Ticking All The Boxes

Isn't she on the night shift?

The bust was a good one, Holtzmann getting to use her Bracelets of Victory, Erin watching on, proud of her colleague and in awe of how clever and knowledgeable the scientist was, and it made the physicist smile.

As they returned towards the Ecto and with Abby and Patty up ahead, Erin and Holtzmann dawdled behind.
"That was amazing Holtz," Erin stated with a smile. Her blonde, blue eyed colleague shrugged, "I'm just happy I got to use them."
"Well they worked Holtz."
Holztmann smiled at Erin.
"You're so clever Jillian, really."
Holtzmann paused at Erin's use of her first name, and she smiled again, enjoying hearing her name from Erin's lips, it sounded different coming from her, and she liked hearing it.
"Thanks Er," Holtzmann replied, bumping her shoulder against her with a friendly nudge.
They continued walking towards the car, Abby and Patty already inside, engine running. Holtzmann took Erin's proton pack from her and then loaded it and her own in the back, closing the tailgate and jumping into the backseat with Erin.

'Mayors event tomorrow, don't forget," called out Patty from the drivers seat as they began their journey back to the firehouse. "Ughhhhhhhh," moaned Holtzmann loudly, "do we have to!" Erin groaned too, "I hate all that pretentious stuff," she looked towards an agreeing Holtzmann, "and the effort to get all fancy, it's just too much." Holtzmann looked to Erin, Abby started saying something to them from the passenger seat, with Erin joining in the conversation, Holtzmann leaned in close to the professor and whispered, "You always look fancy." Erin stopped speaking, and turned to Holtz, the blonde grinning with a small wink and then looked straight ahead, Erin turned back, blushing as she continuing chatting to Abby.

When they arrived back at the firehouse they all took turns having showers, Erin being the last of the four. As she finished and changed she noticed that Patty had gone home, Abby was down stairs doing paperwork and Holtz didn't seem to be anywhere. "Holtzmann gone home too?" Erin asked Abby, as she walked over to the woman, her hair damp from her shower and her bare feet patted over the cold concrete floor. Abby shook her head, looking up from her mound of papers. "Unless she left without saying anything, but no I think she's around somewhere, plus isn't she on the night shift?" Erin nodded, as Abby yawned and looked back down to the papers, the redhead turned back to her friend. "Abby," Erin said, as the brunette looked up at her, rearranging her glasses, "go home, I'm on shift with Holtz, well when I find her. You go home and sleep, I'll finish this." Abby was too tired to argue and she was thankful to her friend, quickly gathering her things and heading out the door to her apartment, leaving the pile of papers for Erin to deal with.

Erin looked around, calling out to Holtzmann a couple of times, but there was no response and Erin wondered if she had her headphones on somewhere and hadn't heard her. The woman decided to take the stack of papers upstairs to her desk to look through and she was hoping Holtzmann would make an appearance, especially as they shared the same office and the blonde was bound to retreat to her inventions for the night. Erin patted up the stairs, her arms full of papers and as she walked into the bright workspace she called out to Holtzmann again, still no response. She sighed, hoping that her colleague hadn't left for the night and forgotten her shift, so she sighed again, the room quiet except for the buzz of electricity coming from the direction of the other desk. Erin busied herself with the paperwork from the bust and then sat up, stretching her back in the chair, suddenly remembering the event the following night, suddenly preoccupied with what she was going to wear. "Stupid gala," she mumbled under her breath. "Well I can't wait to see you," said a voice, as Erin almost jumped out of her chair, and she stood up in fright, staring at Holtzmann in the doorway. "Jillian!" Erin cried, "where have you been?" Erin put her hand to her head, then her chest, sitting back down, "Jillian you scared me."
Holtzmann laughed, "It's late Er, why don't you try and get some sleep?" Erin shook her head, Holtzmann chuckled and walked from the doorway to Erin's desk, sliding onto it and pulling her legs up, crossing them and facing Erin. The older woman didn't say anything.
"Hmmm Er?" Holtz asked, looking for an answer.
"Abs was so tried, I said I'd do the paperwork."
"I see."
"And where have you been?"
"Ummmm..the...roof..."
"The roof?"
"Mmhmmm."
"What were you doing on the roof?"
"Ummmm...doing..roofy...things.."
"Roofy things?"
"Mmhmmm."
Erin narrowed her eyes at the blonde who swivelled around, putting her feet on the ground and standing up, she walked towards her desk at the other side of the room, turning to Erin mid-way, "You're going to look amazing tomorrow you know."
Erin blushed as Holtzmann turned away, she looked down to her paperwork and then back up to Holtzmann. "It's just the people," Erin whispered, looking back down to the paperwork. Holtzmann had sat down at her desk, and flicked on her desk lamp, she looked up to Erin, "The people?" Erin nodded, "I get awkward." Holtzmann shook her head, "I cannot imagine you being awkward." The blonde leaned her face on her hand, resting her elbow on her desk looking at Erin, her colleague stood up slowly, leaning back on the front of her desk. "I do get awkward Jill. I just never know what to say, and then you've gotta have those fake conversations and guys come up to you and want to buy you drinks and it's just all so awkward." Holtzmann paused for a moment before saying anything, "What's this about guys coming up to you?" Erin rolled her eyes, "Holtzmann, c'mon you know what I mean, at these type of events they just throw themselves at me and it's not enjoyable, at all." Holtzmann chuckled, knowing exactly what Erin was talking about and smiling hard at the redhead, "Would you prefer a lady offered to buy you a drink instead? Coz I'll buy you a drink if that's what you want?" Erin exhaled in frustration, with Holtzmann laughing at her response. Erin shook her head, standing up and turning back to sit at her desk. "Hey Er-bear," Holtzmann said with a serious note in her voice, making Erin look up to meet her eyes, "I'll take care of you tomorrow night. I promise." Erin smiled tightly back at the blonde. "No Er," Holtzmann stated, "I mean it. I don't want you feeling awkward and uncomfortable." Erin smiled again, this time softly, staring at the blonde before saying anything, "I would really like that Jill." Holtzmann smiled back, bringing her two fingers to her temple and saluting Erin with a smile.