Chapter 4:

'Eric...Eric wait up' she called after him as she hurried to catch up with him.

'I knew it. I knew it was going to be him. Why does it always have to be him to ask? And you know what bothers me most? It's the fact that he doesn't care in how much danger I am in' Eric explained.

'I'm sure that is not a fact Eric' Calleigh told him. It was just the way he does things and the way he expresses himself that makes him look like that.

'Please don't defend him Calleigh, not right now' Eric told her.

'I'm not' she replied 'But I want you to calm down. It doesn't matter what he thinks Eric. What matters is what you and I know and that you have a roof over your head and that I have your back. You are not alone in this' she told him.

He didn't say anything, and Calleigh could see that his anger might not be just because of what Ryan told him but because of something else. Earlier when they went to the crime scene where their victim was shot, she found herself staring at him, as thoughts ran through her mind while she watched him give a good look at the neighbourhood. She knew that when their cases involved Latinos, Cubans, Eric always took it a bit harder. She wanted to talk to him about it, but she figured it would be best to do it later at home, when he has calmed down.

oooOOOooo

Ryan was still quiet while Horatio drove to pick up their suspect and he knew it was just a matter of time for Horatio to ask him what happened with Calleigh and Eric earlier.

'You want to fill me in Mr Wolfe?' Horatio asked him.

'On what?' he asked feigning ignorance.

'On what happened with Eric' Horatio replied letting him know that the issue was with Eric and not with Calleigh.

Ryan sighed as he ran a hand through his hair 'He moved in with Calleigh' Ryan informed him.

'And why does that bother you?' Horatio asked him.

'Because he is putting her in danger. He is not putting her safety first' Ryan told him.

'Mr Wolfe...I can assure you that Calleigh's safety is what is always on Eric's mind. They have known each other for years now and they have a connection that you might not understand because you haven't always been around. Have you thought about how Calleigh feels? How she might feel better having him under her roof than wondering if he is safe all the time?' Horatio asked him.

'Oh come on H, it is not like they are a couple. They are just friends' Wolfe told him 'And I know for a fact even though Calleigh denies it, that if I was the one in the kind of danger that Eric is in, she would not take me in. She would help me yes but not take me into her own home like that' Wolfe replied.

'So what? Are you jealous? Is this what it is all about?' Horatio asked him as he parked the hummer and jumped out of it, leaving Wolfe with a hanging question in the air.

oooOOOooo

Eric was staring out of the window at Calleigh's apartment, arms crossed over his chest as he pondered everything that happened during the day, not really looking at anything in particular when he heard her voice from behind him. She was wearing this light blue, stripped material, long like over sized shirt, as her hair hung down flowing over her back. She looked like she had just grabbed one of his shirts and put it on her, and Eric realized he liked that thought, the idea of having Calleigh in one of his shirts. She looked sexy and to make things worse, the shampoo's scent was taking over the entire room, intoxicating his senses so much that if he wasn't so upset right now, he would totally act like a fool, so Eric swallowed hard as he tried to push his thoughts away. This was no time to try and get romantically involved with her.

'Is that my shirt?' he half joked.

'Very funny Delko' she replied as she pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, but she smiled and Eric relaxed a little bit, automatically now that he was in Calleigh's company 'Are you alright?' she asked him softly.

'Yeah...you know, just today's events really' he replied with a shrug.

'You mean your argument with Ryan' she told him.

'Yeah I just...he's always in my business and he was literally telling you in my face that you shouldn't have my back, that you shouldn't be helping me out, and I know that I myself have told you to keep your distance but to hear him say that, making me feel like he really doesn't care about what happens to me...that hurts' Eric told her as he sat down on the sofa bed which was still opened from last night.

Calleigh sighed sympathetically as she sat down next to him, one leg buried under her bum, as she rubbed his back with her right hand 'I don't think that what he said is exactly what he meant...' she started telling 'And don't tell me that I am defending him because I'm not' she told him immediately knowing that was coming 'But I think this really is about me somehow' she told him.

