1 | TREPIDATION. [SPENCER REID]

TWENTY.

TWENTY ; REALIZATION.

"I don't understand what you need three different pairs of shoes at the same time for."

"I needed to buy all three of them because they were all gorgeous."

Quinn furrowed her brow, zooming in on the photo on the screen of the phone she held in her hand. "They, uh, all look the same."

"They're not."

"Penelope, they're all black heels. They're the same shoe."

The technical analysis threw her head back in a mock laugh, turning to Quinn and looking her in the eye. "Oh, my sweet summer child," she began, feigning sympathy as she patted Quinn's cheek, "you have so, so much to learn." Quinn's lips formed into a small pout. Penelope opened the glass door for her and the two entered into the lobby of Quinn's apartment complex.

"I don't have anything to learn," she mumbled. "I know what I see. I see the same pair of shoes three times."

They entered the elevator and Penelope wrapped one arm around Quinn's shoulder. "You're the cutest. I'm going to need to teach you about shoes, because they're very important." Here eyes widened and she clapped her hands twice. "You can be my prodigy, just like Kate and Morgan are your prodigies. The teacher will be taught."

"They're not my-"

Penelope hushed Quinn by placing her hand over her mouth. Quinn scrunched up her face and took her teammate's hand off of her lips. "Just take the compliment, Carson," Penelope ordered while exiting the elevator and heading towards Quinn's small apartment. The girl sighed and followed, clutching her go-bag in her hand. When she looked up, she saw Penelope looking straight ahead with a perplexed expression. Quinn followed her gaze and soon met eyes with Spencer Reid, who stood at Quinn's door with his hand shoved in his pockets. "What are you doing here?" Penelope asked, her tone slightly accusatory.

"Oh, I, uh-" He glanced between the technical analyst and the lie-detector as he stammered. "-Um, I just wanted to ask Quinn something."

While Quinn gave him a small smile and nodded, Penelope looked less convinced. "You couldn't have called?"

Spencer's face flushed slightly, glaring at Penelope as Quinn neared the door to her apartment. "No, it's uh, k-kind of something I wanted to talk about face to face." Penelope raised her eyebrows at the genius. Spencer's eyes flitted to Quinn for a moment, before he pulled a blank face at Garcia, sending a loud and clear message to her.

Penelope needed to leave.

She gaped at Spencer, eyes lighting up with excitement. She threw a hand over her mouth. Spencer shook his head, motioning with his hands for Penelope to stop her reaction, quickly pausing his motion as Quinn looked back at the two. He gave her an uneasy smile, Quinn returning the action with a slightly confused expression.