When Erin woke up, Derek was gone, and on the bedside table was a glass of water. Smiling, she sat up and grabbed onto the glass, sipping from it before slipping out of the bed and padding over to the door. Peeking out into the hall, she could smell the delicious scent of food and decided to follow it.

She found Derek in front of the stove, stirring something. "Sleeping Beauty finally woke up," he said without turning around.

"Yes." She closed the distance between them and set the glass on the counter, wrapping her arm around his waist as she peered into the pan. "What are you making?"

"Corn beef casserole. After I get this all mixed up, I have to put it in the oven for an hour. I had expected you to sleep longer." She shrugged and then rubbed her cheek against his back.

"I just needed a short nap. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really. We'll head into the living room while this cooks. And I'll make the grilled cheeses while the casserole is setting. I haven't forgotten, Pretty Lady."

A smile of pleasure swept across her face and he grinned in response. "Thank you." He turned in her arms, and she sighed as she let her cheek come to rest on his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. "Are you always so gentle?"

"With the women in my life that I care for, yes." Erin pulled away from him to look into his eyes, tears beginning to pool in the corner of her eyes. "And I care for you," he whispered before leaning in and kissing her gently. She gave herself over to the kiss, letting Derek pull her closer to his body as he maneuvered them over towards the table. Taking the hint, she sat down as he deepened the buss, his hands roving up and down her back.

Reluctantly, she broke the kiss, her mind unable to calm down as she turned his words over and over. "Why would you care for me?" she finally murmured, her hand closing around his shoulder and squeezing tightly. Emotions were running high in her, and she stiffened her body the longer it took for him to reply to her.

And then he was cupping her chin, making certain that her eyes were fixed on his. "You listen to me, Erin, and listen good. There are more reasons on this earth to care for you than you could even begin to imagine. But first and foremost, I care for you because you were vulnerable with me on that ride to the rehab center."

That took her aback, and she gaped for a moment, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find words to express the feelings in her heart. "What?" was the only word that escaped her lips, and he smiled tenderly at her before leaning in to brush his lips against hers.

"You hit me, you reacted out of anger, and hurt, and longing, but there was something still so trusting in that slap." She was taken aback at how well he had read her back then, and she nodded a little before closing the distance between them once more, resting her head on his chest. A tiny smile crossed her lips as she felt him drag his fingers through her hair in slow, gentle, motions. "I know, it's weird to think of a slap as trusting, but I thought it was. You had to trust that I wouldn't slap you back, that I would understand just how much we had upset your world, and that I would still help you. I highly doubt you would have hit Hotch."

She smiled as she nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him even closer. "You were the easier target," she teased, loving that she could be that free to do that with him. "But yes, I suppose that even in that moment, I trusted you. You took care of Aaron, after all, on that horrible day. And if you could do that for him, I knew you could do that for me."

It was unlike her to be so forthcoming with the truth, as she tended to keep things close to the vest. After all, honesty had never been her strongest suit. "You are amazing, Erin," he whispered before kissing the shell of her ear. She shuddered a little, desire starting to course through her veins. A small part of her heart chose that moment to speak up, though, and she brought one hand up to his chest, pushing him away a little. "What is it?"

"I know that I fell right into bed with Spencer, but that was what he needed at that moment. That's not who I usually am, and while I really want to sleep with you, I also want something different."

"And what would that be, Erin?" He met her gaze steadily, his hand cupping her cheek so as to keep them connected. She bit her lip as she drew in four long, deep, breaths before sliding her eyes closed. "No, honey. I want to see your eyes for this."

Slowly, she opened them, meeting his gaze once more. His look was pained somehow, as if he was trying to cover up the preparation for rejection, and she sighed deeply before leaning up and kissing him deeply. "I want to try a relationship with you. And I don't want to be hurt, but I'm willing to step out in faith and hope that you might feel the same way, too. There's a spark that I wasn't expecting between us, and that makes me hope for a promise of a future that I'm not sure I'm entitled to."

He smiled tenderly at her as he nodded, and she let her smile widen as she waited for him to speak once more. "Well now, I hadn't thought that far ahead, though I won't deny that there is a spark between us. Are you certain that you don't want to go back to Rossi? The two of you seemed really good together."

There was no malice or rejection in his voice, and so she was able to shake her head without feeling like he was going to say something that would hurt her. "No. We tried to make things work, and I thought that it would, for a while. However, some roads cannot be walked down twice. We, we just drifted apart, and even though I love him, dearly, we were not good together at the end. We were both trying to be someone different for each other, and that put too much strain on the relationship."

"Ah." That simple sound was full of an understanding she hadn't been expecting and she nodded before letting him wrap her in a tight hug once more. They remained like that until the timer went off on the oven, and it was with great reluctance that they disentangled themselves from the embrace. "There are plates in the cupboard next to the sink. Would you mind setting the table?"

"No, that's fine," she murmured as she slipped off the table and did as asked. Figuring that utensils were nearby, she opened the drawer beneath the dishes and smiled to find them there. Once that was done, she slipped into her seat and watched Derek turn to set a casserole dish on the trivet. "This smells delicious."

"Corn beef usually does. Plus, it was the easiest thing I could whip up for us on short notice."

Erin nodded as his dog came padding into the room. "Does your dog normally come into the kitchen while you're eating?"

"Is that a problem?" he asked, and she shook her head. "Good, I would hate for this to be a stumbling block between us. Do you have any pets?"

It was nice to start focusing on little things like this, since it cemented the idea of their having a relationship for her. "My children have a schnauzer, but when Alan got custody of them, the dog went with. The house has been sort of lonely without her there."

