A/N: Hello again, everyone!

A shout-out to ahowell1993 and Austin for either reviewing Chapter 7, favoring, following the story, and/or me. The occasional scenes/lines from episodes of Criminal Minds in this story belong to the writers of Criminal Minds and CBS. No copyright infringement intended.

As I stated in the previous chapter, this chapter takes place on September 1st.

Honolulu Cruise Terminal

"Why am I not surprised?" Reid said as Élise set out of their provided service car with Séraphine in his arms after unbuckling Séraphine out of her car seat.

Élise styled herself in a white twill suit with dark pinstripes and strappy heels. The lapel, cuffs, belt, and buttons were made from fine satin, and the shirt's collar edged with teardrop pearls with a narrow tie. Élise spun around and asked, giving a hand-on-the-hip pose.

"Do you like it?" Élise curves her eyebrows three times.

"You are something else. You do know that, right? Reid chuckles before pointing to her Edwardian-inspired hat with a double striped capeline bow hat. "But I do like the hat."

"Thanks." Élise blushes and looks away. "It plays off the suit and ties the look together. It's my tribute to the Titanic movie. I already feel like Rose DeWitt-Bukater. The best part is that you get to be my Jack Dawson."

Reid playfully shakes his head, "I swear, you've watched Titanic too many times when you were pregnant."

"It's a classic movie." Élise laughed as she, Reid, and Séraphine made their way to the cruise ship. "They don't make movies like them anymore."

Reid agrees, "No, they do not." Reid soon asked Séraphine, whose eyes were wandering around, still carried by him. "So, Fifi! Are you ready to board for your first cruise?" He starts tickling her tummy, causing her to giggle.

Élise joined in and tickled her tummy and adjusts her pink and yellow hat, "Of course she's excited. Look at those big eyes."

"She has your eyes." Reid complimented.

"I think she has your eyes," Élise adds before she reaches into her bag and reapplies a dab of sunscreen on her face, "But she definitely has my lashes." Élise flutters her eyes; Séraphine soon mimics her and bats her lashes.

"Aw," Séraphine put her tiny hand on Reid's nose and squeeze it, giggling as she did. "Look at you, being a cute little Southern belle."

"Yeah, it's cute," Reid agreed and mimics a Southern accent, "Maybe she'll speak with a Southern accent."

"She totally has our smile." Élise smiles while impersonating a southerly accent. She snapped her fingers and wagged her index finger, "Oh, I remember something."

Reid asked; Élise already had that worried look in her eyes, "What? What happened?"

"FBI agents are tracked 24/7/365, whether or not they're off-duty, right?" Élise wonders.

"Yeah." Reid nods his head, already knowing what Élise was trying to say, "Yeah, that's right."

"Well, considering how we're about to go on a cruise from Hawaii to Australia…" Élise was about to voice her concerns when Reid assures her.

"I already called them," Reid replied. "I told them that unless it's an emergency, especially a family emergency, I wish not to be disturbed."

"Same here," Élise said. "I do want to check in on Opal, just to see how she is. It'll be the longest we've left her alone since our wedding and..."

"I get it." Reid comprehended. "Let's just hope nothing huge happens while we're here."

"Let's try not to jinx it," Élise replied. "Let's just enjoy these next three weeks."

The loud horn blew as Élise, Reid, and Séraphine, and the other passengers waving to the large cheering crowd below as the Golden Wattle cruise began departing into the Pacific Ocean.

"Say 'buh-bye,' Élise steadily holds Séraphine in her arms. "Buh-bye, people."

"Bon voyage!" Reid cried, "We'll be back, people."

"Ba-ba."

Both Élise and Reid cock their head down and raised their eyebrows, froze for about ten seconds before Reid—whose mouth was trying to speck something before finally saying,

"Did she…?" Reid softly said.

Élise blinked, "Say…"

Séraphine looked to Élise and Reid, touching their faces with her hands, and babbled,

"Pa…Ma…"

Now their mouths dropped, and their eyes widen. Séraphine repeated it,

"Ma…Pa…"

Élise shrieked, jumping up and down, "She said her first words." Hugging her child with all of her might. "She said her first words! I'm so proud of you, Fifi."

