Title: Midsummer
By: jiskah
Pairing: Garcia/Reid
Rating: PG-13
Series: 1) Phantom of the BAU, 2) Dates Are Overrated
Notes: 1. I am not english speaking, so I guess there are some mistakes. Please don´t care about that if possible
2. So another sequel. You better had read "Phantom of the BAU" and "Dates Are Overrated before.
3. I love to spend the weekend of midsummer like I described it in the story and I thought it would fit that Penelope does it as well. And hell I just can´t stop myself from putting some mystery in it. :-)
Disclaimer: I don´t owe Criminal Minds, everything belongs to CBS
Summary: Penelope makes Reid join her in a special camping trip and he isn't pleased with that at first.

***

It was a cozy summer evening somewhere in the woods of Virginia. You could hear nothing except the birds singing in the tress, the insects humming in the air and the wind softly blowing through the woods. The last light was caught by the huge trees and down on the ground it was dark. It was all peaceful.

And than it was disturbed.

"Why are we in the middle of nowhere?"

"Because you promised to join me."

"You didn't said something about the woods and camping."

"Didn't I?"

"NO. Absolutely not."

"I am sorry I forgot. But it is fun. Promise."

"I don't think it would be fun staying outside for a whole weekend."

"You never went camping?"

"I am from Vegas, forgotten?"

"Ok, that's a good point. Oh I think I should warn you."

"What now?"

"We aren't the only ones out there."

"What does out there mean? And why not?"

"We are supposed to meet a couple of people at the camping site."

"A Couple? And why didn't you say that earlier?"

"Promise you won't freak out."

"I never freak out."

"Sure."

"I NEVER FREAK OUT."

"And what are you doing right now?"

"Emphasizing."

"Ok."

"So now, what are you up to?"

"Do you now what night this weekend is?"

"Uhm... the shortest night of the year."

"Yeah and you know that this is a kind of special date to some people?"

"Midsummer, summer solstice, mostly wiccan celebrate this or fellows of spiritual groups based on old pagan traditions... Oh please don't tell me you are one of them."

"Not really but hey, my parents were hippies. We used to celebrate midsummer every year. It means a lot to me."

"Sorry I don't want to hurt your feelings."

"It's ok. So you are ok with this?"

"I am ok with this but one last thing."

"Yeah?"

"What am I supposed to do there?"

"Nothing. Enjoy yourself. And I won't tell you anything about this feast. You really need to see it on your own."

An hour later the heavily laden Spencer and Penelope finally reached the camping site. Both of them were wearing jeans, shirts and trekking shoes caring a full rucksack with clothes and supplies. A dark haired man in his mid thirties came running to them with a bright smile on his face.

"Penelope! I thought you weren't coming. It's always a joy with you."

The man hugged her and let her go immediately to take a closer look on Spencer. Penelope smiled and pulled him closer.

"Spencer meet Chris. He is a very close friend and comes right after the team. Chris this is Spencer, my boyfriend."

Chris´eyes grew with surprise and his smile became wider.

"About time for you Pen to find a man."

He turned to Spencer.

"As far as I know her it's your first time on a midsummer festival and she won't give away any details."

Confused Spencer looked from one to the other.

"How do you know that?" he managed to say.

"I know ´cause this girlfriend of yours has a sadistic habit when it comes to throwing people into things they don't know about. And you look scared to death."

Chris laughed loud and heavy while Penelope tried to hit him for saying that. Somehow Spencer liked Chris.

"Don't believe him, sweet pea. I like to distend everything. He is a dramatic person."

"To hear those words from your lips are like a knife in my heart." Chris put his hand over his heart in mock hurt. The three of them laughed which caught the attention of the other people behind Chris. As far as Spencer could see there were about twenty people from early twenty's to their late forty's. Some of them trying to arranged a huge pavilion, others were building a sort of a kitchen area. Both areas where at the right side of the clearing while on the left was a huge campfire waiting to be lit.

"C'mon bunny, we need to build our tent and I have the weird feeling with you at my side it will become a slapstick moment."

