This chapter is dedicated to Shadow Phoenix 16 for being its first favoriter, platypuslover for being it's first follower, and CoO for leaving it's first review! Thank you the three of you!

Now, it is a time skip here, to CM, and we shall be flicking between the two through the course of the story, until the past has been fully told! This next bit was actually written first, and could have been used it the other CM story I'm planning. It was only used in this as I was watching Alvin and the Chipmunks at the time!

BTW, if i want to use a song, I don't care what year it came out, so if continuity like that bothers you, say this is set in the future or something, cos I'm gonna be taking artistic licence on release dates.

Ok. Story time!

The 15th of March was a normal day. No major cased that warranted BAU action had come across the desks, and the team had made plans to go out that night, providing the workload remained limited to paperwork. Somehow (it was suspected that Garcia had had something to do with it) they had even convinced Reid to come along, despite the young genius going out less and less recently.

When it got late, they went their separate ways, with the intention of meeting at one of the clubs they sometimes frequented.
When the prearranged meeting time came and went and Spencer still showed, the others started to worry.
When she still didn't answer her phone, that worry gradually trickled into full scale panic.
"It's not like her to do this..." Prentis sighed, returning back inside, after another call went unanswered, "Should we head over there, do you think? Check on her?"
"Derek's already beat you too it, set off while you were trying her again." JJ chewed he lip, "Do you think she's ok? I mean, she's not the most..."
"The most able to handle an intruder on her own... Yeah, I know..."
"She'd have called us if there was a problem, she probably just forgot to turn her phone of silent and is engrossed in a book." She looked at her watch, "or ten, considering how long we've been tying to contact her."
It was at that moment that JJ's mobile buzzed. "It's Spence's home phone, she's fine!" Answering it she frowned, "Morgan? Wheres- Oh God. We'll be right there" Looking at Prentice, face pale, she spoke. "We need to get the others. Her apartment is empty, but there's a note addressed to us."

I'm really sorry to do this in this way, but I've never been good at goodbyes.

In my personal experience, there are only so many bodies, so many Unsubs, before you can't go on anymore.
In leaving this letter, I guess I'm emulating Gideon, and I apologize for that- for leaving you no more than this. There is no reason I can explain in words, but I know that if I continue in this job, then I will lose something of myself that cannot be recovered.
I am fortuitus in the fact that recently an old friend has sought to get back into touch with me. It was a bridge I thought burned a long time ago. I used to have a career with him and his brother, and was almost begged to return when they heard my discontent in my present occupation.

Go on, go back, enjoy your night out. I have ensured we shall meet again, even if you don't recognise me at first. (Excuse my present theatrics, it has been a while since I could use them properly, and it is going a bit to my head.) I am afraid however, that Spencer Reid is as good as gone, there will be no digital trace, no way to track me, not even you, Garcia, would be able to find me if you tried.

Please, please, do not worry. I am safe, happy, my mom knows and supports my plan, knowing more of it than I am willing to tell you just yet. (Theatrics again). Soon I have to leave and catch a flight, so let me just say this:
It was an honour working with each of you, and I wish you all the best of luck until we meet again.

Spencer.

xxxxx

Ps. Your christmas presents are in the box on the counter. I would recommend opening them now, as on christmas it'll be slightly redundant

The apartment was empty. No Spencer, no intruder, no furniture. She'd moved out. Somehow, without them even knowing, she'd moved out, and all that was left was the letter, and a small box that held envelopes addressed to each one of them.
After Hotch had finished reading her letter to them, the team searched Spencer's apartment, desperate. It was official, the only other thing left was the box.
She was gone.
Tentatively, they each pulled out the envelope with their name on, and found tickets to a concert on the 23rd of December.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks?" Morgan laughed slightly, "why'd she want us to go to this, they were popular years ago."
"Must be a comeback concert," Garcia agreed, "I can't wait, I love them!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, they have such a great story!"
"Baby Girl, before you start with it, I don't really wanna know..."
"Fine. Meanie."

After examination, it turned out that everyone had tickets for their immediate family to attend. Some (Garcia, JJ, and surprisingly Hotch, "Jack likes them," he explained) knew who they were. The others however, had no clue.
Despite this, it was decided that they would all attend. Who knew when they would see Reid again, despite the fact that she seemed so confident in this. As far as they knew, they might never see her, and she was part of the family, this could be her last gift to them. They'd go.

Miles away, on a plane, Simone Seville relaxed into her seat, now would be a good time to get some sleep, she was, after all, responsible for keeping Alvin in check as soon as she landed, and the years had not encouraged him grow up. Secretly, she wouldn't want him to.