Chapter 2

"Tom and I split up, I don't know what to do, I don't have anywhere to live anymore, we're parked outside a motel with all of our stuff. It was all so sudden." Calleigh replied as she wiped her eyes and nose on some tissue.

"I'm sorry to hear that Calleigh, don't stay in a motel, come to Miami." Eric said softly as Zoë and Horatio looked up at him, both a little alarmed.

"I can't do that Eric, I can't rely on you." Calleigh said as she panicked slightly.

"Yes you can, just calm down and drive down to Miami, I'm not letting you stay in a motel, if you can't drive I can come to California and I can pick you and Tyler up. Tyler is with you, isn't he?" Eric asked with a mild frown.

"Yes, he's with me. But Tom cut up my credit card, I don't have anything other than the cash on me, I only have about $80, that won't even get me to Miami, I'm stuck in a car with Tyler, he needs food." Calleigh said softly as she tried to compose herself to keep Tyler calm.

"Okay Calleigh, don't panic, do you have your old debit card on you?" Eric asked softly.

"Yes, but that bank hasn't been touched for 2 years, there's nothing in there." Calleigh said as she exhaled.

"Okay, I'll transfer some money into that bank account, okay? Come straight to mine, we'll sort this out, don't worry." Eric said softly and then heard Calleigh sigh.

"I can't take your money, Eric." She said softly as she sniffed and wiped her nose again.

"Yes, you can. I'll transfer it in a few minutes okay? Just come down to Miami." He said softly as he looked back to Isobel.

"Okay, thank you so much Eric." Calleigh said softly as she calmed.

"No problem Cal, I'll see you later, drive safe." Eric said softly.

"See you later." Calleigh said softly. He put the phone down and then looked to Zoë and Horatio, both were very curious.

"Everything okay?" Zoë asked softly.

"Calleigh has split with Tom and he cut up her credit card. She only has $80 on her." Eric sighed softly as he began to soothe Isobel as she began to squirm a little.

"Why would he cut up her credit card?" Zoë asked as she frowned.

"It wasn't hers, it was his, but she used it, I guess it was so she couldn't use it anymore." Eric shrugged.

"Do you have the money?" Zoë asked and Eric sighed as he looked back to Isobel, he didn't want to admit that he didn't.

"Not until I get paid next week." Eric said softly.

"We can give you some." Zoë said softly as she glanced to Horatio and he nodded in agreement.

"I can't take your money." Eric said softly.

"Of course you can, we're more than happy to help you out. She has a child with her, she's going to need more than $80, he's going to need food and everything, not to mention entertainment for the long drive." Zoë said softly as she tilted his head.

"I'll pay you straight back, thank you so much." Eric said softly as he knew that it was the only option.

"You don't have to sweetie." Zoë said softly with a warm smile.

"You're both not in work at the moment, I have to pay you back straight away." Eric said softly.

"Believe me sweetie, we'll do fine. How much to you need?" Zoë said softly with a gentle smile.

"Erm, could you stretch to $250 please? If you can't do that then $200 should be fine." Eric said softly.

"Are you sure you don't want more?" Zoë asked softly as she lowered her eyebrows. 'That wouldn't even cover the petrol.' Zoe thought to herself.

"Zoë, $250 is a lot of money, I'm sure that'll be fine, thank you." Eric said softly.

"Are you sure though? You don't have to pay us back at all, Eric. If she's going to be staying, you're going to need more than $250, I know your cupboards are nearly bare…" Zoë said softly and Eric sighed as he thought about it. He looked down to Isobel and exhaled. Not even her sleeping form could calm his increasing stress. "You should probably ring her back and tell her to get a flight to here, it'll be much quicker and probably less expensive. I think the drive is about 40 hours…" Zoë said softly and Eric nodded and then rang Calleigh again as Zoë sat back and looked up at Horatio with a gentle smile.

"Hey Cal, it's probably best if you fly here, isn't it?" Eric asked softly as she picked up.

"Yeah, but I have all of Tyler's stuff here and I don't have that sort of money to just replace it." Calleigh said softly.

"It'll be cheaper, and we can get him some new things if you can't bring it all down. The drive is about 40 hours, isn't it? You can't be driving for that long, even if you stop and sleep. Keeping Tyler happy in the car for 40 hours will be a very stressful job." Eric said softly.

"I guess you're making sense, I could send his stuff down. I won't be seeing Tom ever again so there is no chance that we'll get back together." Calleigh said softly.

"Okay, send the stuff down and then get a flight." Eric said softly.

"Thank you Eric." She said softly.

"No problem, see you later tonight, hopefully." He replied.

"Yeah, see you later." Calleigh said softly and then hung up.

"I don't want to take your money, especially if I can't give it back so soon." Eric said softly as he looked back up to Horatio and Zoë.

