A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

As I said before, Spencer's birthday is celebrated! Yay!

Reid and Élise were in the bedroom, packing up for their weekend getaway to Las Vegas. Élise left the room for a moment to attend to Isaac and Séraphine. Just as he finished zipping his luggage, his phone vibrated. He pulled his phone from the bed and saw it was a text message on the screen. He opened the message, and it was from Hotch.

Meeting with Cruz tomorrow morning at nine.

Élise cruised back into the bedroom, closed the door behind her, and now had her back against it. "I swear, Fifi is so becoming the ever-ready bunny with packing. I think seeing your grandparents and cousins can do that..."

Élise stopped talking when Reid stared at his phone with his other hand in his pocket. She crept up behind him and stood over his shoulder, gazing at the message.

"Wonder what the meeting will be about?" Élise pondered.

Reid motioned his shoulders up and down and shoved his phone back in his pants. "Who knows?" he picked his head up a bit. "Oh, man…think he'll have to do with the Senate annual review on us or something?"

Élise scratched her eyebrows and felt a headache coming. "Oh, don't remind me. Maybe it won't have anything to do with that," she suggested, now etching her eyelashes. "Maybe he just wanted to get a better view of her. Or maybe use the meeting to stare at JJ," Élise spouted a laugh and started snickering.

"Lise…" Reid sounded stern, but his tight-lipped mouth formed a side smirk. "Oh, Lise…"

Élise now had a naughty smile on her face. "I wonder…"

The team, along with Anderson and Sharp and a bunch of agents associated with the BAU, comfortably sat in one of the larger conference rooms just as Cruz walked in. Cruz spoke about his field experience and the expectations he expects from everyone but lets them know he has their respect and understands he'll value the work they do for the Bureau.

The meeting was completed after about an hour; Reid was now at his desk, double making sure he had his paperwork done and gathered whatever he needed to do and/or get before leaving for his weekend getaway.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

He flinched when he heard Garcia's loud cry. He turned and saw Garcia walking in with a chocolate cupcake with a lit purple candle.

Garcia sang, even if it was off-key, "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! I know it won't be your birthday until tomorrow, and you'll be going away for the weekend, but I still wanna say happy birthday to you!" she ended the song with a smile.

Reid blew the candle.

"Yay!" Garcia clapped and gave him a hug. "Ooh!"

Reid chuckled. "You'll never stop doing that, will you?"

Garcia pulled away and looked cheeky. "Never, man genius," she playfully bopped his nose. "Never-never-never."

From behind, Reid felt his hair being ruffled out of nowhere, and a light hit at the back of his shoulder. It was Morgan, who soon stood beside Garcia.

"Happy birthday, old man," he grinned.

Reid retorted, "Last time I checked, I'm younger than you, and you're 40, so…" he jerked his shoulders up and sneered.

Morgan mockingly had his hands open and made a sarcastic ooh face.

Élise stepped off the elevator with Séraphine and Isaac in front of her and Marshal Johnson behind her, removing her sunglasses in a very sleek style. Johnson opened the doors to the BAU bullpen for the family; Élise thanked him and waved once she saw Spencer.

"Hello-hello-hello!"

Reid rotated his head and got up from his seat when he heard Élise's voice. "Hey!"

"Daddy!" Séraphine and Isaac held their arms out.

Reid crouched down and hugged the children. "Mmm…" he pulled back and asked the children, "Are you ready to go see Grandma Dee and Grandpa Will?"

Séraphine bobbed her head excitingly. "Ah-huh…"

"Yah!"

Blake smiled. "Aw, someone's excited…" she folded her arms after waving to the family.

Élise moved a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I need to use the ladies' room, so give me a few minutes?" she insisted.

Élise had just finished using the toilet and was now washing her hands. After she finished, she grabbed a disposable paper towel just as she heard someone walk in. She looked up and saw it was JJ, who had just walked in.

