A/N: Hello again, everyone! Sorry if I've been slow lately with this chapter as well as the previous chapters. Writer's block sucks—I've said this before, and I'm totally not afraid to repeat it. Again, I'm still taking one day at a time, hoping—and praying—for the better of things as time passes.

The chapter takes place around the time of the Season Ten Premiere, X, but I've decided to mix things up; combine the episode and include some flashbacks of Spencer's recovery as his three-four-month mandatory leave.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

Hope everyone's had a great Father's Day.

Spencer pulled out a crisp white dress shirt that hung on a premiere wooden hanger and observed it for about ten seconds before deciding to wear it to work.

Before returning to work within the week after Séraphine started preschool, he had to ensure he was physically, emotionally…and mentally prepared.

Reid and Élise scheduled an appointment with their marriage counselor, Dr. Vera Truman. From the last time they saw her, the doctor lost a little bit of weight and had her hair cut to a conservative asymmetrical bob, which brought out some angles to her face.

"So, how has it been between the two of you?" asked the doctor with her notepad on her lap and her ankles crossed.

Élise crinkled her fingers together. "It's been good."

"Any issues?" Dr. Truman questioned with a cocked head. "Problems?"

Spencer fiddled in his leather seat a bit. "I'll be going back to work soon."

"Okay," Dr. Truman leaned closer. "How has your recovery been?"

Spencer massaged his left hand when he felt a tingle. "It's been going good, especially since after our last appointment, and I haven't even thought about taking…you know…"

Dr. Truman nodded—she and Élise—knew what he meant.

"And about a month back, we went on a three-week road trip from here to Las Vegas," Élise added.

Dr. Truman gasped. "That must have been fun."

"It was," said Élise, uncrossing her legs. "And we make time for ourselves for as much as we can because of our hectic and unpredictable schedules."

Even after returning from Texas, Spencer had a few appointments with Dr. Brendan Ives Quincey, a MedStar Georgetown University Hospital surgeon who attended medical school at Columbia and his residency and fellowship programs at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Spencer and Élise wanted the doctor in his office on the fourth floor of the hospital division of general surgery. The average-height Caucasian doctor with combed back dark hair, smallish oval-shaped frames, a white lab coat over his dress shirt and tie, straight navy trousers, and dress shoes walked in, carrying a stack downwards.

"Hello, you two." The distinguished-looking doctor politely greeted the couple. "How are you?"

Élise sat in a blue chair. "We're good, thank you."

"I have the results of the angiogram, carotid duplex ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging," Dr. Quincey gently tossed the stack he held in his hands on his sepia desk and picked up one file before opening it. "I even talked with Dr. Wolfe, the Texan surgeon, and from my results, everything looks good—no signs of infections from your incision anywhere. But to be on the safe side, have you been doing exercises?"

"Does taking care of two energetic toddler-aged children count?" Spencer joked, making the doctor and Élise chuckle. "But, yes, doctor. I relaxed my body for a month after the surgery, but I've been steadily doing daily exercises."

Dr. Quincey asked again, "And your diet?"

"Good, and I've been maintaining a healthy body weight. Since I was little, I've always been told I'm a little too thin and lanky even during puberty and for my height even though I'm naturally this thin and lanky," Spencer added.

Dr. Quincey up-and-down Spencer. "I can see that. Any signs of loss of feeling along your jawline, incision line, or earlobe."

"Nope."

Thirdly, Spencer had a quick visit to the BAU. Rossi caught a glimpse of Spencer entering the bullpen. "Boy wonder!"

"Pretty boy!"

"SPENCER!" Garcia jumped, shuttled towards him, and gave him a bear hug. "My favorite boy wonder is back."

Spencer pulled himself back after Garcia let him go. "I'll be back on Monday, Garcia. I'm just here to give Hotch these return forms," he waved a beige-color folder in his hands before spotting a tall man in a business suit shaking Hotch's hands outside his office before walking away. Spencer knew Hotch had completed another interview for the empty spot after Blake transferred to Boston to be with her husband and teach full-time. Hotch spotted Spencer and acknowledged him with a head nod before going back inside.

Hotch reviewed all the documentation from Spencer's doctors and the evaluation from Dr. Linda Merrill when Prentiss went through her own PTSD experience. He set them aside, folded his fingers, and asked Spencer, "How have you been since the Texas shooting?"

Spencer sighed. "I've been through worst," he admitted. "But it still feels surreal. I was worried I wasn't going to make it. Leave Élise a widow, my kids without their father, and my family without me." He inhaled and exhaled. "But it's these experiences that have made me stronger; physically, mentally, emotionally and help make me a better agent than from when you and…Gideon first scouted me."

"Yeah," Hotch smirked—how the time passed from Spencer's earliest agent years to now. "I guess I'll see you Monday morning then."

Spencer smiled and looked down at his watch. "Oh! I have to get Séraphine from school."

"How is she enjoying school?" Hotch couldn't help but ask about his goddaughter.

"She's like her old man," Spencer commented proudly. "She loves it and loves seeing her friends every day and making new ones."

Lastly, Spencer had to talk with his children about returning to work soon. "You know Daddy will be going back to work."

Séraphine and Isaac groaned.

"But that doesn't mean I won't think about you whenever I have to be gone," he added. "All I want is to make the world a better place for you two to live in."

Séraphine giggled, showing off her teeth. "Like a superhero."

"Yeah, like a superhero."

Isaac got up from his seat and shuffled towards his father. "Yoo me hero, daddy."

Finally, Spencer walked out of his closet: he finally decided on the light purple dress shirt with a darker color tie, dark gray pants with a thin belt, and comfortable shoes and went back into the main bedroom. Élise tapped on her work Samsung smartphone.

