From the first moment

4.

Erin pulled on her old MIT hoody and ran down the stairwell, she was eager to go over some plans and ideas with Holtzmann and she was also hoping there might finally be a bust so she could try out the proton pack. She pushed open the glass door to the building, smiling as her blonde colleague was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Holtzmann grinned, walking up the steps, sitting down halfway, not looking at Erin and just holding up her coffee. Erin smiled, taking the coffee cup and sitting down.

"Weren't we just here?" Erin commented,  cupping her coffee with her hands, and she stretched her legs out on the steps, crossing her ankles. 

Holtz nodded, "I like routine." 

Erin chuckled, "I really need to start giving you money for all these coffees." 

Holtzmann shook her head, "No, it my favourite part of the day, I love spending the mornings with you." Erin smiled, not admitting she looked forward to seeing the blonde waiting for her each day, and even though they could easily walk together, coffee in hand to work, they would always sit on the steps and chat, almost finishing their drinks before moving off.

"Have you got any plans for the weekend?" The engineer asked, sipping her drink, looking over at Erin. 

"Maybe," the brunette shrugged, "I might be seeing this guy Phil." 

"Phil?" 

"Yeah, he's a nice type, a little boring, but you know, I mean why not." Holtzmann nodded. 

"You Jill?" 

"Might see Samantha," she shrugged, "I'm not sure." 

"Well maybe we can double date?" Erin suggested and Holtzmann laughed,
"I don't know that I want to see you with this boring guy, you need someone fun." 

Erin scrunched her nose, "I don't really attract fun." 

Holtzmann laughed, laying back on the steps, and then tilting her head so she was looking at the building upside down, "How has no one else ever come out of your building when we've been sitting here?" Erin shrugged, looking up at the apartments, "We're just lucky I guess."

The four women and Kevin were busy around the firehouse, Erin at her desk, Holtzmann testing something on the roof and Patty and Abby going through paperwork. Erin jumped when she heard the downstairs phone ring, Kevin answering it almost instantly, there was murmuring and then the sound of Kevin yelling out SUIT UP. Erin panicked, unsure what she was supposed to do, so she ran down the corridor to the roof, pushing the door open and calling out to Holtzmann. "There's a Call," she said breathlessly as Holtz ran toward her, a metal disc in her hands she she ran into the lab to put it away before following Erin down the stairs. Holtzmann turned to the brunette smiling at herself as they both stood at the metal lockers, Erin about to put her jumpsuit on for the first time and nerves ran through her. Abby and Patty were already dressed and Abby threw Patty a set of car keys, the tall woman running out a side door, "Meet you out the front." Erin shakily pulled her suit from the hanger sliding into it, Holtzmann noticing as she zipped up her own and she turned to Erin, taking her hands in her own, "Erin hon, you're gonna be okay. Just follow my lead." Erin nodded as she ran out the door behind the blonde, pulling the door locked behind them. Patty was sitting outside in the car, and Holtzmann held the door open for Erin as the brunette slid inside.

Everything felt rushed. 

There was the flashing lights on the car. 

The siren blaring.  

Abby was yelling out information and instruction and Holtzmann spent most of the drive hanging over the back seat and into the tailgate, Erin noticing all the proton packs were there and she was playing around with buttons. Erin's head already began to pound, thumping in time with her heart. The four women arrived at an old warehouse, it was on the outskirts of the city and overlooked the water, and it clearly hadn't been used in many years. There was a lot of rubbish around and squatters had been using it as shelter and the four girls stood at its entrance, the double doors that once proudly closed the entrance were now broken and hanging. Abby walked over to the car, opening the back and pulled out the tray of packs, handing them out, all four strapping them on tight, Erin's breath now becoming shallow and short. Patty and Abby ran ahead, leaving Erin and Holtzmann near the car. The blonde turned to Erin, seeing the panic in her face and she brought her hands up to Erin's cheeks, cupping her face, and she could see tears sting Erin's eyes. She stroked her thumbs against the falling tears, Abby and Patty still ahead of them, not seeing Erin's panic. "I got you Er," Holtz whispered, "I promise." Erin nodded, "Jillian. I'm petrified." Holtzmann nodded, gazing at her, still holding her face, "I won't ever let anything happen to you." Erin nodded, her heart buzzing from fear, Holtzmann let go of her, turning away as they both ran, following the other two. Erin jogged over to them, standing next to the engineer and pulling the wand off her proton pack, holding it tight in her hands. Holtzmann doing the same with her wand, and the four walked in to the darkened building. Erin squinted as her eyes tried to adjust to the dim light, she was frightened, worried about what she was going to see and was it going to be like the old woman she used to see, night after night at the end of her bed.