Reid wraps his index finger around her curly hair before planting a kiss on top of her head, "I'm so proud of you!" He whispers in her ear, "Especially since you pretty much said 'pa' first."

"Actually, O to Smart One, she said 'ba-ba' first." Élise simpered. "And she said 'ma' as well." Séraphine pats her head. Murmuring in her daughter's ear, "Don't give in to your daddy's IQ ego."

"I heard that," Reid said in hush tones. "You owe me a kiss."

Élise snickers before giving him a peck.

Reid whispers again in Séraphine's ear. "Mommy's a card."

Reid, Élise, and Séraphine spent the rest of the day in their one-suite cabin suite, either adjusting to their new place for the next three weeks, watch television and movies, etc. Their suite decked out in Ralph Lauren Home furnishings, Swarovski crystal lightings, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, a balcony, veranda, deck, a Steinway piano worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, a whirlpool jacuzzi tub and shower in their private bathroom, 24-hour butler and concierge services, etc.

Their home away from home, or at least until they arrived in Australia.

After the day cooled down, Reid bathed Séraphine while Élise took a bath and returned to her bedroom to tuck her in.

"Good night, Fifi," Reid whispers, stroking her hair, even curling a piece of her hair with his pinky finger.

"Dream sweetly, bunny." Élise waved to her, quietly exclaiming, "We're going to have a fun-fun-FUN day, so make sure you get plenty of rest, okay?" Élise tapped Séraphine's nose and giggled like a little girl who's been given good news or had their first tooth taken out.

Séraphine rubbed her eyes and screakily yawned, stretching every inch of her body.

"Ba-ba."

She yawns again before her eyes soon drifting off into a dreamy sleep. "Ah…"

"We love you, sweet thing."

Élise and Reid couldn't help but smile with overwhelming joy, their baby girl saying her first word. They gave her a good-bye kiss and told her she loved them before turning off the lights and leaving her to sleep. Élise led back with the back of her body against Séraphine's bedroom door and sighed. Reid even sees a tear falling from Élise's eyes.

"Come here," Reid pulls Élise into his arms and gives her a loving hug, soothing her back in gentle circles.

"Her first word," Élise shakingly sighs again, "Her first word."

"I know." Reid has a tear fall from his eye. "I know."

While Reid was in the bathroom, Élise was rereading the Golden Wattle booklet. The Golden Wattle offers an open option of activities that'll make you feel right at home. Eighteen dining venues, including three grand dining rooms, five gyms, four bars, eight pools, ice-skating rink, three theaters, over 5,000 lifeboats, and over 11,000 works of art….

Élise picked her head up when she heard Reid coming out of the bathroom, casually dressed in a purple cotton long-sleeve pajama shirt and pants. Slinking into the King-sized bed next to Élise,

"Ready for tomorrow?"

"Of course." Élise tosses the pamphlet on the bedside.

Reid rambles, "Did you know that the ship is environmentally friendly as it drives on heating water?"

"Actually, no." Élise answers. "But with you, I learn something new from you every day."

Reid allowed Élise to pull him together to her body as they got under the comforters, "Want me to show you something new right now?"

Élise licked her lips and bit down on her tongue, naughtily sniggering.

"Yeah, do you like that, Fifi?" Élise asked Séraphine as she was steadily holding her, allowing her to play in the cruise liner's Baby Splash Zone. Séraphine enjoyed splashing her wet hands and feet around in the infant pool. "You like the water?"

"Baah!" Séraphine happily babbled, sticking her tongue out before giggling.

"You're a Pisces, alright." Reid jokes and joined in, smoothly splashing around in the water. "Pisces is a water sign."

"That means she's in her element." Élise chuckles as she joined in the fun. "Pisces is a water sign: meaning she's at one with the refreshing water. And mysterious like the water itself."

Reid growls, "I guess that explains why I fell in love with you."

