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. Plus, my life offscreen can be a lot. Again, I'm still taking one day at a time, hoping—and praying—for the better of things as time passes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. The story starts off on the week of Halloween 2014.

Élise scooped out any orange gloppy pumpkin innards with some seeds and threw them into the disposable garbage.

"What kind of jack-o-lantern are you making, ma…?" asked Séraphine as she helped spoon out the same kind of innards from her own small pumpkin.

Élise tilted her head. "Maybe the classic style: the one-tooth smile. What about you?"

"Maybe an evil-looking one, like from the one we learned in class…" Séraphine now had her knees on the kitchen nook table. "Ms. Ortiz and Ms. Torres told us about them on Friday."

Élise giggled as she heard the front door opening and closing. "I'm hooome!"

Spencer shoved the kitchen door, swinging it open, carrying his recyclable tote bags by his arms and elbows, obviously filled with groceries.

"Daddy!" Séraphine smiled at the sight of her father.

Spencer groaned when placing the bags on the cleanly polished countertops. "Hey, you two…" something came to him. "Where's Ziggy?"

Élise was about to answer that when they heard the living room television volume go up a bit.

"'Cause this is thriller, thriller night…"

Spencer and Élise left the kitchen for a moment to watch their son dancing along and enjoying himself to Michael Jackson's Thriller.

"I guess that answers everything…"

Séraphine and the rest of her friends at her desk table—BJ, Aaliyah, Ronnie, Victor, and Blair blew bubbles in their cups as part of the science lesson by using water, soap mixture, and other appropriate additions such as glycerin and corn syrup.

"Mmm…" Ronnie accidentally inhaled some and gagged, sticking his tongue out and spitting out the soapy water. "Bleh-bleh-bleh. Ugh…"

"Ew…" Blair grimaced her nose. "That's gross, dude…"

Aaliyah giggled; Victor passed a brown paper napkin to Ronnie as Ms. Torres approached their tables. "You kids enjoying yourselves?"

"Uh-huh…"

"I feel like a witch…" Aaliyah wiggled her fingers around her bubbled cup.

Ms. Torres cupped her hands together. "Now, who wants to learn about how to make a bouncing bubble?"

"We do! We do!" The kids held their hands in the air.

Élise took a picture of the children in their Halloween costumes. It took a little while for the kids to figure out what they wanted to be for the holiday. It wasn't until they saw Lilo and Stitch for about the second time they tried to dress up as the two main characters.

"Aw, don't you look so cute…?" Élise gushed at her little Isaac as Stitch.

Isaac stuck his tongue out and growled. "GRAAWWLL…!" Then he clapped his gloved hands.

"Ma, look!" Séraphine, in her Lilo costume: a red muumuu with white leaf designs and black sandals, along with faux grass wrist and leg cuff, began to do the hula, mimicking the female protagonist.

Élise switched to the video mode on her camera setting. "Aw, grandma and grandpa are gonna love it."

Spencer stepped into the kids' play in his Captain Kirk costume: yellow sweater with the Starfleet symbol, black pants, and oxford shoes.

"Aw, look at you, Captain…" Élise tittered; she took a quick picture with her phone.

"Same with you, Lieutenant Commander Uhura," Spencer took Élise by her free hand and twirled her around, making the skirt of her red boatneck dress flow. "You kids ready to go trick-or-treating tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh!" Séraphine bounced up and down twice. "Trick-or-treat! Trick-or-treat!"

Spencer jolly scooped her up and spun her around twice, making her laugh when his phone vibrated. He sat her down and answered it. "Hello?"

"Sorry to call you on the Eve of All Hallows Eve, but, uh…?"

Spencer guessed. "A case?"

"Sorry…" There was a hint of regret in Garcia's tone. "But it's one of the downfalls of the BAU workload…"

Spencer sighed as he hung up. "Let me guess, a case?" Élise crossed her arms when she noticed that look on her husband's face.

"I'm sorry, but Daddy's gotta go to work now."

Séraphine pouted her mouth upwards and crossed her arms in annoyance.

The BAU was called in about a boy in San Diego who was found after his disappearance last Halloween—which could be connected to a previous case involving another boy from Los Angeles who went missing the previous Halloween and died after being found, even though the current suspect is in prison after confessing to the crime.

"So, are the kids asleep?" asked Spencer as he was at his desk, preparing his go-bags.

"Yup," said Élise before she asked him, "Something tells me you might not be home in time for trick-or-treating, huh?"

Spencer sighed, scratching his forehead. "Unfortunately, I might be."

Élise groaned. "I know; it's not easy. But at least the kids have me, and I'm not traveling out-of-state for a while, so…"

"At least the kids have you, huh?" Spencer smiled sadly before he noticed everyone else headed out the bullpen. "I gotta get going. I love you."

"I love you, too."

On the five-hour flight to San Diego, the team discussed the similarities and differences between the two boys' abduction and this potential suspect who confessed to the crime of one of them.

"Happy Halloween, my lovelies!" Élise set a plate of half a dozen waffles and pancakes on the table. "Who wants a cinnamon crunch waffle and a pumpkin pancake?"

"I do…!" Isaac held his hand up.

"Ehh…" Séraphine merely shrugged her shoulders.

