Disclaimer, Rating, Pairing: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: 10-7, Killer Date, Whacked

AN: So here's part three. Especially for Lourdes777 who declared herself my biggestfan! Thank you! And to everyone else who has reviewed and read: You're the reason I keep posting. So here's part three. Hope y'all like it. If I can finish 4th & Long, I actually have a really cool full case story. But I have to get there. And find time. But while I still have the chance, Enjoy!

4th & Long: Pass Protection by the Offensive Line

When you're in mid-play, it's good to know the offensive line is backing you up.

Eric arrived at CSI headquarters at 6:30, an hour earlier than usual. He wanted to talk to Horatio about Calleigh's day before shirt officially started. He'd spent the drive analyzing his relationship with Calleigh over the years. The only conclusion he had come to, other than heavy thinking on little sleep gave him a headache, was that he missed the relationship he used to have with Calleigh. Before Hagen, before Speed's death, they had been friends in and out of work.

That was no longer the cases. They had slowly drifted apart when she began dating/fighting with Hagen. And after Speed, well they both had run to their own personal corners to hide. Their attempt to handle their grief alone had left them so far apart that neither could truly see just how much the other was hurting. Privately he wondered if his one night stands, even they could even be called that, had been as much an attempt to fill the space left by his distance with Calleigh as to avoid dealing with Speed's death. In fact he was fairly certain that was true. Of all the girls he'd hooked up with, he'd always avoided blondes. Even if they looked nothing like Calleigh, the blonde hair left him with a guilty dirty feeling that no amount of alcohol could drown.

When Calleigh had found out, supported him in spite of the hurt he could see in her eyes, covered for him, he had sworn to break the habit. He would deal with Speed's passing if for no other reason than to avoid hurting her more. At the time he'd tried not to think about why Calleigh hurting motivated him where personal safety and logic did not, but now he figured it was time to start looking at that question. Sitting on the beach with her during the darkest hours of the morning, Eric felt like he'd been given a second chance to regain their closeness. In a Calleigh kind of way she had opened up and reached out to him. And from Calleigh that was saying a lot. He had no intention of wasting that chance.

"Eric, good morning."

The sound of Horatio's voice behind him brought Eric out of his introspection. "Morning H." Before he could further reply, Horatio spoke again.

"The layout room. Gang's all here."

Eric had barely made into the layout room before Horatio and Alexx asked in unison "How is she?"

Eric smile wryly. "Asleep on my couch when I left. I told her to just sleep today, H."

Horatio gave him a smile. "Good. I was hoping I wouldn't have to send her home. Did she sleep at all last night?"

Eric shook his head. "I found her on the beach a little before four this morning. She'd been there since she left CSI."

"Has she eaten anything, Eric? She barely ate a bite yesterday," Alexx asked, ever the mother and doctor.

"I managed to convince her to eat some toast and cup of tea, but she fell asleep before finishing either of them."

"She say anything?" Ryan asked.

Eric smirked. "She doesn't think the Dolphins will win the AFC East this year.

Ryan looked confused, but Alexx and Horatio smiled. "She was taking about football?" Ryan sounded lost.

Eric shrugged. What they talked about on the beach, even if it was football, was between them. He didn't really want to share it with Wolfe. "She likes football. Acutally Wolfe, I told her I'd get her car from the beach. Will you give me a lift during lunch?"

Ryan nodded, appearing glad to be included. The newbie or not, he did care about Calleigh. "Sure."

Horatio and Alexx both said they would call her later. Then foursome then got down to the cases facing them for the day. Horatio was involved in the city wide clean up of yesterday's dirty bomb scare, and in informing Homicide of Yelina's surprise departure. A hit and run was keeping Ryan, Eric, and Alexx busy.

Eric was in the trace lab with Wolfe, analyzing a substance found on the body while they waited for Alexx's autopsy findings. Eric was lifting some unusual fibers from the victim's clothes when his cell phone rang. "Delko."

"Eric, mi hijo! I have food for you." It was his mother.

"Ma, you don't have to cook for me." It was a futile gesture to remind her of that, but he had to try.

