Another Florida case had popped up on their radar, and while it wasn't quite a creepy as what had happened in Oregon, it was still a weird case. Alex was glad that they were staying in the same time zone, since that meant her call with Erin would be at a decent time for them both, as she had truly felt things start to shift in her heart with regards to her friend. And she couldn't help but notice that she was starting to think of Erin as her friend once more, not even calling her Louise in her mind when she thought about their calls.

"Florida cases are the worst," JJ said as they pulled into the Chinese food place that Garcia had sourced for them when they had called it a day at the precinct. "I know that this isn't as bad as some of the other ones we've gone through since you joined the team, but I can't help but feel that it is probably going to get worse, just because of what state we're in. I hate stereotyping an entire geographic area, but it seems like the cases here are horrible from the get go or they just go south quickly. I don't think I ever told you about the time we were down here with Strauss, did I?"

Alex shook her head as JJ parked, and the younger woman gave her a wry smile as they got out and headed into the restaurant. There was a bit of a queue, which meant that she would perhaps get the story before they ordered their food, and that made her somewhat happy. "What happened?"

"We were investigating a death at a military school, and it was so abusive. The Director was the one who ordered us down there, and he sent Strauss along to be the political heavy, to try and open the doors that he assumed would just be slammed in Hotch's face. I mean, she is very good at playing the political game and getting her way. But this was a Florida case, through and through, and we didn't realise at the time that she was battling her own demons that were clouding her judgment. It was so bad, and I have no idea how we all held it together when we realized that some of the children were hazed by being shoved into industrial strength washers. And, as I look back at everything, I don't blame Strauss for drinking on that case. Yes, I know it was part of her disease, as she explained to me and Emily as she made amends to us, but it brought out a fire in her that was fiercely protective of those children. For all her faults, it is so obvious that she loves children and would do anything to protect them."

Alex nodded absently, thinking about how Erin had always taken time to ask after Ethan. And a part of her wanted to reveal to JJ that she had once had a son, but still, it didn't feel like the right time. "That is true," she finally replied as they stepped up to the counter, quickly placing their orders and paying before taking a seat at an open table. "Erin was always protective of those who couldn't really defend themselves. It is truly her best quality." For the first time in close to two decades, Alex found herself easily saying kind words about Erin, and she knew that it was a direct result of the conversations that she had been having with the woman late at night. The honest conversations that they had, despite the slight deception of who Alex had been talking to, had led to this softening of her anger. And she found that she didn't quite mind losing that ire, since it was truly a weight off her soul.

"What was she like, back when you worked with her the first time? You haven't really told us a lot about that time, which is understandable. But I have this burning need to know more."

Alex chuckled at the gossipy sound of JJ's voice, shaking her head a little as their food was delivered to the table. "Erin has always been driven and felt the need to get ahead in life. I think that stemmed from her father's desire to see her be the best. He wanted her to become a lawyer and then move up the ladder into real politics. He had her down as being the first female president, but she took a different path and decided to get into psychology, and from there, went into the Academy."

JJ nodded eagerly, clearly loving all that was being revealed, and Alex felt free enough to give her a little more information their time together at the Academy, since those were easy memories to discuss. By the time they headed back to the hotel, Alex was surprised to find just how much she had opened up to the younger woman, since she hadn't expected to feel so close to anyone on the team, after being burned by Erin. "Thanks for opening up to me, Alex. I know that you're more private than Emily is, so I appreciate getting to know you and Erin a little more tonight. And I hope this isn't too forward of me, but I really hope that there comes a time when you can find that closeness once more. I think about my friendship with Emily, and it feels to me like we're as close as you and Erin were, and I just, I want you to find that closeness once more. Because she's your best friend, and you should, I don't know, always try to make up with your friends?"

Alex shrugged a little as they entered the hotel, making their way over to the elevators. "I think that things are starting to thaw a little between us, though I'm not quite ready to let her know that. I have to do things on my own timeline, otherwise it won't be an honest reconciliation."

JJ nodded and they rode up to their room, and Alex decided to turn their conversation back to the case, since that was an easier discussion to have. By the time they reached their room, Alex felt a little more relaxed, a small part of her hoping that Erin would call that evening, since she hadn't called their first day on the case. "I'm going to take a shower now, if you don't mind. There's no reason for me to call home tonight, since Henry is already asleep."

"Is he sick?"

"Will thinks he has a stomach bug," JJ said with a small nod as she unlocked their door and let them inside. "And if you want to stay inside and talk to Louise, if she calls, feel free to do so. I know that it's Florida, but it's still supposed to get cold this evening. I'll just pop my headphones on to sleep, in order to give you some privacy."

