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!
The chapter starts off November 22nd, 2011, Tuesday afternoon.
"Oh, look at this one," Élise burst with excitement and adoration at the Thanksgiving-themed photographs she was showing Maeve and Bobby. "Ain't she a little doll?"
Maeve looked at a photograph of Séraphine in a big silver pot dressed as a turkey and fall fruits and vegetables surrounding her and smiled. "Aw, that's so cute. Wait until you see the pictures of BJ we got." Maeve got up for a few seconds to get the pictures she got of BJ.
Élise smiled at this photograph of BJ in the cornucopia basket, "Oh my God. That is just so adorable."
"Oh-ho, BJ!" Bobby cheered as his son was helping Séraphine up as she fell on her bottom walking around their family room. "Look at you, being a little gentleman."
Reid chuckled and opened his arms when he saw Séraphine wobbling towards her and hugging her with all his might. "Come here, my pretty little girl. Oh."
"Dow." Séraphine pointed her index finger down rapidly and babbled, "Dow. Dow."
Reid gasped, "Okay. I'll put you down." Reid grinned when he put Séraphine down, and toothy smiled when he saw her walking around again.
"I swear this girl loves walking," Élise smirked.
Maeve smiled when she saw BJ walking towards her, "So does this little energizer." She scooped up BJ and tickled his tummy, causing her to giggle before she let him go on walking, "It's a good thing we got a new car seat. In just three months, they'll be a year old."
"But that also means that we have to babyproof our house again," Reid mentioned before helping himself to a crudité on the coffee table. "Something I don't mind. Anything to protect our little angel."
Élise snickers, "Look at our little angel now." She points to Séraphine and BJ scooching their bottoms on the clean dark hardwood floor, making the parents laugh and video this funny moment.
After Reid had given Séraphine her bath and read a Thanksgiving-themed story to her, he tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. He checked on Opal again and smiled when he saw her sleeping in her pen.
He walked back into the master bedroom and saw Élise in bed reading Oliver Twist. She saw Reid and put her book down at the bedside.
"Hey, sweet thing," Élise said before kissing Reid's lips when he crawled into bed next to her and asked him, "How's Fifi and Opal?"
Reid smiled, "Sleeping like the little angels they are."
"Ready for Thanksgiving this week?" Élise smoothly asked as she leaned in closer for another kiss before bedtime.
Reid shook his head, bit down on his bottom lip before answering, "Absolutely."
"Bags packed and ready?" Élise asked as she went over the checklist on her phone; it was 7:45 in the morning.
Reid nodded his head, "In the car."
"Security system?" Élise asked again.
Reid checked the status on the white security alarm on the wall, "Armed."
"Rossi picked up Opal thirty minutes ago, so are we ready?" asked Élise, wanting to be absolutely sure that everything was taken care of and nothing was forgotten since there was no going back now.
Reid perked up, singly nodded his head, and said, "We're ready to go."
"I think someone else is ready to go and see her maternal side of the family," Élise pointed to Séraphine, walking towards the door and trying to open it but instead just kept pushing, making her chuckle.
"I told you it was a good idea to stop every hour," said Reid after he stepped out of the bathroom just as Élise came back out of the women's restroom with Séraphine in her arms.
Élise nodded her head in agreement and figured, "Well, we're in Baltimore. Want to see some sights?"
"Considering I haven't seen Baltimore since an organized crime case, sure." said Reid before petting Séraphine's head and asking her, "Do you want to see Baltimore?"
Séraphine babbled, "Yea."
Reid, Élise, and Séraphine saw the sights of Baltimore for about an hour; visited John Hopkins University, an aquarium, an art museum, a science center, the Washington Monument, the gravesite, and memorial of Edgar Allan Poe, and got a quick bite to eat before leaving.
After another hour, Reid, Élise, and Séraphine stopped in Wilmington, Delaware, and stayed there for an hour and visited the Nemours Estate, the Hagley Museum, and Library, Grand Opera House, Delaware Children's Museum.
Reaching Philadelphia after thirty-three minutes, Reid, Élise, and Séraphine decided to tour the city for an hour and visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and City Hall.
It was still afternoon time when they finally made it to New Jersey. Reid was getting their luggage out of their car just as Élise was getting Séraphine out of her car seat.
