Hi Everyone

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates on this but I needed to do edits on my laptop which decided to crap itself but it is fixed now so I have the next 3 chapters sorted.

I hope you all enjoyed the holiday. Let me know what you think

XoMariaXo

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Elizabeth spent the rest of the day catching up on paperwork, eagerly awaiting her evening with Henry and Erin; she wanted to try and ensure there were no interruptions so they would have her full attention.

Six PM arrived and Blake walked into her office to usher her out."Come on you have somewhere to be."

Throwing her hands in the air, she gathered up the files she needed and shoved them hurriedly into her briefcase. "I know, I know, I'm coming."

"Your motorcade is ready and before you ask I don't need a ride home!"

She smiled back at him. She was eternally grateful and thanked all the gods she wasn't even sure she believed in, for Blake. Walking to him, she pulled him into a tight hug; he returned it with warmth

"Thank you, I don't know what I would have done without you. I love you, ya know, even when you are snippy." Today was a day full of emotions and she wanted to freshen the mood with some humour.

Blake laughed at her, "I wonder where I learned it all! You would have survived like you always do and for the record I love your moody ass as well. Now, get home and be happy please." With that, she left the office hopeful for her future.

Elizabeth walked through her front door to the smell of something amazing; she made her way through to the kitchen and her heart swelled with joy and affection as she saw Henry standing at in her kitchen, cooking dinner.

This is what I want to come home to everyday. Henry.

"Hi babe, right on time. Dinner will be about 15 minutes if you want to go and get changed into something more comfortable. Erin has just gone out the back to talk on the phone." Putting his hand on her waist, he pulled her into him and kissed her.

She cocked her eyebrow at him, "Something more comfortable, huh?"

He chuckled at her flirting but felt his trousers tighten instantly. He needed to diffuse this or he couldn't be responsible for his actions. With his hands on her hips, he turned her and walked her towards the stairs and whispered in her ear, "You know fine rightly that is not what I meant DrAdams, but you best be able to out your money where your mouth is another time."

He ushered her up the stairs and gave her a quick swat to the bum, making her jump slightly and her panties even wetter.

After a quick change into some jeans and a comfy sweater she made her way downstairs and was greeted with a hug from Erin, "I'm so glad you are home. Now you can fill me in on everything this one is refusing to give up."

Elizabeth looked towards Henry questioningly, unsure if he maybe did not want Erin to know too much about them.

"I wasn't sure how much you wanted divulged so I leave it up to you to give up whatever details you're comfortable with. Within reason of course," He finished with a wink in her direction, making her blush at his insinuation.

"I'd love any details barring the non-PG ones thank you very much. I do not want to even know or even think of my brother that way." Erin laughed and guided Elizabeth to sit at the table with her.

"Ok, then, Erin, what do you want to know?"

"Well let's start with how you met..."

Henry listened and watch as Elizabeth told his sister all about their courtship, surprised at how much she was willing to share and open up to Erin. As the conversation flowed throughout dinner into dessert, Henry was overjoyed at how well Elizabeth and Erin were getting on. As they were laughing and giggling over something, Henry's heart swelled at the sight before him: Erin was his favourite sibling, the two of them always having been close regardless of where he lived. He hadn't realised that he wanted Erin's approval on the woman he was sure he would be spending the rest of his life with.

When they delved into the issues affecting kids, both women became so passionate and expressed their fears for today's children and what they had each done to try and help in their own way.

"Have you thought about having kids, Elizabeth?" Erin asked innocently.

"Yes, I would love kids – three if I am lucky," Elizabeth had the words out of her mouth before she even had a second thought about who asked her the question and the man sitting right next to her.

Children was not something they had discussed as their relationship was so new. Elizabeth's mouth dropped open and she started to stutter as soon as she realised what she said. Looking at Henry, she tried to say something – what exactly, she wasn't sure and no words would come. Henry chuckled as he watched her think her answer had freaked him out. Je reached his hand out and intertwined their fingers, smiled at her tenderly, "You can stop freaking out babe, it's something I want as well."

Erin looked on as Elizabeth's blush turned to a genuine smile and she kissed Henry sweetly. She was so grateful to this woman for making Henry happier than she had ever seen him.

The conversation flowed easily throughout the rest of dinner and as they retired to the sofa area to play a game of scrabble.

Elizabeth had enjoyed Erin's company immensely and was so grateful that she had had the chance to meet a small part of Henry's family and delve into his history a little. The more she discovered, the more she felt herself falling.

The evening was drawing to a close and Henry and as Erin started to get ready to leave, Elizabeth pulled Erin in for a hug. "Thank you so much for coming over, I'm really glad that we got to meet."

"Me too, I had a great night too and it was really nice to meet the woman who makes my brother so deliriously happy."

Elizabeth blushed and looked back and forth between Erin and Henry "Oh, thanks, but I don't know about delirious..." She trailed off.

"Believe me, I have never seen him so love sick in my life," Erin chuckled as Henry nudged her, silently asking her to stop embarrassing him. "Ok, Ok, I'll shut up but you know it's true. Now, Elizabeth, you feel free to call me anytime if he is giving you any grief, I'll pull him in line, no problem."

"Erin, will you just stop already?" Henry begged, putting his head in his hands and laughed, embarrassed at his sister's words. Elizabeth loved seeing their sibling dynamic and was confident that she and Erin would become friends

"Don't worry, Erin, I will make sure to ask for help when I need it." Elizabeth grabbed a pen and piece of paper and scribbled down her number as Henry went to the closet at the door to grab his and Erin's coats, "Here, take this, and use it whenever you need anything. Blake's number is also on there if you need me urgently and can't get me."