"I've put $1500 in your bank, don't even think about paying us back." Zoë said softly as she put her phone away.

"$1500?" Eric asked alarmed as he raised his eyebrows at the both of them.

"What? If Calleigh is going to be staying with you, even if it's for a few days, it's going to be expensive, babies aren't cheap, flights aren't either." Zoë said softly and Eric looked at her.

"How can you just give me $1500? I know you're both well off, but surely you can't just give me that much when you've just had two babies?" Eric asked still alarmed.

"Eric, we've got a fair few million. $1500 is nothing sweetie, you don't have to worry. Don't pay us back." Zoë smiled softly and they both saw the shock on his face. "You didn't know that?" Zoë asked softly as she tilted her head.

"No… not millionaires anyway… I knew you were both wealthy and probably wealthier when you married, but not that rich." Eric said softly, looking slightly shocked still.

"If you find that you and Calleigh get together and need a bigger place, we're also happy to help you out with that, just as long as the house is in your name if something bad were to happen and she split from you." Zoë said softly with a gentle smile.

"We're not going to get together, and thank you for the offer." Eric said softly as he sat back and looked down to Isobel.

"You don't know that, you a have a child with her, I know you've got feelings for her still, anything can happen." Zoë said softly and Eric rocked Isobel a little more and she calmed down. "Anyway, I'm having a snack, do either of you want anything?" Zoë asked softly as she stood up.

"No thank you." Eric said softly and she looked to Horatio.

"No thank you sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he took Ella from Zoë. She walked out and came back in with peanut butter toast. She got up briefly and checked the temperature of Isobel and then sat back down when she was satisfied.

Eric left a little while later and went home to stock up on the food and tidy before Calleigh arrived while Alexx visited Horatio and Zoë. Eric drove over to Miami airport as Calleigh arrived and called.

"Hey, are you okay?" Eric asked softly and Calleigh nodded as she hugged Eric as Tyler stood by their side.

"I'm so sorry Eric, I didn't know what else to do." Calleigh apologised.

"No, don't apologise, I'm glad you called me." He said softly as he bent down and then picked Tyler up.

"How are you doing little man?" Eric asked softly as he smiled at Tyler and he nodded at him and then put his head down on Eric's shoulder and begun to suck his thumb as he closed his eyes.

"He's exhausted; he didn't get too much sleep on the plane." Calleigh said softly and Eric nodded.

"I've already got something to eat ready for you and Tyler and got a bed made for him." Eric said softly as he looked back to Calleigh.

"You are a star, thank you Eric." Calleigh said softly and Eric smiled at her.

"Come one, let's get him to mine. If there's anything you need we can go out tomorrow." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded as she pulled her case along as Eric picked up another bag.

"Thank you so much Eric, if there's any way I can repay you, please let me know." Calleigh said softly. "I'll give you the money when I get a job too." Calleigh added.

"Don't worry about the money." Eric said softly and Calleigh smiled warmly at him.

"Anyway, how can you just conjure up $1500? Has your pay gone up that much?" Calleigh asked softly with a tired smile as they walked out to his car.

"Not really." Eric said softly as he looked down to the floor, he didn't want to tell her how he got it as it made him feel like he couldn't provide for Tyler in some way.

"Then how'd you get it?" She asked softly with a smile and he looked back up at her.

"Horatio and Zoë gave it to me." Eric said softly.

"What? You borrowed $1500 from them just to get me to Miami?" Calleigh asked a little alarmed.

"Calleigh, they can afford it, they offered and were more than happy to give it to me. They're insisting that I don't pay them back as well. It wasn't just to get you to Miami, it's to get some food, to get the things that Tyler needs here as I'm sure you haven't got all of his stuff, like a car seat for instance." Eric said softly as he got Tyler into the car. "Sorry, I don't have a car seat, I'll drive very carefully." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded as Eric strapped Tyler in while he slept.

"How can they afford to give $1500 away? They've just had twins. I should have stayed in California for a few days. You can't just take money from them." Calleigh said as she looked at Eric while she furrowed her brow.

"They're wealthy, Calleigh. They're fine." Eric said softly as he gently closed the side door and opened the boot to get her cases and bags in.

"How? Zoë wouldn't have earned any more than you and Horatio has only a bit of a higher pay check." Calleigh asked as she tilted her head.

"They just are, Zoë comes from a wealthy background. They can definitely afford it Cal, don't worry. Horatio never seemed bad off either." Eric assured her and she nodded as he closed the boot and walked around to climb into the front of the car.

"Is she like a millionaire or something ridiculous like that?" Calleigh smiled and Eric remained silent as he turned the key in the ignition. "She is?" Calleigh asked as she frowned mildly.

