Dave sat in his office pretending to work until he saw Kevin slink out of Penelope's office and into the hallway. He had, in all of his years, never gone after a woman who was in a relationship with another man before. He had slipped in before other men had gotten a foothold or, he was there to pick up the pieces after a breakup. But, honest to God, he had never been the reason for a breakup.

He had been watching from the sidelines for a while now and was actually putting a plan in place before the team decided to force their opinions on him. He was grateful to know that he had their support, he only hoped that things would work with he and Penelope and that she wouldn't end up hating him.

It had been a long time since he seriously chased after a woman; and she had become wife number two. Wife number three was a drunken mistake that was cleared up faster than it had begun. This time was going to be the last time. He liked even numbers and would make four his lucky number if he can convince Penelope to become his last wife. But first, he has some wooing to do.

Dave slips out of his chair and exits his office. He glances at the team, throws them a nod and a sly smile as he makes his way across the bullpen to Penelope's office. He enters his code in the pad and opens the door.

"How's your sandwich," he says in greeting.

"Sandwich? What sandwich," she teases. "I devoured that in like three bites."

He crosses the room and settles his thigh on the corner of her desk. He gives her outfit a quick appraisal. "This looks nice but I think I like the red dress with the stockings better," he smirks.

She places a hand on his knee. "I'm sure you did."

He slips a hand behind her neck and tugs her closer as he leans down. "I like you in anything you want to wear," he whispers against her lips. He slowly kisses her, sweeping his tongue into her mouth to duel with hers. He breaks the kiss and presses his forehead against hers. They sit for several seconds just breathing together.

"Are you okay," he asks quietly.

"Yeah," she whispers in return. She tilts her head and captures his mouth. He allows her to explore his lips, teeth and tongue at her own pace. She moans as she pulls back. "Damn."

He smiles at her and gazes into her eyes.

"I hope to hell we don't get a case today," she growls.

His smile widens. "Oh? You have plans for tonight?"

"Do we," she counters.

Knowing he is going to regret bringing it up, he pauses before answering. "Kevin didn't ask you out for tonight?"

He watches as her pupils dilate and a small frown creases her forehead. "He did not."

Dave chuckles. "Good. Are you available tonight? I'd love to take you out for an evening of food and fun festivities."

The frown disappears as she appraises him. "Fun festivities," she repeats. "What kind of festivities?"

He grins. "I'll pick you up at your place at six, if that's okay?"

She shines with happiness as she nods her head. "I can hardly wait. What should I wear?"

"Nothing fancy. There's a carnival in DC that I thought might be fun to check out. Are you interested?"

"A carnival? Really?" she asks in disbelief. "This I have to see. Will you ride the rides with me?"

"Absolutely," he promises as he presses another kiss on her mouth. "Pray that we don't get a case."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She's packing up her things when she looks up to see Kevin standing in the doorway.

"Are you done for the day," he asks carefully.

"I am," she replies. She shuts down her computer for the night.

"Good," he replies happily. "I made reservations for us for eight."

"Excuse me? Reservations for what," she inquires.

"Dinner, at that fancy place in the village you've been wanting to go to," he preens.

"For tonight?"

"Yeah. I'll pick you up at seven thirty," he tells her.

"Kevin, you can't just make plans like that," she says in exasperation.

He frowns. "I thought that was what you wanted. I thought you wanted me to "Be the man""

She sighs. "Yes, I did say that but, you need to see if I'm available first. You need to ask me out."

"Ask you out?! You're my girlfriend, why should I have to ask you out?" He stops and thinks for a minute. "Wait! Are you going out with Agent Rossi tonight?"

"Yes, I am," she nods.

"Seriously," he yells. "I can't believe this. You can't go with him."

"Excuse me," she counters just as loudly.

"Penelope, you and I are in a relationship. You can't go out with other guys without asking me first," he demands.

She raises an eyebrow at him. "We are not, nor have we ever been exclusive. I don't have to ask for your permission for anything."

"You want me to be the man! I'm being the man. You cannot go out with him. I forbid it," he snarls.

"Is there a problem here," Hotch asks from the open doorway. Kevin spins around and begins to stammer an apology.

Penelope cuts him off. "There's no problem, Sir. Kevin was just leaving."

Hotch takes a step into the room and glares in Kevin's direction.

"I'll see you at seven thirty," Kevin growls as he storms out the door.

Penelope bites her lip.

"Are you okay," Hotch asks softly.

She looks at him and nods. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry about that."

Hotch shakes his head. "It's a good thing Dave has already left for the day. I barely was able to keep Morgan from coming over here."

She smiles weakly. "Am I doing the right thing?"

"Are you?"

