A loud groan escaped his lips as he rushed up the last couple of steps and noticed the bags stacked outside his door. 'Déjà vu' Eric Delko thought to himself as he carefully stepped around one of the larger boxes. 'Wonder what the reason will be this time?'

Standing awkwardly he fished in his pocket and managed to retrieve his keys and open the door without tripping over. He strode in the room and found to his surprise his current, but according to the luggage, ex-girlfriend sitting on his couch, lazily channel surfing with a bored look on her face.

Due to the lack of reaction on her part Eric deducted she didn't know he was there clearing his throat loudly he waited for her to acknowledge him.

The attractive brunette turned to face him and once again surprised him by grinning brightly. "hey Eric." she called her thumb still flicking through the channels.

"Err…" Eric started tossing his keys on the side table and standing awkwardly, "hey." he finished lamely

There was a moments pause before Eric continued as the television stopped on the cooking channel. "The bags…" he trailed off gesturing with his hands.

Cherry his former/current girlfriend suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh that!" she exclaimed. "I'm breaking up with you." She said completely casually.

Eric stared at her shocked; it wasn't so much the fact that he had got dumped, but more along the lines of how she was taking it. He'd had girls burst into tears before, trash his car and even through themselves to the ground begging for another chance but never had they sat relaxed on his couch learning how to make spicy chicken with lemon butter sauce.

"Err…why?" he felt stupid the moment he had said it but couldn't think of anything else to replace it.

"hmmm." She answered turning away from the television to look at him. "oh well somehow I don't think Calleighs in to the whole threesome thing." She replied.

Eric looked like a fish out of water. "Calleigh….what!?" he exclaimed

Cherry laughed, weather it was at his expression or the Italian chefs joke about to much paprika he didn't know. "Duh Eric," she said shaking her head. " from what I've been told you've been avoiding the obvious for almost two years now, and that's generally around the time they get it, but considering you're a CSI, I'm giving you extra credit and ditching it a few weeks early." she explained

"ditching what?" Eric asked still completely confused. Cherry had never been good at explaining things, kind of like the time she had given him directions to her house and he'd ended up in the wrong state.

Cherry rolled her eyes, and matching Eric with a look she opened her mouth very slowly as if talking to an ignorant six year old. "According to your boss and half your office, plus the guy that comes to deliver the mail, you've been in love with Calleigh Duquesne for exactly 22 months, several days, and large number of hours." She said rolling her hands and biting her lip as she tried to recall the numbers.

Eric sputtered loudly "what!" he shouted. "I'm am not in love with Calleigh!"

Cherry glared and suddenly Eric found himself ducking sharply as the remote sailed precariously close to the top of his head. "don't be an idiot!" she exclaimed throwing her hands up, oddly enough at the exact time the chef on TV added the chili and tossed his hands for dramatic effect.

There was silence

Eric thought about it for a second...

'Damn.'

'Sprung.'

"Carefully oil the pan." 'Stupid chef.'

Eric turned his eyes to his shoe laces and felt the heat rising up his neck "how long have you know this?" he asked softly.

" 'bout the second I saw the two of you together in a room…" she trailed off "why?" she added chirpily.

Eric shifted awkwardly "it's that obvious?" he asked again, just as soft.

Cherry nodded her head even though he wasn't looking at her. "Honey, it's like killing somebody and leaving a signed confession behind."

"And I do what about it?" Eric asked

Cherry looked thoughtful "I have a bullhorn you could make good use of." She joked.

Eric looked at her desperately. "But if your not the prep rally kind of guy," she added quickly "I'd try a surprise dinner with candlelight." She said.

Eric nodded silently and turned towards the door and halfway over the threshold he stopped sand looked back at her. "What about you?" he asked.

Cherry grinned mischievously making Eric think of the cat that got the crème "oh don't worry," she teased "I got my eye on Speed."

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End.

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