Raven's Song

Saturday morning came faster than Raven expected, she had spent two days shooting the video with Caleigh's friends. She decided to sing her own version of the song Umbrella. She not particularly fond of that kind of music to say the least, but it was Caleigh's favorite song. She had seen the rough takes once she finished shooting. She liked what she saw but at the same time she was worried what other people would think. The only people who ever really heard her sing were Rob and Caleigh, well and her parents. She had a good reason not to be able to sing in front of people. When she was younger, still in high school she would sing without a care in the world. There was a musical senior year and the most popular girl in school lost the lead to Raven, which upset her to no end. On opening night she had her friends pelt Raven with rotten eggs on stage and tell her she sucked. The girl hated Raven, because she had to get tutored by Raven, a boy told her that he thought Raven was cooler and prettier than her, and most of all she thought Raven was a rich spoiled brat who thought she was better than everyone else, because her father worked for NASCAR. That was further from the truth. Raven's parents were strict, and had to earn her money helping out around the house, and regardless of what anyone thought she did not get anything just handed to her. Needless to say to this day that one memory stuck with her, and for the longest time she did not sing at all, at least until Rob at brought her out of her shell. As much as he begged her she still would not sing in front of a crowd.

Spencer waited in the lobby of his apartment building for Garcia to pick him up to go to Caleigh's funeral. He wondered how he let her convince him to go in the first place. She would not take no for an answer. He knew Raven would be there and it made him more anxious, she probably wouldn't even want to see him. Yet he could not stop thinking about her. He could not stop thinking about the night Timothy had the knife to her throat, he still felt bad she got hurt. he was so deep in thought he did not see Garcia pull up in front of his building until she honked the horn. He got into the back seat as he saw Morgan had also come along. The three of them arrived at the funeral home and sat near the back. He noticed Raven, Rob and a dark skinned man sitting in the front row. Raven had her arm around the man, consoling him. Spencer assumed he was the fiance.

The service had started, Raven was surprised at how many people had shown up, a lot of the people where classmates of Caleigh's and a few of Kevin's family and military buddies. At the point where Raven's video was about to start she got really nervous, her palms started to sweat. Rob took her hand and held it feeling her discomfort. The song started with a clip of Caleigh seeing Kevin off as he left for duty. The next clip was of Raven playing a black acoustic guitar wearing a blue and black dress singing. Spencer's jaw dropped when he heard Raven sing, he thought she owned that song and saw a soft side of her that made him like her even more. He sat there watching the clips of Caleigh with Raven laughing and smiling at the camera. He could not believe how happy she looked in the pictures and video clips, most of all he could not believe what a voice she had. Yet he wondered what he was even doing there, he could not help but think that she would be less than thrilled to see him there.

After the song had ended Raven got up to say a words and some memories of Caleigh. Halfway though she had looked toward the back, and her eyes locked with Spencer's, she momentarily lost her train of thought but gathered her composure. A few other people got up to talk about their memories of Caleigh. At the end of the service Raven and Rob went and talked to a few people. Rob had nudged Raven pointing in the direction to where Spencer, Garcia and Morgan were standing. Raven shot him a dirty look but went over to talk to them. Garcia gave her a hug right away. ''Wow you can sing, I mean wow that was beautiful.''

''Thank you, and thanks for coming that was nice of you guys.''

''Hey kid, nice pipes you got there.'' Morgan said patting Raven on the shoulder.

She smiled, ''Thanks.''

She looked over at Spencer who hung back at little, he gave her a little smile but didn't say anything. Raven didn't say anything either, she just smiled back and said she had to go talk to some other people. The three of them watched as she walked away. '' What is the matter with you?'' Garcia scolded Spencer. ''Why didn't you say anything to her?''

Rob grabbed Raven's arm as she walked past him. ''What is wrong with you anyway, why didn't you talk to him?''

Raven shrugged her shoulders, ''Nothing to say, I guess.''

''Oh don't give me that, I know you like him, and I can tell he likes you, man Caleigh was right you are dense.''

Raven was starting to get mad, she crossed her arms and looked angrily at Rob. ''You shut up, look at him he doesn't even want to be here, I am sure he got dragged here by Penelope. Besides maybe if you had a girlfriend you wouldn't be all up in my business all the time. Just let it go''

''Fine then just answer me this what are you so afraid of?'' Raven knew exactly what she was afraid of. Opening up to someone new and get hurt. She had been hurt bad once before. She was also afraid of loving someone and losing them the way she lost Caleigh. She would never admit it but that is what it was.

Morgan poked Spencer in the ribs, ''see it's not just you kid, she argues with her friends too. If I were you I would just go talk to her.''

''I need to get out of here.'' Spencer pushed past Morgan and walked out the door. He did want to talk to her but he was sort of afraid she would reject him. He was bore the scars of what happened to him in high school when he had liked a girl. He closed his eyes and tried to push the memory out of his head. he had never even been out on a date, except for a football game he took J.J. too. He thought about Lila and how they kissed, but after they parted ways they never spoke again. How could he think Raven would be interested in him.

