Original Prompted dialogue: "It's all right, I've got you. I'm not gonna let you go, Allison. I've got you."
You see her the second she walks in, arms wrapped tightly around herself, eyes puffy and red. She's not crying at the moment but you can tell it's likely the only thing she's been doing for quite some time so you excuse yourself from the table and meet her halfway.
She doesn't say anything and you don't ask any questions, instead leading her by the hand to the back office. She bursts into tears as soon as the door is closed so you pull her into you, rubbing circles on her back with one hand as she breaks, sobbing into your shoulder.
What you don't know is that it's been a year to the day since her fiance died. You don't know that she's been drinking all day or that she stared at her phone for an hour trying to figure out who she could call to come pick her up off the floor. You don't know that she almost called you three times before deciding to just come find you instead. You don't know any of that, but you don't need to. All you need to know is that her hands are fisted in the back of your jacket and her mascara is running down your shoulder and if she's here it's because for whatever reason, it's you that she needs right now.
The door opens suddenly and Dawson and Casey stumble in, the noise filtering in from the bar reminding you that maybe this isn't the best place to deal with whatever it is that's going on. You shake your head and your friends leave as quickly as they arrived, but Rafferty is already pulling away, apologies spilling from her mouth.
She says it's not your burden, that it's not your fault, and you nod in agreement as you take a cautious step towards her.
"I don't," she sucks in a breath trying to keep her tears at bay. "I don't-"
But she doesn't finish her thought before the tears come again.
"It's alright, hey, I've got you."
You hold her tight against your body as she tries to push you away, but her shoves are getting weaker and you know she doesn't have any fight left.
"I'm not gonna let you go, Allison," you breathe into her ear. "I've got you."
Her sobs subside after a few more minutes but you need to get her away from here before she starts again. You wipe the tears from her cheeks with your thumbs and offer her a small smile.
"Do you really wanna be in a bar right now," you ask and she shakes her head no.
"Do you wanna be alone right now?"
She does the same.
"Okay then," you say, your hands now gripping her shoulders. "Now this is the first time I've asked this without it being sexual okay, but, your place or mine?"
She smiles then and calls you an idiot and you know she's gonna be just fine.