Chapter 4

AN: Thanks for the reviews! We're getting close to our happily ever after...

Archie Chang's was mighty quiet, even if it was a Wednesday night. There were only two other couples in the restaurant besides Rossi and Prentiss. Dave didn't mind. The quiet, nearly somber atmosphere matched his mood.

"Now I know what you mean about that awful feeling," Rossi said, picking up a piece of his beef chow mein with his chopsticks. "That did, indeed, suck."

"No, David Darling," Prentiss said, eating a bite of hers with a fork. She could handle chopsticks, but she managed to spill on her shirt more often than not. She was wearing a white blouse tonight; no use risking it!

"What?" he grumbled. He positively hated the look Morgan gave him. It had been such a pathetically sad look, it stuck with Dave long after he left the bar. He actually had a dream about it last night, and Rossi'd never had a dream about another man in his life!

"It is obvious from what you said that Morgan has been carrying the torch for our Garcie for a long time." She grinned, stabbing a water chestnut with her fork. After putting it in her mouth and crunching it loudly, she continued, "It's another chink in their armor, like you said."

He shook his head, hiding a chuckle. Emily ate with such flourish, like she truly enjoyed it. She dove into everything like that: work, food, sex. So alive, so passionate.

She was the best thing that ever happened to him.

They were very similar beings. Both of them tended to see things in black and white, plain as the noses on their faces. Emily hated pussyfooting around things as much as he did. It was one of the many things that really worked in their relationship.

Keeping that in mind, he bluntly stated the problem, "So, he's got it bad for her, and she thinks she's not good enough for him."

Emily nodded. "Looks like it."

Dave watched her carefully. As much as she tried to hide her compassion, she couldn't do it. She had the warmest, softest, darkest brown eyes; they were a mirror to her heart, which felt so deeply. Much deeper than he thought he could feel. He hated when they looked so sad, like they did right now.

"We need to resort to plan C, then," he said with a nod. "It has to work. Third strike, and we're out."

"Plan C," she murmured, thinking. After a moment, she arched a brow and asked, "And what would that be?"

"Well," he added with a grin, "it sure as hell wouldn't be insulting Lynch."

"God, no," Emily interjected, cringing. "I don't want PG being his hero anymore."

"Hmmm…" Dave was stroking his chin in deep thought. He didn't say anything for an obnoxiously long time. He was doing it on purpose; he knew she lacked patience.

She tossed a bamboo shoot at him, and it landed smack on his expensive Italian silk tie.

Quirking a grin at her, he said, "I should make you wait longer because you did that…but I won't. I think we need to drag out the big guns." He gave her a solemn look.

She scowled darkly. "Would you just-"

"We need to double date."

She looked horrified. "Oh, no. No, Dave…"

"We have no other choice, Em," he replied. The two of them were intensely private with their relationship. Although most of the team knew, they'd never made an actual announcement.

Dave still wasn't sure Reid knew.

Besides, as much as they loved Morgan and Garcia, the two of them with their nauseating pet names and their mushy lovey-doveyness, was definitely not their style. This was definitely the worst in worst case scenarios for Emily and himself.

He said the inevitable. "We have no choice."

With a scowl, she announced, "I hope they realize how much we've sacrificed for their pleasure."

"They will. One thing I am good at is having people owe me favors," he said with a smirk that made her giggle.

"I love when you talk like a mafia don…"

He leaned across the table, and with careful enunciation, stated, "Bada boom, bada bing, baby."

"Oh, that's a splendid idea!" JJ exclaimed, smiling at Emily when she mentioned the plan she'd concocted with Dave."They really do belong together."

"So…you don't mind lying to her, telling her that you're coming, too?" Emily asked, looking a little sheepish. She didn't like asking JJ to lie, but she was desperate. "PG didn't want to go if it was just me."

JJ shook her head adamantly. "No. Normally I would be upset, but she's talked about him for so long, and Morgan...Em?"

"What?"

JJ narrowed her eyes at Em. "Is this why you've been bringing up all those negatives about Kevin lately?"

Emily fought a blush. It was a rarity with her, but certain things still caused her to color up. Meddling in someone else's relationship...that caused it for certain.

JJ gave her a sly grin. "Well, I have to tell you…it's working!"

"Really?" Emily woke up to that. "Do tell."

JJ, as tactful as she was, did love good romantic gossip. She had been the first to tease and sing when Lynch came on the scene. "Garcie came into work yesterday, complaining about Kevin. Apparently, he is not the wonder boyfriend she tried to make him out to be." She lost the smile, and said, "They broke up yesterday evening."

"Whoo hoo!" Prentiss shouted.

JJ gave her a mock chastising look.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You feel that way, too."

JJ was smiling like she had something juicy. "Garcia is blaming it on you…"

PG talked a lot more to JJ than to Emily. Everyone had a tendency to talk to JJ about everything. She was a fantastic receptacle for information. It was her motherly way about her. Her mouth dropped and she grasped JJ by the shoulders. "Jennifer Jareau, you better tell me!"

"She was kissing Kevin, and really going at it-"

"Second thought," Emily interrupted, shuddering. "Don't tell me."

"Oh, no, Emily. You want to hear this," she said, as she giggled with glee. "She said Morgan's name! Called it out in the middle of a big whopper of a kiss."

Emily's eyes widened, and she giggled, too. "Damn!"

JJ nodded. "I'll say. She tried to tell Kevin she had Morgan on the brain because of you and your comments."

"Too bad," Emily said. "He's not a very good kisser if he can't make her forget a man she's never kissed!"

"I thought so, too," JJ said. "Anyway, apparently Kevin didn't like that explanation and stormed off."

"Can't say I blame him, really," Prentiss said, actually having a smidgen of compassion for the loser. "If Dave did that, I'd shoot him."

"Needless to say," JJ continued archly, "that is probably why she wasn't so hip on going out with just you."

"Well…it's for her own good." She stood with a self-derisive smile for JJ. "At least that's what I keep telling myself."

"Why shouldn't I go, too, for awhile?" Reid asked, looking confused.

"Because I said so," Rossi replied, not wanting to hash it out with the young genius. Reid had the sort of personality where he beat the fuck out of everything, over thinking and over-analyzing. Morgan had just gone to the can, he was going to be back soon, and Dave needed this to be done like yesterday.

"Oh," Reid said, knowing better than to argue when Rossi looked like he did right now. "Okay."

Just then, Morgan returned. "What's up for tonight?"

"Dinner at Angelo's. Seven. We'll be there," Rossi answered, shooting Reid a quick silencing look.

"Alright," Derek said, then grinned. "I did have a date with Natalie in bookkeeping. I'll bring her with."

"No, not tonight," Rossi interjected.

Derek frowned. "Why not?"

"It's a celebration. Just us family," he blurted out quickly, cringing. God, he hated this!

Derek smirked, filled with sarcastic humor. "Alright then, since you feel so strongly about it…"

"Guys," JJ said, popping into the room. "Meeting time."

Rossi groaned as Reid and Morgan left the room, then mumbled, "Last time I play fairy godfather…"