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!
1:43 A.M.
"Oh, God…" Élise grumbled as she pushed the comforters beside her and steadily got out of bed. "Third time this night. Oh, bloody hell..."
Reid's eyes blinked before he opened his eyes little by little and saw Élise making her way to the bathroom and heard her mumble under her breath. Reid yawned, "You have to urine again?"
Élise turned around and snarled, "You get me pregnant again, and I'm gonna kick your butt."
While Élise was getting her Group B strep with Dr. Patterson for a quick moment, Reid was keeping Séraphine occupied with a play game.
"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker's man." Reid and Séraphine clapped their hands as Reid sang the lyrics. "Bake me a cake as fast as you can! Roll it. Pat it." Reid made his fists circle before using his hand to make patting motions. Reid drew an invisible B in the air. "And mark it with a "B" for baby and me!"
Séraphine giggled when Reid tapped her nose. Reid laughed with her, cuddling closer to her in his arms just as Élise and Dr. Patterson walked in.
"Did I miss something?" Dr. Patterson asked as she helped Élise on the sheeted examination table.
"Pat ta ake!" Séraphine babbled.
Élise giggled as she tried to relax her body. Already feeling this itch on her belly, she started to cream her belly. "Oh, again with this itching, doctor."
"As long as you don't have any red bumps or welts on your belly, and possibly your thighs and backside, you'll be fine." Dr. Patterson assured Élise. "You'll get the results for the GBS in a day or two."
"Okay," Élise shook her head before she felt something. "Oh, I think I feel a leak coming." No, wait…" Élise sighed in relief. "I'm good."
Dr. Patterson advised. "Make sure you rest as much as possible, hydrate but limit nighttime fluids, limit your caffeine usage, keep your weight in check, and when you need to use the toilet, lean forward. But as always, everything's good," said Dr. Patterson.
Élise said with a smile. "That's how I like it."
Soon Dr. Patterson and tech got the ultrasound machines set up and observed Baby Boy Reid.
Reid laughed as he was filming Séraphine acting like a Dalek.
"Ah ta nah nat! Ah ta nah nat!" Séraphine babbled as she marched around the great room while playing with her toy plunger and whisk. "Ah ta nah nat! Ah ta nah nat!"
Knock-knock-knock!
Someone knocked on the door, and Reid rushed to see who it was.
"Hey, you're early!" Reid was happy to see Garcia, all dressed up in a matching blue plaid dress and blazer and heels with a green with white polka dots necklace and a fez. Garcia said it was her tribute to the latest doctor, Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor.
Garcia invited herself into the house, geeing with excitement. "I know! I've been looking forward to this convention for weeks!" Garcia walked in on Séraphine, mimicking a Dalek. "Aw! This is like the most adorable thing I've ever seen!" Garcia rummaged through her turquoise blue quilted tote and took a quick pic on her phone.
Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!
Reid opened the door, and it was Rose.
"Hey, Rose!"
Rose nodded her head as she stepped into the house; her Adidas sneakers barely made a squeaking noise, "Good morning, Dr. Reid. I'm here to pick up Opal for the day."
"Opal!" Reid called for her.
Opal responded by mopingly walking over to Rose, who stroked her fur, "I take it she's still upset about not being able to go to the D.C. convention" Rose's voice perked up. "But we're going to have fun at the doggy park, okay, girl."
Opal let out a small purr.
"I'm coming, people!" Élise's voice echoed the hall before strolling in the great room, attired in a brown and black striped jersey dress with maroon wool tights, a loose cerise pink cardigan, and flat brown boots. "Hello!"
Garcia coyly guessed, "I take it you're Sarah Jane Smith, the 4th Doctor's best-known companion?" Garcia then motioned her hand up and down. She pointed to Reid's classic single-breasted coat, plaid dress vest and bow tie, solid burgundy cravat necktie, flat front dress pants, white dress shirt, black lace-up ankle boots.
Élise scratched the brunette-layered and fringed shoulder-length wig and cheered. "Yeah-yeah!" She took off Reid's suede brown fedora and fixed his curly hair wig. "Oh! Thank you, God, Aunt Ethel isn't here to see you with the wig." She started laughing when she fantasized about Aunt Ethel's reaction as she placed the hat back on.
