Chapter Three
The next morning she woke up for multiple reasons. First, the sun was coming in her window at the exact angle to hit her face. Second, she was much much too warm, courtesy of a combination of her blanket, and Zack, who was still asleep next to her with his arm wrapped around her waist, and his legs tangled up in hers. Third, there was a loud knocking on her door.
"Zack," she said, poking his shoulder when his arm tightened around her when she tried to get up. "Zack, let go," she said, nudging him again.
"Erin?" He asked, his voice gravely from sleep. She detangled herself as the knocking started again.
"Shit," she said, realizing how early it was. "The only person who comes over here this early is my mom and she can't know you're here. She definitely wouldn't approve. Can you just stay back here for a bit please?"
"Okay," he said, not totally awake yet. She threw on her jeans from the night before, then went to get the door, kicking Zack's shoes into her coat closet as she went.
"Mom?" Erin asked, pulling the door open. "What are you doing here so early?" The woman at the door looked very much like Erin did, blonde hair, blue eyes, sharp bone structure. Her nose was smaller though, dainty, and she dressed in clothes that suggested she had a lot of money, though both her and her husband were middle class at best, both working as bank managers at different branches of the same company.
"Well I thought I'd have to be here early to catch you before you go running off after another old rock or something," the woman said, pushing past Erin to come inside the apartment. Erin rolled her eyes, but closed the door anyway, glancing down the hallway nervously. She hadn't shut her bedroom door all the way, and if Zack made any noise, she was sure her mother would hear it.
"You know I don't work on weekends mom," Erin said, sighing as her mother sat in the chair Zack had occupied for dinner the night before. "Do you want some coffee? Or tea? I was just about to make some."
"No you weren't," the woman said, sniffing in disdain. "You obviously just woke up. You know, if you didn't sleep in so late you might be more productive in finishing your schooling."
"Alright, tea then," Erin mumbled, walking into the kitchen to put some water on the stove.
"I came by to apologize for my note yesterday," her mothers voice carried to Erin as she got the cups out of the cupboard.
"Really?" She asked, poking her head around the corner in surprise. Her mother was looking around the apartment with her nose up at the slight clutter of books and things for work.
"Yes," she said, not noticing Erin watching her. "While you may feel the need to avoid me every chance you get, your father reminded me that we did in fact have coffee together last month, so my timeline was wrong." Erin rolled her eyes, going back into the kitchen.
"I wasn't avoiding you mom," she said, pouring the hot water into the cups and grabbing two tea bags. "When you came by yesterday I was out. I put dinner in then went to pick up a friend while it was cooking."
"That's very irresponsible of you," her mother said, dipping the teabag into the water daintily. "Your apartment could have burned down while you were gone. And then you would use that as another excuse to put off graduating. Have you even started to work on your final essay or whatever its called?"
"It's called a dissertation mom," Erin said, sighing. "I'll get around to it."
"You know, digging around in rocks is hardly a useful way to spend your time. You could be doing something worthwhile, like becoming a doctor."
"When I get my degree I will be a doctor," Erin said, unable to resist the comment though she knew her mother had meant a medical doctor. "And I don't dig around in rocks. As I've explained to you before, I analyze ancient Egyptian artifacts."
"I meant a real doctor," her mother replied, rolling her eyes. "Looking at mummies is hardly useful either. They've been dead for decades."
"They've been dead for thousands of years mom," Erin said, but her voice was resigned.
"Now your sister on the other hand, she called me last night," he mother said, emphasizing the word sister.
"How is she?" Erin asked, interested again. She may not always like her mother, but Liz hardly ever had a chance to call them.
"She's engaged, to that boy she's been seeing. Mitch or Milcroft or whatever," he mother said, sipping the tea.
"It's Michael," Erin said, frowning.
"The point is," her mother said, speaking over the end of her sentence. "That Elizabeth has her life together. She's three months away from her next promotion, she's starting a family, she's protecting her country, and she still finds time to call her mother."
"I'm sorry mom, I'll stop by more often," Erin said, sighing again as she drank her slightly too hot tea too quickly.
"Don't bother, I know your busy with your rocks," her mother said, waving a hand in dismissal. "If your rocks are more important than family… well, your father and I will be here for you when you finally find a career that will support you."
"Thanks," Erin said flatly, setting her cup down a little hard against the table.
"I'll stop by again next week dear, maybe then we can go out for dinner," her mother said getting to her feet.
"Thanks for coming by, it was such a pleasant visit," Erin said, her voice dry and slightly sarcastic as her mother left the apartment. Erin shut the door louder than necessary before her mother could respond.
