Calleigh and Eric walk back out into the sunshine after she had been rescued from her kidnapper, not saying a word the whole way out. So many things were running through both their minds. What if she hadn't made it? What if they hadn't been on time or found her secret leads?
Eric took a deep breath and slipped his hands in his pockets as he glanced at her, while she continued to stare ahead, like she was trying to avoid looking at him or something.
'Are you sure you're OK?' Eric asked her.
'Yeah...I'm fine' Calleigh replied still not looking at him, fidgeting with her keys.
Eric sighed 'What are you going to do? Take some time off?' he asked her.
'I really don't know to be honest. I guess I just wanna go home' she told him when she finally looked at him. Think about what happened' she told him forcing a smile as they stopped next to her car which one of the detectives had driven. She looked so tired and Eric didn't like that. She was always full of energy. The look she was sporting on now, was something he was not used to seeing on her beautiful face. She was looking at him with big beautiful blue eyes, even though the whiteness of her eyes was red by now, and Eric could tell that she was trying to fight back tears, while her smile was still plastered all over her face.
She turned around then to open the car but Eric stopped her as he placed his hand on her arm 'Hey, you're not going home alone' he told her shaking his head with a bit of a smile on, thinking she was crazy if she thought for a second that he was going to let her out of his sight.
'Eric, I'm fine' she told him as she turned to look at him, her head tilted to one side 'I really am. I promise but thank you' she told him, before she turned around again.
'I'm not' Eric told her and Calleigh turned to look at him 'I don't know what I would have done if something were to happen to you today' he told her, and his pain was obvious in his eyes.
She kept staring at him, such words giving her strength throughout this ordeal. The thought that he cared about her as much as she did him. The knowledge that he wasn't afraid to show her his vulnerability, gave her strength, and as her nostrils flared and her lips parted slightly, Calleigh eyes twinkled as her blue orbs stared into his bare soul for the longest moment.
She blinked a couple of times then, and looked away from his gaze before she blurted 'OK'.
Eric smiled at her then understanding what her OK meant before he turned around and opened the passenger's door for her. She climbed into the car and Eric walked over to the driver's side while Calleigh opened the door for him from the inside. He climbed in, looked at her and smiled and turned on the engine.
To Eric it was obvious but Calleigh seemed to have other plans as she realized where they were heading. They had been driving for almost fifteen minutes already and Calleigh placed her hand on his and Eric quickly glanced at her.
'Are you alright?' he asked her worriedly.
'I don't...wanna go home' she told him.
'You don't?' he asked her confused glancing at her again.
'No' she replied 'Can we...go to your place instead?' she asked him.
'Sure' he replied. He wasn't exactly sure why she wouldn't want to go home, but right now, he was not going to ask anymore questions, so Eric just stayed quiet and drove towards his apartment. It was just five minutes away from where they were.
Calleigh had been here a couple of times, after he was released from hospital mainly. She had taken such good care of him, and she would go and visit him every single day. She had been the strength he needed to overcome such ordeal. The near death experience, and realizing that his sister had been killed, which he seemed to lack the memory off, was too much to handle, but Calleigh had been by his side and he owed her so much.
The thought that he could have lost her made him shiver, and he almost closed his eyes, if he hadn't been driving and Calleigh was with him.
'Are you cold?' she asked him having caught him shivering.
'No' he quickly replied without saying anything else and Calleigh nodded realizing that he didn't want to talk about it. At least not yet.
They arrived to his apartment in a matter of minutes, and Eric ushered her upstairs. He opened the door and signaled for her to walk inside first. She stood there in the corridor, staring ahead as she slipped her hands in her pocket. She heard him close the door behind him, and then his arms slipped down her arms until he wrapped them to the front and placed the side of his head against hers, closing his eyes. Calleigh closed her eyes as she felt him tighten his hold on her and let her head drop slightly backwards against his shoulder.
'You scared the shit out of me' he whispered.
'Sorry' she whispered.
He kissed her cheek then and let his arms drop as he walked ahead of her now, dropping his keys on the kitchen counter 'Coffee?' he asked her.
'Oh yes please' she replied.
Eric poured some water in the kettle and switched it on before he turned his attention back on her.
'Can I get you anything else?' he asked her.
'Change of clothes' she suggested 'I would really love to use your shower, if you don't mind' she asked him.
'Emmm...of course go ahead' he told her 'But you don't have any clothes here' he told her.
'Can I borrow some of yours?' she asked him.
'Sure' he replied stammering the words out a little.
They walked into his bedroom and Eric pulled out a pair of gym pants and a tank top 'Would these do?' he asked her.
'Yeah. Thanks Eric' she replied with the same smile she had on when they were standing next to their cars earlier. She looked so tired.
'Emm...bathroom is over there. I go and do coffee for us' he told her. He hesitated a bit at first but then he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, making Calleigh close her eyes momentarily.