She hesitates to answer. He watches her for a few moments.

"Penelope, if you have any doubts at all, you should tell Dave," he begins. "And Kevin. I know nothing of your relationship with the analyst but I can tell you, Dave isn't going to stop unless you tell him to. Make sure you're doing this because you want to, not because you think you have to. Okay?"

She nods.

"Would you like me to walk you to your car," he offers.

She shakes her head. "No. Thank you. I'll be fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

True to his word, Dave knocks on Penelope's door at precisely six o'clock. He smiles to himself as he listens to the scrapes and clicks as she unlocks the door.

"Hello sweetheart," he smiles as she opens the door.

"Hi," she replies as he steps into the room. She closes the door. "Is this okay?"

She gestures to her Hello Kitty t-shirt and jeans. A pair of red, high heels are strapped to her feet and she has her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Dave takes it all in. He places his hands on her hips and pulls her close. She slides her hands around his neck and presses her body tight to him.

"I told you before," he reminds her. "I like whatever you want to wear. You look ravishing."

A flush of happiness shoots through her body as he kisses her hard. She wraps her arms around his neck and presses even closer.

"Keep that up" he murmurs. "And you won't be wearing anything in a few minutes."

She laughs in his ear. "That's the plan."

He chuckles lowly. "Take it easy, sweetheart. There's no rush for anything."

He holds her close as she lays her head on his shoulder.

"Really," she asks. Uncertainty tinges her voice. "I kinda thought…"

"What," he queries as he pulls back to look at her face. She shies away from his gaze. "You thought that I would throw you in bed the first chance I got and have my way with you?"

She bites her lip and nods. "That is your reputation."

He laughs without humor. "My reputation. Look at me," he orders softly. She raises her head and meets his eyes. "Anything you've heard about me is no longer true. Hell, it may not have been true when it was first uttered. That's not to say I haven't had my share of women. I do want you Penelope Garcia. But you're not just a lay to me."

"So we're not going to have sex," she asks softly.

"We will," he promises. "At some point. You have to make a choice though first. I don't want to rush you but I won't sleep with you until you stop seeing Kevin."

He slides his hands from her hips to cup her ass and pull her tighter to him. She moans as he squeezes his hands. He watches her pupils darken with desire.

He continues. "Honey, when we do have sex, there will be no contest as to whom you will choose. But I want you to choose for your heart, not for my dick."

"How can you be certain that I will choose you without us having sex," she asks.

"I have no doubts. Doubts are for losers," he tells her.

She nods in understanding and begins to withdraw from his arms. He tightens his grip holding her in place. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy being tempted, you know."

She tilts her head back to laugh and he takes advantage of the situation by leaning in and sucking at the pulse point in her neck. She gasps. "That is so not fair."

She rubs her hips against his and grins widely when she feels his arousal pressed against her.

"Talk about unfair," he groans. He steps away from her. "We should get going before I lose my head."

She grabs a jean jacket and slips it on as he opens the door. "Where are we going for dinner?"

"Oh you'll see."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dave parks his SUV in spot a few blocks from the carnival. He meets her on the sidewalk. She sniffs the air; popcorn, french fries and many other delights tickle her nose.

"Mmm, I love the smell of a carnival," she purrs.

"Good," he replies as he wraps his arm around her waist and guides her towards the entrance. "Tonight, we are gorging on carnival food."

She laughs loudly gaining the attention of passersby. "I can't believe Mr. Steak and Lobster is going to eat a hot dog."

"And french fries, some popcorn, nachos," he lists.

"Ooh, and elephant ears! I hope they have elephant ears."

He nods. "Me too. Basically, we are eating everything we can get our hands on."

They get to the entrance and Dave pays the fee, picking up two unlimited ride passes as well. They head into the carnival grounds, taking in the rides and the games and the food. The place is packed with families and couples wandering around. Dave grabs her hand and tugs her close.

"Hold on to me," he smiles. "I don't want to lose you."

"Perish the thought, mon ami."

She's beyond surprised when he leans in and kisses her deeply. Several teenage boys walk by teasing them to get a room.

"Should we eat first," he asks as she gulps in a breath of air.

"I'm starving," she replies not breaking eye contact. Her whole world is tilting and she hasn't even gotten on a ride yet.

He leads her in the direction of the food carts, holding her close.

Twenty minutes later, they sit next to each other at a sticky table with their bounty spread out in front of them. Dave had found a vendor that served vegan dogs in addition to meat hot dogs, so they had one of each. In addition, there was a big basket of fries topped with cheese, corn on the cob, fried pickles, cheese pizza - 2 slices, fried mac n cheese, beer battered cheese curds, nachos, fried twinkies, hush puppies and two actual beers.

