A/N: Hello again, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

Hope everyone's enjoyed their holiday weekend.

Sorry, but something happened to me; long story short, I'm a victim of fraud and got scammed out of some money, and it got me feeling all depressed and wonky in the head, heart, body, mind, and soul. Not to mention making me feel all stupid, dumb, moronic, etc., but I have to take it as a learning experience and move on. I believe in karma—it's a bitch, and whoever did this to me will reap what they sow.

Everyone had to adore the beautiful southwest Utah nature preserve. It was said to be known for its 2,000-foot sandstone cliffs that'll make someone want to climb them until they get to the top or hike for hours on end. The landscape looked like something that came out of a perfect painting. Spencer and Élise had to wake the children, Rose and Opal, just to see the beautiful warm pink, yellow, and purple against the beautiful blue swirl-colored sunrise. There were the big giant green trees and the wildflowers growing amongst them. The silky and smooth clear blue sky river—reminded Élise of a scene from Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie.

Unfortunately, as much as they would want to hike all day, explore like adventuring archaeologists, and keep on surveying what was in the wonders of nature, they had to keep on schedule and head to Las Vegas, reaching there in under three hours, they made it to their destination.

Even Séraphine knew they had reached Las Vegas when she read the bright Googie sign with Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas on it.

Everyone, even Élise's security detail, passed through the open gates and parked in the concrete, brick-blended paved garage driveway. Spencer stepped out of the driver's side, the same as Élise when she was in the front seat, and Rose helped the children out of their safety seats.

Spencer opened the truck door, allowing Opal to jump out before getting their luggage and setting it down next to them. Élise held the children's hands once she and Rose got them out, and the latter stretched her limbs and rolled her neck before eyeing the impressive stucco-and-brick estate surrounded by the palm and tall columns.

Élise whipped out her cell phone and watched the gates close. "Where's Anna?" she wondered. "She said…"

"Hey, everyone…!" a voice thrilled in the air. Everybody turned to where the source of it came from, and there was Anna. Spencer and Élise's jaws opened to make a small O when they saw Anna's new glossy asymmetrical haircut.

"Holy…" If Séraphine and Isaac weren't there, she would have said 'hell,' but instead said, "Wow…you look good, girl."

Anna ran her fingers through it. "I needed a new change."

"You look nice," Spencer complimented. "At least you didn't cut it all off this time."

Anna started laughing. "I take it there's a story in this?" asked Élise.

"When I was in high school, I wanted a completely different look, so I went to a fancy salon, got my hair chopped off, and dyed my hair black to look like a '90s Linda Evangelista."

Élise knew the answer. "How'd Ethel take it?"

"She…literally celebrated every time my hair was starting to grow back again," Anna replied. "And it took my hair a year to grow back up to my neck."

Spencer chuckled at the memory; he remembered that day as well, and Ethel looked like she was gonna go into cardiac arrest and then commit a severe federal offense from beyond the grave.

"Hey, people!" Nathan howled at them, wearing just only a simple plain T-shirt, shorts, and sports sneakers, dribbling an orange basketball.

"Hey, cousin Natty!" Élise released Séraphine's hand, allowing her to hug her second cousin. Nathan scooped her into his arms and squeezed her.

"How ya doin', little ones?"

"We good," Isaac wiped his nose with his finger, prompting Spencer to dig into his satchel, pull out a sanitizing wipe, and give it to Élise to clean his booger-infected fingers.

Rose had her palms on the back of her hips. "This is a nice home you have here."

"It's actually my parents' place," said Nathan. "Anna and I live with them."

Anna quickly injected, having her hands on his shoulders now, "Which we actually don't mind, but we give them rent, though." She protected her eyes from the beaming sun's glare and noticed the second Suburban. "Your security team, Élise?"

"One of the perks of being the AG," Élise turned to the two plain-clothed agents by their vehicle. "Don't worry; I'll let them off the hook for now." She patted Spencer's chest and walked to dismiss the agents of their duties for now.

Spencer cleared his throat and asked, "Where are your parents, Nat?"

"They're in Bangkok right now," said Nathan; with Anna beside him, everyone—Spencer got most of their luggage—and they walked a corner around the estate. Élise caught up to them when she watched her team leave the gates. "They left a few days ago since they wanted to see the world more often these days; they've been doing this since their retirements."

"Maybe we should do that." Spencer and Élise thought that might not be a bad idea when the two retire, and their children are all grown up with their own lives, but that was a long time from now.

