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!

And (drumroll), I hope you are all in for a bit of surprise or two within the chapter.

This chapter will take place on January 10th, 2012, so there's a bit of a time jump within the last chapter.

"Hey, Bobby!" Reid exclaimed and raised his hand when he saw Bobby standing at the front door of the traditional single-story house. He and Élise, steadily taking Séraphine out of her car seat, and Opal dashes out to cuddle Bobby.

"Hey, you guys," Bobby cuddles Opal's fur. "How you doin', Opal? You didn't forget about me, huh?"

Opal barked in response before Bobby allowed her in, but not before she wiped her feet on the blue mat. Bobby let out a chuckle as he watched Opal enter the living room and turned his head again when he saw Reid, Élise, and Séraphine walking up the stone path.

"How have you been?" Bobby asked, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

Reid crooked smile, "We've been good."

Bobby looked down, and cheesy grinned, "Hi, Séraphine."

Séraphine open-and-shut waved as she stared at Bobby, "Hi!"

Bobby gestured her inside, "BJ's inside if you want to see him."

"Yay." Séraphine cheered and wobbled as Bobby helped her get into the house. The three of them joyfully smiled with amusement. Then, Bobby gestured for Reid and Élise to come in.

Élise giggled and bounced when she and Reid stepped in, "We have some exciting news to tell you guys."

"Really? What do you…?" Now Bobby raised his eyebrows and glanced back-and-forth to Reid and Élise as they made their way to the living room. He began smirking when he noticed Élise's cheeky smile, "Something's going on with you two."

Élise blushed as she sat down next to Maeve on the soft mint green couch, who was cheerfully watching Opal play with BJ and Séraphine, "Oh, you're good at this guessing game, Bobby." She whispered to Maeve, "We have a surprise to tell you all."

"As do we," Maeve singsonged with her hands on her knees.

Opal barked as she made her way to Maeve and began to cuddle her, specifically…

Élise's jaw and breathed, "No way."

"For real?" Reid blinked. He snapped his head to Bobby, who silently nodded his head.

"You're pregnant?" Élise blurted, almost startling BJ, Séraphine, and Opal, who lowly growled.

Maeve bit down on her tongue and wiggled her eyebrows.

"OMG," Élise hugged her. "Kudos, my girl. How many weeks?"

"10 weeks," Maeve's eyes twinkled, and she fidgeted in her seat. "We found out during Christmas."

Reid smiled, "Well, congrats, Maeve. This definitely matches our news."

Élise exclaimed, "We're expecting as well!"

Maeve gasped before covering her mouth and squealing, "Congrats, how many weeks?" Maeve couldn't believe it; Élise barely looked pregnant, even though Maeve herself had a bit of a bump.

"About 15 weeks," Élise answered before looking down her small bump.

Maeve rapidly blinked, "15 weeks?"

Élise bit on her bottom lip and shook her head, "Mm-hmm."

Maeve excitingly flapped her hands before gently taking Élise's, "Oh, my…we need to go maternity shopping."

"Well, now that you mentioned, you know some great places where we can go maternity shopping." Élise beamed.

Reid and Bobby watched Élise and Maeve talk and giggled like schoolgirls as they stroked Opal and looked after the children.

"Congrats, Spence," Bobby patted Reid's shoulders.

Reid sneered, "Same with you, Bobby."

The four of them and Opal spent the rest of the morning talking and discussing their time with the families during the holiday season before Bobby and Maeve—mostly Bobby—cooked an extremely healthy lunch of grilled lemon chicken and arugula, tomato, and cucumber salad.

After coming home from work and taking a shower, Élise was fixing Reid's dinner plate of chicken Parmesan, a green salad, and a berry sorbet for desserts.

"Here you go, my favorite girl," Élise gave Séraphine her dinner in the form of meatballs before giving Opal her dinner, "And my favorite doggy."

Opal snuggled Élise before eating her dinner.

"Hi, honey. I'm home," Reid cheerily greeted Élise with a lip kiss. "How are some of my favorite people in the world?"

Élise placed his dinner plate on the table, "We're good, thank you."

Reid kissed Séraphine's head and crouched to Opal's size to pet her fur before taking his seat at the dining table, and Élise took her seat and dinner plate next to him. Reid placed a white napkin on his lap and asked before cutting a piece of his chicken before taking a bite, "So, how was your day?"

"It went well," Élise answered. "I told my colleagues and my boss about the pregnancy, and they were surprised and ecstatic for me. What about you?"

Reid swallowed, "I didn't tell them yet."

Élise tilted her head, "How come?"

