Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. The occasional scenes from episodes of Criminal Minds in this story belong to the writers of Criminal Minds and CBS. No copyright infringement intended.
A/N: Shout out to fishtrek, criminalmindsrocks, OneTrueAkatsuki, Daisyangel, and lolyncut for reviewing chapter 32.
Rest in peace Katherine Johnson.
I'm not responsible to pay your dental bills if the fluffiness in this chapter gives you any cavities.
Diana who was already dressed up in her plaid skirt, a short-sleeved white blouse, a red sweater vest, a red tie, and her red blazer jacket looked at her foster sister who was wearing the same school uniform as her despite not wearing a sweater vest, "Are you excited about being one of daddy's Minions on Sunday while Bridget, Ariel, and I dress up as Margo, Edith, and Angus for Halloween?" asked Diana.
Ellie smiled, "I enjoyed seeing "Despicable Me" with my father, so I'm excited to be a Minion for you guys."
Spencer looked at his foster daughter, "I know that the upcoming holidays will be hard for you, but we're going to be making sure that have fun during your first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, and first Christmas without your father."
Ellie thought about knowing that her foster family practices Christianity and Judaism, "Are we going to be celebrating Hanukkah too?" asked Ellie.
"Yes," said Clarissa.
Diana grinned at her foster sister, "We're going to Connecticut the afternoon after Thanksgiving and we'll be home for the first night of Hanukkah."
"Why are you going to Connecticut next month?" asked Ellie.
Spencer gave Ellie a sad smile, "On Ariel's and Caden's first birthday, it will be the tenth anniversary of the day my Aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon who raised me after my biological parents died."
"Bridget, Evan, Ariel, and Caden have yet to see where mommy and daddy met, so we're driving up to New Haven to visit Aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon's grave and celebrate Ariel and Caden turning one before we spend mommy's and daddy's anniversary in New York City since Papa Dave surprised us with a trip to New York City to watch the Rockefeller Christmas tree be lit when we celebrated daddy's birthday."
"Sounds like a fun trip," said Elle.
Clarissa smiled at Ellie, "Since you're now part of our family, you'll be going to New Haven and New York City with us from November 26th to December 1st."
Ellie smiled, "Thank you for letting me come with you guys."
Diana grinned at her foster sister, "We wouldn't be having fun in New York City if we leave you behind."
Spencer looked at the clock on the microwave, "We should start leaving for school and work."
A few minutes later Spencer, Clarissa, Diana, Bridget, and Ellie were driving to Hotch's and Emily's house so Spencer can carpool with his brother-in-law and sister-in-law to work while Clarissa drove Diana, Bridget, Ellie, Jack, and Aria O'Connor to school.
Two hours later a Halloween mask clad Spencer was walking in step into the conference room with Emily as he carried a typical plastic bucket that was filled with candy as he looked at his sister-in-law, "The cool thing about Halloween is that it's a uniquely American holiday," said Spencer as he removed his mask, "I mean, despite its obvious origins in the Celtic Festival of Samhain and the Christian All Saints Day, it really is a melting pot of various immigrants' traditions and beliefs. It became a little more commercialized in the 1950s with trick-or-treating, and today it rivals only Christmas in terms of popularity," said Spencer as he stopped by the round-table.
Emily looked at Morgan and Rossi as she sat down, "Even though the kids all manipulated me into dressing up as a Minion for Halloween, all I asked was what he and Clarissa were doing after taking the kids trick or treating."
"Clarissa surprised me with tickets for us to go to the reenactment of the 19th-century Phantasmagoria," grinned Spencer when Garcia entered the room.
"I don't want to know," said Rossi.
"Oh, yeah, you do. Phantasmagorias are these amazing pre-cinema projected ghost shows invented in France, where the showman attempted to spook the audience using science magic," said Spencer excitably.
Emily, Garcia, Morgan, and Rossi all smiled as they thought about Spencer's favorite holiday being Halloween and he passed down the love of his favorite holiday to his children when Garcia looked at her teammates.
"Guys, I wouldn't have to worry about losing my feminine curves if you all paid more attention to all the trees we're consuming around here," said Garcia as she passed out files before she sat down.
