A/N: Hello again, everyone! For those who watch Criminal Minds: Evolution returned, and it got renewed for another season the day before the premiere, and so far, while still dark (obviously), it was quite good, actually, especially the performances from Paget, Joe, Zach, etc. I still don't own Criminal Minds—sometimes I wish I did. I hope everyone's okay. I'm still taking it one day at a time, but I'm hanging in there again. The story takes place throughout August.

Saturday afternoon, Maeve and Bobby invited Spencer, Élise, Opal, and the kids over to their place to check up again and to see their newborn adoptive son. Everyone calmed in the white picketed backyard. Séraphine and Charlotte chased/followed Opal around; Isaac and BJ played by one of the big thriving oak trees while all the adults relaxed under the porch, under the gable roof with wicker porch furnishings.

"Tag, you're it!"

"Gotcha!"

"Hey, Alexei," Maeve prattled the baby boy in her arms. You're so adorable and so cute and so tiny," Maeve tickled his chubby checks just as Spencer and Élise kept a sharp eye on the kids and Opal amused themselves. Bobby came from the kitchen carrying a serving tray with four blue crystal glasses, lemon and lime wedges, mint, and bendy straws.

Maeve cuddled her cheek onto his. "Makes me want to have another one."

Bobby stood up straight and raised his eyebrow while giving his wife a doubting facial expression. "Yeah, I think that ship has sailed a long while back, Mae." He smoothed his khakis and had a seat next to Maeve.

Maeve giggled and passed Alexander back to Élise. "I know-I know, B. Alexei is just so gorgeous."

Spencer helped himself and Élise to a glass and had two long swallows. "Nice and refreshing…"

Maeve held her head back and asked, using her blue floral folding fan, which she had received as a gift from her mother-in-law, "So, what are you two planning to do this summer now that the kids don't have school until September?"

Élise lifted her shoulders. "We were thinking about renewing our vows or maybe doing some traveling, but since we have this little cutie, we're gonna postpone it."

Bobby stopped sipping his drink to answer, "We're gonna go to Vermont to see my parents in a couple of weeks, so…"

"So, I got some news to share." Maeve announced with some coyness.

Élise leaned forward. "Ooh! Do tell."

"I didn't want to say anything until it came to be a reality or jinx it, but…a few weeks ago, I got a call from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and they asked me if I wanted to be a part of this multi-HHS-IC research and be involved in the genetic testings."

The adults all gasped; Bobby tugged Maeve closer to him for a kiss on the head. "That's exciting news, babe. Are you gonna take it?"

Maeve tucked her hands between her enclosed knees and sighed. "It would be nice. I mean, the benefits and programs that come with a federal career are exceptional. And it is everything I've always dreamed of, but at the same time, I enjoy my time at Mendal and educating the scientific minds I get every semester."

"Well, whatever you choose, we'll support you."

Maeve held her glass high, following Bobby, Élise, and Spencer. "I toast to that."

Spencer retreated to his home office after work before dinner. According to the rest of the team, Kate's baby was due any day now, and JJ was a month to two months away from her date. And still, there were no new team members. It wasn't unusual for the BAU to be down members, but it's an elite force within the Bureau, and from what he, Hotch, Rossi, and the rest of the team knew, there are plenty of people, including new faces, who want to join the team.

He broke free from his intense concentration when he heard his phone buzzing next to his rotating pen holder and a stack of antique first editions. He read the caller ID (the area code was 702), slid his thumb on the screen to accept the call, and answered with a simple hello.

"Hey, Spencer." It was his father, William. "How's everything in D.C.?"

"Everything's good. Anything new in Las Vegas?"

William sighed. "Semi-retirement's okay down here."

Spencer detected something in his father's tone, and it wasn't anything rude or discourteous but rather…worrying. "Is everything alright?"

"It's Mom, son. I've been keeping an eye on her for a while, and I'm getting worried about her. Every now and then, she forgets something."

Spencer blinked, whispering, "Like what?"

"She mistook me for Gordon and Gordon for me, and from what Dr. Norman said, she almost forgot to take her medications twice."

Spencer scratched inside his ear when he felt a sudden itch. "Well, it's common that we forget things. According to the National Institute on Aging, as we are getting older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain."

"Son, I'm worried about her. Maybe it would be best if she got tested…"

Spence cut him off with unintentional sharpness. "Look, if anything, Dr. Norman would have called me to let me know firsthand before anyone else in the family, and last time I checked, I'm still acting as her power of attorney, so you can't have her tested without my consent."

William sighed again heavily. "Fine. We'll keep tabs on her for you. And look, I know you're busy with three small kids, and you work unusual hours; you'll need to come out here."

Spencer tapped his fingers on his desk and pinched his hand between his nose; his eyes were closed. "I gotta go. Love you." He abruptly hung up and released a soft cry. And soon, a tear or two steamed down his cheeks. Maybe if he did take the time to process what was happening with his mother...

"Daddy!" Hearing Séraphine's voice, Spencer immediately took it upon himself, wiped away his tears, and drank some bottled water. He jumped when he heard the door bang, and Séraphine thrust inside.

"Dinner time!" she bounced once. "Mommy and Rose made your favorite: tandoori chicken."

Spencer sniffled, willing himself not to cry in front of his daughter. "Yeah," he spoke softly. He pushed in his leather-carved desk chair, walked around his desk, and took her hand, leading her out for dinnertime. Whatever was happening with his mother would have to wait for now.