Unbidden tears clouded her eyes as Derek spooned some food onto her plate, and she swiped them away before spearing a bite and blowing on it. While she focused on that, she heard Derek putter around, a pan banging onto the stove before he opened the fridge and pulled out bread and cheese.

The grilled cheese sandwiches didn't take long to make, and she sighed as Derek flipped one onto her plate. Picking up her knife, she quickly cut the sandwich into triangles, making it easier to eat. Still, she felt his eyes on her, and she blushed a little at the scrutiny. "You know, I have an idea that might work."

"What's that?"

"We could go to the pound and find you a new companion today. It's only noon, after all." Erin glanced up at him and saw the sincere smile on his face. "Who knows what sort of companion you might find."

"Indeed," she murmured in response, before starting to eat in earnest. A small part of her wanted to remark that she had already found the best sort of companion in him. She knew that that was too soon, though, and so she swallowed the words along with the casserole, hoping that there would be a perfect time in the near future to tell him so.

After they had eaten, she picked up their dishes, carrying them over to the sink with the intent to wash them. "I can take care of that later. Right now, we need to see about getting you a companion."

"But…"

"No buts, listen to me, okay? There are some things that are more important than dishes." And then, he was leaning in and kissing her softly. There was something so lush about their lips meeting, and she sighed as she turned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she let the kiss deepen. "Well, if I knew that was a way to make you listen to me, I would have tried it sooner."

"Hush," she tartly replied, swatting his shoulder. "Now, are we going to find me this companion or not?"

"Of course." Derek threaded his arm through hers, and she smiled as they left the apartment and made their way down to his truck. Erin found herself quickly becoming accustomed to being in there, to being surrounded by him, and she shook her head a little. "What is it, Erin?"

"I had a thought that I have no right to at the moment. There's going to be a time and a place for everything, I just need to wait for it."

"Ah," he replied as he started the truck and pulled out into traffic. She sighed a little as she squirmed against the seat, making herself comfortable. "So, do you have any idea what sort of dog you're looking for?"

"No, I'm assuming that the right one will call to me when I see it. Or maybe it will be a cat. Who knows?"

"Keeping your options open, I like that."

"What else do you like?" The teasing tone in her voice surprised her, since she had only used it with Alan and Dave, when she had felt truly comfortable with them, and she fought to keep from blushing or biting her lip as she awaited his answer.

"I like your eyes." His quick answer surprised her, as it was the least obvious thing he could have gone with. "I've always been drawn to people's eyes, since it's truly the window to the soul. And your eyes have a depth to them that I never noticed until that night, when I took you to rehab. I saw something in them that spoke of a kindred spirit, someone who had been touched by pain, just as I had been, even if we chose different methods of coping."

Erin blinked a few times before she nodded. His heartfelt words had pierced through the armor she had taken to wearing at all times, and she reached out to rest her hand on his upper arm, squeezing gently to let him know just how much he had touched her. They were silent the rest of the way to the animal shelter, and she felt a sense of ease and relaxation settle over her mind. "What if I don't find my companion here? What if I've found them already?"

"Well, then, Pretty Lady, whatever animal claims you today will have to grow accustomed to sharing you with Clooney."

Another blush stole across her face as she ducked her head a little, opening the door and climbing out of the truck, heading for the door. In moments, Derek had caught up with her and his arm settled around her waist. The weight of it felt so natural to her, so right, that she snuggled in closer, syncing up their steps so that they walked in tandem.

The woman behind the desk looked up at them, smiling widely. "Good afternoon! How may I help you?"

"We're looking for a pet."

"I sort of assumed as much. Do you have a certain preference?"

Erin shook her head. "The right one will pick me. Though no babies, I'm at work too much to give them the proper care and attention."

The woman nodded and showed them into the back. Erin felt overwhelmed by the amount of animals that were present in the two rooms, and she took a deep breath, pulling away from Derek to look into the dog room first. There were a number of dogs there that caught her eye, but for some reason, she didn't feel led to walk into that room. Instead, she turned to the cat room and gazed inside.

A soft gasp escaped her lips when her eyes fell upon a truly humungous cat, and she stepped forward, opening the door and heading straight to his cage. "Michel," she whispered as she read the information card on the front.

"Is this the one?" Derek asked as he came up behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I think so, honey." The endearment fell from her tongue, and it was his turn to squeeze with pleasure. "I just hope that he's still available."

The woman who had been at the desk was by their side in a moment, and she gave them a warm smile. "Michel has been with us for six weeks now, and if we don't find him a home, he's going to have to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Being a Maine Coon, he's a different sort of cat, and needs the right owner."

"Well, could I hold him before I make my choice?" she found herself asking, and the woman nodded as she opened the door. Before she could reach inside, Michel had launched himself out at Erin, and she caught him easily, cuddling him close as she scratched his head. The cat began to purr and chirp, sounds that Erin instantly fell in love with, and she smiled as she nodded. "He's mine. How do I take him home with me?"

"There's a small adoption fee, and then you're good to go."

Erin nodded and they followed the woman back up front, Michel starting to knead her chest with his paws, contentment seeming to exude from him. Somehow, she got the paperwork filled out, still focused on her pet, and then Derek was paying the fee for her. "I can afford it, Der."

"I know, but your hands are a little full at the moment. You can pay me back later."

She nodded a little as they went outside, Michel burrowing in even closer to her chest as they climbed in the car. The drive back to Derek's apartment was quiet as she focused on her new pet. He seemed to enjoy the car ride, since he looked out the windows as much as he could from her arms. "Derek?"

He turned his head a little as he pulled into the apartment complex. "Yes, Erin?"

"Thank you so much for this. I didn't know how a pet could instantly brighten my mood." She smiled at him before lowering her eyes to Michel, not wanting to let Derek know just how quickly she was falling for him.