A/N – My entry for the Theme Song Challenge over on CCOAC. My prompt was Erin Strauss and 'Heard it on the Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye. I hope it did it justice…this kind of got away from me a bit!

Disclaimer – If I owned it, TG would have already signed a contract…Enough said.

-We dance around in a circle and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows-
-Robert Frost-

It was a good thing, Erin Strauss mused, that none of the profilers in the BAU were required to carry out any undercover work. It was odd really; Derek Morgan had been an undercover uniform for a while, and Prentiss had a sealed CIA file that screamed covert operation, so at some point they at least must have been good at blending in and doing things unnoticed. Perhaps FBI life had made them soft, their distinct lack of tact pointing either to stupidity or arrogance. As she was a generous woman, she would go for the latter; they were, after all, victims of the 'Aaron Hotchner Effect' -having a fervent belief that what they were doing was so right that they didn't need to hide it.

Of course it hadn't escaped her notice that the main team had effectively disappeared; with Hotchner and Doctor Reid out on an interview, the short-handed team should have all been at their desks with enough paperwork to keep them out of trouble. Instead, by half past eleven, they were all conspicuously absent and Garcia was tidying up a mess in David Rossi's office, unaware that she was being watched. Erin leaned on the handrail with a sigh, eying first the flitting streaks of colour that were Penelope Garcia at work and then the empty desks of her teammates. She knew that David Rossi was responsible for this somehow. He'd only been back for a couple of months and already he was causing the trouble she'd predicted. At least Hotchner was bound by his obligation as unit chief; the paperwork kept him under control. Rossi, on the other hand, was almost free to do what he wanted. He didn't need the money that the FBI paid him and he seemingly had very little to prove, yet he had chosen to return. Erin wasn't stupid; she knew that his desire to come back was based on something much larger than his friendship with Hotchner or a sudden need to help clean up the mess that Jason Gideon had left behind him. Rossi's undeniable dedication to profiling was the reason she had eventually accepted his offer, but that still didn't mean she trusted him.

And this little incident only proved that she was right. It was time to call him out. As long as Jareau wasn't on a mission to lose her job, there would be something filed somewhere to show where they were headed. Failing that, Garcia would certainly know, although a visit to the analyst would be the last on the list of options; whatever Rossi was up to, it wasn't Garcia's fault and she didn't deserve to be victimised at the expense of the old dog. That just wouldn't be fair.

With decisive steps, Erin marched to her office. Her secretary, Hannah, was typing, her blonde hair falling into her eyes as she hunched over the computer screen. She brushed it away impatiently, grinning up at her approaching boss even as she did.

"Coffee time?"

"Yes, please," Erin said distractedly, a note of concern in her voice, "You're still too close to that thing. Haven't I told you to go and get your eyes tested?"

"Yes ma'am," the young woman said sheepishly, "I'll get round to it."

"Make sure you do. I don't want to have to make it an order. Now, before the coffee, I need you to find out where Aaron Hotchner's team is headed right now."

"Ma'am? We saw him and Spencer heading out this morning. For the interview."

"I know that," Erin replied patiently, ignoring Hannah's familiar use of the young doctor's name, "The rest of the team has since disappeared. Please find out where they are going."

"Yes ma'am. I'll get right on it."

-CIRCLES-

"Indianapolis," Hannah said twenty minutes later, letting herself into the office after only a brief knock, "Agent Jareau put in a request for the jet two hours ago."

"Indianapolis?" Erin repeated, her brow furrowed as she sat back in her chair, "Why on earth would they be going there?"

"I don't know for sure, ma'am, but according to Agent Carey, his team hasn't heard anything about Indiana, let alone Indianapolis specifically. He usually knows everything."

Impressed at her secretary's initiative in going to speak to Carey, the only team leader who seemed to know everything about everyone else's business, Erin was about to interrupt when Hannah opened her mouth again.

"He did say that he heard Penelope Garcia telling her team this morning that Agent Rossi had gone to Indianapolis by himself. That's all I could find out. I didn't want to ask Garcia…"

"No, I'm glad you didn't," Erin nodded, her theory confirmed, "And thank you. That's exactly what I wanted to know."

Hannah flushed slightly, her blonde hair and pale skin only betraying her as the red crept up her neck and onto her cheeks, "You're welcome, ma'am. Is there anything else?"

"Not regarding this. I'll take it from here."

As soon as Hannah closed the door behind her, Erin picked up the phone and opened her address book. For a brief moment, she had considered phoning Rossi directly and asking him what the hell he was doing, but then she thought for a moment longer and knew that he would only become defensive if she did that. She thought about phoning Morgan and demanding that he, Prentiss and Jareau come back immediately, but realised that there was something happening in Indiana that all three were willing to risk their necks for and, she had to admit, she was a little intrigued.

She put the phone down again and flicked through the book again, reading the names of agents and contacts long retired scattered amongst those who were still active and useful now. David Rossi, for all his fame and fortune, was an enigma. There were few people who knew him well enough to know what he could possibly be doing; one of them was Aaron Hotchner and another was Jason Gideon. Certainly neither of them would be any use. She stopped on Rossi's name, gazing thoughtfully at the numbers she had for him, until her eye settled on another entry, a few spaces below. It was going out on a limb, but it might be worth trying. She picked up the phone and dialled. It only took three rings before a gruff voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Max?" she sat back, allowing a small smile to creep onto her face, "It's Erin Strauss."