"So, where did the team go," Dave asks still holding Penelope on his lap. He nuzzles the side of her neck and kisses the red mark he had left there earlier.

"Dallas," she replies breathlessly.

"Texas? I don't want to go to Texas right now," he growls.

She giggles and before she can reply the phone rings. She squints at the display screen. "It's Hotch," she tells him as she tries to squirm out of his embrace.

"Don't answer it," he begs as he loosens his hold on her. She leaves his lap and answers the phone putting it on speaker.

"Speak and be heard by the Queen of the BAU," she announces.

Hotch replies with a firm but tolerant voice, "We just landed in Dallas. Any chance you've located Dave?"

Penelope glances at Dave and smirks. He pouts for a moment before speaking up.

"I'm here, Aaron."

Hotch releases a breath. "Please tell me I'm not interrupting something that shouldn't be happening in the office."

"We're behaving," Dave assures his friend.

"Good. Now get your ass on a plane," Hotch orders.

"Do you really need me there," Dave asks his voice on the brink of a whine. There is silence on the line. "Hotch?"

"The friend in me really wants to tell you no, stay there but…"

"But this case sucks," Dave interjects.

"Yeah," Hotch sighs. "When we left DC we had three victims, we now have four. I'm sorry, Dave."

"Don't be," Dave tells him. "I'll be on the first available flight. In the meantime, I'll have Penelope update me on the case."

"Okay," Hotch agrees. "Let me know when your plane arrives, and I'll send someone to pick you up. In the meantime, Garcia, I need you to run a background check on the four victims. Morgan sent you the last victims' information. See if you can find any common areas of their lives. I need to know everything!"

"Yes, sir," she replies automatically. She sits in her chair and starts typing. "I had already started that before David arrived."

"Thank you. I expect to hear from both of you within the hour," Hotch orders then hangs up the phone.

"Great," Dave growls. "Now, I have to go to Texas. Why'd you answer the phone?"

She gives him a coy look. "Because, my love, I can't afford to lose my job."

He leans forward and caresses her cheek. "I'd take care of you, Bella."

"I know," she smiles. "Now, let's find a nice non-stop flight for you."

"It better be in first class, Kitten. I'm not sitting in coach," he grumbles.

"The bureau is not going to pay for a last minute first class ticket, Agent Rossi."

He tosses a credit card on the desk. She glances at it as she types, then stops typing.

"Seriously?" She glances at him. "Doesn't that have, like, a hundred-thousand-dollar limit?"

He raises an eyebrow and shrugs. "You want a new car?"

She laughs and goes back to typing. "There's a six-thirty flight which is in an hour, or an eight oh five flight, which one do you want?"

He sits back in his seat and rubs his face. "The later one."

She smirks. "You're a very bad boy, David Rossi."

"You haven't seen the bad side of me, Kitten."

"I can only imagine," she grins.

"So, tell me about this case," he prompts.

She hands him a folder and finishes booking his flight. He peruses the files. She pulls up pictures of the four victims, not the icky crime scene photos, and turns to him.

"All of the victims were killed from short range with some sort of handgun," she begins. "The police reports indicate the unsub is using hollow point bullets."

"Were you able to find anything of interest before I interrupted you?"

She shakes her head. "I had just gotten started. The only thing I know about the first three victims is that they were all over the age of fifty-five and the were killed within a one-mile radius."

"Can you pull up the fourth guy? The one Morgan sent?"

She taps on her keyboard. "Kent Bradley, age 59, married to Jane. They had two grown children and were about to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary."

She pulls up some facebook photos of the man and his wife and their kids.

"Looks like he was about to be a Grandfather," Penelope says sadly.

Dave leans closer to peer at the pictures. He puts a hand on hers and squeezes. "What can you tell me about the others?"

She goes back to the four original pictures. "Mike Daniels, 55, recently divorced. Barry Henderson, 62, widowed. And Gary Watson, also 62 and married."

"Alright. Send me whatever you find, and I will look at it on the plane," he tells her as he stands.