With the feeling Penelope might me right about this Spencer followed her to the area where already a few tents were standing. They unpacked the tent and searched for all the tent pegs. Unfortunately Penelope had lost the manual and they had to build the tent by guessing. That wouldn't have been so bad if Spencer hadn't mentioned all the time that the ground probably wouldn't be hard enough to hold the tent pegs. With an impish smile she proved him wrong.

"So your friends are wiccan?"

After the fight with the tent he became curious again.

"What?...Oh no, they are all just people who like to spend time in the woods. Years ago Chris started to make it a regular event and chose midsummer as the date. Don't be afraid sweet pea nothing bad will happen."

Penelope grinned about him. Most people would get annoyed by his many questions but she liked it. Relieved Spencer fell on his sleeping bag.

"You really like to make everything a great mystery."

"I know."

She crawled beneath him and snuggled in his arms. Softly he kissed her and pulled her closer.

"And you are the greatest mystery of all." he whispered in her ear what gave her goosebumps.

She turned around in his arms to face him. Gently she stroke his neck. Spencer enjoyed it with closed eyes and a slight smile on his face.

"What's on your mind, bunny?"

"The question if soundproof tents exist."

He didn't see the puzzled look on her face because he still had his eyes closed.

"Why's that?"

"Cause if you don't stop what you are doing we will need a soundproof tent."

The light blush on his cheeks wasn't visible in the dimmed light of the tent but the tremble in his voice made it clear what kind of problem he had. But still Penelope didn't stopped.

"And why should it be soundproof?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his neck then he kissed her till breathing became an issue.

"Cause I don't want any of the others to know what we are doing."

"If we are doing. There is only the question left what we will do."

Even if she wasn't grinning her eyes gave it away that she was teasing him. He was about to show her what he meant when they were disturbed by Chris.

"Oh... I'll come back later guys, I wasn't here."

With an annoyed sigh they pulled apart.

"What's up?" asked Penelope harshly.

"We are about to start the BBQ and I thought you would like to eat something."

"Yeah, ok we are coming soon. And now go please."

She waved Chris out of the entrance of the tent. After she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore she began to laugh. Bewildered Spencer looked at her.

"What's so funny, Pen?"

"It's ... oh boy ... I can't say which one of you was more embarrassed of the situation."

"I don't think it was funny."

Grumpy he sat up und searched for his shoes.

"Oh c'mon don't be grumpy."

She tipped his nose to make him smile.

"I am not grumpy. It was so embarrassing."

Slipping into her shoes Penelope stood in the entrance.

"Grumpy bunny."

Before he could answer she was gone. With a sigh and a small grin on his face he followed her to the campfire.

The next few hours were spent eating, drinking and laughing about old stories. Soon it was forgotten that Spencer had just met these people a few hours ago and enjoyed the evening. After they finished eating what took nearly two hours some men and women grabbed their instruments and started to play some famous songs. Every now and than Penelope caught Spencer mumbling along with the lyrics and every time he noticed it he stopped immediately which made her smile brightly. When it was dark enough Chris started the fire under the cheering of the others.

It was a little later when Spencer left the campfire and the others to think. He found an old stub at the opposite side of the clearing which was a good substitution for a bench and sat down. Puzzled about the feeling the clearing was larger than it seemed in the daylight he looked up to the stars. Even if they were barely to be seen he could find the Big Dipper easily. He was lost in finding other constellations he didn't noticed the young woman approaching him.

"May I sit next to you?"

His gaze snapped from the stars to the woman. She was hardly reaching his shoulders had blond reddish hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Uhm..yeah, there is enough space for both of us."

With a grateful smile she sat down next to him. From the campfire came the sound of a very wrong sung version of "Country Roads".

"You are Penelope's boyfriend, aren't you?"

"Yeah, how do you know?"

She flashed him a smile and look up to the stars.

"Easy. You are the only new face here this year and Chris told us about that little tent incident. Oh I forgot: I am Elaine."

"Spencer. So how often do you come to this festival."

"Every time since they started it. I guess it is the sixth time this year. What are you doing here away from the rest?"

"Thinking."

"About you and Penelope?"

