"I don't know how much more of this I can take, Erin. It's only been two years and I'm already dreading my birthday again."

She stared at him from across her desk. "Do you want to take a leave of absence? I would understand if that were so." She pulled off her reading glasses to really look at him, noticing how tired he looked. A small flicker of compassion flared up in her chest and she took a deep breath.

"I don't know, Erin. I'd ask you for a drink, but that would be crass. Could we go somewhere and talk?"

She pursed her lips and stared at him. "You seriously want to talk to me? After everything I put you through?"

"Erin, you only pulled half that shit because you were getting back at me for hazing you when you started here. I don't blame you; I was being sort of petty."

Erin sat back and stared at a spot on his chest, trying to find a reason to refuse him. Try though she might, she couldn't seem to come up with one and so she nodded. "All right, are you free after work today?"

"I was thinking of taking off now. I'm getting a little tired of being in the fishbowl." She tried to smother her laugh but failed and he shook his head at her. "Never mind."

"No, David, I'm sorry. It's just; I know what it's like to be under the microscope. I feel it every day that you are home and Agent Morgan and Agent Hotchner walk by my office every half hour to do God knows what. I haven't had a drink in close to six months, I think. The night they dragged me off to rehab was the last night I had a sip of alcohol."

"I had no idea they were doing that, Erin. Come on, let's blow this popsicle stand." He held out his hand to her and as she stood, she clasped it tightly. "Grab your purse; I have no idea when we're coming back, if at all."

"We'll have to come back, David." The look he gave her stopped her in her tracks and she just nodded, pulling her purse out of her desk drawer and making sure her cellphone was inside. "Is there somewhere in particular that you wanted to go?"

"I was thinking this great little trattoria just outside Quantico." She nodded once more and he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. On the way out the door, he winked at her assistant, Helen, and Erin heard her giggle lowly.

"Must you really insist on doing that?" she asked in an exasperated voice.

"I have to keep up my reputation, Erin. You are the only woman who has never fallen under my spell, not even one iota. And yet, that intrigues me more now, than all these little girls who like to flirt."

Erin felt herself blush at his words and tried to ignore the fact that she was willingly letting him lead her over to the elevators, letting him claim her as his by keeping her hand on his elbow. "They're looking at us, David," she whispered as they waited for the elevator.

"Let them look, Erin. We're both adults, making adult choices. And it's not as if I'm ravishing you right here." She gasped at the remark as he ushered her inside. As the doors closed, he whispered in her ear, "That's for later this evening, if I'm lucky."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Like that would ever happen, David."

"I know Alan left you, cara. I know how he treated you at the end."

"How?" she asked, not looking at him as she felt tears prickle her eyes.

"I hear scuttlebutt around the office. And I may or may not have been checking up on you with Helen. I missed you, Erin, more than I knew I would."

She could hear the honesty in his voice and she found herself cuddling closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she let herself rest her head on his chest. It felt so nice to just let go for a moment, knowing he would keep this quiet. "He left before I entered rehab, Dave. It's just that the divorce was finalized there. He revealed his infidelity to the court so that he could get a quick divorce from me, since he didn't want to go through the year separation. And since I was in rehab, I couldn't very well take care of our youngest, so he got custody of her, too."

Her breath caught in her throat and he tightened the arm around her shoulders. Unable to let herself give in to the tears, she nuzzled her face into his chest. "I won't tell anyone if you cry, Erin. I promise."

Erin tried to laugh, but found she couldn't, it just brought more tears to the forefront. He rubbed her back gently until they got to the basement floor where the parking garage was. "If you turn up the classical station while you drive, then I can imagine that you can't hear me."

She was surprised when he kissed the side of her head, leading her over to his car. He opened the door for her and she got in, buckling her seatbelt before curling up on her side to stare out the window. As soon as Dave started the car, the sweet strains of Chopin filled the cabin and she gave in to her tears. He drove around until her tears were spent, never commenting on her sorrow, as if he understood her intense need to do this alone. "So, I think I'm going to make us something to eat," he said lowly and she finally looked up at their surroundings.

"Oh." She sighed as he pulled into his garage and parked the car. Opening the door, he held out his hand to her and she clasped it tightly as she got out of the car. "What are you going to make?" she asked as she scrubbed at her cheeks.

"What do you think sounds good?"

"Chicken parmesan."

"I think I have all the necessary ingredients, if you don't mind grilled chicken instead of fried." She nodded and he pulled her close to his side once more. "How's your heart, Erin?"