"When did you become an eco-freak?" asked Morgan while Hotch entered the conference room.
"Baby, I was born green," said Garcia.
"We're going to Detroit," said Hotch.
Spencer flopped back in his seat in disappointment and exclaimed at his brother-in-law, "It's Halloween weekend! I was looking forward to Ariel's and Caden's first Halloween."
Hotch inwardly smiled as he thought about the excitement his brother-in-law has been showing about his most favorite holiday when it came to decorating his house and his desk the past month.
"Arson investigators have noticed a three-year trend in the days leading up to Halloween," said Hotch.
Spencer realized why they were going to Detroit, "Devil's Night."
"This unsub is killing only these three days out of the year," said Hotch.
"How's he doing it?" asked Rossi.
"He's burning his victims alive. He's abducting seemingly random people and dumping their bodies in abandoned parts of town. He struck again last night," said Hotch.
"Yeah," said Garcia as she started to show pictures of one of the victims, "Tony Torrell, 40. He lives in the suburbs, but he was found 20 miles away in the Rivertown District."
"He's attacking the city at its most vulnerable time," said Rossi.
"What does he do during the rest of the year?" asked Spencer.
"He's dormant," said Rossi.
Spencer looked at his teammates, "You know, arsonists are typically white males between 17 and 25 who can't stay away from fire."
"Yeah, they're addicted to it and there's no rehab," said Morgan.
"And they target dwellings, not people," said Spencer.
"So you're saying he burns his victims alive but he's not an arsonist?" asked Garcia.
"Fire is simply his weapon," said Morgan.
"And Devil's Night gives him the perfect cover to kill," said Spencer.
"Then we've got 48 hours before he disappears again," said Hotch.
"Well, his last victim was athletic. He wouldn't be easy to subdue. The offender must be just as strong or might have an upper hand if he's younger," said Morgan.
"Still, how does he transport his victims across the city and get them inside buildings without being noticed?" asked Emily.
After briefing was over, Spencer got his wife on the phone and shook his head as his wife answered on the second ring.
"You have a case?" asked Clarissa.
"I do," said Spencer.
"Where are you flying to this time?" asked Clarissa.
"Detroit, Michigan," said Spencer.
"Even though it's sad that people are dying while celebrating Devil's Night, I'm so jealous about you being in Detroit at the time of Devil's Night," said Clarissa.
"I figured that you would be, but I'll try my best to be home in time to go trick or treating," said Spencer.
"Hopefully you do since Margo, Edith, Angus, and your Minions needs their Gru," said Clarissa.
Spencer smiled, "I'll do my best. I have to get going, but please kiss the kids from me."
"As long as you give me one when you get home," said Clarissa.
"I promise. I love you," said Spencer.
"I love you too," said Clarissa before hanging up.
As they were flying to Detroit, Emily looked at her teammates, "Now, I thought Devil's Night was Halloween Eve," said Emily.
"The moniker "Devil's Night" is somewhat deceiving. In Detroit, it's actually a three-day citywide cultural phenomenon, complete with masks, chaos, and costumes," said Spencer.
"Say that three times fast," said Rossi.
"Sounds like Mardi Gras," said Emily.
Spencer nodded, "Yeah, a violent one. Vandals and amateur arsonists literally set hundreds of fires."
"Who burns their own city?" asked Rossi.
"It started as pranks in the 1930s but escalated in the 1970s with disenfranchised youth," said Spencer.
"Well, given today's economy, it must be a free-for-all. They've got record-breaking unemployment and foreclosures, leaving a lot of displaced, desperate people," said Morgan.
"And every single one of these victims suffered unimaginable pain," said Emily.
"I'm sure that's what gets him off, watching them burn," said Morgan.
"It gives him power and control," said Hotch.
"The top of the whodunit list is first responders. Firefighters, arson investigators, cops, and paramedics," said Morgan.
"Civil servants with a hero complex," said Spencer.
"All of whom will be helping us," said Rossi.
"This guy's angry," said Emily.
"Aren't they all?" asked Rossi.
"Not like this. Have you seen these?" asked Emily as she passed Rossi the crime scene photos.
"Extreme anger usually manifests from a quick temper, but this guy's patient," said Spencer.
