Chapter 9

He walked through the autopsy doors to see Alexx cleaning one of the bodies. She looked up at him a little startled and frowned when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Alexx, I need to speak with you." Eric said strongly and she looked up at him and stopped what she was doing when she heard his intensity. She gave him a nod and her full attention while she turned to him and turned the water off as he exhaled and then ran a hand through his hair. He dropped his hands to his hips and looked at Alexx with a firm, but curious look in his eyes. But she saw something that was hidden, she saw his desperateness.

"Is Calleigh really dead? Did you perform an autopsy on her?" Eric questioned and he saw the shocked expression cross her face. She then frowned at Eric and thought back to earlier in the day where she'd seen Calleigh at the hospital.

"You saw her too?" Alexx questioned and Eric lowered his eyebrows, Alexx could see that he looked just as confused as she felt. "I thought I was seeing things Eric. Yes I did the autopsy on her, you saw her head there was nothing left in there. You came down here when she was on my table, Eric." She said as she lowered her eyebrows and looked at him as she became to feel a lot more confused.

"We all saw her today, Alexx." Eric said softly as he tilted his head at her.

"Perhaps we all imagined her? We were all very stressed with what happened to Zoë." She said trying to make sense of it herself while she looked at Eric.

"I was speaking with her before Zoë came up to the lab. She said she needed to speak with me to explain everything, but we all saw her dead, we all saw her. I had hoped that you didn't perform the autopsy but she was alive and you were covering for her. It's the only explanation I can come up with, that was Calleigh we saw today, I'm sure of it." Eric said as he looked at Alexx just as mystified as her. Alexx frowned more as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I certainly haven't been covering for her, I wish I was." She said as she shook her head with lowered eyebrows. She felt quite disgusted that Eric thought she'd do something like that to the entire team but could understand why Eric would come up with it. She could see that he was desperate for anything, she could see that he was desperate to believe that the blonde woman was actually Calleigh.

"How long ago was it now?" Alexx asked once she'd calmed her thoughts back down.

"2 years." Eric sighed as he shook his head and then ran his hand through his hair.

"Is it two years exactly? Perhaps we're all subconsciously thinking about her today if it is two years exactly." Alexx asked softly as that was the only explanation she could come up with herself as she put her hands up in submission when she couldn't think of anything else.

"No, it was over two years, and even Zoë saw her. She asked if what she was seeing was real and not one of the hallucinations she has when she arrests. Zoë never even met her." Eric said as Alexx put her hand back on her hip.

"I don't understand Eric, how can she be alive? We buried her, I did an autopsy and she was certainly dead. I have no doubt about that, there was nothing left in her head." Alexx said as she shook her head and then pressed her lips together. She could see that Eric was trying his hardest to try and explain it somehow but Alexx knew that there was no way she was still alive. 'I would have been a little more sceptical if she wasn't shot through the head, but that is certain death.' She thought to herself.

"I don't either Alexx, H thinks she's an imposter, but no-one is that good. She had Calleigh's mannerisms, she had Calleighs posture and speech pattern. Surely someone can't have impersonated her… that well anyway?" Eric asked softly and Alexx shrugged while she furrowed her brow.

"If it was an imposter, they would have had 2 years to practice I suppose. You wouldn't believe what plastic surgeons can do these days. If Horatio thinks she's an imposter, then that's more than likely the scenario. You know what Horatio is like, he's never wrong. The only way you'll know is if you do a DNA test on her." Alexx said softly as she tilted her head.

"What's the point, she's dead? She just… she can't be here." Eric said as he began to grow ever more distressed. Alexx could see the situation toying with Eric's heart. She could see that his heart and his brain were fighting against each other and it made her feel so bad for him. 'This woman better watch out, if she is impersonating Calleigh and toying with Eric, then she's going to get a bloody good mouthful from me.' Alexx thought to herself when her natural instinct of care and compassion for her colleagues really kicked in.

"Eric, take a deep breath honey. Did she touch anything when she was in? Can you get her prints?" Alexx asked softly as she raised her hand and placed it on his upper arm.

"No, she touched my arm at one point, but I can't get prints or DNA from that." Eric said as he shook his head and looked at her. She could see his stress and exhaled.

"Did she leave a number? Can you ask her to come in?" Alexx asked softly.

"She didn't, I can see if she left it with any of the officers." Eric sighed and she nodded.

"Okay honey, try that. Let me know what you get please." Alexx said softly as she rubbed Eric's arm.

