Cereal Dust

Emily woke up the next morning with a bad case of cottonmouth, the sunlight in her bedroom window blinding her eyes, and hearing Elle cussing as she clattered around the kitchen.

It had been a nice night, full of soft touches she hadn't had in a good span of years, sensitivity that only came once in awhile. And the cause of that, pushy woman, was ransacking her kitchen.

She pulled on a shirt and some panties and went to join her.

Elle had commandeered her bathrobe, which fluffed around her in a rather comical fashion.

"Cereal dust, nothing but goddamn cereal dust in all the boxes."

Emily ran a hand through her hair. "I've got an emergency stash of Rice Krispies behind the canned beans.

Elle didn't answer but went to the pantry and retrieved the cereal.

Emily got out the bowls and spoons and milk. Elle served them both.

When they had started, Elle finally spoke directly to her. "You didn't ask about it."

It. Elle's scar that ran around her left breast, above her heart.

"If you wanted me to know, you'd tell me."

Elle nodded. "I was shot. In my home. By a kidnapper we were chasing, a psycho who believed he was someone from King Arthur's Court."

"I'm sorry."

Elle shook her head. "That's not it. Not even the enforced leave."

"Then what?"

Elle played with her cereal. "I was sleeping with my boss. Jason. He never said he was sorry for what happened, how I'd become the bait. Even though I know we wouldn't have caught him otherwise, to be so, I don't know…."

"Remorseless," Emily supplied. Elle nodded.

"He spent so much time even taking care of me. I just shut him out. I couldn't stand it anymore. He cares, but he doesn't. Does that make sense?"

"In a way," Emily agreed.

"Not that you were a self-pity fuck," and Elle flashed her a grin that would light up a dark room. "I came here because I like you, Emily. I connected with you."

"Was it like when you connected with Jason?"

It was an honest question, not intended to needle. And Elle didn't act as if was hurtful. "I knew Jason found me attractive. He wasn't unpleasant, had a nice face, good manners, hell of a cook, a great teacher. I felt safe with him. And now I don't. I can't."

Emily reached over and took Elle's hand in hers. "Maybe what he did was right professionally but wrong personally."

"It was. I told him that I couldn't be around him anymore, to give me space to decide if we were a we or a him and me or not an us ever again and don't call I'll call you when I figure it out. That was cold."

"That was true," Emily argued for her. "You can't have a relationship with someone and have that kind of distrust there."

Elle nodded, then laughed. "God, I'm an idiot, talking about my last relationship like this. Cosmo says that's a no-no."

"You read Cosmo?" Emily asked.

"Sometimes."

"Me too."

They sized each other up.

"Every damn issue!" they both announced at the same time.

Even though it wasn't as romantic as ice cream or oysters or chocolate, Emily and Elle feed each other Rice Krispies.

Author's Note: I've always believed Elle and Gideon had something going on. Especially after he was talking to himself/her in 'The Aftermath' and calling her Baby. You don't just do that. Unless you're Garcia, of course. J