Eric sat down on the couch completely worn out, he'd just worked a double shift and was only fit for bed but Natalia was insisting that they have a family dinner first. She was getting them all to do a lot more 'family' activities now then she had before. At least one meal a day, not including breakfast if you're not on the early shift, if were both off now in the evenings Natalia insisted on going with them to what used to be their trips to the park. He didn't want to complain about it, after all wasn't he the one who wanted to try and make it work as a family, but it was like that one piece in a jigsaw that you thought fit but never really looked right. Eric laughed to himself. God that's how tired you are you can't come up with anything better then a jigsaw image!

He shook his head and stiffly got up and headed into the kitchen for dinner.

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He pushed the runner beans around his plate, didn't she know by know that they were the one vegetables that he hated. The conversation had gone silent a good five minutes ago, but it wasn't a comfortable silence it was the exact opposite, the kind of silence where no one knew what to say. The kind of silence he never had with Calleigh.

"Daddy is you working tomorrow?" Anissa asked through a mouthful of custard.

"Am yes I am darling I'm on the evening shift though so I'll be taking you to school."
"Great." She smiled.

"Yeah…" Eric replied. Natalia looked up and went to speak but then stopped. Silence took over the room again. He couldn't go on like this or he'd go crazy.

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"God I love quite days." Ryan smiled and sat back in his chair.

"Yeah me too." Natalia grinned and walked over to him carrying two cups of coffee. She set one down in front of him and sat opposite him.

"So we still on to take Ani to the circus next weekend?" Ryan asked.

"Am yeah, I was wondering though if I should ask Eric to come as well…" she said.

"Still doing the whole 'happy family' thing?"

"trying to… we just don't fit Ry, it just doesn't fit." She sighed. He reached over and took her hand.

"So end it"

"Ryan you know I cant…"

"Cause of Ani I know I know but Nat you know as well as I and probably Eric do that you should be with me instead!" she just looked down at his hand and stroked his thumb lightly. Sometimes she still didn't know how she'd fallen in love with Ryan Wolfe, he was so young, the baby of the group. She looked up at him and smiled I guess that's how things go…

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Calleigh had just greeted Natalia and Ryan as they were finishing their shifts, and was now looking out the window as Eric help his daughter out of his S.U.V and into her mothers. Calleigh smiled at the sight of Eric and Ani laughing. But as she saw Natalia turn and almost catch her eye she spun around and walked down the hall to her lab.

The day passed slowly, she was on a case with a new trainee so she didn't even have to see Eric, but she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

She was leaning over her desk just before lunch when she heard the door close behind her. Her first instinct was that it was Mia (The trainee) back with the test results until she heard the door lock. She went to turn around to see just who it was when a pair of hands grabbed her waist, a chin came to rest on her shoulder and all she could smell was his intoxicating cologne.

"I cant take it any more Calleigh I'm meant to be with you…" he whispered. "… I know I ended it and that you have every right to kick me out of here right now but please…" she cut him off turning around to take his face in her hands and kiss him…