I don't own SVU. I'm not even an adult, so technically I don't even own myself. Unless I got emancipated…but that would take a lawyer. Maybe Casey could do it for me! Okay, rambling, yeah I don't own…
Suites de Luxe Hotel: Room 414
413 East Equestrian Boulevard
Wednesday March 28
Erin was in the comfortable state where you're half awake and half asleep. You know how it is, those few odd moments when you're almost woken up but still groggy enough to be declared technically unconscious for the moment, almost like you're floating around in your own body, just seconds away from being put all together and in order. That's why she didn't think much of it when she heard faint tapping sounds like a woodpecker off in the distance. This had happened to her before, except then it had been her alarm clock she mistook as a bomb hidden in her pirate ship or the timer on the stove on the cake she was baking for the president in her dreams. So now, at this second, she simply went about lying in bed, gloriously enjoying just resting.
She figured the unusual clank was just part of the waking up process, but when more and more moments past, she became annoyed with the tedious sound. She opened her eyes and peered around the room, her head feeling clearer and her stomach purer than it had earlier. She glanced at the clock and with some quick addition she concluded that her nap had lasted for around five hours, it now being around one o'clock. She looked to the ceiling to see if there was a leak causing the ruckus of a steady rapping. Not spying anything she gazed at the window to see if it was the wind causing a branch to bang the window. The noise was coming from the window, just not a branch.
Erin gasped and struggled for her breath, her heart skipping and then pounding double time to make up for the lost beats when she spied a figure at the window, sitting on the fire escape. When one hears a sound at their window, they'd usually think back to movies and stories and think one of two things. 1) A murderer, robber, or another sort of vicious criminal seeking to cause distress in life or 2) a handsome prince or other good-looking buff figure there to rescue or be with you. But Erin wasn't about to become a victim of a felony or ride away on a brilliant steed or unicorn, at least that scenario didn't seem to fit with who she was looking at: Delilah.
Erin sent a look of confusion through at glass and the face smiled at her and motioned for her to open her window. Erin pulled the latch quietly, not wanting to worry or even tell Olivia until she knew what was up.
"Hey, um, I don't know why you're here, but if you think this is a drive-thru window you'll be disappointed seeming as we only have leftovers," Erin greeted.
Delilah laughed, "No, I'm not here for your food."
"But you're eating, right?" Erin accused, still whispering, trying to remain quiet.
"Yes, yes, and you'd know that if you'd come to photos today, why'd you bail? I was looking forward to seeing you," Delilah whined.
"I'm sorry, I didn't feel well this morning," Erin said. She opened her mouth to rail about her date but figured that that would open an entire new can of worms that she didn't want to reveal in fear that she might give too much away. "So, how have you been?" Erin said, shifting to a leaning position on the window. If her friend wasn't outside the window this would seem almost, well, normal.
"Okay, but photos were terrible today. My mom was freaking out the whole time about my make-up, my dress, blah, blah, blah. Ugh, I'm so sick of it. I mean, this is my life and it's like she wants to control all of it."
"Maybe she's living vicariously through you, I mean that's what the root of most controlling 'follow your dreams even though they were really mine' parents are right?"
"I don't even know," Delilah said, diverting her attention to tracing circles in the dust on the sleek limestone, leaving a gray bruise-like color on her forefinger. "All I know is that I'm freaking tired of it."
Abruptly the pair of gabbing girls heard a staccato of footsteps walking in the hallway of the hotel.
"Oh my God, I have to go," Delilah said, crouching ready to duck out the window. Fearful of a devastating and dooming fall about to meet Delilah's end, Erin grabbed her hand to keep her from trying to dart down the fire escape.
"What are you doing? You're going to fall and die! Chill, it's just Olivia; she won't care if you're here. She'll be confused, maybe, as to why you eluded the customary door and hallway entrance, but I'm sure creativity will earn you some points."
"It's not her I'm afraid of. Do you think I'm supposed to be here right now? Why do you think I climbed this stupid thing? I'm supposed to be in my room, recuperating for tomorrow's festivities," Delilah ripped her hand away from Erin's grip, "no, I have to go. Now," she said yet again attempting to venture down the fire escape.
"Well don't climb down it'll screech, make noise, and Olivia will see and know you're up to something and spill your secret. Just stay there and relax, I'll get rid of her," Erin whispered frantically.
"Fine, bye!" Delilah panicked, speaking in hushed tones just as rapidly.
The second the door knob gave its unmistakable creak, Erin turned around to confront it and the person behind it.
"Hey, Olivia," Erin said a little too cheerfully, hands behind her back, failing miserably at trying to remain casual, the 'normal' looking hopelessly forced.
"Well hello to you too. Feeling better I see?"
"Better than ever," Erin gave thumbs up, regretting the posing action the minute her thumb flew up.
"Great, great," Olivia said coolly. Okay, so, I'm not stupid nor deaf, who was at the window?" she said in an even tone, contrasting her accusing words.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play coy, I know someone was there because your cell phone is on the table and I've never heard you talk to yourself. You don't even sing in the shower."
