A/N: I'm baaaaaaack! And yup, I've got a chapter with me. (grins) Yay…?

BUT, first…! THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your reviews and support! You can't even imagine how good it feels that you guys have stayed with this tale all the way here. (BEAMS) So thank you!

Awkay, before I get all too sentimental… Let's go! I really hope you'll enjoy the ride.

Uh… Tissue warning?

All That Remains

Ashley Seaver never, ever felt like she was a true part of the BAU-family. She was merely someone who stopped by briefly, saw a glimpse of their lives before moving on. But they stayed in her memories. They gave her something amazing and she wanted, more than anything, to return that favor one day. Yet she failed to save Spencer.

Ashley had some sort of an idea of what was going on after a brief meeting with Mycroft. But she didn't get the full severity of the situation until she barged into the waiting room where a doctor was just delivering the entirely too small remaining team news. The looks on their faced hit her like a pile of bricks, made her freeze to the spot.

NO…!

She moved closer as though in a slowed motion, most likely because she didn't want to hear. The doctor was already long gone by the time she made it to them. "What… What's going on?"

Tears were streaming down Penelope's face. "It's… It's Reid. They told us to say goodbye."

/ Mycroft was surprised, to say the least, when there was a knock on his newest office's door and agent Jennifer Jareau walked in. With well practised ease his eyes scanned her through, spotting the shadows around her eyes and the blood on her knuckles. Mycroft felt tempted to wonder whose blood it was, since her skin seemed unharmed. He knew what she came for long before she voiced it.

JJ took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing slightly against hatred that wasn't directed at him. "You're right. It's big, bigger than we ever thought. And… The only way to destroy the web is from the inside. So I've… been thinking about your… suggestion."

Mycroft nodded slowly. "And what conclusion did you reach?" As though he hadn't known already.

"On their side there are only five people who have seen Eveleen Moriarty in person, correct?"

"Four, now", Mycroft corrected instantly.

JJ nodded, the flames in her eyes growing along with her determination. "Eliminate them. Then we can start operation Delta." /

Despite the fact that she'd been forced to tear it to pieces JJ's heart hammered furiously while she stood behind a window that opened a view to Spencer's hospital room where Derek was keeping vigil. She knew, entirely too well, that the young genius was running out of time fast. That this would be the last time she'd ever see him. She would've given just about anything if she'd been allowed to go inside and hold his hand, to tell him how sorry she was for everything. He was her best friend who'd given up so very much to protect the team and her children. And now all she could do was watch from the sidelines as he slipped away.

She hoped that he knew how hard she fought, too, since the day she entered Mycroft's office, her hands stained by Spencer's blood from where she was forced to beat him up. She tried so very hard yet in the end she had to hurt several good people. She had to shoot at Aaron, to leave him into who knows what condition. Her stomach twisted at the thought that the unit chief might be dead already.

So much pain, sorrow and suffering, when all she wanted was to bring an end to this madness.

/ John's eyes widened when he opened the car's door to see JJ there. "You?"

She fought hard and managed to keep her expression in check. "Do come in. There's a lot we need to do."

It wasn't until later, while she was fastening the vest of explosives on John's tensed up frame, she got the chance to speak out what she'd really wanted to say. As the spikes dug through his skin, making him shudder, she leaned close to his ear and whispered. "I'm so sorry." What he couldn't possibly know, especially in his state of agony, was that she slipped a tracker chip Mycroft gave her to his clothing and activated it. She could only wish that the British government would get there before the bomb's timer hit zero. /

/ As much as she would've wanted to look away JJ couldn't help but stare at Aaron's form sprawled on the floor, a gunshot wound of her making sneering right back at her. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach while she used all her willpower and walked away. As soon as she was at a safe distance, where no security cameras or members of the criminal web would see, she took her cell phone. Dialing numbers was a taunting task with how badly her fingers shook but somehow she managed.

"There's… A man's been shot", she announced as soon as the emergency operator picked up. Tears threatened to blind her while the memory-clip of her shooting Aaron kept rolling on and on. "I need an ambulance, as fast as possible."

Somehow, no matter how hard she tried to keep on hoping, she already knew that she'd just done something she'd never be redeemed for. /

/ When Emily and Penelope were taken away from the safehouse by a group of masked men, forced to leave a injured Spencer behind, they couldn't possibly know that one of their captors was JJ. This time she couldn't risk leaving behind a chip. Her comrades were keeping a far too close eye on her. It wasn't until a couple of hours later, when she was allowed to have a bathroom break, she fired on a message.

When it came to Spencer she failed. But if she'd manage to save the two of them, maybe that was enough. Maybe then she'd manage to sleep at night. /

JJ was pulled out of her sullen thoughts by the sound of a text message. The number was such that no one would be able to trace but she knew. She'd been wondering when Irene Adler would manage to contact her. Despite everything a small hint of comfort appeared to her chest when she read the words. Not to even mention what she felt at the picture of her children, safe and sound and happy, playing under the watchful eyes of Jason Gideon.

