A/N: Hello again, everyone!
A shout-out to ahowell1993, tannerose5, Kelly, Amy, Susan, Martha, Betty, and Skylar for reviewing Chapter 38!
Please do enjoy and apologies for any mistakes!
Also, I would like to credit ahowell1993 for helping me with this chapter as well as the previous chapters.
Weeks later…
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Reid whispers to Élise.
As Élise mumbled, "Huh?"
"Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead."
Rubbing her eyes as she sat up, Élise blinked her eyes a few times before she realized there was a tray on her lap, consisting of two whole wheat blueberry Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs on the side along with a bowl of mixed berries and oats and a glass of orange juice.
And a rose.
Looking up, Élise sees Reid looking as handsomely dashingly as he always does, holding Anastasia in his arms as she hugged her weighted teddy bear.
"Morning, you," Reid tickles under Élise's chin, causing her to giggle and blush.
"Morning, yourself. And good morning to you, too, Anastasia."
Anastasia waves at her. "Morning, Mommy."
"Isn't she adorable." Reid giggled as he sets her down next to Élise. "Anyway…" Looking at his phone, "I got to get to work."
"Okay…" Élise started to place her hand on her stomach.
"Are you okay?" Reid asked her when he noticed the look on Élise's face. "Are you sick or something?"
"Oh. No, nothing like that," Élise tries to assure him, but she started to sense something, "I just can't help it but have this feeling that…just be careful, okay?"
"I'll try." Reid turns to plant a kiss on Anastasia's head before plating a kiss on Élise's lips.
"Later. I love you both."
Reid gave them both one last kiss before departing.
"I love you, too." Élise waves.
"I love you!" Anastasia cried as she waved, giggling.
"JJ!" Reid said as he saw her sitting alone at the roundtable.
"Spence." She tries to hug him but, "Oh. Hmm." She rubs under her left armpit.
"Still feeling a bit sore?"
"Yeah, but I should be okay."
Reid asked, "How've you been?"
"I'm still hanging in there, despite getting shot and almost dying." Clearing her throat. "Thanks again for saving me."
Shrugging his shoulders, "What are friends for?"
Trying to change the subject, "I heard you got married. Congrats."
"I did 26 weeks ago." Reid smiled as he showed off his wedding ring. "And thanks. Not to mention I'm going to be a father to a set of twins."
"Twins?" JJ sounded—and looked—surprised. "You and Élise are having twins?"
"Yes."
Nodding her head, "Congrats again."
"Thanks."
"And if you and Élise need any advice…"
"Of course," Reid said before getting a text from Élise. "Élise texted me a picture Anastasia drew this morning after I left."
"That's sweet."
"And that she's eating cucumbers dipped in vanilla yogurt."
"Hey, Élise," Reid said as he had a moment of privacy.
"Hey, you," Élise answers back. "You okay?"
"I'm alright," Reid replies. "And you?"
"Anastasia and I are good; we watched classic movies, played games."
"Oh, well, that's good."
"What happened to you? You sound exhausted."
"Believe me, I am."
"Well, what happened?" Élise asked with concern.
"A mother and daughter survived a bombing but they're in critical condition. And they're not the only bombing victims."
"Oh, my…" Élise covered her mouth.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm good, thanks for asking. I can't believe these twins will be here in a matter of weeks."
"Yeah." Reid looked at his silver watch. "I better get going."
"Okay, I better get going myself; I got a sudden craving for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and vegan quesadillas. You just be careful or that unsub is going to have me to deal with, even if I am 26 weeks pregnant."
Reid chuckles. "Of course; I've been waiting up for you, anyway."
"Thanks." Whispering, "Love you."
Élise lightly chuckles, "Love you, too."
As Reid hung up as he walked out, "How are Anastasia and Élise doing?" Rossi asked.
"They're good, especially Élise, who has a sudden craving for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and vegan quesadillas."
After walking into the foyer and setting up the security code,
"Hi, honey! I'm home!" Reid exclaimed as he walked into the living room and set his bags and keys down.
"Daddy!" Anastasia runs out of the hallway and into his arms.
Reid's eyes widen, "Hi, princess." He smooches her head. "You know how much I love you?"
"Uh-huh," Anastasia nodded her head. "I love you and mommy and my siblings."
"Aww." Reid hugs her with all his might before carrying her into the dining room.
