A/N: This takes place after the episode 'And How Does That Make You Kill

A/N: This takes place after the episode 'And How Does That Make You Kill?'. It will be a three shot, with the pairing of Eric/Calleigh, of course. As always, reviews are always appreciated, so let me know what you think! :)

-o0o-

Calleigh collapsed onto her couch and let out a long sigh. This whole day had taken her by surprise, and she could almost feel the raging and conflicting thoughts floating around in her head as she tried to figure out how to deal with what had happened today. She brought her fingertips to her temples, gently massaging them as she tried to figure out how to approach this. She had felt shocked and confused ever since she left the lab, and only now could she start to think clearly enough to try to sort everything out.

But, of course, every time she tried to objectively think about how she felt about what she'd read in Eric's file, she'd get distracted by the memory of his smile or laugh. Butterflies would fill her stomach and curiosity and confusion would wash over her, which made her wonder why she always felt like this whenever she thought about Eric.

It made me think about my future, settling down. It'd be nice if it were Calleigh.

Those words, Eric's words, were engrained into her brain. Though she'd only read them once, their impact left them stuck in her head. She'd felt so surprised and shocked when she came across these words as she sorted through the many files that had belonged to Dr. Marsh. But when she passed the initial shock of discovering one of Eric's most well kept secrets, she had felt so unexplainably happy. Though she'd told Eric that reading through these files had been a bust, she knew that it was most definitely not. She'd discovered the one thing that could potentially change both of their lives and futures, if only they were brave enough to succumb to it.

The thought of starting a personal relationship with Eric had crossed her mind many times in the course of their working relationship. Calleigh wouldn't deny that, especially not from herself. He was handsome, smart, kind, caring, all of the usual qualities a woman looked for in a man. She'd learned how to push these thoughts to the back of her mind for the sake of being able to work with him, but every once in a while Eric would do something that would bring these thoughts rushing back. A small moment where he brushed against her would have her imagining how what is would feel like to trace his skin all over with her fingertips. The way he smiled at her would have her wondering if he would look just as happy if he woke up lying next to her.

Of course, Calleigh had hidden these thoughts from everyone, especially from Eric, for fear that it would damage their working relationship. Or, even worse, their friendship. But now that she'd seen what Eric had revealed in his therapy sessions, she couldn't help but wonder if he actually felt the same way towards her as she did for him. Could it be possible that Eric could truly see her in the same light that she saw him?

When I got shot, it really put things into perspective…

Eric's shooting had had a tremendous effect on her. That was the moment when her true feelings had broken through the walls she'd built around them and she'd felt that she could embrace them. She'd been so worried and scared for him, and she'd prayed to a god that she wasn't sure existed in the blind hope that he would survive, just so she could be with him again.

And when Eric had recovered, she hadn't the slightest clue how to act around him. Though the shooting had been an event of personal revelation for her, she had no idea how he would have reacted to her feelings. So, with the intent of preventing them both from getting hurt, she'd once again filed away her feelings before they could cause either of them any damage.

But now she knew that she couldn't hide from her feelings any longer. What she'd accidentally discovered by reading Eric's notes was something that had wakened her curiosity, and it couldn't be ignored. She'd come to the decision that she needed to tell Eric the truth now that there was a small chance that he might feel the same way towards her that she did for him. And though that thought was as frightening as it was exhilarating, she knew that she didn't have any other choice.

So, with anxiety and nervousness filling her, she reached for her phone and dialed the familiar number she'd known for so long. She took several deep breaths as the rings filled her ear, breathing a small sigh of relief when the answering machine picked up. "Eric?" Her voice sounded so small and timid, reflecting the nerves she'd tried to hide. "It's me. We need to talk."