Slightly Condoned
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Rating: R (later)
Pairing: Eric/OC, Speed/Calleigh
Summary: After the death of Janet Medrano (Body Count) Elisabeth Kaytlin is hired as the new ADA. Under the condoned guide of Horatio Caine's ex-wife, Mia Dayton, who also happens to be the DA for Miami, as her first assignment Kaytlin is forced to reopen a cold case, which also happens to be Eric Delko's first case with the Miami-Dade crime Lab.
Spoiler: Tinder Box, Body Count
A/N: I *need* to take a break from Cardboard Copy.and perhaps this is a feeble attempt for your entertainment, but I just need to write an Eric fic.he's so lovable.hope you like it. Note: direct mentions from episodes will be featured later.
***
Part 2- Contradictory Beliefs
Meanwhile Speed and Calleigh sat side by side in the Evidence Storage room that pretty much resembled the Locker Room except inside of the cubbies there were big metal cabinets used to file physical evidence, and there was a room off to the side which held all the written documents corresponding with the codes on the Cases.
The 'Cold Cases' evidence had a separate storage area, far more secluded and shunned away by the rest of the Crime Lab just because most of the investigators had a hard time rehashing what they'd once put away.
It was no hidden secret that cold cases were the toughest to handle because of the baggage that accompanied them and therefore this morning neither Calleigh nor Tim were in the greatest of moods even though they came off light hearted.
" Here, that one." Calleigh pointed to the Ziploc Baggie marked "SP." Lying on the edge of the wooden bench Speed reclined on.
" SP?" He raised his eyebrow and Calleigh smiled, " snake poison.and don't worry I freeze dried it before we put it away."
Speed still held it by the tip of the zipper, and mused, " So how are we gonna reexamine it again? I'm assuming it's lost its secret ingredient if you know what I mean." He pointed out, and Calleigh lowered her self off her kneeling position and sat down besides Tim.
" Just add water." Calleigh shrugged, " And chlorophyll." She added smirking.
" It's still snake poison." Speed shuddered and Calleigh took the bag from him, setting it aside into the box filled with the rest of the evidence from the same case file.
" All done." She chimed in her southern drawl, and closed the lid on the compact box.
" Not quite." Calleigh shrieked as she was caught off guard by a strong pair of arms encircling her waist and Speed lowered his lips down on hers.
" Tim we can't do this here." She exclaimed in a loud whisper, before he was able to kiss her.
" Like hell we can't. There's a reason why this room is so goddamn secluded." Speed pointed out, planting a soft kiss on her neck.leaving goose bumps in his wake.
" Besides, don't you find this just a little exciting?" He pulled back with a lustful grin on his face and a matching glint in his chocolate eyes.
Calleigh couldn't deny her feelings so she shrugged, " Well a little.yes." She tucked the loose tendrils behind her ear, and Speed didn't miss the light tint of natural rouge that colored her cheeks as she said this.
" So what's stopping ya?" He asked, blowing on her lips alluringly.
" Oh but are you suggesting that me, being such a good girl, go right at it here?" Calleigh raised her eyebrow suspiciously but slipped her arm around Speed's waist.
" Your words not mine." He smirked.
" Shut up and kiss me smart ass." Calleigh retorted and pulled him in for another embrace.
***
Elisabeth laid back in her chair, took a look at her watch and pulled the pages on her legal pad back, to start with the first.
" Recap?" She raised her eyebrow as Eric spoke, " Shall we?"
Elisabeth nodded and crossed her legs, accidentally nudging Eric's underneath the table.
He visibly tensed and she smiled wickedly, glad that she had some sort of affect on him.
Eric didn't particularly enjoy displaying his weaknesses to random people and jerked his foot back, and Elisabeth's smile fell.
They both played it off as if it was no big deal and Elisabeth began reading off what Eric told her.
The few details she didn't know about the case was that from the eyes of the investigator who went through the motions of the examination. The information in the notes she took would help her tremendously.
" So there was nothing suspicious that you found about the Council Woman and her husband?" Elisabeth made sure, as she drew lazy circles around the name Mercedes Escalante with her pen.
" To be perfectly blunt with you, I didn't even think he was capable of anything of that magnitude until he was convicted for the murder of those women." Delko admitted leaning in closer to the table.
" Oh yeah, I heard that from Mia. Did he really pay off his wife's handler to stage a copy cat?" Elisabeth asked curiously, and Delko nodded eagerly,
" Yup, but we caught him anyway.thanks to Horatio." He managed a small smile and Elisabeth felt the need to reassure him, " Eh, I think you had something to do with it."
She gave him a crooked smile and before he had the chance to return it, she looked back down at her notebook and flipped over to the last page.
" Is there anything else that you need?" Eric asked after a moment trying to be helpful to make up for his hasty attitude earlier.
" Yeah, actually, I never got your professional opinion on who could've done it." Elisabeth said, ready to jot down whatever came out of the CSI's mouth.
She didn't look up from her note pad for a few moments hoping she'd get some sort of reply from Eric, but nothing came.
" Eric.Delko.are you with me?" She shook him out of the abyss that he was in.
" Yeah, I'm with you." He nodded, " And do you really need that 'professional opinion' thing?" He asked, seemingly uncomfortable with that question and for a split second Elisabeth wondered why.
But seeing Eric's distressed look she softened and replied, putting her pen away, " No, it can wait."
" Oh thanks, I wish my stomach could too." Delko said regretfully, as his insides growled and betrayed him.
Elisabeth let out a low chuckle and Eric looked at her hopefully, " So do you maybe want to go grab a bite to eat, I haven't even had breakfast yet." He informed her a little sheepishly.
Elisabeth's initial reply should've been no, for two reasons.
