A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

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

This chapter takes place a few days after the previous chapter.

Meaning…a special someone is joining the team.

"SPENCE!"

Reid nearly jumped out of his chair and snorted, "Wha…?" He shook his head and noticed JJ standing over him at his desk. Giving him a funny look, she wondered, "You okay?"

"Oh, sorry." Reid covered his mouth as he yawned for the third time since he arrived. He looked down at his desk and was surprised himself that he didn't drool on himself like he did the other day. "Ziggy woke Élise and I up. Along with another surprise this morning."

JJ smirked, "What happened this morning involving a surprise?"

3:15 in the morning...

Reid shut his eyes tightly and groaned when he heard his cell phone vibrate from under his pillow. Pinching his fingers between his eyes as he rummaged under his pillow to get his phone. Sighing, "Hello…?"

"AHHHH…!"

The screams over the phone were enough to startled Reid to wake him and wake Élise up.

"What the…?" Élise moaned, scratching her head.

It was a good thing Reid didn't set his phone on the speaker; otherwise, Isaac would have been screaming and crying as he did an hour ago.

"Aunt Ethel…?"

"I'M A GRANDMA AGAIN!" Ethel screamed over the phone. "I'M A GRANDMA AGAIN!" She hung up.

Reid set his phone on the bedside table and rested his head against the pillow again. Élise questioned, "What happened?"

"Ethel's a grandma again."

Élise chuckled; her eyes are still closed shut. Tugging the pillow against her head, "At least her call didn't wake up Ziggy."

Suddenly, Ziggy started fussing and crying.

Again.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted," Élise said dryly. "And congrats to the family."

JJ started chuckling after Reid told her what had happened this morning.

This soon caught Rossi's attention, who had just walked out of his office and made his way towards JJ and Reid at their desks in the bullpen.

"What's going on?" Rossi wanted in on the latest gossip he witnessed.

Still giggling, JJ thumb-pointed, "Spence got a little surprise this morning."

"Ooh, what kind of surprise?" Rossi asked intriguingly with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Reid showed them the text message on the phone he got from his cousin John.

SAMUEL LUCAS CARNEY

BORN JULY 27TH 2012 AT 12:15

8 LBS 21 LONG

"Ah," Rossi understood. "And I take it Aunt Ethel woke you all up?"

"Yup. After the call, Isaac started fussing and crying, and it took us eight minutes to let him go back to sleep." Reid massaged his ears as JJ's phone rang.

JJ calmed herself from chuckling as she answered her phone, "Hello?"

"'Ello, loves."

JJ started chuckling again, "Hey, Garcia." She set her phone on speaker. "How are you and Derek?"

Garcia continued speaking in a British accent, "My statuesque god of sculptured chocolate thunder and I made it to London alright. Now, we're relaxing back at the hotel, and we plan to begin the fun tomorrow bright and early."

"Are you going to conceive that love child of yours?" joked Rossi.

Morgan came to the phone, "I heard that, Rossi."

"Oh, what's the 411?" Garcia wondered.

"The famous Aunt Ethel woke me up this morning as she's a grandmother again," Reid yawned into the phone.

"Aww," Garcia gushed at the news. "That's hunky-dory, brains."

Reid smiled, "Thanks." He yawned again. Shaking his head to try to alert himself, "Oh, man…"

Morgan chuckled, "Aw, don't you sound so cute when you yawn like that?"

Reid deadpanned, "Ha-ha. Just have fun on your vacation trip in London and say 'hi' to Emily for me."

"Tickety-boo, love," replied Garcia. "If we get our new member, let me know as soon as possible, so I can..."

Fearing Garcia would say something involving "looking them up", Morgan added, "We'll make sure to bring something back for your guys. Now, my lady and I want to tour London early."

JJ shook her head, "Okay. Have fun!"

"But not too much!" joked Rossi.

"Laters."

Garcia spoke in a British accent, "Ta-ta, cheerio. God save the Queen."

JJ giggled as she put her phone away and looked to Rossi, "Hey. When was the last time you had a vacation?"

