A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement is intended.

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

Picking up from the last chapter, now the date is September 10th. Let me just give you all a little heads-up; I know I said in the previous chapter that the cruise starts September 1st. Still, I've decided to move the back to August 31st, just to give Spencer, Élise, and Séraphine some time to relax and explore a little bit of their stop before heading back to D.C.

Previously on Criminal Minds…

"They can just take you away…They can't just take you away…"

"It's done…Goodbye, everyone."

"…Lauren Reynolds is dead…"

"Who's Lauren Reynolds?"

"No..."

"She never made it off the table…"

"…I didn't get a chance to say goodbye…"

"It's just unfair that she's gone. It's like if we can't keep each other safe, then why are we even doing any of this? It's... Sometimes I think maybe... Maybe Gideon was right, you know, maybe... Maybe it's just not worth it..."

"The Bureau is facing a lot of changes, and this unit is no exception. Over the next few weeks, each of you is going to be asked if you'd like to stay with the unit."

"Why wouldn't we?"

"There are other options for you out there."

"I've still thought 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."

"You've been summoned for a private video chat…it's an emergency from Aaron Hotchner."

"As you know, Emily had lost a lot of blood after her fight with Doyle…But the doctors were able to stabilize her…"

"But we buried her…Emily..."

"Hey, Reid."

"Spencer…?" A faded tone was calling out for him.

Reid barely tilted his head and tried to open his eyes. "Wha…?"

"Spencer…?" Now this tone was gently tapping him.

Reid grimaced his face and wrinkling his nose. He groggily opened his eyes, and his vision became clearer when he saw Élise standing over him. He quickly detected he was in one of the cruise's all-white infirmary rooms when Reid noticed he was on the examination/medical couch.

Placing his hand on his lightly pounding head, Reid hoarsely asked, trying to clear his throat, "What happened?"

Élise reached into her tote bag and pulled out a folder, opening it up for Reid. She took out the two screenshot photographs and gave them to him before gently rocking a sleepy Séraphine.

"Prentiss is alive." Reid's mouth opened and blinked a couple of times, "Prentiss is alive."

Reid picked up his head when he saw a middle-aged man enter the room with a clipboard in his head. Greeting the family, "Hello, everyone."

Élise politely addressed the doctor, "Hello, Dr. Yates."

"Hello, Dr. Reid," The doctor gave Reid a side smile, trying to lighten the mood in the room, "You gave us quite a scare. And you're not supposed to be doing that; you're supposed to be relaxing."

"Man," Reid squinted his eyes and massaged the back of his head again, "What happened to me?"

"You passed out in one of our secure business rooms." Dr. Yates answered him. "You hit your head, but you don't have a concussion or anything serious. Which I have to say is extremely lucky, so I guess you can thank our safeguarded flooring."

Élise continued for the doctor, still rocking Séraphine, "The manager entered the room, saw you passed out on the floor, and he alerted for medical attention. And…" Élise shook her shoulders, "Here we are now."

"Yeah." Reid continued to feel that head throbbing. Twisting his mouth and creasing his brows, "Yeah, I remember now." He exhaustingly blurted out, "Prentiss is alive."

Dr. Yates angled his head and narrowed his eyes, "Uh, may I ask who is…?"

Élise tranquility yet furiously answered for Reid, "Emily Prentiss is my husband's team member whom we thought was dead and buried. But as it turns out, she's actually been alive this whole time."

Reid mildly nodded his head, "Yeah." He began rubbing his closed eyes. "Yeah."

"Well, my advice for you, Dr. Reid, is to rest for the remainder of the day. If you have any problems tomorrow, feel free to see me anytime."

"Yes, Dr. Yates." Élise smiled at the doctor, shaking his hand, "And thank you again."

Taking Dr. Yates' instruction, Reid immediately headed for the master bedroom. Élise spent the rest of the day with Séraphine, watching classic movies and television shows and making sure she played a bit, even having a little bit of exercise.

After feeding her and bathing her, "Sweet dreams, Fifi," Élise tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "I love you, big girl."

Élise gave Séraphine a blown kiss before exiting her room. Before walking into the master bedroom, Élise went into the kitchenette and got some red Jell-O and small food portions. Élise asked Reid earlier and after they returned from the infirmary if he wanted anything to eat and said no on both occasions. It's been a couple of hours now, and Élise figured Reid must be hungry by now.