Firstly she had already both a breakfast and a lunch, at Mia's expanse, and secondly, she just met the guy, and on all accounts probably wasn't going to see him again after she got all the information, and yet for some reason she found herself saying,
" Sure. Let me just get the stuff I need from Speedle and Calleigh." Elisabeth explained, surprised that she almost forgot about the other two investigators.
When she mentioned his friends' names a sense of confusion overwhelmed Eric.
" Oh, I wonder what's keeping them, they said they'd be here in ten minutes, it's been half an hour." He recalled, checking his watch.
" Well, I guess it's taking them a little longer." Elisabeth pointed out, putting her notepad and pen away into her portfolio.
" Ah, I'll give them a call not to keep you waiting." Eric suggested helpfully and before Elisabeth could contradict him Eric dialed Speed's number.
***
Calleigh fastened the last button on her blouse and fixed her loosened bun, pulling the remaining hair out of her collar as Speed answered his ringing cell phone.
" Speed."
" Hey, where are ya man?" Delko exclaimed a little too eagerly for Speed's taste.
Made his friend wonder if there was a specific reason why Eric was pressing on his tardiness.
" Where do you think I am?" Speed challenged, slightly annoyed.
He reached the attention of his girlfriend, he silently pointed to his watch and Calleigh looked down at hers, " Shit. We've been in here almost half an hour." She hissed to him disapprovingly.
" Never mind, let me rephrase that, when are you coming back?" Delko asked sarcastically, as he tried to sustain his urge to curse in common courtesy to Elisabeth.
Who didn't seem to be paying attention to his conversation at all, as she got bored and began reapplying her lipstick.
Eric smiled in spite himself, and listened for Tim's rebuttal.
" Right about now." Speed replied shortly, cutting off the conversation.
Putting his cell phone away, Tim picked up the box that all the evidence was in while Calleigh locked up the vault that they opened to get the files out.
They walked out of the storage section trying to sustain the laughter that was building up inside them, " Damn." Speed chuckled as they made it to the main hallway.
" What?" Calleigh asked, equally, if not more giddy than her boyfriend.
" I don't think I'll be able to go into that storage room with any one else but you, without completely laughing my ass off." He explained and Calleigh let out a sympathizing giggle.
" It's okay, I'll make sure to accompany you on all those trips." She winked and Speed could only come up with one remark, " Is that a promise?"
" Definitely." Calleigh assured him just before they entered the layout room only to be greeted by to amused looks.
Speed was especially cautious of the smile Elisabeth gave him, and then noticed that Eric was staring at him too, well not exactly him, but at the box he held against his stomach.
" Hey, did we interrupt something?" Calleigh transpired through the eerie silence, but Delko shook his head, " No, we were just about to go grab a late lunch, you're welcome to join us." He explained and Calleigh nodded, " Oh."
" Yeah, you are." Elisabeth got up from her chair, and swung her purse over her shoulder as she approached Speed and accepted the box into her willing hands, " But I'm sure Speedle will want to put his shirt back on correctly before he goes out in public." She tapped his sleeve and brushed passed them into the corridor.
Eric unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh, and received a death glare from his friend, who had just discovered he has his shirt on backwards, and the logo that was supposed to be on his chest, was on his back.
Even Calleigh couldn't contain her laughter as she could see Tim trying to play it off as no big deal, when in reality he was blushing like crazy.
" Ha, ha, very funny." He said to her menacingly.
" We'll meet you by the car sweetie." Calleigh patted his shoulder and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before heading out herself.
" Smooth, very smooth." Eric teased as he followed the blonde out, but not before getting a purposely-painful slap on the back.
***
When Eric found out that Elisabeth had only been in Miami a week, he was set on taking her out to his favorite Cuban restaurant, and insisted on paying for everything against Elisabeth's strongest protests.
The restaurant was called Bolero and Eric was a regular there when he couldn't get a home cooked meal, so most of the waitresses knew him by name and they quickly got situated at a secluded booth overlooking the busiest streets of Miami-Dade.
" This view is breathtaking." Elisabeth exclaimed, having picked the seat closest to the window.
" Eh, kinda grows on ya." Speed commented morbidly and Calleigh nudged him with her shoulder, " Mind my good looking if yet slightly unkempt boyfriend. He's just bitter because he doesn't know how to put on clothes regularly."
Calleigh teased and elicited contagious laughter from the two people sitting across the table from her.
" Hey, what is this, pick on Speed day?" Tim asked with conviction and Eric could barely choke out through the laughter, " No Tim that's every day."
Speed's eyes narrowed and at the same time as the waitress came up to take their drink orders Eric received a sharp kick on his shin, causing him to screech and alert the lady who was about to make eyes at him.
" Uh, I'll be back later." The tall brunette bit her lip uneasily and left the table.
" What'd you do that for, she was about to give me her number." Eric exclaimed, and Calleigh rolled her eyes.
" I had to reciprocate." Speed shrugged simply, and turned his attention to Elisabeth ignoring Eric's death glares.
" Boys will be boys." She murmured under her breath but Calleigh caught it and nodded eagerly, " Don't I know it, I have to work with them." She exclaimed with mock self-pity.
" Okay, moving on, so Elisabeth where're you from?" Speed chose to ignore Calleigh's comment and put the spot light on the ADA.
" I'm from Long Island." Elisabeth said somewhat shyly, but candidly.
" No kidding, I'm from Syracuse." Speed responded, sporting an equally happy smile as Elisabeth was, to have found something in common with her temporary coworkers.
" Really? Boy, how'd you get used to the weather here?" She asked, trying to sound surprised, although she already knew where each of the people sitting around her was from.
" Oh, I've been here a couple years." Speed managed a tight lipped smile, " Like I said, it grows on ya." He added with a tint of honest sarcasm.