"I don't know, and honestly, I don't care." Rossi made his way back to his office.

Reid rubbed his eyes again as he approached Hotch's office and knocked on his door three times.

"Come in," said Hotch.

Reid walked in and found Hotch at his office desk with at least ten stacks of files less than the last time he was in his office, staring down at one of them.

Reid knew, "Have you decided on our new team member?"

"I have, yes," Hotch closed the completed file he had just finished and opened the one containing the applicant's file. "Alex Blake."

Reid's eyes broadened with the whites showing, and his jaw gaped, "Dr. Alex Blake? She's returning to the FBI full-time or…?"

"No, she'll still be teaching forensic linguistics at Georgetown," Hotch closed her file. "But yes, she'll be joining our team sometime next week."

Reid knew everything he knew about Dr. Alex Blake, other than being the wife of Dr. James Blake, the man who operated on his knee when he got shot nearly three years ago. Her mind was as equal as his. She was also a prodigy in her own mind and right and a veteran agent with the Bureau for years until some unfortunate incident during a case that greatly derailed her career.

"I'm sure you two will get along better than you do now," Hotch remarked.

Reid nodded his head, "Absolutely."

"I know it's been a couple of months since Prentiss left, but this will be good for us." Hotch sounded hopeful. "And you already know the Bureau doesn't like keeping position opens for too long anyway. She'll fit right in."

"I know she will," Reid sounded hopeful himself.

"Hey, Zig-zag," Élise was in the great room with Séraphine and Isaac; Opal was resting in the corner. Élise gently, carefully, and securely had Isaac on her silver exercise ball, covered with a white blanket to make his tummy time more comfortable. "Good boy, my little Ziggy."

Reid walked in with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was dressed in a lavender grid check button shirt with a dark purple tie, a lightweight cardigan sweater, gray trousers, black belt, and Converses.

"Don't you look good, bunny?" Élise admired what Reid was wearing. "No doubt you're going to be one of the best-dressed guest lecturers at Georgetown University."

"Gad, dada!" babbled Séraphine.

Reid chuckled as he made his way towards Séraphine and found her on her belly and stretching. Squatting down and stroking her curly hair, "What are you doing, silly girl?"

"Ziggy!" giggled Séraphine.

Élise explained, "She saw me helping Isaac with his tummy time and wanted to help out. I'd figured to combine a little workout time with his tummy time, so…"

"Oh," Reid kissed her forehead. "That's a good girl." He began laughing when Élise strategically placed the baby-safe mirror in front of him. "Ooh, you're looking good, Ziggy."

"Next thing he'll know, he'll be taking selfies," Élise tickled his cheeks, making him smile, and Reid to take a quick snap from his phone.

After Reid took the picture, he looked at the time and exclaimed, "Ooh! I have to get going!" He gave Séraphine another kiss on her forehead and one to Isaac before squatly walking and passionately kissing Élise's lips. "I love you all."

He gently rose and shook his legs before he noticed Opal cuddling them. Stroking her fur, "Ooh, I can never forget about you, girl."

Arriving at Georgetown University, Reid made his way to the prestigious Gaston Hall, an auditorium located inside the Healy Hall. It was known for its rich interior and grand embellishments and hosting prominent figures; from heads of state to political leaders and other VIPs.

Upon his arrival, he acknowledged a few familiar faces and other noticeable public figures he knew. He heard about before a feminine voice called out for him.

"Dr. Spencer Reid."

He turned around and saw a pale-complexioned woman in her late forties. She had dark brown eyes, curved eyebrows, full pink lips, wavy brunette armpit length hair, and was attired in a navy-blue pantsuit with a crisp light blue dress shirt and black heels.

"Dr. Alex Blake."

Alex smiled and folded her arms. "It's been far too long since the last time we saw each other."

"Two years, a month, and three days," Reid calculated in his head since the last time he and Alex each other.

Blake took a few steps closer to him, "How's the married life treating you?"

