If Penelope wasn't so heartbroken, she could find humor in the fact that Erin had yelled the words from Moulin Rouge! at her in their worst fight to date. But there had been nothing funny about the way that Erin had spat "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love!" at her before storming from her apartment.
That had been twelve hours ago, and since then Penelope had tried to call every number that she could think that Erin was at, the calls being sent right to voicemail every time. And so, she had taken to leaving longer and longer messages of contrition, trying to convince Erin that she hadn't been cheating on her, that the kiss she and Derek had shared was, while not meaningless, not sexual.
Letting her head thunk against the hard surface of her desk, she let the tears that had been threatening to fall every minute since that fateful door slam come, her shoulders shaking from the force of her cries. She barely heard the door creak open, but still, she whirled around, hoping beyond hope that Erin had gotten a visitor's pass and come to her, in order to let Penelope explain. "Kitten, she's at my house."
The tender flame of hope that flickered to life was quickly doused, and she wondered how badly it showed on her face when the older man stepped forward and bundled her into a tight hug, cradling her head close to his heart as he murmured vague words of comfort in her ear. "I couldn't tell her that Derek's mom just found out about her diagnosis. I didn't have the chance to tell her that I was kissing him to comfort him. She's my heart and soul, and she thinks I betrayed her. Dave, I love her."
"I know that you do, Penelope, which is why I'm telling you where she is. She was up half the night sobbing, and it got harder and harder to not answer the phone, knowing that you were trying to make amends. I did a number on her heart, in the aftermath of the Replicator, and I know that she's skittish to love again. Go to her, prove that you love her."
"How?" she whispered brokenly, and he gently pushed her away to look into her eyes.
"By not taking no for an answer. Don't let her turn you away, get down on your knees, do whatever you have to do to get through to her and tell her that you love her, and you always will."
She nodded, fresh tears flooding her eyes. "And I should get her flowers. Or chocolate. Or jewelry. Or something."
"What feels right?"
Penelope thought for a moment. "She's had her eye on this one book for ages, but hasn't been able to justify the expense. I was going to get it for her for Christmas, but…this is more important. Thank you!" She went to kiss his cheek only to pull back at the last moment, remembering that that was what had gotten her into trouble in the first place. "Just, pretend that I kissed your cheek, okay? And tell Hotch that I had to go on a very important mission. Kevin will cover for me today, and maybe tomorrow."
She knew that she had started to babble, but found that she didn't really care as she flitted about, pulling her purse out of the drawer where she kept it and slipping on her rain slicker. Just as she was about to head out the door, Dave stopped her by resting his hand on her shoulder. "You'll need a key to get in. Otherwise, I have the feeling that you would just sleep on the porch until I got home from a case."
"You know me too well, my sweet Italian Stallion!" she said as she bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting for him to hand over the key from his ring, and when it was in her hand, then she did press her lips to his cheek in a quick kiss of thanks.
"At least one of us is going to mend her heart. Make certain that when you get there, you only speak the truth. She knows when you're lying to her, and she hates lies."
"I know that full well. Cross your fingers, raise a prayer, and wish me luck."
"Will do!" She smiled at him before scurrying out to the stairwell and making her way down them, knowing that it would be faster than waiting for the elevator. Erin had taught her that particular trick, and she relished that small connection with her, even in a moment like this.
The drive out to the antiquarian book store took less time than she thought it would, but then a combination of rain and the fact that school had just started seemed to be keeping people off the roads. Which suited her just fine, since it meant that she would get to her Erin all the faster. Her first stop was to her bank, in order to get a cashier's check for ten thousand dollars. It was almost all of her savings, but seeing as how she was going to buy it for Erin for Christmas in a few months, anyway, she justified the expense as she signed the check.
From there, it was on to the store, and she took a deep breath the moment she stepped inside, relishing the scent and weight of the words that she was enveloped in. The owner, an older man of about eighty, smiled to see her, and she made a quick beeline for him. "My dear, what has you so sad this morning?" he asked as he guided her over to the pair of wingback chairs in the rear of the shop, pressing a cup of tea into her hands as she sat.
"I had a fight with Erin, so I'm pushing up the timetable of giving her the Ibsen. I need a grand gesture for her to forgive me."
He clucked his tongue a little, looking at her over the rim of his teacup. "You aren't trying to buy her love with this, are you?"
"No. I made a mistake, and kissed a friend in comfort, which she mistook for me stepping out on her. I tried to apologize, but she left before I could do so properly. I need to show her that I love her, and want to honor her by doing these grand gestures, even if they hurt my bank account a little. She's worth a few months of ramen and mac and cheese, if it means that she understands the depth of my love for her."
