Eric's POV

It's the morning after Natalia's party, I only drank a few and so I felt fine compared to the others, I suspect. First thing I did was glance at my alarm clock. I'm eight minutes early. Good. Then I got back into a comfy position and kept my eyes shut at least until the alarm goes off. I wasn't tired enough to fall back asleep, so I contemplated on something else. Something that happened last night that I can remember so clearly.

"Thanks" she said. I could see the contentment in her eyes, for the first time in a long time. I felt like she was really happy in the moment, I wouldn't wanna take a chance to spoil it with my recent wanting for her. Looking out to as far as I can to the Atlantic, I noticed in the corner of my eye, she was moving closer to me. She took a half step and placed her hand to my cheek. Calleigh's hands…hands that have held countless of types of guns, rifle or revolver. Hands that are tougher than any other woman I know. But away from that, they are the sweetest and most delicate hands you could ever touch.

I opened my eyes, and glared at the sealing. Our lips touched. Boy, I never wanted to pull away. But it was a soft kiss. And I couldn't complain. If only the feeling I felt at that moment would last forever. BEEP BEEP BEEP, the horrid tone of the alarm instantly snapped me out of this daydream. I slammed my arm down to the machine and my wrist managed to shut it off. Stretching my body as far as I could, I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

Calleigh's POV

Natalia and I got out of her Hummer. I left mine at my private parking spot in the MDPD's parking lot the night before as we all rode on her's en route to Romartico.

As we stepped out of the elevator, the first thing we saw was Wolfe by the front desk, his face leaning on his fist. "Did you have a good morning, Ryan?" Natalia teased.

"What do you think?" he mumbled.

Having no time for these unnecessary conversations I greeted both of them goodbye, "Don't hesitate to tell me if you get something new on the Chuck Philips case, alright?" I really had no obligations in the case except for keeping an eye on it. No shots were fired, and so my ballistics lab can rest for awhile. Thus, this is the only case that's in our hands right now, it has been a very rare crimeless week. Not that I'm complaining. I expect more, but I'd rather have it stay this way. The only thing left to do is…hm I actually don't know. Walter, Horatio, and Jesse are not in the lab. Natalia and Wolfe are, but no job to do there. So either Eric and the suspect Robert Ercito or do a check-up session with my guns at my lab…Eric. So I changed my route and headed for the interrogation room at homicide.

I hadn't forgotten last night. What I did. Of course I hadn't, I know for a fact that it was real, that I wasn't out of character or God forbid, drunk.

I opened the door to the office, and walked pass by Frank's cubicle. "Hey" I greeted.

"Hey, Cal. Our suspect is in there with Eric" he pointed to the closed room across the walk way. "Horatio'll come over in a few."

"Okay" I smiled and made my way to lean on the wall just outside interrogation. I watched Eric with the guy, he handed a few evidence papers, and discussed it with him with such composure. I managed to catch his eye, not I was intending to. He gave me small smile, and then focused back to Robert Ercito.

About a minute later, he stood up from his seat and exited the room. "Calleigh" he said. "H" I looked behind and was slightly startled to see Horatio standing a couple of feet behind me.

"So what do we have, Eric?"

"He insisted that he had nothing to with it."

"Did he…"

"Yeah" Eric crossed him arms. "But hear this, he did tell me his own recent plans to hang himself. Apparently, he is a recent divorcee, lost custody of his little girl. Other than that, he said this to me," he uncrossed his arms and reached for the papers clipped under his right shoulder. "and I quote…I'm just a janitor man, I have no future. I lost my daughter. And with my low as hell salary, I can't even take proper care of myself." I could imagine how the man might've said it to Eric.

"Hm. I see." The three of us then glimpsed at the man. "Eric, have any one of the team that's available to talk to Mr. Ercito's closest co-workers will ya…let's see if his story checks out."

"Sure, H."

"Hey, what about me," I looked at Horatio.

"Well, Calleigh, at this point we have no jobs for you to do…so try your best to assist the others, okay?" he said. Well this is just great.

"Okay" I said. I think they sensed my disappointed tone. Anyhoo, I walked out of homicide and headed back to the lab.

Eric's POV

Calleigh walked away disappointed. But after this I'm planning to request her assistance with Ercito's co-workers, hopefully that will please her at least. I smirked at her direction and totally forgot Horatio's presence in front of me.

"You really care about her, do you?" he caught back my attention.

"Yeah, H. She just…means so much to me, you know?"

"I see" he looked out the building's windows. "Then why don't you let her go with you to the school arena?"

I chuckled. "I'm one step ahead of you, H. Besides, you should have told that to me awhile ago when she was still here. Why the sudden change of mind?"

"I don't know, Eric." he smiled and patted my shoulder. "For the both of you. I saw last night." He walked away and left the room, not needing a reply from me.

Eric, Calleigh and Wolfe will ask around the arena and its offices...more action between the two of them in the next chapter :)