(it was bound to happen, they were made for each other. This is by far my favourite one-shot I've written so far, so I hope you enjoy it too.)
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"Lady in red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek."
David Rossi walked out of the annual FBI Christmas Ball with his date, Hadley, latching proudly onto his arm. They'd taken a taxi to the event so that they could relax and have a good time. Hadley was a "here for the good time" girl, nothing too serious, and was exactly his type: blonde, blue-eyed, and easy.
"See you Monday, Dave," Aaron Hotchner called out before he retired for the night.
Before he could answer, Hadley, gripped his arm, gaining his attention, "Dave, I forgot my scarf. Can you get it for me?"
That didn't surprise Dave at all. Hadley was an airhead but her looks made up for it.
"Of course."
"We'll wait with her," Hotch offered. He and Prentiss were waiting for their taxi to drive too.
Dave turned and darted through the double doors back into the FBI headquarters. He flashed his ID, which got him access to just about everywhere in the building and then took the stairs up to the floor where the ball was being held.
As he opened the stair door, he was shocked, to say the least, but also intrigued. Erin Strauss was standing on a stool in her beaded, floor-length evening dress, silver heels left to the side, removing tinsel from the Christmas tree in the entryway. She was elegantly poised, reaching for a strand that was just a few hair's breadths far away.
Nothing new there...It was just like Strauss to push herself to the limits.
"Oh, bugger!" she cursed as the stool wobbled beneath her feet, trying to reach out to the wall to steady herself.
"I'd be careful, if I were you," David declared, coming up behind her.
He watched her shoulders tense as he helped her regain her balance. Teasing her, he tested his boundaries, "A woman your age could break a hip doing that kind of thing."
Erin turned around on the stool and shot him a glare. "I managed to avoid you for nearly three hours of this miserable party, but it doesn't look like it was long enough. To what do I owe this pleasure, Agent Rossi?"
"No need to be so sarcastic, Erin," he remarked carelessly. "I was just getting my date's scarf."
She gave him a look, and then turned, mumbling, "Hmmm..."
Dave stopped in reaching for the scarf. He knew better than to ask, but he was an epicure for punishment. "What was that for?"
"Nothing," she said in a monotonous tone of voice, looking over her shoulder at him, and then looked back at the tree, adding, "I'm not surprised she'd forget something."
