A/N~ This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter, I'm sorry! But it does involve one character leaving, and another appearing for the first time, so… yeah. It also takes place over several months, too - I'm not sure exactly how many, as Criminal Minds doesn't really have an exact timeline to it. Okay, I think I'm done with the explanations.

Disclaimer: I only own the band, people! The song used in this chapter is Just Tonight, by the Pretty Reckless. And I forgot to say so last chapter, but the song there was She's So Gone from the movie Lemonade Mouth.

Ariel's P.O.V.

Unfortunately, I hadn't had a chance to go and meet Elle before she was allowed to go back on duty. Spencer and I tried several more times after the party, but either the team would get a case, or she wouldn't be home. I could've just gone to meet her on my own, but we had decided against that, as we had no idea how she would react to a random stranger showing up and announcing that she was the wife of one of her teammates.

As the months went on, and it got closer and closer to my next tour date, we stopped trying altogether. We were too busy trying to spend every moment that we could together before we wouldn't see each other for another six months, except for the occasional time when we would end up in the same city.

Spencer dropped me off at the airport three days before Elle was due back to the team, and I could tell that it was weighing on his mind. "Hey." I told him as we walked towards a security checkpoint. "It'll be alright, Spence. I'm sure that she'll take it just as well as the rest of the team did."

My husband laughed. "Then I think that you must be remembering how they reacted wrong, because I don't remember them taking it as well as you apparently do."

I laughed too, before going up on my tiptoes to give my husband one last long kiss. "Don't forget - let me know if you guys are gonna be on a case while we're having a show, okay?" I told him. "I'll leave you a ticket."

He smiled. "Alright, I'll remember." he promised. "As long as you remember to call me every night or two."

"As long as you pick up." I teased, before growing serious again. "I love you."

Spence smiled at me. "I love you, too."

I gave him one last kiss, before grabbing ahold of my bags and heading for the security checkpoint. I could feel Spencer's eyes on me as I walked away, and I did my very best to keep any tears from falling.

"LA, here I come." I muttered softly.

8888

Spencer's P.O.V.

I was walking past the elevators, when I noticed her.

Elle was standing in the middle of the hallway, looking… apprehensive at best.

She smiled at me. "Well, if it isn't Dr. Reid." she drawled.

I was surprised to see her back already - she wasn't supposed to be back for another few days at least. "Elle! Wow!"

We stood there, awkwardly looking at each other, while I tried to figure out an opportunity to tell her about Ariel. I had been hoping that she would just notice my ring, but so far she hadn't, so I was struggling to come up with a Plan B.

Luckily, I found my opening pretty quickly.

"Nice haircut." she told me, and I instinctively put my hand up to run it through my hair.

"Thanks." I told her, putting my hands back in my pockets. "Yeah… I like your haircut, too."

Her smile got a little bigger - a little less forced - for a moment. "Is that a boy's regular?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, it is." then I got self-conscious for a second. "Wha - do you not like it?"

"It's totally you." she said. That was my opening.

"Thanks." I told her. "Ariel said that too - although she says that she likes it both ways, because when it was longer, she could practice braiding on it…" I was rambling, and I knew it, but I just couldn't seem to stop myself. I was hoping that she would catch the name, and then be so distracted by that that she wouldn't even notice the rest of what I was saying.

"Ariel?" she asked, looking confused. "Reid, who's that?"

I blushed a little, bracing myself for all of the different possible ways that she could react. "Ariel is, um… she's my wife."

"Your wife." she said, her voice a complete monotone, but that wasn't what worried me. What worried me was that I couldn't read her facial expressions at all, because she had put on a mask of indifference as soon as I said the word 'wife'. Or maybe it wasn't a mask - maybe she just didn't care.

But I didn't have a chance to find out which it was before Hotch came over.

8888

It was another week or so before anyone mentioned Ariel again. By that point, I had started to arrive at work as early as possible, and leave as late as possible. The only one who stayed longer than I did was Gideon.

I was getting another cup of coffee when the man in question came down from his office.

"Doesn't anybody ever go home?" he asked as he made his way past Elle and me.

"You're here." she replied.

"Exactly." he said, bending over to look through the fridge in the break room. "Trust me, you don't want to model your social life around mine."

Just then, JJ came walking over with files in her hands. "If it makes you feel any better, Hotch and Morgan took off."

"Hotch is married," I told her. "Morgan's, you know, Morgan."

"So are you." Elle said, and then clarified when I looked at her, confused. "Married, I mean."

I could feel my shoulders slumping a bit as I thought about that - about the empty apartment that was waiting for me. "Ariel had to leave town for work." I explained. "She won't be back for another few months at least."

Everyone was quiet for a minute - everyone except for Gideon.

"What's this?" he asked, flipping through a case file.

JJ looked relieved by the subject change. "Police in Dayton, Ohio need our help with a serial rapist…"

8888

Ariel's P.O.V.

We were just getting onto the tour bus to leave LA when my phone started playing "Safe & Sound". That was one of the first songs that Undiscovered Nemesis had gotten on the air, and it was one that Spence and I had written together. I smiled as I flipped my phone open.

