Set Me Free
See Part 1 for disclaimers, etc.
It was getting late but she was sitting at a table in the staff lounge, hard at work as always.
He slowly approached the blonde ballistics expert, hoping to smooth things over with her, if there was anything to smooth over. In all his experience with women he still couldn't read them to save his life.
She had been pretty cold toward him earlier and he wasn't sure if it was because she was upset over the case or if she was truly pissed at him. Whatever the reason, she hadn't been herself when they were alone earlier.
Calleigh was a great friend to him and all he knew was that if she were mad at him, he'd have to find a way to make it up to her.
"Hey, Calleigh. Great work on the case."
"Thanks. We all worked really hard." She said, without looking up from the report she was writing. He decided not to beat around the bush.
"Look, I owe you big time. You saved my butt earlier and if you hadn't stepped in and covered I don't know what would have happened to that woman." He was genuine and she finally managed a smile and looked up at him.
"Where were you really? I don't mind covering now and then but lately..." Calleigh broke off, he knew as well as she did that he had been slacking lately, big time.
"It's the worst excuse ever Calleigh and you probably don't want to know." Eric said, not sure if he was ready to tell her the truth. He hadn't even told his best friend. He just didn't want to jinx anything this time.
"Try me." She said, looking at him with clear blue eyes. "I know you're telling me a crock of shit when you blame it on traffic so since I'm covering your ass why don't you just tell me what's going on."
Eric shrugged, looking at her guiltily. As much as he loved Calleigh, she scared him sometimes. She knew him a little too well.
"Who is she?" Calleigh asked quietly, smiling at him.
"You know that girl I met at Yana's that night?"
"So you did go home with her!" Calleigh half-shrieked at him. She wasn't surprised, she had just hoped she'd been wrong about that night. She was pretty sure Speed had slept with the proprietress herself, though that was just a hunch with no proof to back it up.
"No, actually, I didn't" Eric insisted. "I told you, I've learned my lesson. No more one-night stands."
"But you're sleeping with her now." Calleigh stated bluntly, knowing from the expression on his face that what she said was true.
"She's awesome, Calleigh. Smart, beautiful. Jackie's actually in school right now, studying to be an architect. You should see some of her work."
"I'm sure it's great." She smiled at her friend, glad to see him so happy with this girl. "I'm so excited for you Eric, but you've got to stop calling in sick and coming in late. Speed and I are both feeling the pressure and we don't mind covering sometimes but---"
"I know and I'm sorry. I'll work on it for sure." Eric interrupted. "Just remember, I'll return the favor anytime you and your boyfriend want to spend the morning sleeping in together..."
Calleigh instantly reddened at his comment and it didn't go unnoticed.
"What boyfriend?" She asked innocently.
"Oh come on, I know you're seeing someone. You just haven't spilled yet."
"Maybe I am seeing someone." Calleigh said cryptically, looking back at her report and pretending to skim over what she'd written. "Maybe I'm not." She smirked at him and started writing again.
"You're tough, Calleigh but you'll tell eventually. Is it someone we work with?"
"Drop it Delko, I'm not gonna tell you!" Calleigh yelled at him but she was smiling as she did.
"Not gonna tell what?" Both of them turned to see Speed standing there, looking at Calleigh questioningly.
"It's nothing." Calleigh said to him with a small smile. Speed was the last person she wanted to know about her and John. Just imagining the three of them working a scene after Speed found out about them made her want to squirm.
The tension in that room would be palpable.
Things with Speed were back to normal now. Whatever had been bothering him that night at Yana's seemed to have blown over and neither of them had brought it up since.
"I was just giving her a hard time about the fact that she never goes home. You really should, Calleigh." Eric said, giving her a smile. He knew that Speed was well aware of who Calleigh's boyfriend was and really didn't want to get in the middle of a discussion about it.
Calleigh would be less than thrilled if she found out they both knew. Obviously she wasn't ready to share it with anyone. He couldn't help but think that didn't really bode well for John Hagen.
She wasn't even comfortable enough to tell her best friends what was going on. Could she really have a future with him? Delko didn't think so he wasn't exactly Dr. Phil so what did he really know?
It just seemed to him Calleigh should be more excited about the fact that she was in a relationship that had been going on for awhile now.
He hadn't been dating Jackie for long but he'd already told Calleigh and he was bursting at the seams to tell everyone he knew. It's just that his track record with women wasn't exactly stellar and he wanted to give this one some time before he got too invested.
When he thought about holding her in his arms and how her small body fit so well against his---there was no way he could resist her and he hoped this would last. It wasn't all sex this time either, they would talk for hours.
"Delko's right, Cal. We should all get out of here. It's been a bloody long day."
It truly had been. Her head was pounding and she needed sleep.
Still, Calleigh wasn't eager to go home to an empty bed. The one night when she truly needed a distraction, John was working overtime and wouldn't be coming over. She was afraid that when she closed her eyes tonight she would see the face of that woman, her body covered in maggots.
