Authors Note: I did have a hard time trying to figure out who I was going to have Calleigh meet at Crete, but in the end this seemed like the best choice :o)
A Love Affair.
Chapter 1.
Calleigh was overjoyed to finally get out of the stuffy bus she had taken all the way from the airport to its current location in Crete. She smiled looking around, before getting in line to get her suitcase. The sun was shining, she was in a very good mood and wanted to explore, but today she was simply too tired after the long journey there, she just wanted to relax at the beach with some books.
It was funny how she ended up there alone in the first place, considering she was in a relationship with Eric. They had first planned to go there together and therefore booked it together a few months back. But then the tide had changed and he had found out he couldn't take time off after all, there was simply too many dead bodies lurking in the hallway during the summer's heat wave so Horatio wanted all hands on deck.
So it was a very tired Calleigh, that had knocked on his door and asked him if she still please could take two weeks off, as she couldn't get the money back on the ticket and she could really need some time off. After all she really never did so.
And as he could tell she was speaking the truth as always he had said yes, and told her to enjoy herself. Something she intended to do. Because what happened in Crete, stayed in Crete.
Or at least that was what she used to say when she was younger and went on vacation with her friends and they ended up doing something silly. She figured that it would go this time as well, just in case she ended up doing something silly she didn't want to tell Eric about. It would be between her and the Greeks.
As she stood waiting in the reception at Aphrodite's Palace, she was listening to conversation's in other languages only getting half it, as the only languages she actually knew fluent was Spanish and of course English. Over the years she had snapped up words from other languages as well, to know at least some of languages that were spoken around the reception.
Her thoughts got interrupted by the receptionist coming back and saying, "May I help you."
"Yes my room please, Calleigh Duquesne," she said.
"Calleigh Duquesne and Eric Delko?" he questioned.
"Yes, but he couldn't come," she answered with a sigh.
"Do you want a new room or..?" he asked, his voice sounded more concerned than anything else.
"No, no, the old will be fine," she answered, trying to make a little smile.
"You don't have to be brave for me Miss, here is your key, room 113, round the corner and up the stairs," he said and pointed.
"Thank you," she said took the key he handed her.
"Welcome and let me know when you need anything," he said and smiled at her.
"I will and thank you," she said and headed in the direction of her room dragging her suitcase after her.
A moment later she opened it and looked at the double bed. A double bed she originally was supposed to share with Eric. Her Eric. The love of her life. Or so she had first thought. She sank down on her bed, exhausted, not wanting to go anywhere after all, she just wanted to sleep. And in the end that was exactly what she ended up doing.
When the petite blonde woke up she realized it was night, and looking out on her terrace she could see the nightlife had already started. She looked at the time eleven; that meant it was four in the afternoon at home and Eric should have been done with his shift. She probably should call him, if nothing else to say that she had arrived OK.
She sighed, picking up her phone, pressing the key to call him. He was on her speed dial. So was four other persons, but he was on top of the list.
He quickly answered, "Eric Delko."
"Hi Eric it's me, I just wanted to say I got here all right," Calleigh said.
"You did, well, so what are you up to?" he asked.
"Dunno yet, fell asleep and just woke up, so was thinking of going out," she said.
"Alone?" he asked a bit surprised.
"Yes, is that a problem?" she asked.
"No, not at all, although I really wished you stayed," he said.
"I miss you too Eric, but I need some time think," she answered without knowing why.
"You are not gonna do anything while you are down there?" he asked.
"Hadn't planned on it, no, just relax and rewind," she answered.
"OK, well I have to go and fix one last thing before going home, but I love you," he said in a soft tone.
"I love you too," she answered slowly hanging up. Why couldn't he have told Horatio like her that he needed time off as well as she would really like to have him there. A silent tear ran down her cheek as she slowly got up and walked out the door to see if she could find a place that would take her mind of him just for a little while at least.
It was a couple of hours later, more precise around one, that Calleigh was sitting in a bar, drinking and watching everyone having fun, everyone but her.
Why had she thought that going away would solve anything when she couldn't get him out of her mind? Her biggest concern was if she was with him just because it felt safe. She loved him that much was sure, but she didn't know if she loved him in that special way anymore.
She sighed heavily ordering another drink when she heard a voice say, "You're Calleigh Duquesne right."
"Guilty as charged," she answered, and looked right into Julia Winston's green eyes.
"I thought I recognized you. What are you doing here, vacation with your boyfriend," she said and sat down.
"He was supposed to come yes, but sadly he had to work, what about you then, handsome lover maybe?" she asked.
"If only, no, I just sometimes come here to get away from it all. I have always liked it here, which hotel are you staying at?" said Julia.
"Aphrodite's Palace, you?" she asked back.
"Hera's Fountain," she answered.
"I was looking at it when we ordered the tickets actually," said Calleigh.
