Unknown- A Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 2- 'Hots'

I was in the bullpen the next morning, tiredly leaning against the wall and staring off into the distance.  I absentmindedly stirred my coffee that was more sugar and cream than anything else.  I hated coffee, but I needed something to wake me up this morning, sadly it just didn't seem to be working.

Out of the corner of my eye,  my sluggish brain registered Rossi, Morgan, and Reid talking by Morgan's desk.  Rossi said something that made Morgan laugh and a smile inched across Reid's face, but Garcia coming up next to me snapped me out of my lack-of-adequate-sleep-induced daze.

"Someone's got the hots for Pretty Boy," she sing-songed, and her presence startled me so I almost dropped my coffee mug.

"What?  Who's Pretty Boy?" I demanded, a bit annoyed that she'd scared me.  Normally I had amazing reflexes and, as this job had proved even in the one month I'd been working here, it took a lot to faze me.  Besides, I didn't have 'the hots' for anyone here.

"I saw the way you were ogling Reid so don't try and deny it," she said with a grin, her eyes lighting up behind her sparkly orange-framed glasses.

"I was falling asleep standing here. That's not synonymous with ogling anyone, much less Reid of all people," I pointed out boredly, taking another sip of my disgusting coffee and trying to keep myself from making a face at the taste, especially since it was lukewarm now.

"What about Reid?" JJ asked, stopping short at overhearing only part of our conversation on her way past.

"Our new girl has a crush on Boy Wonder," Garcia informed her, almost gloating her incorrect assumption over me.

JJ raised her eyebrows and glanced from me to Reid across the room and then with a shrug commented, "I can see it if you like the socially awkward dorky kind," before continuing on her way.

I scoffed and flatly replied, "I. Don't," like those two words were all the confirmation Garcia--and JJ, apparently--needed to disprove their theory.

"Ooh, denial," Garcia exclaimed.

I gave her a deadpanned look and stated, "You're dreaming."

She grinned and answered, "No, you're dreaming.  A tall, skinny, nerdy sassy fantasy dream," and I resisted the urge to smack her upside the head, resolving to groan in frustration as she went off to talk to Hotch. 

I would need something a lot stronger than milk, sugar, and a hint of bitter coffee to get through the morning if that conversation was any indication, so I went and grabbed a soda from one of the vending machines in the break room.  I dumped the last three swallows of coffee in the sink and rinsed out the sugar sludge in bottom, and before I could even think what I was doing, I had poured half of the bottle of Coke into my coffee mug.  Yeah, I was definitely overtired, but with a sigh I headed into the conference room for our next case.

Just my luck, I was the last one there and of course the only available seat was right next to Reid.  Garcia threw me a suggestive wink when I plopped down next to him, but I ignored it and opened up the case file as she started presenting our latest case.

Three college girls had been missing and the last one just turned up murdered in an alley.  The local police were at a loss because the victims had gone out alone and there were no witnesses, the only clue was that all three of their credit cards had last been used to purchase drinks at the Starfire, a local nightclub that all the college kids went to.  It was right in DC, so we didn't have much traveling to do.

"JJ, you and Reid stay here and set up an evidence board, Garcia, see what else you can come up with for our three victims, and Rossi and McDowell, go visit the crime scenes.  Morgan and Prentiss will come with me to talk to the local police and family of the victims," Hotch assigned roles and then got to his feet, reaching over to grab his case file, only to have his arm hit my coffee mug since he was sitting on the other side of me, and it tipped over and spilled across the tabletop.

"Sorry," Hotch and I said at the same time, and I quickly stood the mug up and slid some papers out of the way of the bubbly brown puddle spreading across the table.

"What kind of coffee is that?" Hotch asked, noticing the bubbles in it, no doubt.

"The carbonated kind," I replied, grabbing a handful of paper towels from Prentiss an proceeding to soak up the spill on the table.

"Is regular coffee not good enough for you, McDowell?" Morgan teased.

"I have an aversion to coffee, even when it's more sugar and milk than anything, but since I got a total of three hours of sleep last night," I exaggerated a little--it had probably been four and a half because the people a floor above mine had a birthday party until two in the morning--"I needed a caffeine fix," I replied, pitching a wad of soggy paper towels into the trash.

"Coffee is actually healthier than caffeinated soda and depending on how you drink it, it has less sugar in it, but green tea," Reid started informing us, but I cut in with,

"Is actually the healthiest way to get a caffeine fix."

Everyone stopped and stared at me.

"What?" I asked defensively, glancing around the room at them. I hadn't thought I'd said anything wrong...

"Looks like you're not the smartest one in the room anymore, Spence," JJ teased Reid with a grin.

"Actually, your IQ is probably between 135 and 140, which is well above average and considered very superior intelligence according to Terman, but it takes an IQ of at least 140 or above to be classified as a genius," Reid rattled off statistics, waving his hands about as he talked.

"This is all very interesting," Rossi said sarcastically, "But I think we have a case to solve," he reminded, and I followed him, Hotch, Morgan, and Prentiss out of the conference room and towards the elevator.

Since I was at the back of the group, Garcia hurried to catch up with me and then remarked in a low voice so the others wouldn't overhear, "It sure seems to me like you like Reid, rookie."

"Garcia," I said as I turned around to face her.  "I do not like Reid.  It's called self-fulfilling prophecy.  You convince yourself that something is true because you want to believe it's true, so you twist the interpretation of otherwise everyday events to fit your theory.  Your fabulous brain is playing tricks on you," I explained evenly, my voice only lilting up on the word 'fabulous' because that was a term more often found in her vocabulary to describe herself than a word I would ever use.

I turned away from her, giving a sarcastic 'see ya later' wave over my shoulder as I stepped into the elevator.

"What was that about?" Rossi questioned.

"Garcia is delusional," I announced matter-of-factly, and I caught Prentiss trying to hide a laugh.  I had a feeling JJ, Garcia, or both had told her of our conversation this morning, and I internally groaned.

Rumors like this were the main reason I hated teamwork, back in high school gym class or in the modern adult workplace.