Author's Note: Thanks for the warm and kind reviews! I'm so excited people are still reading this story! Here's a little more for you! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Again, please don't sue. I don't own anything. I'm not getting paid anything. I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes. I'm just writing for fun here (well, fun and reviews). Have a happy weekend!
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Eric was comfortable. Warm. Calleigh had shifted a little, and he was now confident that she was sleeping. Glancing at his watch, his heart sank at little at the display. It was getting late, and he needed to get to the hospital to relieve his mother of her vigil with Elena. As much as he wanted to see his little girl, he hated to leave Calleigh. Especially like this. Calleigh had just burrowed her head into the crook of his shoulder and his neck, letting out a deep, contented sigh.
Rolling his eyes back in his head a little, he asked for strength. "Calleigh?"
No response.
"Calleigh, I've gotta go to the hospital now."
Slowly, her eyes blinked open, a little disoriented at finding herself awake and in Eric's arms.
"My mom's still at the hospital, Cal." He murmured against her hair. "I have to get over there."
"I'm sorry." She sat up and stretched a little. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." Truthfully, she wasn't upset at herself. She wasn't embarrassed, and that shocked her a little. It was Eric, after all. He'd never use this against her. And it was nice. She felt…comfortable there.
"Don't be sorry, Cal." He ran his hand lightly down her spine. "I've just need to jet. Are you sure you don't want me to take Pablo with me? Give you a night off?"
"Don't be silly, Eric." The sound of her laughter warmed him. "He's no trouble, and he's already asleep."
"Yeah." Gratitude swelled in his heart. "Thanks."
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"Mami!" Eric tiptoed into Elena's hospital room and found his mother sitting in the chair beside the bed sipping coffee and talking…to Elena. "Why isn't she asleep, yet?"
"Oh, Eric, be sensible." His mother chided him gently. "She's in the hospital. Do you really expect me to NOT spoil her a little?"
"Is that ice cream? This late at night?"
For privacy's sake, Clorinda continued to speak to her son in English, although she was amused at his newfound parental instincts. "Eric, my boy. If I'm going to be Grandma, you're going to have to get used me spoiling her appetite, letting her stay up past bedtime. Sometimes both at once."
"Ma."
"Eric!"
"Thanks for watching her today." His shoulder's hung in defeat. His mother was right, and Elena deserved to be spoiled a little. Okay, a lot.
"It was my pleasure." She smiled warmly at the little girl slurping her ice cream. "We had a good time." Pausing and searching her son's face, she added softly. "How was house hunting?"
"No dice today." He shook his head sadly. He'd really hoped to just find the perfect house today, put an offer down, and settle this whole thing as quickly as possible.
"You didn't find one you like?"
"I didn't find one I can afford." This was not the way Eric had pictured his life turning out. Wages being garnished. Single. Trying to get custody of someone else's children.
"It will work out, Mijo." She hugged her son, missing the little boy he'd been, but proud of the man he'd become. "It will work out."
"Calleigh keeps telling me the same thing."
Clorinda pulled back with a wide grin. "Tell me about your Calleigh, mijo."
"First of all, Ma, she's not my Calleigh."
"I think that is a matter of opinion." She was not about to let him get away with just that. "Tell me about her."
"Ma, you know Calleigh. You've met her plenty of times."
"So. Tell me about her. She's letting you live with her. Taking care of Pablo. I've seen her with Elena. She's a good woman, Eric."
"Yeah. She is." There was no denying that. He wouldn't even try.
"You are in love with her." It wasn't exactly news to Clorinda. She had a mother's intuition about these things. The way Eric looked at his beautiful woman, the way the young woman looked at him. Looked at the children. It said it all.
"Ma."
"Don't 'Ma' me, young man!" She chided her baby boy. "You love her, and don't try to tell me that you don't."
