A/N: Hello again, everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter; still going on a bang but bang due to another special event happening in this chapter and in the next chap. (Hint-hint!)
"Ooh!" Élise made sure she didn't burn herself, trying a new breakfast recipe she's wanted to do for a while: Bisquick Waffles. "Gotcha!"
She got the last waffle on the stack and made her way to the nook, giving a couple to Seraphine that was already cut up. "Here you go."
"Tank ya, mommy!" Seraphine prattled.
Élise set the plate down and gave Isaac a bowl of yogurt with a couple of small mashed pieces. "And here you go, big boy," she kissed the top of his head.
"Ma…ma…"
Reid walked in with his phone pressed to his ear. "Okay. See you soon."
He hung up and greeted everyone with kisses. "Hello, family."
"Hii…"
Isaac babbled, "Da…ah…"
He shoved his phone back in his pockets and saw the plate of waffles and cooked turkey bacon strips that were there. He got a clean white plate from Élise and helped some to some waffles and bacon.
Élise pushed Reid in his seat for him once he sat down and had a bite of the delicious breakfast she cooked.
"Mmm…" he swooned. "Delicious."
Élise patted his shoulders. "Of course, dovey." Élise offered herself a helping and asked, "So, is you-know-who on his way?"
"Mmm-hmm," he gulped some of his coffee. Reid dabbed his mouth. "Guess who's coming today?"
Seraphine doe-eyed asked. "Whoo…?"
"Grandpas Micha and William are coming this weekend!" Reid fist cheered.
Seraphine cheered, "Yay!"
Isaac had his mouth opened and tongue out. "Ah…"
"My dad should be here in the afternoon," said Reid, finishing one waffle and helping himself to another one. "What kind of waffles did you make?"
Élise answered, "Bisquick."
"Tasty."
"Whose mommy's little boy?" Élise swaddled and cutely asked him. "Mmm. Who's mommy's little boy? That's right. Mine." Élise humorously asked before pointing to herself, "You're my little boy, you adorable little guy," she tickled his belly and dangled his jigging-sounding toys in front of him.
Isaac giggled, making Élise giggle and laugh even harder.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
Élise smirked her mouth when she got Isaac steadily in her arms. "Did you invite someone, and I didn't know about it?" she asked, pretending to be obvious. She opened the door and gasped.
"Dad! Bro!"
There was her father and brother.
"Lisey!" Mr. Micha and Arthur walked past Élise, who soon closed and locked the door again.
"This is a nice surprise," said Élise, completely surprised her father was here with her brother.
Arthur responded, "I wanted to come with him," he drew Élise closer to him and whispered, "You know how he is."
Élise nodded in agreeance and started rocking Isaac. She spotted the luggage bags her brother was carrying and the shopping bags in her father's hands.
"I know I was supposed to spoiling you this weekend, dad," Élise joked.
"I'm a grandparent," said Mr. Micha. "Spoiling comes with the job. And speaking of spoiling my grandchildren…"
"Grandpa…!" Seraphine's voice and tiny footsteps filled the foyer when she saw her maternal grandfather.
Mr. Micha squatted. "Hey…" he hugged his granddaughter. "How are you doing today?" he asked in a fun, deep voice.
"Gah!" she answered before moving to Arthur's side. "Artie!"
Arthur scooped her up. "Howya doin', kid?"
Reid came in. "How are you guys doing?"
"Decided to fly instead of drive," Arthur set Seraphine down, allowing her to toddle into the living room and play with some of her toys. "So ready for this Father's Day weekend to get started."
Élise gusted a sigh. "I have so many ideas on what to do for this Father's Day weekend?"
"Like what?"
Élise shrugged her shoulders and coyly replied, "We're just going to have to wait and see what A and I have in store for you, old man."
"I'm not that old," Mr. Micha chuckled. "I could be a college student."
"Uh-huh."
Reid rambled through his wardrobe when he noticed Élise walking in, playing with her phone before putting it away.
"Going somewhere?"
Reid pulled out a black with white lining polo shirt. "Would this be good to wear for the Astronomy Festival tonight?" he showed her the flyer of the event.
"I like it; it shows off your muscles," Élise played with Reid's flexing arms and made herself giggle. "And good with maybe a little lightweight jacket."
Reid put the hung shirt back in its spot, and Elsie gave him his phone, showing him the text of his father landing in D.C. "It's great my dad's coming back to D.C."
