Alex had known that she needed to escape Boston for spring break. She was only three weeks post the breakup of her marriage, and while she had known that there were cracks in the foundation of her relationship, she hadn't realized that those cracks were quite so large, or that they were the result of his burgeoning feelings for a colleague. She had always thought tawdry stories like that were relegated to soap operas, and then her life had become one overnight. And so, in a moment of hazy anger, she had booked a ticket to Nice, deciding to treat herself to an experience that she had always longed to have. She and Erin had spoken of that town at length, after they had found out that it was a common dream of theirs. And after a decade since her passing, Alex knew that it was time to make their dream come true, even if it was without her.
And now she was descending into Nice, finding her heart a little eased by the sight of the brilliant blue water as the plane began to land. This had been the right decision to make, even if it had been extremely rash, and Alex let out a deep sigh as she sat back in her seat, praying that this would be the thing that would heal her heart and help her to move on from the destruction that James had left in his wake. Once the plane touched down, a great sense of anticipation filled her heart and she sat up a little straighter in an effort to conceal the fact that her hands were shaking.
Finally, though, the plane started to clear out, and her seatmate finally got to his feet and stepped out into the aisle, grabbing his bag before heading down the aisle, never seeing that Alex was glaring daggers at his back as she stepped out of her seat and grabbed her bag from the overhead bin and tramped after him to baggage claim. The only good thing about being one of the last to deboard was that their luggage was waiting for them, and she picked out her bag right away, stepping forward to take it off the conveyor before heading to customs. Thankfully, the line there wasn't too long, and she was able to get through it and out to hail a taxi to her hotel.
She had used her limited French, and Google Translate, to hasten the check in process, and then Alex was headed up to her room. A wide smile spread across her face when she saw that she had a waterfront view, even if that water was further away than she would have thought. "Oh, Erin, if only you were here to experience this with me," she breathed out as she flopped onto the mattress, trying to ignore the weariness that was rapidly filling her bones, having not slept well on the flight. Looking at her watch, Alex decided to head out into the city and explore for a few hours before coming back to unpack and then get some sleep.
The next morning, Alex woke up to bright sunlight filling the room, and she slipped out of bed and padded over to the window, staring out at the scenery as she breathed in the fresh, slightly salty, air. There was something comfortingly familiar about the air, even as she looked out on a landscape that was vastly different from home. After dressing, Alex made her way down to the restaurant and had a hearty breakfast before asking her server where the best beach was.
"You'll want to head to Villeurbanne-sur-Mer, madame. It's a fifteen minute bus ride from here, but it's free and has the best access to the water."
"Merci," she replied as she settled the tab and got to her feet, slipping her bag onto her shoulder. "And how do I find that bus?" After getting directions that she thought she could follow, Alex took off in the direction that she had been told, relieved to see the bus arrive a few minutes later. After getting on, she asked the driver which stop for Villeurbanne-sur-Mer, and nodded when he held up four fingers in response.
Taking a seat close to the front, Alex pulled out her phone and looked up the beach she was going to visit, finding the pictures absolutely beautiful. It was no wonder her server had directed her there, as it looked like a small bit of heaven on Earth. Alex needn't have worried about asking about which stop to take, as it was abundantly clear where it was when the bus pulled to a stop. Getting up, she exited, thanking the driver before starting for the beach.
Though it wasn't quite sand, the small, smooth, pebbles that made up the beach felt good beneath her feet as she made her way towards the water, the warmth of the sun filling her with a happiness that she hadn't felt since James had left. Finally, she thought that she had found the perfect spot and pulled out her towel from her bag and set it out before sitting down and pulling out her sunscreen, pushing her floppy hat onto her head after tugging off her sundress to reveal her swimsuit. Alex felt strangely prudish in her two piece tankini, but she knew that she wouldn't feel comfortable in the small bits of fabric that a lot of women were wearing.
