Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami . . . totally didn't see that coming . . . ;D

A/N: Yeah… so I kinda needed a calculator… XD Uber thanks to floofymiko for your help and advice!


Chapter 28

A whole week had passed. Seven days. One hundred and sixty eight hours. Ten thousand eighty minutes. Six hundred-and-four thousand eight hundred seconds. That's how long he had been in that dreadful place. He wasn't sure what prison was like, but, during that time period, he had felt so limited and congested being confined within four bright white walls. Without her… I need to see her face… Hear her voice…

With a ding, the elevator doors opened, he made his way to the reception desk to sign himself in, the wooden crutches digging into his sides, supporting his every move.

A throat cleared, making the temporarily disabled man turn around, a movement that was a mixture of a hop and a bounce.

He came face to face with his boss.

"Eric," the ginger-haired man's head tilted slightly to side and forward, "I thought I told you to get some rest." He stood there, toying with his black shades.

"Yeah," the CSI laughed, "and I'm sure Natalia got the same page."

A bemused look came across his superior's face. "She's in the evidence locker." With that, he made his departure. He had an important rendezvous in his office with his day-shift team that he had to prepare for. What exactly happened last week? Upon a rare occasion, something would come up that would puzzle his already overworked brain.


Ma'am, your baby is going to be fine.

That's all she had wanted to- needed to- hear. A sonogram proved that she was indeed having a baby boy and that he was very healthy.

The pregnant woman sighed tiredly. At least he's kicking, moving…that's good… She looked at the pile of manila envelopes containing evidence before her, not really seeing them. The only reason she had come in was because she did not want to go home. Not that she could, the kids were still hanging around thinking that she and Eric were their parents. Eric… yeah… I hope he's not here…

She had not spoken in days, in fact, in a week. Ever since it happened. She just could not bring herself to speak and the only reason the doctors released her was because she and the baby were doing fine. He suggested that she have regular visits with the lab union's psychiatrist. As if. I'm fine. Just peachy…

That's how he found her. Just standing there, staring ahead with glazed eyes, lost in her own little world. She was different, though. He could tell that much… and it wasn't the new haircut. Her whole stance, attitude even, appeared different. And I haven't even spoken to her уеt.

"Natalia?" When she didn't turn around, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, calling for her once again.

She yelped out loud and twisted violently away from the would-be perpetrator. The deer-in-the-headlight expression on her face relaxed a bit as she realized who it was, but it remained imprinted on his heart; he hadn't meant to scare her so fiercely.

Her cheeks turned a bright shade of cherry before she looked away. She didn't feel like talking and the sudden movement had made her slightly woozy. He's in crutches… is that… is that because of the… incident? Pursing her lips slightly, she sifted through the envelopes. What was I looking for…

"Natalia?" He could tell this time he had her attention, so he continued. "Do you," he decided to avoid their dilemma, "Do you need help?"

A rush of sensations crashed into the stone wall that was beginning to construct itself around her heart. She recollected a similar conversation that had taken place between them several months ago when they were first dating. When things were still normal…

Without looking up, she shook her head no and continued to searching for all the evidence from the previous week's Everglades and Cocoa Bean Apartment case; Horatio had asked her to collect it all in a cardboard box.

He wordlessly hopped over next to her and helped her out anyway. She's not talking? Two can play at that game. He leaned heavily against the table, leaving the crutches by the entrance.

Five minutes hadn't even past when he felt a sudden great urge to break the silence. I waited six hundred-and-four thousand eight hundred seconds to see her… hear her…

"You cut your hair…" Her luxurious long hair was gone, replaced with a super short funky new cut.

She nodded mutely. It's too difficult to explain… you wouldn't understand…

He tried again. "It's looks good on you." Very sexy… He swallowed back a huge grin that was trying to surface.

When her response didn't surpass anything but a soft scoff, he reached out his hand and took hers, tugging it slightly. "Natalia-

God, the way he says my name… Her heart pounded at his touch.

"-what's wrong? Is it what happened? Talk to me, please."

I don't want to… She gulped in air, fearing that she would burst into tears, something that she did not want to happen. Just… drop it…

But he wasn't giving up that easily.

"Natalia…" Just look at me… please…

Hearing the tears in his usually strong voice, she glanced up to him. I never meant to cause you so much pain…just… just leave me alone… you'll be better off… safer…

She would have looked away, but instead became mesmerized by his eyes. They had called it quits a long time ago, but all the love and compassion was still there, even if only behind the scenes.

A sudden buzz of their pagers caught them both off-guard.

It was Horatio. All of his day-shift team, who had been directly involved with the previous week's events, were to promptly report to his office for an important conference. Natalia was to bring what she had collected from the evidence locker.

The sudden loss of concentration had his knees buckling, since, at the time of the page, he hadn't been leaning on the table.

"Eric!" Her voice cracked. All the conflicting emotions that were stirring within her came out in that one single word.

As she attempted to catch him, they both came crashing to the floor.

To lighten the mood, he teased, "That can't be good for the baby."

She gazed up at him once again as she replied softly, "That can't be good for your legs."

Her ribs hurt and she could hold it in any longer. He held her against him as she released the chest-racking sobs, the hot tears streaming down her, as well as his, face.

And he knew… he knew that they would be okay.

For the moment.


A/N: -.-U Feedback always is appreciated. . .