It had been unusual how both his and Dave's relationships had dissolved at the same time. While he and Beth had parted quietly, agreeing that while they were compatible as friends, they did not make good lovers, the same could not be said of Dave and Erin. She had found a pair of panties that were not hers in his pocket and had confronted him, loudly, in the bullpen. For once, Aaron found himself completely on her side, even when she had slugged his friend on his nose, causing blood to pour out.

Dave had wanted to press charges, but had been faced with the wrath of a very angry Penelope Garcia, who threatened to send his credit back to the Stone Age should he hurt Erin further. And that had left them at a tense ceasefire for the last two months. Aaron had used that time to watch his friend and his boss, and while Dave had seemed to be unfazed by it all, Erin was withering away. If he had to guess, she'd lost twenty pounds and her clothes hung loosely off her frame. And that seriously concerned him.

"Hey, Hotch, what has you mooning about today?" He looked up at Garcia's smiling face and shrugged. "Un uh, spill."

He sighed, threading his fingers together. "I'm concerned about Strauss. I don't think she's handling the breakup as well as Dave."

"Okay, you are totally thinking like a man, here, Hotch. He cheated on her, when she was at one of the most vulnerable points in her life. And he expected a simple 'I'm sorry' to cover everything. Would you be all right in her shoes?"

He shook his head slowly. "No, I suppose not. Thanks for checking up on me."

"No problem, Boss Man. Have a good weekend!" He nodded as she left the room and reclined back in his chair. Sighing, he pulled out the card that Dave had given to him, when he'd admitted that he still had urges that his hand couldn't take care of.

Dialing the number, he heard a soft voice say: "This is Special Friends Networking Service, how may I serve your needs this evening?"

"I would like an older blonde to talk to, if one is available." He marveled at the easy way those words tumbled from his lips, despite what it was he asked for.

"Certainly, Sir. We have two such ladies available this evening to converse with you. Would you prefer to make an appointment with Melusine or Cassandra?"

"Melusine," he responded quickly, intrigued by the name.

"All right, her services are two thousand for the evening, payable in cash. Talk isn't cheap, you know. Will that be a problem?"

"No, that will not." He had not expected the price to be quite so steep, but then, he should have expected that, given Dave's taste for all things fine. "Where will we be meeting?"

"At the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Do you know where that is?"

"On Calvert Street, right?"

"Yes, Sir. Are there any other questions that I can answer for you this evening?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Well then, Melusine will be waiting for you anytime in the next forty-five minutes in room 1957. Have a pleasant time conversing with her, Sir."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you, I hope to." He disconnected the call and slumped in his chair. What had he just done? Ordered very expensive sex from a woman who made it sound like such a banality. And Dave had done this numerous times before. That thought should have calmed him, and yet it didn't, it just set his heart beating a little faster in his chest. Picking up his phone once more, he called Jessica and let her know that he wouldn't be home that evening, citing a backlog of paperwork.

With that taken care of, he stood and packed up his briefcase before going out to his car. Before heading to the hotel, he stopped by an ATM and withdrew the necessary funds for his evening of pleasure. The drive to the hotel seemed to take forever and he was never more glad to hand over his keys to the valet, getting a ticket for the morning. Straightening his jacket, he squared his shoulders and entered the building, feeling like a nervous high schooler.

The elevator bank was deserted and he walked over to it at a brisk pace, hoping to give off the aura that he did not want to be bothered. Pressing the up button, he waited for the elevator car to come and took deep, calming breaths, trying to will his heart to beat normally. Finally, one appeared and he stepped inside, pressing the nineteen on the panel of numbers. The ride up was smooth and he didn't really have all that much time to think about what was about to happen in the next few minutes.

The doors opened and he looked at the plaque to tell him which direction to go. Turning to the left, he headed for room 1957. The walk down the hall seemed to take forever, and he felt his steps slowing down the closer he got to the room. Finally, he was in front of the fateful door and he raised his hand to knock. "Melusine?" he called out, hearing movement in the room.

The door opened and he didn't see the woman at first. Stepping into the room, the door was closed and it was only then that he heard the low gasp. Spinning on his heel, he took his first good look at the woman called Melusine. "Hello, Aaron."

"Erin…" He felt the blood drain from his face as he looked at his boss. She was dressed in a gossamer thin peignoir and he could see that she had rouged her nipples. His eyes roamed lower and through the fabric, he saw evidence of bruising on her torso. "Oh, Erin."

"It could be worse, they could have touched my face. That would be hard to explain at work." She looked down at the floor, biting her lip in an attempt not to cry.

"Come here." She looked up at him, terror shining in her eyes.

"You aren't going to hurt me, too? That's what gets most of these men off, biting and scratching, and hitting, and smacking, and I'm so tired of it all."

His heart broke in that moment and he opened his arms to her. The first broken sob tore from her mouth as she stepped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on to him tightly. Slowly, he stroked her hair, letting her cry as he led her over to the bed. They sat heavily and she curled up into him, her cries never lessening. Without thinking, he bent his head and kissed the top of hers, wanting to comfort her in some small way. "Shh, Erin, you're safe now. I won't let them hurt you any longer."

"But I can't give this up, Aaron. It's worse than alcohol. I have an addictive personality, and this is more addictive to me than the booze ever was. Help me?"

"All you ever had to do was ask." He kicked off his shoes and then pulled her on top of him as he stretched out on the bed. She snuggled into him, kissing his cheek lightly.

"Aaron, do you still want to do what you came here to do?"

He thought for a good long moment. It would be so easy to tell her yes, to ravish her in this bedroom, but that would demean her, and in doing so would cause her to lose respect for him. And he couldn't do that to her. "No. I just want to hold you. That's what I really miss in my life, someone to hold." She breathed a sigh of utter relief and relaxed into him, nuzzling her nose against his chest.

"Thank you, Aaron." She yawned and tipped her head up to kiss his cheek once more. "Though I don't think I would have minded sex with you. You have kind eyes." Her breathing evened out shortly after she had said that and she was asleep in moments. His sleep was a little longer in coming.