A/N: Hello again, everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
And welcome to the first chapter of The Profiler and The Prosecutor Book Two.
I would like to credit Quilter1993 for helping me with this chapter.
Previously on Criminal Minds…
"I'm still thinking about the other options we could be doing for the next few weeks as the Bureau faces changes."
"You want to be doing something else?"
"Be there for my family. […] Plus, Élise's maternity leave is ending soon, so…I figure I let her go back to work while I stay home with Séraphine for the time being."
"You want to take a sabbatical?"
"More than anything."
"Aww."
"At least I get to spend my sabbatical with you, Fifi, and Opal."
May 26, 2011
Dr. Spencer Reid and his three-month-old daughter, Séraphine, were in the living room, playing and doing normal father-and-daughter activities while Opal was napping in the corner.
Élise returned to work a few days ago…
May 23, 2011
Reid was in the dining room, feeding Séraphine with the pumped breast milk Élise pumped the night before just as she came into the room.
She grabbed some food for Opal and placed it in her bowl; she was impeccably dressed in a white blouse, black jacket, pants, and low heels with her chin-length black-brown hair permed and straightened and was carrying her bag and briefcase.
Nervously exhaling, Élise asked, "How do I look?"
Reid beamed up, "You look ready to get back to work."
Élise sighed again, moving a piece of her hair back, "I hope so." Élise walked up to Séraphine and stroked her hair, "I feel like I'm back at school, and it's the first day back."
"Believe me; I know the feeling," Reid smirked.
Élise said, "Well, my twelve weeks are up, and I can either get back to work or confront my separation anxiety."
"How do you think I felt how I was when I went back to work?" Reid reminded her of his first day back after a month of paternity leave.
Élise chuckled and agreed, "Very true." Gently taking Séraphine from Reid's arms once she noticed her eyes widening, signaling that she's full for now. "Are you going to miss Mommy?"
Séraphine responded by licking her lips and releasing soft coos.
Élise tilted her head to the side, "Oh, I'm going to miss you, bunny." Élise kissed Séraphine's babyface. "But I have to go make the world a safer and better place. Well, actually D.C., Virginia, and practically a little bit of this country," Kissing her face again, "I'm still going to miss you, but I'm just a phone call away."
"Don't worry, mama, I can handle her," Reid assured Élise as he took Séraphine back into his arms. "I got the daddy duties."
Élise giggled, "Daddy duties. I'm so glad for your sabbatical for you to be a daddy while I go and bring the unsubs to justice via the law."
"Mmm-hmm."
Élise and Reid shared a passionate liplock kiss.
"Boop," Reid playfully tapped at Séraphine's nose. "Boop-boop." Tapping her nose again, "Boop."
Séraphine responded in giggles, making Reid giggle as well.
"Would you like me to hug again, Fifi?" Reid asked lovingly, "Do you want me to hug you again?"
Séraphine responded in happy coos and vowel sounds.
"Well, of course, I'll give you another hug." Reid fatherly cuddled her close to his chest. "And while I'm at it, I'll give you a boatload of kisses as well." Reid begins kissing the top of her soft curly-haired head. "I just love you so much, Fifi."
Reid turned around and noticed Opal was starting to walk up to Reid and cuddled his leg.
"Hey," Reid began petting Opal with his free hand. "I can't forget about you, Opal."
May 27, 2011...
Élise put down her MontBlanc and groaned in exhaustion. Ever since she got back to work on Monday, what she has been mostly doing is paperwork. And it was giving her hand cramps, not to mention making her bored. At least by tomorrow, she was teaming up with some of her colleagues to help prosecute a man who kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered two children; one of them was a girl.
Suddenly, Élise was having second thoughts about being on the case. Now biting down on her thumb, she's never one to reject a case, no matter how gruesome the crime was, but judging from the crime scene photos of the two children, especially the girl, she's been thinking about being included.
Soon there was a knock on the door; someone opens up, and it was a young woman; her assistant, Anna. She had a peaches and cream complexion, light brown shoulder-length fringed hair, and attired in a white blouse, black skirt, and heels.
Élise closed the file and asked, "Anna? Did something happen?"
She quietly told her, "You have visitors."
"Visitors?" Élise confusingly wondered.
Reid walked into her office with Séraphine in her car seat and a bag of takeout in the other hand, which immediately made Élise smile; Anna excused herself.
"What are you two doing here?" Élise got up from her chair and hugged and kissed the two.
Reid asked, "Remember that conversation we had about your separation anxiety? Well, I thought a visit from two of your favorite people would help it."
Élise chuckled, "Well, I definitely need it." She whispered in his ear, "Especially since I have to help out of a case involving deceased children."
"Remember what you told us," Reid gently placed his hand on her cheek, "You're making our world a safer and better place for you to live in. Even if it is D.C., Virginia, and a little bit of this country."
Élise laughed as she took Séraphine from Reid's arms, "Yeah. This is much better than a phone call. Especially since I get to hold you, little girl."
A minute later, Spencer and Élise were enjoying their lunch.
After enjoying lunch in Élise's office, Reid, who had brought Seraphine home, had been having a blast for the past two hours.
For about thirty minutes during Séraphine's supervised tummy time, Reid was impressed with how well her baby muscles flexed. Her head was lifting, as Reid measured, at a 45-degree angle. With her supposed arms, her chest pumped up. Then for about fifteen minutes, Reid read Séraphine classic baby books with her on his lap; Reid planted kisses whenever he looked down at her. Then he securely flew Séraphine in his arms, watching with joy as she cooed and waved her big and wiggly arms and legs before bringing her down for belly raspberries. Then as Séraphine was on her back and as Reid was changing her diaper, he bicycled her legs, clapped her hands together, and took them on a round of head, shoulders, knees, and toes.