Walking in, Élise downturned her head and pouted her lips when she saw Reid slumped in bed. Élise hasn't seen him that depressed in a long time.

Élise exhaustingly sighed as she placed the Jell-O and spoon on the bedside and reached out to touch his shoulder,

"I'm awake." Reid tiredly said before placing his hand over his face and winced. "I just…"

"Oh, baby…" Élise immediately joined him in bed and stroked his head, "I get it."

"Prentiss is alive…" Reid let a tear from his eye; he didn't want to wipe it. "She…"

Élise understood him, "Yeah."

Reid gruntingly sat up; his head was still aching and throbbing, "I still can't wrap my head around this…"

"Oh, believe me, I can't either," Élise comprehended her husband's feelings. "Prentiss has been alive all this time." Élise placed her hand on his shoulder, "I don't know how I'd be either."

"To see Prentiss on the screen was surreal," Reid shook his head again and whispered, "I don't know how I'll be when I see her again in person."

"What the…?"

All of a sudden, a confusingly grimaced Reid stepped out of the elevator. Looking around the lobby,

Where was Élise and Séraphine? Where did they go?

Reid was supposed to be on a cruise with his wife and child the last time he checked, not here…

His attention turned to the FBI portrait of Emily on the wall of deceased agents.

Rubbing his squinting eyes, "No…" Reid began tugging his head, worriedly shaking his head. "No…"

A shadowy voice calls out for him, "Spencer…"

Reid jolted his head to where the voice was calling for him, and it was,

"Prentiss…"

"In the flesh."

"Whoa!"

Reid rested straight up as he woke up, and it took him a moment—he didn't even bother counting—to realize that he just had a dream-turned-nightmare. But it was more of a nightmare from the beginning. Trying to pace his breath, he could almost feel the sweat on his forehead. Rubbing his eyes again with the palm of his hands, Reid flattered them before covering his mouth, yawning. Smacking his lips, he almost didn't hear someone walking into the bedroom.

It was just Élise rocking Séraphine.

"Let me guess," Élise knew Reid was having another dream/nightmare. "Prentiss?"

Without saying anything, Reid nodded his head and clutched his head with one of his hands.

"Hey," Élise sat down on the edge of the bed. "I know you're still reeling from Prentiss still being alive, but at the same time, you can't let this eat away at you."

Reid agreed, "Believe me, I know. But at the same time, I'm getting this…" Reid began scratching his forearm with goosebumps developing, chin, and neck, and he suddenly felt this nausea in his stomach. "Oh…crap…" He swore; Élise protectively covering Séraphine's ears though she was more interested in this color book Reid and Élise packed in their bags before they left.

"Are you feeling okay?" Élise concerningly asked.

"No. I am not." Reid scowled and grunted, "All these…blasted feelings…" He wiped his nose with his sleeve. "…I can't…"

Élise's brows knitted, and her forehead puckered when she placed her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. Now he was warm. Thoughts were racing in her head. Since Prentiss' reveal on Saturday, he's spent the rest of the weekend in the bedroom. He didn't want to do anything but lie in bed and/or sleep. Reid's been waking up in the middle of the night; he had body aches, nauseating…

"Oh, God…" She feared the worst. "Are you…?"

"No!" Reid flat-out rebuffed, twitching, and his eyes shifted at the consideration Élise would be thinking, "No way. Don't you even think…"

Élise hissed, "Spencer!" She didn't want to say it.

Reid was about to strongly deny again looked into Élise's fierce moist, tear duct eyes and a tight pressed wobbling mouth. Weightily sighing in disgust, "Yes." He shamingly confesses. "I'm…having the feelings about..." He cried as he buried his face with his hands, "Please don't make me say it before I don't like it." Sobbing, "Please."

Élise allowed the tears to fall from her eyes and embraced Reid, lightly crying as she did.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Reid asked Élise for the second time after leaving their suite to go to the cruise's health spa.

Élise confidently said, "Absolutely. Plus, you can never resist a good massage. And a facial is a plus."

Reid chuckled, "You know I'm not into having facials."

"I know," Élise teasingly commented. "But they can help you make you feel better about yourself. And they do wonderful benefits for your skin."

