Somehow, three weeks passed by in the blink of an eye, and the only indication Penelope had of Alex being in her home was when they had their group meetings on Wednesdays. When she had asked James, he told her that there hadn't been an opportunity to speak with her, and she knew then that Alex was avoiding them both, though she didn't know why that would be. All she knew was that the distance hurt, and there didn't seem to be an easy way out of things.

"I hope that you made enough for five."

Looking up from the pot on the burner, she smiled to see Dave and Alex come into the kitchen. "My Italian Stallion! I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight!" Stepping over to him, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, giggling a little when he kissed her cheek softly. "Did the case end well?"

"As well as can be expected, Kitten. But that's why I came home with Alex tonight. There is something important I have to ask my topalina, and I'm hoping that she says yes." Somehow, she knew that he wasn't asking Erin to marry him, that he would keep that a surprise from everyone, so she wondered what it could possibly be. Looking over his shoulder, she watched Alex set the table for them and she tried to smile when she glanced up. A quick smile slipped across her lips before she sighed lightly, and then Penelope was stepping away from Dave, taking a deep breath before stirring the soup in the pot.

"Did Erin tell you that broccoli cheddar is my favorite soup?" Alex asked as she came over to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist, hooking her chin over Penelope's shoulder in a thoroughly romantic, tender, gesture, and she wondered what had changed in her in that moment. This was a complete change from her behavior at work, but she wasn't about to protest the embrace. Instead, she let out a quiet sound of pleasure as she relaxed back against Alex, reveling in the way her fingers splayed out on her torso as she breathed in deeply.

"I wish I had known that earlier, as I would have made it before now. Are you spending the night here?"

"Yes. It's time that I was home."

A warm, fizzy, feeling bubbled up in Penelope's breast and she nodded as Alex quickly kissed her cheek before stepping away and boosting herself up on the counter, watching over her and Dave with keen interest. "We'll be glad to have you here. This house is not quite full without your presence."

A soft blush stole across Alex's cheeks, and Penelope thought that she had never looked prettier in that moment, wishing that they were alone so that she could kiss her to her heart's desire. "And I missed being here with you all. James did mention that you and he had talked."

"Yeah, and it was a good one. Things are better between us now." They shared a longing smile, and Dave cleared his throat to get their attention. "Well, Dave, if you want to disappear into the living room and get James and Erin, supper is ready." He nodded, giving her a searching look before leaving the room. The moment he was gone, Penelope crossed over to Alex and cupped her face with her hands, leaning in to kiss her softly. "I have missed you, darling."

"I've missed you, too. We'll talk, soon, I promise. Okay?"

She nodded and then turned the burner off before bringing the pot over to the table, setting it on the trivet as Alex dug around in the utensil drawer. She soon returned triumphant with a ladle and then they were taking their usual seats, so that Erin and Dave could sit next to each other. The urge to reach out and hold Alex's hand ran through her strongly as they waited for the others, but Penelope knew that she had to be good, had to let things take their natural course.

James was the first one in the kitchen, a knowing smile on his lips. "I have been waiting for this moment since I smelled it cooking, Penny. You are an amazing cook."

"I learned a lot being on my own since I was eighteen. One of those things was cooking." He nodded as he took his seat. "Did you have a good day at work?" she asked as Dave and Erin joined them, taking their seats across from her.

"I did. There weren't quite as many traumas today, just smooth emergencies, if that make sense?"

"It does. There are cases like that, too, where even though it's horrific, it's also routine, something we can cope with easily. Though I do welcome those cases every so often, because the particularly brutal ones can be weighing on the soul." James gave her a small nod before smiling at her.

"It always helps to have the people we love close to us when we go through those hard times, though. Which is why I came home with Alex tonight. I have a question for you, Erin, and I hope that you're ready for this step in our life together. I need you in my life, I need you somewhere I can feel that I can easily protect you. Even though I know that you can easily defend yourself. Can we just end this little back and forth and have you move in with me?"

Penelope sighed a little at the thoroughly unromantically romantic way that Dave had framed his question, and she gazed at Erin hopefully, knowing that this would be the best thing for her. Erin met her gaze and gave her a soft smile. "I don't know if Penelope will be able to go back to sleeping alone, Davie. And she is a very comfortable pillow, I've found."

He gave her a small glare, and Penelope shrugged innocently as she tried to swallow her giggles. Bending over her soup, she ate while they waited for Erin to speak once more. "While I have a large house, I don't think that I'm the one Kitten wants to live with. And…" He leaned over and whispered something in Erin's ear. From the way that her face relaxed and eased into the sweetest smile Penelope had ever seen her wear.

"Yes, I think that I can agree to those terms. And it will be nice to get out from underfoot here. Four is truly a crowd." Looking back at Penelope, she rubbed her lips together a few times. "But that doesn't mean that I won't want to spend time with you all, my dear friends. I just need someplace I can call my own once more."

"Of course, Erin. All we ever wanted was for you to get better and be able to stand on your own two feet once more." Alex reached out and patted the woman's arm gently. "And this means that we also get to spend more time at Dave's place, and I do not see a problem with that."

"Neither do I! It will be fun to help Erin redecorate a few of the rooms to her liking," she teased, knowing that Dave would give her a look. Sure enough, he arched an eyebrow at her, as if challenging her words, and she just smiled sunnily in response, knowing that eventually, Erin would get her way.