Perfectly Flawed - Chapter 4

Perfectly Flawed - Chapter 4

word count - 3.4k

warnings - cursing, discussion of alcohol, a few spoilers for The Dresden Files series of books

Summary: Lina learns more about Spencer and tries to convince him to join the team for a night out.

"...And that's how you fill out the reports. Do you have any questions, Lina?" Penelope finishes.

I open my mouth, stop and close it, then start. "Erm, not about the work, no."

With a wry smile on her face, Penelope hands me a few of the folders and says, "Ask and ye shall receive, my dear."

I clear my throat and shyly ask, "Um, I-I get the feeling there's more to Doctor Reid than what can be seen on the surface. What's his story? He doesn't look much older than me, how..."

Penelope nods and says, "I know what you're asking. What all did you want to know about him?"

I chew my lip nervously and say, "I-I dunno, just, like, the basic stuff? Stuff you guys already know? I get the feeling he doesn't really like to talk about himself, so, like, that stuff? Like, am I allowed to ask, or..."

"Ah, our dear Doctor Reid. Well, he's 24, he graduated from Las Vegas High School at the age of 12, and he holds Ph. D.s in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering, and B.A.s in Psychology and Sociology."

My jaw drops open, and I sputter out, "He did all of that in 12 years?! How did he find time to sleep? Actually, now I can believe he can read as fast as he says because there's no way he could do all of that in 12 years otherwise..."

Penelope smiles at me and says, "Yep, our boy's a certified genius. And he's really sweet, and I'm sure if you're patient and gentle with him, you'll be able to get to know him well."

I smile back and say, "I hope so. I think we could get along really well."

As I go and sit down to start transcribing the folders she gave me into the database, I say, "Oh, also, it's ok that I have lunch with him, right? Like, there's no time issues? When he first told me how fast he reads, I didn't believe him and asked if I would be able to see if he could actually read as fast as he said he could. So, I offered to buy him lunch in exchange for seeing this feat of intellect."

She raises her eyebrows and says, "Yeah, that's doable, but you're probably going to be bored watching."

I laugh and say, "Y'know, that's what he said? But I'm also going to ask him questions about the plot of the books I brought, to see if he really does remember everything he reads. For science, I said."

She smiles and says, "Yeah, that sounds like something he'd agree to, then. That'll be fine, I'm sure we'll be able to knock a few of these cases out before then."

I hold up my hand and cross my fingers while saying, "Here's hoping. Hey, is it ok if I listen to some music while I do that? It helps me focus, and I have headphones. I promise not to have it too loud, as well..."

Penelope waves her hand at me and says, "Go for it, if I need you, I'll tap on your shoulder, ok?"

Smiling, I pull out my MP3 player and headphones and say, "Thanks, Penny. I should be able to do this a little faster, then."

Once I finished with the folders she had given me, I turned to Penelope to ask if there were any more for me to do. "You weren't kidding when you said it helps you. Here, take these 2, I'll let you know when you can take your lunch and conduct your 'experiments'." She says with a smile that I return. I'm halfway through the second one when I feel a tap on my shoulder. "Hey, go take your lunch. And stretch a little, you've been hunched over for hours. Gotta get rid of that 'shrimp' look." Penny says playfully.

"Huh? Oh, right, all curled up, I gotcha." I reply with a laugh. Saving what I have filled out, then turning off my music and placing it and my headphones on the desk, I stretch to work out the kink I've developed in my neck. Grabbing my purse, I see it's about 5 til 12, and I slowly make my way to Spencer's desk. "Hey, Doc- Spencer. Did you still want to go to lunch, or..." I say timidly. He turns and looks at me, grabbing his bag as he stands up.

"Y-yeah, if you still wanted to..." he stammers slightly as we start walking to the cafeteria.

I chirp out "Yup! Are the books in your bag?"

He nods and starts, "You know, y-you don't have to buy me lunch, Lina..."

