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The knock on his door brought Rossi out of paperwork hell. It was going to be a long evening, some of them could be. He was happy for the distraction. He was even more so when the beautiful woman walked in. He was a taken man now; could look but not touch. Dave wasn’t even interested in touching. But looking…he always enjoyed a beautiful view.
“Agent David Rossi you're a hard man to find.” She said as he stood.
“I don’t try to be. Do I know you?”
“Claudia Hernandez, Esquire.” She extended her hand.
Dave shook it but put his guard up. When he heard esquire he immediately thought about divorce lawyers. And they were second only to Unsubs and pedophiles for people who should burn in hell. But he put on the Rossi smile and waved her into a seat.
“What can I do for you, Mrs. Hernandez?”
“It’s Miss actually but I won't fault you for an honest mistake. I'm here to talk about someone you used to know. Her name is Alexandra Ryan.”
Dave didn’t register for a moment, going back in his mind. There had been many, many women in his life for a variety of reasons. Some weren't there for long; back in the day on the road things got busy. One walked out of his hotel room and another walked in.
Dave wasn’t always proud of his sexual past but he also didn’t have any regrets. Between marriages he frequently enjoyed the company of beautiful women. He wasn’t sure if any of them had been named Alexandra though. It wasn’t ringing a bell.
“I'm sorry I don’t recognize…”
“You might know her as Lanie. I'm not sure if you ever knew her last name.”
“I didn’t.” Rossi shook his head.
He knew Lanie alright…she was hard to forget. He’d stayed in L.A. for three months to finish his book. He was also keeping an eye out for Thomas Yates. He didn't know his name at the time, only his atrocious acts.
Dave still had a little free time on his hands. Lanie filled it nicely. His friend Bill said she was a muse; it was her job to bring inspiration to people who needed to create. She certainly did that.
“I didn’t know her last name.” he shook his head, feeling shame. Eight weeks they were together and he didn’t know her last name. He remembered asking and she told him that she was whoever he wanted her to be. Lanie was better than advertised. “What brings you to Virginia to talk about a woman I knew four years ago?”
“Alexandra passed away recently; it was lupus. She had her good times and her bad ones. This time it was a battle she couldn’t win.”
“I'm so sorry to hear that. She was a good woman.”
“Lots of people said so. In her line of work it’s hard to find a person with virtually no enemies. Even years after meeting and spending time with you, she always had a kind word about David Rossi. She even had all of your books.”
He’d given her his number when he was leaving L.A. Dave told her if she needed anything to call him. He wasn’t sure if it was the best idea, she had been paid handsomely for her time and effort, but there was something about her that stayed with him. He never heard from her again. On occasions when he thought of her, Dave hoped no news was good news. Apparently it was not.
“I still don’t know why you're here, Miss Hernandez. I only had a brief time with Lanie, I'm sorry Alexandra, and we hadn't seen each other since the fall of 2005.”
“She had a will, Agent Rossi. If anything ever happened to her I was to contact you and make sure that um, I don’t know how to tell you this…”
“Just tell me.” Dave’s stomach dropped. He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to hear whatever was coming.
“You have a son. You and Alexandra have a son and she wanted you to take care of him if anything ever happened to her.”
He didn't know what he was preparing himself to hear but it damn sure wasn’t that. What was he even supposed to say? He had a son. No, Dave only had one son and he was dead. How could he have a son and not know? How could she hide it from him all this time and then die? He found himself shaking his head in disbelief and anger as well.
“Forgive me for being forward but in her line of work…are we sure this child is mine?”
“I asked her that. She said she was sure. But the trust is not opposed to your taking a DNA test. We do realize that you are a wealthy and well-known man. I'm sure you have “children” coming out of the woodwork.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t.” Dave replied. “How old is he?”
“He was born in April 2006; he’s three years old now. Would you like to meet him?”
“I would like to have a DNA test before I do anything like that. Is he alright?”
“He's being cared for now by Alexandra’s sister Kim. The women weren't that close and she’s definitely ready to have him be with his father. I can take your DNA right here or…”
“I know a lab.” Dave said. “I’ll schedule an appointment as soon as possible and then contact you with the information. They can have it done quickly and discreetly.”
“Here’s my card.” Claudia pulled it from a portfolio she was carrying. “I'm very sorry to have dropped this on you but there's no other way to do it. Alexandra told me when Noah was a year and a half. I encouraged her to reach out to you but something in her wouldn’t. I don’t know what that something was. It shouldn’t have had to come to this.”
“I can agree with that. But I can only imagine Alexandra had her reasons. His name is Noah?”
“Noah Michael Ryan is his full name.” Claudia stood. “I hope to hear from you soon, Agent Rossi. It’s my job to make sure that Noah is placed in a loving home with his father. I know that you’re a very busy man and this is a great surprise. But we need to move things along.”
“I understand.” Rossi stood and shook her hand. “I’ll call today to set up an appointment for the paternity test and you will be hearing from me in the morning. I hope you aren’t offended by the fact that I will also be calling my attorneys.”
