A/N: Hello again, everyone!

A shout-out to AHowell1993, Elena, Phantomtea18, DeadGirlEtarnal, dallas1990, andBriaDelAngel for either reviewing Chapter 65, favoring, and/or following the story. The occasional scenes from episodes of Criminal Minds in this story belong to CBS and Criminal Minds writers. No copyright infringement is intended.

First, I would like to say that I'm back after taking another short break. A lot has been going on; writer's block, feeling down and tired, life in general, etc. Also, I would like to dedicate this chapter to Shemar Moore, aka Derek Morgan, who has been unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19.

My apologies if I had made any mistakes but enjoy the chapter!

Also, I would like to credit AHowell1993 for helping me with this chapter.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!


"What are my favorite girls up to right now?" Reid walks through the door and sees Élise on the living room couch with Séraphine listening to 1980s pop music.

Élise humorously replies, "She's enjoying my type of music." Élise plays with Séraphine's tiny hands as she musically taps her feet in the air to the music's beat.

Reid walks up to them and sees Séraphine enjoying MJ's music. Smiling, Reid said, "No surprise since you played his music when she was in your belly."

"That means she has exquisite taste in music," Élise replies, raising her eyebrows three times.

"She also enjoys classical music; babies are acutely aware of sounds at this week. We can know what noises calm her and what noises upset her."

"Well, we know she loves our music choices." Élise gently bounces Séraphine.

Reid smiles, tickling her cheeks, causing her to giggle again, "And that she loves to smile."

Élise agrees, pinching her cheeks, "Who wouldn't enjoy seeing her bright baby smile?"


"Uh-no," Reid playfully covered his face. "Where did I go, Fifi? Huh? Huh?"

Séraphine dizzily looked around her nursery before her eyes spotted Reid,

"Peek-a-boo!"

Séraphine squealed in excitement. Reid heartily laughs as he pulled her into his arms and began tickling her, "I love seeing your lovely smile. You have your mommy's smile. You know that?"

Séraphine looks into Reid's eyes and smiled again, joyfully squealing. Bringing her into his arms, "What would you look to do that?" Asking her before guessing, "And judging by your moving eyes, you want me to read to you?"

Séraphine responds by pointing to the bookshelf, cooing.

Reid smiles, "I take it as a yes."


"Awww," Élise took another picture of Séraphine in the knitted pink bunny hat, and diaper Aunt Ethel sent her and Reid a few days ago to help Séraphine celebrate her first Easter. "Don't you look so adorable? Just wait until we put you in the outfits your great-Aunt Ethel sent for you."

Séraphine's eyes wander around the room as she continued to be photographed.

Séraphine began stretching and reached toward the orange carrot rattle that was in the little pastel blue basket. Élise's jaw dropped, and called out for Reid,

"Spen!" Élise cried. "Come here! Quick!" Reid quickly rushed to her side and witnesses Séraphine firmly holding to the rattle and shake it.

Reid gushed, "Aw. Look at that."

Élise smiled as she took another picture, "I guess all those tummy times are really flexing her little muscles, huh?"

"At this week, she has more strength to be able onto objects on their own," Reid said. "Soon, she'll be able to track objects and people, especially us."

"Like she's doing right now?" Élise points to Séraphine pointing at the two of them, smiling.

"She already has my brains," Reid whispers in her ear. "Just like she already has your smiles."

Élise flushes before kissing Reid on the cheek.


"I'm almost done, Fifi," Reid said to Séraphine, who was crying and kicking her feet, as he was changing her diaper. Matching his voice to her cries, "I'm almost…gotta!"

Séraphine immediately stopped crying and smiled at Reid, which instantly made him smile. "I told you, my fiery Fifi, I was almost done." He taps her nose, causing her to giggle.

"Hey, you two." Élise fluffed her hair and adjusted her silk white ruffled blouse, and smoothed her white linen trousers. Approaching Séraphine and Reid, Élise lightheartedly scrunched her face as she got in Séraphine's face, "Don't you look so cute in your little white dress?" Élise's eyes lifted to Reid, who was wearing an all-white linen suit. "That Brooks Brothers suit I bought you looks so good on you." Élise began to play with Reid's tie.

Reid blushes in response, whispering in her ear, "Not in front of Séraphine."

Élise giggles before she looked at her phone, "Oh! We better get going."

"Yeah." Reid handed Séraphine to Élise as he grabs Séraphine's baby bag. "We don't want to be late for Easter Sunday church."

Élise mentions as she fixes her amethyst earrings, "At least we get to see Maeve, Bobby, and BJ."

"But also, it'll be your first Easter Sunday church, Fifi." Reid tickles Séraphine again.

"Mmm-hmm."


