A/N: Hello again, everyone!
A shout-out to ahowell1993, tannerose5, Kelly, Amy, Susan, Martha, Betty, and Skylar for reviewing Chapter 39!
Please do enjoy and apologies for any mistakes!
Also, I would like to credit ahowell1993 for helping me with this chapter as well as the previous chapters.
And my apologies for the use of language in this chapter.
Warning: this chapter (may) contain contents/mentions of sexual assault; reader discretion is advised.
"Hi, my little cabbages," Reid baby-talks to Élise's growing belly before kissing her belly. "You are just weeks away from being in mommy's arms as well as mine. I love you so much."
"Oh," Élise clutches onto her belly. "I can feel them kicking in the exact same spot you tapped my belly."
"Which means we can play with your bubbly belly well before they're born." Reid cries out for, "Anastasia?"
"Yes, daddy?" Anastasia runs into Reid's arms.
"Tap on mommy's belly, but gently, okay?"
"Oh."
"Did you feel them kick?" Reid asked.
"Yeah!"
"Oh," Élise sat back down in the rocking chair. "Oh."
"Relax, Élise." Reid said, "Just take deep breaths."
"Okay." As Élise soothes her belly, "Oh, and just to let you know, I…invited my parents, brother and sister-in-law to Washington DC for a few days. I haven't heard back from them yet, but…"
"Really? That's great." Reid smiled. "Ready to see grandma, grandpa, Uncle Arthur, and Auntie Brenda?"
"Yeah!"
"That's good." Reid kisses her head before commenting to Élise, "I think it's great you're committed to repairing your family's relationship."
"Just trying to take one step at a time," Élise said before going over her weekly pregnancy to-do list. "Now, we have the hospital bags packed up and ready to go, right?"
"Check."
"We got the double car seat, strollers, and everything else we got from the baby shower last weekend?"
"Check."
"And a check to myself for doing my daily designed exercises for D-day. Now…" Élise let out another groan. "Fetal kick counts. I did one set this morning and I'll do another set this evening."
"Sounds like we're well prepared, huh?" Reid said before the three of them heard knocking at the front door.
"Wonder who that would be?" Élise steadily gets up and follows Reid. As he opened the front door,
"What are you guys doing here?"
The team makes their way inside their home.
"We need you, Reid," Prentiss said with urgency.
"What happened?"
"It's Cat Adams."
"The murdering black-widowed bee-yotch who got back at Spencer for sending her to prison by having her two toy flying monkeys frame him for murder?" Élise answered before she noticed the looks on the team's faces. "Yeah, Spencer told me about Bang Baby."
Rossi insisted, "Get your go-bags ready."
"We got our bags all packed up and ready to go yesterday; let me just go take my guns."
Prentiss stopped her, "Élise."
"Don't worry, I'm fully licensed and registered," Élise suggested.
"You might want to take a seat."
"Why?"
Prentiss gave her photographs and when Élise took a look at them,
"Oh, hell no."
"What?"
"My parents. My other brother and sister-in-law."
"Where are you going," Prentiss asked as she followed a wobbling Élise.
"Even I know you're not this stupid, Prentiss." Élise snarky replies. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going into that interrogation room."
"Élise…"
"I don't know about youse guys, but Bang Baby better tell me what I want because God help me as he is my rightful witness, I will flog, punch, kick, bitch-slap the truth and/or answers out of her if I have to."
"You are 30 weeks pregnant." JJ reminded her.
"With twins," Tara added. "Don't you know the risks of premature birth?"
"Oh, I know, alright. But right now, I don't care if I am pregnant with triplets. I don't care if I am pregnant with quadruplets. Hell, I don't even care if I am pregnant with octuplets or the heir apparent of Wakanda; I'm still kicking her ass."
"You can't just walk in there and start beating her up. No matter how much she deserves it." Rossi tells her.
"Watch this." Élise shoved Alvez and Simmons out of her way and slams the door, staring face to face with,
"Cat Adams. AKA Miss. 45."
