A/N: Hello again, everyone! Just like one step at a time, I'm takin' one day at a time.

For those who watched the Criminal Minds: Evolution season finale, the whole cast, especially Paget, Liana, Nicholas, and Alex (Pete's actor), knocked it out of the ballpark! I can't wait for the next season, which will be released in 2025.

It was that time again for the Bastien-Reid family's semi-annual Halloween weekend funfest. Yesterday, the family spent two hours at Canal Park for the Pumpkins in the Park, decorating pumpkins and face paintings. Then they went to a farm thirty minutes outside the D.C. metro for a fall festival and spent another two hours in the pumpkin patches, apple picking corn mazes, s'more roastings, and a bunch of other fun fall-themed activities.

The scenery at Mount Vernon was crisp and cool. The temperature was surprisingly warm, and I could still smell the rain from early to late morning. The stunning landscape of the leaves changes colors to warm brown, orange, and red.

Spencer pushed Alexander's stroller while holding Séraphine's hand as Élise and Isaac explored the farm grounds. Wagon rides and horse-drawn carts were rolling through the patches. A combination of scents of fire roastings of wood, metal, hay, smoke, bread, apple, corn, and s'mores wafted throughout the air. Demonstrations from the farriers and workers dressed at people from that time on how laundry, cooking, and candle-making were down in the 18th century were all around, as well as the sound of energic children and loud, indistinct talking.

"Are you kids getting hungry?" asked Spencer as he paused the stroller, unbuckled him from his seat, and lifted him into his arms. "We can get more of that bread from the Half Crown Bakehouse." He moved his chin towards the direction of the tent-like stand where there was a small line.

"Uh-huh…"

Élise sighed in exhaustion and felt aches throughout her petite body due to her pregnancy symptoms. "I'm so tired, babe." She was so glad to be wearing flat mules, a loose-fitting dress, and a cardigan. She tore through her tote for some snacks and pulled out a small bag of air-popped popcorn. She held it over her bag and munched vigorously. "And I want some of that bread and cheese, too."

Seraphien scratched the top of her head. "Mommy, why are you eating so much?"

Élise finished gulping her travel-size bottle of Perrier and threw the bottle in the nearby recyclable trash. "I'm not just eating for myself; I'm eating for the baby."

"The baby inside your Mommy needs lots of energy, nutrients, and support to grow big and strong, like you three right now."

Isaac grimaced his face and stuck his tongue out. "Ew!"

Élise yawned for about the third time. She sat up in bed and watched Spencer change out of his clothes into some loungewear. "Spence? May you please give me a foot rub?" she moved her feet around, batted her eyelashes, and gave him a puppy dog pout, pushing her bottom lip out and winged.

Spencer smiled to himself, amused. "Of course," he walked towards the bed, sat on the edge of it, and began caressing her feet firmly.

Élise sighed as if she were at a spa. "Thank you so much, babe. Do you have any ideas about what you want to be for Halloween?"

There was no doubt that Halloween was Spencer's favorite holiday. Whether people (like his teammates) believe it or not, Spencer has enjoyed the holiday since childhood. He loved horror films because they were special to him, and he wished it could be Halloween all year round.

Spencer tilted his head up and creased his mouth. "Mmm…I've always wanted us to portray Skywalker and Padmé from the Star Wars movie."

Élise scratched the top of her head and yawned again. "Funny how I never watched the movies until like six years ago when you were recuperating from your gunshot wound."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Spencer shook his head, unfortunately evoking the time he was shot there by a grieving father targeting a father whom he thought was responsible for his son's death. "But I do have another idea in mind on who we can be for Halloween."

"Who?" Élise scratched her chest.

"Hey, Spencer!" Rossi caught Spencer's attention as he was walking up the rail ramp on his way to the bullpen. They heard they had another case but didn't know its contents until they had the meeting.

Spencer replied, "Hey, Rossi."

"Mind if I tell you a joke?" he asked, stopping by the edge and a few feet away from the room.

Spencer shrugged. "Okay."

Rossi cleared his throat before he started off. "So Yogi Berra arrives at spring training and the equipment manager says to him, what size cap do you wear? And Yogi says, "I don't know, I'm not in shape yet.""

