A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

I've decided to skip the Final Shot episode, but rather a tiny mention in the chapter, along with some real-world events.

"Holy hell…" said Élise as she was on the phone with Maeve, watching the news about the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. "I know, girl. Scary…"

"Élise…?" she heard Spencer's voice echoing in the hall. He dashed into the living room and stood beside her. "Oh, man…"

Maeve sighed. "So glad I don't have to go to work today."

Élise shook her head. "Same," she looked at her watch. "I better get going."

"I have to go, too," Élise could hear distant crying. "Charlie needs me right now…"

Élise hung up and groaned. "I've had enough with all these…senseless acts of violence," she ambled into the kitchen; Reid trolled behind her. She grabbed some vegetables, lemon, and chicken from the refrigerator and slammed the door.

Reid got the wooden cutting board for her when she was done washing the vegetables and got startled when she started chopping the vegetables.

"Tucson, Aurora, Sandy Hook," Élise gritted her teeth and butchered the green and purple broccoli. "I've had it up to here," she held her left arm up in the air. "Like, way over my five-threeish height."

"Haven't we all?" Reid agreed, having his hand on one of her shoulders. "Considering how this tragedy took place on the Navy Yard, want to go check up on Rossi later? After the kids have their naps?"

"Yup," Élise started cutting the carrots and cauliflower. "You know, I read this is a good form of therapy. And a great way to get your anger out."

Reid joked, "Remind me to stay away from you when you're chopping."

Reid pulled the car up in front of Rossi's mansion. Unbuckling the seatbelts, he and Élise got their children and Opal out of the backseat; Élise got the small white box from the front seat.

Reid knocked on the door three times, and the family waited ten seconds before Rossi answered it.

"Surprise-surprise…" Rossi had a coffee mug in his hands and had a sip. "Come on in," he allowed the family inside, and once he closed the door behind him, he replied, "I know why you all are here. Doesn't take a profiler to know why."

"The Navy Yard shooting…" Élise correctly finished the sentence. "Knowing your history with the military…" she showed off the white box and opened the lid, revealing pastries. "Cannoli from D'Amico's Dolci."

Rossi smiled a bit when he took the box. "You didn't have to."

"We wanted to, Dave."

"This upcoming Sunday will be the memorial service for the victims, and I know an old acquaintance I'd want to accompany with, so…"

"There you go, Fifi," Élise dabbed a couple of drops of liquid soap on the dirty plate. "First, you put some soap on the dishes, and then you wash them."

Séraphine stared at Élise washing the plate with a rag; Élise continued, "After you get it all cleaned up like this," she showed Séraphine the now-clean plate. "You dry it off."

Élise switched from the wet cloth to a clean rag and wiped it clean. "Tada!"

Séraphine clapped. "Yay…!"

"After it's been clean, it goes away in the cabinet," Élise neatly placed it in one of the cabinets where the plates were.

"I wana try…" Séraphine jumped up and down. "I wana try…"

Élise placed a small plate in the kitchen and got a little stool for Séraphine to stand on. She offered to squeeze some soap for her, but Séraphine wanted to do it.

Only…

"Oopsie…"

She squeezed a little too much, and bubbled formed in the watery sink and started splashing for a few seconds before Élise stopped her.

"Well, at least you're learning, right?" said Élise when setting Séraphine off the stool.

"Thank you again, everyone," Rose generously tipped the crew members from some of D.C.'s top services, from the gutter to chimney sweeping, from pest control to housekeeping, on their way out. She punched in the security alarms just as she heard someone calling out for her.

"Rose…!"

It was Élise who strolled into the living room carrying a large box and firmly set it on the carpeted floor.

Rose asked as Élise stretched her back. "What's all that?"

"Fall curtains," Élise took off the silver lid and tossed it on the couch, taking out some folded curtains and setting them in the row on the coffee table. "Which one for here?" she pointed one by one. "Pumpkin orange? Tawny brown?" she gasped when Élise pulled open the bare tree branches with changing color leaves?"

Rose directed her finger to one of them. "I like the illusion, so that one."

