Disclaimer: Not mine.
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Spirit Sleeping
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Calleigh lays against the cabinets. Her birthday celebration yammering on in the main section of the lab, and Eric's voice highest among the smattering of people. He relays humorous tales of his first bumbling days on the job when she was the only one who seemed to have the time to help him carry his own.
She watches Horatio nearly fall down the steps while Yelena talks to him, a happy smile across her lips; they are now both off the clock and talking a family do.
Family.
That word she still loathes even after all the years that have passed – her brothers are talking to her again, she's learned to ignore the childhood her father almost deprived her of, and her mother's delusions of their once astounding heritage were faded. Still she hates that word and all its connotations.
Her head goes down in to her hands, wondering when the world will come crashing down again because that's what always happens. Just when she is comfortable in her own skin, something comes along to destroy it all and she has to start over with broken emotions shone in her friends' eyes.
"Hey? Whatcha doing in here?" Speed's calmed voice comes from above her before he slides down to sit beside her.
"Hiding." Her vision crosses to her father, talking genially to Tyler as though he were one of his boys.
Tim nodded, "I noticed." He thought for a moment back to his litany of bungled birthdays when all he wanted to do is run from the party because his father garnered all the attention or his brother stole off and had to be found, "Want to make a run for it?"
"To where?"
He reaches around onto a shelf to retrieve a glob of haphazardly folded maps; Delko has obviously been the last one to use them for anything, "Vero Beach? Orlando?" He flips them over, clicking through the names of each place in the state.
"Seriously?" She asks, needing what he was verbally offering.
"Yeah."
She thought for a moment, processing each of her options. Then her lips part, "Let's go back to the party." She rose then. While dusting off her rear, he stands as well and waits for her to join him at the door where he had gone.
"Thanks." The blonde whispers. She looks into his eyes briefly and garners the contentment she wanted.
"I'll always be here for ya', Cal. You saved me then, I'll save you now."
And both friends are gone into the throng, smiling to themselves.
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*v* Cassie Jamie *v*
angelusaquiluscaelitus@hotmail.com