She stood in front of the door for a moment, her anger building, then she went back to the table and picked up her mothers cup, stared at it for a few seconds, then chucked it into the kitchen. She gripped the table tightly as the cup hit the wall and shattered, then she copied the motion with the other cup. She angrily threw her fist into the wall as she went to collect the broom from the cupboard. Nearly every time her mother stopped by Erin ended up breaking something to make herself feel better afterwords. Usually it was china, sometimes it was a dining chair, once it was a window, but that had been by accident.
"Erin?" Zack's voice made her look up in surprise. She had forgotten he was there. She glanced between him and the pile of china shards she had swept up.
"Uh, hey," she said.
"Are you okay?" He asked, frowning at her.
"Yep," she said. "Just, uh, dropped these."
"No, you threw them, I saw you," he said, and she sighed. "And your hand is bleeding. You should really clean that. Do you have a first aid kit?"
"Under the sink," she said, gesturing to the kitchen sink, then turning back to sweep the china pieces into the dustpan, then drop them into the trash.
"Come sit down and let me fix your hand," Zack said, gesturing to the dining room chairs. She sighed, but followed him to the table, then let him use a wet paper towel to clean the dried blood of her hand. Her knuckles were just a little scratched, nothing to make a big deal out of. They were both silent as he spread the antibacterial cream over her knuckles, then wrapped a bandage around them.
"Thanks," she said, leaning back in the chair.
"What your mother said was incorrect," Zack said, packing the things he had used back into the first aid kit.
"I'd rather not talk about it," she said, her voice quiet.
"Why didn't you tell her that you are almost done with your dissertation and already have a job offer?" Zack asked, frowning. "That's what she was upset about."
"It wouldn't have made a difference," Erin said, shrugging. "They never understood why I went into Geology, and they stopped paying for my schooling when I started majoring in Egyptology. I'm not my sister, so nothing I do is enough for them. It doesn't matter."
"It does if you are upset enough to cause yourself injury," he said, waving his hand toward her knuckles.
"It really doesn't matter," Erin insisted. "I excel at my work, I'm supporting myself financially on an internship pay, and whether or not she understands my interests doesn't affect how much I enjoy them."
"Very logical," he said, nodding. "I would believe you weren't lying if I didn't watch you throw china onto the floor and punch a wall out of anger."
"Zack," Erin said, her voice tired now. "I really don't want to talk about it. Please."
"Okay," he said, nodding. He turned to go back into the bedroom, probably to get the rest of his clothes as he was still only wearing boxers. Erin sighed. Last night had actually been fun, and this morning had completely ruined that mood for her.
"Zack," she said when she saw his back. She stood to go over to him and gently touched his shoulder.
"Does your shoulder hurt?" She asked, gently touching the scratch marks she had left there.
"No, why?" He asked, turning his head to try to see what she was talking about. "Oh."
"Sorry," she said, looking at the wall now. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It doesn't hurt," he said, then turned around to face her fully. "I can't remember a single time in the past three years I've heard you apologize for something so meaningless. I know you said you don't want to talk about this morning-"
"And I don't Zack, just let it go," Erin said, growing irritated again. He held up his palms in a passive movement.
"I was just going to say that even though I am not the most understanding person, you can talk to me if something is bothering you," he said. "That is what friends do, I've been told." She sighed, feeling bad for snapping at him now. She leaned up to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a hug.
"Thanks Zack," she said, sighing into his neck. "You're a very good friend."
"With benefits," he said, repeating her words from the day before. She chuckled as she pulled back, and wiped the sudden moisture from her eyes before it could form into tears. "Oh no," he said, drawing her attention back to him. "Did I say it wrong? Why are you crying?"
"No, no, I'm fine," she said, chuckling. "I'm just a little overemotional right now."
"That is because you are in the luteal phase of menstruation during which the body secretes progesterone which dismantles estrogen receptors causing declining moods, decreasing sex drive, negative responses to stress, and in some cases uncomfortableness," Zack said as he put on his clothes from the night before.
"Uh, how do you know that?" Erin asked, raising an eyebrow as she watched him pull on his clothes.
"I have four older sisters," he said, shrugging. "And I've known you long enough to recognize your patterns."
"You are… an interesting person," she said at last, pulling clothes out of her dresser to change into.
"That should have been a compliment but your tone suggests it was not," he said, frowning. She smiled and shook her head, then headed to the bathroom, leaning up to kiss him as she passed by. She had intended to surprise him, but his arms came out to secure her against him and he leaned down to deepen the kiss.