"I don't mind. To be honest, I was kind of afraid I wouldn't be able to make any friends when I came here. I mean, I get along with a lot of people, but they don't really seem to like to spend any more time than they have to with me." I say.

Spencer furrows his eyebrows and asks, "Well, why not? You seem to be nice, you're friendly."

I shrug and say, "Yeah, but I don't really follow the same stuff other people do. I 'don't go out enough', I 'read too much' and I'm 'interested in too much nerd' um, stuff, as my roommate says."

He gives a tight-lipped smile and says, "Oh, I know how that is. Morgan and Garcia are constantly trying to get me to go with them when the team goes out for drinks. I'd rather just stay at home and read or watch movies."

I chuckle and say, "Yeah. And the times when I do head out, Val is constantly trying to get me to drink. 'How can you have any fun if you don't loosen up and drink?'" He gives me a momentary blank look before I explain, "My roommate's name is Val." Spencer hums in acknowledgment.

As we get our lunches, I ask, "What kind of movies do you like to watch?"

"Um, mostly foreign films, but I also like horror movies," he replies. I pay for our food, and we go sit down at an empty table. "What about you?" he asks, setting his bag down to get the books out and placing them on the table.

"I'll watch pretty much anything, really, but I seem to gravitate towards sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy. I haven't seen any of the newer horror movies, but I have seen all of the old Universal ones. You know, Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein." I say.

I gesture to the books and say, "You can go ahead and read, I'll stop talking now." His hand hovers over the first book and he looks at me, unsure. "Seriously. Besides, we can talk about the books after you're done, I've been dying to talk to someone about them." He gives me a small smile and opens the first book. I eat my lunch as I watch him read, his fingers running down the pages, turning them every few seconds. Holy shit, dude wasn't lying, I think to myself. I glance up at his face as he reads, an intense look on it. He even looks cute while reading. Hmm, can't say that's a thought that I would have had before today...

I'm a little over halfway through my lunch when he closes the first book, sets it aside, and starts eating his lunch. I clear my throat and ask him, "OK if I ask you a few questions before you start the next one?" He nods as slowly takes a bite from his sandwich. "What is the main character's full name?" I ask.

He smirks and says, "Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden."

Grinning, I continue. "What is the significance of the skull?"

"It houses a spirit of intellect that goes by the name of Bob."

"And who does Dresden help with the case?" I ask.

"Karrin Murphy, who is an officer for the Chicago Police Department. She works in a division called Special Investigations, or SI, which handles cases if something unexplainable or supernatural is involved." he finishes.

Giving him a big smile, I say, "Holy hell, you were right. That is seriously impressive!" He smiles back at me as he slides the first book back to me. As we finish eating, I put the first book into my purse and grab the one I'm on to start reading, as he starts reading the second.

After I read another 3 chapters, he closes the book he's reading and slides it back to me, waiting for more questions. I put my bookmark in place, put the books in my purse, and ask, "OK, what being or beings is this one mostly about?"

He chuckles and says, "Werewolves, but I mean, with a title like 'Fool Moon', what else would it be?"

I laugh and say, "OK, I'll give you that one. What types of werewolves are mentioned?"

"Classic werewolves, lycanthropes, loup-garou, and hexenwolves," he replies.

"OK, final question: Who or what is Mister?" I ask.

"That's his cat." he finishes.

"So, what did you think of them?" I ask.

"A little slow to start, but it picked up in the second. I like it so far." Spencer says.

Gathering our trays, I say to him, "You know what this means, right?"

Puzzled, Spencer says, "N-no, what?"

Giant grin on my face, I tell him, "That means I've got more books for you to read!"

He laughs at this, then says, "I'm up for it if you are."

"Oh, absolutely! I haven't been able to talk to people about books since I lived with my parents! Well, not in person, at least. The internet's great, but sometimes, you just can't beat an in-person conversation, you know?" I tell him.

