Hello, everyone. And a shout-out to ahowell1993, Martha, Amy, Kelly, Susan, Skylar, and Betty for either favoring, following and/or reviewing Chapter 15.
My apologies if I had made any mistakes but please do enjoy the chapter!
Make sure you are all safe and sound with the COVID-19 pandemic going on.
Previously from the last chapter…
"…There is one, Theo Holston. There's something about him…I just…"
"Maybe he's trying to connect with you." Élise figured before taking a sip.
"I guess."
"…Theo emailed me about information on a former VICAP agent, Owen Quinn…"
"Can I help you with something?"
"Élise, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Mary Meadows."
"…And we also have Benjamin David Merva in custody, the leader of a cult called The Believers…"
"…I'm always fascinated by the work of the BAU. I guess maybe that's why Agent Quinn always aspired to join you guys."
"Stop talking to her."
"I don't like her."
"The last time I had a vibe like that, I got kidnapped and taken hostage and captive by Griffin…."
"I'll watch my back," Reid assures her.
"Are you at Hotch's place?"
"Yep…"
BANG!
"I gotta go!" Reid hangs up.
"Spencer?! SPENCER!?"
"Thanks again you guys for picking me up," Élise said as she got out of the backseat, "After what happened over the phone with Spencer…"
"Understandable," Simmons replied as he, JJ, and Alvez got out of the SVU. Wandering their heads around,
"I don't get it," Élise wondered. "How could no one be here?"
"The evacuation." JJ figured, shrugging her shoulders.
Élise adds, "But Spencer and Penelope…"
Simmons cautioned as he points out a pool of blood, "Heads up, you guys." Pulling out their weapons,
"Stay behind me, Élise," JJ advised her as they followed the blood.
"Why do I already have a bad feeling about this?" Élise asked.
They continued to follow the sight of the blood until they reached a trail…
And sees Agent Owen Quinn lying on the ground, shot in the stomach, but still alive and barely breathing.
"Ugh…" Quinn moans. "Oh..."
"Oh, hell…" Élise rushes to tend him while Alvez gets the ambulance. "Hey-hey-hey," Élise tries talking to him as she began applying pressure to the wound. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay."
"Reid…"
Élise picks up his head, getting him to focus in on her, "Everything's going to be okay. We'll find him and Penelope Garcia."
"…She took them…" Quinn hoarsely said.
"Who took them?" Élise asked as she continued to apply pressure.
"Meadows…."
Élise froze and her jaw dropped. She began to flashback when she first saw Meadows approach Reid's desk and the way she observed the picture of him and Anastasia sitting at his desk.
And the way Élise saw Meadows talking on her cell phone.
Panicking, "Where's Spencer and Penelope?"
She began patting his face when he began to lose consciousness, desperately asking him again, "Agent Quinn, where's Spencer and Penelope? Agent Quinn, where are Spencer and Penelope?"
"Ma'am, please step aside," A paramedic said to her.
Alvez helped a dazed Élise up and let the paramedics do their jobs, "Come on, I got you."
"Oh…uh…"
"It's alright." Alvez consoles her. "You did a good job. I'll ride with him to the hospital."
"Uh…"
"You should clean up," Alvez advised. "You got…"
Patting Alvez's hand, thanking him before riding with the ambulance, but yet, Élise could barely get a word out of her mouth. She spotted Garcia's car. Running over to it, she sees their items. Their phones and bags.
Including Reid's gun, which Élise soon took.
"Oh god…" Élise faintly said; she knew for a fact Reid would never go anywhere without his gun.
Or his phone.
The same with Garcia.
Hazily walking over to JJ and Simmons by the bloody column and skid marks.
"…But whose blood is this? What if whoever took Merva hurt Spence or Penelope?" JJ nervously asked as she covered her mouth.
"We'll find them," Simmons promised as a disoriented Élise approached them. "Élise…"
"Bitch took them." Élise hissed as she walked towards the elevator.
"Which bitch?" Following Élise, "Who took who?"
