A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

A shout-out to those for reviewing and reading my stories. As I said in the previous chapter, I decided to split the chapter in two since the episode was a two-parter and make the case start ahead of Labor Day weekend.

Previously on Criminal Minds…

"Two women were found in a park in Glendale, Arizona…Both of them were left in that prayer position…

"Our unsub could have shot his victim anywhere, but he chose the heart, suggesting that he's been hurt by somebody close to him who's clearly the center of his rage… Heather Clarke…It was announced in the paper she was to be married…"

"So Wallace killed Heather, and when that didn't alleviate his rage, he began to kill other women…He suffers from an acute delusional disorder…"

"…Get out of the car!

"…We got the wrong guy…

"…What?..."

"…The fingerprints at the restaurant don't match…"

Élise stretched after leaving the bathroom. Cruising herself back into bed, Élise rested her head against her pillow, ready to go back to sleep. She had just closed her eyes for a few seconds before hearing her phone buzzing at the bedside.

Groaning as she opened her eyes and grabbed her phone. Squinting her eyes, it was a text message from Spencer. She opened it, and she immediately sat up.

WE MESSED UP BIG TIME.

Reid was in the backseat of the Suburban with JJ; Morgan in the front passenger seat and Hotch driving back to the police station while Rossi and Blake rode in a separate car together. No doubt they, too, were watching the police releasing Jesse Gentry, Wallace's identical twin brother, and his attorney, Mark Anderson, giving a press statement to the cameras.

They decided to go around back to avoid the cameras; to say the Justice Department was angry with the team was an understatement. But still, the odds of them finding out Wallace had a twin; but unlike Wallace, Jesse was adopted into a stable family and grew up to be a success. Then a year ago, he unsealed his adoption records…

But hasn't made any contact with either Carla or Wallace.

Since everything was on the line—from their reputations to their careers to their credibility—they needed to tread lightly and find something.

Especially with the threat of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Bureau.

"You're kidding?" asked Élise; she was on the phone with Spencer about the threat of the lawsuit.

"Nope," she could hear Spencer sighing from exhaustion. "I swear if we don't find something…"

Élise didn't let him finish that sentence. "That's not going to happen. You're going to find something. Hell, you want to hop on the next flight to Arizona? Because I'm a federal judge, I can only offer legal advice and review documents, but… "

"No…" Reid politely declined. "I don't want you to be collateral damage if we go down."

Élise had another idea. "Or maybe I can have an associate or two help you…"

"This is our mess we need to clean up," said Reid. "This is something we need to do without outside help."

Élise heaved a loud sigh. "Just be careful, okay? I love you."

"Love you."

After hanging up, Élise tossed her phone on the bed and had her hands on her hips. If the team made another mistake or two, their entire careers and standings would be over and done with.

Élise eyed her phone again and wondered…

"Uh-huh," she shook her head. "No way. I'm not turning into Garcia."

She went about her business.

On their way to Carla Hines' house, Reid and Blake discussed the potential downfall of Jesse's threat to sue the Bureau when Blake saw the car Wallace stole from the shootout.

Reid called for backup; he and Blake drew their weapons and searched the house.

Nobody was home, and while there was no robbery, the place was askew. Papers were all over the floors; some were burned.

Including charred important documents and photos recovered from the fireplace.

Reid and Blake deduced Carla's hiding something.

And she was…

Wallace and Jesse's father.

Élise thought it would be best to stay home for Labor Day and invited Maeve, Bobby, and the children over for a few hours in the backyard greenhouse conservatory.

"Maeve, I'm telling you, if Spencer and the team can't find anything, then their lives are over," Élise chewed nervously on a small cucumber sandwich.

Bobby cooked over the grill and the children chasing around and playing.

Maeve had a sip of ice-cold lemonade. "That's not going to happen."

"One of his colleagues—an outstanding woman—had a borderline career suicide, and it took her up to ten years to get back where she was."

