A/N: I don't own Criminal Minds, and I'm still trying to figure out why I don't, but I don't. So I'm stuck writing fanfic until I do. Anyway, I don't own David, Erin or the show itself, but I do own this plot and the names of the Strauss family (thanks Messer for leaving everything up to us!).
A/N2: So, everyone saw how Rossi grieved over the death of Erin and how he got into the limo with the Strauss children. It got me thinking about how Dave's meeting of Erin's three children went.
A/N3: Review, review, review. I like what you guys think, good or bad!
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Dave pulls his 2014 navy blue Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 into Erin's Dumfries, Virginia, home's concrete driveway, leaving a path to the other garage door for her daughter, as she asked. Taking a deep breath, he's not sure how he feels about this, at 55 years old, but he knows that if he wants to continue his relationship with Erin he has to meet her children. Two girls and boy, both young adults, old enough to understand Dave and Erin's situation; Dave doesn't know anything about kids, let alone teenagers. He lets out a soft breath, but he loves Erin and knows he needs to get used having them around more often. If she was going to move in with him in King's George, Virginia
As he walks up to Erin's beige door, Dave takes a deep breath. "You can do this, Rossi, you can do this," he murmurs under his breath. He reaches up and rings the doorbell. "You got this. It's going to be just like every home date, just with a three other people." He gently messages his temples, getting rid of the stress headache, thankful when he sees Erin standing there, smiling at him. "Hey baby."
"David," Erin opens the door wider, letting him walk past him. "Mio amore, you look nervous." She closes the door behind him after he steps into the foyer.
"Bella," He looks around apprehensively taking in the white walls and the light hardwood flooring. "I am. I don't know children, I don't know these children."
She slides her arms around his waist, bringing him close for a kiss. "Relax." He took a deep breath and began to focus on Erin. Her feeling against him, the reason he's actually here. She threaded her hand in his and turned to the kitchen, pulling him with her. "They aren't here yet, relax. Sit." He nodded, sitting at the marble table. Erin flitted around the brown country style kitchen, checking the lasagna in the over, tossing the salad and getting the wine glasses before finally opening the bottle of Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna. He smiled remembering the time he taught her about Italians and their food pairing; a red with lasagna and regular pasta and meatballs, dry white with seafood spaghetti, Chardonnay with a creamy sauce.
"Have I mentioned I don't know anything about kids?" He told her again, accepting the glass of red wine from Erin.
"Neither did I when I had Sarah Michelle." She told him, while slicing a cucumber. "You'll learn. But these three are old enough, they know how to behave and you don't need to worry about potty training or spit up. Now it's just curfews and car privileges." He nods slowly, eyes on Erin. There was just something about Erin in jeans, fuzzy pink socks and one of his Marine sweaters, oversized on her.
Erin went to ask Dave for something from the refrigerator but the door slams breaking Dave and Erin from the domestic bliss.
"Mom!" Erin's 17 year old teenage blond haired, blue eyed 6-ft tall boy comes barreling into the kitchen. He toes off his Converse at the threshold of the kitchen and the foyer. Erin's face looked up, smiling at the one child of hers.
"Hello Issac James," he calls out. He opens the stove to peek at what smell is assaulting his senses before hugging his mother and dropping a kiss on her golden locks. "Issac," Erin announced his name again, getting his attention, "this is my amore, David Rossi. David, this is my monster of a son, Issac James." Dave looks to Erin before looking at Issac. He sees the similarities in them: blonde hair, blue eyes, the ears of Erin reflected on Issac. He smiles a little. "Hi, Issac." Offering the kid his hand, Issac nods before accepting it for a shake.
"So you're the fabulous David Rossi." Issac sizes Dave up, before shrugging his shoulders and going to retrieve the lemonade from the refrigerator. "Sarah and Jayne are coming, they got held up with dad. When Sarah told Dad she was in, it was all bets off."
Dave glances back at Erin who is smiling at him. This is going better than he figured it would. He's still beyond nervous, but Issac at least seems to like him. "You don't have to try so hard, amore." Erin whispered into his ear. When Issac left the kitchen for his room, Erin feathered kisses around Dave's face loving the way his goatee tickled him. "Amore. It's okay."
"Ugh, get a room," Sarah, the 22 year old American University College of Arts and Sciences junior, yelped when she came in from the garage doorway.
"Sarah." Erin jumped back from Dave's embrace. "We didn't even hear you come in."