"Wonderfully," said Reid with a grin on his face. "We now have two wonderful children, a seventeen-borderline eighteen-month-old Séraphine Celeste and a month-old boy name Isaac Dylan." Reid went through his cell phone and showed Blake a recent picture of the family.

"Ah," Blake still had a smile on her face. "Your children are so adorable," She pointed to Séraphine in the picture. "Séraphine: French variation for Seraphina and the Hebrew origin meaning ardent and fiery. Not to mention the highest-ranked angels, the six-winged seraphim. Celeste: derived from Late Latin meaning heavenly." She then pointed to Isaac. "Isaac: Hebrew and Aboriginal origin meaning "he will laugh, rejoice, play." Derived from Itzhak, Tzachaq, Yitzhak, and Yitzchok. Dylan: Welsh and means the son of the sea."

Reid was always fascinated by her mind. He could remember the first time he met her.

November 2006—before Thanksgiving break.

Reid walked into a college classroom in Georgetown University; no one was there except a woman writing something on the whiteboard and had an open book on the desk. Slowly approaching the woman, he quietly said, "Dr. Blake?"

Blake turned and saw Reid, who meekly waved to her.

"So, you must be Dr. Spencer Reid?" Blake nodded her head.

Reid stood up straight and cleared his throat. "Yes, ma'am."

Alex did was she does best, "Spencer: derived from English, meaning house steward, dispenser of provisions. From Medieval Latin to Old French to Anglo-French and Middle English. Reid: Scottish with English origin meaning 'red-haired." Ironically, no red hair?"

Reid scratched his head and snickered, "Surprisingly no, ma'am. I've researched some of the cases you worked on, which inspired one of your books, The Root of Words. I read twenty days ago, and it was brilliant."

Alex smirked. "Thank you. And I've read your thesis for your Psychology BA and your recent article in Behavioral Science on linguistic and psychology; fascinating."

Reid flushed a bit. "Wow, uh, thank you, ma'am. I used one of your other books, The Lineage of Language, as a reference. I take it that was why you wanted me to guest lecture with you in your forensic linguistic class while your assistant is out sick today?"

"Actually, yes," Alex ended the sentence with a smile.

"I'd be honored, too, Dr. Blake, ma'am."

Alex replied, "Thank you. And please, you don't have to call me ma'am or Dr. Blake. That's for my husband; he's with Georgetown University Hospital."

Reid blushed. "My apologies. I was raised to say 'Yes, ma'am/No, ma'am; Yes, sir/No, sir, by my mother."

"Well, your mother did a wonderful raising you." Blake grinned before they noticed some students walking in.

"How's your husband, Dr. Blake?" Reid asked politely.

Alex sighed. "He's with Médecins Sans Frontières, Doctors Without Borders, and the last time we Skyped, he's now in the Middle East."

"Noble," said Reid before noticing someone approaching the podium, prompting the two to walk and take their seat upfront.

Reid and Blake watched a couple of guest lecturers before they were called upon to discuss forensic linguistics.

The guest lecture sessions were over, and lunch was being served by the university's catering nearby.

Reid looked at the time, and it was 12:16 P.M. Blake offered to take Reid to one of her favorite cafes in the area and discuss her soon-to-be colleagues before carpooling with him.

Élise oozed with Isaac just lying across her legs while sitting on the couch in the great room, watching a Disney movie with Séraphine.

Élise scooped Isaac up when they heard the front door being opened and closed a voice cried, "Hello?"

Élise had an instant smile on her face. "Hey, honey!"

"Dada!" Séraphine waddled-ran to Reid, who lifted her up and kissed her forehead.

"Hey, angel!" Reid kissed her again before introducing her to Alex. "Can you say 'hi' to daddy's new coworker, Dr. Alex Blake?"

Séraphine babbled, "Hi!"

Alex giggled. "Hello, Séraphine." Her eyes beamed when her sights set on Élise holding Isaac. "And hello, Isaac. You have the most beautiful blue-gray eyes I've ever seen."

Isaac cooed, making everyone in the room melt.

Élise offered a cup of tea to Blake and hoped to catch up for a bit since the last time they saw each other.