A/N: Hello again, everyone! I'm still taking it one day at a time, but I'm hanging in there again. In the spirit of Valentine's Day and the fact that I'll be turning the big 3-0 soon, I've decided to dedicate this chapter to the holiday and my birthday.
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds (but I wished I did because certain storylines would not have happened). No copyright infringement is intended. I've decided to skip Scream, but I'll still mention it.
"It's refreshments time!" said Élise, steadily carrying a silver-plated brass rectangular tray into the living room that had coffee mugs and teacups and placed them on the cocktail table right next to the artisan cheese and crackers platter. She poured a healthy cup of Indonesian coffee and passed it to Maeve.
"Oh, thanks, Lise," Maeve nodded her head as an act of gratitude and took a sip just as Élise passed a mug to Bobby.
"Where's this coffee from?" Bobby asked.
"Indonesia." Élise smoothed her hands over her khaki-color chinos just as they heard footsteps descending from the staircase. It was Spencer who had ambled into the living room.
"The kids and Opal are settled in the playroom," Spencer clapped his hands together and joined Élise next to her across from Maeve and Bobby. "If anything, we can watch via tablet."
Mid-air raised the tablet that was connected to the children's playroom. He pressed the app accessing the camera to the playroom, and it showed the kids and Opal getting along.
"How is it that we never have to worry about our kids roughhousing?" Élise poured herself a cup of passionflower tea. "Come to think of it, my big brother and I never roughhoused. My parents, mostly my mom, could have kicked our backsides if we broke anything."
"Well, I'm an only child, so…" Spencer almost sounded like he was bragging but wasn't.
Maeve held her cup in the air, and hers and Spencer's clicked, toasting to be only children.
"My sister and I got into trouble every now and then," Bobby stretched his arms. "Until my mom…" he scratched behind his ear. "Would say some unpleasant words in Korean. Then we stopped."
Maeve covered her mouth to sputter a laugh, but she didn't choke on her coffee.
"So, what are your plans for this Valentine's Day?" Bobby overlapped his right leg over his left. "The classic dinner and a movie? Roses and Belgian chocolates?"
Spencer clasped his hand onto Élise's. "Well, we did have a nice luncheon date while we were in Los Angeles. And a dinner date."
"And loads of alone time back at the hotel…" Élise pushed herself closer to Spencer.
Maeve made an amusingly weird face and held her palm against it. "Uh, if you two are going to…"
Spencer and Élise moved an inch apart; the latter burst into laughter. "But, yeah, maybe a nice dinner and movie. I can reserve a table at Ananda in Fulton, Maryland. It's this restaurant that does elevated Indian cuisine. And the food and most of the produce there is grown from their own farm."
Spencer pushed his lips and thought about it. "Well, you know I love my Indian cuisine."
"I knew you would," Élise tickled her index finger under her chin. "But since it's an hour away, there's always Rasika on Penn Quarter or West End if you want a little closer to home; they do a modern take on traditional Indian cuisine, too. And maybe screen a movie in our home theater."
"Or…maybe you could go check out Fifty Shades of Grey…" Bobby winked at the couple, earning a light slap on the chest from Maeve.
Élise closed her eyes. "Please don't say it's one of those erotic kinky movies."
"There's an entire book series dedicated to it," Bobby remarked. "Plus, have you seen the trailers they've been playing lately? And the views it has on YouTube? I mean, it is really…"
"Robert Putnam!" Maeve stopped him right there and used her I'm warning you finger wag at him, and he did stop right there and then.
Another monthly visit at Fountain of Wishes in Spring Silver to meet Neveah, who's currently six months pregnant. The young teen girl sat alongside Dr. Payen in the same leather swivel chairs as Spencer, Élise, and Sadia from across the table; Carlos sat at the head of the table.
Spencer and Élise slid the six-month sonograms back to Dr. Payen and Neveah. The teenager looked rounder in the face (possibly from the weight gain), and her baggy sweater dress concealed her bump.
"So…" Élise broke the silence. "Have you been feeling any kind of heartburn, dizziness, backaches?"
"A little dizzy and heated every now and then," Neveah quietly answered, fidgeting in her seat. She rested her hand on her hand, closed her eyes, and inflated open. Dr. Payen took a water glass and passed it to her, who immediately gulped it down. Neveah sighed when she finished. She had another glass until it was halfway.
"Any new developments on the baby?" Spencer asked.
Dr. Payen replied, "Everything's been going well—the baby's been steadily gaining weight, and I'm making sure Neveah's keeping up with her appointments, reducing her stress levels, taking her prenatal vitamins."
"Is there anything else you'll be needing, Neveah?" Sadia twiddled with her reading glasses. "A new wardrobe? Food and new school supplies?"