'We found them, safely and discreetly. Now finish your assignment and come back to them. I'm not a babysitter.'

JJ didn't even know where they were or what names they were using. She didn't know if she'd ever get the chance to try and find them. But at least they were alive, somewhere safe and protected. In the middle of all the chaos that was a shimmer of hope. That was all she had left to hold on to.

JJ swallowed and cast a longing look towards the room where Spencer and Derek were. She would've wanted to see the others as well, one last time, but perhaps it was easier this way. She was supposed to be Eveleen Moriarty. There was no place for sentiment in Eveleen's life.

And so, casting a one more mourning look towards the life that she was leaving behind, JJ turned around and walked away to start a lonely war against a seemingly undefeatable organization.

Mere seconds after JJ's departure Spencer frowned while consciousness began to rush back in. He licked his lips and tried unsuccesfully to open his eyes. There was absolutely no pain in him, which alone was alarming. There should've been a degree of agony after the injuries he'd received, especially considering that he must've undergone a surgery.

So what…?

And then it hit him, flowed through like a river of ice. He'd already cheated death several times over. It only made sense, statistically, that he couldn't keep doing so forever.

"Reid?" Derek's voice wasn't much stronger than a whisper. There were sounds of movement. "Hey, are you awake?"

Slowly and with far more effort than he'd expected Spencer's eyes managed to open halfway. There was a bit of blur until the older agent came into view. The man wasn't alone. Spencer's heart took an extra beat when he noticed the little boy in his friend's arms.

His son was sleeping very contentedly and Spencer liked to imagine that the dreams the little one was seeing were pleasant.

"Reid?" There was a look of intense worry on Derek's face. Like there would've been any reason to worry anymore, really. There was no changing where things were going. "Are you in pain? Do you need…?"

Spencer shook his head. Even the simple gesture was almost more than he could handle. "I'm okay." What a bizarre thing to say, considering. He cleared his throat and tried to shift but his body felt ridiculously heavy. "The others… Where…?"

"Don't worry about them, kid." Derek's tone came dangerously close to breaking, right there. Still the man tried to smile bravely. "You just focus on yourself, yeah?"

They looked at each other and in that moment it became clear that they both knew the facts. Time was limited and Spencer was determined to use it well. "I wish… I don't want to go, Derek." There was no use in hiding behind surnames anymore. His eyes grew moist but he blinked it away stubbornly. There was a lot he wanted to say and he wouldn't be able to do that if he let feelings take over. "But… I'm not scared, not anymore."

Derek nodded. Because really, what words would've fit the situation? The man seemed as close to breaking as he was.

Spencer found it hard to stay awake. He sighed, his eyelids drooping, and looked at Danny. "I know that you'll take a good care of him", he murmured. "Make sure that you read to him, a lot. He loves books."

Derek chuckled. It sounded a lot more moist than it should've. "Of course he does."

Spencer took a deep breath, ignoring the fact that it hurt. Something in his stomach moved painfully while he kept watching his child. "You'll… make sure that he knows I loved him, right?"

Derek nodded, suddenly very serious. "I swear. He'll never, ever have to wonder whether his daddy loved him or not."

Spencer nodded back. Tried to find some comfort from that promise. Almost a minute passed before he found his voice again. "Could you do me a one more favor?"

Derek snorted. "It wounds me that you have to ask."

Spencer gritted his teeth to fight back a stab of pain. He wondered if it was more physical or emotional. Most likely the latter, considering the amount of medication that must've been pumped into him. "Could you… give me some paper, and a pen? There's… I need him to know something."

John was fairly sure that he'd been knocked out with medication. Or perhaps he just passed out. Because one moment all he knew was pain, fear and chaos. And then he woke up to… full clarity, almost. A shudder crossed his whole frame while memories flowed through, when the half of his body that he couldn't feel registered through the fog.

But then there was something else that anchored him to reality. Something that made his heart leap. Small, adorable sounds of a baby.

John's eyes widened while he turned his head a bit too quickly to see Emily by his bedside. She was sitting in a wheelchair, which was most likely required before she'd been allowed out of her room. It was fortunate that he was too stunned and out of it to think that a similar device might play a rather huge part in his future. Although Emily seemed exhausted and there was something he recognized as grief in her eyes she was glowing. The reason became apparent when he saw the baby in her arms. Their baby.

Shock took over John to a point where he barely heard Emily's words. "There's… I need to do something." She blinked rapidly, as though fighting back tears. "Could you keep an eye on her in the meantime?"

It didn't even cross John's mind to ask why she wouldn't trust the staff or her friends to look after their little one. All that fit into his consciousness was the baby. "You mean…?" he choked out, unable to tear his eyes away from his daughter.

"Yeah." Her voice was far softer than he'd ever heard it. "You have a little girl."

