"So, how are you planning on breaking this to the others?" Derek asked as he and Rossi brought in the supplies from the car.
"We hadn't really thought that far ahead. The doctors just cleared her to return to normal life, and she begged me to take a weekend in the country before we told anyone about this miracle of modern science. I think she wanted to recapture some of that earlier spark we had while here the last time."
"The time when everyone was together?" Derek wondered if that was what he meant, or if he was talking about another time, when it had been just them away from the world.
"No, it was just her, and me, and Penelope. It was just after the whole Curtis fiasco had begun to ramp up in earnest, and she needed an outlet to work out her cravings before she did something stupid." Rossi's face clouded over, and Derek waited for him to finish his thought. "The bastard made her drink, I'm certain you read that in the case notes."
He nodded and wondered how to ask the question that was on his mind. "Is she struggling?"
"A little. I don't think she's noticed that I notice just how much she sleeps. She's using it as a coping mechanism. And I really hope that this weekend reawakens the spark of life in her. I know, I was the one who asked for this, and I don't regret a moment of it. I love her. I just wish that I could promise her that everything is going to be okay."
"None of us can promise that, Rossi. You should know that by now." The older man nodded and sighed as he turned to the stove, turning the burner on. "I'll start browning the meat. Were we going to do a spicy and a mild seasoning, or just go with the spicy?"
Derek couldn't stop the sharp bark of laughter that escaped from his lips as he shrugged. "I think that we can all handle something a little spicy this weekend. Don't you?"
"Truer words were never spoken, my friend." Rossi pulled out a large pan and broke up the meat into it before taking out the spices that were in his cupboard. Derek was content to watch him for a while, since the man was a master in the kitchen. "I'm not doing all the work here, you know. If you want to play, you have to pay."
"Whatever, old man," he teased.
"Ooh, words like that will only get you punished. I know that Erin has this delicious little riding crop that she likes to use on me when I've been naughty. I wonder if you'd like that?"
Derek found himself shrugging as he pulled out Rossi's cutting board and took out the small bag of tomatoes that Penelope had picked out, clumsily dicing them before sliding the pieces into a bowl. Soon, they found a rhythm, and the food was quickly assembled, the only thing left to do was to finish the meat.
A knock on the door got both their attention, and Derek looked to Rossi. "I'll go get it. You already have the meat covered."
"That sounds almost dirty slipping from your lips, Derek."
Again, he laughed, making his way over to the door and opening it, revealing Hotch and JJ. "Welcome, you guys. This is going to a much more interesting weekend than we had originally planned on," he said as he took the grocery bag from JJ's hands.
They stepped inside and JJ toed off her shoes before looking back at him. "What makes you say that, Der?" she asked as they went into the kitchen.
"Well, there's something that Rossi has been keeping from us, something good, but startling. Something akin to what you and Hotch did." Derek watched dawning comprehension light up JJ's eyes, and he nodded.
"Shut up! Rossi, tell me he's not intimating what I think he is."
"What? That my fiancé is upstairs, probably sleeping, in the arms of our Kitten? No, he's telling the truth there. Why? Do you want to go up and check in on them?"
"Maybe. Is she doing okay?"
"Better than I thought, given the circumstances. After this little weekend of ours, we're coming out to the world at large." He leaned over and kissed JJ sweetly before giving her a small pat on the ass. She giggled as she made her way back out into the hall and presumably heading upstairs to see for herself.
"I can't believe that you managed to keep this a secret from us, Dave. I'm your best friend." Hotch frowned at Dave, and Derek watched him shrug. "What?"
"The only thing that I cared about was keeping Erin safe. Just like the only thing you and JJ were concerned about was keeping Emily safe. It's a dangerous game to play, you know. And if Curtis had lived, we wouldn't be throwing caution to the wind like this." He turned back to the meat and stirred it. From the tense set of his shoulders, Derek knew that Hotch's words had upset him more than he was letting on, and he felt like he had to do something to relieve the tension that had filled the room.
"So, who is going to be the one to fill Blake in on this little surprise? Because from the look she gave you at Erin's memorial, they must have made up a little." They both glared at him, and Derek held up one hand. "I'm just saying, we do not want a situation like Reid to happen again. I know, Erin's not Emily, but there were still very strong feelings for her in the team."
"He has a point, Aaron. And I suppose that I should be the one to inform her of the resurrection. We get along the best, out of everyone."
"Which is weird, given that she should be closest to Reid, since they've known each other the longest. But, I guess that just goes to show that you can never fully predict a person's actions, no matter how good a profile you have of them."
This did elicit a chuckle from Dave, and he turned to face them once more. "There is that. Blake is a tough nut to crack. But it seems like she's just been trying to protect herself from getting hurt once more. Her first time with the BAU was not a healthy one."
Hotch snorted a little, and Derek looked at him, taking in the way his eyebrow arched and his lips curled in a sardonic smile. "Our work environment has never been healthy."
"Which is why we come here, to work off the steam that builds up inside of us. So, how do you think it will go down these next few days?" He leaned against the counter, his eyes darting between Hotch and Rossi, trying to get a feel on their emotions.
"Erin and Alex are going to get into a fight at some point. Alex is going to lash out at her, and Erin will give as good as she gets, and that spark will lead to something explosive between them. There's always been something there."
"I know. I heard the rumors, too, Dave."
Derek felt his brow furrow in confusion as he looked between the two men. "Care to fill a team member in here? What rumors are you talking about?"
The two men drew in a simultaneous breath, and he leaned in, not wanting to miss a single word. "Alan, Erin's ex, was a jackass from the beginning, but Erin was in love with him. Or so she thought. And then, during the whole Amerithrax debacle happened, throwing the two of them close together for long periods of time. And they got close." Dave took a deep breath as he rubbed his hand over his face before glancing over at Hotch.
"Too close, for some people. The rumors started almost immediately. It was bound to happen, though, given that they were two women in the boy's club. I tried to quash as many of them as I could, but Gideon was no help at all."
"He was jealous. He saw how fast Erin was rising on the rungs. He knew that she was brilliant, and since she was a woman, she'd be given the next Section Chief position. I don't know how far things went, but I know that over the long, lonely, nights, they were inseparable. It was sweet to watch, but I had my misgivings about how things would go down. And when it ended badly, I couldn't help either woman."
Dave let out a heartbroken sigh as he glanced over at the door. "At least you get this chance now, to mend the fences."
"I suppose. I just don't want to lose her to another person."
Derek reached out and squeezed his shoulder softly. "I don't think that will happen, even if they sleep together. Erin only has eyes for you."
He nodded and went to say something more when someone knocked on the door firmly. "That's probably Reid and Blake. I'll go answer the door," Hotch said and they nodded. Derek suddenly started to wonder if this weekend was such a good idea or not, as he didn't want anyone to get hurt, and it looked like that might happen before the night was over.