What happened to her had been truly awful. Being raped was every woman's worst nightmare and this poor woman had been victimized in the worst possible way. She was so strong though, cheating death a second time.
Being raped would be bad enough but to be brutalized like that. It was unimaginable. Calleigh closed her eyes, massaging her temples, willing her headache to ease up.
"You okay, Calleigh?" Speed came up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She felt the warmth from his hand flow through her body. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"I'm alright. I've just got a headache and I really do need to go home." Calleigh stood up, knowing her work could wait until tomorrow.
"I'll walk you out, I'm heading out too." Speed said, eyeing her with disguised concern as she grabbed her purse. She was still seeing Hagen, he could tell by the way he looked at her and he had seen Calleigh beaming in Hagen's presence.
Yet, she still wasn't acting like a woman in love. There was something off about this relationship and while Speed knew he was definitely biased on the subject, he didn't think they would last.
From what he could see, Hagen was hovering over Calleigh and there was only so much of that the southern belle would take before she cut the guy loose. Speed knew Calleigh well enough to see that, obviously John Hagen didn't.
That could work out in Speed's favor in the end.
"You coming, Eric?" Calleigh asked Delko as she stopped in the doorway, Speed behind her.
"I've got some catching up to do...but I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, bright and early, I promise."
Speed had figured that Eric and Calleigh had discussed the fact that she'd had to cover him again and his suspicions were confirmed at that comment.
He knew Eric had met a woman that night they were at Yana's and obviously things had progressed. It was the only explanation behind his recent behavior but it really wasn't anything new for Eric.
Not that he would ever begrudge his friend's happiness but he had a hard time getting excited about another girl in Eric's life. He got a little sick of, along with Calleigh, having to pick up the pieces when he didn't show up at work.
Maybe things would change this time.
"Night man." Speed said to him and Calleigh smiled as they headed outside. Speed gave her a quick glance as they walked side-by-side. Her personality was definitely more subdued tonight and he wondered why. Was it her headache, her relationship with John, stress from the case or a combination of all three?
Speed wished he could be Calleigh's confidante, her sounding board but he knew that she would never tell him what was going on.
"Feel better, Calleigh." Speed said, as she unlocked her car. She smiled at him and he was sure he saw tears shining in her eyes.
"I will, Tim. I'm going to go home, make myself some tea and then go to bed with a good book. See you tomorrow."
"Night."
TBC...
See Part 1 for disclaimers, etc.
It was getting late but she was sitting at a table in the staff lounge, hard at work as always.
He slowly approached the blonde ballistics expert, hoping to smooth things over with her, if there was anything to smooth over. In all his experience with women he still couldn't read them to save his life.
She had been pretty cold toward him earlier and he wasn't sure if it was because she was upset over the case or if she was truly pissed at him. Whatever the reason, she hadn't been herself when they were alone earlier.
Calleigh was a great friend to him and all he knew was that if she were mad at him, he'd have to find a way to make it up to her.
"Hey, Calleigh. Great work on the case."
"Thanks. We all worked really hard." She said, without looking up from the report she was writing. He decided not to beat around the bush.
"Look, I owe you big time. You saved my butt earlier and if you hadn't stepped in and covered I don't know what would have happened to that woman." He was genuine and she finally managed a smile and looked up at him.
"Where were you really? I don't mind covering now and then but lately..." Calleigh broke off, he knew as well as she did that he had been slacking lately, big time.
"It's the worst excuse ever Calleigh and you probably don't want to know." Eric said, not sure if he was ready to tell her the truth. He hadn't even told his best friend. He just didn't want to jinx anything this time.
"Try me." She said, looking at him with clear blue eyes. "I know you're telling me a crock of shit when you blame it on traffic so since I'm covering your ass why don't you just tell me what's going on."
Eric shrugged, looking at her guiltily. As much as he loved Calleigh, she scared him sometimes. She knew him a little too well.
"Who is she?" Calleigh asked quietly, smiling at him.
"You know that girl I met at Yana's that night?"
"So you did go home with her!" Calleigh half-shrieked at him. She wasn't surprised, she had just hoped she'd been wrong about that night. She was pretty sure Speed had slept with the proprietress herself, though that was just a hunch with no proof to back it up.
"No, actually, I didn't" Eric insisted. "I told you, I've learned my lesson. No more one-night stands."
"But you're sleeping with her now." Calleigh stated bluntly, knowing from the expression on his face that what she said was true.
"She's awesome, Calleigh. Smart, beautiful. Jackie's actually in school right now, studying to be an architect. You should see some of her work."
"I'm sure it's great." She smiled at her friend, glad to see him so happy with this girl. "I'm so excited for you Eric, but you've got to stop calling in sick and coming in late. Speed and I are both feeling the pressure and we don't mind covering sometimes but---"
"I know and I'm sorry. I'll work on it for sure." Eric interrupted. "Just remember, I'll return the favor anytime you and your boyfriend want to spend the morning sleeping in together..."