Picking up her sunscreen, Alex applied a liberal amount of it to her now bare skin before stretching out on her towel and slipping her shades into place on her face. "Erin, you would have loved this view," she murmured as she pulled out a typical beach book, trying to get in that mood as she lost herself in the sounds and smells of a place that she should be visiting with her…friend. She managed to speed through the book, the story a little trite and predictable, but still enjoyable. It was one that she and Erin would have devoured during their time in the Academy, and that thought made her a little sad as she stuck the book back into her bag and let out a little sigh of contentment before turning onto her stomach and pillowing her head on her arms as she allowed herself to nap a little, the sun's warmth lulling her into an easy sleep.
"Look out!"
The familiar voice caught her attention as she sat up and focused on where that voice was coming from. Alex reacted just in time to catch a sun hat similar to the one still on her head, and she held it up for the woman. The closer she came, the more familiar she looked to Alex, and then her brain was catching up to her eyes. "Erin?" she asked as she tore her sunglasses off her eyes to look at the ghost that was very much alive.
She was able to actually watch the blood drain from Erin's face as she nodded slowly, sinking down on the towel next to her as she plucked the hat out of Alex's hand and plopped it down onto her head as she dropped her bag next to Alex's. "So, we finally made it to Nice?"
"You reached here before I did, from the look of things." Alex raised an eyebrow as she took in the elegant one piece Erin had on, a sarong tied around her hips, looking every inch the sophisticate that she was born to be. "I feel decidedly underdressed."
Erin let out a little sound of sadness as she reached out and caressed Alex's cheek. "You look gorgeous. You were made for Nice. But your back is starting to burn. May I?"
Alex nodded as she handed over the bottle of sunscreen, turning so that Erin could easily spread the lotion out on her back. There was something so soothing about the light touches, the way that Erin's fingers dipped beneath the fabric of the top, so as to protect her skin if it shifted while she was wearing it, before slipping down to the bare strip of skin between top and bottom. "Are you living here, then?" she murmured when Erin wiped her hands off on her thighs to remove the last of the lotion there.
"That was my only request when I was whisked away into the Program. David couldn't come with me, I knew that from the moment I played dead. He was too famous, and that would have blown my cover. Plus, it would have looked really odd if he suddenly quit and no one on the team could reach him. So, knowing that I had to be alone, without him, without you, I asked if I could be relocated to the one place on this Earth that I knew I would be able to remember you most. I suppose that you have a hotel right in Nice?"
"Yes. I was planning on spending all of spring break here, thinking about the past and trying to find a way to move on. James left, decided that we couldn't make it work, so I fled to a place where I had always dreamt I'd be happy. I never thought that I'd find you here."
Without meaning to, Alex leaned back against Erin, and she shivered a little at the feel of Erin's skin touching hers. "Then our last talk affected you as much as it affected me. There were so many times, after I knew that John wasn't going to send any minions after me, that I wanted to reach out to you, to let you know that I was still alive, and wouldn't mind if you came to see me here. But I also knew that you were with James, and I didn't want to do anything that might hurt that relationship." Erin's arms closed around her waist as she set her chin down on Alex's shoulder, letting out a sigh.
"I would have dropped everything to see you again. That year, that last year, I was with the BAU, I felt so lost. If I had known that you were out here, even just a hint of relief from the grief I was going through, it would have been that much better."
"That was still early days, when we didn't know if John had anyone else working for him. It took me three years to be able to tell my children that I was here, though the Marshal assigned to my case was quick to tell them that I was alive."
"Well, that would explain why they weren't as sad at the funeral as they were when Dave told them that you had been murdered. How often do they come over to see you?"
"Karen's actually studying at Edinburgh University now, getting her PhD in literature, so she's visiting me whenever she wants. Bruce and Tabitha make it over about once a year, with their families. If I had known I was seeing someone I knew, I would have brought my tablet to show off pictures. Though…"
Erin's voice trailed off, as if she wasn't certain how Alex would react to her question, so she decided to ask, trying to let the woman know that it was all right to continue on with what she had wanted to say. "Though, what, Erin?"
"If you wouldn't mind coming back to my flat in a little while, I could make you lunch and we could really talk. It's hard to think when the sun is shining down on me so warmly, and I know that there is so much that I want to say." To Alex's surprise, Erin turned her head and kissed her cheek softly. "You didn't put sunscreen on your face. Turn around."
