The next morning dawned and Spencer began his new routine, he got his coffee put his toast in the toaster and went to read his morning message.
'"Between two evils I always pick the one I never tried before"'
Spencer smiled, "Mae West" he said to himself. She hadn't been lying, Rose, as he had taken to calling the girl across the way, loved reading, and had an almost encyclopedic memory of every quote ever said. He put down his coffee mug just long enough to write a quote of his own to put in the window.
'"Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect"'
Spencer picked his coffee cup back up and began to walk back to the kitchen to get his breakfast when he felt a sharp pain on his foot. Looking down he saw a pile of paper. Spencer sat down in the chair that was still in front of the window and examined his foot. There was a large paper cut on the side. Looking back down at the mass of paper Spencer realized that each sheet was written on front and back, all a product of his conversation from the night before. He decided that it might be a good idea to get some of those markers that Rose used, as he cursed his way to the bathroom for
At lunch that day Spencer managed to sneak off to a small crafts store down the block, dodging lunch offers , by claiming he had errands to run. The woman who owned the shop had been very helpful in getting him what he was looking for, giving him enough time to stop at vendor for lunch before heading back to the BAU.
Spencer hid the bag underneath his messenger bag quickly when he got back, hoping that no one would notice it, and that those who did wouldn't care enough to ask. Unfortunately neither of these things happened.
Garcia had stopped by to talk to Emily and immediately spotted the bag. Though she may not have been a profiler she had been around them long enough to realize that Spencer was intentionally hiding the bag and that that clearly meant there was something she needed to know.
"What's in the bag?" She asked, trying to be polite. But when Spencer wouldn't willingly give up the information, trying to brush her off with a simple, "nothing, just something I had to pick up" she pulled a move that she must have stolen from Derek and swiped his bag, quickly examining its contents.
"Window Markers?" She questioned.
Spencer grabbed the bag back.
"What do you need Window Markers for?" Penelope asked as Spencer shoved his belonging into his messenger bag.
"Just a project." He told her hoping she would be satisfied and leave.
"What project." She asked.
Spencer sighed, "A home project."
Penelope gave him a strange look but left the conversation where it was, leaving the bull pen and going back to her office. Spencer wouldn't say more than a few words to anyone the rest of the day.
When Spencer got home he went straight to his window. He got out the new markers he had bought and drew a small circle. He added dots and a curved line, making his very first smiley face for Rose. Spencer liked the way the marker looked on the window and before he knew what he was doing he was doodling away with his markers. His smiley face soon became a stick figure man with a cape, in front of him was a table with a top hat, and in his hand was a lopsided and badly disfigured rabbit.
Spencer looked up from his drawing and was met with Rose's amused face.
'I see you got some new markers'
Spencer turned red, but responded. 'Yeah, they're a lot of fun.'
'I know' She replied smiling.
Spencer thought for a moment, 'Are you an artist?' he asked. During their long conversation the night before Spencer had attempted to learn more about Rose, but aside from her favorite star being Rigel, her favorite myth being that of Persephone, that she didn't speak French and that they had a shared hatred of spinach, she hadn't told him much. At one point he had asked for her name again, and again she gave him the same Shakespeare quote. When he had asked her what she did for a living, she had told him to guess, and unless she had lied to him, she was not a librarian, a student, a historian, or an English teacher.
'Nope, but it's not a bad idea, maybe one day.'
Spencer went to write another question but he was interrupted by a buzz coming from over by the door. 'One minute' he wrote while holding up a finger.
He walked over to the intercom by the door and pressed the talk button.
"Hello?"
"Hey hot stuff." Came the reply.
"Garcia?" he asked.
"The one and only."
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Let me up and I'll tell you."
"Oh, right." Spencer stammered before pressing the button to let her into the building. He rubbed the back of his neck wondering what she could possibly be visiting him for, when he remembered the mirror. Spencer rushed across the room, nearly tripping over the couch.
'I can't talk right now.' He scribbled as he grabbed a paper towel and began to wipe away the rest of the marker from his window.
'Going somewhere?' She asked.
Spencer responded as quickly as possible, 'No I just can't talk.' He finished the last letter just as there was a knock on his door. He looked to the door quickly for a second before wiping his last message away and walking to the door.
"Hey," he said as he opened the door and let Penelope in.
"Hey, I'm here to help." She said.
Spencer was confused. "Help with what?"
"Your home project, clearly it involves being creative, not your strong suit, so I am here to help."
Spencer stood there, his brow furrowed as Penelope put her things down and looked around his place. She turned and gave him an expectant look, and suddenly it hit him, the lie he had told her earlier.
"Oh that, yeah thanks but I don't really need any help." He told her.
"You don't?" She asked skeptically.
"No, the project is actually at a friend's place, they just needed me to pick those things up for them." He said.
"Spencer you know you're a terrible liar right?" Penelope asked crossing her arms in front of her. "I know there's no project".
"Yes, there is" he stuttered.
"No there's not. So what's her name?"
Spencer stared open mouthed. "Excuse me?"
"What's her name?"
"There's no her." He tried to tell her, making sure that he didn't let his eyes wander to the window, or the apartment beyond.
"Right" Penelope said sarcastically.
"Seriously Penelope, there's no one."
This time she seemed to almost believe him.
"Then what's with the doodling, the spacing out, hell Reid you even whistled yesterday. I have never heard you whistle."
"I've just been in a good mood." He said his eyes still wide, in near panic.
"That's all?"
"That's all."
"Okay then." Penelope said picking her bag up. "well since I'm already here, you're taking me out to dinner."
Spencer sighed and shook his head. "This is really why you came over isn't it."
Penelope smiled widely, "Yup."
Spencer looked out the window, briefly thinking about writing to Rose and letting her know he was going before he realized how that would look.
"Alright, where am I taking you?" he asked opening the door to let her out, giving one last unnoticed glance out the window, before he closed the door behind him.