A/N: Thank you so much for all the kind reviews so far! You guys are so wonderfully encouraging! I appreciate it very much!

Here's the next chapter.

Love And Loss

Chapter 2

Dave was whistling cheerily as he scrambled eggs and made a few pancakes. Erin loved them, together with his homemade cherry sauce, and he kept thinking that he could get used to cooking for her a lot more often.

He wasn't quite sure what it was that they were sharing. An affair? A relationship? If he was honest with himself, he didn't want to define it yet. He felt content, happy actually, but after everything he had been through with his previous wives and women, and with Erin, too, he had no interest in making a permanent commitment. Not yet anyway.

Of course they'd agreed on exclusivity when they started seeing each other, and he wasn't blind to the fact that they had grown considerably closer within the last months. It was not only bed anymore that they were sharing, but also other aspects of their lives. And it felt good. Probably because they didn't have the pressure of keeping a relationship working, as it was all still rather causally.

But he was nowhere near ready to give up his independence, nor was he ready to admit that he and Erin Strauss were and item.

Nobody knew they were together, he hadn't even told Hotch, and the man was his best friend and had practically known of every woman in his life in the past fifteen years.

Hotch had never judged him for anything, but this time, Dave was not so sure if his friend would be so understanding. Not with everything Erin had done and tried to do to him and his career. Dave knew he would have to tell Aaron eventually, he already felt his guilty conscience nagging at him for not having done it yet, but he kept pushing the thought away.

Hearing the buzzing sound of his vibrating cell phone on the kitchen table, he groaned inwardly. They better not be calling him in on an urgent case, he thought grimly, picking up the phone and looking at the caller ID. Hotch. As if his thoughts about him had prompted the call.

Assuming his relaxing weekend to be cut short, he snapped the phone open and greeted his friend not entirely friendly, letting him know that his disturbance on a perfectly quiet and beautiful Saturday morning was anything but appreciated.

"Hotch, what's up?"

"Relax, Dave," Aaron replied, chuckling. "I'm not interrupting your free weekend."

"Yes, you do," Dave growled.

"Wow, you're in a good mood," Aaron snorted sarcastically. "Did your secret woman fail to make you happy last night?"

Dave rolled his eyes. He should have known that Hotch would already have noticed his change in demeanor over the last months. He felt more lighthearted and relaxed after a night or a weekend with Erin, usually arriving at work in a far better mood then he ever had since his return to the Bureau.

"I was happy until you called," Dave retorted, and had to smirk. Bickering with Hotch was always amusing, and he was glad to know the younger man wouldn't take offense in his sometimes rude comments. Sighing deeply, he continued in a kinder tone: "What do you want, Aaron? And please don't tell me we have a case."

"No, nothing like that. I need a favor," Hotch replied, clearing his throat. "You know it's JJ's birthday tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Dave answered shortly, not sure if he was going to like what he was about to hear.

"Yeah, well, I've made plans to take her out, fancy restaurant and theater, you know."

"And?"

"And my ex-mother-in-law broke her leg yesterday and Jessica's gone visiting her, and Will's working a weekend shift," Hotch explained.

"So you need a babysitter for Jack and Henry?" Dave stated, mentally groaning. He'd wanted to ask Erin to stay until Monday morning, but he couldn't take the boys while she was with him. They would rat them out within seconds.

"Please say yes," Aaron begged. "I don't want to ask Prentiss or Morgan, you know as well as I do how much they need their weekend off after the last couple of days. Garcia would be happy to help us out, but she's away with Kevin somewhere, don't make me repeat what she said. And Reid, well, you know..."

"Fine," Dave gave in. He would have to end his weekend with Erin early then. "For how long?"

"We have reservations for six, and the play starts at eight, let's see, until eleven at the latest, I guess."

"All right. I'll be at your place at 5.30. Is that okay?"

"That's perfect. Thanks, Dave, you're a lifesaver," Aaron answered relieved.

"Let's just say that you and JJ owe me, okay?"

"Anything you want, Dave."

Ending the call, Dave quickly finished frying his pancakes and set the dishes.

Little did he know that his conversation with his friend had been overheard.