Eric couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his mother. Uncomfortable didn't begin to cover this; he frantically looked for a hole for him to crawl into. Maybe a nice cave. A closet he could lock himself into. Anything to make this line of questioning stop. Being interrogated by your mother was not high on his list of fun things to do today. Or ever.
"Can we not talk about this?"
"Of course."
They said their goodbyes, and she left. Settling himself down beside Elena with a warm, wet washcloth, he wiped the ice cream off her face and hands. Apparently, four years olds weren't known for their ability to eat anything neatly. Now that she was hopped up on sugar, he had little hope of getting her to sleep any time soon, despite the late hour. Instead of watch her sleep, he got to talk with her for a while. She was in good spirits, and had apparently had a great day with her new "abuela." They'd played games, eaten lots of junk food. Sang traditional Cuban children's songs that made her remember her mother. That had caused a few tears; tears that Eric was sad he'd missed. He wished he could have been there to comfort her, but he knew from experience how good his mother was at comforting children.
Elena was excited about getting to go home from the hospital the next morning, and she chattered happily about all the fun things she wanted to do. She wanted to go to the beach. She wanted to swim in the pool like Pablo got to. She wanted to go the park and play. She had so many ideas. So many dreams. Eric smiled as she told him how she wanted to take ballet lessons. He could see it. His little Elena on stage in a pink tutu, twirling around to the music. He'd make it happen.
Morning finally came, and Eric carefully helped Elena put on the jeans and pretty yellow shirt that Calleigh had packed. She's picked out a pair of new shoes, and a barrette, too. Eric tried a few times to put her hair up properly in the confounded contraption, but it just ended up looking silly.
"We'll have Calleigh fix it when we get home, okay?" He helped her slip her jacket on, and filled out the rest of the paperwork. The surgeon had volunteered his time, eschewing payment in favor of doing a good deed. The rest of the staff had followed suit, and even lobbied the hospital administration to not charge him for the use of the facilities. She was all better, going to grow up healthy, and he wasn't going to go bankrupt paying for it. Those were the best presents he could have gotten that morning. Now he was going to take his baby girl home and have a party.
"Eric!" She called out happily from the backseat. "¡Mire! ¡Globos!" (Look! Balloons!)
Calleigh and Pablo had decorated the house with pink and white balloons. Pablo had made a banner, very carefully with markers, welcoming her home. The driveway was packed with cars. Calleigh, it appeared, had invited his entire family to partake in the festivities, and they were all standing on the front porch, waving and smiling and cheering. Parking the car, he stepped to the back door and got her out of the booster seat. Lifting her out, he perched her on his arm and smiled as she waved and greeted everyone. Little Elena, it seems, loved to be the center of attention. Then again, what little girl didn't?
The party was a hit. Eric's sisters brought food. Calleigh cooked. His mother cooked. Everyone brought presents. Mostly it was clothes, since they'd be needing them, but presents are fun, no matter what's inside. Pablo was excited that he was given gifts as well, but that's just the kind of family Eric had. No one wanted Pablo to feel left out.
The food was fabulous. The music was festive. Elena was precious and precocious as always. Eric wandered into the living room a few hours into the celebration and found Calleigh rocking a drowsy child to sleep. It seemed as though the party had worn her out, and now, she'd gone looking for Calleigh for comfort. He was right, of course. Elena had caught Calleigh in the kitchen by the hand and dragged her into the living room, "pushed" her toward the sofa, then climbed on her lap and fell asleep. How cute was this picture, Eric though. On his way out the door, he paused and turned, and snapped a photo with his cell phone. This was a moment he always wanted to remember.
Pablo was playing outside in the backyard with Eric's nephews and nieces, cousins, and random other children. He wasn't quite sure who all the kids belonged to, but they seemed to get along with Pablo, so he didn't mind. Sonya had been strangely quiet, standing back and observing the goings on. She watched as Eric sat Elena on his lap and held her plate of cake and ice cream for her. She watched as he played with Pablo and the other kids, cleaned up scraped knees and elbows, and lastly, she watched him take the picture of Calleigh and Elena.
