Raven's Song

Raven picked up her phone Monday morning as she sifted through a new shipment of clothing. It was only nine thirty but when she saw Spencer's number she knew it could only mean one thing.

''So it looks like I have a case in Arizona, so unfortunately our plans are going to have to be postponed.''

''Oh well um okay,'' Raven said trying to hid the disappointment in her voice knowing she most likely wouldn't see him until she got back from Bristol. ''We can always see each other next week, I still want to cook you dinner as promised, Lord knows you ever get a decent meal being away from home so much.''

''I do not cook that much for myself that's for sure, I think I have a curdled jug of milk and some kind of mystery lunch meat in my fridge.'' Spencer laughed, ''I am so sorry about tonight, I was really looking forward to sampling your cooking.''

''No need to be sorry, this is your job, I am just going to miss you is all.''

''I am going to miss you too, I guess we are going to have to wait on fixing my car I suppose?''

''Not necessarily, I can just pick it up and leave my car there if you leave your keys with Penny, and if your back before I am done then you can drive my car back.''

''You would let me drive your baby?''

''Sure why not, I've seen you drive I don't think I have anything to worry about.''

''Hey,'' Spencer protested. ''I am surprised you've never gotten a speeding ticket the way you drive.''

Raven laughed, ''Okay first of all Dr. Smartypants, I don't speed, aggressive maybe, and if someone cuts me off to drive two miles an hour in front of me they are going to hear about it.''

''You are not going to let that go are you?''

Raven giggled, ''What the Dr. Smartypants thing? Not a chance buster.''

''Like I didn't see that coming. But listen I have to get going if I don' t see you before Friday have fun in Bristol.''

''Okay then, I hope too see you soon, bye Spencer.''

Raven put her phone down slightly disappointed she wouldn't see Spencer. She continued to unpack clothing until Rob walked with two coffees. She was surprised to see him this early since he was never usually up before noon. She decided to take advantage of him showing up to watch the store while she drove out to pick up Spencer's car. ''So you want to watch the store while I go to Quantico?''

''That depends,'' Rob answered.

''On what?''

''On whether or not your cute blonde friend with the curves is going to be there. If she is then I am coming with you.''

Raven rolled her eyes, knowing how her friend had a thing for curvy women, and often poked fun at Raven's skinny frame. ''Forget it you stay away from her.''

''What? Why?''

''Because I refuse to have any involvement in hooking up two friends, and besides Derek would kick your ass.''

''So they are an item then.''

''No, but he is as protective of her as you are of me, and besides she has this complicated thing with this Kevin dude.''

Rob sighed, ''I tried, fine then go get Agent Loverboy's car I can stay here, but will you at least say hi for me?''

''Alright alright but quit calling Spencer Agent Loverboy.''

Spencer sat on the plane and stared out the window thinking about Raven. He hoped she wasn't to disappointed about their cancelled plans. He just hoped they could get this case solved before she left on Friday. He was still in awe that she liked him, as similar as they were in some ways, they were total opposites in other ways. She told him she dated metal head types in the past and he was far from it. He was shy and awkward around women, and she was a bit over bearing, slightly obnoxious, when she had to be. From the time they first met and how she was compared to when he finally asked her out were two very different things. He saw they shy side of her, which he first took as rejection when she didn't answer right away. Morgan sat next to him while he was deep in thought.

''Alright kid spill it.''

''You and Raven, how are things going?''

''Dammit Morgan not so loud, I don't want anyone to know yet.''

J.J. walked by catching the last part of the conversation. ''You don't want anyone to know what yet?''

Spencer let out a sigh, ''It's nothing don't worry about it.'' He wasn't ready to tell people yet, he was apprehensive about what they would think, given the circumstances Raven and him had met. Technically she wasn't a victim but ended up involved in the case nonetheless, not that things of that sort hadn't happened in the past. He really liked Raven, how she rolled her eyes and smiled at his endless ramblings, just to find some retort to ramble back about. He loved how they spent their date at the pet shelter the day before. The only ones that knew about them were Morgan and Garcia and he swore them to secrecy. He only hoped that Morgan wouldn't say anything. J.J. sat across from them and eyed Spencer suspiciously.

''You have been acting weird the last month, you seem different.''

''Wh-what do you mean different?'' Spencer asked avoiding her gaze.

''Why won't you look at me?'' she asked sternly, then looked over at Morgan,''you know something don't you?'' She shifted her gaze back to Spencer who was clearly uncomfortable. ''I don't know what it is but I am going to find out.''

She got up from her seat sat next to Prentiss, ''you notice anything different about Spence lately?''

''You know come to think of it, yeah there is something different about him, ever since that case in D.C.''

J.J sat and thought for a moment, she remembered the dark haired girl with all the tattoos, and had over heard something about tension between her and Spencer but never really gave it much thought, until now. She remembered the night in that parking lot after the un-sub was caught. She saw the way Spencer had looked at the girl as she was getting bandaged up. She had also heard about some altercation with Hotch and this girl. Could she be the reason her little bro was acting strange lately, it was his mood he seemed a little more upbeat lately. Could she be the reason for his recent change, she had heard the teasing from Morgan and Garcia, which was not uncommon, they always had a tendency to tease Spence about woman. A frown crossed her face as she sat deep in thought.

''What is it?'' Prentiss asked her.

