A/N: Hello again, everyone!
A shout-out to AHowell1993 and hon3y-beee for either reviewing Chapter 62, favoring, and/or following the story.
First, let me just say rest in peace/power Alex Trebek. While you lived a rich and fulfilling life, Jeopardy will never be the same without you.
My apologies if I had made any mistakes but do enjoy the chapter!
Also, I would like to credit ahowell1993 for helping me with this chapter.
It was already thirty minutes, seventeen seconds, and counting past midnight, and Reid just couldn't stop staring at baby Séraphine. Everyone else was sleeping, but Reid was still wide awake, watching his little Séraphine sleeping without a care in the world in her bassinet. Stroking her chin,
"Hey, Séraphine." He whispered. "It's daddy again." Reid smiled. "I love you."
Séraphine sleepily opened her eyes and smiled when she briefly saw Reid before going back to sleep. Reid smiled ear-to-ear before kissing her baby forehead.
"Who's your daddy, Séraphine?" Reid gently cuddles Séraphine as Élise finished applying makeup as they were discarded and prepared to leave the hospital soon, two days after welcoming their daughter into the world. "That's right. Me. I'm your daddy."
Élise giggled at Reid talking to Séraphine as she was cleaning up and putting away her makeup. "Aw. Let me hold my baby girl for a while."
Reid carefully gave Séraphine to Élise, "Watch her delicate little head." He cautioned her.
"Hi, princess." Élise looked down at a babbling and cooing Séraphine. Smiling, "It's mommy again. You look so much bigger in person than when you were in my belly for nine months."
"And here you are now." Reid tapped on Séraphine's nose, "You're our precious little girl from the heavens above."
Élise kissed Séraphine as they heard their hospital door opening. There was Diana and William Reid, Brenda, Arthur, Mr. Micha, and Ms. Geneva.
"Hey, you two." Brenda spoke up before she turned to Séraphine and waved, "Hey, baby girl."
Diana beamed with excitement as she rushed over to Reid and Élise and gave them each heartfelt hugs. "Thank you so much for giving me a grandchild." She whispers in their ears, "You two still have plenty of time; years into the future to give me more grandchildren."
Élise and Reid snicked to themselves before looking to Séraphine, cooing some more, awing the family members, especially William and Mr. Micha. William giggled,
"Too bad I can't stay and help you two out; I have to get back to Vegas."
"We understand, dad," Spencer replied.
As Élise continued to embrace Séraphine gently, she asked her mother, "Are you sure you don't mind staying with us for a few days?"
Ms. Geneva answered, "Lise, you're my daughter, and I'm going to help you in any way that I can; that includes helping you two take care of my granddaughter."
Arthur assured his mother, "Brenda and I will look after dad while you stay care of our newest family member." Walking up to his sister, "May I hold her again?"
"Why not?" Élise cautiously gave Séraphine to Arthur, who immediately smirked at the sight of his niece. "Hey, Séraphine. I'm your Uncle Arthur."
Séraphine cooed before lightly spitting up on Arthur's green polo shirt. Brenda looked away and stifled a laugh. While Élise pressed her lips into a tight smiled, Reid replied, trying his hardest not to laugh,
"I just read that it's perfectly normal for newborns to spit up…" Reid stopped when Arthur gave him a death stare that could match Élise's. "Never mind."
"Mm-hmm."
"You didn't have to wheel me, babe," Élise said to Reid, as she was still holding Séraphine in arms while being rolled out of the hospital in a wheelchair by him; her mother still was in the bathroom. "I can walk."
"You're probably still sore from giving birth," Reid commented. "Plus, it's hospital rules to be wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Remember when I was shot above my left knee?"
"Oh, yeah." Élise reminisced. "And you send the unsub took an early but long dirt nap. I guess the only good thing that came from that was the physical therapy improving your physicality."
"Exactly." Reid proved his point. "And believe me, I know I would be sore after giving birth if I were you."
Élise sighed, "At least it was all worth it since we have our baby girl."
Reid smiled and gazed down at his baby girl, "Indeed, we do."
"Élise! Spencer!"