The four of them had a quiet Sunday. Calleigh had to work, but Eric took another day off to make sure Elena was settled in well. He took the kids to the park and let them play. Elena had him push her on the swing and he thought he'd died and gone to heaven. It was as if the gods were suddenly smiling on him, and they'd finally decided to give him some of the things he dreamed of. Playing with the children, even though he had to keep reminding Elena to take it easy and not pull out her stitches, made his day wonderful. When she finally started to get tired, he packed them back into the car and went home. Elena fell asleep on the way, so he carried her into the house and put her down for a nap. She was still sleeping when Calleigh got home from work.
"Hey!" She greeted Eric with a big smile as she walked into the kitchen. He was cooking dinner for them, and it smelled amazing. "What are you making?"
"Chili." He held out the spoon he was using to stir; offering her a taste.
"Mmmm." Her eyes opened wide in pleasant surprise. "That's really good. Why didn't I know that you can cook?"
"I don't know."
"Do I smell cornbread?" She turned on the light to the oven and peered through the glass. "You made cornbread?"
"There's what, five ingredients?" He chuckled, adding a bit more cumin. "I think I can handle stirring and pouring."
"Well, it looks delicious. Thank you for making dinner."
"It's the least I can do." He assured her. "Elena's sleeping and Pablo's outside…" He peered out the window. "Kicking around that soccer ball my mom got him."
"Looks like you've got everything under control here." Honestly, she was impressed. Clearly, Eric was up to this challenge. She'd never doubted the fact that he would make a great dad someday; she just didn't figure it would take place this quickly and in this manner. "I'm really impressed, Eric."
"It's just chili, Cal." He scoffed a little.
"Not with the chili." She guessed he knew what she was talking about, though, and was deflecting her praise out of modesty. "Well, not just impressed with the chili."
"Thanks, Cal."
"I mean it."
"I know you do." Calleigh didn't just dole out praise like candy, so he was inclined to take her words to heart.
"You working tomorrow?" She asked him over a bowl of chili later.
"Yeah. My mom's watching the kids."
"And the hearing is Tuesday? What time?"
"You're going?"
"Of course."
"Two." He grimaced a little. The suspense was killing him. He wasn't sure how he was expected to function until then. Act normal. Work and sleep and eat.
"What means 'hearing'?" Pablo piped up, mouth still full of chili.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Eric instinctively quipped, then stopped, shocked at himself. "I don't know where that came from!"
"My guess is your mother." She grinned at him with a soft laugh.
"Probably." He turned back to Pablo. "It's when a judge, un juez, decides if someone is capable of being a parent."
"I don't…"
"They listen to different people talk, and at the end, the judge tells everyone what he thinks."
"About what?"
"Me." He said simply, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"A judge is going to listen to what different people think about how good a dad Eric is able to be."
"Oh." He seemed to ponder Calleigh's words for a moment. "Can I tell him?"
"Tell who, sweetie?" Calleigh asked him.
"El juez. Can I tell him Eric is good dad?"
"If they ask, you can tell them whatever you want."
"Okay."
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Monday seemed to pass quickly, and Calleigh was grateful for the fact. She and Eric took the kids shopping after she got home and got them new clothes to wear to the hearing. Pablo got his first suit, and Calleigh's heart tugged a little as she watched Eric teach him how to tie his tie. The shoes she'd purchased for him the previous week would go just fine. They picked up a nice belt and an extra dress shirt, and headed to the girl's department.
"Elena, do you see something you like?" Calleigh didn't that was for sure. "Eric, I can't shop for her here."
"Why?"
"Look around!" He did. "If some of this stuff was in my size, I'd wear it. Okay, I wouldn't, but Maxine would."
"Yeah?" He wasn't sure he understood the problem.
"Eric, she's four."
"Oh."
