He was tired. He just finished a double homicide. And was ready to go home. He walked into the locker room to grab his stuff. He got to his locker and there she was, sitting on a bench, head in her hands.

"Calleigh?"

She looked up surprised, she hadn't heard him walk in. "Oh, Eric." she was trying to wipe away her tears but it was too late he saw them.

"Cal." he said sitting next to her and wrapping his arms around her. She always had to be tough and he just wanted to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" he said rubbing his hands up and down her arms trying to calm her.

"The case."

"Calleigh what happened today, that wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was. I let him go. I interviewed him and I knew something was wrong. I…" she started to cry softly again.

"When he walked out of the building he was going back to kill her. I could've done something, anything."

"No. Calleigh." he said making her look at him but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Listen to me no one could have known he had her. No one could have prevented this. Not you. Not me. Not H. No one. Understand? You did nothing wrong. You did everything you could have."

"But there must've been something, right? Anything? Eric, she was three." she cried harder thinking of that little girl's face. The girl was at the crime scene, Calleigh calmed the little girl's cries for her mother. Calleigh felt so happy and right when that baby fell asleep in her arms. The medics put the little girl in the ambulance so she could sleep. Someone took her while no one was looking. Calleigh had interviewed the man who had killed her mother, and when the perpetrator found out that they were very close to catching him he went back and killed the girl. She saw the family's reaction when Horatio told them, it was horrible.

"She was so sweet and so innocent. What kind of monster could do that to a baby."

"I don't know, Cal."

"You know I held her at the crime scene. She was crying and I calmed her down. I just felt like a mother then. I want kids so bad."

"You'll get them one day. And you'll make an amazing mother."

All he could think to do was hug her tighter . And surprisingly she let him. And they stayed like for a good twenty minuets while Calleigh pulled herself together.

"I'm sorry. I got your shirt wet."

He smiled sadly. "Don't worry about that. Are you going to be ok tonight."

"Not really. It's ok."

"No it's not. "

"Eric don't." she begged.

"Calleigh, I don't want to see you retreat within yourself. Let it out. Let me be there for you."

She looked around trying to keep her tears away. Finally she looked him in the eyes.

"Ok."

"Ok." he said.

"You want to stay home or come to my place?"

"I really don't want to go home."

"My place it is."

She got up to leave.

"Wait. One more thing."

She looked at him.

"What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

She smiled softly. "Butter Pecan."