The sixth and last story in the "Soul Search" Series that began with Daddy's Favourite Fool. Dave Rossi has made some major mistakes while trying to do what is best. Now that he knows what he wants, he is going to go all out to get it. He has two weeks to change one woman's mind, but will that be enough for him and for her? Secrets, lies, and truths will all be exposed as they do some serious soul searching of themselves and each other.

Mudgie ALERT!

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Song prompt: In Your Eyes by George Benson

In Your Eyes

David Rossi knew the value of taking risks. Everything he had ever done or achieved in his 55 years on earth was accomplished thru long thought out and calculated risks. Rarely had he ever lost when he took a risk- whether it was bagging the biggest Buck or standing toe to toe with Erin Strauss- he always won. And the woman standing on his porch step, eyes shooting sparks and hands on her hips was no different.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Okay…maybe it was time to rethink his strategy. Think Dave, think! Reaching over, he opened the back door and let Mudgie out. Throwing the door shut, he took a deep breath and walked over to the porch.

"Hello Emily. Fancy meeting you here," Dave greeted her smoothly.

"There is nothing fancy about this meeting; you arranged this."

Dave raised an eyebrow in question. "Really? Why would I do something like that?"

"Don't you dare play that innocent act with me David Rossi! I'm just as good a profiler- if not a better profiler- than you, and I can read when someone is bullshitting me."

"That's why Hotch was able to convince you to come out here?" he mocked.

Emily's eyes narrowed in rage. "You arrogant son of a bitch."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved off. "I've heard it so many times I am beginning to wonder if it isn't my name. Between you, JJ, and Strauss, I'm thinking about changing my name to arrogant son of a bitch; maybe that will get you guys to call me Dave once in a while."

"That isn't funny, and I don't appreciate you changing the subject?"

Dave's mouth twitched with concealed humour. "There's a subject to this conversation?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about. You lied to me."

Dave let out an exasperated breath. "Here we go again. Look, I don't mean to sound rude, and I know that your need to pound this subject into sand is very important to you, but in all honesty can it wait until after we have breakfast?"

Emily crossed her arms across her chest defiantly. "I'm not hungry."

Dave gave her a blank look. "Oh. Actually, I was talking about Mudgie and me. We've been on the road for a couple of hours and we're starving." Pursing his lips, he whistled for the dog who came running to his master. Walking to the door, he tried to hide the small smirk tugging at his mouth. Trying the handle, he found it locked.

"Thanks for securing the house," he threw to Emily and dug out his key. A swift turn and he and Mudgie went inside and closed the door behind them, leaving Emily fuming on the porch.

Dave was busy cleaning up the few dishes he had used when he heard footsteps whisper across the hard wood floor.

"There's a plate for you in the microwave, if you're hungry," Dave offered never taking his eyes off the pan he was washing. Slowly he took his time rinsing it as his ears tuned in to the microwave door opening and closing and the sound of the chair being pulled out.

Placing the pan in the dish-drain, he dried his hands on the towel. Opening the cupboard, he pulled down a coffee cup. Filling it to the rim, he added in a teaspoon of Splenda and stirred it quickly then brought it over to Emily.

"Hear you go," he placed the cup near her elbow.

"Thanks." She kept her eyes on her plate.

"One teaspoon of Splenda, if I remember correctly."

"Thanks," she repeated. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Dave asked. Emily shrugged. "How is it? I haven't had a chance to stock up on the staples, so I had to wing it."

"It's good," Emily mumbled as she took a bite of the toast.

"I guess. Mudgie seemed to like it too, but you know how dog's opinions are when it comes to food." Hearing his name, Mudgie came over and sat close to Emily's chair. Ever so slightly he started to whimper.

"Mudgie," Dave scolded gently, "You already ate; this is Emily's."

Breaking off a corner of her toast, Emily offered it to the pathetic looking dog. "Here you go sweetie." She looked up to see Dave watching her. "What?"

"I'm impressed. I was betting with myself that you were going to give Mudgie your plate."

Emily picked up her coffee cup and sipped the scalding liquid. Her taste buds danced wildly. Dear God the man made perfect coffee! "Well, I might be angry at you, but I don't waste food. Besides, I haven't eaten since yesterday on the BAU jet."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. By the time I brought twenty five vases of flowers into the house and found places for them, I totally forgot about eating. Then Hotch picked me up at six this morning."

"Twenty-five vases of flowers?" Dave repeated slowly.

"I know. Someone sent them to me."

"You don't say. Was there a card?" He concentrated on the bird chirping on the branch outside the window.

"Nothing. It completely threw me. Just the loveliest arrangement of Tulips and Irises."

"Together?"

"I didn't think it was possible. And Reid explained the colours."

"Colours have meanings?" He didn't have to feign surprise by that fact.

"Me too. I mean I know that red means declaration of love. But it seems yellow is hopelessly in love and white is…" she shook her head. "I can't remember what white means."

"Loyalty? Friendship?" Dave supplied. He was at a loss since Valerie had picked out the colours.

"No, that's not it. Anyway, whoever it was also sent me a vase of Marigolds." Her eyes glowed.

"Really?" Now that was something Dave knew because he had researched the flower for October. He had wanted to touch her and it seemed he had; maybe there was hope for him.