"I-y-yeah, I can understand that..." he says softly. We walk back towards the offices slowly, talking about other hobbies and interests we have. I'm psyched to find out he also likes Halloween, and he's thrilled that I enjoy chess.

"Hey, I guess I'll catch you after work?" I say to Spencer as we walk back to his desk, and I look at the clock.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'll see you later," he replies. I smile at him and head back to Penelope's office.

"Hey, there she is! So, how was your lunch?" Penny says as I walk in.

I smile and say, "Pretty good. I have a book buddy now. Haven't had an irl one since I lived at home with my parents."

She smiles at me and says, "Good! I don't know if you've guessed, but Reid could use more people to talk to." I nod and sit back down, about to start back on my work, when I turn and ask Penelope for a few more folders. She nods, handing me 4, and says, "At this rate, I'll have to go grab more for us before the end of the day!" I just smile and put my headphones back on, getting to typing.

After finishing the one from before lunch and breezing through the four that Penelope gave me, I pause my music and take off my headphones to stand up and stretch for a moment. Penelope looks up at me and says, "You're done? Give me a minute and I can show you where we get them, ok?" I nod, still stretching my limbs to get the blood flow back to normal. Once I'm done, she stands up and motions for me to follow her. As we walk to the storage room, Penelope says, "So, I know it's been two days and slow, but what do you think of the BAU so far?"

"I like it! Everyone's nice, and the job is something I can easily do. I just hope I can keep up when there's a case." I tell her.

"Well, fingers crossed that we don't get one til next week, I'm excited about the get-together at O'Keefe's this weekend," she says, doing so with her right hand.

"Oh, right. Who all will be there?" I ask.

"Well, I know Hotch won't be there, because he and his wife had a baby not long ago. I've asked Gideon, Elle, and JJ, and we talked about it with Morgan and Reid. Out of everyone asked, the only one that I don't know if they're going for sure is Reid." she explains.

I nod, trying to keep my face neutral, but something must have shown, because the next thing Penelope said was, "Hey, don't worry, I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve."

Surprised, I start, "But I didn't..."

Penelope rushes in with, "Oh, I know, but I also know that look. Gonna have to practice your poker face a little better if you work around profilers all day!"

I give a small laugh and say, "I-yeah, I suppose so, huh?" After getting another box of case files, we head back to the office, setting the box on a rare spot on the table not covered by tech.

Sitting back down, we get to work, inputting the information into the BAU's database. While I'm aided by music, we make it through half the box by the end of the day. Closing the last folder I've transcripted, I put it back in the box to be put back when we're done. I put my headphones and MP3 player back in my purse and start to stretch again as Penelope closes her folder and places it back in the box. "Ready to leave, hon?" she asks me, turning and grabbing her purse. I grab my own and nod.

Walking to the elevators, we're joined by Elle and JJ, who are in a conversation as they make their way to us. "Hey, Lina! Happy to be heading home?" JJ says with a smile.

I smile back and say, "A little. How about you?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Elle says with a laugh.

Penelope chimes in with, "I'll be really happy when we can go out this weekend!" All three of them laugh and agree, just as Derek and Spencer show up. "Isn't that right, Hot Stuff?" Penny says as she spots the men coming near us.

"What's that, Baby Girl?" Derek says, as the elevator doors open and we all enter.

Penelope smirks and says, "That going out this weekend will be really fun! Oh! And Lina, karaoke will be this weekend since you were wondering."

"Oh, cool, yeah, I'll be there, then. Um, I might need directions, though..." I start.

"Oh! I can give you a ride, did you want my number, and you can text me your address?" Penelope interjects.

"Oh, uh, yeah, here..." I say, handing her my phone.

As Penelope adds herself to my contacts list, JJ asks, "So, the usual time, right?"

Handing me back my phone, Penelope nods and says, "Yup! Does anyone else need a ride?"