Reid snickered. "I would never hear the end of it."
While Rose took Opal to the park for her to play with the other dogs, Reid, Élise, Séraphine, and Garcia headed to the D.C. Sci-Fi Convention.
Garcia suggested seeing the classic science-fiction movie, Alien, at nine. They agreed just as long as Reid really wanted to see, they made it in time for the Captains of the Enterprise panel at eleven.
After seeing her ex Kevin with CSU Tech Agent Gina Sharp, Garcia started to get second thoughts and wanted to leave.
"Come on, Lady G, don't let it get you down," said Élise as she was pushing Séraphine in her stroller.
Garcia sighed, "I know, but I feel like the third wheel, especially with someone I couldn't possibly be…" Garcia couldn't say, so instead, she pointed to Reid. "You know."
Élise wondered what she meant by that before her eyes beamed. "Okay…" Élise crinkled her nose, causing Reid to feel a bit taken back, and wrinkled his nose as well.
Soon their eyes caught Rossi standing at the valet parking lot and made conversation, politely declining Garcia's offer to plot revenge against Kevin and Gina.
Élise chuckled to herself before she tapped Reid and Garcia's shoulders and cocked her head to the direction she was pointed to.
They couldn't believe it.
Chief Section Strauss walked out of the hotel, looking polished and disheveled.
Looking back and forth, they all came to the same conclusion.
Garcia decided to take off and leave, allowing Reid, Élise, and Séraphine to head inside the convention.
"Whoa!" Élise walked through the door, carrying a sleeping Séraphine. "Two shows in one day."
Reid kept shaking his head in disbelief. "Yeah, I know. At least we got to see a couple of panels today."
"Well, that, and what we just saw considering…" Élise bit her lip and wanted Reid to fill in the blank.
Reid nodded his head, "Ah…" His mouth opened again before he heard his cell phone vibrate. Reaching for it, he saw a text message.
ALL HANDS ON DECK!
BANK ROBBERY HEIST GONE WRONG IN DC!
Reid looked up and saw Élise rocking Séraphine; Élise knew, "You have work?"
"All hands on deck." Reid showed her the text message.
Élise stroked his shoulder and tenderly kissed his lips before letting him get ready for work while she tended to Séraphine.
Reid met up with the rest of the team, including JJ's boyfriend, Will LaMontagne, outside Colonial Liberty Bank.
This was such a big deal that the FBI's Mobile Command Center came in and various SWAT trunks and helicopters, from the bureau to the major broadcasting networks. The media's now called them the Face Cards.
According to Will, he shot the Jack of Clubs, and the King of Hearts and Queen of Diamonds are inside with the rest of the hostages.
The Face Cards have done seven robberies within seven months while killing one in that time period, and up until today, two minutes for each robbery.
Now all they got is surveillance footage.
After being ordered by Hotch to go through the Face Cards' past robbery history, Reid, JJ, and Prentiss made their way back to headquarters.
They had just stepped off the elevator and walked through the bullpen when Reid's phone became vibrating. He looked at the caller ID, and it was Élise.
"Excuse me," said Reid to JJ and Prentiss as he pardoned himself to take the call. "Hello, wifey?"
"Love! How are you?"
Reid sighed heavily. "I'm okay. I'm back at headquarters with JJ and Prentiss since we're dealing with narcissistic bank robberies."
"Yeah, I'm watching the live stream on my laptop," said Élise. "Show those narcists no mercy."
Reid agreed, "Yeah." He turned his head and saw JJ and Prentiss getting everything set up. "I have to get going. I love you. Tell Fifi, Opal, and our little melon, my love."
Élise giggled, "Of course."
They hung up; Reid joined the ladies to examine the Face Cards bank-robbing history—and Kevin joined in—to give them the schematics of the banks they robbed. JJ found a common denominator.
The Queen pulled the trigger shot.
Finding out more about the Face Cards, the King leads the robbery while the Queen tracks the time.
And think turning them against each other could be key…
Only if the Jack doesn't die, otherwise hell breaks loose.
