Fantasma... That's Spanish for Love (A Holtzbert Story)

Chapter Three - Cute and Friendly

Erin makes it a habit to arrive to work early now. She claims its due to an off sleep schedule when really, she's just been a little more eager to get to work for reasons she has yet to understand. Holtzmann doesn't mind her presence. Even if the two of them are completely engulfed in their work, Erin lost in an equation and Holtzmann focused on a new gadget, they enjoy each other's company.

On this particular morning, the two of them are out in the alley behind the firehouse.

"Okay Erin, this canon is going to have a little impact so you're gonna wanna stand with your legs apart so that you don't lose your balance and arch your back so that your bottom is pushed out." Holtzmann says quickly while moving her arms around to instruct.

"Like this?" Erin asks uncertainly.

"Yeah, I like that!" Holtz says in a flirtatious tone.

"Seriously!" Erin scolds as she tries to hide her blush.

"I kid, I kid. You just need to relax. You've got nothing to worry about. I'm going to help you." Holtzmann stands behind Erin and holds her arms so that she can guide them to where they need to move. "You ready?" She asks with a somewhat menacing grin on her face.

"I... think so." Erin says in a small voice.

"Alright! Fire it up, hotstuff." Holtzmann says excitedly.

Erin fires the proton canon which results in a huge blast that causes the dumpster to explode and knocks her into Holtzmann and they both fall backwards, one on top of the other.

"Didn't expect that to happen! Might need some more tinkering." She looks up at Erin. "Never pegged you for a girl on top, Gilbert."
She grins proudly.

"Shut up!" Erin laughs nervously and feels her temperature rise. She also takes way too long getting up off of her colleague. Of course, Holtzmann doesn't mind. She's enjoying the view of the very nervous physicist on top of her. Erin finally gets up and holds her hand out for the engineer. Holtzmann grabs her hand while trying to get up but instead, she ends up pulling Erin back down. The two of them laugh on the ground.

Patty watches the pair from the window. She smiles and shakes her head at the two while she drinks her coffee. Kevin walks into the firehouse with a yo-yo he got out of one of those quarter machines. Abby follows behind him with bags of snacks and other necessities for the firehouse.

"Kevin, buddy, a little help here please." She asks, struggling to hold the bags. Kevin is so focused on figuring out the yo-yo that he doesn't hear her. Patty shakes her head and walks over to grab a few bags from Abby's arms.

"Thanks Patty!" Abby sighs in relief.

"No problem!" She responds while unloading the bags.

Abby sets her bags down on the table.

"So how are we doing this morning?" She asks as she falls back on the couch.

"Great! I found out that the ghost we caught at Columbia was a mean, old American History professor there 20 years ago who was fired so he killed himself in the library." Patty explains.

"Oh my God, that could've been Erin." Abby says matter of factly. Patty laughs. "Speaking of Erin, where is she? And it's suspiciously quiet upstairs which tells me that either Holtz is fast asleep on her work bench or she may have actually went home..."

"Oh they're here. They've been out there testing one of Holtz's new gadgets... Being all cute and friendly." Patty chuckles.

"They've become very cute and friendly with each other, haven't they?" Abby grins.