"I think you misled me," she said, stepping back from the kiss with a smile. "You already seem to be adept at sex and kissing. Did you only set up this situation as a way to get me to have sex with you?" Her tone was joking, but his face grew serious and thoughtful.
"The idea did cross my mind," he said and her jaw dropped in surprise. "But no, I was not dishonest with you. For some reason that I have not figured out yet, a relationship with you is much easier than I have found relationships to be in the past. Perhaps it is because you reminded me to rely on instincts."
"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "We can continue this as long as you want to. Practice is always good and I need a way to work out my stress that isn't destructive."
Whatever he was going to say to that was cut off as his phone started ringing. She went into the bathroom to change and give him a little privacy, but he was still on the phone when she left the bathroom.
"Just one moment," he said, then moved the phone away from his face and turned to her. "Can you take me to work, please?"
"Sure," she said, nodding. She may as well go in today too for a little while since she hadn't gotten any deciphering work done the night before. "Just give me a couple minutes."
"Yes I can be there," he said into the phone, then paused. "No, I'm not at home." Another pause. "Is that relevant?"
Erin chuckled as she left the room to gather her papers. She would take along some of her dissertation as well. While she had already finished all the research and writing parts and was practically ready to present it, she wanted to go through everything again, just in case she had made a mistake. She rearranged her backpack, taking out the thing she didn't need for the day to replace them with the things she did.
"Do you need to stop at home first?" She asked as Zack came out of the room.
"Yes, if that is okay," he said. She smiled and nodded, toeing her shoes on.
"Sure, it's on the way," she said, making sure she had all her things, then locking the door behind her.
She passed the rest of the morning alone in the Egyptology department where she felt the most comfortable. She had always enjoyed the musty, dust filled smell of the ancient artifacts, and despite the fact that her department was mostly in the basement, with the exception of the workroom on the first floor that contained Dr. Lawrence's office, and of course the actual exhibit in the public part of the museum. She preferred the basement by far. It was full of all the items that Dr. Lawrence didn't deem important enough to put in the exhibit, and all the newer items they had received, including the tablet Erin had been studying the past couple days.
The deterioration of the stone the glyphs had been carved onto kept her from being able to find out what was written there, but the parts she had been able to see led her to believe that it was a list of names, probably of the people who had been buried in the tomb the tablet had been taken from.
The Jeffersonian hadn't been allowed the mummies, even though it was a Jeffersonian team that had found the tomb. Museums in Egypt were very strict about what they allowed to be shipped out of the country, and even then, those items were usually only a loan out.
After doing all the work she could do on the tablet and the other new items, she left her paperwork for the next time Dr. Lawrence came in, and started work on her dissertation review.
Erin, realizing that she hadn't eaten breakfast, snacked on an apple from the basket of fruit she kept at her station.
"Erin?" The loud voice from the doorway of the department made her jump from her paperwork. There was light coming in the windows of the workroom, so she hadn't bothered with turning the overhead lights on, since she wasn't doing delicate work anyway.
"I'm back here," she called back, recognizing Zack's voice. She reorganized the various papers into one stack as he made his way through the rows of items separating the workroom from the door. "What's up?" She asked as he came to a stop in front of her desk. She leaned back in her chair with a sigh, she was tired today, a combination of being woken up early and then skipping meals.
"I was having a conversation with Angela earlier," he began, and she sighed, but smiled a little.
"What about?" Erin asked, knowing that the woman she hadn't met constantly said things that Zack didn't understand. In the beginning of their friendship, Zack had come to her at least twice a week with something Angela, or at rare times someone else, had said that he didn't understand.
"Well the conversation was pertaining to the case we are currently working on, but it remained me of something one of my sisters talked to me about once and I started thinking-"
"Zack, stop rambling," Erin said. Whatever was bothering him was making him nervous, an emotion she hadn't even known Zack was capable of until the previous night. "What is it?"
"Contraceptives," he said, looking at her. "We didn't use any." Erin had to resist an amused smile. His sister, or someone else in the years before Erin had known him, had obviously told him that birth control was a subject that most people found awkward.
"I'm on the pill," she said, laughing a little. "It's very responsible of you to make sure though. Good job." She reached up to pat him on the head like she had done multiple times in the past. It had always bothered him before, he said he didn't like being treated like a puppy, but this time he just smiled.
"Good. I am not good with children," he said. "I have to go back to work. Bye."
"Bye," she said, staring after him in surprise.