''Remember that case in D.C.?''

''What about it?''

''Remember that dark haired girl with the tattoos the one that helped us?''

''Raven? how can I forget her I heard she gave Boy Genius over there a hard time.''

''Well I think they're seeing each other, the signs are all there, Spence has been acting really weird and secretive about things lately, and I heard things, apparently there was a bit of tension between them.'' J.J. said.

''Tension? you mean attraction? I overheard Garcia talking to Morgan just before that Caleigh girl's funeral, how she wanted him to help get Reid over there to see Raven like she wanted to set them up or something''

''At a funeral?'' J.J. shook her head and frowned again, ''I don't know about her, she seems so, not his type''

''What is his type?''

''I don't know, I just don't want to see him get hurt, she looks like she has broken a few hearts.''

''Why because she has a few tattoos? Come on J.J. you don't know that she could be really nice, look just call Garcia and keep on her until she spills her guts, you know she will.''

Raven pulled into FBI parking lot, she got a visitor badge from the guard after a brief conversation, glad Spencer had left a message with him about her taking his car. She rode the elevator to the fifth floor and walked into Garcia's office. She was talking to someone on her computer screen but Raven did not see who it was but judging from the distressed look on her face Raven though she should give her friend some privacy.

''At a funeral of all places?'' Raven heard as she walked out of Garcia's tiny office. She got a chill, whatever conversation she was having was about her. She had a sickening feeling that Spencer and her had been found out. She was very apprehensive about what Spencer's teammates would think considering the only side if her they saw was the the one who had given Spencer a hard time. She knew they would eventually find out, but it wasn't something she wanted to face yet, at least until she knew they were more serious.

Spencer got up from his seat to get a coffee from the back and caught the last of J.J.'s words. He saw Garcia's distraught face on the laptop screen. ''J.J. I cannot believe you!'' he said angrily.

''I'm sorry.'' Garcia said from her office.

''Why didn't you tell us that you were seeing that Raven girl.''

''That is really none of your business.'' he was angry that J.J. had poked into his personal life when he wasn't ready to say anything just yet.

''Come on Spence, I was just concerned about you.''

''I would have told you guys when I was ready but if you must know I am seeing her, is that what you wanted to hear?''

''Do you even know anything about her? You know what crowd she runs with, I really don't want you see you get hurt.''

''I don't see why you are judging her, she is actually very nice. What you saw during the investigation and how she is when I am with her are two different things. Please let me worry about getting hurt, I know you are looking out for me but please let me make my own mistakes.''

''You know if Strauss finds out about the circumstances, she might disapprove.''

''Then I will deal with it when the time comes, I really like her J.J. you will too once you get to know her.''

''Alright then, but if she hurts you-'' J.J. never finished her sentence. She knew her little bro needed someone in his life, it was the over protective big sister in her over reacting, slightly hurt he never told her. At the same time she still didn't have to trust Raven.

Garcia stuck her head out of the office looking like she was ready to cry. ''I am so sorry Rave, she knew I was lying, she made me tell her.''

''It was going to come out eventually, you guys are a tight team, I don't imagine anything can be kept secret around here.''

''With profilers not a chance, besides everyone was starting to notice a difference in him, he just seemed more upbeat, he has had a sparkle in his eye lately you know.''

''I really like him, he is different then anyone else I have dated, not that I dated a lot.'' Raven said, ''At the same time, scared I am going to fall too fast and get hurt. I haven't even known him that long but-''

''But?''

''I don't even know, when he kissed me yesterday it was so, it was one of those moments I wanted to freeze frame and keep that moment forever, I can't explain it.''

''I have this feeling that you two are right for each other, I can see it, I consider you one of my babies now.''

''You haven't known me that long.''

''yes but I know everything about you.''Garcia laughed.

''Oh that's right how could I forget, Miss Computer Tech, anyway just to change the subject, remember my friend Rob?''

''Your hottie friend with the long curly hair?''

''He has the hots for you, but I told him Derek would kick his ass if he tried anything. I also don't make it a habit of hooking up friends.''

''Oh well your friend is mighty fine oooh that hair, I would love to run my fingers through those gorgeous curls.'' Garcia sighed,''I am in this complicated relationship with Kevin and everything. You never ever dated Rob, if I did not know you two and I saw you together I would have thought.''

''Nope we've only ever been friends, kinda like a big brother in a way. The kind who likes to chase away my boyfriends if he didn't like them. Speaking of which I have to get back he is watching my store, I just came to get Spencer's car. My car is parked in visitor parking if you want to move my car to his spot later.''

''Of course hun.''

''I should only be a couple days, I am gonna give it a look over and tune it up for him as a surprise. If you ever need your car looked at bring it to me before you take it to a shop, I can probably fix it, I have a lift and stuff in my garage.'' Raven left in Spencer's Volvo and drove back to the store. She picked up some lunch for Rob and herself to thank him for watching the store.

''I can't believe you would let someone else drive your precious baby.'' Rob joked in amusement.

''Why I let you drive my car, and you drive like an asshole.'' Raven shot back. ''Shut up and eat your lunch, by the way I told Penelope you had the hots for her.''

''You weren't supposed to tell her.''

''Just think of it as payback for giving me a hard time about Spencer.'' Raven said picking up a burger wrapper, balling it up and tossed it at his head.