Erin waved to Derek, Penelope, and Spencer as they left the cabin. It was always sad to see their visitors go, but that weekend made her even sadder. David seemed to pick up on her slight distress, as he closed his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest as he rested his chin on top of her head. "So, it's just Jennifer, Aaron, and Lexie left with us. Do, do you think that I could ask Lexie to stay with us for a little while longer? Not that you're not enough for me, but I feel like we need a little more time to truly reconnect, since things started off so rocky at the beginning of this weekend jaunt."

"I think that I'd like to have another guest with us as we prepare you for your children coming up here on Friday."

She turned in his arms and looked up to smile at him. "You know me so well. I shouldn't be surprised by that, because of everything that we've been through, but I'm still in awe of how much you care to know me in this way."

"It comes with the territory of loving someone this much, babe."

Erin heard footsteps behind them, and she glanced over David's shoulder to see Alex standing there, bag in hand. "Did I hear two cars leave? I assumed that Spencer would be giving me a ride home, since he brought me here."

Erin stepped away from David and went to her side, slipping an arm around her waist as she gave her a small smile. "I guess that he either forgot or wanted you to stay here until I was ready to drive you home. I, I've heard that your team has the week off from cases, and thought that perhaps you'd like to spend more time here at the cabin with us?"

As she was waiting for Alex's answer, Aaron and Jennifer scooted past them, giving her a wide smile as they waved to them. She waved back before returning her attention to Alex. The woman was giving her a teasing smile as she took hold of Erin's hand and led her back into the living room. "I thought that you weren't going to spend time alone with anyone up here, now that you're back from the dead and thoroughly attached to David."

She blushed as she took a seat on the sofa close to Alex, allowing the woman to tug her closer to her side before she rested her head on Alex's chest. "I am. And I love him so very much. But…" She took a deep breath as she spread her hand out on Alex's torso as she collected her thoughts. "But I need a dear friend to ground me in the leadup to Friday afternoon. Penelope is a dear heart, but she's too loud, too much, for this particular situation. I need the soft quiet that you'll add to the two of us. You don't have to stay, David can run you home, especially if you were planning on spending the next week with James, but if you don't mind, I'd love to extend our weekend in the country to a week spent together."

Erin was so hesitant to see Alex's face, as she didn't want to find the no written on her features, so she burrowed closer to her chest and fisted her shirt in her hand as she took another deep breath. There were a few beats before Alex answered her, and each one felt like an eternity to Erin. "James is away on a short term MSF assignment, since his semester is over at Harvard. So I would just be alone for this week, anyway. If you truly want me, I'll stay."

The relief that flooded Erin's senses was almost instantaneous, and she nodded as she pulled away to lift her chin and kiss Alex's cheek tenderly. "Thank you. I promise to try and not be clingy this week, but I have the feeling that the closer it gets to Friday afternoon, the more fragile I'm going to be. Though I am surprised that I was able to keep up with everything this weekend, after the struggle that it has been to recover from what John did to me. I was glad when I got to stay behind for the hunt in the woods, however. I think that would have taken all of my energy reserves, if I had to tromp through the trees, searching for you."

"Is it that bad?"

Erin nodded as she yawned a little. "See? I've only been awake for three hours, and I already want to nap again. The doctor said that this was normal, as my body is still trying to recover from the effects of John's little MDMA cocktail that he fed me along with the alcohol. And it's still a crapshoot if they have the complete picture of what he used to doctor it. Most of the research notes that he kept on his nefarious little plots were destroyed when David blew up his house."

Alex winced a little as she nodded, and that was when Erin remembered that she had been held captive by their former colleague in that very house. "It was a necessity, Erin."

"I know, I know, but I just wish that he had kept his records stored on some sort of cloud drive, because then Penelope might have been able to track down what John did, and then my doctor would know for certain if the drug regimen that I'm on was necessary or will continue to work. I hate not knowing, even though I am feeling better than I was when I was in hospital."

Her friend nodded before leaning down and kissing her, a sweet kiss that reminded Erin so much of their first relationship, back when they were young and tender, so certain that they were ready to take on the world. And to her dismay, she started to cry a little as the kiss lingered, the salt from her tears stinging her tongue as they rolled down to her mouth. "Hey, why are you crying?"

"It happens a lot, especially when I get nostalgic for the good that happened in my life. I'm trying to rebuild that good, brick by brick, and I truly think this weekend was a wonderful first step at that. Even though it sounds so weird to say that a weekend spent almost exclusively naked and in bed with other people would be healing and rebuilding."

Alex shrugged as she started to card her fingers through Erin's hair. "I think that it makes perfect sense. Spencer said that weekends like this build trust between us, so that we can work better together in the field, because we know how to react. So being together here, at a pivotal time in your recovery, makes it understandable. You're still you, even after all John tried to do to end your life."

Erin nodded, a trembling smile on her lips as she shifted positions, angling her leg so that she could straddle Alex's lap and look deeply into her eyes. "You're the first person who's said that to me, after everything. David is my love, but he was more focused on my recovery. And then we were coming together for this weekend. I didn't know how much I needed to hear those words. Lexie…"

"I know, a little. Not in full. I could never know in full, since John didn't get as far into his plan for me as he did for you. But we survived something that should have destroyed us, and we're going to live life to the fullest to spite him. Yes?"

"Yes," she murmured in response as she leaned forward and rested her head against Alex's. "We're survivors. We are still here. And you're still my friend, even if you did think that I was dead for a while. I wish that I could have let you know from the moment I woke up in my room, but…"

"It was a matter of utmost secrecy. I understand that, now." Alex cupped her face and kissed her once more. Erin leaned into the kiss and hooked her arms around her neck, holding her close as Alex deepened the kiss, but still, somehow, kept it chaste. "Now, if you're truly this tired, we could go upstairs and talk in your bed."

"Or we could head outside and stretch out on the dock, beneath an umbrella, and talk while listening to nature. It will probably be hell on my back, but I like being outside sometimes, and this is one of those times. It's hard to explain, but I think this need stems from what John did, how he drugged me in an enclosed space and then I wasn't entirely certain of what happened afterwards. Or how he got me out of the hotel without anyone questioning anything. I need the wide, open, spaces."

"Then let's head outside. You can tell me a little more about your recovery as we watch the clouds go by. And Dave can make us lunch, and we could have a picnic on the lawn before we head out on the lake? I'm assuming he has some sort of boat here."

"You'd be right, Alex. And I'll have lunch ready for us in two hours."

Erin looked over at her beloved, giving him a wide smile as she slipped off Alex's lap and got to her feet, easily taking hold of her hand and helping her to her feet before leading her over to the back door. This weekend had started out a bit rocky, but as long as she had the people that she loved by her side, she knew that this weekend in the country would only lead to more happiness in her future.