"Meadows," Élise said as they stepped into the elevator. "She took Spencer and Penelope."
"Meadows took them?" JJ asked incredulity Élise again as they all stepped into the BAU bullpen.
"Yes." Élise confidently confirmed them. "Quinn told me, which means she shot him. And who knows what else she…?"
Élise sets her eyes again on Reid's desk. Dashing over to it, she noticed the picture of him, and Anastasia was taken out of its frame.
"Oh, hell no…" Élise frustratedly shakes her head.
Simmons asked, "What happened?"
Élise shows him the empty picture frame, "Bitch took the picture of Spencer and Anastasia."
Simmons sighs and shakes his head. "You don't think…" He began to doubt Élise a bit as they all headed to the conference room.
Slamming the picture frame, "I had a bad feeling about her," Élise admits. "And the last time I had a bad feeling like that, I got kidnapped, taken hostage, and captive by Griffin. I saw the way Meadows looked at this picture and you should have…"
"Meadows is behind the escape of Merva," JJ said.
Élise waves at her arm, confirming again, "Again, my point. Thank you. Exactly."
"Okay. We're back online." Prentiss said as she walks in. "Garcia's computers were hacked by someone in this building."
"Meadows was in this building." JJ pointed out.
"Again, Meadows." Élise retorts.
"And she's behind on the escape," Prentiss adds. "Which means she's our number one suspect. We need to know everything about her."
"She's the only suspect. I mean, you should have seen her when Spencer was talking to her about Merva. I mean…" Élise counters before sighing. Élise pitches her nose as she shook her head. "I…I gotta warn Hotch and Brookfield. But first, I should…" Élise points to her bloody stain white shirt. "I got…"
"You go do that," Rossi responds as he tosses Élise an FBI shirt.
"Thanks." Élise leaves and goes to Reid's desk again. She opened his drawer and found a backup phone she kept hidden. Dialing Hotch's number as she rushes to the bathroom,
"Hotch? Hey. It's me. Listen, there's something you have to do."
Élise fixes up the oversized FBI shirt as Alvez and Simmons were on Garcia's computers. Alvez turns his head and sees Élise bagging the bloody shirt. "Okay. I had Hotch take Anastasia and Mother Reid to a safe house with Gina."
"That's good." Alvez said before asking her, "You okay?"
"I will be once Spencer and Penelope are saved," Élise answered. Her voice trembled a bit but still manages to hide it from them.
Simmons asked. "So, how long was Meadows with Merva?"
"I don't know," Alvez responded. "But if she is in a cult, we won't find a paper trail. She's been in VICAP for years. Must have been one hell of an interview to trick the Bureau."
Simmons includes, "She certainly has the connections to pull it off."
"Which also certainly means she has the connections to take Spencer and Penelope." Élise rejoined as she stood beside Simmons.
"Why is he racing downstairs?" Alvez asked as they watched Reid run down the emergency exit, pulling out his revolver.
Soon they watched Reid helped escorted Meadows back upstairs; Meadows started to use her phone.
And he doesn't have his revolver.
"What happened in the garage?" Simmons also asked. "They came up, but Garcia is still down there."
"I heard a gunshot over the phone," Élise answers. "The shooting must have happened down there, and Reid went down to investigate."
She further watches Reid escort Meadows to a room,
"And there's Theo."
"The couple's son." She said as Alvez and Simmons both shook their heads.
"Reid said that the Believers think that Theo is their next Messiah."
"Yeah, but Theo wanted no part in it," Élise mentioned. "He killed his parents, he told you guys everything about the cult." Continue to watch, they see Reid, Theo, Meadows, walking before Reid pulled the alarm.
"Reid must have convinced Meadows that pulling the alarm was the best distraction to escape with Theo and Merva." Simmons thinks.
"He wanted to prevent her from shooting anyone else," Alvez concluded. Before watching more of Reid, Theo, Meadows, who soon had Merva into the elevator with them,
"Oh, this sick bastard and that simple bitch," Élise growled.
"Reid knew we find this. Let's go back to the top." Simmons rewinds the video. As they see Meadows on her phone, Reid looks into the camera.