"Too bad I'm not into them," Reid replied, still not sure about Élise's plan. "Still…"

"Yesterday was an emotional day for the both of us," Élise compassionately looked at Reid in his eyes and caressed his cheek. "But I do not want you to have to spend the rest of our cruise in this blue funk over Prentiss." Élise read the spa pamphlet she got and quickly skimmed through it, "But according to this pamphlet, there are plenty of spa treatments to help relieve you of that. Oh!" Élise points to a treatment suggestion, and Reid looks through it and said, "Acupuncture?" Reid spoke with uncertainness.

Élise reads the narrative, "An ancient traditional Chinese medicine using thin needles into your body's pressure points to release your chi's flow; out with the negative and in with the positive."

"I don't know," Reid was unsure. "Especially after yesterday and I…"

"I get it." Élise sympathizes with Reid's opinion. "Okay, we don't have to do it." She points to another suggestion. "This spa package is called the At Ease with Yourself." Élise jokes, "It sounds hippy, I know, but this is exactly what you need." Élise showed him the description. "This comes with this peppermint scape and brain massage. A hydrotherapy bath and aromatherapy. A steaming towel treatment with a lavender and stone body massage. And the massage therapist will use hand and feet reflexology to pressure point your migraines and headaches."

"Does it involve needles?" Reid curiously asked, intrigued by the idea.

Élise answered straightforwardly, "Nope."

Anything to relieve me of this tension about Prentiss, Reid said to himself before indeed said, "I want to try this one."

Élise smiled and gave Reid a lip kiss.

Close your eyes…

…open…

...close…

…Relieve your body of those negatives….

…Don't let it eat away at you….

…consume you…

…twisted…

…destroy…

…toxins…

…wither…

…wilted…

…drown…

…Imagine life without positive…

…life without water…

...a soul…

…heart…

…empty…

…mind…

…without the sun…

…no air…

…dust…

…Positivity…

…Negativity…

…be your own light…

…sun…

…ease…

…ying-yang…

…out of the black and gray and into the yellow and green…

...Let it rain…

…feel…

…rush…

…pour…

…Smell it…

…taste…

…come clean…

…Open…

…Say…

"Ah…"

Sitting back in his bed after being at the spa, Reid felt at more ease than he had ever felt recently. A gentle smile rested on his face. In every inch of his body, there wasn't a twitch, a sweat, a clam, a stutter, a clench, none of that.

It was as if it withered away and began o'er.

Élise had an immediate smile on her face when she walked in after putting Séraphine to bed; she knew she had to ask, "How do you feel now?"

"Calm." Reid hummed. "I am at ease with myself and with my body."

Élise settled herself in the bed with the duvets, keeping her warm and cozy. "What have you learned from the experience?"

"So much." A soothed Reid continued; his body was still relaxed. "I'm learning not to let the news about Prentiss discourage me, especially at a time where I'm supposed to be having a good time on this vacation with my family."

Élise knew she would hate having to ask Reid about this but needed to, "And…when we see Prentiss again when we get back to D.C. on the 23rd for the senate hearing…"

"I will be the better person in this," Reid assured Élise. "But I know for a fact that things won't be the same as they used to be." Reid casually said. "We've changed, and…that's life."

"Yeah," Élise consented with what Reid just said. "Sad but true. But that is life; it may not be what we want it to be, but it happens."

Reid took Élise's hand and asked, "Tomorrow, we get back to vacationing?"

"Indeed."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" An uneased Élise asked Reid for the third time about the activity he wanted to do.

Reid has never been more self-assured in his life, "Totally. After Hankel, I started a list of things I wanted to do. And I'm not going to back down. This is one of those activities."

"WWAAAA-HOOOOO!"

And that activity was indoor skydiving.

"WWWAAAA...!"

Élise waved to him as she was filming this nerve-wracking pursuit. "This man is nutty," She told herself. "But I still love him."

"YEEE-HHHOOOOWWW!" Reid held on to dear life as he ziplined over the ship's covering over the decks above the boardwalk. He made it to his destination.

"You want to do that again, huh?" Élise slyly asked him.

Reid exclaimed, "Yeah!"

"What? No extreme sporting today?" Élise held Séraphine in her arms and asked Reid, who had just finished reading Lord of the Files in the ship's grand two-story library. "We still have a few days left before we land in Australia."

Shrugging his shoulders, Reid answered, "I just thought I relax today."

"Mm-mmm," Élise betted. "But there's still much you want to do, huh?"

