The others had drifted off to sleep around two in the morning and Erin sighed as she and Penelope made their way up to their bedroom. They didn't bother taking off their clothes, as there would be no point. Pulling back the covers, they crawled into bed and she was asleep the moment Penelope's arm came to rest around her waist.
The next thing she knew, someone was knocking softly on their door. "Come in," she said and watched the door open. "Good morning, David."
"Good morning, Erin." He walked over to the bed and sat down as she reclined back against the headboard. Penelope's head came to rest in her lap and she smiled lazily down on her. "How did you all sleep?"
"Better than I thought I would. She didn't wake me up with any nightmares, so that was a pleasant surprise. She's always had the nightmares, Dave. Battle's scars ran a lot deeper than the wound on her stomach." She ran her fingers through her lover's blonde hair and sighed. "I wish my solid sleep could be transferred to her at times. She's seen so much during her years at the FBI."
He nodded and leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly. "Kitten has always taken things to heart so easily. It's one of the qualities I love about her. It's also a pisser when she gets down. Today is not going to be a good day; I can just feel it in my bones. Yesterday started so happy. Where's your head?"
"Not thinking about alcohol. I haven't had a craving in three months. This should be triggering every single crave point in me and it's not. I don't know if that should worry me or not."
"I'd look at it as a blessing, Erin. You've made it ten years without tasting a drop of alcohol. You know my doctor told me I should give up the cigars and Italian food for my heart. I couldn't make it ten days before breaking out the Cubans."
"I hardly see how that's the same, David."
"It might be worse, if truth be told. They found a spot on my lung."
She gasped, and reached out for his hand. "Have you been to see an oncologist yet?"
"Yeah, she gave me two options – surgery where they take out half my lung and I might not make it off the table or I live for another ten years with it. She classified it as a slow-growing tumor and it shouldn't affect my lifestyle too much. Which option do you think I chose, bella?"
"The one that has the surest odds. It's what I would have done." She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it softly. "Stretch out with us, David. I kind of want to hold you as I process this."
He nodded and threw back the covers, slipping beneath them as Erin stretched her body out along Penelope's once more. Her fiancée stirred slightly, rubbing her face into Erin's shoulder as she spooned against her side. "Rini?"
"I'm right here, baby. Go back to sleep."
"I smell Dave."
"He's come to join us for a bit. He needs some solace right now as well." Penelope nodded and yawned and she smiled sadly at Dave. "Sleep, Davie." She leaned forward and kissed his lips sweetly. "I still have a deep place in my heart for you."
"Just not as deep as the niche that Penelope holds there. I knew the moment you became friends that we were not going to work out. You'd fallen under her spell and there was no way I could compete with that."
"Is that why you married Ashley?"
"One of the reasons. It was a mistake, like marriage number three. Neither of us were happy, I was just trying to replace you in my heart."
"And have you?"
"No. That was why we divorced a year later. I'd say you broke me, but in the best possible way." He kissed her once more. "You make my Kitten happy, and I couldn't have asked for anything more than that. I've always considered her like a daughter to me, Erin, since I never had the pleasure of children."
She felt tears prickle her eyes once again, and shook her head. "You made me cry, again."
"I'm sorry." He wiped the tears from under her eyes. As she looked up into his eyes, she saw them wet with tears as well and reached up to thumb them away. "Sleep now, Erin, we're going to need to be alert for the coming sorrow."
She nodded and he wrapped an arm around them both. "I love you," she murmured as her eyes closed heavily.
"I'll always love you, Erin, just not the same way as before," he whispered back as he kissed her forehead. It felt so good to relax into him and let go of the stress of the previous day.
She woke up once more, feeling heavy. Opening her eyes, she saw that their bed had become something of a dogpile, as Morgan was spooned up against Penelope and JJ was curled up at the foot of the king bed, covering their legs with her body. Erin didn't want to disturb them, so she laid back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Why do I feel so heavy?" Penelope murmured as she blinked her eyes open.
"Our bed has become a bit communal as the morning has progressed," she whispered as she disentangled her hand from Morgan's. Reaching up, she smoothed a piece of hair back from out of her lover's eyes. "All we're missing is Hotch and Reid and the team will be complete."
"I'm here." Erin sat up a little and looked over Morgan's shoulder to see the doctor there, looking extremely tired still. "I just didn't feel comfortable trying to worm my way in between you and Penelope. It would have been a little awkward when we all woke up."
"Perhaps a little, Spencer." As if his words were some signal, the others began to stir and sit up, stretching out the kinks of their sleep. "Did you sleep well, Penny?"
"Surprisingly so." Heedless of all who were watching, she leaned over and kissed Erin deeply, keeping their morning ritual. "Derek Morgan, that had just better be a normal male morning reaction."