Reid and Élise laid their eyes on Maeve and Bobby; Maeve was also in a wheelchair, and Bobby pushing her.
Élise perked up, "Hey, you two!"
"How was the delivery?" Reid asked.
"Despite being in labor for eleven-and-a-half hours, I'm great," Maeve showed off her and Bobby's newborn. "Here's our baby boy." Maeve flaunts their son, who had a full head of dark hair and briefly opened his eyes before yawning.
Reid and Élise awed at their newborn son. Élise gushed, "He's so handsome, Maeve."
Reid joked, "He looks like you, Bobby."
"He does, doesn't he?" Bobby tickled his newborn son's chin. "We decided to name him B.J. because he almost looks like me when I was a baby."
Maeve curiously asked the two, "What's your girl's name?"
"Séraphine Gabrielle."
Maeve gasped, "Beautiful name."
Élise giggled, "She's a beautiful girl, alright."
Bobby looked down at his son before he looked at his watch, "We better get going. Our parents have a surprise waiting for us at home."
"Buh-bye!" Maeve waved goodbye.
"Bye!" Élise and Reid waved back as they left, just as Ms. Geneva was fixing herself up after coming out of the bathroom, asking them,
"Are you two ready to go home now?"
Élise breathed, "Am I ever?"
"And…here we are." Reid walked into the nursery room with Élise, Ms. Geneva, and Opal behind him.
Élise dramatically gasped and replied to Séraphine, "Hey, bunny. It's your new nursery."
Séraphine briefly opened her eyes before yawning, making Élise chuckle, "Yeah, you've all excited about it, aren't you? We worked hard on it for you."
Ms. Geneva quickly observed the nursery, "It actually looks better in person than in the pictures you texted me." She pointed to the wisteria tree. "The tree…"
Reid explained, "The wisteria tree has various symbols: long-life and immortality since they can live up to 100 years or even older than that. As well as beauty, fertility, love, grace, bliss, honor, peace, wisdom."
Ms. Geneva pursed her lips, "I guess it's a good reason why you have it. It's actually quite pretty."
Séraphine yawns again before she started cooing. Élise said, "Hey, little gal. It's us again."
Reid tickles her cheeks, "We love you."
Opal responds by cuddling Élise's legs.
2:36 A.M.
Reid and Élise groggily woke up to the sound of their baby crying. As Élise blinked and rubbed her eyes, she pulled the comforters aside; she noticed Reid doing the same,
"Hey-hey-hey." Élise stops him. "You go back to sleep; I'll take care of Séraphine."
"Sweetheart..." Reid wanted to help out, but Élise assures him,
"You just go back to sleep." Élise kisses Reid's cheek and tucks him back into bed. "You can care for her in the morning."
Reid pats Élise's shoulder before she leaves the master bedroom to tend to her daughter. Entering the nursery with a smile on her face, "Hey, my little doe." Carefully taking a crying Séraphine out of her crib, "Oh. I got you, my love." Taking a seat in the rocking chair, "Even though it's late, I'm going to give you all the attention you want, even if you go back to sleep."
Séraphine's crying began to fester down after Reid began swaddling his and hummed a tune that would help Séraphine go back to sleep.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Reid was in the nursery room, sitting in the rocking chair with a resting Séraphine and adjusting the pink pacifier in her little mouth. He decided to reach out to Hotch to check in with the team to see how they were and let him know that he's okay. Pressing his cell phone to his ear, he patiently waited for Hotch to answer.
"Hotchner?" Hotch answered after the second ring.
Reid replied, "Hey, Hotch."
"Spencer!" Hotchner was excited to hear from Reid. "How are you all?"
"Great," Reid answered as he stared down at Séraphine. "Wonderful. Our little girl just fell asleep, and Élise is napping, so…I just thought I reach out to you all."
"I'm surprised you're not asleep as well, dad." Hotch joked.
Reid chuckled, "I'd rather be looking after my little girl." He asked, "So, how is everything? And did you…?"
"We're all great. And yes, I did."
Hotch sent a text to Reid. Reid looked at the text message and smiled; Hotch texted back to him Séraphine's birth announcement.
