A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

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

"Shhh, it's okay," Élise was on the couch with a fussy Isaac, comforting him with gentle circles to his back, trying to get him to relax since they came from Dr. Pierce's office an hour ago. "It's okay, Ziggy. It's okay. I know you're still achy and cranky from your vaccine shots. I get it, sweetie."

Isaac was still acting fussy until he suddenly started giggling and laughing.

"See? I know I told you you would be fine, Ziggy," said Élise as she continued rubbing soothing circles to his back.

"Surprise!" Reid's voice echoed the foyer before he stepped into the great room with bags of groceries. "I'm back! I told you I would be back in thirty minutes."

Élise asked as she pulled Reid into a loving lip-lock, "How was your trip to the store?"

"I managed to snag some last-minute candy," Reid pulled out a bag of variety Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and then a large bag of M&Ms. "I can never get enough of this holiday. And it's going to be your first Halloween, buddy," Reid tickled Isaac's belly,

"Same here," Élise raised her hand.

Reid chuckled before he lifted his eyebrow, noticing something behind the couch. Smirking, Reid placed his index finger to his mouth, signaling Élise to be quiet and starting tiptoeing to get to the couch's backend.

"Gotcha!"

Reid jumped, exclaimed, and then laughed when he saw Séraphine giggling. Scooping her from the carpeted floor, he gave her a big kiss on the cheek, making her laugh. "What were you doing behind the couch?" Reid asked Séraphine as he set her down on the couch, next to Élise; Isaac started acting fussy again and sounded as if he wanted to cry again.

Séraphine used her hands to hide her face and popped back, making Isaac laugh again.

"Oh, so you were helping cheer Isaac up, huh, Fifi?" Élise stroked her fingers through Séraphine's locks. "Aw, thank you so much, Fifi. You're such a good big sister."

Séraphine blushed. "Tanks, mama!" She soon curiously took a look at the candy bags Reid had just purchased.

"Nuh-uh, Fifi," Reid gently coaxed the bag away; Séraphine started to cry and reach out for it. "Oh, I know you want candy right now, but you can't have any candy yet, Fifi. You have to wait until Halloween, and then you can get all the candy you want."

Élise corrected, "In moderation."

Reid bowed his head. "In moderation." He stroked her head and kissed her forehead. "You don't want to have too much candy. Or get a serious sugar rush."

"I heard that," Élise smirked. She looked at her phone. "Oh, I think it's time for your nap, little man." She gracefully rose from the couch and walked to his nursery. "Come on."

Isaac yawned.

Reid and Élise took Séraphine and Isaac to a pop-up costume store to look for Halloween.

"Oh," Now in the Novel Inspiration costume section, Reid took a leather-clad plastic-covered costume from the silver hooked rack and showed it to Élise. She was rocking Séraphine and Isaac back and forth in the stroller. "How about this one?"

Giggling, Élise used her index finger to make Reid closer to her. "Maybe for our third anniversary next year. That'll be our theme."

Knowing what Élise meant, Reid chuckled as he placed the costume back on the rack. He searched through the racks again before he noticed Élise still had her dark Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses on. "Don't you think you should take off those shades? We're indoors."

"Still thinking about being an international spy," said Élise, still hiding to Reid about the threatening note she found a few days ago.

Reid chuckled. He had to admit; that would be an interesting choice of costume.

"Ooh!"

Reid and Élise soon noticed Séraphine pointing to something. "What is it, Fifi?" asked Reid, scooping from the stroller. "Do you see something?"

"Tat!"

She pointed to a plastic-covered costume. Reid took it from the rack and showed it to her. "Is this what you want to dress up as?"

"Yea!"

Élise gently took Isaac from the stroller and looked at what Séraphine was talking about.

It was an Alice in Wonderland costume.

"Mmm…" Élise lowered her eyes and pursed her mouth. "Alice in Wonderland. Classic." She looked to Reid. "You want to be Alice for Halloween?"

"Yea! Yea! Yea!" Séraphine cheered, clapping her hands and giggling.

Reid nodded. "I think we're going to be characters from Alice in Wonderland."

"Maybe because we watched the 1951 version and the updated and yet more modern version from 2010," said Élise as she placed Isaac back in the stroller baby seat. "Remember when we saw that version?"

Reid chuckled as he searched from more of the brackets, looking through more of the costumes bags from the story. "It was a great movie."

"Tim Burton was the perfect choice for the movie. And Johnny Depp, too..." Élise smiled. "Ooh, I swear, he…"

"Whoa!"

She jumped and backed into a wall, almost knocking costume bags off the wall when she was surprised by a small scary mask-clad person in a black burlap outfit.