She choked out a little laugh as she complied with Erin's order, facing her friend as she picked up the container of sunscreen once more, squeezing a healthy dollop into her palm before rubbing her hands together and then spreading the lotion carefully onto Alex's face, taking care not to get any in her mouth or eyes. "Thank you," she murmured as Erin slid her hands down along her jaw and neck, making certain to coat every inch of her skin, or so it felt to Alex.
"You're welcome. I can't have this glorious skin of yours burn and ruin your holiday, after all." Erin's look turned shy, and Alex nodded a little as she laid back on the towel once more, sliding the sunglasses in place so that she could more easily stare up at the clouds in the sky. Moments later, Erin was stretching out alongside her, resting her head on Alex's shoulder as she stared up into the sky with her. "I have missed this so much."
"What? Bossing me around?" she teased as she contorted her arm so that it was curved around Erin's body, her hand spreading out on her torso.
"No. Being with you. Being with a friend. I've made acquaintances here, you have the tendency to do so after all the years I've lived in my little flat, but I never found someone like you. You were always my bar that I measured my other friendships against, even after we'd had our falling out. Because I still loved you. I still love you."
"I still love you," she whispered, feeling free enough to admit that to Erin, since she had the chance to say that to her face. "I never thought that I'd have the opportunity to tell you that, and it feels right to say."
Erin nodded a little as she snuggled in closer to Alex. "I'm sorry for not letting you know sooner."
"Maybe we found each other again at the perfect time," Alex replied. Erin nodded as they fell quiet, and she contented herself with breathing in the delicate scent of Erin's perfume beneath the scent of their sunscreen, allowing it to fill her senses as they watched the clouds drift by for a little while longer. "Do you mind if I swim for a little bit before we head back to your place? Since I have someone to watch my belongings?"
"No, go for it. The water will be glorious today, if a little cool. When you tire of swimming, then we can head home. As long as you promise to sit on your towel in my car."
Alex nodded as she got to her feet, slipping the sunglasses off her face and handing them to Erin before making her way down to the water and stepping into it. Alex shivered at the sensation of cold water touching her flesh, but she bore with it until she was deep enough in the ocean that she could dip beneath the water and get her body accustomed to the temperature before starting to swim alongside the others in the water. There was something so freeing about the scent of salt water in her nose as she lost herself in the smooth movements she made. Alex wished that Erin was beside her, but then there'd be no one to watch their belongings.
Finally, Alex felt like the sun was getting to be too much, so she made her way to shore, shaking her body a little to remove the excess water before slowly making her way back to Erin's side, grinning as the woman held out her towel to Alex. Wrapping it around her body, Alex took a seat next to Erin once more, brushing the pebbles from the soles of her feet before she shoved on her sandals. "Did you enjoy that?"
"Yes, but I wish that you could have joined me. We're going to have to figure out how to bring the least amount of things with us next time so that you can." Erin nodded as she patted Alex's shoulder lightly. "All right, you promised me lunch. Are you going to make it, or are we going to order something in?"
"I'll make you food, dear." Erin kissed her cheek once more, pulling a face as she licked at her lips in disgust. "Ugh, salt water."
"That is what the ocean is made of, yes." Alex popped to her feet once more before holding a hand out to Erin, helping her to stand before packing up her beach bag, watching Erin fold her dress and place it in her bag before holding her hand out expectantly. This was a new facet to the woman, one that Alex appreciated, and she clasped the hand without question, allowing Erin to guide her to her vehicle a few blocks away. "So, you have a flat. I always thought that you'd get a cottage when you retired, a place to grow the flowers that you loved so much."
"My place allows for that. We have a shared garden, and once the others found out that I have a rather fecund green thumb, they have urged me to use my talents to make something beautiful for us all. I can't wait to show you what I've made."
