A/N: Hello again, everyone!

A shout-out to Quilter1993, fishtrek, taj14, and vermilion aura.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement intended.

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

Warning: Sorry about the swearing.

Get ready for Part Two of one of the most infamous yet one of the most memorable Criminal Minds episodes of the series, Zugzwang, but in the Remix.

Previously on Criminal Minds…

"Hello."

"Zug…zwang."

"…In an endgame of chess, no matter what move the player makes, they're at a disadvantage, and it'll just get worse…"

"Ahhh!"

"Remember me now, bitch?"

"D-Diane…?"

The men stepped out of the elevator after the doors opened, taken aback by the recent news that Élise's private investigating source was found dead this morning.

"Garcia got word from the vet. Opal's going to be alright," said Morgan after getting a text from her. "She'll have to stay overnight or two for further observations."

Rossi guessed, "The stalker must have known Élise's source was helping her, so he got taken out."

Hotch read the details of the police reports on his phone after Garcia sent them. "According to D.C. Metro Police, the Alpha founders, Ernest Woodrow and Francis Lincoln, did a wellbeing check on him, and when they got to his home, Orson was found dead this morning with a single gunshot to the head."

Rossi stared at the photographs. "Police also believe it was a .45 caliber."

Reid looked up to the ceiling with his hands in his coat pockets, inhaling and exhaling, trying to keep himself together.

"I scheduled a meeting with them this morning; they should be arriving soon," Hotch continued looking at his phone. "I told them this was contacted to Élise's abduction, and they convinced the police to let us work on it, offering whatever help and resources."

Rossi twisted his mouth, "What serious connections Élise has."

"Mm-hmm," an impressed Morgan nodded his head.

"Well, I have some questions for them, so…"

Reid was on his way to the bullpen but was stopped by Hotch. "No. You are connected to Élise's disappearance. And considering the way you talked to Mr. Kingsley…"

"I can control myself," Reid assured.

Morgan replied, "Uh, Spencer. If it weren't for me, you would have attacked the old man."

Rossi reminded them about the comment of the woman he wrongfully convicted and insulted her mental illness. "And in all honestly, I wouldn't blame you."

Reid firmly repeated himself, "I…can control…myself."

"Spencer…"

"THAT'S MY WIFE MISSING!" Reid's voice suddenly boomed. "THE MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN MISSING!" Reid's shudderingly released his breath. "She's out there…"

Hotch was unfazed. "Which is why you need to step down. You are too close to this."

"Aaron…" Reid tried to plead. "The last thing Élise and I said was 'I love you.' I don't want that to be our last."

Hotch was still sympathetic. "Yes. Are you sure that Duane Timmons was the guy you saw during your weekend getaway with Élise and who she might have seen earlier a few months ago?"

"Yes," Reid nodded. "Griffin Nicholas Richards passed away when Élise graduated from Harvard Law."

"We'll go talk to him after we talk to Woodrow and Lincoln," he pointed Reid in the opposite direction of the hallway. "Now go clear your head and be with your children. That's an order."

Reid breathed through his nose, looking at Hotch's typical stern face and then Morgan and Rossi's concerned faces before he walked away from them. Hearing the elevator ping again, Reid briefly turned his head and saw two middle-aged gentlemen in business casual clothes and dark sunglasses being greeted and escorted to the bullpen and roundtable room.

He slipped into a lone corner, leaned against the wall, and let out a cry. So many thoughts were running in his head. 'I love you' was the last thing he said to Élise, same with Séraphine and Isaac. He didn't want that to be their last. What would he do without Élise? What would the children be without their mother? Her parents and brother without their daughter and sister?

Wiping his eyes and repeatedly blinking them, he pulled himself together and walked into a room, and he saw Séraphine playing with Anderson.

"Daddy!" she got up from the carpeted floor, walked up, and hugged him when Reid scooped her up.

"Hi…" Reid quietly greeted her and kissed her head. "Where's Isaac and…"

Reid turned again when he saw Sharp coming into the room, rocking a fussy Isaac.

"Hey, doctor. Oh, I'm sorry," Sharp was apologetic. "He's been this way for the past couple of hours."

Reid opened his arms. "I'll take them off your hands for now." he now had Isaac, and he started calming down. "If you two may, could you please get us some food and something to drink?"

