Bitter

Chapter Ten

"I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate."

― Markus Zusak

It had been two months since Manon and Spencer had been to New York. Since then the leaves had turned to an array of golden reds and browns. It was Spencer's favorite time of year, within a week he would be trying to distract the team from his birthday. Even though he loved them, and knew they loved him, he still preferred not to celebrate. That was all that was on his mind, until Hotch called him to his office.

"Hotch?''

"Yes, come in. We need to talk about your field work."

"What about it sir?''

"They've elected to take you out of the field.' Hotch said grimly.

"What?"

"You've become reckless, you shot an unsub five times last week!"

"He had killed four girls! He had his gun to another's head!"

"But we were talking him down!" Hotch yelled, eye's flicking to the closed door. He walked around his desk and closed the blinds. Spencer took a deep inhale, this was his worst nightmare.

Since that day with Manon, his morals had become.. Looser. He took more liberties with unsubs, and he thought it had been okay until just now.

"Reid, I have to-"

"I'm going to take some personal time. Get my head straight, you know." Spencer replied. Heading for the door.

Hotch walked to the railing, looking out at the bullpen, watching Spencer pack up his messenger bag and ignore the questions from Derek.

Spencer speed walked into the elevator, pressing the close button even though he knew it did nothing. The moment the doors shut he whipped out his phone to call Manon.

"Hey hot stuff. Aren't you at work right now?"

"Uhh, yeah, but I'm leaving. Are you doing anything?"

"Not anything you can't join me for. I have a job in DC. Meet me in Rock Creek Park."

"Okay. Bye."

Spencer was giddy as he stepped off the elevator and walked to his car, so distracted, that he didn't notice Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner following him.

*

Spencer had been waiting on a park bench for around fifteen minutes when a hooded figure holding two iced coffees approached him.

"Hello Manon. You can take the hood off, I know it's you." He laughed, her face still obscured in the darkness of the hood.

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up. And no, I can't take it off because of the man in the black suit behind us." she hissed. Spencer tried to sneak a peek behind him at the hooded figure and snapped back around when he saw Hotch's glare focused intently on him.

Manon shot up from her seat, tugging on Spencer's hand. "Follow me. We can lose him, You'll need an excuse for when you go back to work though. Sneaky hookup or something."

Spencer didn't talk as Manon led him hurriedly through the downtown DC streets. He only periodically looked back, after he hadn't seen Hotch for about five minutes, he told Manon and she jumped onto a fire escape. Leading him to a roof overlooking an intersection. Manon peeled off her hood and smiled at him. If he could bottle her smile and get drunk on it he would, she kept looking at him until he planted a long kiss on her lips.

Although of course the kiss was interrupted. By none other than Aaron Hotchner.

"Reid, who is this?" Hotch bellowed, his hand hovering above his holster.

"This is, Athena, we knew each other in the academy." he said, recalling her alias from New York. He hoped Hotch couldn't sense the uncertainty in his voice.

Hotch crept closer, until he stood about twenty feet away. "Reid, I know that's a lie, because I have known you, and you didn't have friends in the academy."

"That's cold." Manon muttered before being elbowed in the side by Spencer.

"Because I know something you don't. We do have a photo of the unsub. And from what I can see, she matches the description."

Spencer glared in disbelief. How had Hotch kept something that big from the team.

"I couldn't tell you because she had been employed by our government before, and part of her contract is immunity for specific hits sanctioned by the US government." Spencer felt a sudden loss of pressure at his side, and looked down at Manon standing with her arms extended, gun in her hand.

"Manon, what the fuck? Ow!" Spencer exclaimed as she stomped his toes.

He looked across at Hotch, gun also drawn.

"Aaron, let us leave. No one has to get hurt."

"You know I can't do that Manon."

"Then I'm sorry."

Two shots rang out on the rooftop.