SÉRAPHINE GABRIELLE REID
BORN FEBRUARY 27TH, 2011 AT 8:11 A.M.
7 LBS AND 20 INCHES LONG
Reid presses the phone back to his ear and hears Hotch replies, "Pretty name."
"Thanks," Reid responded. "Élise wanted her to have both our surnames."
"I remember when Haley and I discussed it," Hotch remembers his late wife. "Brings back memories."
Reid had to ask, "How is everyone coping with…Prentiss' death?" Reid took a hard gulp, knowing it was a tough question to ask,
"We're…still coping with it."
Reid understandingly nodded his head and sighed; he felt something in his throat. "I, uh…Hotch…"
"Élise told me a couple of days ago." Hotch knew what Reid was about to say: his sudden craving for Dilaudid. "Reid…"
"I know. I know." Reid hissed. "I promised myself I wouldn't put that drug in my body again. Plus, caring for my baby girl is helping me take my mind off it."
"Not only is that productive, but it's also noble." Hotch comments. "I know it wasn't your fault that you got addicted to it in the first place, and I'm sorry that I didn't notice you were hooked on it after Tobias Hankel.
Reid bit his upper lip, "I know. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you all right away. I…guess I was ashamed."
"Again, it wasn't your fault. I'm glad you're staying clean."
"I know." Reid smiled to himself again before clearing his throat and changing the topic. "So…how is everyone?"
"We're all still anxious to see baby Séraphine." Hotch grinned. "Especially Garcia."
"I bet she bought a store-worth of baby items." Reid kidded. "No doubt she would do that."
Hotch assured Reid, "I told her not to; I also told her and the team to give your families at least two weeks before we see her for the first time."
Reid smiled and bit down on his lower lip when Séraphine began to gargle. "And I bet she can't wait to see you all."
"Mm-hmm."
"Keep on enjoying your paternal leave," Hotch smirks. "Your family needs you more than we do right now."
"Thanks again, Hotch." Reid lightly smiles. "Bye."
"Bye."
Reid hung up and placed his cell phone aside before seeing Séraphine counting to gurgle quietly. Reid beamed with joy; she looked so cute and adorable.
"I love you so much," Reid whispers to Séraphine before kissing her tiny face and taps her nose; a babble escaped from her small mouth. Whispering to her, "When you're all grown up, I'm even going to make sure you get into Yale, Cal-Tech, or even MIT with just one call. I can do that, you know."
Reid walks into the living room and sees Élise flipping through the channels and Opal napping in the corner. Wanting to surprise her,
"Hello, my love." Reid pulls out a bouquet of roses and sunflowers from behind his back and places them in the coffee table vase before kissing her on the lips.
Élise sheepishly blushes and giggles, "Hello."
"Where's your mother?"
Élise answered, "She just went for a walk in the neighborhood."
"Where's little Fifi?"
Élise lifted her cable knitted shawl and showed Reid Séraphine being breastfed in a football position. Reid kissed Séraphine's temple before sitting next to Élise on the couch.
"You know, by breastfeeding Fifi, you're providing her the vitamins, protein, fat, and the antibodies to help her fight off viruses, bacteria, even lowering her risks of her having asthma, allergies, and other illnesses," Reid replied.
Élise comments, "I also read that breastfeeding plays a role in SIDS prevention. Plus, I'm burning some serious calories, and it's even helping me with losing my pregnancy weight faster. Not to mention, lower my chances of having breast and ovarian cancer."
"And osteoporosis," Reid adds.
Élise chuckled as she looked down and smiled as Séraphine continuing to feed off from her breast. Stroking her small head, "Séraphine Gabrielle." Élise looked to Reid, who was smiling at Séraphine. "I'm still partial to have her surname be Bastien-Reid. I often use it. Plus, it honors both our families."
"True, but considering our careers, I think it's better that she just has my surname instead."
Élise shrugs her shoulders, "You have a point there."
"Why do you think I wanted her to have your middle name?" Reid pets down her head. "She's not just a part of me, but a part of you as well? Plus, you don't need to have both surnames."