"We'll order pizza for you," Anderson and Sharp walked out of the room, fulfilling the order.

"So," Reid sighed deeply as he sat on the small green couch with Séraphine and Isaac. "I'll be hanging out with you two for a few hours now; daddy needs a little break."

"Where's mommy, daddy?" Séraphine innocently asked.

"Oh, uh…she's still at work," Reid couldn't bear to lie to her but knew he had to. "She's still at work. Don't worry," he pulled the children closer to his chest. "Don't worry." Reid tried telling himself that.

"D-Diane…?" Élise's head was still a bit throbbing but still conscious. "I-Is that y-you?"

Diane groaned, waving the .45 caliber handgun. "Are we going to go over this again, bitch?"

"The name's 'Élise,' not 'Bitch,' bitch."

Diane motioned and reached her free hand in the air. Élise mustered herself, keeping her head held high. Diane smirked, scoffed as she lowered it. "I don't remember you being so edgy like this."

"Well, I never been zip-tied to a chair before," Élise sarcastically replied, tucking at her restrained hands. "And especially in a dirty-ass place like this."

"I'm sure you're used to your hands tied, so to speak," sneered Diane.

Élise sorely grumbled, "What do you want?"

"Mmm…" Diane tilted her head, playing with the handgun. "What does any woman like me want? Money, power, someone to love…"

"Therapy and a psychiatrist, considering you still have your deep-seated problems?"

Diane growled and got in Élise's face. "If I could, I'd shoot you and send your precious hubby your corpse with a pretty bow attached to it."

Élise still masked her fear with shaky confidence, "Then why don't you?"

Diane whispered in her ear, "Because...unlike your snoopy snitch, I still need you alive. Bitch."

Reid leaned his head back against the small couch after tossing another book on the coffee table next to the open small pizza box. Séraphine placed her sleepy head on Reid's shoulder while Isaac finally calmed down and slept in his portable crib.

"Okay, princess," Reid whispered in her ear. "Let me go throw this box out and let you rest, okay?" he gave her a kiss before gently placing her next to Isaac in the crib. Reid closed the book, opened the door, and threw the box out in the nearest trash can. Throwing around, he flinched when Morgan appeared.

He coolly stood in the corner with his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

"Hey," Reid sighed. He quickly figured out, "Did Hotch send you to check on me?"

Morgan justified. "We're worried about you. We checked out Duane, and he's cleared, as well as his fiancée. I think her name was Diane Huntington."

"1553."

Morgan cocked his head. "What?"

"I've known Élise since October 13th; that's 1553 days," Reid reflected on the time he's known Élise since they met. "51 months; 4 years and 3 months; 221 weeks and 6 days; 37,272 hours; 2,236,320 minutes, and 134,179,200 seconds. What if that's all the time I get to have with her? My children…"

"You can't think like that," Morgan placed his hand on his shoulder.

Reid sadly replied, "I can't help it."

Elie still felt this sharp pain in her neck when Diane injected her with something. The effects still made her still nauseated, and her head was aching. At least her vision was getting less blurry. Slowly blinking her eyes, Élise saw a guy. He had a light skin complexion, a slim square-shaped face, light brown almost-almond-shaped eyes, full eyebrows, short stringy dark hair, a hawk nose, and wore a black long-sleeve shirt, gray trousers, and white sneakers. He was zip-tied to a chair and bled from the side of his head.

Blinking her eyes again, "D-Duane?"

He batted his eyelids and cleared his throat. "E-Élise?" he let out a small chuckle. "How you doing, girl? It's been far too long."

"Could have been better," Élise dryly remarked. "You yourself?"

"Enough of this Hallmark reunion crap!" they jumped when Diane's voice rumbled. She sat on the edge of a filthy wooden table. Tapping her handgun against the table, "How?"

"How what?" Élise questioned back.

Diane asked, "Explain yourselves."

Élise and Duane looked at each other before he spoke up. "It's been years since we saw each other. Law school wasn't for me, so I decided to leave…"

"Yawn!" Diane had her hand on her cheek and rolled her eyes. "I meant more about you two, stupid."

Duane made a face. "Ooo…kay. We had a class together, and we went on a date. That's it."

