Chapter 17 – Abandon Hope All Ye Who Shall Enter Here

Episode - Lucky

Dave's hotel

Dave stands on the balcony outside his hotel room. Cigar in one hand and cell phone in the other, he contemplates calling Penelope and begging her for forgiveness. He should have stopped Bren the minute she appeared in the doorway of his office. He should have shut her down before anything started.

He startles as the phone rings. The number is familiar, but he can't quite place it.

"Rossi," he says shortly.

"Dave. It's Kent. How are you?"

Dave relaxes and takes a puff from his cigar. "You don't really want to know, do you?"

The other man chuckles. "That good, huh? Listen, I have a few houses lined up that I think you'll like. Are you available to look at them with me tomorrow?"

Dave thinks for a moment. "If we don't get called out on a case. My day is wide open."

"Good, good. I'll send the listings over, there are quite a few. Take a look and let me know which ones you want to see," Kent tells him.

Dave nods even though the other man can't see him. "Sounds good. Thanks, Kent."

"You're welcome. See you soon."

The call ends. Dave closes his phone and sets it on the table. He takes another drag from the cigar.

The phone rings again. He raises an eyebrow, leans forward and picks it up.

"Rossi."

"Hey Dave."

"Hotch? We get a case," Dave asks.

"No. I was wondering if you were free for dinner," Aaron responds.

Dave takes a puff on the cigar. "Maybe… you could have asked while we were at work," Dave muses.

Hotch takes a breath and lets it out slowly. "I thought I had plans, but they got cancelled."

"Oh?"

There is a pause on the line. "I was supposed to have dinner with Haley and Jack."

"What happened?"

"I left the office late, didn't call to let her know," Aaron explains. "When I got there, she told me to go to hell and slammed the door in my face."

"Ouch," Dave winces.

"Yeah," Aaron sighs. "I've been driving around, thinking, and realized that I was near your hotel…"

Dave chuckles. "You're in luck. I'm here and I haven't eaten."

"Meet you downstairs in ten minutes?"

"I know there's a bar here, maybe they have food as well."

It was Aaron's turn to chuckle. "Of course, you've checked out the bar but not the food."

"See you in the lobby," Dave says. He hangs up the phone and drops it onto the table again.

Dave steps out of the elevator as Aaron walks through the front door.

"Good timing," Dave states.

"I had the valet park my car as the parking lot is full," Aaron replies.

Dave nods as he leads the younger man across the lobby following the sign that read: restaurant this way. "It seems to be busy tonight."

"Probably everyone trying to get their business done before the holidays," Aaron mused.

They enter the restaurant and are shown to a table. The place is a little more than half full. They peruse the menu, order drinks, and make their selections in a matter of minutes.

"We haven't had a chance to catch up," Aaron says politely. "How is your Dad doing?"

"Much better, thank you. I didn't want to leave until he was able to do a few things on his own. He was rather particular about who helped him to the bathroom."

"I can imagine," Aaron murmurs. They pause and sit back as the waiter comes returns.

"So how late were you," Dave asks as the waiter sets water on their table.

Aaron shrugs. "Does it matter?"

"Apparently not," Dave muses. "I'm sorry."

"Is this what it was like for you," Aaron asks.

Dave raises an eyebrow and half shrugs. "Not really. Carolyn and I drifted apart over a period of years. At some point, I knew it was better to let her go than to try and fix things. We're still friends, kind of."

"Kind of?"

Another shrug and a smirk. "We talk on the phone, just to make certain we're both doing okay. She sends me Christmas and birthday cards. I send her flowers a couple times a year."

"Weren't you married twice?"

Dave takes a drink of water as he holds up three fingers.

Aaron whistles softly. "Three times? I'm impressed."

"Don't be," Dave growls.

"What happened?"

"Hey Dave," a feminine voice chirps.

Dave and Aaron look up at Doris, the red-headed bartender.

"How are you handsome?" she smiles.

Dave returns the smile. "I'm good, Doris. How are you?"

"Better now that I know you're here," she flirts.

Dave raises his eyebrows at her. He nods towards Aaron. "This is my friend, Aaron Hotchner. Aaron, this is Doris."

Aaron smiles. "Nice to meet you."

"You as well," she returns. She places a tumbler of bourbon in front of each of them. "I should get back to the bar. If you need anything, let me know. I get off at ten tonight, if you want to watch a movie or something."