They moved on to a different store, and Calleigh finally found something she liked; something she thought was appropriate for a little girl. She found a pleated grey skirt and a baby blue cardigan sweater. Eric thought they were done, but apparently, Calleigh had other ideas. She grabbed a little blouse with a Peter Pan collar, a pair of tights, and a pair of Mary Janes. Then she seemed satisfied that her little girl would be properly dressed, they paid and left.
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Calleigh arrived at the courthouse promptly at 1:45 the next afternoon. It hadn't taken much convincing to get Horatio to agree to let her go. He even showed up himself, although the reception she received from Eric's cousins surprised him a bit. Elena pulled her hand free from Eric's and sprinted down the hallway, her skirt and hair flying behind her.
"Calleigh!" Elena called as she ran. "Calleigh, I look pretty!"
"You sure do, sweetie, but try not to run until you get your stitches out, okay?" At Elena's blank look, she switched to Spanish and admonished the small girl in her arms to take it slow for a few more days. Horatio watched in awe as Calleigh shifted Elena onto her hip and walked up to where Eric was waiting with his family.
They entered the court room together, but Calleigh sat in the gallery with the kids and Eric's family. Pablo sat quietly during the proceedings, but Elena got antsy. She slid off her seat, the heels of her shoes clicking loudly on the marble floor.
"Elena!" Clorinda admonished. She leaned down and whispered something in her ear that made the little girl's face scrunch up as she hung her head and climbed back onto the bench.
"Come here, honey." Calleigh reached over and pulled Elena onto her lap, whispering to her.
The judge was talking to Eric, asking him questions. They grilled him about his financial situation, his private life, his shooting. They asked him about his family, his recently discovery of his paternity. His citizenship. Eric stayed cool until they asked about Calleigh. She was watching his face carefully, and not too many other people would have noticed, but she saw his jaw clench for a second and his eyes tighten. They both knew this would come up; they knew it would be an issue. It looked bad, and they both knew it, no matter how innocent the situation was.
"There is no romantic relationship between CSI Duquesne and I." Eric stated flatly. "She's helping me with the children, that's all."
"So you're not sleeping together?"
"No. Never. She's a friend and a coworker."
"So do you think it's healthy for Pablo and Elena to become attached to Ms. Duquesne, and then snatch them away when you move out?"
Eric was quiet for a moment as he pondered the question. It was a good question. The man had a point. He hadn't thought about it because he didn't plan on separating them. He didn't want to separate them. He wanted to buy a big house, ask Calleigh to marry him, and move all four of them into this new home. He wanted happily ever after…for everyone. How was he going to explain this to Elena? He glanced up at where they were sitting and smiled at the picture. Elena was fast asleep on Calleigh's lap, and Calleigh was gently stroking her long brown hair and rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"Mr. Delko? Please answer the question."
"I…uh…I don't know."
"You don't know."
"No." His eyes were locked on Calleigh and Elena. "I just know that I can take good care of them. I can be a good parent. I love them, isn't that the most important thing?"
"What about your job, Mr. Delko?"
"I have one."
The judge chuckled a little at his response. "That's not what I meant. You have a very time-consuming, dangerous job. How do you propose to take care of children with this kind of job?"
"What, you're telling me that cops can't be good parents?" Eric scoffed. "I have a job that puts me in the paths of criminals; therefore I'm not fit to be a parent?"
"That's not what we're saying, Mr. Delko…"
"No, I think it is what you're saying." Eric interrupted the judge, irritated at the insinuation. "I took an oath. I promised to protect and serve. I took a bullet to my brain because of that oath. I am stable. Educated. Employed. I love these children. They're my cousins. They're my family. Their late mother asked me to care for her children; now that she can't. She was my cousin. I want to honor her wishes."
"You never met this woman?"
"No. She lived in Cuba."
"Why do this, then? Why take in two children because some dead woman you've never met asked you to?"
"She's family." He shrugged like it was the simplest answer to the dumbest question he'd ever heard. "They're family." He nodded to Pablo and Elena.
