A/N: See Intro for standard disclaimers. Please R&R. I'm needy.
TenFour: I liked that line too. Sometimes Eric needs to get the good lines.
AIO: I'm glad you're enjoying this.
Annabel paced through her apartment. She picked up her cell phone, looked at it and set it down. She picked at the papers on her desk. She looked out the window. Annabel picked up the TV remote and set it back down. Elie sat on her couch staring into space.
"Annabel, stop it," she whispered.
Annabel kept moving. "I can't stand not doing anything, El."
Elie turned and pinned her with a look. "You don't have a choice. And why is it always about you?"
Annabel stopped and looked at Elie. "What did you say?"
Elie looked up at Annabel. Her eyes were damp, but hard. "This isn't about you. Roger…Roger was the one who was killed. I'm the one who was hurt. Why do you make it about you?"
Annabel sat down hard next to Elie on the couch. She looked at her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry. It isn't about me. I just want to help."
"You can't. Annie, you actually have to leave things alone. Step away and not try to fix it. You don't get to fix this."
Annabel sighed and twisted on a lock of hair. "You're right. Can I get anything for you? A drink? Run a bath?"
"Do you have anything stronger than Diet Coke around here?"
Annabel thought a minute. "I think I might have part of a bottle of wine in the fridge." Annabel got up and headed for the kitchen. She started rifling through the fridge. "I know when we had dinner..." Elie had come up behind her and was leaning on the doorframe.
"When we had dinner. How serious are you about this guy? I know you mentioned you were dating somebody. That was a few months ago. And I saw the things in the bathroom..."
Annabel pulled the bottle of wine out and turned around. She bit her lip and looked at the floor. She looked up and shrugged. "How serious are we? Pretty serious." Annabel poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Elie.
"Serious enough that he's leaving things for overnight."
Annabel nodded. "Um. Yea. Definitely that serious." Annabel took a sip of her wine. She looked down at the floor and then back up at Elie. "I thought it wasn't supposed to be about me. Why is this conversation suddenly about me?"
Elie shrugged. "Because you have a boyfriend. A boyfriend who spends the night. Because I need a distraction. What was the name you told me... Harold...Herbert... Humbert."
"Very funny. You know that's the guy from Lolita. It's Horatio."
"I knew that. 'Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well, Horatio.'"
Annabel shook her head and looked over her wineglass at Elie. "Actually he's named for Horatio Alger."
"Ah. Author of the American Dream. Interesting." Elie waved her wineglass a little at Annabel. "Not that either you or I should be making comments on anyone else's name." Elie took a sip of wine. She looked over at Annabel. "So. What does your Horatio do? I don't think you've told me that."
Annabel looked away. "He's a police lieutenant."
"He's a..." Elie's eyes widened. "Oh." She went back and sat down. "So much for being distracted. You are talking about that Lieutenant Caine, right? The red-headed guy." Elie turned her head and looked over the back of the couch.
Annabel nodded. "That would be him."
"He's very good looking. But you're dating a guy you work with. That's pretty bad, Annie. Not smart at all."
"I think it's pretty good. Horatio loves me, El. It's not like he's my boss or something. And I'm not you, El. I can't just go to a bar and find a guy."
"I have never just gone to a bar and found some guy. And you haven't ever even tried."
"I'm happy, El. Can't I be happy?" Annabel's cell phone rang. She picked it up, looked at the display and answered it. "Hi, Ryan. What's up? Okay. I'll let her know." She flipped the phone shut and set down her mostly full wineglass. "Your hotel room's been cleared. Do you want me to drive you over there?"
Elie shook her head, finished off her wine and set down the glass. "That's okay. I think I'd just like to be alone for a bit. Julia, Roger's wife, she'll be here soon. I want to meet her and go…," Elie trailed off, reached over and took a gulp of Annabel's wine.
"Elie, it's not a problem for me to go with you to the hotel. Really. We could pick up your stuff and you could stay here. I've got the space. I'd like the company."
Elie shook her head again. "Thanks, anyway. I just need a little time by myself to process things. I've got to make some phone calls too. Find out what I'm doing..." Elie stopped. She rubbed her eyes. Annabel sat down next to her. "I don't know what I'm doing. Roger's been with me from the beginning. He took care of me. I don't know...I don't know what I'm going to do without him. God, Annie. What am I going to do?" Tears started rolling down Elie's cheeks. Annabel hugged her, rocking back and forth. She rubbed Elie's back.
"Elie, come on. Let me drive you over to the hotel. We can meet Julia at the department and you can come back here. It's silly for you to stay in a hotel when I have someplace you can stay."
Elie shook her head, stepped away and rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "Thanks for the offer, Annie, but I really want some time alone."
"If you're sure."
"I'm sure, Annie." Elie looked down at Annabel and gave her a half smile. "It's not that I don't appreciate your offer, really. I just need to be by myself. I'll be alright."
"I'll meet you at the department, then. And if you change your mind…"
"I've got your number, Annie. I'll let you know. I promise."
"Ok." Annabel picked up a phone book and her phone. "If you're absolutely sure. Let me call you a cab."
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