"August!" a tall, middle-aged man with dark hair, fair skin, rimmed frames, and dressed in a button shirt, chinos, and loafers, grabbed the small person from behind and removed the mask. "There you are." Soon revealed a toddler boy who appeared to be two-or-three years old with curly hair and dazzled eyes, giggling. "My apologies…" His mouth dropped. "Why, hello, Élise."

"Hello, Eli," a still-shaken Élise was still patting her chest smiled a bit, despite thinking the person who sent her that note found her and was second away from hurting her and her family. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Sorry if my son gave you the scares." Eli apologized again. "He wants to be something scary for Halloween.

"Oh, it's okay," Élise smiled, fanning herself, still trying to calm herself.

Reid turned the stroller around as he was still looking through the frames. "Oh, I see you two know each other."

Finally composed, Élise closed her eyes, inhaled, and exhaled before she made an introduction. Eli went into his pocket, took out a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and took some. "Spencer, I would like you to meet Elijah Sherman. He's one of my new colleagues from the D.C. Cir."

"Oh, a pleasure to meet you, sir," Reid pulled his hand out; Eli firmly shook it back. "Usually, I'm not into handshaking, but since I saw you…"

Eli understood, especially when Reid reached into his satchel for bacterial wipes. "I get it. Plus, Élise has told me about how you are with handshaking. Believe me; I can be the same as well."

"There you two are." an average height and pregnant woman with long dark hair and eyes in an orange mid-length dress and flat brown boots approached the group. "I found some costumes for us…" Her eyes widened at the sight of Élise. "Hello, Élise."

"Hello, Naomi," Élise grinned. "Oh! This is my husband, Dr. Spencer Reid. Spencer, Dr. Naomi Greenberg."

Reid wagged his fingers. "Oh, I know who you are. You're a professor at Georgetown University under the Medieval Studies Program."

"That's me." Naomi chuckled before her eyes widened again. "Oh, is your mother, Dr. Diana Reid?"

"Yes…?" Reid uneasily answered.

Naomi gasped. "Oh, my…I once used one of her articles as a reference on 15th-century women for a class I'm currently teaching. She's amazing."

"Wow, really?" an amazed Reid asked.

Naomi shook her head. "Mm-hmm."

Élise added. "Congrats on the pregnancy. Boy or girl?"

"A little girl," Naomi giggled, clutching to her belly. "She should be hereafter Christmas, like New Year's; maybe before, who knows? We're still thinking of names, like Greta, Zara, Elizabeth, Emma."

"Aw." Élise smiled before Isaac started acting fussy, prompting her to care for him immediately. "Oh, come here, my little guy."

Naomi cooed. "Aww, he's so adorable."

"So is your little guy as well," Élise pointed to their son playing with the mask again.

"Boo!"

Soon the two families had a quick chat over tea and coffee.

Reid and Élise trailed through a pumpkin patch on a farm near the D.C. area.

"Ooh!" Élise cuddled Isaac in her arms and pointed to a giant pumpkin, making him want to grasp the stem naturally. "That looks like a big pumpkin, huh?"

"Pumkin!" Séraphine found a pumpkin and tried to pick it up amusingly. "Pumkin!"

"Hold it right there, little girl." Reid picked it up for her and gently placed it in the provided red wagon. "Don't want to stray out your back? Let your daddy handle it."

Élise added cutely, "Let your big and strong daddy do that pumpkin for you."

"Actually, did you know that pumpkin craving originated from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands? As a matter of fact, the jack-o-lantern coming from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack who made a deal with the devil? The Celtics were the first to start craving. Turnips, beets, and other root vegetables were the first origins of craving to wear off the evil spirits and/or represent them by frightening people. Also, when Irish immigrants came into America in the 1800s, they brought their craving traditions onto pumpkins."

"Wow, this country really is a melting pot of traditions and history," said Élise as she showed a small pumpkin to Isaac, allowing him to grasp it and adjust his knitted hat.

Soon the family strolled through the farm's apple orchards.

"Hoo-ooo!" Élise made spooky hollowing noises as she and Isaac were in the great room; Isaac was playing with his toys and rattle on the carpeted floor. Élise cut a one-toothed smile shape into a medium-sized pumpkin and removed the mouth's cutout.

"See-eee, Ziggy." Élise turned the pumpkin around to show Isaac the jack-o-lantern. "It's a jack-o-lantern. And he got a face like yours.

Isaac stared at it before he started giggling.

"Do you like it, Ziggy?" Élise chuckled. "I did a good job on it, huh?" She turned around.

"Boo!"

"Whoa!" Élise jumped, and her feet landed off the couch.

Reid raced into the great room, hearing Élise's cries. "Hey, Fifi!"

