The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.

-Ferdinand Foch-

Dave knocked sharply on Hotch's office door and poked his head in. "Hey, got a second? "

Hotch glanced up from his desk, "sure have a seat," He gestured towards the two chairs in front of the desk and Dave sat down.

"How are things with Beth?"

Hotch's gaze dropped to the case reports on his desk he unconsciously shuffled them into a nicer pile, "I'm sorry?"

"Erin is your emergency contact so I'm just wondering why the hospital didn't call Beth the night of the accident."

"I did, just not right away."

"Aaron you know you can't do that. You can't keep secrets from her."

"I'm not keeping secrets, Dave. She had an opportunity in Hong Kong and I encouraged her to take it."

As usual, Dave plowed right through the difficult parts, "is that why you took Jack to Disney World?"

Hotch shrugged slightly, "I had to make it up to him. I needed to explain what was happening and then take his mind off of it."

"Did you two break it off?"

"Not officially but I told her to take the job and to explore other options."

"So you just let her go?"

"Not in the way you think."

"Do you still keep in touch?"

"We try to Skype once a week but it's hard coordinating schedules."

Dave's head cocked to the side, a sign he wasn't fully buying Aaron's story. " Not to mention the time difference."

"That too. Listen Dave, you don't have a problem with Erin as my contact do you? Jack's too young to make those decisions for me and after what Jessica did, I don't have to tell you that she doesn't have my best interest at heart."

"Of course she doesn't," Dave growled. "But you should have told Erin. "

"I know I didn't have a choice. There wasn't time to clear it with her. HR was on my ass so I just gave them a name right before we boarded the jet. I'll have it changed when Beth gets back."

"Let's get out of here. " Dave's face brightened and he looked at his watch, it was after 6:00pm. "Is Jack waiting for you?"

"No. He's with Jessica, she took him."

Dave cut him off, "to see his grandparents?"

"Yeah."

"They get more time with him than you do."

Hotch shook his head, "I know. Even with half days she still wants him every waking moment."

"I wanted to celebrate but it can wait, drive down to Hershey and go get him. Tell him Uncle Dave wants to take him out for ice cream."

Aaron feigned ignorance, "What are we celebrating?"

Dave's face brightened, "I'm going have to double up on the crib space; Erin's having twins!"

Hotch walked around the desk and hugged his mentor, "congratulations!"

Dave pulled back something didn't seem right, "you already knew?"

Hotch's face broke into a rare smile, "I tried to get her to tell the team but she's not budging."

Dave shook his head, "she's surrounded by the best minds in the FBI and she thinks she can hide it."

"I don't think that's the intention."

"She still thinks I'm going to drop the ball. Not that I blame her," he had the grace to look guilty, "I didn't earn the Mr. Reliable reputation, not even close."

"I think you should celebrate, Dave." Hotch grabbed his briefcase and began filling it. "Just not with me."

"What do you mean? Come on Hotch you can't tell me that you can't use a break. There's a boxing match on TV if we hurry we can-"

"Go be with Erin." Hotch said, I have paperwork to catch up on. Go to her house and surprise her with pizza and ice cream and talk baby names until one of you falls asleep."

In answer to Dave's crestfallen expression he added, "It's not beer and hot wings but It's really not as bad as it sounds. She will appreciate it and you can show her you're committed."

Dave wagged his finger towards Hotch. "Who would have thought that you would be giving me relationship advice? "

Hotch grinned, "the student has become the teacher."

Highly offended Dave said, "I wouldn't go that far!" He grabbed the doorknob and held open the door.

"You're probably right, " Hotch said and followed Dave into the hall.

"I think I'll get a workout first." Dave pressed the button for the elevator.

"You know you won't get a six-pack overnight, Old man," Hotch teased.

"Shut up, Aaron."

Dave looked up from his viewpoint on the weight bench. He replaced the weights with a groan. The barbell clanged back into its place.

He mopped his face with a towel and glared at the younger man standing at the top of the weight bench. His hair was only slightly gray and his T-shirt squeezed against his biceps.

