Darling deception- a criminal minds fanfic

The 'calm' before the storm

"Prison?!" Morgan yelled in shock as he paced back and forth in the station after Hotch got him out on bail, "they're already threatening her with a prison sentence?!"

"They're threatening her cover identity with prison from the raid, the minute she 'accepted' the money they could arrest her which was why the cop was trying to get her to take the money in the curtained room- but we just have to reveal that she's an agent and they'll drop the charges since we have more jurisdiction here" Hotch was trying to organise everything, no interest in the case now- not even with the revelation that was discovered in booth 3 when the cops raided the strip club.

"S-she's dead?" Darling's eyes widened as Reid told her about the dead body of Jules that they found in one of the closed curtain rooms moments after the cops cleared the place during the raid.

"I'm sorry Darling-" Reid tried to comfort from across the interview table where he was pretending to be her lawyer since the officers weren't letting her talk to the team.

"O-oh oh my god" Darling covered her mouth and felt like she was about to throw up before something clicked in her head, something that she knew she was using as a coping mechanism but needed; a need to solve this mystery.

"How did she die?" Darling turned to Reid with a sense of that need to know in her voice that made him pause.

"Darling, I think you need to let yourself feel this and not-"

"What killed her Reid? Strangulation? Beating? Come on, tell me so I can figure this out."

Reid sighed, "she... she had a stiletto in her neck."

Darling paused in shock, but for another reason.

'If you don't get off my stage right now I will shove my stiletto through your throat.'

"Candy" Darling whispered with a realisation, standing up and going to storm out to question her before realising she was cuffed to the table, "for tootin' sakes."

"Sorry... they won't let us uncuff you" Reid apologised profusely, hating seeing her like this.

"It's fine Spencer, I just need to figure this out..." she paused as her mind raced at a hundred miles per hour and finally clicked with a sort of plan, a plan she hated, but still- it was a plan.

Not one made by fear, not one on the fly- but a real plan like she knew she could make.

Darling let herself smile at herself before turning to Reid, "get the team, get Hotch- I've got an idea."

"No, no way Darling, there's no way you're doing this stupid idea" Morgan shook his head at her as he paced back and forth in the interview room where the team were all sat, Hotch stood in the corner watching Darling.

"Would you just try to understand? I've thought this out, if I just-" she tried to explain.

"No! You're asking us to let them fast track prosecute you! They'd send you to jail tomorrow morning for at the very least 5 years!" Morgan argued.

"Yes but we won't be able to figure out if Candy did this or what 'business partner' means unless I go into that prison with the rest of the girls!" Darling argued back, "think about it, it makes sense! Hotch can pull strings and make sure we're all in the same prison, it'll take me a couple of weeks top and-"

"I said no" Morgan shook his head, "I'm not letting you put yourself in jail-"

"It could work" Hotch spoke from the corner, making Morgan snap his head to him in rage.