Alex settled back in the seat of Erin's car as she nodded, and then they were heading back towards Nice, though away from where Alex's hotel room was, and she enjoyed getting to see more of the city, knowing that this would be something she wouldn't have seen had she not found Erin here. "This is a gorgeous place," she said when Erin parked next to a three story building.
"Isn't it? I was so glad that the Program found it for me, and that I was able to purchase it with the generous payout that the Bureau offered me on top of my pension. It seems that when you are very nearly killed by another agent, there's a bit of guilt that needs to be assuaged."
Alex laughed as she nodded. "I am glad that you were able to get what you deserved out of them." Erin nodded as she reached out and patted her knee. "All right, so, do I get the grand tour now?"
"Follow me, Lexie." Erin slipped out of the car and slung her purse over her shoulder before heading towards a small gate, waiting for Alex to join her. She scrambled out of the vehicle, locking the door and jogging over to Erin's side, taking hold of her hand before Erin could do so. The woman gave her a small smirk as she tugged her into a truly amazing garden, and Alex felt her breath taken away at what she saw.
"You managed to do all this in the short time that you were gone from me?"
Erin blushed as she nodded. "A lot of the groundwork was already completed, but I did add some magic. Here, let me show you my favorite spot." She led Alex over to a vine covered trellis that had a beautiful wooden swing hanging beneath it. "Gaston built the swing for me, when I told him how much I had loved the one I had back home."
"You're making me want to cancel my reservation at the hotel and spend my week with you."
"I wouldn't mind if you did, Lexie."
Their eyes met once more, and she sighed a little as she leaned in, expecting Erin's kiss. Their lips met in a sweet touch, and Alex sighed against her lips before wrapping her free arm around Erin's waist and pulling her closer so that they could deepen the kiss. "Well, after we eat, we'll have to do just that," she said as Erin led her inside. "Which floor are you on?"
"The first, so you only have to put up with one flight of stairs."
Alex rolled her eyes a little as Erin brought her up to her flat, the stairs not really that bad on her knees. As she unlocked the door, letting her inside, Alex felt her breath slipping from her lungs at the color and décor. "This is…"
"Our dream? Yes. Because I needed something to hold onto when I was most alone, at the beginning. And this reminded me of home, and you, and the possibility of what we could have had." Erin closed the door, before dropping her purse on the table and stepping over to her. "If it's too much…"
Alex cut off her words with a fierce kiss as she allowed her bag to fall to the ground, wrapping Erin up in her arms as she deepened the kiss while simultaneously backing Erin up against the door. "I don't think that it could ever be enough," she said breathlessly after breaking the kiss, finding Erin's pupils wide with desire. "Suddenly, the hunger that I have is not for food. I know, this is madness, that I'm still in the throes of sorrow over James leaving me, that I'm a bit in shock at discovering you alive, but I just want to feel something other than sad, and right now, when I kiss you, that is exactly what happens. Indulge me, darling?"
"Darling? I haven't heard that endearment from you in decades." Erin cupped her face with her hands before pressing a warm kiss to her forehead. "So, perhaps the grand tour will have to wait?" Alex nodded before taking hold of her hand and bringing her down the hall to the last room. The first thing Alex did was go over to the window and glance out, noticing that she could see the garden from there. "That view is exactly why I made this my bedroom. The guest bedroom is larger, which is good for my children, when they're here."
Alex nodded a little as she allowed the towel she still had wrapped around her body to fall to the floor before stepping out of her sandals. "Cosy suits you, Erin. You put on a good show of enjoying that huge house Alan bought for you, but you always talked about cottages and cabins, when we were still sharing our dreams."
Erin gave her a small smile as she untied the sarong from her hips, the thin fabric fluttering to the floor as she stepped towards Alex. "I let Alan dictate the course of our marriage because I didn't think that I deserved a voice back then. He wasn't really the one I wanted in my life, but my parents didn't understand that you were the best thing to ever happen to me. And you always were, even when you hated me." Reaching out, Erin slipped her fingers beneath the straps of her top, sliding them off her shoulders before dragging her fingers along the neckline of it.
