A/N: Hello again, everyone!

A shout-out to ahowell1993, Jesuslove, tannerose5, Skylar, Betty, Amy, Kelly, Martha, and Susan for reviewing Chapter 19! A special shout-out to Mahiru72 for following and/or favoring my other CM stories.

GET READY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: IT'LL BE ALL ABOUT #300!

BANG! BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG! BANG!

Élise stopped to take a deep breath and set the firing gun to the side. After pressing the button, that would allow her to see the target,

BUZZ!

She jumped for a moment and jumped slightly more when the classic black LE Silhouette target practically flew up to her face.

She had a flashback moment of being woken up by one of Griffin's shriek but refused to let anyone see it.

She jumped again when the male instructor came up next to her out of nowhere. "Oh!"

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

Élise slightly smiled; she seriously doubted that.

"Have you ever used a gun?"

"I've had my experiences," If those experiences didn't include being held up at gunpoint in your apartment, Élise thought in her head. "How did I do?"

"Have you been practicing at just targeting the head and groin?" The instructor asked, he almost chuckled; noticing she mostly shot in the human outline's groin area and head.

"No."

"Seems to me that you were," He chuckled as he reloaded the weapon for her. "Next time, go more into the inner human outline, okay? But otherwise, it's rather good for a beginner like yourself. Who knows? Maybe you should be carrying one."

"Yes, sir. I'll just keep on practicing."

"Suit yourself." Élise jumped a bit when he tapped her shoulder. As she grabbed her practice gun, she took a look at her bandaged hands she gave her from practicing martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, and self-defense classes and lessons.

And for slamming her fists against hard objects.

Over and over again.

She flashbacks to when Griffin backhand slap her before he attempts to strangle her with the fire iron. She took another deep breath before finally deciding to go back to practice shooting.

Another quasi-sleepless-night.

She just had another nightmare about Griffin.

She couldn't go back to sleep.

Not yet anyway.

Élise quietly opened Reid's room and sees him sleeping. She noticed the blanket barely covering him. She tiptoes over to his bedside and tucks the blanket over him. Élise smiled; at least he could sleep. But still, he looked so peaceful sleeping.

She couldn't help but kiss her fingers before gently pressing her fingers against his forehead before quickly but quietly leaving, not wanting to wake him up.

Élise left so quickly she didn't even notice the sleepy smile he had on his face.

She took a quick peek at Anastasia, standing by the door. She couldn't help but also smile at the sleeping toddler. Élise tiptoed over to Anastasia's side, kissed her fingers before gently pressing them to her forehead. She just couldn't believe she was growing up so fast. All those months she was gone, she had grown so much. This caused Élise to leave and go back to her room and at least try to sleep herself.

Not that it was possible anyway.

"Okay," Élise as she was preparing breakfast; while Reid was getting dressed and prepare to head back to work, Anastasia was just sitting in her booster seat. "Here's your breakfast, Anastasia." She presents Anastasia a fruit and yogurt parfait and pats her head before going back to cook up breakfast. "I'm going to make your daddy some breakfast now, okay?" As she grabs a carton of cranberry juice out of the fridge,

DING!

Élise got startled before she realized it was just the toaster over. Unplugging it, when she tries to pull out the waffles,

"Ow!" She burned herself and she accidentally drops the cranberry juice carton. "Oh my god!" Now looking at her hand,

"Oh!" She flashes back to when Griffin had used the cattle prod on her.

And another flashback moment of…

Having her hand on her head, Élise felt her throat clamming up, she felt her knees get weak, forcing her to try and use the counter to try and keep herself together but collapsed on the floor instead. Distracted by her flashbacks, Élise could hardly even hear the sounds of Anastasia's crying.

Reid, all dressed up, rushed out of the room to see Élise picking herself up from the floor and Anastasia crying.

"Élise?" She looked up and saw Reid. "Are you alright?" He asked as he picked up Anastasia from her seat.

Élise just nodded her head; she was surprised she could say these next few words. "Yeah. I was cooking some breakfast for you and I…I-I'll clean up the mess." She picked up a rag and started to clean up the spill. "I'm fine. Really."

"Alright." He said. "It's okay, Anastasia." He tries to calm his crying child. "There-there. It's okay. I'm here, now. Let's get you all cleaned up, huh?" Once Reid took Anastasia into the bathroom, she took the moment to allow her tears to flow.

"Élise." The therapist, Dr. Linda Merrill, tries to get her attention. "Élise."

"Huh?"

"It's almost the end of our session."

"Oh. Great." Élise was glad it was over.

"Are you eating?"

"Of course," Élise answered that question quickly.

"Are you sleeping?"

"Yes."

"Let me be more specific: have you had any nightmares?"

"Not recently." Élise started to bite on her fingernails.

"You're biting your nails." Dr. Merrill noticed this, forcing Élise to stop. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. He's dead." She assured her.

Élise gave her a doubtful smile. "A ghost can haunt, you know?" As she got up, "So, until the next time?"

"Until our next session. But do feel free to drop by anything."

Élise nodded her head as she left and took a big sigh.

Walking down the hallway,

"Hey there." Reid greeted her.