"Ha-ha, mommy!" Séraphine removed the skull mask Reid just gave her. "Ha-ha!"

Élise tapped her chest and sighed. "You gave mommy a heart attack, Fifi."

"Sawry." Séraphine shrugged and giggled.

Reid bundled her. "Good job Fifi; you apologized to mommy for scaring her." Reid took note of Élise's jack-o-lantern. "Nice design!"

"Thanks. Now, you own me a kiss for giving Séraphine that Halloween mask." Élise puckered her lips, and Reid passionately kissed them.

Élise placed her Frankenstein novel on the bedside as she finished a chapter. She snuggled the comforters closer to her when Reid walked out of the bathroom.

And her mouth dropped before slowly turning into a smile.

He was in his Mad Hatter costume.

"So, how do I look?" he asked, imitating a Scottish brogue accent before he did a funny dance walk.

Élise giggled. "Like Johnny Depp in the movie." Reid jumped on the bed, making Élise laugh. "You go everything down. You would give him a run for his money. From the bright orange wig right down to the accent."

"Actually…" Reid removed the hat, revealing that the wig was attached to the light brown top hat. "Ta-da! I even had time to make the bandolier sash." Reid showed Élise the bandolier made from colorful thread spools connected by a silver chain.

Élise could barely stop giggling. "Oh, you are so silly. Imagine if you were an actor. Are you going to do the white face paint and orange eyebrows for Halloween?"

"Or what? Off with my head?" Reid impersonating The Queen of Hearts from the 2010 movie version.

Élise snickered, making Reid snicker.

While waiting for the rest of the team in the roundtable room, Reid laughed to himself, looking at the recent photos. Blake walked in and sat a seat away from him, and asked Reid, "What's got you in a happy mood?"

Reid showed Blake the photo of Séraphine trying on her Alice in Wonderland costume.

"Aw, she looks so much like Alice!" Blake gushed. "What about Isaac? What's he going to be?"

"The March Hare," said Reid and showed Blake Isaac as the March Hare.

Blake prattled with affection. "Aw, that's so adorable. They must be so excited."

"Who must be so excited?" asked Morgan as he strolled into the room with a coffee cup in his hand and sat down next to Blake to her right.

Reid put away his phone. "Élise and I are taking Séraphine and Isaac to the Smithsonian for Halloween."

"Aw, that sounds like fun," Blake said as Hotch walked in, then following Rossi, JJ, and Garcia, who soon presented the team with a case in rural La Grande, Oregon, involving four deceased men.

After discussing the case on the plane more, Hotch had Reid and JJ go to the latest victim's cabin since they didn't have much information about him.

While JJ ambled through some books she found, Reid found something interesting.

"Are you okay, Élise?" a colleague of hers, Mara Robinson, asked as they had their lunch in the D.C. Circuit Courthouse Cafeteria, located on the first floor of the William B. Bryant Annex.

Élise flinched, poking her Asian sesame chicken and greens salad. "No."

"You just seem a bit jumpy lately," Mara looked at her iPhone.

Élise quickly said, "No, I'm not."

"You shouldn't have to worry; we're protected by the U.S. Marshals," Mara waved her arm around and turned her head. "The cafeteria was filled with them." She sipped some Perrier.

"You never know, Mara," said Élise before she took another bite of her salad. "You never know."

Reid and JJ walked into the police department, found Hotch and Rossi, and conversed what they found at the latest victim's house—marijuana and a list for baby food.

The sheriff alerted them that the body of another man had been found.

After more information about him, the team delivered the profile, mentioning a woman may be responsible for the abducting and killings.

Rose was preparing dinner while Élise was reading "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" to Séraphine and Isaac.

"Looks like I got five pieces of candy. And I got a chocolate bar, added Violet. I got a gummy candy, said Peppermint Patty. Charlie looked in his bag with disbelief. I got a…rock!?" Élise pulled a confused face.

"Y Charlie got a rock, mommy?" asked Séraphine.

Élise tried to think of an answer for her. "Maybe it was candy, but it was wrapped in tinfoil. Or maybe they just didn't like his costume."

"I trow," Séraphine motioned her hand forward, making Élise laugh.

"You can't do that, Fifi," She whispered in her ear, still steadily holding Isaac. "But I would have as well." She continued reading until Rose called them for dinner before joining.

Hotch had Reid and JJ go to the M.E.'s office after the latter read a grocery list involving items known for improving the immune system, getting the team to think that the fourth victim had cancer, which was why he had medicinal marijuana and why the unsub killed him.

From their findings, natural sedatives were found in that victim as well as sawdust.

Élise checked on Séraphine and Isaac twice before walking to her bedroom.