"Here, let me help you with that," she breathed out as she took hold of the hem of her top and peeled it off her torso. The material clung to her body, since it was still a bit damp, but from the way that Erin's skin flushed, Alex knew that she didn't mind. Their hands met on the waistband of her bikini bottoms, and Alex smirked a little at the way Erin licked her lips in anticipation. There was something so right about the way this morning was going, and she knew that it had to be the magic of being in a place where they had always dreamt that they would end up, together at last, despite the odds. Letting out a little sigh of pleasure, Alex allowed Erin to slide the briefs down her legs before looking up at her.
"I'll be right back, if you want to take a seat on the bed."
Alex gave her a small nod, watching her scoop up the swimsuit before standing up and making her way out of the bedroom. Letting out a soft sigh, Alex stepped over to the bed and pulled back the covers, setting the decorative pillows in the rattan chair by the window before climbing onto the firm mattress. A few minutes later, Erin returned, wearing only a thin robe, and she felt her breath leave her lungs at how gorgeous she looked. "Come here."
Erin nodded as she shrugged the robe off her shoulders, letting it pool next to her sarong before sinking down next to Alex. "I take it that you like what you see?"
"I always did."
"I've changed."
She shrugged. "So have I. Doesn't mean that you aren't still entirely beautiful, Erin." Leaning over, she spread her hand out on her chest before kissing her deeply. "I just want to devour you." Erin let out a little purr of pleasure as she nodded, allowing Alex to press her back against the mattress before straddling her body, letting her weight rest on her shins as she stared down into Erin's flushed face. "I don't think that I can be slow, because I want to just taste and feel and know everything about the way that your body responds to me now. Maybe later tonight, we can draw things out, like we used to in the Academy."
"We have an entire week together, Lexie." She nodded before leaning in and pressing a series of quick kisses along the planes of Erin's face, loving the soft feel of her skin against her lips. "Please."
Alex nodded as she gave Erin a quick kiss before dragging her lips down her neck, nipping lightly at her collarbone before continuing downwards, her tongue darting out to trace patterns along the swell of her breasts. A low groan tumbled from Erin's lips when she finally drew one taut nipple between her lips, sucking softly as her tongue fluttered over the tip, causing Erin's back to arch up against her, offering herself up to her. As she continued to suck and nip at her breasts, Alex dragged her hand down Erin's torso, drawing delicate patterns along the way, knowing that that would excite Erin all the more. And from the way her hips twisted and arched against Alex, she knew that she was doing something right.
Finally, she dragged her lips away from Erin's chest and kissed her way down the path her fingers had so recently taken, smiling to feel the way Erin's stomach rose and fell so quickly with her breaths. Finally, Alex gently spread Erin's legs and breathed in the heady, familiar, scent of her arousal. "Lexie!" she whined out as Alex ran her fingers up and down her wet labia, crooking two fingers a little before gently inserting them into Erin, pumping slowly as she kissed and licked at her clit, feeling Erin's thighs tighten around her head as the orgasm swept over her body. Still, Alex kept right on pleasuring her, removing her fingers so that she could start eating Erin out, reaching up for her hand as another means of connection.
Erin's grip on her hand was so tight that Alex knew a second orgasm was close at hand for her, and she kept up the pace of her nose and lips, wanting to lose herself in the feeling of loving on Erin once more, after all these years apart. This orgasm lasted a little longer, as Alex tried to draw out the pleasure for Erin. When the last shudders stilled, Alex slid up Erin's body and snuggled in close, pressing a flurry of kisses to her face as they entwined their limbs in an effort to get closer together. "Well, for all that you say you've changed, your body still responds to me the same. I still know all the little spots that drive you wild."
"Don't sound so smug, Lexie, I'll have you moaning and writhing beneath me soon enough. I just need a small nap before I can make that happen. Be a darling and grab the sheet to cover us with." Alex let out a light chuckle as she nodded, hurriedly grabbing said sheet and pulling it up around their shoulders, feeling the sweet lethargy of really good sex start to spread through her system as she cuddled even closer to Erin, content to nap and wait for Erin to reciprocate, knowing that until then, wanting would be more than enough.