He heard the water running as he was in the kitchen pouring coffee for the two of them, and all he could imagine, was her naked in his shower. His whole body was begging him to just walk in there and put a stop to all this nonsense and have his vicious way with her...but now was not the right time, even if she was standing naked in his own shower.
God knows what she had been through while she was kidnapped and Eric almost hit the cupboard in anger. Why didn't it cross his mind to protect her, when Cooper had created the website, exposing her to all the criminals in Miami? He wanted to kill the bastard for what he did to her. He practically fed her to the sharks with what he did.
'Hey' he heard her say from behind him, realizing that he was so lost in thoughts, he hadn't even realized that she was standing there.
Eric turned around to find her in the ridiculously too big clothes of his, and Eric couldn't help but laugh. 'Hey why are you making fun of me?' she asked him as she punched his arm playfully, forgetting that her knuckles still hurt, thus action making her wing in pain.
'Hey are you alright?' he asked her taking the obvious pain on her face. He took her hands in his and saw the bruises on her knuckles. She had probably punched the kidnapper.
'Yeah. I just forgot about those bruises' she told him as she pressed her lips and raised her eyebrows.
'Are you hurt anywhere else?' he asked her concerned.
'No' she lied, and walked away towards the couch.
Eric grabbed the mugs and walked after her, his eyes admiring her ass in those gym pants. Damn they looked good, he thought.
She sat down on the couch, bending her legs under her ass while Eric placed the mugs on the coffee table and sat next to her, letting his arm stretch on the couch, his long fingers playing with her wet hair.
'Thank you for letting me use the shower and borrow your clothes' she told him.
'You're welcome Calleigh' he told her 'But...may I ask why you preferred coming here instead of going to the safety of your house?' he asked her.
Calleigh smiled at that. She knew he was going to ask her, that he didn't understand why she preferred coming here.
'Walking into your apartment...is like walking in your arms Eric. It feels safe here' she told him with a shrug 'And after how I have been exposed to the public...my house feels nothing but safe and I can't face that yet' she told him.
'I understand' he replied 'You know I wouldn't have left you alone, right?' he asked her.
'I know' she replied 'But here I'm in your home, in your clothes...' and then she shifted closer 'In your arms' she told him as she scooped near him and Eric wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold on her, in which case, his long digits pressed on the bruise she had on her side and this time, Calleigh did cry out in pain and Eric literally jumped.
'What is it? Did I hurt you?' he asked her confused.
His eyes settled on where her hands were placed holding her side, and slowly but very carefully he removed his hands and pulled up slightly her top.
'Oh my God...Calleigh' he gasped his eyes wide in shock 'Why didn't you say something?' he asked her. Her entire side and stomach were in shades of blue and purple and Eric felt like he was about to have a panic attack. What had happened? Did they touch her? Did they...
'Hey...hey I'm fine. Eric look at me...please' Calleigh begged him as she grabbed his face with both hands.
His eyes found hers and Calleigh nodded, begging him to listen to her 'It's nothing' she whispered.
'Nothing? Calleigh you're bruised. You're badly bruised' he told her 'What did they do to you?' he asked her 'Did they...?' but Calleigh placed her finger on his lips.
'It's not what you're thinking. He didn't rape me Eric. He just kicked me that's all' she told him.
'That's all? Calleigh...' Eric whispered exasperated.
Calleigh swallowed hard as she shifted a bit slowly and pulled down her tank top and took Eric's hands in his 'I'm alright. I'm not going to the hospital alright. I can't take having so many people around me. Not right now. I don't have any broken bones' she told him.
'What if you have internal injuries?' he insisted.
'Then I would faint any minute and then I would have no choice but for you to take me to hospital...but I'm fine...honest' she told him 'I just wanna stay with you. In your arms' she told him.
'Alright' he replied.
She settled back in his embrace, her head against his chest, right where his heart was pounding ferociously in his chest. She could hear it and Calleigh knew that he was scared out of his mind for her.
'I'm fine' she repeated trying to sooth his worries.
Eric pressed his eyes shut as a tear escaped his eyes 'I was so scared Calleigh. When I realized that you were missing...I searched everywhere but I couldn't find you. I went to Cooper's place and I swear I could have killed him for what he did, for making you a target for the criminal minds. The minutes we waited for you to show up for the poker game felt like hours and when I heard your voice, I swear I wanted to cry with relief' he confessed.
'Just like when I walked in and saw you standing there right in front of me' she replied.
'I don't know what I would have done if something worse happened to you Calleigh...honest' he told her and Calleigh lifted slowly her head as Eric lowered his.
His hand cupped the side of her cheek, as his thumb started stroking it for her. Her eyes were staring at his lips and his eyes were staring at hers.
'You never have to find out' she whispered and with that, Eric placed his lips against hers and Calleigh swallowed hard as his lips had finally found their way to hers. She grabbed onto his shirt, as his fingers slid in her locks and their tongues locked in a passionate kiss, as they finally gave into their feelings for one another.
'You never have to find out Eric' Calleigh whispered 'Never' she vowed, as she placed her head back on his chest and fell asleep in the safety of his arms.