Calleigh instantly reddened at his comment and it didn't go unnoticed.
"What boyfriend?" She asked innocently.
"Oh come on, I know you're seeing someone. You just haven't spilled yet."
"Maybe I am seeing someone." Calleigh said cryptically, looking back at her report and pretending to skim over what she'd written. "Maybe I'm not." She smirked at him and started writing again.
"You're tough, Calleigh but you'll tell eventually. Is it someone we work with?"
"Drop it Delko, I'm not gonna tell you!" Calleigh yelled at him but she was smiling as she did.
"Not gonna tell what?" Both of them turned to see Speed standing there, looking at Calleigh questioningly.
"It's nothing." Calleigh said to him with a small smile. Speed was the last person she wanted to know about her and John. Just imagining the three of them working a scene after Speed found out about them made her want to squirm.
The tension in that room would be palpable.
Things with Speed were back to normal now. Whatever had been bothering him that night at Yana's seemed to have blown over and neither of them had brought it up since.
"I was just giving her a hard time about the fact that she never goes home. You really should, Calleigh." Eric said, giving her a smile. He knew that Speed was well aware of who Calleigh's boyfriend was and really didn't want to get in the middle of a discussion about it.
Calleigh would be less than thrilled if she found out they both knew. Obviously she wasn't ready to share it with anyone. He couldn't help but think that didn't really bode well for John Hagen.
She wasn't even comfortable enough to tell her best friends what was going on. Could she really have a future with him? Delko didn't think so he wasn't exactly Dr. Phil so what did he really know?
It just seemed to him Calleigh should be more excited about the fact that she was in a relationship that had been going on for awhile now.
He hadn't been dating Jackie for long but he'd already told Calleigh and he was bursting at the seams to tell everyone he knew. It's just that his track record with women wasn't exactly stellar and he wanted to give this one some time before he got too invested.
When he thought about holding her in his arms and how her small body fit so well against his---there was no way he could resist her and he hoped this would last. It wasn't all sex this time either, they would talk for hours.
"Delko's right, Cal. We should all get out of here. It's been a bloody long day."
It truly had been. Her head was pounding and she needed sleep.
Still, Calleigh wasn't eager to go home to an empty bed. The one night when she truly needed a distraction, John was working overtime and wouldn't be coming over. She was afraid that when she closed her eyes tonight she would see the face of that woman, her body covered in maggots.
What happened to her had been truly awful. Being raped was every woman's worst nightmare and this poor woman had been victimized in the worst possible way. She was so strong though, cheating death a second time.
Being raped would be bad enough but to be brutalized like that. It was unimaginable. Calleigh closed her eyes, massaging her temples, willing her headache to ease up.
"You okay, Calleigh?" Speed came up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She felt the warmth from his hand flow through her body. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"I'm alright. I've just got a headache and I really do need to go home." Calleigh stood up, knowing her work could wait until tomorrow.
"I'll walk you out, I'm heading out too." Speed said, eyeing her with disguised concern as she grabbed her purse. She was still seeing Hagen, he could tell by the way he looked at her and he had seen Calleigh beaming in Hagen's presence.
Yet, she still wasn't acting like a woman in love. There was something off about this relationship and while Speed knew he was definitely biased on the subject, he didn't think they would last.
From what he could see, Hagen was hovering over Calleigh and there was only so much of that the southern belle would take before she cut the guy loose. Speed knew Calleigh well enough to see that, obviously John Hagen didn't.
That could work out in Speed's favor in the end.
"You coming, Eric?" Calleigh asked Delko as she stopped in the doorway, Speed behind her.
"I've got some catching up to do...but I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, bright and early, I promise."
Speed had figured that Eric and Calleigh had discussed the fact that she'd had to cover him again and his suspicions were confirmed at that comment.
He knew Eric had met a woman that night they were at Yana's and obviously things had progressed. It was the only explanation behind his recent behavior but it really wasn't anything new for Eric.
Not that he would ever begrudge his friend's happiness but he had a hard time getting excited about another girl in Eric's life. He got a little sick of, along with Calleigh, having to pick up the pieces when he didn't show up at work.
Maybe things would change this time.
"Night man." Speed said to him and Calleigh smiled as they headed outside. Speed gave her a quick glance as they walked side-by-side. Her personality was definitely more subdued tonight and he wondered why. Was it her headache, her relationship with John, stress from the case or a combination of all three?
Speed wished he could be Calleigh's confidante, her sounding board but he knew that she would never tell him what was going on.
"Feel better, Calleigh." Speed said, as she unlocked her car. She smiled at him and he was sure he saw tears shining in her eyes.
"I will, Tim. I'm going to go home, make myself some tea and then go to bed with a good book. See you tomorrow."
"Night."
TBC...