With a heavy tap of Holtzmann's foot, the malevolent specter was safely contained inside the mechanical "ghost trap".

Ghosts.

You'd think that Erin would have gotten used to such a subject given her current occupancy, and the fact that the quartet had recently saved the world from many of them quit recently.

Though it almost seemed, to Erin, as if accepting this invasive information now would only be counterproductive. All of those years she had spent tirelessly trying to convince her parents and unwanted therapist that she wasn't mentally ill. All of those years she spent taking the psychological and physical beatings from strangers, school goers, and even colleagues. You'd think that this achievement of knowledge would have proved them wrong, that Erin would have felt her claims and actions would somehow be justified. That her parents would finally stop doubting her, and start believing her. But, no. Such accusations against past opposers would be nothing if not useless. It all seemed useless now.

"Dr. Gilbert?"

Blinking once before regaining awareness of her surroundings, the brunette's pupils dilated, and she tried to focus on the hand waving in front of her face.

"Earth to the bow tie wearing physicist," Fully conceptual now, Erin made out the scene before her. A blonde woman bearing an identical jumpsuit to her own, stitched her eyebrows together and held her face nearly two inches from hers, a moderately concerned expression making itself visual.

"Wha-what? Sorry," Erin attempted to play her oddness off by offering a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, not going unnoticed by a certain scientist.

"You okay Gilbert?" She posed, an uncharacteristic tone in her voice, no smugness, just curiosity.

"Of course. It's just this thing that we do, you'd think I'd be over it by now, but capturing a ghost...it still feels..." The dissociation in Erin's mind made it difficult to find the correct word.

"Magical?" Jillian Holtzmann finished a playful smirk on her face.

"Yeah, sure."

Holtzmann walked over to grab the containment unit, then sauntered back to the other doctor, extending her arms to their full length in a quick motion.

"Here," she stated, implying to the brunette that she wanted her to take it.

"You want me holding a nuclear chemical emitting trap that may or may not release a dangerous specter at any time?" She rushed, a look of confusion with a dash of honor spreading across her face.

"Unless you're not up for the job cap'," Jillian's hands began to slowly retreat, only slightly offended by the fact that the genius before didn't trust her mechanical abilities.

"No, it's okay, sorry. It's just, this is different and new and-"

"Don't sweat it okay?" Holtzmann grinned and placed the object in the physicist's arms, wrapping the woman's fingers around it securely with her own. The smile that slowly began to pull at the brunette's lips was all of the assurance Holtzmann needed to know she had made the right move.

As she sighed and stepped aside, leaving to meet up with the rest of the gang, something influenced Holtzmann to turn again at the door frame. Looking back at the doctor who was standing but three feet away from her, she felt as if something was left unsaid. Maybe it was the way Dr. Gilbert hadn't moved in the last 40 seconds, still gazing down at the beaming trap. Or maybe it was the pleading and lonely tone of the taller woman's voice when she was pulled from her day dream.

Either way, the blonde cautiously strode a few steps until she stood directly behind the brunette.

"You did good Erin, those people don't matter anymore," she almost whispers and places her left hand between both of the doctor's shoulder blades, feeling the other woman's muscular back under her calloused fingers, earning a relieved sigh on the other end.

How did she know? Did I say any of that out loud?

Surprised at the sensual comment from Holtzmann, and how it regarded the almost exact subject plaguing her thoughts, Erin held her breath before sighing deeply.

Slowly turning herself around to face the blonde and her abnormal attitude, she found herself in close proximity to the other woman once again.

Staring into the yellow tinted spectacles Holtzmann almost always wore, Erin lost herself in the deep abyss that was the blonde's eyes.

"Holtz."

"Dr. Gilbert."

Erin could feel the younger woman's breath against her own lips, and her scent was practically intoxicating.

This was most definitely not what she needed right now.

Or was it just the elixir her mind hungered for?

"Holtzmann?" She cautioned, albeit nervously.

"That's my name," a breathy chuckle escaped her mouth silently.

"What the hell?" She meant it to be endearing, but as the sentence left her it sounded more desperate than any line she's ever delivered.

"Not the word I would use in this situation being that-"

Erin interrupted Holtzmann's protest of sorts as she captured the woman's bottom lip between hers, exhaling out her nose as she reveled in the feeling of the blonde's all too soft mouth.

Somewhat taken back by the brunette's sudden burst of confidence, or lack thereof, Holtzmann hadn't the time to react or reciprocate in the midst of her surprise and delight.

Hesitantly pulling back from her one sided kiss, Erin was filled with dread at the fear of rejection and embarrassment.

She scanned Holtzmann's features for any sign of disgust, but her face was a blank slate, clean of expression.

"I'm so sorry-" Erin cut herself off this time when she felt Holtzmann place both hands on the sides of her face, fingers only trembling slightly.

Still frozen in her spot, the blonde had never felt this kind of fear before.

Slowly leaning in Holtzmann whispered softly, "What the hell?" And embraced Erin with more tenderness than she had ever used on any of her highly radioactive materials.

A noise escaped Erin's throat that could only be described as a mixture between a moan, and a thousand years of weight being lifted from her shoulders.

The brunette let her right hand rest on Holtzmann's waist, and guided her right to the small of her back, applying a gentle pressure.

A mutual understanding had been shared between the two after the time Erin had shared her "Ghost Girl" story, and the subtle bond had only grown and strengthened since.

"'Bout time." Patty whispered to Abby as they stood in the hallway, trying their best not to stare at their fellow Ghostbusters as they embraced each other with an affection never seen from the two before.

"About damn time," Abby sighed endearingly.

Patty linked arms with her as she pried the woman's eyes from the tender scene before them, asking slightly concerned, "When do you think they'll realize that they dropped our ghost on the floor. And how long can that thing hold it?"

Thank you all for reading, all thoughts are welcomed! And a big thanks to Cassidy M for helping me edit this piece. Have a great day/night!