Nathan opened the white-painted door to the guest house and allowed Spencer, Élise, and their children, Rose, Opal, and Anna, in first before closing it behind him. Stepping in, the great room was nice and looked like something you'd find on the cover of a complimentary magazine. Across from the room was the kitchen/dining room.

Nathan pointed to the left and right wings of the guest house. "That's the main bedroom, completed with a bathroom, and the right is the second bedroom/home office and second separate bathroom."

Élise crouched to pet Opal's fur. "Where you wanna sleep, doggy girl?"

Opal barked, paced to a spot in the corner, and cuddled there. "I take it she wants to rest down for the day." Spencer joked.

After a quick cat nap, Élise offered to help make dinner with Anna. Together, they made kimbap, Korean seaweed rice rolls, braised tofu, tea cookies for desserts, and watermelon punch for refreshments.

Isaac slurped his drink. "Mmm…" he rubbed his belly. "Yummy…." He burped.

Élise finished chewing one of her seaweed rice rolls and gave Isaac a look. "Ziggy…"

Isaac shrugged his shoulders. "Sawry…"

"So, what's been going on with you two?" asked Spencer before eating some braised tofu.

Nathan wiped his mouth before having a sip of his drink. "Same old-same old for me at the hospital."

Anna covered her mouth while she chewed thoroughly and swallowed. "Ah, I've been busy-busy-busy with event planning, mostly high-end catering attire. It's often said that January's the best time for business, but I think there's a reason to add the summertime."

"Where'd you all go?"

Spencer began listing where they went. "Frostburg, Washington County in Pennsylvania, Monongahela, Columbus, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Kansas City, Topeka, Salina, Colorado Springs, Denver, Zion National Park."

Anna gasped. "I remember when I took my first road trip; we went to Colorado for one of my parents' business trips. I think I threw up on John twice." Everyone around the table giggled.

"I always wanted to go on a road trip, but…" Nathan shook his head. "You got some pictures and souvenirs?"

"Don't insult me," Élise lifted an eyebrow. "Oh! And wait until I tell you what happened to me…"

After dinner, Élise also offered to help Anna clean the dinner plates, and Élise recapped what happened while in Columbus.

"No way…" Anna's jaw dropped. "Someone tried to hack your accounts?"

Élise vigorously polished a white porcelain plate. "Oo-oh, yeah. I swear, when I return to D.C. in two weeks, those hack-clowns will regret their birth. Hell, they're gonna be wishing they didn't even have ancestors."

Anna sighed. "You know, this one time, when I was sixteen, I was approached by someone claiming to be a modeling scout and wanted me to give him money for all these test shots, runway, etcetera, etcetera. And just when I was about to give him the money, the cops arrested him."

"He wasn't a real modeling scout," Élise quickly figured out. "No modeling agency would ask for money."

Anna nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what Mom said. And dad. And John. And a couple of friends."

"Sorry that happened to you." Élise placed her hand on Anna's shoulder.

"It's okay," Anna had her hand on her chest. "It really made me realize that they are some seriously…screwed up people in the world who'd you anything for money."

That line got Élise singing a song from Michael Jackson's HIStory double album. "Anything, anything. Anything for money. Would lie for you, would die for you. Even sell my soul to the devil."

"Ain't that the truth, Ruth," Anna held her hand in the air, and Élise slapped it in response.

The following day, while Rose hung around Las Vegas with some old associates from her and her late husband's agency days, Spencer and Élise took the children to Aunt Ethel and Uncle Gordon's ranch.

"Hey-hey-hey, Fee!" Élise waved to her daughter riding on one of the two ponies and was assisted by Gordon. "Smile!" She managed to get a snapshot.

Séraphine giggled.

"I wanna 'ide one!" Isaac whined and bounced. "I wanna 'ide one!"

Spencer and Élise looked to each other. "You really wanna get on one, little man?" Élise squashed.

"Uh-huh," Isaac bobbled his head; his eyes beamed, and his tongue stuck out like a dog.

The parents took their son to the barn, where Ethel was brushing the horses' coats. When they asked her if Isaac could ride one of the ponies…

"Of course you can get to ride on one!" Ethel scooped Isaac up. "Of course, you adorable little boy." She spun him around, making him laugh. "Oh," she giggled. "You're such a cute little man." Ethel kissed his head lots of times. "You have such lovely hair…"

Élise looked to Spencer with calmly enlarged eyes. "Spencer…"

Spencer helped his son get into the proper attire and equipment and allowed him to pet Bors' coat, even though he felt a bit scared to do so, but like a father, Spencer encouraged him not to be afraid of. He hoisted Isaac onto the seat and held onto the pony's leash.

