Erin gave him an exasperated look as he went to help her up the staircase into the jet. "I can climb, David," she said, rolling her eyes a little, but there was no real anger in the look. "Just follow me up and make certain that I don't trip backwards."

"Yes, bella," he replied softly, giving Penelope a small wink as he did as he was told, following behind her as closely as he dared. "Grab the double seater there." She looked behind him and arched an eyebrow. "I thought that you'd want to have Alex and Penelope sit with us, and this way we can all look at each other as we talk."

"You do have a point there," she replied as she turned into the short row, settling down next to the window as Dave set their small bag between them on the floor before sitting as well. It didn't take long for Penelope and Alex to join them, and he winced in sympathy as Alex groaned while she sat down. "The pain is still bothering you?"

"Yeah, it's almost time for my next dose of painkillers, so it's a little uncomfortable. At least he didn't break anything. James said that the bruises might hurt worse than a break though, since there is a lot of deep tissue bruising. Would it be all right if I caught a ride home with you? James didn't want me driving at the moment."

"Of course we can do that, Lexie. And if you need anything in the next few weeks, do not hesitate to call. I would be more than glad to do anything that I can for you."

"And so would I!" Penelope said as she gently rubbed Alex's forearm. "Same for you, Erin. The both of you endured so much at Curtis's hands, that you shouldn't have to worry about putting yourself out. Let us take care of you. Please?"

Dave watched Erin from the corner of his eye, wondering how she would react. To his shock, she let her head come to rest against his upper arm before she answered. "I'll try, but I'm not the best at allowing others to do things for me. Though I wouldn't mind David waiting on me hand and foot," she teased as she took hold of his hand and let out a little sigh. He smiled across the table at Penelope and Alex as the plane took off, and then he was feeling his eyes close heavily. It had been a long night, and his sleep had not been the best, since it had been in the chair next to Erin's bedside. "Go to sleep, darling. We'll talk while you rest."

He felt Erin's hand caress his face as he gave in to the pull of sleep and then the next thing he knew, he felt his ears pop as the plane started to descend. "Is it that time already?" he asked as he sat and stretched, yawning deeply as he looked at Penelope and Alex.

"I don't know how Erin puts up with you, Dave. You snore louder than a chainsaw!" Alex shook her head a little as she leaned over and shook Penelope's shoulder, also waking her. "We're almost home, Penny."

"Good. I want to crawl into bed and sleep for a million years. And I don't even have someone to cuddle up to, unfortunately. I'll have to hope that Sergio is up for sleeping with me."

"Sergio? I thought you were dating Sam?"

Penelope giggled as she shook her head. "Sergio was Emily's cat. She didn't want to take him to England with her when she rejoined Interpol, so I said that I would take care of him. He is definitely not a cuddler, but I love him nonetheless."

Alex nodded as the plane touched down, a low groan tumbling from her lips when the plane bounced just a little. "When you drive, Dave, please take care to not hit every pothole along the way?"

"Of course, Alex." The plane came to a stop, and then they were filing off, heading for their vehicles. Thankfully, Reid and Derek carried Alex and Erin's luggage for them, and Dave smiled warmly at them before heading for the driver's side of his car. "I will see you all Monday. Right, Hotch?"

"No. The Director said to take the rest of this week and the next off. We need the time to recuperate after everything that happened in New York. And this is an order from me, so I hope you don't mind my commandeering your home, Dave, but we're going to have a party at your place on Saturday. Everyone is invited, and we are going to let the drinks and memories flow."

"That actually sounds like heaven, Aaron. I will make certain that we have everything ready for a marvelous party." Erin looked up at him and smiled softly. "It has been a long time since we have had something to celebrate, and it will feel so good to do that."

He nodded before leaning down to kiss her gently, listening to Derek wolf whistle in the background. "I love you," he murmured against her lips, and she kissed him again before repeating those words to him. "And since it will be a celebration, I think that we'll introduce the best reason to celebrate. I cannot wait to introduce you to my family."

Penelope squealed as she threw her arms around him and Erin. "Oh, I cannot wait to meet your kids! I never thought…well, this will be amazing. I will see you all Saturday night!" She hooked arms with Derek and led him over to his truck, Reid following in their wake. JJ gave them a long-suffering look before smirking a little and heading to her car, leaving Aaron to stand there.

"I'll bring Jack and Jessica, then, too, if we're going to make this a family affair."

"The more, the merrier, Aaron. My backyard can hold a lot of people. Make certain to let Jen know that Henry and Will can come, too." Aaron nodded before shocking the hell out of Dave and pulling Erin into a tight hug. "Watch your hands."

"You have nothing to worry about, Dave. I'm just so glad that we didn't lose a team member this year. It always seems like we lose someone in April, and I don't think my heart could have handled another loss."

"I'm made of sterner stuff than what John Curtis though I was, Aaron. And I cannot wait to see Jackers come Saturday."

Aaron pulled away and nodded. "He's grown since you've seen him last. Try to sleep well, ladies. I know that it's going to be difficult, since you're still bruised and hurting, but sleep really does help so much. Until Saturday." He waved to them before making his way to his car, and then they were finally getting into his car.

"Are you certain that you want to go home, Alex? We do have a perfectly comfortable guest room?" he asked as he pulled out onto the road.

"Much as I might love to stay with you guys, there is something that I am looking forward to very much when I get home, and I don't want to miss out on it. James managed to get the rest of the week off, after all." Dave felt himself blush a little at the implications, and cleared his throat, trying to keep his focus on the road and not on anything else.