"Maeve! Bobby!" Reid noticed the family in the large crowd at the International House of God Church, a non-denominational Christian church in DC, wearing pastel and/or white outfits. "How are you guys?"

Maeve excitingly said as she was carrying BJ in her arms, "We're great. And this little charmer here…"

"He really does look so much like you, Bobby." Reid admired their baby boy. "From the hair color to the eye color."

Bobby tucks on his suit jacket's lapels, "Just wait until our boy gets older."

Élise giggled, "Well, wait until our girl gets older."

"Imagine them dating when they're older." Maeve fascinatingly replied with a sly smile and lower eyebrows.

Reid nervously placed his hand on his stomach at the thought of Séraphine all grown. And even more nervous when he imagined her and BJ dating when they're older.


Reid, Élise, Séraphine, Maeve, Bobby, and BJ were all listening intently to Reverend Joyce give an Easter Day sermon about thirty minutes later.


"Oh, I love this one," Élise adored the picture of Séraphine attired as a pink bunny. "And this one with her and BJ." Élise points to the picture of her and BJ as a blue bunny. "Today was such a fun day."

"They're growing up so far," Reid said as he closes the album book and places it on the bedside.

Élise smirks, "Eight weeks ago, I was in our arms and look at her now. Which means in the next four weeks, I go back to work."

Reid placed his hand over Élise's and said, "Well, I'm glad you're taking advantage of your twelve-week maternity leave. Hotch brought us together because we don't have to be workaholics like him and take breaks. Not to mention…" Reid sighs before looking away, "My stress-related migraines because of the job while preparing for Fifi's birth."

Élise exhaled before biting down on her bottom lip, "Oh, yeah." She soon asked him, "How are you feeling right now?"

"I'm feeling great." Reid answers. "Being with you and Fifi really eases them."

Élise smiled, "Oh."

"Yeah." Reid mentions, "But on the plus side, you're protected by the DOJ."

"Definitely a plus." Élise nods her head.

"Also, Hotch was upset when JJ ended her maternity leave three weeks early since Hotch was hoping JJ cherish the twelve-week she was given."

"And believe me, I am," Élise assures Reid. "These weeks are going by so fast. She's growing up so fast."

"She's been in diapers for seven weeks now," Reid warmly recaps. "But I see your point."

"Wait until she starts dating." Élise singsong teases the thought.

Reid hissed, "Oh, boy."


After briefing about the Raleigh, North Carolina case, Reid walked into Hotch's office, who was busy packing his items into his go-bag. Hotch looked up,

"Hey, Reid."

Reid reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and showed Hotch some new pictures of Séraphine,

"Aww." Hotch smiled. "Look at my happy goddaughter."

Reid chuckled, "Yeah."

Hotch had to ask, "Has Élise gone back to work yet?"

"Nope." Reid straightforwardly answers. "She's enjoying her maternity leave and doesn't plan on returning to work for another three weeks."

"I still remember when Agent Todd told me JJ was coming back when she still had three weeks left." Hotch let out a tired scoff, "And when she brought Henry in for a visit, even though it was still very nice of her to do that."

"That's exactly what I told Élise. Most women get to have a full twelve-week parental leave. In fact, I read that for most Americans, paternity leave is unpaid or a combination of cobbled-together vacation and sick leave. Most fathers say they feel comfortable taking off around two weeks while many also say peer pressure from colleagues keeps them from taking off as much as they'd ideally like to take."

"I remember when Jack was born, and I took a couple of weeks off. I wish I took more time off, though. Still, I'm glad you took a month off."

"Just being with my wife and little girl really eased my migraines." Reid soon began messaging his temples with his index finger.

Hotch concerningly asked, "How are your migraines?"

"They've been coming down." Reid truthfully answers. "But I'm still eating more healthfully, trying to relax when I get home."

"Keep it up."

Reid vows, "I will."

"Good." Hotch looked down at his watch and nodded his head before grabbing his go-bag. "Let's get to North Carolina."


While Morgan and Seaver headed to the latest crime scene, Reid, Hotch, and Rossi headed to the Washington County Hospital. Reid cautiously studied her body just as Rossi and Hotch were talking to Doctor Boyd. After he was finished, Reid walked out of the room and expressed his findings towards them,

"This wasn't a high-risk victim like a drug addict or a prostitute. Orthodontic works show she was cared for, most likely from a middle-class family. Tan lines are fading, which means she's probably from a warm climate or spent a lot of time outdoors, probably playing sports. Shin splits on the right leg further supports the theory that she's an athlete, which means if she escaped from her captor, she could have run for miles."

"What about the patterns in her wounds?" Dr. Boyd asked as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not sure what he used to cut her with, but it definitely wasn't a knife."

A middle-aged nurse walked out of the room and announced, "Dr. Boyd, she's opened her eyes."


