A/N: Hello again, everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement is intended.
My apologies if I had made any mistakes but enjoy the chapter!
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Reid asked Élise as she walked out of her bedroom, sipping newly-made coffee and Anastasia eating her breakfast.
"I feel a little better," Élise said, yawning.
"Did you sleep well?"
"I like to think that I did." Now sitting down at the table with a hot cup of tea in front of her.
"Did you drool in your sleep?"
"I…" She gave him a playfully annoyed look. "I rarely drool in my sleep."
"Well, I know one thing: you definitely snore like a drunken sailor," Reid smirked. "Such a shame I didn't get it on video."
"Don't you have to go to work?" Élise asked him as she took a sip.
Reid grabbed his bag, "As a matter of fact, I do. An all-hands-on-deck-matter from the text message I got from Prentiss."
"Good," Élise said, taking another sip.
He gives Anastasia a kiss. "Be good for Élise, okay? Love you. And try not to let Élise snore up the place."
"Okay, that's it." Élise got up from her seat and playfully chased him out the door. "Out. Out-out. Go to work. Go to work. Go. To. Work. And don't you come back until you find the unsub."
Reid rushed over to the BAU roundtable room and met up with Tara, Simmons, and Alvez and talked about their current case happening in D.C. right now.
"Hey, Reid." Élise answered her phone.
"Hey, Élise."
"Before you say anything, I just saw on the news about the D.C. attacks. Don't worry, we don't plan on going anywhere."
Reid let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. That's good; for now, just stay indoors and make sure everything's locked until all of this is over."
"I will."
"And try not to snore up a storm or flood the apartment with your drool." Reid quickly said before hanging up, snickering to himself.
"Just wait until you get home." Élise declared before turning her attention to a sleepy Anastasia.
Prentiss met up with Reid, Simmons, and JJ and wondered about the progress they've been making on their current caseload.
The three were surprised that Prentiss wanted Luke out in the field.
Reid, Luke, and JJ's attentions were caught by someone bleeding and rushed to see another stabbing victim.
Even with all that they could, they couldn't save the victim.
Reid walked into his apartment and set in the security alarm code. After setting his bag down on the couch,
"Hey." Élise whispery greeted him as she was in the living room with Anastasia, who seemed to be more focused on her abacus. "No meltdowns today."
"Hey." At least Anastasia and Élise were safe and sound.
"I just saw on the news, great work." She noticed the long look on his face as he saw down on the couch. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"
"Yeah. A victim died on me when I was trying to give him CPR."
"Oh." Élise joined him. "I'm sorry."
"Sometimes it just seems that no matter what you do, it's not good enough."
"You are not responsible for the victim's death; it was the unsub." Élise tries to assure him.
"Well, I do feel responsible for the victim's death. Just like Theo's. Maybe I should have let JJ take over to do the CPR."
Élise's jaw slightly dropped when he mentioned Theo Holston. She was surprised because he has hardly, if not, never mentioned him before due to the events Reid and Garcia went through with the Believers.
"Oh, Reid…"
"I do."
"You can't blame yourself for what happened with Theo."
"Yes, I can."
"You are definitely not responsible for Theo's death. The ones responsible for his death was that narcissistic, arrogant douchebag Charles Manson-wannabe Merva, that simple bitch meadow, and Merva's overzealous religious hypocritical murdering winged monkeys. Theo wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. His death was not your fault."
"Still…"
"Reid…" Élise had to take a deep breath. "I was worried sick...when I thought it was your body the team found instead of Theo's in that warehouse. Seriously, I…I thought we lost you. But we saved you and you're here now, just how you and the team saved the rest of D.C. today from the unsubs that could have caused more hell; I say that's a big difference. No matter what, whether good or bad, Dr. Spencer Reid, you are a hero."
This made Reid smiled.
Which soon made Élise made.
And for their hands to slowly pull away from each other.
TING!
"Oh. My chicken's done." Élise got up from the couch and went to check on her chicken.
"You made chicken?" Reid asked.
"Not just any chicken, but tandoori chicken," Élise said as she placed the sheet pan on the counter.
"I love tandoori chicken;" Reid said as he picked up Anastasia from the rugged floor. "There's even this Indian restaurant that makes this really good tandoori chicken."
"I didn't want to make it spicy."
"Okay. Here you go, little angel," Reid placed Anastasia in her booster seat and Élise place a small bowl of small tandoori chicken bites. They both watched her using utensils as they set up the table; using her small fork to pick one of the chicken bites and put it in her mouth.
"Are you worried?"
"A little bit, yeah." Reid started to have her use utensils soon after she turned fourteen months, but after a slight incident, he held off on it for a while until she could improve her motor skills.
"And if anything, we can help her."
"At least she seems to be enjoying it."
"And she's not drooling unlike someone else." Reid teases, causing Élise to give him a playful look.
"Just sit down and eat your chicken or no dessert for you."
A/N: Sorry to leave you hanging here, but until next time!