"And you must be Él-ise Bas-tien. You're about as pretty as…Maeve Donovan." Reid refused to let anyone, especially her, sees his emotions affect him, especially when she mentioned Maeve Donovan's name.
"That's my name; don't wear it out, Bang Baby."
Cat nods her head, "Bang Baby." Turning her attention towards Spencer, "I like your wife already, Spencie."
"You and I got a problem."
"Oh." Cat innocently taunts Élise. "What's the problem?"
"Kitty Kat, you're either really stupid, something is seriously wrong with you, or just straight up done lost your damn mind." Élise seethes.
"What are you talking about…?"
"YOU WENT AFTER MY FAMILY!" Élise shrieks.
"Did it make you mad?" Cat remarks with snide.
"You didn't make me mad; YOU JUST SURE AS HELL PISSED ME THE FUCK OFF! AND YOU SERIOUSLY WON'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M REALLY PISSED OFF!"
"Élise!" Reid tries to stop her from attacking Cat before Élise lets out a groan.
"Might want to be careful now." Cat taunts. "Won't want anything to happen to your babies, now, huh? Just be thankful I didn't go after A-na-sta-si-a."
"Spencer, you better get this bitch before I do something to her."
"Élise." Reid rubs the palm of her hands, "Please. Let me try and handle her, okay?"
"Only because you said so, okay?" Élise gives him a peck.
"Yuck." Cat baby barfs in annoyance.
"Don't hate, Bang Bang." Élise stood to the corner with her arms crossed.
Now Reid was serious,
"What do you want?"
"Guess what?"
Élise was not playing around, "I don't have the time, patience, mindset and damn straight as a line not in the mood to be fucked with and no, I don't mean to pardon my dirty French."
"I mean a deal with the 70 murders or whatever and I'm going to be executed."
"You're going to hell?" Élise sarcastically replies. "Congratulations. Let me get you a basket to put you in and then I'll write a note to Lucifer, hoping that he takes such good care of you."
"Like how Griffin took care of you?" Cat slyly remarks.
"You know, even if I didn't have feelings, that doesn't hurt anymore."
Cat looked doubtful, "Anyhoo, instead of the last meal, I want to go on a date with you."
As Reid gets in her face, "The only date I'll be having with you with when they strap you down for that lethal injection."
"Fine. Then be responsible for the deaths of your pregnant wife's family."
"Bang Baby," Élise was ready to give her a serious tongue lashing, "Let me tell you something now. Because I swear to God…"
"I'll do it." Reid quickly accepts.
"Say what now?" Élise raised her eyebrows.
"You heard your husband, toots."
"I'm not talking to you," Élise replies. "Just shut the hell up for now and lick your fur."
"Élise…" Reid grabs ahold to Élise's hands. "Please."
Élise sucked her teeth and got in Cat's face, grabbing her by her collar, "Anything happens to my husband or my family, I swear to God, Boo Boo Kitty Kat, I will personally pour hell down on you." Élise lets her go and bangs the table before she and Reid walked out.
"I'm surprised she didn't smack Cat's face," Simmons whispers to Alvez, who nods his head in agreement.
"I'm surprised she didn't beat her up when she walked in," Alvez replies back.
"What did you just say?!" Élise angrily asked Alvez and Simmons.
"Nothing." Alvez and Simmons simultaneously answer.
"Good."
….
Élise stared in pure disgust as she and the rest of the team watch Reid leave with Cat with a SWAT team behind.
"Don't wait up." Cat cockily said as the elevator doors closed.
"God help me," Élise muttered under her breath before she forcibly opened the doors leading to the BAU bullpen.
"Are you okay," Rossi asked with concern.
Trying to relax, "I've never been better: my family, whom I'm trying to repair my relationship with, has been kidnapped because apparently I pissed off Bang Baby when I married Spencer and is currently 30 weeks pregnant with twins. I'm trying to keep my cool, despite the fact that Bang Baby wants to play one last game with Spencer. My body's starting to hurt. Yeah, I'm fine."
"Maybe you need a massage," JJ suggested.
"Oh, thank you." Élise sounded relieved. "I desperately need one."
