A/N: Hello again, everyone!
A shout-out to Quilter1993, fishtrek, aiinuitachi, and tay tay twilight.
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement intended.
My apologies if I made any mistakes but enjoy the chapter!
The chapter takes place on Sunday morning/afternoon, December 9th, 2012.
Élise stared at her reflection in the rectangular-shaped mirror in the bathroom, finishing applying airbrushed makeup. Once she was done, she cleaned up her supplies and placed them in her bag before walking out. There, she saw Reid finishing packing their bags and setting them by the balcony.
"Oh, Spencer," Élise hugged him from behind, prompting him to turn his body around. "This weekend has been so wonderful. You were right; I definitely needed a weekend getaway." she stroked his cheeks. "Oh, the Gentleman's facial you got at the spa really made you glow like fine polished glass, love."
Indeed it was. This weekend getaway was exactly what she needed, especially the spa treatments she and Reid got. They also shopped around Towson Mall and the Harbor East District; visited a few restaurants, museums, theatres, Druid Hill Park, and a quick stop at the Horseshoe Casino. Reid was told that he was not allowed to play at the casinos by the owners and managers though they did comment how great of a player he is.
Plus, the weekend getaway made Élise almost forget someone was sending her threatening notes at work and her email, hang-up calls, or heavy breathing. Hopefully, it'll stay that way. And for good.
Reid pridefully smiled. "I told you so."
He puckered his lips, allowing Élise to kiss them. Her cell phone vibrated in her white jeans pocket. Getting it, it was a photo message from Rose, and Élise opened it.
"Aw, isn't that cute?" she gushed and showed Reid the picture text.
It was a selfie Rose took of her, Séraphine, and Isaac were wearing Christmas-themed hand puppets, and Opal wore a reindeer band.
"And to think, I was just getting over what the unsub did before we left town," Reid shuddered, reflecting that the last unsub he had to deal with turned his human victims into real-life marionettes.
"Hey-hey-hey," Élise cupped his head with her hands. "I thought we agreed not to talk about work while we're vacationing."
Reid smirked slyly. "Oh, so now, you don't want to talk about work, huh, Lady Law?' he chuckled. "Perhaps we need a weekend getaway every now and then, huh?"
"Do you want to make it a New Year's Resolution?" Élise thought and raised her eyebrows.
"Why not?"
Reid and Élise kissed again, and their bodies collapsed on the bed; they just needed to do this one last thing before they departed for D.C.
By the time they left Baltimore, Maryland, and made their way home to D.C., it was already one o'clock in the afternoon.
"Whoo!" Élise exclaimed as she and Reid got out of the car, grabbed their luggage from the backseat, and walked up the stone path to their front door. "I can't wait to see my elves!" she bounced.
Reid opened the door and allowed Élise to enter first. "We're home!" he and Élise made their presence known.
"Mommy!" Séraphine waddled out of the great room and into the foyer. "Daddy!"
"Hey-hey, darling duchess!" Reid gathered up Séraphine into his arms and kissed her face. "Were you a good girl for Rose while mommy and I were gone?"
"Indeed, they were," Rose paced into the hall with Isaac in her arms and Opal trailing behind. "You both look refreshed and ready to take over D.C.," she complimented. "How was your getaway?"
Élise touched her face. "Thanks, Rose. And it was amazing. Spencer and I did this couples private spa retreat, and believe me, it felt a dream." she gasped. "Hi, Ziggy-Zag." Élise coaxed Isaac from Rose's arms and immediately started kissing him. "Did mommy's boy have a good time with Rosie?"
Isaac babbled happily, and Élise mimicked back.
"He said he had a good time," Élise joked, making everyone laugh. "Oh, I can't wait until you start talking, you little vat of bubbly delicious," she tickled his belly, making him giggle.
Before anyone knew it, the rest of the day quickly flew by.
Élise finished wrapping her hair and tucked it behind with a black silk cap. Walking out of the master bathroom, she saw Reid, already in his plaid sleepwear, reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Sitting next to him after tucking herself behind the covers, Élise asked, "Whatcha reading?"
"The Adventures of the Blue Carbuncle," he answered. "A Christmas-themed Sherlock Holmes short story, and I'm almost done."
Élise clapped her hands and snapped her fingers. "Which reminds me to start really getting down to the Christmas planning. I mean, we need to schedule an appointment or two for Ziggy's first Christmas photos, get the stockings, tree; we still have some decorations, so we don't need to go and buy more for now."
Reid shut the book, already finished. "We still have plenty of time, Lise. Don't worry about it." he placed the book on the nightstand.
"I get you're right." Élise nodded.
Reid remarked. "When am I not?"
Élise gave him a witty look. "Go to sleep."
They kissed goodnight.
Reid moaned and groaned as he was just starting to wake up. Rubbing his eyes with his hand palms and yawning, he rolled his head, stretched his back, and shook his legs as he was getting out of bed. His eyes were getting less hazy, and he became alert when he noticed Élise doing morning exercises.