She teared up once more as she thought about her Erin. Harold's hand covering hers gave her a start, and she looked up into his eyes, seeing that his eyes were wet with tears, too. "How were you planning on paying today?"
"I got a cashier's check for the exact amount, with tax. Why?"
"It seems like this book may have just gone on a bit of a sale. I don't have enough cash on hand to give you in change, would a personal check be all right?" She sucked in a deep breath as she nodded, suddenly forgetting how to speak as she drained her cup and stood, following after him as he beckoned her to the counter.
Pulling out a keychain, he unlocked the case where the book in question, taking it out and wrapping it in tissue paper before placing it lovingly in a box. "Thank you, so much," Penelope whispered as she picked up the box and cradled it to her chest. "Here. Please, take the extra and donate it to a charity of your choice. You have no idea what this gift means to me."
"I think I do, my dear. I made a similar gesture to my Margaret when we got into our first big fight. It worked for me, and I'm praying that it works for you."
She nodded and made her way out of the shop, wrapping her slicker around the box so as to keep it from getting wet on the short walk to her car. The entire drive to Dave's home, she kept looking at the box and wishing that Erin would accept this small token of her love and affection. Finally, she pulled into his driveway, and then she parked the car and just sat there, trying to gather herself together.
Knowing that she couldn't wait forever, she stepped out of the car and picked up the box, once more cradling it to her chest as she went up to the door and let herself in. "Erin! Where are you?"
The sound of a door slamming upstairs caught her attention, and she made her way over to the staircase to gaze up there, wondering if Erin was shutting herself away or coming to join her. "Why are you here?" the woman hissed, and Penelope felt her heart break as she saw the way her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, the way her hair was messy and obviously not brushed, the way she was wearing one of her shirts.
"I'm here to get you to listen to me. You wouldn't answer my calls. I didn't know where you were until this morning. But once I knew you were here, I knew I had to go to you. Here, this is yours, because I love you. Not because I want to buy your forgiveness, or love, but because you mean more to me than anyone in this wide world of ours."
Penelope held out the package, looking down at the floor, wanting Erin to make the first move. Her ears picked up the faint sound of Erin's feet padding against the stairs, and she fought to urge to glance up at her, knowing that if she did, she would break down crying once more. "What's this?" her lover murmured as she took the box from Penelope's hands. From the edge of her eyes, she watched Erin take a seat on the bottom step, setting the box on her legs as she opened it. "You got me the Ibsen? You can't afford this."
"I might have to eat a lot of ramen for a few months, but this belongs with you. Just like I belong to you." It was then that she did start crying, her hands knotting the tie of her slicker as she tried not to reach out to Erin. The book made a heavy thumping sound on the stairs as Erin set it aside to stand up, closing the distance between them and hugging Penelope tightly.
Erin's sobs tore at her heart, and Penelope began to sob as well as they clung to each other, their souls finally coming together after that long night apart. "I love you," Erin whispered in her ear before burying her face in the crook of her neck.
"Oh, Erin, I love you, too. Will you please forgive me?"
"Of course, my love. I listened to all your voicemails this morning, and I know that I shouldn't have flown off the handle like I did. I was so afraid that you were coming here to dump me, and then you gave me back your heart."
Penelope sighed out deeply as she nodded. "It was keeping your heart company last night. Oh, I hate fighting like this."
"I do, too. Um, how is Agent Morgan's mother doing?"
There was real concern in her lover's voice, and Penelope stepped back to look into those stormy grey eyes that she had come to love so. "She's a little overwhelmed by the news of her cancer, of course, but Der said that it was caught in time. He's going out tomorrow to be with her for the surgery, which is why I kissed him. He needed a bit of comfort, Erin, and I would never have done that had I known that you would have reacted so."
"I'm really sorry, Penelope. I'm just so insecure at times." Words seemed to fail Erin, and Penelope nodded, hearing the words her heart was screaming at her.
"I hear you, beloved." She cupped Erin's chin in her hand before leaning in to place a lush kiss on her lips. "Do you think Dave would mind if we used his bed? I want to feel your skin beneath my fingers."
"He shouldn't, and I have it on good authority that his bed is quite large and comfortable. Here, let me pick up my book." There was real love in her voice, and Penelope was so happy to hear that tone of voice once more, knowing that this terrible fight would only serve to bring them closer together. There would be time to talk about the words they had screamed at each other later, now it was time to heal and love. And she knew that she would love Erin until her dying day.