Title: No Distance Too Far
By: Jessica
Pairing: Eric/Calleigh
Rating:K+
Timeline: Pre-8x12.
Summary: It was perfection, this moment, and Calleigh knew right then that no distance was too far to drive if this was what she would find at the end.
A/N: In 8x12, Stetler comes to Calleigh about an undocumented 118 miles driven in her Hummer. What if, in the end, those miles had been driven by Calleigh instead of Jesse? I've done my research on this, heh, and the distances I've found between Miami and Key Largo vary wildly, from about 50 miles to 65 miles. Therefore, utilizing that and a bit of creative license, I figure it is possible for Calleigh to make this particular drive in 59 miles, or 118 miles round trip. Also, my apologies for the pointless fluff, lol. I hope this is enjoyed, because I don't know when I'll be able to write another EC one-shot.
Calleigh Duquesne wasn't the type to act on impulse.
She wasn't the type to jump to conclusions, to rush to action without thoroughly plotting through that course of action in her head first. She was organized, liked to plan everything out days in advance, if not longer.
She just wasn't the type of person to jump in the car and rush out of town, just because of a single phone call.
Except today, that was exactly who Calleigh Duquesne was. No planning, no thinking, just driving. All because of his voice, the voice she hadn't heard in…she'd promised herself she wouldn't count down the days, but in the end, that was exactly what she had done. Fifteen days it had been since she'd seen him; eleven since she'd last heard his voice over the phone. Even longer than that since she'd felt his arms around her. It was driving her crazy, being without him – and just the fact that it was driving her crazy was driving her crazy. Another promise she'd broken to herself – she'd always said no man would ever make her feel like this.
No man should've had her rushing out of the lab twenty minutes before the end of her shift – she'd figured all the overtime she'd pulled in the last several years would overcome that. No man should've had her jumping into the Hummer – not her own car, but the department-issued Hummer – and speeding her way out of Miami, without even stopping for something quick to eat. No man should've been able to take over her every thought and every action so entirely, so much so that she'd found herself surprised to glance down at the speedometer and find herself driving twenty-seven over the speed limit.
And yet, that was exactly what Eric Delko had done.
His phone call had been cryptic, little more than a simple request to come to him. But something about the words as soon as you can get here had frightened her, leaving her more and more anxious as the minutes ticked by. For a day that so far had gone by quick, Eric had certainly ensured that the final three and a half hours of her shift would literally crawl by. He'd offered her little more than that simple plea and a vague address – in Key Largo, of all places. Calleigh had done the calculations mentally – with her knowledge of shortcuts, she could make that trip in a little less than sixty miles.
Should've been too far away for an evening's trip.
But it wasn't, not to her suddenly aching heart.
And then when the trepidation set in, there was no chance that she would change her mind. At first, she'd tried not to think about what he really wanted. But the longer she tried to push it away, the darker her thoughts had steadily grown. And by the time she'd made it out of Miami, the apprehension had begun to twist her stomach into knots.
She had to think logically, and logic all pointed to the fact that he hadn't given her any details on the phone. What if something was wrong? As she drove, Calleigh wracked her brain, trying to plot a map of Key Largo in her mind – it was futile, though, for she had only really been there twice in her life. She had no idea where the address he gave her was…and what if it was a hospital? Or worse? One nervewracking thought only led to a cascade of similar thoughts, which in turn only led to Calleigh's foot falling harder against the accelerator, pushing her way through the rush hour traffic. The shortcuts had gotten her around a good portion of that, but there were still spots where it couldn't be avoided, and the precious time wasted there had left her biting her lip in anxiety.
It wasn't a moment too soon that she'd reached the island; the commute over the bridge from the mainland had seemed almost neverending. With trembling fingers, Calleigh reached for the scrap of paper upon which she'd hastily scrawled the address he'd given, and with a deep breath she began her search, thankful it was still light out, though barely. The sun was already low in the late December sky, sinking closer and closer to the horizon with each minute that passed. Night would settle in soon, and Calleigh didn't have enough knowledge of the roads on this island to feel comfortable searching after dark.
