A/N: Hello again, everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement intended.
Now the chapter takes place the next day on Sunday, February 2nd, still taking real-life events and putting my own twists on them.
"Henry…!" Spencer called for his godson, zipping Élise's Goyard bags for her. "Your dad's comin' soon!"
"Vroom!" Henry sprinted out of the kitchen and into the foyer and immediately started doing jumping jacks. "Uh-uh-uh…"
"Good you're doing some exercises…" said Spencer; he decided to take the children to the Chocolate Lovers' Festival in Fairfax. "It'll help lower your blood sugar…"
"Up-up-up!" Henry stretched his arms up. "Up-up-up!" he giggled when someone rhythmically knocked on the door. Spencer got it. "Daddy!"
"Ooh!" Will grunted when Henry leaped into his arms and was unfazed by his energetic nature. "Someone's an ever-ready bunny…"
Henry spread his arms and legs out. "Oh-oh-oh!"
Spencer meekly raised his hand. "It's my fault, Will…" he fingered for Will to lean in closer and whispered, "I took him, Séraphine, and Isaac to Fairfax to the Chocolate Lovers' Festival. I…guess I got him hopped up on too much sugar…"
"Aw, that's okay," said Will casually. "This is nothing. You should see him hopped up on pizza and ice cream…"
Spencer only imagined. "Ooh…"
"Anyway, thanks for taking care of him." Will got Henry's bag for him and held onto it by one of its black straps. "JJ and I own you big time…"
Spencer simply nodded his head and watched Will place Henry into the backseat of his car; Will waved goodbye again before he got into the driver's seat and drove off just as two black Suburbans were driving up the long-paved driveway.
"Élise! Your ride's here!" Spencer cried for Élise as he closed the front door.
The only sound coming downs the stairs was the clip-clop from her heels. Élise was nicely dressed in a black blazer, straight pants, turtleneck sweater, sock stockings, heels, and a peacoat coat; her hair back; and carried her handbag by her elbow.
"I look ready for Sweden," said Élise, looping her scarf around her neck and adjusting her beret. "Oh, I'm nervous…"
Spencer pulled Élise closer to him and kissed her face. "You'll be fine."
"But I won't see you all again for a while…" Élise twirled one of her loose hair pieces around her manicured index finger. "After Sweden, I go to New York for the gala on Saturday, then the state dinner…"
"You're doing your AG thing," said Spencer, giving her another kiss. "Like I do my profiling thing. Plus, there's always FaceTime, so…"
Élise gave Spencer an assuring smile. "Yeah…"
"Mommy…" they heard Séraphine and Isaac come out of the kitchen with her just as they listened to the car horn. While Spencer went outside to help take her luggage to the car, Élise bent down and hugged her children.
"I won't be seeing you all for a while, so please be good for Rose and your daddy, okay…?"
"KK…"
Isaac blabbed, fluttering his pretty eyes, "I mis yoo alredy…"
Élise smirked after giving him and Séraphine another kiss. "You're cute, you know that?"
Opal came into the foyer, barking, walking around Élise before cuddling her legs. Élise squatted a bit and stroked her fur. "You be good, too, okay?"
Opal barked again. Élise fixed herself up again and gave Spencer one last kiss. "I'll text you every step of the way, arriving at the airport, when my flight takes off…"
"I know the drill…" said Spencer just as the door knocked again. He opened the door, and there was a man in his mid-fifties in a suit appeared.
"Are you ready, ma'am?" asked the stern-looking agent.
Élise nodded and gave her family one last wave goodbye before getting into the car. "Buh-bye…"
"Bye, mommy…!" everyone watched the Suburbans leave the driveway.
After twenty minutes, Élise made it to Dulles International Airport. After getting her luggage, she took her phone and texted Spencer all the way to make sure she was alright until the eight-nine-hour Boeing flight to Sweden for her to get some rest before landing.
Spencer remembered Rossi wanted to talk to him about something; before he knew it, he was waiting for him in his office. Rossi came in, holding a file.
"Hey, Spencer," said Rossi, closing the door behind him. He casually tossed the file on his desk just as he took a seat. Once he got settled in, he asked, "How's it been with Élise the AG?"
Spencer had to chuckle a bit. "It's been going on steady; now, she's in Sweden for a speech at Parliament," he sighed. "Then she's going to New York for the big gala. Then we have that big state dinner at the White House…"
"Ooh…" Rossi sounded impressed. "She's going places. She reminds me of my second ex-wife, Hayden Montgomery." Rossi now leaned back in his chair and crossed his fingers, looking as if he was staring at a distant memory.
