nina cried power [SPENCER REID]

nine.

"We won't make an arrest then!" Spencer tries desperately. "Just take him into custody, just try to interview him, strike a deal -- we won't involve the press!"

"But he'll have contacts. People watching him. People in this building who know him and know Edelstein and know Nina," stresses Hotch, gesturing with a sweep of his arm toward the bullpen behind the closed blinds. "Even bringing this guy in for an interview could set off red flags we don't even know exist -- and Scott will be off the grid within hours if she gets too suspicious."

Spencer takes an unintentional step backward before he even knows what he's doing; the reasoning is solid, the argument is uncounterable, and he hates it; it feels like a shot to the chest, and his ego. Eyes soft with hurt, he looks between his three colleagues, all looking at him like he's being ridiculous.

"Emily," he says, trying to keep his voice even, "on the plane, when Hotch said we had to stay out of politics, you said it was ridiculous, you agreed with me--"

"Not this time, Spencer, alright?" she says quietly, and even though her voice is one you might use when taming a wild animal, it only burns his fury brighter. "We have to go for Scott, before we go for anybody else. Morgan's right. Everything has to seem normal, otherwise she'll run."

"She knows we're chasing her -- she's too arrogant to run," he tries to reason.

"Come on, Reid, you know better than that," Hotch says, tilting his head. "She's arrogant because she's smart. If we step too far, and she sees us cornering her, she will go completely off grid. She knows how."

"If she has to, she'll stop killing," Morgan says. "She's not a sadist. She's a..."

"Business woman?" Prentiss offers, half joking, and Morgan smiles half-heartedly and tilts his head as if to say, I'll take that.

"She can stop herself if she has to," he finishes, "that's all I'm saying."

"Fine," Spencer exhales. "We won't go after this guy. But -- I just -- ignoring the bigger issue isn't something I can just do. Nina is our unsub, but her contractors -- they can't be allowed to do this, just because they're rich and keep their hands clean--"

"Reid," Hotch cuts in, "We give the profile, and then we're done. Nina Scott is not our responsibility after that. Nor are the people she works for."

He almost can't believe what he's hearing: his own boss, dismissing a...moral duty. Letting the other guys walk free. Jesus -- it's the definition of unbelievable. Their profile might start and end with Nina, but the crimes certainly don't, so neither should their job. They're meant to but the bad guys away, aren't they?

Besides, there's practical issues -- a whole bunch of them. Motives, for example. It's been weeks since their first briefing, and no motive is clear yet.

And there's the issue of Edelstein, who they've known about for days -- ever since Spencer had reviewed the security footage -- but has somehow still got his job as a high up member of the executive branch. Which is disgusting. But it's an impossible issue to fix. Spencer already knows that going after Edelstein, even if he doesn't involve the press, will be like signing a death warrant for him and his entire team. If he announces what he knows about Edelstein, it'll be Nina on his doorstep.

That's probably why Hotch is saying all this, he realises suddenly. Moral duty or not -- there's risks involved with the case, and it's their lives. Hotch knows this, of course he does. If they press the wrong buttons during the investigation, they might just be heading to their execution.

But when has that ever stopped them before? Their lives for the job, that's the way it had always been. Hadn't it?

"And you're okay with that?" Spencer questions, looking at him sharply with eyes widened in disbelief. "You're okay with letting the other guys walk free?"

"It's not our job to put them away, Reid, so yes, I am." Hotch stares at him, just as unwavering as Spencer is, and his chest heaves with fury, before: "Go ask Garcia for that name. Give it to Prentiss and Morgan to follow up on, then come here, and you can write a full statement about your phone call last night."

"A statement?" he repeats in disbelief.

"You're a witness now, Reid."

"A witness? Jesus. That's fucking..." He shakes his head, frustrated; he needs to get out of that office, needs to be alone, now. "I never knew I differed so much morally with my  own coworkers," is his last remark, before, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he crosses to the door and storms out, making sure to slam it behind him for good measure.

authors note:
yeet hello it's been a while. i've been hit by writers block and i really just needed to push through it, so here u go, have this mess that's mostly unedited but is filled with important stuff

an important theme is starting here: spencer's struggle between his morals (going after the contractors), and his job (going after nina), and the danger he's put in by doing either of those options. massively important stuff, so PaY AtTeNTiOn

hope y'all are doing okay (i am not™️ but that's fine) and feel free to rant about any issues in the comments! how are y'all doing? really? i am here to be ur therapist and also please talk to me i am missing human interaction

👁👄👁 pls let me know what u think

ACAB