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!

"Knock-knock." Élise said as she walked into Reid's room, carrying a tray. "Hey."

"Hey," Reid said in a raspy tone as he was just lying in his bed.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Hanging in there, despite the fact I'm still having a cold."

"That's why I'm bringing you another tray." Élise set the tray down on Reid's lap. A tray consisting of a hearty bowl of chicken soup—the same chicken soup Reid made her when she had a cold, but she used alphabet pasta instead of noddle pasta, a leafy greens salad on the side along with extra virgin olive oil, a glass of orange juice, a bottle of water and a cup of some green tea.

"Thank you. And the oatmeal you made this morning, it was delicious." Élise has been taking extra good care of him since he had a cold that came a couple of days ago.

"Thanks." She felt his forehead. "Hopefully, you'll feel better soon."

"Same. Where did you learn how to cook?"

Shrugging her shoulders as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Parents, television, preferably Top Chef."

"Explains a lot." Reid blew a spoonful of soup before eating. "Quite good."

"Is it better than yours?"

"I didn't say that." They both had a laughing moment before an awkward silence came afoot. Soon Élise said,

"So…Reid. About what happened on Christmas Day…"

"And on uh, you know…"

They were just sitting on the couch in the living room. It was just seconds after midnight—14 seconds to be exact—the start of the beginning of 2019; Reid and Élise gave each other a heartfelt hug…

Before looking into each other's eyes…

And their lips touched.

Again.

"Yeah." Both Reid and Élise knew that they couldn't avoid talking about this as they have been for the past week; instead, they've been putting the focus on not talking about it into their work and of course, Anastasia.

"Did you feel something?" Élise asked. Because she did every time.

"I felt something, yeah."

Élise leaned closer; his hazel eyes were just so…, "Spencer…"

Despite feeling under the weather, Reid couldn't help but lean in closer. Just…her dark brown eyes. "Reid…" They almost couldn't help it; they soon pulled apart from each other and Élise got up from the bed. Reid quickly got a tissue from his nightstand once he realized he needed to sneeze.

ACHOO!

"Bless you."

Loudly blowing his nose before throwing the tissue in the garbage can next to his bed, "Thank you." Reid soon grabbed another tissue to wipe his nose.

"Now, eat your soup and leafy greens, and drink your OJ, water, and green tea. And try and get some rest. I'll look after Anastasia."

"Yes, and thank you, Dr. I-Don't-Have-A-Medical-Degree."

"Eat, drink, and rest up, Dr. Patient-I-Think-I-Know-Everything." Reid and Élise giggled, but before Élise left Reid's room,

"Hey, Élise."

Élise turned her head. "Hmm?"

"Do you want to…hang out? Just the two of us?"

"Hang out? You mean…like a date?" Élise blushed.

"If you want to call it that, then yeah."

Élise's mouth clammed up; she felt her throat was dry; she felt her nerves racing inside her and she felt that she was blushing, although she did not let it show.

"Yes." She blurted out. "Yes, I would like to."

"Don't worry; I've got it all sorted out." Reid weakly smiled.

It's been a few days since Reid recovered from his cold; he recovered just in time for a recent seminar.

And for his first date with Élise soon; he decided to surprise her.

He was just about to step out of the elevator when,

"Wait. You're back?" Garcia said with shock when she first saw Reid. "Why are you back? What happened?"

"Nothing happened." Reid simply answered her. "The seminar wrapped early, and I missed you guys." Garcia soon gives him a file.

Rossi said, "Well, you're just in time to help us reel in a nasty one."

Prentiss added, "We'll brief you on the way to the jet. Let's go."

"And we'll catch up later. Go, mighty professor. Go!" Garcia said, smiling.

JJ was done talking to the victims' son just as Reid and Simmons were going through the room.

They concluded that the unsub's a hunter who wanted to see the victims struggle in the dark.

The team gathered around to give the police the profile.

Reid was with JJ when Garcia was on the phone when she told him and JJ about exposure therapy, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that's been around since the 1950s in which a patient is forced to confront their anxieties.

Ray gave them all that they needed; dozens of boxes were there.

Reid continued to figure out the meaning behind the numbers and realized he used their home address to represent children.

Although the team only managed to save Nikki, the unsub—Dustin Eisworth—was shot by Simmons when he attempted to shoot Luke. Anyway, the team also had the housewarming party at Luke's place.