" Yeah, I never would've left New York if it wasn't for this bitching job offer." Elisabeth admitted.
" I guess no one would." Speed said a little less excitedly, remembering the strenuous circumstances under which he ended up in Miami-Dade.
" I would." Eric supplied contradictory to what his friends were discussing.
" For the sake of argument?" Speed raised his eyebrow suspiciously, remembering the damage he inflicted on Delko earlier.
" No, seriously. I can't imagine living anywhere else." Delko claimed without even a tint of embarrassment, as he watched the waitress make her way back to their table again.
" Eric." Calleigh stopped him, " You haven't even been out of the state."
" Not true." He rebuked, " I was conceived in Cuba so technically I have been out of the *states*, plural even." Eric supplied proudly, and Calleigh rolled his eyes.
" Okay, before we get into the intense discussion of fetuses being considered humans, let's not leave this good woman waiting." Elisabeth stepped in when she noticed a waitress by the name of "Traci" approach their table a little more than hesitantly.
" Oh it's quite alright, you." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Eric shyly, " Can keep me waiting all night long."
There was an eerie silence over the table after she said that until Calleigh snorted and four heads turned to her in questions, " Oh sorry, air bubbles went up my nose." She said, breathing in through her mouth to sustain a laugh.
Eric rolled his eyes and turned to Traci again, " Sorry about that, blondes, have trouble doing almost anything, including breathing." He cleared his throat, while he avoided Calleigh's death glare, stirring his legs away from her.
No way in hell was he going to get kicked twice in ten minutes.
" Oh, ah, I can imagine." Traci said awkwardly, and it was Elisabeth's turn to glare.
Strangely, she didn't like this woman's leech like presence, especially to Eric.
" So do you just like oh my god, stand around here and chat up with your favorite customers and actually forget that you're a waitress?" Elisabeth asked out of character, once again creating silence over the table.
Traci seemed a little stunned, but reciprocated quickly, ripping off a new sheet of paper from her order pad, she gave Elisabeth a stiff smile and asked, " Alright Miss, what would you like to drink?"
" Well what do you have?" Elisabeth purposely forced the already embarrassed server read off the beverage list after finally settling on water.
" Would that be spring or mineral?" Traci pressed on, and before Elisabeth could open her mouth and ask her what kind of mineral water they had Eric stopped her, " She'll have Mineral, with a touch of lime, you like lime right?" he turned to his counterpart, and she nodded, " Only if you do."
" Okay, with that settled." Delko clasped his fingers together over the tabletop and reminded Speed, before he ordered a beer that you weren't supposed to drink on the job.
He ordered it anyway, and Calleigh asked over sweetly for an Iced Tea.
When Traci left and was out of earshot Eric turned to the dark redhead sitting besides him, " Nice people skills Liz." He added bitterly, and Elisabeth had no time to process him calling her by her nickname as she justified her actions, " What, she was getting annoying." Elisabeth shrugged and returned her menu, not noticing the look Speed and Calleigh exchanged.
***
Around 6:30 that evening, after unpacking six of the countless boxes still cluttering her new living room Elisabeth got a surprising call from her boss.
" How'd it go?" She wondered, and Elisabeth took a break from unloading and sat down on her couch.
" The interview?" Elisabeth made sure.
" Yeah, you didn't come back to the office, I figured you're either slumped with work or lazy on your ass."
Elisabeth looked guiltily at the boxes littering her living room and bit her lip, " I'm slumped with something." She admitted, mentally searching for the slightly smaller box, containing far more important physical evidence than any of the others labeled 'bathroom' and what not.
" Good, need you to be here a little earlier tomorrow to give me an update before I go to court."
" No problem." Elisabeth said with ease, although her mental search wasn't providing any answers.
" Good, and if you don't mind, I went straight ahead and asked Eric Delko to take a few begs off the cases Horatio's been assigning him, just so you'll have some company while you do this investigation."
" Mia, honestly, you didn't have to do it." Elisabeth said, now uncomfortable with the thought of having Eric spend so much time with her.
It was difficult enough keeping her hands off him all day, in no hopes of simmering down or quenching her thirst for simple physical contact.
It scared Elisabeth. She never had that sort of feeling before, in all honestly, she'd only had a handful of boyfriends her whole life, and even less amount of quantity that made her feel the way that Eric made her feel while he watched her.
And even then it took months to develop that sort of stirring, and here was this amazing guy, who was sinking his teeth in to the piece of Elisabeth that she herself didn't know she had, and without even realizing it.
Something had to be done, and spending more time with Delko would not be an option. Yet she was a professional and Mia had already called in tons of favors for this to work, meaning Elisabeth couldn't slack off, or decline any invitation to make her life a little easier, even if she so herself didn't think it would.
" Oh nonsense, you need some insight, and Eric seemed a little too eager, but I guess having a pain in the ass boss like my husband isn't a mood up lifter if you know what I mean." Mia replied with a tint of bitterness, causing Elisabeth to get curious about why they divorced.
" I don't believe I do, but anyhow, I'll be early in tomorrow, and don't worry, if I have hired help, the more the merrier, right?" Elisabeth kidded.
" I like ya, but I must leave, I've got to cross examine a 11 year old tomorrow, not a pretty thing."
" I feel for ya." Elisabeth said, but didn't go into the explanation of why.
She only had about four hours to discover the riches hidden in the coveted evidence box, if she wanted to get a good night's sleep, come in tomorrow early, and on top of that maybe unpack some more, so her apartment wouldn't look like a pig stock.
" I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing."
" Night."
" Night."
Elisabeth threw the floor in the heart of the mess in the living room and pulled herself off the sofa, nearly tripping over the cardboard box that held the evidence on the Gale Case.
" There you are." She said dusting off the top, and trying to ignore the thoughts of Eric Delko that entered her mind.