That one comment about not being good with children played through her mind for the rest of the afternoon. There were so many implications in those words, and she wasn't sure if he knew that or not, being unused to social norms. Those words, and the way he had said them, implied that if she were to accidentally become pregnant, he wouldn't leave her. His tone had also implied that he wanted children in the future, something she had never been sure she wanted. It also sounded as though he was regretful for not being good with children already.
She shook her head after catching herself thinking about it for the fifth time in the last hour, and decided to call it a day. Why was she thinking about this as though they were in a serious, long-term relationship?
She nearly dropped her backpack as the answer came to her. It was because Zack was a 'long-term' kind of person. She had realized it a long time ago, when they were just friends, that he treated the people around him as though they were his family. She had never seen him turn down someone when they asked a favor, even if it was work related, and he didn't like change, which was obvious from his personality.
Of course he was a long-term kind of person. Why had she thought that a short-term relationship with him was a good idea? She really should call the whole thing off.
That idea caused her to come to a stop in the middle of the hallway she had been walking in. Why did that idea hurt? They had been together for less than twenty four hours, but in that time she had grown used to him being nearby. Or maybe she had grown used to that before, when they had been friends. The days when they had lunch together outside had been her favorite days of the week, and she really enjoyed his personality, it was odd and refreshing. And she had always thought of him as attractive, she had even considered trying to date him when they had first become friends, but then she had gotten distracted with work and had never followed up on the idea.
Would she consider a long-term relation ship with him now? She shook her head at the though. She didn't need to think about this, it wasn't an option. She had made her views to him clear. Sex, and that was all. Eventually Zack would find some girl that would understand his way of doing things and they would fall madly in love with each other and live happily ever after with a bunch of kids.
"Hi, you look lost," a woman said, walking up to Erin as she entered the Medico-Legal Lab. Erin felt lost in this facility. Everything was so sterile and post modern and busy, though today it seemed to be mostly empty.
"Uh, yeah I was looking for Zack Addy," she said, glancing around the room.
"He's with Dr. Brennan… I'm not sure where they went but they aren't here," she said, smiling. Erin felt more comfortable around her, she was wearing slightly dressy clothing, but she didn't look like one of the always serious lab tech people. "Why are you looking for him? And how did you get in here anyway?"
"Oh, I work here," Erin said, knowing she could easily be mistaken as a normal person with the way she dressed, and the fact that her Jeffersonian badge was clipped to her belt and obscured by her jacket. "I'm Katherine James, I work in the Egyptology department."
"I'm Angela Montenegro," she said, shaking Erin's hand, and Erin smiled at her. She could see how this woman would confuse Zack with advice, she looked to be girly, and mostly normal.
"I gave Zack a ride to work this morning so I was just making sure he wouldn't need a ride home so I can head out," Erin said, and Angela's eyes widened a little.
"So you know where Zack was this morning?" Angela began excitedly, and Erin had the sudden feeling that she had made a mistake in mentioning that. "He lives on Hodgins' property but he said Zack wasn't home this morning."
"Oh, I didn't realize he had a roommate," Erin said, deliberately playing stupid. "I met Zack a couple years ago and discovered that his house is on the way to mine, so I give him rides sometimes when he stays late. I asked him to review my dissertation this morning because I know he's also working on one."
"That is much less fun than what I imagined," she said, almost pouting a little. Erin chuckled, glad she wasn't called out on her lie. It had sounded obvious to her own ears. "So you've been friends with Zack for years?"
"Yes, we met my second day here when I got turned around going to my department," Erin said, chuckling at the memory. "Zack was the first person I came across and he was very aggravated at having to show me where to go so I found him after work to apologize and we started talking. He sometimes comes to ask me to explain the things you say. Assuming you are the Angela he works with."
"That's me," she said, grinning. "We should have lunch together some time. We can talk about all the embarrassing things you know about Zack."
"Oh, I don't really know any," Erin said, feeling as though if she had to spend time with Angela, the woman would somehow magically learn all her secrets.
"Of course you do," Angela said, chuckling. "You just don't know that you do."
"I can see why Zack is confused by you," Erin said, smiling at the taller woman. "I never leave my department though so if you ever want to come by for lunch I will not say no."
"Perfect," she said, grinning, and Erin got the feeling that Angela was planning something.
"Can you please tell Zack that I went home early so I can't give him a ride home?" Erin asked.
"Sure," Angela said. "See you later Katherine."
"Bye," Erin mumbled, not bothering to correct the name.
She spent the rest of the afternoon getting her dissertation in order, then cleaning up from the day before; washing dishes, vacuuming, and putting her work things back into their proper places, though she was sure that within a couple days they would be all across the tables again.