"Okay, thank you Alexx." Eric said before he walked out and found the officers she was talking to earlier in the day. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get her number as she hadn't left it. 'How am I supposed to find her? I really hope this woman isn't pulling our legs, I'd give almost anything to have Calleigh back in my life.' Eric thought to himself as he tried to search for her on the internet but couldn't find anything. 'If she was alive, there would be something new on here. Perhaps she really wasn't real? Perhaps Alexx was right and we all imagined her.' Eric thought to himself as he sat back in the seat and ran both hands through his hair as he exhaled and stared at Calleigh's profile with the word "DECEASED" written on it in large letters.

He carried on with his work for 30 minutes until his shift ended and he left. He went home and went for a long run to try and cool himself off and try and make sense of the day. When he couldn't clear his head he went back home and had a shower and got into his car. He drove over to Horatio's and Zoë's and pulled up on their drive. He walked up to their door and knocked as he pressed his lips together while he placed his hands on his hips.

"Hey sweetie" Zoë said as she answered the door sweetly with a smile.

"Hey Zo, is H in?" He asked and she nodded as she caught a glimpse of his distressed state.

"Come in." She said softly as she stepped away from the door. He entered and she closed the door as she rubbed her stomach and looked up at Erich warmly still. "Horatio is in the kitchen, would you like a drink?" Zoë asked softly as she began to walk through the hall.

"Please, a glass of water would be quite good right now." He said softly and she nodded as she glanced back.

"Come through." She said softly and he followed her through to the kitchen. Horatio turned around in the kitchen having just made hot drinks for himself and Zoë.

"Eric, is everything okay?" Horatio asked when he saw the distressed look on Eric's face, he could see that something was bothering him.

"I need to talk to you; it's about Calleigh… that woman whoever she is." He asked softly and Horatio nodded. Zoë handed him a glass of water before Horatio handed Zoë her herbal tea.

"Do you guys want your space?" Zoë asked softly as she looked up at them.

"I don't mind Zo." Eric said softly and she looked at him sympathetically when she realised just how confused he was.

"I'll give it to you anyway." She said as she walked through to the living room and sat down slowly with her herbal tea, she picked up her book and flicked the music channel on the TV. She sat back and made herself comfortable while Eric leant on the island counter and looked down at it as he took a deep breath while he frowned at it. Horatio stood the opposite side of the island counter and placed his coffee down and tilted his head at Eric.

"What's the problem Eric?" Horatio said lightly as he gave Eric his attention.

"I think it's really her, H." Eric said as he shook his head and looked up at Horatio while he raised his eyebrows. He then swallowed as he watched Horatio study his desperateness. "But I know it can't be, I'm unsure as to whether I'm kidding myself because I want it to be her. I'm not sure what to think, H." He said honestly as he looked into Horatio's eyes. Horatio could see that Eric's distress was only intensifying.

"Think of it logically, Eric, remove all feeling from your thinking. What is your logical brain telling you?" Horatio asked as he too leant on the island counter and tilted his head more.

"I can't remove the feeling, H." Eric said as he shook his head and looked down. "I don't know if I'm fooling myself into believing that it is her." He said quietly as he took a deep breath. "I want her to be Calleigh." Eric admitted as he looked back up at Horatio. Horatio began to feel very bad for Eric, he could see the torment that Eric was going through and could relate himself to that because he thought he'd lost Zoë for good at one point.

"She died, Eric. We all checked, Alexx performed a proper autopsy on her, she's not with us." Horatio said calmly as he tilted his head more.

"We checked Zoë too, Alexx didn't even pick up on her heartbeat." Eric argued in a whisper as he looked back down.

"Yes, but Zoë was poisoned with tetrodotoxin… Calleigh was shot through the head." Horatio said softly with a warm expression before he sipped his coffee.

"I've been shot in the head H." He said as he looked back up at Horatio, trying to argue with Horatio to prove that what he wanted was right. 'A desperate man will go to desperate lengths for what he wants, I know that better than anyone. I didn't know that they were so close, or that Eric had such intense feelings for her.' Horatio thought to himself as he placed his mug back down on the counter.

"Calleigh's was a through and through right through the brain, Eric. No-one could survive that. We all saw brain matter on the wall. It was a nasty scene Eric, I know you want to believe that it's her that is here now, but think about it. How could someone survive that?" Horatio said calmly as his eyes softened more on Eric while he took a deep breath. Horatio hated to see Eric so distressed.

"I can't give up on her H, you must be able to understand that, you didn't give up on Zoë." Eric pleaded Horatio.