As her mother would say, " Honey.this one's a catch."
***
Calleigh couldn't sleep.
Tonight, nothing was, as it seemed.
The usually comfy blankets were too heavy, and the pillow was too stiff; the normally welcomed moonlight was too bright and the body besides her was too warm.
She fidgeted some more and turned on her side, ready to find out if she wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping when a voice sounded through the room.
" Don't even think about poking me." Speed warned, and turned on his side, facing her.
" So you are awake." Calleigh yawned, and pulled the covers to her waist, unable to take the heat.
" How could I not be, with you fidgeting every fucking minute?" Speed grumbled not daring to see what time of the night it was.
" Sorry." Calleigh seemed genuinely sorry, and Tim softened, pulling her against him, " C'mere, and tell me all about what's bothering you." He suggested, and Calleigh rubbed her nose against his neck purposely.
Then silence filled the bedroom as she groaned, " I was just thinking." Calleigh began.
" Yeah? What about?" Speed asked, running the length of her ponytail up and down, as her arm draped over his stomach.
" Liz.Elisabeth." Calleigh corrected herself, having no idea why.
" Oh really? She seems like a nice enough woman, good lawyer too. Not so great at hiding her emotions, but I'm sure Eric will help her out with that."
" So you noticed it too?" Calleigh asked, her head rising from his chest.
" Let me put it this way. Even that chick Traci noticed, why do you think she asked one of her friends to wait on us?" Speed reminded.
" Well, I just thought with the little stunt Liz pulled she'd be running for the hills even before that." Calleigh said as she propped herself on her elbow and unsuccessfully tried to get rid of a loose strand of hair falling into her vision from time to time.
" Nope, Delko and I eat at Bolero all the time, she's not afraid of a little competition, when the object of her affection is interested." Speed reached up and pushed the strand of hair behind her ear, " Eric's just simply not interested."
" And you know this how?" Calleigh raised her eyebrow with little belief.
" I just do." Speed said running a hand through his hair, " It's a guy thing." He added with a quirky smile that made Calleigh laugh, " Don't be ashamed to say that you've got intuition baby."
She replied, settling back down besides him.
" I'm not ashamed. Because it's not intuition, just common knowledge, just like you noticed it in Elisabeth, I noticed it in him."
Calleigh rose up again and rolled on her back beside Tim to analyze the situation.
" Calleigh." Speed's voice trailed off warningly.
" What?" She turned on her side innocently.
" You are not to butt in got that?" He stuck a finger in her face.
" Oh what ever do you mean Tim?" Calleigh asked as she kissed the tip of his finger.
" You know what I mean. Eric's never had trouble with woman and won't have trouble now, and for the record I don't think Elisabeth is lacking in that department either." Speed supplied what to him seemed like a given.
" Yeah. She really is beautiful, and I don't think she notices it either." Calleigh turned away, not looking into Speed's face as she spoke, " Kinda reminds me of Janet that way." She paused, but Speedle let her continue.
" That girl didn't know how drop dead gorgeous she was." Calleigh pressed on, and Speed reached up to tilt her chin toward him, as her voice started breaking.
" I miss her so much Tim.so much." Calleigh whispered, and it broke Tim's heart to see her like this. She looked so helpless, so lost, and most of all, in times like these she reminded him of the darkest years in his life.
When he felt just a guilty, and just a distraught over losing his best friend. Needless to say, Speed vowed not to let Calleigh lose herself the way that he lost himself long ago.
Because knowing the ropes, he knew how difficult it would be to find oneself again after such heartbreak, and he wouldn't allow Calleigh to go through that. Well not alone anyway.
" I know you do sweetheart, we all do. Janet, well, Janet was amazing." Tim admitted bluntly, not even hiding the admiration from his voice, as he felt Calleigh grab on his naked shoulder for dear life.
" True that." Calleigh let out a small, nostalgic chuckle, and Speed was more than glad to have some sort of reaction, rather than tears that now seemed to stretch on forever.
" Well, isn't this odd." Speed said, while Calleigh wiped away her tears, " What is?" She asked, sniffling.
" You actually *agree* with me." Speed exclaimed overdramatically, as if it were the most preposterous thing he'd ever heard.
He had the desired affect on Calleigh as she burst out giggling, through her tears, " Oh stop it. You make me laugh when I'm not supposed to." Calleigh reminded him and Speed's smile faded.
" Why aren't you supposed to laugh?" he asked reasonably and Calleigh stiffened again, " because." It seemed as if she couldn't find a logical answer to Tim's even more coherent question.
" Because Janet never will." She said quietly.
" You don't know that." Speed contradicted, as he sat up, and hovered himself over Calleigh, reaching out with his thumb to flick off the tear that tickled her chin.
" Oh. C'mon Tim." Calleigh shook her head, " I don't believe in heaven.or hell for that matter." She added quickly, and Tim disapprovingly tilted her head to him.
" High time you start Cal." He suggested, kissing her cheek.
" Why?"
" Because, I was stubborn and didn't believe, and it didn't get me anywhere." Speed retorted, and lay down beside her again.
" I do believe Tim.in nothing." Calleigh shrugged, and pulled the covers over her again.
" I respect that then." He realized he was fighting a lost battle, and instead pulled Calleigh to his side.
" Good.and I respect that you respect that." Calleigh said chuckling into his shoulder softly.
" Sleep Calleigh. It's good for the soul." He commanded her.
" Oh your just saying that cause I'm annoying you." Calleigh spoke candidly, and that's what Tim liked about her.
But as she drifted off to sleep, he couldn't deny the wet tears that left trail on her beautiful face.
" Night Cal." Speed murmured, not getting any response he realized she was fast asleep, and hopefully in the morning he'd give her something to believe in.
