Sorry for not keeping up my usual quick posting, the writer's block came back. But I think I might have managed to shake it for a while :P
So here you go.
Enjoy!
All That You Can't Leave Behind...
It had been a simple moment, and one that still made him smile. It was a picture of him, lying on his back in her garden. Shirt unbuttoned, hands behind his head; asleep. And Calleigh had seen the photo opportunity and taken it.
Her garden was perfect for moments like this one; private and quiet - save from the sound of the birds as they sang in the trees - and he found himself laughing when he remembered how she always used to check the spot that they sat in for ants. She'd inspected four areas before this photograph had been taken, and she still hadn't been satisfied when Eric had grown impatient and pulled her down with him; he'd managed to silence her protests, however... he always knew how to.
They'd spent many lazy Sundays like this, just content to sit with one another; just to be with each other. But this particular afternoon was the one that stood out from all of them...
/EC/
He woke to the sound of a camera shutter and groaned when he realised that Calleigh had just taken a snap-shot of his snooze time.
"Eric!" Calleigh laughed as he attempted to pull the camera from her grasp.
"You get that you just violated a privacy law, right?" he grinned back, still trying to snatch at her hand.
She rolled her eyes and pushed herself out of his reach, "What's the matter? Scared I didn't get your best side?" she teased.
He laughed and after another failed attempt to grab the camera, he caught her by surprise and reached for her hips, lifting her on top of him. "I don't have a best side," he smirked, "all of me is hot."
"You sure about that?" Calleigh asked, arching an eyebrow; watching his hands as he began to run them down the tops of her arms... until he suddenly sat up and snaked his arms around her waist, placing a gentle kiss on her stomach.
"Absolutely," he breathed against her, moving up to her neck...
/EC/
But the moment had been broken - as always - by a phone. That time it had been his and she'd forced him to answer it. He smiled when he remembered that she never could stand the sound of an unanswered cell. It was the way that it wouldn't stop ringing; musically screaming for someone to pick it up and say something.
So he had reluctantly answered it and leant back down on the grass, listening to his mother's voice. And Eric frowned when he realised that he had no idea what the call had been about; 'probably some kind of lecture about why he hadn't come over for Sunday lunch,' he grinned. What he did remember, however, was Calleigh's smile as she'd sat in his lap, gazing down at the digital display of the camera; staring at the photo that she'd just taken.
It was that smile that he loved so much. The cute but oh-so-coy one that never failed to drive him crazy, and he'd reached up to run his fingers through her hair; bringing her gaze back to his; rolling his eyes at her as his mother had continued to talk.
Calleigh had simply laughed and whispered, "Tell her I say hi." And with that, she'd shifted her position to lay down beside him as he'd slipped his arm behind her head.
It hadn't really differed from a normal Sunday when Eric thought about it. But when he'd finally managed to end the phone call, Calleigh had triggered a chain of events and created one of their best memories. It had been the first time that they'd said it...
/EC/
She watched as he shut his phone and tossed it to one side, her fingers unconsciously playing with the camera. And as he turned his head to look at her to flash her a playful grin, she reached out to trace his smile.
"How's the family?" she murmured softly.
"They're good." He nodded as he caught her hand and began to play with her fingers; causing her other hand to drop the camera. They both ignored it, however, and he continued, "My dad's heading out to Russia next week."
Calleigh rolled over then and propped herself up on one elbow. "Is everything okay?" she asked, a little concerned.
"Yeah," Eric smiled, "he goes once every year to visit some relatives." He watched as she relaxed once more and he took a moment to steal a glance at her.
She had a sense of peace about her as she tugged lazily at the grass - so much so, that she didn't even notice the tiny ant that was slowly creeping its way towards her. But before she could, he swatted it away and feigned it off as a stretch; knowing that if he told her what he'd done he'd have to endure another ten minutes of finding an ant-free spot.
"Have you ever been?" Calleigh suddenly asked.
"To Russia?" Eric frowned; continuing when she nodded, "Uh, no."
"You know the language, though..." she murmured, remembering hearing him interrogate a suspect once. And then with that smile, she pushed herself up and settled back down in Eric's lap. Her fingers began to trace the lines of his chest until she heard him speak again.
"I'm a bit rusty," he sighed, bringing his hands behind his head. He shot her a mock glare when she arched an eyebrow, "Rusty at speaking Russian, Cal!" And as she began to laugh, he pulled her flat against his chest and rolled them over; his body now on top of hers. "What, you don't remember last night?" he whispered.
She grinned up at him and shrugged. "I think you're going to have to remind me," she breathed against his mouth; stopping his movement to kiss her with her hand. He frowned down at her and she laughed again. "Tell me something in Russian."
