"I'm heading out to pick up lunch. I should be back in about fifteen minutes." Erin looked up from the current case file she was reviewing and smiled at her assistant. "I still can't believe that you managed to get Patisserie Amie to cater to go meals for three."
"I have a bit of pull, Helen. And when you go pick it up, tell them that this will be a standing order for every Monday."
Helen nodded and left her office, closing the door behind her. Erin settled back in her chair, staring up at her ceiling. It had been a good morning, no interruptions from Dave or Jennifer, no emails from them, just her and her work. God, she missed losing herself in the minutiae of paperwork, looking at what was revealed about her agents in their reports. She knew exactly where their educational focus had been based on the way they wrote and how they viewed both the unsubs and the victims by the words they used to describe the situation. Oh, she knew that Aaron had tried to drill into his team the need to be impartial, that good profilers didn't make judgments, but still, their personal biases snuck through.
"Knock, knock." She looked up and smiled at Penelope, beckoning her inside. "How's your day been?"
"Somewhat relaxing. I managed to get through about a quarter of the backlog on my desk, so that's good."
"You find paperwork relaxing?" Erin nodded. "Oh, honey, we have to get you out more." She plopped down on the sofa, tucking her feet up under her.
"I've always been a bit of a bookworm, Penelope. Sorry?"
"Never be sorry for who you are." Penelope stood in a rush and came over to her side, kneeling and kissing her cheek softly. "I was just teasing."
"I know." She sighed as her cheek was kissed once more, pushing back from the desk as Penelope stood. Erin followed her back over to the sofa and sat next to her. "Helen will be back in just a little bit. I told her to make it a standing order for us every Monday."
"You don't mind the implications of that?"
"Why should I? We're colleagues, for the moment, and soon it will be more. Dave has lunch with colleagues all the time." She paused before continuing, "I may have let it slip to Aaron that we are in the beginning stages of a relationship. He needed to know."
Penelope nodded and reached out for Erin's hand. She clasped it tightly before interlacing their fingers. "I'm glad he knows. Maybe this way he can keep tabs out for us. I was thinking, what better revenge would it be if you were to stay our Section Chief and be my lover? It would drive Rossi mad and there wouldn't be anything he could do about it. Plus, there's nothing really vindictive in that, is there?"
Erin sat back, pulling Penelope's hand across her body to rest on her stomach. "No, there's not, actually. The best revenge is a life well lived, right?" Penelope nodded and scooted closer to her, spooning her body to fit around hers. "I'm just concerned about the video footage that might be used against us, should either of them get angry."
"I'll take care of that, Erin. Certain gaps will never be noticed, nor will the fact that looped footage has been added in certain areas. And we're not going to do anything more than kiss here. I'm not one for public displays of affection, really. And the office is too public for my liking at times." Erin nodded and rested her head on Penelope's shoulder. "Though I might have to go against my previously held convictions and kiss you a lot in public. I've fallen in love with your kisses already."
She was unsurprised when Penelope turned her head and kissed the top of her head softly. "Maybe if we fall in love with parts of each other first, loving the whole will be natural. There are a lot of things about me that you might find unlovable." Erin tightened her grip on Penelope's hand, wondering if she had revealed too much to the other woman.
"I find that hard to believe."
"Wait until we've had our first argument before you say something like that. I know I can be a bitch." Penelope let go of her hand and reached up to place her fingers on her lips.
"Don't call yourself that, please. You might have an iron backbone, or ovaries of steel, and that's okay." Erin smiled against the fingers and then gently kissed them. "You are going to be absolutely wonderful to get to know. And I can't wait for our first fight."
"And why is that?"
"I get to find out what kind of makeup sex to expect. Kevin was kinda sad in that department, unfortunately. All weeping and apologizing and sloppy kisses." She felt Penelope shudder slightly and laughed a little.
"I never wept during sex, except from pleasure. Rossi knew how to do this most amazing thing with his tongue, I can't even begin to describe it. Or at least, not here. Too many people could overhear things I don't want them to."
Penelope nodded and sat up. Erin found that she missed the contact of her body. "I know how to do a few fun things with my tongue, too. But Helen's coming, that will have to wait."
Erin blushed at the mental picture Penelope evoked and straightened her jacket as Helen walked in the door. "The restaurant was packed! I was surprised I got the food so quickly." She set two bags down on the oval table that dominated one corner of her office. "Have a good lunch, ladies." The assistant left the room, closing the door behind her as they got up and headed for the table.