TBC.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Rating: R (later)
Pairing: Eric/OC, Speed/Calleigh
Summary: After the death of Janet Medrano (Body Count) Elisabeth Kaytlin is hired as the new ADA. Under the condoned guide of Horatio Caine's ex-wife, Mia Dayton, who also happens to be the DA for Miami, as her first assignment Kaytlin is forced to reopen a cold case, which also happens to be Eric Delko's first case with the Miami-Dade crime Lab.
Spoiler: Tinder Box, Body Count
A/N: I *need* to take a break from Cardboard Copy.and perhaps this is a feeble attempt for your entertainment, but I just need to write an Eric fic.he's so lovable.hope you like it. Note: direct mentions from episodes will be featured later.
***
Part 2- Contradictory Beliefs
Meanwhile Speed and Calleigh sat side by side in the Evidence Storage room that pretty much resembled the Locker Room except inside of the cubbies there were big metal cabinets used to file physical evidence, and there was a room off to the side which held all the written documents corresponding with the codes on the Cases.
The 'Cold Cases' evidence had a separate storage area, far more secluded and shunned away by the rest of the Crime Lab just because most of the investigators had a hard time rehashing what they'd once put away.
It was no hidden secret that cold cases were the toughest to handle because of the baggage that accompanied them and therefore this morning neither Calleigh nor Tim were in the greatest of moods even though they came off light hearted.
" Here, that one." Calleigh pointed to the Ziploc Baggie marked "SP." Lying on the edge of the wooden bench Speed reclined on.
" SP?" He raised his eyebrow and Calleigh smiled, " snake poison.and don't worry I freeze dried it before we put it away."
Speed still held it by the tip of the zipper, and mused, " So how are we gonna reexamine it again? I'm assuming it's lost its secret ingredient if you know what I mean." He pointed out, and Calleigh lowered her self off her kneeling position and sat down besides Tim.
" Just add water." Calleigh shrugged, " And chlorophyll." She added smirking.
" It's still snake poison." Speed shuddered and Calleigh took the bag from him, setting it aside into the box filled with the rest of the evidence from the same case file.
" All done." She chimed in her southern drawl, and closed the lid on the compact box.
" Not quite." Calleigh shrieked as she was caught off guard by a strong pair of arms encircling her waist and Speed lowered his lips down on hers.
" Tim we can't do this here." She exclaimed in a loud whisper, before he was able to kiss her.
" Like hell we can't. There's a reason why this room is so goddamn secluded." Speed pointed out, planting a soft kiss on her neck.leaving goose bumps in his wake.
" Besides, don't you find this just a little exciting?" He pulled back with a lustful grin on his face and a matching glint in his chocolate eyes.
Calleigh couldn't deny her feelings so she shrugged, " Well a little.yes." She tucked the loose tendrils behind her ear, and Speed didn't miss the light tint of natural rouge that colored her cheeks as she said this.
" So what's stopping ya?" He asked, blowing on her lips alluringly.
" Oh but are you suggesting that me, being such a good girl, go right at it here?" Calleigh raised her eyebrow suspiciously but slipped her arm around Speed's waist.
" Your words not mine." He smirked.
" Shut up and kiss me smart ass." Calleigh retorted and pulled him in for another embrace.
***
Elisabeth laid back in her chair, took a look at her watch and pulled the pages on her legal pad back, to start with the first.
" Recap?" She raised her eyebrow as Eric spoke, " Shall we?"
Elisabeth nodded and crossed her legs, accidentally nudging Eric's underneath the table.
He visibly tensed and she smiled wickedly, glad that she had some sort of affect on him.
Eric didn't particularly enjoy displaying his weaknesses to random people and jerked his foot back, and Elisabeth's smile fell.
They both played it off as if it was no big deal and Elisabeth began reading off what Eric told her.
The few details she didn't know about the case was that from the eyes of the investigator who went through the motions of the examination. The information in the notes she took would help her tremendously.
" So there was nothing suspicious that you found about the Council Woman and her husband?" Elisabeth made sure, as she drew lazy circles around the name Mercedes Escalante with her pen.
" To be perfectly blunt with you, I didn't even think he was capable of anything of that magnitude until he was convicted for the murder of those women." Delko admitted leaning in closer to the table.
" Oh yeah, I heard that from Mia. Did he really pay off his wife's handler to stage a copy cat?" Elisabeth asked curiously, and Delko nodded eagerly,
" Yup, but we caught him anyway.thanks to Horatio." He managed a small smile and Elisabeth felt the need to reassure him, " Eh, I think you had something to do with it."
She gave him a crooked smile and before he had the chance to return it, she looked back down at her notebook and flipped over to the last page.
" Is there anything else that you need?" Eric asked after a moment trying to be helpful to make up for his hasty attitude earlier.
" Yeah, actually, I never got your professional opinion on who could've done it." Elisabeth said, ready to jot down whatever came out of the CSI's mouth.
She didn't look up from her note pad for a few moments hoping she'd get some sort of reply from Eric, but nothing came.
" Eric.Delko.are you with me?" She shook him out of the abyss that he was in.
" Yeah, I'm with you." He nodded, " And do you really need that 'professional opinion' thing?" He asked, seemingly uncomfortable with that question and for a split second Elisabeth wondered why.
But seeing Eric's distressed look she softened and replied, putting her pen away, " No, it can wait."
" Oh thanks, I wish my stomach could too." Delko said regretfully, as his insides growled and betrayed him.
Elisabeth let out a low chuckle and Eric looked at her hopefully, " So do you maybe want to go grab a bite to eat, I haven't even had breakfast yet." He informed her a little sheepishly.
Elisabeth's initial reply should've been no, for two reasons.