"Hey yourself."

"How was the session?"

"Typical. I talked, she listened."

"Are you sure you're okay?" They stopped walking for a moment.

"Spencer," Élise grabbed his hand. "It's been over a month."

"Technically, 35 days." He grabs her hand again, wanting her to notice her healing bandaged hands. "But seriously, Élise…"

"I'm fine. Really." Élise tries to assure him. "Now, I better go see if Garcia needs any help." She was about to head to Garcia's office when,

"Excuse me." A voice out of nowhere said.

Élise turns around. "May I help you?"

"Hello there, Dr. Bastien. I'm Executive Assistant Director Linda Barnes."

Élise smirked at her. "Pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

The team—especially Reid—told Élise everything she needed to know about Barnes. How she is the ambitious but narcissistic and ego-driven woman who has dreams of being the Bureau's next Director and after hearing about what she tried to do to the team, Élise had already declared that she didn't like her.

"Dr. Reid."

"Ma'am." He politely greeted her back although he really didn't want to.

"Dr. Bastien, I've been meaning to have a conversation with you. As a matter of fact, why don't we have a talk in here?" She opens the door to a room.

"In an interrogation room?" Reid asked.

"No, Reid. It's fine." Élise let out a simple smile. "I'll be fine." She walked herself into the room and had a seat. Barnes sat across from her.

"Thank you for agreeing to have a conversation with me." Barnes continued.

"You're welcome. Still, I'm surprised you didn't have someone sent for me, so I'm not getting too comfortable. Yet."

"I see this a chance for me to know you better, especially with what you've been going through with Richard Griffin."

Élise folded her arms, "And I see this as a chance for me to find out exactly why, since I've never met you but heard about you from various yet reliable sources…I don't like you."

"Are you always this frank?"

"Only when I need to be. But really, I think we can have this conversation in your showpiece office," Élise smirked. "Or the BAU conference room. It's not busy, you know? Or are you trying to make me uncomfortable? I don't have anything to hide."

"Are you sure about that?" Barnes doubted that.

"I'm sure."

"So you're not still having nightmares? I mean, you were held at gunpoint and abducted from your apartment, held hostage and captive for several months by someone who had stalked you since you were in college. Or is his ghost still haunting you?"

"Where did you hear that from?" Still smirking, Élise tried to control the tone of her voice. "Are you following me now?"

"I have my own various sources who are also reliable," Barnes smirked.

"Have you double-checked your sources? Because that's one of the ABCs of being a decently good journalist."

"I have. These days, anything can be made up."

"That's true," Élise agreed. "Well, except intelligence probably. But narcissistic behavior. Oh, that can't be made up."

Barnes looked up at her; Élise just smirked at her back. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened between Griffin and Dr. Reid?"

"Oh, geez. I don't remember much," Élise sarcastically said. "I mean, I was too drugged, not to mention beaten and assaulted repeatedly by the bastard. Or did you not read what he had done to me and to his previous victims from your 'reliable sources?' Why don't you ask his ghost since he's haunting me?"

"Not enough for you to run, hide, and get a piece of the action yourself from what I've read," Barnes commented; Élise felt like slapping Barnes across the face really hard at that moment. "Do you think Griffin should have gotten a fair trial instead of being stabbed 111 times by Dr. Reid?"

"Honestly, the bastard got just what he deserved. Are you suggesting that he deserved to live and sit in a cell for the rest of his miserable life? Or wait years for him to be executed?"

Ignoring her answer and question, "Didn't you want him to answer for his crimes and get justice for the rest of his victims?"

Élise looked at Barnes as if she was dim. "Again, he got just what he deserved, which, again, answers for his crimes. What do you think?"

"Let me tell you what I'm thinking," Barnes lays some crime scene photographs for her. "Victims were William and Sophia Carter, their elementary-school-aged children, John, Chloe, Elena, and Owen, and Mr. Carter's parents, Gloria and Caleb; Ms. Gloria was the only survivor, but she was repeatedly beaten and raped. And Mason and Abigail Foster; the parents of his former defense attorney Tina Foster; Ms. Foster survived, but she's been repeatedly raped and pistol-whipped. C.O.D. was a heart attack on her husband's part."

"What do they have to do with this conversation?" Élise asked, pushing the photos aside.

"Did you have anything to do with the crimes?"

"I beg your pardon?" Élise tried to control the tone of her voice.

"Did you…have anything…to do with the crimes?" Barnes repeated. "Lab results from the crime scenes stated that your urine and blood stains, not to mention your strands of hair found showed signs of drug use. And according to the two survivors themselves, you were there; that indicates to me that you had something to the crimes."

"Are you suggested that I got high and helped the bastard kill innocent people?" Élise raised her voice to a level she didn't know she had.

"Why I don't know myself," Barnes sarcastically answered her back. "Why don't you ask Dr. Reid yourself? I mean, you are living with him. Are you sleeping with him too?"

"OH! OH-oh-oh-oh!" Élise bangs on the table and claps her hands. "So, you are following me. What, are you having someone stalk me or have you been stalking me yourself?"

"Answer the question," Barnes slammed her hand on the table. "Did you have anything to do with the crimes?"

