The case had gone surprisingly well, and Dave found himself eager to be home, ready to finally have a heart to heart with Erin and find out what was truly going on. Before they had taken off, he texted his partner, letting her know that they were getting ready to leave, and that he would pick up supper for them before he headed to the house.

When she hadn't responded before they taxied down the runway, Dave felt something in his heart lurch, causing him to lose some of the eagerness. Blake seemed to notice the change in his demeanor, since once they were at a cruising altitude, she got up from her seat and came over to his side, taking the seat next to him. "Is everything okay back home? I know that you're with Erin now, is she giving you grief?"

He knew that she was fishing for information, and he felt torn. He could open up to her and put his relationship with Erin at risk, or he could brush her off and put the team dynamic at risk. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at her and shook his head a little. "We're going through something very difficult right now, but it's not her that's giving me grief. I just need to get a few answers for myself before I do anything drastic."

"Sounds serious."

"I think the word you're really looking for is complicated. Because that is what our lives are right now, so very complicated." She cocked her head to one side, trying to read him, and he shook his head. "I can't tell you any more, since I don't know any more at the moment. And even if I did, you're not the person I'd talk to about it. Aaron's my best friend, after all."

She nodded before reaching out and resting her hand on his arm. "I know what it's like to be burned by Erin. If you ever need someone to commiserate with, I'm yours."

"I'll keep that in mind, Alex," he responded, feeling a little bothered by her assumptions that he would be burned by her relationship with Erin. But it did make a certain sort of sense. After all, Erin had kept things from Alex, back in the day, and now it appeared that she was keeping things from him as well.

The rest of the flight home saw Dave ruminating on how he would react to Erin, and where they could possibly go from there, since there was already a breakdown in their communication. A finger of guilt wormed its way into his brain, reminding him of the fact that he hadn't returned a single one of her phone calls while they had been out in the field, and he tried to justify his actions by telling himself that they had been too preoccupied with catching the unsub to do something like call home. He conveniently forgot that JJ had called home every night to check on Henry or talk to Will.

When they touched down two hours later, he had convinced himself that he would just go home and wait on Erin calling him at some point before he talked to her again. It seemed the right thing to do, given the situation, and he knew that she would do that soon enough. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he followed after Hotch, climbing into the passenger seat of his vehicle, while Reid clambered into the back.

"So, who wants to bet that Strauss is going to send us out on another case tomorrow?" Reid asked. Dave looked at him in the sidemirror, arching an eyebrow a little as he shrugged. "I would have expected you to have the inside track here, Rossi. I mean…"

"We try to keep work and personal lives separate, kid. Though I know that has been a little more difficult as of late." That seemed to mollify Reid, as he fell quiet, and the rest of the drive back to the office was silent and peaceful. The only thing that interrupted his thoughts was feeling his phone vibrate against his thigh, and he pulled it out to see that he had gotten a text from his agent, informing him that would be receiving an email the next day requesting a synopsis of his current book.

That was the last thing he needed added to his plate, and he let out a frustrated groan as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. A part of his wished that Erin had caved and contacted him, but the new radio silence was just starting to piss him off.

Once they were back at the building, he hung back a little, letting the others catch the first elevator up, until it was just Hotch and him. "Nervous to talk to her?" his best friend asked, and he shook his head. "Then what is it?"

"I just want to let everyone have a chance to grab their things and go, I guess. Just in case there's a disagreement between Erin and myself." Hotch gave him a small nod as they stepped onto the next elevator. Once they arrived, Dave let Hotch step out first, following in his footsteps as they entered the bullpen. There was a certain tension in the air already, and he tried to shake it off as he passed by Anderson's desk, seeing the younger man shake his head a little before glancing up at Penelope's office.

Swallowing thickly, Dave started to climb the stairs, feeling his feet grow heavier with each one. That look from Anderson hadn't boded well for him, he knew, and he began to pray that Penelope wouldn't notice him arrive, as he really wasn't looking forward to the haranguing she was certain to give him. Tiptoeing past her office door, Dave then made his way to his office, unlocking the door and slipping inside, closing it as quietly as possible.

Knowing that if he turned on the light, he might attract attention, Dave carefully made his way over to his desk and set his go bag in his chair. As he looked across the room, he could just make out a slim figure sprawled out on his sofa. Swallowing his groan of annoyance, he just as quietly made his way out of the room and started for the stairs, deciding that it was easier for him if he just left things where they were, since Erin needed her sleep.

Dave had almost made it over to the stairs when he heard a sharply drawn in breath. Pursing his lips a little, he took a deep breath before turning around and facing the person behind him. He wasn't at all surprised to see Penelope standing there, tapping her foot angrily as she stared at him. "What is it, Kitten?" he asked, knowing full well that she was about to lambaste him over the lies he had told.

"She has been waiting in your office for you from the moment Aaron called to say the case had been closed, and you were coming home. And now you're avoiding her? Again?"

"Penelope, Kitten, you have to understand, I'm tired…"

"She's tired, too, and wondering why you're avoiding her. I kind of wonder that myself, Rossi. Why would you lie to the woman you love?" He took a step back from her as she pushed the tip of her finger into his chest, wondering just how he had gotten himself into this mess.