Élise was busy on her laptop when she noticed her cell phone vibrating in the phone holder. Answering it after the third vibrating, "Hello?"
"Hey, Lise!"
Élise's eyes widened, "Maeve! How are you?"
"I'm good, and you yourself?"
Élise sighed as she gently placed her hand over her belly, "I'm sooo ready to see our boy."
"I want to see my little girl, too," Maeve agreed. "And are you watching the news about the Central Liberty Bank heist?"
"Oh-ho, yeah," Élise calmed her and took a sip of water. "At least Spencer's not down there."
"And surprisingly enough, Bobby and I were planning to go there today, but we changed our minds," Maeve admitted.
Élise almost choked on her water. "Say what now?" She placed her hand on her heart. "Whoo! Thank God you changed your mind because I would have gone nutty and beaten the crap out of the bank robbers myself even if I'm 34 weeks."
Maeve snickered. "Yeah, I know you would have. Anyway, just called to see how you're doing. And sorry again if we couldn't make it to the D.C. Sci-Fi Convention."
"Cool. Later."
Reid, JJ, and Prentiss were still watching the Face Cards standoff on the television screen when Agent Anderson walked in. He told Prentiss had gotten a call from Clyde Easter, her old Interpol unit chief, with information about the Queen, allowing her to take the call in private.
After which, Prentiss brought Reid and JJ the information she got from Easter.
The Queen worked alone and wore disguises.
With the information they got from Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan back at the scene, the Queen's enjoying the attention since she's so narcissistic and wants to look good for the camera.
And now, as part of their demands, they want a plane to fly themselves to Chad, despite the current civil war there.
Prentiss dialed Easter for more material on their destination demand…
And Reid and JJ overhear Prentiss being offered to work for Interpol, causing them to have concerned facial expressions, thinking she will leave the team again.
After hearing that a 9-1-1 text was sent before the robbery, the team came to the conclusion that one of the "hostages" was actually one of the robbers playing as a hostage.
JJ and Prentiss left to be with the team at Central Liberty Bank, and Reid stayed behind.
Reid was now in Garcia's room with Kevin and stood in disbelieving shock that the King shot Will. He thought he should be there, but Kevin knew better.
Reid asked Kevin to pull up the surveillance footage before Will was shot and noticed the Queen disappeared once. Going back to the schematics, Reid immediately began to fear the worst.
And he was right.
An explosion.
Reid was in the SUV with Kevin while driving to the bank. His pants pocket began ringing. Reaching to get it, he answered after the first ring, "Hello?"
Élise released a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you, God. I saw the explosion on television and I-I-I-I…" She stammered until she paused. "You're okay. But what about everyone else?"
"Yeah. I couldn't get a hold of the rest of the team, so I'm heading down there."
Élise inhaled sharply, "Oh, Spencer…"
"No one, not even God, is taking me today or any day now," Reid promised.
Élise let out a tear, wiped it, and sniffed her nose, resting her hand on her belly. "Please be careful, and please be alright. I love you."
"Of course," Reid vowed. "I love you, too."
Hanging up, they made it to the sight. While Kevin went to Garcia's side, Reid headed towards Hotch, and they began going through the bank's schematics and figured out how the robbers made it out using C-4 and Semtex.
The team and Strauss met up again at the mobile command center. They confirmed from the security footage that it was the bank robbers, and Will was in the back seat with them, using him as leverage.
Prentiss received her information from Easter. They found out from her that the Queen could potentially be a trained assassin named Lady X.
And that the explosives and the red, blue, and yellow wires used were last seen in Chad ten years prior.
And going through the surveillance images, the Queen's true partner was Matthew Downs, a discharged Marine.
Rose held Séraphine's hand as she walked her to her parents' bedroom.
Only to find Élise snoring away.
"Mama laud..." Séraphine babbled.
Rose giggled before closing the door. "Mama's just tired. Let's leave her alone and play before your nap, okay?"
"KK."
Reid, Prentiss, and Morgan went back to the charred bank and wondered why the robbers didn't take the moment just to take the money and run. Thinking back to where they wanted to go, Chris wanted to go to Switzerland, but Lady X wanted to go to Chad on a private plane without a pilot instead.