"Hey babe." I said as I gave Gabe a playful shove and then sat down in his seat. He flipped me off and sat down next to me, letting me use him as a pillow. "What's up?"

What he said surprised me. "I think Elle is leaving."

"What?" I asked. "Why would she do that?" Spence had been keeping me updated on everything that was happening in the BAU as time went on, but I was already missing him more than anything, even with our daily calls.

"You know how Hotch had her go and talk to a therapist after she shot an UnSub?" he asked, and I nodded. Then I remembered that he couldn't actually see me.

"Yeah, I remember." I said. While I hadn't really liked how she went about it, I definitely understood why she had done it. If I had been in her shoes, I might have done the same thing.

"Well, she never showed up." he said. "She also didn't show up to get on the plane for this case, and neither did Hotch. I think that he's going after her."

I sat up, accidentally elbowing Gabe in the crotch. "Shit!" I said. "Sorry Gabe."

Spence laughed knowingly. "You just elbowed him in the crotch, didn't you?" he asked.

"Oh shut up." I said, and he laughed louder. "So you really think that she's going to leave?" I asked, getting back to the topic at hand.

My husband sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I really do." he said softly.

"I'm so sorry, babe." I told him softly, before deciding to change the topic. "Hey, so we're going to be in Vegas for at least a few nights - I was planning on stopping in to visit Diana."

I could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "Sure." he said teasingly. "Keep rubbing it in that she likes you better, why don't you?"

I laughed at that, as we both knew that that was about as far from the truth as possible.

"Well, either way, sweetheart, it'll be okay." I told him. "I promise."

He laughed softly. "You're right."

"Ah, my favorite words." I teased, and he laughed again. "Alright, I gotta go, babe." I told him.

He sighed softly, before saying, "Fine. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

I hummed in agreement. "Love you."

"Love you too."

8888

The next few nights were concert nights in Detroit, so I didn't have a chance to call my husband until we were back on the road again. And even then, I didn't call him - he called me.

It was around nine-thirty at night when I got the call. "Hello?" I asked. I was sitting in the dressing room that the stadium had provided for Kat and I to share, putting on the last bits of my stage makeup. I was honestly impressed with the costume that they had come up with for me this time - a black lace hi-low dress with a poofy skirt, black knee-high combat boots, and a skull nose ring. It was feminine, but not overly done.

"Hey." Spencer's voice sounded tinny. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." I said. "Where are you?"

"I'm on the plane." he said, and then there was a pause, and I faintly heard a voice in the background. "Gideon says hello."

I smiled. "Tell him I said hi back." I heard him give my message, and then I heard something that had me sitting up straight. A woman's voice. It was faint, but I could clearly tell that it wasn't JJ or Garcia, and according to Spencer's latest voicemail message, Elle had quit.

"Who is that?" I asked, and - while I would never admit it - I could feel myself growing slightly jealous.

"What?" Spencer asked. "Oh, the voice? Yeah, thats, um, Prentiss - Emily Prentiss. She's new… she replaced Elle."

"What's she like?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

"She's actually quite impressive so far." he said.

"And does she know you're married?" I asked.

He laughed in disbelief. "Ariel… are you jealous?" he asked, and I blushed, shaking my head no, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't actually see me.

"Of course not!" I denied, and he laughed even harder.

"You are so jealous!" he said happily. "I thought that I was the only one that got like that!"

"Oh, shut up!" I said, even though I was laughing too.

Once we finally stopped laughing, he told me, "Yes, she does know." he told me. "At least, I'm assuming she does."

"Alright." I sighed, as Kat tapped my shoulder. I turned to look at her, and she signaled that we were due onstage in three minutes. "Hey, babe, I've got to go - I'm due onstage."

"Okay." he said, although I could hear the twinge of disappointment in his voice. "I'll talk to you soon, I guess."

"Of course you will." I said. "Love you."

"I love you too." I told him, before hanging up and smiling at Kat. "Let's do this." I said.

8888

Everything went dark, and the crowd grew silent as a wave of anticipation washed over them. Then the lights slowly came one - one spotlight at a time, revealing each member of Undiscovered Nemesis as fog rolled across the stage. First to be revealed was Kat Simms, and the spotlight shone on her as she starting to strum a slow melody.

The next spotlight lit up slowly, revealing Ari Ross as she began to sing.

Here we are
And I can't think from all the pills, hey
Start the car and take me home.

The other spotlights came on - first on Gabe, then Finn, then finally Lee, as they all began to play as well.

Here we are
And you're too drunk to hear a word I say
Start the car and take me home

The crowd started to go insane as they kicked it up a notch, starting in on the chorus.

Just tonight I will stay and well throw it all away
When the light hits your eyes
Its telling me I'm right
And if I, I am through
Then its all because of you
Just tonight

A/N~ Thanks to all of you for everything - reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! I can't believe that we reached over 50 reviews! Here's an early update to say thank you - but please keep reviewing!

Thanks to ToTheStarButPickMagic, ahowell1993, Hippiechic81 (I think this is your first review, yay!) raspberry dreams, and KirkSauber for their reviews!