'What do you mean?' Eric asked her.

'I think that...even though I told him that if he was in the same situation that I would have done the exact same thing for him...I think deep down, he knows that I wouldn't' she admitted.

'You wouldn't?' Eric asked her.

Calleigh closed her eyes and then shook her head 'No...I wouldn't. I...wouldn't invite him to stay with me' she admitted.

'You...you wouldn't?' he asked her softly again this time and Calleigh shook her head.

'I wouldn't feel comfortable having him here' she told him.

'Do you feel comfortable having me here?' Eric asked her then.

'Yes...It's as natural as it can be' Calleigh replied.

'Thanks Cal...that means so much to me' Eric told her, knowing how reserved she can be, and yet she was telling him that he was practically the only one she feels that comfortable to have him stay with her.

'I know...' she replied with a smile 'So you can have your little victory dance over Ryan' she teased and Eric just laughed. He really laughed and Calleigh felt so good that she could do that for him.

'Well I haven't seen that smile for a while' she told him 'I'm glad it has shown up because of something I said' she told him.

'You always make me feel better' he whispered and Calleigh just couldn't help but feel warm inside. There was just something about what Eric had just said. She cared about him so much, to know that he does too as much as she does, felt so special.

'You know I love seeing you smile and I hate to ask you this but...is Ryan the only thing that has gotten you upset today or is it something else?' she asked him, and Eric knew that he couldn't fool her. He knew what she was talking about. He felt her eyes on him earlier when they were at the primary crime scene.

'No he's not' he admitted 'I can never fool you can I?' he told her.

'Nope...just like I can never fool you' she replied 'So what is it?' she asked him.

'Why don't you tell me?' he replied 'Let's see if you know me as well as you say you do' Eric told her. He wanted to see if she nailed the issue.

'OK...It's the neighbourhood...It's the neighbourhood where Reverend Mike was shot that got to you, isn't it?' she asked him.

'That is it yes' Eric replied with a sad nod. It was no surprise that she knew. He felt her eyes on him when they were there and he knew that she was assessing him, that she could feel that he was getting upset, and probably that was one of the reasons why he got so pissed off by Ryan's questions and everything he said.

'That is how you grew up? In a neighbourhood like that?' she asked him. Calleigh was always interested about his childhood. She often found herself asking him stuff about when he was young, and even though even Eric was curious about Calleigh's childhood, he knew that it was tough on her to talk about due to her parents' divorce and the atmosphere in her home, Eric always held back, and the little he knows about when she was young, was only because she herself had voluntarily told him about it.

'Yeah...and I know how difficult it is to grow up into a fine man when you live in such a neighbourhood. You're constantly surrounded by crime whether it is drugs, someone being shot or just a normal fight, there is always something going on in those neighbourhoods, and you're always living in fear' Eric explained, and as bad as her childhood was, at least she did grow up in quite a safe environment.

'There are always gangs hanging around, children being bullied...and no one ever talks about what is going on but then again at the same time, the love we had in the family compensated for everything that was happening on the outside' Eric told her.

'Yeah well that is not something I can really relate to. I mean I had safety around the house but I lacked the love inside the house. You know with everything that was always going on between my parents, and my father not around a lot, no siblings to play with and my mum...well my mum never acted like a mum...I'm not sure which one of us grew up in the best environment' she told him.

Looking at the expression on her face now, Eric regretted talking about the subject and this look and the way she was feeling now was precisely why he never brings up her childhood. Without saying anything he just wrapped one arm around her shoulder and Calleigh let herself lean into him resting her head in that spot between the shoulder and the chest, letting him hold her for as long as she could remember.

oooOOOooo

It was the sound of the keys turning in the door that made Calleigh jump out of bed and immediately grab her gun which she always had in the first drawer of her bedside table. All she could think about was that Eric was sleeping in the living room and if someone had somehow made a copy of the key to her main door, they could easily get to him.