Prentiss figured it was their own destructive story. Matthew Downs turned on his country; he met Lady X in Chad back in 2008.
Going back to the timeline of the date, the most explosive casualties in Chad took place at a train.
It was finally all over.
Prentiss saved Will.
JJ and Rossi went to the hospital after Will was saved.
And now three of the four Face Cards were deceased
The Queen—Izzy Rogers—was arrested and, according to Strauss, will be charged both domestically and internationally for her crimes.
Prentiss announced that she would not be going through with the Dupont House. She claimed it was because of foundation cracks, but Reid knew it was more than that and stayed silent.
Strauss pulled Morgan for a private conversation before Hotch walked in and was on the phone with Rossi and asked them if everyone was free tomorrow night.
Reid was so more than happy to have finally arrived home.
He got a text message from Rose, saying that everyone was calm today.
Locking in the house alarm and making his way to the bedroom, he saw Élise and Séraphine reading in bed.
"Dada!" Séraphine's eyes broadened when she saw her father and reached for him. "Dada!"
Reid chuckled, walked over to his bedside, and scooped up Séraphine to kiss her head. "Hi, duckie!"
"Hey, love," Élise massaged her temples before she tried to lean up to kiss Reid's lips.
Reid pecked her lips. "I told you no one, not even God, was taking me today or any day now."
Élise chuckled. "Yeah. Want to go back to the convention tomorrow? Seeing how no one, not even God, was taking you today or any day now?"
Reid collapsed on the bed; Séraphine was still in his arms and sighed, "Why not? Garcia won't be joining us. In her words, "'That whole city on the brink of destruction thing kind of took the wind out of my sails, you know?'" He sighed again. "I can't say I disagree."
"Mmm." Élise pouted her mouth before looking at her belly. "What a world."
Reid rested his free hand on her belly, "Rossi has something in store for us tomorrow night. And it involves dressing up."
The Bastien-Reid family met up with the Donovan-Putman family at the D.C. Sci-Fi Convention.
"I don't believe it," Élise said as she, Reid, and Séraphine stepped outside Rossi's backyard.
From the white-shirt manservants to the decorated table; from the floating lights to the flowers on the ground and the…
"A backyard wedding," Reid said as he carried Séraphine in his arms. "Never been to one."
Élise smiled, "Well, it's so much more beautiful at night." She helped herself to a glass of ice water offered to her.
"I have to agree, yeah."
"Hey-hey!" Garcia was the first one to spot the family. "What is up, family?" She gave them hugs. "How are you doing, Fifi?"
"Gah!" babbled Séraphine.
Rossi was the next to greet them, "Hey, family!"
"Rossi!" Élise accepted his hug and asked, "Who's getting married?"
Ross politely excused himself before he made his way to…
"JJ and Will?" Reid was indeed surprised as they watched Rossi talk to them and an older blonde woman next to him. "About time."
Élise nodded her head, "Who knows how long one of them has been waiting? But I do get it that not everyone wants to get married right away."
"Yeah, I guess," replied Reid.
Reid kept Henry occupied and played with the wedding rings, and Jack played with Séraphine.
Soon, everyone stood as JJ, dressed in her mother's white off-the-shoulder gown, walked down the flowered alley with Sandy beside her mother.
Everyone smiled at the pastor as he officiated their wedding. Henry gave his parents their rings and clapped as JJ and Will kissed.
At the wedding table, Rossi stood and raised his glass as he prepared to make a toast, "They say that good things happen to good people. Today is one of those days, and these are two of those people. We love you."
"Cheers!"
Soon everyone gathered around the dance floor after allowing JJ and Will to have their first dance together.
Reid and Élise giggled as they watched Séraphine try and dance with Jack, then Henry, and the first dance together.
Élise whispered in Reid's ear. "Every ending is a new beginning."
"And every beginning has a new ending," Reid whispered back.
They locked into each other's eyes and kissed.
A/N: This is the end of S7 and now onto between S7-S8!
Just wait and see what's in store.