Chip Davis was the only personal trainer at the bureau who would stay late. And Dave liked him for the most part.

"Thanks Chip. I think I need a break." He rubbed his shoulder, that familiar ache made its way down his left arm.

"You should ease up on the weight. Start with some light cardio." Chip pulled his T-shirt over his head, revealing a chiseled abdomen; he hopped on a treadmill and fired it up.

"How old are you, Chip?"

"I'm 62" he said and passed Dave a bottle of water.

Fuck you, Chip. Dave thought to himself. "You're fired." Dave grumbled, more than a little serious. "I didn't realize I was so out of shape," Dave said and took a long slug of water.

"You need to slow down," Chip warned. "You're still new at this."

"It's been three months and I have a family now; they need me around. "

"Did you quit the bacon?"

Dave grimaced, "turkey isn't so bad."

"It's not great, " Chip empathized. "After my heart attack my wife traded it for tofu."

"Screw that."

"That's what I said."

Dave swung his legs over the bench and felt the color drain from his face.

The whole room spun and Dave hauled himself to his feet. His legs felt like jelly, "I'm done." He choked reaching for his collar, he needed air.

"Sit down, Rossi. " Chip's hand stalled on Dave's back, "you need to sit down. Have some water. "

Dave's chest tightened, the familiar pain shot down his arm like lightning and he pitched forward into the darkness.

Penelope rolled out of bed; the book she was reading fell to the floor and knocked over the bowl of popcorn on the nightstand.

While cell phone alarms blared throughout her empty apartment. She scrambled to her feet. "What is going on?" She grumbled, annoyed at whomever decider to ruin her one and only night off. She grabbed the offending cell phone and her heart sank to her knees.

She silenced the noise and paused. Her fingers hovered over the messege. Three. Two. One. Before she could dial the number Sir Hotch lit up the screen. She answered the phone, launching into an explanation.

"Rossi's phone dialed 911 ten minutes ago. I set the alarm for all of us-"

He cut her off. "I know." Hotch said he was in full boss mode and halfway to Pennsylvania. "Find out why, and then explain to me why the whole team knows when one of us dials 911."

"Sir, I know it's against protocol-"

"Later, Garcia." His tone calmed her racing heart and brought her thoughts to the task at hand. "Find Rossi."

Erin shut her kitchen window against the cool rain beating down on her house.

It was the perfect night to curl up in bed with a chick-flick after a bubble bath. If the weather got worse she might have to chase Beau out from under the bed but that was the extent of her excitement while the kids were with Mark's parents for the weekend. Enjoying everything that their grandparents had to offer.

High speed internet, home-cooked four course meals and copious amounts of caffeinated coffee.

The doorbell rang throughout the quiet house, Erin adjusted her sweatpants and pulled the snug T-shirt over her belly. It was almost too tight but the loose bottoms balanced it out. She wasn't relenting to maternity pajamas just yet.

She walked down the steps and into the foyer. She pulled the door open and stepped back in surprise. "Agent Morgan?" She unlocked the screen door with numb fingers and allowed him inside and out of the rain.

"Ma'am, Hotch sent me to get you."

"Why?" Just his expression scared her, his stance was tense and his tone was deliberately gentle. "We have to get to the hospital."

"What's wrong with Aaron?" She asked, her mind immediately went back to the car accident. "I knew he came back to work too soon. A concussion is nothing to play with and I'm so glad he isn't flying. "

"It's not Hotch," Morgan cut her off.

"Oh."

"He's meeting us there."

She felt a chill go through her, from the top of her head down to her toes. Her back met with the wall, her mind was unwilling to process what Derek was going to tell her.

"It's Dave."

"No."

"Something's happened to Dave."

"How bad?" Her voice came out in a raspy whisper.

"I don't know," he answered in bitter honesty.

Her hand muffled the half-scream, half-sob that lodged in her throat. She felt Morgan's hand on her back as her legs fell from under her.