Timeline elaboration: Set around 4x07. Very early days for both Natalia at the lab. In my eyes, Eric and Natalia started dating around 4x03 but were sleeping together since the very beginning of the season, so they have been together 'officially' for roughly a month. I am going to write their first meeting and their first time together, but I just want to show that Eric and Natalia had a relationship that was deeper than just sleeping together. This is what I would have liked to see on the show.

Eric Delko, in her opinion, was the definition of a great catch. Good looking, great in bed but also, he was beginning to show a softer, caring side to his normal 'tough guy' image he portrayed at work. This was their third time they had shared a bed together that did not just involve the two of them tearing each other's clothes off. On this night, Eric had arrived at her place with a bottle of red wine, a tub of ben and jerry's and open arms. A case they were working, a young woman who was murdered by a man who despised their boss Horatio Caine, was eating at her more than she was letting on. Also, she had been asked by Monica West of the DA's office to be their 'mole', given the unenviable role of gathering evidence and information to determine whether or not the Miami-Dade Crime Lab was in fact, dirty. With a heavy sigh, Natalia reached for her blue silk robe that was sitting on the edge of her bed, wrapped it around herself and walked out to her living room, using her hand to feel along her counter in the dark for a glass that she had left on the sink earlier. Cursing softly, she felt her way around to the cabinet. Eric had been a little too helpful with putting her dishes away. With her arm acting up, a common occurrence after her attack by Nick, the last thing she felt like doing was reaching above her head to reach for a glass. Praying silently that laying with her arm under her pillow for too long didn't aggravate it further, she got on her toes and reached up to the second shelf. As she felt her fingers wrap around the glass, a sharp stabbing pain ran through her wrist and up to her elbow, causing her to lose her grip on the glass and her footing. The pain sent Natalia from her feet and landing heavily on her tiled kitchen floor, her head hitting the cupboard behind her.

"Eric!" She cried, using her other hand to hold her head. The tears in her eyes were causing her to lose focus and her vision began to swim. She just hoped that she hadn't done any damage to herself when she fell. She did hit her head hard…

"Nat?!" Eric called out, his footsteps almost thundering down the hall as he headed towards the darkened kitchen. "Nat, where are you, baby?" He tried again, stopping in the darkened kitchen.

"Down here…" Her words were soft, her voice wobbling. Eric silently walked around the counter, thankful for his ability to see in the dark rather well and he saw her. Well, saw her shadowed outline at least. She was leaning against the cabinet behind her, her left arm cradled in her lap and her right holding the back of her head. He knelt in front of her, running a soft hand down her shoulder and stopping at her elbow. "My arm… something happened to my arm." She felt more tears build up behind her brown eyes and she did nothing to stop them from falling. "I had… I had the nightmare again." Her tears were flowing freely now, her right hand now holding her forehead as her sobs became heavier. "It… it felt so real!" She cried out, the back of her head once again hitting the cabinet. "Damn it!" She cussed. Eric was at a loss. Never, since meeting the Brunette three months earlier, had he seen her like this. He knew Natalia Boa Vista did not wear her heart on her sleeve, but she was very emotional when the time came. And now, he realized as he sat next to her on the cold tiled floor and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder, he would do anything he could to stop the woman he found himself thinking about often, getting hurt again. Wordlessly, Eric wrapped an arm around Natalia's middle and helped her to stand, using his free hand to lead her towards the couch in her living room, where he was thankful that a warm black throw rug was placed on the back of it. Sitting Natalia down, he returned to the kitchen for the icepack he knew she kept on the second shelf of her freezer and wrapped it in a tea-towel, returning to the couch and sitting next to her. Looking into her eyes and without a word, he rested the pack on her arm and repositioned himself, so she was laying against him, her head resting on his shoulder as his free hand rubbed soft circles on her back. This is where they stayed, for lord only knew how long. All that could be heard were Natalia's soft sobs and Eric's soft words of reassurance until the brunette Latina eventually drifted off to sleep, the strong arms of the Cuban man lying next to her being the only thing she knew would keep her safe.

THE NEXT MORNING...

The light seeping in through the roman blinds caused the Cuban to stir first later in the morning. Eric rubbed his hand over his eyes and went to stretch, not realizing that there was a warm weight pressed against him. He looked down, smiling. Natalia had her resting on his abdomen, her face relaxed and the sun causing her tanned skin to look more sun-kissed than usual. With a soft kiss to her nose, the DNA analyst stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

"Good morning." Eric whispered, running his fingers through Natalia's hair. A soft smile was the only response he needed. "How do you feel?" he asked, pulling the black blanket over the two of them. Natalia sighed as she moved to sit up, giving a simple shrug.

"I can't…" She sighed again, running a hand through her hair. "It doesn't happen every night. It just comes on every now and then. I think it's…" Natalia stood, pacing the length of her living room. Eric sat back on the couch, taking a moment to bask in this woman's natural beauty. He knew the other members of his team were used to seeing their newest team member with her hair done nicely, dressed elegantly. But this Natalia; no makeup, hair curled naturally, tanned skin on show. He knew that she was a natural beauty. Standing, he stood behind her as she paced back towards him. As she did so, he opened his arms out in front of her, silently inviting her for an embrace. Giving a small smile, she ceased her pacing and allowed herself to be wrapped up in Eric's strong arms. As soon as she rested her head on his chest, she closed her eyes and felt her shoulders begin to shake. She sobbed quietly, Eric resting his index finger and thumb on her chin to tilt her head up to face him.

"Didn't we agree…" He kissed her forehead. "Didn't we agree to not keep things to ourselves when there was something eating away?" He kissed her again, tasting the saltiness of his girlfriend's tears on his own lips. No one deserved to go through what she was.

Natalia sighed heavily, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know, I just…" She found herself lost for words as she felt a breeze blow past the back of her legs. "I can't stop re-living it…" She rubbed her arm, unconsciously tracing over the still sore bones in it. "I still feel like he's going to get out and find me… I don't want him to. I can't." She felt her chest begin to tighten at the possibility, and Eric felt her muscles tense underneath him. She looked at him; her glistening brown orbs screaming at him for help.

"Natalia…" He moved them back to her couch and sat next to her, taking both of her hands in his. "I need you to look at me," He waited as Natalia's eyes once again met with his. "I need you to keep looking at me and copy me with my breathing." He coached softly. After he witnessed a panic attack, he made it his mission to know how to keep her as calm as possible if he were to witness another one. Eric just didn't count on him witnessing one so soon. He willed himself to breathe in slowly, keeping eye contact on Natalia as he felt try her hardest to breathe in the same pattern as him. "That's it…" He could feel the grip Natalia had on his hands loosen as she calmed internally. "Keep breathing…" She willed herself the best she could to keep her breathing as even and calm as Eric's and after a few minutes, she had succeeded. Eric leaned in closer to her, their foreheads touching slightly.

"Thankyou." She breathed, nuzzling his nose with hers. Eric smiled, kissing her softly on the lips before getting to his feet. Natalia stood as well, shocked by his rapid movement. "Wait… where are you going?" she asked, straightening her shirt. Eric turned towards their bedroom and grinned but said nothing. When she heard the door close, Natalia smiled to herself and shook her head, turning towards the kettle and flicking it on. As she reached for two mugs, she felt her heart begin to drop to her shoes. She felt horrible about what she was doing to the lab, to herself, to Eric… but if no one found out she would be ok. Right?