Chapter Eighteen

Surprisingly enough, no one said anything to Spencer about the awkward encounter that morning. That was, until they were on the jet. He had been completely avoiding eye contact with the three female agents, knowing they'd be wearing those smirks they had as they stood on his doorstep earlier.

It was only after they had fully discussed the case and Hotch had told everyone where to go that JJ met his eye. "So, this bartender. Is it serious?" she asked, a smug look on her face. Spencer felt his cheeks heat up considerably as he felt all eyes on the jet on him. Morgan's smirk was so big his face could hardly contain it. Garcia had obviously filled him in on what had happened.

"W-What?" he stuttered out. He had planned on an answer much more sophisticated but the idea of all of them, thinking of him and Rachel in that way had flustered him. Even Hotch had a small smile playing on his lips as he glanced down, doing his best to act like he wasn't paying them any attention.

"Is it serious?" JJ repeated.

There was an awkward silence as Spencer tried his best to put his words together but for once in his life they were jumbled, he found himself struggling to get out a sentence. "I - em - We - I have no idea what you're talking about, We're just friends" he explained. Funnily enough, no one seemed too convinced.

"Please kid, you've been acting really weird all week and then all of a sudden you sleep in late and some woman is answering your door wearing your pyjamas with her clothes lying on the floor" Morgan retorted effortlessly.

Spencer shrugged. "We're friends, she stayed the night so I gave her some pyjama's to wear" he replied.

"Then why are you blushing?" The voice of Penelope Garcia interrupted and everyone quickly turned to the laptop screen where the technical analyst had appeared.

"Well actually, blushing isn't always related with-" he began launching into an explanation but Garcia cut him off. "Okay honey, don't worry we'll head down to the bar and meet your girlfriend properly when you guys get back" she told him. "She's not my girlfri-" he attempted to interrupted.

"Okay so, there's good and there's bad news" Garcia continued, focusing back on the case, leaving Spencer still slightly flustered and feeling rather awkward.

"What's the emergency?" Bella rushed into Rachel's apartment, not stopping to knock the door, to find her curly haired friend on the couch eating cornflakes. She had received a text from Rachel only a few minutes ago, telling her it was a code red and had rushed to get here.

Annoyingly, Rachel took her time about swallowing the mouthful she had before answering Bella. "I have to tell you something" she told her, indicating for Bella to sit down on the couch with her. She did as Rachel told her, sitting down quickly.

"Well what is it then?" She demanded. It was safe to say she was not the most patient of people and she had rushed so much to get here that she was a little sweaty and she didn't like it.

It was only then that she realised Rachel's clothes were very familiar. They were the exact clothes she had been wearing the day before. Her eyes widened as realisation hit.

"Oh my god! You stayed at Spencer's last night didn't you?" she asked to which Rachel simply confirmed with a nod.

"I knew it! I knew there was more to it than you were letting on! So was that the first time you've spent the night together or-" she began rambling, clearly excited but Rachel quickly cut her off.

"Bells, we didn't sleep together. But that's actually kinda what I needed to talk to you about.." she admitted, before launching into exactly what had happened when Bella left the day before. All about how she had ended up at Spencer's place sleeping the night and about how the agents had turned up on the doorstep that morning.

"Oh wow, that must have looked pretty compromising.." Bella giggled, enjoying the story of her friends embarrassment.

It was then that Rachel hesitated slightly. The next part was what she wanted to talk to Bella about. She bit her lip, before letting out a sigh. She then told Bella what had happened after the agents left. How Spencer had said he would never be with her and that the idea of the two of them was simply ridiculous.

Bella watched her friend sympathetically.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it like that Rach, he was probably just really embarrassed" She offered, hoping to cheer her friend up.

Rachel shrugged one shoulder. "I don't really know exactly why it bothered me so much.. It really shouldn't have. I mean honestly what was I expecting? I know Spencer and I are friends but he deserves someone who understands what he's saying and can actually interest him. Realistically Bells, what use would I be to him?"

"Don't be stupid Rach. I mean yeah, Spencer's a freaking genius but you're plenty interesting. And I'm sure that Spencer knows that too. Really, I think you're thinking into this way too much. If it's really bothering you just bring it up next time you talk to him. It'll help clear everything up" she suggested.

Rachel thought the idea over for a minute. She certainly believed that when people had a problem the best way to deal with it was directly which in this case meant confronting Spencer about what he had said. But what if it didn't help? What if he got mad? Or perhaps her drawing attention to the fact that she wasn't good enough for him would cause him to stop being her friend all together.

She nearly face palmed when she realised how much she was over complicating things. She had never worried so much about something as stupid as a few passing words before. Why was she getting so hung up on it?

"Rachel?" Bella pulled her out of her train of thought by snapping in her face.

She blinked and then turned to face her, making her decision quickly.

"You know, I think that's a good idea Bella. Next time I see him, I'll mention it"