"I'll get some supplies," Garcia offered to help.
"I'll start massaging your feet." Matt got right to it.
"Oh, thank you, Matt," Élise said before telling him. "And when you and Alvez keep looking at me like something's wrong with me, I get this overwhelming urge to hurt you two."
"She's scaring me," Matt whispers.
"We know."
"Why are we here?" Cat said with her arms crossed. "I wanted to go ice skating."
"Because for obvious reasons, we don't trust you with blades, so this was the closest choice."
"I want to go ice skating."
"You'll take what we give you and you'll like it," Reid said with authority in his voice.
"Oh, I like this side of you." Cat purred. "Do you talk to Él-ise like that? I bet she gets turned on."
"What's wrong?" Prentiss asked Élise, who suddenly began crying.
Élise sobbed, "My husband is with that dirty kitty cat. And my family..."
"We're going to save them." Tara comforts her.
"And if you don't…I'LL HURT YOU ALL!" Élise swiftly started to shout. "I'LL FLOG THE SHIT OUT OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND THEN POUR SALT, PEPPER, HOT SAUCE, LEMON AND OTHER SPICES ON YOUR WOUNDS!" Suddenly quiet before raising her voice again, "And then afterward, I'LL THROTTLE AND SHANK THE SHIT OUT OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM!" Élise repeated the exact same words in French and French-creole. Suddenly calmed down,
"Why are you all staring at me like that?" She innocently asked.
"Nothing." A speechless Prentiss said.
"You're glowing." Garcia complimented.
"Oh. Well, that's good. And thank you. May I get some Oreo ice cream, please?"
"I'll get it for you," Matt said before whispering to Rossi, "Because you're really starting to scare me."
"Whoa, whoa!" Reid struggled to keep his balance on the rollerblades.
"You suck." Cat declared. "Death is suddenly better than you."
"Well, forgive me if I'm not very good at this."
"I bet you're good in bed." Cat runs her hands up Reid's arm. "How else did you and Él-ise get stuck with twin babies?"
"Speaking of babies, what happened to your baby?"
"Excuse me?" Cat quietly asked.
"What happened to your baby?"
Unexpectedly, Cat slaps Reid in the face, causing him to fall and for her to leave the rink.
"Take me to your house."
"Excuse me?" Reid suddenly followed her off the rink.
"Take me to your place, now," Cat demanded.
Reid raised his eyebrow, "Is that how you ask for something?"
"Is that how you talk to your precious little A-na-sta-si-a?" Cat smugly asked.
"Please, I suggest you keep her name out of your mouth." Reid clenched his teeth.
"Take me to your house, please." Cat bats her eyes.
"Now that's more like it."
As Simmons drove Élise to the house with Garcia and JJ,
"Now remember…"
"Bang Baby's a manipulative, calculating, narcissistic bitch who hates men with a passion due to her own history with her own father and enjoys cat-and-mouse games where she thinks she can outsmart everyone and everyone around her."
"Pretty much, yeah."
"I double majored in Psychology at Rutgers, so I know a thing or two."
"Prentiss and Alvez will be listening in, okay? Just try to keep calm."
"Until now, I think I was completely calm."
"By the way, Élise, how many guns do you have?"
"Two. Why?"
"Just thought I asked." Simmons answered before whispering to himself, "Because I'm scared you're going to shoot someone."
"You say something?" Élise asked.
"Nothing."
"Why the hell are we here?" Cat asked as she and Reid were standing at the front door of a gray-beigey two-story farmhouse/national folk style house. "This is not your big, fancy house."
"Élise is having the house fumigated, so we can't go in there. And knowing her, she'll just shoot you at first sight and claim self-defense."
"Feisty lady you married."
"I love my wife."
Cat gets closer to Reid, "I'm sure you do." Feeling herself against him. "I've never said this but I've always thought you and I seem to have a better connection than ever. Even more so than the last time we saw each other before Él-ise came into the picture."
"I'm sure we do."
"Allow me to challenge that." Out of nowhere, Cat began kissing Reid on the lips with such passion and aggression.
