It was when she'd gotten out of interrogation with Ryan that she started running. They interviewed a mother, well a soon to be mother, who's significant other had recently been killed in a drive by, shot in the head and the chest, his life taken before he had a moment to realize it. They'd sat her down, refered to him as her boyfriend, and notice the way her hand cradled her belly. The woman broke down and Calleigh had to hold her while her body shook sob after sob after sob at the news. She'd fallen to the floor, knees at her chest while she cried and cried and cried against Calleigh's shoulder.
"I never told him I loved him," she sobbed, "we weren't even together." She tried taking a moment to calm the hiccuping of tears, and Calleigh had an overwhelming familiarity with the situation.
"He doesn't know," she stuttered, attempting to control her sobs, "about the baby. He doesn't know."
Calleigh held her, rocked her and rubbed her and told her she was so sorry. The young woman asked to go, and neither Calleigh nor Ryan objected. She helped her up, told Ryan to take her to her car, and bolted out of interrogation. The situation was all too familiar, uncomfortably so. He was dead, they weren't together though couldn't necessarily be referred to as "just friends," and despite whether or not he knew, she'd never gotten the chance to tell him how she felt. And now, she never will, and she'll never know if he knew, never know if he had been able to read through her walls and see the truth, despite the words stuck in her throat. He'd never heard her say that she loved him, never heard the words, and now he ever will. The thought made Calleigh shudder and caused her feet to move that much faster.
She raced down the halls, not caring who saw her, not acknowledging anyone except to offer a small apology, and a polite "excuse me," while she ran passed them. She checked the break room and the locker room, checked DNA and trace, but there was no sign of him. She glanced around while she made her way to the evidence lab, recalling seeing him return earlier from a scene in Overtown, and sure enough he was there, alone, collecting samples from the trash bag that was used for a body dump he'd been working on with Natalia.
She raced her way inside, and before Eric knew what was happening, before he had a moment to say hello, hell before he even put down his swab, she was kissing him, her arms around his neck, and she could tell he was startled, tell he wasn't sure what to do. But she was determine for him to figure it out, so she kept kissing him and kissing him, until his lips met hers and his one hand, despite being gloved, found it's way to caress her cheek, while the other made it's way into her hair. He'd been startled by the abruptness of it- one minute he he'd been swabbing repulsive decomp juices, and then the next he was tangled in her, surrounded by her. The feel of her hands around his neck, the taste of her lips on his- something he'd fantasized about for years- her scent was intoxicating, the passionate rend and sew of their lips addicting. The kiss was searing and breathtaking and needy, but right now she didn't care. Right now she needed Eric to know, because life was way too short, and she didn't want to finally kiss him and tell him she loved him over his cooling body in autopsy. Just the thought made Calleigh clutch at his collar so tight he thought his shirt might rip, knew it would leave a mark on his neck but he frankly didn't give two shits about that, nor did he really have the brainpower to actually think about anything other than the feel of her, the smell, the taste of her. Tangled within one another, the both of them forgot where they were until they heard a couple claps begin to echo around them, which quickly turned into an applause while Ryan yelled out "finally."
Eric broke the kiss looking at her a bit confused and dumbfounded, and before he had a moment to process, she kissed him again, soft and sweet, her arms falling along his back, standing as high as she could on her tippy toes and murmuring that she loved him, and then turning and leaving, refusing to make eye contact with any of their coworkers, a red tint of embarrassment flushing over her skin, leaving Eric in the evidence lab, confused and just well... confused. He glanced at who was watching, Walter and Ryan wore smirks, Natalia also a bit confused, everyone else waiting for Eric to speak, to move, to do anything that showed he'd comprehended the past minute or so because that'd been something he'd fantasized about for years.
His lips were swollen, his shirt ajar and his hair a mess, all from a 60 second encounter he swore didn't actually happen. An encounter he'd only ever dreamed of. But by the looks of his co workers, by the way their jaws dropped or their lips curved in a playful smirk, he was certain it did. And he must of looked stupid because he was standing there trying to figure out how the hell to react to that, when she'd left as quick as she'd come. He was still trying to wrap his brain around the whole thing, but he didn't have much time to think about it, because suddenly Walter yelled that "his ass better go and follow her," and that is precisely what his ass did, hastily put up the evidence he'd been processing, quickly labeled and initialed all the samples, and rushed after her, following her path down the hall, praying that it lead to some sort of future with her.
He wanted to wake up with her in his arms, wanted to feel her head against his chest while they watched a movie or read the paper or just sat with one another, wanted to match the rhythm of her breathing with his, wanted to touch and feel and caress every patch of cream skin he could find. He needed to feel the warmth of her again, needed to taste her again, needed to finally just be with her. She'd been the one to open the door, the one that had a big bright sign that said "what Eric and Calleigh could be," the one where their relationship was lifelong, where he was able to wake up to her in his arms, wake up to her smell and the lulling rise and fall of her chest. He needed her, she made it okay, she made the move, she left him startled with a breathtaking kiss, left him confused and unsure and in euphoric awe.
He ran after her, not giving a second thought to those around him, all he could think about was her, and he'd only kissed her, but he needed all of her. Right here. Right now. Forever.
He loved her, and she loved him.
It was a simple concept the two had undoubtedly over complicated over the past decade or so, living in fear of breaking their friendship, fear of losing what they had. But she needed him, needed to be with him because she couldn't just stand around and wait anymore. And hell, he's always needed her, everyone knew it too, and Calleigh, somewhere inside of her she did, but she was too afraid to believe it, too afraid that she was wrong, too afraid she'd misread him, despite the fact he'd told her she knew him too well.
But she knew, now he knew; she needed him for now and forever. And he, well, he's always needed her. They've always needed each other, and now, all thanks to an impulsive kiss that the two were still trying to wrap their brain around, they had each other, in every single aspect of one another. Their need finally fulfilled.