"He's making eye contact. But he wouldn't risk saying anything."
"No, he would not," Élise agrees.
"Look at his hands." Alvez pointed out.
"He's using sign language to communicate," Élise noted. "B-E-N-S-B-E-L-I-E-V-E-R-S. Ben's Believers."
"He knows we figured that out. Why is he reminding us?" Simmons asked.
"I'm sorry, you guys." Élise shakes her head, rubbing her temples with two of her fingers. "I…I-I can't…" She leaves the room in a hurry, only to experience a flashback,
"Stay back, Griffin…!"
Élise heavily exhaled, her body began slightly quivering.
"Or what?"
BANG!
"Élise?"
"Whoa!"
Élise jumped but calmed herself when she realized it was Alvez. Sighing again,
"You almost gave me a heart attack." Élise breathed.
Alvez backed up a little bit, "Sorry."
Élise sat down at the nearest bench. "I can't…"
"We'll find them," Alvez assures her as he sat down next to her.
"You're not going to find them alive," Élise disagrees, hissing.
"Élise…"
"Meadows and Merva." Élise corrected; her voice fumed in anger. "You better find them before I do. Because I will kill them the way I killed Griffin."
Alvez sighed when Élise mentioned her abusive ex. "Élise…"
"I know," Élise guessed what Alvez was about to say, "I know. It was self-defense. I know. Otherwise, he would have killed me. And probably do you all and the world a favor and kill himself. I know. PTSD."
"PTSS." Alvez corrects her, "Post Traumatic…"
"Stress Syndrome." Élise finishes. "Because it's an injury, not a disorder."
"Yeah. I'll admit, it's never easy having to kill someone." Alvez harmonizes with her. "Good or bad."
Élise tries to change the topic of the conversation; she began patting and rubbing on her chest, "I rather not talk about this right now; I get enough of that with therapy. This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis with Spencer and Penelope at the hands of the Believers who use God and violence as an excuse to justify the crap they do."
"There's no shame in asking for help," Alvez advises her. "If you need to talk, I'll listen."
Élise smirks, "Thanks."
Alvez strokes her knee before getting up and joining the rest of the team, leaving Élise to pounder by herself.
"No shame in asking for help," Élise repeated Alvez's words.
Meadows chuckles as she and someone else was dragging a handcuffed Reid, "I meant what I said. I think you should consider yourself lucky I didn't go after your mother or that precious daughter of yours." Meadows shows Reid the picture that was in the frame in his desk she had someone take of him and Anastasia. "What's her name? Anneliese? Anamaria?" Smirking. "Oh, I remember, Anastasia. She's what, eighteen months? Nineteen? Maybe twenty? Where does the time go? Kids do grow up so fast, don't they? I'd bet if I had taken her, it would have made you cooperate better. Or better yet, your mommy. Would have been really easy for me to take your daughter as well with her derailing memory."
Reid hissed as he faced her, who still had a smug look on her face.
"Listen well. Because I'm only going to say this once, bitch."
"Spencer…" Garcia tries to ease the tension.
"Quiet, Penelope." Reid barks at her before facing Meadows again. "God, help me if you touch my mother and my daughter, hell if you even breathe on them, hell, if you keep thinking about them right now, I will beat the hell out of you RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! And believe me, I have no problems putting my hands on a bitch like you."
"Spencer, please…" Garcia tries to calm him down.
Reid snapped. "Shut the hell up, Penelope."
"Oh, I'm so scared." Meadows haughtily retorts with sarcasm.
"You're not going to get away with it." Reid roars as he was being held back.
Meadows sneers at him, snickering, "I'd say "watch me," but you won't be here to see it."
"I really hope you roll in hell," Reid growls.
Meadows counters, "And if I do, I hope I see you there."
"Reid has been the target all along; they just took Garcia as leverage," Prentiss concludes to the team as they finally realized why Reid and Garcia have been taken.
"Well, it makes sense," Tara figured. "They waited for the right time to declare war on the BAU."
