Chapter 9: let the drinking games begin
When the doorbell rang, J.J. jumped up and ran for the door. She hadn't noticed the security system before and paused to laugh at the obviously drunk Morgan and Garcia on the other side of the door. She motioned for Spencer to be quiet and come over. He looked at the screen and smiled. He unlocked the door and swung it open. "SPENCER!" Garcia yelled and ran at him. He was scared at first, but amused when she swung her arms around him in a strong if unsteady embrace. She messed up his hair, and said, "Did we drink all that wine?" Morgan passed the two and grabbed J.J. "Miss me?" "No." J.J. said dryly and everyone laughed. Spencer stood frozen and confused when the three of them turned and walked into the living room. Elle stepped to his side, and said "They are drunk, and I should probably not be driving anymore either." Spencer looked at her a little shocked as she headed into the living room to join them. He only moved when he heard Derek yell "I'm getting a beer!"
When Spencer reached the kitchen the whole team was in there already helping themselves to drinks. "You need a beer Spencer?" Derek asked. 'Um, no, I have a glass of wine. Should you guys still be drinking?" "I don't have anywhere to be," Derek replied. "Only because Bambi went home with Thumper!" Garcia joked and all of the girls laughed. Spencer watched as Garcia and Morgan began to hit each other lightly and jump around like they were in a boxing match. Elle finally jumped between them and called for a truce. They each took their drinks, (Derek took two bottles of beer,) and headed into Spencer's living room. Derek jumped over the back of the couch and planted himself between Elle and Garcia who was still jabbing him when Elle wasn't looking and J.J. sat on the footrest for the arm chair Spencer had been sitting in.
"So," J.J. said, "Spencer and I were just talking about college. Why don't we play a drinking game for a little trip down memory lane?" "Ooh," Garcia chimed in, "Great idea honey! Spencer do you have a deck of cards?" "Playing cards?" Spencer asked. "Uh, yeah!" "Sure, give me just a second." Spencer went to the sideboard by his door and pulled out a deck of cards and returned to the living room. They had cleared off his coffee table, and Derek had managed to find a channel on the TV that was playing rather loud rap music. Spencer paused in the entry to the room and allowed Gideon's words to flow over him again. 'Tonight was great. I am sure all your FRIENDS appreciated it.' He had friends, his teammates, now sitting comfortably in his living room waiting for him to play some kind of game. J.J. was smiling at him, and he had never worn a bigger smile.
"Alright, alright. The name of the game is circle of death. Each card has a value, I will explain as we get to them, everyone plays; no one drives until the most sober person approves it. Turn over the keys, and bring on the drinks!" Derek said taking the cards and dropping his keys into a vase on the end table. J.J. dropped her keys in, and Elle and Garcia followed suit. "I don't understand the rules," Spencer said, half to himself. "You will, just follow my lead," J.J. offered pulling his hand and motioning for him to sit behind her in the armchair. He felt dizzy, her hand on his, these people all laughing, the smell of her hair, and a game, he was almost certain he couldn't win. Before he knew it, drawing cards, each person passed out drinks, and Spencer quickly discovered that he was receiving most of them apparently because of his sobriety.
One of the cards meant that they paused to play a game called "I never." Spencer was confused by it. J.J. explained, "The point is to learn things you want to know about the people you are playing with. You say something in the form of an I never statement; i.e. I have never driven a car. Whoever has, takes a drink. You can lie in the statement, but you have to drink." "OK," Spencer agreed still unsure of where this was going. Garcia had drawn the card and she had a wicked smile on her face. "I've never slept with more than one person in the same 24 hour period." Spencer was shocked at the question. All of them laughed, and Morgan, Garcia and J.J. drank. Morgan pointed at J.J. and laughed "Slut!" Spencer looked at her for her response but she only tilted her head and smiled. Morgan's turn, "I've never had a threesome." This time only Garcia and Morgan drank. "Slut!" J.J. said, and everyone laughed. Elle's turn, "I've never had sex with a woman." Spencer was trying to focus on the rules, and was surprised when he noticed everyone was looking at him. "What?" "Nothing," they all said almost in unison. Morgan, Garcia and Reid each took drinks. "So the wiz kid aint so virginal after all!" Morgan spit out. "Garcia, you've had sex with a woman?" Reid almost yelped in a failed attempt to deflect attention. "Of course, and so have you, very proud! Tell me all about her, or them, all of them. Do you have Dr. groupies?" "What, I, what woman did you sleep with?" "I am kind of interested in that," Morgan added. Everyone laughed, even Spencer. "Why do you all think I am a virgin? I have slept with women," he said mostly to himself, "it's my turn, right?" "OK, so you want to change the subject. Give us your best shot genius. See if you can all of us without getting yourself." Spencer paused just for a moment and looked around at the group. Everyone seemed more comfortable than he was, so he worked on that assumption. "I've never played a drinking game before this one." J.J. smiled, tipped her glass at him and everyone drank but Spencer. J.J.'s turn, "I've never gotten a Ph.D." Spencer smiled back at her, staring for a moment into her eyes and took a drink. She squeezed his knee and he had to focus incredibly hard just to remain calm at her touch.
The game continued, everyone drinking, and Spencer laughing more with the group. Another 'I never' card was drawn, this time by Spencer. "Ok, um, I've never been to a club." Again, he got everyone. J.J.'s turn, "You know Spencer; you are totally bringing this upon yourself. I've never played piano." Spencer drank, and so did Garcia. "What? My mom made me take lessons for years. Now I couldn't play chopsticks if my life depended on it." Everyone laughed, and she reached her glass out to Spencer, he clicked it with his own. A smile spread across his face at the realization of how much this seemed like a normal night among friends. Garcia's turn, "Ok J.J., I've never slept with a reporter!" J.J. looked a little stunned and slapped Garcia's knee, "Below the belt," she whispered a smile returning to her face as she took a sip of her wine. Morgan's turn "I've never had a sexual fantasy about someone in this room." Everyone drank, and then everyone laughed. "Um, wow," Spencer managed, and everyone laughed again. Elle's turn, "I've never had a sexual fantasy about Spencer Reid," she said with an almost wicked smile. Spencer choked on his wine and had to fight the desire to shut his eyes or run from the room. To his great surprise, all three women drank, and then all of them laughed and clinked their glasses. 'Well done man!" Morgan complimented. J.J. had never seen this smile before; apparently it was a confident, slightly drunken smile. "Ok," Spencer said, and everyone laughed again.
Spencer stood up to go get refills for everyone and stumbled into the couch. Everyone burst into laughter, and he felt the need to defend himself. "I'm always clumsy." Everyone laughed as he walked into the kitchen. When he turned around, he was shocked to see Garcia right behind him. Her cheeks were pink, and he could tell she was drunk. He couldn't help but feel intimidated. "So," she started, "what were you and J.J. doing while we were at the club?" She raised one eyebrow and he turned back to the fridge. "Nothing eyebrow raising worthy." "Was that a wise crack? Spencer, I am so proud! Not as proud as I'd be if you'd make a damn move already, but proud none the less." "Make a move?" he asked, turning to face her again. "Spencer! She wants you, who doesn't want a piece so pure, but she wants you!" "So pure?" Spencer asked. She just laughed and walked back into the living room with beer for Morgan. When Spencer reached the couch, he laughed at how comfortable they all seemed. All of the girls had discarded their shoes and J.J. and Elle had pulled their hair up into pony-tails. Garcia's feet were under her on the couch and Morgan was picking on her again.