"So, for tomorrow…" Élise set the other two back in the storage box. "To celebrate the first day of autumn…we set this up…"

"Whoa…" Reid's jaw dropped from the spread of food and drinks Élise and Rose cooked for breakfast when he and the children walked into the kitchen. "Happy First Day of Autumn to you…" he set Isaac in his highchair and helped Séraphine into her seat.

Reid had his hands on his waist. "You went all out."

Élise slid on her favorite orange check patterned oven mittens and helped Rose get the muffins out, and she closed it, allowing them to cool on the rack.

"I guess the first day of Autumn has gotten me passionate for pumpkins…" Élise fixed up Spencer's plate for him. "One pumpkin and chocolate chip pancake, one ricotta waffle, some pumpkin spiced and maple oatmeal, and some coffee," after she gave him his coffee cup. "If you're a good boy, I'll cook you some Dutch baby pancakes for tomorrow."

Reid giggled sheepishly. He'll never get tired of her overtones.

Élise set up a plate for Isaac and Séraphine: a cut-up pancake and waffle, pumpkin cream of wheat, and orange juice.

"Here you go."

"Tank you, mommy…"

Isaac grabbed a firm hold of his spoon. "Tanks, mama…"

Élise tickled under his chin, making him giggle. She took a seat next to Spencer at the table just as Rose sat between the children. She asked before helping herself to a forklod of the waffle and pancake, "So…what are everyone's plans for today?"

"I found some fun activities for us to do today," Élise announced. "A farm and pumpkin festival in Chantilly. Hayrides, a pumpkin patch, face painting, games, s'mores roastings. S'MORES!" Élise cried.

Reid joked, "You wanna go because they have s'mores roasting?"

"And for the children…" Élise waved her fork at the children. "You can never forget about the children."

Reid shook his head, amused by his wife's reason, and revolved his head to face the children. "Do you want to go?"

Séraphine banged her fists again the table, cheering, "Yea!"

"Yah!" Isaac stuck his tongue and had a mouthful of food.

"The jury has spoken…" Élise bragged and raised her hand, flashing a smile as if she had won Miss. America. "I win."

Reid complimented, "You are such a queen."

"I love it when you give me compliments," Élise smiled.

Spencer and Élise took the children to the Ticonderoga Farm Fall Pumpkin Festival until it was time for the children's naps; they even ran into Maeve and Bobby with their children and Vijaya and Abel with their daughter.

"I would like to propose a toast," Élise raised her ice-cold sparkling water glass in the air. "To the first day of autumn. The year is near the end in the next few months, but like the leaves changing colorings, so will our lives, but no matter what, we're a family, and we can get through anything. Amen!"

Reid repeated, "Amen…"

"Yah!"

Isaac burped, "AABBAAPP!"

xxxxxxx

"Well, I'll be damned…" said Élise, staring at her phone.

Reid was finished tying his tie and asked from behind, "Damned about what?"

"The Attorney General has announced his resignation, and the President will nominate someone in the following weeks."

Reid patted his tie and chest, and then an idea came into his head. Curving his eyebrow, he asked again, "Imagined if that happened to you."

"Me?" Élise almost scoffed. "As the next US Attorney General?"

Reid shrugged his shoulders. "You'd make history."

Élise rolled her eyes up. "I do like being a part of making history. But like your new Section Chief, we'll just have to wait and see. And if you'll excuse me," she got her attaché case and gave Spencer a passionate liplock. "I got to make D.C. a better place."

"And I you, too." Reid kissed her back before leaving their bedroom together.

Élise was in her chambers, filing up on paperwork while having a salad of butternut squash, rotisserie chicken, and toasted almonds for lunch, when her phone started vibrating. She answered after swallowing and taking a sip from her Perrier plastic bottle.

"Élise…"

"Hey, Maeve," said Élise, poking her salad. "I'm on my lunch break right now."

Maeve apologized, "Oh, sorry."

Élise brushed it and had another swallow. "That's okay. What's going on in your life?"

"Well…" Maeve blurted out, "Generation Group just called me back, and they want to publish my book!"

Élise covered her mouth when she almost did a spit take and did a three-to-five second silent scream. "Congratulations, Maeve! You totally deserve it! This calls for a celebration! Anything you want to do? Shop? Lunch? Celebratory dinner? A get-together with the families? Make time to celebrate the accomplishments, no matter how big or how small."

