As Spencer fell Morgan fired a total of four shots at Christopher Foyet, he was dead before he hit the ground behind him.

"Spencer!" Shouted Reid, Spencer didn't hear them she didn't even have time to fight the darkness before it consumed her. Spencer didn't worsen her wound by falling down the stairs because she was caught by several BAU members.

They rushed her up the stairs and outside, Reid and Prentiss put pressure on the wound and laid Spencer on her back while Morgan called 911.

"Hotch" whispered Spencer, which everyone, including Hotch, was surprised to hear "I'm sorry, so sorry"

"You don't need to be sorry" he told her "None of this was your fault"

"I want to tell someone why" She said, he immediately knew what she was talking about "Before I ran away, Foyet used to..." Spencer coughed up some blood "He used to...Practice on me"

Hotch furrowed his brow as he pulled up Spencer's sleeve to reveal some scars, although small, they were still very visible. Hotch sighed in anger and frustration.

"I wanted to tell you, because you know what it's like to be afraid" she whispered so only he could her. Hotch just looked at her, his eyes sad, one thing his eyes never were. She then turned to Reid.

"Reid, I've missed you so much" she smiled slightly at him.

"I've missed you too Spencer" Reid was almost crying.

"Don't cry Reid, don't cry over me, I'm fine really. Just a scratch" she laughed lightly "Remember two years ago when I just barged into the BAU demanding to speak to you, that was a fun day. Hotch wanted to just kill me I bet" she looked over to him, his expression didn't change.

"You know you've never smiled in my presence, granted we haven't been in the best situations, but I would like to see it, please?" Spencer asked Hotch, it was a few moments before Hotch's mouth turned up into a smile, it only lasted a few seconds but it was enough "Ah, a smile from Hotch, my life is now truly complete.

"Morgan, where's that damn ambulance!" shouted Hotch at Morgan.

"I don't know Hotch, I don't even know where we are!" Morgan defended, Hotch looked around, they were in a big grassy field most likely just out of town.

"Dr. Reid can you do something for me?" asked Spencer, her eyes drooping.

"Anything. Just don't fall asleep" he told her anxiously.

"I want you to read the Harry Potter series, I know yo don't read much fiction in English but I'm pretty sure they printed it in a few other languages too, so there you go" She tried to open her eyes as wide as she could.

"I will, but why?" he asked her genuinely curious.

"They helped me escape my own world, for years I lived in the world of Harry Potter, it helped me escape my own mind. I hope it will do the same for you, I would have loved to read them to you, too bad I can't" she told him.

"I know you know it by heart, tell me the beginning now" he said softly.

" Harry potter and the Philosopher Stone, chapter 1: the boy who lived Mr. And Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet drive were proud to say they perfectly normal thank you very much. They were the last people to be involved in anything strange or mysterious because they just didn't put up with such nonsense" Suddenly Spencer began to cough quite violently "Why don't you read the rest yourself"

"I will, but you can read the rest when your better" he told her firmly, with total confidence in what he was saying, Spencer smiled sympathetically at him, the ambulance sirens wailed in the distance.

"All good things must come to an end, that's when you realize how good they really were, I am so glad to have met you Dr. Reid and all of you" She told the BAU team "Though in retrospect I didn't spend a lot of time with you all I have to say in the time we did spend together, when it was casual without pain, those, my friends, were the happiest moments of my life"

With this Reed Spencer closed her eyes and stopped breathing. Her cause of death was blood loss. No family was alerted, the orphanage wasn't even informed. Though she had the BAU team to care about her and that was more than she could ever ask for.

...The funeral...

It wasn't until the funeral that Hotch remembered the letter that Spencer had given him, and it wasn't until after the funeral that he remembered to give it to Reid. After all the crying a speeches the team found Reid sitting on a park bench near Spencer's grave with the note in his hands looking very depressed, confused and even betrayed. He didn't say anything when the team came to his side, he just handed them the letter and they each took time reading it.

Dear Spencer Reid

I am sorry it had to end this way. When I first came to the BAU in search of your team I can assure you I never had any intent to hurt any of you... or die for that matter. No doubt you will give this to your team to read, and of course I don't mind, it's your letter to share. In my life, I have told you I know everything and I have told you I know nothing, they are both true and I stand by both statements. Thank you for all you've done for me, and I want to say goodbye to you all. Dr. Reid I hope you can forgive me for this, trust me, things are better this way. Remember, the memory can be a blessing or a curse, it's your choice. Thank you BAU team, life would have not been the same without you.

Yours truly,

Reed Spencer

"Hotch when did she give you that letter?" asked Reid, not looking up.

"It was before they came in with they're guns" Hotch recalled.

"So she knew, when she had her plan to get us out of here, she knew that she was going to die and she didn't try to stop it or tell anyone" Reid could not believe it.

"Reid-" said Morgan gently

"SHE KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO DIE AND SHE DIDN'T TELL ME!" shouted Reid at his team.

"She must have thought there was no other way" Explained Hotch

"She could have let me go first" muttered Reid.

"Do you know Spencer at all?" Morgan tried some light humour, Reid gave a small smile.

"You're right" he sighed "You're right" Reid walked back to the church with his team taking one last look at the gravestone

Reed Spencer

"Reality is merely an illusion albeit a persistent one"

1995-2010