"Thank you," Alex replied as she watched JJ rummage through her bag to grab out nightclothes and toiletries before she went into the bathroom. It was a little funny how quickly Alex had become accustomed to how little JJ wore to bed, now not blinking an eye at the skimpiness of her attire. A part of her knew that was because she was so much more comfortable with the woman as a friend, and she was glad that she hadn't made a big deal about it earlier, as it would have just made JJ uncomfortable in her own skin. That wouldn't have been fair to her, after all, and it would have made her integration with the team that much more difficult.

As soon as she heard the water of the shower, Alex stepped over to her bag and dug out her pyjamas and hurriedly changed before bringing her phone and book over to her bed and curling up beneath the covers. It was easy enough to lose herself in the latest work by Chomsky, and she knew that she gave JJ a distracted answer before the woman crawled into her own bed. Still, Alex read on until she was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, and she quickly replaced the bookmark before answering. "Good evening, Louise."

"Good evening, Alex. I, would you mind if I addressed you as Erin tonight? You can still think of me as Louise, but I have things to talk about that are a little more serious than keeping things frothy and light, like I usually do. If that makes you uncomfortable, you can end the call now. I know that things are still so nebulous between us…"

"It's fine, Erin. What's wrong?"

The woman let out a long breath, and Alex used the moment to make herself more comfortable on the bed, stretching out and making a soft sound of encouragement in order to prod Erin into speaking. "Sorry. I just can't seem to find a way to put these words in the correct order. I, I think that I am closer to breaking things off with David than I thought I might be. He was so good for me when I was finding my footing again after I left rehab, but I want more than what he does, and I can't hold him to me when he just wants to sleep with me. Yes, the sex is great, and he's been so tender to me, but you know me, Lexie."

"I do, and I seem to remember that you put down roots fast. So, if Rossi isn't the fertile land where you want to have your garden bloom, what will you do?"

"That's the scary thing, Alex. I don't know. It's been so long since I've been without the crutch of alcohol, and now I'm facing the prospect of being alone because I don't want him to feel beholden to staying with me just because the sex is great. That's not fair to either of us, even though I would hope that there might be room for us to grow together in the future? Not that I foresee that happening, it's a pipe dream of the smallest chances, after all."

"Do you love him?"

"I love the thought of him, or maybe the idea of a comfortable future. There's this voice in the back of my heart that whispers I would be settling for something sweet and lovely, but I wouldn't have my foundations that I crave more and more these days. And one false move could derail all the progress I've made with my sobriety."

"Your health is the first priority that you should have, Erin. I think that you need to do whatever it is that keeps you sober."

"But I don't know if I can do that alone."

Alex had to blink back tears when she heard Erin's voice break on those words, and she let out a long breath in order to try and calm her spirit. She didn't want to let Erin know that she was feeling so invested in her, not when she wasn't certain who she was without her righteous fury. "I didn't know if I could go it alone, either, after you cut my rope. Ethan was gone, James was on a long assignment with MSF, and I was thrust into a new situation that I felt I didn't deserve to be in, and it was so easy to just…be angry and alone."

"I hate that I did that to you, Alex. If I could go back and change anything in this life I've managed to fuck up, that would be the one change I'd make. I'd take responsibility for the mistakes we made, and maybe I could have mitigated circumstances. I just, I have so much regret, and longing, and I want to finally make things right. I want us to be friends on some level, which was why I started this ruse in the first place. I know that you can't accept this olive branch, that all of this is just going to end up blowing up in my face, but it was so nice to dream once more."

Before Alex could respond to the sorrow in Erin's voice, the call was disconnected, and she set it aside as she buried her face in her hands and allowed herself to cry. She didn't know why she felt so discombobulated over Erin's heartbreak, when she should be rejoicing over the fact that things were still going poorly for her, but a part of her knew that she had to reach out and not leave things like that. Picking up the phone, she redialed the call, and then called twice more in rapid succession until Erin picked up. "You don't get to hang up on me like that, Louise."

"You're not my emotional sounding board any longer."

"No, but we've made inroads towards something new. And you're hurting right now, and it's late, and I don't want you to feel like you're going to do something rash. Fall asleep on the phone with me. We're both exhausted, but knowing that we're connected might make things a little easier tonight. Okay?"

"Okay," Erin whispered back. "And you don't think this makes me weak?"

"No. While I may not understand everything thoroughly yet, I know that you cannot battle back from an addiction and be considered weak. Now, are you in bed?"

"Yes, Lexie."

Again, that small slip in what Erin called her, and she smiled sadly as she made herself comfortable on the mattress. "All right, I'm going to set my phone on the pillow next to me, and you have to do the same. Good night, Erin."

"Good night, Alex. Thank you." This time, there was no disconnection to the call, and Alex quickly fell asleep, Erin's heartbroken words weighing heavily on her heart and mind.