This will most likely be about 6 chapters long. I hope you guys had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Cheers to all….

The Ghosts of UnSubs' Past
Not what you Expected

"I don't suppose you have the time, do you?" Sarah Jean asked. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as she focused in on Spencer, and as she walked closer to him, the scene around them changed. Looking around, Spencer realized that they were on the street outside of Hotch's house; she smiled at Spencer sympathetically as if realizing the emotional toll the ghost before him had had on him. She looked as a mother would to her son when he was sad or in a bad mood, and for a moment, Spencer's mind flickered to the son that he knew she had. Sighing, she sat down on a bench and waited for Spencer to join her.

"So you're the ghost of Christmas present?" Spencer guessed. Sarah nodded again as she flipped over Spencer's wrist, examining the watch that laid there.

"5:22," she sighed. "They should be leaving by now."

"Who should be leaving?" Spencer frowned. Sarah merely pointed ahead of them, and Spencer's eyes immediately followed her pointing hand. To their right, Jessica Brooks led little Jack Hotchner out from his father's house. Neither of them was smiling, but neither of them was frowning, he supposed. He watched as they walked toward the car when Jack suddenly asked, "Will Spessey be okay?"

Jessica smiled down at the small boy, but it was a forced smile. Spencer could tell that she was lying, and in fact, he was almost positive she knew as much- or, more accurately- as Jack did. "He'll be fine, Jack. You're dad'll make sure of that."

"How?" Jack asked, reluctant to buy into the obvious lie.

Jessica swept down to be at the same level as Jack, and she placed what he was sure was supposed to be a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Dr. Reid- I mean Spencer- said that when he can't take care of himself because he's…sleeping…. your daddy could take care of him and tell the doctor what he can and can't do to him. Isn't that neat, huh?" she easily lied. The boy seemed a bit more reassured and vigorously nodded. With that, Jessica and Jack hopped inside the car and took off.

"They're spending tonight at the hospital?" Spencer frowned.

"They're hoping the doctors will have you at least awake by tomorrow, Christmas Eve," Sarah elucidated.

Spencer only nodded as he looked around him, a frown forming on his face as he spun around him. 'So this is what's happening in the world right now,' he thought. 'God, what am I missing…?' As he processed what was going on around him, Sarah cleared her throat, trying to regain Spencer's attention. "Why do you think we're here?" she asked softly, and Spencer couldn't help but be thankful for her much more gentle approach than the last ghost's. He turned back to her, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Each ghost- each UnSub- is supposed to teach me a lesson of some sort. I haven't yet figured out what you'll teach me, but I suppose that I'll find out soon enough," Spencer replied. Sarah smiled sympathetically at him, and as she did so, she reached out to grasp at Spencer's hand. The agent allowed her to take it, and in the flash of a lightning strike, they were taken to the hospital.

"How is he?" they heard Hotch ask.

"We're still unsure of his condition, but he isn't awake yet. He did break his left arm and wrist, and his left knee was reinjured. We believe that he suffered a concussion, which was what may have caused him to lapse into a coma. As of now, we miraculously see no immediate threat to his life, and he should be awake in at least three days' time."

"Thank you, doctor," Hotch nodded dismissively. He waited until the doctor had completely left the room to turn to Rossi, a frown on his otherwise unexpressive face. "I caused this, Rossi, I just know it," he sighed.

"Why would you say that?" Rossi asked, mimicking the frown.

"Why would he say that, Spencer?" Sarah asked. Spencer let out a shaky breath, fighting tear drops that were threatening to spill down his eyes. He, of course, knew exactly why Hotch would feel guilty, but he also knew that it was unnecessary. Hotch hadn't had any part in what happened, and he wished that he would wake up so he could tell him exactly that.

"I…I told him before I left the BAU, before the accident, that I wanted to quit. He, naturally, tried to talk me out of it, but it didn't work out for him. I told him that I couldn't take the job anymore, and that he couldn't change that." Spencer stared at the scene in front of him, and he quietly thought that he had never seen his boss cry. He was sure his boss had cried before, but still, it was a first for him. He watched as Hotch sat down on a waiting room chair, rubbing a hand over his face. Rossi sat down opposite of him, and he rested a supportive hand on his knee.

"He told me that he wanted to leave the BAU, before he left the office," Hotch admitted.

"The kid wants to leave?" Rossi seemed shocked; he apparently hadn't been expecting that. "Did he say why?"

