Mignon McLaughlin once said, "The past is strapped to our backs. We do not have to see it; we can always feel it."

Another few weeks had passed along with a couple of cases and I was really feeling at home in the BAU. My colleagues had become my friends and the only functioning family I had ever known. There was really no time for life outside the job, we spent every day together even after working hours.

I walked into the BAU just like every other morning only today I was running a bit early. Rossi was already in his office talking to J.J. when I sat down at my desk. A small envelope caught my attention and I picked it up to see my name scribbled across it in an almost illegible handwriting. I opened it tentatively then smiled to myself when I realized that it was a card. Today was my birthday.

"What've you got there Chloe?" Spencer asked as he walked in and sat down at his desk.

"Nothing." I replied hastily as I hid the card in a drawer.

"Okay."

"Hey Chloe." J.J. said walking towards us. "Garcia, Emily and I are going out for a girls night. Do you want to come?"

"Sure."

"Great, we'll pick you up at eight."

I know that J.J. was always a cheerful person but she seemed unusually perky this morning. I had the feeling that something was going on but I just ignored it as I went on with my day.

Eight rolled around quickly enough as I put the finishing touches on my makeup as there was a knock on the door. I opened it to see the girls who were all dressed up and smiling suspiciously. I was still wondering why they told me to dress up but just went along with it.

"So where are we going?" I asked as we got in the car.

"Dinner." Emily answered simply.

"Sounds like fun."

"That's the idea."

We pulled up to a fancy restaurant and J.J. led us all to a back room where the rest of the team stood around a table.

"Surprise!" they all shouted.

"You did this." I said pointing at Rossi as he walked over to hug me.

"I know you hate surprises but I had to do it." he whispered in my ear.

"You could have just told me you guys were throwing me a party."

"And you wouldn't have let us."

"Besides where's the fun in that?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. That doesn't mean I like it."

(Unknown P.O.V.)

I stood across the street from the swanky restaurant staring through the window at all the cheerful faces of the group celebrating over their meal. Soon, I thought. Soon it would be my time, time to make my move and none of them would see it coming. I had been fantacizing about this day for years. We would finally be able to finish what we started so many years ago.

(Chloe P.O.V.)

After we finished our dinner the waiter came back with a cart full of presents. I tried to argue that they didn't have to give me anything but they just told me to shut up and open my gifts. I opened Morgan's first which turned out to be a slender black dress.

"Garcia helped me pick it out." he said flashing me a smile.

I would have asked how he knew my size but I figured I would just let it go; I probably wouldn't want to know the answer. Garcia's gift was the matching shoes to the dress which had heels so tall I could see myself having trouble walking in them. J.J. got me a gift certificate for a spa weekend and Emily got me a really cute jacket. I opened Hotch's present next not really knowing what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to see the simple gold chain necklace lying in the box. He stood to place the chain around my neck for me. Rossi's gift was next which turned out to be a fancy fountain pen stationary set.

"I noticed how you're always writing. You don't type anything unless you have to." he explained.

"I've always thought typeface was too impersional." I agreed.

Last was Spencer's gift. I opened the slender rectangular box to see a silver charm bracelet with six little charms already attached. There was a dragonfly, a rose, two interlocking hearts, a moon with a star, a treble clef and a turtle. It fit perfectly as he secured the clasp around my wrist.

"Thank you, all of you. I've never really had a decent birthday party I always just ignored my borthday all together." I said.

"That's just sad." Garcia commented.

"Yeah well you guys don't know my family."

Rossi gave me a sympathetic look, being the only one that did know my family and how cruel they could be. It was true that they had never physically abused me but the emotional torture had always been a part of my life. After Rossi brought me home when they had insisted that I was dead that's the way they treated me, as if I didn't exist anymore. I had always thought they felt disappointed that I did.

"Well we're your family now and this is how we do things." Morgan said matter of factly.

Emily changed the subject and we all spent the next couple of hours enjoying each other's company and conversing on every topic under the sun. Morgan, J.J. and I even had a pretty heated discussion on football, it was kind of childish really.

"I don't know about you guys but I think it's time to call it a night." Hotch announced.

"He's right it's getting late and we all have work tomorrow." Rossi agreed.

We all said our goodbyes and I thanked everyone again before Spencer offered to give me a ride home since he only lived a few blocks away from me. He even helped me carry all my presents.

He walked me to my apartment once again helping me with the gifts when we got to the building. It took a little fiddling to get the door unlocked which was unusual. We dropped the boxes on the table and I shut the door behind us.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I asked.

"Water will be fine."

"Okay." I moved into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and jumped when I turned around to see him standing directly behind me. "Spencer you scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." he said quietly moving in closer.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't answer me with words, instead he gingerly placed both his palms on either side of my neck, rubbing his thumbs across my cheeks as he leaned down to press his lips against mine in a slow sweet kiss. He pulled back barely and inch and looked in my eyes waiting for a response, begging not to be rejected. I didn't have the time to respond though before all the lights went out and we were attacked.