Simon's front door was open when Liz arrived to his house. He greeted her at the door. "Hey."
"Hi." She walked past him to his kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk.
He followed behind her.
"How did dinner go?"
"Fine."
"You were out later than I thought."
She smiled. "We went back to his apartment after."
"Oh." He quirked a questioning eyebrow. "So you talked? Then what?"
"Jack and I made cake."
Simon laughed. "That's it?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing, you just seem like you have more to say?"
A big grin came across her face.
"What actually happened?"
"I just told you."
"There's more! Tell me."
"There isn't."
"Then what are you so smiley and jumpy for?"
She looked down at her glass of milk, her smile faded as she whirled the milk around in the glass.
"I just realized how much I missed time with him. I mean yeah I go over there and play with Jack, but tonight Aaron joined in and it was like it was before...minus Haley of course."
Simon tried to study her as she whirled the milk around in glass mindlessly. He couldn't figure out what was going through her head though.
"So," he said breaking the silence. "What are you thinking kid?"
She looked up at him. "I-I don't know. It was just nice."
"What did you talk about at dinner?"
She leaned into the counter and set the glass down, and he sat in the chair at the breakfast bar.
"I just asked what he wanted to do, and we talked about it and then he invited me over for dessert with him and Jack."
"So you worked it out?"
"I guess. It's just..." She stopped trying to figure out what she wanted to say.
"What?"
"There were thing's I wanted to tell him."
He read her face as her eyes locked with his.
"You love him?"
"Yeah but it's more than that." She sighed. "I'v loved him since I was six years old, it's just...this is different. It's almost like the more he pushed me away the more I fell in love with him."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"You don't want to tell him?"
Liz looked down again at the glass. "I don't know Simon."
"Well, if its any help Rossi and I strongly encourage you do."
She laughed a little. "You know it's never good news when you and Rossi get together."
"Hey!" He said defensively.
"It's true." They both laughed.
"You want to know what I really think though?" He asked.
"Of course."
"I think that you're both hiding something from each other."
"What do you mean?"
"You just told me that you loved him, you haven't told him that though. And well Aaron pushes people away when he needs them most, he pushed you away, Liz, because he was trying to avoid feelings."
She shook her head no. "I'v known Aaron a long time I think I could've figured that out if it were true."
"Not entirely. You know there's a reason we aren't allowed to work cases with personal connections, our judgement is off. Just like you and Aaron, you two are so blinded by your own feelings your fail to see the other's." He explained.
She only nodded in response. They stayed there for minute in silence, looking at one another.
"I hate when you're right." She finally said.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Take it day by day. We have six years of damage to fix."
"Something tells me you'll work it out fairly quickly."
"Thanks Simon." She walked over and gave him a hug.
"Anytime Kiddo."
"I should head home."
"Get some rest. Be careful, call when you make it safe."
"I will." He lead her to the door. "Night."
"Night, Liz, I'll see you Monday."
He watched her drive away before heading up to bed.
Liz sent a quick text when she made it through the door of her apartment and then headed up to her room, threw on an old t-shirt of Aaron's he'd given her years ago then fell asleep. It was simple tonight, she wasn't worried about anything, which was weird because she had eight thousand things to worry about but she was at peace.
Meanwhile, Aaron sat on his couch trying to come up with something they could do tomorrow. He wasn't sure why he cared so much, nor why he was trying to plan something that Liz always did. Nevertheless there he was. He spent nearly an hour on his couch before he fell asleep, to the sound of the TV.
