Fix You
Rating: R
Disclaimer: If I owned the rights to CSI: Miami, would I really be sitting here writing this pathetic excuse for a story? Seriously. I don't own the song either, obviously, it's coldplay's; so is the title, so I own nothing really…
A/N: I wrote this story a while ago, but I never posted it here. This story takes place after 10-7; it's not very good, I just did it to kill time, really, and because there need to be more Calleigh/Eric stories in existence. Hope you find it entertaining :o)
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Calleigh passed her exit and just kept driving. She had no idea where she was going, really; she just wasn't ready to stop yet. Clouds rolled in, obscuring the blue of the sky and turning it to a pale gray color, matching her mood. She took a deep breath and bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. She knew she shouldn't be driving in her emotional state, but it was soothing to her, and something about being behind the wheel made her feel empowered. Her cell phone rang for the third time since she'd left the lab, and like the previous two times, she ignored it. She wanted to feel numb; to suppress all of the turbulence inside of her. Had she not on several occasions been exposed to the unpleasant consequences of addiction, she would've considered heading to a bar, but she needed something non-chemical. Then an SUV passed her with a surfboard tied to the roof and she knew where she needed to go. She pulled into the beach parking lot and was relieved to find it deserted (not surprising, as there were several ominous-looking clouds gathering overhead). Just as she reached for the door, her phone began to ring again. She sighed and reached for it, looking at the name on the display. She hesitated a moment, but then flipped it open.
"Eric-" she started
"Where are you?" he interrupted, she could hear the concern in his voice
"I'm at the beach"
"What beach?"
"Eric…" she trailed off
"What beach, Calleigh?" he demanded, the concern in his voice growing
"I don't know, it's about 45 minutes north of the lab, off the 33rd St exit, but Eric-"
"Wait there, I'm coming" he interrupted again
"No Eric, you don't need to do that"
"I'm coming Cal. I care about you and I'm not letting you go through this alone"
Calleigh took a deep breath. She considered protesting more, but he seemed pretty insistent and she didn't have the strength to argue with him. Plus, if she was honest with herself, she really didn't want to be alone. "Thank you" she said, finally.
"I'll be there soon" he said, and she could hear his car door closing before he hung up. Calleigh got out of the car and sat down in the sand. A moment later the first rain drop landed on her arm, reminding her of the earlier incident in the lab, and that was it-- she broke down, hugging her knees to her chest and crying hysterically.
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When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
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By the time Eric found her she had managed to gain a precarious hold on her tears, but she was still hugging herself tightly and staring at the ocean as if possessed . He settled himself next to her and reached out a hand to gently rub her shoulder.
"Hey" he said simply. She looked at him and tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it, and instead burst into tears once more, hating herself for letting someone see her cry, but not being able to stop herself.
"Come here" Eric said, pulling her into his lap. She complied, settling her head under his chin and clutching tightly to his shirt and sobbing. He rubbed her back affectionately and whispered to her, telling her that he was there and it would be okay. They sat there like that, holding each other and rocking slightly, oblivious to the rain that had already soaked both of them.
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And the tears com streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
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When she had finished crying, he tilted her chin up gently, "Let's get out of here"
She just nodded, realizing for the first time how cold she was. He helped her up and took her hand, leading her to his truck. He opened the passenger side door and guided her in with a hand at the small of her back.
"My car" she said, looking over at her tan Chrysler
"Don't worry about it, we'll get it tomorrow" he assured her before closing the door and getting in himself. "Your place, or mine?" he asked her, ignoring the connotations that question elicited in his mind (he'd always wanted to ask her that, but he'd imagined it being under very different circumstances).