"You want an answer?!"

"Yes!"

"You want me to give an answer?!"

"YES!"

"FLY TO HELL, BITCH!" As Élise got up from her seat, the interrogation door burst open,

"This ends now!" Reid exclaims defiantly.

"Agree!" Prentiss following. Along with Rossi, JJ, Garcia, Tara, Alvez, Simmons, and last but not least, Cruz.

"None of you have the authority! I was just asking Dr. Bastien some simple questions about Griffin. Or are you still having his ghost haunt you at every moment, like right now?"

Reid immediately stepped in, getting in her face, pulling an Aaron Hotchner, as did the rest of the team. "What do you just say?"

"Nothing inappropriate. Just stating what I think are facts."

"You want to talk about Griffin? Let's talk. Not with her anymore. You're done."

Still not backing down, "Dr. Reid's not doing you any favors here, Cruz."

"Let me do you one. I suggest you leave right now before you get hurt."

"By who?"

"By me," Reid tells her.

"And me." Prentiss follows.

"And me," Rossi said.

"And me." JJ next.

"And me." Garcia agreed.

"And me." Then Tara.

"And me." Soon Alvez.

"And me." Next Simmons.

"And me." Cruz was last. "Unless, of course, you want the Director involved."

Eventually Barnes yields, but before grabbing her files and leaving,

"This conversation isn't over." She vowed.

"It's been over, thirty seconds ago and counting," Reid declared. "And if you know what's good for you, I suggest you stay the hell away from us, including Élise. She's completely off-limits."

The team either rolled their eyes, sighed, and/or were just silent.

"Élise…" Reid broke the silence.

"Thanks, you guys." Élise soon hurried out of the room. "Excuse me." Reid tries to go after her.

"Reid," Prentiss stops him. "Give her some space."

And he gave as much space as she might need. From the moment they left, Reid and Élise have not spoken a word to each other; not even when they picked up Anastasia, not when they got home, not even during dinner.

Élise had her head resting on the soft pillow. She couldn't sleep since she was still too upset by her encounter with Barnes. All of a sudden, she felt this desire to get out of bed.

Reid had left Anastasia's room after tucking her in and kissing her goodnight before walking into Élise.

"I couldn't sleep," Élise admitted.

"I know."

Élise went back to her room and sat down on the edge of the bed; Reid followed her and asked, "It is because of Barnes? You don't ever have to worry about her again. The yoctosecond she ever bothers you again…"

"We just a simple conversation; she asked me some simple questions and I gave her some simple answers."

Reid reminded her, "You told her to go to hell before calling her a bitch."

"No. I said, 'Fly to hell.' Then I called her a bitch. There's a difference."

Chuckling, "I'm not going to lie, I was proud that you said it. Honestly, I wished I told her the same thing."

"Thanks. What she said about Griffin and the victims…honestly, I don't think I remember much."

"Because he repeatedly drugged you."

Nodding her head, "Yeah. I want to get past this but…"

"You don't want to feel as if you're rushing. I know what you're going through. Because I've been there before."

Élise looked at Reid. "Really?"

"Yeah. More than once actually. About twelve years ago, I was abducted by a man named Tobias Hankel, who had DID."

"Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"Yes. His personalities were himself, his abusive father—whom he later killed out of mercy—Charles Hankel, and the archangel Raphael. He tortured me excessively, drugged me with Dilaudid for two days. He even got me to play Russian Roulette when he ordered me to choose someone on the team to die and I even…had to choose one of three people to save. And I witnessed him kill a couple I didn't pick to save. I shot him when I wanted me to dig my own grave. After the team found me, I took his Dilaudid and used it to cope with what happened to me, but I got myself off. I've been clean since then, but at times…I've thought about taking it. Over and over again. But I need to stay clean; for my team, my mother, Anastasia. I've been held hostage and captive before; once by a man named Phillip Dowd who ended up being my first kill; Benjamin Cyrus, a cult leader; Prentiss took a beating for me to protect me. And…" He let out a deep sigh.

Élise had her hand on top of his hand, "You don't have to tell me everything, but if you want to..."

"What I'm saying…even though what I told you happens to me again, if I got through all that, you can get through this. You just take your time and don't let anyone tell you when you're ready or should be ready. The choice is completely up to you. Most importantly, don't let what happened to you stop you from doing what you want to with your life."

Letting out a smile, Élise wraps her arms around him and her head on his shoulder.

And he wraps his arms around her back and had his head on her head.

Reid slowly flickers his eyes open. He soon noticed he had his arms were still wrapped around Élise.

And that they were lying in bed with the blanket covering the both of them.

Reid quietly stretched when he got up from the bed and tucks her in with the blanket. He smiles; Élise was finally getting the sleep that she needed. He couldn't help but kiss his fingers before gently pressing his fingers against her forehead before quickly but quietly leaving, not wanting to wake her up.

Reid left so quickly he didn't even notice the sleepy smile she had on her face. She wasn't going to have any nightmares for a while.

Or better yet, a long time.

Sorry to leave you hanging there!

I've said it before and I'll say it again to…

GET READY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: IT'LL BE ALL ABOUT #300!