"I wouldn't mind a celebratory dinner," said Maeve. "Only because Bobby wants to pamper me with one."

Élise asked, "When do you want to have it?"

Maeve answered, "Mmm…I'll let you know, but I'm thinking this Friday or Saturday."

"Cool and kudos, Maeve. When it's published, may I have your autograph?"

They laughed and giggled.

Maeve gasped when she opened the door and greeted the Bastien-Reid family inside. "You look nice, Lise."

Élise was clothed in a petite-sized silk ivory shirtdress with dolman sleeves, self belt with a matching color tuxedo blazer, heels, and gold jewelry.

"You know I'd never take an occasion to dress up," said Élise, removing her blazer and putting it in the coat closet. "Plus, Banana Republic had a sale, so…"

Reid guided Séraphine into the living room; there was Bobby and his parents.

"Hey, Bobby," Reid greeted him.

Bobby replied, getting up from the couch and handing Charlotte to his parents "Yello, Spencer. You've met my parents," he reintroduced Reid to his parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, please to see you again."

Mr. Putnam cleared his throat. "Please to see you again."

Reid gulped down a drink that was sitting on a tray on the mahogany coffee table. "Mrs. Putnam, these pink flowers are for you."

"Ooh, they're lovely," Mrs. Putnam gushed before sniffing them. "Such a lovely gesture. Thank you so much, Spencer." Élise strolled into the living room. "Ms. Élise, you're lucky to have a man like him."

Élise snuggled her arm around his, embracing and tapping his nose. "Thanks, Mrs. Putnam."

"Dinner's almost ready!" cried Maeve; Élise half-ran half walked when she entered the kitchen; Mrs. Donovan carefully pulled out an aluminized steel baking pan from the oven, and Mr. Donovan got the plates and glasses from the cabinets. Élise made her way to the dining room, finding Maeve trying to set up the table.

"Need help?" asked Élise.

Maeve sighed. "God bless you."

Maeve and Bobby's guests: colleagues from Mendel University and Harlow Industries, arrived; Reid and Élise mingled with some of them before Mr. and Mrs. Donovan called everyone for dinner: baked chicken Caprese, a roasted beet salad, and vanilla custard.

Élise tapped her water glass with the tiny silver spoon to get everyone's attention, and when she did, she continued, "I'd like to propose a toast to Dr. Maeve Donovan, Mendel geneticist and soon-to-be best-selling New York Times author of her first book, Genetics for Kids."

Everyone clapped as Maeve rose from her seat with the goblet in her hands and talked once the applause died down a bit.

"Well, I could not have done this without my main squeeze right here," Maeve rested her hand on Bobby's shoulder, and he blushed in return. "My parents and in-laws. My friends, coworkers, and Tanya Randall, for the illustrations, again, thank you."

All applauded the woman with beige-skin-toned, cropped short hair, clad in a black jumpsuit, who then waved to everyone.

"I could not have done this without your encouragement, wisdom, and support."

Reid made his way into the house with all the bags he had carried by his elbows and shoulders. He set them down for a quick moment and plugged in the security alarms. Reid got them again and placed the contained foods in the refrigerator, making sure they were organized properly before closing it.

Getting his bag as he left the kitchen, he spotted Opal in her pen before noticing a shadowy-like figure resting their body on the couch.

He steadily rested his strapped revolver, tiptoeing, "Hellooo…?"

He took a step back when the figure—which turned out to be Élise—mounted up and extended her body.

"Hello…" she yawned. "How was the Dallas case?"

Reid crashed on the couch; Élise joined him. "Had absolutely nothing to do with JFK's assassination, but it was filled with twists and turns. That I'll explain in the morning; I feel exhausted."

"Me, too." Élise played with the ends of his hair. "Did you bring us some of Texas' finest barbecue?"

"From Sonny's Bryan's Smokehouse," said Reid; his eyes closed and fingers crossed. "Did you tuck the kids in?"

"Mmm-hmm…" Élise curled one of Spencer's hairs onto her finger and released it. "What do you wanna do?"

"Anything that we can't do in front of Opal," Reid joked, making Élise giggle.