Penelope lingered over her food, enough so that Erin gave her a longsuffering look before pushing away from the table and cleaning up everything but her bowl and mug. "I'm going to find the vacuum and get started on that," she said as she dropped a kiss to the top of Penelope's head.
"It's in the closet by the door," she said offhandedly as she tried to finish eating. Despite being in a better mood, thanks to Erin, she just couldn't seem to find her appetite, and so she finally gave up as the vacuum came to life. Pushing away from the table, she scraped out the remains of her breakfast into the sink, rinsing it down the disposal before putting the bowl and spoon in the washer and starting it, since there were quite a few dishes to clean.
Grabbing her mug of tea, she padded out into the living room and flopped down onto the couch, fishing for the television remote and flipping through until she found something mindless to watch while Erin cleaned. Again, she knew that she was losing this battle with Erin, so she occupied herself until she was done. "How long does your dishwasher normally take?"
"About an hour. It's an older machine."
"All right, while that's going, then, do you want to pull together a bag to take with you? And you still have to get dressed for the day."
"What? I can't wear my pajamas outside?"
The look Erin fixed on her caused her to giggle a little. "No, you may not. I have never allowed any of my children to leave the house without at least wearing what appears to be regular clothes. I don't care if they're in punk, party kei, or workout gear, but I insist on appropriate clothes for the occasion."
"Oh, thank God, Erin! You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that! There are just so many excuses for dressing up and looking fun, that I can't imagine just shuffling around in this all day." She waved her hand up and down her body, and Erin nodded in reply. "All right, let me go pick an outfit and shower and get ready. I promise, I won't take forever, like I normally do."
"Okay."
"And here, use my tablet, so that you're not completely bored while I do this." Erin smiled as she took the device and began to poke around on it. As she lost herself in the tech, Penelope smiled and made her way into her bedroom to find something to wear. She quickly settled on a comfortable sweater and skirt before slipping into the bathroom and stripping off her robe and nightgown.
As she stepped beneath the stream of water, she sighed with pleasure, the warmth of it filling her with a sense of peace that she had been struggling to find all morning. Since she kept the water on the cooler side of warm, she was able to take a little longer, really letting the water work out some of the knots in her muscles. Finally, though, she knew that she had to get moving, and she turned the water off, letting the water drip off her body before reaching out for a clean towel to wrap around herself. Stepping out of the shower, she moved across the bathroom to look at her reflection in the mirror. It was clear that sorrow had marked her, since there were large dark circles beneath her eyes, and she knew that she would have to do some serious makeup recovery if she was going to be seen in public.
Sighing a little, she dried off her face before going through her makeup routine, making certain to use a fuller coverage foundation and concealer. Once that was taken care of, she got dressed and then stepped out into the living room. Erin was reading something on the tablet, barely looking up when Penelope drifted over to her side and hung over the back of the couch. "Are you finally done?" she asked without even looking up from her book.
"Yeah, sorry. I suppose that we should throw together a bag for me now. And maybe I don't need to bring makeup? As long as you promise me that we'll stay homebound?"
"How about I get together a small makeup bag for you while you pick out clothes? If we divide and conquer, it should take half the time, yes?"
Penelope nodded and stood up, heading into her bedroom and then pulling out a suitcase and setting it on her bed. She slowly began to sort through her clothes, trying to decide on what to bring, knowing that she wouldn't be gone forever, but still not knowing what kind of image she wanted to present to Erin's children, her half-siblings. Should she dress normally, and not make a good first impression, or should she subdue her natural inclinations and let them find out gradually who she was? Unable to make a choice, she instead rifled through her closet until she touched her one black dress, pulling it out and slipping it off the hanger. As she folded the dress, Penelope thought about what the funeral would be like, allowing her thoughts to spiral rapidly out of her control.
Erin's hand touching her shoulder broke her from her reverie, and she slowly turned her head to look at Erin, seeing the makeup bag in her hand. "I think you're going to need more to wear than one dress, Penny. How about I choose the clothes while you gather up undergarments?"
She nodded in relief, so glad to have someone take over for her, and drifted over to her dresser, gathering up a week's worth of underwear, bras, and tights before turning back to the bed and dropping them in the suitcase haphazardly. Erin clucked her tongue a little, and Penelope pursed her lips together, feeling suddenly, overwhelmingly, tired. "What is wrong with me, Erin? I just can't find it in myself to care."