"Not in so many words, but yeah," he nodded. "He said that he wanted to quit; it was time to move on and do something else. I think he's just afraid that he can't take it anymore, but he's always overly hard on himself."

"You're not going to let him do it, are you?" Rossi asked.

Hotch hesitated before answering, shaking his head nonetheless. "We'll find out, I suppose."

"Tell me Dr. Reid, after all the good that you've done, all the people you've saved, why do you want to quit?" She looked at Spencer sadly, and for a moment, Spencer flashed back to the day his team had visited her in the prison, and even then he knew that she was innocent. The problem, as always, was proving it, and that seemed to be the case even now. How could he prove that all the good he did wasn't enough, that he mine as well quit before the job took every last bit of him? He knew it was a useless task, though, because the ghosts were reflections of his 'inner being', and right now, his 'inner being' was pissed at him for quitting.

"It'll take me- all of me- and you know it," Spencer halfhearted replied. Sarah shook her head, though, and again she took his hand. She led him out of the waiting room and out of the hospital itself. As she opened the doors labeled 'exit', the scene changed, and rather than being outside, they were in a familiar-looking house.

"Garcia, calm down. Tell me, what's wrong?" JJ pleaded, exasperated.

"It's Reid…Our boy's in the hospital again," Garcia choked out.

"Oh my god, what happened?" JJ asked frantically.

"There was a car accident, I guess. It happened on his way home from the BAU…."

"What hospital?" JJ snapped as she fumbled for her keys. She motioned for Will to get Henry ready, and even if he was confused, he did so anyways. "Alright," she said after the reply, "I'm on my way."

"She shouldn't go," Spencer frowned. "Henry deserves to be alone with his parents on Christmas-"

"It's not Christmas yet," Sarah smiled.

"You know what I mean," Spencer sighed.

"Come on Spencer, it's time to go," Sarah said. The sudden decision made Spencer's brow furrow, but as he was pulled once again into a new scene, his mind wandered back to his poor Godson, and he couldn't help but frown as he thought of Henry being forced into a hospital so close to Christmas, even if it was just to visit….

"Mom, can I help you bake the cake?" Ben Bridges asked hopefully. Amy smiled down at her son and nodded, motioning for him to join her in the kitchen. "Who is the first cake for?"

"Well, I thought we could make one for the BAU- you know, the people that-"

"You mean Dr. Weed?" he cut-in.

"Yeah, Dr. Reid," she laughed.

"Do you remember that case?" Sarah asked. "You thought that your father was the killer, but-"

"But I was wrong," Spencer nodded. "Yeah, Ben Bridges was the boy that was kidnapped. Her mother…her mother was…was really worried." His voice droned out toward the end, understanding what the ghost was trying to tell him. He shook his head, though, because he refused to allow her to guilt-trick him like that.

"Spencer, I don't think you quite get it yet," Sarah sighed. Her eyes, looking drawn-out and frustrated, turned to ice as their surroundings changed again. She watched as Spencer stared at the new hospital-like background, frowning as he realized who they were visiting nest.

"Nathan, your mother's here," a nurse smiled. The boy smiled back politely, nodding in consent. A moment later, his mother appeared with a gift in hand.

"I know it's not Christmas yet, but I thought that you should have this one now," she explained as she sat on the bed next to him. His eyes flickered from his mother to the present, and with a supporting nod from her, he opened it. A smile lit on her face as he laughed out loud. "Thank you!" he exclaimed as he hugged her. "I've been wanting this watch for years!"

"I know Sweetie, I know. I just wanted to let you know that I'm proud of you."

"They weren't all success stories, you know," Spencer muttered. "There were plenty of times that our cases have led us to a dead end. They're not all happy endings."

"I know Spencer, but every job has ups and downs. You can't focus on the negative, Spencer, not when it means that lives are at stake." Sarah turned her head, and Spencer couldn't help but follow her as she did so. When he turned his hand back to Ben and Amy, though, the scene has once more changed.

"Adam, how are you today?" the orderly asked.

"My name isn't Adam," Amanda hissed.

"Yes it is," she sighed. When Amanda just shook her head with a humph, she just dropped the tray of food in front of her and walked away.

"How is this a success story?" Spencer hissed.

"Adam's alive, and it's all thanks to you," Sarah smiled.

