"We're coming home tomorrow, Erin. This case was so fucked up, you have no idea." He smiled a little as he heard her laugh gently.

"As opposed to the other cases you oversee? Ever since you returned, the cases have gotten more and more bizarre. You're a magnet for the weirdoes, it seems. Mary called me again. We were able to have a more civil conversation this time."

"That's wonderful, sweetheart. When we get back to the BAU, we're probably heading out for breakfast, and then calling it a day. Do you think you could beg off work early, and we could have lunch together, or something?"

He heard her breathing hitch, and wondered if he'd hear a yes or a no. "I probably can't get off that early, but I could leave at three. We could spend the afternoon together, walking around the park near my house?"

Dave relaxed back on the bed. "That sounds perfect. I'll meet you at your house around four, then? Let you get home and changed before we head out."

"Yes, I'll be looking forward to that all day tomorrow. Something to keep my mind off the cravings."

"Have you broken anything lately?"

"Yeah, another two glasses. Oh, and my favorite pair of reading glasses."

"I'll get you another pair."

"Not like these. They were perfect. Dark purple, with little rhinestones on the arms. And I'll never be able to find another pair just like them. And don't even say it, I know I'm whining. It's just, I loved them."

"Probably not as much as you love me."

"Well, there is that. I do love you, David."

"And I love you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." He heard her yawn as she hung up and then looked over at the clock. While it was only just past ten local time, it was after one back home. She was going to be exhausted in the morning, and it was really all his fault. He heard the door of the hotel room open and he looked up at Hotch. "Hey."

"Hey. How is she doing?"

"She broke her favorite reading glasses, which means I have to find her a replacement pair. We're heading out on a date tomorrow afternoon."

"And how much longer am I to keep your relationship under wraps?" he asked drolly as he took a seat on his bed.

"I don't know, Hotch. Probably a few more months, at least. She's skittish, worried about if she'll relapse, and we've been taking things so slow."

"Slow can be good."

"In this case, it is." He smiled as he stretched out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I'll be glad when we're home. I miss her."

"And I miss Beth," Hotch countered, flopping back on the bed. "Do you want the light off now?"

"Yeah, I'll get it." He reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, not bothering to get under the covers as he fell asleep.

He found himself waking up the moment the alarm went off and he dressed quickly, stuffing his belongings back in his bag before turning on the overheard light. "Is it that time already?" Hotch moaned as he got up.

"Yeah, I'll meet you down in the lobby." The other man nodded and Dave slipped from the room, walking quickly to the large, airy, lobby. JJ was already there, texting someone, and he chuckled. "Who are you talking to this early?"

"Will. It's eight back home." He nodded and watched the others slowly trickle in. Finally, they were all assembled and he rode with Hotch and Morgan to the airfield. Once they were in the air, he began to text Erin.

Hey, are you at work yet?

Got here about an hour ago. What do you need?

Why are you there so early?

Cravings were bad this morning. Work keeps them at bay. Are you in the air yet?

Uh huh. We'll be home in less than two hours. God, I love the jet.

As much as you love me?

Never that much. See you soon.

Not soon enough. Crap, getting an important call. Talk to you later.

He put his phone away and shook his head. The entire flight home, he found himself preoccupied with thoughts of his woman back home. At times, he caught JJ or Emily looking at him oddly and he just shrugged, not willing to give up who he'd been talking to.

"Ooh, Rossi has a girlfriend," JJ teased and he shot her a look. "Oh, and he doesn't want us asking questions. Are you ashamed of your girlfriend, Dave?"

"No. I just want to protect her from you vultures who will tell her every bad thing that I've done in the last five years." JJ and Emily giggled and he just rolled his eyes. "See, that right there tells me you two would end up saying something you shouldn't. You won't be meeting her for months, if ever."

"Ah, come on now, Dave. We aren't that bad." Emily got up and sat next to him, reaching for his phone.

"I don't think so." He tucked it into the pocket of his jeans, raising an eyebrow at her. "Go back to reading your book."

She nodded, pulling it out of her bag before settling back in the seat. Dave smiled as he watched the sky outside grow brighter with every passing moment. Finally, they landed and made their way back to the campus. Penelope met them by the elevators, and he heard JJ extended to her an invitation to breakfast, which she quickly declined. Morgan stayed behind as well, and so it was just JJ, Emily, Reid, and himself.

He gave one lingering look down the hall towards Erin's door, and her assistant waved cheerily at him. He waved back and caught Emily and JJ exchanging a look. "What?"

"So, you're dating Helen? What a great way to get dirt on Strauss! So, anything juicy you can tell us?" Emily asked eagerly, a wicked grin on her face.

Rossi felt himself glower at the woman and her face registered some of the shock she must have felt at his sudden change in demeanor. "I would think that after everything Strauss has been through in this past year you could show just a slight bit of compassion for the woman. Helen has told me nothing about her and I would not think to ask. If she wants privacy, she deserves it."

Emily nodded, looking somewhat mollified by his tirade, while JJ and Reid just looked at him like he had grown a third head. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was such a sore subject with you." He nodded and they continued on to their cars. He followed them to the diner nearby and parked under a shade tree. Finding himself no longer hungry, he ordered a cup of coffee and nursed it as he listened to the others talk and joke.

After an hour, he made his excuses and went home, taking a quick shower and changing into a fresh shirt and jeans. It was still slightly early, but he took the chance that Erin would have left work already and made his way over to her home.