"WHAT FRESH MOTHERFUCKING BLOODY HELL IS THERE THAT I'M LOOKING AT!?"
"Oh no," Reid said in his head.
Reid turns to see a fuming Élise.
"Élise…"
"Get in this house." Élise grinds through her teeth.
"Élise…" Reid tries to explain again.
"You and Bang Baby get your asses in this house right this yoctosecond or I'll kill you both RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Reid immediately rushes into the house while a smug-faced Cat follows him. Telling Alvez and Prentiss, "I'd tell you all you may have to hire someone to protect this bitch from me, but I want to take care of her myself." Slamming and locking the door behind her.
"I didn't mean to poison your marriage."
"You poisoned yourself, bitch."
"Élise…"
"Shut up, Spencer," Élise ordered him as she made her leather belt flick a couple of times, startling Reid a bit. "I should take this belt and beat you with it if not throttle you to your death with it. If I had a stick, I'd kill you with it."
"You can. Or you'll never see your family again. Your choice, Preggy." Cat said as she casually sat down.
Élise thought about it for a few more seconds before tossing the belt aside.
"That's what I thought." Cat haughtily said.
Joining Reid on the couch,
"What do you want, Bang Baby?"
"What does anyone want" Cat claps her hands together. "What does a person like me want?"
"A therapist or a keeper probably?" Élise sarcastically replies. "Preferable one who comes with an owner's manual on you?"
"How about I tell you a little story about your husband?" Cat eyes Spencer. "Do you know everything about him?"
"Of course."
"Do you really?" Cat raised her eyebrows as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah." Élise grabs her cell phone and hands it over to Cat, "Where's my family?"
"Let me tell my story first. Wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun, huh?" Turning her attention to Reid, "Would you like to tell her, or should I?"
"Tell me what?"
"The last time your hubby visited me and I'm not talking about when you went missing."
"Are you trying to tell a story or are you just wasting spit?" Élise was already getting bored.
"Well, before that, honey the last time he saw me was when he got released from him."
Reid muttered, "After you framed me for a crime I didn't commit."
"Yeah, I'm not speaking to you. Anyway…I had some news to share with him."
"That you got a therapist?" Élise blankly said.
"No. I was pregnant."
"Say what now?" Élise raised her eyebrows.
"I…was...pregnant." Cat smugly said.
"With another man's baby." Reid pointed out.
"Please, Spencie. That look doesn't work." Turning her attention again to Élise. "But yeah, I did make Spencie think he was my baby's daddy."
As Élise moved her shoulder, "Not that I'm going to care anyway, but, uh…what happened to your baby?"
"I didn't have it. I miscarried it." Cat's eyes darted at Reid. "Because of you."
Élise raised her eyebrows again, "Say what now?"
"Tell her, Spencer."
Gulping, "I choked her. And I knew she was pregnant. But I didn't care."
"Spencer…" Élise shook her head.
"I miscarried the next day because of you."
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you two?" Élise scoffs, "I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but…I think I actually feel sorry for you. And I know how you feel."
Cat scoffed in skepticism, "You do?"
"Surprisingly yes."
"How?"
"I was pregnant before."
Reid lifted his head in disbelief, "What?"
"Yeah." Élise felt a tear coming down from her face. "Griffin Nicholas Richards aka Richard Griffin—who will forever be known as many words and names, noticeably The Bastard, to me—did a lot more damage to me than you think, Spencer. He didn't just drug me, or beat me, or even…spit on me every now and then."
"He raped you?" Spencer quietly whispered.
"More times than you think," Elsie felt her voice quivering. "Especially after he knocked me unconscious when he abducted me from my apartment and…" Élise covered her mouth before continuing, "But yeah. He raped me. And he…impregnate me. When Griffin told me I was pregnant, he even showed me the…pregnancy test to prove it."
"Sorry to hear, Él-ise." Cat blandly said.