The very next day, Reid decided to have his first date with Élise at the Observatory Park, located near DC in McLean at Turner Farm. The night was a bit dry and cold, but perfectly clear to do one thing.

"Wow," Élise stared at the bright skylight with fascination; she was cuddling next to Reid with the large warm blanket covering the both of them, "It's like you can see heaven through the stars."

"Did you know that astronomy is said to be the oldest out of all the natural sciences; dating back to antiquity with religious, mythological, cosmological, calendrical, and astrological belief origins? The stars, the Sun and Moon, as well as the plants were the original clocks, calendars, and navigational compasses; the Greeks had even developed models to account the celestial motions."

"Crazy cool. It's just so vast and so endless. Like the stars are talking to you."

"And you can thank Nicolaus Copernicus."

"And Galileo," Élise added.

"And even Isaac Newton; he invented calculus to built on the earlier insights of his universal law of gravitation."

"I guess you can even thank the apple that fell on his head, too."

They both shared a laugh.

"I still can't believe you surprised me with a stargazing date."

"I still can't believe you paid Jack two hundred dollars to watch Anastasia."

"You say it like it's a bad thing; he is a teenage boy, so I figure he needs some money."

"Hmm-mmm."

"But seriously, I wouldn't wish it any different, Spencer." Élise started to notice this one little star in the star twinkling. "Oh! Look! Look at that star! You see that star?"

"Yeah, I see it. You know, stars twinkle because of the turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere; the light from the stars refracts in different directions as the atmosphere churns which causes the star to twinkle. And they are made of hydrogen and helium and combinations of gas and plasma. Did you know that the word 'planet' comes from Greek, meaning 'wandering stars?'"

"I learn something new from you every day," Élise said with a smile. "But still, I think stars are so much more than what they appear out to be. Wishing on them is one thing, but when I see stars, I think they are a way to a whole new world. Or you know how in "The Lion King," Mufasa tells Simba the stars are the great kings of the past who ruled the Pride Lands are looking down at them; so, if Simba ever feels alone, the great Pride Land past kings will always be there to guide him, and his father will guide him, too. That's what I also see the stars as; maybe a twinkling star is someone who wants to talk to you from heaven; to let you know they're not far away if you ever do want to talk to them. Do you ever have that feeling; wanting to talk to someone from heaven?"

"At times, yeah." He started to feel saddened, but the expression was more in his eyes. And now it got him thinking of…Élise noticed this.

"Are you okay, Reid?"

"What? Oh, uh…I'm okay. I'm fine. Really." He found himself holding Élise's hand.

And she was holding onto Reid's hand.

"Do you have any music we could listen to?"

Élise took out her cell phone, went down through her music selection and picked,

"Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune."

"I like it," All of a sudden, Reid had gotten up from the blanket he had settled down on the green grass, fixed himself for a bit before,

"Would you…like to dance with me?"

Élise looked at his extended hand before looking up at him. He wanted to dance with her. She had to admit to herself, she felt touched and she had this feeling in her stomach. But it was a good feeling. She soon let out a tiny grin and nodded her approval. She took his hand and there was this electric shock from the touch and he helped her pick herself up; Reid immediately draped the blanket on her shoulders, which covered up her even more. Élise might have suggested Reid didn't want her to feel cold.

Pulling each other close, Reid had his left-hand locked Élise's right hand and Élise had her left hand gently placed to his back as Reid had his right hand on hers as well; they could hear soft gasps with each touch. The rhythm of their bodies allowed them to dance slowly in sync to the music; soon their bodies were as one with each other. Reid could feel Élise gently tapping her fingers on his back as she had her head on his chest; allowing her to feel his beating and his kind scent was engulfing her. Élise could feel the soft and tender touches of Reid's lips that were being left on her knuckles.

Towards the end of the song, they look up and saw the expressions on each other's faces. There were no nerves; no anxiety; no self-doubt; no regrets. It was like this unexplained, magical passion that has been overwhelmed and bottled up for so long and was heavily and patiently waiting to spew finally came out; no words were needed as the unexplained, magical passion in each other's eyes was just enough.

It was almost perfect.

They softly touched and traced each other's face with their fingers…

Ran their fingers through each other's hair…

Before they wrapped their arms around each other and finally closed their eyes and allowed their lips to touch.

Now it is perfect.

A/N: Sorry to leave you hanging there but until the next time!

Also, got the info about astronomy and the stars from the web!