"Excuse me," JJ excused herself; Prentiss soon followed after her.
"Ben's Believers…" Élise began thinking. "Ben's Believers…"
This made Élise think of a certain conversation she had with Reid.
"How many times were you held hostage, Spencer?" Élise asked Reid as they were watching a movie while Anastasia was taking a nap.
"I told you about Phillip Dowd, an L.D.S.K," Reid answers before taking a popped kernel. "There was this one time my team and I were held at the BAU by a former Navy Seal who had thought his family and everyone around him was replaced by imposters and there was a conspiracy against him."
Élise exclaims, "Wow. Crazy."
"He had Capgras syndrome."
"Named after the French psychiatrist, Joseph Capgras," Élise adds.
"Mm-hmm. I was even held hostage on a train."
"Really?"
"Yup. But I think one of the most memorable ones was when I was held hostage with Prentiss about ten years ago. She and I went to infiltrate the cult as child interview experts to investigate Benjamin Cyrus, a statutory rapist and ephebophilic cult leader of the Separation Sect."
Élise shuttered, "Ew. Sounds like a gross bastard who used God as an excuse to justify his actions."
"He was, but God stopped him." Reid agrees. "Prentiss even took a beating for me when he asked us which one of us was the FBI agent."
"Damn."
"She told me not to feel guilty about it and that she would do it again, but…"
"You do what you do to protect the people you care and love."
Reid agrees again, "You got that right."
"Benjamin Cyrus!" Élise shouted.
"What…?"
Élise repeated, "Benjamin Cyrus. Since this is about Ben's Believers. Merva's first name is Benjamin. Maybe Merva sees himself as the new Cyrus, but a more violent one."
"Well, it does make sense." Rossi agreed with Élise's theory. "That was one hell of a day; ended in a big boom."
"We should probably look into it," Simmons suggested.
Élise placed her hand on her stomach, unexpectedly feeling sick.
"Excuse me…"
Élise walked out and found the nearest trashcan, preparing herself to vomit, but that sudden feeling went away. Élise sighed before taking a seat on the nearest bench.
"You okay?" Rossi asked as he sat next to her.
"What if something happens to them?" Élise asked; her voice quivered.
"Nothing's going to happen to them," Rossi assures her.
Élise grunted in frustration, "Had I know something like this would happen, I would…"
"…Been with them. Or worse."
"Dead?'" Élise predicted what Rossi would have said. "Had I not shot Griffin…"
"You're going to drive yourself crazy with the what-ifs. You're alive because of what you did. As well as others."
"I know." Élise fiddles her fingers. "I even told Reid I loved him before I left here. What if that's the last time I'll ever say that to him?"
"It won't be." Rossi comforts Élise. "Trust me."
Reid was walking with Meadows and one of the henchmen behind him when he took a quick look at Theo and Merva together.
"Solar panels, guns, food. Let's be off the panel, just take me. let Theo go."
"Theo's not a hostage," Meadows replied. "He's a divine gift. He was raised at the ranch to be a leader until your team destroyed everything. You didn't stop to think how that would look a decade later? How Theo was forced to depend his weak parents? They were the follows not the leaders. And you…none of you ever thought about us ever again. You never considered how angry we'd be? Your government underestimated our fate. And you'll see."
"Everyone's looking for us," Reid promised. "They're never going to stop."
"Unlike the BAU, we've learned from our mistakes. But I can tell you this, no one's ever going to find you." Meadows shows Reid the picture of him and Anastasia again. "Which means you're never going to see your precious little girl again." Meadows mocks him. "She's young; she probably won't even remember you and forget about you when she's older…"
"Say one more word about my little girl…" Reid snarled.
"Like your mommy…"
Reid barked, "Just…one more word about her and my mother and I swear..."
"…Just like you've forgotten us."
"Cyrus said God wanted to save me." A calm Reid said.
"And he was right." Meadows said as Reid watched the henchman's rifle
Reid got a quick clutch at the henchman's rifle and attacked fast, causing all the cult members to proceed, even Theo, who pushed some of the members back from himself and Reid. Reid eyeballs Garcia quickly making her escape.