"They are two completely different situations Eric. Zoë had been declared dead for a few hours, Calleigh's been gone for over 2 years, you can't let this woman get to you. I think she's after Zoë; she was very interested in Zoë earlier, if that's true and you believe her, that could be the entrance she needs to do what she wants to do. Think about it, she turns up the day that Zoë's viciously attacked? She's at a vulnerable stage right now, I for one am not going to believe this woman because I have a feeling she's up to no good. I looked through Calleigh's head, I'm telling you, Eric, she's dead." Horatio said firmly, protectively and calmly before he sipped his coffee again.

"What am I supposed to do H? I can't help but think it is her. With all due respect, you didn't know Calleigh like I did, and there is no way that is an imposter, her mannerisms and speech pattern were fit to a T. You cannot deny that she isn't the spitting image of Calleigh and has the exact same voice." Eric replied softly, noticing Horatio's defensiveness due to the mentioning of Zoë. Horatio exhaled and briefly looked down at the work surface before he looked back up to Eric with softening eyes and a confident posture.

"I know Eric, and I too thought for a moment that she was Calleigh, but you have to look at the evidence." Horatio said softly just before Zoë walked out into the kitchen with a gentle smile.

"Don't mind me." She said softly as she picked up a banana and a plate. Eric and Horatio then looked back to each other again.

"All she wanted to do was talk, H. I should have heard her out." Eric said softly as Zoë cut the banana up and then reached into the cupboard. Eric then looked over to Zoë and frowned mildly. Horatio glanced over to Zoë when he saw Eric frowning at what Zoë was doing.

"Zoë…" Horatio said gently and she looked round and then licked her fingers as she put the bottle back in the cupboard with an innocent, sweet expression. She then bit her lip as she turned back to the plate.

"It's a craving." She said as she turned to them with the plate of banana drizzled in golden syrup with tomato purée dolloped on the side. She then put a piece into her mouth and held the plate out to Horatio while she savoured the contrasting tastes. He picked a piece up with a grim expression and put a little tomato purée on it. Eric's eyes narrowed on the piece Horatio had taken while he frowned more as his mind was taken completely from Calleigh.

"You're really going to eat that, H?" Eric asked looking a little disgusted and Horatio looked back to Eric with a small unenthusiastic nod.

"He tries what I crave if he's not tried it before." Zoë smiled softly and then held the plate out to Eric with an encouraging smile.

"No thank you Zoë, I'm good." Eric said softly as he pushed the plate away politely.

"Go on try it, you might like it if you like sweet things with a bit of a tangy twist." She smiled softly as Horatio put it in his mouth and ate it just as Eric picked up a piece. Eric looked back to Horatio as he swallowed and watched the face Horatio pulled. Horatio then took a deep breath and looked over to Zoë with a gentle expression.

"It's not the worst thing I've eaten, I'll give you that." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a smile and watched him take a few sips of his coffee. She ate another piece and looked at Eric sweetly, but also cheekily as she could see he really didn't want to try it. He hesitantly ate it and then lowered his eyebrows while he chewed before he swallowed.

"See, it's not too bad, is it?" She smiled brightly and tilted her head.

"I'm not being sick, so I guess not, but I wouldn't eat it again." Eric smiled softly, she then smiled sweetly and walked back through to the living room. Eric took a few sips of water and then looked back up at Horatio after he took a deep breath. "I have to find her H, I know I won't be able to think straight if I don't find her." Eric said softly as he leant back on the counter. They both then looked up and round to the living room when they heard what sounded like the plate hit the floor or coffee table. Horatio's frown was immediately evident as he put his mug down properly.

"I'll be right back." Horatio said softly as he walked out and into the living room while Eric continued to look in the living rooms direction, waiting for Zoë to curse as he'd assumed she'd dropped the plate.

"Zoë?" Horatio questioned loudly. Eric walked in when he heard Horatio's urgency and saw Horatio rolling Zoë onto her left side. He quickly rushed round and crouched to hold her in position too.

"Come on sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he stroked her cheek affectionately as he bent over and looked at her placid, pale face.

"Hey beautiful, are you with me?" Horatio asked softly a few seconds later as she slowly opened her eyes and moved a little. She let out a moan and then moved one of her hands to her stomach while she looked up tiredly to Horatio. Her vision was blurry, but she made out his characteristic red-hair.

"Did you hit your tummy?" Horatio asked softly and she shook her head as she swallowed and then ran her tongue over her lips to moisten them before she swallowed again.

