Things have just gone from bad to worse, to give me a fucking break! Poor Mudgie!

In The Mood

Dave gave a curse under his breath and hurried to open the front door. Opening the heavy oak, he was surprised to see JJ on the other side.

"I am so sorry to bother you," the media liaison rushed as she took in the look on the older agent's face and his bedroom attire. "I was finishing up these files and realized that you hadn't signed some reports."

"Give them to me," Dave ordered.

"Well…" JJ began. "It's not that easy…"

"Just hand them over."

Leaning down, JJ picked up the file box and handed it to Dave. "Here."

"All of these?" he barked. "There has to be a mistake."

"Not all of them require your signature," she corrected, "but to be on the safe side, I put the ones that do need your signature on top. But you better go thru the rest and double check."

"You have to be kidding me." Dave took the box.

JJ shrugged sympathetically. "It's either now or let Strauss see them."

Dave sighed heavily. "You might as well come in and make yourself comfortable." Turning away, Dave headed toward the study. "Em is upstairs," he offered as an afterthought.

Slowly it dawned on JJ what she had interrupted. "Dave, I can come back later."

"I'll hurry up."

Blushing, JJ went into the living room and waited.
*******

Two hours later, Dave closed the last manila folder and placed it back in the box. Refitting the lid, he stood up and carried the box out of the study to the living room where JJ and Em were sitting and talking.

"It's all done and corrected," he stated and thrust the cardboard container at the blonde woman. "Here."

"Dave, I am so sorry," JJ apologized and stood up.

"Don't worry about it; it's not the first interruption today."

Taking the box, JJ made sure the lid was on tight. "I'm sorry. If I had known…" She looked at her best friend for help.

"It's alright, Jayje." Em gave her a reassuring nod.

"I'll be going now." JJ rushed to the front door. "I'll see you both on Monday," she threw over her shoulder and closed the door behind her.

Silence filled the room.

"Is it me, or has everything that could go wrong today done so?" Dave wondered a loud.

"I don't think it's been that bad," Em contradicted. "We've had a few interruptions."

"A few? I don't get this many people knocking on my door in a week at the BAU. I swear, I think they all picked up that we wanted to be alone and are going out of their way to make sure we don't get a moment of peace and quiet."

"Well, we are alone now," Em observed saucily and fiddled with the belt on her kimono.

"Chances are that we will be interrupted by something else the moment we are alone."

Em backed up out of the room. "Okay…if you think you can't handle it, but I remember hearing all the rumours about a man who could do it anywhere, anytime…no matter the circumstances." She untied the belt and let the shoulder of her robe drop and reveal a creamy breast.

"I was a lot younger back then."

Em raised her eyebrow. "If you think you don't have what it takes," she taunted, "then I guess I'll finish by myself." She started up the stairs.

"The hell you will," Dave growled and hurried after her. Yelping a quick laugh, Em rushed up the stairs to the master bedroom. Close on her heels, Dave ran after her and caught her near the bed.

Pulling the brunette to him, he covered her mouth with his. The hunger he felt for her was nearly as overwhelming as the desire to be one with her body. Pushing the silk robe to the floor, he picked Em up and threw her on the bed. Covering her body with his, he ravished her body senselessly while his erection strained painfully. No matter what happened, they were going to make that baby today. Come hell or high water.

Em pulled her lover closer as she kissed him, weaving her fingers through his thick hair. His goatee tickled her skin. His fingers caressed her, stroked her, and set her blood on fire. She was nearly suffocating from the heat he was causing in her body.

"Dave," she gasped and broke away from his kiss.

"What?" he asked against her skin.

"I'm burning up."

Trailing his lips down across her neck, his fingers fumbled as he tried to bring her to completion before seeking his. "I know."

"No," she breathed heavily, "I mean that I am literally burning up. I can't breathe. It's too hot in here."

Dave pulled back. "What do you mean?"

"It's stifling in here; could you open a window? Please?" Her cheeks flushed red from heat and exertion.

Groaning, Dave pushed himself up. Walking over, he opened the first of the four tall windows. Immediately the cool air hit his skin as a breeze moved the curtains. "Is that better?" he asked, turning to face Em.

"Yes.. Dave, the curtain is on fire!" Em screamed and jumped up. Dave whipped around to see the filmy white material turn orange as fire raced up its length. Reaching for a pillow, he frantically hit at the flames. Faster the fire ate the material as the breeze fueled it and then helped it jump to the other curtain.

"Move!" Em commanded and pushed him aside. In the blink of an eye, she hit the curtain with a book. Suddenly the sound of glass breaking filled the air as the fire went out and smoke filled the room. The remains of the curtain floated outside as the breeze carried it away.

Dave stood in shock as he tried to take in the scene. Flicking his eyes downward he looked at the item in Em's hand.

"You used my book to put out the fire?" he asked incredulously.

"It was the only thing I had on hand."

"I had the fire under control."

"You were hitting it with a pillow!" she returned.

"It was working!"

"It was spreading!"

"You didn't have to use my book!"

