Set Me Free 2/?
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: J/C, S/C
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Hopefully this will be pleasing to those of you who are J/C shippers but rest assured I remain a S/C shipper to the core.
Dedication: Yana, this part is for you....
She wasn't sure if it was love. All she knew was that when she was with him, in his arms, she knew that she was the center of someone's world. At least for a little while.
John was a good man, there was no arguing with that. He had tried for a long time to break down her wall and finally the wall had crumbled.
She had resisted him for a long time, being somewhat irritated by him but attracted at the same time. There was something very appealing about his tall, broad form and when he asked her to dinner one night after an especially grueling day she had accepted, too tired to put up a fight.
Instead of wishing the night would go by faster, Calleigh found herself feeling so relaxed and comfortable in his presence. When he invited her into his apartment for a drink she had gone, knowing she might regret it later but her mood had been so light and she hadn't wanted things to end.
Now it had been going on for months. No one knew except the two of them and for some reason, Calleigh wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want her relationship with John Hagen to be the hot topic of conversation at work.
She was a professional and took her job very seriously. That was part of it. He said he understood but lately he'd been hovering around her more and the comment he'd made to Horatio about her injury had made her livid.
It was like John didn't realize that Horatio was her boss and mentioning an injury, small or not, made her feel undermined. It took some of her control away and Calleigh hadn't liked the feeling of that.
It also made her feel like he really didn't know her at all and when she had called him on it he'd acted like it was no big deal. She hadn't made her feelings a secret though and she was pretty sure he understood why she was upset.
She had worked hard to get where she was and had gained the respect of her co-workers and associates, including Horatio Caine. Treating her as more of an equal than an employee was a quality she truly admired in Horatio.
The look of concern in his eyes when he'd asked about her bruise had been so unnecessary and she didn't want Horatio to think she was hiding something from him. If it had been worthy of discussion she certainly would have brought it up...instead, her boyfriend had taken it upon himself to bring it up for her.
"Earth to Calleigh." Eric smiled at her and she smiled back. "Where were you?"
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Calleigh looked from Speed to Eric, wondering what she'd missed. The two of them had been deep in conversation minutes earlier, debating whether or not Eric should approach a cute girl he'd spotted in the pub.
Apparently their focus of attention had changed and she found herself in the spotlight.
"You seem really distracted Calleigh. Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Eric asked her teasingly, while Speed waited for her answer with a stone-faced expression.
"No, no there isn't." She insisted, wondering if the two of them knew something that they weren't telling her. Asking them would put more pressure on her to give up some information and she just wasn't ready for that yet. She wondered why that was but was afraid of the answer.
"Hey, Speed! Eric! How are you guys? It's been awhile since you've been in. I was afraid maybe you'd been cheating on me..." A flirty female voice exclaimed and they looked up to see Yana, the sexy blonde proprietor appear beside their table.
She laid a well-manicured hand on Speed's shoulder and Calleigh felt herself bristle as she saw the smile he gave Yana. Feeling silly, since she was in no position to be jealous, Calleigh greeted Yana, who hadn't even looked in her direction since approaching their table.
"Oh, Calleigh. Hello." Yana said, flashing her pearly whites at Calleigh before turning her attention back to Speed. Eric rolled his eyes at Calleigh and leaned over to whisper something in her ear.
"Listen, I'm sorry to ditch you but I'm gonna go for it. Wish me luck." He grinned at her and looked over at the woman he'd been eyeing earlier. She was sitting at the bar with two of her friends and cast a glance in Eric's direction.
"Something tells me that you have nothing to worry about, Eric. Look, I'm probably going to head out soon..." She nodded her head on the direction of Speed and Yana, who were engrossed in conversation. Speed said something Calleigh couldn't hear and Yana let out a giggle that made Calleigh's stomach turn.
"Are you sure? I could stick around, Calleigh." Eric said, and her heart felt good, knowing what a great friend he was.
"No way! Have a good time, just be careful okay?"
