Hello, everyone.

For quite some time now, I've been thinking about writing an alternative (For)Ever After. What if Élise was never abducted by Griffin? What do you think Élise and Reid's relationship could have been at the time without Griffin? Anastasia on their blooming relationship?

They say, "All good things must come to an end" or "Every ending is a new beginning," and it is. But just because CM has ended doesn't mean I can't still write CM fanfiction.

Criminal Minds forever remains in the hearts and souls of the fans, the cast, the crew.

WHEELS UP FOREVER!

2005 - ∞

Enjoy!

My apologies for any mistakes.

Previously from "Anastasia…"

"We got ourselves a case. And it's quite a big one…Geneviève Jeannette François aka G.J. François…"

"…Her husband: Nicolas Arthur Edwin Johannes Reinhardt. He's been sending threatening notes and letters to her, saying she will regret leaving him, she will pay for taking the children with her. And the children…Ovid…Tiberius…Mario…and…Anthony…"

"…Ms. G.J. François is pregnant with their fifth child and she's afraid he'll come after her family, too, not just the children…"

"You are going to find him, right? You don't know that man. You don't know him at all. He will…"

"Agents and officers will be driving by periodically, along with the extra security," JJ assured her.

"And I'll be able to see my sons again, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. Call us if you need anything, okay?"

"You know, if anything were to happen to me, I just want to leave this world knowing that my children are loved and all I want for them to know that they would be with people who will love them...make them feel safe…and protected…"

"We got her!"

"Please…help my baby…It's a girl..." She gave them a braving smile as she showed them her newborn child.

"She's perfect." Reid complimented. "What's her name?"

"Anastasia…uh…Anastasia Nicole…Mathilde…." She let out a quiet painful cry. "…uh…Diana…"

"Please…don't leave me…"

"I'm not leaving you, ma'am…"

Grabbing a hold of his arm, "I need to tell you something…Promise me that she will be looked after and surrounded by people who will make her feel valued, loved, safe, protected…ah…"

"Ma'am…"

"…I don't want her to think that she entered this world thinking she was not loved and abandoned. I want her to know she came into this world knowing she was loved and wanted more than anything else in this world. Please! Promise me!" The pleading in her tone of her voice, even her tears, was real.

Taking a deep breath himself. "I promise."

"Oh, god!"

"Prentiss! We just found the rest of the family…"

"…And her four sons…"

"…She never made it off the table."

"…I would like to foster her."

"You've been granted emergency temporary custody of Anastasia."

"Which one of you is Dr. Spencer Reid?"

"I am, ma'am."

"She's all yours."

"I'm…going to adopt her."

Morgan almost choked on his hot chocolate. "You are?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Congratulations, doctor. And especially to you, Anastasia Nicole Mathilde Diana…Reid."

"Anastasia Nicole Mathilde Diana Reid. Your name is now Anastasia Nicole Mathilde Diana Reid."

"To Anastasia!"

"Anastasia!"

"Look at this picture, sweetheart," Sitting in the white rocking chair, Reid points to Anastasia—already in her pink bunny pajama set—as she was sitting on his lap. "And look at this one."

It was a recent picture of him and Anastasia at her Gotcha party.

And another one of Anastasia smearing cake on Reid's face.

"Dada." Anastasia points to Reid in the picture. Looking up to Reid, "Dada."

Reid chuckles. "Yeah. That's me. That's when you covered cake all over my face. It was delicious, though."

As Reid smiled with Anastasia trying to slowly turn the page, "You can do it, now," Reid encouraged her.

Reid grinned. "Atta girl. That's my girl."

Next was a picture of them and his mother.

"That's us with Grandma," Reid whispers in Anastasia's ear, massaging her small shoulders. "Remember her? Remember Grandma?"

"Na…na." Anastasia mumbles. "Na…na."

"Yeah, that's right. That's Nana." Reid kisses her head before turning the page…

…And it was a picture of her and Élise.

"That's Élise. Your nanny, right?" Reid whispers again.

"Ma…e..."

Reid cocked his head, sounded a bit confused, "What'd you say?"

"M…e. Na…e."

"Yeah," Reid's voice puckered up. "Yeah. She's your nanny."

"…E…E…" Anastasia muttered as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Reid figured, "Are you ready to go to sleep, little one?"

Anastasia let out another yawn but a bigger one and rubbed her eyes.

"I take it as a yes," Reid said, closing the album book and put it back in its place as he got up from the rocking chair. Holding Anastasia in his arms as he walked over to her crib. "Come on, now. It's time for you to go beddy-bed."

As Anastasia yawned again, "You really are sleepy, aren't you?"

Anastasia yawned again.

Reid giggled, "You yawn like a cute little sleepy baby tiger." Kissing her head and forehead before gently placing her in her crib. "Oh. Good night, my sweet little growing Anastasia." Placing his hands on her cheeks, "It's been a year, two weeks and five days ago since the courts placed you in my custody and now, a year, three weeks and two days later…you're my daughter." A tear fell from Reid's eye as he chuckled. "My daughter. I know I told you about your mommy, Geneviève. And your brothers, Ovid, Tiberius, Mario, and Anthony. And your family." Reid reaches into his wallet and reaches for two photos.

He first showed her a picture of her biological family before showing her a picture of just her biological mother and four brothers.

"I'll tell you everything about them when you're older. Until then, they'd want you to have a good life. You had a great year, so far, despite a few setbacks…"

That day in the park with the shooting…

When Anastasia said her first word on Reid's birthday…

Reid saw her first crawl…

When Anastasia was hospitalized with RSV…

Her first Christmas…

Her first birthday…

Her first visit to see Diana Reid, Ethel, and Gordon…

Her Gotcha party…

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Reid vowed. "This I swear."

Reid kissed his index and middle fingers and pressed them on Anastasia's forehead. He starts to hum to her before singing her favorite song as he caresses her, "If you smile/Through your fears and sorrow…/Smile and maybe tomorrow…/You'll find…that life…is still worthwhile/If you…just…smile…"