When Erin woke up the next morning, her eyes were still swollen from the amount of tears that she had shed the night before. David was still asleep next to her, and she smiled sadly as she leaned in to kiss his lips gently. "Mmm, is that our alarm, dolce?"
"It's your alarm, today, darling. I think that I am going to take a sick day and rest. My eyes hurt and I have a pounding headache. You know how it is after I've cried for so long." He nodded before kissing her once more, flipping her onto her back and straddling her body.
"I could take a sick day, too, and pamper you. Breakfast in bed, a massage, reading your favorite book to you. We could take a long walk by the lake. Anything that would make you feel better."
Erin smiled at his concern, but shook her head. "No, darling, it would look bad if you were to take the day off as well. The rumor mill has enough grist to grind without you adding more to it. Besides, who else is going to tell me what else Alex says, if not you?"
He chuckled a little before tenderly pushing her hair out of her face. "There's always Penelope. I'm certain that she would be more than willing to spy on Alex for us."
She shook her head, a soft laugh trilling off her lips. "No, darling. We can't use our friends like that. I'm just going to have to work harder at making amends and smoothing things over between us."
"All right, but just say the word and I will have Penelope on her like white on rice." She nodded before kissing him a third time. "You know, I can always be a little late. The briefing doesn't start until ten."
"And then you would be stuck in traffic, which you hate."
"I would do a million things that I hate if it meant I had another moment with you," he whispered as he pushed the sheet down off their bodies. Erin smiled lazily up at him, shaking her head a little as she resigned herself to more pleasant pursuits that morning. David seemed intent on bringing her the most pleasure he could, focusing on every little spot on her body that made her see stars, and soon she could think of nothing more than the feel of their bodies becoming one as she gave herself over to orgasm.
Panting slightly, she flopped back against the mattress to stare up at her lover, trying not to let sadness once more creep onto her face. She knew that he had to head into work, and if she looked sad, he would want to stay and comfort her more. Closing her eyes, she smiled as widely as she could before letting out a soft sound of pleasure. "That was lovely, darling. Now go, take a shower, and head in. I'll be fine here, I promise."
She could feel him lean in close to her, and Erin opened her eyes, seeing the wicked little smile that curved his lips upwards. "Are you certain you don't want me here, distracting you?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed, feeling a truer smile spread across her face as she turned onto her side and reached out for his pillow, bringing it close to her chest. "Honestly, I need to sleep this headache away, Dave, and I won't be pleasant, conscious, company. I'll have supper ready, though, if you don't head out on a case today."
She listened to his sigh, knowing that he was warring with himself. And then, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her temple before clambering off the bed and pulling the covers up around her shoulders. "I'll try and see if we can work on a case close to home, and let the other teams take the cases further afield."
"Okay," she murmured through a half-fake yawn. A low groan escaped her throat as her partner stroked her hair before starting to get ready for the day. The little bit of noise in the room was enough to send her back to sleep, and when she woke up again, she was alone. Sitting up slowly, Erin drew her knees up tight to her chest and rested her chin atop them, staring at the wall. Almost instantly, her thoughts turned to their daughter, to her sweet Maddie, and her heart began to ache once more.
Knowing that there was only one thing that could dull the ache in her heart, she blinked slowly and slipped from the bed, tiptoeing as quietly as she could down to Dave's study, even though she knew that no one was in the house with her. Still, she felt guilty for what she was about to do, since she knew that it would reset all of the hard work and progress that she had made in the last few months.
A part of her had always had a hard time accepting that Dave trusted her enough to not lock up his alcohol, but today, she was grateful for that trust, since it meant that she had easy access to the one thing that could obliterate all the pain and yearning in her heart. Sinking to her knees in front of the liquor cabinet, she pulled open the door and rummaged around inside it, looking for the bottle of Drambuie. It was sweet enough to cover up the aftertaste of alcohol, which would make it easier for her, in the long run.
Taking hold of it, she rose to her feet and stumbled over to the settee in front of the window, sitting heavily on it as she stared out the window. The day was clear and bright, much too bright for her liking, and that had her pulling the stopper out of the bottle much faster than if it had been overcast.
And just as she raised the bottle to her lips, she began to hear her cellphone ringing from the kitchen, where she had left it. Sighing deeply, she debated whether or not to get up and answer. The familiar scent of Drambuie was too strong a pull, however, and she ignored the ringing as she brought the bottle to her lips.
Erin had almost taken that first delicious sip when a sharp rapping on the door pulled her attention away from the bottle once more. Taking a deep breath, she slammed the stopper back into the mouth of the bottle and stood, the heavy weight a comfort in her hand as she stomped heavily towards the front door, wondering who would dare disrupt her. Peering out the window next to the door, she saw the one person in the world who she knew would not take no for an answer, and she let out a frustrated breath as she rested against the door heavily, hoping that the noise wouldn't attract Penelope's attention.
The woman seemed to have the ears of a mouse, though, since she once more banged on the door. "Erin! I know that you're right there! Let me in!"
"You woke me up from much needed sleep, Ms. Garcia, and that is not helping my migraine, at all. Please, come back later."
"I would, but I don't think that Rossi would be very happy with me if I did. He's more concerned about you than you think he is. And I'm not here to babysit you, but I hope that you consider me friend enough to let me in. Please?"
Knowing that she wouldn't go away, or if she did, she'd tell Dave that she was being recalcitrant, Erin sighed deeply and stepped away from the door and pulled it open, not bothering to hide the bottle in her hand, expecting Penelope to give her a pitying look. Instead, she was just swept up into a warm, loving, hug. As she realized the enormity of what she had been about to do, Erin broke down into harsh sobs, allowing Penelope to guide her inside, letting the door close with a soft thud behind them.