After Dr. Boyd spent some time with her, he announced to the agents that she's stable but warned them to tread lightly. Walking back into the room, Reid stared at the awakened victim, speaking to her in a soft tone that he would use to talk to children. "Hi. I'm Dr. Spencer Reid from the FBI. Can you tell me your name?"

Jane Doe tried to speak, but no words were coming out.

Reid asked again, "Can you tell me who did this to you?"

"He hurt..." Jane Doe hoarsely spoke up, causing Reid to look up at Hotch,

"Who hurt?"

"He has..." Jane Doe whispered with her eyes closed. "M... Mercy. Mercy."

"Who is "he"?" Reid asked her to clarify.

Soon the monitor machine began beeping rapidly. A nurse barked, "Doctor, her stats are dropping."

"It's intracranial bleed. Call the O.R.," Dr. Boyd ordered as he looked at the stats.

"Reid," Hotch said.

Reid got out of the way for the nurses and doctor to tend to Jane Doe in their best effects to save her.


Garcia managed to get a suspect name, whom she described as 'Ew.'

Marcus Talbot, who, despite being convicted for peeping into holes in the walls in the girls' bathroom at the Art Institute fifteen years ago, is employed as an art teacher at Walter Randolph high school.

While Seaver was ordered to stay and wait for the parents while Reid and Morgan headed to Talbot's house and Hotch and Rossi the high school.


As Morgan was driving to Talbot's house, he noticed a change in Reid's demeanor. The way Reid lowered his eyes or pursed his lips to the side. Or even tapping his fingers against his knee. Morgan had to ask,

"Are you okay?"

Reid answers, "I'm just glad I'm not with Hotch and Rossi to arrest Talbot."

"Because of little Séraphine?"

"Mm-hmm." If Reid could, he would blow Talbot's brains and not care, but he kept that thought to himself.

Finally reaching Talbot's house, Reid and Morgan had their weapons drawn and searched his house, and when there was no threat, they decided to get a closer view of Talbot and searched his house, especially when Morgan found a small NCC sweatshirt with blood.

"How's it going, Reid?" Morgan asked as Reid was looking through Talbot's books,

"I don't think he had Marcy or Angela here." Reid closes the book.

"Maybe he has a secondary location." Morgan guesses.

"You know, trophy or not, it's pretty careless to keep Angela's clothes," Morgan noted as he picked up a square object.

"He's plagued by a fear of chaos and obsesses over any disorder," Reid said as he placed it exactly to where it was.

"Well, welcome to 1992," Morgan observed one of Talbot's albums.

"Yeah, music's his only entertainment. He doesn't have a TV or a computer." Reid agreed as he looked to Morgan. "Back in the 90s, I kept myself entertained with reading, magic tricks, and books."

"You still do." Morgan joked. "Except you now have a wife and little girl."


Soon, Reid and Morgan walked down a small flight of stairs and came across a dark room…

And sees that there were dozens of black-and-white hung photographs.

"Wow, this guy's old school," Morgan said. "He shoots on film."

"He's too controlling to let anyone else develop it," Reid replied as he continued to have this disgusted vibe of Talbot.

Morgan said as he picked up and observed a stack of photos, "Looks like Angela wasn't his only secret." Setting them back down and walking up next to Reid, "Wow."

Morgan pulled out his cell phone and rang Rossi.

"What have you got?" Rossi asked as he answered.

"It looks like this guy Talbot had another hobby. The girls in these photos can't be more than 16 years old." Morgan said.

"Photos," Rossi said. "Morgan, how many are there?"

"I'm thinking 30, 40." Morgan figured.

"54." Reid corrects him.

Morgan sighingly scoffs, "Excuse me. That's 54."


After that, Reid and Morgan headed back outside, where Reid noticed a dog sniffer barking before it began to dig. Reid crouched down and saw the skull the dog dug up and concluded,

"This doesn't make any sense. The grave's fresh." Looking to Morgan, "He either dug it quickly because he knew we were coming—"

"Or somebody else did." Morgan finished his sentence. "We just found that burial site that was off the property. The guy uses countermeasures. Here's there's just evidence lying all around. Reid, he wouldn't operate like this."

"Someone's framing Talbot," Reid concluded again.

"Yeah, but who?"


The team began discussing how Talbot's being framed, knowing his proclivities for teenage girls. They know they are on the right track but shares a similar story to Talbot. And he is a Lake Worth resident. Knowing they don't have much time left to save Marcy, Seaver headed to the Owens' cottage while Reid was ordered to read Angela's autopsy report once it was completed.


After reading the autopsy report, Reid headed back to the conference room with Sheriff Montell and said,

"I found something that might be helpful." Reid passed out copies of the autopsy to everyone. "Autopsy report revealed fragments of glass in some of Angela's wounds."

Hotch asked, "Were they able to identify the blades used?"

