A/N: Hello again, everyone!

A shout-out to AHowell1993, anxiety trashcan, Nawel07, maggie little girl, jasmindanielsen40, anxiety trashcan, Nawel07, SomebodyWhoCares, and Yoonand for either reviewing Chapter 31, favoring, and/or following the story, my other stories, and/or me.

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

And…MORE BIG NEWS: In case you didn't know, Criminal Minds SEASON SIXTEEN revival in early development on Paramount+! YAY!

I want to dedicate this chapter to Matthew Gray Gubler and my older brother, for it is their birthdays!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Reid leaned back comfortably in his airplane seat and looked out at the window, looking at the dark cloudy sky as he, Élise, and Anastasia were on their way to London. He turns to see Élise and Anastasia easily sleeping and smiled at the sight of his family headed for the adventure of a lifetime.

Which reminded him that he needed to call Prentiss, who told him to call her when he was on the way to London. Pressing the phone to his ear,

"This is Prentiss." She answered after the second ring.

Reid replied, quietly talking, "Hey there."

"Hey, Spencer," Prentiss was happy to hear from him. "How's everything?"

"We are on our way to London."

"That's great," Prentiss said. "You can start on Monday; give you all some time to go sight-seeing in London and relax a bit. And Élise's and Anastasia's birthdays are coming up, so…"

"Mm-mmm," Reid took another sight at his family sleeping. He had to ask, "How's the team?"

"They're doing well."

Reid had to ask again, "How did they take the news of me leaving unexpectedly for an infinite sabbatical?"

"They were all in a bit of a shock, especially JJ, that you just left unexpectedly."

"Of course, they would be," Reid nodded his head, knowing how the team would feel about his sudden sabbatical, especially JJ since… "But did you tell them…?"

"I didn't tell them the other reason you left," Prentiss swear. "I only told them that you just needed to take a break after what you went through and reminded them of the Bureau's condition to your reinstalment. And they all understood. And if you care, I had a talk with JJ about it, and she…"

"I rather not." Reid didn't want to hear JJ's side before sighing in relief, "Yeah. And thank you again for the sabbatical."

"Hey, we all need a break now and then," Prentiss kindly said. "Especially after what you went through in the past couple of years. Hope you put that behind you."

"I did indeed." Reid agreed, even if those parts remain a part of him. "So, if there's anything else…"

"Just continue to check in now and then, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Reid put away his phone and decided to get some sleep before they land, but not before taking one last look out the window and his girls.

Reid, Élise, and Anastasia got their luggage from Heathrow Airport and took a cab to their temporary home after getting off their flight.

"So, what brings you all to JOE?" Their driver asked them.

Élise cocked her head and twisted her lips, "JOE."

"Jolly Old England, of course," Reid said as he was petting Anastasia's head. "We're here due to me taking a sabbatical from work in the US."

"And we're in for the adventure of a lifetime," Élise replied. "Plus, we're pregnant with twins."

"Kudos to you all," Their driver smiled before asking, "How long will you all be in London?"

Élise answers, "A few months. We want to get back to the States before the twins are born."

"Well, until then, there's oodles to do here." The driver said. "Sights to see, places to visit. From the London Eye to Buckingham Palace. If you like to shop, there are places like Harrods, Hamleys. You can always see our Royal family."

"My mom told us to go check on her friends, mostly Harry and Meghan, before we left to come here." Élise joked and engaged in laughter.

Anastasia tapped on the windows, pointing from the buildings and people that were passing by to London itself; Reid chuckled, "Yeah. It's all pretty to see, huh?"

Élise tickled Anastasia's tummy, "Are you excited to see London while we're here?"

"Yeah!" She cried as she was clapping her hands.

Reid and Élise got settled in their new temporary flat by nighttime in Belgravia, and they were now resting in their bedroom.

"Well, this is nice and definitely cozy," Élise said to Reid after coming out of the private bathroom. Reid couldn't help but stare at Élise as she was clothed in a pink silk lace-trim nightgown and joined Reid in bed. "Our first night in London."

"We until tomorrow," Reid cuddles closer to Élise. "Especially since I get to spend this birthday weekend with my girls."

Élise giggled, "Your girls." She placed her hand on her stomach. "I love it when you say that. Because you get to go home to your girls. You get to spend your time at home with your girls. What if we have twin girls?" Élise raised her eyebrow, "Are you don't mind being outnumbered by girls, Dr. Daddy?"

Reid shrugged his shoulder and casually answered, "Honestly, I don't mind being a girl dad."

"Like Kobe Bryant," Élise said. "I like that."

Reid whispered, "As I like you, but love you even more."

Élise tittered before kissing Reid's soft lips; how she could never get tired of it.

Suddenly, they heard their bedroom door before, and it was Anastasia standing by the door with her stuffed animal.

"Hey, Stacie." Reid gestures Anastasia to come closer. "What happened?"

She meekly asked them, "May I slep with yu to, pleas?"

"Of course," Élise said.

"Come here, you."

Reid picked her up and joined them by placing Anastasia in the middle. "You didn't want to sleep by yourself right now?"

"Mm-mmm."

Élise and Reid looked to each other, "Just for this weekend, and then you go sleep in your own bed, okay?"

"K-K."

