A/N- Hello! Sorry about the slight delay between chapters, but it's a lot better than the three months before that! I am truly grateful to everyone who is sticking with this story, and for all my reviews. I try to reply to most of them, and I just love reading them! They're my favourite kind of email :D A language warning on this chapter, one 'strong use of profanity' as the movies always say. I unfortunately do not own Criminal minds, but FYI Santa; I've been pretty good this year. Just a hint ;) Enjoy my lovelies!

Chapter Nine: In Which Options Are Weighed, and Physics Is Appealing

You know, when having a gun held to your head is no longer a particularly unfamiliar situation, it really might be time to think about going job hunting, Spencer. I mean, what's wrong with theoretical physics? Or engineering? Steady work, okay pay, no gun-toting unsubs around every freaking corner… Is now really the time to be considering your career options? I think not. Now stay calm, and ascertain the situation. Because we DEFINITELY have a situation occurring here.

Right, so what do we have here? One terrified Garcia. Two bemused shoppers. Three security cameras. One gun. Two employees. Five missing agents, who presence would make this whole issue a hell of a lot easier to deal with.

Unfortunately, they aren't here. And that means you're going to have to buck up Spencer, and deal with this. Preferably sooner rather than later.

A low snarl interrupted his thoughts.

"Now, I don't want to hurt you. But don't get me wrong ladies and gents, should the need arise, I'm fully prepared to."

Reid couldn't see the man's face, on account of the gun and everything, but he could just imagine the menacing grin that accompanied the languid drawl.

"How many?" He mouthed desperately to Garcia, who looked as though she'd been frozen. Slowly, unnoticeably (unless you were watching for it), she shifted her fingers. One. Better than two at any rate.

The ghostly pale woman behind the counter spoke out.

"Look, what do you want? Money?"

"You're catching on quick there, darling."

"Okay. Look, I'll empty the till, and we'll just… pretend like this never happened okay? But you have to put the gun away!" Her burst of bravery faltered slightly, and Reid could see her hands shaking, her fingers weighed down with heavy silver rings.

A robbery. Well, that's not bad news. This doesn't have to end in violence.

"Let's just empty the till darling, and we'll work the rest out later."

Finally, the gun was no longer in contact with his head. Reid stayed very, very, still as the man strolled into his view, gun idly pointed at one of the shoppers. The short lady twisted a stray thread in her sari nervously, a look of disbelief on her face.

Clad in black, he was at least as tall as Reid, but whilst Garcia described her friend (affectionately) as a 'long streak of nothing', the guy was wiry, lean and mean. Slowly and deliberately, he stepped up the counter, transferring the angle of the gun to point directly at the woman behind it.

"Hand me the bag." A look of deep disgust etched on her face, she did, her rings catching the light. His eyes glittered behind the balaclava, and as the unnamed thief reached out to snatch the bag from her, the black turtleneck he had on rode up a little, revealing a tattoo of a dagger on the side of his wrist. It was the jet black of new ink.

Thrusting the money into the rucksack hanging off one arm, the man moved back from the counter, slowly but surely, always keeping the gun steadily trained on someone.

"Just to make this clear to you all… this never happened. Or you never know, I might come back and it might have to not happen again. Clear?" Seeing the nods, he let out a soft laugh.

"Good to know we've got that sorted. Well, what can I say," He continued as he walked down the aisle, "it's been a pleasure-"

Reid took a sharp intake of breath. The intruder had stumbled into Garcia's handbag, abandoned to the floor when the gun had appeared. He had knocked over the purple contraption, much of its contents spilling over the floor. The man stooped, a quickly swiped up something.

"Well… this makes things interesting." With that, he flipped open what Spencer could now clearly identify as Garcia's credentials.

Fuck. Now we're in trouble.