"We met when I was on a trip to Paris, the City of Dreams."
Spencer unintentionally interrupted Rossi. "Actually, did you know that Paris derived its name from its early inhab…?"
"Spencer…?" Rossi used his must-you-interrupt tone.
Spencer cleared his throat. "Sorry…" he apologized.
"Anyway…I was on a trip, and we…hit it off…to the point where we got married. I was still this young…ish and ambitious agent moving up in the FBI, ready to conquer the world, and she was a diplomat already doing that. Already, she was meeting with dignitaries, traveling to different countries, cell phone permanently attached to her ear, and I…" Rossi lifted his shoulders.
Spencer finished the sentence. "…You couldn't handle it?"
"That and…I pushed her away when I really just wanted to catch up to her…" Rossi whispered, sniffed once, and mustered himself up. "Still, you two are lucky to have each other and work things out the way you do, unlike Hayden and I. Don't make the mistakes I did. Don't push her away."
Spencer took Rossi's advice to heart. "I will…" soon, his phone buzzed in his pants pocket. He got it out and saw a text message alert from Élise. He opened it, and he smiled.
"From Élise?" Rossi guessed correctly.
"She took a bunch of pictures while she was on her way to meet with some of the Swedish parliament members, including the Prime Minister." Spencer showed Rossi some of the pictures.
"Texted her that if she gets to meet the royal family, ask the King if he remembers David Rossi." Rossi smirked.
Spencer snickered. "You know the King of Sweden?"
"And the Mayor of Stockholm." Rossi added, now telling him one of his stories.
With some help from Garcia, Spencer managed to watch a live stream of Élise in Sweden, with the former AG delivering remarks to the Riksdag.
After a couple of hours, it was nighttime in Stockholm, and he and Élise began Zoomtiming.
"Hey, you were great!" Spencer praised Élise; he was in the kitchen while the kids and Opal were in the living room. "And you looked great."
"Yeah…" Élise yawned; she was in her suite at the Grand Hotel. "Ooh, my goodness. I'm so tired. I need to get some sleep before I fly out to New York in the morning."
Spencer picked up his tablet. "Want to say hi to them?"
"Of course…"
Spencer walked out from the kitchen to the living room. Séraphine and Isaac were watching television, and Opal just woke up.
"Hey, kids…" Spencer got their attention. "Guess who wants to see you…" she showed them Élise's face on Zoom.
"Hey-a…" she waved.
"Mommy…!" Séraphine and Isaac squealed when they saw Élise's face on the screen; Opal barked. "Gimme-gimme-gimme…"
A chuckling Spencer gave the kids the tablet. Each grabbed an end and played tug-of-war over it until Spencer sat between them and took it from them, holding it for them. Opal squeezed in
"Hi, mommy…!"
Élise beamed. "Hey, babies…! How are you?"
"We good…" Isaac babbled. "We mis yoo, mommy…"
Élise sniffed a tear. "I miss you, too…"
Élise left Stockholm in the afternoon and arrived in New York City within the afternoon via time zone. After landing, one of her security agents drove her to the Carlyle Hotel, allowing her to recuperate until the gala on Friday night before leaving for D.C. and arriving in the mid-afternoon.
"Come-come-come!" Spencer got everyone—from Rose to Opal, Maeve and Bobby—gathered in the foyer after peeking through the blinds and saw her getting out of the Suburban with a couple of her detail agents. He got everyone into their posing positions. "Shh…" The door opened, and everyone shouted.
"Surprise!"
"Whoa!" Élise jumped, almost causing a couple of agents to holster their weapons until Élise stopped them and assured them everyone was fine, and allowed them to go home. She thanked them for their services throughout her trip and will be seeing them soon. Élise watched the Suburbans leave, and she went into the house, logging into the security.
"Oh, what a week!" She grunted, collapsing her back against the wall. "And I have the White House State Dinner coming up…"
"The point is…" Maeve took Élise's hands and pulled her back off the wall. "Your home, and you get to relax at home…"
"We miss you, mommy…" Séraphine and Isaac hugged her legs.
Élise squatted and hugged her children back. "Mommy missed you all…" Opal barked and licked Élise's cheek, making her giggle. "Even you, Opie…"
Soon, everyone gathered for dinner, and Élise talked about her overseas and NYC trips.