It was with immense relief that she finally turned onto the street he had specified – it was a tiny, residential neighborhood, no hospitals or other such buildings in sight. So it seemed Eric was okay, and that calmed her racing mind. Her heart, however, still pounded in anticipation at the prospect of seeing him again, after so many days away. With a careful eye, she counted out the numbers on the few houses in the neighborhood until finding the one she was looking for at the very end.
The house was small and quaint, merely a few yards from the water's edge. But more observation than that, Calleigh refused to make right now – all she wanted to find was the reason she'd come here, and that was Eric. She was out of the Hummer and to the front door in a flash, her heels clacking quickly against the cobblestone walkway, the tension within her growing with every step.
She was dismayed though as it quickly became apparent that no one was home. Her urgent knocks went completely unanswered, leaving her with a sinking feeling of disappointment. Had she driven all that way just to find an empty house? She frowned at the thought, and though she wouldn't admit it aloud, she was rather stung by the idea.
With a heavy sigh, she began to walk away, though abruptly she stopped. If Eric had given her this address and asked her to come, he would've been there. Calleigh might not have told him implicitly that she would come, but if he'd expected her in the slightest, he wouldn't have left her there. It was with those thoughts that she stepped off of the cobblestones and into the sandy grass, and slowly she made her way around the side of the house, granting herself the first unobstructed view of the ocean.
And that was enough to take her breath away. Certainly, Miami had some nice views of the ocean, but this was different. It was almost straight out of a framed piece of artwork, and if not for the slowly drifting clouds in the sky and the waves softly lapping at the shore, Calleigh might've been convinced of that. The deep cerulean of the water contrasted beautifully with the slowly darkening blues of the sky, characteristic of early twilight.
But only for a moment did she allow herself to linger on the beauty, for there was something else she'd much rather find. Scanning the area carefully as she walked, Calleigh chastised her heart for the soft flutter it gave when her eyes finally found him, standing alone at the end of a solitary dock.
He faced the sea, his back to her as he stood completely still, seemingly unaware of her arrival. She wanted to run to him, but Calleigh forced herself to hold back, pausing momentarily to reach down and slip off her heels, leaving them behind as she continued her approach. The sturdy wood of the dock was warm beneath her bare feet, and the closer she came to him, the more she noticed his unique, masculine scent mixing with the ocean air.
She stopped a few feet behind him, for the moment simply enjoying the view – the ocean, the beautiful sky, and Eric…it was simply the most perfect picture she'd ever seen. With a smile on her lips, she took one step closer before finally making her presence known. "It's beautiful here," she said, the best greeting she could muster. A real greeting, while polite, would needlessly emphasize the time they'd been apart – it was simply easier without it. No hellos, no goodbyes. Just them.
Slowly he turned to her, a smile on his lips that awakened the butterflies in her stomach. They fluttered madly, leaving her with an almost giddy sense of anticipation, though she tried her hardest to tamp that down. "I wasn't sure if you would come," he said quietly, closing the rest of the distance between them.
"You didn't give me much choice," Calleigh replied quietly, her breath quickening simply from the sudden closeness between their bodies. There was still ample room between them, it seemed, but it was plenty enough for the sparks to jump from him to her, and vice versa. It was plenty enough space for the almost magnetic attraction between them to feel almost insurmountable. "I, uh…you kind of gave the impression that it was an emergency."
He grinned then, that playful, boyish grin that never failed to leave Calleigh's heart fluttered in her chest. This time was no exception, and in fact, having been away from him for so damn long, she was certain that the effect was intensified. "I never said there was an emergency," he murmured, reaching out to take one of her soft hands with his. Almost of their own accord, their fingers laced together in a completely natural embrace, just one of nearly a million ways that proved how well they truly fit together. "I just said that you should come down here."
"As soon as I could, you said," Calleigh amended, glancing down at their hands with a smile. "I didn't even go home first – didn't even get my car because the Hummer happened to be closer," she said with a chuckle. "I left the lab twenty minutes early because all I could think about was that phone call. You scared me, you know," she accused halfheartedly, not even the slightest hint of reproach in her voice, nor in her sparkling eyes.
Gently Eric clasped her other hand, still grinning as he softly tugged her closer to him. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "That wasn't my intention."
