied.
They were at the indoor shooting range. Sin was still working on his qualification, although he was improving by leaps and bounds. Spencer had to admit, he wasn't. "It doesn't matter though." JJ said. "You always hit your target in the field."
"Uhh huh." Sin said.
"Emily knows that." JJ continued. "You don't have to worry about qualifying. There's something about stress that makes you shoot straight."
"Uhh huh." Sin said.
"True." Spencer said. "But for some reason it doesn't carry over."
"I know. It's almost magic." JJ said.
"Uhh huh." Sin said.
Spencer looked over. "Are you saying this is an alien trait?" Spencer asked Sin.
"Uhh huh." Sin replied.
"Are you going to explain it?"
Sin looked at JJ then back at Spencer. "Uh uh."
JJ and Spencer looked at each other. "Classified." They said in unison.
Sin laughed at them. "Sorry." He replied.
"Oh, we understand." JJ said. "Just tell me he'll improve somehow."
"Uhh huh."
"And you can't tell us what it will take."
"Please don't say it." Spencer said. "Please don't say it."
"Sex." Sin said it.
JJ looked from him to Spencer. "You know. I'm actually not surprised."
Sin broke up in laughter.
"Just don't look at me." JJ put her gear away. "Off to my meeting. Who are you carpooling with today?"
"Luke." Spencer sighed. At least the embarrassment didn't last too long.
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
So if I was going to visit London what should I read beforehand.
—
To: SR .mp
From: SReid
Oh, that is quite a list.
By this time they were back in the bullpen, Dave wandered over to join them for coffee. "By the look on your face there's a girl on the other end of that."
"There's a girl on the other end of that. We're just talking books." Spencer replied.
"Got to start somewhere."
"It's not…it's not…anything."
"Uh huh."
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
Here's a thought. I'm going to be down in Washington DC for some meetings next week. How about dinner? I know Sin and Kai won't mind. We can discuss literature and London. Can you find us someplace cozy?
Spencer stood there blinking at his phone.
"Anyone I know?" Sin asked.
"Um, actually…". He held out his phone. "I think it's your former CO."
"Get off planet." Sin replied. He looked. "Holy crap. It is."
"What does she want?" Dave asked.
"She said she's going to in town next week, she asked me out on a date." Spencer turned to Sin. "She did ask me out on a date, right?"
"Oh yeah." Sin was beaming, "Now say yes."
"I don't even know how to pronounce her name. I mean in Q, I know the translation."
"Sa'rai. Sa-rye, emphasis on last syllable. Now say yes."
"Forgive me if I'm wrong but I kinda thought you two were becoming an item." Dave said.
"Quadranian relationship and family structures are remarkably complex." Spencer replied, still staring at his phone. "From what I can tell an interwoven grouping of two Nobles and two Companions is considered a monogamous relationship. I don't even know what she looks like."
"So you two together are considered a single unit." Dave shrugged. "Whatever lifts your luggage I guess. Do you know her other half?" He asked Sin.
"Yeah, we had a thing going for a while." Sin replied, "Which is not why I'm saying you should say yes. You two would be awesome together. For starters she loves books more than you do. Here. Look. Then say yes."
Spencer looked at the picture on Sin's tablet. It was probably his former team, standing in what looked like a hanger. In the center was a woman, standing fearlessly with the mostly male unit. Command presence, he thought. Remarkable eyes. Very intelligent, very strong eyes.
Dave looked over his shoulder. "Say yes." He said.
"I may be out of my league here."
"You never know unless you try." Dave replied. "The faint of heart ne're fucked the fair maiden. Say yes."
"I can't believe you just said that."
"I'm also right. Say yes. I'll help you pick out a restaurant."
"Say yes!" Sin said, a huge smile on his face.
Spencer took a deep breath.
To: SR .mp
From: SReid
I would love to. I'm sure I can find a place ideal for discussing literature.
"There." Spencer said.
"Yes yes yes!" Sin did the happy dance around the break table.
"Very good." Dave stirred his coffee. "Do we know what she does for the aliens? Is she still in law enforcement?"
"I don't know." Spencer replied. "She said she wanted to be a blank slate." He looked over at Sin.
"Oh. Yeah, I can totally get that." Sin considered this. "Not law enforcement anymore. I'm gonna say she works for our State Department. Which is not a lie, a big part of what she does is working with them."
"Huh." Dave said. "Not bad."
"True." State Department. Well you couldn't throw a rock in DC without hitting a diplomat. Nothing wrong with that at all. "Now I just have to find a place."
"The perfect place for seduction." Dave said. "Come, let the master help."
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
Marvelous! Thursday night?
—
To: SR .mp
From: SReid
Done.
Amtrak Station
Alexandria VA
Commuting. Twice as annoying when they were working on the roads. Or the tracks.
In order to get from Quantico to DC these days you took the Carolinia train to the Alexandria staton and picked up the Metro yellow line. Not that hard, except you had to leave the train station and walk around the block under the tracks to get to the metro station. The one was literally on top of the other but they were not connected in any meaningful way. "Damn construction. Hope I get to the daycare before they close." Luke said as they walked.
"Daycare?" Sin asked.
"Yeah, doggy daycare. So when is this date?"
"Next Thursday." Spencer replied. It was Friday. He had a whole week to stress over this.
"And where are you taking her?"
"A place called 1789. It's in a restored Federal period house in Georgetown. I thought she'd appreciate the history."
"Also the dark, cozy atmosphere." Sin said.
"And where will you be during all this?" Luke asked.
"At the bar with her Companion. We go back."
"Good good. I approve."
"I think that makes universal approval."
"Penelope said you had to check with someone called Morgan." Sin replied.
"I am not even telling Morgan until it's over." Spencer said.
"Freeze!" Someone called out behind them.
They collectively stopped and turned around very slowly, Sure enough, men in uniform with guns were coming out of the bushes around the track supports. They were surrounded. "Uhhh, whoever you're looking for you got the wrong guys." Luke said. "We're agents. FBI, not ICE." He said as the ID on their vests came into view.
The agent in the lead put his gun away and walked up to them. "What you are is fucking traitors." He said,
And Spencer's world erupted in agony.