"I still don't know what you mean," Erin said, having a small feeling bad for lying but a bigger feeling of loyalty to Delilah and the promise she made to her.
"Was it Chris?"
"Here we go again. It's pretty sick, your obsession with my love life and all."
"So why were you at the window if there was no one there like you claim?" Olivia said pacing around the room, Erin trying to copy her steps so that Olivia couldn't get a clear shot of the window.
"I…dropped my pen."
Olivia stopped, looking at her with a confused expression. "Out the window? Were you going to go get it?"
"Yeah, I was…taking notes, on the beautiful weather; I was going to write a poem about it. And…so…I went to the window to get a better view. I was just jotting some stuff down, and then the next second," Erin demonstrated the motion by making her hand drop slowly down accompanied by a drug out 'zoo' noise, ending the sound with a popping of her lips.
By the time she was done with her tirade, Olivia looked more confused than before. "You know, for a supposed add-libber, I'd say if this were your audition you'd fail dreadfully. Now, I ask yet again, who were you talking to out the window? And if it's Chris, yes, I'll probably kick his butt, but then we will become good friend after I lay down the law."
"It wasn't Chris for God's sake!"
"I'm going to ascertain that last statement," Olivia said, quickly sprinting around Erin and to the glass panel. "Let's see who do we have…Delilah?" Olivia said, spying the small girl, her arms wrapped around herself, staring at the ground, trying to remain silent and motionless. "How disappointing, I can't ridicule you for this," Olivia said thwarting.
"Told you it wasn't a boy!" Erin said condescendingly.
"Oh, you hush up while I open the window," Olivia said, making a move to open the casement.
"No! Don't," Erin said shutting the latch again. "She said her mom would be ticked, and from what we've seen we don't want that to happen, it's possible she was more than a little violent on one occasion," Erin said referring to her being a possible suspect in the case of her own daughter. "Just let it go. I know you've given her a grace period already, but please, just elude this for her, just one last time."
Olivia sighed and closed her eyes, "Fine."
"Thank you. Now just leave for one second when I tell her it's safe to go."
"Oh, so now you're kicking me out. Nice, that's just really nice," Olivia said sarcastically walking out the door.
Erin rushed over to the window, noticing Delilah jumping when at the sound of it opening. Erin gave her a thumbs up, Delilah matching her gesture, looking relieved. Erin watched the eccentric girl get to the sidewalk, hopping off and rushing back inside, dashing to her room, no doubt.
SVUSVUSVU
Erin walked the sidewalk, fighting with all her might the urge to skip and flounder around. She was free, released from the asylum of he own mind.
She swore if she tried to count the number of rotations of the fan above her head without getting dizzy (she ruled that source of entertainment out when she got to twenty-seven and started feeling sick; Olivia would mistake it as another round of food-poisoning and probably call an ambulance) or seeing if she could make out anymore shapes on the ceilings popcorn-wall (she'd found a ballerina, a penguin on skiis, a pumpkin, and the word 'grape') she'd scream.
Walking down the sidewalk she breathed in the fresh, crisp air and just liked to be, to walk around without corners. Yes, she was being dramatic, but theatricality was the way she was born.
She waved at strangers, smiling and greeting them under the afternoon sun. She wished Olivia could be with her to share the joy of nature, but unfortunately she had to take a quick break in her role to go back to the precedent and seal an old case they'd finally cracked. Olivia said it would only take a few hours and by the time she got back they'd have time to go do pictures at eight that night.
But Erin was going to enjoy the couple minutes of pure peace, of just being herself before she had to be Juliette again. She loved the job, she really did, but it took more effort than she originally anticipated.
She was glad to do it though. She was happy she could finally help someone out, give back to the community. And, at the risk of sounding gushy, she was happy to have all of these new people to come into her life. Elliot and Olivia were great, and, though still a bit of a mystery to her, Delilah seemed very nice as well. It was helping her put her, not necessarily tragic, but complicated and slightly painful past behind her. Yes, Erin was on cloud nine. So high, in fact, she bumped into someone while seemingly floating.
"Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you there," Erin apologized quickly and walking around the person. It was going on 6:30 and she needed to be back in the dressing room at 7:15 for make-up.
Instead of replying with the usual 'it's all right' or 'no, no my fault,' the person whipped her head around and was tear-filled. "Erin?" she whispered.
Erin stopped dead in her tracks, her breath catching.
"Erin, is that you honey?" the familiar feminine voice said carefully, shaking again.
Erin felt like pinching herself to see if this was really happening. She turned around slowly, staring into a pair of eyes so similar to her own it was like looking in a mirror. Erin's voice was so quiet you couldn't hear it unless you were specifically trying or reading her lips. The word that came out had not been used on a sincere level for years, only jokingly or in a script from time to time. "Mom?"
Author's Note: Kind of a filler until the end there, huh? Cliffy! Thank you for all of your kind words, they really to mean a lot to me. The quantity and quality of the encouragement and sincerity is amazing. Seriously, thank you so much. I wouldn't be able to write without your help and your reviews. Keep it up please. The next one should be dramatic and longer than this one. Review, please! Thanks! Have a lovely Easter everyone! =)