"Clearly." Sarah rolled her eyes before walking past her mother and Dave getting a glass of water from the sink. "Jayne is on her way in. She's having a panic attack meeting David Rossi. The great writer, David Rossi; who you must be." Sarah looked him in the eye as Dave nodded.
"I am." He smiled at the oldest Strauss child.
"I'm Sarah Michelle, nice to finally meet the man who mom raves about." Erin glared at her daughter as Sarah grinned at them. "What? It's true." It was Erin's turn to roll her eyes. The youngest child dropped her bookbag on the floor creating a loud thud before her audible sigh filtered through the room. "In here Jayne." The pigtailed brunette child sauntered in before a loud gasp escaped her ears.
"Holy shit." She exclaimed.
"Language." Both Erin and Sarah deadpanned at the girl.
"Holy hotpants. You're David Rossi. The greatest crime writer ever. David Rossi is in my kitchen." Jayne rambled on. "I cannot believe you're really here. This might be the greatest day ever. David Rossi, the David Rossi, is in this kitchen. He's drinking out of our wine glasses." Dave had to stop the smile and chuckle threatening to come out.
"Jayne Ann," Erin chided. "Jayne." Her daughter finally listened and stopped her thoughts before looking at her mother with the big hazel doe eyes. "Jayne Ann Strauss, this is David Rossi. David, this is my adoring 14 year old, Jayne Ann." Jayne couldn't help but stare at Dave who was now standing. "Excuse her, I should have mentioned she loves your books. Has them all on her shelf in her bedroom. When I told her you were coming over, she nearly fainted." Finally, the chuckle Dave was holding back came out.
"Stay right there." Jayne held out her hand before jogging off and up the stairs to her room.
"I wasn't going anywhere," Dave calmly said letting Sarah and Erin laugh. "She's a bit, huh?"
"Oh, David," Erin wrapped her hands around his waist before giving a chaste kiss on his lips. He smiled at the taste of Erin that she left burning. The timer went off on the stove, and Erin took out the pan of lasagna taking it to the dining room table.
"Smells amazing in here, mom," Issac said reannouncing his presence. "Jayne's upstairs getting Dave's books from her shelf. She wanted me to tell you, Dave, not to leave."
"I wasn't going anywhere," Dave looked at Issac, before turning to Sarah for help. Sarah glared at Issac before shaking her head at the man they'd just met. "I'm going to help your mother." Taking his glass into the dining room, Dave asked Erin where he wanted to sit. She had place his glass next to hers before turning into his arms.
"Thank you for doing this, Dave. I know you were worried."
He nods. "I was. Am.. But…" He shrugs as he meets her gaze. "I want this thing to work out with me and you. I love you, Erin. So if I want you in my life, I need to be in theirs. I mean… that came out wrong."
"I love you too," Erin snuggled into his shoulder taking in the scent that is strictly Dave (a bit of musk, a bit of Mudgie, his Chesapeake retriever, and a splash Polo Ralph Lauren Black cologne).
"Oh my GOD," Jayne yelled. "Where did he go? Where's Dave?" Sarah couldn't help but laugh hysterically at her sister's antics. Dave cleared his throat as he went back into the kitchen. "Oh good. Can you sign these? I want to remember the day David freaking Rossi was in my kitchen. Can I get a picture with you too?"
"Sure, on both counts. But I plan on sticking around, so I don't know if it's truly necessary." Dave reassured her. "But I will. Got a pen?" Jayne produced a blue felt-tip pen from her jean pocket. "How should I address it?"
"Jayne Ann? Please?" The kid bounced on her heels. Her excitement was palpable. They didn't know, but Erin was watching from threshold of the dining room and kitchen, taking pictures at the scene in front of her. Sarah was leaning on the breakfast bar, watching with Dave was writing, Jayne was watching Dave's movements intently and Issac was next to Sarah, hand around her shoulders in solidarity. When Dave was done, he handed the six books back to Jayne to let her read the passages he wrote in them. "Photo, please?"
"No problem," Issac stepped forward taking Jayne's iPhone from her hands. Jayne handed Dave a book and she took a book, before Issac snapped three maybe four photos. "Mom?" Issac noticed her standing there, calling her over. She nodded, and the three kids got into a photo with Dave.
"Oh, Ms. Strauss, I have room on my knee for you." Dave wagged his eyebrows and the kids moved, letting Erin sit on Dave's lap. She looked at him lovingly and Dave looked back at her. Issac immediately took that photo. When they kissed, he took another.
"Dinner." Sarah finally announced as she got tired of watching her mom kiss her boyfriend.