Erin was surprised; she had expected Elizabeth to be very guarded with her personal details but she seemed comfortable, "Thanks, I won't use it unless there is an emergency, I promise." She said as she carefully tucked the paper into her bag.

"Erin, it doesn't have to be an emergency, honestly, I really enjoyed your company and I hope we can be friends." Elizabeth felt a little sheepish. She didn't have many female friends, but felt at ease with Erin, almost similar to the ease she felt with Henry. Erin pulled her in for another hug, grateful and hopeful that Elizabeth was showing such an interest in being involved with Henry's family.

"I promise to just use it then. I really enjoyed myself tonight, and not just because I got to see Henry squirm," Erin winked at Elizabeth as Henry walked back in with their coats and started walking Erin towards the back door.

"Henry, what are you doing?" Elizabeth questioned.

Henry wasn't sure if Elizabeth would want people coming and going through the front door so he had brought himself and Erin in through the back door with the help of the DS agents, after explaining the reason with Erin. He had also just spoken to the agents and they had brought a car around so they could leave without being seen. Erin stepped in before Henry could answer "Elizabeth, it's fine, Henry explained about photographers camping out around your house. We came in this way earlier and we are going to leave this way too so you both can decide when you want to go public and not some sleazy pap."

"Thanks, Erin, I'm sorry this is such an odd situation but I really do appreciate it"

"It really is ok, Elizabeth, I honestly don't mind especially if it means helping you two keep this just for you both for a while longer. I'll see you again soon, hopefully. Now, I am going to wait in the car so you two can say your goodbyes. I am good with most things, but watching my brother smooch face is something I'll avoid if I can." Without waiting for their reply, she walked out the door, closed it behind her, and got into the waiting SUV.

Once the door closed and they were on their own, Henry snaked his arms around Elizabeth's waist, looked into her eyes and smiled before pulling her in for a kiss. Elizabeth immediately deepened the kiss, glad they were finally alone; she knew they needed to talk properly about the events of the past 24 hours, but, at this moment, she was just grateful to be in the arms of the man who was currently making her world spin.

Henry broke them apart as they needed air, resting his forehead against hers, he breathed a sign of contentment.

"I'm sorry about today Henry, I should never have assumed you would be with another woman that way, especially after the weekend we had and I know I should have just asked you outright rather than freezing you out. I promise I'll try harder but I need you to know that I do trust you. Please believe me," She pleaded.

He pulled her in for another kiss before saying the words he knew she needed to hear, "I forgive you and I believe that you trust me. The main issue was communication. We need to be able to communicate with each other so let's promise, both of us, that we will work on that and never allow a failure to talk to come between us again, ok?"

"Deal." She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "I really want this to work, Henry. I'm falling fast and hard, and its scaring me," She was terrified of saying this so soon, but she wanted to show him that she was willing to communicate both the good and the bad.

He snuggled his head deeper into her neck and placed a kiss on it, "Thank you," He knew she was trying, "This will work, you just need to have faith in us."

They stood, embraced in each other's arms, neither wanting to separate. Henry took the lead, even though he wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed beside her and fall asleep with her in his arms.

"Goodnight, baby." He kissed her on the forehead and walked out the door and climbed into the SUV.

Elizabeth felt the loss of his presence almost immediately. She stood at the door, willing him to come back even though she knew he couldn't. She eventually pulled herself away and made her way upstairs with a glass of wine to complete some of the reading she had been neglecting.

Once they got into Henry's apartment and out of earshot of the DS agents, Henry nervously questioned Erin, "So what do you think of her? Of us?"

Erin was surprised he had asked. Henry was not one to look to his family for validation on his love interests, so this made Elizabeth extra special, she thought. She also noticed his nervousness and decided to seize the rare opportunity to mess with him a little. "She seems ok, but I'm not sure I really like her all that much. She seems a bit full of herself, to be honest."

Henry stopped dead, mouth slightly open, and just stared at Erin in shock.

WHAT! They were getting on so well all evening. Holy crap!

Erin watched him and could not control her laughter at the sight of her brother's face "Henry, obviously I'm joking, you dumbass! I love her, she is amazing, pretty, funny and I can tell that you are fully in a lovesick puddle, which makes me very happy."

The word love hit Henry, almost winding him, but he pulled himself together quickly and put it to the back of him mind.

"Thanks, Erin. I'm really glad you got to meet her and, yes, I really like her, you got me. Can you keep this between us please? I don't want the others to know just yet."

"Of course, I will. Don't worry. Mum's the word until I am told otherwise."

"Thanks, Erin. We really appreciate it." Erin caught the we and smiled thinking it was cute he was already referring to himself and Elizabeth as a unit.

Elizabeth had just finished her report as her phone started to ring. Smiling, she answered immediately when she saw Henry's name come up on her screen, "Missing me already, stud?"

"No, actually just calling to see if I left my wallet there?"

"Oh emmm." She replied, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. Henry chuckled at her reaction, "Elizabeth, I'm joking. I am calling because I miss you, it's a little embarrassing, but I can't seem to fall asleep."

"That was mean, Henry." She said, blushing at her own reaction. "I take it you want repeat of the other night?"

"Do you mind?" Henry asked sweetly.

"No, I doubt I would have been able to sleep either and this is now my second favourite way to fall asleep."

"What's the first?" He asked, confident of the answer.

"With your arms wrapped around me."

"That's my favourite as well." He smiled, happy she felt the same way.

They talked for a while before they both drifted off, more content now the other was with them even if only through the phone, but also aware this couldn't be a long term solution to their new sleeping issues.