JJ pipes up with, "No, Elle and I will head there together, and I think Gideon said he'll take his car."

"That just leaves you two. So?" Penelope says, looking between Derek and Spencer. As the elevator opens up, we exit and walk away slightly, keeping the path to the elevator clear for anyone else.

"Well, you know I'm up for it. How about you, Pretty Boy? You gonna come out with us for a change?" Derek says, turning to Spencer.

"I-I d-don't know..." Spencer starts, with JJ adding, "Aww, c'mon, Spence, it'll be fun!"

Turning to him, I smile and join in. "Yeah! It'll be fun!"

"Oooh, look out, Boy Genius! They're gangin' up on ya!" Penelope says with a laugh.

Spencer flushes and stammers out "M-maybe, I-I'll see you guys tomorrow..." and walks off.

I quickly text Penelope so she has my number and address, and then I check the clock and say, "Oh man, yeah, I gotta go, too. I'll text you as soon as I can, Penny! See you guys!" and I rush off in the same direction that Spencer went.

I make it about halfway to the station when I finally see Spencer, slowing from a run to a speed walk. As I catch up to him, he looks over at me, then back ahead and says, "I didn't take you for a runner, Lina."

Grinning, I say, "I'm not, really. I only started trying to get a little faster starting last year. It's helped increase my walking speed, too. Which comes in handy, since I have to take twice as many steps to keep up with 95% of the people I walk with, as I'm so short I might as well be labeled a Hobbit."

My last comment pulling a small smile to his face, I say to him, "Hey, um, I'm sorry about back there. I guess I couldn't resist the thought of having someone else on the 'non-drinking team' while out at a bar."

He goes silent for a minute, then says, "You really think it'd be fun?"

I nod and say, "I really do. Besides," I continue with a smile. "I'm someone who'll willingly go up onstage and make an idiot of themselves."

He looks at me and says, "I doubt you'd make an idiot of yourself."

"Hey, you don't know that for sure. I might sound like a...an asthmatic pterodactyl when I try to sing." I say jokingly, which gets a laugh from him. We walk into the station and sit on a bench, waiting for the train.

"What could that possibly even sound like, though? A...wheezing screech?" he says, still laughing.

I smile and say, "That'd be my bet. So come on, what do you say? Want to witness a ridiculous spectacle like that?"

He shakes his head a little and sighs, saying, "I-Alright, I'll-I'll come. I suppose I'll ask Morgan for a ride..." Quickly hiding that I'm grinning like an idiot, I dig in my purse for my fare.

As the Metro pulls in, I ask, "So, did you want me to bring the next two books in tomorrow?"

"I-yes, I would like that, if-if that's ok..." Spencer says, standing up and waiting for me so we can head onto the train.

"Awesome! Hopefully, I can remember to make a note of what page I left off on...though it probably doesn't matter, since it's a reread, after all..." I say, mostly to myself.

Standing up and following Spencer, we sit down and he asks, "So, have you read many of the classics, or do you mainly stick with contemporary books?"

"Um, I haven't read very many classics, I'm afraid. I haven't even read Frankenstein yet, which is a shame...um, that said I have read a few." I start counting them off on my fingers. "Let's see, there's Little Women, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Hobbit, Handmaid's Tale...there's a bunch I bought, but I just...haven't gotten around to reading them...I probably should, huh?"

Spencer gives a small smile and says, "'Should' isn't something that denotes enjoyment, I think. You 'should' only read what you want. However, depending on the themes you enjoy, and you want to read some of the classics that fall into those categories, I can suggest some...i-if you want..."

I give him a shy smile back, and say, "I'd like that, honestly. Knowing that there are so many that are considered 'classics' can be...kind of overwhelming. Well, I like science fiction and fantasy. And I know I like Edgar Allen Poe, even though I don't normally read any other poets."

"I can work with that. I can give you a list now if you want," he suggests.