Dave picks up his glass and takes a sip. "Thanks. I have an early morning tomorrow. Another night, perhaps."

She squeezes his bicep before walking away.

Dave looks over and sees Aaron scrutinizing him. "What?"

Aaron shakes his head. "No wonder Penelope's pissed at you."

Dave's heart starts pounding hard. "What?"

Aaron sits back in his seat and frowns. "I know all about it. I told you to stay away from the women at the FBI."

"Listen, Hotch," Dave shifts in his seat and leans forward. "I don't know what you think you know…"

"We all saw how Penelope reacted when your "girlfriend" kissed you," Hotch says gesturing with air quotes.

Dave shakes his head. "Bren is not my girlfriend."

"Could have fooled us. We are all profilers Dave, that woman had you marked as her property before she stepped out of your office."

"She's my manager."

"I didn't know managers kissed their clients."

Dave swallows nervously. "So, we've been a little closer than that over the years. But she's…"

Aaron cuts him off. "And Doris? Is she just a friend?"

Dave sighs and sits back in his seat. It doesn't matter what he says, all the evidence is against him. "What do you want from me, Aaron?"

"Stay away from Penelope and any other woman in the bureau," Aaron states. "It's quite obvious that you can find women elsewhere. Be professional and do your job. That's it."

"Is that why you came here? To have 'the talk'," Dave growls.

Aaron sighs. "It wasn't. I was going to wait until Monday, but the timing seemed right."

Dave doesn't respond as the waiter arrives with their meals. He places the food in front of each of them and leaves. Aaron begins to eat as Dave sits and stares off into the distance.

Aaron drops his fork onto his plate attracting Dave's attention.

"I'm sorry," Aaron says lowly. "I should have waited until Monday. I didn't mean to bring work into our conversation."

"It's always going to be there," Dave replies ruefully. Dave looks at the plate in front of him. Thinking about Penelope and how upset she is turns his stomach. He picks up his glass and takes another drink.

"Wanna talk about it," Aaron inquires.

Dave sneers but his voice is soft when he answers. "What's to say, you already know everything."

Aaron shakes his head. "All I know is that Penelope was upset when she saw you kissing that woman."

"She kissed me," Dave interjects. He takes another sip before setting down the glass.

Aaron waves it off. "Doesn't matter to Penelope or me. I also know that the two of you had a fight in her office at the end of the day."

Dave looks at him sharply.

Aaron takes a sip of his own drink. "Morgan called me. Said he went to check on Penelope, and you were there. He said neither of you looked happy and he wanted to know if I knew anything. I told him not to worry about it. Should he be worried?"

Dave shakes his head. "I tried to explain to her about Bren."

"How did that go?"

"She threw a stapler at me."

Aaron chuckled as he picked up his fork. "Let her be, Dave."

"I can't," Dave whispers. Aaron looks up at him.

"She does something to me, Aaron. Something I can't explain," Dave continues. "I've never felt like this before."

The waiter steps to the table. "Is everything okay over here?" He glances nervously at Dave's untouched plate. "Can I get you something else?"

"Everything's fine," Dave answers. He looks at Aaron. "You want another drink?"

"Sure," Aaron agrees.

"Another round for each of us," Dave says to the waiter. The man nods and hurries away.

"Going to get shit-faced tonight," Aaron asks.

Dave shrugs. "Maybe."

"What room are you staying in? Give me your room key," Aaron orders. He holds out his hand.

Dave pulls the key out of his pocket and hands it over. "Room twelve twenty-five."

Aaron nods. "You should eat something, so you don't throw up just your stomach in the morning."

Dave laughs and shakes his head. "I'll be fine." He picks up his fork and stabs a vegetable.

"I hope you have two beds," Aaron mumbles around a mouthful of food. "I'm not driving if we're drinking and I'm not sharing a bed with you."

"One bed and a pullout couch."

"Oh joy."

Dave's Hotel Room

Dave woke to the sound of a cell phone ringing. He rolls over to look for the phone.

"Hello," Aaron says softly.

Dave peers with one eye open at the man lying on the couch.

"No, I'm awake."

Dave snorts, earning a glare from the younger man.

"How about forty-five minutes?"

Aaron sits up and pushes the blanket to his feet.

"I am awake. I'm just not at home."

Dave raises an eyebrow as he tries to figure out who Aaron is talking to.

"No. I had dinner with Dave last night and slept on his couch."

Aaron takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"David Rossi."

