Erin lifted her head from her book as she heard the phone ring. Catherine and Elise were already sleeping, while her older kids were out, which meant she had to hurry to her feet in order to get it before the noise could wake the babies. After hastily dogearing the page she was on, Erin tossed the book onto the sofa before pushing herself to her feet and jogging over to the phone and answering. "Hello?"

"Oh, Chief Strauss. I, I hope that I haven't, that is, is Agent Rossi there?"

She tried not to laugh at how flustered the young woman sounded, since she knew that it was a tad bit embarrassing to call your superior's home and end up talking to his partner. Still, she wanted to know why Agent Seaver was calling so late at night, after they had just returned from a nasty case in Montana. "He has not arrived home just yet, I think that he's probably stopping for food before he gets here, since we've eaten already. Is there a message that I can pass on to him?"

Agent Seaver let out a long breath before she spoke once more. "Well, I would usually say yes, but I'm actually on the stoop right now? He swore that he would be home before I arrived, and I didn't want to wake the children, so I called instead."

Erin frowned as she walked to the front door, peeking out to see that Agent Seaver was indeed on the stoop, pacing back and forth in the small space, and it was her turn to let out a long breath as she unlocked the door and opened it. "And to what do we owe this pleasure, Agent Seaver?"

"It was a hard case, and Dave said that I could stop by to play video games with him?" As she spoke, her shoulders crept up to her ears, as if she was afraid of what Erin would say. "I know, I probably should have asked if he had cleared it with you beforehand, but I didn't think to do so."

"It will be fine, Agent Seaver. Come inside," Erin replied as she stepped away from the door, motioning for the young woman to enter. "He should be home soon, so if you want to head into the den, I'll tell him you're here when he arrives. Can I get you anything? Water, soda, juice?"

"Sprite if you have it? And where's the den?"

Erin pointed down the foyer as she spoke. "It's next to the downstairs bathroom, last door on the right. I'll be in shortly with your soda."

Agent Seaver nodded like a bobblehead, and Erin pursed her lips together to keep from laughing aloud at the expression on her face. Once she had disappeared, Erin did let out a soft chuckle before heading into the kitchen. It didn't surprise her that David had forgotten to inform her that they would be having a guest, since he had sounded distracted on the phone when he had called earlier that afternoon, but she still would have liked a small warning, since she wouldn't have changed into a sweatshirt and jeans when she arrived home. Shaking her head to clear out the meaningless thoughts, Erin opened the fridge and rummaged through the cans of soda until she'd found the last few Sprites, pulling two out in anticipation of them playing late into the night.

"We have a guest, stellina," she heard David call out as he entered the mud room from the garage. Erin waited until he was in the kitchen to reply to him, though she did smile when he closed his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. "But I take it that you already know that since she's not outside still."

"Yes, your little foundling called the house and let me know that she was waiting for you. Do I smell Arby's on your breath?"

"Yeah, I knew that I needed something quick, since I wasn't certain how fast Ashley drove. Are those sodas for her?"

Erin nodded as she turned in his arms, looking up into his eyes. "I wish that you had called to ask, since I really wanted to cuddle with you. The kids are all gone or sleeping."

"Damn, well, hopefully we won't be too late," he said before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "But she's been struggling to find her place on the team, and I thought that talking to me while distracted by video games might help me to figure her out a little more."

"So you're profiling her. I have taught you well," she teased before leaning up and kissing him softly. "All right, go, enjoy your play time with Ashley. I'll probably head upstairs in an hour and get ready for bed. If I'm asleep when you drag yourself away from your fun, wake me with a kiss?"

"As if you even had to ask, stellina. Thank you for being so understanding."

She shrugged as she pulled away from him, handing him the cans of soda before taking a deep breath. "I love and trust you, even if I'm upset over the fact that you didn't let me know beforehand. I feel like a bad hostess, David."

"I will try to remember that for next time, Erin, I promise." He gave her another kiss before turning on his heel, heading towards the den. Rolling her eyes in bemused affection, Erin went back to the fridge and pulled out the container of chocolate milk, deciding to treat herself while she read. After pouring a glass, she returned to the living room and curled up on the sofa with her book, deciding to just finish it, since she was so close to the end anyway.

"…adorable. I would never have thought that possible, Dave."

Erin blinked slowly as she came to wakefulness, and that was when she saw that she had fallen asleep on the sofa, her book on the floor. "I trust that you will tell no one what you saw here tonight, Agent Seaver?" she asked, sounding more tired than frosty, and she stretched as she yawned, trying to feel okay with a probie seeing her just waking up.

"Of course, not, ma'am. I was just telling Dave that we lost track of time, so you were certain to be asleep, and I was proven right. I'll show myself out, but I wanted to thank you for allowing me in your house for the evening. I know, it flouts the rules a little, but…"

"But sometimes we need a way to blow off the pressures of the job. As long as we don't make it a regular habit, I won't be upset or find it necessary to inform Director Shepperd that there's been a breach of etiquette."

Agent Seaver gave her a relieved smile before leaving the room. Erin's shoulders relaxed as David took a seat next to her, and she curled up close to him as a deep yawn separated her lips. "You're still tired?"

"I guess so. I wonder what time I fell asleep, because the last thing I remember is finishing up the last page of my book."

"I don't know, but I do know that it is late, so let's head upstairs and get you into pyjamas." She nodded as she allowed him to help her to her feet, and then she snuggled into his side as they made their way up to their room. Erin was more than content to let him lead her, though she still wished that they had had time to talk before they fell asleep, but she was now too tired to do anything more than change and fall back into bed, hoping for sweet dreams in the arms of her beloved.