Title: Death of a Comrade
Author: Rosalie Duquesne
Rating: T (very strong)
Summary: Eric's other, older, sister, María, and her fiancé die in a house fire, leaving him not only to take care of their daughter, Isla, but also to try to solve their murder without getting caught by IAB. Will he be able to do it? With the help of a little blonde friend, maybe it will be a lot easier than he thinks.
A/N: Sorry for the wait again guys, the next chp is in progress already so the more you guys review the more i get inspired to finish it :) Btw i wrote this song listening to Kangaroo Cry by Blue October (an AWESOME band) i recommend that you listen to it while reading, might make you feel to cry but i promise it's worth it. Okay, so this chp is going to be less fluffy. It's time to get back to the case. Now that Isla's settled down a bit, it should be easier for Eric right? Who thinks so? Hah…
Please don't forget to review !
XXX
"Damnit!"
"Eric, calm down," Ryan said, a bit forcefully this time.
"Don't tell me what to do Wolfe!"
"Eric!" The small, but strong voice echoed throughout the walls of the lab, followed by a deafening silence.
Calleigh spoke up again, "Arguing will solve nothing. Ryan, go and check Natalia, maybe she got somewhere with the BOLO."
Ryan made a face, but eventually left the room. Calleigh then turned to face Eric, a look of pure disappointment on her face, but he couldn't care less, not at that moment.
They had made progress in the case. Found that María had gotten into an altercation with one of the parents from the school she worked for. She had voiced her opinion on what fathers should and shouldn't say in front of their sons, which got on Mark's nerves. According to the complaint she had made, he had pushed María into the wall and proceeded to shout in her face. Punching the wall behind her and threatening to come after her if she ever told him how to raise his son again. Unfortunately, he had slipped through their fingers when they showed up to his house and he fled the scene on his motorcycle. However, there were no signs of a child ever being in the house.
Upon further research they found that the wife had filed for a divorce as well as a restraining order, stating that he was abusive. No shit, Eric had thought. They were still in the process of locating him when Eric had found out about them losing him in the first place.
"I told you about mister Brash to keep you in the loop, not so that you can berate Ryan and tell us how to do out jobs!"
"It would help if you paid more attention to the case! You would ha-"
"What, Eric?" she cut him off, fire evident in her voice, "We would have been able to predict that he was going to run away? We would have caught the person who did this by now and you and Isla can live happily ever after? It doesn't work like that, Eric, and you know it!"
She sighed as she saw Eric deflate slightly, "I said I would keep you updated only if you could handle it. Obviously you-"
"I can control myself Calleigh."
"Evidently not! You're not even supposed to be in the lab today, yet here you are yelling at Ryan for something no one outside the case even knows about!"
Eric sighed, "I-"
"I know, Eric. I know how bad you hurt, and how bad you want to put this bastard behind bars. But what you fail to realize is how hard we are already working. Natalia hasn't gotten any sleep in the past twenty-four hours, and Ryan hasn't gone home since we got the lead on Brash; which was two days ago. And I have been alternating between here and your place since you brought Isla home. You just need to calm down and let us do our jobs. Don't you have a funeral to go to?"
Eric looked down at his suit and back up at the blonde. He opened his mouth and closed it once nothing came out. Calleigh took a step closer to him and placed a hand on his chest, knowing that the two of them needed some form of physical contact, but pretending to straighten his jacket.
"I know you don't particularly want to go, but you know you have to. Not only for María and David, but for Isla. You niece who needs the closest thing she has to a father right about now."
"I know, bu-"
"Yes it's hard, but that's what your friends are for. That's what I'm here for," she added, feeling brave, "I'm going to be right next to you the whole time."
"Thanks, Cal."
"What would you do without me?" she said cheekily.
Eric rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance while thinking, That is one hell of a good question.
XXX
A tear rolled down Eric's cheek as he watched his sister's coffin being lowered into the ground. Isla was buried deep into his side, sobbing violently into his jacket, clutching on for dear life. He held her close to him, pressing light kisses to the top of her head, ever so often. But he couldn't take it anymore. This was the second time he had to bury a sister. The second time. Who in the world would possibly be able to say that?
His lower lip quivered as he realized that he no longer had any siblings. That the people that he grew up with, that gave him hell, that were there for him when he needed them, that he confided in, were now gone. Tears welled up in his eyes once again, but this time, he had no will power to hold them back. The flowed freely down his cheeks and a sob escaped his lips. He closed his eyes tightly and willed it all to end.
He then felt someone take his hand and lace their fingers. Opening his eyes he saw a blonde head through the wall of tears in his eyes. Calleigh squeezed his hand while placing the other hand on his arm, rubbing it soothingly up and down. He squeezed her hand back, grateful to have her there for him, and for Isla. The teenager and grown fond of his partner, despite the fact that she believed them to be a couple, no matter how many times they had denied it. This, however, only served to prove her point.
Calleigh turned to Eric once the funeral had finished, "Do you want to go? I don't think you or Isla can handle much more."
Eric glanced down at the teenager who seemed to have grown from his side. He nodded in approval and informed his parents. Not too soon later, the three were on their way back to Eric's place, where, hopefully, they would be able to calm down.