"I thought about telling them, but I think they can wait." Reid sipped his water glass. "Plus, I think of not telling them about the pregnancy right away as payback for forgetting my birthday."

Élise stifled a laugh, "A bit harsh and a tad petty." She opened her mouth and almost said something else but pouted her lips and thought while placing her knuckle below her bottom lip, "But reasonable true."

"I have some news to share with you," Reid announced.

Élise asked before taking another nibble of her salad, "What?"

Reid states, "Prentiss and I are to represent the BAU at the Violent Crimes Seminar in Chicago."

"Really? Cool." Élise nodded her head.

Reid sighs, "We leave Friday. I just thought I give you a heads-up."

"You better bring back some souvenirs for us. And that includes Chicago cuisine." Élise warily joked, wagging her fork at him.

Reid snorted, "I can never forget you."

A couple of days had already passed, and Reid was in the master bedroom, checking his duffel bag one last time to ensure he had everything he needed. Of course, he had the necessities: clothes, a toiletry bag, some books, business cards, snacks, camera.

"Perfect!" Reid zipped up his bags just as he heard the door opening. Then, snapping his head, he smiled when he saw Élise opening the door for Séraphine and Opal, who dash to cuddle his legs.

"Ba ba, dada." Séraphine teetered to get to Reid and hugged his legs.

Reid petted her hair, "Oh, I'm going to miss you all. But, I'll try not to be gone for long."

"I know you will," Élise joined in and hugged Reid before whispering in his ear, "Want to give me some last-minute 16-week baby development as you did?"

Reid chuckled, "Our little one is starting to develop taste buds as well as their ear bones." Then, mutters to Élise, "They can hear us."

Élise tittered, and she tingled her body, "Oh! Tell me more."

"Toenails will start sprouting until the 34th week. After that, their head can hold upright and are pumping 25 quarts of blood in their heart."

Élise played with the collar of Reid's dark long-sleeve shirt, "Oh, I'm going to miss you giving me facts."

Reid reminded her, "I'm always a phone call away, even a video call away." Then, kissing her lips again after looking at his silver watch, "Oh! I better get going. I love you, all." He stroked Opal, scooped Séraphine to embrace her and kiss her forehead, and gave her to Élise before grabbing his bags and was out the door, "I love you all."

Opal barked in response.

Élise waved goodbye, "Love you."

"Luv, da da." Séraphine babbled.

Reid and Prentiss were now in Chicago after their hour and thirty-three-minute flight—Reid calculated the gate-to-gate time to be an hour and fifty-six minutes.

Getting into their FBI SUVs, they headed to their hotel rooms at The Peninsula Chicago, one of the best hotels in the city.

Reid was reorganizing his duffel bags when his cell phone began vibrating. Looking at the caller ID, he instantly smiled before he answered and put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Waaaahhh…!"

"Oh, Fifi," Reid sighed at hearing Séraphine cry for him. Then, thinking of ways to cheer her up, "Hey, Fifi, do you want me…to get you a tricycle?"

"Whhhaaaa…!"

Reid bit on his lip before coming up with something, "How about a book? Want me to get you a book?"

"Wahh-hah-hah…"

Reid exhaled again when Élise came to the phone.

"Sorry, babe. She's a little cranky. She doesn't want to take her nap."

Reid offered, "Want me to sing to her to help her nap?"

"Please?" Élise pleaded.

Reid helped himself to the complimentary bottled water that was sitting on his bedside table. He took a big gulp and cleared his throat, "Go nap-nap, Fifi. It's nap time, Fifi. Please go nap-nap, Fifi. Nap-nap, Fifi. Please go to nap-nap, Fifi." He prayed to himself that it worked.

"She's yawning," Élise stated.

Reid smiled to himself and held his head high, "Works every time."

"Just make sure you take some pretty photographs and a souvenir or two." Élise jokily warned him. "And you better get me some food before you leave. I am pregnant with your second child."

Reid assured, "And I can't forget that."

Reid and Prentiss decided to stroll around Chicago during their free time and visited some museums, parks, and some landmarks, such as Buckingham Fountain, Beeson House, Coach House, Adams House, Columbus Drive.

Reid was looking at his phone since no one approached him about some of the cases he and Prentiss worked on as she had a crowd of people listening to her.

Looking at his messages, he smiles at a picture of Élise in bed with Séraphine and Opal. Then, putting his phone away in his satchel and knowing no one was going to talk to him, he started to leave; he was approached by a college student who is the founder of Nanovex and spoke to him and then Emily until their phones went off.

CASE IN SAN FRANCISCO!

