"I think that you're making a mountain out of a molehill, Penny," Aaron said, and she frowned at him. "I can hear the protest in your expression, but she's fine. I would know if there was an issue with any of my agents, because we work in such close proximity. It's how I know when you're upset with me, like you are whenever I don't think the way you do about Strauss."
Penelope went to protest, only for Ashley to peek her head inside the doorway. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a few questions. Would you mind if I horned in on this?"
She shook her head a little as she gave Aaron one last look. He just shook his head, which frustrated her all the more as she turned on her heel and tried not to stalk from the room. She knew that they would have to talk about this more later, but for now she knew that she would have to be content with knowing that she had at least put the bug in his ear. Still, she wanted to talk it out of her system, so she didn't head back for her own office, instead making her way out to Erin's in the hopes that she would be available to discuss her misgivings.
Grant gave her a small knowing smirk as she passed by his desk, and she thwapped his shoulder lightly as she passed by him. "Keep your thoughts off your face," she hissed before giving him a small wink, letting him know that she was teasing him, and he just shook his head as he chuckled.
"I'll try to keep that in mind," he replied to her back and then she was stepping out of the bullpen and walking down the hall until she was in Erin's office. Helen was seated primly behind her desk, making some notes on scratch paper, and she looked up to give Penelope a warm smile.
"She's out getting coffee, since I tried to distract her from a very bad start to her morning. And I may have replaced two more of her bottles with pure water. The less she knows about that, the better."
Penelope's face relaxed into a soft smile as she took a seat on the edge of Helen's desk. "I can't believe that I didn't think of that! And yes, it's better that you do it slowly, so that she doesn't notice things right away. I'm glad that you're so good for her."
"You're good for her, too, Penny, just in a different way. The friendship that you've provided her has genuinely made quite the difference, as she isn't drinking on the job quite so much. And I know that she's not drinking at home, because she said that she wasn't going to take that risk. Together, we're going to put her back together, so that she can have her family once more."
"That is the plan, Helen. Do you think that she'll mind if I wait for her in her office? I am decidedly bad company right now, despite how I'm interacting with you right now, and I know that I need to work out some of this frustration before I talk to her."
"That will be fine, and she should be back in a few minutes."
Penelope nodded as she stood and slipped into Erin's inner sanctum. There was something soothing about being in there, and she made her way over to the sofa. It was so easy to sink down onto the soft cushions, slipping off her heels before curling up in the corner and closing her eyes heavily. She didn't know how long she was asleep, only that she was woken up sometime later by the softest brush of lips against her forehead. Blinking her eyes open, she found Erin hastily pulling away from her before tripping over the edge of her coffee table. "Erin!"
"I'm fine, nothing wounded except my pride," she mumbled as she scrambled to her feet, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
"I've checked on Emily the same way," she said, letting Erin know that she was all right with being kissed like that, and the blush on her cheeks deepened a little as she took a seat next to Penelope, giving her a small nod. "Which I suppose is the best segue into why I fell asleep in your office. I need to talk to you about Emily, but it needs to be as friend to friend, not as my boss. Would that be all right?"
"I'll try to remain as impartial as I can," Erin replied as she settled closer to Penelope. "Now, what is on your mind?"
"Emily is acting weird. Well, weirder than normal. And I don't know if I should be worried about her or not. It feels like every day, I learn more about her without learning more. Does that make sense?"
"A little, yes. You picked up on some undercurrent that Emily is giving off, that the others might not have noticed. Have you tried talking about your concerns with Aaron?"
"Yes, and he seems to think that he would be the first one to notice something up with Emily, because he spends more time with her than I do, but he forgets that I talk with her on the phone, and we get together for girl's nights, and I just know her in a different way than a boss would know his employee. She's more than a coworker to me, she's family. Like you're family. My heart has made this little notch for you, just like Emily has in my heart, and I just don't think that I can explain this intuitive feeling that something is wrong with her. Just like I knew that something was bothering you."
"And you hate being brushed off by the person that you've fallen in love with because it feels dismissive and like your opinions don't matter."
Penelope nodded as she stared at Erin, wondering how she could know her so well. "That, that's right."
"Oh, darling."
"What?" she asked, feeling a strange pit of apprehension thud heavily in the bottom of her stomach as she watched Erin's face carefully. There was an expression there that she couldn't quite place, and she reached out to touch Erin's shoulder, hoping that gesture would get her to open up a little more. "Erin?"
The woman sighed as she glanced away from Penelope, becoming more closed off from her in that moment, something Penelope hated. "That was one of the first signs of trouble in my marriage. We used to talk about everything, and when he started to dismiss me and push me away, I started to drink to cope with the rejection. Which just served to push us farther apart, until we ended up here. He cheated on me."
That was a new revelation, and Penelope knew that Erin's trust in her had just risen a few more notches, as she had the feeling that there were three people in the world besides the lawyers who knew that about Erin's marriage. "I'm so sorry, Erin."
"I am, too. I, I also drank again last night. I didn't get drunk, not really, but it didn't feel the same?"
She nodded as she reached across the distance between them, picking up Erin's hand and threading their fingers together as they sat in silence. Finally, she opened her mouth once more. "It might not feel the same because you know that it's a stumbling block that will keep you from your children. And despite your best efforts to want to quit, you just can't free yourself from the tentacles of addiction. You do know that you can call me any time that you need to talk yourself down from that ledge?"
"And then I would come between you and Aaron, and that wouldn't be fair to you."
Penelope tightened her grip on Erin's hand as she shook her head. "I will always have time for my friends. And you are my friend, that I dearly love. Do, do you think that if I call Dawn, she'll be able to ask Alan to give us permission to have supper with the kids tonight? I don't want to go home to an empty apartment, and I am not really feeling like being with Aaron at the moment. I guess that I just need some space to lick my wounds and regroup. I'll talk to him tomorrow, but I need that buffer zone tonight."
"You can try, but I doubt that Alan would allow that. Though I wouldn't mind having supper with you, if you truly want to enjoy my company."
Penelope nodded as she pulled out her phone from her pocket. "I will always want to spend more time with my friends. Emily and Jayje are always busy, so it's harder to get together with them, but you're all dear to me." Erin gave her hand a series of small squeezes before letting go and getting to her feet, heading over to the windows of her office, allowing Penelope some privacy. Opening the device, she called up Dawn's information and hurriedly called her, waiting to hear the call connect.
"Hello? Penelope?"
"Yes, Dawn, hi. I was wondering, long shot I know, but I want to have supper with Erin and the kids tonight. Is there any possible way that you could get Alan to agree to bring the kiddos over around six? I'm going to leave early today and cook with Erin, so they wouldn't ever be alone with her."
The older woman let out a throaty laugh before responding. "You really like to push boundaries, don't you?"
"I am very good at it, yes. So, could you please try? You can even tell him that we won't make the kids do the dishes, that we just need an hour to have a meal together. I just need the company of my friend and her children tonight."
"I'll see what I can do, and get back with you as soon as possible. Don't get your hopes up, though."
"I know, Alan can be a jerk, but I have faith that he sees me as a calming influence, and will relent a little. Talk to you soon either way." They ended the call, and Penelope slipped her phone back into her pocket before getting up and going over to Erin's side. "Fingers crossed for good news?"
"We're eating together tonight either way, so that's already good news." Erin turned to her slightly, giving her a tremulous smile. "Thank you, for trying."
"I'll always try, Erin. You deserve it." She gave the woman a quick hug, even as she sent up a quick prayer that Dawn could make things work, and that they would all be together that evening.