Spencer smiled, "Uh-huh?"

Obviously, he hasn't got it and hopes there is more to the joke. "That's it," Rossi tried to get him to understand that it was the joke. That's the joke." But his face drops when Spencer's obliviousness leads to a scientific fact.

"But studies have shown that dimensional changes in the human head actually can fluctuate, especially in the third decade of life." Spencer was also ignorant of Rossi biting his curved finger (he was trying his hardest not to say anything) before finally giving up until Tara lightly tapped Rossi's shoulder with her Manila folder as she passed them.

"Morning, guys. How do I look?" she greeted them.

Rossi and Spencer followed her, with the former answering, "You look great?"

"Went on a diet last night, lost 185 pounds." Tara proudly announced, which confused Spencer and Rossi.

Nevertheless, whatever that was, there was a case that needed their attention.

Isaac's classroom was decked to the nines in Halloween decorations. Black glitter bat and spider garlands hung around the room, along with banners with spooky-themed meanings, including the orange jack-o-lantern bucket set up by the classroom door. Ms. de la Cruz and Ms. Vargas's desks had pumpkin tablecloths with a large fake skeleton, and a scary old witch sat in two chairs between their desks.

His class was busy making mini pumpkins with orange and green form sheets, pipe cleaners, and cardstock. Some of the toddlers decorated their pumpkins with glue and glitter, while others were more interested in playing with the glue and/or glitter.

Isaac sat at his assigned desk with the rest of his friends. Oliver asked, "Whatcha gonna be for Halloween?"

"Bella from Beauty and the Beast," said Charlotte with a wide smile.

"I'm gonna be a cowgirl like Jessie from Toy Story!" said Cecilia, the adorable three-four-year-old girl with wavy blonde hair and dark brown eyes. "Whatta 'bout you, Isaac?"

Isaac lifted his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Well, you betta think of somethin'," Oliver replied. "That's when the monsters like the boogeyman and gremlins come out of hidin'." He soon made spooky ghost-like moans and wiggled his fingers.

Isaac shrugged it off, cutting off a small piece of pipe cleaner with his red safety scissors. "There's no such thing as the boogeyman or monsters."

"Only on Halloween, they doooo-ooo." Oliver made more ghostly wails.

It's been a long time since they've been called into the city—the last time involved a killer with a pique for cutting himself. Ironically enough, they were here on Devil's Night the last time before that case. The BAU talked about more of the case on their way to Detroit, especially this prolific street artist by the name of Morpheus, who has been around since the summer of 2007 and goes around the country graffiti wall tagging and making political statements with their art pieces.

Things initially went from bad to worse with an Amber Alert of the missing baby of one of the developers behind the controversial urban renovation project. Spencer felt a tingling sensation throughout his body. The thought of a missing child—now that he's a father—that was the worst part of the job and telling the parents and/or guardians if…

Spencer stopped himself from finishing that sentence; as Hotch just said, finding the unsub was the best chance of finding the child.

The quiet D.C. night skies stretched infinity, with minimal passing gray clouds and few stars in the atmosphere. Élise groaned as she picked up Isaac, laid him down on his back in his bed, and fastened the comforters over his body. "Are you okay, little man?"

"Uh-huh," answered Isaac quietly. Élise's face relaxed, and she kissed the top of his head. After a pat, she steadily got up and only took two steps back when Isaac spoke up again, so she turned to face him again. "Mommy, can you check under my bed again, please?"

Élise bent down, lifted the comforters, and checked under the bed with the flashlight on her phone. "No monsters, boogeymen, gremlins, nada, little dude."

"Are you sure?" Isaac tightened his grip on the sheets.

Élise sat on the edge of his bed again. "What's going on?"

Isaac asked again innocently, "Do monsters come out only on Halloween?"

"Babe, there's no such thing as monsters."

"Oliver says that only monsters like the boogeyman and gremlins come out of hiding on Halloween." Isaac's voice whimpered.

Élise sighed again, drumming her hands against his covered knees again. "I'm tellin' you, it's not true, okay?" She kissed him again on the temple. Now, good night. I love you."

