Title: Like A Dream
Timeline: 7x14 "Smoke Gets in Your CSI's"
Author: Quitethefangirl
Genre: Romance
Summary: After experiencing a traumatic event, Calleigh starts to look at life more seriously, she just might take Eric up on his offer "to settle down with her." Calleigh never dreamed the being Eric could great? But it not quite as real as she thinks.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Author Note: I had a crazy week, most of which I spent writing and avoiding writing my Art Philosophy paper, but now it's done I totally have the time to post this chapter and which I sit on for like a week, so please read and review, Ciao.
Chapter 2
Love Lockdown
Calleigh leaned against Ryan's chest, coughing nonstop as they waited for dispatch to respond. She'd been exposed to the flames a little bit more than her fellow CSI. Between coughs she took long deep breaths in an effort to rid her lungs of the poisonous smoke.
Her coughing finally subsided, she could breathe again. She enjoyed the fresh oxygen that filled her lungs. She could hear the sirens in the distant. Ryan leaned against the wall, his head to the sky trying to catching his breath, letting out a few weak coughs in the process. The fire scarcely had an effect on him. It was the carrying of the body that was his undoing.
The body was heavy and dead, he felt like it was going to crumble down on top of him as he exited the house, but it was his burden to carry. Calleigh was the one who broke through the floor, she was the one who went back in the flames to retrieve the body and she saved his life.
He was not letting her carry the body. She still saw him struggle and tried the help him put the body down, though she herself was struggling with a battle of coughs. It made him feel weak, though he knew Calleigh would never say anything about it, but if it was Delko on the other hand he'd never live it down.
Calleigh went into another coughing fit, leaning her face heavily into his chest. He had his arms around her rubbing and patting her back, hoping to soothe her. Given the present scenario, being in this position with his fellow CSI, it was not as awkward as he thought it would be. No doubt it was somewhat awkward; her leaning on his chest sometimes grabbing his shirt for support, as he was holding her in his arms, but it was in the most unromantic sense possible.
Calleigh was his mentor. He looked up to her as a younger brother would look up to his older sister. She'd taken him under wing ever since he started as a CSI. He had no romantic feeling toward Ms. Duquesne with the exception of small tiny crush he may or may not have had when he first started; but what could he say? She's a beautiful woman and he's a man. However he soon learned she could be "dangerous" as displayed today.
She was scary and a different kind of crazy, plus Delko had all but marked his territory. Ryan and Calleigh's relationship was purely colleagues and friends, she was always there for him and now she needed him. So despite the awkward, embarrassing feeling, he was sure it was mutual, he dared not pull away from her. So his arm stayed, partly because he wanted to be a comfort her and part because he feared what would happen if he pulled away.
"God, I hope Delko's not one of responding officers, this would be something to explain" he thought, but if Calleigh was involved, Delko was definitely going to be here. He was always her knight in shining armor. Calleigh sensed the tension in Ryan's chest.
"Good" she thought he felt as weird as she did, but they just suffered a near death experience together. She needed the sense of security, even if it was in Ryan's arms. The sounds of sirens grew closer. Ryan leaning against the wall and Calleigh leaning against Ryan, they waited, neither had the strength to move the body to the hummer.
Calleigh had finally stopped coughing and let out a laugh. Ryan looked at her in horror and confusion, he drew back, "Is she laughing?" he didn't see the humor of the situation. There was a dead guy, they were almost blown up, set on fire and almost became a human roast, plus they could be dying of smoke inhalation for all he knew.
Calleigh looked up at Ryan and laughed harder when she saw his expression, then she began to cough again. She took a few breaths the regained her composure. "Yeah, she's most definitely mad" he thought.
"I was just thinking," She gasped, still laughing "what would Stetler do if he found us like this?"
He laughed at the mention of the high strung IAB Agent, if he saw the two CSI's at the current moment he'd likely have a cow. The man couldn't tell a kind, friendly gesture for a loving touch. When Horatio, Frank, Ryan and Eric rescued Calleigh from her capturers a while back, Natalia had given her friend a long heartfelt hug when she entered the CSI office.
She was glad her colleague was safe and unharmed for the most part; however that wasn't how the embrace was interpreted by Stetler. He went as far as quickly reminding the two women of the department's fraternization policy and warning Ms. Duquesne to refrain from starting a relationship with any of her other colleagues. This is a work place, not EHarmony he told her. She and Natalia just stared at him wide-eyed, unsure of what twisted fantasy his eyes lead him to believe what he was seeing.
"Yeah, he'd have a field day" Ryan laughed; he noticed she was trying to breaking the ice. Yeah, she was crazy but you could always count on Calleigh to find the light in an otherwise gloomy situation. There they sat, laughing as the fire trucks, ambulance and police cars raced to a stop the front of the house.