"Always. Besides, I'm just looking for some conversation tonight---I've learned my lesson when it comes to moving too fast." Calleigh gave his arm a squeeze and smiled as the blonde woman's face took on a look of pleasant surprise as Eric approached.
"Hey you two." Calleigh said loudly, getting the attention of both Yana and Speed. Yana looked a little irritated, but didn't remove the hand she'd placed on his arm.
"What is it, Calleigh?" Speed questioned, and Calleigh could tell by the unfocussed look in his eyes that he'd had more to drink than she realized.
"It's getting late and I'm going to catch a cab home, okay?" Speed nodded at her and turned his attention back to Yana.
"See you Cal." He said, not even looking up as she left.
Calleigh felt tears sting her eyes as she left the pub. Stealing a glance behind her she saw Yana lean over and kiss Speed on the lips. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and Calleigh turned away, not wanting to see anymore.
He had been acting so strange all night, almost cold and that was so unlike him. Part of what she loved about Speed was how easygoing he was and he hadn't been that way tonight.
His friendship was so important to her, that was part of the reason why she'd never acted on any other feelings she had for him. Instead, she kept them buried deep inside. Now that she was with John, the feelings she had for Speed had cooled down a bit.
The way he had been this evening had been the complete opposite of his demeanor when they had been working together this afternoon. She wondered what had happened to change his mood and hoped that he would let her know if something was bothering him.
Calleigh tried not to think about him as she took a cab home. Just because he had been kissing that woman didn't mean that anything would happen between them. She felt guilty for thinking that way since she had John. Speed deserved to be happy too, no matter who it was he found it with.
She unlocked the door to her apartment and smiled as she saw the soft light filtering out of her bedroom. She didn't feel like being alone tonight so she took comfort in the fact that there was someone waiting in the bedroom for her.
Hanging her keys on the hook by the door and slipping out of her heels and coat, Calleigh padded down the hallway to her bedroom, eager to bask in the feelings of safety and contentedness she felt in John's arms.
Maybe someday it would grow to be something more but right now it was all she wanted.
TBC...
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: J/C, S/C
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Hopefully this will be pleasing to those of you who are J/C shippers but rest assured I remain a S/C shipper to the core.
Dedication: Yana, this part is for you....
She wasn't sure if it was love. All she knew was that when she was with him, in his arms, she knew that she was the center of someone's world. At least for a little while.
John was a good man, there was no arguing with that. He had tried for a long time to break down her wall and finally the wall had crumbled.
She had resisted him for a long time, being somewhat irritated by him but attracted at the same time. There was something very appealing about his tall, broad form and when he asked her to dinner one night after an especially grueling day she had accepted, too tired to put up a fight.
Instead of wishing the night would go by faster, Calleigh found herself feeling so relaxed and comfortable in his presence. When he invited her into his apartment for a drink she had gone, knowing she might regret it later but her mood had been so light and she hadn't wanted things to end.
Now it had been going on for months. No one knew except the two of them and for some reason, Calleigh wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want her relationship with John Hagen to be the hot topic of conversation at work.
She was a professional and took her job very seriously. That was part of it. He said he understood but lately he'd been hovering around her more and the comment he'd made to Horatio about her injury had made her livid.
It was like John didn't realize that Horatio was her boss and mentioning an injury, small or not, made her feel undermined. It took some of her control away and Calleigh hadn't liked the feeling of that.
It also made her feel like he really didn't know her at all and when she had called him on it he'd acted like it was no big deal. She hadn't made her feelings a secret though and she was pretty sure he understood why she was upset.
She had worked hard to get where she was and had gained the respect of her co-workers and associates, including Horatio Caine. Treating her as more of an equal than an employee was a quality she truly admired in Horatio.
The look of concern in his eyes when he'd asked about her bruise had been so unnecessary and she didn't want Horatio to think she was hiding something from him. If it had been worthy of discussion she certainly would have brought it up...instead, her boyfriend had taken it upon himself to bring it up for her.
"Earth to Calleigh." Eric smiled at her and she smiled back. "Where were you?"
