YUP, THIS IS IT- THE LAST CHAPTER! I'M MEGA-BUSY RIGHT NOW, SO MY NEXT STORY *SEE PROFILE PG* will be posted a bit later. I haven't even started it yet, an d I still wanted to give your guys some sort of Christmas story, and I have an idea I've been toying with. Thnx for reading everyone; I'm so glad you all stuck with it up until the very end!

White Light-Endings aren't always Happy….(but they're not always bitter)

No one had really been aware of the date until Garcia said she was leaving. A frown on their faces, everyone asked why- they only had to stay one more day in Vegas; why the rush? She had pointed toward a calendar and shook her head. Without another word, she picked up her suitcase, mumbling about missing her flight back to Kevin's hometown. It had taken a moment for the others to catch on, but when they did, they couldn't help but frown. It was December 23rd, and if they didn't leave by nightfall, they'd never make it back before Christmas Eve. 'At least we won't miss Christmas', Prentiss thought. Another thought popped in her head, and she quickly whipped out her cell phone and dialed the number she had in mind.

"Hello?"

"You know it's the 23rd, don't you?" she asked. The pause on the other end made her smile a bit- turns out that even eidetic memories can be fooled.

"Why don't you guys take off?" It wasn't the reply she had been expecting, and although tempted to take the offer, she knew she couldn't leave Spencer alone to finish up the case. "I'm serious, Emily. I was thinking about staying here for the holidays, anyways." He hesitated for a moment, and if she had been talking to anyone but Reid, she would have taken it as her cue to reply. "My family's here." Still, she could sense what words were lingering in his mind, words like reconnect, talk things out, and even unfinished business. She knew better than to expect him to speak them verbally, though, so instead of arguing, she just nodded her head and sighed.

"All right; I'll tell Hotch to get the jet ready."

~* WL *~

"Who was that?" William Reid frowned. "Are you sure you want to stay?"

Spencer had taken William and Annabelle's offer for a dinner at his father's house, and now they were in his Christmas-decorated living room sitting on his maroon-red couches. 'He never used to decorate for Christmas; why the sudden change?' he dully thought. He pushed away his thoughts to focus on his father's question, and he found himself merely nodding his head as an answer.

"Spencer, why didn't you tell me that things were so bad at school? I could have helped you-"

"You left, Dad, and even if I had seen the letter, I would have tried…would have tried it anyways. The only part you had on that day when I was in the field was leaving, and even if you had stayed, I still would have done it." Spencer wasn't sure if his words were meant to be reassuring or dismissing, but even if they did mean something else entirely, his point had been made. Reluctantly, he sighed and leaned back on his father's couch. He was tired of speaking about his troubled past, and all he wanted to do now was change the subject. An idea came to mind, but he wasn't sure of what kind of reaction it would trigger. He looked from his father to Annabelle, and he was suddenly reassured that his plan would work.

"So how long have you been seeing Annabelle?"

The older adults lowered their eyes to their glasses as Annabelle shook her head. "I told you he would catch on- he's a profiler for god's sake!" she scolded.

"I'm sorry, Spencer, but with everything that was going on, I just wasn't sure if I should tell you yet or wait until things were a little more normal," William placed his glass cup on the table and almost smiled. "Well, you know now, and that's all that matters."

"It's okay, I really do understand. If I were in your position, I probably wouldn't have, either," Spencer nodded.

"How about we go out tonight?" Annabelle suggested. "You know, get to know each other better. It's Las Vegas, I mean, so everything's still open. There's plenty we could do," she half-smiled. William nodded in agreement before Annabelle turned to face Spencer. "What about you? You up to it?"

"Uh, my team still has a few things we need to go over about the case before heading home- you know, paperwork and all. I'd love to go, but since I'm staying for Christmas, we could do it tomorrow…?" Spencer suggested. He was only half lying- honestly! His team did have things to go over, but they were things that he had agreed to do himself; besides, they had all left by now. There was something that he had to do before leaving, though, and he had a feeling that he needed to go now or he wouldn't be able to.

"Oh, that's fine," Annabelle smiled- this time, though, it was sincere; genuine even. She stood up with the younger man and escorted him to the door. "I hope to see you soon, Spencer."

"Yeah, me too," he said.

"Don't be a stranger; come around when you're ready," William added. With a final round of good-byes, Spencer walked away.

~* WL *~

"You shouldn't be here."

The man kneeling above the grave jumped in surprise, but Spencer pretended not to notice. He continued walking the few feet that separated them until he was side-by-side with him, facing the grave.

"I need to let this go," Greg sighed. "I can't live with her haunting me."

"I bet if she were here, she'd agree," Spencer nodded. "It wasn't your fault she died, but I know what it feels like to think it is. It's not healthy, and you're one-hundred percent right- you do need to let this go."

Greg let out a shaky breath as he lowered his good hand closer to the grave. Spencer just then noticed the white rose located in the unsteady hand, but he kept quiet. He was only there to support Greg, not tell him how to let go. It was different for every case- every victim- and that was a fact that Spencer was too aware of by now. The dainty flower slipped out from his hand, and they watched as it landed in front of the tombstone. Greg shoved his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes as he nodded his head to and fro. A few seconds later, they were open again, and he turned to face Spencer. "All right. I think I'm ready now." Spencer mumbled something in response, but they were both too preoccupied to notice what the word was.

Silently, the two law enforcers walked from the graveyard with a slow stride. Neither of them was in any hurry, after all, and since they were in Las Vegas, they didn't have to worry about the cold too much. After several minutes of walking around the cemetery, they reached the gates. They paused before returning to their cars, nodding gratefully.

"I appreciate that, Spencer. It really does mean a lot to mean," Greg said seriously. The playful tones were gone from his voice now, and even his attire-black and neon- had somewhat altered in the black tuxeodo. Spencer himself nodded as well, and as he opened his door, he replied with a thanks of his own. Greg too opened his door, a frown on his face. "What did I help you with?"

Spencer sighed before hesitatingly answering. He tried to be as vague as possible, and he was almost positive he had succeeded, too. "We all have a case like this, Greg, a turning point. It won't be your last one- trust me- but it will get easier when you realize how to deal with them. You wouldn't understand my predicament, but just know that you helped me cross some bridges of my own."

"I suppose I can respect that," Greg nodded. "Will I see you again?

Spencer just smiled as he nodded his head. "And even if we don't meet in person, you have my phone and email. We'll keep in touch, yes." With a reassured smile from Greg, the two men slammed their doors shut and drove away.

~* WL *~

William Reid answered the door with a smile on his face, but as soon as the door fully exposed who laid in waiting on the other side, his smile turned to a straight face. He knew his son wasn't in the mood for merry-making quite yet, and he would respect that much, at least. Annabelle joined him a few seconds later wearing a similar expression.

"I think I'm ready now."

The End

That was it everyone! I really hoped you guys liked it. I know it was a bit rushed, but I really want to start my holiday story before Christmas, and I've got some things going on in RL. Thnx for sticking with it- Happy Holidays!