Firstly she had already both a breakfast and a lunch, at Mia's expanse, and secondly, she just met the guy, and on all accounts probably wasn't going to see him again after she got all the information, and yet for some reason she found herself saying,
" Sure. Let me just get the stuff I need from Speedle and Calleigh." Elisabeth explained, surprised that she almost forgot about the other two investigators.
When she mentioned his friends' names a sense of confusion overwhelmed Eric.
" Oh, I wonder what's keeping them, they said they'd be here in ten minutes, it's been half an hour." He recalled, checking his watch.
" Well, I guess it's taking them a little longer." Elisabeth pointed out, putting her notepad and pen away into her portfolio.
" Ah, I'll give them a call not to keep you waiting." Eric suggested helpfully and before Elisabeth could contradict him Eric dialed Speed's number.
***
Calleigh fastened the last button on her blouse and fixed her loosened bun, pulling the remaining hair out of her collar as Speed answered his ringing cell phone.
" Speed."
" Hey, where are ya man?" Delko exclaimed a little too eagerly for Speed's taste.
Made his friend wonder if there was a specific reason why Eric was pressing on his tardiness.
" Where do you think I am?" Speed challenged, slightly annoyed.
He reached the attention of his girlfriend, he silently pointed to his watch and Calleigh looked down at hers, " Shit. We've been in here almost half an hour." She hissed to him disapprovingly.
" Never mind, let me rephrase that, when are you coming back?" Delko asked sarcastically, as he tried to sustain his urge to curse in common courtesy to Elisabeth.
Who didn't seem to be paying attention to his conversation at all, as she got bored and began reapplying her lipstick.
Eric smiled in spite himself, and listened for Tim's rebuttal.
" Right about now." Speed replied shortly, cutting off the conversation.
Putting his cell phone away, Tim picked up the box that all the evidence was in while Calleigh locked up the vault that they opened to get the files out.
They walked out of the storage section trying to sustain the laughter that was building up inside them, " Damn." Speed chuckled as they made it to the main hallway.
" What?" Calleigh asked, equally, if not more giddy than her boyfriend.
" I don't think I'll be able to go into that storage room with any one else but you, without completely laughing my ass off." He explained and Calleigh let out a sympathizing giggle.
" It's okay, I'll make sure to accompany you on all those trips." She winked and Speed could only come up with one remark, " Is that a promise?"
" Definitely." Calleigh assured him just before they entered the layout room only to be greeted by to amused looks.
Speed was especially cautious of the smile Elisabeth gave him, and then noticed that Eric was staring at him too, well not exactly him, but at the box he held against his stomach.
" Hey, did we interrupt something?" Calleigh transpired through the eerie silence, but Delko shook his head, " No, we were just about to go grab a late lunch, you're welcome to join us." He explained and Calleigh nodded, " Oh."
" Yeah, you are." Elisabeth got up from her chair, and swung her purse over her shoulder as she approached Speed and accepted the box into her willing hands, " But I'm sure Speedle will want to put his shirt back on correctly before he goes out in public." She tapped his sleeve and brushed passed them into the corridor.
Eric unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh, and received a death glare from his friend, who had just discovered he has his shirt on backwards, and the logo that was supposed to be on his chest, was on his back.
Even Calleigh couldn't contain her laughter as she could see Tim trying to play it off as no big deal, when in reality he was blushing like crazy.
" Ha, ha, very funny." He said to her menacingly.
" We'll meet you by the car sweetie." Calleigh patted his shoulder and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before heading out herself.
" Smooth, very smooth." Eric teased as he followed the blonde out, but not before getting a purposely-painful slap on the back.
***
When Eric found out that Elisabeth had only been in Miami a week, he was set on taking her out to his favorite Cuban restaurant, and insisted on paying for everything against Elisabeth's strongest protests.
The restaurant was called Bolero and Eric was a regular there when he couldn't get a home cooked meal, so most of the waitresses knew him by name and they quickly got situated at a secluded booth overlooking the busiest streets of Miami-Dade.
" This view is breathtaking." Elisabeth exclaimed, having picked the seat closest to the window.
" Eh, kinda grows on ya." Speed commented morbidly and Calleigh nudged him with her shoulder, " Mind my good looking if yet slightly unkempt boyfriend. He's just bitter because he doesn't know how to put on clothes regularly."
Calleigh teased and elicited contagious laughter from the two people sitting across the table from her.
" Hey, what is this, pick on Speed day?" Tim asked with conviction and Eric could barely choke out through the laughter, " No Tim that's every day."
Speed's eyes narrowed and at the same time as the waitress came up to take their drink orders Eric received a sharp kick on his shin, causing him to screech and alert the lady who was about to make eyes at him.
" Uh, I'll be back later." The tall brunette bit her lip uneasily and left the table.
" What'd you do that for, she was about to give me her number." Eric exclaimed, and Calleigh rolled her eyes.
" I had to reciprocate." Speed shrugged simply, and turned his attention to Elisabeth ignoring Eric's death glares.
" Boys will be boys." She murmured under her breath but Calleigh caught it and nodded eagerly, " Don't I know it, I have to work with them." She exclaimed with mock self-pity.
" Okay, moving on, so Elisabeth where're you from?" Speed chose to ignore Calleigh's comment and put the spot light on the ADA.
" I'm from Long Island." Elisabeth said somewhat shyly, but candidly.
" No kidding, I'm from Syracuse." Speed responded, sporting an equally happy smile as Elisabeth was, to have found something in common with her temporary coworkers.
" Really? Boy, how'd you get used to the weather here?" She asked, trying to sound surprised, although she already knew where each of the people sitting around her was from.
" Oh, I've been here a couple years." Speed managed a tight lipped smile, " Like I said, it grows on ya." He added with a tint of honest sarcasm.