"I don't need your pity." Élise spat out. "And while I was pregnant, for the next few months, bastard kept me chained up. He watched my every move to make sure the pregnancy went well and that I didn't do anything to mess it up. Then one day, I felt such agonizing pain and I bled heavily, and I didn't know why. He blamed me, and he beat me and…choked me…until I lost consciousness. And when I woke up…he slapped me. And spit in my face while I was down and he even…" Shivered, "He even urinated on me. I miscarried."
Élise felt her voice cracking again a bit. "He blamed me. He blamed me for the miscarriage and said he had something special planned for me the next time he saw me. And he did…or at least was planning to. He grabbed me by my hair and whispered in my ear, "If you thought you were suffering, I'm going to show you what suffering truly means. Like I suffered. And that's when I stabbed the bastard. With a knife he left behind." Élise goes into her bag and pulls out a small knife. "And this was the knife I used on him."
"And you kept it." Cat nodded her head. "I must say, Él-ise, I'm quite impressed. Tell me more. And believe it, I tend to get easily bored."
Hissing, "I wanted the bastard to suffer. The way I suffered for months. Torturing me. Making me pregnant. With his children." Élise almost barfed in disgust when she goes through her bag again and pulls out pictures of the sonogram. "Bastard even had his own sonogram machine since his late biological father was a doctor. And it…felt…just…so damn good showing it to him. And I did. Over and over and over. And truthfully…I didn't care if he was still breathing." Élise whispered the last few words.
"So, you killed him." Cat deduced.
"Yeah."
"Even though he was still breathing. And alive."
"Yes."
"It was self-defense." Reid quickly said.
"I'm sure it was." Cat doubted. "What a woman you married, Spencie."
Élise looked to Cat, "Don't worry, Bang Baby." As Élise soon eyes Reid. "Spencie himself had a hand to play in the bastard's death."
"It was self-defense in the third person."
"Uh-huh."
"You two really do deserve each other." Cat points out.
As Élise wipes her tears away, she gives Cat her cell phone, "I held my end of the bargain, you hold up yours."
As Cat took her cell phone, "Why yes I did."
"Élise…" Reid tries to comfort Élise, only to have her aggressively flick his hand away from her.
"Don't…please, just…" Élise snapped. Just as Élise snatches the phone from Cat, she uses every ounce of energy she had to deliver a hard slap across her face, a quick hard backhand slap and then a quick but hard punch to the face, which almost caused her to fall back into the chair,
"I should do much worst to, but, uh…you're going to hell anyway, so…" Élise grabs her bag and leaves, giving Prentiss her cell phone before leaving with her. As SWAT rushes in to immediately arrest her,
"Feisty lady you married." Cat looks to Reid. "Or feisty lady who might end up divorcing you."
As Reid, Cat, Alvez, and the rest of SWAT were driving back to the federal penitentiary,
"Do you want to know why I wanted to have this date night?"
"No." Reid didn't care anymore.
"Take a wild guess."
"Ruin my life."
Cat smiled, "Bingo! We have a winner. But I'm sure you would have done a great job without me."
As she got out of the back of the SWAT car and was beginning handcuffed and escorted,
"Goodbye, Spencie. I had a great time."
"Spencer…" Alvez tries to console him.
"Let's just go." Reid quietly said.
As Reid and Alvez stepped out of the elevator,
"Spencer…" Alvez tries to talk to him.
"Please, I just…" Reid stops him for the third time.
"You did what you had to do." Alvez eases him.
Reid doubted that "Sure I did."
As they entered the bullpen,
"Spencer!" Élise wobblily rushes to hug Reid with all her might.
"Élise! Are you…?"
Élise immediately kisses him on the lips,
"Wow." A surprised Reid said before noticing,
"Mr. Micha. Ms. Geneva. Arthur and Brenda. You guys are okay."
"Alive and well," Arthur said.
"Thanks for saving us." Brenda nodded her head to the team.
"It's what we do," Simmons said.
Ms. Geneva waves her hands, "Praise the Lord."
"Élise, about what happened…" Reid tries to explain.
Élise cuddles closer to Reid, "I know you did what you had to do." Whispering fiercely, "But let me tell you something, Dr. Spencer Walter Reid. If you ever, and I mean, ever, ever kiss another anyone else, especially another woman who isn't me, I swear, hell I promise you..."