"I am definitely going to throw up tonight," Penelope admits. She grabs a couple of pickles and pops them into her mouth.

Dave starts on his hotdog, covered in mustard, ketchup and relish. He takes a big bite and chews happily.

"No onions," she asks. "I thought you liked onions."

"I do," he agrees. "But I noticed you weren't having any and I didn't want to offend you when we kiss again."

She picks up her vegan dog, takes a bite and leans her head against his shoulder. "I wouldn't be offended, but thank you."

They eat in silence for several minutes making their way through the pile of food. He wraps an arm around her and kisses her head.

"When was the last time you were at a carnival," he asks.

She thinks for a moment. "Two years ago, with Derek."

"Derek? You went on a date with Derek?"

"Maybe," she teases. He gives her a raised eyebrow. She laughs and shakes her head. "There were several other people as well. It wasn't, by any means, a date. I like Derek. He's a great friend and I love the teasing between us but that's all it is. No worries in that department Super Sexy Agent Rossi."

She wraps her hands around his arm and puts her chin on his shoulder.

"Good. I'm not certain I could beat him up if I had to." He leans over and kisses her again. She moans and leans into him.

"You've kissed me more tonight than Kevin has in the last month," she confides sadly.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I've said this before," he starts. "Kevin is an idiot."

She chuckles ruefully and nods in agreement. She picks up her beer and takes a deep pull. "He has his redeeming qualities."

"I'd rather not know," Dave says quietly. He surveys the pile of leftovers in front of them - there's not a lot left. "Shall we clean up and go check out the games?"

They finish their beers and throw the trash in the receptacles. The beer bottles clank in the recycle bin. Dave puts his arm around her, smiling as he feels her hand slide into his back pocket. He loves touching her and the fact that she was getting comfortable touching him back was, in itself, rewarding. They pick their way through the crowd.

Neither of them are in a hurry as they check out each game and the available prizes. Penelope's eyes land on a giant purple unicorn hanging above the duck hunter game.

"So how good of a shot are you, Super Agent," she asks with a smile.

Dave grins as he hands the attendant a bill and picks up the mini-rifle laying on the counter. Less than two minutes later, they are walking away with the purple unicorn. Penelope can barely control her laughter. Dave had landed all five shots on target in a matter of seconds.

"The look on his face was priceless," Penelope gushes as she holds the unicorn tight.

"That'll teach him to call me, old man. I should have shot him," Dave grumbles. He leads her through the crowd and the noise to a large, open air tent. "Want to play some skeeball?"

"Yes," she replies gleefully.

They spend the next hour wandering around playing various games, many of which she beats him at. He is in awe as she kicks his ass at the ring toss. She wins five goldfish, all of which, she hands out to nearby children.

"You ready to go on some rides," he inquires.

"Ferris wheel?"

He grins. "Of course."

The line moves quickly and they are soon seated in one of the buckets. Penelope has the unicorn on her lap tucked between herself and the bar. She snuggles close to Dave who has his arm around her. She pulls out her phone to take some pictures. They take several, including one of him kissing her cheek and another with them in a lip lock.

"Send those to me," he requests.

She opens her messenger and sees several messages from Kevin.

7:30 - I'm outside waiting for you.

7:35 - Where are you? We are going to be late.

7:40 - Let me in the building.

7:41 - Please let me in.

7:45 - Did you really ditch me to go out with that Lothario?!

8:15 - I managed to change our reservations to tomorrow. Do NOT make other plans!

"Is he always this demanding," Dave queries. "You should send him that last picture."

"Behave," she murmurs. She closes Kevin's messages without responding and opens Dave's number. She quickly forwards the photos to him.

They snuggle as the ferris wheel spins round and around. They take turns pointing out various buildings they can see from the top of the wheel. After five minutes, their ride ends and they debark the wheel. Next up is the Tilt-a-whirl. Penelope laughs and screams as the ride spins them around and up and down.

He chases her through the House of Mirrors, she giggles when she thinks she has lost him. She screams when he slides his hands around her waist from behind.

"You can't escape from me either, Bella," he whispers in her ear. She kisses him and boldly cups the front of his jeans until a group of kids squeal loudly and run past them.

They spend another hour just having fun on the bumper cars, carousel and the wave swinger. He convinces her to ride the roller coaster with him. She wraps her arms around his chest and buries her face in his neck during the entire ride.

She drags him over to the freefall ride, where he digs in his heels.

"No," he says firmly. "I am not getting on that thing."

"Come on," she pleads. "I rode the roller coaster with you!"

"A roller coaster is not going snap and plunge you into the Earth," he protests.

"It's just like flying," she laughs.

"Exactly," he agrees.