Dave managed to arrive at her house moments after she did, watching her garage door close as he pulled into her drive. He parked behind her spot and went up to the porch, raising his hand to knock on the door as she opened it. "I thought I said three."

"I wanted to be early. Can you blame me?" She shook her head and stepped back, inviting him inside. "So, the rest of the team may think that I'm dating Helen."

"That will be news to her girlfriend. Why would they think that?"

"We waved to each other before I left this morning." She laughed lowly and then leaned forward, kissing him sweetly. "If I'd known that was all it took to get you to kiss me, I would have made you laugh the moment I stepped in the door."

Erin swatted his shoulder lightly. "Whatever. I am going to change, you can wait in the living room for me. I trust you can find your way."

He nodded and watched her disappear up the stairs, her hips swaying deliciously. Smiling, he went over to the living room and took a seat on her couch. Looking around the room, he saw that all traces of Alan had been removed, the remaining pictures just of her and her children. Getting up, he went over to the mantle, his eye caught by a small picture frame. He picked it up and recognized it as from the Christmas party twenty five years ago. Erin was cuddled up into him, smiling at the camera. He was looking down at her, a tender look on his face.

Hearing her footfalls behind him, he turned, still holding on to the photo. "I didn't remember this being taken."

"I kept it close to me, in my journals, to remind me of happier times, times I thought I had left behind as I turned myself into a person that I didn't like. I drank quite often to bury the guilt gnawing at me." She smiled at him gently. "I'm learning to move past that now. Are you ready to head out?"

He nodded and held out his hand. Erin clasped it tightly, leading him out the door. They turned left on the sidewalk and began walking to the small park that was just around the block. He could smell the sweet scent of water and smiled as she led them down a wooded path so that they could walk along the shoreline of the small lake. "Do you want to take off your shoes and dip your feet in the water?"

"It's March, David."

"And it's nearly eighty degrees out, bella."

"Well, you do have a point there. There's a dock just a little further down the way." He nodded and they continued on, stepping onto the dock and going to the very end. "So, tell me about this case," she said as she rolled up her pants and let her feet dangle in the water.

"She used to be a teacher. Two times, she seduced one of her students and then, when she got knocked up by the second one, she named him after the first student she destroyed. She messed up in the end, after Hotch shot her, calling the other kid by the first one's name. How can you ever forget something like that? Thinking the one person that you love most in this world considered you second rate to her "first love"." He shuddered and she leaned against him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"That poor boy. Will he at least get custody of the baby?"

"I don't know, Erin."

"It's his child. He should be able to raise it." He felt her sigh deeply and he rubbed her arm vigorously.

"She's finally making her reappearance."

"Who?"

"The woman I fell in love with, the woman that's been kept under lock and key for a long time." She pulled away to look up at him, a slight smile dancing across her lips. "I knew she was in there, babe, I just wish it hadn't taken this mess to bring her back."

"This mess made me who I am. I've learned a lot."

"I can only imagine. Though, I am hoping that we can spar still." She nodded and kissed his cheek quickly before pushing him into the lake. The still freezing water cut to the bone and he shook his head. "It is on, Erin!" She shrieked slightly, scrambling to stand up, to move out of the range of his hands. He was too quick for her, though, and he grabbed hold of her ankle, pulling her closer and closer to the edge.

"Dave! Stop!" She was giggling a little, and he knew there was no real anger in her at the moment. Slowly, he inched her closer to the edge and she half-heartedly kicked out at him, catching him in the upper chest.

"Oh, for that, you are in big trouble, Erin." He tugged her the rest of the way off the dock and into the water, listening to her gasp as she splashed around.

"This is so cold!" she exclaimed as he helped her to shore. He gathered up their shoes and socks before they headed back home. "Thank God I have a Jacuzzi tub in the master bath, that should warm us up quickly enough."

He nodded, opening the door to the house and letting her lead him upstairs into the bathroom. While he started the hot water flowing, she stripped down, setting her clothes on the counter. "Erin?"

"You can't take a bath while dressed, David."

He couldn't ignore her logic and disrobed as well, putting his clothing atop hers. She stood before him, her hands anxiously rubbing against her thighs. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you. But, I hope you know this doesn't mean we're going to do anything other than wash each other." She wouldn't look at him and he caught the nervous way she bit her lip. Carefully, he lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

"Erin, if I want this to last forever, and I really do, I want to be intimate with you, in every possible way. There's more to a relationship than sex." She nodded as her eyes filled with tears, and he kissed her slowly before helping her into the tub. Erin relaxed against him, letting him bring his hands up to cup her breasts.

"Mmm, that does feel nice, Dave," she murmured, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. Slowly, his thumbs brushed her nipples, teasing them to erect peaks. She squirmed against him, arousing him further, and he chuckled lowly.

"If you keep that up, honey, things are going to get too hot for the two of us rather quickly." She nodded, stilling her motions. He tightened his arms around her waist, trying desperately to find the calm of just holding her.

"Would you wash my hair for me? I swear I can smell the lake water still on me."

"Just hand me the shampoo and conditioner and I'll get you fixed up in no time." She handed him the bottles before ducking beneath the water, soaking her hair once more. She sighed as he massaged the shampoo in her hair, working up a good lather. "If I had known this brought you such pleasure, I'd have done it a long time ago."

"Just keep those magic fingers working, Dave." He laughed and rinsed the shampoo out, ready to begin with the conditioner. As he worked it in, he delighted in the soft moans she made, enjoying how much she was enjoying him. "I love moments like these."

"I do, too." He dropped a kiss on her shoulder and she arched back into him. He prayed that moments like these would never end.