Erin crawled into bed, staring at the ceiling. It was late, so late, but she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept drifting back to David and this case he and his team were on in Anchorage. There was something about it that unsettled her but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Expelling a short breath, she turned on her side and pulled his pillow close to her chest, breathing in the scent of his aftershave.
Finally, she drifted off into a light, restless, sleep, her dreams filled with unease and terror. The phone ringing startled her awake and she sat up with a gasp, trying to catch her breath as she reached out for the handset. "Hello?" she asked, trying to take long, calming, breaths.
"Chief Strauss?"
Erin recognized Penelope's voice right off the bat, and the heavy, knotted, feeling returned to the pit of her stomach. "What's happened?"
"How did you know? Nothing's been released to the news yet. Hotch wanted to get you to Anchorage before there was a press conference."
And then, the terror was washing over Erin, filling her brain with noise so that she couldn't concentrate on what Penelope was saying. "I'm sorry, you're going to have to repeat yourself. I didn't catch what you said."
"Hotch wants me to pick you up. The jet is gassing up and will be ready to go by the time we get to the airfield. I'll explain more when we're in the air. Oh, and Rossi wanted me to tell you that he loves you."
She nodded, even though she knew that Penelope couldn't see her. "I'll be ready by the time you get here," she murmured lowly as she slipped off the bed, her feet already leading her over to the dresser. Hanging up, she set the phone down and pulled out a fresh set of underwear. Quickly, she stripped off her nightie and let it fall to the floor as she tugged on the panties and then the bra. Looking down, Erin had to smile, seeing that she had picked out David's favorite set without meaning to.
Padding over to the closet, she stopped to press her face into his suits, breathing in deeply. Finally, though, she went to her side and pulled out the first outfit that her hand fell on. It didn't take long to get dressed and then she tugged out the go bag that David had insisted she keep packed just in case she was called out on field work. Thanks to his training, she had extra power cords to her electronics and she smiled as she made sure everything was in there, ready to go.
Heading downstairs, she slipped her phone into her purse and shoved her feet into a pair of black ballet flats. It was a warm July night, so she skipped her jacket, instead stuffing it in her bag before locking the door behind her and taking a seat on the porch swing David had installed at her request.
Erin didn't have long to wait before she saw headlights come tearing up the long driveway. She didn't recognize the car, and she frowned a little as it parked. Penelope burst out of the passenger door, breathing heavily. "Chief Strauss, Erin, we have to move quickly. Anderson decided to drive, he's better at this kind of thing then I am."
Nodding, she stood and jogged over to the car, slipping into the back seat. Penelope joined her and then Anderson was turning around and beginning the drive to the airfield. She again frowned when Penelope rested her hand on her shoulder, and she looked at her. "You are seriously making me tense. What is going on here?"
"There's been an incident in Anchorage."
"I gathered as much. We wouldn't be going there if something hadn't gone pear-shaped." Penelope's eyes filled with tears and Erin felt herself respond in kind. "Is Davie okay?"
"I don't know for sure." Those were not the words that Erin wanted to hear from her, usually she had all the answers, and she let herself begin to cry, falling into the open arms of her friend.
"It'll just be another five minutes until we get to the airfield, Ma'am. And Rossi is tough, he'll be okay." Anderson, bless his heart, was trying to make her feel better and she nodded a little as she continued to cry.
"My dreams were filled with horror. It's like I knew something bad was going to happen," she murmured lowly as Penelope rubbed her back in soft circles. She focused on the soft sounds that the other woman was using to soothe her, letting them lull her into a false sense of calmness.
Finally, they pulled into the airfield, and she was the first one out of the car, bounding over to the steps and climbing them eagerly, suddenly wanting to close the distance between her and her lover. Penelope joined her moments later, carrying two blankets in her arms along with her purse and bag. "You might as well try to get some more sleep, Erin. This is a seven hour flight, even if we do get a good tail wind."
She nodded and took the blanket she held out, wrapping it around her body as she tried to get comfortable in the leather seat. "He's not going to die, is he?"
There was a long silence, and Erin bit her lip hard to keep from breaking down once more. "I hate these words more than any in my vocabulary. I don't know. I wish I could give you more assurance than that."
Penelope curled up next to her, keeping her eyes on her. Somehow, being the recipient of such a tender gaze allowed Erin to lower her guard and she gave the woman a little smile. "You know I appreciate your friendship with us, right? I couldn't have made it through the Replicator fiasco without you."
She nodded and reached out for her hand. "I was just glad that you finally opened up to me. I watched the romance between you and Rossi blossom for a year without saying a word, even when he was being an ass to you." Erin's smile widened a little as she threaded their fingers together. "Let's go to sleep now, so that when we land, we'll be ready to go."
"All right." She closed her eyes, willing her body back to sleep, even as she tightened her grip on Penelope's hand, wanting to keep hold of the one thing that she was certain of at the moment.
When she blinked open her eyes next, they were landing and Penelope was staring at her. "You really love him. You were murmuring in your sleep to him, and I couldn't help overhearing. It was insanely adorable. We are so going to have to double date sometime soon."
