Dave leaned back in his chair as he sipped from his glass of bourbon. Looking over, he saw that Hotch was staring into his glass of whiskey, and he knew that he had to needle the man for more information. 'So, what has you more pensive than normal this evening?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"I'm in a bit of a conundrum. Do you think that Penelope has been acting weird around me?"

He paused for a moment, sloshing the amber liquid around in his glass as he thought for the words to answer Aaron's question. "I have noticed that there is a little bit of tension between the two of you, ever since that case out in California. Then again, I have also noticed that there's tension between her and Jen, as well. What's going on?"

Aaron narrowed his eyes, and he wondered if he had tipped his hand a little too far. "I'm not too sure what there would be between Jayje and Penelope. I, that is, I may have been a little unprofessional when it comes to Penelope. We kissed."

"Is that all? I was going to ask if maybe you two had slept together and were trying to find a way to act normal in the office and failing miserably." Aaron choked on his sip of whiskey, and shook his head. "It's not like she isn't a beautiful woman."

"And you can't keep your eyes off a blonde, can you?" Dave shrugged a little. "What, are you considering going for Penelope, if I don't?"

There was a slightly territorial tone to his voice, and Dave chuckled, mentally ticking a point for Erin. "No, Aaron, I have my Rosie." The man looked at him closely, his eyes narrowing once more. "And I do not mean my hand."

"My mind did not go there until you mentioned it, Dave. Really? Isn't that a little crude?" He shrugged, smirking a little as he took a sip of bourbon. "So, who is she?"

"A blonde. And that's all I'll tell you until she's ready to meet the rest of you."

"Wait, what?"

Dave gulped and set his glass aside, his mind frantically trying to come up with an excuse for his best friend, something that would placate him. "Penelope's met her. And she has the Penelope seal of approval."

Aaron nodded and finished his glass. "Everything comes back to Penelope, doesn't it?" He sighed a little. "I'm thinking about breaking things off with Beth. Or at least asking her to take a break in our relationship. I love her, but I'm not sure if I'm in love with her any longer."

"One little kiss was enough to cause you to rethink your relationship with Beth?" Aaron nodded slightly. "That must have been some kiss."

"Well, it was just a friendly little peck, to be honest. The problem is, I just haven't been able to take my mind off of it. If I were really in love with Beth, I don't think that I would be dwelling on this so."

Dave nodded and picked up his glass, finishing the liquor before stroking his thumb along the lip of it. "You have to decide where your heart lies. Is it with Beth? Or is it with another woman?"

Aaron looked so hangdog, and it was then that Dave knew that he had finally bet on the dark horse in a race. JJ, if she really wanted to be with Aaron, would need to put herself out there and make him notice her, especially since it seemed like all his attention was being drawn to Penelope. "I think that my heart knows that, Dave. I just don't know which direction to head in at the moment. Penelope has always been such a good friend, she's always been there for all of us."

"Kind of like Jen," he butted in, intent on bringing her to the forefront, hoping that a mention of her would get his mind thinking about the woman. Aaron shrugged a little before nodding. "What?"

"Jayje and I are good friends, but it's different from what I might feel for Penelope. I don't know how to explain it, it just is." He sighed deeply and finished his whiskey. "And what I feel for Beth is much different as well."

"As it should be. Each person in our lives fills a different spot in our heart." Shaking his head, he stood. "I should probably get going. Tabitha wants me to help her with her paper tomorrow after Mass, and I can only imagine that it will be me doing the actual writing."

Aaron looked at him in surprise as he stood as well, throwing a few twenties on the table for their waitress. "You're still in touch with Erin's children?"

"Yeah. They're the children I never got to have. And Tabitha is really a sweet girl, even if she is flightier than my Kitten is."

"Really? I find it hard to believe that any child of Erin's would be flighty."

"So did I," he replied as he pulled on his coat. "But Tabitha reminds me so of Erin, in the little ways. I can see Erin acting like that when she was young and unrestrained by the stiffness of bureaucracy." He smiled a little, wishing he could tell Hotch that the Erin he was loving now was so much like her youngest daughter – mischievous, sweet, spontaneous. There would come a time for that, though, he knew, he just hoped that it would be soon.