"Like what?"
"Anything."
He stared at her for a moment, silently searching for some inspiration, and his face broke out into a smile when he realised that he had the perfect thing to say. "Ya tebya lyublyu." He laughed when she attempted to repeat it, and he set about correcting her pronunciation. "Ya teb-ya lou-blue." And after the third time of her trying, she finally got it.
"What does it mean?" she asked, a little curious about the smile that was currently tugging at his mouth.
He laughed again and brought his head closer, his breath tickling her face. "You just told me that you love me," he whispered, holding her gaze.
Calleigh said nothing for a moment, and he suddenly felt doubt creep in. But as though she sensed his fear, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, well you said it first."
"And I meant it," he breathed before he stole a kiss; just breaking away long enough for her to whisper,
"Me too..."
/EC/
There was a smile on his face now as the memory died down, and he glanced over at her. She was sleeping away peacefully; silent and unmoving. And it was with a sigh that he reached out for her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.
"I'll always mean it," he murmured, "I just wish I knew where you were right now."
"Eric..." a soft voice suddenly called out to him and he couldn't help but feel the sharp stab of disappointment when he realised that it wasn't Calleigh. Horatio must've have seen something in his eyes, too, as he said, "Eric, it will be okay."
He held the lieutenant's gaze for a moment, before he eventually nodded and leant back into his chair, rubbing away the tiredness in his eyes.
"Has there been any change?" Horatio asked, coming to stand on the opposite side of Calleigh's hospital bed. He watched as the other man shook his head and looked down at his lap, his gaze transfixed on something. "What is that?" Horatio murmured, gesturing to the photo album.
"Uh," Eric shut the album quickly, "it's nothing."
But it was everything.
Horatio stared at him curiously for a moment, stared at him with that mixture of hesitancy and compassion that he'd only been on the receiving end of once. It had been shortly after Marisol had died and Eric couldn't help but feel a sudden flair up of anger; even when it had been him in the hospital bed, Horatio had never once given him that look; the one of such uncertainty and sadness. And it angered him because Calleigh was going to be okay.
He just wished that everyone else had the same confidence...
"Eric..." Horatio's voice cut in, "Eric how about you go home, okay? Get some sleep."
"I won't be able to," he replied, a little more sharply than was necessary. "I want to be here when she wakes up."
There was that look again. The one of sympathy and even worse, kindness. He didn't want it. Didn't need it.
All he wanted was for Calleigh to wake up.
"She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," Horatio murmured. "You need some rest, Eric, some fresh air. The nurses told me that you haven't left this room once in the past nine hours; not even to take a bathroom break." A silence took hold then and the lieutenant began to fiddle with his shades, hoping that he wasn't going to have to order Eric home.
He'd felt unwelcome as soon as he'd stepped into the room. Ryan had told him that he'd felt it too when he'd popped by earlier in an attempt to drag Eric away. It was almost as if Eric had developed some kind of coping mechanism that denoted that only he should be allowed to sit with Calleigh. That if he left, then she'd never wake up.
"Eric - "
"Horatio, I'm fine!" he snapped. The silence resumed and he took a moment to close his eyes; to collect himself again. "I'm sorry," he breathed, "it's just so - "
"Hard?" Horatio finished. "You just need some rest, Eric. Calleigh would want you to take care of yourself right now." He held the other man's gaze for a moment, trying to get through to the rational part of his mind. And he nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Eric nod.
"But you'll stay with her?" he asked suddenly.
"Of course," Horatio smiled. "I'll call if anything happens."
But Eric wasn't looking at the lieutenent. Instead his gaze was back on Calleigh and he reached out to take her hand once more, giving it a gentle squeeze in the hope that she'd squeeze it back.
She didn't, though.
So with a sigh, he released her from his grasp and moved up to her face; gently brushing her cheek with his thumb before he replaced it with his mouth. He pulled back a little to whisper, "Beregi zdorovie, Cal. Take care." And after planting a second gentle kiss on her face, he reached for the photo album and turned back to Horatio.
"Goodbye, Eric," the lieutenant told him firmly.
He merely nodded and after shooting a final lingering glance at Calleigh, he left the room; immediately feeling a sense of loss now that he didn't have her in front of him.
But he still had the photo album.
And as he made his way to the hospital car park, he began to flick through it again; a smile returning to his mouth when he found the next photograph...
I haven't got any plans for the next couple of days - well, I say that. I should be revising - so I will probably be updating fast. I've got a couple of scenes in my head at the moment and I'm determined to type them up before my muse decides to go AWOL on me again.
Reviews very much appreciated. :D