"Looks like the team will find me after all, huh, bitch?" Reid insults Meadows as he was grabbed from behind.
Meadows gives him a snarky look before going after Garcia.
"Yeah, Smile makes her fall asleep quick," Élise said as she was on the phone with Hotch, who called her when Anastasia asked that her father singing to her as she couldn't go back to sleep. It was a good thing she kept a video of Reid singing Smile. "And how's Mother Reid?"
"She's resting well," Hotch assures her. "You guys are going to find Reid."
"Yeah. I better get going. Later. Tell her and Anastasia I give them my love."
Élise smiled as she hung up. Hotch's words comforted her. They are going to find Reid and put the Believers right in their rightful place in hell. Just as she was walking back into the bullpen,
"Garcia?!" Élise ran to her side, trying to comfort her as she numbly came out of the elevator, barefooted. "Are you okay? What's happened to you?"
"Oh my god," JJ runs to her side. "Are you hurt?"
"They're at a warehouse with…" A stunned Garcia said to the team, "18 minutes from here. I can take you there. You have to hurry. They have Reid. He's been bleeding."
As the team moved out, Élise stood behind with JJ to console Garcia. Élise eyes Rossi and gives her a nod, signaling her that he'll let her know the second they found Reid.
"Okay, thanks." Just as Élise gets off the phone with Prentiss and Rossi. "The Believers killed Theo and the warehouse was cleared out."
"Oh, god." A nervous JJ said. "That means they still have Spence."
"Unfortunately." Élise said before commenting, "And from the way the warehouse was cleared out, they left in a hurry." Élise exhaled before frustratingly pounding her fists. If she could, she would break everything in the conference room. Motioning herself to calm down,
"It's my fault." Garcia tearfully confesses. "I…I…"
"What did you do?"
"Meadows forced me to make the vehicles untraceable." Tearing. "She threatened to kill Reid if I didn't and I just…"
"Listen to me, Penelope." Élise urged Garcia to listen. "This is not your fault. Do you hear me?"
"Élise…"
"They've been gone for less than an hour," JJ mentioned. "They're probably still in Virginia. Okay? Have a little faith."
Garcia sadly scoffs and left the roundtable room, leaving just Élise and JJ.
"Let's give her a couple of minutes," JJ suggested with Élise agreeing.
Reid began having a flashback moment from one of the many conversations he had with Cyrus during the hostage situation,
"I can't tell you the number of times I've investigated abuse charges against small religious groups. Almost all of them turn out to be false.
"What do you think of that?"
"Doesn't really matter what I think."
"It does to me."
"Why?"
"Because God wants to save you. I mean, that's why he sent you here. That's the reason."
"Reid told me about the beating you took for him, Prentiss," Élise said as she was ripping and cutting the pictures of Meadows and Merva from the conference room over a trashcan. "And that you would do it again."
"Yeah, I did," Prentiss said. "And I meant what I said, hell, I have no problem getting my hands of them if they do anything else to him."
"You and me, both," Élise replied.
"Is there anything that could have some significance to where they could be heading?"
"Okay," Garcia typed as fast as she could. "He was born under the name Charles Mulgrew. He was convicted in Kentucky at the age of eighteen for three counts of statutory rape. Once he was inside, he found religion and became a model citizen."
"They could be heading to Kentucky…" Élise figured.
"Since that's where he was practically 'reborn.'"
"Great work, Garcia." Prentiss praised as she noticed Élise packing up her stuff. "What are you going?"
"I'm coming with you guys," Élise answered.
"Not a good idea;" Prentiss reasoned. "You're a civilian…"
"I want to be there for him," Élise said, "You guys were there for me when Griffin came back into my life."
"You wait with everyone else."
Élise gives her a thumb's up, "Deal."
"Let's get into the air, narrow down which city before we land. Let's circle back to the religious compound Cyrus brought to the cult. Reid and Cyrus quoted scripture a lot. 10:23 could be a lesson." Prentiss said as she and the rest of the team headed towards the elevators. Élise asked, placing her hand on Garcia's shoulder.