"Whoo!" Élise exclaimed as she finished the last warm-up morning exercise she was working out. Reaching her phone and turning off the YouTube video, Élise smiled as she noticed Reid waking up.
"Good morning, my love," Élise puckered and kissed his cheek.
Reid kissed her back. "Good morning to you, Lisey. Doing your morning exercises again?"
Élise stretched her arms. "A good morning exercise can really get your energy on." she began shadowboxing.
"Oh, so now you're Muhammad Ali?" Reid joked.
Élise jested back with, "I think I would be more like his daughter Laila, except she's much taller and far more athletic than me." she pursed her mouth and lowered her eyes. "Think she take on Morgan if he was a girl?"
Reid and Élise burst into chuckles.
"I'd pay to see that," Élise admitted. "Want to shower together?"
Reid sheepishly snickered, taking Élise's hand and guiding her to the bathroom. "You know I'd never pass up."
Reid had his last sip of coffee before tossing the white cup in the trash can next to his desk. He got a text from Élise, saying that she got to work okay and to text her if he had a case, whether or not it was out-of-state. Now, he was sitting at his desk, where he was jolting down formulas in a notepad.
"I always wondered what Spencer Reid's grocery list looked like," said a voice from behind him. Reid turned around and noticed Blake standing over him with her hands in her back pantsuit pockets.
"It's actually Riemann's hypothesis," said Reid.
"Which is?" Blake questioned.
Reid explained, "It's a mathematical conjecture from the 19th century that states the Riemann zeta function zeroes all lie on the critical line."
"Yeah, I get it," Blake somewhat understood what Reid was saying to her.
Reid continued scribbling. "I noddle it from time to time. it sort of helps me unwind, you know?"
"Well," Blake soon took a few steps and sat on his desk. "Since we're on the subject of unwinding, how'd your weekend getaway go?"
"It went well," Reid answered. "Élise and I got to see Baltimore again. Relax and not think about work."
Blake nodded. "Did Élise open to you about what was going on with her?"
Reid opened his mouth, about to say something, but he promised himself that he kept it to himself and Élise. He turned his head and saw most of the team gathering in the conference room. "Round table's about to start. We should probably get going." He suggested, placing his notepad and pencil on his desk and leaving to join, not seeing the smirk Blake had on her face before she followed him.
Soon the team came together to discuss two victims; found in different Southern states, chiseled in the head, and surrounded by bugs.
Élise was in her chambers, reviewing court documents during her lunch break, when she saw her phone vibrate. Looking at the caller ID before she answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, Élise."
"Maeve," Élise's voice brightened. "How've you been?"
"Great!" Maeve cried. "You should be happy yourself. How was your weekend getaway?"
Élise sighed. "Spencer was totally right; I really needed it. One of our New Year's Resolutions is to take one every now and then."
"Again, great. Also, I have amazing news."
Élise wondered. "What?"
"Guess who are the new owners of the restored farmhouse?"
Élise gasped. "Congratulations, Maeve. This calls for a celebration when Spencer comes back from his case."
Reid and Blake saw the Alabaman M.E. who analyzed the female victim' corpus. They discovered she didn't suffer when she died, dead for a few hours, wood residue in her teeth, surrounded by maggot, larvae, and skunk hair composite.
The Mississippian M.E. found the same results; Reid concluded that the unsub's fly larvae were brought by the unsub.
Meeting back with Hotch and JJ after they came up where the female victim was killed, Blake confirmed the Mississippian M.E. found the same results as the Alabaman M.E.
Reid connected the unsub's M.O. to Russell Smith, a deceased 1960s-80s sexual sadist who killed eight prostitutes.
"More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,/And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:" After dinner, Élise decided to read a classic Christmas poem to Séraphine and Isaac before she bathed and tucked them into bed. "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,/On! Comet, on! Cupid, on Donner and Blixen;"
Séraphine grimaced her face a bit and asked Élise, "Wha bout Ruolph?" she pointed to her stuffed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer toy.
Élise made sure Isaac was comfortable sitting in her lap while gnawing on his reindeer teether. "Who can forget about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Fifi?"
Séraphine giggled as Élise's phone vibrated, promptly answering it.
"Hello." Élise put the phone on speaker.
"Hey."
Séraphine squealed, "Daddy!"
Isaac babbled.
"Hi, Fifi and Ziggy!" Reid exclaimed. "How is everything?"
"Gad!"
Élise added, "We're good; Opal's resting, Rose left a while ago, and I'm reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas."
"Classic poem," said Reid. "Just thought I call and see how everything's going back home."
Élise firmly assured, "We're good."
"Okay, well, good night, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite."
"Bah, daddy!"
The following day, the team now received news of another female victim, who called her by a different name.