Elaine still looked to the stars while Spencer was starring at her like she was an alien with two heads.

"Mostly, how did you get to that idea?"

She shrugged in response.

"I think you are not sure about her. And I think this insecurity was an issue from the very beginning the way you two act. Penelope is a person who loves to hug and kiss the person she likes and I don't remember seeing you two sitting very close to each other."

"I stop her, even if I want it to."

"What do you mean?"

"I know how she is. I've known her for nearly four years now and I know she is a physical person in her interaction with others. I am not like that. Most times it's hard for me to be hugged or something like that. Slowly I am learning to stand it."

"Like you were sliding away from me every time I slid closer to you."

Elaine focused her look from the stars towards Spencer.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Why?"

A bit ashamed he starred at the ground.

"Most of the time during my childhood and teenager years I was only touched by people in order to hurt me, to humiliate me and to make me feel like filth."

"Then these people haven't understood what a great gift you have."

He laughed bitter.

"Of course, and what gift would this be in your opinion?"

"You are what many people wanted to be. You have the knowledge of age and the naivety of youth. They did it to you ´cause they were jealous of what you are and tried to steal the naivety from you by making you suffer."

"In a weird way it makes sense." he admitted thoughtfully.

"Of course it does. But when you pull away from Penelope like you do you let those people win, you know? If you stick to this behaviour you let them steal the most important thing from you."

"And that would be?"

She smiled at him the glow of the fire dancing in her eyes.

"Tell me what do you hear."

For a moment he thought she had lost her sanity but then he listened.

"I hear crickets and ... the wind in the trees... the others singing."

"Listen to the people at the campfire."

Spencer rolled his eyes. With a sigh he closed his eyes and concentrated on the group.

"One of the women is singing "The Rose" accompanied by two guitars."

Opening his eyes again he saw Elaine was still smiling at him.

"Do you know which woman is singing?"

"No, and I don't know how this would answer my question."

"It's Penelope singing."

"What?"

Astonished he looked to the campfire.

"You can believe me. It's Penelope. It's kind of a tradition that everybody who joins the group for the second or more time has to sing a song for the others and Penelope sings every year a song that means something to her. A song that describes what she is feeling momentarily. Last time it was "Bridge over troubled water". You know this song is supposed to be a praise to good friends?"

"No, I didn't know that."

Spencer began to think back. The last time Penelope was with these people Elle had left the bureau. Somehow it fitted her to choose the songs in that way and this year she chose it because of him.

"I see you understand."

"I think I do. You wanted to say that if I don't start to trust her more I'll lose her."

"Exactly."

"But I don't know how."

Elaine looked to the stars again.

"Let yourself fall. She'll catch you as long as you catch her. See, she has her own scars, more than she wanted any of us know."

"I know. She handles it with being helpful and joyful. And I handle it with keeping people at bay from me. Seems like we both can learn some things from each other."

"Yeah, it seems so. But we should join the others now. Solstice is soon."

With those words she stood up and headed towards the campfire. Spencer closed his eyes and took a deep sigh. He decided he really wanted to give Penelope everything of him.

When he opened his eyes again she was standing in front of him.

"Here you are, bunny. What are you doing over here?"

With a warm smile Penelope sat next to him where Elaine had sat just a minute ago. He pulled her close and kissed her.

"I was thinking and watching the stars till this woman, Elaine was her name, came over here."

She frowned.

"Elaine? There is no Elaine among us. Are you sure that was her name?"

"Yeah, I am sure."

"That's strange."

"Maybe I just fell asleep and dreamt it."

He didn't want to think about this any longer.

"Or you have met a fairy." she chuckled.

"It doesn't matter. Let us go back to the fire."

They stood up and Spencer stretched his muscles which made Penelope giggle.

"You look like a cat."

"A cat?" he asked puzzled.

"Nah, more a cuddly kitten."

Amused he shook his head and grabbed her hand. Holding hands they went back. They spent the rest of the hours cuddling in front of the fire. Penelope didn't know what had happened to Spencer but whatever it was she liked it. Both didn't see the young woman standing beneath the stub on the other side of the clearing smiling at them.

***