Chapter 14:

The next two weeks dragged by. Eric missed Calleigh so much he deliberately walked by her lab and drove by her condo on her days off and late at night for even the possibility that he would see her; he also did it to show her he wasn't going away. He also showed this by sending her flowers every day with a note: Ilove you . Calleigh noticed, but tried not to pay attention; she was miserable. Her morning sickness was still going strong and she was becoming more and more moody. Despite never once calling in sick in 13 years she found herself calling in at least twice a week. Horatio never said anything, she knew he knew what was going on; if there was anyone Eric would confide in other than her it was Horatio. She was sitting on the couch when she heard a knock on her door.

C: "Natalia! What are you doing here?"

N: "well after the fourth day calling in sick I was beginning to think you were dying. Are you ok?"

C: "yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been feeling well that's all." Natalia wasn't buying it.

N: "bullshit"

C: "excuse me?"

N: "Calleigh listen to me, I know something is going on. I'm not trying to pry and please don't shoot me for saying this but you're not acting like yourself; you're distant and miserable." She paused. "So is Eric." Calleigh looked at her. "Something happened with you two, didn't it?"

C: "I don't know what you're talking about"

N: "Calleigh, you and Eric were always really close; after everything that happened with your abduction you seemed even closer. Then, all of a sudden, as of two weeks ago I haven't seen you even talk to each other once"

C: "we've been busy with other things." Natalia looked at her, her eyes full of compassion.

N: "I'm here as your friend, talk to me." Calleigh wanted to talk to her, keeping everything bottled up was taking it's toll.

C: "I…" she couldn't even finish her sentence before the tears began falling. Natalia moved so she was sitting right beside her and held her.

N: "Cal, you obviously need to talk to someone. You know you can trust me, don't you?"

C: "of course…"

N: "then what on earth is going on?" Calleigh caved; she did need to talk to someone. Before her pride was getting in the way, but the way she had been feeling lately she was now concerned that the stress of the situation would harm the baby. Calleigh spent the next hour explaining to Natalia everything that had happened, leaving out her pregnancy. After she was done Natalia just stared at her, dumfounded.

N: "oh my god!"

C: "yeah"

N: "oh my god!"

C: "something a little more constructive would be nice, Nat"

N: "I…I'm sorry it's just…Oh my god, Calleigh!"

C: "now do you understand?"

N: "wow. So Eric is in really serious trouble?"

C: "which is why I had to do what I did. I can't let Jake do that to him"

N: "Calleigh, I know you're doing this to protect Eric but do you really think that giving Jake what he wants will fix everything? He could change his mind in an instant." Calleigh put her face in her hands.

C: "I know. I've been spending every free moment these past two weeks trying to find a way around it"

N: "what about what he did to you? Did you take pictures? Press charges?"

C: "no." Natalia sighed. "I guess I let my pride get in the way yet again."

N: "you think?"

C: "sarcasm isn't really going to help right now, Nat"

N: "I'm sorry Calleigh, it's just…"

C: "it would have helped, I know." Natalia couldn't help but smirk even thoughthe situation wasn't funny.

N: "so uh…you and Eric huh…hot?"

C: "you have no idea." Natalia went to say something but Calleigh stopped her. "WAIT! Scratch that! I don't want to know!" Natalia laughed and Calleigh did too, for the first time in a while.

N: "Calleigh, Eric and I had fun for a while but it was never serious. Judging by how miserable he is right now he's obviously very serious about you." Calleigh was tearing again.

C: "Nat…I love him." Natalia's eyes went wide.

N: "and does he…?"

C: "yes"

N: "have you told each other that?"

C: "so many times I lost track eons ago." Natalia was still stunned. "There's more."

N: "I'm afraid to ask?"

C: "I'm pr****nt." Natalia was now completely stunned and sat there for a good minute.

N: "oh my god!"

C: "okay you really have got to stop saying that!"

N: "like hell…how far along?"