"Are you afraid of flying," she asks with a dawning realization. She places her hand on the center of his chest.

"No," he responds. "I'm afraid of falling out of the sky and being splattered all over the ground."

She flexes her fingers between the opening of his shirt and relishes the feeling of the soft hairs on his chest. "Okay," she says soothingly. "We don't have to ride the freefall."

He covers her hand with his. "Thank you, Bella."

"You're welcome," she smiles in return. "What's next?"

"I'm ready for an elephant ear. How about you?"

Her face lights up. "I almost forgot!"

They make their way back to the food carts which are still in full operation. Dave orders two elephant ears, a large bag of pink cotton candy and two root beers.

They find an area to sit that's a little bit away from the crowds and the noise. Penelope rips into her elephant ear and takes a big bite. A look of pure pleasure washes over her face. She opens her eyes to see Dave watching her.

"What?"

He gives her a half smile. "That's the look I want to see when I make love to you the first time," he tells her. "The look of absolute bliss."

She can feel the blush and averts her eyes.

He chuckles. "I can hardly wait to find out where that blush starts too," he says softly.

"Well, since you're the one who wants to wait, I guess you'll have to be patient," she replies saucily.

"Touche," he murmurs. He rips off a piece from his own treat and shoves it in his mouth. He moans. "Better than I remember."

"You have sugar on your…" she starts to say then leans forward and licks his mouth with her tongue. "Mmm, sugar lips. I like it."

"I swear, I will spank you if you call me that at work," he growls.

She laughs deep from her belly. "Promises, promises."

They finish their sugary snacks over small talk and some flirty banter.

"I am so wound up on all that sugar," she announces. "I am not sleeping tonight."

"Wanna go to the National Mall and walk around for a bit," he asks. She nods. They throw away their trash. Penelope grabs her unicorn and the bag of cotton candy as they head for the exit. She leans into Dave as he once again wraps his arm around her waist.

Dave easily navigates his SUV from one part of town to the other. Penelope shakes her head at how he immediately finds a place to park so close to the Mall. It's like the whole world knows that he's coming and just gets out of the way.

Dave leans across her seat and unlocks the glove compartment. He pulls out his Springfield and closes the small door. She watches as he slides the gun out of the holster and checks to make certain it is loaded and the safety is on. He tucks in back into the holster before unbuckling his belt to strap it to his waist.

"Are you more comfortable wearing that or not wearing that," she asks as she eyes the gun.

"Depends on the situation," he replies. He sees her wary look. "I'd never wear it to bed."

She grins and shakes her head. "It didn't make you nervous to be unarmed at the carnival?"

"I wasn't unarmed," he assures her. "I still had my back up, just in case."

She blinks at him. "I didn't even…"

"There's no way I would go anywhere without being able to protect you, sweetheart."

"So why grab it now?"

He looks out the window at the large expanse of ground in front of them. "I'd rather not take any chances. We'll be fine. I just prefer to have my weapon close at hand."

"Me too," she grins wickedly as she reaches over and rubs her hand across the front of his jeans.

"Whoa, Kitten. That's one's loaded and there is no safety," he winks.

She waits in the car until he gets out and rounds the vehicle to open the door. A light breeze ruffles his hair. He locks the car and they wander hand in hand across the street heading directly for the reflection pool.

"I love this city," she says lightly as she sits on the edge of the reflection pool. She stares off in the distance at the Washington monument and the Capitol building.

"What do you love about it," he asks.

"The history, the people. All the museums. It's a beautiful city," she muses.

"I like the cherry blossoms," he shares. She looks at him. "And the four seasons. It's nice to know that we'll get the seasons and that it won't roll from Winter to Summer and back again without a break. I like the dewy mornings in the Spring and the warm breezes in Summer. I love to feel the crunch of the leaves under my feet in the Fall and watch the snow as it falls in the Winter."

She cups his cheek with her hand and rubs her thumb across his jawline. "This has been the best night. Thank you."

"The first of an unlimited number," he assures her. "If you'll let me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's almost midnight by the time he parks in front of her building. He follows her inside the building and up the stairs to her apartment door. She unlocks the door and steps inside leaving the door open for him to step through. She sheds her jacket and turns on a lamp by the couch.

"Do you want something to drink," she asks as she reaches around him and closes the door.

"I should head home," he tells her.

She picks at imaginary lint on his sleeve. "I don't want you to go," she says so softly he can barely hear her. "Haven't you ever just slept with a woman?"

"The last woman, I just slept with was my Mother," he tells her. "And you look nothing like my Mother."

She looks up at him with her big brown eyes and he feels his resolve slipping.

"Kitten," he growls warningly.

"Please?"