"Mmm-mmm," Élise temptingly growls, still not letting Séraphine go. 'You're an air sign: a thinker. You're all about analysis, logic, language, intelligence, correct information. You're just a breath of fresh air, no pun intended."

Reid chuckled as he gave Élise a lip peck; Séraphine giggled.

"Hey, Séraphine!" Séraphine was getting her attention as the two of them were on the merry-go-round. "Look at daddy!"

Reid sillily waved to them as he was taking photographs of them, "Hi!"

"Hi, daddy!" Élise giggled as she waved back to him and got Séraphine to wave with her. "Say hi to daddy."

"Da…da…" Séraphine babbled.

Reid's mandible cracked open, his eyes extended as Séraphine and Élise were getting off the carousel. He surprisingly asked his daughter, scooping Séraphine from Élise's arms,

"Did you just say…"

Séraphine babbles, "Da…da."

"Ohh!" A squealing Élise placed her hands on her cheeks and gushed, "She loves 'dada' to her dada."

Séraphine reached her hand out to Élise and gabbed, "Ma…ma…"

"Aww," Reid's smile glowed like the twinkled in his hazel eyes. "She loves saying 'mama' as well. Because she didn't want to forget her mama as well." Murmuring in her ears, "You love your daddy even more because you're a daddy's girl."

"Ha-ha, girl daddy," Élise sarcastically retorts and takes the camera from his hands, "Go ride on the ride before I change my mind." She breathes in his ear, "And maybe you won't get anything from me tonight."

Reid snickers as he bows to Élise before kissing her cheek, "As you wish, My Queen."

Élise chuckles as he and Séraphine walked towards the roundabout. As she was checking to see if the camera needed any adjustments on the settings,

"Oh."

Someone bumps into her. Quickly apologizing, "Oh, sorry…"

When she got a glimpse of the person who possibly bumped into her, Élise's eyes increased, her mouth dropped a little and froze until Reid called her out,

"Hey, Élise!" Reid flapped his hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Shaking the nerve off and clearing her throat, she plastered a smile on her face and swayed back, "Yeah, I'm good."

"Will you stop looking at your phone, Élise?" Reid chastises Élise as they tried to have a private dinner alone at one of the cruise's restaurants. Reid and Élise admired the restaurant's pendant lightings, a combination of warm and dark coloring, Palladian flooring, thick oriental rugs, modern furnishings.

Élise hissed as she gave her phone to Reid, who soon placed it in his pocket, insisting, "Maybe just one more call…"

"Reid…" He pulled off his best Hotch stare.

Élise meekly put her hands up and twisted her lips, "Okay. I surrender."

Reid face-wide smiled and adoringly gazes at Élise, who lowers her head and pouts her mouth. "You win." She dryly said with a simple smile.

"It's not every day I win against the Silent Eliminating Enforcer." Reid beamed, showing his white teeth.

Élise purses her lips together when a young short-haired man approached their table,

"Good evening. What would you guys like to have?"

Élise waved to the waiter, "Hello and good evening to you as well. I think I'll have the…" Élise took at the menu before choosing, "The Caprese salad, tofu stir-fry rice, and the…halo-halo, please."

"Excellent choices." The waiter said, jolting down Élise's order. "And you, sir?"

Reid cleared his throat and asked for, "I'll have tandoori chicken, a leafy green salad, and the halo-halo as well, please."

"It'll be with you in a moment," The waiter took their menus and left. Soon, Élise's cell phone vibrates again. Reaching her hand out, Reid holds his hand up and stops her, only for him to get it for her.

It was a video message.

Reid grins as he plays the video.

It was BJ licked by Opal and him playing with her fur.

This moment made Élise and Reid quietly giggle as they did not want to attract unwanted attention from the restaurant patrons.

Élise let out a snort, "I definitely think Opal really likes BJ."

"I just hope Opal doesn't forget about us," Reid agrees, nodding his head.

"She won't," Élise assures Reid and places her hand over his hand, patting it down and smoothly comforting him. "Which reminds me…"

Reid knew what Élise was up to and replied, "Fifi is fine. Remember what I said? No calls to her unless it's an emergency."

