Penelope groaned a little as she woke up the next morning. Memories of last night ran through her head and she reached out to find that Erin's spot was cool to the touch. Sitting up, she looked around for the woman and found her sitting in the chair by the window, her eyes and thoughts seeming a thousand miles away. "Erin, honey, why aren't you in bed with me?"

Her head shot up as their eyes met, and she shrugged a little bit. "I, I had some things to think about this morning." Her features were closed off to Penelope, and a small stab of hurt attacked her heart. Frowning, she pulled her legs up to her chest so that she could protect herself from whatever Erin would say next.

"And what did you have to think about?" she finally asked, her voice small and quiet as she pictured Erin rejecting her wholesale, calling their night of passion a mistake. Her tone of voice seemed to wound Erin just as much, as the woman flinched a little before looking away from her.

"I'm just a little scared, I guess. Passion can burn so brightly, so warmly, but it leaves behind ashes, and it can destroy some lovely things. I, I, I just don't want to see this blow up in my face." Erin took a deep breath before she stood up and stalked over to the dresser, picking up her purse. "I'm sorry, Penelope, I have to go. This was so nice…"

Her voice trailed off, and Penelope wanted to reach out and grab for her, to hold her tightly as she kissed all the worry and insecurity out of her body. "Erin, stay. I want you to stay."

"I can't," she murmured in reply as she stopped by the door. "If you see me in the harsh light of day, you'll know that this was a mistake, and I want to keep this in a bubble of perfection. I'm sorry."

That was not what Penelope had been expecting to hear, and this time, she did make a move, slipping off the bed to go to her. Erin shook her head at the gesture, opening the door and slipping out before Penelope could say another word. Sighing deeply, she picked up her costume and hurriedly dressed before pulling out her key and stepping into the hallway.

She looked around for Erin, hoping to see her near the elevators, only to see that she was already gone. And Penelope couldn't help herself, she began to cry as she walked over to the elevators, pressing the up button so that she could go to her room. It was easy to let her heartbreak burst forth, since there wasn't anyone in the hallway, and she didn't expect to see anyone at this time of the morning.

As the doors slid opened, she gasped to find Rossi in the car already, a bawdy smile on his lips. That look faded, though, when he looked up at her. "Kitten, why are you crying? It seemed like you were so happy last night, wrapped up in the arms of your prince."

"Princess," she murmured as she stepped into his open arms, letting him hold her tightly. "I had thought that I found my Utena, but she ran out on me. Rossi, why would Erin hurt me so?"

She listened to him draw in a sharp breath, even as his hand began to rub up and down her back. "You had sex with Erin?" he asked a bit incredulously, and she nodded. "I didn't know that you were bisexual, too."

The words that slipped from his mouth took her aback, and she pulled away a little to press the floor that she needed before looking at him once more. "What do you mean? She's bisexual?"

"Yes. She and a colleague had a brief affair in the late nineties, and I did everything I could to keep it under wraps. Passion can burn so brightly, Kitten, but when it burns out, sometimes there's nothing left but ashes."

"She said almost the exact same thing to me this morning before running."

"That doesn't surprise me. She was always so skittish about her desire for women. She knew that she would never fully be able to express that side of herself and get anywhere in the FBI, and so she tried to shove it down and lock it away. When Alex came along…"

"Yes?" she prodded, wanting to know about the woman that she desired for a lover. The shock of her want took her aback, since she hadn't known that depth of feeling was possible after one night of pleasure. "Please, tell me so that I know how to pursue her."

Rossi looked at her for a long moment, as if he was trying to suss out her intentions. "Alex made a mistake, a major mistake, and Erin was forced to demote her as a result. The acrimony that blossomed between them in that moment was a terrible sight to see, and I was left in the middle, unable to do anything for either of them. I do not want to be put in the middle again, Penelope."

She swallowed as she nodded, hearing the subtle promise of retribution in his voice. "I don't want to hurt her, Dave. I want to have a chance to love her."

The smile that appeared on his lips this time took her breath away, and she teared up again as she shrugged. "I think that she needs someone like you in her life, Penelope. Go after her, and if she rebuffs you, go to the nearest flower store and buy her pink flowers. Any type, roses, tulips, gerbera daisies, whatever, She loves pink. And keep her heart safe, okay?"

"I'll try," she whispered as the elevator stopped on her floor. "Wish me luck?"

"As if I could anything else," he replied before kissing her cheek lightly. "She'll head right home, if I know her. Home was always her safe harbor."

"Thank you." Stepping out into the hall, Penelope felt immensely better, now that she had a plan of action. And so, she found herself starting to whistle an optimistic tune as she sashayed down to her room, sliding her key and letting herself in.

"I should probably shower, to make a better impression on her," she murmured as she looked at the bedside clock. "There's more than enough time to do that before having to be out of here."

Smiling, she dug through her overnight bag for her toiletries before tugging out the dress she had picked for the day. Penelope couldn't help but gasp when she saw that it was her pink flowered dress, and she grinned before standing up and whirling around with it in her arms. It was as if Fate had shouted at her that this was the right move to make, and she couldn't wait to see what Erin had to say on her outfit.

The water was warm as it splashed down on her, and she couldn't keep her mind from wandering back to the pleasure that she and Erin had shared the previous evening. Sex had never been that good the first time with any of her former lovers, and she wondered if Erin had felt the same way. And she would have no way of knowing until she asked her.

As Penelope reached out to turn the water off, she suddenly realized that she had no idea where Erin lived, and she was without her trusty laptop as a means to look up the address. "Well, frak," she muttered as she wrapped a towel around her body. "Here's hoping Rossi can give me the address that I need."

Heading into the bedroom, she dropped the towel to the floor as she picked up her phone and quickly texted him. 911. I need Erin's address, or I'm never going to find her! Come through for me, for us, Rossi!

Throwing the phone onto the mattress, she dressed with as much haste as she dared, not wanting to rip her dress with any jerky movements. Just as she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup, she heard Rossi's text tone, and smiled as she picked up, seeing one simple line of text that told her everything she needed to know.