"Élise…" JJ civilly greeted her.

Élise replied courteously, "Hello…"

JJ strolled over to the sink at the far end, turned off the faucet, spritzed her hands with some liquid soap, and started washing her hands. Élise figured it would be best—at least for a few more seconds—and keep quiet.

But JJ soon struck up a conversation. "So…you and Spence going to Las Vegas?"

"Mmm-hmm…" Élise muttered.

"Interesting and surprised you're taking the children with you instead of leaving them behind." JJ nodded. "It would be insulting if you didn't, right?"

So much for keeping quiet; Élise rolled her eyes and had an annoyed looked on her face but calmly mustered her face and coolly replied, "Yeah, because grandparents want to take every moment they have to be with their grandchildren while they're still here on this Earth."

"Mmm-hmm…" JJ finished and turned off the faucet. After she got a paper towel to dry off her hands, she tossed it in the nearby trash. "Have fun."

JJ was just about an inch or two towards the door when Élise stopped her. "Oh, JJ," she turned on her heel.

Élise rummaged through her bag and pulled out a file, giving it to her. "You dropped this the other day; I've been meaning to give it to you."

JJ took it from her and opened it. Élise smirked when she saw JJ's calm yet horror face expression.

"Where do you get this?" JJ's voice numbed in shock.

Élise casually answered, "I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

JJ hastily closed it. "Does anyone else know?"

"Nope," Élise lied innocently. "Unless you want people to think you and your new section are…" she took the file back and tauntingly waved it. "Did you know that adultery in DC is actually a crime? I know; it's something, alright."

JJ snatched it back. "We're not having an affair," she insisted, but she sounded almost desperate, and her face grew worried. "Please, Élise. You don't understand…"

Élise stopped her; she took a few steps toward JJ. "Oh, I understand, Jennifer. This is the pot calling the kettle black; ballsy how you've been ribbing on me about secrets when you got secrets yourself," a chuckle came out of her mouth, and she pursed her lips. Élise clicked her tongue a few times and came up with a proposition. "I'll keep my mouth shut about you and Cruz…you lay off your insipid remarks and dirty looks. Deal?"

JJ timidly bobbed her head and gritted her teeth. "Deal."

Élise ended the conversation with a cheeky and winning smirk and had her hand on the door, but before she could forget, she reminded JJ, "Oh…and just, so you know…to make sure we do understand each other, I made a copy."

She left the bathroom with a glowing smile, knowing she had won this round with JJ.

It was a quarter until noon Pacific Time when the Bastien-Reid family landed in Las Vegas. By the time they arrived at the main terminal and got their luggage at the baggage claim, it was already a few minutes until noon.

"Whoo," Reid looked down at his silver watch, holding Séraphine's hand. "My dad should be here."

Élise scooped Isaac up from the floor and carried him in her arms. "Maybe he's running late or…"

"Spencer!"

He and Élise spun around to the sound of William among the crowd of people receiving and giving hugs and kisses from loved ones. The crowd cleared up a bit, and they could see William waving to them.

"Hey, dad!" Spencer waved back to his dad, especially when he walked toward them.

William still had a slight smile on his face. "Hey, everyone!"

Séraphine let go of her dad's hand and tottered to her paternal grandfather. "Granpa…!"

William cowered down and embraced his only granddaughter. "Ooh! There's my little pixie," he cupped his giant hands on her face, and his eyes enlarged when he saw Isaac. "Hey, little man," he balled his hands into a fist, hoping his grandson would copy him and fist-bump but instead, Isaac's small hand covered his fist, making everyone laugh.

"Just like his daddy," said Spencer; he'd do the same whenever Morgan wanted to fist bump.

Soon afterward, William took everyone home in his Prius.

William came back from the kitchen with a tray of refreshments and set them down on the burnt sienna wooden coffee table in the living room.

"Thanks, Papa Will," said Élise, reaching for a porcelain white coffee cup.