He looks up at Dave and rolls his eyes.

"We work together."

Dave smirks.

"Yes, he did retire, but now he's back."

Dave rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling.

"Since Gideon left, we've been a man down. Dave decided to come back and help."

Dave glances at the clock on the nightstand. It's 8:15am. They went to bed at 3am.

"No."

Aaron grabs his pants from the floor. He struggles to pull them on.

"No, I can't do that, Haley."

He pulls on one shoe.

"Because I'm the unit chief."

He grabs the other shoe and jams his foot into it.

"Okay. I'm on my way now."

Aaron hangs up the phone and grabs his shirt.

"Leaving so soon," Dave asks.

Aaron nods. "I've been invited for breakfast. Apparently, Jack was upset that we didn't have dinner together."

"I can imagine. Go brush your teeth, I'll have your car brought around," Dave orders.

"Thanks," Aaron smiles. He hands Dave the valet ticket and hurries to the bathroom.

Dave picks up the house phone that sits next to the bed.

"Front desk," a friendly male voice announces.

"My friend needs his car brought to the front," Dave tells him. "The tag number is 1815. Please add the charges to my room."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Rossi. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you," Dave replies. He hangs up the phone and closes his eyes. He drifts off for a few minutes until Aaron comes out of the bathroom.

"Thanks for dinner," Aaron smiles as he ties a shoe.

Dave pries one eye open. "You're welcome."

"Thanks for making sure I got back to my room."

"No problem," Aaron states. He smirks. "Though I'm sure Doris would have helped you if I wasn't around."

Dave groans.

"See you later," Aaron says as he heads out the door."

Dave grunts in reply. He considers going back to sleep. He's still tired and though he wouldn't admit it if asked, a little hungover. He grabs his phone to set an alarm when he remembers that Kent wanted to show him some houses.

He groans and tosses the phone onto the bed. As much as he wants to sleep, he really needs to find someplace to live that isn't a hotel.

He climbs out of bed and heads to the bathroom for a shower.

A coffee shop

An hour later, Dave has left the hotel and driven to an area near Quantico. He parks his car at the curb and heads for a coffee shop. Dave steps inside. A woman stands at the counter, her back to him. She seems familiar. The barista talks to the woman as she fixes a cup of coffee.

Dave glances around the shop, it is surprisingly empty. He walks closer to the counter, stopping a few feet away. His suspicions confirmed a moment later when the barista hands the woman a cup and she turns around.

"Oh," she gasps. She jerks to a stop, spilling a small amount of liquid. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting coffee," he replies lowly. "Hello, Penelope."

"Are you following me?" she asks. She narrows her eyes to peer at him.

He shakes his head and holds up his hands in front of him in a gesture of surrender. "I swear, I had no idea you would be here."

She glares at him. "I have to go." She replies. She steps around him.

"Please stay. Talk to me," he pleads.

"Won't your girlfriend get upset?" she asks as she walks past him.

"She's not my girlfriend," he says.

She stops a few steps away. "It doesn't matter," she replies.

"Penelope. Please, just look at me," he begs.

She turns around. The tracks of her tears wet her cheeks.

"Bren is just my manager, I promise. There is nothing going on between her and I," he explains.

Penelope takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "This just isn't going to work between us, David. You and I are two completely different people. And – as much as I'd like to trust you, you have a reputation."

He opens his mouth to speak but she holds up a hand.

"Whether you like it or not, it's there. You've been married three times! The stories about your conquests in the BAU are almost as legendary as the stories of your profiling skills." She takes a step towards him. "You are a gorgeous, intelligent, attractive man. And as much as I would like to be with you, men like you don't marry women like me. I don't want to be just another statistic, David."

He shakes his head and lowers his eyes to the floor.

"It wouldn't be easy being with you," she continues. "If we continued, our inevitable break-up wouldn't hurt just us. One of us would have to leave. The BAU needs you."

He raises his head to look at her. "It needs you too," he whispers.

"I know," she nods. "So, instead of being lovers, let's work on being co-workers. And eventually - maybe, we can be friends. Okay?"

He stares at her, letting the words sink in. His heart slows from frantic to non-existent. His heart has been broken before, through death and broken relationships, however, it has never ached so quickly or so deep. He nods once, in response.

She gives him a half-smile in return. "I'll see you on Monday," she says.

He watches her turn away again and walk out the door. He has no idea how long he stands there watching, waiting, and hoping she returns. A hand on his shoulder breaks him from his trance.