"I know." Élise playfully rolls her eyes. "Must you be always right?"
"I love being right," Reid smirked before kissing Élise's lips. "But not as much as I love you and our little Fifi."
Élise giggled, "Fifi. What a cute pet name you gave our girl." Just as Reid removes Élise's shawl, she asked Séraphine, "Do you like being called Fifi, babe?"
Séraphine yawns before drifting off into a longing sleep.
Élise and Reid glowed.
"Thank you, Ms. Geneva." Reid dabs his mouth with his napkin after finishing his lunch of green fig salad and fried bake. "It was delicious."
"Of course, Spencer." Ms. Geneva grins. "And thank you."
Élise took their plates and began washing them as she walked over to the sink, "I grew up eating this. It's been a long time since I had callaloo."
"What's callaloo?" Reid asked.
"It's a Caribbean vegetable soup," Élise answered as she dried their dishes with a clean rag. "Perhaps I should start cooking it."
The three of them could hear Seraphina crying over through the baby monitor.
"I'll take care of her." Reid rose from his seat just as he yawned.
Élise rubs and flicks her eyes, "No, I got her."
"Oh no," Ms. Geneva waved her arms. "I'll take care of her; you two give yourselves a couple of hours of sleep, okay?" She replied before walking out of the kitchen.
Élise scratches her hair, "She's not wrong, you know."
Reid agreed, "Let's get some sleep."
Reid covered his mouth with his sleeve just as he stepped out of the elevator and into the BAU bullpen. Since it was just seven-thirty, he figured the rest of the team would not be here until nine. And know Hotch himself, Reid knew he would be in his office.
And indeed, he was right.
"Spencer." Hotch gave Reid a rare lopsided smile. "It really has been too long."
Reid yawns again. "It has."
Hotch crosses his arms and correctly guesses, "Considering how you're probably on your second cup of coffee, those mild bags under your eyes, and the excessive yawning, you're not getting much sleep, are you?"
"You think?" Reid sarcastically replied.
Hotch releases a scoff before reaching into his desk drawer and pulls out a stack of files. As he gave Reid the files, Hotch curiously asked,
"Are you sure you don't mind working on them?"
Reid placed the files in his satchel, "You're down two agents, and I figure I could put aside a few hours to help with the caseload from home so cases around the country can be solved by officer quickly while Séraphine's sleeping like the perfect angel that she is."
Hotch quietly laughs, "Thanks again for the pictures. Garcia's been begging me to get us to see her."
"And she will," Reid shakes his head. "She needs to learn how to be more patient."
Élise was finishing singing classic songs that would help Séraphine fall asleep such as Rock-a-Bye Baby, Frère Jacques, Hush Little Baby, and A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. Élise knew she was making Séraphine sleepy since she was yawning and pulling her cute baby ears. Kissing her forehead twice before tenderly placing Séraphine in her crib,
"Sweet dreams, my love."
Élise blew kisses at Séraphine as she left her room. Just as Élise closed the door,
"Hey, Élise."
It was her mother, who had her short hair in a silk cap and a floor-length floral short-sleeve nightgown.
"Hey, mom," Élise whispered before placing her index finger to her lips. "I just put Séraphine down." Élise covered her mouth as she yawned. "I'm going to sleep. You should as well; you're heading back to NJ tomorrow afternoon."
"I know." Ms. Geneva understandable shook her head. "I just wanted to give you this."
Her mother gives Élise a hardcover book.
"It's filled with Bible verses and passages." Ms. Geneva explained. "I still don't understand you being secular about God, but, uh…"
"I know." Élise knew what her mother meant. "I know. Look, just because I'm secular about God doesn't mean I'll push my beliefs on her. And just to let you know, I still pray on an occasional basis and even before I go out and take on a case."
Ms. Geneva asked, "Will you and Spencer teach Séraphine how to pray?"
Élise shrugs her shoulders, "When she's old enough, yeah."
"Okay," Élise walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a napkin. "I'm about to make some lunch and let the Stouffer's lasagna thaw out for dinner tonight."
