A/N: Hello again, everyone!
A shout-out to ahowell1993, criminalmindsrocks, lolyncut, Martha, Skylar, Susan, Betty, Kelly, and Amy, or reviewing Chapter 42!
Please do enjoy and apologies for any mistakes!
I would like to credit ahowell1993 for helping me with this chapter as well as the previous chapters.
Also, I want to dedicate this chapter to ahowell1993 for always helping me! We, too, started corresponding here and then on Facebook Messenger almost two years ago since we help each other with bouncing off ideas and read each other's in-progress chapters before we review each other's stories. A good reason why we became great friends is that we were born exactly four months apart and we both love Spencer Reid.
A week later...
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Élise whispers to Reid.
As Reid mumbled, "Huh?"
"Wakey-wakey, sleepy brain."
Massaging his eyes as he sat up, Reid blinked his eyes a few more times before he realized there was a tray on his lap, consisting of salmon, coffee, water, and green tea, eggs, mixed nuts, seeds, and berries, and leafy greens.
And a rose.
"Morning, babe." Élise smiles as Reid.
"Good morning," Reid replies, sniffing his nose. "I was wondering what smelled so good, other than you."
Élise giggles, "I just thought I make you a nice brain breakfast."
"And all the delicious brain food I have in front of me. Other than you and my little cantaloupes in that belly of yours."
"And whatever you need, I'm there for you. I'm your humble servant." Élise kisses his lips.
As Reid kisses her lips back, "I don't want you to stress yourself out too much or you'll end up on bed rest again."
"True. I'll try not to get so overworked."
"That's my girl."
"Morning, daddy!" Anastasia dashes into the room and gently jumps on the bed.
"Morning, my little ray of sunshine." Reid waves at her.
Anastasia gave him, "I made you a picture, daddy!"
It was a colorful picture of her, Élise, and Reid, holding hands, at the park,
"How pretty and so beautiful."
"Just like you, daddy." Anastasia smiled.
Reid smiled—allowed a tear to fall from his eye—and kisses his daughter's forehead. Running his fingers through her hair, "Thank you, angel."
"Come on, little one," Élise picks up Anastasia. "Let's have some breakfast and give daddy a little more rest time for his brain, okay?"
"Okay. Buh-bye, daddy." Anastasia waves as she and Élise left.
Reid waves back, "Bye-bye."
"Hey, you two," Élise said as she walked into the playroom with snacks. "What are you two up to?"
"Painting!" Anastasia smiled, her hands covering in paint.
Reid's hands were also covered in paint. As was his shirt, trousers, and mismatch socks. "It got a little messy really quick."
Elsie giggled. "Yeah, I can tell. I think it's great you're getting into your creative side."
"Not to mention your mobility. Like this." Reid playfully strokes some yellow and blue paint on Élise's face. Anastasia's jaw dropped before she started to giggle.
"Cute." Élise picks up some red and orange paint and brushes some on Reid's neck and cheeks. "Now, don't you look pretty?"
"He does." Anastasia continued giggled.
Élise and Reid looked sneakily at each other before stroking some paint on Anastasia's face and hair and began having themselves a good-natured and fun paint fight.
Élise asked as she entered the formal living room, "Still getting in touch with your creative side?"
Reid saws Élise his drawing, "Just a picture of the two of us and Anastasia."
"How sweet and cute."
"Like you and Anastasia?" Reid wraps his arms around Élise and kisses her.
"Aww, baby!" Élise kisses him back before hearing,
"Mozart and Beethoven." Élise correctly guessed before starting to slow dance with Reid.
"Classical music has been said to be a calming technique for babies."
"Ah, the Mozart effect." Élise figured before Reid slowly spun her.
Reid added, "Exactly. It can bring out strong emotions and hone their abilities to detect others' moods and emotions; benefit the brain, mood-brightening, helpful in the language and memory development..."
"Plus, it is a hell of a lot more enjoyable than today's version of 'music.'" Élise concluded. "Why do you think I've been playing that kind of music, including classical? I can't stand most of today's music; it's not only tacky but completely generic and crap."
"You got that right." Reid nodded his head, agreeing.
"I've always loved classical music: besides Mozart and Beethoven, there's Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, but also do enjoy MJ, reggae, show tunes, music from the 50s-to-late 2000s."
"You have a wide range of music." Reid compliments.
"Why, thank you." Élise and Reid gave each other a peck.
"Can I join in?" Anastasia asked as she entered the living room.
"Why not?"
"Yeah." Anastasia immediately joins in on the now-three-person dance.
"Nice to see you again, Dr. Foster," Élise said as Dr. Foster walked into the room.
