The Aftermath// a HoltzBert fanfic

Chapter 2

Erin's POV

"It actually worked." I say to myself as I get out of bed.

"Not the result I originally wanted from her, but I mean, I got to kiss her." I say to myself in the mirror as I brush my hair. 

"I think it somewhat helps that I was a little tipsy because I never meant to stumble like that." I said to myself as I walked over to my closet. 

I took out a white shirt with blue dots on it and a tiny little bow tie at the neck line.

The world's tiniest bow tie as Jillian called it.

Then I threw on my jeans and flats and was ready for work.

I'm heading to the kitchen when I see Abby. She's making some coffee but also holding some files in her other hand.

"Hey abs," I say. "What's that?" I ask pointing to the files.

She gives me a look. And I know exactly what they are now.

"Come on." Abby says as she walks towards the couch we have with the coffee in one hand and the files in the other.

We sit down on the couch and I feel like a little kid on christmas day. Except it's better. And the fact that I'm not a kid I guess..

"Is this her file? Like as in everything I need to know?" I ask with a huuuge tone of excitement in my voice.

"Yes Erin. Jesus Christ. It's Jillian's file. Everything you need to know about Jillian Holtzmann is right here. In my hand. You just need to chill out." Abby says rolling her eyes at me.

"Give it!" I say as I grab it from her hand.

I open it. I feel like I can control the universe with all the information I have about her at my finger tips. Everything I need to know about the person of my interest is in my hands.

I start to read it.

Subject: Holtzmann, J

Sex: F

DOB: 01/06/1984

Put into a foster home at the age of 10 due to a double homicide and a suicide. Father shot and killed mother and sibling, male. 

No other family left to take subject so the subject was in and out of multiple foster homes until adoption. 

Subject was never adopted.

I stopped reading for a minute.

"Jesus Christ. Abby, have you read this?" I ask looking over at her.

"No why?"

"Because it's really sad. You know the little speech she gave at the sports bar we went to after we saved the world?"

"Oh yeah, when you looked like Garfield."

"Right. When she said that stuff about family she wasn't kidding. She literally never had a family."

"What?"

"Yeah. It's all right here."

"Holy shit."

There was a long silence.

"I mean that's insane. The fact that she went through all this before the age of 15 is sad." I said breaking the silence.

I continued to read.

Subject  graduated High School by the age of 14 and attended Columbia University at the age of 15. By the age of 19 had received a doctorate in the study of physics. 

Subject appeared to be unemployed until the age of 27. Worked at Kenneth P. Institute with the Scientist Abigail Yates on the Study of the Paranormal.

Now work for the Conductors of the Metaphysical Examination also know to be the Ghostbusters.

Then it all just stopped. There was nothing else.

"Abby are there any pages missing?" I ask flipping looking through the file.

"Nope. That what the government had on her. I know right! Impressive. The government on has a page and a half on her entire life." Abby said with a laugh.

"Wow that's really sad." I say in a soft tone. 

It's honestly really depressing to see what she's gone through within her life. She literally has no family, we're her only friends, and it truly seems that if this is all that her life is it must suck to have your family's death always hanging over your head like a rock getting ready to crush you emotionally. 

"Well, time to go to work." Abby says as she gets up and heads downstairs with the coffee in her hand.

"Yeah.." I say to myself as I get up with the file in hand and start to follow her. But I'm stopped by Patty.

"Oh, hey Patty." I say in a happy tone trying to hide the file under my arm.

Patty honestly isn't the exact person I want to run into right now due to the fact that I have a file on her best friend hidden under my arm.

"Erin, I know what you did." She says with a tone in her voice.

"Uhhh. What about?" I ask with a nervous tone in my voice. If she knows about the file I'm completely screwed.

"I know that you faked being drunk last night. Holtzmann told me the story of her letting you in late last night." She responds.

This answer feels like a huge weight off my shoulders but it really isn't. Now I have to try and explain myself in a way that can't show my interest for Holtzmann. She can't know. Abby's the only one who's allowed to know. I can trust Abby.

"Oh yeah. See about that I went out with some old friends of mine and it really didn't go the way I wanted it to go. Like they took me to 3 places and I tried to explain that I had work in the morning and I had to be home by midnight and they just didn't listen." I said very quickly and with a quirky little smile.

"Mhm." Patty mumbles as she folds her arms and stares me down.

Now Patty has to know.

"Okay look, long story short I have this thing for Holtzmann and I have for a while but I'm too much of a wimp to say anything to her so I tried getting a little tipsy and it sorta worked I mean I drank more than I should've but not enough to the point where I should've been able to get more confidence and I wanted to show her that I needed her to help me because I honestly do and please don't tell her Patty." I say all in one breath. It actually feels kinda good to get that out in front of more people.

Patty starts to jump up and down. 

"AHHH GIRL I KNEW IT YOU GOTTA GO TELL HER!" She screamed.

"Patty! Keep your voice down I don't want her hearing." I say back in a shushed tone. 

"Oh, oh riiight." She says back.

Then it goes silent and all you can hear in the background is Holtzmann music and Abby cheering her on while she dances. 

"Well I'm gonna head to work," I say with a smile. "I'll meet you downstairs!" I say as I walk away. 

I make my way down the stairs I hear screaming. 

I rush down the stairs and see what no wife, girlfriend, or even person who has a crush wants to see.

Jillian Holtzmann is lying on the floor, unconscious.

Hopefully.