"I'm gonna ask Garcia to notify us the minute that someone's reported missing," said Hotch.
"Burns three people annually. It's like his Christmas," said Rossi.
"And the rest of the year he just plans- targeting his victims and then choosing the buildings he wants to kill them in," said Morgan.
"There's a flaw in his plan. We know about it," said Hotch.
Morgan looked at Spencer as he thought about Spencer and Clarissa being together for two Halloweens before he joined the F.B.I., "Did you and Clarissa ever go to Detroit for Devil's Night before you joined the F.B.I.?" asked Morgan.
Spencer nodded, "We went a month before our wedding. We had a great time and Clarissa sent me a text telling me that she's jealous that I'm going to Detroit during Devil's Night."
Later on that day during lunchtime, Bridget and Sammy grinned as they walked over to her mother or Aunt Max with pictures they drew, "Hi, mommy."
Clarissa smiled as she scooped up her three-year-old daughter, "Are you having a good morning at preschool?" asked Clarissa.
Bridget nodded as her curly pigtails that her father pulled her hair into bounced, "I drew a picture of a jack-o-lantern for daddy, mommy."
Clarissa smiled, "I'll make sure to take a picture of your picture and send it to daddy."
"Did daddy go on a case, mommy?" asked Bridget.
"He's in Detroit, Michigan right now, but he's going to do his best to make sure that he's home in time for us to go trick or treating," said Clarissa.
"Can we call him later?" asked Bridget.
"We'll call him at bedtime, Bridget," said Clarissa.
Max looked at the pictures that her nephew and Bridget drew, "You two are going to be quite the artists someday."
"Really?" asked Bridget.
Max nodded, "Either way, I can't wait to have you in my art class in a few years."
"I can't wait to take your class too because Diana loves your class, Miss Brenner," said Bridget.
A few minutes later Clarissa, Bridget, Max, and Sammy were eating lunch together while Bridget and Sammy told their mother or aunt about how they spent their morning before they went back to their classroom for nap time.
Later on that evening newly turned five-year-old Jack and little Evan were playing with Evan's train set when Jack looked at his two-year-old cousin, "I'm not going to dress up as Spider-man for Halloween, Evan," said Jack.
"Why?" asked Evan.
"Our daddies are much better superheroes than Spider-man, so I want to dress up like my daddy," said Jack.
Evan grinned as he thought about knowing that his daddy, uncle Aaron, and aunt Emily put bad men and women into really long timeouts, "Can I be my daddy for Halloween?" asked Evan.
"Are you sure that you don't want to dress up like a Minion for your daddy?" asked Jack.
"I look like my daddy and he calls me his little minion. So I want to dress up like my daddy," said Evan as he ran towards his closet and gave his 'Hotchner glare' to his dress shirts and sweater vests that he can't even reach, "I too short."
"Too short for what?" asked Grandpa Evan.
Evan looked at his great-grandfather and Anthony as he realized that Jack was going to go home soon, "Can you pwease keep secret, Anthony and zayde?" asked Evan.
Grandpa Evan smiled as he thought about his second great-grandson learning to speak Hebrew and Yiddish quickly ever since they started to live together, "Did you do something that would send you into a two-minute-long timeout or be sent to bed 30-minutes early without a bedtime story?" asked Grandpa Evan.
Evan shook his head as his ear-length brown curly hair bounced before he pushed his glasses that looked like his father's up the bridge of his nose, "No."
"After I told Evan that I don't want to be Spider-man, Evan doesn't want to be a Minion for Halloween anymore," said Jack.
"Then what do you want to be, Evan?" asked Anthony.
"I tell you in your ear, zayde. I don't want mommy or my sisters to hear," said Evan.
Anthony quickly lifted up little Evan and placed Evan by his great-grandfather's ear.
"I want to dress up like daddy for Halloween. I need my dress pants, a dress shirt, a sweater vest, a tie, my suit jacket, and my messenger bag," whispered Evan.
Grandpa Evan smiled, "I'll help you two with your secret mission."