"And I'm still trying to get little Fifi to take a nap," Reid replied with a smirk as he cuddles Seraphina, sitting comfortably on the couch.
"I got the oven preheated for the Stouffer's lasagna…"
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
Élise lifted her eyebrows, "Did you invite anyone?"
"No," Reid truthfully answers. "Did you?"
"Nope." Élise walks over to the front door and looks through the peephole. Her mouth immediately drops after seeing who knocked on their door. Reid guessed, seeing Élise's facial expressions,
"Is it Garcia?"
"Nope." Élise directly answers as she opened the door; gesturing the person to enter the house,
"Aunt Ethel!" Reid rose from the couch, still lightly bouncing Séraphine in his arms.
"Spencer!" Squealing, Ethel rushes over to hug Reid. "Oh! It's so good to see you." Gently backing off, "Oh, I'm sorry." Ethel was apologetic. "I'm squishing Séraphine."
Reid joked, "Yeah, you definitely don't want to do that."
Smiling, Ethel opens her arms out. "Oh, let me hold her. Let me hold her. Let me hold my great-niece."
"Okay." Reid cautiously gave Séraphine to Ethel, cautioning her, "Watch her dainty little head, now."
"Aw..." Ethel melted when she sees Séraphine cooing at her. "Hey, sweetheart. I'm your Aunt Ethel."
"Great-Aunt Ethel." Reid politely corrected her.
Ethel lowers her eyes and twists her mouth, ordering him, jerking her head back, "Please just go and get my bags for me."
Reid silently obeyed her wish and bought her bags, and put them in the guest bedroom.
Élise giggled, "Spencer told me that we weren't expecting you until tomorrow."
"When he called me last night, I booked a flight," Ethel explained. "I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to help out you two in whatever way I can for the next week that I'll be here. Plus, I just had to see this precious little bundle of joy."
"How is the rest of the family?" Reid asked as he came back into the living room.
Ethel answers, "They're over-the-moon for your baby girl. Gordon said that he plans on having the rest of the family come here for this weekend; he had a meeting about the ranch." Touching Séraphine's cheek. "Aren't you a lovely source of beauty? Yes, you are. Oh, yes, you are."
Élise sniffs her nose, "I smell something, alright."
Soon Séraphine began crying, causing Ethel to start comforting her immediately,
"Oh, there-there, honey. I'll go change your stinky diaper." Ethel said. "I know where the nursery is. After I take care of her, I'll prepare lunch."
"Oh," Élise spoke up, "I was going to take care of lunch and then the Stouffer's lasagna dinner..."
"I will take care of lunch and dinner," Ethel assured. "By the looks on your faces, you two better get some more sleep. I'll take charge of the lasagna and my great-niece." Ethel soon left the room with a still crying Séraphine.
Élise sighed, "You heard Aunt Ethel; let's get some sleep."
Reid covers his mouth as he yawns, "Mm-hmm."
"Oh! Don't you look so adorable?" Ethel folds her fingers and beams with excitement as she Séraphine. "You're the most adorable-looking baby."
Élise and Reid knocked on her bedroom door a couple of times before entering, "Are we interrupting something?"
Ethel shows off Séraphine wearing the pink clothes she knitted for her; Élise and Reid's jaws dropped.
"Awww!" Reid full-on grinned. "She looks so fluffy and cuddly and loveable."
"I knew I needed the camera for something important." Élise had a small camera in her hand. "I need to take some pictures."
"Let me hold my little girl," Reid kindly took Séraphine from Ethel's arms. "Hi, fluffy Fifi!"
"Hey, you two!" Élise got the camera ready. "Smile!"
Reid and Ethel smiled at the camera.
"Okay," Élise and Reid were in the living room, preparing for the arrival of the rest of the Reid family. Looking at the checklist on her cell phone while pointing to the items on the coffee table, "We have the thermometer gun, hand sanitizing wipes and bottles, Lysol. I say we're good here. I don't think we're too over-the-top."
Reid explained, "We are protecting her since it's crucial to protect her from germs in the first three-to-six months."
"Safety first," Élise replied as she applied some hand sanitizer to herself.