Despite herself, Calleigh smiled. She couldn't help it; couldn't fight the way she melted in his mere presence. She tensed her fingers, and knowing exactly what she wanted, Eric released her hands, despite the sense of emptiness the action brought them both – that would be rectified momentarily, Calleigh knew. "I broke all the speed limits to get here, you know," she murmured sweetly, revealing to Eric why she'd wanted her hands free. The temptation had been too strong with him oh so close to her, and finally she simply had to give in to the urge to loop her arms around his neck. "Might've run a few stop signs too…"
To get to you. The trailing end of her sentence was silent, yet somehow it echoed loud enough to hear within both of their hearts. His heart swelling with affection for her, Eric slowly snaked his arms around her waist, drawing her even closer to him, and Calleigh could feel the electricity in the minute space that remained. "That's okay," he breathed, his eyes sparkling playfully. His tongue flicked quickly over his lips, and Calleigh couldn't stop her eyes from gravitating toward the simple motion. It was brief, and though she'd quickly relocked her gaze with his, Eric wasn't blind to the swift motion. "You're a cop," he continued, his grin visibly widening. Pausing for effect, he tilted his head teasingly. "And you did think you were on your way to an emergency…"
She chuckled softly, her eyes darting momentarily to his lips. "Well, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't worry me like that again," she requested quietly, her voice lightly playful.
Leaning forward, Eric pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Unable to stop herself if she'd wanted to, Calleigh sighed contentedly, drawing a low, almost inaudible rumble of a chuckle from him. "I never wanted to worry you," he murmured, truly apologetic. "I just…wanted to see you."
Calleigh's heart completely melted at his admission. As if that weren't enough, the shivers that coursed through her body at the feel of his lips on her skin were simply exquisite, and very quickly she was all too happy that she had rushed down here to him. She pulled back just slightly, just enough to lock her gaze with his, and she offered him a smile that left his own heart thumping against his ribs. "Say that again," she murmured.
Almost sheepishly she nibbled at her lower lip, a simple trait of hers that Eric had always found irresistible. Slowly, he brought one arm away from her waist and lifted it to her face instead, gentle fingertips tenderly brushing the stray, breeze-blown strands of gold away from her face. His touch lingered there, softly cupping her cheek, and Calleigh couldn't help but lean into it as he indulged her request. "I wanted to see you," he repeated, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I wanted…you."
His tone, so innocent yet simultaneously seductive, brought the goosebumps out along every inch of her skin. Suddenly, it hit her just how much she'd missed him, both at work and in her home, and she knew she'd likely give anything to get him back there. She wasn't a fan of this new gig of his; it kept him away from her for much more time than she was okay with, but then again, these days, she wanted him with her nearly all the time. Wanting him all the time, but being with him very little of the time…it was rough on her still-healing heart.
But she was with him now, and Calleigh forced all of the negatives from her mind, allowing herself to become lost in his deep brown eyes. She swallowed hard, her lips parting to allow a single whisper through. "Eric…"
If she'd had more to say, it would've been silenced anyway. Ever gently, the thumb that had been stroking her cheek met her lips in the softest of caresses, and Calleigh couldn't deny the electricity that sparked within her body at such a simple touch. "Thank you for coming," he breathed, and before Calleigh ever had a chance to reply, he'd tilted his head and, with only a second's hesitation, replaced his thumb with his lips.
Their mouths met softly at first, merely a slow, sensual brushing of lips, the most tender of kisses. It was lazy, it was languid, but yet somehow still seemed to convey all of the words that had yet to be said; all of the words that perhaps still weren't ready to be said aloud. It was enough to leave Calleigh tingling from head to toe, utterly overwhelmed by him, and she couldn't help but melt against his body as her knees weakened substantially.
It'd been so long, too long, but now that she was in his arms again, now that he could feel her soft lips against his again, it seemed almost as though she'd never left. Every sensation he remembered with the most vivid of memories, and memories were something he'd understandably had trouble with ever since the shooting. Many things were fuzzy in his mind, other things almost gone, but not this. All the moments like this were crystal clear in his memory, and it all rushed back to him now, leaving him happily lost within a whirlwind of contentment. She tasted sweet and perfect, just as he remembered from the last kiss, and just as he had dreamed every night since. Some things just never changed, including the endlessly strengthening addiction to her he had developed.