I shake my head, telling him, "Ah, is there any way you can write it down? I, uh, it's...easier to have the info stick in my head if I can read it."

He nods and says, "I-I can do that, I'll have a list for you tomorrow."

I pull the signal for my stop and smile at him, saying, "Thank you, Spencer. I appreciate it. Well, see you tomorrow?" He nods and takes out a large book out of his bag. As the train slows down, I quip, "Ah, a bit of light reading for the rest of your ride?"

He chuckles and flushes slightly, then says, "Something like that. I'll see you tomorrow, Lina."

Still smiling, I disembark from the train and start walking home.

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So ya know how anti-choice trashcans say "what if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of a fetus that gets aborted?"

But since fetuses already knowing advanced medical sciences aren’t a thing, I figured I’d provide some more valid alternatives:

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of someone who has a “black sounding” name and gets their school application thrown out?

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of someone who accidentally becomes pregnant where abortion is illegal or very difficult to access and they are forced to quit the sciences to raise the child?

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of a fat person whose credibility in the medical field is destroyed because they are assumed to be “unhealthy” and a hypocrite?

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of a person who starves to death?

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of someone who is murdered by drones or police?

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of someone who is raped and cannot continue their research due to trauma?

What if the cure for cancer lives in the mind of someone who is killed in a shooting because some below average teen boy couldn’t get laid?

I mean if you wanna talk about real life actual things that prevent scientific advancement look no further than capitalism, misogyny, ableism, racism, violence, oppression. But I guess that doesn’t allow you to control people’s bodies and push your gross agenda.

OK, you guys have spoken. As soon as I figure out a title for this story, I'll start posting chapters. I figure about a chapter a week would be good. If you've got any thoughts or tips, feel free to let me know!

Perfectly Flawed - Chapter 10

word count - 866

warnings - none

Summary: Lina's made it to the end of her first week of work.

Friday morning arrives, overcast and a little cold. Stretching, I turn off my alarm and get out of bed. Yawning, I take my shower and get ready for work, thankful that I've figured out a quicker way of doing my hair. Leaving Val a note telling her to have fun this weekend, I finish getting dressed.

In what feels like no time at all, I'm walking briskly down the sidewalk to get to the station quickly. Making it with several minutes to spare until the Metro is due to arrive, I sit back and take a deep breath, then reach into my purse to grab my book.

After reading about a chapter, the Metro pulls in, and I put my book away and stand up, waiting till the vehicle comes to a stop. Stepping on, I scan the nearby rows, looking for Spencer.

Finding where he is, I make my way over, sitting in a seat near him. "Hey, Doc. How're you this morning?" I ask, turning sideways to face him. 

He gives me a shy smile, saying, "Oh, I'm good. Here's your coffee." and hands me a medium-sized cup. 

"Ah, so nice and warm, thank you, Spence," I say, giving him a soft smile. 

I take a sip, and remembering our plans for tomorrow, I give a small hum and ask him, "Oh, um, where would you want to go tomorrow? We could go to a Starbucks. I know there's, like, a million of them, but there's one right across the street from my stop, so we wouldn't have to go too far."

"I'm only suggesting that one because I know we both know where my stop is, but if you wanted to go to a Starbucks closer to you, or a different one altogether, we could," I say quickly. I look at Spencer as he takes a drink of his coffee, a slightly amused look on his face. 

I start to babble again. "Or-or we could go to a different coffee shop if you want. I don't really have a preference. If-if you still wanted to, that is.." 

His eyes widen and he rushes to say, "Y-yeah! I still want to. I'm just...I don't want to make any plans too solid, you know?" 

Feeling a bit crestfallen, I just murmur an, "Oh, okay..." while nodding dumbly and looking down. Noticing my demeanor, he quickly continues. 

"N-no, it's just that we could get called in for a case at any time. It's happened before. On my last birthday, we got called in, just as we were about to have the cake. So, um, th-that's why. B-but, if we do get called in, we can always h-hang out after we get back. If-if you'd like." he finishes, blushing slightly.