Erin dropped the skirt she was folding, and Penelope watched it slip onto the floor as Erin came up to her side and reached out to cup her cheek tenderly. "You don't care because you're trying to wall off your emotions over what happened. Because your heart is so bruised right now, you don't want to feel anything more. It's an understandable reaction, but one that I will not allow you to indulge in for very long. You'll believe me cruel and unkind, but I need to keep you feeling so that you'll want to stay."
Penelope had no idea how Erin had managed to see into the depths of her heart and mind, to read what she hadn't really acknowledged in herself yet, but her shoulders sagged as she nodded. "I would expect nothing less of my boss or my mother. The fact that you are both, well, that means you'll keep me even keeled, yes?"
"Exactly." Erin knelt down and picked up the skirt she'd dropped, folding it away in the suitcase before zipping it closed. "I know you'll want to bring your tablet, and your phones, so gather them up while I use the bathroom."
Penelope did as told, shoving the devices and a charger into her purse before going over to the door and slipping into her coat, waiting for Erin to join her. "I'm ready?"
"Are you?" Erin asked as she cocked her head to one side. Penelope took a deep breath before she nodded, stepping into shoes and opening the door. Erin nodded and smiled warmly at her as she carried the suitcase out into the hall as she locked the door behind them. "All right, let's head out."
Penelope smiled as they started down the hall, only to run into Derek. He looked between the two of them, a small frown appearing on his face the longer he looked at Erin. "Where are you off to, Baby Girl?" he asked possessively, his hand curling around her shoulder as he pulled her away from Erin a little.
"Erin's agreed to take me in, like an orphaned kitten," she murmured, feeling the smile on her lips wobble a little as he pulled her into a tight hug.
"That's kind of her, after everything that's happened." Penelope nodded as she pulled away from him, looking over at Erin. "I hope that she's going to take the very best care of you for a while?"
"That is the plan, Agent Morgan," Erin replied softly. Penelope could read on her face that she was shy around him, but trying to appear aloof, and she swallowed a little before letting go of Derek and going back to her side. "I promise you, I won't be locking her up in a tower like Mother Gothel," she quipped, and Penelope was surprised to hear Derek quickly laugh as he picked up her suitcase and followed after them.
"No, I rather imagine that you're a bit like Rapunzel's mother, being reunited with her at long last. If it wasn't tangled up in this tragedy with Kevin, I'd almost say that it was a fairy tale ending." His free hand patted her shoulder as they continued down the stairs. Erin sighed a little, and Penelope was glad to hear the sound, since that meant there was some bond starting to form between them. Glancing back at Derek, she saw the hesitant look on his face and gave him an encouraging smile. "And someone has to look after my Baby Girl. It might as well be her mother."
A choked sob tore from Erin's lips as they left the building, and Penelope stopped them on the stoop, enveloping her mother in a tight hug. She squeaked a little in surprise when Derek sandwiched her between them, his embrace all the sweeter because it was so spontaneous. "You are not to tell anyone else that you've seen me like this, Agent Morgan."
"Derek, ma'am. And I wouldn't dream of breathing a word of this private moment to anyone." He broke the hug and threaded his arm through Penelope's as Erin led them over to her car. As she opened the trunk, Derek set the suitcase on the ground and wrapped Penelope in a tight hug. "You do know I love you, Baby Girl?"
"Not nearly as much as I love you. Thanks for being so kind to her. JJ wasn't quite so keen on the news. And I have no idea how the others are taking it, since no one else has been by. Tell them, tell them, that I'm being well taken care of, and that I'll start reaching out again in a day or two. I just need this time to rest and refresh."
He nodded before kissing her forehead softly. "Of course, I will." Looking over her shoulder, he smiled widely. "And if you need anything, too, ma'am, don't hesitate to call. We're here for you." Penelope turned so that she could see Erin's reaction, her heart melting a little as she watched her mother nod, a bright smile on her lips.
"Thank you, Derek." The name was hesitant on her lips, but it showed Penelope that she was open to becoming friendly with her friends, something that she would never have thought possible just a few days ago. If only it hadn't come at such a high cost.