"It hurts. God, Dave, it hurts so badly. Am I doing all right at work?"

They went inside and he led her to his spacious kitchen. Erin took a seat on one of the bar stools, watching him, waiting for his answer. "You are doing fine. Less Ice Queen, though I doubt anyone has noticed that like I have." He began to pull out the ingredients for their meal and handed her a jar of marinara sauce. "This is my mother's recipe, straight from Naples. I hope you like it."

She smiled as she opened the jar, breathing in the heady scent of the sauce. "This smells so delicious, Dave. Thank you for bringing me here."

Dave smiled at her and took the jar from her hands, pouring it into a saucepan and setting it on a burner. Then he took out a large pot and filled it with cold water from the tap. "I hope you're hungry." He turned the front burner on and stuck a lid on it so that it could boil. "Would you like one or two chicken breasts?"

"One will be fine, Dave." He nodded and went over to the fridge. While he was rooting around, his cellphone rang and he tossed it to her. "What?"

"Answer it, Erin."

"Okay." She touched the button and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Oh, Chief Strauss. I was expecting to reach our resident Italian Stallion." Erin smiled at the sound of Penelope's voice, knowing that the other woman couldn't see or comment on it. "Is he nearby?"

"That depends. What do you need him for?"

"Oh, are you two on a date? I didn't mean to interrupt; I just had a quick question to ask him about this last case. I'm finishing up some research for it. But I can just talk to him tomorrow. How long have you guys been dating?"

Erin felt her eyes widen and she stared at Dave. He chuckled at her look and mouthed Penelope?. She nodded and he shook his head, pulling out a skillet and beginning to cook the chicken. "We're just friends, Ms. Garcia." He looked up at her in surprise, a wide grin breaking out on his face. She shrugged and spoke once more. "And that begins and ends with you, all right?"

"Oh, of course, Ma'am. I'm just glad you're moving forward, and with someone like Dave. You guys would be so cute together, you know."

"Penelope, do you have any idea how much trouble those words could get all of us in? Especially if overheard by the wrong person?"

"Uh, they wouldn't dare, especially with everything I'm capable of. Think of me as your own personal guardian."

"How do I even end up in situations like this?" she muttered and heard both Dave and Penelope laugh. "Just, don't let Agent Morgan know, okay? I know how close you two are."

"I can be discreet, don't worry. Give Dave an extra kiss for me." As the other woman hung up, she locked eyes with Dave.

"Is that how she is with everyone?" she asked, feeling like she had been caught up in a whirlwind.

"Just the ones she deems worthy. I guess since I sort of claimed you in the office today, you fall under her umbrella, too. Welcome to the family, Erin."

She buried her face in her hands. "This cannot be happening. She thinks we're dating."

"We could be, if you wanted that." Erin looked up at him in surprise. "Look, I have problems, you know that, especially at this time of year. You've never given me grief about that. And you have issues, too. I accept them for what they are. I've tried the younger flings, maybe it's time I chose the person who can stand by my side and be my equal."

Her chest hurt again and she swallowed the lump that came to her throat. "Equals, huh? Perhaps we try that, then. I've missed having a companion."

Dave nodded and finished cooking their meal as she watched him. Everything just seemed to come together under his hands and she found herself sentimentally imagining a life with him, having him make meals for her when he was home, waiting to get a call from him before he went to sleep while he was in the field. "Penny for your thoughts, Erin."

"I'm just realizing I'm a bit of a romantic at heart." He set a plate down in front of her before raising her chin up so that she would look at him. As she watched, his lips descended and covered hers in a wonderful kiss. "This is madness, you know."

"We're both past the point of long courtships, Erin. That was the reason I came to you this morning. I need someone who will hold me through those nights when the horrors get to me. I need someone who knows what I do, and understands why I can be a bastard at times. I need you, I realized today, because you know me, you've known me for years. It was under my nose this entire time. If that is madness, then I fully subscribe to it."

Erin couldn't find words to respond to him, so she just nodded before lifting her lips in acceptance. This kiss was just as wonderful as their first, and she blinked back her tears. "I'm not going to go easy on you at work, you know."

"I wouldn't expect you to." He took a seat next to her and they began to eat. It was delicious, and she ate more than she normally did these days, finding her appetite returning to her in his presence.