"You're leaving already," she asks sadly.

"I'm going to stop and eat first. It's probably going to be the last decent meal I have for a while."

She nods and tries to put on a brave face.

"Come here," he orders softly. She rises and melts into his embrace. They wrap their arms around each other and hold on tightly. "It's going to be alright, sweetheart. We both knew that this was going to happen eventually."

"I know," she sniffles. "But I didn't know it was going to be this hard. It's all different now."

He kisses the top of her head. "How so?"

"Remember the first morning when I woke up on your couch?"

"I do," he smiles.

"Do you remember what you asked me when I said I hate profilers," she asks.

"Yes," he whispers as he pulls her tighter to his chest.

"I hate profilers," she mutters.

"Really," he asks as he settles behind his desk. "Then why are you falling in love with one?"

"I'm not ready to say it yet, but it's true," she admits.

"Same," he whispers into her hair.

She tilts her head back and stares at him. "Kiss me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dave settles into the large, comfortable seat, he slides his briefcase under the seat in front of him and sits back. He pulls out his cell phone and dials a number. It's answered on the second ring.

"I miss you already," she tells him.

"I miss you too," he replies. He glances up as a well-dressed elderly lady sits next to him. "I'll call you from Dallas."

"Safe travels," she wishes him. The line goes dead and he hangs up the phone.

He looks over at the lady in the seat next to him. He catches her eye and smiles. She smiles back and gives him a piercing look. "That shade does not go well with your skin tone," she tells him.

"Excuse me?"

Her smile turns to a grin. "You have lipstick on your cheek."

He grins ruefully and pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket. He wipes his mouth and cheek, surprised at the amount of lipstick on the hankie. No wonder the gate people had looked at him awkwardly.

"Thank you," he tells the older lady.

"You're welcome." The stewardess stops by and takes their drink orders. The lady orders white wine and Dave, a soda. Technically, he is on the clock so, no alcohol for him at this time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Penelope finishes her preliminary report on the computer and sends it to Dave and the rest of the team. She grabs her coffee cup and heads for the break room. She's halfway across the empty bullpen when Kevin enters.

"I figured I would find you here," he says in greeting.

She stops and blinks at him. "I'm working, Kevin. The team got sent on a case."

"What's wrong with your mouth?" He makes a face of disgust.

"What do you mean," she asks in horror.

"Your lipstick is smeared. What there is of it," he points out.

She glides over to JJ's desk and grabs a hand mirror from the top drawer. She peers into the mirror and chuckles. That last kiss with Dave did a number on her and by the loss of lipstick she bets he looks a lot like her. She grabs a tissue and wipes off as much as she can.

"That will do for now," she says out loud.

"Did Rossi do that," Kevin asks. A sneer mars his face. "You have a hickey, I thought hickeys were off limits."

"What happens between David and I, is none of your business."

"Oh, it's David now? I wonder how the bureau would feel about your relationship. He is your boss, isn't he?" Kevin says with a hint of jealousy. "Did you fuck him before he left?"

"Kevin!" she warns him. "And no, he's not my boss, Hotch is. The bureau has been fine with our relationship, why would that change? Also, just because he is not here to kick your ass right now, it doesn't mean he won't at some point."

"I'd like to see him try. I'm not afraid," he replies bravely. "What exactly do you see in him? He's old and cranky."

She half-smiles and shakes her head. "I don't think you would understand."

"Does he have a little dick? All that attitude usually means a man is trying to make up for something."

"That's something you can ask him," she replies. She grabs her cup and heads for the break room again, this time with Kevin in tow.

He grabs her by the elbow and spins her around. "I love you, Penelope. I'm sorry that I've been a bad boyfriend. I'm sorry that I can't take you out to fancy restaurants or drive you around in a new car. I don't have much in worldly goods, but I have a lot of heart and I want to share what I do have, with you for the rest of my life."

"You are not proposing right now," she warns.

He shakes his head. "No. No, I'm not. But, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and it's time for us to change our relationship."

