A/N: Hello, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

About an hour ago, Élise got off the phone with the U.S. President, explaining to him that she needs some time off until June 1st to help take care of her husband after he was injured in the line of duty—he understood.

Afterward, Rose got lunch prepared: strawberry and watercress salad with tart rhubarb, fresh herbs, and a sprinkling of poppy seeds, whole grain chicken nuggets, and berry sorbet.

Élise presented Séraphine and Isaac with their plates with the salad, six nuggets, and a slosh of ketchup.

"Thank you, mommy…" the two children said simultaneously.

Élise took her seat and started poking into her salad before having a bite. Having another taste, she turned her head and watched Spencer have a bite of his salad. "Need some help, babe?"

Spencer looked to Élise. "I'm fine, honey. Really?"

"Are you okay, daddy?" Séraphine asked again about his neck bind.

Spencer had his hand above it, still a bit conscious about having his children see his neck like this. "I'm fine.

Élise held her forklod in the air. "Remember what I said about daddy's neck?"

"No touchy." Isaac wagged his tiny finger.

"Good boy," a giggling Élise winked her eye and ate. Rose joined the family after needing to use the bathroom. Using the cherry wood serving spoon, she dolloped some salad onto her plate and a few nuggets before she started eating. "So, how was everyone while daddy and I were gone?" asked Élise.

Rose nodded. "It was good, very good."

Séraphine held her hand up. "I like reading very much."

Élise smiled. "Yeah, I know," she cocked her head up. "What about you, Ziggy?"

"'Swatch Sesame Street," Isaac giggled. "'Eye 'ike Elmo and Big Bird…"

An idea lit up like a lightbulb in Élise's head. "Oh!" she snapped her fingers. "How about we go to Sesame Place? You know, I haven't been there since I was a kid…"

"Yeah," Rose agreed, already getting excited. "There's all these water slides and rides…oh! You can even dine with Elmo and his friends!"

Isaac cheered. "Yay!"

Spencer hated to be the one to burst anyone's bubble. "But just not right now, little man…"

Isaac pouted his lips out and slumped his head. "Aw…"

"However…." Élise hoped to cheer him up. "There are lots of things to do this summer, now that daddy will be home…"

Isaac still had a slight frown on his face. "'Ike wha?"

"We can see Grandma Genny and Grandpa Micha," Séraphine raised her hand, giving an idea.

"Oh, we're definitely going to see them," Élise dried her mouth with a napkin. "And see Arthur and Bea. And Las Vegas to see Grandma Dee and Grandpa Will, the wonderful Ethel, the gracious Gordon, joyful John, amazing Anna, and natural Nathan."

Seraphin asked again. "And Brina and Sammy?"

"Mmm-hmm." Spencer drank some sparkling berry-infused water. "And there's something else we want to talk to you two about..." he looked to Élise, who had her hand over his.

Isaac shrugged his shoulders. "'Ike wha?"

The couple squeezed each other's hands and looked deeply too each other; Spencer sighed and announced, "So…how do you two feel if mommy and I had another baby?"

Séraphine grimaced her eyes and mouth. "Uh…"

Isaac lifted his shoulders again. "Mmm-hmm…bu' if yoo doo, 'an it bee a boy like me?"

Spencer, Élise, and even Rose giggled.

It's been a couple of days since Spencer came back with the team from Texas, and there was still something Élise wanted to do. She pressed Hotch's number on her phone and held it to her ear, waiting for him to answer. He finally did after the third ring.

"Hello?"

Élise swallowed the lump that was in her throat. "Hello, Hotch."

"Élise."

Élise sighed again. "Look, Aaron…I wanted to apologize for the way I was. Was I upset you didn't tell me immediately after Spencer was shot? Yes? But…was it right of me to lash out at you like that, somewhat considering your own experiences? No. It wasn't, and I'm sorry."

"And I, too, wanted to apologize for keeping you in the dark about Spencer. I know he's your husband and the father of Séraphine and Isaac, but in a way, I was protecting you as well."

Élise had her hand on her hip. "How?"

"Élise, you're the United States Attorney General. You're in a high-ranking position in our federal government. How would this have looked had you jumped on a flight here? Plus, just think about the danger you would have been in. You do know not everyone is a "fan" of you."

"I could have sent a Marshal or two to look after him," Élise tried to justify, but in her mind, even she knew Hotch was somewhat in the right. "But… you're right. Again, I'm sorry."

"I know, and I apologized again."

There's something else Élise wanted to clear up. "And, uh…about Blake…"

"She's retiring from the field," Hotch confirmed. "She…sent her letter of resignation on the flight home."

Élise exhaled. "I'm gonna miss her."