"They are both millionaires, Calleigh." Eric said softly as he exhaled and then reversed back out of the parking space.

"Wow, now I can see why Horatio likes her." Calleigh muttered softly as she sat back in the seat.

"Calleigh, Horatio is not with her because of the money, neither of them are very money orientated and wouldn't care if they were rich or poor. Don't assume things like that about them, I don't appreciate it and they wouldn't either." Eric said calmly as he pulled off and out of the car park.

"Sorry Eric, but you have to admit it… Zoë is young, she's pretty and she's smart–" Calleigh said softly.

"She also loves Horatio, and he loves her for who they are. They are perfect for each other. I don't want to hear any more about them from you, please? You don't know anything." Eric cut her off as he glanced over to her.

"Sorry Eric." Calleigh apologised and he nodded and then concentrated back on the road. "Have you been over theirs? You smell like baby." She smiled softly and he nodded.

"Sorry, I haven't had the chance to change." Eric apologised warmly.

"I still love that baby smell." Calleigh smiled brightly and Eric smiled softly at the road. "How are their babies doing by the way? The last time you told me about them was when they were born and Isobel was on oxygen? It is Isobel, isn't it?" Calleigh asked softly as she gave Eric her full attention.

"Yes, Isobel and Ella, she's doing a lot better now, they both are doing really well." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded with a smile.

"They're pretty names. Can I meet them sometime soon? I'll probably stay put in Miami from now on." Calleigh said softly as she looked back into the car to check on Tyler who was still fast asleep.

"H is cautious of you, he won't allow you near them or Zoë for a little while, but once you have his trust it should be fine." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded with a sigh.

"Do you have a picture of them? I love babies." She said softly and he nodded and then handed her his phone. She went onto his photo album and looked through the few baby pictures he had on there. "They're beautiful." Calleigh said as she looked up at Eric and he nodded with a smile.

"Ella has Horatio's eyes while Isobel has Zoë's, but other than that, they look pretty much identical. They both look very much like Zoë although Ella does have a hint of Horatio in her. We're still tall taking bets on who's hair they'll have. They've still got very fair hair at the moment, no-one is sure if they're going to be red-heads or brunettes. Zoë was very fair as a child apparently, so they could go either way." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded and then put his phone back down as they arrived at Eric's. They got out and sorted themselves out before heading in and quickly eating something before Calleigh put Tyler to bed. She walked back downstairs having bathed him and settled him in.

"Thank you so much Eric, he's gone straight off to sleep. He doesn't usually sleep well in places other than his bed." Calleigh said softly as she sat back next to Eric and he smiled at her warmly.

"So what happened between you and Tom if you don't mind me asking?" Eric asked softly as Calleigh sat back down on the sofa.

"We've been having a few problems for a couple of weeks, he was sure that I was cheating on him with you… I wasn't, obviously and this morning I found out that he was actually cheating on me and has been for the past few months or so. He cut up the credit card because I said that I had been cheating on him to make him feel just as bad as I did, I then walked out after getting my stuff and Tyler's stuff. Things are always said in the heat of the moment. I didn't cheat on him at all, it just came out and I felt satisfaction when I saw his facial expression. He got her pregnant which is how I found out actually because she came knocking on our door demanding to see him." Calleigh said quietly as she leant forwards and placed her head in her hands with a large exhale.

"Oh I'm so sorry Calleigh." Eric said softly as he placed his hand on her back and expected her to burst into tears.

"If he could cheat on me, then he wasn't worth it so I'm not going to lose tears over it. It was just a shock earlier and I didn't know what I was going to do." Calleigh said softly and Eric nodded as he hugged her softly when she turned to hug him.

"You're welcome to have a shower and you can have my bed, I'll stay down here for the night." Eric said softly as they pulled from the hug.

"Oh no, you have your bed, I can have the sofa, it's fine, thank you." Calleigh said softly as she looked into his eyes with a gentle smile.

"No, you have my bed, really." Eric said softly and she nodded with a smile.

"Thank you Eric." Calleigh said softly as they got up and he nodded.

"Help yourself to food and drink, I'll be in the main bathroom if you need me." Eric said softly as he walked up the stairs behind her.

"Thank you." Calleigh said as she glanced back at him. Eric walked into his bedroom to pick up a towel for him and for Calleigh and then went to leave but felt Calleigh take hold of his hand.

"Eric, you are amazing." Calleigh said softly as she gently pulled him towards her and Eric smiled shyly as he looked down and let her pull him close to her.

"Thank you." Calleigh said sincerely as she looked up at him. His eyes met hers and his smile became more natural.

"My pleasure" Eric smiled softly and then felt her soft lips on his as she closed her eyes. He closed his and let her lips take him away.