Now, Séraphine was in her swing, accompanied by her brightly colored, soft, and squeezy toys, bead fingers, shaking rattles, spin mobile, and activity bar to bat and pull on. And, of course, Opal was keeping her company. As Reid kept an eye on the two, he decided to call an old someone.
"Hey, Spencer."
It was Aaron Hotchner.
Reid answered, "Hey, Hotch."
"It's been a while." Hotch mentioned before asking him, "So, how are you holding down the fort?"
Reid chuckled as he waved to Séraphine, "Good. Fifi's enjoying herself and her toys; Opal really loves playing with her. By the way, did you get the picture…?"
"Of Opal licking her face?" Hotch broke out in a rare short laugh. "Yeah, I did."
Even though work's the last thing Reid wanted to talk about, he couldn't help but ask, "So…how's everyone at the BAU?"
"We're good," Hotch truthfully answered, "Morgan's Morgan; Garcia is Garcia, Rossi's the same. And…JJ's back."
"She is?" Reid was surprised to hear JJ is now back with the team. The last time he saw her was…he still hates to think about it…
Emily Prentiss' funeral.
"Yes," Hotch replied. "She came back the day you started your sabbatical; she's even taking the classes into being a profiler."
"Oh," Reid shook his head, wondering how she managed to come back to the team after being practically forced to accept a position at the Pentagon? Nevertheless. "Good for her. What about Seaver?"
"She transferred to Andi Swann's Domestic Trafficking Task Force on Thursday."
Reid nodded his head, "Wow, again, good for her."
"Yeah, we're all proud of her."
"Mm-hmm."
Hotch cleared his throat before announcing, "I, uh…I've been seconded to Pakistan, and I leave on Thursday, June 2nd."
Reid's jaw almost dropped; Hotch would be leaving in a few days. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah." Hotch answered before replying, "So, uh…whenever Jessica's at work and needs a break, can you babysit Jack?"
"Absolutely, Hotch." Reid was more than happy to look after Jack every now and then.
Hotch smirked. "I knew I could count on you."
"Anytime," Reid noticed Séraphine began yawning and rubbing her eyes with her little hand. "I'm going to put Séraphine down for a nap now."
"Okay." Hotch understood. "Still, keep sending pictures and enjoy your sabbatical, dad."
Reid chuckled when Hotch called him 'dad.'
The next day, Reid figured she was old enough to go out more, and the weather was warmer, so he decided to take her to an awfully familiar place.
"Here we are, little girl." Reid strolled Séraphine into the BAU bullpen. Squatting down to Séraphine, who was coolly in the stroller with the pink pacifier in her mouth, kicking her legs. "Here is where I work, and…"
"SPENCER!" A familiar voice called out for him.
Reid whispered to her, "And here comes your Aunt Garcia."
Reid rose and saw Garcia running towards him at full speed ahead. "Spencer, it's you! It's really you! Oh, my prayers have been answered. Thank you."
Soon later, Rossi, Morgan, JJ, and Hotch walk out of the roundtable room, "Well-well-well. Look who we see here."
"Pretty boy and his pretty daughter." Morgan grinned.
"Great seeing you again, Spence." JJ patted Reid's shoulder.
Reid greeted her back, "Same here."
Rossi smirked, "What brings you two here?"
"I thought you were on your sabbatical?" Hotch winked at Reid, who knew he was coming.
"What? I can't bring my little girl to see you all again?" Reid looked down to see Séraphine still sucking on her pacifier.
"Exactly." Garcia waved at Séraphine. "It's just so darn wonderful to see you again."
Reid crouched down to Séraphine's size again, "You've already met most of these colorful and unique people, but say hello to another colleague I work with, Jennifer Jareau."
JJ squatted down, "Hi, Séraphine," Waving to her, "You can call me JJ when you're older."
"You want to hold her?" Reid asked.
"Oh, no thanks," JJ declined politely, "Plus, I felt under the weather a couple of days ago, so…" JJ coldly folded her arms and tightened her mouth.
Séraphine turned her attention to JJ, who simply smiled at her, spitted her pacifier out, and blew a raspberry at her before bursting into giggles.
"Okay, honey bunny," Reid whispered in Séraphine's ear just as he was finished up with her bedtime routine, "It's time for you to go to bed now."
Séraphine softly cooed, opening and closing her eyes.
Reid kissed her forehead just as someone burst into Séraphine's room.
It was Élise who sighed in relief at the sight of her baby girl. Having this goofy smile on her face as she walked towards Séraphine and Reid, "Hi, my favorite people in this world." Giving Reid a lip kiss, Élise locked her eyes on Séraphine, "Hi, my pretty petite princess." Kissing her face, "Are you ready to go beddy-bye? Did you miss mommy again?"
Séraphine dreamingly licked her lips as she rubbed her eyes again.
"Oh, yes you did, you little girl."
Reid and Élise kissed her face again before putting Séraphine in her crib and watching her fall asleep. Quietly walking out of her room and closing the door behind them, "Oh, I miss you." Élise gave Reid another lip kiss. "I saw the pictures you sent to me." Sighing, "I feel like I've missed so much today."
Reid assured Élise, taking her hand, "You didn't, and you never will."
Élise smiled, "I know."