Dark Obsessions: A Criminal Minds Story

Part 09

Spencer and Rachel arrived at the BAU office a little later than usual, both of them looking slightly disheveled and with a tell-tale glow on their faces. They had spent the night together, finally giving in to their intense attraction and shared passion.

As they walked in, Derek Morgan greeted them with a smirk. "Well, well, well, look who decided to show up. Sleeping in, were we?"

Spencer felt a flush rise to his cheeks as Rachel tried to brush off Derek's comment with a laugh. "No, we just got a little caught up last night," she said, giving Spencer a knowing glance.

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Caught up, huh? I bet you did." He leaned back in his chair, his grin growing wider. "So, what was it like, Reid? Was she as wild as she seems?"

Spencer felt his face grow even hotter. He couldn't believe Derek was teasing him like this in front of everyone. "Derek, please," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Can we just get to work?"

Derek chuckled. "Sure thing, man. But you gotta admit, this is some juicy gossip. I bet the whole team will be talking about it."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're impossible, Derek," she said, shaking her head. "But for the record, Spencer was amazing."

Spencer felt a rush of warmth spread through his chest at her words. He was glad she didn't seem embarrassed or ashamed of what they had done.

Derek whistled. "Well, well. Looks like we've got a little love connection at the BAU. Who would've thought?"

The group laughed and settled into their morning routine, but Spencer couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment and vulnerability. He knew he and Rachel would have to be more careful from now on, especially with such a sensitive case on their hands. But at the same time, he couldn't help feeling a sense of contentment and joy at finally being with the woman he loved.

"Rachel in my office", Hotchner said suddenly out of his office.

Hotchner motioned for Rachel to come into his office as he closed the door behind them. He took a deep breath before speaking, trying to hide his concern.

"Rachel, I wanted to talk to you about something," he said, his voice low and serious.

Rachel's heart started to race. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk about, but she wasn't sure how to respond.

"I've noticed that you and Spencer have been spending a lot of time together," Hotchner continued. "More than usual, I mean. And I just wanted to check in and make sure everything is okay."

Rachel felt her face flush with embarrassment. She knew that their feelings for each other were obvious to anyone paying attention, but she hadn't expected Hotchner to bring it up.

"We're just working on the case," she said, trying to sound casual. "You know how it can be, long hours and all that."

Hotchner nodded, but his eyes were still fixed on her. "I understand that," he said. "But I need to make sure that there's no conflict of interest, no favoritism."

Rachel swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in her throat. "There's not," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hotchner leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Rachel, I need you to be honest with me," he said firmly. "If there's something going on between you and Spencer, I need to know about it. It could compromise the investigation and the team."

Rachel took a deep breath and met Hotchner's gaze head-on. "There is something going on between us," she said, her voice steady. "We've been trying to figure out what it means and how to handle it, but it hasn't affected our work or the case."