" Yeah, I never would've left New York if it wasn't for this bitching job offer." Elisabeth admitted.
" I guess no one would." Speed said a little less excitedly, remembering the strenuous circumstances under which he ended up in Miami-Dade.
" I would." Eric supplied contradictory to what his friends were discussing.
" For the sake of argument?" Speed raised his eyebrow suspiciously, remembering the damage he inflicted on Delko earlier.
" No, seriously. I can't imagine living anywhere else." Delko claimed without even a tint of embarrassment, as he watched the waitress make her way back to their table again.
" Eric." Calleigh stopped him, " You haven't even been out of the state."
" Not true." He rebuked, " I was conceived in Cuba so technically I have been out of the *states*, plural even." Eric supplied proudly, and Calleigh rolled his eyes.
" Okay, before we get into the intense discussion of fetuses being considered humans, let's not leave this good woman waiting." Elisabeth stepped in when she noticed a waitress by the name of "Traci" approach their table a little more than hesitantly.
" Oh it's quite alright, you." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Eric shyly, " Can keep me waiting all night long."
There was an eerie silence over the table after she said that until Calleigh snorted and four heads turned to her in questions, " Oh sorry, air bubbles went up my nose." She said, breathing in through her mouth to sustain a laugh.
Eric rolled his eyes and turned to Traci again, " Sorry about that, blondes, have trouble doing almost anything, including breathing." He cleared his throat, while he avoided Calleigh's death glare, stirring his legs away from her.
No way in hell was he going to get kicked twice in ten minutes.
" Oh, ah, I can imagine." Traci said awkwardly, and it was Elisabeth's turn to glare.
Strangely, she didn't like this woman's leech like presence, especially to Eric.
" So do you just like oh my god, stand around here and chat up with your favorite customers and actually forget that you're a waitress?" Elisabeth asked out of character, once again creating silence over the table.
Traci seemed a little stunned, but reciprocated quickly, ripping off a new sheet of paper from her order pad, she gave Elisabeth a stiff smile and asked, " Alright Miss, what would you like to drink?"
" Well what do you have?" Elisabeth purposely forced the already embarrassed server read off the beverage list after finally settling on water.
" Would that be spring or mineral?" Traci pressed on, and before Elisabeth could open her mouth and ask her what kind of mineral water they had Eric stopped her, " She'll have Mineral, with a touch of lime, you like lime right?" he turned to his counterpart, and she nodded, " Only if you do."
" Okay, with that settled." Delko clasped his fingers together over the tabletop and reminded Speed, before he ordered a beer that you weren't supposed to drink on the job.
He ordered it anyway, and Calleigh asked over sweetly for an Iced Tea.
When Traci left and was out of earshot Eric turned to the dark redhead sitting besides him, " Nice people skills Liz." He added bitterly, and Elisabeth had no time to process him calling her by her nickname as she justified her actions, " What, she was getting annoying." Elisabeth shrugged and returned her menu, not noticing the look Speed and Calleigh exchanged.
***
Around 6:30 that evening, after unpacking six of the countless boxes still cluttering her new living room Elisabeth got a surprising call from her boss.
" How'd it go?" She wondered, and Elisabeth took a break from unloading and sat down on her couch.
" The interview?" Elisabeth made sure.
" Yeah, you didn't come back to the office, I figured you're either slumped with work or lazy on your ass."
Elisabeth looked guiltily at the boxes littering her living room and bit her lip, " I'm slumped with something." She admitted, mentally searching for the slightly smaller box, containing far more important physical evidence than any of the others labeled 'bathroom' and what not.
" Good, need you to be here a little earlier tomorrow to give me an update before I go to court."
" No problem." Elisabeth said with ease, although her mental search wasn't providing any answers.
" Good, and if you don't mind, I went straight ahead and asked Eric Delko to take a few begs off the cases Horatio's been assigning him, just so you'll have some company while you do this investigation."
" Mia, honestly, you didn't have to do it." Elisabeth said, now uncomfortable with the thought of having Eric spend so much time with her.
It was difficult enough keeping her hands off him all day, in no hopes of simmering down or quenching her thirst for simple physical contact.
It scared Elisabeth. She never had that sort of feeling before, in all honestly, she'd only had a handful of boyfriends her whole life, and even less amount of quantity that made her feel the way that Eric made her feel while he watched her.
And even then it took months to develop that sort of stirring, and here was this amazing guy, who was sinking his teeth in to the piece of Elisabeth that she herself didn't know she had, and without even realizing it.
Something had to be done, and spending more time with Delko would not be an option. Yet she was a professional and Mia had already called in tons of favors for this to work, meaning Elisabeth couldn't slack off, or decline any invitation to make her life a little easier, even if she so herself didn't think it would.
" Oh nonsense, you need some insight, and Eric seemed a little too eager, but I guess having a pain in the ass boss like my husband isn't a mood up lifter if you know what I mean." Mia replied with a tint of bitterness, causing Elisabeth to get curious about why they divorced.
" I don't believe I do, but anyhow, I'll be early in tomorrow, and don't worry, if I have hired help, the more the merrier, right?" Elisabeth kidded.
" I like ya, but I must leave, I've got to cross examine a 11 year old tomorrow, not a pretty thing."
" I feel for ya." Elisabeth said, but didn't go into the explanation of why.
She only had about four hours to discover the riches hidden in the coveted evidence box, if she wanted to get a good night's sleep, come in tomorrow early, and on top of that maybe unpack some more, so her apartment wouldn't look like a pig stock.
" I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing."
" Night."
" Night."
Elisabeth threw the floor in the heart of the mess in the living room and pulled herself off the sofa, nearly tripping over the cardboard box that held the evidence on the Gale Case.
" There you are." She said dusting off the top, and trying to ignore the thoughts of Eric Delko that entered her mind.