He wanted more, though, and seemingly so did Calleigh, as one hand drifted downward from his neck to clasp in the material of his shirt, just above his heart as she gently tried to pull him closer to her. Eric was all too happy to oblige, tightening his arms around her as he teased her lips with his tongue, requesting entrance that was eagerly given. Her lips parted for him, allowing tongues and lips to fully mingle in a sensual dance they'd perfected long ago. Calleigh whimpered softly, and Eric was quickly reminded of how much he'd always adored that little sound; how much he'd always loved being able to draw it out of her.
The sensation was nothing short of completely electric, and Calleigh couldn't help but want more of it. Their lips came together over and over again, exquisite kisses that left delicious shivers consuming her entire body. She'd thought at first that he'd called her down here because of an emergency; now, in the back of her mind, the part that was still capable of lucid thought, she realized that maybe this was the emergency – right now, she felt fairly certain that his kisses were far more necessary for life than the oxygen her lungs were beginning to crave.
And crave with a vengeance they were, if the burning in her chest was any indication – still, she craved Eric more, though. Craved his touch, his kisses, his arms around her, his body cradling hers as they drifted into sleep. There were not enough words to express how much she had missed him; how much she still missed him. Not to mention how much she knew she would miss him when she had to leave him again.
The mere idea was enough to leave her frantic. Again she whimpered, the sound muffled by his lips against hers. She was unable to control the pace as the sensual, lazy kiss suddenly grew somewhat desperate, needy. She needed this to last, because loathe though she was to admit it, and especially to ever let anybody see it, she'd felt lost without him.
And Calleigh hated that feeling.
Too soon for her liking, Eric was slowly pulling away from her, though Calleigh managed to pull him back for one last kiss. "Eric…" she murmured, his name a breathless whisper against his lips. She'd hoped the plea was audible to his ears; she'd hoped it would make him forget everything else and just kiss her until he simply couldn't any longer.
Her vision was dotted with stars when finally her dazed, emerald eyes fluttered open; she knew it was going to take a moment to fully catch her breath. And for a moment, as Eric rested his forehead softly against hers, she thought she might never catch it.
And Eric couldn't take his eyes off of her. To him, she would always be the picture of perfection, but right now, if he already wasn't breathless, she would've taken his breath away. Her cheeks were flushed, just lightly pink, like the soft glow of twilight in the sky. The dazed yet contented sparkle in her eyes was a vision he never wanted to forget. And her freshly-kissed lips, tilted upwards in a soft, satisfied smile brought out a similar smile on Eric's lips. "You're beautiful," he breathed, pressing one more quick kiss to the corner of her lips.
Calleigh sighed softly, dizzied by the sensations crashing over her in exquisite waves. Suddenly, gazing into his eyes, she was overcome by the urge to say something, anything, that would convey to Eric just how much he meant to her. How much she'd missed him, how much she wanted him to come home, how much she…
Before she could even finish the thought, let alone command it to her lips, Eric broke the blissful connection between their eyes. Calleigh wasn't aware of what was happening until after he'd gently spun her around in his arms, turning her toward the sea and drawing her back flush against his chest. "This is what I wanted to show you," he breathed, the excitement apparent in his hushed voice. "Look…"
Having been completely unaware of the passage of time, Calleigh couldn't help but gasp softly at the view presented to her. The sky above was fading progressively into a rich navy, darker in the east, but to the west, much lighter and mixed with deep pinks and oranges, spreading out from the horizon. They all came together in the center of the western sky, where the sun appeared to linger just mere inches above the horizon, above the sea. The few wispy clouds that drifted through only completed the picture, and Calleigh was certain she'd never seen a sight more beautiful.
As well as he knew her, Eric had no difficulty interpreting her silence for what it truly was – awe. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured, softly nuzzling into her hair. "Miami, being on the east coast, we don't ever get to see sunsets like this." Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, reveling in Calleigh's soft, sweet vanilla scent as it mixed harmoniously with the salty yet sweet scent of the breeze gently blowing in from the sea.
