You've Got To Be Kidding

Summary: This is for the Monday, September 3 – Week 1

Open Character Prompt: Your character is watching TV late at night when there is a knock on the door.

Sequel to 'Spies Like Us'. How does Hotch react when he finds out about Dave's relationship with Strauss?

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. Yet.

A/N: Written for hot4booth. I said I would do it and I finally got it done. This is for you as a thank you for being so great and welcoming to this newbie. Hope you enjoy!

To all my other faithful readers and reviewers, thank you so much for continuing to read my materials. It is always greatly appreciated and I love each and every one of you. If anyone has a request for something they would like to see from me let me know and I will see what I can do for you.

David Rossi sat there in the darkness of his living room watching some infomercial. Not that he was really paying attention to it, he couldn't even hear what they were saying, being as he had turned down the volume. He waited for Erin to get through with her shower, any other time he would have been in there with her. Tonight he didn't dare attempt the acrobatic feat it would take. He wasn't up for that adventure tonight.

Dave jumped slightly when the knock on the door shattered the quietness.

"Damn, somebody better be dying." He muttered to himself as he went to see who it was that dared to interrupt the sanctum of his home.

"You better be bleeding out…" He said as he opened the door to find Aaron Hotchner standing there on the other side of the heavy oak door.

"Dave." Hotch greeted him gruffly.

"Aaron, what the hell are you doing here at this hour?"

"Are you going to let me in or leave me standing out here in the rain?" Hotch asked as he brushed the rain off his jacket.

"Fine." Dave said stepping to the side to let Hotch in. "So what are you doing here?"

"I came to find out what is wrong with you and Garcia. You two barely said a word to each other today. It has been going on all week and I want to know what is going on. So you either tell me or I go to her and I don't think you want me to do that. She won't lie to me."

"And what makes you think I'll tell you the truth?"

"Because I know you Dave, I know when you're lying." Hotch said stepping over to the couch.

"It's nothing Aaron, really. She is just being her normal nosey self; she's even pulled Reid into the folds of her insanity."

"Well that doesn't explain why you two have been avoiding each other." Hotch stated.

'Well… she may have found out some things about me that she never wanted to know."

"And what could that be Dave? What could she have found out that would make her not want to speak to you?"

"It's not that she doesn't want to speak to me Aaron. It is merely a mutual agreement to avoid each other for a while. Nothing more."

"Why would you want to avoid each other?" Hotch asked and then he heard a voice coming from the landing at the top of the stairs.

"Dave, I thought you were going to be waiting for me when I got out of the shower." Said an oddly familiar voice; a voice that Hotch knew he recognized.

Realization hit Hotch and spun around to see Erin Strauss coming down the stairs. She was wrapped in a robe and was toweling her hair dry not looking up from the stairs.

"Oh my god! Dave, you have got to be kidding me. You and Strauss!?" Hotch said swinging back to face the shocked face of David Rossi.

Strauss stopped and looked up as made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh shit. Dave why didn't you tell me he was here." She hissed at Dave, pulling her robe tighter around her.

"Go back upstairs Erin, I'll handle Hotch and be up in a little bit." Dave said as he walked over to the stunned woman and kissed her softly on the lips.

After Strauss headed back the way she had come, Dave turned to face his friend.

"Aaron you are the one that told me to show her my charms and get her to lay off of us for a while."

"I told you to show her your charms not your dick and I definitely did not tell you fuck her. What the hell were you thinking? Do you know how bad this could be if it blows up in your face? She will make all our lives a living hell." Hotch all but yelled at him.

Dave laughed at his friend. Never had he seen him so panicked before. It was kind of nice to see that something could get under his skin, well something besides Emily anyway.

"Aaron, it's not going to blow up in our face. I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

"Dave, that is like the kiss of death for you in a relationship." Hotch said shaking his head.

"This time it's different Aaron, I finally found the other half of me. It's like you and Emily. You can't see your life without her in it; that is how I feel. I have never felt that before, well except for with Caroline. But fate stepped in with Caroline and we couldn't move past the death of our baby. I feel that same connection with Erin and I am not willing to give that up a second time. Whether you support my decision is up to you, but I would hate to lose a friend because of it."

"Damn it Dave, don't pull the sympathy card on me. I may not agree with it but it is only because I know you Dave. You aren't satisfied after you get married. You always find a reason to stray, look at your last two marriages. Can you honestly tell me that this time will be any different?" Folding his arms across his chest he eyed his friend warily.

"Yes I can, I love Erin and I am willing to do what I have to do to hold on to that. I wasn't willing to that with wives two and three." Dave said with a confidence that Hotch had not heard in him in a long time.

"Okay Dave… I guess I should say congratulations then. Tell Erin for me and I guess I will see you in morning." Hotch said as he walked toward the front door. He stopped and turned back towards Dave.

"Listen Dave, I'm happy for you but just be careful. Maybe Erin can make an honest man of you yet." Hotch said smiling at his friend.

"Yeah, maybe she will. We'll get together this weekend and have a little fun; but right now I have a little fun waiting for me upstairs." Dave said with a wink, opening the door for Hotch.

"Thanks Dave; that is not an image I needed in my head. God I'll have nightmares for weeks now."