"This is a pleasant surprise," Karen said as she took a seat across from Alex and ErinI haven't seen either of you in a number of years."

"Yes, well, your job heated up, and we both retired from the BAU, so there wasn't as much opportunity for us to get together outside phone calls and emails. Now, would you like to order first, or have us tell you just why we wanted to see you today?"

"I don't know what I'd like yet, so if you want to go over it while I study the menu, I can multitask."

Erin and Alex shared a look before Erin took a deep breath. "I know that you haven't found a lasting partnership after you lost Bill, and while I don't know that this will be the long term choice, I have a proposition for you that will at least lead to a great meal and a pleasant evening."

Karen gave her an amused smile, and she shrugged a little as she waited for the question that she could see in the other woman's eyes. "I'm not a unicorn, Erin."

She giggled and shook her head. "No, Alex and I are perfectly happy as a pair. What I'm suggesting is a different sort of situation. Alex and I have a mutual friend who is looking for companionship, and has decided that his efforts are not leading to the outcomes that he wants. So he turned to us, since we seem to have found a lasting happiness after everything that happened to me. I know, this is highly unorthodox, but you were the first person I thought of when he asked us this favour."

Their server showed up before Karen could say anything in response, and they placed their orders before the woman went to give their order to the kitchen. There were another few beats before Karen smiled and took a deep breath. "And I suppose that I won't know who you're setting me up with until I reach the restaurant that he chooses?"

"That sort of is the point of blind dates, isn't it?" Alex asked as she took a sip from her water glass.

"I suppose that you make a good point there. When would this date happen?"

Erin let out a soft sigh of success as she slipped her phone from her pocket. David had sent her an email that morning of dates when he was available, and she had plugged them into her calendar. Opening the correct app, she pulled up the monthly calendar and made another note of those dates before meeting Karen's gaze steadily. "I have five dates that are open for him. Which of these would work best for you?" she asked before listing off the respective days.

Karen pulled out her own phone and looked at the screen for a few moments. "This Friday will be the easiest with my current schedule. And where are we meeting up?"

Alex piped up with the answer. "He requested Bonefish Grill, at seven in the evening. And also that you would wear a red scarf. He will be wearing a red tie, but I have the feeling that you'll know him, even without the marker."

` "Lexie!" Erin hissed out as she smacked her thigh lightly.

"I didn't give away anything!" her partner protested before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. Erin blushed at the way Karen chuckled at the sight, and she shook her head before knocking her shoulder against Alex's and smiling. "Now, with that out of the way, how about we talk about lighter things?" They all nodded, and Erin relaxed a little more in the booth as she sent up a quick prayer that the night she had scheduled for David would go well.

~~TS~~

"I should have known something was amiss when Erin set this up."

Dave looked up into Karen Hayes's face and gave her a warm smile. "Karen! How good to see you this evening. I had no idea who Erin and Alex were going to set me up with for this blind date experiment I asked them to set up for me. Please, take a seat."

She smiled as she did just that, picking up her water glass and taking a sip. This allowed Dave to study her briefly, feeling a soft pang of melancholy stab his heart. Karen looked so much like Erin that he had to make certain he had called her the right name. That would have torpedoed this date faster than the Hindenburg. "You're studying me a little too closely, Rossi," she murmured without looking up from the menu, and he chuckled as he ran his finger along the collar of his shirt. "I know, I look like I could be Erin's sister, and that's thrown you for a loop. But I can assure you that I am my own woman. Is this going to be awkward?"

"I don't think so. There are enough differences to help me tell you two apart. Namely, the fact that Erin's hair is much longer now, since that's how Alex likes it."

"They're like treacle, aren't they?" Karen asked, smirking a little. There was something almost gossipy about the look, and he felt his heart thump a bit out of pace at the thought of meanness in her. "I know, that seems like the ultimate goal in relationships, but I had sweet with Bill. I just want comfortable in the future."

He sagged a little in his seat as he nodded. "Comfortable can be nice, too." He sipped at his own water as their server stopped at their table. "I believe that we're ready to order. Karen, would you start?"