Before anyone knew it, it was nighttime; Spencer and Élise got the children cleaned up and in bed. While in bed, waiting for Élise to come out of the bathroom after hearing the shower water stop, Spencer held the invitation to the White House State Dinner honoring the French President.
Spencer always heard that being invited to one is one of the grandest and most glamorous White House affairs. Majorly prominent and influential people: from moguls to celebrities from all over the world, attended this event. And it would be his and Élise's first.
Élise pulled the silk cap down on her head and got into bed. She saw Spencer still eyeing the invite.
"Nervous about the big dinner coming up tomorrow night?" asked Élise. "I saw the guest list online. Mary J. Blige will be providing the entertainment, and major stars will be there. Bradley Cooper, Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, that billionaire business magnate who was born in South Africa, Cicely Tyson…" she dreamily closed her eyes when her head met the pillow. "A dream come true for anyone…"
"It would be nice to meet any of them," said Spencer, putting the invite on the bedside. "Oh, I'm so glad you are home, sweetheart…" he tugged himself closer to Élise and embraced her.
Élise drew herself closer to him and kissed his lips. "I'm always glad to be home…"
Typical Sunday for the family: everyone woke up, had breakfast, church services, and lunch, and spent quality bonding time together before Spencer and Élise got ready for their first time at the state dinner.
The two took a shower, washed their hair, and got ready.
Spencer brushed off any lint that was on his favorite tuxedo and shined leather oxfords. "Élise, are you ready?" he asked, twiddling with his black bowtie.
"Almost!" said Élise from her walk-in closet, and after a few seconds, "Ready or not, here I come!" she came out from the closet, and Spencer's jaw dropped.
Élise attired herself in this beautiful black antique Christian Dior gown, equally antique and beautiful Roger Vivier heels, evening gloves, her hair in a chic chignon, and gold Cartier jewelry, and strutted her way to the bed to get her black quilted YSL clutch.
"Mon Dieu... Élise, tu es si belle."[1] Spencer complimented.
Élise blushed. "Merci. Et puis-je dire, vous avez l'air si beau vous-même."[2]
Spencer and Élise arrived at the White House within twenty-five to thirty minutes. After getting through security, Spencer and Élise, hands locked together, sauntered into the East Garden Room, known as the Bookseller's Room, and were greeted by reporters lined up.
"The Honorable Élise Bastien, United States Attorney General, and Dr. Spencer Reid.
They made their way to the event, which was being held in a white tent on the South Lawn.
It was Monday morning, and Spencer was at his desk in the bullpen; Blake was adjoined to him on her computer.
"So…how was last night?" she asked. "I'm looking at some of the pictures online…the top fashion magazines are still raving about Élise's outfit."
"It was great," said Spencer. "We actually met some great people. Élise nearly passed out when she met Cicely Tyson."
Blake smirked. She folded her arms on the desk. "So, how's it been since Élise became AG?"
"Busy; we're still thinking about Valentine's Day plans on Friday."
Blake grinned. "Well, no doubt it'll be romantic."
Spencer smiled to himself. "I know it will…"
Soon the two saw Hotch coming out of his office and into the roundtable room, the same with Rossi. Meaning it was case time and Spencer and Blake joined them. Among them were Garcia, Morgan, and surprisingly JJ since it's been two weeks. She insisted she was fine and had been medicinally checked.
Nevertheless, they got started.
Élise gave a speech at the DOJ's African American History Month Event and was on her way to Georgetown University Law Center to deliver an address on Criminal Justice Reform when she got a text message from Spencer.
GOING TO PITTSBURGH FOR A CASE. PS JJ'S BACK. LOVE YOU.
Élise messaged back to him.
LOVE YOU, TOO.
The team landed within an hour and was given their assignments from Hotch. For JJ and Spencer, it was for them to go through Garcia's list of motels. They made it to a run-down one. They unbuckled their seatbelts, and before getting out, JJ spoke up.
"Uh, Spencer…" she had a tiny smirk. "Thanks for you…and Élise…for watching Henry while I was convalescing from my ordeal with…you know…"
Spencer nodded. "Of course. We are teammates, aren't we? And Henry is my godson, so…" he got out, not seeing JJ's side grin and slight blush before they two walked into the motel and approached the front desk, though it took the second-third time to get the manager's attention and he led them to a room that didn't have a shower curtain.
Though Spencer was still a serious germophobic, he unclogged a toilet and found a condom, knowing the unsub wouldn't have sex with his victims but was instead having sex with someone else, realizing they were dealing with a duo.
