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!

Previously on Criminal Minds…

"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..."

"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..."

"Reid...Hey."

"Emily..." Reid distantly said. "You're back."

Prentiss tiredly chuckled, "Yeah."

Emily Prentiss.

Alive and well.

And for real.

"Yeah," Prentiss continued to brave a smile, "I really am." She hesitantly tugged on her bottom lip before walking up to hug him. "And I am so sorry. Really, I...You didn't deserve that."

Reid didn't know what to think when Emily began to hug him, especially in front of his wife, Élise. No doubt he was surprised and anxious: his eyebrows raised, and he held his breath. His jaw slacked, and his eyes widened. Reid felt his hands and this prickly, crawling sensation throughout his entire body.

Nevertheless, he exhaled and slightly allowed Prentiss to hug him. She soon pulled back and saw Élise carrying her handbag by her elbow and her lips pressed together. Prentiss cautiously breathed out and cupped her hands together.

"Élise."

Élise opened her arms out and allowed Prentiss to hug her. Élise halted the hug after two seconds when she told Prentiss she was still feeling a bit sore lately when in reality, Élise didn't want Prentiss hugging her any longer. Élise plastered a fake smile on her face, "Nice to see you again, Prentiss."

Prentiss began picking her fingernails before complimenting Reid, "You look great." Prentiss pointed to Reid's Southwestern-inspired cashmere sweater vest. "Unique."

"I picked it out for him," Élise still had a plastered fake smile on her face, "Vintage Ralph Lauren is always a good look on him. I thought it would look great with the purple dress shirt, and it really gives it a punch, you know?" She forcibly chuckled.

Prentiss buttered Élise up with, "You look nice as well."

"Thank you." Élise looked down at her black pantsuits and replied, "You sure don't look too pale for someone who faked her death for seven months."

Prentiss smoothed her cheek, "No, I don't." Prentiss opened her mouth and was about to say something when Erin Strauss approached them again after taking another call, "Everyone," Strauss tiresomely said. "Oh, God…"

Rossi guessed, "It's not good, is it?"

Strauss shook her head, "No." She soon turned her attention to Reid and Élise, "Welcome back again, you two."

"Thank you, ma'am," Reid said.

"How is little Séraphine?" Strauss asked, "I'd like to see new photographs of her."

Élise grinned, "Of course."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Prentiss' eyes enlarged, and her mouth opened, and she gasped after Séraphine was mentioned. "You two had your baby girl."

"Ahem!" Garcia raised her hand with pride, "I thought that was my name." Morgan wrapped his arm around her.

"Sorry," Prentiss snickered, "You had your little girl. Congratulations. How old is she now, like…seven months?"

"Six months and seventy-seven days, to be exact." Reid corrected her. "But yeah, you were so close." Reid breathed before he walked away, his hand cramping, "Excuse me, please."

"Out with the negative, in with the positive." Reid pondered his chant to himself in the bathroom, standing over the running sink when Hotch walked in. Reid splashed some water in his eyes.

After turning off the faucet, he placed both hands at the edge corners of the sink and sighed.

"Reid…"

"I know." Reid knew Hotch was going to say something about Prentiss, judging by his demeanor, "I know."

"I know what you've been through." Hotch compassionately said.

Reid picked up his head and looked to Hotch with this look of almost borderline disgust. Rebuffing, "Do you really?"

"No. No, I don't. I don't know if I can ever understand that you're angry." Hotch heaved a sigh and admitted, "After this happened, Jack...he asked me since Emily came back..." Licking his lips, "That will his mom be coming back as well. I told him no. Mom's not coming back and..." Hotch paused to scratch his eyebrow, "...He wanted to know why I lied to him when I told him lying is never a good thing to do."

"I thought we lost her, and I just…." Reid shook his head in frustration since he didn't want to admit to Hotch that all this made him want to do the unthinkable. "I just…I don't know how to think about this."

"Hopefully, someday, I do want you to understand that this wasn't about you. Or me. This was about saving Emily."

Reid exclaimed, "But you knew. All this time that she was…."

"And…JJ as well," Hotch said in this rare timid tone.

"She knew, too?" Reid didn't need Hotch to answer that. His blank grimace was enough for him. Reid scoffed and curled his upper lip. "At least I know now that she didn't have to grieve as we all did. Isn't that something?"

Élise was waiting patiently on the bench outside the doors. Playing on her Samsung cell phone, she received a text from her brother watching her daughter with the rest of her family. She smiled when she saw a picture of him and Séraphine making silly faces. Élise heard footsteps, and she looked up, and it was Reid, walking towards her. He gave her a lip kiss and sat down next to her. "What a memory this is going to be." Élise heavily said.

Reid agreed, "No doubt."

Élise pinched her nose and closed her eyes, groaning, "You're not going to believe this."

Élise was in the bathroom. She had just finished washing her hands when JJ walked in. JJ slowly stepped in her direction and saw this drained facial expression on Élise's face. JJ folded her arms together and hurled a sigh, "This can't be easy for you and Spence."