C: "about 12 weeks now." Natalia spent some time processing everything before she spoke up.

N: "umm, 12 weeks ago you were still with Jake, right?" Calleigh closed her eyes.

C: "yes"

N: "so this baby could be…?"

C: "yes"

N: "does Jake know?"

C: "no. And he can't find out. I don't want him anywhere near this baby"

N: "so when he finds out you're pr****nt, which he will, you're just going to tell him it's Eric's? You have to know he's going to do the math"

C: "honestly, I didn't really think about it. Eric and I were planning on getting a paternity test done when I hit five months. Hopefully those results will take that conflict away"

N: "I really don't mean to be pessimistic, but what if they don't?"

C: "I don't really want to think about it"

N: "were you planning on hiding this pregnancy until then?"

C: "I thought it wouldn't be so hard. Most women don't start showing until 4-5 months"

N: "what do you mean most women?" Calleigh stood up and lifted her shirt, revealing a small bump. "Umm, Calleigh you're showing now"

C: "I know"

N: "I thought you said you were only 12 weeks?"

C: "I am." Natalia took a deep breath.

N: "Calleigh, you do know the only reason a woman would show that much at 12 weeks is…"

C: "yes, I know"

N: "oh my god!" Calleigh gave her the look of death. "Sorry, sorry!"

C: "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'll know more then."

N: "do you want me to go with you?" Calleigh looked at her again, this time surprised.

C: "what?"

N: "this whole situation has got to be killing you. You shouldn't be going through this alone"

C: "you don't have to do that"

N: "I want to." Calleigh hesitated, but realized she really didn't want to go alone.

C: "ok." The next morning Natalia met Calleigh at the doctor's office. They walked in and Calleigh was escorted to the exam room while Natalia waited outside.

DR: "so Calleigh, on the phone you said you had some concerns?"

C: "not really concerns so much as questions. I just think it's strange I'm showing already"

DR: "well let's have a look." He switched on the ultrasound and studied the image. "Ah, there it is"

C: "there what is?"

DR: "a second heartbeat." Calleigh stared at him in disbelief.

C: "excuse me?"

DR: "it looks like you're having twins"

C: "how did we not see this before?"

DR: "sometimes depending on how the babies are positioned it's hard to tell. But see this here, that's baby A and over here is baby B"

C: "oh my god"

DR: "Calleigh you have nothing to worry about; both babies look perfectly healthy and we can still do the paternity testing once your alittle further in your second trimester"

C: "ok." Calleigh thanked the doctor and she and Natalia walked outside to sit down.

N: "So?"

C: "I…I'm having twins"

N: "oh my god, Calleigh. Congratulations that's great!"

C: "yeah"

N: "Calleigh?" She turned toward her, Calleigh forced a smile.

C: "it is great, really, I just…I wish Eric were here." She could feel tears coming again.

N: "you need to tell him what's going on"

C: "Nat I can't do that, he'll never agree to stay away and then Jake will give the file to a judge and Eric will be charged!"

N: "Calleigh, listen to me. I know you're worried and want to protect him, but have you ever considered how much easier this would be if you told him?"

C: "what are you talking about?"

N: "just consider this ok, you tell Eric what's going on, he realizes it's serious and you two keep your distance. The only difference from what you're doing now is you won't really be apart, Jake will only think you are. You could still talk"

C: "Jake would see through that"

N: "you're giving him way too much credit. You're extremely cunning too you know." Calleigh chuckled.

N: "look, at least promise me you'll think about it?" Calleigh took a deep breath

C: "ok"

N: "say it"

C: "ugh, I promise ok?"

N: "thank you. How about some lunch?"

C: "sounds fantastic, I'm starving." They left and had lunch, after which Calleigh headed home to think about what she was going to do while staring at the photo of her babies. "Your mama is so confused." Unloading everything to Natalia helped lift a huge weight off Calleigh's shoulders and she was finally able to fall asleep and stay that way for hours