When Erin woke up the next morning, she felt anything but rested. Rolling over, she checked the bedside clock and saw that it was coming on ten, and she let out a low groan as she grabbed for her phone and squinted at the display as she unlocked the device and quickly tapped out a message to Helen, letting her know that she wouldn't be in the office that day. She assumed that Aaron had already taken care of getting his team time off, and she would gladly sign off on that when she was next in the office. Once she had a reply from her assistant, she set the phone aside and turned her gaze on David.

He was curled up facing her, still looking like he was spooning her, and a tender smile spread across her lips as she watched him continue to sleep. They were safe in her bedroom, away from the world, and she wished that she could blow a bubble around them in that moment, to keep them that way. She knew that was a fool's dream, however, and she felt her lower lip start to quiver. Reaching out, she brushed her fingers along his chin, the silky feel of his beard making her smile sadly.

"I wish that this wasn't the truth, David, but it seems that it is. I am a monster who created this awful situation that you and your teammates are faced with. If I had made different choices, better choices, when it came to dealing with Alex and John, maybe then Spencer wouldn't have had to lose the love of his life." David groaned a little as he squirmed around on the mattress. A sigh slipped from her lips as she started to cry. Unable to rein her sorrow in, she let her tears flow as she continued to look at him. This was a time when he should have a peaceful look on his face, but instead, he wore a pensive look, and she let her fingers brush against his cheek, hoping the tender touch would make him relax a little.

A little moan escaped his lips, and she tried to steel herself, knowing the course of action she had to take. "And if I am the monster here, I will end this war that I never meant to wage with John Curtis. I am the only one who can end this, even if it means that I'll make the ultimate sacrifice."

Once more, David groaned, as if he had heard her words in his sleep and was trying to disagree with her. A ghost of a smile flitted across her face as she shook her head and leaned over him, kissing his lips tenderly. "You are the one who makes me feel complete, David James Rossi. And I will keep your love close to my heart as I figure out where he is and take him down."

Picking up her phone one more time, she took a quick picture of him, wanting a reminder of who she fought for as she went about her task. Unable to help herself, she leaned down and kissed him once more. "Forgive, I refuse to drag her any further into this, even though I know that she would be more than willing to help me. I'll just tell Helen that I forgot something, she'll believe that."

As she continued to wash her body, Erin plotted out what her next steps would be. There was so much to do, but with the help of Clyde Easter, she should be able to get some sense of direction to take. Finally, though, the water started to run cool, and she rinsed the last of conditioner out of her hair before turning the water off and standing still for a few moments, allowing herself to dry off a little before she opened the shower door and reached out for a towel.

Wrapping it around her body, she stepped out of the shower and padded over to the mirror, wiping off the steam to look at her reflection. She didn't seem any different from the previous evening, but everything had changed in the space of a few hours. "You will save them, Erin Strauss. You will make certain that he doesn't hurt another one of your family and friends."

As she began to apply her makeup, she felt more certain of herself. She had the skills to take John down, she had always been a better shot than he was. And though he had managed to outmaneuver them for a while, he had finally overplayed his hand, allowing her to catch on to what he was doing. Finally, her face set, she dropped the towel into the hamper before heading back into the bedroom.

David was still asleep, though he had turned onto his back, a gentle snore breaking the silence of the room. Smiling winsomely, she went over to her dresser and pulled out a fresh set of underwear, shimmying into it before heading over to the closet and thumbing through her clothes. Not knowing how things would go from the moment she got into contact with Clyde, she decided to forgo pantyhose and a skirt, opting for a smart pantsuit instead, along with sensible heels.

When she was finally dressed, she ran her fingers through her hair before letting out a deep breath. Turning to look at David, she smiled sadly before heading towards the door. "If I were to go over there and kiss you goodbye, I don't know that I would be able to do this. And I need to do this, David. I need to." Sighing deeply, she opened the door and slipped out into the hall.

As she made her way downstairs, she made certain to keep her gaze straight ahead, knowing that there were memories that would cling to her, drawing her back to the safety and comfort of letting others clean up her mess. There could be no more of that, she had to be strong and shoulder this burden once more. Shaking her shoulders to try and work out some of the tension creeping into them, Erin went into the kitchen and began a pot of coffee, needing the caffeine to help wake up her senses.

As it brewed, she slipped her phone and tablet into her purse and then rummaged around in the cupboard next to the refrigerator, pushing aside spice jars and cannisters until her hand touched the large jar of cinnamon. Smiling grimly, she opened it and pulled out the thick roll of emergency money that she stored there, knowing that she would need it, whatever happened next. It wasn't much, but if she was smart, she could make it last a month or two. And catching John shouldn't take that long, she figured, since now she knew where to look.

Pulling out her travel mug, she went over to the coffee pot and pulled out the carafe, filling it to the top before screwing the top on tightly and grabbing her keys off the hook. It wasn't until she went to step over the threshold into the garage that she paused. Pivoting at her waist, she looked back into her home and wondered when she would ever see it again. Trying to push the maudlin thought from her brain, she got behind the wheel of her car and backed out, uncertain about the future that stood before her.