"I won't," Reid assures him. "I won't ever again."
"You won't ever again what?" Arthur joins in as he started to pound his fists. "What did you do to my little sister, genius man?"
"I got it, dear brother." Élise smiles at Reid. "Don't worry."
"Okay." Arthur, Ms. Geneva and Mr. Micha motion to Reid that he is watching him.
"So, Élise…" Alvez needed to ask about it. "About…what Griffin did to do..."
"It was no surprise that Griffin drugged me. And tortured me. And indeed…raped me. Among many other things. Still, I remembered everything you guys told me about what he did to me and I'm still in therapy dealing with the aftermath. I mean, I do occasionally remember bits and pieces about what happened, despite being heavily drugged. But he didn't…you know; I had to say something to keep Bang Baby off her toes and to save my family. And you already know Spencer finished off Griffin."
"Oh, we know."
"By stabbing him 111 times." Élise continued.
"What?" Simmons asked.
Alvez questioned, "Huh?"
"Come again?" Garcia needed to repeat that.
"Yup. But still…I just can't help but have this feeling that…"
"Maybe he must have dosed you to remember certain memories," JJ reassured her.
"And who knows?" Prentiss figured. "Maybe they're permanent. They could be memories you might not want to know."
"Yeah." Élise nodded her head. "I mean, I guess that's true."
"Memories are kind of like puzzle pieces," Reid began rambling. "And it's—it's quite possible that in suppressing these for so long, you've sort of rearranged things. I mean, firm memories don't imprint on the developing brain until about age 5. And drugs; drugs can affect every person differently."
"True. But still…" Shrugging her shoulders. "I guess the only good thing that came from the ordeal with Griffin is that I'm not pregnant with his child or was ever pregnant with his child. I mean, seriously, who'd want his child?" Élise agreed as she massages her belly; not noticing how some of the team members exchanged glances at each other.
"I know I wouldn't." Tara raised her hand.
"Ditto." Garcia agreed.
"And you guys would have told me if he did impregnate me, right?"
"Oh, absolutely."
"And thanks for saving my family and putting Bang Baby and her accomplice where they rightfully belong." Élise thanked the team again before letting a groan.
"Ready to go home?" Reid asked.
"Oh, hell yeah." Élise wholesomely agrees. "I'm in the mood for a BLT sandwich. And, uh, everyone. Sorry about the mood swings and about..."
"It's just a pregnancy thing," JJ assured her. "Don't worry."
"Thanks anyway," Élise agreed again before leaving with her family and friends. As soon as they were out of their ear sight,
"Oh, thank God." Simmons let out a sigh of relief.
"Same here, bro." Alvez agreed with Simmons.
"Élise scares the hell out of me."
"In all honesty, I thought Élise was going to kill Cat and Reid."
"I understand Cat but Reid?"
"Let's just say something happened between Cat and Reid."
"Oh, is there a story or two you'd like to tell us, Alvez?" Rossi sounded intrigued.
Élise, Reid, Anastasia, and the rest of Élise's family gathered around the formal dining room,
"Heavenly father," Élise began saying grace, "Thank you very much for blessing us with this food on our table. We thank you very much for protecting us in our time of need. And we thank you, God, for keeping those under your guidance. In Jesus' name, amen."
"Amen."
"You know, I, uh…really am glad you all are okay," Élise said before taking a bite of her chicken lettuce cup.
"I'm sorry you all got caught up in my mess." Reid apologies.
Arthur lifted his head, "What do you mean?"
"It wasn't a coincidence you all were kidnapped."
"Someone from your past?" Brenda figured.
"This wee-yotch unsub has it in for Spencer ever since he arrested her after playing a cat-and-mouse game with her four years ago. A year after that, she had him framed for murder. And now this."
"But the most important thing is that we're all alive, well, and healthy." Mr. Micha said.
"Amen." Ms. Geneva raised her glass in agreement.
"Amen." Everyone said in unison.