"Sure it wasn't more than that, Duane?" Diane groveled in a tone that would make men want to bang her, tucking on his collar. "Like, say, cheating?"

Élise shook her head. "Firstly, he was never my boyfriend, and secondly, there was no cheating; it was barely a short and brief relationship."

"Why, Diane?" Duane wondered.

Diane innocently asked back, "Why what?"

He pulled against his restraints. "Why are you doing this?"

Diane waved the gun at Élise. "Because of this bitch."

"What about Élise?" Duane was confused. "What did she…?"

"This bitch ruined everything for me!" she snarled. "I mean, look at her," Diane mocked. "What makes her so special?"

Duane barely shrugged. "Uh, she's hardworking, kind, uses her connections, and work for good…"

Diane angrily banged her handgun against the table. "NO! You stupid man. This bitch here ruined my chance for me to have a dual JD/Ph.D.! If it weren't for her, I would have had an amazing career, my chance for love and happiness." she scoffed again. "A family. I want what she has. Even her husband and children."

Élise didn't care if she was strapped to a chair. "You come anywhere near my children and husband, and it'll be your last moment on this Earth."

"Stop this, Diane, please. I mean, you can still do that with me; I mean, that's why we're engaged."

Diane scoffed. "As if, loser."

Duane wanted to know what role he had in this. "Well, what did I do to piss you off?"

Diane irately bit on her bottom lip and glared at Duane. "Just the thought of you being with her…and every good thing you said about her…makes me sick to my stomach." she bitterly laughed and caressed his cheek. "Sorry, Duane. But you're superfluous."

Without warning, Diane fired a bullet into Duane's head, instantly killing him and a traumatized Élise screaming on the inside.

"One more bite," Reid tried feeding Isaac a small spoonful of puree carrot; Séraphine was watching a movie on the small television. "Come on, Ziggy,"

A suddenly fussy Isaac pushed Reid's hand before Reid forced the spoon into his mouth.

Reid sighed as he wiped the spoon. "You've had more than enough." he cleaned his mouth and started bouncing him on his neck when he heard a knock on the door.

"May I come in?"

Blake popped her head; Reid silently nodded his head. She closed the door behind her and asked, "So, how's it going?"

"I'm trying to hang in there," Reid sniffed. "I take it you want to talk to me about me?"

There were three knocks on the door before Agents Anderson and Sharp popped their heads into the room.

"Can we come in, please?" Anderson asked.

Reid allowed them in; Blake spoke up, "Hey, uh…can you watch them for us?"

"Uh, sure…" after giving Isaac to Sharp, Reid tapped Séraphine's head. "Hey, daddy's got to do something real quick."

"Mmm…" Séraphine was more focused on the movie, which Reid was fine with; anything to distract her.

After Reid kissed both children on their heads, he left with Blake, who pulled a plastic-wrapped vandalized picture of Élise, whose eyes were crossed out, and BITCH was written in all capitalizations. They sat on a nearby bench.

"Whoever has Élise, this is very personal."

Reid agreed. 'Yeah. So, what do you want me to do?"

"A cognitive interview with you," Blake replied. "Close your eyes."

Reid breathed and did want Blake wanted him to do.

And before they knew it, they were at a lone park, sitting across a chessboard.

"Why are we here?" Reid wondered what they were doing here.

"Take you to a safe place," answered Blake. "Now, judging by this photograph, the unsub who took Élise must have known her during her time at Harvard Law School. And seeing how the unsub used black eyeliner, we think the unsub's a woman."

Reid half-shrugged. "Like me, Élise wasn't exactly popular during her school years nor had lots of 'girlfriends' to hang out with. It wasn't until she went to college she decided to 'become a butterfly and expand her horizons;' she said that during our second date at The Brew."

"I love their coffee cakes," Blake joked. "Did she have any 'girl problems' during her time at law school?"

Reid pursed his lips. "There was this one girl she was friends with, but, uh…"

"But, what?"

"Élise had to turn her in because she was cheating."

Blake was getting somewhere. "What was her name?"

"Diane Turner."

Élise could barely stop panting at the sight of seeing her deceased old date. Diane, on the other hand, "Stop your crying, bitch. It was bound to happen."

"You're sick in the head, Dee."

