Note: This idea just hit me a few weeks back and it's come together rather quickly. There should be 7-8 relatively short (unless I get carried away) chapters. As the summary mentions, it's set sometime after Season 10 but is an alternate storyline – or it could be an alternate storyline for seasons 9 or 10, whatever you prefer to imagine. Hope you enjoy! :)

Sunday

Calleigh loved Sundays. Before Eric, she might've already finished her morning run and been at the store by now in a rush of weekend productivity. But Eric slowed her down – in the good way. He made her appreciate slow mornings with coffee cups and books and time spent on the back patio. Sometimes he even convinced her to come back to bed and filled her Sunday mornings with warm skin, soft sheets, wandering hands, and a slow burn of pleasure.

She was beginning to wonder whether it was going to be one of those mornings when she and her coffee cup ventured back to the doorway of their bedroom to find him freshly awake, propped up against two pillows and thumbing through his phone. Calleigh leaned against the doorway for a moment, taking him in, and he smiled when his tired eyes reached her.

She was quite a sight with her tousled morning hair flipped to one side, her mischievous, adoring eyes catching his from just above her mug as she took a coy sip, and that familiar satin robe he knew had very little beneath hitting her thighs.

"Good morning," she greeted as she made her way towards him, cradling her cup carefully as she leaned down to press her lips to his in a soft, lingering kiss. As they parted, she curled one leg in and took a seat next to him, other leg dangling down to the floor.

"It is now." He watched the smile that drew from her with a grin, setting his phone aside and letting his fingers find the smooth skin of her calf.

"I was beginning to think I'd have to run without you."

His fingers skimmed over her knee, teasingly venturing towards her thigh before sliding back down, and he chuckled. "It's only 8:30."

"Only?" She raised a brow, and as his hand crept into the crook of her knee and tugged her towards him, she leaned forward to set her coffee cup on his nightstand. "I've been up since seven."

His grin broadened as she slipped one leg over his body to straddle him, his hands instinctively finding her thighs. "Should've stayed in bed," he told her, fingertips grazing her skin as they dipped beneath her slip to show her staying would've been worth her while.

"Well, I'm back now." Her palms smoothed over the sheets covering his chest, finally finding bare skin at his collarbones and bringing her closer down to him. She tucked stray locks of blonde back behind her ear before dipping down to kiss him, but he had other plans.

Rising up to meet her, Eric urged her back until they were both upright, where his hands could reach her skin and his lips could find hers much easier. And they did, his lips capturing hers in a soft, lazy, but heated press-and-slide, one hand trailing through her hair before settling along her jaw. His free hand gripped low on her waist, holding her close as he shifted beneath her to rock her back a little so he could sit up further. She sighed against his lips as the covers pooled at his waist, revealing what she knew without looking to be the gorgeous tanned skin of his chest that her fingers immediately skimmed down. Paying special attention his abdomen, where his sculpted muscles always contracted beneath her touch in anticipation, she ran her fingers over the ridges.

Eric urged her up for a moment, ridding himself of the offending sheets and comforter that had been separating them, and when he guided her back to his lap, a sigh of his own escaped his lips as their hips kissed. His lips found hers again for a moment, tugging teasingly at her bottom lip before he pressed a kiss to her cheek, her jaw, her neck… He untied her robe and pushed it aside, groaning at the creamy skin afforded to him by the silky tank she'd worn to bed.

She smiled as his lips landed just under her collarbone, making their way with painstaking slowness to the newly revealed swell of her breast. Fingers curving around the back of his head, she bit her lip as his fingers skimmed over her shoulder and pushed the strap from her skin to let his mouth explore her further.

"We're never gonna run, are we?" she asked, and he felt the words resonate through her chest.

"Sure we are." He chuckled, pressing his forehead to her chest for a moment. "Consider this your warm-up."

His hands found hers, weaving their fingers together and bringing her left hand toward his mouth. He kissed her knuckles, eyes dancing over the sparkling diamond ring he'd given her a year ago and the platinum band they'd added five months ago.

She felt the weight of the matching band on his left hand in hers and she smiled, drawing his lips back to hers.

Eric also loved Sundays – not only for their leisurely morning activities, but also for the fact that their long run route ended near the large farmer's market not too far from their house. They always shared a post-run snack to tide them over until they got home, and they inevitably fought over the final few bites, both starving after a long run.

Today was no exception, and as he sorted through packs of specialty spices, his eyes kept drifting to Calleigh in the next stall and their disappearing breakfast crepe. Sensing his eyes on her, she looked up and smiled, her weak spot for him showing as she sauntered over and handed him the last of it.

"You can have the rest," she said sweetly, and he raised his brows. "I'm saving myself for the last of that pasta." She tucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and poked his side playfully, drawing a chuckle from him as he took an oversized bite. She was quite a sight right now, and he couldn't help but let his eyes linger – black cropped leggings showing off her lean but strong legs and perfectly clinging to every curve of her hips and backside, a purple tank revealing shoulders that were just beginning to freckle this summer, blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail with adorable post-run flyaways, and her makeupless face a fresh shade of pink from their run, skin gleaming with a sheen of perspiration. He'd easily let her get away with eating the last of last night's rather delicious dinner concoction. Turning his attention back toward the contents of the booth, a jar caught his eye and an idea suddenly came to mind.

"Hey, what do you think about fricase de pollo for dinner?" he asked, reaching for the jar to study the label closer. "They have alcaparrado olives."

At her complete lack of response, he looked up, finding her not even looking his way.

"Cal?" He watched her closely, leaning to see beyond her, and a little smirk immediately tugged at his lips. She was completely entranced by a baby boy who'd taken an interest in her, gazing up at her from his cozy spot in his mother's front-carrying sling.

"Hmm?" she finally responded, rather delayed, as the mother walked away, taking the adorable finger-in-mouth, grinning baby with her. Calleigh blinked her way out of her baby daze, finally looking at him only to find him smirking even harder now, and she tried to hide the smile that was creeping across her own lips.

She'd been off her birth control since the month before they'd gotten married – six months ago. Nothing had happened yet, but neither of them were particularly stressed about it. They'd known they were starting late in the game and were comfortable with whatever life threw at them together, whether that meant having a gaggle of their own or adopting older kids that were very much in need of a loving home. It was all on the table, and they'd been very relaxed about it...only now calm, level-headed Calleigh was apparently getting distracted by babies left and right.

Eric grinned knowingly at the look on her face.

"What?" she said, shrugging. Eric coyly stepped up to her, his free hand finding her hip, his other still gripping the secret ingredient to their dinner. "He was cute," she defended.

"Mmm," Eric murmured in acknowledgement, his forehead gently bumping against her temple for a moment before his lips pressed a kiss there. "So are you."