I look at him, a small smile blooming on my face and I nod in understanding. "Yeah. Yeah, I would like that, Spencer." I say quietly, taking a small sip of my coffee. He gives me a shy smile and looks out the window, then signals for the Metro to stop for us to make our exit.

As we walk and sip our coffees, we talk and laugh about what we expect to happen tonight. "So, what questions should I be expecting from our colleagues tonight, Doc?" I ask Spencer. 

He groans and replies with, "Oh, if you can think of it, they'll probably ask."

He gives me an apologetic look and continues. "I, uh, hope you don't mind your personal life being put under a microscope." 

I snort and say, "They're gonna be inspecting a blank slide." 

He raises his eyebrows and asks, "Oh? How so?" 

I chuckle lightly and say, "Before starting on Monday, the only people I would spend time with on even a semi-regular basis were my classmates, my professors, my roommate, and her boyfriend. I'm...kinda hoping working here gives me more people to be friends with. Like, actual friends, not just, like, co-worker friends, you know?"

He nods slowly, and I continue. "I mean, I've got hope. Everyone's been really nice, and I get along ridiculously well with you and Penny. I haven't interacted much with anyone else yet, but I'm sure that'll change as time goes on."

Spencer chuckles and says, "Well, you've got Morgan wracking his brain for a nickname you'll like, so that's a good sign. The only other people he's given nicknames to are me and Garcia, so take what you will from that."

Walking into the building, we take the elevator up to the offices. As we head into the bullpen, we're greeted by Derek, who says, "Hey, you two. Another coffee run, huh?" 

"Before you start," Spencer says, digging into his satchel and pulling a bag out, tossing it to Derek. "I got you something, so I don't want to hear it today, got it, Morgan?" he finishes with a smile. 

Derek catches it and looks inside, then breaks out into a million-watt grin and says, "Thanks, man!"

Spencer smiles, then turns to me and asks, "I'll see you for lunch, right?" 

I smile and reply with, "Yeah, of course. I'll see you then, Spence." Then turn and make my way to Penny and the computers.

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Perfectly Flawed - Chapter 12

word count - 1.9k

warnings - discussion of alcohol

Summary: Lina and Penelope get ready for their night out!

Walking in and grabbing another folder, I sit down and spin to face Penny while saying, "Heya, Pen! How're you doing?" 

Giving me a grin, Penelope spins to face me and says, "I'm doing well. So, uh, what happened at lunch to make you extra cheerful there, Lina?"

I flush and say, "I-I dunno. Just...talking with Spencer, and hammering out details about tomorrow," trailing off with a small smile growing on my face, while adding, "He also showed me a few magic tricks." 

"Ah, Spencer's sleight of hand work, huh? Yeah, the Good Doctor likes to show off new tricks he's learned every once in a while. I'm guessing he'll have a more captivated audience now..." she teases.

"I-wh-what, magic tricks are fun, I don't know about you, but I've enjoyed them since I was a kid." I sputter out. 

Penny just raises her eyebrows and hums out an "Mmm-hmm, sure..." She adds, "It probably doesn't hurt that you find the magician so dashing, huh?"

I start waving my hands and shushing her to not say that so loud, looking at the door, but it's devoid of anyone. After seeing that no one else is there to hear, I fidget with my hands and quietly say, "Well, yeah. There's that, too..."

Giving me a smirk and laughing lightly, she turns around and gets back to typing. Face beet red, I spin around and prepare to start on my work, starting my music and beginning to type. We work diligently for the next few hours, swapping old folders for new ones when necessary.

Finally, it's quarter til 5, and Penny and I are finishing up the files we're currently working on. Placing my finished folder into the box, Penny looks up with a sigh, a smile on her face. She closes up her folder and places it in the box with mine, standing up and stretching.

