Erin wasn't surprised to find Aaron coming home with David after the funeral that they held for Emily. Thankfully, Jessica and Celia had agreed to watch the children for her while she attended the service, allowing the others to mourn at the graveyard while she came home to her children. Jessica had agreed to stay and have supper with them, and she was a little disappointed that Celia had decided to head home, as she was looking forward to spending more time with the woman. "Celia does know that she's welcome here with us, yes?"

"Of course she does, Erin. She just doesn't want to overstay her welcome, since things aren't truly serious between us yet. Well, I think they're moving in that direction, but I don't want to assume that everything will be automatically family. After all, it did take a little while for you to slip seamlessly into the mix." Jessica gave her a soft smile as they finished up the last of the food for supper just as the men entered the house. "Hey, you're just in time! The kids have already set the table, so if you two want to start bringing the food into the dining room, Erin and I will put the finishing touches on these last few things."

Aaron nodded as he picked up the bowl off the island, quickly disappearing from the room. That was enough to tell Erin that things were not all quite right with him, and she knew that they would have to have a talk sooner rather than later. David came up to her side, kissing her cheek softly as he snagged a green bean from her bowl and popped it into his mouth. "David!"

"I know, stellina, but it smelled too good to pass up!" Before leaving, he checked her hip, and Erin shook her head as she chuckled, finishing up the final touches.

"Do you need anything else?" Tabitha asked as she held Catherine close to her chest.

"If you want to pour water and wine into the right glasses, that would be a major help," Erin replied as she took her baby from Tabitha's arms and cradled her close to her chest. "How's my sweet baby?" Catherine babbled up into her face as they made their way into the dining room while the men finished up bringing the food into the dining room.

Once everything was settled, Erin took her seat next to Catherine's high chair, knowing that she would have to feed her slowly, which she didn't mind. It was a joy to watch her growing independence, since it meant that she was hitting the right milestones. As they ate, Erin listened to the conversations that were going on around her, and she couldn't help but notice that Aaron's heart wasn't in it, that he was acting so half-hearted about things. Jessica and Karen also seemed to pick up on the distractedness, and Erin met Aaron's eye, giving him a look that she was certain he'd understood, since he gave her a small nod in return.

"All right, Aaron and I are going to have a small talk before he heads home for the evening. Bruce, Karen, if you'll take care of the dishes, Tabitha can get Catherine and Elise ready for bed?"

"Yes, Mama," Tabitha answered quickly, taking Catherine out of her high chair while Elise and Jack followed at her heels.

"I think that I'll give Tabitha a hand," Jessica said as she also got up from the table, giving Erin a quick hug before following after the younger children.

"And I'll help with the dishes," David replied quickly, picking up on the mood of the room. She gave him a grateful smile before picking up her wine glass and taking a long sip before letting out a frustrated breath.

"Erin…"

"Please, don't even start to make excuses for your behaviour. I knew from the moment you and Agent Jareau acted so shifty in the hospital that you weren't telling us the full truth. And now, with Emily in the wind, and the team believing that she's dead, you're finding it hard to live with your guilt over the whole situation. It's harder for you, because you see the team every day, whereas Agent Jareau most likely talks to them rarely, if ever. So she doesn't have to deal with the things that are eating at your heart. Am I anywhere close to correct?"

Aaron shrugged before letting his shoulders slump forward as he let out a long breath. "I always forget that you had the same training that I did, that you were a member of the BSU as well, so of course you know what to look for. But how did you know in the hospital that something was off with my reactions?"

"You know that I've never been as close to the team as you are, so the news of the attack didn't affect me the way that it did the others. I was trying to manage the situation, and so caught a few of the microreactions that you and Agent Jareau shared. I promise, I won't reveal what I know to the others, since I'm assuming that there is an element of danger to Emily's current circumstances?"

He nodded as he got up from the table, coming around to her side and sinking down into the chair next to her. "Even I don't truly know all the details. JJ worked that out, and I think that it's better that way, since that means I can keep her safe. Doyle can't break me if I know nothing, after all."

"There is that. And you're going to promise me that you're safe, yes? Elise and Jack would be lost without you." Reaching out, Erin rested her hand against his face as she stared into his eyes. "And, after everything we went through to finally be kind to one another, I think that I would be a little lost without you, too. You're not my David, but you do occupy a special place in my heart. After all, you've given me a family that I never thought I'd have at this point in my life. So please, once more, I implore you to take the utmost care from here on out."

"I'll try, Erin." He dipped his head a little as he took a deep breath. "You know, the others would have a field day over our friendship. I think Morgan is still reeling over the fact that you allowed JJ to be stolen from us."

"I truly didn't want that, Aaron," she replied as she slipped her hand back into her lap and looking away from him. "If I could have kept your team together, I would have. But the Director was quite clear that it would be my head on the line if I couldn't get her to agree, and even then, she would have been out of a job at the BAU. I hated being maneuvered into that same position again, years after it destroyed my friendship with Alex."

"You miss her?"

"Every day of my life, I suppose. Some days, I think about her more often than others, but the little niche that she still has in my heart is waiting for her to maybe one day talk to me again. But don't think that you can just turn this conversation around on me, Aaron. This was supposed to be about you."

He chuckled as he got to his feet, holding out his hand to her. "You caught me. Now, let's relax in the living room for a little bit before I bring Jack home. We've had enough talk about guilt tonight." She nodded as she allowed him to help her to her feet, and they went into the living room together, Erin thinking about how she would navigate this new minefield that Aaron had dragged her into.