Dave smiled to himself when he saw that another text had come in from Erin, knowing that she had just been somewhere that she had loved, and he let out a little sigh as he shoved the phone back into his pocket, trying to focus on the interrogation that Hotch was leading. "Let me guess, old man, Erin sent you another message?" Derek teased, and he nodded sheepishly. "You two are that saccharine sweet couple that everyone else both loves and loves to hate. But seeing the light come back to her eyes after what she's gone through has been the best thing. And having her oversee different teams has allowed me to see her in a different light, too."

"She does seem to be under a different sort of stress these days, which is good to see. Though I am dreading to see my charge card bill this next cycle. The first place Penelope dragged Alex and Erin to, after they'd dropped their bags off, was Henri Bendel, and while I love the dress that Erin bought, I know that that is most definitely a high-end boutique."

"Let me guess, you approved light spending, didn't you?" He nodded. "Penelope is great at hearing some words better than others. But I say, if it puts a smile on Erin's face, and helps the three of them grow closer, it's a small price to pay. Right?"

Dave nodded as he turned his focus back to what was going on in the room, seeing that Reid had taken over the questioning while Hotch was sternly glaring that the suspect. He could just tell by the set of the woman's jaw that she wasn't going to give them anything useful, at least not on surface level, so he began to study her mannerisms, seeing that every time Reid asked a new question, she would flinch a little, and he made a note to tell Hotch about that when they had finished their questioning. He knew that there had to be something about that reaction, though he didn't know what. "I wish that Kitten was in the office, though. I know that she could find out the information that I keep circling around without my having to go into depth about things I'm not certain about."

"It's like she has a sixth sense for what we can't put into words." He nodded. "I think that's because we've worked together for so long. We've developed a rhythm to the way we work, even Blake. It's surprising at how well she slipped into Emily's place. Even if I miss Em like crazy, having a cool head like Blake on the team has been good for us all."

"She has added a different air to the team, yes." Hotch glanced up at the window, and he thought that his best friend could actually see through the mirrored glass and knew that they weren't entirely focused on the case. Shaking off his thoughts of Erin and Alex, Dave buckled down and focused on the ongoing interrogation, trying to glean some small speck of a clue that would lead them to the closure that the families needed.

Finally, there was a break for lunch, and while he was eating, Dave looked through the messages that he had been sent. It appeared that Penelope had managed to finagle her way backstage of the play they had seen, as there were a few pictures of them all with the cast. The wide smile on Erin's lips told him just how much happiness she had gleaned from that moment in time. The next few pictures were of them around the city, and then he felt his mouth go dry as all blood rushed to his groin. Hastily, he looked up to see if anyone was around, and he let out a low breath of relief to see that everyone else was also occupied before looking back down at the picture on his screen.

Erin had obviously taken the snapshot in a dressing room, as it came after a shot of her wearing a new blouse, and it was one of the most artfully sinful things he had ever seen. The blouse was hanging on a hook behind her while she was looking into the mirror, her free thumb tugging at her bra strap as her other hand took the picture. Hurriedly, he saved the picture to his camera roll before scrolling through the other pictures, finding no other suggestive pictures of his beloved. That was a very beautiful blouse, Topalina. I do hope that you bought it, as I cannot wait to see you in it. Give Penelope and Alex my regards, I think we're about to solve this case, and maybe we'll be home around the same time Monday. Love you.

After sending the text, he got up and went over to where Derek and Aaron were sitting, sliding his chair close to the table as he listened to what their conversation was about. "I still think that woman is the key to this whole case. Did she give any signs of cracking to you?"

"No, which is why I was hoping that you or Dave noticed something about her behavior that might clue us in to her mental state and if there are any chinks in her defenses."

"Actually, I did notice something odd. Every question that Reid asked, she would flinch. It was so momentary that I'm not surprised you missed it, but she definitely was unnerved in some way by the kid asking questions. I wonder what would happen if we sent him and Jen in after lunch to question her? They're the youngest, and that might have something to do with her reactions."

Hotch nodded thoughtfully, and then reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "That is a very good idea. I'll go tell them that's the plan for after lunch. How is Erin getting along in New York? I was going to let them know that Beth would have been available for a meetup, but it seemed like Penelope was intent on keeping it just a trio. Or perhaps I haven't earned her trust back yet, which makes sense. I behaved like a jackass, and I need to prove that I've changed. At least it hasn't affected our working relationship too badly."

"Kitten always tries to keep things professional. And honestly, I don't think they would have had time, since the only rest they have is when they get back to the apartment. I think Penelope is trying to cram as much into weekend as she possibly can, because she knows that arranging any amount of time off is a hassle at the best of times, and with Matteo watching us carefully, well, she's making the most of whatever time she can take. Especially since our annual leave will be filled with Erin and I going away alone."

"Oh, do you have plans, already, then, old man?" Derek asked as he smirked at them.

"I do, and we're headed for two weeks at the cabin. Erin loved being there, and I love seeing her happy. And that's just banking on the Director giving her the same time off, since we work separately now. I'll have to talk to Jen about how to schmooze Matteo a little more, since she seems to have a rapport with him that none of us have."

"And here I thought you didn't like playing the politics game."

He shrugged a little as a quick smile flashed across his face. "Neither Erin nor I like playing politics, but we're each good at it in different ways. She toes the line, while I prefer to redraw the line to my advantage. Together, we might just be unstoppable."

Derek let out a hearty chuckle as he shook his head. "I know, that should frighten me, but the idea of you and Erin as benevolent leaders of a new dictatorship is actually intriguing. You would totally be the carrot, and she'd be the stick. And with Penelope and Alex by your sides, I don't think it would take long before you ruled the world with an iron fist."

"I don't want to rule the world, and neither does she. We just want to be happy, and with each other, we are. I don't think that there's anything else that could possibly make this life better. Though I'm happy to hear that you and Beth are going strong, you need some happiness in your life, too."

Hotch dipped his head a little in acknowledgement of Dave's kind words before he pushed away from the table and got to his feet, heading over to the table where Reid and JJ were quietly talking between themselves. Dave knew that it would be a lot to ask of them, since their suspect was so unpredictable, but he knew that the two of them were good agents and would get the job asked of them done. "So, how is Erin, really? I hear the bits and pieces of conversations that Penelope and Alex have, but I know that's not the whole picture."

"I didn't tell Aaron the complete truth about this holiday. Penelope thought it would be best to get Erin away from here for the six-month anniversary of their deaths. It's hard watching the woman you love slowly start to fold in on herself and not quite realise that she's doing it, that she's putting on a patently false smile and going through the motions of things that she loves. It will be worse when it comes up on a year, and that's why we're going to the cabin for two weeks, why it's so important that I figure out how to schmooze Cruz enough so that he'll lead her teams for two weeks. I won't leave her alone at this time. Penelope and Alex get her half year, I get her year."

Derek's smile was sad and tight, and Dave cleared his throat a few times to chase away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. "That is a worthy endeavor, Rossi. And I know that you'll succeed. Though I'll make certain to keep my ears open for anything that might help us figure out Cruz a little better. After all, the more ears, the better, right?"

"Right." Dave smiled as he finished up his lunch before texting Erin back, asking her to model that new outfit for him when they arrived home. Within seconds, he received an answer from her, chuckling to himself to see that the only thing on his screen was a winking emoticon, which told him everything he needed to know about what would happen when they were finally together again.