"Guess we're not heading home." Prentiss groaned. "We have a case in San Francisco."

"Yeah." Reid began to walk away, and his phone began to vibrate. Answering it, he unnotably sounded defeated, "Hey."

"Hello, my love!" Élise was in an absolute joyful mood. "How's the seminar?"

Reid muttered, "It was good. But, unfortunately, I have to get to San Francisco; I just got told of a case, so I guess your food will have to wait for another time."

"That's okay." Élise could care less about that at the moment." Anyway, I have some exciting news!" She shrieked. "Well, actually, I got the news yesterday, but as you said, my pregnancy brain is making me so forgetful."

Reid politely asked, "What happened?"

"I got a call…from the President of our country!" She yelped. "And…he's nominated me, Élise Gabrielle Bastien, to...a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, following the passing of Judge Randal McKnight."

Reid tried to sound upbeat, "Really? T-that's g-great."

"I know, right," Élise could barely contain her excitement, "Of course, I'll have to be confirmed by the Senate, but if I'm confirmed, I'll be the youngest federal judge. Plus, the DC Cir is one of the most prominent and prestigious courts in the county; second and a stepping point to the Supreme Court."

"Yeah."

Now Élise was worried. She knew Reid would be excited about news like this, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Reid lied. "I, uh…I just hate that I have to go to San Francisco instead of coming home."

Élise insisted, "As I said, that's okay. People need your help. We can celebrate when you get home. We love you."

"I love you all, too." Reid hung up.

Reid, Hotch, and Agent Rebecca Lin got out of their SUV after meeting the team at Marin County.

Just as they slammed their car doors, Agent Lin asked, "How can you read a physical copy of The Chronicle's website with all the comments?" She wondered.

Reid explained, "I have an eidetic memory, and I can read 20,000 words a minute."

"I take it you're a genius." Agent Lin guessed.

Reid bluntly answered, "Yeah."

A minute later, Spencer was bringing down an attention-seeking local who was speaking to the press on live TV.

Finally settled in his hotel room, Reid pressed the phone to his ear after dialing. Getting an answer after the third ring,

"Hello?"

Reid apologized, "Sorry if I keep doing this to you, but I really needed to hear your voice."

Élise groaned into the phone, "That's okay. So, an associate in San Francisco sent me a video of you laying it into that attention whore." Élise started to laugh. "I swear, I could watch it over and over again and laugh every time."

"At least I made you laugh today." Reid gloomed at what the unsub did.

Élise noticed Reid's sad tone, "Are you okay?"

"The unsub played us, and now I'm worried about what this unsub might do." Reid exhaled.

"Oh," Élise gave him a little pep talk, "Remember, tomorrow's a new day."

"I know," Reid agreed as he yawned. "I better get some sleep. As do you and our little avocado in your belly."

"I will. I love you." Élise kissed.

Reid smooched back, "I love you, too."

The following morning, after the unsub kills another couple and another clue was left at the scene, the team sans Reid delivered the San Francisco Field Office profile.

Reid continued to go through the physical copy of The Chronicle with all the comments at a local coffee shop. He picked up his head when he saw Prentiss walk past him. She sat down across from him, causing him and Prentiss to talk about life expectations before he brought up that the team missed his 30th birthday. Prentiss helped him figure out the cipher.

After arresting the unsub, the team headed back to the San Francisco Field Office and cleaned out the whiteboard.

Agent Lin sighed, "Police found the buried bones of Bobby Shaw in Harvey Morell's backyard, just like Caleb said."

"Have you contacted the family yet?" Hotch asked the agent.

Agent Lin exhaled, "I can handle it. Anyway, thank you all for your help."

"Of course," Reid nodded his head.

The team decided to spend the night in San Francisco before heading back home to DC.

"Look what I got for you, Fifi," Reid presents to Séraphine a kids' book about San Francisco.

"Yay!" Séraphine clapped her hands and wobbled to Reid for a hug. "Tank yoo, dada."

Reid accepted a hug from Séraphine and kissed her head. "Aw, thank you, my love." He let her play with her toys again.

Élise chuckled as she pointed to Opal enjoying her olive-oil-bottle-shaped chew toy. "Opal loves her gift as well as do I." She held a small basket filled with sourdough bread, coffee bags, and various chocolates.

"I told you I would never forget about you all." Reid kissed her lips. "I know I've been having doubts about what more I can do with my abilities since Prentiss and I went to Chicago, and I met the founder of Nanovex."

Élise scratched her head before wagging her finger, "I think I saw an article about that, and their purpose is making, what, nanoparticles tumor cells or something like that?"