Eric jumped into the Hummer, he'd barely let Horatio finish giving all the details. There was shooting and a fire at the house Calleigh and Ryan had been sent to early that morning. It was just a suspicion call, but he couldn't help but think he should have been there with her. He had to know she was safe, Ryan called it in and said they were both safe, but he had to see for himself.
He quickly settled himself in the Hummer and sped off to the location, following the second batch patrol cars that were heading in the same direction. He quickly sped through traffic; the whole time his mind focused on Calleigh, praying that she was safe. He finally arrived; the place was already swarming with rescue cars.
The fire was still burning firefighters working on putting it out, trying to preserve as much as the house as possible. Paramedics seeing to the wounded, Police officers were talking to eyewitnesses, Civilians were starting to gather around the yellow tape. He walked under the tape, flashing his badge to the cadet who was on crowd control and joined the chaos. He didn't see Calleigh anywhere, slowly panic hugged his body and his throat began to feel tight.
He take a quickly scan for the ambulance, there were two. In the one that faced him the there was a paramedic examining a man, another pushing a stretcher with a body bag on it. He walked over and unzipped the bag, it was a man. He walked away.
"CALLEIGH" he yelled, a little frantic.
He was walking along the ambulance towards the other ambulance, which was facing the different direction. That when he heard her voice.
"What the diagnoses, Doctor?" he heard her say in a sweet southern voice.
He race towards her voice "Calleigh" He said when she came into his sight.
She was sitting in the back of the ambulance and a female EMT and Ryan, the pair both breathing into an oxygen mask. Relief showered his body. She looked unscathed, a little scorched and sooty but altogether safe and sound.
Her eyes brightened when she saw him, she dropped the oxygen mask she was holding to her face and stood. Ignoring the feeling of nausea due to a swift movement, she embraced him. He squeezed her tightly rubbing his hands around her back then one arm bringing it to her face, gently caressing her soot covered cheek.
"I was so worried, how do you feel?" Eric said looking into her eyes. It took all his physical strength not to kiss her right then and there.
Ryan stared at them wide-eyed "There is definitely something going on with Delko and Calleigh" he assured himself. He'd witnessed many of their awkward, passion filled moments, but this was the most intense one by far. Their faces were too close to be considered a "kind and friendly gesture" and there was cheek caressing involved.
"Now what would Stetler say if he saw this?" Ryan smirked behind his mask. "He'd die"
There was a tense silence; Eric's worried eyes studied Calleigh intently, He cocked his head slightly as if he was going in for a kiss and he really wanted to too. "Nothing, says 'I love you' like a near death experience" Ryan thought "Eric Delko, you are too smooth."
The Female EMT put her hand on her heart and stared at the couple with a stupid smile on her face.
"I'm fine" Calleigh said smiling at Eric, "and so are you. God, I could just kiss him right now. Kiss me, Eric. Kiss me." She was having trouble breathing again, but it was not due to the amount of smoke she inhaled.
"Good" he said straightening his head pulling Calleigh into another hug. He sighed "This is not the time or the place."
In Eric's embrace, Calleigh closed her eyes, disappointed "So close yet so far. How long, how long do I have to wait, Eric?"
"I'm fine, too" Ryan said remove the mask to talk "Remember me, Ryan Wolfe. We work together and I was also nearly burnt to death, too."
Eric, whose back was turned from Wolfe, had forgotten he was there; he'd witnessing the moment the two just shared. Embarrassed he quickly released Calleigh from his arms, she followed suit and they both turned the face Ryan. Calleigh cheeks were a bright shade of red. She put her hand to them in attempt to cover it.
"What? You want a hug too?" He said, hoping to downplay the moment as a friend to friend gesture.
"As much as I love 'hugging and touching' Eric," Ryan said waving his finger at Delko's face with a big smirk on his face "I'd have to pass" he put his oxygen mask back on.
Calleigh gave Eric a weak smile and walked over to the truck and took her spot and placed the mask back on, she needed air. Eric Delko had taken her breath away.
Eric stood around the ambulance for a little while longer. Getting statements from Calleigh and Ryan, details of scene pre-fire, the body's location, how the fire started and the shooting, getting all the information he needed to process the scene more effectively.
They told him how they found the body in the attic and about the perp who entered the house, shot into the attic and set off a bomb causing and explosion that lead to the house being set ablaze. They both knew this was going to be the first of many times they'd tell the story. Sooner or later Frank would come and take an official statement, then they'd have to gave a written statement and of course instead of reading that statement for themselves Valera and Natalia would prefer the 'victims' to re-live how they almost dead in a flaring attic. Yeah, they just soak it all up.