"I'm still waiting until I get my college acceptance letters. And the girls at the shelter and Dr. Huang have been very helpful," Neveah said, smirking and shrugging her shoulders meekly. "After the holiday season, we really started to bond."
Élise smiled friendly. "Well, that's good." For a teenage girl going through a rough time, Élise thought she was handling her pregnancy well.
"But, uh," Neveah cleared her throat and raised her voice a level. "Before the baby is born, there is something I want you and Dr. Reid to promise me something."
"Anything."
Élise stopped packing the last of her clothes from charcoal/black, the two-wheel black Globe-Trotter check-in luggage bag. It was stacked with some of her favorite British apparel brands. Her smaller carry-on had all her other itinerary essentials like her hardcover books (she still preferred them at times to her phones or tablet), medications, journal, etcetera.
She triple-checked that she had everything before she closed them shut and sealed them down—their cases came with carbon steel locks. Élise swiveled them to a corner in the bedroom as the bedroom door swung open. It was Spencer, coming in with a book in his hand. He glimpsed Élise's luggage bags.
"I take it you're done with packing for London?"
Élise dusted off her hands. "Yup."
Élise's upcoming trips: a one-two-trip to New York City for a couple of interviews and a business meeting before her four-to-five-day overseas trip to the Global Law Summit to commemorate the 800-year Anniversary of Magna Carta in London, England. It's a three-day conference led by world-famous speakers, experts, and decision-makers.
"Unfortunately, it'll be held on my birthday, so…" Élise breathed out heavily. "Sorry, I won't be here to celebrate."
Spencer waved his hands down. "That's okay. That's why we have technology to communicate with each other as much as we want to."
Élise smirked and hoisted her shoulders once. "I'll make sure to bring you, the kids, and Opal some souvenirs. I'm going to be staying at The Goring Hotel in London's Belgravia district. Not only is it southwest of Buckingham Palace, it's also the hotel Princess Catherine Middleton and her family before she married Prince William," Élise gasped. "Think I'll get a chance to meet the royal family?"
"Well, you did meet the Swedish royal family, so…" Spencer remembered her telling him about the time she was in Sweden.
"In that case," Élise gave Spencer a lip peck and caressed his chest (she felt a little weak in the knees since he'd gone back to working on his upper body. "I need to get cracking down."
Spencer raised an eyebrow when he saw Élise go for her personal cell phone. "On what?"
"Protocol on meeting the royal family," Élise replied. She was now connected to the page site. "They have a page on their official website. You know what they say about first impressions."
It was a quiet afternoon in the BAU bullpen. Spencer had just finished the final after-action paperwork from the Peter Folkmore case, much like the rest of the team.
"Later, people," Rossi tossed his jacket over his shoulders. "Hope you all enjoy your Valentine's Day… 'cause I know I will in my own way." He pointed his thumbs to himself.
JJ joked with her back leaning against her desk chair. "Let me guess: with a bottle of scotch from two decades ago, Tony Bennett, and spaghetti alla carbonara?"
Rossi held his hand up and had a smirk. "I plead the fifth."
"What about you, Pretty Boy?" Morgan smacked Spencer's arm lightly; he had his bag over his shoulder. "What are you and Lady Élise doin'?"
"The classic dinner and movie and take the kids around D.C. of the day."
Kate gushed. "Oh, that's so cute."
"I totes second that," Garcia injected herself into the convo. "I'm thinking about taking Sam to see that new movie that blew up to over 100 million views on YouTube. And let me tell you, it is so kinky and erotic enough for my dirty fantasy…"
"And that's my cue to leave…"
Spencer fixated on his reflection in the mirror, trying his red tie. He brought the wide end of his tie over the narrow end, wrapped it around and over again, brought it up behind and down through the knot, and cinched it up (since he's used to wearing one, he didn't choke himself). After so, he adjusted and smoothed down his point collar and ruffled his hair.
"Spence!" He heard Élise cry for him, strolling out of his closet. He heeled when he witnessed Élise stepping out of the bathroom, wearing a red sweater dress with black stockings and booties. "May, don't you look so handsome?"
"And don't you look so pretty?" Spencer smiled sheepishly while Élise gave a twirl. He held his elbowed arm out. "You ready?"
"Uh-huh…" she looped her arm in before leaving the bedroom.
Spencer and Élise spent most of the morning and the afternoon with the kids, going around D.C. for family quality time. They made a stop at the SweetARTS & Valentines held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum—the family did a personalized card for themselves and got an orchid corsage. Then, they went to the Love in Every Language event at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, watching the digital Asian art slideshow images and learning how to fold a heart-shaped origami. Their final stop was at Georgetown Cupcake for a dozen of their monthly seasonal.
xxxx
Ambling into the Rasika restaurant on West End, the place smelled seasonally of exotic spices and ingredients. The interior had a mix of cool-warm color palettes, beautiful shelves (it reminded Spencer of his home library), clean dark floors, and complementary Indian oil and canvas painting, sculptures, and wall art. The front of the house escorted Spencer and Élise to one of the restaurant's three exclusive private functions: Chef's Table Room.