William chuckled. "I like it when you call me Papa Will; it makes me feel younger."

"Doesn't any grandparent want to feel younger?" Reid joked, making his dad and Élise laugh.

But now that his son and daughter-in-law thought about it, William asked, "How would you feel if the children called me Big Daddy?"

Élise stifled a peal of laughter, almost spitting out some of her drink. "What are you, some kind of Italian mob boss or a pimp?"

"G-Dog?" William suggested again.

Spencer snorted. "Unless you're a washed-up hip-hop mogul past his prime, no."

"Big Paw?" William proposed; he kept on going when he kept getting hilariously disapproving looks from Spencer and Élise. "Pops? PawPaw? Papadaddy? Bubba? Papaboss?"

Spencer called out to his mother, who was sitting by the window, writing in her journal with her hand on her cheek. "Mom?"

Diana raised her head up; her eyes shined, and she smiled with her white teeth showing joy at seeing her son. "Oh, my baby boy," she got up from her seat and immediately started hugging him.

"Ooh! How are you doing today?"

"I'm good, mother," answered Spencer as she pulled back. "Oh, uh…Élise is in the bathroom with Séraphine and Isaac. So…give her a couple of minutes."

"Oh, okay," Diana casually replied. "So…are you here for your big birthday celebration this Saturday?"

Spencer scratched his cheek and made a face. "In less than twenty-four hours, I'll be 32."

Diana had her hands over her cheeks; she could feel the tear ducts in her eyes and now had her hands over her mouth. "I can't believe my baby's going to be 32 years old."

"I sometimes can't believe it myself." Spencer blushed sheepishly with his hands in his pockets. "I never thought by 32, I'd be married. I'd never thought I had a family."

"Life takes us on a ride, huh?" Diana sat down and had her hands on her knees. "It's definitely a rollercoaster that has one of those loop-de-loops. We're taken on highs and lows; there are roadblocks and passes. It's a cliché that life is the journey, not the destination, but it's true."

Spencer simpered. "Have you been reading Ralph Waldo Emerson and quoted him?"

He and his mother shared a laugh when they heard speedy footage and a high voice.

"Granma…!"

Diana was on alert when Séraphine duckwalked towards her; Élise traced behind, carrying Isaac in her arms.

"Hiii!" Diana held her arms out and cuddled her granddaughter. "My favorite granddaughter in the whole world!" her eyes beamed when she saw Élise and Isaac. "Hello, you two…!"

Élise embraced her mother-in-law and allowed her to hold Isaac.

"Where did you get those beautiful blue eyes?" Diana cooed.

Isaac squealed. "Ahhh…!"

After about an hour-and-a-half, Spencer and Élise took the children to John and Melissa's place in Henderson. Spencer rhythmically knocked on the door and waited nine seconds before someone answered the door.

"Spencer!" it was Melissa; an instant grin appeared on her face, and she allowed the Bastien-Reid family into the house. "Élise! Little ones!" she closed the door and locked the top half. "How's everyone's doin'?"

"We're good," Élise hunkered down to remove Séraphine's denim vest for her and stood up. She sniffed the air of tomato sauce and butter. "What's for din-din?"

Melissa answered, "John offered to make dinner tonight: chicken parmesan with tomato butter spaghetti, butternut squash harvest salad, garlic bread, and carrot cake for dessert," she walked over to the couch in the living room to get Samuel.

"Uncle Spencer!" it was Sabrina's voice that cried when she descended the stairs, her arms out.

Reid had a beaming smile on his face. "Bree!" he hugged her, and when he pulled back, he joked, "Have you been getting taller?"

Sabrina giggled. "Auntie Lise!" she hugged her next.

"How are you, angel?" Élise past her onto Séraphine, who gave her a hug.

Melissa tickled Samuel's hand as she reintroduced her son to the Bastien-Reid. "Remember your cousins, Sammy?"