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Calleigh looked from Speed to Eric, wondering what she'd missed. The two of them had been deep in conversation minutes earlier, debating whether or not Eric should approach a cute girl he'd spotted in the pub.
Apparently their focus of attention had changed and she found herself in the spotlight.
"You seem really distracted Calleigh. Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Eric asked her teasingly, while Speed waited for her answer with a stone-faced expression.
"No, no there isn't." She insisted, wondering if the two of them knew something that they weren't telling her. Asking them would put more pressure on her to give up some information and she just wasn't ready for that yet. She wondered why that was but was afraid of the answer.
"Hey, Speed! Eric! How are you guys? It's been awhile since you've been in. I was afraid maybe you'd been cheating on me..." A flirty female voice exclaimed and they looked up to see Yana, the sexy blonde proprietor appear beside their table.
She laid a well-manicured hand on Speed's shoulder and Calleigh felt herself bristle as she saw the smile he gave Yana. Feeling silly, since she was in no position to be jealous, Calleigh greeted Yana, who hadn't even looked in her direction since approaching their table.
"Oh, Calleigh. Hello." Yana said, flashing her pearly whites at Calleigh before turning her attention back to Speed. Eric rolled his eyes at Calleigh and leaned over to whisper something in her ear.
"Listen, I'm sorry to ditch you but I'm gonna go for it. Wish me luck." He grinned at her and looked over at the woman he'd been eyeing earlier. She was sitting at the bar with two of her friends and cast a glance in Eric's direction.
"Something tells me that you have nothing to worry about, Eric. Look, I'm probably going to head out soon..." She nodded her head on the direction of Speed and Yana, who were engrossed in conversation. Speed said something Calleigh couldn't hear and Yana let out a giggle that made Calleigh's stomach turn.
"Are you sure? I could stick around, Calleigh." Eric said, and her heart felt good, knowing what a great friend he was.
"No way! Have a good time, just be careful okay?"
"Always. Besides, I'm just looking for some conversation tonight---I've learned my lesson when it comes to moving too fast." Calleigh gave his arm a squeeze and smiled as the blonde woman's face took on a look of pleasant surprise as Eric approached.
"Hey you two." Calleigh said loudly, getting the attention of both Yana and Speed. Yana looked a little irritated, but didn't remove the hand she'd placed on his arm.
"What is it, Calleigh?" Speed questioned, and Calleigh could tell by the unfocussed look in his eyes that he'd had more to drink than she realized.
"It's getting late and I'm going to catch a cab home, okay?" Speed nodded at her and turned his attention back to Yana.
"See you Cal." He said, not even looking up as she left.
Calleigh felt tears sting her eyes as she left the pub. Stealing a glance behind her she saw Yana lean over and kiss Speed on the lips. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and Calleigh turned away, not wanting to see anymore.
He had been acting so strange all night, almost cold and that was so unlike him. Part of what she loved about Speed was how easygoing he was and he hadn't been that way tonight.
His friendship was so important to her, that was part of the reason why she'd never acted on any other feelings she had for him. Instead, she kept them buried deep inside. Now that she was with John, the feelings she had for Speed had cooled down a bit.
The way he had been this evening had been the complete opposite of his demeanor when they had been working together this afternoon. She wondered what had happened to change his mood and hoped that he would let her know if something was bothering him.
Calleigh tried not to think about him as she took a cab home. Just because he had been kissing that woman didn't mean that anything would happen between them. She felt guilty for thinking that way since she had John. Speed deserved to be happy too, no matter who it was he found it with.
She unlocked the door to her apartment and smiled as she saw the soft light filtering out of her bedroom. She didn't feel like being alone tonight so she took comfort in the fact that there was someone waiting in the bedroom for her.
Hanging her keys on the hook by the door and slipping out of her heels and coat, Calleigh padded down the hallway to her bedroom, eager to bask in the feelings of safety and contentedness she felt in John's arms.
Maybe someday it would grow to be something more but right now it was all she wanted.
TBC...