"If he's okay." The doubt worried at her gut and she sat up, letting the blanket drop to her waist. "He has to be okay, right? They would have called if something had changed, worsened." Her babbling annoyed herself, and she frowned, hugging herself.
"I'm sure they would have contacted us." Penelope reached out and rested her hand on her shoulder, smiling sweetly. "I am the Oracle, after all, right?" Erin nodded a little, leaning forward to accept the hug that she offered. "And when we get home, I am allocating enough time off for us to have a wonderful recuperation."
Erin sighed as she shook her head. "You know, eventually that will come around to bite you in the ass."
"Chief Strauss! I don't think I've ever heard you curse!" she giggled out in mock horror and Erin found herself giggling, too. "I think we're ready to get off now."
She nodded and followed her out into the aisle, picking up her bag from the ground and slinging it over her shoulder, following Penelope down the stairs. Derek was there to greet them and Penelope fell into his open arms, starting to cry. Erin paused, looking into his eyes, searching them for the truth she was afraid to ask.
"We need to get to the hospital. It's taken longer to get ahold of James than we thought it would. And Will decided it would be easier to prepare Henry at home, rather than bring him up here and see this." He was careful to avoid any mention of her Davie, though, and that concerned her.
"And Dr. Reid?" she asked, not wanting to tip her hand too much, and he gave her a soft smile of gratitude.
"He's okay. He decided to sit with Rossi while I came and got you and Baby Girl. Hotch was trying to fend off the reporters. The vultures descended the moment we got to the hospital." He held out one arm to her and she hesitantly stepped forward, welcoming the warm embrace. "He was asking for you before I left. He wanted me to ask you if you had an answer for him."
"Yes." Derek's smile widened into a goofy grin as he slung an arm around her waist, leading them both out to a waiting truck. Penelope climbed in first, and then beckoned to Erin, who followed her in. Derek took the last seat in the back, shutting the door and then tugging Erin close to his chest.
"He'll be very happy to hear that news, you know." Derek pulled her head onto his shoulder and she sighed at the familiar gesture.
"What news?" chirped Penelope, looking at them oddly. "Come on, tell me!"
"How would you like to plan a wedding?" Erin softly replied, looking down at her hands. "Nothing too over the top…"
"No, regal, elegant, full of the pomp and circumstance befitting our queen and king."
Derek groaned lowly and Erin looked up into his eyes. After he had met hers, he rolled them lightly, and she felt her brow furrow in confusion. "You do realize you have unleashed the beast, right? Relinquishing control of this over to my sweet solace will mean that you are saying goodbye to any semblance of a normal ceremony."
"Oh. Well, I trust her." Penelope reached out and clasped her hand tightly. "After all, she's looked out for all of us so well in the past."
The rest of the drive to the hospital was quiet, and she found herself lulled into a bit of a trance by the way Derek rubbed her arm. Finally, the driver pulled into the drive in front of the building, and Derek helped her out, waving to the man. Erin found herself clinging tightly to both their hands as they entered. "Dave's up on the sixth floor, waiting for you."
She nodded and then paused. "Could we go and see Alex and Jennifer, first? From what I gather, he'll be all right in the long run, and I should check in on them. It's what a good Section Chief does." Derek smiled warmly at her and nodded, escorting her over to the elevators before tugging her close to his side.
"You are amazing," he murmured in her ear and she just shrugged a little before resting her head on his chest, never letting go of Penelope's hand. "Everyone is actually on the sixth floor. Hotch was insistent that we all be together."
"He's a good man," she said lowly, rubbing her head against the fabric of his shirt as she yawned deeply. "I should not be this exhausted."
"Your internal clock is off kilter," Penelope said as she squeezed her fingers. Erin nodded and fell quiet once more, trying to pull herself together for seeing what exactly had befallen the two women of the team. The doors slid open and she let Derek lead her down the hall to the first of three rooms.
When she stepped inside, she found Alex there, alone. A sharp pang of regret hit her heart and she let go of Penelope and Derek to rush over to her side. "Oh, Alex," she breathed out as she sat in the chair at her side and delicately picked up her hand. "What did they do to you?"
"It was a fire bomb, Erin. Both Dave and Alex tried to push JJ out of the way, since it was headed right for her. They caught some of the splash, but JJ was still caught the worst of it." Derek closed his hand around Erin's shoulder. "They sedated Alex so that they could work on repairing her ear and her arm. She needed a skin graft, so they took that from her hip. The doctor said that by the time we got back, she should be waking up."
Erin nodded and began to rub the back of Alex's hand in gentle circles. The woman stirred, blinking her eyes rapidly before opening them completely, staring up into Erin's eyes, her brow furrowing in confusion. "When did you get here?" she croaked out.
"A few minutes ago, dearest. But save your strength, you need to get better." She smiled gently and Alex smiled back. "We're going to have to get you a better haircut. It looks like they just hacked it to repair your ear."
"Hair grows back. Have you seen JJ yet?"
