Who: Erin Jugson and Avis Tremaine
What: Erin's really twitchy about something
Where: Their lab



Her fingers rapped on the counter rapidly, foot twitching incredibly fast, and Erin was sure she'd sighed at least twenty times in the past ten minutes. Had it only been ten minutes? Good God. Her paperwork had been done for nearly an hour, she'd started lab work for tomorrow and if she tried to rearrange the files in the really big cabinet she was going to blow her brains out. How was it not time to get off of work yet?

Hell, was there some strange force keeping the hands of the clock from moving? This was so annoying, and Erin let out yet another sigh and dropped her head down to the counter, hands cushioning the impact so she didn't lose anymore brain cell.

Didn't Time know she had things to do? God--she'd never felt so wired in her life and it was all because of---well. She'd rather not say right now.

"Erin," came the voice from the other room, "did someone slip something into your afternoon drink? I haven't seen you this fidgety since you downed three pepper-up potions in a row." Avis stepped over to the counter where Erin was sitting and then glanced consideringly at the parcel in her hands. Sure, she could take it down to the owling room herself ...

"If you need something to do, take this down the hall." She'd have suggested rearranging the large cabinet, but Avis had her own designs on the scheme of it already and rather wanted the job for herself. For the whole day she'd suspected that something was up with Erin, but she hadn't yet had time to try and decipher what it was without asking the woman like she usually did.

"I'm not--well, I---" she slipped off the stool and hurried over to the package. By the time she got back it would be time to leave and she would have gotten some more work done and then she could--

Erin froze in the doorway of the lab, spinning on her heels to face Avis, a not-so-innocent grin on her face. It was more as if she was wincing, ready to be scolded, but there wasn't exactly a reason to be scolded, it was more--well---she didn't know what, but that's what she felt like the face she was making portrayed.

"Avis--have you ever...had a secret, that--it's not bad, it's actually bloody amazing but---you couldn't tell anyone? Not yet, at least? For...reasons?"

Her eyes widened slightly at how confusing all of that sounded, but it had made sense when she had originally spewed it all. Erin clutched the package to her chest, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"...Reasons." She'd never been very good at reading Erin's spastic moods, but this one was definitely taking the cake. The woman had to be harboring some sort of serious gossip if she was this wound-up about it, but Avis couldn't think of anything except, "Please tell me you're not pregnant."

Because really, that was the last thing that the lab needed right now. Half the bloody ministry seemed like it was hopping on the baby train. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced over to Erin again.

"All right, out with it. I can tell you're not going to get any work done until you tell me this secret that's bloody amazing but you can't tell anyone about."

Erin yet out a yelp at the word 'pregnant' and shook her head greatly, rushing toward Avis and putting the parcel down on the nearest counter. Oh, she was bloody dying and it just wasn't fair to have to keep it quiet until--things were all---well, it wasn't their fault, really, it was those stupid magazines and--

Oh, forget it! Erin could barely contain herself and who cared who knew now? People were going to know eventually, it wasn't as if they were going to have to keep it a secret forever!

"I'm engaged!" she squeaked, jumping in place because it was the first time she'd said it to anyone but herself (or Puff or Paco). How she had managed to keep it quiet was beyond her, especially with three very nosy sisters, so this was serious. "Rafe and---we're getting married!

"...and you haven't shouted this from the rooftops yet?" She was honestly somewhat impressed by that fact -- Erin had a bad habit of not being able to keep things like this quiet because she was ... well, herself. Avis grinned, though, and offered Erin a slightly awkward hug.

"That's great, Erin." She was genuinely happy -- but this meant that she was going to have to go through another session of wedding planning, didn't it? Damnit. "Why is this a secret, then? The bloody media's going to find out about it eventually."

Avis' slightly awkward hug was returned with a squeal and a tight grasp around the other woman by Erin. It felt so bloody good to get this all out! She had really, really, REALLY wanted to shout it from the rooftops like Avis had said, but they just wanted to keep things low-key until, well, until he got home, and that was in a few hours which was why she'd been watching the clock like mad and, and---

"Well---yeah, but I mean...we want to have to to ourselves for a little while, right?" Erin shrugged, "Plus, my brother's getting married in a few weeks, I don't want to make a big fuss and then like...steal their spotlight?"

Oh, goodness. She hoped Anneliese wouldn't get annoyed! It wasn't as if she was going to steal their wedding date or anything, right? "It's just--it's nice, to have that little...BIG secret, but I just had to tell you I mean--you're like one of my best friends now and--"

Erin pouted, looking ready to cry. Oh, sigh. Such an emotional time in her life.

When wasn't Erin completely emotional? Avis had to sympathize with the girl, though -- when she'd been engaged to Booth, she'd more or less felt the same way as Erin -- but she'd been far better at restraining herself. Avis squeezed Erin once lightly before she let her go and smiled.

"Have you set a date yet? I imagine that you're not going to be able to escape the press, of course, but I'd be pleased to help you put up some charms to keep the worst of them away or keep them from filming." Because Merlin knew that was going to be a big fucking hassle.

"Aha--that'd be great, really," she responded, grinning wide, "We don't have a date or anything, hell--" Erin flashed her left hand quickly, showing its lack of jewelry, "I don't even have a ring yet--so."

Oy, the idea of a sparkly engagement ring made her dizzy, but it was such a good dizzy that she wished she could be like this forever. Except of course she knew she'd get no work done ever, but still. Maybe when she got her ring, she'd be able to do her work fine, and whenever she felt like slipping into that blissfully unaware state, she'd just take a look and sigh.

"The quidditch players'll be arriving home soon so--" she did a bit of a bob with her head as if to say 'so you see, "that explains my twitchy, twitchy mood. I can take your package though, I mean---" her eyes shot up toward the clock, eeee almost time to clock out! "On the way and everything and--and yes."

Avis couldn't help but roll her eyes when Erin's eyes darted to the clock. "I'll tell you what," she moved forward with a quirk of her brow, "You get out of the building as fast as possible right now and I'll clock out for you." With the state that Erin was in she'd probably end up dropping the package on its wrong end and having it explode all over the place, anyway, so this was a better plan in the long run.

Honestly, though, she couldn't blame Erin. It was like marrying a celebrity, marrying a quidditch player.

Okay, so maybe she was envious. Booth would be irked to hear such a thing, of course, but still.

"Oh! All right--are you sure? I mean--yes, okay, thank you!" Erin let out in one quick breath, nearly shrieking in excitement as the clock ticked to the time she'd been counting down for the past three hours. She enveloped Avis in another quick hug and bounced in her spot before heading out the door.

Boy, she sure hoped she didn't run into anyone else she knew---now that she'd let out her secret, it was going to be bloody hard to keep it up! Erin made a quick turn to the left, taking the long way out so she didn't run into Roderick or Will. They'd definitely know something was up.