Aaron had been disturbed by Penelope's outburst in the conference room. He knew about the friendship Penelope and Erin had formed, Dave had made certain to tell him of that. He had just neglected to tell him how deeply Penelope cared for her friend. This sort of tension in the team would never do, and he was glad when Dave decided to drive Seaver to the airfield.
As usual, he arrived at the jet first and helped the attendant put his things in the baggage area. He took a seat and set out the files for the case they were on. Morgan and Reid came next and Morgan sat across from him while Reid claimed the couch. Last to appear were Rossi and Seaver, and he looked more relaxed than he had been. Aaron took this as s good sign.
"So, I never asked. How far along is my Baby Girl?"
"The ER doctor put her at about two months along. We'll have our first appointment sometime next week."
"And what do you want it to be?" Morgan asked.
"Healthy would be the best thing for her to be," Dave replied, smiling slightly.
"I always figured you'd want a girl," Aaron said as he settled back in his seat and opened the file. "You know, there's something about this case that seems familiar. All right, what do we think so far?" He, Morgan, and Rossi, talked about the case for a few moments, getting nowhere. Morgan turned to stare out the window and Aaron knew this was his chance to get answers from his friend. "Penny for your thoughts, old man," he said as he looked up from the file.
"I want to know what Penelope is doing for Erin. It has to be tied to Wyoming in some way," he replied.
"Cases have a way of haunting us, especially the rough ones. I can only imagine what Erin went through, hoping to save the child and then having him killed before her eyes."
"You have no idea." Aaron was bothered by Dave's mirthless laugh, and began to wonder what else had happened in Wyoming. Penelope interrupted his train of thought, though, with new information on the case at hand, and he took notes as she spoke. He watched Dave ask for Morgan's headphones to talk with his wife privately.
He paid no attention to what Rossi was saying until he heard: "But still, the baby could be – " Looking up at Dave, he saw that his friend's face had become quite pale. "Fuck," he said lowly, before coughing.
"Is everything all right with Penelope and the baby?" Morgan asked, reaching out to touch Dave's arm.
"Yes." Dave replied far too quickly, seeming relieved Morgan had gone there. Aaron looked at him, knowing there was more to it than what he was saying, though he chose not to comment.
Once they'd landed, Aaron sent Morgan and Rossi to the coroner's office while they set up at the police station. Aaron could feel Seaver's eyes on him the entire time they set up the timeline. "What?" he finally asked.
"I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to cause trouble."
"You just need to realize that Penelope strives to see the good in everyone and is fiercely loyal to those she deems worthy. Somehow, Strauss has been welcomed into her inner circle and you need to accept that." She nodded and went back to work, seeming a little more contented.
Morgan and Dave joined them a few hours later with the new information they had received at the coroner's office. It put them no closer to catching the unsub, though, and finally, Aaron sent them to their hotel for the night. He had been preoccupied all day about this business between Rossi, Strauss, and Penelope, and needed to know more.
After he'd set his bag down in his room, he went across the hall to Rossi's room, knocking on the door. "What can I do for you, Hotch?" he asked as he opened the door.
"I need to know what's going on between you, Strauss, and Penelope. Is this going to affect the team in any way?" He brushed past Rossi into the room, sitting heavily in one of the chairs.
"I can't tell you much, if anything."
Aaron sighed, fixing his gaze on Dave. "David, don't use that bullshit line on me. As your direct supervisor, I demand to know what is going on here."
As Dave filled him in on Erin's husband's suicide, Aaron tried to figure out what he was hiding. "Our anniversary is always going to suck for Erin, a constant reminder of how her own husband left her in the worst way imaginable."
Aaron felt his eyes narrow as he pressed on for the truth. "And that has absolutely nothing to do with Penelope's display earlier. I can't have there being tension in the team like this. Why did she get so defensive of Strauss?" It hit him like a ton of bricks, suddenly knowing the truth no one was willing to speak. "She had your baby, didn't she? That's why there's been such animosity there."
Dave nodded. "Yeah. Now she wants to find the girl. That's who Penny's looking for. I knew that would make me tense. I mean, there's a little Rossi running around out there."
Aaron hated being right in this situation. "She never told you about the child?"
"No. I was using protection, but obviously, it failed. Erik would never have accepted another man's child."
"Life's a bitch," Aaron said dryly, suddenly wanting a stiff drink.
"And then you die. At least we have the start of a working profile." Dave let out an obviously fake yawn, but Hotch was willing to accept the lie. He had a lot to think about in regards to their Section Chief. "I'll see you when we regroup in the morning."
He nodded as he stood, going over to the door. His heart hurt over the thought of Erin losing her husband that way and suddenly, he felt overwhelmed by the urge to know who had found Erik's body. "Who found the body?" he asked hoarsely.
"Erin had the misfortune of discovering Erik."
The truth cut him to the bone. Erin had experienced the same sorrow he had. "No one should ever have to find their beloved like that."
"No, they shouldn't," Dave agreed and Aaron left. He trudged back to his room, his heart growing heavier with every step.
He threw the deadbolt and collapsed on the bed. "A life of quiet desperation. No wonder Penelope was so protective of her," he said as he unbuttoned his shirt and took off his tie. "Would anyone send her flowers? Jessica got so many after Haley died. She deserves something beautiful to brighten the gloom hanging over her."
Pulling out his iPhone, he looked up online florists and settled with FTD, flipping through their catalogue. As he looked at the selection, he wished he could shop a local flower market and make his own bouquet. Finally, he settled on an elegant white rose and orchid arrangement. In the message box, he typed I am so sorry, choosing not to sign the card. He wanted Erin to accept the flowers, not to think it was some sort of cruel joke.
Aaron shucked off his pants and crawled beneath the covers. Sleep was a long time coming that evening as memories of Haley came bubbling up to the surface. It had been pure torture to find her as Foyet had left her. His thoughts turned to Erin and he wondered how she was holding up. To see your beloved lifeless, surrounded by blood, gone forever, was heartbreaking. He had barely been able to get through the sorrow with the support of his friends and family. Besides Penelope, who did Erin have?
A small voice in the back of his head whispered No one, and he shivered a little at that thought. Erin could use a good friend or two, but who would step up to fill that role? And he knew with sudden clarity that he would be the one to do so. Subtly, he'd lead his team to be nicer to her, to repay every hurt she offered with kindness.
He slipped into an uneasy sleep, wondering if the idea he'd come up with would do any good, or if Erin would even accept the kindness they, he, offered.