"Welcome home, honey." Élise greeted Reid as she sets a small dinner platter down.
"It's always great to be home," Reid kisses Élise on the lips. "What's for dinner?"
"Chicken stir-fry with olives, broccoli, and other healthy vegetables."
"Is it good?" Anastasia asked as she took her seat.
"If you don't try, you'll never know." Élise coolly replies.
"What if I don't want to?" Anastasia crosses her arms after pushing the plate away.
Reid retorts, "Then no dessert for you."
"But…"
"At least try. Or no dessert. The choice is yours."
Anastasia thought about it for a few more seconds before taking her fork and placed a fork load of broccoli and olives and put the vegetables into her mouth.
"Well?" Élise asked.
"It's okay. Can we have dessert now?"
Reid let out a chuckle, "Finish your plate and then you can have dessert."
"Hey, everyone" Élise warmly greets Morgan, Savannah, and Hank as they entered the house.
"Élise." Savannah immediately gives her a hug before taking a good look at her. "Look at you. Look at you. You're glowing like the sunshine on this beautiful day."
Blushing, "Thank you."
"How are the babies?"
"Kicking." Élise passionately rubs her belly. "Just a few more weeks and they'll actually be here. In our arms. And on this Earth."
"Technically," Reid said as he descended down the stairs with Anastasia in his arms. "They're already on this Earth since they are growing in your beautiful belly." Reid pats her belly as he sets Anastasia down.
"Pretty boy." Morgan gives Reid a hug. "I can't believe you're going to be pretty dad times three."
"I still can't believe it myself."
And before anyone else can say another word,
"Knock-knock."
"Hotch!"
"And Jack." Reid lightly exclaimed. "Wow. You're getting taller every time I see you."
"So," Jack vigorous rubs his hands. "What can we help out with?"
"I've already assembled the cribs in fifteen minutes and eight seconds, so I just need your help with the rest of the room."
"Okay."
"Oh my god," Morgan said, finally taking a seat in the white rocking chair, "I am so beat."
"So am I." Hotch sat down in the white Bergère chair.
"Who are you telling, dad?" Jack agreed.
"I don't know about you three, but I feel fine."
Hotch, Morgan, and Jack just stared at Reid with dirty looks on their faces.
"What?" Reid innocently asked.
"Maybe because you've been telling us where to put the rest of the furniture…precisely; like we were your hired movers." He starts to mimic Reid and copy his hand movements. "Guys, move that crib precisely one-and-a-quarter inch towards the left and away from the window and the other crib. No, one-and-a-quarter, not one-and-two-thirds. Now, move the dresser half-an-inch away from the crib. No-no! Keep the side drawer at about three-quarters-of-an-inch away from the crib. Let me tell you something, now, pretty boy. You better be paying us."
"Yeah. And I'm a teenager; which means I don't come cheap. I'm telling you if you told me to move the furniture one more time…" Hotch stopped Jack.
"Well, last time I checked, I've been supervising you three."
"What do you want, a cookie? A brownie, maybe?"
"Or maybe a book you've haven't read yet?"
"Speaking of books, did you know there's actually a fear of running out of reading material called Abibliophobia?" Reid said in an excited tone. "And I will not let that ever happen to my twins. We'll read plenty of books together." Morgan simply rolled his eyes and places two of his right-hand fingers on his temple and snickered. Jack gave him a blank face. Hotch ignored them both and just rubbed his temple.
"Knock-knock," Élise said as she came into the bedroom with Savannah, "Can we come in now?"
"Why, yes you may."
Élise's and Savannah's mouths just dropped. They just loved the juxtaposition of all the other different storybooks that went so well. There were dozens of pictures of some of the most classic quotes and art prints from children's stories, giant stuffed animals, there was even a storybook road sign hanging on the wall near the cribs.
"Oh," Élise covered her mouth in surprising shock before giving Reid a kiss. "It's so pretty, sweet thing."
"You guys did such a great job," Savannah praised them.
"Except…there's a little bit of a problem, babe," Élise whispers in Reid's ear,
"And what's that, my beautiful pregnant wife?"
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?" Élise screechy yelled at Reid, causing him to sit down in a nearby rocking chair.
"Why did I do…" Reid quietly said but cowered in fear when
"LOOK AT ME, YOU IDIOT" Élise points to her belly. "I'M FAT!"