"Believe me," Élise remarked. "It hasn't at all."

JJ tensely rubbed her hands together, "Hotch and I…."

Élise snapped her head and snarled, "You knew?" JJ's hesitated expression was more than enough for Élise, who suddenly felt this vein pulsing in her neck and even in her temple. Frowning, "All this time? All these months…you knew."

"I…" JJ's arms opened, stuttering, "I didn't have a choice."

"Your silence seemed to be a choice." Élise shrugged her shoulders, blankly staring, "You knew this whole time Prentiss was alive."

"It was for her own protection." JJ defensibly excused. "For all our protections."

"Mm-mmm," Élise mocked. "I'm sure it was." She tapped JJ's shoulder—honestly, she wanted to do more to her—before leaving her in the bathroom. "What a good life lesson you're teaching Henry about lying."

"Oh, I know." Reid said after Élise summarized her latest conversation, "Big time."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Élise now began massaging her temples, "I think I'm starting to lose what religion I got in my body left."

Reid breathed before repeating his mantra, "Out with the negative, in with the positive. Out with the negative, in with the positive."

Soon, Strauss sat down next to Reid on the bench; now Reid was in the middle. She reached inside her pocket and pulled out a can of mints, offering herself one after Reid and Élise respectfully declined. They see Prentiss with a court officer, and Strauss comments,

"At least you got her back."

Reid and Élise doubted that "Did we?"

After Reid was recapped about the team's actions, it was his turn to be questioned by Senator Cramer. He was one of the senators hired to oversee a trial against the team and give his testimony.

"You're the only agent who has not requested reinstatement to the unit." Cramer reviewed.

Reid confidently said, "That's right."

Cramer restated, "Which also means that you were the only agent not to take part in this rogue operation."

"Mm-hmm." Reid nodded his head.

Cramer haughtily commented, "All because you were on a cruise."

"I actually took a sabbatical to be with my wife and daughter." Reid respectfully stated. "And to give my mind some ease from my work."

"Ah, yes," Cramer observed. "Your wife being…federal prosecutor Élise Bastien."

"Eh-leez," Reid corrected. "The É has an accent."

"Yes." Cramer didn't seem to really care at that point. "And your daughter's…Ser-a-feen?"

Now Reid was really starting to get annoyed with the Senator, "Seh-ra-feen. Like Élise, the first e in her name has an accent."

Cramer was dismissive at this point, "So, you didn't know about the actions of your team because you were on a cruise with your family. And coincidentally, there was no reception when the team tried to contact you." Cramer scoffed. "Had you known, would you have jumped on the next flight to help your ne'er-do-well team, leaving your wife and child behind since you're used to that?"

"Forgive me for being brutally blunt," Now Reid's had enough, "I wanted to use that time to be with my family. So, suppose you want to punish me for taking time off to be with my wife and child and taking a cruise vacation when this happened. In that case, I encourage you to do that, but do not bring my family into this because they had no part in what my team was doing."

Cramer barked, "Calm down, Agent."

"This is calm, and it's Doctor." Reid returned.

Cramer stumbled at the doctor's one-liner and was about to say something but just sighed and decided to move on to another question quickly. "Had you'd know, what would you have done? What would you have suggested?"

Reid responded. "Release Ian Doyle."

"Release Ian Doyle?" Cramer derided Reid's proposal, "Release an international criminal? You have three PhDs, two bachelor's degrees…."

"Three, actually," Reid fixed Cramer, "Before the cruise and during my free time, I completed my Philosophy degree."

"My apologies, doctor. Three bachelor's degrees," Cramer said with distaste while mentally rolling his eyes. "A 187 IQ, eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute, and you say you would release Ian Doyle."

"A young boy's life was at stake. I ran the probability of his survival, and it wasn't good, so yes, I say I would decide to take the risk and release Ian Doyle." Reid reasoned.

Cramer sneered, "The United States government is not in the business of trading captives."

Reid spoke up closer to the microphone, "New York City, July 2010, referred to as the Spy Swap. Igor—"

"That's enough." Cramer stopped him.

"You can't just change the rules, sir," Reid said after leaning back in his seat.

Cramer remarked, "And you just can't break them, doctor."

"I didn't, sir," Reid replied again.

Cramer retorted, "No. But I'm sure you probably would have. Doctor."

After hearing from Reid how his testimony went with Senator Cramer, Élise was more than ready to testify and tell her side of the story.

"Federal Prosecutor Élise Bastien."

Élise amusingly raised her hand, "Present."

Cramer squinted his eyes, hoping to imitate her, and Élise coolly replied with a closed-lip smile, and her body leaned back in her seat.

"Ms. Bastien. You and your husband, Dr. Spencer Reid, along with your daughter, Séraphine, were all on a cruise from Hawaii to Australia."

"That's right." Élise simply answered.