"Sir," the barista says. "Are you okay?"

He turns to look at her and nods. He clears his throat. "Yeah, sorry. I was lost in thought."

She smiles gently. "Can I get you anything? It's on the house."

He smiles wryly. "A large, black coffee."

He follows her to the counter and stuffs a twenty-dollar bill into the tip jar while she's not looking.

"Here you go," she says with a smile as she hands him the cup.

He holds his wallet in one hand. "Sure I can't pay?"

She shakes her head. "It's on me. Sounds like your day is off to a bad start."

He pauses. "Yeah. Thanks for the coffee."

He tucks his wallet away and leaves.

The BAU – Dave's office

The rest of Dave's weekend didn't go very well either. He could feel trouble brewing and he hoped it didn't mean the end of his return to the BAU. He had spent several hours with Kent on Saturday looking at houses but none of them appealed to him. Usually a man to stand behind his decisions, Dave hated the fact that he was wavering on staying or leaving the BAU.

On one hand it was what he lived to do, and he would be close to Penelope. On the other hand, he would be close to Penelope, but he wouldn't be with Penelope. And that was the part that was killing him. Though the fact that she didn't completely hate him gave him hope. She was willing to work with him and as she said maybe they could be friends one day.

He sits in his office sipping his second cup of coffee when Prentiss knocks on his door.

She nods towards the briefing room. "We've got a case."

Dave gets up and follows her to the other room. He grabs a seat close to the television. They others file in and JJ picks up the remote, turns on the television and begins her briefing.

"Bridgewater, Florida. Local girl, Abby Kelton, 19, Left her parent's home to go to the local junior college," she begins. "She never came home. Joggers found her – part of her – in a nearby park."

Dave and the others flip through the files on the table in front of them. He looks at the crime scene photos displayed on the screen behind him.

"What did that to her," Prentiss asks. Her voice filled with dread.

JJ continues. "Bridgewater's off I-75, which is often referred to as alligator alley for reasons that are now apparent. Everything below the waist had been eaten."

"Ah, the circle of life." Dave cuts in. He forces himself to act normal.

"Suddenly I don't feel guilty about my alligator wallet," Prentiss returns.

"Alligators didn't cut off her fingers, slit her throat, or carve this into her chest," Hotch says as he tosses another picture onto the middle of the table. Morgan picks it up.

"An inverted pentagram," he muses.

JJ puts her remote on the stand and sits down. "Locals believe the killing was committed by a satanic cult."

"Some things never change," Dave says with a shake of his head.

"Killer satanic cults don't exist," Prentiss tells him. "They were debunked as a suburban myth."

Dave tilts his head and stares at her in fascination.

"What," she asks.

"Rossi's the one that debunked them," Reid tells her as Dave continues to stare.

"Oh right," Prentiss nods. "Thanks."

Dave gives her a small smile and looks away. "Cult or not, the killing was ritualized. This will turn serial if it hasn't already."

"So killer satanic cults don't exist, but satanic serial killers do," JJ asks.

Dave stands, picks up his file folder and taps it on the table. "Lasciate ogni Speranza ch'entrate," he quotes.

As he heads for the exit, JJ says, "Oh. Thanks for clearing that up."

"Uh, it's from Dante's Inferno," Reid clarifies for her. "Uh, abandon hope all ye who enter here."

"So that was a yes," JJ inquires.

Dave barely hears Hotch's response as he walks to his office. "A big yes."

He grabs his briefcase and stuffs the file folder in it behind his laptop. He had brought the device with him in the hopes of getting some writing done. Since his return to the BAU, he hadn't written a word other than reports and he hated paperwork. It was time for some BIC HOK TAM – butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly. He doubted that was going to happen until this case was over.

He glanced at the others filing into the bullpen and zipped his briefcase closed. His go-bag was in his SUV ready to go. Closing his door on the way out, he caught a glimpse of Penelope talking with JJ and Emily. His heart jumped as he looked at her. She glanced in his direction and quickly looked away.

He strode through the bullpen and out the glass double doors. He jammed his finger on the elevator call button internally hoping the car would arrive before any of his teammates did. The car arrived, he stepped inside, hit the button for the first floor and the door close button. He saw the team behind the glass door as the elevator door closed.

The last time they had a case, he was the last to leave having stayed behind to kiss Penelope. Now he couldn't get out of there fast enough.

End Chapter 17