XXX
About an hour later the three were in Eric's apartment, Isla fast asleep on the couch, her head in Eric's lap. She had tearstains down both her flushed cheeks and her breathing was now calm as she found herself in a deep sleep. Eric's gaze was focused on nothing in particular, his head facing the window. Despite the mood of the day, the sun shone brightly, the sky was bluer than ever and the birds chirped excessively.
Eric just wanted to go in his room and curl up under his blanket, shut out the world. Calleigh returned from the washroom, her eyes on the pair on the couch. A deafening silence filled the room, the only noise being Calleigh's shoes as she walked over to the couch.
"Have either of you eaten for the day?"
Eric's gaze remained on the window as he spoke up, very softly, "Isla had toast for breakfast. It was all I could get her to eat."
"At least she ate. What about you?" she asked.
At his lack of a response she took it upon herself to become the matron figure of the household for the time being. The two were hurting, a lot, they needed one constant in their lives, and she was willing to make the sacrifices. She even ruled herself out as helpful to the case due to bias, seeing that she had a previous relationship to the victim.
"I'm going to whip us up some lunch, okay?"
Eric's head turned to face the blonde, his mouth open, a response quickly formed on his lips.
She held up a hand, "If I don't you won't eat, will you?"
Eric relented and let out a breath, "Not too sure what there is in the cupboards anyway. Supposed to go to the grocery this weekend."
Calleigh smiled, "I'm sure I can find something."
Eric rolled his eyes at her persistence, annoyed, but glad for it. He settled back into the couch, stroking Isla's head. Soon he found himself drifting off, the soft sound of shuffling coming from the kitchen.
XXX
Isla slowly opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the lack of light. She looked around and noticed that it was now dark, the lights in the house dimmed slightly. She lifted her head off of Eric's lap and stretched her limbs. Her head turned to the direction of the kitchen as she heard a pot clang against the counter. Curious, she got up off the couch and walked down the hall, hearing the tap turn on followed by sounds similar to a person washing the dishes.
Turning the corner she sees a familiar blonde head and lets out a breath, "Aunt Calleigh, you scared the crap out of me."
Calleigh spun on the spot, hands dripping, sponge in gripped tightly, "Iz, you're up. Sorry about that. Just washing up here."
"How long have I been out?"
"Since the car ride home," Calleigh smiled softly, "Eric didn't have the heart to wake you."
"I guess I should return the favour. How come you're still here?"
"I decided to make you guys some lunch, but when I came out the two of you were out like lights. Decided to take a nap of my own. Got up about five minutes ago, saw the mess in here and thought I would help out."
Isla smiled, "You and tío Eric practically act like you're married, sure there isn't something you want to tell me?"
Calleigh shook her head and avoided the question, "Hungry?"
Isla rolled her eyes but got the hint, "What did ya make? Is it edible?"
Calleigh shook her head, "I'll have you know, little miss, that I happen to be an amazing chef."
Isla laughed out loud, "Mac and cheese doesn't really count as a gourmet meal."
Calleigh narrowed her eyes at the young girl, who gave in after a moment of the intense green-eyed gaze.
"Okay, I give. What's for dinner?"
"Arroz con pollo y plátanos."
Isla froze, halfway down onto one of the chairs in the kitchen.
"It was all Eric had in his cupboards and I found a pack of chicken in the freezer, so I made do with what I was given. Hope you- What's wrong?"
Isla shook her head and wiped the non-existent tears from her under her eyes, sniffling, "Nothing, don't worry."
Calleigh sighed and walked around the island in the middle of the kitchen before coming to a stop next to the teenager. She placed a hand under her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to look the blonde in the face.
Calleigh took this moment to take in the young girl's features. For thirteen years old, Isla looked very mature. Her resemblance to her mother was so uncanny it was almost scary. She had the same wavy dark brown tresses, the metallic blue and green streaks appearing ever so often. She had the large brown eyes that Calleigh could only describe as the Delko eyes. Each and every one of them had the same large, deep, dark brown orbs that could make Marilyn Manson melt. Her high cheekbones, slender nose, full lips and angelic voice anything short of beautiful would be an apt description for Isla. Her pleasant, obedient and polite attitude only served to prove that point. Calleigh was sure that María had taken extreme pride in her one and only daughter, and the young woman she had become.
"Sweetie," Calleigh started softly, "You can talk to me, you know that right?"
Isla looked at Calleigh and nodded slowly. Closing her eyes she allowed the tears to flow freely down her face. She leaned forward and buried her face in Calleigh's shirt, clutching at it with her right hand.
"Mamí, she used to make that for me whenever I got upset…she knew it is- was my favourite," she choked out before she collapsed into Calleigh, sobs wreaking her body for what seemed to be the millionth time for that day. She was tired of crying, tired of feeling weak, tired of having everyone dote over her like she couldn't do anything. But the truth was that she only had the energy to do one thing: cry. All of the energy that once inhabited her body, was now gone, replaced by an empty, hopeless feeling; one she despised.
"I hate…feeling like this," she said softly.
Calleigh placed a hand atop her head and softly stroked her hair, "I know, honey. I know."
She hugged the young girl closer to her and continued to stroke her head, attempting to console her. She had no idea what she could possibly do to make her situation any better, but she was determined enough to stick around to find out. No matter what it took. She loved this little girl like family. And she'll be damned if anything stood in her way.