"You lost the privilege of calling me that a long time ago," Diane snarled, waving the gun under Élise's chin. "Get ready. Something big is going to happen."

Eventually, Hotch had Reid join the rest of the team in the roundtable room, and Garcia got background information on her.

"Diane Turner," Garcia looked at her laptop screen. "Born and raised in Atlanta. Oh…"

"Oh, what?"

Garcia responded, "When Diane was eight, her parents, Charles and Elizabeth, committed double suicide in front of her."

Reid dully replied, "Oh, how tragic."

Garcia pulled up some articles on the screen; a noticeably one was titled, Cheating Scandal Rocks Harvard. "According to this, Diane was expelled from Harvard after Élise turned her in for cheating to fund research money for her JD/Ph.D. Her research was about cellular suicide."

Rossi observed the photos provided by the Alpha founders of Élise being stalked by her. "Big escalation; seems almost like possessive celebrity stalking."

"Like we hadn't seen that before, Rossi," Reid remarked.

"I'm just saying celebrity stalkers are usually nonviolent—"

Reid snapped. "You want to tell that to Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, Rossi? O-or Sharon Tate? Or better yet, how about John Lennon, after he was shot five times by Mark David Chapman? All of my nobodiness and all of his somebodiness collided. Élise Gabrielle Bastien is somebody and this…SIMPLE BITCH…is a NOBODY!"

Everyone had registered shocked looks on their faces when Reid said that, considering how he rarely swears. Reid whispered, "Oh. I-I-I'm sorry."

Nevertheless, Garcia focused again. "So...the only known address I got for her is…the same apartment you questioned Duane Timmons."

Hotch refused to wait any more time. "Okay, let's go."

"I'm coming with you," Reid stood as everyone left the room to get into their protective vests.

Hotch wasn't having it. "No, you are not…"

"This is not the time to argue! That's my wife and the mother of my children she has!" said Reid with passion. "Hotch, like most psychopaths and narcissists, this is obvious about recognition after being ignored and unappreciated for so long. She wants what Élise and I have, and I think we can give her that. Please."

Hotch knew Reid wasn't backing down. "Fine."

The team raided Duane Timmons' apartment, only to find him not there, but there was a broken wine bottle on the floor and a small pool of blood.

Reid feared, "Think Diane has him?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't." Rossi had his hands on his waist.

Out of nowhere, Reid's phone vibrated. Looking at the caller ID, "It's Élise," he whispered.

Hotch replied into his wireless microphone, "Garcia, trace it."

"Got it!"

After being given the heads-up, Reid answered. "Hello?"

"S-Spencer…"

Reid was relieved to hear Élise's voice. "Are you okay?"

"She shot my PI...and Duane…" she hissed through the shaking pain.

"Élise…are you okay?"

Élise heaved a long sigh. "Never been better, despite my pounding head, a bruise or two, a slap every now and then, so…"

"Long story short, bitch is fine," Diane took over the conversation.

"Diane…" Reid felt sick just saying her name.

Diane breathed. "You know who I am?"

"You want my attention? You got it," Reid gritted.

Diane tittered. "I knew I would."

"Where do you want me to meet you?"

"Mmm…I know you're a genius like me, but, uh…I want you to think of a place that brings many memories. A very special memory; ending in a kiss."

"I got a location of where the call is coming from," said Garcia in hush tones. "The basement of Grande View Complex."

Élise's old apartment building.

"You got it…Dee."

Diane ended the conversation with giggles.

After Reid hung up, he stuck his tongue out and gagged. "Ugh. I think I need to gurgle and take a long hot shower."

Diane strolled through Élise's photo gallery on her phone, staring at a recent photo of her, Reid, Séraphine, and Isaac.

"You know, your daughter looks so much like you," Diane sweetly said before her voice turned vicious. "Makes me sick."

Élise revoltingly stared back.

"But your son. Ho-oh! He's gonna be a heartbreaker like his daddy."

Élise hissed. "I meant what I said, Dee; you come anywhere near my children, and it'll be your last moment on this Earth."

An enraged Diane pressed her gun against Élise's forehead. "I told you…"

"If you're gonna shoot me, shoot me!" Élise exclaimed. "But not before I live long enough to see Spencer arrest you, bitch!"