It seemed that words chose to abandon John entirely right there. He couldn't utter a thing while she placed the baby into his arms. Not even when the little one grabbed his hospital gown with a stunning amount of force, as though deciding immediately that she'd never, ever let go of him.

The sounds of the wheelchair alerted John. He frowned at the clearly visible sadness on the quickly leaving woman's face. "Emily? Are you alright?"

She tried to smile. It didn't come out right. "Yeah, of course. I'll see you two later." She left without giving him the chance for any more questions.

Once they were left alone all John had eyes for was his daughter. He looked at her, just as her eyes opened as well, staring back intently. Tears nearly blinded his vision.

He'd been forced to get back to his feet, to rebuild his life from the ashes, so many times. When he got shot, after Sherlock's fall, after the deaths of his wife and child, and now. On several nights he'd asked – screamed out loud – what was the point. Now, looking into those eyes that at least for a while looked stunningly lot like his, John knew.

It'd be a long, hard path. It was highly possible that he'd end up straying into the dark more than once. But for her he'd go to hell and back a million times over.

He smiled and chuckled at how fascinated she seemed by the couple of tears that rolled down his cheeks, shining as light hit them. "Hello there, Faith."

As much as John knew it to be impossible he could've sworn that she smiled back at him, right there.

When Spencer woke up once more he knew, on some strange level, that it'd be for the last time. For some reason it didn't frighten him. Instead he felt… numb, almost. He wondered if it was the medication's doing.

Determined to stay awake for as long as possible he turned his head and blinked twice, even with the risk that he wouldn't be able to open his eyes again.

His friends – his family – were there, gathered as close to his bed as possible. Derek must've fought a brave battle but in the end the man had fallen asleep, arms folded over his chest and a frown on his face. David had also appeared at some point and in the end dozed off, snoring softly. Penelope's head was rested against Derek's shoulder while the woman slumbered, traces of recently shed tears clearly evident on her cheeks. Even Emily was there, sitting in a wheelchair and visibly exhausted but alright nevertheless. Something about her seemed different and the young genius wondered if she'd had her baby, even if the idea of never getting to see her child ached him. She must've succumbed to her fatigue only moments ago because her hand twitched. To his surprise even Ashley was there, sleeping soundly a bit further from the others. Spencer frowned at the discovery of Aaron and JJ being missing. He hoped that they were alright, wherever they were.

And then he saw Sherlock, standing by the room's doorway with a unreadable look on his face. Well, almost, anyway. Spencer could clearly see the worry in those eyes. They exchanged small nods, both aware that it was their very own way to say goodbye.

Spencer wasn't sure if he turned his head or if it simply fell to the side. But in that moment all he could see was his son, who'd been placed to a tiny bed not far away. He looked towards Sherlock with pleading eyes, wishing that the detective understood what he wanted. Of course the Brit did.

In some other situation it might've amused the young agent how careful, almost hesitant, Sherlock was with Danny. But in the end the determined detective had the little one safely in his arms. Spencer reached out as soon as the other man was close enough. His hand trembled out of exhaustion and something beyond agony when he brushed Danny's face softly. The little one sighed and wrinkled his nose, coming close to waking up, but in the end the child didn't even stir. One half of Spencer was relieved while the other shuddered with sadness. It would've been good to see his son's eyes, one last time.

Spencer couldn't fight the tears anymore. A couple of them rolled while he leaned forward and pressed a small, chaste kiss to Danny's forehead. It was the last thing he'd ever do, and he couldn't come up with anything better.

Spencer's mind began to drift away right there. His eyes slipped closed without him being able to do anything about it. Quite faintly he heard the sounds of Sherlock putting the baby away. The noises were muffled, like he'd been sinking under water. Somewhere on the edge of it all coming to an end he was almost sure that he felt a hand on his but it could've been his imagination.

It wasn't a very long life he had. It wasn't easy, either. But at least his brief stay had left a mark. At least he mattered.

He saved lives.

He made friends.

He loved and was loved in return.

He was, by some miracle, even granted a child.

If that was all that remained of him… then it was more than enough.

Yes, it was a very good life indeed.

Once again Spencer drifted into sleep. So subtly and swiftly that he barely realized that it was happening. He knew that he'd never wake up again but it didn't scare him.

What did he have to fear when his head was full of memories of people he cared about, of a life well lived?

TBC, for an epilogue

A/N: Okay… (gulps hard) That… wasn't exactly easy to type. Those poor, poor things! Poor Reid! (wipes eyes)

Soooo… Thoughts? Comments? PLEASE, do leave a note to the box below! And keep in mind that butchering a author would be considered very, very rude… (sweatdrops)

I'll be headed for a little adventure next Monday but I'll do my very best to post the epilogue before that. Gosh, I can't believe that this story's coming to an end! (sighs and pouts)

Until next time, ya all! I really hope that I'll be seeing you all around.

Take care!