Out Of Nothing At All

Part Seventeen

It took Spencer twenty minutes before he was able to speak again.

He’d made his way out the city and back onto the freeway, his knuckles white from how tightly he was clenching the steering wheel. Every time you went to speak to him, he just shook his head, sensing that you wanted to talk but that he couldn’t. He was too wound up.

You couldn’t believe that he’d actually told your Mother off. The only person to ever attempt that and come out in one piece was your Grandfather. Reid had stuck up for you….. Despite all of the horrible things you’d done or said to him in the past. He’d had your back.

The anger on his face as he’d stormed out the house had been indescribable, even when interrogating suspects or taking down unsubs, you rarely saw him lose his cool. There was something about it that had been sooo….. Attractive.

You shook that feeling off, glancing at him as he bought the car to a stop. Traffic… Again.

He sighed loudly, clearly frustrated and then you both jumped as a bright flash lit the dark sky followed by one of the loudest cracks of thunder you’d heard. Seconds later, the heavens opened, rain pounding down on the roof of the car.

“Fucking fantastic.” Reid muttered.

“I know right. It’s 8pm. If traffics as bad as it was coming here, we’re not gonna get home until the early hours. The roads must still be blocked from the accident earlier.”

“And I despise driving in the rain.”

“I know you do.” You reached out and squeezed his arm.

“Spencer?”

“Hmmmmm.”

“Thank you…. For sticking up for me.”

He turned to you looking surprised, as if they’re ever been any doubt that he wouldn’t have.

“Y/N of course I’d stick up for you. Your Mother was totally out of line. I honestly didn’t believe she was as vile as you made her out to be but now I think you were perhaps being too nice about her. She has no right saying the things she does.”

“Well still. Thank you. It means a lot that you would.”

“Of course.”

In the next hour and a half you moved about twenty miles at most. The combination of the rain and the accident that had delayed you before, making the roads terrible.

Spencer started to signal to turn off when he saw an exit coming up.

“I remember seeing a motel earlier. I think we might have to just call it a night. We’re not going to get home until a ridiculous time otherwise and I’m exhausted.”

“I could drive for a bit?” You offered.

“If the motel doesn’t have any vacancies then you might have to. But if we can get some rooms, then I think it might be better to just stay here and drive home tomorrow when the roads are clear.”

“Okay… Whatever works.”

He drove for another few miles or so, wipers going ten to the dozen, until you spotted a Motel with a vacancy sign. He pulled into the parking lot as close to the reception as he could.

“Stay in the car….. I’ll go see if they’ve got two rooms free.”

“Two? Spence we can just share. It’s fine.” Spence?….. Since when did you become JJ?

He clocked it too, his eyes flickering slightly.

“Sorry…… I know you don’t like anyone else calling you that.”