"I don't want to go home" she answered, looking out the car window
"My place it is then"
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Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
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About an hour later they'd pulled into his apartment complex and were walking through his front door. As they entered, Eric noticed her soaking clothes, clinging to her small frame "I'll dry those for you, you can wear my robe" She nodded and followed him to the bathroom. He handed her the robe that had been hanging on the door and left her alone to change. She emerged a few minutes later and found him in the kitchen, pouring something into a mug. He glanced up when he heard her approach and couldn't help but smile at the sight of her; his robe was huge on her. She'd folded up the sleeves several times but they were still past her wrists, and it was dragging on the floor behind her like a train. She looked adorable. "I made hot chocolate" he said, offering her the mug
"Thanks" she smiled, "What should I do with these?" she asked, indicating the wet clothes in her arms
"I'll take them" he said. She handed them to him and he headed off down the hall.
When he returned he'd changed into a dry tee shirt and a pair of shorts. "You want to watch a movie or something?" he asked
Calleigh smiled slightly and nodded, "A movie sounds good"
He lead her over to the couch and sat down next to her. "Let's see what's on HBO" Eric said, flipping the TV on with the remote "Unless you're in the mood for 'The Fast and the Furious'" he smiled, indicating his limited DVD collection
"Maybe some other time" she smirked "Oh, 'Love Actually'!" she exclaimed, noticing it on the "now playing" list. Eric sighed, the things he would do for Calleigh. He put it on and she scooted over to him, snuggling into his chest. Maybe 'Love Actually' won't be so bad after all… he thought.
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High up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try then you'll never know
Just what you're worth
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"Feeling better?" he asked, stroking her hair back softly. She smiled and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Yes, thank you"
Eric grinned, "Any time Cal". He took a deep breath, "So Cal, I noticed your name was missing from the board…" Calleigh looked up at him, the smile gone from her face, "I need some time, Eric"
He nodded, understanding. "But you're coming back", it wasn't really a question
"Eric, I don't know. I just…" she broke off, determined not to start crying again
"Cal you have to, we need you at the lab" he hesitated, seeing her pained look, "I need you, Cal. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't get to see you every day" He gently stroked the side of her face with his thumb. She bit her lip, "I'm just not sure I can anymore, Eric"
"Sure you can, Calleigh, you're strong. Don't let some pathetic jerk ruin your life" She sighed shakily and he could tell she was close to tears again. He cupped her cheek in his hand, "You just need time to heal" he said softly, "Take some time, relax, think. Then come back and start again" She nodded , and he smiled, relieved that he was able to convince her not to quit for good.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Eric. I really appreciate it"
"I don't mind at all, Cal" I'm just glad you let me, he added silently
"I mean it, Eric, it was really sweet of you" He just smiled in reply.
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Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
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Calleigh reached up to stroke Eric's cheek, and the robe slipped down her opposite shoulder. Eric repressed his urge to stare as he pulled it back up, his hand brushing lightly against her exposed skin. She smiled and leaned in, pressing her lips to his softly. Eric knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't stop himself; he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She moaned quietly, and he lost all self control. He started kissing down her neck and the robe slipped down again. He caressed her bare shoulder and kissed along her collar bone. Calleigh sighed and ran her fingers through his hair, her other hand sliding under his shirt and up his back. He felt himself getting hard and he knew he had to stop before this got out of hand. "Calleigh," he whispered, trying not to sound affected as he pulled back, "We can't do this now. I want to, but we can't"
"Why not?" Calleigh asked, sounding a little indignant
"You know why Calleigh" he replied, using all his self control to keep himself from pushing her down on the couch and continuing what they'd started
"I'm not a child, Eric. I'm not drunk, either. I know what I'm doing"
"I can tell" Eric chuckled slightly. Calleigh was not amused. "Calleigh, I want to do this, but not while you're upset. I care about you too much to take advantage of you and I don't want you to regret it in the morning" Calleigh rolled her eyes and just then the buzzer sounded on the dryer.
"My clothes are dry" she announced, getting up and walking toward the sound of the dryer. Just before she stepped out of his line of vision, she let the robe slip off of her shoulders and fall to the floor, giving him an enticing view of the back side of her naked body. Eric's eyed bugged out of his head "Come on Cal, that's just mean!" he shouted.
