The dark pub is rather busy for a Tuesday night, he thinks, as he walks into the bar. He doesn't even have to say anything to his best friend before a half glass of whiskey is being slid towards him. He shoots it back quickly, and slides it back to Mouse, silently asking for another one.

"Rough shift?" Mouse asks, as he pours more amber liquid into a glass.

Jay ponders briefly before shaking his head.

"Not really."

"Alright, well would you drinking the rest of this bottle have anything to do with Erin?" Mouse questions as he fills the glass again and Jay's eyes shoot up from the bar top to his friend. Mouse doesn't say anything else; instead he just nods toward the back of the bar, answering Jay's silent question. "She's been here for about an hour, hasn't said anything except for what she wanted to drink."

Jay nods and debates whether or not to stay put. But he takes another look at her and decides he can't just leave her alone anymore.

"Can I get two beers please?" He asks, and Mouse pops the tops off two bottles before sliding them to Jay. Jay nods in thanks as he stands from the stool. He walks over to her slowly as he thinks of what to say to the broken girl before him. Apparently he didn't think long enough, because all that comes out of his mouth is a simple "hey."

"Hey." She says back quietly, not even lifting her gaze from her glass.

"Mind if I join you?" He asks as he cautiously places the two beer bottles on the table. She shakes her head, and he nods and takes a seat. He wordlessly offers her the second beer

"Thanks but I'm ok." She answers. Jay was just about to say something again when Adam stumbles out from behind the bar.

"Good you guys are talking again. Sooo not to sound rude or anything, but-" He stops himself.

"But you're going to say something rude anyways." Jay adds.

"Between my sister being in town, and you staying with Kim, I haven't really gotten any in like a week, which is a huge problem."

"So you want me out." Erin states

"No, I mean yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"Adam!" Jay scolds.

"It's fine Jay." She interrupts; throwing her whiskey back, and then chugging the beer Jay offered. "I guess it's time I go back to my apartment. I'll need to get Millie." She places her hand on Jay's; squeezing it gently as she stands.

"Erin, wait." Jay mutters as she stands. She gives him a weak smile before turning around to leave.

"Thanks a lot Adam." Jay says as he follows Erin.

When he gets outside he sees her climbing into her car, and he runs over to her.

"What are you doing?" He holds the door open and she looks at him, confused.

"I'm going to get my puppy from Kim's, why?" She asks quietly.

"And you're driving?"

"Like you care?"

"You're the one that wanted to cool it Erin, not me, and like it or not I do care." He states. "I'm not letting you drive." He adds after a few moments.

She looks down like she's ashamed. "I wasn't planning on driving."

"I can call you a cab or get an Uber." He says pulling out his phone.

"I was actually just going to walk to get Millie, I just needed to grab my phone charger." She admits but he continues looking at his phone. "You don't have to book either of those Jay."

"Alright, but I can't let you walk alone."

"Ok."

He looks at her again, this time surprised that she agreed so quickly.

"Ok." He says, putting his hand out for her, and she gently puts her hand in his.

XXXXXX

They walk silently for about ten minutes before either of them speaks. He sees her wrap her arms around herself as much as she can and he decides to take his hoodie off and place it on her shoulders. She smiles as she looks over at him and snuggles into the warm fabric.

"I'm sorry." She whispers and he looks at her.

"You're grieving, and I get it I guess, but if you need to talk Erin, I'm still here to listen."

She nods at that, but they don't say anything else as they get to Kim's apartment.

"Are you going to stay out here?"

"Yeah, unless you need help?"

"No, I just have to grab Millie. I'll grab her crate another time."

"Ok." He leans against the railing as she unlocks the door. Once she walks inside, he sees a truck park across the street, out of the corner of his eye. He pretends not to notice that no one exits the blacked out truck. He pulls out his phone, and pretends to look through it as he waits. Millie gets him to look up towards the door when she barks. Her whole little body wiggles as she wags her tail, and she pulls on her leash as Erin locks the door. He hears the truck start up again and he looks over at it briefly.

"You ready?" Erin asks when she gets to the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah." He answers as he pets Millie, who's whining excitedly at his feet.

"You're the only she does that to."

"She loves me." He says with a smirk, and Erin smiles at that as they start the thirty minute walk to her place. Millie lays down about half way there, and Jay picks her up and she falls asleep in his arms.

"So you haven't been back to your apartment since-?" Jay asks nervously.

"No. Kim told me it was all fixed, but I just haven't been able to go back." She says as he looks back to see the black truck parked half a block behind them. "I figured I'd be sad you know, I mean she was my mom, but she was a horrible person. So while I was sad at first, I also felt relieved." She admits with a sigh. "What kind of person am I that I'm relieved that my mom is gone?"

He doesn't say anything for a minute, and her heart begins to race and her mind runs wild as the silence streches on.

See you're a horrible person, he's not saying anything because he thinks it too. She thinks before he talks.

"My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was fifteen. My mom sat my brother and me down and told us the day she found out. I asked if I could be excused, and I went up to my room and punched a few holes in my wall. In my head he was getting the easy out, he was dying instead of having to rot in jail. My mom came up later with my dinner and told me I was allowed to feel however I was feeling, no one was going to judge me or think of me different." He stands in front of her and she stops. Suddenly the damn breaks and tears flood down her face.

"Point is that no one will judge you for being sad or relieved that she's gone." She moves forward slowly, before falling into his chest. She was afraid he'd push her away, or his body would tense against hers, but he doesn't. Instead he wraps his free arm around her; his hand coming up to weave through her hair as his chin rests on top of her head. "Especially not me, babe." He whispers into her ear, before kissing her temple, not missing the truck still parked nearby. They continue on their walk to the apartment a few minutes later.

When they get there, Erin slowly unlocks the door, and she gasps once they're inside. She grabs Jay's hand and squeezes tightly as she takes in the pictures adorning the walls, and the new furniture; bringing a fresh batch of tears to her eyes. She plops down on the light brown suede of the couch.

"We weren't sure if you'd like it, but my couch guy said you could just test drive it if you'd like." He says as her free hand runs over the soft material slowly, and looks up at him.

"I love it. Did you do all of this?"

"Kim, Adam, Mouse and pretty much everyone at 51 helped." He responds, not wanting to her to freak out if he told her the amount of time and money he actually put into her apartment.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to, I don't deserve this."

"Why do you think you don't deserve this? Or people who actually care about you? Because Bunny said so?" He asks as he lets go of her hand. "Well she was wrong. You deserve the love from everyone at 51, and Kim, and me." He adds as he puts Millie in the dog bed next to the couch. "You deserve all of this and if I could, I would have given you more. And I promise I'm going to try my best to make sure you know that, so whatever it is that she drilled into your head will fade away." He concludes as he squats in front of her, his hands rest on her knees. She leans forward and cups his jaw before kissing him.

He moves up to sit next to her and he pulls her closer until she's straddling his lap, kissing her before dipping her into the couch.