Authors: tidbit2008 and tessastardean
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: We own nothing but our inspiration.
Authors' Notes: This is our first cowritten work together. Special thanks to Ash for looking over this for us.

Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

"So, I saw you and Eric talking earlier today. He looked upset. Is everything okay?"

Calleigh was thankful that she was brushing her teeth when he asked her about it. Well, maybe not so thankful, because she nearly choked. She didn't realize that Ryan had seen them. Not that there was anything to see, exactly. It was just an awkward conversation. But she took her time brushing her teeth, trying to decide how to answer. The truth? It might just confuse him. Heck, it had confused her. But to lie? That didn't sound so great either. It had been an innocent conversation for the most part. Not the kind one wanted to share with one's significant other, but nothing to be ashamed of. Well, not really. But it might complicate things a tad bit since they all worked together. Why, oh why, Eric did you have to open your mouth? she thought.

earlier today…

"Hey, Calleigh," Eric greeted when he found her in the locker room.

Calleigh turned and smiled at her friend. "Hey, Eric. How are you?"

"Good. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Her smile faded a little at the nervousness in his voice. "Of course. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," he assured her. "I just, I have tickets to see Bon Jovi this weekend. I remember you saying something about liking them. So I thought maybe you'd like to go see them with me. We could get dinner before or after the show. Donnelly's is right there…"

When Calleigh realized what Eric was asking her, she struggled to keep the shock from her face. The last thing she had expected was for him to ask her out on a date.

"Eric," she interrupted. "I'm sorry," she paused and tried to decide how to best lessen the blow, "I'm seeing someone." The look on his face was like a knife through her heart. Pain and confusion flashed across his eyes, and his face went pale. She watched as he swallowed hard and reached out one hand to lean on the lockers, while at the same time he dropped his eyes to the floor. Calleigh wanted to reach out to him, to hug him and tell him that everything would be okay. However, she knew that it would only make things worse, so she stayed where she was.

"I thought…" He paused, and appeared to be struggling to gather his thoughts. "I thought that there was something between us… that you felt the same way I do."

His words caught her off-guard, but as she sifted through her memories, she realized that maybe there was some truth to what he was saying. They had been friends for so long and were so comfortable with each other; it wasn't such a leap to think that maybe there was something more between them.

"Maybe at some point," she said slowly, knowing that he needed an answer. "But that was a long time ago, Eric. We missed our chance, maybe without even realizing that it was there. And I…," She sighed and wished she didn't have to be the one to hurt him, "I fell for someone else," she finished, trying to make her words as gentle as possible.

He nodded slowly. "I just, I guess I always thought we'd end up together," he said quietly. He raised his eyes to hers once again and tried to give her a small smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Nodding faintly in her direction, he turned and walked out of the room.

the present…

She took care choosing her words, careful without being too secretive. "He was just upset over some things in his personal life, but I think he's gonna be okay. It's nothing to worry about for the moment." She flashed him one of her patented 'everything is fine, really' smiles.

He was pulling back the covers when he glanced up and gave her a look that said 'I know there's something you're not telling me but I'm gonna give you a free pass because I trust you' and just shook his head, returning to the covers. "Okay, just let me know if there is anything I can do."

"I will, babe. I promise." She finished her bathroom routine and turned around to find Ryan stretched out on his back watching Letterman's monologue. She crawled in bed and nestled into the crook of his arm. She laid there pretending to listen to Letterman, but really she was listening to the sound of Ryan's heart. Thump, thump, thump. Her thumb lazily traced a little pattern on his chest. His skin felt so good beneath her fingers. It was warm and alive. In the comfort of his arms she let her mind wander to what Eric had said about how he'd always thought they'd wind up together.

In all fairness, at one time maybe she had thought so too. She wasn't sure if it was because of how they had clung to one another after Tim's death, or if it was just because he was Eric and she was Calleigh and someone once said friendship was the start of every great romance.

She let out a sigh and noticed how Ryan's breathing had slowed. She smiled when she realized that he was asleep - he was so cute when he slept. She reached over, grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Ryan stirred slightly and shifted onto his side and she curled up against him as he draped his arm over her.

Then there was Ryan. She suppressed a soft chuckle. Talk about friendship turning into something more. If she was honest with herself, she'd never seen him coming. After he joined the lab, it had taken a little getting used to, but they had fallen into an easy friendship. He was young and still had a bit of innocence about him. And he had that smile, that million dollar smile that made her heart skip a beat.

It was easy to love him as a friend, and not too long until she realized that she loved him as more than a friend. It hadn't taken long to discover he felt the same way either. The day he walked her out to his car and kissed her ever so softly before asking her to go to dinner with him stayed with her. She had been so dizzy that she wasn't sure she'd be able to drive home. It was the most incredible feeling, and she'd never forget it.

She listened to Ryan's soft, slow breathing and knew without a doubt she was right where she was supposed to be. Once upon a time, maybe she and Eric could have had one hell of a whirlwind romance, but that day had come and gone a long time ago. Ryan may not be the man she thought she'd wind up with, but he was the one she wanted. He loved her and she him and whether it was expected or not, it was enough to last them a lifetime.