A suspect was interviewed (who vehemently denied any type of involvement in the crimes) but was released, only to be found dead via manual strangulation by the unsub. Spencer noted that based on Morpheus' signature, it wasn't the real one but a copycat killer. But that made them wonder why the unsub would take the baby.

Mrs. Ortega and Ms. Reyes—both in witches' hats—had festival pictures plastered on the whiteboard. "Do any of you know why we celebrate Halloween?" a few of the kids, including Séraphine, raised their hands.

"Believe it or not, Halloween began in many countries in Europe and brought it here to our country, Los Estados Unidos de América." Mrs. Ortega drew her finger around the pictures of Scotland, Ireland, the UK, etc., and then waved it over to the United States. "For many, many years, people would come together as one for food and games to ward off the evil spirits."

"And before we had pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns, people used turnips." Ms. Reyes held up a carved turnip to show the class. "Turnips, too, were used to fight against the forces of evil."

Mrs. Ortega added, "This is also why we wear costumes and go trick-or-treating."

When the team concluded the unsub's murder-suicide endgame regarding Morpheus, expectingly, it left a poignant taste in everyone's mouth once they discovered the tragedy behind the killings.

Spencer looped his leather strap onto his shoulder when he came around a corner and spotted Hotch a few feet away from the visitors' lounge. Through the blinds, a smile appeared on his face, and he saw relieved and happy parents with their safe and unharmed child.

"Are you gonna go home and hug and kiss the kids?" asked Hotch, not taking his eyes off them.

Spencer nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

As expected, it was a late night in D.C. Spencer didn't think twice when he got home and dropped his bags by the door in the hallway. He half-ran-half-tiptoed upstairs (his suede wingtips made a tiny squeaking), bolted inside Isaac's room, and sighed with relief, even almost tripping on himself. After he went to his bedside, he kissed him and patted his head. He did the same when he got into Séraphine's and then his own, when he melted, seeing Alexander so soundly asleep—Élise was sleeping, too (and snoring).

He lifted him from his bassinet crib and rocked him until he sat in the rocking chair. "Hey, Alexei. I'm home. And I love you so much."

As promised, Spencer and Élise were minutes away from getting out of the house and meeting up with Maeve and Bobby to take the kids and Opal trick-or-treating around the metro. Spencer dressed as the Tenth Doctor from the Doctor Who series: a navy pinstripe suit, a white long-sleeve dress shirt, a simple purple tie, a long brown trench coat, tortoiseshell eyeglasses, a screwdriver, and his new red high-top Converse.

Élise placed the last of her luggage when she returned to the living room, carrying Alexander in her other arm (he was a baby Dalek) and Opal lagging behind her (she was a K9—a robotic canine). "Aw, you look so nice, Tenth Doctor."

"You too, Martha Jones." Spencer complimented; Élise twirled—she had on a red loose top and leather jacket, stretch maternity jeans, and Dr. Martens boots. She picked up Alexander again and replied, "I'm so glad Isaac wants to go trick-or-treating this year."

"And all it took is some convincing from his dear ol' dad." Spencer tucked his lapels as he heard hastily footsteps coming down. He grinned when he saw Isaac in an oxford shirt, a sweater vest, khakis, and Converses.

"Guess who I am, daddy?" Isaac giggled.

Spencer almost cried. "You're me, aren't you?" His son's nodding head confirmed it as a yes.

Élise stepped into the foyer again and cried, "Fee! We're about to leave soon!" She strolled back and replied, "All week, she wouldn't tell me what she wanted to be—said she wanted it to be a surprise."

Stubby footsteps stopped when Séraphine sprinted in, and Spencer and Élise's mouths dropped. Séraphine was wearing a pink blazer pantsuit, a white Oxford, and flats. "Ooh! Who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm you, Mommy." Séraphine smiled.

Élise used her hand to fan away the tears. "Aw. Let's go get some candy, Girl Boss and Spencer, Jr."

A/N: I hope you all loved the ending as much as I did. I gave you a sweet tooth, huh? Can you guess the episode from the OG CM?

Until next time!