"Eric, you need to eat. I have extra food, and you are my only son. I'm bringing it to your apartment at noon. Is that alright?" Clorinda Delko's voice never wavered.

Eric shook his head and noticed Wolfe trying to hide a smile. Mothers always won. "That's fina, Ma. But Calleigh's there. She's had a really bad night and is asleep on the couch. Please don't wake her up."

That was by far not the thing to say. He should have known better. Despite having four children of her own, Clorinda Delko had added Calleigh Duquesne to her list of kids. In fact, Eric was fairly sure that his mother worried at least as much about Calleigh as she did about him. Knowing that Calleigh was in some kind of trouble turned Clorinda into super-mom. "Is she hurt? Eric, you know you're supposed to call me if anything happens to her. She needs family support, Eric."

Eric rolled his eyes. "A friend of hers died yesterday, Ma. And Calleigh was there when it happened." He didn't want to get into the real details with his mother. If Calleigh decided to share them with her, that was different.

"Well, I'm glad you told me. I have enough food to send some to her too. I'll just drop that off at your apartment as well. Poor thing. Is she eating?"

Eric smirked . Did his mother worry about why Calleigh was at his place and not her own? No. She worried about whether or not Calleigh was eating. "I'm sure she'll appreciate the food mom. She loves your cooking."

Eric tuned his mother out for a moment, as she began to speculate on things she could do or bring for Calleigh. There was no stopping his mother when she was in worry mode. "I have to go Ma. Thank you for the food, but please don't wake Calleigh up."

"Okay baby. I'll call you later. You keep me informed about Calleigh. Poor thing hasn't heard from her mother in months." Clorinda hung up.

Eric just laughed. He'd long ago accepted that his mother was determined to adopt Calleigh.

"So your mom still brings you food?" Ryan asked, a hint of a smile.

Eric shot the younger man an amused glance. "There is no arguing with my mother. If she thinks you're not eating, then it's her job to make sure you do."

Ryan nodded. "My mother's response would be 'Go to cooking school.' How does your mom know Calleigh?" His natural curiosity overrode his caution.

Eric looked at him for a moment before answering. "A couple of years ago we got a call for a case about four am. Multiple weapon shooting in Little Havana. Just down the street from my parent's house. The neighbor's son was running drugs and the kid messed up. Gang killed the whole family. H called Calleigh and I in to help him process.

"Calleigh's in the front yard processing and collecting bullets. It takes a while since there are about sixty separate rounds. Calleigh finds one casing resting on a sprinkler head and bends over to get it. But no one had realized the sprinklers were automated. Just as Calleigh bent down, the sprinklers came on. Calleigh, trying to protect the evidence, stayed in the water and frantically started grabbing casings. I jumped in to help.

"By the time we got the sprinklers off, Calleigh and I were soaked and all the trace evidence was either soggy or gone. She was not happy." Eric chuckled, remembering the look on her face when the water finally stopped.

Ryan was grinning. He could imagine the reaction only too well.

"So my mom, who'd been on scene from the beginning refused to let the two of us finish processing the scene soaking wet. She was sure we'd catch something since it was February. So Calleigh and I were packed off to my parent's house. My mom gave Cal some of my sister's clothes and one of my sweatshirts. I had some old clothes there. So we changed and then went back. Anyway, Calleigh, true to her Southern roots, brought the clothes back to my mom along with a derby pie. They've been friends ever since."

Ryan nodded. "Interesting."

At 11:30 Eric called a break and the two men headed out to pick up Calleigh's car. Eric drove Calleigh's car back to his apartment, Ryan following. Eric parked, leaving Ryan waiting in the Hummer. Eric slipped quietly inside, placing Calleigh's car keys on the kitchen cabinet next to her purse.

He walked softly into the living room. Calleigh was still asleep on the couch, the blanket he'd wrapped around her shoulders in a pile on the floor. He resettled it around her, tucking her in. Her breathing deep and even, Calleigh's face looked more relaxed that during the night. But dark circles still marred he eyes and her skin was unusually pale. Eric reached out and gently ran once finger down her cheek. Reassured that she was sleeping soundly, Eric scribbled a quick note to her, set it by the keys, and left.