𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙾𝚍𝚍𝚜 | 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚎𝚒𝚍

Manor of Nightmares

"Okay, you were right!" Aitana plopped down in the seat next to Spencer. "That was a really good book!"

Spencer had not expected her abrupt presence, much less her overall presence in the BAU at all...but he was always pleased to see her. "Hey, you're back."

Aitana looked extremely content that morning, and she was. "Mhm! I managed to finish my assignment earlier so you guys get to have me a day earlier."

"What was the assignment?"

"Oh, your usual research essay. Completely boring and even more so at 1 in the morning."

Spencer chuckled. "Right. Happy to have you around then."

"Thanks, and like I said, I read the book — in English — and it was great. Thanks for letting me borrow it. I can bring it in tomorrow."

"You can always stop by too," Spencer remarked, and shared a smile with Aitana.

"Sure," she agreed without even thinking about it..

They didn't know it but they shared the same blushes on their faces.

It was becoming one of their 'secrets' that for some reason was a secret from their friends. They spent time together outside of work doing harmless acts. It was very innocent — reading together — but for some reason neither one wanted to share it with anyone else. And they were both fine with it. It was theirs and that was it.

"You got any more recommendations for me?" Aitana asked.

"Uh...not at the top of my head but give me a few minutes," Spencer lied easily. He had a ton of book recommendations for her ready to go but he didn't want to appear stranger — stranger than usual anyways.

Aitana smiled to herself and straightened herself up in her seat just as the rest of the team started arriving. Like Spencer, they were delighted to see her back a day earlier. Penelope was especially eager to have her co-liaison back.

"You should have told me earlier and I would have briefed you about this case!" Penelope said as she grabbed the clicker on the table.

"Wanted to give you a surprise," Aitana remarked, "So go right ahead."

Penelope was less excited about the case but went ahead and got started. "Emma Baker," she presented the team with a photograph of a middle aged woman left lying on the ground in some particular clothing, "38, math teacher from Medford, Oregon. She went missing 17 days ago, and her body was found yesterday afternoon at St. Baldwin's. Which is 230 miles away from Medford, and we've been called in for the bizarre nature of the case. Observe the photos."

"We are," JJ hummed as they turned the pictures in their hard copies. "Wow. Look at that dress..."

"Was she going to a Renaissance fair?" asked Emily.

"Not with her feet bound," Rossi pointed out the detail.

"And missing persons report says that she was in jeans and a T-shirt," Penelope said.

"Kind of looks like an Elizabethan dress," Aitana said thoughtfully, drawing some attention from the others. Her eyes happened to flicker up after the silence stretched for too long. "What? I follow this girl on youtube and she does short series on like all these different important people and — and this is not the moment, sorry..." She felt her face flush with embarrassment with the way everyone was looking at her.

"My God there's 2 of them," Morgan mumbled and not a moment later did he feel a kick on his shin. One brunette in a cardigan was his primary suspect.

Penelope slowly eased the group back into the case by giving more details of the M.E. report they had on their victim.