The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to pass by much too quickly, and though he had tried to be content with the enforced desk duty, he was starting to get restless. Thankfully, Doctor Brody has declared him fit to return to active duty with the New Year, and that helped to settle him a little. Still, he was anxious about the Replicator and what the man was doing, since he had seemed to hit a small lull. That shouldn't be happening, really, which told Dave that there was more to this unsub than they had thought.
"Are you ready to head back onto the field?" Erin asked as she came into the living room, her suede skirt swishing around her ankles as came to a stop in front of him.
"I am. Though I am going to miss coming home to your sweet face every night. I fear this has spoiled me, since Hotch is definitely not as entrancing as you are," he teased, watching her blush as he reached out for her arm and pulled her down onto his lap, kissing her deeply.
"Do I have to be jealous of him?" she teased right back and he shook his head as she adjusted how she was sitting on him. "Good. Now, since we've been able to celebrate Christmas with our children, it only seems fitting that we have tomorrow all to ourselves."
"That was always the plan." She sighed as she curled up close to him. "What is it?"
"The Replicator. I can't help but feel like he's trying to lull us into a false sense of security, as if he's building up to something big, and we're not going to be ready for him. And I don't want to see any of us hurt if he does show his hand and attacks when we least expect it. I know that the Director has told me to step away from this, to let it be, since there hasn't been any hint of him in a month, but I just can't. I need to make certain that the people I love are safe."
He felt her tears wet his shirtfront as she wrapped her arm around his neck. Soothingly, he rubbed her back as he tried to find a way to comfort her. "You are doing your best, Erin, and that's all anyone can ask of you. Bella, please, don't try to take all of this on yourself."
"But what if the Replicator starts up again, once you're back in the field, and he hurts you? I don't think that I could bear to lose you in that manner. And I know it's a stupid fear, I know that you've trained so much for your job, but…" Dave cut her words off with a kiss, burying one hand in her hair as he deepened the kiss. Erin allowed him to maneuver her onto her back as they continued to kiss, and he fumbled with the buttons on her blouse, wanting to feel her skin beneath his hands. "We should probably take this upstairs, Davie. I don't think my back can handle much more on the sofa?"
Breathing heavily, he nodded as he slipped off her and got to his feet, holding out his hand. Erin took it firmly, using it to launch herself to her feet and into his arms. "I am so glad that we get to spend this holiday together. I was so afraid that my actions had driven you too far away, and that we would never come to this place again."
"Everything just happened all at once, and our emotions were spiraling out of control. I know that I didn't react the best, but I was just so worried about Helena." He nodded as they started up the stairs, and she tightened her grip on his hand as they made their way to the bedroom. "I just felt like I was losing my grip on everything that I held dear, and you abandoned me at a time when the sand was shifting beneath me, but you came through when I needed you most, and now Helena is doing so well. My love, you gave life back to our granddaughter, and that is the greatest gift that anyone could give a person."
He nodded as he led her over to the bed, pushing her blouse to the floor. Taking a small step backwards, Dave quickly unbuttoned his own shirt, watching as Erin finished undressing as well, and he felt his heart lurch a little in his chest as he stared at her. "You are so beautiful it hurts," he whispered as he pushed his boxers down his legs, watching as Erin dragged a hand through her hair, tousling her hair as she took a seat on the bed and watched him. "What would you like?"
"Honestly?" He nodded. "I think that I'd like to just plaster myself against your body and kiss you to sleep tonight, and then in the morning we can make love. Or, if our kisses wind us both up a little more than we planned, we can let things take their natural course?"
"I like the way you think," he said as he went around to his side of the bed and climbed into, pushing the covers down to the foot as he watched Erin stretch out on her side, watching him intently. "I hope that you don't mind that I didn't go all out for Christmas for you this year."
"This necklace is not going all out?" she asked as she fingered the pendant hanging around her neck. "I love rubies, and this is gorgeous, but it feels a bit too extravagant."
"I would buy you the world, if you asked for it, Erin." She smiled as she shrugged, scooting towards him so that she could plaster her body against his, kissing him deeply. He chuckled against her lips, trailing his hand down her side to cup her ass and bring her closer to him as he fitted one leg between hers. He could feel how wet she was already, and he deepened the kiss as he turned her onto her back. Erin looked up into his face, a tender smile on her lips as she sighed. "Maybe we can make love in the morning, too?"
"All right," she answered as he started to kiss down her neck. A thready gasp escaped her lips as he nipped at the tendon of her neck. "You're going to tease me, aren't you?"
"No, I'm going to worship you," Dave replied as he trailed his lips down to one breast, lapping at the nipple with the flat of his tongue before drawing her breast into his mouth, suckling at her nipple as his hands spread her legs. As he fitted himself between her thighs, Dave heard her moan lowly, and he knew that he had to be doing something right. Thrusting himself into her softness, he sighed before pulling up a little so that he could look down into her face. He made certain to take his time, knowing that he had to draw the pleasure out for his love. From the expression on Erin's face, he knew that she was feeling the same pleasure that he was, and as they moved together, her arms came to rest around his neck, pulling him down so that she could kiss him deeply. And as they came together, Dave knew that he would never forget this moment as he looked at her with eyes in love.