"Of course it is, Baby Girl."
"Good." She kissed Erin once more and then sat against the headboard. "Where's everyone else?"
"Hotch and Jess took over the guest room while Will took the couch." JJ wrapped her arms around her legs as she looked at them. "It is now just after three in the afternoon, what are we going to do?"
"Be strong. Support each other." Dave sat up and Erin leaned against him, letting him rub his thumb up and down her forearm. The tears were rising up from within her once more and he must have felt her shudder as he grasped her hand, squeezing lightly.
"Easter called earlier. He's on a jet to DC, and will be here shortly with…" They looked up at Aaron, standing in the doorway, looking lost. "I told him to come by here, that we were all here. Jess got ahold of Jack and he's watching Nora and Viki for us, with Henry's help. Of course, they expect to be paid."
They all laughed a little, and Erin felt the tension drain from her room. "I also ordered us Chinese food. It will be here in about twenty minutes."
Grumbling and groaning, they all got out of bed. "I am getting too old for this," JJ muttered as she stretched, reaching for the ceiling.
"Tell me about it," Erin replied as she cracked her back. Penelope came up behind her and began to massage her shoulders. Sighing deeply, she melted into the touch, a deep purr erupting from her lips. A soft giggle erupted from JJ's lips and Erin rolled her eyes at the other woman. "My fiancée has magic fingers, you should know that."
"Usually she's using those fingers on the keyboard, though, not on us." JJ bit her lip as she looked around at the group assembled. "I'm going to go call Henry and see how Nora is doing." Erin nodded, trying to smile kindly at the woman. Penelope ended the massage and wrapped an arm around Erin's waist.
"Let's head downstairs now, and wait for the delivery," Aaron said quietly as he turned on his heel. The others followed him out and Penelope turned into Erin, resting her chin on her shoulder.
"Dave still loves you."
"Yeah. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Rini. Morgan still loves me, too. We just belong together. And they were meant to be our close friends. Best friends, through thick and thin. The person we turn to when we argue."
"You knew about that?"
"I turned to Morgan, asked him for advice. We both have such strong personalities, that I needed the outside perspective to find our place again." Turning her face, Penelope kissed her neck gently. "I love you, Erin, so much. And I don't mind sharing a part of your heart with your former lover."
Erin burst into tears yet again and Penelope rubbed her back in soft circles. "I love you, Penelope. I don't know what I did to deserve this love, but here we are, eight years later, committing to one another in the wake of tragedy." Her words choked up in her throat and she fell silent as she let her lover comfort her.
"Let's head to the courthouse today. No waiting, no regrets, just us making our commitment to one another to love each other until the very end."
"Yes." She turned her face so that she could find Penelope's lips, kissing her delicately. "Yes. More than anything I want to make this day a happy one. I want to move past this sorrow. It will always be a part of us, but like Blake said, joy and woe are woven fine."
"Now you sound like Reid." Penelope kissed her again, and then again, as their breathing synced into a slow tandem. Breaking free of the embrace, Penelope led her over to the closet, pulling out a sea foam green suit. "Wear this. I love you in pastels."
Erin rummaged through the other side of the closet and pulled out a deep purple dress. "And I love you in jewel tones. Wear this."
Her lover nodded and they went over to their dresser, pulling out undergarments. "Hey, are you two coming down any time soon?" Morgan called up the stairs.
"After we shower, Boo," Penelope called back, leading Erin through the door into their master bath. They quickly stripped and she stepped into the shower as Penelope put their clothes in the hamper. As she closed the shower door, Erin turned the water on, letting the warmth soak into her bones.
Penelope tenderly washed her hair and body, once more massaging the tension from Erin's body. Erin reciprocated the loving, intimate, gestures, relishing the feel of the smooth skin beneath her hands. "Do you think Dave is thinking about us?"
"Is the sky normally blue?" They both laughed and washed the soap off their bodies. As Erin wrapped a towel around her body, Penelope blow dried their hair. They got dressed quickly and then did their hair and makeup. "Are you ready to head down?"
Erin nodded and hand in hand, they made their way down to the kitchen. "Don't you two look amazingly refreshed this afternoon," Dave said as they entered.
"We're going to the courthouse after we eat. Life is too short not to do the things in life we want to."
Dave smiled and held out his arms to them, and they stepped into the embrace. "That's just what we need right now. A spot of happiness in a dark time." He kissed Erin's head and she sighed. "I think I can pull a few string here, though, and have everything ready by the time you get there."
"Thank you, Dave." Penelope kissed his cheek and stepped back, smiling through her tears. "But now you've made me cry."
"It seems like I'm talented at that right now." They took seats in between Morgan and him and dug into the food, somehow finding an appetite in the midst of sorrow.