Élise heaved a sigh and positioned her hand on her daughter's shoulders. "I know you're upset daddy won't be back in time for trick-or-treating, but you got me, right?"

Séraphine shook her head. "Uh-huh…"

"Alright…" Élise kissed Séraphine on her head.

After landing, Hotch had Spencer and JJ go to the hospital the latest victim was taken to and had a talk with the doctor tending to him. According to her, the victim is expended to recover, especially with physical therapy but is worried about his mental state.

And as it turned out, the suspect wasn't responsible.

Ms. Torres as a flamenco dancer, and Ms. Ortiz, as Frida Kahlo, used pictures of pumpkins, turnips, witches, spirits, and certain places of the world to tell the students the history of Halloween.

Along with Séraphine going as Lilo for Halloween, BJ was a firefighter; Aaliyah as Jasmine from Aladdin; Victor as a chef; Ronnie as Peter Pan; and Blair as Madeline.

"The celebration of this spooky holiday involves dressing up in costumes, like we are right now, and goes back to this country named England," Ms. Torres used a black pointer to locate England. "And going house to house and asking for candy goes back to a place called Ireland," she then pointed to Ireland on the board before pointing to the USA. "When the Irish and Celtic came to America, they took their traditions of Halloween with them, which is why we have trick-or-treating."

The young students oohed and ahh at the teacher's historic story about Halloween.

Having a little free time to himself away from the case, Spencer decided to give home a call in a quiet part of the San Diego Police. "Hey…how's everything back home?"

"We're about to head off to Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens and then 7th Street SE in front of Eastern Market."

Spencer scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, uh…sorry, I'm missing out on the action. I swear, this case…I can't even tell you what this kid has gone through."

"Let me tell you this: If anything happened to either one of ours, I'd beat the crap out of them, to say the least."

"What, no Hurricane Élise?" Spencer knew his wife would do much worse.

Élise replied, "That be a last resort."

Spencer chuckled before he saw Hotch and JJ approaching him. "I gotta go; I love you."

"I love you, too…"

From the looks on their faces, another boy around the age range was abducted.

Lucky for Élise as she managed to get out of work earlier; same with Maeve and Bobby, who, after the two placed rock-paper-scissors, decided to go and be Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona from the late-90s teen high school cult classic, 10 Things I Hate About You.

As expected, large and costumed crowds were waiting when the estate opened at 3:30 pm. After surrendering their tickets—it was best they had bought them in advance due to how popular the event is—and made their way through the lobby. All four children collected souvenirs and goody bags containing picture symbol "tokens" to be exchanged for treats, a map of the land, and a schedule of fun events.

"So, what do you kids wanna try first?" asked Bobby, reading the map. "You wanna say a quick hi to our nation's first President and First Lady?"

"Candy!" Isaac cheered.

Charlotte, the little ladybug, giggled.

Maeve noticed Séraphine's lopsided frown. "Hey, Fee. You okay?"

Séraphine crossed her arms and looked away; Élise whispered, "She's a little upset since Spence had to miss this. Work commitments." Élise lightly tapped on her daughter's shoulders. "Hey, buck up, little girl. Your daddy wouldn't want you to be sad just because he's missing out, huh?"

Séraphine blew a sigh and muttered, "I guess…"

Élise wasn't getting through to her. "Look, I know how you feel. I feel horrible whenever I have to miss out on having fun with you, Ziggy, and Daddy when I get called away at the last minute. And I'll tell you this; there are many kids who have to miss out on celebrating Halloween with a parent because of a parent or parents having to work too, and some kids have a parent or parents having to be away from six months to a year, maybe more than that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So the most important thing is that we cherish the time we get to spend because time is precious," Élise lifted her head with her index finger. "Now smile and have some fun for Daddy, okay?"

Séraphine smirked.

Reaching where the latest victim was seen, Spencer did his Spencer thing when he made this face that happened when his brain was in the thinking process, and thoughts whirled inside there. Remembering the transcripts with the first victim's mother, the victim played pranks on Mischief Night. As well as the second victim. Realizing this, the team delivered the profile to the media outlets.

At least Séraphine's spirits perked up. Everyone rode a wagon ride on the property's 12-acre field; there were a bunch of treat stations—thanks to Mars Chocolate sponsoring all the treats; Halloween-themed stories in the straw bale amphitheater, wool carding, crafting, fish net making, watch spinning and blacksmith demonstrations; and dancing to some of the most classic Halloween songs.

Spencer watched as he and the rest of the team watched the young boy reunite with his family. It was heartwarming moments that enlightened the darkness the team would have to encounter daily.

On the plane ride home to D.C., Spencer got a picture message from Élise. He beamed with joy at the sight of her, Séraphine, and Isaac enjoying themselves, even though he missed it.

Spencer arrived home at a relatively late time. He checked the children's perspective rooms, and they weren't there.

He hastily dashed through his bedroom door, only to find Élise coolly relaxing in bed, Séraphine and Isaac between her and sleeping; they were still in their Halloween costumes.

"They wanted to wait up for you, but they tired out and fell asleep. They even wanted to see you in their costumes." Élise explained while stroking their heads.

Spencer grinned while giving the children a kiss on the head.