As her mother would say, " Honey.this one's a catch."
***
Calleigh couldn't sleep.
Tonight, nothing was, as it seemed.
The usually comfy blankets were too heavy, and the pillow was too stiff; the normally welcomed moonlight was too bright and the body besides her was too warm.
She fidgeted some more and turned on her side, ready to find out if she wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping when a voice sounded through the room.
" Don't even think about poking me." Speed warned, and turned on his side, facing her.
" So you are awake." Calleigh yawned, and pulled the covers to her waist, unable to take the heat.
" How could I not be, with you fidgeting every fucking minute?" Speed grumbled not daring to see what time of the night it was.
" Sorry." Calleigh seemed genuinely sorry, and Tim softened, pulling her against him, " C'mere, and tell me all about what's bothering you." He suggested, and Calleigh rubbed her nose against his neck purposely.
Then silence filled the bedroom as she groaned, " I was just thinking." Calleigh began.
" Yeah? What about?" Speed asked, running the length of her ponytail up and down, as her arm draped over his stomach.
" Liz.Elisabeth." Calleigh corrected herself, having no idea why.
" Oh really? She seems like a nice enough woman, good lawyer too. Not so great at hiding her emotions, but I'm sure Eric will help her out with that."
" So you noticed it too?" Calleigh asked, her head rising from his chest.
" Let me put it this way. Even that chick Traci noticed, why do you think she asked one of her friends to wait on us?" Speed reminded.
" Well, I just thought with the little stunt Liz pulled she'd be running for the hills even before that." Calleigh said as she propped herself on her elbow and unsuccessfully tried to get rid of a loose strand of hair falling into her vision from time to time.
" Nope, Delko and I eat at Bolero all the time, she's not afraid of a little competition, when the object of her affection is interested." Speed reached up and pushed the strand of hair behind her ear, " Eric's just simply not interested."
" And you know this how?" Calleigh raised her eyebrow with little belief.
" I just do." Speed said running a hand through his hair, " It's a guy thing." He added with a quirky smile that made Calleigh laugh, " Don't be ashamed to say that you've got intuition baby."
She replied, settling back down besides him.
" I'm not ashamed. Because it's not intuition, just common knowledge, just like you noticed it in Elisabeth, I noticed it in him."
Calleigh rose up again and rolled on her back beside Tim to analyze the situation.
" Calleigh." Speed's voice trailed off warningly.
" What?" She turned on her side innocently.
" You are not to butt in got that?" He stuck a finger in her face.
" Oh what ever do you mean Tim?" Calleigh asked as she kissed the tip of his finger.
" You know what I mean. Eric's never had trouble with woman and won't have trouble now, and for the record I don't think Elisabeth is lacking in that department either." Speed supplied what to him seemed like a given.
" Yeah. She really is beautiful, and I don't think she notices it either." Calleigh turned away, not looking into Speed's face as she spoke, " Kinda reminds me of Janet that way." She paused, but Speedle let her continue.
" That girl didn't know how drop dead gorgeous she was." Calleigh pressed on, and Speed reached up to tilt her chin toward him, as her voice started breaking.
" I miss her so much Tim.so much." Calleigh whispered, and it broke Tim's heart to see her like this. She looked so helpless, so lost, and most of all, in times like these she reminded him of the darkest years in his life.
When he felt just a guilty, and just a distraught over losing his best friend. Needless to say, Speed vowed not to let Calleigh lose herself the way that he lost himself long ago.
Because knowing the ropes, he knew how difficult it would be to find oneself again after such heartbreak, and he wouldn't allow Calleigh to go through that. Well not alone anyway.
" I know you do sweetheart, we all do. Janet, well, Janet was amazing." Tim admitted bluntly, not even hiding the admiration from his voice, as he felt Calleigh grab on his naked shoulder for dear life.
" True that." Calleigh let out a small, nostalgic chuckle, and Speed was more than glad to have some sort of reaction, rather than tears that now seemed to stretch on forever.
" Well, isn't this odd." Speed said, while Calleigh wiped away her tears, " What is?" She asked, sniffling.
" You actually *agree* with me." Speed exclaimed overdramatically, as if it were the most preposterous thing he'd ever heard.
He had the desired affect on Calleigh as she burst out giggling, through her tears, " Oh stop it. You make me laugh when I'm not supposed to." Calleigh reminded him and Speed's smile faded.
" Why aren't you supposed to laugh?" he asked reasonably and Calleigh stiffened again, " because." It seemed as if she couldn't find a logical answer to Tim's even more coherent question.
" Because Janet never will." She said quietly.
" You don't know that." Speed contradicted, as he sat up, and hovered himself over Calleigh, reaching out with his thumb to flick off the tear that tickled her chin.
" Oh. C'mon Tim." Calleigh shook her head, " I don't believe in heaven.or hell for that matter." She added quickly, and Tim disapprovingly tilted her head to him.
" High time you start Cal." He suggested, kissing her cheek.
" Why?"
" Because, I was stubborn and didn't believe, and it didn't get me anywhere." Speed retorted, and lay down beside her again.
" I do believe Tim.in nothing." Calleigh shrugged, and pulled the covers over her again.
" I respect that then." He realized he was fighting a lost battle, and instead pulled Calleigh to his side.
" Good.and I respect that you respect that." Calleigh said chuckling into his shoulder softly.
" Sleep Calleigh. It's good for the soul." He commanded her.
" Oh your just saying that cause I'm annoying you." Calleigh spoke candidly, and that's what Tim liked about her.
But as she drifted off to sleep, he couldn't deny the wet tears that left trail on her beautiful face.
" Night Cal." Speed murmured, not getting any response he realized she was fast asleep, and hopefully in the morning he'd give her something to believe in.
TBC.