"Sorry, I got up too quickly." She mumbled quietly.

"It's okay sweetheart, don't worry about it." Horatio said softly as she sat up and raised her eyebrows to looked at the both of them sweetly.

"Sorry Eric." She said quietly as she placed her hand on Horatio's thigh and looked at Eric.

"Don't worry." He said softly as Horatio moved to sit behind her and then lifted her onto the sofa.

"What do you want? I'll get it for you." Horatio said softly and saw that her colour had returned.

"I need the loo, I'm not sure you can get that." She said softly with a small smile as she looked at him. He smiled warmly at her and then took her hands.

"Okay sweetheart, slowly." He said softly as he helped her to get up. He walked her through to the bathroom and then walked back into the kitchen as Eric walked into the kitchen and took another sip of his water when he could taste the lingering tomato flavour.

"Is she okay?" Eric asked softly as he looked at Horatio mildly concerned.

"Yes, she'll be fine." Horatio reassured Eric and he nodded. "Have you got a way of contacting her?" Horatio asked softly, resuming their conversation before he took a couple of sips of his coffee.

"No, I have no idea how I'll speak to her." Eric said softly as he looked down to his water.

"If you do speak to her, make sure it's in a public place and please do not give any information on me or Zoë. Don't give her our address, I advise that you don't give her yours either. Message me to let me know where you are meeting her and when, you ring me if you get any trouble at all, okay?" Horatio said softly but Eric could hear the worry in Horatio's voice and knew Horatio was worried for his safety. Eric nodded at Horatio when he saw the seriousness in Horatio's eyes. Zoë walked out and into the kitchen and then got a glass of water.

"Sorry Kitten." She said softly as she put the glass down and then wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back and rubbed her back gently.

"I won't H, don't worry." Eric said softly and Horatio nodded as he looked over to Eric.

"Okay?" He asked Zoë softly and she nodded as she pulled back with a small smile.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" She asked as she looked over to Eric with a warm, inviting expression and smile.

"Oh no thank you Zoë, I've got something I have to do." Eric said softly and she nodded as she pulled back from Horatio fully and picked up her glass.

"Okay sweetie, but you must come over for dinner one evening; we need dinner with Uncle Eric." She smiled softly and Eric smiled at her warmly. Her smile could make almost anyone smile back, no matter how bad they were feeling.

"Of course." He said softly with a smile. Eric said as he got up and then shook Horatio's hand and thanked him. Horatio's phone then rang and he apologised before he answered. Eric walked out with Zoë in front. She opened the door for him and then smiled up at him sweetly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked and she nodded as he stepped out.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she walked out with him and over to his car as he beeped it unlocked.

"Yeah, it's just been a bit of a difficult day." He said softly as they stopped by his car.

"Tell me about it." She said softly and he looked to her and smiled shyly. 'I guess my day couldn't have actually been more difficult than hers and she's still managing to smile.' Eric thought to himself as a small smile tugged at his lips. "I don't think we could have had a more hectic day if we tried." She said softly and he nodded in agreement.

"If you need anything, Zoë just ask." He said softly, sincerely as he placed his hand on her upper arm and tilted his head at her.

"Thank you Eric. You too, if you ever need anything, then we're here for you. I'll leave you alone if you want your man-talks with Horatio and I'll try not to interfere by passing out again." She smiled sweetly and he nodded with a light chuckle.

"Thank you for hanging around today, I just wanted to know that you were safe and that knowing you were around with your gun too as well as Horatio, it made me feel safer. I would have worried about your safety if you had gone back to work, he seemed like a real peace of nasty work." She said softly as she let go of him and then began to rub her stomach as she looked up at him with a warm expression.

"Not a problem, I'm glad I could be of help." He said softly as he opened his car door as Zoë stepped back to give him room to get into his car on the drive.

"Eric?" A woman shouted loudly from the path about 30 yards away. Both Zoë and Eric looked over to see the blonde woman rushing over towards them. Eric quickly closed his door as Zoë grabbed hold of his arm and began to panic as she looked back to the house in hope of seeing Horatio come out. 'What's she doing here? How'd she find the house? What's going on?' Zoë thought to herself frantically as Eric moved in front of Zoë and made sure she was behind him as she bit her lip as she tried to keep herself calm. Even Eric had begun so suspect something now that the woman had somehow turned up at the house. 'How'd she know this was where Horatio and Zoë live? Calleigh wouldn't have known this was their house.' Eric asked himself as he frowned.