Maeve sighed. "I can't think about the negatives. But if that happens, perhaps I could pull some strings or maybe have Spencer guest-speaking every now and then."

"You'd do that?"

Maeve had another sip. "You know I would."

"Thanks, Maeve," Élise raised her glass in the air.

"Of course," she clung her glass against Élise and proposed a toast. "Cheers."

"Okay!" Bobby called out for everyone. "Who wants some toasted buns?" he pointed to the burger buns.

Élise got their drinks and pitcher. "The only toasted buns I want are Spencer's."

Maeve stifled a snorted giggle and gathered the children together under the pavilion. Rose came out, holding two bowls.

"I brought some mix-ins and a nice watermelon and berry salad," Rose joined them at the table.

Élise and Maeve reminded the children of their manners. "And what do we say, kids?"

"Tank you…"

The team managed to find Carla trying to catch a train and questioned her, but knowing she'll never give up the name of Wallace and Jesse's father, they let her go and kept a closer eye on him.

They organized a press conference with Heather Clarke's parents, knowing he'll watch it.

The team got news of another victim, but since she wasn't force-fed, they deduced it was Jesse.

"Ooh…!" Séraphine pointed to the trailer of Frozen and jumped in her seat. "I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!"

Élise got it. "You want to see Frozen when it comes out in theaters?"

"Yah!" Séraphine cheered.

Élise cuddled her and Isaac closer to her body. "If you're good, then we'll go see it. But first, we have to run it through with daddy, okay?"

"KK."

Someone cleared their throat. They looked up, and it was Rose with a bowl of popcorn.

"Mind if I join?"

Now the team got news of another victim; both Wallace and Jesse sexually assaulted her and forced-fed her finger, and now they realized Jesse might kill Wallace soon…

…And Carla shook them off her trail…

…With the help of the attorney who represented Jesse…

Mark Anderson.

Whom they threatened to charge as an accessory and parade him through the cameras, and he cooperates with them.

Garcia discovered Carla set up a trust for Jesse with Mark's help, and one of the trustees is Bill Robbins…

Who they correctly deduced as Wallace and Jesse's father.

Élise wiped her forehead from the sweat after she had finished cleaning the shower and tub of her bedroom bathroom.

"Well," she looked at the time on her phone, and it was still early in the afternoon. "That took longer than expected."

Élise rolled her neck a couple of times and stretched her back and sides when she walked out. "What to do next?" she asked herself.

"Mommy…!" Séraphine burst open the door.

Élise squatted to her size. "What's wrong, Fifi?"

Séraphine took Élise's hand and pulled her, running to the upstairs playroom. There was an overly smiley Isaac…

"Look!"

Élise's jaw dropped open.

Reid and Morgan had a talk with Bill Robbins, a schizophrenic, and despite his delusions, he managed to give them some decent information.

Combining the information, the team concluded Carla wanted Jesse to kill Wallace to appease her malignant narcissistic desire to have the perfect family she's always dreamt of at the church where Jesse's adoption took place.

Rose was gaily humming the Let It Go song she heard from one of the new teasers and trailers that were on television while slicing a carrot for the soup she'll be cooking for dinner.

"Oh, God…" Rose placed her hand on her head. "That song's getting to me…" she smiled to herself when she finished a carrot and was about to start on another carrot when Élise walked in with some cleaning supplies, even a big bottle of peroxide.

Rose asked, "What happened?"

Élise's voice panted. "Isaac left a surprise in the upstairs playroom."

"What kind of surprise?"

Élise waved her gloved hand in front of her face. "A big boy surprise…"

Rose opened her mouth, about to say something when she raised her eyebrows and her eyes beamed. "Ooh…" now Rose got it.

"Oh, yeah…" Élise left to put the supplies in the closet.

The team returned to the Phoenix Police Station and packed their case files.

Sergeant Johnson walked in on them. "I just wanted to say thank you again and sorry for everything before that led up..."