"Alright, Lina, you ready to go? I'm gonna swing by my place so I can pick up what I need to change into." Penny says to me, picking up her purse. 

Gathering up my things and putting them into my bag, I nod and say, "OK, sounds good. I can show you what I was thinking of wearing when we get to my place!"

Walking to the elevator, she smiles and raises her eyebrows, saying, "Oh, you're not looking forward to this at all, are you?" 

With as straight a face as I can muster, I say, "Nope!" then break out laughing. As we wait for the doors to open, Spencer and Derek walk towards us.

"Are you ready to bust loose tonight, my lovelies?" Penny says to them, wiggling her eyebrows. 

"Oh, you know it, Mama. How about you two?" Derek says smoothly. 

I grin and say, "Eh, I doubt I'll get too wild, but it'll be fun. How about you, Doc?" 

"Oh, um, yeah, I-I guess?" Spencer says.

Stepping into the elevator, Penny starts suggesting the kind of shoes that would be best for our time out. Spencer looks over at me and asks, "How are you going to have time to get ready? The Metro isn't that fast..." 

"Oh, Penny said she was going drive us to my place to get ready," I explain.

"Oh..." Spencer says softly. 

I laugh lightly and say, "C'mon, Spence, a girl needs time to get pretty." Spencer flushes, then looks down at his feet and mumbles something. 

Derek smirks and lightly taps Spencer's arm with the back of his hand and says, "Alright, you're comin' with me, Reid."

Getting off the elevator, we part and Penny leads me to her car, unlocking it so we can get in. Sliding in and buckling up, Penny turns on the car, then the radio. "I hope you're ok with some tunes on the way there," she says, adjusting her mirrors before pulling out of the spot. 

I grin and say, "As long as you're ok with me singing along if they put on something good."

She nods and smiles, saying, "Well, isn't that the point? Ya gotta sing along!" The previous song ends and then the first notes of 'Dirty Little Secret' start playing. I bop my head along to the beat, then start singing along. 

When it gets to the chorus, Penny joins in, and we sing along for the rest of the song. When it ends, she laughs and says, "'Make an idiot of yourself'. Right!" 

I grin and shrug, saying, "Eh, it got him to come, didn't it?'"

"That remains to be seen. OOH! You gotta sing something with me!" Penny says, pulling in front of her apartment building. 

As she gets out of the car, I say, "Yeah, absolutely!" She hustles into her place and comes back out in about 5 minutes. 

"OK, good to go!" she tells me as she straps herself back in. She puts the car back into motion, and we make our way to my apartment.

After a short drive, she parks her car and we exit, heading into my place. Unlocking my door, I let Penny go first, closing the door behind me. "You want anything to drink?" I ask, heading to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. 

"Yes, water's good, thank you," she says, taking the bottle I hand her and sitting down on the couch.

After taking a drink, I walk over to the clothes laid out on my bed. "I was thinking of these jeans," I say, placing them and the peasant shirt against me. "And this top. What do you think?" 

Penelope hums and taps her chin, narrowing her eyes and saying, "The pants are great, but how does the top look on you?" 

I bite my lip and shrug, saying, "Um, I think it looked ok when I tried it on, but I'm not sure, it...shows off more than I usually like to..."

Penny raises her eyebrows and smiles while saying, "Well, go ahead then. Let's see it!" I grin nervously and grab the top and the bra I'd need with it, walking into the bathroom to freshen up before putting them on.

I walk out, adjusting the top and looking down, trying to keep the bustline from dipping too low. Penelope stands up and walks over to me, raising her hand and asking, "If I could?" I nod, and she proceeds to adjust the sleeves so they're off my shoulders, and doing so makes the bustline lie flat.

"Um, it's-it's not too much, is it?" I stammer out, glad that I don't have to fight with it anymore. 

She gives a half-shrug, saying, "You are literally buttoned-up at work, I think that'll be ok. Besides, I thought you were trying to get a certain someone's attention?" 