“I'm an attorney, Agent Rossi, very little offends me. Have a good day.”
Rossi could hardly return the sentiment. She’d just come in and knocked him clean on his ass. He was an older man now; he’d lived some very colorful lives. If he took the time to think about it, it was astounding he didn’t have more children. But Dave was careful.
He could buy stock in a condom company. Not that they were 100% effective against anything. And why didn’t Lanie just tell him? Did he seem like the kind of guy who would brush her off; be a deadbeat dad? Dad…dear God, he might be a dad. How was he supposed to process this?
Lanie was dead and they had a son. How could Lanie be dead? She was barely 30 years old when he knew her; or maybe a little over 30 since sometimes women were less than truthful about their age. Dave just knew that she was young. She had been full of life and zeal and promise when he knew her. Now she was gone.
He picked up the phone to call his attorney. It wasn’t even about protecting his assets, it was about Noah. If Dave wasn’t his father, and at this point he wasn’t sure either way, then this little boy needed to find a loving home. The list of Lanie’s suitors and clients might be long. He needed to get himself off of it or step up to the plate. Either way, time was of the essence.
***
“You don’t like it do you? I mean, it’s alright if you don’t like it. I like it but you don’t have to pretend to. I'm sure there’s something in the fridge I can warm up for you.”
“What?”
Dave looked up from his plate. Actually he hadn't been looking at his food either but it mattered little. Erin was talking and he wasn’t paying attention. That wasn’t fair to her or to him; he liked listening to Erin talk.
“You don’t like dinner.” She repeated.
“No baby, no, dinner is great. I just…I don’t have an appetite.”
“So you're going to tell me what’s wrong?” Erin smiled some, putting her hand over his. “You haven’t been yourself these past couple of days. I wanted to call you on it but I can tell something is wrong. Do you want to talk?”
“It’s a long story and you might not like the ending.”
“I've told you a few of those in my time. I just want you to talk to me David.”
“Let me start by saying that the stir-fry is delicious. I wish I had more of an appetite because I do love it. You did an excellent job.” He tried and failed to give her a smile. Dave sighed, leaning forward in his chair. “Erin, there's a possibility that I have a son. He’s three years old and his mother recently passed away. A lawyer came to my office the other day to inform me of the possibility and I've taken a paternity test to find out if he's really mine.”
For a while Erin didn’t say anything. She just sat there and looked at him. Her hand remained on top of his, which was a good thing. It also meant that she just wasn’t ready to use it to slap him across the face. She didn’t exactly have a right to be mad about something that happened before they got back together but that never stopped people.
“You took a paternity test?” she asked.
“I scheduled it for the next day after I spoke with the attorney and then my counsel. He's a toddler who just lost his mother…his life doesn’t need to be anymore up in the air. If he's my son I'm going to do the right thing. If he’s not then they need to figure out what will happen to him next.”
“Do you know his name?”
“His name is Noah.”
“Were you and his mother in a relationship?”
“No. We um…she was an acquaintance. It wasn’t a one night stand, Erin; she was in my life. She just wasn’t in my life for very long.”
“What happened to her, David?”
“She had lupus. I didn’t know that when we knew each other. She may not even have had it then. I told her if she ever needed anything to call me but she chose not to tell me about this.”
“He might not be yours.” Erin said.
“That’s why I got the paternity test done quickly. There’s a possibility that he is though. I did the math.”
“And you say you're going to do the right thing.”
“If he’s my son I’ll raise him.” Dave replied. “He's already lost his mother. I want to give him a normal life if I can.”
“You're an FBI profiler. Do you really think you can do that?”
“JJ does it, Hotch does it; lots of agents do it. If you and I just…”
“I've raised my children, David. Hell, I missed so much of their lives growing up that sometimes I'm still wracked with guilt. Being a parent in the FBI is difficult, at best. There has to be someone at home to do the everyday.”
“So I’ll hire someone.” He said.
“You'll have a nanny raise him?”
“I don’t want…” Dave sighed and stopped talking.
The first thing he didn’t want was to fight with Erin. But he also didn’t want his life turned upside down. Why in the hell would Lanie keep this from him? Why would she do that to Noah? Dave had no idea if he would be a good father or not.
He knew he had a great example. But he had been on his own for so long that he didn’t know if he could tap into that paternal side anyway. At least not 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Giving up his job was not an option right now. He loved writing and that was where most of the big money came from. But the FBI kept him alive; kept his blood pumping. He didn’t want to lose that.
“If Noah is my son what's that going to do to our relationship?” he asked.
“I think you should wait for the paternity results before we speculate on the future.”
“You are my future, Erin.”
“I don't know.” She moved her hand from over his. This was tough, it would probably be one of the toughest conversations she’d had in a long time. Erin already felt the hole in the pit of her stomach. She also felt guilt for hoping Noah wasn’t Dave’s son. “A toddler is a lot of responsibility, David. I just got used to the dog.”