He loosens his grip on her elbow. "I know that your job here at the BAU has crazy hours and requires you to put in a huge amount of effort and that takes a lot out of you. And I haven't always been as understanding of that as I should. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," she states in a bit of shock. This was something new.

"So, I think, to take some of the pressure off of both of us, we should move in together."

"Excuse me?!"

A phone rings in the distance.

"It's a perfect compromise," Kevin continues. "We can see each other more often, we'll save money and we'll both be happy."

She stares at him in confusion.

"Oh Kevin," she shakes her head. "We are not moving in together."

"Penelope…"

"No," she cuts him off. "I can't do this any longer. I don't want to be with you anymore. We've had some good times over the last few years but it's over."

"But… I love you, Penny. I know we can work this out."

The ringing phone stops and starts again.

"I love you too, Kevin. But not in a way that a woman should love a man. I'm not in love with you. I've enjoyed your company and your friendship; however, I can't see us spending the rest of our lives together. And I'm sure deep down, you can't either."

"I see you and I getting married and having kids. That's what I see. And you know what else?" He pauses. "You'd be seeing it too if it wasn't for that Italian gigolo. When he gets back, he and I are going to have words."

"I told you before. You go anywhere near David Rossi and I will make you regret it," she warns.

"Damn it, Penelope! This is part of the problem, I'm trying to be the man in this relationship and you keep overriding me. Let me take care of this," he yells.

"There is nothing to take care of, Kevin. I don't know for certain what is going to happen between David and myself. I do know, however, that I no longer want to be with you. David just made me understand that faster. Do you understand? This was my decision. Not something anyone else made me do."

They stare at each other in silence for a few minutes.

"This isn't over," he vows. "I'm going to continue to fight for you."

She shakes her head. "Goodbye, Kevin."

He stomps out of the BAU. The phone in her office rings again.

Forgetting the coffee, she hustles to her office and grabs the phone. "Garcia."

"You okay, Baby Girl?"

She lets out a sigh and sinks into her chair. "As okay as I've ever been."

"I was getting worried. I tried both your office and cell numbers, you usually answer one of them within a few rings," he probes.

"I was trying to get some coffee," she tells him.

"Trying?"

"Yeah. I didn't make it that far. Kevin showed up and we got into a fight."

"I'm sorry. Are you sure you're okay?"

She smiles. "I'll be fine."

He sighs loudly. "This is my fault. I'm sorry Baby Girl."

She laughs. "How could my fight with Kevin be your fault?"

"I'm the one who encouraged Rossi to go out with you," he admits.

"Really? How difficult was it?" she inquires cautiously.

He chuckles. "Not that difficult at all. He just needed a nudge."

The line goes silent for a moment. Penelope looks over at the framed comic book, her mind flying a hundred miles an hour.

"Penelope."

Derek's voice pulls her back.

"Yeah."

"I know I shouldn't have interfered. You're my best friend and I want you to be happy."

"I was happy," she cuts in.

"Were you?"

"I thought I was." A tear slides down her cheek.

"You know, when Rossi first came back to the unit, I did everything I could to discourage him from getting close to you. But as time has gone by and I've watched you with Lynch, I realized that I made a mistake. Rossi is a good man."

"I know. Kevin is a good man too."

"I guess," he says reluctantly. "I promise, I will support you in whatever decision you make, Baby Girl. I want you to be happy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dave exits the plane, bag in hand and instead of walking up the ramp, he steps out the side door and down to the tarmac where a black SUV waits. He tosses his bag into the back and climbs into the passenger seat.

Derek turns his dark head at him and smirks. "Nice of you to join us, Playboy."

"Sorry, I'm late. I didn't want to be here," he replies.

Derek chuckles as he puts the SUV in gear and heads out of the airport. "You should count yourself lucky, old man. I was all prepared to beat the shit out of you, but JJ and Emily talked me down."

"What did I do?"

"No one makes my Baby Girl cry," Derek said shortly.