She cringed when she noticed her phone vibrating on the bed. Élise gave her body a good shake before answering it. "Hello?"

"Hey, lovely. How are you doing?"

Élise breathed. "I just put the kids down. Work was decent today, so how are you?"

Reid sighed. "It's a lot. I can't wait for all this to be over, so you and I can take the kids treat-or-tricking."

"Yeah," Élise laughed a bit before she spun her head, and Élise sensed something out the window.

"Élise?"

Élise continued to unintentionally ignore Reid when she went to the window and dragged the curtains open. She looked through for a few more seconds until she pulled the curtains back.

"Élise?"

"I'm fine, babe," she replied with her hand on her hip. "Must be those bloody pranksters." Élise snapped her fingers. "Which reminds me to call Ophelia about the house when you get back. Or I can do it during my lunch break tomorrow."

"Yeah. I love you."

Élise sweetly replied, "I love you, too."

Now hearing the news that the unsub abducted a pregnant woman and performed a successful C-section, leaving her and the baby alive, Reid realized that she took the pregnant woman for the placenta to consume it.

Combining everything they had, the unsub's using the victims as human fertilizer and knowing the unsub did a successful C-section, she lives on a farm.

And they got a name.

And that name was the widow Emma Kerrigan.

They managed to save her eleven-year-old daughter, and the third victim might not be able to live for long, judging by his condition. Same with Emma, who'll be institutionalized.

"Oh, you look so adorable, Ziggy!" Élise took another snapshot of him in the black-and-orange-striped hooded romper. "Work it, little man!"

Isaac kept on giggling and laughing.

"Still taking photos?" Reid walked into the great room holding Séraphine's hand.

Élise gushed. "I can't help it. It's our boy's first Halloween. I'm just as excited as he is. Yes, he is. Yes, he is." She took another picture. "Ooh! Work it, baby boy! I remember you being this excited about Fifi's first Halloween last year." She gave him a smirk.

"Ooh," Reid helped himself to a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie Élise was letting cool on the racks in the kitchen after taking them out of the oven. "This is so good."

"Aw, thanks, honey," Élise gave him a peck. "Are you getting ready for tonight?"

Reid finished the cookie and began eating another one. "Mm-mmm. These are really good."

Élise smirked as she pulled out a dozen cupcakes from the oven and gently set them on the kitchen island. "Wait until you try the brownies."

Reid helped himself to one. "Ooh, too good to be true."

"Aw, wasn't that adorable?"

Reid kept on smiling after seeing his godson, Henry, dress up as him for Halloween. "Yeah."

Morgan chuckled when he pointed ahead of him. "Pretty boy..."

Reid turned his head, and his mouth dropped again. "Hey."

It was Séraphine dressed as Alice in her Alice costume. A blue dress with buttons in the back and puffy sleeves, built-in petticoat, ruffled white apron, a black satin ribbon tied to her curly hair, white tights, and black Mary-Janes.

Isaac was in a white hare costume with a blue jacket and a built-in pocket watch.

And Élise in a crushed red velvet pullover gown with an interlock bodice back, knit mesh skirt inset, lower sleeves, sweetheart neckline, satin, and gold-laced corset front, and heeled Mary-Janes.

"You all went out this year, huh?" Rossi smirked.

Séraphine made her way to hug Reid. "Dada!"

"Hi, Alice!" Reid smooched her head, making her laugh.

Garcia squealed like a fangirl. "OMG…you all look for adorable." She gasped when she saw Isaac. "Look at you, little boy. You're so cute, and so soft, and so cuddly, and so snuggly. I want to hold you for as long as time will be."

Élise looked down at Isaac. "As much as I love to see you do that, Lady Penny, Reid, we need to get our Halloween celebration on. So…" She waved a bag containing Reid's Mad Hatter costume and accessories.

"Oh, this I can't wait to see!" Morgan devilishly rubbed his hands together and smiled like a Cheshire cat.

The Bastien-Reid family met up with the Donovan-Putnam family—who were dressed as the characters from Disney/Pixar Up—at the Smithsonian National Zoo for the Boo at the Zoo event.

Reid sighed as he walked back into the great room, where he saw Élise with some of Isaac's Halloween candy in a small bowl. "I finally got Fifi down for bed."

"Nothing like the use of lavender and lemon oils to help her fall asleep, huh?" Élise commented how Séraphine was borderline energetic when they got home.

Reid crashed on the couch next to Élise. "Now it's time for us to enjoy some Hocus Pocus."

"Mm-mmm," Élise ate an ear of candy corn and fed one to Reid. "What a great holiday."

"And I already got plans for next year," said Reid.

Élise kissed his cheek. "And I can't wait for them."