She exhaled, "Right," Élise suddenly felt a cramp in her hand and immediately rubs in gentle circles. When she turned her head, she caught a glance at a particular man. Squinting her eyes as he was a few feet away from their table, Élise thought she saw…

"Élise?"

Reid snapped Élise out of her thoughts. Reid turned to see what Élise saw and immediately turned his head around again after feeling that this man with dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin was staring at him. He felt his body trembled and shook off their tensions.

"Do you know that guy?"

Élise shrugged her shoulders, "Honestly, he almost looks like this guy I knew from law school."

"What was his name?"

Élise grunted, "Griffin Nicholas Richards."

"And judging from the tone of your voice, I take it he is not someone you want to remember?" Reid asked.

"No." Élise bluntly said as their meals came. "No, I do not." She took a heavy sigh before admitting, "I had a brief relationship with him."

Reid cocks his head, "Really?"

"Yeah, but we weren't boyfriend/girlfriend. Not at all."

"So…" Reid curiously questions. "What happened?"

Élise groaned, "He had a domineering nature; he always needed to know where I was, who I was with, and finally…I couldn't take it anymore. I told my brother about him, and he said to him that if he ever went near me again, he'd kill him and make it look like an accident." She took a forklod of her salad.

Reid wagged his fork after swallowing some tandoori chicken, "That explains why I was afraid of your brother when I first met him."

Reid's comment made Élise giggled; she sipped some water after letting out a couple of coughs.

Reid smirked, "I promise you, if he's a bother to you, he's going to have to answer to Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Walter Reid."

Élise snickers, "You sound like a federal superhero."

"Up-up and away." Reid did a quick superhero pose before eating his meal again.

"Ahh," Élise blissfully breathed in the air as she, Reid, and even Séraphine were relaxing by one of the cruise ship's pool decks. After finishing a chapter of Emma, she took a sip of her ice sparkling water drink, raised it in the air, and said, "Just what I needed."

"Be careful, Fifi," Reid was with Séraphine, playing in one of the kid-and-toddler-friendly pools. "Don't splash your little hand too hard, or you might hurt it."

Élise waved to them after having another sip. "Are you two having fun?"

Reid happily replied, "Too much fun."

Séraphine giggled and let out a tooth smile, making Élise full-on grin and even titter. Élise finishes up her drink and removes her light-weighted white plaid woven cover-up dress, revealing a white ruffle-trim V-neck tankini and hipster bikini bottom. Reid wolf-whistled Élise as she fluffed her hair.

Élise placed her hands on her hips and asked, "Can I join in on your fun?" She begins to reapply SPF 100+ sunscreen spray.

Reid looked down and asked Séraphine, "Can mommy join on the fun?"

Séraphine gleefully shrieked when she looked at her mother, grasping out for her and splashily kicks her legs. Babbling, "Ma. Ma. Ma…ma…"

Élise's heart once she stepped into the turquoise pool water and scooped Séraphine in her arms, "Aw, baby Fi!"

"Whoo…" Élise was exhausted, wiping her sweaty forehead and neck with a clean white towel before placing it around her neck. She and Reid were at the cruise ship's gym and had just finished a Zumba class and spent about, according to Reid, an hour and twenty-one seconds working out from the course, "That was quite a workout. But I needed it."

"I did, too," Reid agreed as he dried himself off with the clean cloth and wrapped it around his neck. "I can feel myself getting stronger."

"I know," Élise surveyed Reid's workout attire: short-sleeve shirt with shorts and his signature Converse sneakers. "Plus, it's not every day I see you in workout shorts. Showing off your hot legs."

Élise flexes her arm, "Check it."

Reid squeezed her toned arm's muscle, "Look at you. Look at you."

"Yup." Élise gulps down half a bottle of refreshing ice-cold water. "Hopefully, I'll be back to my post-pregnancy weight goal by the end of the year." Élise pinches some of her stomach. "And finally, lose this blubber on my stomach."

Reid caressed Élise's cheek and said to her, "You're beautiful just the way you are."

"I love it when you tell me that." Élise blushes.

"Well, it's true." Reid helped himself to some water.