She shook her head. "I'll be seeing her next. I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. And if you need help, I'll take care of you. I know that James has odd hours, what with his job." Alex nodded, a few tears beginning to course down her cheeks.
"I might just take you up on that." Erin nodded and leaned down, pressing her lips softly to the woman's cheek. "You're going to see JJ now, aren't you?"
"Yes. I'll be back after I look in on Davie, too. I have an answer to give him, finally."
"I'm glad. I just hope we get an invitation."
"Most definitely." She squeezed Alex's hand before letting go and standing up. "I'll be back soon, I promise."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
Erin sighed as Penelope wrapped her arm around her waist and led her to the next room. "You need to prepare yourself, Erin," Derek said lowly. "She doesn't look like JJ at the moment, and…" His voice trailed off and she reached out for his hand, needing to have contact with him in that moment. "I need a bit of false hope right now."
"She's going to be fine, Derek." She knew all about needing false hope, and she squeezed his hand as they entered the other room. It was dim and the very air felt oppressive to her as she stepped in. Looking over at the bed, she tried to suppress her gasp at the sight. Aaron was at the woman's side, her hand engulfed in his. There were tear tracks on his cheeks, and she knew in that moment that he was in love with her. "We're here," she whispered as she took a seat next to him.
"She, she hasn't woken up yet. There are third degree burns all over her chest and torso. Thankfully, it didn't touch her face, so I don't know why Will wouldn't bring Henry up here."
"It's hard to see your parent in the hospital. I hated visiting my mother when she was ill, and I know my children weren't thrilled to come see me. As soon as I was home, though, they wouldn't leave. Davie had to get used to sharing me with them. Seems that a near-death experience drives out all feelings of animosity."
She teared up herself and he blindly reached for her hand, threading their fingers together. They sat in silence and watched the woman breathe, her face contorting with pain at times. "Erin? You can't let anyone know what you saw."
She looked up at Penelope and Derek, who were watching them in concern, his arm around her waist, holding her close. "They might already have it figured out. It looks like we've all paired off now, though that does leave Alex and Spencer as the odd ones out."
He nodded and squeezed her hand tightly. "I have to hold on to hope, Erin. She is going to get better. Even if she returns to Will, even if they patch everything up, I'm still going to love her."
"That doesn't surprise me, Aaron." Silence fell over the room once more, the beeps of the monitors becoming unbearably loud. "Why don't you two go sit with Alex?" she finally asked, sensing that Aaron needed to be alone with JJ once more. "I can find David's room on my own."
Penelope nodded and led Derek out of the room. "Thank you," Aaron murmured, clutching at her hand as she tried to let go. "Don't go just yet. I know that Dave isn't as hurt as Jen, but he did get burnt. We've all been affected by this. Are you going to stay by his side?"
"As I told Derek on the way over here, my life and his life are entwined now, and I cannot bear to separate myself from him. I will be faithful to him for an eternity."
He sighed at her words and she shrugged, resting her head against his shoulder. "Fidelity, bravery, and integrity."
"An oath I took to heart. I'm going to go check in on my beloved now. Will you be all right here?"
"We'll be fine." She nodded and then briefly kissed his cheek before standing and heading out the door. Turning to her right, she followed the sound of Spencer's voice to the next room and gently tapped at the door.
Dave turned his face to look towards the doorway and a grin spread across his face as he beckoned her in. "Bella, you came."
"Wild horses couldn't drag me away from your side," she whispered as tears began to pour down her cheeks once more. Erin jogged over to his side and fell into his open arms, burrowing as close to him as she could possibly get. "Yes, by the way, I will be Mrs. David Rossi the fourth. And this one had better be the last one."
He nodded against her head and then tugged her closer to his side. "You are the last love of my life." She felt his lips caress the top of her head and she raised her shoulders as she nuzzled her nose against his neck.
"I'll just leave you two alone," she vaguely heard Spencer say and she waved to him before wrapping her arm around David's waist. Somehow, they managed to both fit on the bed, and she pressed her lips to the first bit of skin she found, eager to feel him.
"Bella, we're in a hospital."
"I know. I just wanted to kiss you," she murmured, curling her hands in the rough fabric of the hospital sheets. "I'm so tired, Davie. Penelope woke me from an uneasy sleep. May I fall asleep in your arms?"
"I'll shoo the nurses away if they try to get me to move you, my precious one." She sighed as she nodded, listening to the way he hissed in pain as he settled his arm around her waist, his hand creeping down to cup her ass. "Do you mind if the others walk in and see this?"
"No. I'm through hiding, or pretending that we aren't a sexual couple. I figure that they most likely know we're sleeping together. And I really love the feel of you right now. It shows me that you're alive and you didn't leave me." She yawned deeply and then pressed her lips against his neck once more.
"I love you."
"I love you, too, you silly, dear, man. With all the pieces of my broken heart." She heard him sigh and she sighed along with him, letting her eyes close as she breathed in the familiar scent of his aftershave mixing with the antiseptic smell of the hospital. Before she completely fell asleep, she felt someone cover her with a blanket and she smiled, a warm feeling of love sweeping over her soul.