The fire was contained and the Fire Marshal deemed the building safe to enter, Horatio walked over to the relieved Eric and checked on the health status of his two CSI's.
"Ma'am, Mr. Delko, Mr. Wolfe" he greeted them, nodding his head respectful at each CSI. "How are you feeling?" He asked with piercing concerned eyes, visible even behind his shades.
"I'm fine" Calleigh said removing her mask.
"I've had better days" Ryan said into his mask looking at the lieutenant.
"The oxygen seems to be helping" The EMT butted in "the breathing exercise helped, too. But I still strongly recommend going to a hospital for additional treatment and a more extensive checkup." She said looking at Duquesne and Wolfe. "Smoke inhalation is a serious thing, though you feel fine, you can never be sure how much damage the smoke caused without the advice of a medical professional." She said.
"While, think I'm fine. Though I wasn't exposed to too much of the smoke as Calleigh was, when she went back into the attic to retrieve the body the fire was had gotten pretty thick" Ryan said. Calleigh shot Ryan a quick irritated glare. "Yeah, she going to kill me"
"Yeah, I heard you're quite the hero?"Horatio said to Calleigh, looking down removing his shades then looking up, gazing off to something in the distance. She couldn't help, but blush "God, news travels fast in the law enforcement circle, too fast sometimes"
Eric looked at Calleigh apprehensively. Their eyes meet.
"I -um, it was nothing," she looked down "just doing my job recovering and protecting evidence, I couldn't have done without Ryan and his quick thinking" she said humbly, she put her hand on his shoulder and griped his shoulder tightly. He tensed, knowing the sharp words he had in store for him on the ride back to CSI office. "But I'm fine, really I'm fine." She smiled at Horatio and Eric.
She knew Ryan and Eric were only worried about her well being, but she couldn't help but feel as if they were patronizing her. It annoyed her. She put her mask down on her lap, her eyes meet Eric's again. Delko had been staring at her intently since Ryan's comment, he was worried.
When Speed was still alive, He and Eric where clubbing when the night club caught fire. Delko's date that night was one of the sixteen who dead in the blaze, her death was due to smoke inhalation. She had breathed in too much of the hot air and it scorched her lungs, but he could obvious see she was deteriorating from the smoke, she was having trouble breathing, coughing and wheezing and her skin was pale. She'd collapse and when she regained consciousness she was weak and could barely talk or feel any of her limbs. Calleigh on the other hand was lively talking and laughing, her skin was it's normal tone if not a little more tanned. She'd cough from time to time, but she looked like her normal healthy self. Maybe she was fine, but he thought she should go to the hospital to be sure.
"Maybe you guys should go to be safe" He said.
"Eric" she voice came out a little more annoyed then she like, softening she continued "I'm fine; I just-I just want to catch the guy" she sighed. "Need any help processing the scene?" she asked Horatio.
"Always the assiduous one" Ryan thought to himself rolling his eyes, "Classic Calleigh for you"
"I think Delko and I can handle it, you have been through enough for one day, take rest of the day" he said in his cool tone.
"No, I need to work" she said shaking her head
"Yeah, me too" Ryan agreed, although he was a little worn and exhausted, going home would only torment him. He needed answers and he wanted to aid them in finding the perp, taking the day would only delay the process.
"Well, then" Horatio put his hand on his hips "go home and get cleaned up, we'll meet to back at the lab"
"Keep me posted" Calleigh said.
"Will do Calleigh, will do" Horatio put his shades on "Eric, we have a crime scene to process" he put his hands on his hips and headed for the house.
"You good?" Eric good asked Calleigh
She shook her head. "Yeah" she said a little above a whisper.
He put his hand on her shoulder, petting it gently and looking into her eyes, remembering Ryan was present this time. "She's fine, she was fighter" he thought "she never plays the part of the damsel in distress, she has too much pride" Eric smiled and turned then walked off to process the scene with Horatio. Calleigh stood and watched as he walked away "He's great, he's such a gentleman" She thought "he always plays the part of the knight in shining armor, I love that about him I'm just too proud to admit it."
"Your boyfriend is so sweet" heard a voice beyond her say; she turned to see the voice belonged to the EMT, who was assisting them. "And handsome" she said smiling
"Um Eric," she blushing, heavily "We're not um, we're not um dating, we're not," she stumble "we're just colleagues and good friends" she finally managed in a squeaky voice.
Ryan was dying with laughter behind his mask 'Riiiiiiiiiiight' he mumbled
"Oh I'm sorry, I just thought you were um, is he available?" she asked
The question was answered with a fit of coughs from Calleigh; she quickly put her mask back on her face, gracefully avoiding the question and eye contact with both Ryan and EMT till her oxygen treatment ended.
That's it, I try to update soon, please review it makes me happy --Quitethefangirl