"Oh…" Isaac whined. "Oh…"

"It's okay, son," Spencer wasn't about to let anything wrong happen to his son. "I got it."

"Promiss?"

Spencer held his hand. "Promise."

The next day, Élise and Melissa took Séraphine and Sabrina to the Fashion Show Mall in Paraside.

"Oh," Sabrina pointed to a khaki color chino cotton shirtdress that was too far up her reach, prompting her mother to get it off the rack. "I like this one."

Melissa looked at the white Macy's price tag. "Oh! And it's on double sale for $35; practically a bargain."

"Yay!" Sabrina cheered.

Melissa held onto it by her waist and asked Élise, "What time is it?"

"11:45."

"Cool," said Melissa. "Ah, we still have time to go to the Gap; Bri outgrew her old uniforms and needed some new ones. And then we'll get a quick bite to eat."

Sabrina stuck her tongue out. "Ugh. I hate wearing them." Just thinking about it made Sabrina scratch her arm up and down.

"Wha's a unifon?"

Élise explained it for Séraphine. "A school uniform is where you wear the same set of clothing every day. And it's not just school; police officers wear uniforms, security guards, military personnel, firemen, and paramedics."

"Oh."

Melissa strolled through a shelved section of girl-sized tops and trousers. "I went to a private Christian school and wore a uniform. How about you?" she asked Élise.

"I went to public school, so nope," Élise answered bluntly. "And believe me, I understand the pros of school uniforms: discipline, school pride, etcetera, etcetera, but I believe in my right to self-express and individuality."

Melissa chuckled.

Back at the Carney household, Spencer and John were hanging out in the backyard with their sons and Opal.

"'Ere!" Samuel threw the purple squeezing ball at Opal, who barked, caught the ball with her mouth, and ambled it back to Samuel, barking again and panting with her tongue out. "'Ood, doggy!"

Opal allowed Samuel to feel her fur before she licked his face, making him lick.

"'Ey! Wha' 'bout me?" Isaac complained.

Opal barked again and licked Isaac. "Tanks, Opie!"

Spencer and John watched their sons' interactions with Opal. "Have you ever thought about getting a pet?"

John moved his shoulders up. "Actually, we've been thinking about it for a while since we grew up with horses."

"What kind of pet?"

John licked his lips after having a drink of his water. "I'm thinking…a black lab like your Opal."

"What, Melissa doesn't want a cat?" asked Spencer.

John shook his head. "Nah, she's allergic," he then grimaced. "Now that you mentioned it, aren't you allergic to them, too?"

Spencer thought, "Mmm…"

Now the family was at Hershey's Chocolate World, the company's West Coast flagship location on the Las Vegas strip.

Élise was done taking pictures of the children with the costumed chocolate bar and silver kiss. "And what do we say?"

"Thank you!" the children said simultaneously before walking into the grand building, gawking at the spread of Hershey products in the glass cases and wall machines.

"Wow!" said the children.

"Now remember…" Élise held her finger up. "You can't have too much candy; it's not good for you, okay?"

Séraphine and Isaac groaned.

Spencer and Élise took the children to his father's place for some bonding time; after dinner, they even watched Matilda on television.

The next day, Spencer and Élise took the children to Bennington to visit Mother Diana.

"Oh," Diana rummaged through the photos Spencer and Élise took on during their road trip from D.C. to Las Vegas. "This brings back so many memories."

Élise had Isaac on her lap. "You took road trips?"

"San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, New Mexico, Tampa, Savannah; you name it, I've done it," Diana chuckled. "Believe it or not, I've done some wild things back in my day. Even protest against the Vietnam War."

Spencer was surprised to hear about this from his mother since it was the first time ever in his life. "You never told me about that."

"That's because you work for the government!" Diana hissed in his ear, not wanting the children to hear her. "But yes. I was a hippie."

Séraphine asked, "What's that?"

"Hippies are people who reject what are considered to be the "norms" of how people now live their lives. They believe in flower power, free love, free spirit, free-thinking," Spencer explained.

Élise added, "They're also often called bohemians or naturalists because of their simple lifestyle."

"Yeah, those were the days," Diana sat back in her recliner chair. "You know, I even had tickets to Woodstock…"

Spencer's eyes widened. "Mom…!"

Élise stifled a laugh.