"You want me to stay with you, Garcia?"
"I'll be fine." Garcia breathed. "Please, just…bring him home. "
"We will," Élise promised as she headed with the team.
Reid flashed back to some of the best moments in his life.
JJ asking him to be both Henry and Michael's godfather…
Morgan not only naming him godfather to his son but is partially named after him…
Being a father to Anastasia…
Being a son to his mother…
Being with Élise…
Which also made him think of a certain decision involving Élise…
Which soon came to a blunt ending when he rendered unconscious the Believers henchmen.
Élise was in the jet kitchenette, getting herself some water when she heard someone approaching her.
"Hey."
It was Rossi.
Élise softly replies. "Hey."
"Good how you figured out Matthew 10:23."
"Perks of growing up in a religious household," Élise remarks before reciting Matthew 10:23, "When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. Makes sense since the cowering sons and daughters of bastards and bitches fled Virginia to come to Kentucky." Élise sighed heavily, "When we get there…"
"Don't think like that," Rossi tells her. "We will find him alive. Mama Reid is not outliving her son and Anastasia's not growing up without her father."
"I know. I know. When you guys get there, make sure you guys give the Believers a message for me."
"What?"
"In the words of my mother's favorite gospel singer, Shirley Caesar: 'Satan, we're gonna tear your kingdom down.'"
Reid finally regains consciousness when Merva walked in the tent. He tried to pull himself away when Merva grabs him by his arm and led him.
"And how, these three remained: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
"Corinthians 13:13," Reid answered. "Faith and the new beginnings. 300 to protect Eden, that's why you choose your victims."
"Victims? They're our angels."
"Your protectors, but you see me as your enemy."
"No, they see you as the bravest of them all. During the raid, Cyrus gave you many chances to leave but you choose to stand behind him. he admired you back them and he told us all. He didn't see you as the others, he saw you as the great one. That's why God choose you to survive."
Reid sees Meadows clothed in all red, along with some of the others. "She blames me for Cyrus' death."
"She has to blame for someone," Merva tries to justify her actions. "Grief consumes her without it."
Reid guessed, "So, this isn't revenge?"
"We aren't monsters."
Reid doubted that.
"…A time to be born. And the time to die."
He could almost see the team.
"A time to weep…and a time to pluck up…that which has been planted."
"Okay. He's stalling. That's enough." Meadows exclaimed.
"Let the sacrifice begin." The team could hear Merva. "Protect us from all harm."
"Let the sacrifice begin. Protect us from all harm." The members said in unity as they watched Reid get strapped down. Once one of SWAT fired their weapons, the cult members scattered, and the team and Élise made their way towards Merva. Once Simmons, Alvez, and Prentiss shot the henchmen with the rifles.
"MERVA!" Prentiss sees him with a knife at Reid's throat and took no chances,
BANG-BANG!
Soon, Merva falls and JJ hurried over to Reid and unbuckled him; Prentiss checked on Merva.
He was dead.
"Thank you." Reid soon hugged JJ, who immediately hugged him back.
"Are you guys alright?" Reid had to ask; JJ nodded her head. "I'm so ready to go home and get out of here."
"Aren't we all?" Rossi hugs him before whispering in his ear, "There's a surprise waiting for you."
"I can't handle any more surprises," Reid warned him as Rossi helped JJ carrying him.
Rossi smirks, "Trust me; you'll like this surprise."
Élise fiddled with her fingernails, patiently waiting for the team. When she heard the gunshots, she feared the worst. Her nervousness eased when she saw some people coming out of the shades,
"Spencer…?" Élise mouthed. Her eyes widen and her jaw dropped. "Spencer?"
"Élise!" Reid's face lit up a bit when he saw Élise waiting with the paramedics and SWAT cars.
"Oh, thank you, God!" Élise called as she dashed over to embrace Reid, almost pushing Rossi, and knocking JJ out of the way. "I got you. I'm right here. I'm here."