"You still haven't answered the question, Mr. Delko."
"Actually, I have. I just didn't give you an answer that you understand."
Calleigh smiled at his doggedness. Things were so black and white to him. Right. Wrong. Love. Family. Responsibility. Not too many people would just understand what he meant when he said "they're family." Not everyone would understand that "family" was enough. It wasn't the only thing; there was plenty of love, too. Still, she got it. She understood it. It's part of what made Eric the man he is. The man she…loves.
"Mr. Delko, please answer the question."
"I want to "take them in" as you put it because they're my family. Because I love them. Because I know I can take good care of them. I can do this job. I know how important this is, and I have no intention of shirking this duty. I love children. I've always wanted children. Sure, I didn't plan on them coming ready-made, but sometimes life takes you places you didn't foresee. I want to take them in because I love them, and I don't understand why that isn't enough of a reason for you."
"I assure you, that's enough."
Calleigh was frustrated. They were asking all the wrong questions. They didn't seem to see what a good man Eric is. They didn't care how much he'd sacrificed, both personally and professionally, for Miami-Dade County. There was a lull in the questioning, and before anyone could stop him, Pablo shot up off the bench.
"Can I talk, too?"
"Shhh. Pablo, sit down." Calleigh tried to reach his arm without disturbing Elena. Eric's mother tried as well, but he managed to evade them both.
"¿Por favor?" He stepped into the aisle, and walked up towards the bench. "Can I talk?"
"Pablo, you need to go sit by Tia Clorinda and Calleigh."
"No."
"Pablo, honey, you can't do this."
The judge watched this interaction, noting the complete absence of anger or malice in Eric's voice. He wasn't upset with Pablo, he wasn't yelling at him. He just wanted him to go sit down and not disrupt the proceedings.
"Actually, Pablo, you can talk to me." The judge smiled down at the small boy, looking all dapper in his new clothes. "Mr. Delko, could you step down, please?"
"Yes, your honor." Eric stood and helped Pablo up onto the stand.
The judge turned and smiled at the bright-eyed little boy in the witness chair. "Pablo, do you know what it is to lie?"
"Lie?" Pablo thought for a moment; wracking his brain for all his English words. "Oh. To diga una mentira! Yes. I know. Tell…real things."
"Tell the truth." The judge corrected.
"Tell the truth." He repeated. "I tell the truth."
"Yes." The judge smiled at him. He was a cute child. "Okay, Pablo. I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?"
"First I can talk, please?"
"After I ask some questions."
"Okay."
"Pablo, do you like living with your cousin Eric?"
"Yes." He said it so affirmatively that Calleigh smiled involuntarily.
"Why is that?"
"Eric is nice to us. He takes care of us. He got Elena better."
"Can you tell me what that means? What it means to "get Elena better"?"
"She was sick, and Eric had doctors fix her heart. Now she's better."
"Yes, I heard. And I'm glad your sister is better."
"Me, too."
The judge asked Pablo a few questions, and then he kept his promise. He let Pablo speak his mind. Eric teared up a little as Pablo described how Eric was going to keep them together; how the mean lady said she'd only take in him, and some other lady would keep Elena. He told the judge how he'd promised his mother that he would take care of his baby sister, how he wanted to keep his promise to his mother. He explained in halted English how Eric took him to the batting cages, and how Elena had never been alone in the big hospital. He told them about the park, the pool, and the new shoes. Elena's welcome home party.
"Please, señor." He pleaded. "Do not make me go away from Elena. Please do not make us go back to Cuba. We like Eric. We stay with him."
"Thank you, Pablo. Is that all?"
"Yes."
"You can step down now."
"Let's take a short recess. I'll render my decision in hour."
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A/N: Sorry. That's all for me for tonight. Reviews might equal chapter tomorrow. Or not. I'm not sure how I'm spending my last day of break yet. I'm thinking about climing a mountain. Literally. I'll keep you informed. R/R!!!!