I flush and start, "Well, yeah, but..." 

Penny cuts in, saying, "Trust me, this will grab his attention!" giving me a warm but amused smile. I give her a nervous smile back, taking a drink of water.

"Um, did-did we want to grab something to eat before heading out, or..." I start slowly, looking at Penny as I fidget with my water bottle. 

She hums and nods, saying, "Yeah, that might be a good idea. O'Keefe's doesn't have too much in the way of food."

She checks her phone, jolting slightly and saying, "Oh, we should finish getting ready, it's just about 6, and we were going to meet up by 7. OK if I steal your bathroom for a few minutes?" I nod, leading her there.

While she gets herself ready, I start searching for something to put my hair up. Finding a black velvet scrunchie, I stand in front of my vanity mirror, trying to put my hair into a decent ponytail and keep my hair off my neck.

Touching up my eyeliner and adding some dark red lipstick, I give myself a final once-over, just as Penny walks out of the bathroom. Turning around, I ask her, "Well, what do you think?" 

She gives a nod of her head and says, "Lookin' good, Lina."

I smile and tell her, "You look amazing too, Penny. But you probably already know that!" 

She gives me a small grin and says, "Doesn't hurt to hear it from others every once in a while, though." 

Going through my purse and inspecting what I have in there, I ask Penny, "So, what should we get? Oh, I remember that having greasy stuff is good for when you drink, right? Supposed to, like, make the alcohol absorb slower or something?"

She laughs lightly and says, "Yeah, something with fat and also carbs and protein helps." 

"So, we wanna get, what, some burgers and fries?" I ask her as I put on a pair of short black combat boots with chunky soles.

"Ooh, yeah, that sounds good! I know a great place with veggie burgers, too!" Penelope says as she checks over her hair and makeup in the mirror. 

Grinning, I make sure I have everything I need in my purse, then ask Penelope, "Anything you need me to grab before we head out?"

Switching into the shoes she brought, she shakes her head, saying, "Nope, I have it all here. Just gotta put my coat on and we can split." As she shrugs her coat back on and grabs her work things, I get my coat on as well, waiting for her by the door.

Heading out, I lock my door and follow her back down to her car. After buckling ourselves in, Penelope starts driving towards the nearest burger place, maneuvering into the drive-through. 

After placing our orders and getting our food, it's not long before we're back out on the road, off to our intended destination, O'Keefe's. As we sit in the parking lot and eat, Penny turns the radio back on, loud enough to hear but still carry a conversation.

As we eat, Penelope and I talk, mostly about the past week. "So, it isn't usually that calm?" I ask, wiping my hands on a napkin. 

She hums as she takes a drink from the soda she got, then says, "Well, it's probably like that about half the time. It just feels like it's hectic more often, though."

"Do you ever go with them?" I ask, taking a bite of my burger. 

Grabbing a fry, she shakes her head and says, "No, not usually. I think it's because half the time, the places they end up in have little to no internet access, and that's pretty vital for my end." I hum and nod in understanding.

As we finish eating, she starts gathering all the garbage in the plastic bag, motioning for me to hand her mine. "Gotta keep my Esther lookin' good." She says, patting the dashboard lovingly.  

"That said, you ready to rock?" Penelope says to me, checking her makeup one last time. 

I take a breath and say, "I'm ready when you are Pen." 

She gives me one last smile and says, "Let's go have some fun, then!"

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Story masterlist

Perfectly Flawed masterlist

The story of a young tech who starts an internship at the BAU, the perks and perils she experiences, and the people she gets to know and love along the way.

Starts after Season 1 Episode 12 "What Fresh Hell" and goes from there.

Warnings - Canon-typical violence, slow burn, cursing & slight vulgarity, talk of sex and attempted sexual assault, threats of bodily harm, descriptions of injuries, mentions of alcohol and alcohol consumption, mentions of torture. More warnings as the story progresses.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two