Settled down at their table, they were given their menus by the head waiter and left with water glasses and a small plate of their amuse-bouche—avocado bhel, accompanied by a wickered breadbasket. Spencer helped himself to one before Élise did.
"Mmm…" he finished chewing. "This is delicious."
Élise ate one and swallowed it. "Nice."
Spencer had a glance at the menu. "Ooh! I can't wait to try the tandoori chicken."
"Mmm…" Élise took a tiny sip of her water. "I know how you are with your tandoori chicken; why do you think I picked this restaurant?"
"You always know how to put a smile on my face…"
Élise's cheeks developed a red blush. "And, I you, too, my love…"
"Happy Valentine's Day…"
It's been a semi-quiet week for Spencer and Élise. For Spencer, it's been local cases and consulting with the other police departments around the metropolitan area. For Élise, it's been overseeing the Justice Department, delivering commentaries about the Chapel Hill, North Carolina murders to the ceremony commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Robert F. Kennedy Main Justice Building.
"Here's your lunch, Fee," said Spencer after giving his daughter her lunch box that had her lunch, snack, and beverage. "Turkey BLT Wrap, baked potato chips, macerated berries, and lemonade."
"Thank you, daddy…" Seraphine giggled as the kitchen door swung open. Élise blustered in with her heels and made familiar click-click songs through the air on the clean floors. "Mommy!"
"Morning, little Angel." Élise hugged her oldest child from behind her and slid over to hug her son. "My little Ziggy… mama's gonna miss you both while I'm gone."
A certain someone let out an obvious dry cough. Élise moved her eyes and whirled around with a smirk on her face. Spencer held his hands out. "And of course, you…" she strolled to him and gave him a hug. "You cute man…"
Opal barked. She had her tongue out, panting, and wiggled her tail.
"Even you, Opie…" Élise ruffled her black fur. "I'll bring you a big bone and a nice treat if you're good, okay?"
"Are you going to be back in time for my birthday?"
Élise petted Seraphine's curls; she even looped one with her manicured index finger and released it, and it flowed down on her face. "Of course, bunny. I wouldn't miss it for the world. My big girl turning four years old."
Spencer scraped back a chair and sat next to Seraphine. "So, what do you want to do for your birthday? A princess-themed party? A dance party? A tea party? All the above random?"
"Random Party!" Seraphine jumped out of her chair a bit and cheered.
"What about cake?" asked Isaac, banging the table a couple of times with his palms. "Cake! Cake! Cake! Cakey-cake!"
"Ziggy…" Spencer scolded, and his son stopped.
"Vanilla!" Seraphine cried. "And berries!"
Élise's phones chimed again just as the front door knocked three times. "Oh! I better get okay." She gave everyone another goodbye kiss before leaving the kitchen. "I love you all!" She unlocked the front door, allowing her detail to help her with her bags, and waved goodbye to them, even after the Suburban pulled out and exited through the gates.
While on the flight to New York City, after Élise finished up her urgent-leveled Attorney General duties on her laptop, she logged off and carefully placed her computer back in her bag. She got out her laptop from her tote bag, logged on, and scrolled through Google Images to gather some inspiration for Seraphine's birthday invitations. After rolling through the pictures, she clicked on the Adobe and Microsoft apps and began designing the invites.
Spencer got a message on his phone from Élise that she finished decorating Seraphine's fourth birthday party invitation and to look at the email she sent him. Spencer got into his email and clicked on the template. The invite had a pink and purple ombre background with a bunch of stars, balloons, and banners surrounding a recent photo of Seraphine. Under it was the bold gold print that said, 'You are cordially invited to Séraphine Céleste Reid's 4th birthday party'.
Spencer messaged Élise back that he loved it; Élise replied to send it out to the parents of Seraphine's classmates ASAP.
"Mommy!" Isaac was the first to greet his mother via a secure video line.
Élise beamed with joy. "Hey! Are you behaving yourself for Daddy while Mommy's gone?"
"Uh-huh!"
"How's the Big Apple?"
Élise sipped her water glass while enjoying the lovely afternoon view of Park Avenue from her hotel suite at the Four Seasons. "Oh, it's good, but now it's time for me to head across the pond to London, eh?" she said with a cool British accent.
"You're not even in London yet, and you're already talking like the Brits." Spencer joked, and it made the kids laugh.
HAPPY LOVE DAY!