"You will make certain to look after him while you're out in the field, yes?"

David tilted his head as he gave Erin a tender smile. "He's been back for almost a month now, Erin. What's with all the concern?"

She shrugged a little as she stepped closer to him. Ever since Haley's murder, she had found it increasingly easier to be tactile with him at work, within reason, and this was one of those times. "There have been a few things that Jessica has mentioned that have made me worried. I can only imagine what he's going through, considering how much grief I feel at losing my friend. Please, just look after him. I remember how reckless he was after Jack and Haley went into protective custody, and now, he has to come home, for Jack. And for Elise."

David nodded as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly to his chest as he rubbed her back. "This is why I love you so, Erin. And yes, I will look after him in the field, but only so long as he doesn't recognize that for what it is." He pressed his lips against her temple before pulling away to look into her eyes. "And I'll be careful, too. Because I have so much to come home to."

"That's right, you do." Tilting her head up, Erin blinked a few times and let out a soft sigh as she reached up and caressed his face. David's smile widened into a little smirk before he lowered his face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Curling one arm around his neck, she held him in place as the kiss deepened, and it wasn't until she heard a familiar little cough that she sprang away from her fiancé, trying to control her breathing as she looked towards the door.

"I'm ready to head to the airfield, Dave," Aaron said, an almost smile on his lips as he looked between them. "But if you want to continue this…"

"He was just leaving, Aaron. Stay safe out there," she quickly replied as she stepped away from David's side, trying not to blush as she looked between them. Aaron nodded a little as he smiled at her, and she relaxed a little as she went to her desk and sat down, folding her hands on the desktop as she watched them. "If you can, call at Leelee's bedtime, so that you can tell her goodnight, David."

"I'll try, Erin. But I will definitely call you to wish you a good night," he said, smarm dripping from his voice. That was when her blush rose up in her cheek with a rush, and she frowned at her fiancé before gesturing towards the door with her finger. David chuckled as he nodded, making his way over to Aaron and clapping him on the shoulder as they turned and left her office. Shaking her head a little, Erin finished up the file that she was working on before pushing away from the desk once more and getting to her feet.

Grabbing her phone, Erin slipped it into her pocket before making her way out of her office, stopping in front of Helen's desk and waiting for her to look up from her computer. "Do you need something, Erin?" she asked offhandedly before tapping a few more strokes on her keyboard and then meeting Erin's gaze.

"I have to see Ms. Garcia about something, and it might take an hour or so. If you would please hold all my non-important calls, and take messages for things that are pressing? I'm not anticipating too much being pressing, since it's just after the new year, but heaven only knows with some of my colleagues."

Helen giggled as she nodded. "Some of them like to panic and make more work for us, yes. I'll text you if something truly important comes up that needs your immediate attention, otherwise I'll let them know that you'll be back in the office this afternoon. Take your time, head out for a long lunch, and try to relax a little."

Erin gave Helen a small smile as she nodded. "I might just take you up on that, Helen. Though I'll have to return and get my coat and purse." Taking a deep breath, she made her way down the hall and into the bullpen, grateful that no one looked up at her as she passed until she got to Agent Anderson's desk. The young man's head instantly snapped to attention, a warm smile spreading across his lips when their eyes met.

"Chief Strauss! How's your day going?"

"Pretty well, Agent Anderson. Yours?"

"Great, just great. Do you need anything?"

She knew that he was trying to be helpful, which tempered her reaction. "I'm headed up to see Ms. Garcia about something that I need assistance with. But thank you for asking." He nodded without losing his smile, and Erin couldn't help but return the expression as she climbed the stairs up to the second level of the bullpen, heading directly for Penelope's office and knocking firmly.

It didn't take long for Penelope to answer, and as the door swung open, Erin found herself trying not to tense up. She was still trying to sus out where she stood with the woman after Haley's murder. She had been a little cool towards Erin at the reception, but Erin had hoped that was just Penelope following the lead of the rest of the team. This would be the first time that they had spoken alone since that awful evening, and she braced herself for a bad reaction. Instead, a welcoming smile soon graced Penelope's face as she beckoned her inside. "Erin! What can I do for you?"

She closed the door behind her as she made her way over to the sofa, taking a seat as she watched Penelope copy her movements, sitting close to her as she looked at Erin expectantly. "Well, the cat is well and truly out of the bag regarding just who Elise's father is. What no one else on the team knows is that for the past few months, we've been forming a family. Jack and Elise don't know they're siblings yet, but we've been working hard to make that revelation easy on them when it happens." Penelope nodded as she reached out and took hold of Erin's hand, squeezing softly. "And, I suppose that the reason I'm here is that I need your help for a project that I started to think of after spending Christmas with the Brooks."

Penelope's eyes widened a little at that admission, and Erin wondered if she should have kept that to herself for a little while longer. "That's so nice that you were able to get together for the holidays. And I hope that Jessica is doing well."

"As well as can be expected. As we all are. Anyway, I want to make a photo book for Aaron, of all the best pictures that we have of Elise from the moment she was born until now. I just don't know how to go about making one up, and I know that you have excellent photoshop skills. Would you be able to help me pull something lovely together for Aaron?"

Penelope nodded enthusiastically, which set Erin's heart at ease, and then popped to her feet, tugging Erin along behind her as she went over to her desk and took a seat before beginning to tap away at her computer. "All right, do you want a large coffee table type book, or something that Hotch can carry with him?"

"I think something like a traditional photo album would be nice, only if you could pretty it up a little?"

"I can totally work with that! Do you have the pictures with you?"

"I have a few from my phone, but I didn't think to gather them without knowing for certain if you'd help me. Helen suggested that I take a long lunch today, so maybe I'll run home and gather up the best ones during that time?"

"That sounds wonderful, Erin. Just come right up here when you return, and I'll get to work with them. And don't worry, I'll make the best photo book for you and Hotch, and you'll have complete control of how it looks. If you don't like something, I can fix it before we get it printed and bound." Erin nodded as she relaxed even more, pleased that she had taken the chance to ask this favor from Penelope.