"Didn't he say he had an announcement to make?" Élise recapped the last time they talked with him.
Reid shook his head. "Mmm-hmm. He said he wanted it to be a surprise, so…" he lifted his shoulders. "Think it would be a good idea to take Fifi and Ziggy?"
"We'll see," said Élise, still looking at her father-in-law's text.
Reid added, "This could potentially be the chance to kickstart their interest in all things science, especially Seraphine. There are not many S.T.E.M. girls."
"Spen, she's two," Élise deadpanned. "She doesn't have to worry about that."
Reid motioned his shoulders up and down and pushed his mouth. "Who says she can't be curious about the world around her? It's never too early to start. I mean, look at me and look how I turned out."
Élise had her hands on her hips and chuckled.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
An eager Spencer got to the front door and opened it.
"Hey, dad!"
William Reid was in a light blue polo, khakis, and causal cognac-color drivers and had his luggage in his hands.
"Spencer!" William drew his son into a hug before being allowed into the house. "How are you doing, son?"
"I'm great," Reid closed and locked the door behind him, getting his bags for him.
William lifted his head and gazed upon the foyer and living room his son and Élise's new house. "What a place this house is. It's stunning. Much nicer and bigger than in the pictures you two went."
"Thanks, Dad," said Spencer, setting his dad's bags down for a moment. "Élise's dad and brother are here for Father's Day weekend as well."
William smirked. "And speaking of my daughter-in-law and grandchildren…"
"They went on a quick walk," answered Spencer. "They should be back soon."
William went to get his bags again. "I'll, uh…get settled in."
"You do that."
"Hey, little man," William tickled Isaac's belly. "Can you say 'grandpa' yet?"
"Gaawwaa…" Isaac babbled. "Gaahh…"
William slowly replied, "Grand…pa. Grand…pa."
"Gaawww…" Isaac babbled again before he burped and blew a long raspberry, making William laugh.
"Wah 'bout me?" Seraphine wanted some of Grandpa William's attention.
"Aw, come here, you," William picked her up, set her down on his lap, and started tickling her, making her laugh.
Spencer and Élise sprung into the living room, already dressed up. "Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah!" William set Seraphine on her feet, allowing her to run to her parents; Spencer scooped her up.
Élise reminded the guys. "Remember, the best the kids should be there for about an hour-and-a-half to two."
"I'm so excited!" Spencer could barely contain his enthusiasm. "I read Caroline Herschel will be explaining to the guests her discoveries, including the contributions she made with her brother, William. A comet was even named for her."
William had Isaac. "I read she was the first woman to be a paid scientist and the first woman in England to have a position in the government."
"Exactly my point to expose science this early to Fifi," Spencer rocked Seraphine. "Isn't that right, Fifi?"
"Yah!"
Spencer, Élise, and William took the children to the Astronomy Festival at the National Mall, and some of them viewed the sunspots and solar explosions, the Moon, and Project Jove radio telescope observations of Jupiter and the Sun.
After Élise took the children home, Spencer and William stayed behind and chatted with the scientists from some of the most respectable institutions around the country. They got to see telescopic views of the Moon, Saturn and its rings, Venus, Mercury, double stars, and star clusters. The event ended with two planetarium programs.
Spencer won a computerized telescope in a raffle; same with William with a Galileoscope.
"Whoo-hoo, sis!" Arthur's jaw nearly dropped when he saw the big spread of breakfast dishes Élise cooked: French toast, veggie-packed omelets with lightly sprinkled cheese and greens to the side, quinoa berry muffins, and chia pudding with orange, fruit, and veggie drinks.
"Father's Day not until tomorrow," he said, helping himself to some breakfast. He took a bite of the French toast Élise made. "Mmm…what bread did you use?"
"Whole wheat sourdough," Élise answered. "It's for dad. Researching some breakfast ideas, I read sourdough is a better choice for bread, due to the keeping the blood sugar and insulin levels lower."
Arthur had another bite. "It's good."
Soon, Spencer, William, and Mr. Micha walked with Seraphine and Isaac.
"Morning, lady and gentlemen," Élise gave Spencer a cheek kiss.
Red loudly yawned into his balled fist and made himself a plate. "Good morning."
"Mmm…" William stretched his back before taking a seat next to his son. "Sorry. I'm still a bit tired from last night. It was an amazing experience I'll never forget."
Élise gave him a breakfast plate and went back to the counters to fix her dad a portable breakfast plate. "So, when are you going to get the telescope set up?"
