My apologies for the long wait on this - unfortunately, my laptop crashed last month, and I hadn't had a thing backed up. Go me, lol. So I'm just now getting the chance to put everything back together. Anyway, here's chapter two. Thanks to everybody who reviewed the first!

If there was any quality that Gloria Williams possessed in excess, it was patience.

Sure, she didn't appreciate waiting and waiting, only for things not to go her way. She didn't appreciate it when people cut in front of her in line. She didn't appreciate dealing with people who had no idea what they wanted. But it wasn't the waiting around that irritated her. No, Gloria had gotten where she was now by lying in wait, and knowing when to pounce; when the timing was right.

By no means were her actions ever rash. Gloria was smart, and it didn't hurt that she'd dated a CSI. She didn't act until she knew no mistakes would be made. She never acted before she had a solid before plan, and a solid after plan. And so patiently she could wait, for days, weeks, perhaps months.

But Gloria knew that in the end, she would be the winner. She would be the one on top. She would get what she wanted, and knowing that was plenty enough to keep her calm while she worked out a plan.

Patience was key. Gloria had absolutely nothing against waiting, especially when the end of the waiting would deliver Eric Delko back to her bed.

Twilight was fast approaching; the first light of morning just beginning to touch the eastern sky. The rest of the sky remained sheathed in darkness, at least for a short while longer. But inside the house across the street from where Gloria waited was a different story. A yellow glow had long illuminated the windows, though as twilight progressed, those lights would disappear as the occupants within made their way out.

Both of them had first callout this morning, Gloria knew. Both of them would be gone, on their way to work before the sun had even begun peeking above the horizon. The blonde would make one last run around the house, making sure the lights were off, the toaster unplugged, the stovetop cool; while Eric would wait patiently at the door. He would smile as she stepped into the foyer, and more often than not, she would rise to her tiptoes and press a quick kiss to his lips. They then would walk out the door, Eric locking it behind them.

Another kiss, and they were off to work, but always in separate cars. If there was anything about the relationship that Gloria liked, it was that. Their relationship had been out in the open. They hadn't felt the need to hide. It was what put a smile on Gloria's face as she watched the two cars speed away - she just knew Eric was ashamed of that blonde.

Gloria knew she was doing Eric a favor. Once he was rid of that blonde, then he would have no reason to hide anything. He wouldn't have to live a secret life.

And so, convinced she was doing this as much for Eric as for herself, Gloria had waited. She'd hidden herself in the same black car from which she'd watched the couple so many nights before. Parked on the street, it didn't attract any more attention than any of the other cars parked there. The windows were tinted just right - Gloria could see them, but they could not see her. In the past week, she'd memorized their routines - well, she'd memorized Calleigh's routine, since she already knew Eric's by heart. She knew when they would leave for work; she knew when they would be back. She knew on Thursdays, Calleigh came home for lunch, while Monday was Eric's day. She knew the days they went in early; she knew the days they stayed late. The only time the couple was free from Gloria's scrutiny was when they were inside the house, away from the front windows. Gloria could live with that; she knew the boundary between coincidence and suspicion, and she planned to stay well enough away from it.

There was one thing about Calleigh's routine that puzzled Gloria, though. Most evenings, usually after dinner, Calleigh, changed out of her work clothes, would slip back outside, devoting an hour or so to the tidy, perfect flowerbed out front. Gloria had watched in confusion, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the steering wheel. She couldn't imagine getting out there in the heat, and practically crawling around in the dirt, just for a few pretty flowers. Either Gloria would have people to do that kind of thing for her, or she wouldn't have flowers at all. What was the point, anyway? They just die, leading to more and more garden work. It was an endless cycle, yet from the scene Gloria had witnessed the other night, Calleigh didn't seem to be bothered by it.

-

With a smile on her face, Calleigh rose to her feet, dusting her hands off on her old jeans. Satisfied that all the weeds were out of the garden and away from her beautiful tulips, she walked over to the wall, grabbing the hose and turning on the water. She set the dial on the spray attachment to light and waited for the water to travel through the hose.

"You've got dirt on your cheek."

Calleigh turned, her smile widening as Eric approached her. She shook her head at herself, rolling her eyes. "I guess I tried to wipe the sweat off my face and got dirt on it instead," she said, lifting her hand to her cheek.

Eric grinned, catching her hand in mid-lift. "I think it's cute," he teased. He released her hand, instead reaching out to gently tug at one of her braids. "As are these."

Calleigh giggled, blushing as she pressed the trigger on the sprayer, sending a light spray of water over the garden. "They keep my hair out of my face."

He took a step closer. "And like I said, they're cute." With a smirk, he lifted one, brushing the end of the braid over Calleigh's nose, pulling another giggle from her. "You coming in soon?"

"In a little bit," Calleigh replied. "As soon as I finish watering my tulips." She smiled proudly. "Aren't they pretty?"

"Not as pretty as you," Eric said, winking. He slipped in behind her, snaking his arms around her waist as he dropped his lips to her neck.

Calleigh laughed. "Eric!" she protested, trying to pull away from him. "I'm sticky! I need a shower."

He let her slip out of his arms, confident he'd have her back there later. "Well, come on in and we can get that shower," he suggested, his eyes sparkling deviously. "Or, if you'd rather, we can do it right here!" Eric made a grab for the hose, not wrenching it from Calleigh's hands, but merely turning it around on her.

"Eric!" Calleigh squealed, shivering slightly as water dripped from her face. Eric laughed hysterically, though wisely he turned and ran back toward the front door. "You'd better run!" Calleigh yelled after him, attempting to spray him with the hose, but missing by a long shot. He turned back once, sending her a taunting wink before disappearing back inside the house.

She saw him smirking at her from the window, and with an amused chuckle, Calleigh quickly finished watering her tulips. She turned off the water and replaced the hose, and with her own devious grin, Calleigh headed back inside, already plotting her "revenge."

-

Gloria had watched the little exchange with a sour look on her face. She had no idea what that blonde had done to bewitch Eric so, but she was determined to undo it. Her Eric did not act like a child.

After Calleigh had followed him inside, Gloria had taken a closer look at those tulips. To her, they were nothing special - they were just flowers. But by the amount of time Calleigh had put into them in just the past week alone, she was obviously quite attached to them. Maybe they meant something to her; maybe she just thought they added something to the outside of the house. Either way, Calleigh's devotion to them made them that much unattractive to Gloria.

Gloria started, a sudden movement grabbing her attention. Right on schedule, there was Eric, waiting at the front door for Calleigh. Seconds passed, and just as predicted, Calleigh appeared at his side. She gave him her usual kiss, prompting Gloria's usual eyeroll. The rest of their routine passed just as Gloria knew it would, and with one more kiss, the two of them were off to work, both in their separate cars.

The timing was perfect, but then again, Gloria had known it would be. It was still dark enough that she wouldn't be seen, even after she waited the required ten minutes to be sure neither Eric nor Calleigh were heading back home, possibly having forgotten something.

Smiling evilly, Gloria made sure her hair was tucked securely into the tacky baseball cap she'd made herself wear. It added to her anonymity, as well as making sure she left nothing behind. She'd seen enough of those crime shows where the suspect was tied to the scene by a single, stray hair. Quietly, she slipped out of the car, took a cursory glance around, and when she was sure all was clear, she quickly tiptoed across the street and into the yard, a scheming glint in her eyes and a pair of sharpened shears in her left hand.

She wasn't stupid enough to go after Calleigh first. No, her first mission was to simply send a message.

And then she'd go in for the proverbial kill.

tbc...