She nodded and placed her order, and he followed after before ordering a bottle of red wine that would complement both their meals. "So, will this end up at your place tonight?"

"If you think that you want that, then yes. I'm never one to refuse a beautiful woman in what she wants."

Karen's smile widened a little. "I've heard about the way that you treat the women in your orbit. No one has ever been unsatisfied."

He felt himself flush a little, giving a small shrug as she sipped at her water. "Rumours of my prowess may be slightly exaggerated. Yes, I've had three wives, and a long term partnership that I thought would lead to a final marriage, but I've only ever heavily flirted with most of the rest. There may have been a few tipsy dalliances at office parties, but they were few and far between."

She cocked an eyebrow upwards, and he shrugged, not wanting to reveal that he had only ever really slept with six women in the FBI. "I'll buy that for the moment, but if this turns out to be something I wish to pursue, I'll need you to be a little more open with me. I haven't slept with anyone since Bill, and I don't think that will change tonight. But we'll see where things head?"

Dave smiled warmly at her, giving a small nod as their wine arrived. Once they each had a glass in hand, he clinked his glass against hers and then took a sip before delving into a more personal conversation than focusing on their mutual lines of work. That seemed to be the best thing to do, as Karen began to open up to him the longer the evening went on. Still, by the time that their meal was over, Dave knew that things would never progress beyond a friendly persuasion. Karen just reminded him too much of Erin in her looks, and he knew that if things progressed further, that would become a major stumbling block between them. And oddly enough, at this point in his life, he was more into having friendships than one night stands.

"Well, this was a pleasant evening, Karen."

"It was. I really enjoyed spending time with you. Perhaps we'll catch lunch sometime in the future?"

He could tell by the look on Karen's face that she felt the same way that he did, and he gave her a small nod as he motioned for their server to come over to their table. "I think I'd really enjoy that. Hopefully, our schedules match up sometime soon. Have a lovely night."

"You too, David." Karen rose to her feet, and he stood as well, watching her leave the restaurant. Then he handed his credit card over to the server and took his seat once more. After adding a generous tip to the check, he signed the receipt and then got to his feet once more, pulling out his phone as he made his way over to his car.

"Is your date over so soon, David?" Erin asked as he slipped behind the wheel and placed the phone in the hands free holder before starting the car.

"We had a pleasant evening together, but…she reminded me too much of you. We're going to have lunch in a few weeks, though, so that's nice. I can always use another friend in my life."

Erin let out a little sigh, and he could just picture the look on her face as she spoke once more. "Yes, we could all do with more friends. Now, since this first blind date was a bit of a bust, do you still want us to continue trying to find someone for you? Obviously, I wasn't the best chooser in this case."

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I think that you have excellent taste. In another life, it might have been nice to end up in a relationship with her. And we never get anything right on the first try. I mean, look at you and Alex. It took a few decades before you managed to work your way back to each other."

There was a short pause before she replied. "You have a good point there. All right, give us a few more days, and we'll come up with the next person that we think might tickle your fancy. And you did say that you're all right with women and men, yes?"

"I did. Companionship is about more than sex, after all. Though if it's the right man…"

"That's more than I needed to know, darling. Just like Alex and I don't kiss and tell about our bedroom habits, I don't want you to feel obligated to do so as well. There are things that I cannot unsee because I know your body, and how you look during sex. So I can imagine things a little more easily than another woman might be able to. Just like you know how I come undone with you."

"Ah, bella, you have a good point there. But Alex does make you happy, yes?"

"Deliriously so. I wish that we could have made things work, David, but I'm so complete when I'm with her. I can't explain it."

"But everyone can see it. That's what I want to find, and I have the feeling that you'll be able to help me find them. Make certain you give Alex an extra kiss tonight, okay?"

"Okay. And hopefully date two will be more promising. Talk to you soon."

She ended the call, and Dave smiled to himself, trying not to allow too salacious of thoughts about Erin and Alex to run through his brain as he finished his drive home, wondering who he would be paired with next.