Élise asked before finishing up the rest of her water, "Ready to get Fifi and relax at the spa?"

"Mm-mmm." Reid tosses his empty bottle near the recycling can. "Let me get my bag, and I'll meet you upfront, okay?"

"Yup." They kissed each other before leaving for the locker room.

Reid decided to take a shower later and just focused on getting his gym bag. He made sure he had everything he needed before leaving: his towel, deodorant, a First Aid kit, and his lock. He was using some odor-eliminating spray and drenched it around his body when he overhead a conversation,

"…Totally crazy, Keith." A buff guy exclaimed as he and a slender man came into the locker room. "I still can't believe it happened."

The slender man said, "Oh, it happened alright, Rocky."

"Small FBI branch team going rogue," Keith said to him as he opened his bag. "That's not something you see every day, but it still made the headlines."

Rocky answers, "Mm-mmm."

Keith said to Rocky, "Even though they got suspended for their actions, I can't say I don't blame them."

"Yup," Rocky answers again.

"A team of elite profilers suspended for going rogue." Keith chuckled, "All to help a friend. I hope it was worth it."

Reid tilts his head and wrinkles his nose, realizing that the two gentlemen may be talking about his team. He pulled out his FBI credentials; even going on a cruise, he'd never go anywhere without it. He took a deep breath and approached them,

"Uh, excuse me, gentleman." Reid shows them his identifications. "I…couldn't help but overhear about your conversation about this FBI team…"

"Oh, yeah." The slender man said, going into his gym bag and pulls out his FBI badge. "I'm Senior Special Agent Keith Morris." He gestures to Rocky, who shows Reid his ID, "And He's Senior Special Agent Rocco De Luca, and we're from the FBI's National Security Branch."

"I'm Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid for the Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia." Reid introduced himself.

"The BAU?" Keith recognized that name. "So, it was your team who was suspended?"

Reid was just about to open his mouth and say something when a tall man in a tailored suit entered the locker room and said,

"I'm looking for Dr. Spencer Reid."

Reid raises his hand, "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid."

"You've been summoned for a private video chat," The manager said. "It's an emergency from Aaron Hotchner."

While Élise went to get Séraphine from the daycare, the manager has set up a private and secure video chat via Skype and left the room, leaving Reid alone. Reid inhaled and exhaled. He wiggled his fingers to relieve the cramps and counted for Hotch to appear on the giant screen.

And he finally appeared.

"Spencer."

Reid was surprised to see Hotch. "Hey, Hotch."

Especially with a beard and mustache. He tried to ease the awkwardness between the two and said, "Nice look."

Hotch strokes his bushy chin, "This happens when you've been reassigned to Pakistan for two-to-three months." Hotch tiredly sighed before apologizing, "I'm sorry to interrupt you from your time with your family, but I need to tell you something."

Reid awkwardly smiles before finally asking him, "So, what's the emergency?"

Hotch took another deep breath; his arms were still crossed, "Seven months ago, I made a decision that affected the team."

Reid's face saddened when he knew what Hotch was talking about Prentiss.

"As you know, Emily had lost a lot of blood after her fight with Doyle." Hotch continued. "But the doctors were able to stabilize her. And she was airlifted from Boston to Bethesda under a covert exfiltration. Her identity was strictly need-to-know. And she stayed there until she was well enough to travel. She was reassigned to Paris, where she was given several identities, none of which we had access to for her security."

Reid's eyes widen; his mouth was partially opened and froze for about thirty seconds.

Prentiss is alive? Reid said in his head. He could barely get the following words out,

"But we buried her."

Hotch replied, "As I said, I take full responsibility for the decision. If you have any issues, they should be directed toward me."

"No." Reid frantically shook his head in denial, "No, I don't believe you."

Soon the camera moves to,

"Emily..." Reid shockingly said when he first sees Prentiss appear in front of him before his eyes.

Prentiss lightly smirks and meekly waved to him, "Hey, Reid."

All this made Reid pass out.

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! I'll still be shaking and mixing things up a bit before the premiere of Season Seven's "It Takes A Village."