Rob stood and looked at Raven, ''are you going to answer the question or do I have to go out there and tell Agent Loverboy how madly in love you are with him.''

''Fine, I will go outside and talk to him if it will shut you up, when I come back in do you promise you will let it go?''

''Alright, I promise.''

He walked over to Morgan and Garcia, ''I made her go talk to him, I assume that is why you brought him here?''

''I'll never tell.'' Garcia giggled.

Raven stood at the door for a minute before going outside. She could see Spencer leaning up against Garcia's car with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground. His hair blew slightly in the wind. Raven bit her lip, he looked really good in the black suit he wore. She took a deep breath and walked out the door toward him. She was scolding her self for being so scared to talk to him. He did not look up until she was standing right in front of him looking up at him. ''hey'' she said.

''Uh hi,'' he answered. She nervously played with a strand of her hair. She was sure he could hear her heart beating. he was surprised that Raven was standing there in front of him. They were both silent for a minute. Rob, Garcia, and Morgan were watching from just inside the door. Garcia giggled the the pair outside standing in front of each other like awkward teenagers.

''I uh just wanted to thank you for uh coming today.'' Raven stammered. Damn I sound like an idiot she thought to herself.

''Garcia kind of dragged me here. Uh by the way you have a really beautiful voice, I uh, that song was, uh it it was really nice.'' Spencer stuttered.

''Thank you, I did not want to at first because I get really bad stage fright, but it wasn't that bad and I am surprised how it turned out.''

''You get stage fright, I somehow find that hard to believe.''

Raven started to relax a little, ''and what makes you say that Dr.- uh''

''Smartypants?''

Raven looked at the ground red-faced, ''yeah, about that, I am really sorry for calling you that, and I am sorry for being a jerk.''

''It's okay.''

She took a step toward him and put her hand on his arm. ''No it's not, I get defensive and lose my cool too easy and I tend to direct at people who don't deserve it, and you of all people did not do anything to deserve my crap.'' She looked up at him and smiled.

Spencer smiled back at her, ''all is forgiven.''

''Alright, I won't feel so bad now,'' she took a breath, ''friends?''

''Friends.'' he answered.

Raven wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, ''thank you for everything,'' she said into his arm. he hesitated for a second before hugging her back. She took in the scent of coffee and a leathery aftershave on him. She stepped back slightly and looked up at him and rested her hands on his arms, ''thanks I needed that, but I uh should go back in and check to see if everything is okay.''

''Alright.'' he said

Raven turned and started walking back toward the chapel. She had so much going on in her head at the moment. She liked how it felt when they hugged, something about it felt right. ''Dammit Raven just forget about him,'' she told herself. Spencer watched as she started to walk away, he could still smell the cinnamon shampoo in her hair. He felt something when he hugged her, and here he was about to let her walk away. It was now or never. Raven was about ten feet away when he called her name. She stopped in her tracks and turned around, ''Yes?''

He took a deep breath, ''I know this is probably the right time or the right place, or if there is a right time and place. This is probably inappropriate of me but would you like to go for a coffee sometime, I would like to get to know you and after all of this I am not sure I can just let you walk away.''

Raven's heart leapt into hear throat, she looked down at the ground, she could not answer. She was always one to put guys in their places, and was never one to be shy or awkward when asked on a date but Spencer made her feel both. To be honest she almost did not believe him. ''I'll understand if you say no, and maybe this is not a good time and well-''

''You're serious, you want to go for coffee with me?'' she asked

''Yes I would'' he answered awkwardly.

She looked into his eyes like she was reading to see if he was really serious, she had no reason to think that he wasn't. ''okay,'' she said after a minute of silence, '' I would love to go for coffee with you Dr. Reid.''

''Is that a yes?''

''Yeah.'' she said walking away.

''You can call me Spencer.''

Raven turned and looked back at him. ''I know. Call me, Spencer.'' She had a twinkle in her eye as she smiled at him. He watched as she walked back in he could not believe she said yes, he never would have thought she would. Raven smiled all the way back into the building. Garcia, Rob, and Morgan ran from the lobby doors and back into the reception room. Raven had marched up to the three of them. ''you, you and you, shame on you I know you guys were spying on us, I could feel the eyes on the back of my head.''

''Well?'' Rob asked.

''We're going for coffee.''

''There you go, I told you so,'' he teased.

''I told you so,'' Raven mocked.

''Oh sweetie I am happy for you,'' Garcia gushed, ''But i think we are going to take off now.'' She threw her arms around Raven in a big bear hug. ''Have fun on your date.''

Morgan hugged Raven too, ''I knew it kiddo,'' he whispered in her ear. Raven waved to them as they walked out the door. Her phone started to ring, it was Spencer.

''How about tomorrow at one?'' he said when she answered

''Okay.''

''I will see you tomorrow then.'' Raven hung up her phone smiling.