Once they had finished, she helped him clean up and then she turned to look at him. "I need some things, too, David. I need someone who's not afraid of my cravings. I need someone who will remind me that I'm worth more than what I think I am when I get down in the doldrums. I need someone who will stand by my side and support me. Will that be you?"

"Yes, if you let me be that person." She nodded and he swept her up in a tight embrace. "Erin, I want…"

"I know. Lead the way?" Erin bit her lip, feeling like a nervous schoolgirl about to make it with the star quarterback. He bent and kissed her once more and she gave herself up to him. Carefully, he picked her up off the floor and carried her upstairs to his bedroom, gently laying her on the bed. She smiled up at him as he stripped off his clothes, revealing a bare chest. "I always thought you would have chest hair. You seem like the type who would," she murmured as she reached up and stroked his chest.

"You would notice that," he replied, stretching out next to her. She shrugged and reached up to begin unbuttoning her blouse. "Let me, please." She nodded and he took over where she had left off, slowly undoing the buttons, baring her skin to him. "Blue satin and black lace, huh?" She nodded. "Is it part of a matching set?" Again, she nodded and he smiled. Dave lowered his lips to the swell of her breasts and kissed her there delicately.

As she sighed, he unzipped her skirt, tugging it down her legs. His hand caressed her mound and her hips lifted up into his touch. "Would you take them off before I ruin them? The set cost me a fair amount of money."

He chuckled and stripped the panties off as well, baring her lower body to him. "I suppose the bra should go, too. Wouldn't want to tear that off your body to try and get at these marvelous breasts." A deep blush spread over her chest and face and she bit her lip as he flicked open the front clasp. "Easy access, Erin. It's almost like you knew what was going to happen today," he murmured before kissing her breasts once more. The light butterfly kisses drove her wild with passion, which he seemed to know, as he avoided her nipples, hard though they were.

"Are you always this much of a tease?" she asked as she shrugged out of the straps of her bra, throwing it to the floor. He shrugged and Erin decided to take matters in her own hands, literally, as she cupped one of her breasts, thumbing and pinching her nipple while he did his level best to bypass her needs. She gasped when he nuzzled the underside of her breast with his nose, snaking out his tongue to lick at that erogenous spot. "Please…"

Dave finally nodded and captured the erect peak she was playing with between his lips, suckling strongly. She had always loved having her breasts played with and their hands met at the juncture between her thighs. Gently, he pushed her hand away and slipped his fingers between her labia to seek out her clit. Burying a hand in his hair, she held him there, feeling the pleasure build up in her body. "Erin," he murmured against her breast and she nodded.

"Dave, please, now. I'm not going to last, it's been too long since my last orgasm," she babbled out as he spread her thighs. She arched up, offering herself to him and he entered her in one long, hard, stroke. "Oh god, yes!" she cried out at the feeling, and they moved together in perfect tandem, racing towards the pinnacle of desire. As she came, he captured her lips in a bruising kiss and they collapsed back onto the bed together.

His weight felt so comforting to her and she snuggled into him, letting him kiss her lips over and over. "If this is what equals feels like, I'm sorry I didn't pursue you earlier. Alan was an idiot to cheat on you, you know."

"Comforting words, Dave. I don't know how your wives could leave this pleasure you give." He kissed her forehead and she sighed. "So, do you think we're well matched?"

"I think we're perfectly matched. Are you really going to keep up the pretense of us being just friends at work?"

"I have to, Dave. Director Shepperd isn't really too keen on me right now, given my trip to rehab. But is it silly of me to think of a future for us together? I sort of want to be here for more meals, to get calls from you when you're on the field, telling me about your case. I'm lonely."

"I'm lonely, too. When Carolyn was still alive, I'd call her and just talk, venting to her. Then, I turned to Emily, but it just wasn't the same. Ever since I divorced Carolyn, I've been looking for her replacement in every brunette that crossed my path." He tweaked her nose and she giggled a little. "Then this irascible blonde wormed her way into my mind and heart, and I knew I could find a way to fight my demons with her, even if we were just friendly sparring partners. This is more than I ever expected, Erin."

"Me, too, Dave." He kissed her again and she sighed. "Hold me?"

"If you're not careful, I might never let you go."

"A sweet threat I'm going to hold you to." She turned in his arms, spooning her body to fit his. As she yawned, he pulled the sheet up to cover them and she felt their breathing sync up and slow down as sleep came over them. She had never felt more right than in this moment, with him. "My sweet, sweet, David," she whispered before letting the comforting darkness of sleep claim her.