Diane was ready to do something Élise would come to regret when she received a call. Staring at the caller ID, it was Reid. She answered in a seductive tone. "Hello?"

"I'm here."

"In that case, I'll just gussy myself up," Diane giggled before hanging up. "He came for me. He's actually coming for me."

Élise scoffed. "I know Spencer was raised to never put his hands on a woman…but he will kill you."

"Are you sure about that?" Diane confidently walked away.

It took a lot of convincing to the rest of the team, especially Hotch, for Reid to go in it alone. He meant what he said: Élise was his wife, so he would be the one to rescue her. He made the condition that the moment they hear a gunshot, they will run in.

Walking in a dark hallway, "I'm here, Diane," he cried out, echoing out. "You can come out now."

"Hello, doctor…"

Before he could try to react, he felt someone from behind him and held something over his mouth, subduing him into unconsciousness.

"Wha…" he could barely make sense of what was going on. The last thing he remembered was…

"Hello, doctor…"

He held his breath when he realized it was Diane Turner who had knocked him out.

And why he has this blindfold over his eyes.

"Diane," he coolly replied. "So, we meet."

"Indeed," Diane temptingly responded. "You're a hell of a lot good-looking up close."

Reid cleared his throat. "I read your research about cellular suicide. It's brilliant work."

Diane chuckled. "I know you'd like it," she came up from behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Unlike certain people who didn't even bother to understand it. Or worse, snitched on you because their need to 'lawfully good'," she scoffed. "Name me one person who became a success without even bending the law."

"Let me tell you who," Reid sighed when he heard Élise's voice. "Me. Uncle Phi; from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, his boss…"

"We're having a moment here!" Diane screamed.

"Diane…" Reid used his treading lightly tone of voice. "Please…"

Diane closed her eyes, looked up, inhaled, and exhaled. "Only because you said 'please,'" by the corner of her eye, she looked at Élise, and a devilish smirk appeared on her face. "Let's make this a hell of a lot more interesting."

Diane removed the blindfold, allowing Reid to release a breath of relief, and stared at Élise, even if she looked a bit beat up; same with Élise herself.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to her?" Diane started unbuttoning Reid's long-sleeve shirt, resting her arms over his chest, touching him, and her head on top of his. "Anything at all, love?"

"Sometimes, the worst thing to say is nothing at all," Reid smirked. "You shouldn't wait your time nor your breath on someone who doesn't deserve you."

Élise silently agreed.

Diane sneered and fondled his cheeks. "Mmm. You're right. But…there is something I want her to see…" she walked around but stopped. "What was that?"

Élise lifted her shoulders, "I don't know."

Diane sharply exhaled, kneeled to Reid's height in the chair, looked deeply into his eyes, and started to sniff him. Her head turned around.

"What the hell was that?"

"Why pay attention to that when you can have me?" Reid tried to distract Diane with false desire.

"Oh, well, in that case," Diane stared at his lips, and it was barely a second-and-a-half that she pressed her lips against his when she heard something again. "What the f—?"

It was the sight of Élise breaking free from her zip ties and lunging towards Diane when Reid tried to kick her away from him. Élise grabbed ahold of Diane's handgun and struggled for control.

Unfortunately, Diane gained quick control after kicking Reid away from her, knocking Élise down, and firing a warning shot.

"Ugh!" Élise is kicked again by Diane before being grabbed by her neck.

"I knew it!"

Suddenly the team rushed in, their guns aimed at Diane.

"Hold on!" Reid pleaded with the team to stand down and let him handle Diane. "Hold on! Wait! Wait!"

"You're a liar!" Diane held Élise by her neck, aiming the handgun at her chest. "You never wanted me! You tried to use me!"

"Please! Aim the gun at me!" Reid begged. "Please, Diane! I'm the one you want!"

Diane snarled. "You'd sacrifice yourself for her!?"

"Yes!"

Élise frantically shook her head. "Don't do it, Spencer!"

"Élise!"

Élise's eyes began fogging with tears. "Spencer, please!"

"ÉLISE!"

"SPENCER!"

Diane shook her head, realizing the couple's love for each other. "No…"

"WAIT…!"

BANG! BANG!

TO BE CONTINUED…

I'm sorry to leave you everything hanging with another cliffhanger.