A/N Hello again. My very special thanks to DebbieOz and Guest. I guess, Strauss needs a lot more dancing, indeed, Debbie.

And Guest, Oh my, Derek will have a huge 'surprise' when he meets Monique he definitely will get into trouble, Ouch. Renee won´t get wind of this, Mona remains silent. But there will be a punishment for Derek, Jess has something in mind. We´ll see...

Now, enjoy!

Derek was impressed, Monique was actually free on Friday evening. A few emails were exchanged and they decided to meet at the ' Parisienne ' , a small French bistro in the mall. With 'the Little Prince ' , as a distinctive mark. Derek dropped into the next bookstore to get the book . Although he knew the title, but he had never taken the time to have a look inside. He was quite early, at the Parisienne. Derek ordered café au lait and immersed himself in his reading.

Mona , however, was nervous. She did not expect to get an answer and actually when she was quite honest, Derek was haunting her. The dog owner was spinning around in her head. He had been sympathetic from the beginning and he had spontaneously accepted her invitation to dance. Most men would have been frightened off. Mona was tugging her shirt again. She looked around in her bridal shop and then finished off. Well, she thought, then let's look at the ' little prince ' .

oOo

"So, little mice, one hour left, then we're there." Renee opened the cooler and handed each one a sandwich. They did a brief last stop at a Highway rest area. ' Potty Break' as Becca called it, giggling.

"I think Sean is a pretty nice guy, Aaron," Renee commented and took a bite of her sandwich. Hotch pulled Renee close, " he likes you too, little Froglet. " Hotch was really glad, Sean agreed with his choice, it was important for him, Sean was his brother. Hotch could barely imagine, how it used to be without him. At least, Callie´s death caused something good. Hotch stroked Renee's hair.

"I have been to the graveyard this morning, Renee. I...needed to talk to Callie."

Renee nodded, " I thought so, Aaron. And it´s fine with me. I'm not naïve, Aaron. I know how much you still love her. It would be foolish to expect, that you already forgot her at all, after one year has passed." Renee kissed Hotch lovingly, "but we´ve got time, Aaron. Being here with you and the children, this is so much more than I could expect. " The couple kissed again.
Jack and Becca sat on the bench, watching how Hotch and Renee kissed . Becca leaned against Jack, "you think, we can call Renee Mum, Jack?"

Jack nodded, "Definitely, Renee is totally cool."
Renee had to laugh, "You heard that? I'm totally cool. "

Hotch nodded, " as if I didn´t know." Hotch turned to the children, " let's go now, you two. All aboard. And we´ll discuss this 'Mum' thing later, okay?"

oOo

Mona looked at herself in the window, again. She wore tight-fitting, black pants and a colorful, reddish top that matched her red hair, which desisted in all possible directions. Mona sometimes felt like a wire-haired terrier. She turned around, quite passable, she thought. Mona entered the escalator and went to the first floor, to the Parisienne.

Derek looked at his watch, actually he did nothing else than checking the time, for the last couple of minutes. He felt uncomfortable, how was the woman going to react, when he told her the truth? Derek was not still clear about how he could ever come up with such a crazy idea. He wanted to do a friend a favor. A friend, who could very well help himself, he thought. Renee was a damn nice thing, cheerful, pretty and loving, just the right match for Hotch. Derek had to think about how Hotch and Renee had danced, the perfect harmony. Whether it was possible for him to find someone like Renee? Whether Mona ...

"DEREK ? " Mona stared at the man who sat at the small bistro table and the book, that was in his hand, she was carrying the same.
Derek jumped from his chair, "Mona? What are you doing ... " Derek was now staring at his hand, the little prince, scoring one and one together. Mona was Monique. ... SHIT ...

"Mona, that's not the way it looks, ok? " Morgan tried to explain.
"Oh, no? And the earth is flat!" Mona put her hands on her hips, " I should have known, You are just an asshole like everyone else! "
"Mona, no. That´s not true. Just let me explain," Derek came closer and reached out for Mona.
"Spare me that! God, I 'm so stupid. You've made such a nice impression, Derek and now you are looking for a woman by an ad? Was anything honest about what you wrote? Do you even have children?"
Derek was shaking his head.

" Idiot," hissed the waitress and poured a glass of water over Derek. Bastards, all of them! Some women in the bistro clapped, the dispute had been loud enough to notice, what was going on here .
"I would like to explain it, Mona, please."
"Just go and look for another silly cow, you can fool, Derek! " Mona reached out and hit Derek energetically with her handbag.