Hotch bowed his head. "We were happy to help. And fix what would have been a potential pitfall."

Sergeant Johnson was still astonished by the whole thing. "Just who would have thought the idea we'd be dealing with twins? I mean, the chances of twins…"

"About 3.5 per thousand…" said Reid.

Rossi deadpanned, "I asked the same thing earlier."

"Actually, approximately five years ago, I once brought up the concept idea of an evil twin and an eviler twin on our way to a case in Ohio," repeated Reid. "In this case, Jesse would be the evil twin and Wallace the eviler twin…"

Sergeant Johnson looked to the rest of the team, wondering about Reid's concept, and kept going until Rossi snarked, "You get used to what goes on in his head."

All Reid wanted to do the second he got off the plane was to go see his family, hug and kiss them goodnight, and crash into bed.

He pushed in the security alarm and set his bags by the door; he was just too exhausted to carry them any further. Reid waved to a sleepy Opal in her playpen. Making his way up the stairs, he strolled into Isaac's nursery and saw him sleeping away.

Reid kissed his head. "Nighty-night…" passing to Séraphine's room, he snuck to her bedside and sat on the edge.

"Daddy…" she muttered dreamily.

Reid petted her head. "Sweet dreams…"

"Mmm…"

Reid planted a kiss on her head and left. Finally, he entered his bedroom and saw a half-sleepy Élise trying to stay awake.

"Hello, you…" he smooched her forehead before loosening his tie, kicking his shoes off,, and entering the bathroom.

Élise yawned loudly and steadily listened to Spencer taking a shower for about three-four minutes, and he left the bathroom in a simple T-shirt and plaid drawstring pants. He crawled into bed next to her. "So, honey. How was your day?"

"It was good," Élise smacked her lips. "Isaac left a surprise in the upstairs playroom."

"What kind of surprise?"

Élise answered, "Number two," she made a peace sign with her fingers.

"The same thing happened to me when Morgan and I investigated the unsubs' father."

Élise chuckled, and another yawn escaped her. "Ironic, ain't it?" she blinked her eyes a couple of times. "So, I heard that everything went well."

"Even the Attorney General was pleased with us, and the higher-ups were so happy that Hotch's name was withdrawn for Strauss' replacement," Reid added.

"And last but certainly not least, hashtag BAU is still trending on Twitter; a friend of a friend sent it to me. Meaning you all are getting a new boss."

Reid shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see…"

"Maybe it'll be somebody the team knows…" Élise guessed.

Reid and Élise accepted a playdate invitation to Abel's house in Great Falls, the same town Maeve and Bobby live in but in a different neighborhood. Their house was this large red-brick-and-white-painted house, and it was located near a cul-de-sac.

The two families were out on the expansive deck that viewed out the fenced-off backyard and hardwoods. Séraphine and Chandra were playing together while Reid had Isaac on his lap, bouncing him against his knee.

"Thank you very much, Abel, for inviting us," Élise was sitting in one of the white dining chairs, supervising their daughters playing.

"Anytime," said Abel, just as his wife, Vijaya, came from the kitchen and onto the deck, carrying a tray of drinks and snacks. "Ah, thank you."

He planted a kiss on her lips before she sat down next to him; Élise asked, "So, Spencer told me you're a political scientist."

"I am, yeah," Vijaya took a small glass of Ginger Ale lemonade. "So, where are you two from?"

"Las Vegas."

Élise had her hand over her mouth and finished chewing one of the Tapioca chips before swallowing. "New Jersey before going to Harvard for law school."

"I'm actually from India," Vijaya explained. "But I moved to the States when I was a toddler; we settled in D.C."

Abel raised his hand. "Born and raised D.C. man. We actually met when we were studying for our bachelor's degrees at Princeton. We got engaged and married when we got our master's and had our little charmer after our PhDs."

Reid bragged. "I have three bachelor's and three PhDs."

Abel had just finished sipping his drink. "Jealous."

The adults laughed.