"Only that there were a number of them," Reid replied before he sat down.

"The doctor mentioned she had heavy metals in her blood," Rossi noted as he read the report.

"Yeah. The highest one being lead." Reid said before turning his head to Morgan, who spoke up while looking through the autopsy report,

"Well, add that to the unique patterns of her wounds and the glass in her cuts; maybe this guy worked with stained glass. Talbot had stained glass in his front door."

"The Owens had stained glass window chimes in their condo," Ashley said.

"Lead fumes can get into your system during the soldering process," Rossi said, the team—mostly Seaver—looked to him almost with a slight smirk.

"What? My second wife was crafty." Rossi said

Hotch asked over the speakerphone, "Garcia, anybody on the list work with stained glass?"

"Yeah. Robert Bremmer."

"Bremmer. Talbot said he met him only once." Rossi said.

Garcia said, "Well, Mr. Bremmer's been a member of the church for 16 years. He travels all over the state doing craft fairs."

"He also owns the Rose Cafe." Sheriff Montell spoke up.

"Bingo, strange man voice." It looks like he's from Wilkesboro. He moved there to Lake Worth in '91 after his wife and stepdaughter were killed in a car accident."

"Was he a suspect?" Morgan already sensed something off about Robert Bremmer.

"There's no record of that, but... Wait till you see the picture. They look a lot alike." Pictures of Robert Bremmer's stepdaughter pulled up on the computer and tablet screen.

"Where's the restaurant?" Hotch asked Sheriff Montell.

"Real close."


The case ends with the team saving Marcy and Robert Bremmer dead with a bullet between his eyes.

As the team was packing up, Sheriff Montell walked up to the team and said,

"Wow." He shook his head. "Robert Bremmer." He felt a chill running down his back. "Ugh. At least the world's better off without him."

Reid agrees. "You got that right; I should know. I have a 9-week-old daughter."

"Oh, congratulations," Sheriff Montell smirks at Reid before turning his attention to Hotch and Morgan, "And you two…I must say…" He joked. "Were you two some kind of superheroes in a past life? Doing what you to did?"

"It could be possible," Morgan commented before flexing his muscles. "Good thing I kept up with my CPR; you never know when you might need it."


"Hotch dived into the lake and shot the unsub? Underwater?" Élise asked as she and Reid were in their bed. "And Morgan dived as well to save the missing girl?"

Reid answers, "Mm-hmm,"

"Wow," Élise pushed her lips out. "Impressive. And completely badass. And it's good; the world's better off without the unsub."

"Yup," Reid agreed before joking, "Just call Hotch Captain America."

"And Morgan would be Luke Cage," Élise chuckles, "If we were the Avengers, I think I would be either Susan Richards, aka Invisible Woman, who's the wife of Reed Richards, who's Mr. Fantastic, Storm, who's a member of the X-Men and also the annulled ex-wife of T'Challa aka Black Panther, the ruler, and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda."

Reid smirks, "Well, who would I be?"

Élise thinks, "I see you as either Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, since he attends MIT and is among one of the smartest in the Avengers. You could also be Mr. Fantastic himself since he not only attended MIT and Caltech. The Hulk has been said to be 'The smartest one out there,' or Batman or maybe even Professor X. You could also be Black Panther himself since he has five doctorates, including a Physics doctorate from Oxford."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

Reid cuddles closer to Élise in their bed. "And to think, I'm only two PhDs behind a fictional superhero."

"I still love you just the way you are," Élise assures Reid before giving him a head kiss.


A few days later….

"Go, Jack-Jack!" Élise cheered as Jack scored a goal for his team. "Go, Jack-Jack! It's your birthday! It's your birthday!"

"That's right, Jack!" Reid cheered as well before turning his attention to Séraphine, who was wearing noise-canceling headphones and smiling. "Did you see that?"

"She's happy for him," Élise replied as she and Reid watched Hotch give Jack and his teammates high-fives. Soon, Hotch and Jack approached Reid, Élise, and Séraphine and Jack excitingly asked them,

"Did you see that, Lisey?"

Élise smiles, "Mm-hmm! Fifi says congrats to you and your team."

Jack waves to Séraphine, "Nice to meet you, Fifi."

Séraphine replies by smiling.

"Great to see you three here," Hotch said. "Glad you could make it."

"Always happy to be here with you, Hotch," Reid said.

Élise replies, "Plus, it's always refreshing to see you in a simple T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers."

Rossi turned to face the five-year-olds and asked them, "Hey! Who wants pizza and ice cream?"

The thrilled five-year-olds reached their hands. "Me!"

"Now that you mention it, I'm craving for some pizza and ice cream," Élise said.

"Me too," Reid said. "As long as we can get vegan pizza and dairy-free ice cream."


A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!