"It's a very good hotel, but also expensive," said Julia with a little smile.
"I bet you can afford it," said Calleigh and winked at her.
"I can yes," said Julia, as money had never been a problem with her.
"Did you always have money?" Calleigh asked, as she did not know Julia's past.
"No, which was why I abandoned Kyle when he was very young," she answered.
"Must have been hard," said Calleigh in a sympathetic tone.
"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do," Julia admitted.
Calleigh nodded and to change subject she asked, "Have you been here long?"
"I arrived two days ago, I flew over from Paris and was thinking about staying for two weeks, what about you how long are you staying?" Julia wanted to know.
"Two weeks," said Calleigh.
"And Eric is OK with that, I mean there are a great number of Greek men here," said Julia with a giggle, as handsome young waiter came over to the table to take their orders.
They both ordered what they wanted and sent him away as Calleigh said, "Don't know and I really don't care to a change."
"Really I wouldn't have found you for the not caring type, then again I wouldn't found you for going on vacation alone leaving him behind," she said looking into Calleigh's emerald eyes.
Calleigh sighed and said, "Do we really have to talk about this now."
"No of course not," said Julia with an understanding smile, she might not know Calleigh that well, but as she was a woman herself she knew when to leave a matter be and when to keep going. Knowing this was the first rather than the latter she decided to leave it be for now and let the other woman do as herself enjoy her vacation.
"If you don't mind me asking how long were you in Paris for?" said Calleigh looking at her with curious eyes.
"Two weeks, it was my third time there, I really like the city and its people, plus it's a great place to relax and rewind just like here," Julia said with a smile.
"I can imagine it is. I always wanted to go there myself," said Calleigh with a dreamy sigh, as the waiter came back with their drinks. Julia exchanged a few low words with him making him nod before he left them again.
"You should, I think you would really like it there," said Julia.
"It is possible, so how many times have you been here before?" she asked.
"Every summer since I was twenty, first with friends, then later alone, I usually stay for two weeks every time," she said.
"Must be great to just take time off like that," said Calleigh, wishing she could do that as well.
Julia looked down before she said, "Not always, but it do help me clear my head."
Calleigh smiled at her, raised her glass and said, "Cheers to vacation and having a good time."
Julia just smiled back letting her glass lightly hit Calleigh's before she took a sip.
It was early morning when Julia supported Calleigh to get her back to the hotel as the younger blonde was really drunk. Not only that, but also very giggly.
"You know I think I am drunk," said Calleigh with another giggle.
"No really," said Julia rolling her eyes lightly, smiling, not entirely sober herself.
"Here," Calleigh said stopping outside the door, trying to open it with her keycard, but instead she ended up loosing it on the floor, making Julia pick it up and opening the door.
Calleigh on unsteady legs managed to get herself over to the bed and sit down on it, looking at Julia that was standing in the doorway looking back at her.
Calleigh was still smiling, but then her smile changed as she was suddenly feeling very sick and before she could do anything to stop it she had started throwing up on the floor.
When she finally was done, she just sat there shivering as silent tears started to fall from her eyes.
Julia sighed, she didn't have any desire to see just that, and she didn't really have any desire to clean up that mess, yet she knew she had to as Calleigh was not capable of it at the time.
She slowly took a couple of towels from the bathroom, got them wet and started to clean it up. Then she again stopped to look at Calleigh that now was lying on the bed curled up in fetal position crying and shivering.
Julia didn't know if she should stay or leave, but decided on the first as even if she wasn't that close to her, she didn't think it was a good time for Calleigh to be alone.
She slowly put the cover around her before sitting down next to her trying to calm her by gently stroking her soft hair.
It's hard to say how long Julia kept doing that, but in the end the sad cries died away and the shivering stopped as the younger blonde fell asleep.
The older woman was still unsure of if she should leave or stay in case Calleigh woke up and should need someone so she ended up putting a bucket by the bed in case she needed to throw up and then fell asleep in a chair close by as she was pretty tired herself.
A few hours later the sun peaked in through the window waking up the still drunk Calleigh. She slowly got up to close the curtains to get a little less sunshine in so she could sleep better. It was then she saw Julia sleeping in the chair and smiled at her. The young blonde took one of the covers and put around her in case she should be cold before undressing a little and getting back to sleep.
Julia didn't wake up until 1 pm the next day. She looked down seeing the cover and smiled. Then she looked over at the bed seeing Calleigh still asleep, her cover was in a curl on the floor and she was face down on the bed in nothing but underwear making little sleeping sounds.
Julia smiled a little by this as she wrote a note thanking her for the night before, and the cover, and that she could call her if she wanted to do anything during the vacation. Last she added that she hoped she slept well and her insignia.
She took one last look at the blonde before leaving her to sleep alone.
Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)