"Well done, Mona," Brenda , the waitress said, "and you better be off, boy. Otherwise, the bag is not the only thing that´s going to end up on your skull! "
"Mona, please. I can explain everything to you, if you only listen."

"I don´t wanna listen to your lies, Derek. Just go. "

From the next table a man stood up, "You have heard the lady, man. "
"All right, I 'm already gone. But you are mistaken, Mona. Really. It is a misunderstanding, a pretty stupid one and I´m the only one to blame for it. You have my number, call me. " Derek left the Parisienne pretty dissolved.
Brenda put Mona on a chair and poured her a glass of Prosecco. "The world is full of idiots, Mona." Brenda sat down beside her at the table.

"And why do I always fall for them, Bren?" Mona blew her nose into her handkerchief.

"Because you have a good heart and you don´t see evil. That´s why. "

Derek was sitting in his car, speechless. His head was hurting, what Mona had merely in her purse? Bricks? How the hell he could just screw it up like that? But who also could have guessed, Mona was hiding behind Monique? Derek was about to play Rumpelstiltskin. What a freaking mess.

oOo

"This belongs to us, all alone? " Jack asked, casting a wondering gaze to the beach house. Hotch nodded, " it belongs to Grandpa Ike and doesn´t just look huge, Jack."

Renee opened the door, "come on in, my lovelies. The bedrooms are on the first floor, Jack and Becca. Every one of you can have one, if you want. " The children dropped their backpacks and stormed upstairs.

"They really seem to like it, too bad, we have only the weekend, Renee. She smiled, "one of many weekends, Aaron. Don´t you think? "
"Where do you take your optimism from, Froglet? "
"This is not optimism, Aaron, it´s knowledge. I know that we will be happy together. You, me and the kids. We will be sitting as an old couple here on our porch and watch our grandchildren play, I am quite sure ´bout that. "

Renee ruffled Hotch 's hair, "and now come. It 's time for dinner. I cook, you take care of the luggage. "

The travel bags were unpacked in a jiffy and Renee took care of the spaghetti with meatballs.

"Can I give you a hand? " Hotch wanted to know, sniffing delightfully.

"Almost done, dear. You´ll call the children?"
"Right," Hotch whispered in her ear. Renee put her arms around his neck , "and what is going to be, now? The the pasta is al dente," Renee giggled.

"I don´t mind well done noodles," Hotch smiled at Renee and involved her in a passionate kiss.

" Dinner´s ready? " Becca and Jack stormed into the kitchen. " I think, they don´t listen to us," Becca laughed, she was tugging at Renee´s shirt.

"Renee-he? We are hungry."

Hotch laughed, "I´m hungry too, sweetie ," Hotch blinked at Renee. He took Becca up and grabbed Jack 's hand. "We set the table, ok? "

Hotch was amazed again and again, of how much his son was able to eat, a second helping of spaghetti and the apple pie and even an ice cream.

" But now I'm gonna burst," Jack claimed and sat on his father 's lap.

"Are we playing some Parcheesi? " He yawned.

Hotch smiled briefly, "I think sleep would be more appropriate, Jack. Becca´s yawning too, already. I 'm going to read something to you, okay?" Jack nodded and yawned again.
However, Jack and Becca were so tired, they fell asleep immediately.

That gave Hotch a little time, to prepare something for Renee. She entered the bedroom slowly. Renee had noticed, it was quiet in the children´s room. So she was looking for Aaron.

"Aaron ? "
"Close your eyes, I 'm not done yet," Hotch hurried up to light the last two candles. "Ok. Open them, Froglet. I 'm not so good in something like that, but a bit of romance even I can manage."

"Oh Aaron," Renee started to cry. Hotch had placed a Cloth over the bedside lamp, the room was now bathed in a warm, golden light. On the small sideboard candles were burning and Hotch quickly turned the music on.

"Not good? " he asked cautiously. Renee sniffed and ran into Aaron's arms, "the best ever", she let her emotions run wild and kissed Hotch demanding.

oOo

Derek's night in DC was not as romantic as Hotch and Renee´s . In fact, he did not sleep a wink . He had sent a few emails to Mona's address, but she had deleted the account. No wonder, Derek thought , she thinks I'm an idiot and doesn´t want to have anything to do with me, again. Actually, he thought, I can even understand her. But he desperately wanted to tell her the truth. Mona was important to him, she just had to listen.
He decided to have a very intense conversation with his baby girl, next morning. If anyone was able to sort this all out, then his princess.

A/N Next chapter Ken is buying a magazine and Derek tells Dave about the ad.