As she approached the house, "Hey, dad!" Élise cried and waved to her dad, comfortably sitting on the bench under the covered front porch.
Mr. Micha's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped when he saw Élise and Séraphine walking up the stairs. Steadily getting up to hug them, "Hey-hey-hey!" He bear-hugged them. "How are you two?"
Séraphine moved her right hand in a downward arc to her flat and open left hand, "Gad."
Élise and Mr. Micha chuckled; as Mr. Micha opened the door, Élise stroked her hair and said, "Spencer and I have been teaching her sign language."
"Hey." Reid reached the porch and said to his father-in-law, "How are you? And Happy Thanksgiving."
Élise grabbed some luggage from Reid before stepping inside the house while they saw Ms. Geneva wiping her hands with a napkin.
"Hey-hey!" Élise and Reid made their presence known. "We're here."
Ms. Geneva soon hugged Élise after she set their luggage down for a moment before turning her attention to Séraphine, who wobbled into the living room after Élise set her down.
"Did she just start to walk?" Ms. Geneva asked, pointing as Séraphine made her way to the coffee table.
Reid proudly answered, "Mm-hmm."
"Look at her," Élise stood next to Reid as they watched Séraphine drift into a deep sleep. "You know we're going wake up late if we keep watching her." She ends that sentence, tapping his shoulder.
Reid chuckled as he agreed with Élise, and she pulled him on the guest bed and kissed each other good night.
Reid, Élise, Mr. Micha, and Ms. Geneva took turns preparing the Thanksgiving meals and watching Séraphine before a short morning nap. Reid and Élise played and looked after Séraphine while Mr. Micha and Ms. Geneva prepared the stuffing, cleaned the turkey, and prepped the appetizers and sides.
Mr. Micha took a nap, Ms. Geneva took a break and offered to watch Séraphine before putting her down for a second nap while Reid and Élise helped prep and clean the rest of the vegetables, peel, and cook the potatoes.
Reid and Élise set up the rectangular table while Mr. Micha and Ms. Geneva relaxed before getting ready for dinner.
Reid was getting Séraphine in the outfit Élise got during her day with Maeve. Élise walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a black jersey jumpsuit and black Uggs, and immediately smiled.
"Oh, she looks so adorable," Élise gushed at the sight of Séraphine in her first Thanksgiving outfit. Élise observed Reid's casual long-sleeve dark purple, black chinos, and slip-on slippers. "As do you."
Reid asked Élise, "Ready to go eat?"
"Am I ever," said Élise before asking Séraphine as they left the bedroom and made their way to the dining room. "Are you ready for your first Thanksgiving dinner, Fifi?"
Séraphine babblingly cheered, "Yah!"
Reid and Élise giggled before their mouths dropped in amazement when they saw the table spread with appetizers, sides, sauces, vegetables, buttermilk biscuits, desserts, and the glistening nine-and-a-half-pound turkey in the center along with pureed food for Séraphine.
"Wow!" Élise exclaimed and took her seat.
Reid said as he placed Séraphine in the white chair, "Amazing. Don't you think this looks good, Fi?"
"Yea!" Séraphine cried.
They overheard a familiar voice,
"Yello!"
Arthur and Brenda walked in with a pie and a crystal bowl in their hands. They placed the dishes on the table and said,
"Hello," Brenda hugged Élise. "So glad you guys could make it."
Élise agreed, "Same here."
Arthur patted Séraphine's head and held his hand up, "How are you doing, kid?"
"Gad." Séraphine babbled before giving him a high five, causing Arthur to smile before he and Brenda took their seats. Soon Mr. Micha and Ms. Geneva walked into the dining room and took their seat.
"Time to say grace," said Ms. Geneva, and everyone held hands and/or shoulders around the table. "Heavenly Father. We want to thank you for blessing us with this food that we are about to eat—a roof over our heads for shelter. And the power for all of us to be together on this very day. We ask that you continue to guide us and protect us from the dangers and evils among us, and we want to thank you for all that you have done for us and in Jesus' name. Amen."
"Amen." Everyone minus Séraphine unanimously said before digging into the delicious family meal while talking about their plans for the next year and in the future.