Reid singly nods his head, agreeing. "Exactly."
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
"It's them," Ethel said as she entered the living room, carrying Séraphine and sat on the couch.
Reid opens the door,
"Spencer!"
His Uncle Gordon, cousins John and Anna, and their significant others, Melissa, Sabrina, and Dr. McGee, appeared in front of him with bags of gifts.
Reid grins before allowing them to enter the house, "Hello, everyone!"
"It's great to see you all!" Élise laughed. "So glad you all can make it."
"Yeah." Melissa steps into the house with Sabrina in her arms, "And again, congratulations, you two!"
Ethel presents to everyone Séraphine, "Here she is."
"Oh!" John commented. "She's a stunner."
Gasping, Anna's eyes widen when she first saw Séraphine in Ethel's arms. "OMG. She's so gorgeous!"
Élise flashily smiles, "Thanks, Anna."
"Yeah," Nathan agrees as he placed his arm around Anna. "She's a real love."
Anna giggled before tickling Nathan's chin, making his laugh. Ethel took note of this and squinted her eyes, still bouncing Séraphine,
"If you two are thinking about…"
Anna frantically assured her mother, "No-no-no, mom."
Nathan shakes his head anxiously and purses his lips, "Never, ma'am. Never."
"Well, that's good," Ethel was pleased as she gave Séraphine to Élise. Whispering to the both of them, "You don't want to face my wrath had you did any funny monkey business."
Reid smiled as he pets Opal's fur.
Her eyes teared up a bit; fanning her eyes, Anna placed her other hand over her heart and asked, "Aw! May I hold her, please?"
Élise asked as she was gently patting Séraphine's back, and Reid took her temperature, "Have you been sick between February 27th and today?"
"Nope." Anna straightforwardly answers as she disinfected herself. "And you know we've been vaccinated and immunized."
"Well, that's good," Élise replied. "I don't play when I come to my little girl's health."
"Come on," Anna holds her hands out. "Let me have her."
Élise watchfully gave Séraphine to Anna, "Careful…there you go."
"Reminds me of the day John and Anna were born." Gordon evoked on the memory. "Before I passed out twice."
Chuckling, Anna blushed, "She looks like a little princess."
"She's the princess of your heart, Spencer, dude." John playfully taps Reid's shoulder.
Reid tickles Séraphine's cheek, "She is, indeed, thanks to my Queen Élise."
"Why, thank you, King Spencer." Élise cuddles closer to Reid and gives him a cheek peck. Muttering in his ear, "You were great."
Reid giggles blushingly.
"I bet the team can't wait to see Séraphine," Élise helped herself to a small dark chocolate truffle as she was cradling Séraphine. "Especially Penelope. I bet she'll have between eight to a dozen bags filled with baby stuff."
Reid came in from the kitchen and helped set up the disinfecting area. Reid suggested, "Considering how she'll listen to Hotch about her not going overboard, Garcia will probably have at least half a dozen bags."
Élise challenges Reid, "Winner doesn't have to wake up in the middle of the night this weekend?"
Reid smirked as Élise heads into the kitchen, "You're on."
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
"Speaking of them…"
Reid opens the door, and indeed, it was the team.
"SPENCER!" Garcia respectfully pushes aside Seaver and Rossi and rushes to hug Reid. Squeezing him, "Oh-oh-oh!" Thrillingly clapping her hands, cheering. "Finally! This day has arrived."
"Penelope." Élise walks back into the living room; she sternly puts her index finger to her lips, signaling Garcia to lower her voice, if not, stay silent.
Garcia was about to repeat something before Hotch gave her his signature stare just as he, Seaver, and Rossi stepped into the house. Garcia puts both her hands over her mouth, and her eyes widen. "Sorry." She apologetically whispers.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
Reid opens the door again, and it was Morgan carrying colorful bags.
"Let me guess: those are for Séraphine?" Reid guessed as he allowed Morgan in the house.
Garcia scoffed, "Absolutely not."
Élise purses her lips as she counted how many, "Ten bags."