"Oh, my reminder for my invite to the Ilene O. Leary Foundation's 25th Anniversary Reception Dinner this upcoming Wednesday," Élise announced after picking her head up. "It's a good thing I got my outfit picked out, my hair and nails done, some threading."

"Aren't they that charitable foundation focused on improving the well-being of the youth and children in the country?" Spencer heard of them.

Élise answered, "Yeah, they do outstanding work."

"Oh, let's get going," Spencer got his satchel and took Élise by her hand. "Don't wanna be late."

Élise giggled as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Spencer used his satchel to hold the elevator and stepped inside. The only other person there was a Caucasian woman in black-and-dark-color attire, about five-two in height, with wavy brunette hair with lighter highlights that went to her chin. He recognized her: Kate Callahan. He—as the rest of the team—knew her from the FBI's Sex Crimes Unit for eight years, her specialty being undercover operations, and has worked with SSA Andi Swann and her Domestic Trafficking Task Force.

The two struck up a conversation and announced Hotch would be interviewing her for Blake's empty seat. Spencer thought it would be interesting to see how her expertise would help out in the cases they have if Hotch decided to have her join them.

Élise straightened her black blazer and dusted off any microfibers that were on it when her work phone began vibrating. She saw the caller ID and smirked when she answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lise," it was Spencer. "Hate to break it to you, but I have to go to Bakersfield in California."

Élise blew a sigh. "Oh, okay. Sorry if you won't make it back in time for the reception dinner this Wednesday."

"And that's why I love you," said Spencer. "Good luck at the Violence Reduction Network Inaugural Summit."

"Good luck on the case."

After the team landed in Bakersfield, Morgan and Spencer were sent by Hotch to visit the medical examiner's office and agreed he was a sexual sadist with a knowledge of human anatomy. After joining the team at the police station again (Rossi and Callahan had just come checking out the crime scene), everyone learned that the unsub may be connected to another victim and a potential suspect—or unsub?

Séraphine sat cross-legged in a circle with the rest of her classmates in the carpeted area in the far corner of the classroom, where upbeat music was being played.

"Okay, todos," Ms. Torres took the lead in today's lesson. She sat in the middle of the circle and strung her homemade wooden guitar. "Let's all sing an old Mexican folk song about the colors of nature, people, and life. I learned this song when I was your age called De Colores. And don't worry about messing up; it's okay if you do. The most important thing is that you have fun singing along."

After the gentle strung, she stopped for a moment and continued playing, and the small children and Ms. Ortiz sang along with her. "De colores, de colores. Se visten los campos en la primavera. De colores, de colores. Son los parjaritos que vienen de afuera. De colores, de colores. Es el arco iris que vemos lucir…"

While their initial suspect wasn't the unsub but rather an accomplice with an…unusual sick fetish, it did lead the team to some helpful information about the unsub and a connection to the first—and second—of the unsub's prey.

Though Rose offered to pick up Séraphine from preschool, there was still enough time for Élise to go get her.

"Mommy!" Séraphine's eyes dilated when she saw her mother and jumped in her open arms.

"Hey, girl!" Élise kissed the top of her curly head. "How was preschool and your first Taekwondo class?"

Séraphine giggled. "They went great."

Élise took her daughter's hand. "You wanna show Mommy what happened at class at home and maybe after dinner some moves you learned?"

Séraphine shook her head. "Uh-huh…."

The case surprisingly didn't take as long as the team would have expected, even though it ended on another bittersweet note. Sweet since they managed to save the victim from the unsub—Steven Parkett, but bitter since, given his background history, the team didn't think he stood a chance at a normal life.

It was still dark, but the team thought it was best to fly home anyway, and it's been about an hour since leaving Bakersfield.

Rossi sat by himself at the far end, away from everyone else. Morgan joined Kate and JJ at the mini table, and Spencer sat crisscrossed from Hotch.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hotch.

Spencer massaged his neck again; he still felt a kink on his right side. "Never been better."

"You okay?" Hotch asked again.

"You're the second person to ask me that today," answered Spencer. "Morgan asked me earlier, and I gave him the same answer: 'I'm fine.'"

Hotch gave him a look and reminded him gently, "Saying fine is not the same as being fine."

"I know, but I really am," Spencer assured his boss. "But I can see why you'd be worried about me. It's my first case coming back since I got shot in the neck."

"I'm always going to worry you all," said Hotch. "I know you would think the same if you were in my position. You're a second family to me."

Spencer's mouth formed a soft smile, and he turned his head, overhearing Morgan talking about his battle scars with Kate and JJ. "Do you think I joined in, I would hold the record over him?"

Spencer's joke made Hotch chuckle a little.

"I say Kate's adjusting to the team well, don't you think?"

Hotch answered, "I do believe so."

"Lise, are you ready?" Spencer cried out for his wife, fastening his favorite silver watch, and brushed off any fluff that was on his black suit jacket. "It's almost time to go!"

Élise bustled into the main bedroom after leaving the bathroom, attired in a deep midnight hue embellished beaded gown from Louise Kennedy, a tassel pendant necklace and earrings, her favorite pair of evening Christian Louboutin heels, and carried a Paul Costelloe evening clutch. Her chin-length hair was set in soft curly with side-swept bangs, and her makeup was naturally fresh but still suitable for the evening.

"Wow…"

Élise swirled around once. "I look nice, don't I?"

"Ravishing…" Spencer praised her and gave her a cheek kiss, making her giggle.

"We said nighty-night to the kids," Élise tucked some of her hair back. "We better get going."

After an hour of driving to Baltimore, Spencer and Élise made it to the Ilene O. Leary Foundation's 25th Anniversary Reception Dinner, where Spencer watched Élise—as a guest speaker—praise the foundation's effects on behalf of the DOJ.