Reid announced that the fly larvae was not from the Gulf Coast, but the unsub brought it from there and realized the unsub's planting the victims with maggots and animal remains.
Going back to what Morgan and Rossi got from the waitress coworker of the latest victim, Rossi thinks it was the unsub's actual birthday.
Contacting Garcia, while she couldn't find anything linking to the unsub, she managed to get the birthdays of Russell Smith's victims.
And finding a picture of him with a scar on his cheek, the team realized the unsub's turning himself into Russell Smith, thus leading the team to deliver the profile.
Marshal Johnson escorted Élise into the courthouse building when she received a phone call. Immediately answering, "Hello?"
"Élise?"
"Rose," said Élise. "How's everything?" she felt a slight panic coming, fearing it had something to do with either Séraphine, Isaac, or even Reid.
Rose assured. "Everything's fine, and no one's in trouble or hurt," she sighed. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm still thinking about what you said earlier and..."
"Excuse me, ma'am," Marshal Johnson alerted Élise's attention and escorted Élise to her chambers.
"Oh, sorry, Rose," Élise's tone was apologetic. "I have to get going."
Rose understood. "Okay."
Garcia got more on Russell Smith's victims. The team discovered that Smith's victims' murder dates match the birth dates of the unsub's victims.
And seeing where the original victims were killed, the team also realized that the unsub is obsessed with reincarnation, killing the victims to be born again.
Thinking the unsub believes reincarnation has to do with himself, Garcia found a name born at the same time and place as Smith's death.
Willie Kestler.
The team decided to fly back to D.C. after Morgan got checked out from being bruised in the stomach in a shootout, resulting in the unsub's death.
Reid set his book down after seeing Morgan in the jet gallery, clutching to his bandaged stomach. Getting up from his seat and walking up to him, Reid asked, "Are you okay?"
"Mmm," Morgan groaned, looking down at his bandages. "It's not the first time I've been shot. And I doubt it'll be my last. If it wasn't for my bulletproof vest…" Morgan almost didn't want to think about it.
Reid sighed. "Wait until Garcia sees you." he imagined Garcia pampering Morgan, waiting on him hand and foot, along with their usual sexual and flirty conversing.
"Yeah, don't think I'm leaving that easily," Morgan patted his stomach, and he and Reid walked back to their seats and tried to relax as much as they can before landing.
Reid exhaled as he began packing his go-bag and satchel. He looked through the case files before placing them in his desk, hoping to take care of them tomorrow morning.
He heard footsteps approaching, turning around, and it was Blake.
"Ready to go home?"
Reid heaved another sigh. "I am so ready to go home and hug and kiss my wife and children."
"I wish I could do the same with James, but…" Blake shrugged.
Reid guessed, "He's still in the Middle East?"
Blake nodded. "Mmm-hmm. He sends his love to me before the case. I miss him, but we make it work."
"I know that feeling," Reid agreed.
"Hey, you two."
Reid and Blake noticed JJ coming close to them.
"Hotch needs us at the roundtable room."
Considering they had just landed but knew it must have been important enough, the two left their belongings. They followed JJ, Morgan, and Garcia to the conference room. Everyone stood across from Hotch and Rossi; Hotch had a case file in his hands and Rossi looking stern.
Soon, they told the team about someone mimicking the crimes they solved, from the Silencer case to the John Nelson cases, and will now be investigating along with their other cases.
Reid exhaled noisily as he entered his home and punched in the security system. Setting his go-bag and satchel to the side, he stretched his back, seeing Opal sleeping in the corner in her pen in the great room.
Still stretching, he gently crept the door to Séraphine's room open and smiled at the sight of seeing her asleep. Tiptoeing to her bedside, he squatted, petted her hair, and kissed her temple.
"I love you, Fifi," he whispered before getting up and snuck out of the room for Isaac's nursery, grinning as he watched him sleep.
"I love you, Ziggy," he kissed his head before sidling his way to his own bedroom.
There he saw Élise strolling out of the bathroom, already clad in a white long-sleeve pajama pants set. She was a bit startled when she saw Reid but still happy to see him. "Baby!" with her arms opened, she strolled up to his side and hugged him.
"Oh." Élise gave him a kiss. "How was the case?"
Reid sighed, removing his tie and unbuttoning his dress shirt as he made his way to the bathroom. After almost four to six minutes, Reid was clad in a black Doctor Who shirt and navy-gray flannel pants. "A lot." he slid under the bed covers.
Élise joined him. "Like what?"
"Other than dealing with the unsub's obsession with reincarnation, that story and discussion are for another day because just before I left the office, we got some serious news."
"Like what?" asked Élise.
"Someone's mimicking the crimes we solved months ago," Reid announced.
Élise felt chills. "What?"
"Yeah," he whispered. "And now, we'll be investigating them along with our other cases."
Élise took his hands. "It'll be okay."
"I hope so."