Title: Death of a Comrade
Author: Rosalie Duquesne
Rating: T (very strong)
Summary: Eric's other, older, sister, María, and her fiancé die in a house fire, leaving him not only to take care of their daughter, Isla, but also to try to solve their murder without getting caught by IAB. Will he be able to do it? With the help of a little blonde friend, maybe it will be a lot easier than he thinks.
A/N: Wow, it feels damn good to be writing E/C fics again. Sorry I've been on a slight hiatus, but a lot of the fic ideas that I've had for this ship didn't really map out. Case fic got scrapped and the cutesy vacation fic got scrapped even faster, I was in a serious rut with them. My other fics went off but this kinda suffered. Finally, today I found a topic that seemed to be pretty concrete to me :) so I hope yall enjoy it ! Please review ! P.S. the title is a reference to an awesome poem by Martin Carter, a poet from Caribbean. It's meaning plays an important part in understanding this poem. Please read it :D
A/N 2: Also I am very sorry if the updates seem to appear randomly, I have just started university and while I am on vacation now I will soon be back in the crazy schedule I refer to as my life. I will try my best to update as often as possible. Okay, enough ranting :) here ya go !
XXX
"Just get the hell out! I can do this by myself!"
"Then why the hell did you call me over here? Huh?" the blonde replied smartly, hoping she struck a nerve.
He opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. She wanted to smile smugly, but she knew that it would do nothing to improve their current situation; it would only hinder them even more.
Instead she spoke softly, "Look, Eric. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't even have this information, instead you would be in one hell of a fucking mess with IAB. So will you just listen to me for once? Please?"
Eric looked at her in the eye, her green gaze looking as strong and persuasive as ever. But he knew better than that, he knew better than to give into her. Making the hardest decision of his life he replied to her softly, but icily, his anger evident in his words.
"I don't need you, not now, not ever. Get out of my house."
XXX
Two weeks earlier
"Put your gun down!"
Eric looked across the parking lot to his partner, crouching behind a van, clutching at her arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The suspect had fled the scene, as usual, but he and Calleigh had managed to chase him down to the parking lot of the building. He had taken a shot, grazing Calleigh's left arm.
Now he stood about ten feet from Eric, gun trained on him.
"If I do that then I go to jail."
Eric's gaze moved to him once again, "If you don't your going to end up in the morgue. Your pick."
Breathing heavily, Peter Morgan glanced between the fallen officer and the one in front of him, his mind racing. He couldn't make the choice. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat, his eyes wide with fear. He licked his lips and blinked uncontrollably. His grip on the gun wavered, as he released and re-gripped it over and over.
Fortunately for him, his choice was about to be made a lot easier.
"Why don't you listen to the nice police officer and put the gun on the floor?"
The cool voice came from behind him, startling him quite a bit. He closed his eyes in defeat and slowly bent over to place the firearm onto the concrete floor.
"Good boy, now put your hands behind your head and get on your knees."
He did as he was told and Horatio cuffed him. The redhead then looked up at Eric and nodded toward Calleigh. Not wasting another moment Eric holstered his gun and sprinted to Calleigh's side.
"Cal, you okay?"
She kept her hand on her wound, not wanting any more blood to seep from the wound.
She flipped her hair from her face to look Eric in the eye, "Just a scratch, don't worry about it."
Eric smiled lightly, "Liar. Come on, I'll call Alexx and ask her to fix it up. It's her day off."
Calleigh rolled her eyes but nodded, "Wait, how do you know it's her day off?"
"We were going to have lunch. You coming or not?"
Smiling once again she followed behind him to the hummer, thanking him as he opened the door and helped her in without removing her hand from the wound.
XXX
"Okay, so we got him for the murder of Catherine Lita. Crime of passion. Found her in bed with another man, got jealous, killed her but Michael is in the ICU now."
Eric nodded at Natalia, "Thanks."
"How's Calleigh?" she asked.
"You know Cal. Usual routine, but Alexx is with her now."
Natalia chuckled, "You know, Delko, you hold the record time for getting her to get medical attention. Not even H can get her to get checked out that fast."
Eric shrugged noncommittally, "I'm done for the day, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Later, Delko," Natalia said with a smile before walking off.
Eric rolled his eyes and walked into the locker room, spotting a familiar blonde head trying to open her locker with one hand.
"Need a hand?" he said cheekily.
Calleigh shook her head, "Only if it comes with no corny jokes."
Eric raised his hands in surrender, "These hands have a mind of their own. I can't be held responsible for their actions."
Calleigh let out a breath that sounded more like a laugh, "Just open it for me please?"
Eric smiled and helped her out, doing as she said until her bag was packed.
"So what's the plans for later? Dinner for one?"
She smiled cheekily at him, "Not quite. I have one rather orange haired companion with me tonight."
"You know carrot-top?"
Calleigh slapped him with her good arm, "No. I have Micah to keep me company."
"Your new cat?" Eric scoffed lightly, "I'm sure he's quite the conversationalist."
"You wouldn't know," she replied, picking up her bag, "You've never met him."
"Care to add another chair to that table? Or is three a crowd?"
She turned to walk out, shouting over her shoulder as she opened the door, "Seven-thirty, don't be late!"