Reid closed the book and put it back in its place, "Of course."

"Whoo-hoo!" Reid scored a hole-in-one as he, Élise, and Séraphine were at the nine-hole miniature golf course.

Cheering, "Whoop-whoop!" He began reaching his hands in the air. "Whoop-whoop!" He started to dance; Élise and Séraphine couldn't help but giggle, and Élise knew she had to capture this moment.

"Mmm…" Reid smacked his lips as he tasted the pho he and Élise had just finished making together in their French-Vietnamese cooking class. "So delicious…"

Élise blushed, "Thanks. You should try this bánh flan." She fed Reid a piece as he fed Élise a piece.

Reid licked his lips after tasting, "The coconut milk and coffee's not too overwhelming."

"Personally, I hate coconut," Élise said. "But this is so good."

"The Sound of Music!" Élise applauded and clapped her hands like a little schoolgirl when the cruise ship held a movie night on deck. "I love this musical!" Élise bopped Séraphine's nose, "You'll love this as much as I do, you cuddly little bunny."

Reid whispered in Séraphine's ear, "Mommy really loves this movie."

"Let's smell the fresh sea air one last time," Élise gazed at the swirly orange, blue, and hints of coral pink, gray, and lilac sunset as she, Reid, and stared into the sunset. Élise looked to Séraphine and asked her, "Isn't that so pretty, Fifi?"

Séraphine flapped her hand and used her other hand to rub her tired eye, "Ba-ba…ah…"

"Aw…" Reid kissed Séraphine's cheek and clinched her tightly in his arms. "You're so adorable." Reid began spewing out facts, "Did you know that sunsets get their colors by a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering? It's the same as what makes the sky blue during the day. Molecules and small elements in the atmosphere change the light rays' directions, making them scatter."

"Is it the same with sunrises?" Élise questioned.

Reid nodded, "Mmm-mmm. They're typically orange, yellow, and red."

"Maybe that explains why I've always been fascinated by sunrises and sunsets," Élise said. "They're like airy sky paintings. The same with stargazing."

"I say we do that after we put the little one to bed," Reid suggested as Séraphine was getting sleepier by the minute.

Élise exclaimed as she presented herself after just stepping off the cruise port, "HELLO, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA!"

"It's G'day, actually," Reid reminded her as he was strapping Séraphine to her stroller seat. Waving to a passer, "G'day, mate."

"I know. I know." Élise had this sparkle in her eye as she inhaled the Australian air. "I can't wait to see Sydney."

Reid recapped, "But we still do have to get back to D.C. for the Senate Intelligence Committee trial on Friday. The flight from here to D.C. is 20 hours, and we're fourteen hours ahead."

"I took care of that," Élise assured him. "I contacted the FBI legal attaché before we landed, and they know we'll be back for the hearing. But let's not worry about that for now. Let's just see Sydney for a bit before we head to our hotel to rest and fly in the morning."

After settling their bags in their suite at the Sydney Four Seasons, Reid, Élise, Séraphine began their quick tour around Sydney.

They saw the city's world-famous Opera House to the Harbour Bridge, from the Tower and Royal Botanic Garden. After hitting the Taronga Zoo, they all went back to their hotel.

"Out with the negative," Reid pondered as he laid in bed with his fingers folded and his eyes closed, trying to imagine he was in another world. "In with the positive." Repeating, "Out with the negative. In the with positive." Even when he heard the door open and close, he kept going, "Out with the negative. In with the positive."

Élise asked as she got into bed, "Getting your mantra on?"

"Mm-mmm," Reid answered and continued. "Out with the negative. In with the positive."

Élise rested her hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready for when you see Prentiss in D.C.?"

"Mm-mmm." Despite feeling a chill, Reid stayed calm, "Out with the negative. In with the positive."

Reid…

…no…

…wasn't your fault…

…win big…

…listen…

…I'm good…

… I won't tell anyone…

…Just like that…

…like you…

…For being yourself…

… I won't tell anyone…

Reid intensely woke up and looked at the window on the flight.

"I'm back."

"Oh, God," Élise sighed as she took Séraphine out of her car seat after Reid parked their car in front of their house. "Come on, girl," Élise gestured to Opal to get out of the vehicle. "Come on."

