Okay some spoilers ahead. Congrats if you've managed to avoid them by the way.

Chapter Nine:

No one spoke on the plane ride home. Phones were pulled out but no one was looking at them J.J. kept closing her eyes and opening them, trying to figure out how to will the images away. Even Hotch was simply staring at his paperwork. Sometimes words nor distractions could begin to distract from the horrors they saw.

Four women in three days had been assaulted and dismembered across the city of Nashville. The most heinous crime the city had ever seen. Lewis caught Kurt Smith preparing to kill his fifth victim. He dropped the knife. He was preparing to enjoy a nice prison stay where he would serve as a research subject for years to come. Lewis didn't want to look into this man's mind. It took every ounce of restraint not to kill him on the spot.

Their collective thoughts of scenes that could not be unseen was interrupted by a message left for J.J. She opened it.

"Guy's this is a video file from Jane."

"What's it called?" Lewis asked.

"Elemental"

The team crowed in and J.J. played the video.

It was an image of Reid rocking Jane. His blue shirt was completely wrinkled and his hair was a mess. Jenna made small gurgling baby noises as Reid sang in a low voice.

"There's Hydrogen and Helium, Then Lithium, Beryllium Boron, Carbon everywhere, Nitrogen all through the air."

Smiles broke out across the room.

"With Oxygen so you can breathe And Fluorine for your pretty teeth Neon to light up the signs, Sodium for salty times."

Reid raised his voice slightly and Jenna giggled.

"MAGNESIUM, Aluminum Silicon PHOSPHORUS, then Sulfur, Chlorine and Argon POTASSIUM and Calcium so you'll grow strong SCANDIUM Titanium Vanadium and Chromium and MANGANESE."

J.J. let out a small laugh.

"This is the Periodic Table, Noble Gas are stable, Halogens and Alkali react aggressively. Each period we'll see new outer shells. While electrons are added moving to the right."

Jane slowly snuck out of the room with a smile on her face.

"He sings the whole song to her every time she gets fussy and it seems to calm her down a little," Jane said and laughed. "She'll know the periodic table before she knows the alphabet. I hope this cheers you guys up. Spencer was following the case as best he could. I thought you'd like to see the humanity waiting for you at home."

The video ended.

Everyone took their seats silently. Hints of smiles remained. J.J. began a text to her husband. Matt played a game on his tablet. Lewis and Hotch slowly began to do paperwork.

…

The next day there was the scampering of feet.

"Slow down Hank," Morgan called out. "Your daddy isn't as fast as he used to be."

Hotch blocked Hank's path. "Or he's going to be a long distance runner. Hey sport."

Hank just giggled and tried to get past him but Morgan was able to grab him in time.

"So what brings you here today Morgan?"

"The usual, lunch with Penelope and I was planning on meeting up with Reid. Is the kid around?"

"No I wasn't expecting him to be in for another two weeks."

"Here I am!" Reid shouted as he ran past the bullpen and up the stairs. He looked like he hadn't slept properly in weeks at least and his left shoulder looked wet like he had tried to get rid of a stain.

"Hi Hotch," he said breathlessly. "I just wanted to pick up some new research on geographic profiling that Anderson left on my desk." Then he looked at Morgan and waved to Hank.

"Hi, Hank man. You appear to at this rate growing to be taller than your mom and dad."

Morgan laughed. "Where's your other half?"

"With the accountants. Jane is having a hard time pulling Jenna away from them."

"I'll see you at the elevator in five minutes supposing Garcia doesn't try to spoil his lunch with that pile of treats for him in her office."

"Sounds good," Reid quickly unlocked his office. Hotch followed him in.

"I could have had that sent to you, you know," he said.

Reid flipped through the file. "I know but-" Reid sighed. "Is it horrible that I don't want to follow Morgan's route? I want to get back to my job of saving people. I love Jenna but I don't know."

Hotch took another step forward. "Reid I hate to state the obvious but you and Morgan are very different people. You both love your families equally, but how you show it is very different. Don't feel guilty for wanting to come back. It is your choice and don't question it if it feels right."

"Thanks Hotch."

Reid found Jane and Morgan talking at the elevator. Hank was making funny faces at Jenna in the stroller and she was staring at him curiously.

End Note:

The song is, "The New Periodic Table Song," by AsapSCIENCE.