"Good morning, Stacie." Élise singsonged, gently waking up Anastasia beside her. "And Happy Birthday, my love." She tickled her, causing Anastasia to giggle. Élise gives her a big smooch on the cheeks before happily asking her, "And how old are you?"

Anastasia cutely holds up two of her fingers.

"Exactly." Élise and Anastasia gave each other a high five before she sniffed her nose in the air. "You smell that?"

Anastasia nods her head, "Mm-mmm."

"Well, it's making me hungry." Élise claws out of the king-size bed and carries Anastasia out of the bedroom in her arms to follow the smell. Getting to where the smell was coming was Reid, steadily cooking in the small warm, and cozy kitchen. Noticing his girls,

"Good morning, my favorite girls." Reid sights Élise and immediately kisses her on the lips. "And happy birthday, Stacie." Reid smooches her face, causing her to giggle.

Reid sets the plates down on the small table; Élise sets Anastasia down in her seat before taking her own seat and noticing the big meal Reid cooked up.

"What a big breakfast," Élise commented.

Reid corrected, "Actually, it's called a full breakfast. Consisting of back bacon, fried egg, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, buttered toast, sausage, baked beans."

"Still, it reminds me of what my dad would cook up sometimes," Élise said before she took a bite of the baked beans. "Never had baked beans before, but these are great."

Reid smirked as he wiped Anastasia's mouth from the crumps, "Of course." He gets closer to her ear, "Try the sausage. I know how you would like it."

Knowing what Reid truly meant, Élise embarrassedly giggled, letting out a snort before noticing the awkward facial expressions they were getting from Anastasia, making them giggle harder before dying down. Reid clears his throat and asks,

"So, who's ready to get their birthday celebration on?"

Élise and Anastasia raised their hands in the air, cried together, "Me!"

Reid wanted to start their London stayed with a bang and knew a great way to begin their adventure.

"Wow!"

Reid, Élise, and Anastasia were on an open-top London bus tour with a live guide and several tourists.

"You can pretty much see the whole of London," Élise said as she had her arms wrapped around Anastasia. "Parliament. Big Ben."

"Over here," The tour guide points to a London landmark, "We have the Tower of London."

"Home to the Royal Jewels." Reid raised his hand as he spoke along with the tour guide. "And actually has 12 towers."

"Now, that I'd love to see," Élise suggested, "Maybe we can see a couple of palaces along the way?"

"Like say Buckingham and Kensington Palaces?" Reid guessed. "Maybe we will see Westminster Abbey…"

"Where Prince William and Kate wed," Élise said. "And St. Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles and Lady Diana wed."

Reid tickled under Anastasia's chin and asked her, "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah!" Anastasia cheered.

"Wait until our next spot."

ZSL London Zoo…

"Look, Stacie," Reid pointed to the animal he was showing Anastasia. "What's that animal?"

Anastasia shouted, "Lion!"

Élise playfully asked her, "And what do lions do?"

"Roar!" Anastasia growled and mimicked a lion. "Roar."

"You'd make such a cute little lion," Élise laughs, "Like in The Lion King."

"This lion is an Asiatic lion; one of the largest in the feline family, and there are over 600 of their kind left in this world. They live in groups or prides themselves in correct terms. Their habitats are a dry forest, and their last remaining stronghold is in India."

"May I hav one for my birthday, pleas?" Anastasia sweetly asked. Folding her fingers together and jumping up and down, practically begging, "Pleas-pleas-pleas?"

Élise answers, "No for a few reasons. Lions are not household pets. They need to be of their own kind. They're not a lot of these lions left in the world."

"A cat, then." Anastasia's eyes lit up.

Reid quickly said. "No, daddy's allergic to them."

"Wha does tha mean?" Anastasia innocently questioned.

"It means I can't handle them, and I've dealt with one too many of them in this lifetime," Reid said and winked to Élise, knowing what she meant.

"Happy birthday to you," Reid and Élise sang to Anastasia, "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Anastasia Nicole Mathilde Diana Reid. Happy biiirthday to youuu." Finishing with a light round of applause, Anastasia blew out both birthday candles at once.

"Oh," Élise cuddles Anastasia and gives her a peck on the head. "Happy birthday, angel!"

Reid asked her as he cuts her a big slice of cake. "What did you wish for?"

"A sister." Anastasia jumped.

Élise's eyebrows lifted, "You want a sister?"

Anastasia shakes her shoulders, "Why not?"

"You wouldn't mind a brother either?"

Anastasia shakes her shoulders again, "Surprise me."

Her answer had Élise and Reid laughing.

"Okay, little girl," Élise placed Anastasia in the middle of the bed as they were getting ready to go to sleep. "Did you have a good birthday?"

"Yay!" Anastasia cried.

Reid got into bed and asked her, "Are you ready to tomorrow? Tomorrow's mama's birthday."

Anastasia excitedly shakes her hand before she let out a big yawn, "Yay."

"When you yawn like that, you have to cover your mouth," Élise maternally said.

"Mm-mmm." Anastasia nods her head again.

"And on that note, it's time to go to sleep," Reid said before he and Élise kissed Anastasia good night and each other good night. "Love you."

"Love you." Anastasia said before asking, "How old are you, mommy?"

"It's impolite to ask an adult their age. You know that?" Élise lowered her eyes before replying; she lay her head on the pillow, whispering in her ear, "I'm not as old as your old man."

"I heard that," Reid commented.