I'm glad you guys like this story, it's quite unreal, but a kid's gotta dream right? Sorry I haven't updated this in a while, I had something to take care of.

Chapter 3

"We, we were on a case, it was a killing on the street," his voice cracked, "we were both on the sidewalk, collecting evidence: I was snapping pictures and she was picking up the evidence. While I had my back turned, she said she saw something beside the pavement, on the road, and went to go pick it up, and she never saw the car coming..."

Alexx reached up high and embraced him, he cried on her shoulder.

Moments later Eric realized how long he stood there with Alexx comforting him in the hallway. He realized how much he had cried and felt helpless. She gave him a pat on the shoulder before drawing away. She observed his slightly red face, wet with tears, as he looked away from her sniffling.

"Eric," she held his arms, "go home..."

"No," he whined.

"Yes, Calleigh needs her rest to recover and you need yours too. Go."

"I'm gonna stay a while longer, please?" he begged. She nodded with a reassuring smile then walked off.

Eric re-entered the room, feeling as desolate as before. Calleigh's body was there, her heart was still beating, she was alive - but her mind wasn't there. He took off the jacket of his suit and threw it on the small couch near the wall and sat in his seat. He wiped his face with his sleeves and focused on her. How he longed to touch her, really touch her, smother her tiny body in a hug in which she loved and tickles and kisses until she could laugh no more........

Calleigh turned to face the bank which was right behind her and her body sat on the river bed. As unbelievable as it was, she accepted that she was indeed safe. She relaxed against the small pebbles, smiling back at him. There was nothing else in her view except for him. They remained silent, their heads just inches apart. Eric moved his hand to hold the side of her face, his fingers pushing back the wet blonde hair.

And he kissed her. Then she truely knew that she wanted him, needed him. Her arms surfaced and snuck around his neck. She forced him closer to her lips with one tug, but he didn't complain. He enjoyed this and burned for more. They kissed until their mouths were soar and numb and they could hold their breath no longer. Eric drew away from her lips and moved seductively to her cheek, behind her ears and down to her neck and chest. Meanwhile he did this Calleigh laid her head back closing her eyes, letting out a moan in pleasure. But before he went even further he stopped. Her head popped up to see what caused him to stop. He remained staring her dead in the eyes.

"Eric... what?" she asked.

"Um," he looked down, shying away.

"What is it?" she became concerned.

"It's not you, it's just, well..." he smiled embarrassingly, "we've never done it before."

"Yeah, we did."

"No," he shook his head.

"Yes, we have."

The two stared at one another as if they were crazy. It was the same situation like earlier with the writing on the stone, but this was different. Calleigh couldn't believe her ears, she refused to. Only God knows who could've forgotten their first time and Eric for one should definately remember. Because it was her, Calleigh, the only person he wanted to be with forever. Eric continued to stare at her seeking out her expression. She was upset and confused and hard to process because she remembered their first time vividly. For minutes she laid there in a dumbfounded trance, her brain desparately trying to figure out who was wrong.

"Calleigh?" he called. She instantly shook herself out of it.

"Wha?"

"I'm sorry if you thought that..." he began. Eric was obviously calm and ready to forgive.

"But I, that night after the movies. We went home and," Calleigh helplessly drifted off.

"I love you, but we've never had sex before."

"I don't understand," she answered, her voice breaking.

"Remember, you wanted to take it slow and wait until it was the right time. You said you don't want a baby as a result of an careless accident... I agree with you, let's not do this until you're ready. I don't wanna force you into anything you don't wanna do. Let's do this another time, okay?"

Eric sadly watched her expression go through rapid changes. She finally realized that his opinion, truth rather, would never change. Fresh tears filled her eyes and she hid from him.

"Hey, look at me," he cupped her face.

"I'm so sorry, I'm confused, I," she stuttered. Eric embraced her softly.

"Don't worry about it, and stop trying to be perfect, no one is."

"But Eric, tell me one imperfect person that forgot that they didn't have sex with their new boy friend, and possibly mixed him up with someone else! Huh? There's something wrong with me!" Calleigh fussed, her words muffling in his skin.

"No, nothing's wrong with you... you've gotta hear somethings I forgot about, before I got shot in the head and then you'd say something's wrong with me. No matter what you say, do or forget, I'll still love you. No matter if you wake up tomorrow and forget how we kissed today, I'll still love you."

Calleigh rested against his body in silence, savouring the sweet moment they were having. His body held the warmth of a hot spring in the now cold river water. She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into him.

"Calleigh, you're shivering," he rubbed her back, "let's get out."

The two stood up in the shallow river bed and huddled together for warmth. Both shivered in the cool breeze as they stepped out and onto the dry earth. His eyes averted to the waterfall's spraying hum in the distance, and she drowned out the sound to fucus at him. It was almost surreal: their surroundings and his unconditional love, she called it secretly, for her.

"What would I do without you?" she suddenly asked gratefully.

"I don't know," he faced her, "but what I do know is that you'd be an emotional wreck."

Calleigh glared playfully up at him and elbowed him in the stomach.

"I'm just joking," he pretended to be hurt.

"You better be," she grinned. Calleigh went on her tip toes and kissed him with passion. Knowing what happened before, Eric took it easy and played along with her while the pleasure lasted.

Suddenly, as they opened their eyes, the sky was dark, displaying the night. They both searched the sky in awe: its cresent moon shone and millions of stars twinkled.

"Wow," Calleigh said flabbergasted.

"I guess it's night now," he said. They joined hands and walked down stream..........

Gently and ever so slowly, Eric ran his fingers over hers as if it were the last time he'd ever touch her. He always enjoyed when she slept, regardless of the dreaded coma she was in, peace was with her. He soon slid his hand over her arm resting on her shoulder. He looked into her closed eyes.

"Hey," he whispered, "can you hear me? I just want you to know, that, I'm here, and I'm missing you... I keep hoping, and praying that, this is like last time. You need to rest for a day, and then when I come back you should be waking up, and you should be able to say that you heard me... and say 'it was like a dream'... and I'll stay here, telling you jokes, enlighten your sad mood... just until you can be released, and we go home, where I take care of you."

After a heavy sigh he rested his hand on her thigh, thinking deeply of what to say to keep her dreams occupied. A smug grin grew on the side of his face.

"You know, I still remember our first time."