"Yeah." Hotch agreed.

Per the doctors' instructions on spending his first few days after surgery relaxing at home, Spencer chilled in the living room, already having his feet on the ottoman. The children were occupied in the upstairs playroom, and Élise helped Rose prepare dinner.

He had just finished Asimov's The Gods Themselves and thought about reading the first of his Black Widowers mystery collection, Tales of the Black Widowers, when he saw his phone next to him on the sofa. He picked it up and gazed at it. He opened it to the contacts list and saw his father's number. He opted to call his father and tell him what's been going on with him lately. Pressing his father's number, he grasped the phone to his ear and wanted for him to answer.

"Hello?" his father answered after the second ring.

"Hey, dad!"

"Spencer!" William was excited to hear from his son. "How've you been?"

Spencer massaged the right side of his neck, feeling a weak pang there. "I've been better," he huffed. "Because I got shot in the neck while my colleagues and I were in Texas a couple of days ago."

"What?" a quietly horrified William muttered. "A-a-are you o-okay?"

Spencer caressed it for a little bit longer. "I'm fine, uh…" he firmly assured his father before a grunt came out of his mouth. "I'm fine."

"D-d-do you wa-want me to fly out to D-D-D.C…"

"No-no…" Spencer stopped his father. "Dad, I love you, but I just need some quiet time at home with Élise and the children right now."

William exhaled. "Oh. Oh, okay. Does your mother know about this?"

"Oh, no…" Spencer's jaw opened when he realized he hadn't told his mother about what had happened. And when she does, it would not be good.

And his hypothesis was correct. When he called her after calling his father and told her what happened…

"Oh, my God…" he hauled the phone away when she started panicking and yelling, getting hysterical. "My baby-my baby…"

"Mom-mom-mom, I'm fine-I'm fine." Spencer tried calming her down. "Okay? I…am…fine." He emphasized the words slowly for his mother to know he was fine. "You don't have to come to D.C. right now; just let me spend some time with Élise and the kids for now."

It worked for all of ten seconds when he heard her sigh in relief and began ranting about hunting down the government and whoever injured her only child and punishing them the way people were in the 15th century.

Spencer heard Alex would be joining her husband in Massachusetts within the next few days. After the children napped, he and Élise decided to have one last visit at her soon-to-be former residence.

Élise opted to drive the black Suburban instead of having her detail drive. From the corner of their eyes were a giant moving van and two youngish-looking gentlemen in uniform overalls and baseball caps carrying a plastic-covered blue-gray colored couch into the truck. Also, there was a bunch of other cardboard boxed, sealed, and ready to be taken and a For Sale sign picketed on the front maintained green lawn.

She parked the car behind the van and helped Spencer get out of the front passenger seat before getting Séraphine first and Isaac second from their seats in the back. Élise had her left hand on her hip, carrying the gift she and Spencer got for her, and stared at the redbrick and white slide Georgian Revival colonial house.

Élise remembered the first time she and Spencer went to their home.

It was just after Spencer was discharged from the hospital after he was shot by Patrick Meyers, a vengeful budding spree killer and stalker obsessed with a doctor and his son.

"Mmm…" Spencer still felt sore in his knee. Luckily, he had Élise and his clutches for support. "It was awfully nice for Dr. Blake and her husband to invite us to their place."

She and Élise walked up the brick path to the house. "I know." Élise rang the classical chimed doorbell. The mahogany front door opened, and there was Alex herself.

"Hello, you two," Alex set aside and allowed them to step into the house. The engaged couple walked inside the foyer, and already the two felt a cozy, homey feeling with the warm-colored walls, polished acacia hardwood flooring, and the carpeted ironwood staircase; to their right was the sepia rectangular archway to the living room, and to the left was a picturesque dining room.

"Thank you for inviting us to your lovely home." Élise had her head so far back that she ogled at the cornered wood ceilings while guiding him into the living room.

Blake locked the door behind her; she had her hands on her hips, ambling to one of the two accent chairs across from the coffee table. "Of course." she offered to pour two cups of green tea; next to the setup was a charcuterie board of tiny finger sandwiches. She crossed her legs. "So, how have you been since the surgery?"

Spencer felt another pain in a spot on his upper leg but still above his knee. "I'm good."

"I swear, had anything happened to him, I would have…" Élise concealed her anger through her gritted teeth and had a sip of the tea Alex brewed. "Mmm…green tea does it every time, and to think, I hated drinking tea when I was younger except for when my friend made a monthly stop, but now, it's one of my top five beverages to drink."

Blake stifled a chuckle while Spencer looked confused for a few seconds before realizing what Élise meant and had two sips. "So, James is at work right now?"

