From Nought To Sixty

Twelve

"I call shot gun!" Penelope scurried towards the car leaving Y/N and Spencer to roll glance at each other and eye roll.

"I don't suppose you want to drive back?" Y/N murmured as she bleeped the SUV open so that Garcia could load her many, many bags into the vehicle. "She's driving me mental."

"You're the one that wanted to play along remember. But yes, I'll drive us back."

Y/N handed over the keys squeezing Reid's hand just as Penelope turned around.

"Come on guys! Stop dawdling."

Y/N suppressed another eye roll. It had been so lovely waking up this morning in Spencer's arms. Sure she'd had to scurry back to her room where she'd dozed for another few hours but it had given her a taste of what it could be like once they were home. She still couldn't believe how quickly this seemed to be moving, how she'd gone from only considering that she might like Spencer to full blown feelings. And there were so many feelings there already, feelings she hadn't felt for such a long time. Her skin tingled when he touched her, her heart leapt whenever he said her name. It was so reminiscent of her teenage crushes, she felt like a school girl once more. But that feeling was coarsing through her veins and it made her feel so much more alive.

When she'd rejoined the others for breakfast she glanced over to Rossi. He gave no indication to her whatsoever that he knew anything at all. Penelope however, she watched her like a hawk. Y/N gave her a bright grin and made a point of sitting next to Derek rather than Spencer.

"Kid, you and Y/N still planning on heading to that outlet mall today?" Morgan directed his question to Spencer who folded the paper he was reading. Outlet mall? Then he recalled the conversation last night.

"Ah yes. Y/N is that okay? There's a huge bookstore there apparently, much bigger than the one in town."

"Sure, sure. That's sound fun. To be honest I've lost my way a little with Tolstoy. It's a bit heavy going for summer beach reading. Think I'll find myself a nice trashy romance novel. You wanna leave in say an hour?"

"Yeah, that'll be great."

The group ate and then Y/N disappeared to shower and get dressed, meeting Spencer and then strolling around to one of the cars.

"Outlet mall?" she raised her eyes brows to him. "You hate shopping."

"This is true. Derek came back to the table last just as I was saying I'd talk to you about it.... I had to think quickly."

"Well, I'm not gonna complain. Gets us away from prying eyes for a while."

"That's what I was thinking too." Spencer held open the drivers side door and Y/N climbed in. She knew he wasn't great with long distance driving and the mall was at least an hour away. She'd drive there and he'd memorise the route and drive back. It was tried and tested from whenever they'd been paired up out in the field.

"So we can hit this bookstore and then maybe find somewhere nice to have lunch together? Maybe go for a stroll on the beach?" Spencer climbed into the passenger side and buckled up.

"And actually hold hands like a normal couple. I like it." Y/N grinned and flicked the engine on just as a blonde figure came rushing towards them
.
"Wait for meeee! I'm coming too!"

"You have got to be fucking kidding me?" Y/N muttered as Penelope slowed her run and made the rest of the way to the vehicle.

"Apparently not," Reid replied, grimacing as the door to the back opened up and Garcia climbed in.

"Penelope, you only went here the other day," Y/N tried to sound as unannoyed as possible.

"Yes but you know me, I love shopping! Aaaand it means I get to spend some time with my favourite people. Hit the gas sugarplum, let's go."

Alrighty. Realising they were not going to get rid of her Y/N put the car into gear and started to pull of the driveway, hitting the radio on and turning the music up loudly. She had no intention of conversing with Garcia right now. She was sure this was part of her little game.

It had been part of Garcia's plan. Once she'd realised those two were planning on heading off together she was having none of it. She'd felt a moment of regret last night when Y/N had begged off to bed early complaining of a headache but she went and offered her friend the chance to come clean. And she hadn't. And Penelope wasn't having any of it. She wasn't going to be lied to.

She'd skittered off, pulling on her shoes leaving Derek and Rossi staring at her.

"Penelope.... " Rossi had a slight warning tone to his voice.

"Yes my sweet italian dumpling?"

"What are you doing?"

"Joining my two friends on a day out, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Baby girl, you only went to that mall the other day. We only have limited car space, how much more stuff can you need?" Derek was concerned that she was reading far too much into things and making a big deal out of nothing.

"I'll make space. I'm going."

Rossi had sighed and shook his head.

"They've not invited you Garcia."

"I don't need an invitation. It's not like it's a date.... "

And with that, she was gone. She'd dragged Spencer and Y/N around store after store with her today, them trudging begrudgingly behind her. She'd clocked their glances at each other, their touches when they thought she wasn't looking. When they'd stopped for lunch, she'd slid into the booth next to Y/N so they couldn't even try to hold hands under the table.

What she didn't realise was that rather than them becoming that frustrated that they'd tell her, Y/N was now thinking that she was just about ready to sever her friendship with the blonde tech guru full stop.

They were both being childish here, but neither could see it.

On the way home Penelope made sure to call shot gun, separating them again. Y/N climbed into the back, closing her eyes almost as soon as Spencer started driving. As the genius drove, Penelope stole a glance at him. Perhaps if she got him alone he'd tell her? Maybe she was barking up the wrong tree. But then again it wasn't Spencer that had lied to her openly. No, she'd force it out of Y/N, Spencer just being a pawn in her little game.

Halfway through the journey home Y/N heard Penelope's cell ring.

"Heeeey! Oh I'm so happy you're here! Yes... Yes.... Second bedroom on the right, the one with the yellow walls.  Sure... See you soon!"

Second bedroom on the right....

"Who's going into my bedroom?" Y/N's eyes shot open and she leant forward in her seat, catching Spencer's eye in the rear view mirror.

"JJ. She's down for the weekend, didn't I tell you?" Penelope replied, her voice full of glee.

"I knew she was considering it. But why is going into my bedroom?"

"Because you said you'd take the one with the two beds remember? You said you didn't mind having to share if Jennifer came to stay."

That was true. She had offered to take the room with the two doubles. But that was before she'd had a reason to be sneaking out of her room.

"Why, is there a problem?"

The grit of her teeth almost sounding in her words, Y/N slumped back into her seat.

"Nope, no problem at all."