As soon as Alan was out of sight, David exited the car and made his way to her side, her bag and purse in his hands. Erin managed to give him a shaky smile before collapsing against his chest in a flood of tears as his arm closed around her shoulders, holding her close. "Haley got to him first. She read him the letter that Aaron wrote, and the worst thing?"
"What, bella?"
"He wasn't angry with me for not telling him. He was just disappointed with me. If I had just told him what happened the day after it occurred, my life wouldn't be over now. He, he's serving me with divorce papers. I mean, I deserve it, but it still hurts."
She listened to him hum lightly beneath his breath before he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Oh, Erin."
"I know. Oh god, David, everything hurts. Even though I've been sleeping after I fainted, I think that I'm going to head upstairs to take a nap? Maybe that can start to heal this ache in my heart?"
He nodded before pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head, causing her to smile a little before she pulled away from him and let out a deep breath. "I can start to make you something to eat while you sleep. You need to keep your strength up, if not for you, then for the baby."
"Thank you. And the kids will be home in a couple hours, so if you could distract them from the nonsense I've dragged them into, I would appreciate that as well." He nodded a little, and she gave him a fleeting smile before turning and digging her keys out of her purse and letting herself in. Already, the air felt different to her, though she knew that was just her mind giving her home the feelings of her heart. Closing her eyes, Erin stepped out of her shoes before heading up to her room, letting out a little cry to see that Alan's half of the closet was empty. She stumbled her way over to the bed and flung herself down onto her side of the bed, grabbing his pillow and holding it close to her chest so that she could breathe in his scent as she wept herself to sleep.
"…thought of that before you treated her the way you did. It was a dick move."
Erin frowned as she tried to piece together why David was in her bedroom as she blinked her eyes open to see him sitting with his back against the headboard, animatedly talking to someone on the phone. Listening intently, she could make out the now familiar sound of Ms. Garcia's voice on the other end of the line, and her frown deepened a little as she sat up and scooted back until she was also letting the headboard support her. "Why are you talking to her?"
"One second, Garcia." He pressed her cellphone against his chest as he looked at her. "Someone needed to tell her that she was out of line to be so cruel to you this morning."
"I deserved that, David. She has every right to be upset with me, even if you don't think it was right."
He sighed as he brought the phone back up to his ear, listening to something that Penelope was saying. "Of course, you may. Just, be kind. My god, it's not that hard to be kind."
David handed her phone to her, and she gave him a small smile before pressing it to her left ear as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Yes, Ms. Garcia?"
"You don't have to be a martyr in this situation, ma'am. It's kind of you to want to take on all of the anger and blame in what's happened, but as Rossi was explaining to me, you couldn't have gotten pregnant without another person present. Well, I mean, you can, but it would be creepy and weird if you stole Hotch's sperm and knocked yourself up with like, a turkey baster or something." Erin chuckled at that analogy, resting her free hand on her stomach as she waited for Ms. Garcia to finish her thought. "What I'm trying to say is that I should have thought about what you were going through before I judged you about what is happening. You have to be so heartbroken. How did your husband take the news when you told him?"
"I did not get the opportunity to do that, not before Mrs. Hotchner informed him of my indiscretion. It, it did not end well."
"Oh." Erin could practically hear the woman start to sniffle a little before she spoke once more. "I need to make this right, somehow. Can I bring you supper? And maybe we could talk a little more? It's one thing to joke or be casually cruel, but…I just have to start making this right."
"My children will be home shortly…"
"I can bring enough for everyone! That would be what, five people?"
"Six, actually, including yourself. But you don't have to…"
"Nonsense! I am going to fix this, maybe not right away, but this can at least be the first step towards repairing the trust that I broke today. Please?"
Somehow Erin knew that she wouldn't be able to tell the woman no in the long run, so she drew in a deep breath through her nose as she looked over at David. "That would be fine. Please arrive at my home around five, as we like to eat at six, so the children have time to complete their homework before having a little time to themselves."
"I can so do that! Just text me your address, and I will be there with bells on!"
"Of course, Ms. Garcia. We'll see you at five."
After ending the call, she quickly texted the younger woman her address before turning her face up to look at David, seeing the way that his jaw was clenched a little. "Erin…"
"I know, but she is a most persistent young woman. I couldn't tell her no, not when she wanted so desperately to try and make things right. I know that you wanted to make supper for us, but if this allows her to feel a little less guilty, so be it. I need to have a harmonious work environment for the next eight months. I very nearly miscarried Tabitha in the sixth month, and had to be out on medical leave for three weeks as a result. I'm eight years older now, and I know that makes things more dicey. Please, don't ask me to not play nice, David. I'm going to need your support, and any support I can get in the BAU. Everyone knows, and it will just…destroy me?"
He slightly moved away from her so that he could look into her face, a sad expression on his features. "I didn't know that about your last pregnancy. I'm sorry."
"You didn't know, David. You'd already retired by that point, and we didn't part on the best of terms. But you're here now, right?"
"For as long as you need me to be, bella."
She cocked her head to one side as her face crumpled a little. "Why are you being so kind to me? I don't…"
"Hush, do not finish that thought. You made a mistake, and yes, it is having disastrous consequences for you, but that does not make you unworthy of having your friends stand by your side and defend you. And I know, it's a bit soon to consider us friends, but that is how I am viewing you at the moment." Before she could say another word, he bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, causing her to sigh and wonder how he could possibly consider this friendly, even if it was most welcome in that moment.
