Rating: MA

Pairing: Eric/Calleigh

DisclaimerNot mine, don't own them, wish I did, but alas I don't so don't sue.

Author's NoteThis fic came from a dream I had. This story is my idea, but it's been beautifully interpreted for me by thisyearslove.

Past Life:

Chapter Three

Eric insisted she stay with him until they caught the
man who hurt her. Due to the late hour, she stayed the
night with what she had with her. He assured her she
would be able to stop at home in the morning before
work but the most important thing was rest.

It was a side of him she had yet to witness and it
broke her heart something like this had to happen for
them to move past Tim Speedle's death. After he died,
it was like Eric was holding himself responsible,
behaving recklessly and Calleigh pulled away from him.
His behavior scared her. He scared her and she felt
she hardly knew him anymore.

However that evening, as she told the cabbie her
destination, she felt he would be the only one she
could go to. After all they had been through together
and all they had seen in the last four years, he would
be the only one she could stand to be near her.

Eric helped Calleigh from the couch to his bathroom
where a hot bath was waiting for her. With his arm
gingerly around her waist she tried to hide the smile
that was playing on her lips.

"Are you sure I'm not putting you out?" she asked as
he guided her down the hall.

Eric shook his head and gave her a smile that still
made her heart beat a little faster no matter how many
times she told herself they were just friends.

"I've got too much space here," he said. "It will be
nice to have some company."

Calleigh looked at him like she knew he had company
all the time and Eric caught her expression.

"Don't look at me like that," he said with a laugh.
"You're giving me an excuse to buy groceries."

"Eric," she laughed as she stood at the doorway.
"Don't tell me that. It makes me worry you're drinking
too much of that cafe Cubano you like and eating
take-out."

"I do drink too much of that cafe Cubano I like and
eat a lot of take-out," he said quietly.

With a small smile she closed the bathroom door,
leaving it slightly ajar, just in case. It wasn't easy
but she undressed and slipped into the hot water. The
feeling of the liquid around her aching muscles caused
her to let out a moan and Eric stopped from his place
in the hall.

He had been with enough women to know that wasn't a
moan of pain and he blushed, not sure if he was
supposed to hear that or not. The devil on his
shoulder told him to turn back.

"How's the bath?" he called from the other side of
the door. He caught a glimpse of Calleigh's pink
skin through the small space between the door and the
doorway and he looked away, knowing she was vulnerable
and didn't need a man ogling her.

"Good," she said quietly. "Really good."

He quickly found a pair of boxer shorts, a pair of
socks and a T-shirt for her to wear, knowing she
couldn't sleep in the hospital scrubs. He slid the
clothes into the bathroom, keeping his eyes closed and
she thanked him with a smile. Eric's bathtub was so
deep, he wouldn't have seen more than the tops of her
shoulders, her neck and face and they both knew that.
Yet Eric also knew she would appreciate the sentiment
and he did.

After she emerged from the bathroom, fresh faced and
swimming in his clothes, Eric wished he had a camera
to capture the sight. She looked like a college
freshman, not a woman who had seen it all in the line
of duty.

"Are you hungry?" he asked and she nodded. Calleigh insisted they eat a home cooked meal and
sent him to the living room so she could cook. When he
reminded her of her injured state, they compromised he
would cook everything under her instruction. During dinner they spoke mostly about Eric's family
and his father's approaching birthday. He knew that
evening would be too soon to discuss what had happened
but hoped she would tell him the following night. She
hoped she would be able to bring herself to tell him
as well. The idea of letting anyone else in on that
part of her life terrified her. Instead, they talked
about anything else they could and Calleigh was
grateful for it.

Eric woke her from her half-sleep state on the couch
and helped her to bed. As they walked down his hall
she felt safe and happy she had come to his apartment.
It was not in her nature to allow her co-workers to
see her at a vulnerable state but at that moment, she
had no other choice. At that moment, being vulnerable
and being seen less than she was by Eric was the
furthest thing from her mind. He had made her safe
again and she loved him for that.

As Eric tucked the sheets next to her, she grabbed
the edge of his T-shirt.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey. Do you mind..." she started and Eric sat down
on the bed. "Do you mind staying with me for a bit?"

Eric nodded and moved to the other side of the bed to
lie next to her. He wrapped one strong arm around her
body and the other under her neck to hold her close to
him. It wouldn't be long before she was asleep and
Eric was extracting himself from the bed.

He kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair back
from her forehead. With all the trauma she had been
through that evening and the bandage on her face
couldn't distract from her innocent beauty.

It was clear his case would be put on the backburner to help catch
the man who assaulted her if only to catch someone who
would hit a woman. As the youngest of three sisters,
Eric was the kind of man who wouldn't tolerate men who
hit a woman, police officer or not. He was determined
and that was not something a criminal wanted to be on
the other side of.