Spencer chuckled. "Sammy…I like the nickname."

John walked into the living room from the kitchen; green oven mitts clad in his hands. He announced, "Dinner's ready!"

Élise laughed at his black apron that said MEN CAN COOK across the front and his white chef's hat. "Are you auditioning for Top Chef or something?"

"No, but you can call me Chef Boyardee," John tipped his head and held out his hand out for Sabrina to grab onto it, escorting her to the dining room.

There was another knock on the door; Élise led the children to the dining area just as Melissa answered the door.

"Surprise!"

Standing at the door were Ethel, Gordon, Anna, and Nathan; Melissa invited them in. "I didn't know you were coming…"

"Hence my surprise," Ethel held a small ta-da posing moment when she and Anna stepped into the foyer first. "Plus, my Ethel senses tingled that Spencer would be here. After all, his birthday is tomorrow."

"I was planning on stopping by your place," Spencer meekly raised his hand.

Melissa snorted. "Ethel senses?" to think she's been married to John for nearly six years, Melissa would be used to her mother-in-law's unusualness.

Ethel reasoned. "If Spider-Man can have his spidey senses, why can't I have Ethel senses?"

Spencer snickered to himself and to Nathan making an Ethel's something-special-alright face, pointing to his head and twirling his finger near his temple; Gordon and Anna smirked as well.

"I saw that, Nathan," Ethel waved her balled fist. "I may be getting older, but I got the eyes of an eagle, the speed of a cheetah, the alertness of a tiger, the hearing of a bat, and the wisdom of a great horned owl. So don't test me…"

Nathan shoved his hand in his pocket and clammed his mouth shut. "Sorry about that."

The families sat together for dinner and caught up on what was going on in their lives.

Élise and William got up early, since almost minutes to six in the morning, making Spencer his birthday breakfast.

William gazed at the kitchen clock, and it was almost eight.

"Dad! Lise!"

When Élise and William heard Spencer calling out for them, their heads picked up.

"Come on-come on-come on," Élise scrambled to get the table set up, she got the ceramic plates and bowls organized on the table, and William got the food and napkins. "Hurry-hurry!" she hissed; Élise and William didn't want anything less than perfection.

"Careful!" said William to Élise when she almost spilled the mocktail drink onto the table linen. "Ooh!"

"Hello?" Spencer's voice echoed in the kitchen.

William flicked off any breakfast residue he had and clung to his terrycloth robe; Élise did the same when she closed off her robe.

Spencer pushed the swinging kitchen door; he had Isaac in his arm and holding Séraphine's hand in the other.

"You two didn't hear me or…?"

Élise and William flashed big smiles. "Surprise!" Élise shimmered her way over to Spencer and planted a big kiss on his lips.

"Happy birthday, my love!"

Spencer's cheeks were now a reddish-pink blush, especially when he saw the spread of food Élise and his dad made for breakfast. "Aw, you two shouldn't have."

"You mean you don't want this delicious donut?" Élise tempted Spencer with a chocolate donut with sprinkles, waving it in front of his face. "It's extra chocolatey," she added, whispering in his ear. "Like me…"

Spencer almost fell a wiggle in his knee and sheepishly giggled, almost reminding himself he was in the presence of his children and father and had Isaac.

"Okay…" he politely took the plate from her and kissed Élise's cheek.

William offered to fix Spencer a plate while he led the children into the dining room. "What do you want, son?" he went through the choices he and Élise made. "We got pancakes, waffles, French toast, cinnamon rolls, Eggs Florentine, orange-glazed bacon."

Spencer settled in his seat; he securely had Isaac on his lap. "I'll take one of each, please."

"You got it!"

Séraphine asked innocently as she sat next to him, "Howl old ar you, daddy?"

Spencer amusingly answered, "Twenty-seven…"

"No, you're not," Séraphine giggled.

"How old do you think daddy is?" asked Élise, coaxing Isaac from Spencer's lap.