His arms were still wrapped snugly around her middle, holding her as close to him as she could be. Shivers continued to race down her spine and through her entire body – Calleigh was certain, though, that they were not due to the breeze, but the way Eric's lips danced ever so lightly along her temple, leaving her skin electrified with his soft kisses. It was perfection, this moment, and Calleigh knew right then that no distance was too far to drive if this was what she would find at the end. "It's gorgeous," she murmured finally, her answer to his quiet inquiry.
"Almost as gorgeous as you," Eric replied quietly, and Calleigh couldn't stop the way her heart utterly soared. "But not quite, though." He paused, brushing his lips again over her temple, grinning slightly as he continued. "You stay beautiful throughout the entire night."
Calleigh nibbled at her lip, but that wasn't enough to stop the wide smile from stretching across her face. She wasn't quite sure what there was to say to that – it was official, Eric Delko was the only man who'd ever been able to repeatedly make her speechless. In lieu of speech, Calleigh instead sighed happily, relaxing even farther into his embrace as the sun continued to set. "I miss you," she murmured finally, laying a hand atop one of his around her middle.
"I miss you too," he replied, his low whisper thick with the agonizing truth. "God, I miss you." He missed her like he'd never missed anyone else before, more than he thought he was capable of missing someone. When the DA had offered him this opportunity to work short-term as a forensics consultant down in Key Largo, Eric had jumped at the chance. It was a job doing what he'd grown to love doing; beyond that, it would pay the bills, and even leave him enough to rent the house he'd been staying in. And Key Largo was not only gorgeous and away from the hustle and bustle of Miami that Eric had grown mildly tired of, but it was also hailed as the diving capital of the world. He'd been thrilled to take the assignment, even not knowing for how long it would last. The short term was three months, but beyond that, he wasn't sure what would happen.
And while he'd been thrilled in the beginning, right now he was kind of wishing those three months were up, so he could choose to go home. Back to Miami, back to Calleigh. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that with the perfect assignment, the perfect scenery, and the perfect diving, there had been something missing. Someone missing.
Now that she was in his arms again, everything finally did feel truly perfect. The last thing he wanted was to have to let that go, let her go anytime soon. Eyes closed, he buried his face in the softness of her hair, remembering the first request to which she had acquiesced, and hoping she would do the same now. "Stay here with me tonight," he breathed, his words just barely audible, almost carried entirely away from the breeze.
It was so, so very tempting, and Calleigh couldn't deny that the simple, three letter answer was already dancing upon her tongue. The exquisite visions had already put a smile upon her lips – soft caresses over every inch of her body, kisses throughout the night, making love until the first light of dawn. She shivered at the thought, wishing it weren't too good to be true – her shift began early in the morning, and Calleigh had never been the type to use her sick days like that. She'd never been the type to use her sick days while sick either. "You know I shouldn't…" she mumbled.
Eric shook his head lightly, the motion leaving him nuzzling again into her hair. He knew exactly what she was thinking, but there had been no conviction in her words, none at all. She wanted to stay just as much as he wanted her to. "Stay with me," he murmured once more, his need for her shining through in his voice. "Please."
For a moment, Calleigh was silent, reveling in the soft sound of the water below, the seagulls calling in the distance, and loudest of all, to her ears, at least, the soft, steady in and out of Eric's breath. She couldn't deny that within her, there was a calm that she hadn't felt in quite some time; a calm she hadn't felt since the last time he'd held her like this.
In the distance, the final slivers of sunlight finally slipped beneath the sea, and for the moment, Calleigh closed her eyes, allowing it to take her worries along with it. Work was not the only constant in her life, and besides, given the choice, she knew she'd rather have this. Work could wait, but Eric…Calleigh wasn't going to let him slip any farther away from her.
A smile dancing at her lips, Calleigh sighed happily, opening her eyes to watch as the pinks and oranges of late twilight began to fade into blue. "Okay," she murmured, nodding slowly. "I'll stay…"
If she'd needed a logical explanation in order to convince herself to stay, Calleigh could easily come up with one. After all, she'd driven fifty-nine miles, and she faced another fifty-nine miles in getting home – it was, therefore, logical that the trip at least be worth the long drive.
And staying with him, even if just for the night, was the best way to make sure of that.