"Get over it!"

A loud barking filled the air. Dave paused, held up his hand. "Where is Mudgie?"

"Downstairs?" Em replied.

"David Ross!" a voice screeched. "I just called the police to get your dog!"

"Oh shit!" Dave cursed and rushed out of the bedroom. Em followed him. Hitting the front door, Dave raced across his yard to the next door to get his dog.

Cornered on the porch, Mrs. Schultz stood on the chair, a broom in her hands, swinging frantically at the barking Lab. "Go away!" she ordered. "Scat! Scram!"

"Mudgie!" Dave called out. "Heel!" Almost automatically, the dog stopped barking and sat down. His tail wagged excitedly. "Mrs. Schultz, I am so sorry about that," Dave offered and reached for Mudgie's collar but came up empty. "Where is your collar…?"

The little woman stepped down and advanced toward Dave. "I warned you about that mutt! I called the police. They are on their way."

"Look, I am sure we can resolve this without involving the police; let me take Mudgie home and I'll tie him up," Dave replied evenly.

"No! You had your chance. That dog wants to bite me."

"Of course he would," Em interjected, "when you try to hit him with a broom!"

"Em, stay out of this," Dave warned in a low tone.

"Stay out of this? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am."

"No. She is making a big to do about Mudgie, but he was just trying to be friendly."

"He wants to bite me," the woman angrily cried out.

"Mudgie would never bite you," Dave retorted without thinking. "He has better sense than that. Don't you, Mudge?"

"David…" Em began.

"Don't you 'David' me!" he returned.

"Don't you lose your temper with me!" Em shot back.

"Why not? It's been one thing after another today. Now this." Dave spread his hands wide.

"I doubt it's been deliberate." Em felt her temper rising.

"Like your mother coming over unexpectedly?" Dave asked.

"Mother made a mistake. I don't think she had a clue about today."

Dave bit his tongue and counted to ten…twice. "Okay. But what about Mudgie wanting to dig? And JJ?"

"What about Theresa? You were supposed to turn off all the phones," Em replied harshly. "But you forgot that one."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't wanted a baby so badly, we could have been at work today and avoided all of this."

Em's mouth dropped open. "Are you saying that this is all my fault?" Her eyes welled up with angry tears. Dave raised his eye brown in mock response. "I hate you." Turning around, Em walked over to the house and tried to open the front door. "It's locked."

"What?" Dave asked as sirens filled the air. Two cars pulled up to the curb along with an Animal Control truck. Slowly the neighbours came outside to watch the scene.

"It's locked," she shouted. "You have to be kidding me!" Frantically, she turned the knob.

"He's over here," Mrs. Schultz announced as the officers got out of their patrol vehicles. "That is the mutt that tried to bite me, and that is his owner."

"Sir, is this your dog?" the patrol man asked as he took in the older man clad in nothing but silk boxers. He also noticed the lingerie clad woman tugging on the front door.

"Yes it is," Dave replied smoothly.

"Does he have a tag?"

"He does…but it's not on him. It must have fallen off when he got under the fence," Dave replied. Suddenly, he started sweating. He glanced at the name tag. Officer Richards.

"And you live…next door?" the young man asked.

"I do." Dave held the officer's stare.

"And that woman…is…" Officer Richards prompted.

"My wife."

"You are…?"

"David Rossi. I'm an FBI agent. That is Emily Prentiss."

"May I see your ID?"

"It's inside and the front door is locked, Officer Richards," Dave stressed the last name subtly.

"I'm going to have to take you in."

"What?" Dave asked in stunned surprise. "I live right here. I can prove it. May I borrow your phone, Mrs. Schultz?"

The woman crossed her arms over her chest. "Go somewhere else."

"Oh, that's great!"

"You can make a call from the station." Involuntarily, the patrolman scanned Em's lithe, purple laced covered body.

"I would suggest you put those eyes back in your head," Dave growled low.

"Threatening a police officer? Smart move, old man." Whipping Dave around, Officer Richards snapped the cuffs on Dave's wrists. "Come with me."

"Wait!" Em called out. "What are you doing?" She rushed after Dave. "Where are you going?"

"Down to the station," came the terse reply.

"We live here!"

"You want to make trouble? Johnson, take her too," Richards called out as he placed Dave in the backseat of the patrol car. Dave watched helplessly as Em was handcuffed and Mudgie was collared and dragged to the Animal Control truck.

Em was pushed inside and the door was slammed hard. She tried not to think as the patrolman radioed in to dispatch.

"Em…" Dave began.

"Don't speak to me," she ordered in a low tone that left no room for argument.

"Officer," Dave called out, "if you could just call Aaron Hotchner at the FBI, I'm sure we can clear this up."

"You can call him after we process you. Right now, just be quiet and make yourself comfortable." Finishing his relay, he made a couple of notes and put the car in drive.

"Where are they taking my dog?"

"To the pound. I'm not going to warn you again."

Dave turned his head and watched as the Animal Control truck went in the opposite direction.

Just like his life.