"About two-three of them are for Henry." Garcia rationalized as she points to certain presents.
Before Garcia or anyone else said anything or took another step,
"Before you go anywhere near and/or touch our valuable Séraphine, Spencer and I will be taking your temperatures, make sure you all have been vaccinated and immunized, and sanitize yourselves frequently," Élise warns them.
Rossi justifiably nods his head, "Okay. Just as long as we get to see the little angel."
Élise smiles, "Here's our precious little angel."
Seaver's jaw drops, "Aw, she's so beautiful."
"Thank you." Reid smiles.
Garcia air taps her nose, "Look at that itty bitty witty nose."
"Look at all that hair she has on her head," Rossi notes Séraphine's dark curly locks. "No doubt she'll have your hair when she's grown, Reid."
Morgan sets the gifts aside in the living room before approaching Reid and Élise,
"Hey, uh…mama and papa…" Morgan cleared his throat and asked, "May I…hold her?"
Garcia helped sanitized Morgan's hands as Reid took his temperature with the thermometer gun; Élise asked him,
"Have you've been sick between February 27th and yesterday?"
Morgan truthfully answers as he's disinfected with Lysol, "No."
"Have you've been vaccinated and/or immunized?"
"Yes." Morgan quickly replied.
"I have all of our vaccinations, and we've been immunized from those nasty diseases and illnesses," Garcia assured Élise and Reid as she gave them the team's vaccination and immunization charts, which they thoroughly looked over them. Élise and Reid looked up and declared,
"You may hold Séraphine." Élise said before warning Morgan, "Be careful with her head."
"I got her." Morgan held Séraphine for the first time and smiled down at her. "Hey, Séraphine."
Seaver grinned. "She's smiling at you."
Séraphine began cooing as Rossi commented, "She's so cute when she smiles."
Morgan laughed, "I think she really likes me."
BBUUURRRRPPPPP!
Morgan's face grimaced; he was now covered in Séraphine's spit, who licks her lips in responses.
Élise and Reid's jaw dropped, amused; Hotch and Rossi had slight smirks on their faces; Seaver and Garcia began snickering. Garcia pulled a pink tissue from her bag and began wiping the spit from Morgan's face.
"I guess I fed her too much milk." Élise giggled.
Reid pouts his lips to control himself not to laugh, "Look on the bright side, Morgan: it means our baby' healthy."
"Mm-hmm…" Morgan doubted that.
Élise had taken Séraphine up to her room for a nap before going to take a nap herself, which caused the team to leave and give their congratulations before leaving. Reid was in the kitchen, finishing on the last of the dishes when Hotch entered.
"Hey, Reid."
Reid had just put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher, "Hey."
Hotch pulled out his phone and showed him the picture of everyone together with Séraphine before showing the picture with just him and Séraphine. Hotch smiles, "I think this is one of my favorites."
"It's one of my favorites as well." Reid sighed. "Élise and I have been discussing something important."
"Like nannies?" Hotch guessed. "If you want, I can have Garcia create a list for you. I know some former federal agents with backgrounds involving children; I can even make a few calls to them and..."
Reid shook his head, "That would be great, but, uh…it's something else Élise and I have been talking about."
"What?"
Reid gulped, "Would you please…be...Séraphine Gabrielle Reid's godfather?"
Unexpectedly flabbergasted, Hotch's mouth kept opening and closing, but no words were coming out. His eyes were a bit misty, and swallowed a hard lump. Finally, he said,
"Spencer…"
Reid reasons, "You introduced me to the most wonderful woman in the entire world. And because of you, we now have the most wonderful child in the entire world."
Hotch wiped a tear from his eye and pulled Reid into a hug, "I'd be honored to be her godfather."
A/N: I have an announcement to make and this was not an easy choice to make. I'm thinking about taking a break from writing this story. I don't know how to really explain this but I've been feeling a bit down and tired and unmotivated lately, not to mention serious writer's block sometimes. While writing this story cheers me up and lifts up my spirits...I have my days where I just don't know anymore. Maybe taking a break from writing this story will get me out of my writer's block and this funk I've been feeling; again I don't know.
