DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of CSI:Miami or it's affiliates. Thank you.:o)

The Only Logical Refuge

The red numbers on the clock read 2:30 AM when Eric was awakened by the sound of someone pounding on his front door. Squinting, he shook his head at the sudden interruption of what had been a very sound sleep. Throwing back the covers, he grabbed his jeans, pulling them on as he went down the hall to answer the early-morning summons. Looking through the peephole in the door, Eric was surprised to see Natalia Boa vista standing in the hallway. Fear was evident on her face, and he thought he could see the evidence of recent tears on her cheeks. Quickly unlocking the door, Eric flung it open and grabbed Natalia's arm, pulling her inside.
"What is it?" He asked, watching as she fought for control.
She looked up into his face, her eyes haunted, the skin taut over her face.

"He's after me again, and this was the only safe place I could think of," She stated, her words running together as she spoke in a shaky voice.

Eric frowned, searching Natalia's face.

"Who's after you? Your ex?" he asked, and she nodded, tears spilling over her long dark lashes.

"Yes; who else?" she said sarcastically, and looked into Eric's face.

"What am I supposed to do? I thought I was done with him, but he's turning my life into a nightmare, just like he wants."

Carefully, Eric brushed the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs.
"Listen to me; I want you to take a deep breath and try to calm down. We'll figure something out," he said, guiding her to the sofa.

They'd once had a relationship, and as Eric sat beside Natalia, he felt a warmth in his heart that it had been him she had come to tonight. She'd told him a few months ago that they needed to back off the relationship, and he'd reluctanly agreed, but now he wondered if there was any hope of their romance taking off again. He highly doubted it. Natalia seemed more focussed on her career than ever, and she'd been wary and distanced from everyone at the lab since it was found out that she was the mole. Eric had hated her for it, but part of him still wanted her. His anger had long since cooled, and now he felt nothing but concern as he watched her gulping furiously to stem the tears of terror that threatened to break through the tough exterior she had built.

"What happened, Natalia?" he asked in a low whisper, and she turned to look at him.

"I couldn't sleep; I kept feeling like someone was watching me." She was staring at a point over his shoulder, and Eric knew she was reliving the memory in her mind. He was quiet, letting her tell the story.

"So I got up and went to the kitchen to get some milk. When I walked by the window, I noticed a void in the light from the street lamp across from my place. I looked closer, and it was.." she broke off, her chin tremblling.

"..Nick. Nick was standing there, across from my house, watching me. I know he saw when I turned on the kitchen light; he knows why I was in there, and what he's doing to me." She looked at Eric, her fear palpable in the quiet room.

"He's going to end up killing me, Eric." she said, her voice turning high pitched on the last two words.

Shushing her, Eric gently placed an arm around her shoulders, drawing her against his bare chest. It had been a long time since he'd held her, and he found that he'd missed her more than he'd thought. Natalia didn't resist; instead she laid her head against the hollow of his shoulder and sighed.

"How did you get away?" Eric asked after a moment.

Natalia shrugged.

"I stayed calm, got my shoes on and walked out the back door, got in my car, and left."

Eric frowned. He knew Natalia kept her sneakers by the back door but he knew for a fact she wore only a faded t-shirt when she slept. She had it on now, and he grinned when he realised it was one of his old ones that he'd left at her place one night. Luckily, she'd had the clarity to pull on a pair of shorts; Eric was glad she'd not run out in just her shirt. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and he tried to keep his own anxiety below the surface as he spoke.

"Did he follow you?" he asked, and Natalia shook her head, her hair soft against his skin.

"I don't think so; if he did, I didn't see him. I kept looking in my rearview and he never showed up."

Pulling away, Eric absently placed a kiss on her head.

"Stay here," he commanded, and stood, walking into his bedroom.

Silently, he knelt beside the bed and pulled the black gun safe from beneath it. Opening the safe, he pulled out his service pistol and the extra cartridge that went with it. Natalia's ex had shown himself to be violent, possessive and jealous; and Eric was taking no chances now. He could've been pissed to hell at the thought that Natalia may very well have led Nick to Eric's door, but he didn't think about that for long. The important thing was Natalia's safety, and if he had to, Eric would give his life for her.

He'd just got to his feet when Natalia's piercing scream exploded from the living area. Sprinting across the room, Eric nearly collided with her as she rounded the corner into his bedroom. Her face was pale, and her eyes wide with terror.

"He's here, Eric. He called my name from the hall. My god, he's here. He must've followed me, but I don't know when." She was in a full-blown panic, and Eric grabbed her shoulders, shaking her firmly.

"Natalia!" he said, his voice sharp and cold.

"You can't panic. Let me handle this, do you hear me?" Eric asked, and Natalia shook her head.

"He'll kill you, Eric. He'd just as soon kill you as he would me." She stopped, her eyes darting from Eric's face to the doorway behind him.

"Look, I'll go with him; that's what he wants. If I do what he wants he won't hurt me." She moved to leave the room, but Eric grabbed her arm.

"You're not going with him; I won't let you. You're going to call Horatio, and then I want you to lock yourself in the bathroom. Do you hear me?" Eric asked, but Natalia wasn't listening.

"No Eric; I'll go with him and it'll be fine. I pro-"

"No!" Eric interrupted, his voice raised in anger.

"You're not going with that bastard, do you hear me?" he asked, as someone knocked on the front door.

Natalia sobbed in panic, and Eric cupped his hands around her face.

"Get in the bathroom, call H, and be quiet," Eric instructed, pushing Natalia gently toward the barhroom as Nick continued to pound on the door.

Quick as a rabbit, Natalia did as he told her, locking the door behind her and looking around for a hiding place. The most likely place Nick would look first was the shower, and Natalia opened the closet door next to the tub. Shutting herself into the small area, and hiding as far back in the corner behind Eric's clothes as she could, Natalia hit the speed dial that would connect her to Horatio Caine.