Spencer shook her head, though, obviously disagreeing. Of course, he hadn't seen the situation quite like that; he had seen it as an innocent man losing his life to an imitation of himself who was out to kill. It wasn't Adam's fault that Amanda had taken over and killed those men, and it wasn't Tobias' fault that his personalities did it either. DID, another mental disease that Spencer was far-too familiar with it, was what tore Adam apart, but it was only because of what had been done to him as a child that had led to the birth of Amanda. If he had just gotten to Adam sooner, if someone had just caught when it first started….

"Don't do that, Spencer," Sarah warned. "Don't think that way."

"But it's true," Spencer whispered. Sarah frowned sadly at Spencer, and she reached out toward the young man. Running a hand through Spencer's hair, she shook her head. "You have so much yet to learn, Spencer, but I can't teach you this on my own now."

"Ghost number three?" Spencer guessed.

"Yes, but I'm not done quite yet." She pointed toward a television screen, and she motioned for Spencer to turn toward it to.

"As we all know, Christmas is mere days away. We also know that this is been a tough year for everyone, especially the BAU, who has had a prominent role in the public this year especially. From the Reaper returning, the death of Agent Hotchner's wife, the youngest BAU agent ever to be admitted in the BAU being shot- who, we have heard, is currently in the hospital- to the liaison of the team being forced into the Pentagon, one team in particular has had an extremely tough year. Agents Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, and Dr. Spencer Reid finally were given time off for the holidays, and in response to the holiday season, will finally be able to sleep in their own beds tonight.

"In honor of our local heroes, we've sent out letters asking families of the victims who the team has helped to say a few words to them in spirit of the giving holiday season." The brunette anchor paused with a smile on her face, waiting for the network to start playing the clips.

"My daughter was killed….was killed by a killer who was going to be let off because he lost his memory," Mr. Corbett started. "Not only were they there to put the killer away, but they also came back when the killer woke up." He looked down at his shoes, shuddering as a cold wind blew by him. "One member…one member in particular helped me through it, and he stopped me from making a very stupid mistake." Staring at the camera directly, tears in his eyes, he nodded. "I owe them- I owe him- so much, but I could never fully repay them. Thank you…thank you so much."

"No one believed me, but she never gave up hope in mean- actually, none of them did." Sarah Hollridge said. "I lost my son a few years ago, and because…because I started drinking….no one believed me. But one day, my luck changed. They found a string of child abductions similar to what had happened to my son, and they immediately made the connection. They let me help throughout the case, and they did everything they could to help. In the end…they found him." She wiped a tear from her eye, smiling sadly toward the camera. "And they found the other children."

"I…I didn't mean to do what I did," a dark figure stuttered. "But they helped me stop by bringing me back my dolls. My…my father had hurt me, and…and they called me a victim." The female voice paused, as if something had just occurred to her. "I think they were right, too, but I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. They made him stop hurting me, and I was then able to stop myself. They saved me, and they saved those people I would've hurt."

"My son, Stanley, was kidnapped by…by a bad man who was suffering from a disease of his own. My son, he's blind, so when he went missing, I was devastated. Anything could have happened, but the BAU found him, thank god. He was at a fair- on the Ferris Wheel- with the man when he killed himself. They took care of my son and treated him the way he deserved to. They protected without treating him like the situation…the situation was something that he was too young to understand." The mother- the team would later recognized as Joyce Wolcott- paused to force a smile on her face. "I remember at the end, when they found him, one agent talked to him about what had happened, and he was just so kind. They took such good care of my son, and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome."

"Those were just a few of the great testimonies we were sent about the BAU team, and the rest of them can be viewed on our online site. We here at Fox 7 news would like to thank the team in half of the community as a whole-"

"You've helped so much, Spencer," Sarah restated. "People do care, and they care that you helped."

Spencer barely heard Sarah, as he was still distracted by the news that he had just heard. Had he really helped that much? Had he made that much of a difference?

"It's time for me to go, Spencer," Sarah sighed.

"Wait, how did you-"

He was cut off, though, by the sudden presence of a dark-hooded form. It came closer to Spencer before taking the hood off, and as he did so, he smiled. Spencer gasped and immediately jumped back.

"Why are you afraid of me, Spencer?"

~* Happy New Year *~

You should know it took me HOURS to decide which victims to use! So, who IS the last ghost? I hoped you liked the news feed, by the way, because it'll come back a bit later with an interesting twist toward the end. I hope you all had a great holiday! Also, my CM holiday contest is just about over with, so check out the entries! Cheers and New Years Wishes!