"Would you like some water?" Penelope nodded and Erin opened the drawer that had once held her liquor bottles. In their place was now an assortment of different brands of water. "Fiji, Evian, or Pennine Spring?"
"Ooh, I've never heard of Pennine Spring. I'd like a bottle of that, please." Erin nodded and pulled out two bottles, handing one to Penelope. She cracked the seal of her bottle and took a sip, enjoying the taste of the British water. Most people would swear she was insane, but she could tell the differences between different waters. There was just a certain taste that each had. "Now you said that you'll be home about half past eight, right? I just don't want to miss my opportunity of talking to you."
"Uh huh. I don't know what sort of a mood I'll be in when I answer, but I will pick up for you. Meetings tend to take a lot out of me." She bent her head over her food and picked at it, waiting for Penelope to say something.
"Sometimes, my group meetings take a lot out of me, too. It is hard to deal with the feelings that are dredged up by other people's stories at times. I'm going to want to hear your story, when you're ready. And you may ask to hear mine at any time, though not over the phone." Penelope reached out and touched her hand. "I want to tell you everything."
Erin nodded, feeling her emotions knotting up in her chest. "Maybe that will be our first order of business, then." They finished eating and Erin went back over to the couch, bringing her water with her. "We still have thirty minutes."
Penelope nodded and sat down next to her. "This is going to sound really dumb, but I could stay here all day, just listening to you. You have this presence about you that amazes me. I never saw that, before." She threw an arm around Erin's waist just as Helen's phone rang. They both fell silent as they waited to see if they would be interrupted.
Sure enough, moments later Helen burst into her office. "Erin, I tried to tell him you were busy, that you were in a lunch meeting. He wouldn't listen."
"Who?"
"Agent Rossi. He'll be here in seconds."
Erin nodded tightly, pulling away from Penelope. "There's no way for you to get back to your office. I'm sorry that you'll have to see this."
Penelope just cuddled into her, ignoring Helen's bug-eyed look. "He can stuff it."
"You heard Penelope. He can stuff it." Helen nodded anxiously and scurried out of the room. It didn't take long for her to hear the heavy footfalls of her former lover and she took a deep breath to shore herself up. Penelope rubbed her stomach quickly before sitting up and smiling at her. "Yes, David? What did you need?"
He blanched a little, taking in how closely together they sat. "You never responded to my flowers. Usually I hear from you before this. Didn't you like them?"
"A better question is didn't you listen to Hotch? She doesn't need anything dead, especially not from you. You broke her heart, you rat fink."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't remember asking you anything, Kitten."
"And another thing, I told you to never call me that again, especially not with who you're fucking. Now, what do you want?"
"I want my girlfriend to forgive me." Erin took in his countenance, noticing that his contrition never quite reached his eyes.
"It will be a cold day in Hell before that ever happens. Please leave now, before I call Aaron and have him take you out of here." She sighed, shaking her head. "Anything I once felt for you lays in the ashes of my heart. First Alan betrayed me, and then you." A few tears began to fall down her cheeks and she swiped them away.
"Erin, it won't happen again, I promise."
"No, David, it will happen again. You brought her to your home, someplace you had never taken me. That means you're more serious about her than you want to admit. Just think of the child, I beg of you."
Penelope clasped her hand tightly as they stared down Rossi. Finally, he nodded and turned on his heel, closing the door forcefully behind him. Erin collapsed against Penelope, letting herself cry as she released the tension she had held in. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know. I should probably call my sponsor…"
"You're craving. Oh god, Erin, talk to me."
She took a shaky breath. "I want to drink this day away. You've been so sweet this weekend, looking out for me, talking to me, that I feel like I'm letting you down by admitting this failing in me."
"Do you realize that I admire you for being so honest?" Penelope reached up and cupped her cheek gently. "I don't know what to say to make this better, I've never been addicted to anything. This was supposed to be a happy lunch."
Erin nodded. "I have to call Anne. I'm sorry, but this needs to be a private call right now, we're not as close as I'd like us to be before I let you in to this part of my life."
Penelope nodded and then leaned close to her. Erin turned her head and kissed her gently. "I'll be waiting for you, when you're ready to let me in. I'll call you tonight, Erin."
As she stood, all Erin could do was nod, wanting desperately to let Penelope in further, and wanting just as desperately to protect her heart from further hurt. "I'll be looking forward to that call."