She made her way out of the bedroom as slowly and as silently as she could, keeping to the wall as much as possible where an intruder wouldn't be able to see her, and then she heard the keys being placed on the counter and somehow she caught sight of the empty bed in the living room, so she peaked from around the corner and realized that it was only Eric.

'Jesus Christ Eric you scared the shit out of me' she told him as she appeared from around the corner with a gun in her hand.

'What are you doing?' he asked her as he realized she was holding a gun.

'I thought someone managed to come in' she replied.

'With a key?' he asked.

'You never know with these people. You know they would have means to copy a key without needing a physical key to do so' Calleigh told him as she locked the gun and placed it on the counter 'Where were you anyway?' she asked him as she glanced at the clock hanging up in the kitchen above the cabinets. It was still nine in the morning. It was their off day today, so Calleigh didn't need to have any alarms go off to wake her up. She could sleep as much as possible and since she slept last night without setting the alarm, she had easily slept more than she usually does.

'I went to the gym for a morning workout' he replied.

'Without telling me? Are you insane? What if something happened to you?' she asked him sounding upset.

'I'm sorry Calleigh I really didn't think about it' he apologized realizing how upset she was.

'You can't not think about it Eric. That is what they want you to do and that is when they will attack again when you least expect it' she replied and with that she grabbed her gun and stormed back into her bedroom, leaving Eric speechless resting against the kitchen counter.

He heard her slam the door to her bedroom and sighed running a hand through his head. He hadn't thought about the danger that he could be in. He just wanted to go for a morning workout without waking her up. She needed to sleep after last night's discussion. It had exhausted her and maybe even the way she was reacting this morning was due to yesterday's events. She was still upset.

He needed to talk to her but he wasn't sure if she was going to let him in. He walked slowly towards her bedroom and knocked on her door as softly as he could, not wanting to startle her.

'Calleigh...can I come in?' he asked her from behind the door.

It took her a while but then he heard her speak 'Okay', just loud enough that he could hear her.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, both hands resting on the mattress as her feet hung out of the bed barely touching the floor. He slowly and very carefully sat down next to her, not too close though. He knew that she needed her space. He wasn't sure if he was right, but Eric thought that he could hear her breathing a bit more heavily than normal, like she had been panicking which wasn't a very common trait for Calleigh.

'I'm sorry I scared you' he whispered as he placed his hands on the mattress mimicking her position, but careful not to touch her hand.

She was staring ahead, not daring to look at him at the moment. She felt so angry that he could be so careless about his life. She wasn't angry because she had thought someone had entered her home, but because Eric had put her in that situation by being so careless. What if something happened to him while he was out, then what? What would she do? Where was she going to find him? How was she going to know that he was hurt or...? She shook her head forbidding herself to even think such a thought.

'Calleigh...' he whispered as he watched all kinds of emotions run through her face.

'Calleigh talk to me please' Eric begged her and then she finally turned around to look at him 'Are you angry with me?' he asked her knowing that probably that will get her talking.

'Angry with you? Yes...yes I'm angry with you. I'm angry with you because I care about you so much Eric. What if something happened to you? How would I know? How...would I know where to find you? What happened to you? I am as deep into this as much as you are now, you can't just leave and not tell me, and let me worry about you like this' she told him and he could see her eyes turning red. She was so scared for him she was on the verge of crying, which was definitely something that doesn't happen so often. If Eric was right, he had only seen her cry once or actually noticing the remnants of her tears, and that was when he had been shot.

'I'm sorry Calleigh...I really am' he apologized sincerely as he rubbed her back 'You know what...I'm beginning to think that Ryan was right for once' Eric told her out of nowhere and Calleigh immediately turned to look at him.

'What? Right about what?' she asked him.

'About getting you involved in this. I shouldn't have' Eric replied.

'And what? You think if you weren't living here with me I wouldn't be worried about you? I would be going out of my mind with worry and would probably be bugging you even more to meet up and do things just so you are never alone' Calleigh told him. She shifted slightly on the bed then so she could face him properly 'This isn't your choice whether to get me involved in this or not. I got automatically involved when a hit was put on you. They made the decision for me not you' Calleigh told him.