XXX
Calleigh bustled around the kitchen, hopping from the pot on the stove, to the vegetables that needed chopping on the counter. While she moved, her hips swayed to the song that came from the music she had blasting from her iPod dock.
"Soy loca con mi tigre…"
She sang along to the music as she continued to chop, a knocking sound audible in the distance.
"It's open, Eric!" she said, checking the time, five past seven.
She heard the door open and close and the heavy footsteps that accompanied her male friend.
"Something smells amazing."
She heard his voice before she saw him enter the room, as her eyes remained on the task she had at hand. She smiled as she looked up and saw him, in fresh clothes, a plain white tee and jeans. She too had changed, sporting lounge pants and a thin strapped top that ended a bit higher than the pants, leaving a small potion of her creamy skin visible.
"Paella," she replied.
"Mmm, my favourite."
"I know," she said, looking up at him.
"You did this for me?" he asked, a hand poised over his chest, "I feel special."
Calleigh scoffed, albeit a tiny smile on her face, "Well don't. I'm in the Spanish mood tonight."
Eric pursed his lips, "You didn't have to burst my bubble there, Cal."
She shrugged, "It needed bursting. Can you set the table for me, please?"
Eric nodded and walked into the dining room with the mats he pulled from the drawers in the kitchen. As he walked back into the kitchen for the plates, his phone rang.
"Delko."
"Mister Delko? This is Anna, from Dade-Memorial."
Eric froze in his spot, "What happened?"
"Your sister and her fiancé were admitted to the hospital about ten minutes ago following a house fire."
"Are they okay?"
"I'd prefer to tell you in person, sir. Is it possible for you to come to the hospital?"
"I'll be there in ten minutes," he said quickly, hanging up the phone.
"You'll be where in ten?" Calleigh said, hand on her hip as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen.
"María's and David are in the hospital, I got to go," he said in a rush, gathering his coat and car keys from the table.
"Go quickly, I'll meet you there."
He looked back at her, "Thanks, Cal."
XXX
Eric's head was spinning. He rubbed his forehead as he walked to the nearest chair.
"I am so sorry, mister Delko."
How in the world could this happen? A house fire? Was it an accident? Did they accidentally leave the stove on?
"The injuries sustained by your sister and her fiancé were too severe to save them."
His sister, his older sister, his protector, his only sister is now dead. He was the only living Delko now. The only one to continue the bloodline. He scoffed, And I can't even tell the woman I love that I want to be with her. He rubbed his eyes as the bits and pieces of the conversation came back to him.
"He suffered third degree burns to the upper and lower torso, arms and legs."
"Miss Delko was in the room from which the fire originated, there was no possible way to save her."
"Mister Marks was not stable when he arrive and thus surgery was very difficult. Unfortunately he did not survive, as his injuries were too great."
"I am sorry, sir. Is there any other family member we can call?"
"Mister Delko? Sir?"
A hand on his shoulder brought Eric from his train of thought. A police officer looked down at him, "Uh, miss Delko's daughter- your niece- she's in exam room four. She made it out of the fire with minor injuries. I think mister Marks got her outside before going back in for your sister, sir."
Isla's alive? He thought to himself.
He got out of his seat, completely ignoring the officer now and quickly made his way to the ER. He stopped at the front desk and asked, "My niece, Isla Martinez, where is she?"
"Over there," the nurse said, pointing to the curtain behind him.
Without bothering to thank her he rushed over to the curtain and yanked it open, startling the occupants behind it. A young black-haired girl, blue and green streaks across her head, jumped almost a mile into the air. The doctor stitching up her arm gave Eric a look, to which Eric apologized.
"Tío Eric!" the teenager exclaimed, happy to see a family member.
"Hola cariña. ¿Cómo estás?"
"¿Donde está mamí? Y David?"
Eric's face visibly fell; he had no idea what to tell the girl. He opened his mouth and closed it, the only thing that came out was, "Lo siento, cariña…"
Tears welled up in her green eyes, a trait from her father, and her bottom lip quivered. She closed her eyes and the tears flowed freely down her face. Eric moved in slowly, bending over to her side, allowing her to lean into his embrace as sobs wreaked her body.
"Sweetheart, I know it's a lot to take in, but you have to sit still so the doctor can stitch you up, okay?"
Isla sniffles and looks her uncle in the eye, nodding softly. Less than a moment later, a familiar blonde head pops behind the curtain, "Eric?"
His gaze is torn away from his niece to his partner, eyebrows raised.
"Can I, uh- can I talk to you for a sec?"
Eric nods and looks back to his niece, he leans over and whispers something into her ear, placing a kiss on her temple. He follows Calleigh and closes the curtain behind him. He runs a hand down his face, "What's up, Cal?"
"After you left, Horatio called. There was a murder on 11th and Pine."
His eyes snapped up to meet hers, "That's-"
"María's place, I know."
"I thought it was an accident."
Calleigh shook her head sadly, "I'm so sorry, Eric."
"My sister was murdered."
She placed a hand on his arm, "We're going to do everything we can. We will catch whoever did this, Eric."
Eric looked at her intently, a fire in his eyes she had never witnessed before. He spoke up, his voice laced with pain, "I'll make sure of it."