Séraphine shrugged and made a face, making her parents laugh.

Later that afternoon, after the children had their naps, Spencer and Élise took the children to Ethel and Gordon's ranch.

"Hello…!" Spencer made his presence known when he entered the foyer holding Séraphine's hand and Élise holding Isaac. The family followed Spencer into the living room. "We're here!"

They heard a door open and close; there came Ethel and Gordon. Both were in plaid shirts, relaxed light wash jeans and riding boots. Gordon removed his hat and used it to fan himself while Ethel rummaged through her hair for any hay.

"Hello, family!" Ethel held her arms out as she walked toward Spencer and his family. She hugged Spencer first. "Happy birthday."

Spencer smiled. "Thanks, Ethel," he was surprised she hadn't made any comment about his still-and-already short hair, even though she didn't make one the other day at Gordon and Melissa's place.

Ethel drew back, put her hands on his shoulders, and asked, "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Perhaps I can ride on Sherlock," said Spencer. "And maybe Fifi here can get her first experience on a horse; maybe a pony."

Ethel gasped, bent down, and had her hands on her knees. "You wanna get a pony?"

Séraphine hopped. "Yea!"

"You're in luck; you know, a couple years ago, Melissa helped Kay deliver healthy twins, Lalla and Bors, so their knees should be settled by now."

Reid uttered a fact, "Did you know that the rarity of a horse having twin foals and their survival is one in ten thousand?"

"Melissa said the same thing," said Ethel; she got back up and straightened her back. "We'll get you set up. But first, I wanna hold my great-nephew," Ethel had a toothy smile on her face when Élise handed Isaac to her.

"Hello, my little movie star," Ethel immediately starts cooing over him. "Ooh! Look at these pretty locks of yours," she twirled a curl around her index finger.

With a polite, plastered smile on her face, Élise tugged Spencer's collar and whispered in a hissing tone, "Get him away from Ethel."

Élise took a snapshot of Spencer and Séraphine after they got into the proper horse riding gear: polos and T-shirts, jeans, and boots, and just before Ethel showed where they kept the horses and ponies.

Ethel showed the family two ponies; the female one was chestnut coated, and the male one was bay coated. "This pretty one is Lalla, and this handsome one is Bors."

"Pretay!" Séraphine oozed over the two ponies.

Spencer picked Séraphine up. "Wanna feel their coats?"

Séraphine bobbed her head ecstatically. "Ah-huh!" Spencer allowed her to get close enough to the ponies and pet their coats.

"Soft, ain't it?" Élise caressed the ponies' coats; she took Isaac's hand and got him to stroke. "Feel how soft that is."

Isaac fussed. "Ooh…"

"Okay," Spencer set Séraphine back down and slipped on the riding gloves and helmet. "Let me get on Sherlock first," after he got on Sherlock, Ethel got the toddler-sized helmet and gloves for Séraphine. After Élise got the equipment on Séraphine, she scooped Séraphine and placed her in front of her father.

"Ah… don't you two look so cute!" Élise gushed at the father-daughter duo on the horse being led into the field.

Spencer and Elise allowed Séraphine to spend thirty minutes on one of the ponies with their supervision before Gordon and Ethel cooked them a quick lunch.

Now that Séraphine and Isaac had their second naps, it was still late afternoon but almost close to dinnertime, and before Spencer and Élise could go out, William had a surprise.

"Happy birthday to you," he brought out a moist chocolate cake that had two purple 3 and 2 lit candles; the rest of the family joined in on the song. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Spencer. Happy birthday to you!"

Séraphine blew on her party horn, and Élise got Isaac to clap along as everyone watched Spencer blow out his candles.

Spencer and Élise spent their dinner at Joel Robuchon's Las Vegas restaurant and saw Michael Jackson: One at the Mandalay Bay on the Strip in Paradise.

"Happy birthday, my love."