Ch 2

On the other side of town, Eric Delko was just getting home, having the thought that he had just broken the love of his life's heart. The guilt had settled in his stomach long ago, but the realization had yet to come.

Getting out of his car, Eric locked the car, headed into his house, and leaned his back against the door, sliding down until he came in contact with the floor. He buried his head in his hands, gently brushing his fingers over the scar on the back of his skull. It made him shiver to think of the past events that had almost taken his life. Calleigh had been there to help him through it all.

Calleigh… Eric couldn't take his eyes off of the picture frame of them and Timothy Speedle smiling happily on the bookcase on the far side of the room. It almost brought tears to his eyes realizing how far they had come and so many friends they had lost. Eric then crossed the room and picked up the photo.

He was on the left, laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach and about to fall over. Calleigh was in the middle and rolling her eyes, but smiling brightly. Speedle was on the left, laughing with an amused glint in his eyes. Eric remembered the night it had all happened.

The team had gone out to a club to celebrate the closing of a rather long case. Horatio and Alex had started to refuse to come, but were finally persuaded. They spent most of their time chatting though. Meanwhile, the guys (Eric and Tim) had been getting very tipsy and laughing almost nonstop. Somewhere along the way, the picture had been taken and barely thirty seconds later the guys were passed out, or at least Eric. Speedle was nearing that point. The next morning resulted in a multitude of hangovers.

Eric set down the frame and proceeded to his bedroom where he flopped down on the bed. Minutes later he was asleep, phone in hand, waiting for a message from Calleigh.