Opal sadly growled as she walked to the house. Reid shook his head,

"Oh, Opal misses B.J. already." Élise stroked her fur as she bounced Séraphine in her arms, "It's okay, girl. You'll see B.J. again."

"Not as much as B.J. misses her," Reid recalled picking Opal up from Maeve and Bobby ten minutes ago.

"I could hear him crying when we began driving off," Élise mentioned. "I swear, dogs and babies have this connection; I've seen it on Rugrats."

"I won't lie; they do." Reid agreed before he noticed the two familiar-looking cars parked in their drive. "I see we have some special guests who have already helped themselves into our house."

Élise smirked as Reid opened the door, "I see we do."

When the three walked in,

"Surprise!"

Reid and Élise's faces lit up when they saw Élise's parents, brother, and sister-in-law and tossed confetti in their faces.

"Welcome back home." Mr. Micha gave Élise a fatherly hug before acknowledging his granddaughter, "Hi, Fifi!" Mr. Micha carefully takes Séraphine from Élise and smooches her face. "Can you say, grandpa?"

Séraphine babyishly giggled.

Reid cried, "She said her first word."

Brenda gasped and squealed when she covered her mouth, "What was her first word?"

"Pa-pa," Reid proudly announced.

"It was bah-bah," Élise remarked. "Bah-bah, she said, O to Glory One."

"Actually, did you know that Baba is a nickname for 'father?' So technical, she said father first." Reid took Séraphine from Mr. Micha and snuggled her nose against his, making her laugh. "Because you're a daddy's girl. Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

The Bastien-Reid family were all enjoying a honey lemon chicken dinner. Élise and Reid talked about the rest of their cruise experience, including Reid telling them about what really happened to his team member.

"Wow," Arthur sympathetically looked at Reid. "Harsh, man."

Reid nodded, "Yeah. Now I have to prepare for tomorrow."

"And I'll be coming with," Élise spoke up before wiping some of the baby food from Séraphine's mouth.

Geneva blessed, "Good luck, and may God protect you."

"I think someone else needs some praying as well, mother," Élise commented before taking a small bite.

Brenda tapped the fork on her plate, "Meanwhile…can we see more of those pictures?"

"After dinner, because I'm hungry right now," Élise said before she sipped from her water glass.

It was nighttime, and Élise's family were already in their own respectable rooms. Élise had just kissed and tucked in Séraphine, and she was now skimming through the cruise images and smiled when she saw Reid and Séraphine with their mouths open. Reid walked in, clothed in a black and dark purple pajama set, and snuck next to Élise in their bed.

"Want to go on another cruise adventure?" Reid reminisced.

Élise coyishly looked to Reid, "Maybe in a few years, but right now..." Élise exhaled as she placed the camera on the nightstand. Resting her head against the silk pillow, "Tomorrow's the day."

"Mm-mmm." Reid is trying not to think about it too hard. He didn't want to go back to that place when he practically admitted to Élise about wanting to do something he'd never do again. "Tomorrow is the day I see Emily Prentiss. Live."

Élise prompted Reid, "Remember your mantra."

Reid took a deep breath, "Out with the negative. In with the positive."

"Out with the negative. In with the positive." Reid repeated to himself; he and Élise had just stepped into the elevator. "Out with the negative. In with the positive."

"You're serious about this," Élise said. "I would as well."

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened; the two stepped off, and Reid sighed and shook this gloom off his shoulders.

"Spencer."

Hotch was the first one to notice the couple in the lobby.

Approaching them, Élise single nodded her head, "Hey, Aaron." Lessening the silence, "I see you shave off your caveman look."

Hotch smoothed his face, "Yeah. Neither Jack nor Jessica were a big fan of it."

"Oh, I'm sure they won't." Élise commented before seeing Rossi walking up to them, "Hey, David."

Rossi gave them a small smile, "Nice to see you two again."

"Pretty boy and pretty woman."

They recognized that voice.

Élise jested, "You haven't changed that much, have you, Morgan? Is that why you're still single?"

Before Morgan could respond,

"Oh, snap." Garcia snickered as she was walking towards them. "Hey, you two." She first hugged Reid, "Have you been getting stronger?"

"I've been doing a lot." Reid recapped; still trying to think about what he was going to do when he saw,

"Guys…"

One of the doors swung open, and it was J.J. and Erin Strauss…

And...

"Hey."

Emily Prentiss herself.