It was that special time in (almost) every kid's life when they were ready to ride a bicycle…without training wheels. In the garage, Spencer got back up after squatting down to remove the training wheels off her pink and white bike. The bike was a birthday present from her godfather, Aaron. It was decorated with pink, white, and gold handlebar tassel ribbons, a basket at the front, and a custom personalized nameplate.

"Yay! Our big girl's about to ride her bike without the wheels." Élise squealed with a full-on cheeky smile. "I remember trying to ride without training wheels. I was older than her, and it took me a while, but I still did it."

Spencer brushed his hands off before he dug into his pockets for his travel-size disinfectant bottle. He squeezed some onto his hands and passed it onto Élise, who took some for herself. "Now I have a nostalgic temptation to buy and ride a bike again."

Élise giggled and gasped when she saw Séraphine. In addition to the Berton-strip T-shirt, pink Bermuda shorts, and Converse sneakers, she was wearing elbow and knee padding, fingerless gloves, and helmet-covered hair. She couldn't pass on the moment to snap a picture on her cell phone.

"I'm ready!" Séraphine proudly announced.

Spencer, Élise, Séraphine, Isaac, and Opal assembled in the circular driveway in front of their house. Rose offered to tend to Alexander while he was napping. Élise eagerly snapped another picture of Spencer helping Séraphine get on the saddle.

"Now, before we go off riding, Fee, you have to learn the hand signals," said Spence before he spread out his right arm to the side at a right angle with his hand flat, and Séraphine imitated him. "Right turn. Left turn," he fully extended his left arm out to the side before he expanded his left arm out at a right angle with your hand open. "Slow down and stop."

Séraphine gripped her hands on the handlebars. "Can we go now, Daddy?" she said with eagerness. "I wanna hit the open road and feel the wind in my hair."

Spencer smiled at Élise and Isaac and stood behind Séraphine, his hands on her shoulders. "Okay. Let's start pedaling."

"K-K…" Séraphine began biking around the driveway just as Spencer pushed her gently while holding her steadily. "I'm doin' it. I'm doin' it!"

"Yeah, Fee!" Spencer cheered on. "You want me to let go?"

After about eleven seconds, Séraphine answered, "Uh-huh…" When Spencer finally let go, she steered a couple of times to the left and right before she crashed her bike. Spencer caught her before she could fall off, and the bike crashed on the pavement. "Oof!"

"Ooh!" Spencer, Élise, and Isaac winced and rushed to help her. "Are you okay, honey?" Spencer asked and scanned her to make sure she didn't have any cuts or bruises on her. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Daddy," said Séraphine as her mother fixed up her helmet and checked her out; she also wanted to make sure there were no wounds or if anything hurt.

Spencer jerked her bike upright. "You wanna try again?"

Séraphine motioned her shoulders. "I don't know if I can do it…"

"Nonsense; you can do anything you want to," Spencer tapped the seat and smiled at his oldest child, encouraging her to get back on the bike.

And she did.

Spencer and Élise heard Kate had her baby boy and invited her former colleagues to come and see him. After steering the black Suburban into a free parking space, the two got out, retrieved their gift to her from the backseats, and walked up the pathway to the colonial-style house. Settled in a nice neighborhood within D.C., the shingles were a pistachio nut green, the house had stone veneer siding, and it came with a lovely covered porch.

Élise knocked on the arched dark mahogany double front doors, and someone greeted them with a smile.

"Hey, Meg!" Meg almost looked the same except for her shoulder-length, now dark brown hair (according to Kate, she dyed it a new color as a stepping stone to move past her abduction ordeal). She wore a simple short-sleeved shirt and capri pants.

Meg allowed them into the house before she closed the door behind them. Stepping in, to their left was the dining room, and to their right was the living room—where Chris and Kate were with their newborn child.

"What's up, Kate?" Élise smiled and air-kissed the new mother. She still had that glow and recognized the boho jersey midi-length wrap dress. "How are you feeling?"

Kate blew an exhalation while cradling her newborn son. "I still feel exhausted from the sixteen hours I was in labor."

Élise giggled and gazed at the little newborn boy. "At least it was worth it to see this cute little guy."

"Gregory Joe; a tribute to Atticus Finch, who was played by one of my favorite old-school actors, Gregory Peck, and Joe in honor of my late brother-in-law."

Spencer squatted to Alexander's size, supervising his tummy time in the living room. "Come on, Alexei…" he juggled with the play toys he and Élise got and set up for him. "Come on…"

Alexander squealed in response and smiled, which made Spencer smile. Until a knock on the front door distracted him.

"I'll get it!" said Élise, who walked out of the kitchen to answer it. She opened it and, in a surprised tone, "Stephen…?"

Spencer turned his head when Stephen appeared under the archway. He got back up and straightened himself. "Hey…how are you?"

"I'm good," he said before he dug into the insides of his denim jacket and pulled out a clean white envelope. "For you both."

Élise took it from him and opened it with her index finger. Spencer watched her mouth drop before she showed him.

"You're getting married?" he whispered.

Stephen nodded. "I asked Adina a couple of weeks ago…and she said yes."

Spencer pulled him into a hug. "Congratulations, man. If only your father were here."

"He's looking down, and I know he's happy for me."

A/N: Get ready for the next chapter!