"You're not fat, darling."
"OH! SO, YOU THINK I'M UGLY NOW, HUH!?"
Reid stutters a bit, "O-of course n-not, babe. You're the most wonderful, greatest, and most certainly, the most beautiful woman in the galaxy."
"I am?" Élise blushed as she smiled.
"Absolutely."
"Oh, well, then I'm sorry I yelled at you like that."
Reid raises his eyebrows, "Actually, I quite liked it." Reid passionately growls into her ear, causing her to loudly roll her tongue.
"Isn't this nice," Jack replied. "Now I think I need to puke." Jack walks out of the room.
"My feet hurt." Élise said before sweetly asking, "May I have a foot rub?"
"Why, I would…"
"FOOT RUB!"
"Yes-yes!" Reid got on it and immediately removed her flip flops and starts massaging her feet.
"I can't believe I'm weeks away from giving birth to twins," Élise said as she and Savannah were relaxing in the family room.
"I just hope the last few weeks go better for you than it did for me."
"Why, what happened?"
Savannah took a sip of ice-cold water before clearing her voice and continuing, "I was 33 weeks pregnant when I had to give birth to Hank. I…was shot outside the hospital. In front of Derek."
"Seriously?" Élise's eyes widen.
"Yeah. It turned out this guy named Chazz Montolo, and the events of that were what caused Derek to leave the BAU."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Hank had to spend a couple of weeks in an incubator, although but still…" Savannah exhaled.
"Well, I have read that twins have a tendency to be born earlier, so…"
"Owwww!"
Élise and Savannah turned their heads when they saw Hank rubbing his cheek and Anastasia cooling her hand.
"What happened?" Savannah rushed to Hank's side.
"She hit me, mommy," Hank said, tearing up.
Anastasia tells Élise, "He kissed me, mommy."
"What's going on?" Reid said as he, Hotch, Jack, and Morgan dashed into the family room.
"Hank, what happened to you?" Morgan said, dashing to his son's side. "And why is your cheek all red?"
Hank points at Anastasia, wiping his tears, "She punched me."
"He kissed me." Anastasia points back at Hank.
"Say what now?" Jack raised his eyebrows.
"I just did this," Hank pulls Anastasia into his arms and gives her a passionate kiss on the lips, stunning everyone, especially Morgan and Reid. "And then she hit me."
"Why did you do that?" Savannah asked.
"I see you and Daddy doing it."
"And you thought you could do it with her." Morgan said, crossing her arms.
"Hank, apologize to her." Savannah orders him. "And when we get home, you're not only getting a timeout, but you'll be writing her an apology."
"Same with you as well, little missy." Reid agreed. "Apologize."
"I'm sorry I kissed you, Anastasia."
"And I'm sorry I punched you in the cheek."
"How about you two give each other a hug?" Hotch suggested.
"Heck no." Anastasia quickly refuses.
"Anastasia…" Reid sternly warns her.
Anastasia and Hank eventually gave each other a friendly hug before pulling away after three seconds.
"Good girl," Élise said before picking her up and taking her to her room for a timeout. As everyone watched Élise leave with Anastasia,
"At least we're lucky they're not teenagers yet," Morgan whispered in Reid's ears.
"I wonder if I can send Anastasia to an all-girls private school," Reid said to himself.
"I think it was great that we got to see the new Simmons' baby girl," Reid said as he buttons up his pajama top.
"And I found it uber-sweet that they named their new daughter after Rossi." Élise oozes in excitement. "Rose Mary Simmons. That's too cute."
"And speaking of baby names…how you thought about any good baby names?"
Taking a moment to think about it, "I was always thinking about Star War names. Like Leia or Dexter? Maybe Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Élise almost laughed. "Seriously? But Dexter is a good name; reminds me of a classic television show about a boy genius, Dexter's Laboratory. Leia? Not so sure. But I can see where you're going."
"And what about you, missy?"
"I sort of like exotic names like Aaliyah, Valentina, or Zander and Alexei."
"A little too exotic there, but I too can see where you're going."
"And in all honesty, I'm glad to have a daughter named Anastasia because I've always wanted a daughter named Anastasia."
"Speaking of Anastasia, after today with Hank, do you think we should send her to an all-girls private school? Maybe when she's in middle school?"