Cramer continued, "During which, on September 10th, Agent Aaron Hotchner contacted him about Agent Prentiss' true status."

Élise dreaded answering that, "Unfortunately yes."

"Unfortunately?" Cramer cocked his head.

"Yes. It was unfortunate that my husband had to find out while we were on vacation." Élise clearly said.

"On an overseas trip," Cramer jeered, "That must have been so hard for you, I'm sure."

Élise stifled a laugh, still projecting a fake smile on her face, "What do you mean, sir?"

"Do you think your husband would have abandoned you and your child to go help his team?"

Élise gritted her teeth, "I'm sure he would have done whatever he could to help his team, but he understands how important our family is."

"Well, I'm sure there's no doubt you would have wanted a piece of the action yourself."

Élise pursed her lips and looked to Cramer with a look that made her want to clock him into next week. "I'm sorry, sir?"

"You're known as the Silent Eliminating Enforcer, whatever. I'm sure you would have wanted to have a part in taking down Ian Doyle and those involved to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Seeing how you missed your chance to do that with The Boston Reaper, George Foyet." Cramer ended that last sentence with a smug smile.

Élise still had a polite smile on her face, "I get more than enough action, sir."

"But you seem to be quite an ambitious woman," Cramer said.

"I am, thank you." Élise retorted. "I don't see anything wrong with having ambition. It makes me what to be the best and reach up to new heights and goals."

"But look what happens when there is too much ambition: increased risk-taking goal-failing, events ironically leading up to this very moment, Ms. Bastien. So…" Cramer shrugged his shoulders and pressed his mouth. "Here we are."

"Is it wrong for me to say that I wanted to tell Cramer to shove it where the sun doesn't shine?" Élise was strolling at her phone as she asked Reid after testifying. "Pretentious…"

Reid tried to console her when she was about to use foul language, "Élise…." He started massaging her shoulders. "Tense."

"And can you blame me?" Élise groaned, placing her hand on her face and pinched between her eyes, "I'm serious, babe. Am I too ambitious?"

Reid reasoned, "I don't see anything wrong with having ambition."

Élise snickered, "Tell that to Cramer." She groaned again before mocking Cramer, "Look what happens when you have too much ambition."

Reid looked at his watch, "I have to get back." He kissed Élise, who waved to him,

Élise patted his cheek, "Good luck."

Strauss gathered everyone—Élise was taking a phone call—in the roundtable room after concluding her meeting with the senators. "The committee made it clear they will not support a rogue team." There was a brief quiet moment before Strauss continued. "Agent Prentiss convinced them you were not that. They will be watching you closely. So, I suggest you play by their rules."

Garcia nervously asked, "So we're ok?"

"Suspension is lifted for everyone," Strauss said.

JJ released her breath, and her hands landed on the table, "Thank you, ma'am."

"There may be more paperwork, considering your...situation," Strauss looked to Prentiss, "But the team is lucky to have you if you're interested."

Prentiss asked, "May I think about it?"

"Of course." Strauss nodded her head. Everyone, including Reid, was waiting for Prentiss' decision.

"I'm in," Prentiss announced.

"And Dr. Reid?" Strauss turned her attention to him. "Since you were the only one who didn't go rogue due to your sabbatical, what about you? Are you back in?"

Reid needed a moment to think about being back to the unit again. With Prentiss. And JJ. Who knew about Prentiss' actual status this whole time. That was much to consider. But then he looked to some of his team, who smiled little-by-little, even Prentiss and JJ, even though they gave him nervous looks.

"Yes," Reid responded. "I'm back."

"I will support and defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. That I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God." Élise recited the FBI Oath of Office.

"Mm-mmm." Reid agreed as they walked towards the elevator.

"So, you're actually back in the BAU." Élise chortled, "Either way, I'm still proud that you're back."

"Yes," Reid said. "Surprisingly, yes."

"Even with Prentiss and JJ being back…." Élise uneasily said, fiddling with her fingers.

"I'm still angry," Reid made it clear as they entered the elevator, "Believe me, I'm still…frustrated. But, uh…I'm not going to let them stop me from being here." His cell phone began to vibrate, and Reid answered after the first ring, "Hello?" He cocked his head when he realized who was calling him, "Dad?"

"Father Reid?" Élise was surprised, "Oh! Can you say 'hi' for me?"

Élise's cheerily smile disappeared bit by bit when she saw Reid suddenly having this vacated stare. His hazel eyes looking moisten and his mouth opening and closing. She worryingly asked, "What's wrong, babe?"

"No…" Reid unintentionally ignored Élise and stuttered, "Yeah. I, uh…w-we'll be in Las Vegas as soon as we can. T-t-thanks," He hung up, placed his hand on his throat, and is shaken with sobs. Élise goes to comfort and asks him again,

"What's happened, my love?"

Reid could barely get the words out; a tear fell from his eye, "Something's happening to my mother."

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger...again...