"As always, such a pleasure to see you all again." Dr. Foster smiled.
As Reid had Anastasia on his lap, "So, what's the progress?"
Looking at her charts before, "The pregnancy's going quite well. Looks like you're ready to give birth any day, Élise."
"That's what happens when you're pregnant with twins."
Dr. Foster chuckles, "Well, that's true. The babies' heart rates are good; so are your blood pressure, sugar and protein levels, and weight."
"Well, we've been walking more, and just recently got into tai chi, qigong, yoga, and Kegel exercises."
"Great." Dr. Foster smiled. "I did yoga, tai chi, and Kegel exercises during my pregnancy and it was very beneficial, just as long as you're taking certain precautions."
"Of course, doc." Élise nods her head as she was laying down near an ultrasound machine for an examination. "Can we take another look at the babies?"
"Let's take a look," Dr. Foster said as she's preparing the ultrasound. "Almost…ah! Here we go."
"Oh, my…" An almost speechless Élise said. "Look at them. They look so grown."
"See, pet," Reid said to Anastasia, "Look at the babies; they are now the size of honeydew melons. And look! Look at their ears! And their face! They're growing!"
"They big," Anastasia said.
"Wait until they arrive; they'll be bigger than you can ever imagine." Reid wraps his arms tighter around Anastasia.
Anastasia squishes, "Yuck."
"Are you still reading that baby book?" Reid asked Élise as she was in the living room, reading a baby book.
"There's nothing wrong with being prepared," Élise answered as she closed her book and placed it on the coffee table.
"Don't worry, love. I know exactly what to do since I did help delivered a baby named after me while I was on a case in Boston six years ago by memorizing memorized the delivery manuals just in case JJ went into labor in the field when she was pregnant with Henry."
"Why didn't you add M.D. to your resume, doc?"
"I'll admit, the practical application did not quite live up to the theory."
"Really?" Élise raised her eyebrow before they both heard,
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
"Did you invite anyone?" Élise asked.
Cocking his head, "No. Maybe you did."
"No, I didn't." Élise was sure as Reid opened the door and it was,
"Rossi!"
Along with him,
"Krystall and my growing grandson, Kai," Rossi said as they all entered the house.
And,
"I see you have a crew with you." Élise noticed a team of people behind them.
"Think of them as my apology to you, Spencer for not sending you to a hospital after the explosion."
"And they are here because…?" Élise asked, folding her arms.
"I have a cleaning crew who'll clean your house for an entire year—starting today—under my pay and some people who'll install more safety additions to avoid anymore attacks regarding what you went through a few weeks ago."
Élise pursed her lips, "I like it."
"I like it, too."
As Reid and Rossi hung out in the lower level recreation room,
"That was really nice of you, Rossi, to do what you did," Reid said as he was lying on the couch, watching the fire glow.
"Hey, it was the least I could do from what Lynch did to you," Rossi replies as he poured freshly popped microwaved popcorn in a bowl and placed it on the coffee table.
"How have you've been since Lynch's…?"
"The bastard's dead and in hell," Rossi answered. "That's all I have to say about that."
"And Krystall?"
"She's hanging in there, but she's good these days."
"And the jet?" Reid asked again.
"It's in a better place."
Reid chuckled as he ate a few popped corn kernels.
"How's your head?" Rossi questioned.
"The doctors prescribed me anticonvulsants for about a year and I'm going to see a neurologist every few months for an MRI; just to be on the safe side, I'm going to see them again tomorrow."
"Thank God, it wasn't anything worse."
"Yeah." Reid agreed, eating a few more popped corn kernels. "Otherwise, Hurricane Élise…"
"Would have sent us all to an early grave." Rossi finished the sentence.
Reid giggled. "Hey, Rossi?"
"Yeah, Reid?"
"There's something I need to tell you."
As Élise and Krystall watched a movie with Anastasia and Kai in the family room—they both fell asleep watching the movie,
"So, how have you've been?" Krystall asked.
Élise answered, "I'm good. I can't wait for these babies to come out of me."
"I remember when I was pregnant with Portia. I was in agonizing pain, I was hungry and cranky, but in the end, when I held my little girl, it all went away. So…"
Élise stares down at her growing belly, "I know it will be." Élise gently changes the topic to, "How've you been since…?"
"I'm hanging in there."
"I know it's not easy."
Nodding her head, "For a moment, I thought I almost lost Dave."
"Well, you didn't. He's alive and well and Lynch has gone to the opposite direction of heaven."
"Amen to that." Krystall agreed.