A minute later Grandpa Evan was helping Evan pick out what clothes he wanted to wear before Anthony took Jack home with the clothes that Evan decided to wear as his Halloween costume."
xxxxxx
Two evenings later the Reid family and Ellie entered the Hotchner family home causing Spencer to grin at the sight of two-year-old Wesley and six-month-old Sabrina both dressed up as Minions like Clarissa, Caden, and Ellie were while Diana was dressed up as Margo, Bridget was dressed up as Angus, and Ariel was dressed up as Edith, "There are my minions to help me steal the moon," said Spencer as he imitated Gru's voice.
All the kids laughed while Hotch looked at his brother-in-law who was wearing a bald cap, a prosthetic nose, a black zip-up sweatshirt, a black and grey scarf, and a pair of black dress pants, "I don't think that I could ever get into the Halloween spirit like you and Clarissa."
Clarissa who was wearing a yellow sweatshirt underneath a pair of overalls that she found at a thrift shop and a pair of goggles underneath the contact lenses she recently got because of Ariel and Caden loving to grab her glasses, "Either way, you love it that I found someone who loves Halloween like me."
Emily who was also dressed as her sister-in-law to help give her brother-in-law many minions as possible nodded, "I still laugh about Spencer scaring Derek in the bullpen."
Spencer looked at his oldest son, "Let's go get you dressed up as my Minion."
Evan shook his head, "Jack help me get dressed alone."
"OK," said Spencer.
"Let us know if you need any help," said Hotch.
As soon as Evan ran off towards Jack's room, Spencer looked at his wife, "What is Evan up to? He refused to dress up as a Minion for me."
"I don't know since Evan and Jack swore Grandpa Evan and Jack to secrecy when both boys talked about plans that they had," said Clarissa.
A minute later Jack was speaking up from the stairs, "Don't look at me."
"I'm not looking. Are you and Evan almost ready?" asked Hotch.
"Yes, but Evan had to go potty," said Jack.
"Do you need any help?" asked Hotch.
"No," said Jack.
"OK," said Hotch just as Jack came into view causing Spencer, Clarissa, Hotch, Emily, Diana, Bridget, and Ellie to find Jack wearing a dark suit, a white dress shirt, and a red tie, "You are not Spider-man."
Jack looked at his father, step-mother, uncle Spencer, and Aunt Clarissa.
"He's not a real superhero," said Jack.
"He's not? OK, I give up. Who are you two supposed to be?" asked Hotch.
"I'm you, daddy," said Jack.
At that moment Spencer, Clarissa, Hotch, and Emily started to tear up while Diana, Bridget, and Ellie all grinned.
"Come here, buddy," said Hotch as he scooped up his five-year-old son, "OK. Let's go get some candy, my little G-man."
Spencer looked at Jack, "Maybe you should ask your daddy for his ID to make you officially look like an FBI agent."
"Great idea," said Hotch as he set his son down and quickly found his ID and clipped it to Jack's suit jacket.
"Now your an official FBI agent, Jack," said Hotch.
At that moment Evan who was wearing his dress pants, a white dress shirt that was underneath a red sweater vest, a clip-on tie underneath his sweater vest, his suit jacket, converse sneakers that Jack tied for him, and had his little messenger bag around his chest ran into the room, "I'm my daddy too."
Spencer instantly started to tear up as he swooped up his oldest son, "I'm honored, Evan,"
"Why you crying, daddy?" asked Evan.
Spencer smiled, "They're happy tears."
Clarissa who had tears falling down her face at the sight of two of her four favorite little boys being dressed up like their fathers smiled at her husband, "Do you have your I.D. badge on you?" asked Clarissa.
Spencer nodded as he quickly found his messenger bag and pulled out his ID badge and clipped it onto Evan's little messenger bag as he thought about knowing that Evan would get a Ph. D. in the future, "You're now official, Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Evan Reid."
Clarissa beamed, "If Jack and Evan end up working for the B.A.U., I can imagine both boys working on the same team someday."
Wesley looked at the man who he recently started calling daddy, "I dress up like you too."
Hotch smiled as he shook his head, "Then let's go get you into your suit."
Ten minutes later Wesley had finished changing into his suit just as Bridget's friend Sammy dressed up as a Minion arrived causing the Reid and Hotchner families to go trick or treating before Spencer and Clarissa headed off to attend the reenactment of the 19th-century Phantasmagoria together.