Scraping the last bite of food on her plate, Emily laid her fork down and leaned back in the chair. "That was good." Mudgie started whining. Emily looked at Dave. "May I?" He nodded and she put the plate on the floor for Mudgie. When the dog finished, she retrieved the plate and stood up. Dave stopped her.

"I'll get that. You sit and rest," he ordered and walked over to the sink. Speechless, Emily watched him clean the plate and then the sink.

Finished, Dave placed the rag on a hook to dry and washed his hands. "So, what would you like to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"We can go for a walk, fish, sit and read…or I could show you your room."

Emily stiffened. "I don't think so. If you'll borrow me your phone, I'll call Hotch to come and get me."

"No phone reception out this far."

"You're kidding me."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Maybe, but you'll never know because I'm not giving you my phone."

Em pushed herself away from the table and stood up. "Thank you for a wonderful breakfast. Now if you don't mind, I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know; anywhere that isn't here with you would be great."

"Emily, think this thru; don't you think there could be a reason why Hotch would bring you out to my place?"

"The man is a closet sadist?"

Dave cocked his head. "Perhaps. That could be why he puts up with Strauss…and me. But honestly, and this could be a long shot, maybe you and I need to talk."

"No, we talked. You did what you had to do. And who you needed to do. Unfortunately I wish I hadn't been one of the whos." Walking away, Emily went into the main room and picked up her overnight bag. Lifting it to her shoulder, she opened the front door and made it to the porch.

As she stepped down into the yard, the sound of nails tapping on the wood rushed after her. Suddenly Mudgie stepped in front of Emily and stopped.

"Come on, Mudgie," Emily coaxed. "Let me get by." Petting Mudgie on the head, Emily tried to step around, but was stopped. Trying a different direction, Emily was thwarted again. "Mudgie! This is not funny; now let me pass," she demanded, her tone a bit rough.

Mudgie turned his head and barred his teeth. Emily stopped cold- as did her blood. This was not good. She closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the moment.

Okay, Em, let's count up the ways this day has sucked already: Hotch lies to you and leaves you in the middle of nowhere with a man you don't want to ever see again…unless it's on the job and even that is stretching it, and said man's dog has rabies. Yep! And all of this before nine am! What next, a tornado?

"Having a problem?" Dave called out from the porch.

"Is there a bullet in my gun with your name on it?" Emily replied sarcastically.

"Only one? I'm impressed. I would have thought you'd have a whole box with my name on them."

"I didn't bring them, but then again I didn't know I was going to be out here with you." She turned around to face her captor. "Can you call off your dog?"

Dave leaned against the post and sized up the situation. "It depends; what will you do for me?"

Emily's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding me!"

"Dogs are pretty smart creatures…perhaps more so than humans."

"So are pigs and opossums, but if I remember correctly not one has the common sense to stop and look both ways before crossing the street."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Touché. But you're doing the same thing you accuse them of doing."

"How do you figure?" Did the man have to analyze everything to work in his favour?

"Instead of staying and trying to work this out, you'd rather run away. You don't care if you're right or wrong- you assume you're right- so you feel you don't have to look around to see if the truth is going to nail you as you make a get away."

Emily crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him and the dog. It was a showdown between the woman who thought she was right and the man who wanted to be right.

"Three days Emily. Give me three days to plead my case and if I can't do it, then I will take you back home and never bother you again."

"And what if I say no? What if I say that there is nothing you can do to change my mind; that you are an arrogant son of a bitch?"

Dave shrugged. "That's your choice. But I always pegged you as a reasonable person who was willing to hear both sides of the story."

"Only if both sides of the story make sense. Nothing you've done these past six months even comes close to sense."

"Once again, there you go assuming," Dave grumbled.

"You can't assume what is fact. And there is nothing you can say or do to change my mind."

"You do realize that it's about a ten mile walk back to the road. And you don't have your phone. Are you going to hitch a ride?"

"Maybe. If I have to. I saw a farm house up around the corner."

Dave gave her a quirky grin. "Unfortunately, they are on vacation for the next little while." Thunder rolled in the distance. "Come on Emily, at least stay until the storm is over. Prove to me that you are a politician's daughter and can broker a peace treaty. Even if it's just for three days."

Emily licked her lips. David Rossi was negotiating surrender? Not possible. David Rossi surrendered to no one. Yet, as she looked at the man on the porch, shoulders slumped, eyes pleading for…something, she wondered if three days was too much to ask.

Turning back to Mudgie, Emily backed off. "Okay. You have a deal. Three days."

Dave gave a quick whistle. "Come on Mudgie!" He knelt down to pat the dog as he jumped on to the porch. Quietly he whispered in the canine's ear: "Good boy. I owe you one."

Anger just simmering below the surface, Emily stomped up the steps and stared Dave in the eyes. "Start pleading because your time started three minutes ago." Emily thrust her overnight bag into Dave's hands. "Where is my room?"

Dave smiled as he watched her walk away. "Thought you'd never ask."

"I'm not asking. And there is still a bullet with your name on it if you decide to try pull anything funny or lie to me."

Dave swallowed hard. He knew she meant it.

Turning around, Emily leveled a gaze at him. "And don't think for five seconds that I won't tell that rabid ball of fur all of your lies. Let's see how much of a man's best friend he is when I fill him in on the wonderful Dave Rossi." Stomping up the stairs, Emily disappeared down the hall.

Looking at Mudgie who was sitting loyally by Dave's side with a huge grin on his face, Dave let out a heavy breath. "I am dead."