"He should be back in a few hours," said Alex after she took a swig. "So…how is the wedding planning?"

"Going steadily along," Élise blushed whenever someone mentioned anything about her and Spencer getting married. "Well, for starters, we're getting rid of any mentioning of pork on the menu."

"Why?" Alex asked. "Are you two going kosher?"

"Let's just say we won't be thinking of pigs the same after Canada."

Alex opened her mouth but closed it, wanting to ask him what Spencer meant when he said that, but immediately thought it might be best if she didn't know right now.

Holding Séraphine's hand, Spencer knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Someone did, and that someone was Alex herself before she and the family made room for a mover carrying a heavy-duty box.

Alex smiled as she had the family come in. "Nice for you all to visit." She had her hands on her hips. The entryway looked borderline empty, and possessions were either plastic wrapped or boxed.

"So, you and James are really doing it?" Élise had Isaac beside her, holding his hand.

Alex sighed with ease. "To be frank, it was the last thing on my mind; to pack up and be with James at Harvard. But lately, after recent events…I need something new in my life. A new fresh start."

Spencer tugged Séraphine closer to his body to make room for another hauler with a handled box. "So, what are you going to do there?"

"I'm going back to teaching but full-time," Alex announced proudly. "Educate and enrich the minds with linguistics."

"Well, we're proud of you, Alex, and we're so glad for you and James." Élise handed Alex her gift. She looked inside and pulled out a white mug that had black lettering.

"'You've got a friend in me.'" Blake flushed honorably.

"Tooy stori…" Isaac babbled.

"Aw, this is so sweet." Alex felt a wave of emotion that was tingling all over her body. "I miss you all already. But if you're ever around the Harvard area, I'd love for you to come and guest lecture."

"I'd think I like that."

After breakfast, Spencer made sure the children were out of the kitchen so that way they wouldn't see him take his medication dose.

Élise—in a light pink loose tank top, gray training pants, and sneakers—strolled into the kitchen, swabbing her baby hair that still had a little bit of sweat there, and dabbed her face with the cotton towel she had on her shoulders. She groaned when she sat down on the island seat.

"Oh, I totally needed that." Élise had her elbow on the counter and her fist on her temple. She then witnessed Spencer getting a clean cup from one of the cabinets, opening the refrigerator, and grabbing a pitcher of water. After closing the fridge door, he poured the glass until it was three-quarters full and gave it to Élise.

"Here you go…"

"Thanks." Élise gulped it down within ten seconds. "Aw…" she stuck her tongue out; Spencer refilled the cup again, and she had a few more gulps. She lifted her top, showing off her toned abs. "Belly's nice and flat." She smoothed her hand over her stomach. "And still a little moist, thanks to my sweat."

"Élise…"

"I've been taking it easy, Spence." she knew he was about to do his don't-overextend-yourself-exercising speech. She lengthened her arms before she slid them down to her hips and stretched her back. "So…what can we have for lunch today?" Élise got up from her seat and did some scouting in the fridge, pulling out some packaged firm tofu. "I'm thinking BBQ shredded tofu tacos or wraps."

"We can do both," Spencer suggested, which Elise didn't mind. "Have two options…"

The two were soon distracted by the rhythmic knock on the door. Élise put the tofu bag on the counter. "Did you invite someone?"

"No, did you?" Spencer asked, weary.

"No…" Élise tried to peek through the kitchen blinds to see who it was while Spencer looked at the portable security camera. Whoever was at the door had a giant gift basket blocking their view before making themselves known.

"Garcia?"

Élise closed the blinds and looked at the cameras. Garcia waved to the cameras and bounced; her body language begged them to let her in.

"I'm surprised she's here." Élise ambled out of the kitchen and into the entryway, opening the front door.

"Helloooooooo, famille." Garcia burst into the house with sashay vibes and a smile as big as her heart and the sun. "I know you don't come back to work until sometime in September, but I come bearing gifts while you recover." She handed Spencer the basket.

Élise looked at the contents. "Cotton robe and slippers. Custom neck pillow. Popcorn and fruit. Epsom salts and lavender scents."

"I even got some of Switzerland's finest chocolates and freshly baked cookies, courtesy of moi." Garcia giggled, pointing to herself.

Spencer grinned graciously before handing it to Élise. "Thank you, Garcia, and thank you again for saving my life."

Already overwhelmed with joy, Garcia immediately hugged Spencer. "We're family; family protects each other. If one of us is hurt, we're all hurt."

Élise joined in. "We owe you one, Lady P."

"You're wonderful; you know that?"

After pulling back from the group hug, the couple asked Garcia if she wanted to stay for lunch. She quickly accepted their offer and helped them cook lunch.