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!
"Alrighty, homegirl," Élise placed a small bowl of overnight oats, yogurt, and fresh fruit and berries in front of Anastasia. "Here you go." She watches Anastasia pick up her small spoon and eat a spoonful. "So, do you like it?" Anastasia eats another spoonful. "I guess you do."
Reid walks out of his bedroom with a large stack of books in his hands; Élise soon notices this.
"Morning, doc."
"Morning to you, too." Reid greeted her back before kissing the top of Anastasia's head. "Morning to you as well, my little angel."
"Don't worry; no accidents yet," Élise said as she observed the books Reid had set on the coffee table. "Interesting choice of books."
"Yeah. They are."
"Are you reading them?"
"No; I already read them." Reid poured himself some coffee.
"Me personally, a good book can't be read just once."
Reid chuckles, "I agree, but actually it's for my sabbatical, you know as part of my condition for me being reinstalled; class starts next week."
"Oh! Sounds interesting! What are you teaching?"
"A symposium on medieval violence and criminology. So, one might say that I am stoked. For starters, the spectacle element in medieval violence can help us decode the motive lessons in today's crimes."
"So, you'll be explaining how the use of beatings, torture, the Plague, religion, whips, and chains play a role in today's world? With crimes, law enforcement, justice, forensics, behavior, psychology, philosophy, psychiatry, research, criminals themselves, the media, fetish perhaps and such?"
"Basically, yes. Now, can I ask you a serious question? Do you think maybe I should be providing more visual aids in terms of weapons? Like a katana, plumbata, 'The war cart of Conrad Keyser…'" Reid's phone vibrated in his pants pocket and reads the urgent text message from Prentiss.
"Personally, for me, I like visual aids and I actually prefer them since they're easier for me to learn better, but again, it's my opinion." Élise soon noticed the look on Reid's face. "What's wrong?"
Reid rushed to put his bag together. "Case in New Hampshire; parents shot and eight-year-old daughter missing. Prentiss wants us on the jet like 'wheels up now.'"
"Don't let me keep you waiting." Élise quickly fixed up some more fresh coffee for Reid.
"Statistically, most child abductions are perpetrated by someone close to the family. It's most likely a friend or a relative."
"Go out there and find her and the unsub."
"Okay," Before leaving, Reid cupped Anastasia's face, hoping her eyes would meet his, "I hope I won't be gone too long, but I'll come back as soon as I can, okay?" Smiling sadly, he plants a couple of kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and head before wiping the tear ducts from his eyes and knew he was about to say cry again. "As I said, I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Okay? Be a good girl?" He gives Élise a fist bump and was soon at the door. "Later."
"Later," Élise said. "And be safe, too."
Right in the middle of the case, Reid went into a quiet room and decided to give Élise a call to see how she and Anastasia were doing.
"Hello?" Élise answered.
"Élise?"
"Oh. Hey, Reid."
"Hi. I…uh…just calling to check on you and Anastasia."
"We're okay." She whispered. "I just put her down for a nap."
"Oh. Well…can I at least…?"
"Of course." Élise put the phone next to Anastasia as she was sleeping. "She sounds so peaceful when she sleeps, doesn't she?"
"Yeah," Reid flicked his eyes since he felt the tear ducts. "Listen, I…"
"I understand. Get that unsub and be safe."
"I will. Tell Anastasia I love her, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Yeah-yeah."
After hanging up, Reid gently wipes his eyes when he still felt the tear ducts and took a deep breath.
Soon Reid got back to work and tried focusing on the case and came to the realization that the girls the unsub abducted were adopted.
That's when they needed to deliver the profile.
After delivering the profile, JJ noticed the look on Reid's face; Reid looked zoned out. "Hey. Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Reid tried to hide it. "I'm okay. I'm alright."
Reid was actually kind of glad the case was over. He practically rushed himself to get home and see Anastasia. Not even bothering to set in the home security code, Reid almost broke the door off its hinges—again—when he rushed himself into her room. He almost had a bit of a panic attack when he noticed Anastasia was not in her room. Walking back into the living room,
"Hey there."
It was just Élise holding a sleepy Anastasia in her arms. Reid sighed in relief. Élise didn't have to say anything; she just gave him Anastasia and she set in the home security alarm. As Reid hugged his beloved daughter, Élise explained.
"I gave her dinner, a bath, and was just about to tuck her in. A rough case for you?"
"Yeah," As he sat down on the couch. "Turns out the unsub murdered adoptive parents and kidnapped their daughters because he was trying to recreate his own child who was put up for adoption." Élise soon joined him.
"What happened to his daughter?" Élise wondered.
Reid answered. "She died of a congenital heart defect when she was eight."
"Oh, my…" Élise got the chills.
"And I'm afraid. And worried."
"For Anastasia?"
"Yeah. I can't help but worry." Reid admitted.
"You're a parent; it's your job to worry about her."
"It was bad enough she lost her biological mother, her four brothers, and the rest of her family to her…pathetic excuse of a biological father. What if something happens to me? You, even? Anastasia? What if she grows up without me? What if I never get the chance to watch her grow up? Or know me? I…" Sighing. "I know what I signed up when I joined the FBI and when I began fostering Anastasia before adopting her but at the same time, I want to make the world a better and safer place for Anastasia and give her the life she deserves."
"You are. You are absolutely giving her what she deserves. Which is love, a home, a family. Even you. You're not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere. And Anastasia is most certainly not going anywhere. Don't even for a yoctosecond ever doubt yourself."
Reid and Élise both gave each other smiles before they both looked at Anastasia as she started to make soft sounds. "I don't want her to grow up. I want her to stay like this forever."
"I do, too," Élise agreed. "Unfortunately, she has to grow up."
"I know, but that's the reality." Reid kissed her little nose. "Oh! And do you have any upcoming plans?"
"No, why?"
"Rossi's engaged to his third ex-wife and he wants to throw a Thanksgiving/engagement party at his mansion."
"Oh! Cool!"
"Thanks again Rossi for this Thanksgiving/engagement party." Élise said before taking a bite of a slice of garlic bread.
"You're welcome. And thank you again for the lovely present."
"You got Rossi a present?" JJ asked before taking a sip of wine.
"Yup." Rossi shows off the gift.
"You bought Rossi Sims video games?" Prentiss asked.
"They're an absolute classic video game series," Élise said. "And let me tell you, they can be quite addictive."
"I totally agree," Alvez said.
"What do you do in these Sims games?" Reid asked as he was wiping tomato sauce from Anastasia's mouth.
"It's a life-simulation game, so you can basically almost anything. You get to create a Sim and control them, give them skills, create families, give them careers, live in certain neighborhoods or worlds, a life. You can even have relationships and…"
"I...think I'll know once I get into it." Rossi stopped her from giving away too much info. "Now, who wants to go first and say what they are grateful for?"
"I will." Élise raised her hand. Clearing her voice, "I'm thankful…that you all…saved me from a certain S.O.B. who held me against my will for six-seven months," Élise felt her voice crack a bit as she wanted to cry. But instead, she sighed and swallowed the developed lump. "And to be frankly honest, I…don't really know how I could thank you all."
"Well, we are a family. That's what family does. We look out for each. Good or bad."
Rossi raised his glass, "To family!"
"Family!"
Before anyone else could say anything, Anastasia let out a big burp, causing everyone to laugh.
"I guess she really likes your pasta, Rossi." Reid wipes tomato sauce from her face.
"Well, she has very good taste."
Until next time!