"Anastasia's sleeping," Élise whispered to Reid, who was finishing up a book in bed.
"That's good." Reid smiled before saying, "Why is it that every time I see, you look more and more beautiful and glowing?"
"Same with you, handsome," Élise said as she got into bed, immediately cuddling up to Reid. "I can feel these twins want to come out."
"I got the bags ready just in case they do."
Élise giggled before noticing something about Reid, "You okay, Spen?"
"I have something I want to say."
"Anything."
"I'm leaving the BAU," Reid announced.
"What?" Élise quietly said.
"After Lynch and especially since the intracranial hemorrhage and the seizure; usually you're diagnosed with epilepsy after having two seizures, but still…I'm leaving the field. I told Rossi this and…he's agreed to hand in my registration letter to her."
"Spencer…"
"I'm not mad or upset; I want to leave because of the risk for post-traumatic epilepsy and having a seizure during a takedown can put anyone at risk."
"So…what are you going to do?"
"Well, uh…there's a lot I want to do. I have been looking at job offers within the Bureau for some time. Teaching and consulting jobs."
"Well, I think it's great you want to expand your horizons."
"I do. And I want to be there more for our family."
Wrapping her arms around Reid, "Whatever you decide, I'm behind 100%."
"So…how do I look?" Élise asked Reid as they approached Rossi's mansion.
A long-sleeve maternity A-line cocktail dress with a soft woven skirt, stretch lace bodice with velvet accents and subtle bell cuff detailing and black Christian Louboutin kitten heels.
"Catherine Middleton wore this dress," Élise added.
"You look like a Queen," Reid said before giving her a peck on the cheek.
"And you are my King, Your Majesty." Élise kisses him back as they made their way to Rossi's backyard.
"Well-well-well," Rossi, Krystall, Simmons, Kristy, Tara, Prentiss, Mendoza, and Alvez noticed Elsie and Reid walking in. "Look who's arrived."
"And in full bloom," Kristy complimented Élise's belly. "You must be ready to give birth."
"I am," Élise admits. "I am so ready for these babies to come out."
"Hey-hey!" JJ and Will have arrived. "We're here."
"It's been quite a while since we've been here," Will said.
"I take these so many events that have happened here." Élise guessed.
"So many great memories." Will reminisces.
"Will and JJ got married here," Rossi explains. "We had our own memorial dinner after Strauss died. So, yeah. So many great memories have happened here."
"The belle of the ball has arrived." Garcia spontaneously announces herself. "My favorite people in the world. How've you all been?"
"We're been good."
"I miss you." Garcia gives Reid a hug. "I miss seeing you."
"I know, but…I knew it was time for a change."
"So, what have you've been up to the past month?" Alvez curiously asked.
"I've been recovering and relaxing before the weeks come. I'm going to do more teaching and lecturing at Georgetown, but still with the Bureau and I still have my SSA status. I'm also doing consulting work between the FBI and the private sector. And I'm also thinking about publishing a book or two."
"Wow," Tara exclaimed. "Teaching and consulting. Plus, possibly publishing a book. You're making me look bad. Maybe even Rossi."
"Well, I say we put that aside and celebrate tonight."
"I second that," Élise agrees with Garcia. "Let's celebrate!"
"Hear ye! Hear ye!" Garcia grabs everyone's attention. "I have a few words I want to say. Especially since I want to dedicate this moment in honor of Dr. Spencer Reid, who's here with his pretty pregnant wife, Élise Bastien."
Reid and Élise looked at each other before Reid gives Élise a kiss on the head and Élise snuggles closer to Reid.
"An ending to a new beginning. I just…I just want to take a moment and freeze and…let it just soak in."
After a few more seconds.
"There. That's it. Thank you so much for being a part of this team. Thank you for being a part of the heroism we face every day. And no matter how bleak and dark the world can be, there's always kindness. And light. And bravery. Promise me that no matter what, we have each other's backs and keep this feeling in our hearts?"
"Amen!" Élise and Reid raised their glasses again. "And cheers!"
"Amen and cheers!"
As everyone, including Reid and Élise, were on the dance floor, dancing to David Bowie's 'Heroes,'
"I can see you have improved your dancing skills, doc." Élise winked before Reid spun her.
"I've improved on a lot of things during my recovery," Reid winked before spinning Élise again.
"Wait until you see what I can do…oh." Élise cuddled closer to Reid before she let out a groan.
A concern Reid asked Élise, "Are you okay, babe?"
As Élise let out a few more groans, "Yeah, I…I-I think I just wet myself."
"Maybe you too much water or…?" Reid thought before he realized,
"It's time." Élise started grinning.