“I hate to compare but you love Mudgie now. It took time and small steps but…”
“A dog is not a baby. Noah is a person and he's a tiny person who will need a lot of care and nurturing. I just…let’s just wait and see.”
Dave didn’t like that answer at all. The couple was living together now. The idea of her moving out, walking out, made him ill. He was trying not to let the idea of fatherhood excite him.
The truth was that he was scared. Dave had been on his own for so long, even when he was married. Someone depending on him, as a three year old would, was such a troubling thought. The thought of doing it virtually alone made it scarier. Dave didn’t like being scared.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“I need to clean up dinner. Are you sure you're not hungry; I can make you something else.”
“I'm fine. I really want to talk Erin.”
“I can't right now.” she shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say. I love you so much. I support you in everything but I don’t know what this will mean. You have to give me space it make sense of everything. I know that you understand even if you don’t want to.”
“Yeah.” Dave nodded. Then he stood up as well. “I need to walk the dog; I need to walk.”
“I’ll be here when you get back. Be careful.”
Erin kissed him and then gave him a hug. Whatever happened none of this was his fault and she didn’t want him feeling that way. Her love for Dave wasn’t going to change. In fact, seeing him as a father might only make it stronger. That didn’t mean the relationship would survive. Maybe that’s why it was so hard to let him go…Erin didn’t want it being the last time.
“I’ll be back.” He whispered in her ear before kissing her again and walking away. He whistled for the dog, who’d been sitting out on the deck with them enjoying a spring evening. Mudgie got up and followed along.
***
“Hello.” Dave answered his ringing cell phone on a rainy Friday morning. He was exhausted; hadn't slept much in the past couple of days.
“We shouldn’t be doing this over the phone. The policy dictates face to face meetings.”
“You aren’t about to sell me government secrets, Nick. I know all about policy and I know sometimes that breaking the rules is OK.”
“I'm not much of a rule breaker, Uncle Dave.”
Dave wasn’t actually Nick’s uncle but his second cousin. Still, with 20 years or so between them he had always called him Uncle Dave.
“That must come from your mother’s side of the family.” Dave replied. He smiled but it quickly faded. “I just need to know the results.”
“#792 and #1412 were a genetic match. They're definitely father and son.”
“There's going to be an attorney coming to you for the same results.”
“Yeah, Claudia Hernandez; I got her card. Someone in the lab will contact her.”
“Give me the odds the test is false.” Dave said. “I need a good laugh this morning.”
“Its one in 14.7 trillion.” Nick said. “In other words…”
“Not a chance in hell.”
“You got that right. Is this going to help your case?”
“It’s a big help. Do you want to add FBI consultant to your resume?”
“No, but I will use it when I chat up pretty women. You would think having a PhD in Genetics would be enough but its not. FBI is a big deal.”
“Be careful with the power you now wield, young one.” Dave said. “When used improperly it can be dangerous.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nick laughed. “I'm really glad I could help Uncle Dave; I love you.”
“I love you too, and thanks. Bye.”
Dave hung up his cell phone. Putting it down on the desk, he leaned back, sighed, and closed his eyes. The odds were one in 14.7 trillion. That was twelve zeroes. Twelve was a lot of damn zeroes.
It wasn’t even a tangible number. If people thought that one in a million was incredible, try one in 14.7 trillion. Dave had a son. He had a three year old boy that he’d never met. He’d never seen him, held him, or talked to him.
So many milestones had already been missed. He had to tell Erin about this. He might lose Erin because of this. Dave had a son. Holy hell.
He picked the phone up again. This was the call he didn’t want to make but had no choice. It was better to get it out and over with. Hotch popped his head into the office just as he was about to dial.
“Dave, wheels up in 30. We’ve got three girls missing from the campus of Bennett College.” He looked at his old friend. “Are you alright?”
“What?” Dave came out of his thoughts.
“We’re heading to Greensboro on a missing persons, possible serial case.” Hotch said.
“Wheels up in 30?” Dave stood and started gathering the things he would need.
“Yes. Are you alright?”
“I'm fine.” He lied. Dave had no idea how he felt. In fact numb was probably the first word that came to mind. “I'm right behind you.”
Hotch nodded and headed to his office. He didn’t have time to push; they needed to get to North Carolina.
Dave skipped making the first call and dialed another number. He took a deep breath and listened to it ring. The last thing he wanted to do was leave a voicemail about this.
“This is Claudia Hernandez.”
“Miss Hernandez, this is David Rossi. I'm sure you’ve received the results of the DNA test.”
“Actually I'm heading to the lab as we speak. I just got the phone call they were finished.”
“I'm going out of town on job business and I don’t know when I’ll return. I know this is short notice but in my job that’s the way it is. I’ll keep you in the loop and be in contact as soon as I'm back in Virginia. We all need to sit down and talk. I want to meet my son.”
***