Dave sits back in the seat and takes a deep breath. He shakes his head. "I can't guarantee that it won't happen again at some point. It's inevitable in a relationship, Derek. She and I just need to learn how to work things out."

Derek grins. "That's what JJ said too. She told me I need to put a restraint on my protective notions and give you two some space. So, what happened?"

Dave shrugs. "We need to work on our communications skills."

He stares out the window at the passing scenery, of which, there wasn't a lot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Luckily, for Dave and the rest of the team, their stay in Dallas lasted only a few days. The team quickly assessed a pattern and built a solid profile which led them to a local businessman whose business was failing. He felt that his failing business was a direct result from having not been named businessman of the week. Besides his failing business, his family life was in shambles as well. His father had recently died, and his wife of 17 years had filed for a divorce. The team as well as local law enforcement had tracked him down and taken him into custody without incident.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The jet rolled to a stop on the tarmac in D.C. when Dave's cell phone pings. He checks the message and grimaces.

"Baby Girl already demanding your attention," Derek teases.

The team chuckles.

"Worse," Dave growls. "The Ice Queen is demanding my attention."

The team groans in unison.

"Want me to go with you," Hotch offers.

"No. I don't need you to hold my hand," Dave replies with a smile.

"Don't do anything that gets you in trouble," Hotch warns.

"Me?! I'd never do anything like that," Dave says looking offended.

"Right," Hotch agrees with a grin as the team deplanes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dave strides impatiently into Strauss's reception room. He vaguely acknowledges the two men sitting in the nearby chairs as he heads to her office door.

"She's expecting you," the receptionist says as he opens the door and steps into the office.

"You could at least knock and wait for permission to enter," Strauss chides. She sits behind her oversized desk.

Dave pushes the door closed with a loud thud. He crosses the room and slumps into a seat. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

She glares at him.

"What do you want, Erin? I have a lot of paperwork to take care of," he continues.

She leans forward. "You know, I warned you. When you returned to the bureau, I told you to keep your dick in your pants and toe the line. But you didn't listen, did you?"

"What are you talking about," Dave inquires.

"A sexual harassment suit has been filed against you," she tells him. A small smirk ghosts her lips.

Dave sits up and leans forward as well. "Excuse me? By whom?"

"The report came in anonymously," she says. She opens a file on her desk and shuffles through several papers. "I have to tell you, David, this does not look good for you."

"So, the person who reported this is anonymous, whom have I supposedly harassed?"

"Penelope Garcia," Strauss replied succinctly.

Dave stared at her in silence.

"Is there any chance that these accusations could be true," she asks.

"No," he replies vehemently.

She opens a drawer and pulls out a silver framed picture. The picture that sits on his desk. "Care to explain this?"

Dave stares at the photo of him and Garcia kissing. "We're dating. Penelope took that picture."

She blinks at him. "Several agents have stepped forward saying that you and Miss Garcia had a fight that turned physical at the shooting range. Many people stated that she told you, and I quote, 'Don't touch me!', end quote. What do you have to say about that?"

Dave sighs and slumps back into the chair. "It was a misunderstanding. I was trying to teach her how to shoot and she was overwhelmed. She and I have already talked it over and everything is fine."

"Or so you say," Strauss counters.

"Have you talked to Penelope?"

"Not yet. I wanted to speak with you first," she explains. She reaches over to her phone and presses a button.

The door opens and the two men who had been sitting in the reception area enter the room. She addresses Dave. "Agent Rossi, pending further investigation, you are hereby suspended. Please turn in your badge and gun. Also, you are forbidden from any communication with Penelope Garcia. Your access to the building has been rescinded. These agents will escort you to your vehicle."

She stands and holds her hand out expectantly. "Also, if you are found in violation of policy and the harassment charges stand, you will be facing charges and possible jail time."

Dave stands. He places his gun and his badge on the seat he vacated. "This is ridiculous, Erin."

He exits the room quickly, forcing the two agents to run and catch up to him.