The two returned to the field office and joined everyone else, including the head of the case, and realized the duo's been at killing since the 1990s and stopped a few years ago.
"Oh, my…Maeve," Élise couldn't stop thinking about the night she and Spencer had at the White House state dinner. "I mean, Spence and I…we…" now her head was on the verge of spinning. "It was so…oh! Too many words for how it went last night."
"I know; I saw the pictures this morning and more while I was on my lunch break," Maeve sighed. "You and Spencer looked like this high-power political couple; I see he's getting a fair amount of attention on some of the sites."
Élise blushed. "I know, it's so embarrassing…" she admitted sheepishly.
"How?"
Élise inhaled, folding her arms. "You know, Spence and I weren't exactly the hottest things growing up. I didn't get the right kind of attention from the boys; same with Spence."
"And look where you two are now, so…" Maeve casually replied. "Now, on to more important matters…what are you and Spencer doing for Cupid's Day?"
By the following day, they were a new victim, but male this time. When the team realized how the duo lured the victims and that they were a married couple, they delivered the profile.
Soon the team discovered that the husband had a different M.O. before and after the marriage.
Élise had a steady day at work, though it was mostly meetings with the other divisions and preparing for more upcoming speeches and announcements, including one to Congress soon on cyberattacks and with the HHS Secretary.
After JJ managed to get through with a known survivor, Garcia managed to connect a potential couple, the Andersons, but could only arrest the wife, Judith. However, Spencer and Morgan managed to capture her husband Alan and save their marriage counselor from being his latest victim.
Like most cases that came with a good ending, Spencer was more than ever happy to be home with his family. A couple of days later, Spencer woke up extra early to make him and Élise's special Valentine's Day breakfast; he gave Rose the morning and afternoon off.
"Knock-knock…" Spencer knocked on his bedroom door and crept it open, only still seeing Élise half-asleep. Once he stepped in and closed it, he set the tray on his side of the bed and kissed her forehead.
Spencer's touch got Élise walking up, squinting her eyes and wiping the crust off. Her vision became more evident when she saw Spencer standing over her. "Morning, babe…"
Spencer kissed her lips. "Morning. And Happy Valentine's Day…and I'm so happy you're my one and only."
Élise caressed her hand on his cheek. "And I you."
They kissed again until they heard knocking on their bedroom door. "Come in." Spencer said. When the door opened, there were Séraphine and Isaac, still in their PJs.
"Happy Cupid Day…" Séraphine ran over to her parents' side and gave them a handcrafted red card. "Here…"
"Fom uss…" Isaac babbled, toddled to their side. "Rosie' elpd…"
Spencer and Élise opened the card and their hearts melted. "We love you, mommy and daddy…"
By the time it was nightfall, Spencer and Élise finished dinner at a restaurant that opened last year, Rose's Luxury. They were on their way home when Spencer could have sworn Garcia and Morgan were standing in front of a diner named Patty's with their significant others. Élise politely asked to stop the car, slipped on her favorite Ray-Ban sunglasses and black French beret, and the two got out.
"Pretty boy and his lady…" Morgan licked his lips and smirked. "How've you been?"
"We're good," Élise answered and turned to Savannah. "How've you been, doc?"
Savannah smiled. "Great."
"I swear, you two are like a live version of Ken and Barbie."
Garcia gasped. "That's what I just said…" before she could forget, she introduced Spencer and Élise to her boyfriend, Sam. "Oh! This is Sam…"
Sam shook the couple's hands. "I Am Sam; Sam I Am…" his joke made them laugh.
"I love me some good Theodor Seuss Geisel…" Élise giggled.
Morgan asked, having Savannah closer to him, "So, what are you two doing here?"
"We were on our way home when we saw you all," said Élise, closing up her peacoat.
Garcia gasped again. She clapped her hands together and looked up to the dark sky. "Thank you, God, for making this magical and faithful moment happen. Now, we have ourselves a triple date…"
"You're really going to love this place," said Sam. "They do the best milkshakes in town."
Spencer and Élise looked at each other, knowing they just had dinner, but then again, the children were probably still asleep and wouldn't mind a milkshake or two, and Élise carried a travel-size TUMS chews in her bags.
After deciding to join, the gentlemen allowed the women to go first, and within the next five-ten minutes, the three couples chatted.
[1] French: Oh, my…Élise, you look so beautiful.
[2] French: Thank you. And may I say, you look so handsome yourself.