Reid sighs, "I knew you be here."
Élise giggles as she pulls back from the hug and observes Reid's bruised face. Patting it, "How are you feeling?"
"Hanging in there. You?"
Élise lightly chuckles before she sees Meadows being taken into a SWAT. Immediately lowering her eyes and pursing her lips.
"Surprisingly, no."
A wrathfully composed Élise walked towards them,
"Excuse me."
Once she gained their attention, she uses this chance and gives Meadows a swiftly hard bitch slap, a backhand slap, and a punch to the face that reduced Meadows unconscious.
Deeply exhaling, walking back to Reid's side,
"I'm better now."
She hugs him again, which made him smile and embraces her back. Out of the blue, Spencer began to feel lightheaded,
"Hey, are you okay?" Élise worryingly asked.
"Uh…uh..."
"Spencer? SPENCER!"
"Hey there, sleepyhead." Élise sighed in relief.
Blinking his eyes, Reid groans before realizing he had an oxygen cannula attached in his nose and ears and had IV tubed attached to his arm.
"Did I pass out?"
"Yep." Élise simply answers. "It's only been a couple of hours."
Resting bis head against the pillow, "Where's the team?"
"Stocking up on quick sleep and food." Élise goes into her bag and pulls out a red Jell-O cup and a plastic spoon. "I rather eat this than hospital food."
Reid chuckles, "Yeah." Sighing. "Meadows said I was lucky she didn't go after my mother or Anastasia. And she even…"
"Oh, I know." Élise looked at her balled fist. "She's lucky I didn't kill her. By the way, I had Hotch and Gina take Anastasia and your mother to a safe house."
Reid heaves a sigh, "Thank you. Thank you so much for being here for me. And Anastasia."
Élise sits next to him at his bedside. "I wanted to." She gently places her hand over his, allowing him to hold onto it. "You two were there for me when it mattered. You mean everything to me."
"And you mean everything to me." Reid smiles before uttering these words,
"Will you marry me?"
Élise's mouth dropped. She was speechless.
Reid began to stutter, "I…I-I-I-I know it's unexpected but…after what happened, I…I don't want to wait another minute..."
A tearful Élise cups her hands to Reid's face,
"Yes!" She cried, smooching his lips before climbing into his bed and on top of him, continuing to kiss him. "Yes! Oui! Oui-oui! Sí! Si! Ja! Yes, to infinity and beyond!"
They continued kissing until they heard Reid's hospital door opening, causing Élise to jump out of his bed and fixed themselves up.
It was Rossi, who had a blank expression on his face.
"Hey, Rossi…" Élise waves.
Reid follows, "Yeah, we were just…"
Rossi presses his finger to his lips, smirking before closing the door.
Élise bit down on her lower lip and raises her eyebrows before jumping back into his bed and presumed to kiss.
"You need anything?" Élise asked, fluffing his pillow, and adjusted the blanket.
Reid pats her hand, "I'm fine, thank you."
Élise blushingly smiles as she sat down across from Reid on the couch. Soon, Prentiss sat across from him, asking,
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I am."
"It'll take a while, but those will fade. You look like of tough." Prentiss casually him.
"Thanks," Reid smirked. "That's what I was going for."
Prentiss chuckled as did Élise.
"I…I've always had a hard time saying what I feel and…and I think maybe it's because I'm afraid of being disappointed." Reid confessed. "But… I've never said…how much I love all of you."
Everyone smiled when Reid said that.
"That's the beauty of family. We already know."
Reid smiled back.
Stepping out of the elevator, Reid hugs Garcia, thanking her for escaping the Believers before rushing to hug his mother. She affectionately looks him in the eyes and smiled at him. Anastasia sleepily looks at Reid before giving him a soft smile,
"Dada…"
Reid began crying a bit as he kisses and hugs her so tightly to the point where he never wants to let go of her.
Reid feared he would never see any of his team, his mother, his daughter, or even Élise ever again.
But it was over.
And he won big time.
A/N: I hope you guys liked my little surprise there!