Eric was literally blown away by what she just said to him. He knew she cared about him a lot but this...this was too much. He just wanted to hug her. Without asking for permission, he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deep embrace which she returned wholeheartedly. He could feel her melt in his arms and Eric never felt so blessed. He closed his eyes and he could still smell the scent of her shampoo from last night, and he just wanted to stay like this forever. He has known Calleigh for so long, but he never really had the opportunity to hold her like this. She was starting to open up to him, and Eric was just so blessed right now.

He felt her slowly move out of his arms but not too far away. She just stopped in his private space and lifted her gaze. She was staring straight into his eyes and Eric's hand automatically cupped the back of her head, his thumb caressing softly her head, feeling the softness of her blonde locks slide through his fingers. He was watching her blink her eyes quite rapidly and then she swallowed hard as her lips parted and then softly moved out of his private space.

'I emm...I think I'm hungry' she told him.

'Yeah...me too' Eric replied stepping out of the moment 'What do you feel like eating?' he asked her.

'Is there a choice on the menu?' she teased. This is just what he loves about them. Just like that all awkwardness was gone and they were both acting like themselves again.

'Well let's see...pancakes...English breakfast...ham and cheese toast...fruit and yogurt...so what would you like me to prepare for you?' he asked her, but by the end of his sentence, Calleigh was laughing, and Eric relaxed even more.

'What's so funny?' he asked her.

'English breakfast? You just came from the gym, what's the point of going to the gym if you eat a full English breakfast afterwards?' she asked him.

'Oh I am telling you I can eat two full plates of English breakfast, I'm so hungry' he told her.

'Well if you're in the mood for an English breakfast then I am not going to break your heart' she told him.

'Great...' Eric told her with a huge smile on his face and with that he got up from the bed and made his way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen but Calleigh stayed there as she took a deep long breath.

'He's okay...he's okay' she told herself. She knew she might have over reacted earlier about him going out but she was just scared someone was coming after him.

'He's fine...get over it' she scolded herself and with that she got up and made her way into the bathroom.

Not long after, breakfast was being served or rather almost too close to lunch because it was almost eleven by the time they both sat down and they were ready to eat. Calleigh had closed up Eric's sofa bed for the time being so they can use it as a couch during the day. She really had nothing planned for the day. Usually on her day off she would plan to go out and meet some of her friends, but since Eric had been living with her, she really didn't even bother. She wanted to focus on him and be with him. What was the point of having him staying with her if she was gonna leave him alone on his day off?

'So...do you have anything planned for today?' Eric asked her as he picked up his plate and started making his way back into the kitchen.

'Nope...you? Do you have anything planned?' she asked him.

'No...not really' he replied as he turned to look at her 'What do you usually do on your day off?' he asked her.

'Well...' she started saying with a shrug 'Go out, meet with friends for a drink, jog, go for a swim...shop...I think that is pretty much it' she replied with a laugh.

'So why didn't you plan anything for today?' he asked her.

'Cause I wanted to see what you had in mind. I knew you were off as well' she replied honestly.

'Well...I didn't plan anything cause I wanted to see what you wanted to do' he replied and they both laughed at the thoughtful situation.

'I had nothing in mind really' she replied.

'Well is there anything coming to you now? Do you want to go out or do you want to stay in?' he asked.

Calleigh looked over her shoulder to check out the weather through the window in the living room and she could see that the weather wasn't so great. It was cloudy and looked a little bit windy as well, so Calleigh decided it would be best to stay indoors for the day.

'How do you feel about jigsaw puzzles?' she asked him.

'Jigsaw puzzles? Do you want to stay inside and work on one?' he asked her.

'Actually I think I do' she replied 'I have this new jigsaw puzzle which I had bought but never really had the chance to start working on it. You know with the working hours we do...I never get the chance to do it and since the weather isn't so great, I thought we could stay inside and try to do it together' Calleigh told him hopeful.

'Yeah sure that is fine by me...jigsaw puzzle it is then' Eric confirmed.