Dinner goes smoothly; Dave's answering every question the kids have for him. He, in return, asks them several questions as well. He's amazed at how well everything has gone. Sarah offers the services of the three children to clean up the kitchen.
Erin leads Dave into her study. "It's movie night with them." Erin whispers. "Will you watch the movie with us?"
Dave grins. "Sure. What are you watching tonight?"
"Okay," Issac comes in holding DVDs. "We each picked a movie and hope that Dave can pick the movie for us. I picked Remember the Titans."
"Issac," Jayne Ann follows her brother in the room, "We've watched that like a million and ones times. I want to watch The Grapes of Wrath, we're reading it in school. The book is so good. Right Dave?" Erin cleared her throat. "Right Agent Rossi?"
"Dave is fine, and yes, Grapes of Wrath is a good movie. But we should see what Sarah has picked." Dave told her as Sarah came in with a large bowl of popcorn and a beer.
"I want to watch Legally Blonde." Sarah plops down in the bean chair. "But we never watch anything I want to watch." Erin rolled her eyes as Dave looked over.
"I think we should watch Remember the Titans," Dave grinned as Erin punched his shoulder. "What? I like the movie and us guys gotta stick together. Right Issac?" The kid fist bumped Dave in agreement.
Issac started the movie and dimmed the lights as the kids took handfuls of popcorn from Sarah's bowl. Issac wheels Erin's desk chair over and Jayne sits on her mother's lap, thus ending the romantic night Dave wanted to have. Erin smiles, knowing that this actually going the way she had hoped. She knows Dave will still have his difficult moments the three kids, but it's obvious he wants to try and they want to try. That's all she can really ask for at this point. .
"You are amazing, I hope you know that." Erin whispers to Dave as he takes her finished glass of wine and placed it with his on the end table.
"Funny, I was just thinking the same about you." He leans down and kisses her lavender scented hair.
After the movie was over, Issac lifted a sleeping Jayne from their mother's lap. After cleaning the den up, the four of them move back to the kitchen, when Sarah's text message bings.
"Excuse me, Todd and Chrisley and Hannah are coming over," Sarah told them. Erin explained to Dave that before Issac Sr. moved out, he had converted their basement into a game cave with a pool table, foosball and shuffleboard tables and since it was a Friday, Sarah was home for the weekend from college and the basement was her sanctuary. "Goodnight, mom, Dave, Issac. See you in the morning."
"Are you going back to Dad's?" Erin asked Issac who was deciding on his course of action this evening. She saw the emotions run through her son's eyes: disdain (at the fact his mother may get lucky this evening), hope (for happiness in his mother's recovery), and happiness (at the fact his mother was happy) and confusion (over his plans, stay with mom, go to Dad and Elizabeth's house).
"Uh, no, I think I'll hang out here this weekend." He told her before grabbing a can of soda. Kissing his mother goodnight, he turned on his heel and headed the way of his sleeping sister.
Taking Dave's hand, she leads him to the master sitting room. But before sitting next to Dave on the black leather couch, Erin turns on her 'love songs' station on the satellite radio. Strains of "A Wink and A Smile" by Harry Connick Jr. play through the speakers. Putting her feet under her, she cuddles into Dave's side, his arm drapes around her shoulders.
"Thank you," she says before kissing him softly.
Pulling her onto his lap, Dave moves his hands up her thighs to her hips. "For what?" he asks between kisses.
"Tonight." She smiles against his mouth. "You were amazing. You handled them well." She kisses him again. She sighed, but Dave's mouth captured it.
"Guess it's different when you're in love with the kids' mother." He smiles before kissing her once again.
Erin sits back enough to look at Dave. "You know I'm not with you because I want a dad for them, right? Issac Sr. is their dad, I love you David Rossi."
"If I thought that, I wouldn't be here right now. How I love thee, Erin Strauss."
She nods. "Good."
"It's getting late, your three children are here," Dave gently pushed her off of him breaking the kiss and contact.
"So? They're adults." Erin chuckled at Dave's attempt to be a good boy.
"How bad would it look though Erin?" He asked grabbing and kissing her palm. "Role models?"
"Their dad is living with some 20-something. Please. If I hadn't had my problem, I would have them full time." She reassured him. Grasping his hand, she pulled him up, leading the way to the bedroom, a place where Erin really showed Dave how thankful she was for him.
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A/N4: Happy Birthday to my friend, Laura, who this is dedicated to. Thanks for being a friend - and a JA/MG enthusiast too! - Mxx