Reid shook his head, "Yeah. Well, he's a senior at Michigan and Landis Pharmaceuticals investing 100 million dollars into his company."

Élise reminded him, "You graduated from high school at 12, have three BAs and three PhDs. Plus, you make more money than your teammates."

"I know, but don't you think I should be doing more with my abilities?" Reid sighed. "I mean, Rossi writes books."

"You yourself write and publish articles." Élise exhaled, "You guest lecture every now and then. Not to mention, you help save lives and make this world better every day. You can't and shouldn't be comparing yourself to anyone else. You're you no matter what. And that's worth more than 100 million. It's priceless."

Reid grinned and kissed her chin, "I love you."

"I know." Élise tapped his nose.

Reid and Élise spent the rest of the day doing work from home, having lunch, playing with Séraphine and Opal, dinner, and being off to bed.

The next day, Reid had just stepped out of the elevator with a cup in his hand. He nodded in greeting to a fellow acquaintance and caught sight of Prentiss, causing him to explain that he belongs in the BAU as they walked to the conference room.

Prentiss sighs, "Well, I'm glad to hear that." She led him to the roundtable room. "Otherwise, this would have been really awkward."

Reid questioned, "What would have been really awkward?"

With a smirk on her face, Prentiss opens the door...

"Surprise!"

Reid burst into this cheesy and big grin when he realized the team threw him a belated birthday party. Garcia excitedly cried, and JJ, Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss showered him with presents, kisses, and hugs. "Happy Birthday!"

Reid appreciated the gesture, "Thank you."

"Do you feel like 30?" Hotch joked.

Morgan pulled Reid into a hug, "Happy birthday, old man. Happy birthday. Almost 40 now." Morgan jested about Reid's age.

"I'm getting close." Reid retorted, "And you're older than me, older man."

Garcia picked up a chocolate cake with the flamed 3 and 0 candles, which Reid blew in one take.

"Yay!" Everyone cheered.

"Oh, are we missing the party?"

Élise entered the roundtable room with Séraphine in her stroller.

"Hi, there, you adorable growing baby." Garcia waved to Séraphine.

Séraphine babbled and flapped to everyone as Élise took her out of her stroller, "Hi!"

"Oh, how's my goddaughter?" Hotch smiled when Élise handed her to him.

"Gaah!"

Morgan grinned, "Ooh! She's starting to talk. Can you say 'Morgan?'" He got in her face and baby-talked her.

Séraphine blew a raspberry at Morgan's face, making everyone laugh.

"Oh, I love this child!" Rossi chuckled and wondered, "What brings you two in?"

Élise shrugged her shoulders and cuddled closer to Reid, "What? So I can't visit my man while he's at work?"

Now JJ, Garcia, and Prentiss either cocked their heads, raised their eyebrows, and focused on Élise.

"Mmm-hmm…" JJ pouted her lips. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah," Prentiss crossed her arms. "You're glowing. Even more so than usual."

Garcia joined in on the suspense, "Now that you mentioned it, you are glowing more than a ray of sunshine."

Morgan wrinkled his nose and grimaced a tad before realizing something up with Élise, "Yeah. What's up with you?"

Élise mockingly raised her hands, "Okay-okay." Exhaling, "Our President has nominated me for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, following the passing of Judge Randal McKnight. If I'm confirmed, I'll be the youngest federal judge in the country."

Hotch smiled, "Congrats, Élise."

Élise announced, "And I'm pregnant again."

Gasps filled the room.

"For real?" Morgan's jaw dropped after doing a spit-take.

Rossi curved his eyebrows, "Seriously?"

Élise pointed to her still small baby bump, "Now I'm at 17 weeks."

"17 weeks?" Prentiss let out a huff, folded her arms, and tapped her fingers on her forearms. "How long have you've known?"

"Since we got back from Philadelphia," Reid nonchalantly answered and helped himself to a big slice of chocolate cake. "Think of it as payback for forgetting my birthday."

Garcia cut herself a small slice, "Well, I'll never forget your birthday ever again because I never want to miss news like this again." She hustled to give Reid and Élise another hug. "Oh, you two." Whispering their ears, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Penelope…"

Garcia prayer pleaded, "Please. I need to know. Pretty please on everything good and sparkly?"

"Garcia…" Hotch cleared his throat, judging by his cocked eyebrow and curling his mouth; he signals her to stop.

Garcia obediently backed off, "Yes, sir."

Reid and Élise assured everyone, "We'll tell you when the time's right."

A/N: What do you think? Could it be a boy or another girl?