"Afternoon time."
While the children were having their naps and allowing Opal to roam around the backyard, Spencer was setting up his new computerized telescope, which took him about five-to-ten minutes.
Putting it in the garage, Spencer had just left when he saw his father taking it out of the garbage.
"Hey, dad."
William wiped his hands and was offered hand sanitizer by his son; he rubbed it around his hands. "Well, the kids are napping; Élise is fixing some homemade ice cream, and her father and brother are kickboxing in the basement gym. I got everything I need set up; I want to grill something for dinner."
"Just as long as you don't grill any pork or fish. Or make chili," Spencer followed his dad back to the backyard; he grimaced his face. It's been years since the cases with Floyd Feylinn Ferell, Canada, and Tobias Hankel still left an imprint on his food choices.
William replied, "Just chicken and eggplant with a nice salad."
Spencer sighed in relief. "So, you said you wanted to talk about something when you came."
"And I do," William and Spencer stopped walking. "I've decided to semi-retire at the end of the year."
Spencer's mouth opened. "Really?"
William shrugged his shoulders and had his hands in his pockets. "Why not? I did make a good amount of money over the years, and work's been feeling slow lately."
"What would you be doing instead?" asked Spencer.
William and Spencer entered the house together. "There's always pro bono work, teaching, and legal consulting. With all the time I have, hopefully, I'll be able to visit you, Élise, and the kids more often."
"Well, kudos, dad." Spencer had his hand on his father's shoulder. They soon walked into the kitchen, finding Élise cleaning the ice cream machine and two bowls of freshly scooped vanilla ice cream. William and Spencer grabbed two small spoons and took a small portion.
"Mmm…"
Élise asked from behind. "You like it?"
"Delicious," William testified.
The two families sat at the dinner table and ate the delicious grilled chicken, and eggplant William had cooked.
"HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, FATHER-OS!" Élise proudly exclaimed, presenting her dad and father-in-law their breakfast: gruyere and Spanish omelets, Greek yogurt pancakes, berry oat scones, and drinks.
"Aw, thanks, Lisey," Mr. Micha expressed his gratitude with a hug from her.
Spencer and Arthur came into the nook with Seraphine and Isaac. "Good morning, everyone."
Élise came to Spencer's side and kissed him while giving him his breakfast plate. "Good morning, honey."
"What do you want to do today?" Arthur asked his dad.
"I don't really want to go anywhere today," said Mr. Micha before sipping some orange juice.
Spencer wiped his mouth after he finished chewing. "Élise and I are taking the kids to Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens this afternoon."
Arthur offered, "I'll stay with you, dad."
After the kids had their naps, Spencer, Élise, and William took them to the home of George and Martha Washington; had a meet-and-greet and photo ops with "General Washington," and talked about his role as husband, stepfather,
Arthur merrily sang to himself when he heard someone step into the kitchen.
It was Élise.
"What up, bro?" she greeted him. She saw the ingredients in a small bowl and chunks of steak on a plate. "Whatcha cookin'?"
"Pineapple beef lettuce wraps and grilled watermelon salad."
Élise nodded. "Sounds good," she then asked him. "Did you give him his Father's Day present?"
"A new tablet," said Arthur, chopping more vegetables and watermelon and putting them into the bowl. "Let's hope he doesn't get too addicted."
Élise chuckled. "I got him a custom gold pocket watch."
"Cool," Arthur commented. "It's good seeing you again. How are you feeling?"
Élise tugged her shoulders in. "I'm good. Still taking one day at a time."
Arthur now had one hand on his stomach. "I still feel nauseous at the thought of never seeing you again. That call…and in all honesty, I was ready to hurt, kill someone. I'm your big brother."
"You know you can't protect me forever, right?"
Arthur replied, "Unfortunately, it's part of the big brother job description. I may not be getting paid to protect you, but I'm always gonna be there for you. I'd know you do the same for me."
"Yeah," Élise pulled her brother into a hug. "I love you."
"Love you, too."
Spencer and William watched Bicentennial Man and I, Robot in the media room before eating dinner together.
Spencer sat at the edge of his bed, smiling at the framed handprint picture Seraphine and Isaac did with the help of Élise, who coincidentally strolled into their bedroom.
"The kids are asleep; Opal's in her pen," said Élise, joining next to Spencer. "Every day is something special, huh?"
"And I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Élise giggled and pulled him into a loving kiss.
A/N: Guess what the next chapter will be about...
