I'm glad you guys actually liked my Deluca Motel chapter. And I had an idea for this episode before I saw it, so here you go.

(this is set after episode 711: Tipping Point)

Strong gusts of wind whistled harshly through the door as it opened. The two stepped inside quickly and he forced it shut behind him. She let out a bur and hugged her black leather coat closer. He couldn't help but smirk at her responce to the little cool breeze that felt like sunshine to him. The keys were tossed on the kitchen counter of her cozy apartment.

The couch, rather the pull out bed, sat invitingly in the living room, just a short distance away from his grasp. A smile tugged at his mouth as he took in the comfortable sight.

"So," she began, "have you had anything to eat? Do you want anything to drink? Anything at all?" Calleigh stood next to him with an inquisitive look on her darling face. He glanced down at her, noticing her level changed and her bare feet on the floor.

"I'd like this couch, please," he eyed the sexy couch calling his name. Eric went over to it and dropped his heavy black bag with clothes on the floor. 'Body, meet, bed'. She came up to the edge of the bed and stared at him in it. "Calleigh, I think I'm in love with your couch."

"I'm glad you like it," she admired. One luminous smile appeared on her face at him sprawled on the matress. His eyes closed as if he were asleep. "Uhm, there are some towels and stuff in the guest bathroom, when you're ready to use it."

"Thank you, Calleigh."

"No, thank you, for coming to your senses and staying with me. It's the least I can do. So, I'm gonna go ahead and freshen up." She turned and headed for her room then suddenly spun back around. "Oh, and uh mi casa su casa."

"Cal.?"

"Yeah?"

"No midnight tiptoe?" Her eyebrows frowed at the question. A moment of pure silence passed and then she realized.

"Oh," a flash of relief came over his face, "you remember that? Well then, that too."

Finally she disappeared round the corner and he heard a door shut. As much as he loved spanish, he loved to hear Calleigh speak it even more. He had to admit, it sounded a bit sexy. 'Wait a minute: Calleigh, sexy?' he shook off the thought immediately and sat himself up in bed. That shower was calling him now.

About an hour after the two met again and said their goodnights to one another. They both fell asleep instantly. Their day off work was done and three days off were to come.

ECECECECECECECECEC

Soft snores sounded in the sweet atmosphere of the living room. She wondered if he was aware of his snoring, but it didn't matter because he seemed relaxed in his deep sleep. Eric lay on his stomach wrapped in the white sheets and his head rested peacefully on the pillow. She smiled and allowed a quiet aw before reaching for the leaves again. SMASH! Calleigh gasped, covering her mouth. Her eyes moved from the broken ornament at her feet to his squirming in bed.

Eric stretched his arms, making a sound as he yawned and cracked his eyes open to greet the morning. He looked a bit growchy when he sat up staring at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Eric," she apologised as expected. She reached down to pick up the pieces.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a hoarse voice. He watched her scurry around the place.

"I'm just doing a little decorating, and I smashed the thing by accident." Calleigh brought back a broom and swept it up speedily.

"Are you okay?" he asked swinging his feet out of bed. He saw her walking funny all the way to the kitchen then back.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch," she replied.

And then he noticed it standing there beside her. A Christmas tree, as tall as he, posed its green self. It looked new and was clearly fake, well all christmas trees in Miami were fake, the real ones grew where snow fell.

"When did this get here?" he stared at it.

"I put it together, just an hour ago."

"All by yourself?"

"Don't belittle me, Eric," she warned, "and it was easy, besides I didn't wanna wake you up cause I thought you'd wanna awake late."

He grinned at her lengthy explanation. To get a better look at the tree he stood up. It was actually six foot three, two inches taller than himself. He still couldn't believe she did it alone.

Soon he looked down at her staring up at him with those big ol' green eyes of hers. She looked like a child at Christmas expecting her new barbie doll from Santa. Cute. She had on a simple sky blue shirt and capri pants that hugged her skin to match it. She inturn observed his look. He wore one of his white under shirts that showed off his muscles and dark blue plad boxers which revealed his hairly legs. 'Ew at that last part,' she grinned not only to herself. 'What?' Eric glanced down then back up, 'Oh'.

"This is embarrassing," he blushed, "I'm gonna change." He bent down searching his bag for some clothes.

"I'll get you some coffee while you're at it."

She busied herself in the kitchen and he changed in the bathroom. When he came out he sat around the round glass table. There his coffee waited and it tasted great. Wait, where was she? He could hear and smell bacon and eggs and pancakes frying. Soon she brought out a plate for herself and him.

"Whoa," he was surprized, "I usually don't eat this much before work."

"Me either," she stuffed a small pancake in her mouth, "but, when I have my day offs I have to. The only way you're not gonna eat this much is if you're trying to watch your figure." He smiled at her eating.

"I am sorta but, what the heck." Eric dug in.

ECECECECECECECECECEC

After their lovely meal they gave the tree some needed attention. Calleigh brought out boxes of ornaments and decorations and lights for it. Calleigh wanted everything in the boxes to be on the tree. First were the lights. She handed him the white ones first then the coloured after. Suddenly she laughed out and he stared at her.

"I remember when I was younger, my mother rolled me up with the lights and let me go round and round the tree just to put them up," they laughed, "and then, and then my brother plugged them in and I got so scared of being shocked I screamed out hell!"

Second was the ornaments. The smallest to biggest, from top to bottom. Little snow flake charms, red, gold and silver balls, baby angels, Rudolf and so much more. Eric swore it was going to fall over and squash her and kept telling her to stand back. He couldn't believe how much fun could come from simply decorating a christmas tree.

Thirdly and lastly was the ornament on the top. Was it an angel? Was it a fat Santa? He guessed in his mind, waiting on her to take it out of the box. She held up a yellow star the size of God's palm which had its own blinking light, too.

"Let me help you," he suggested.

"No, I got it," he protested. He watched uneasily as she stretched onto her toe nails, and she sighed away fear as the star seemed that it would reach safely.

"Ah!" Suddenly she came crashing down and her finger lost grip of the star. His manly arms caught her as she fell into him. He was as frightened as she was. "O' God, Eric where's the star?"

"I got it, I got you, too," Eric placed her down to stand on the floor. He gave her a serious and worried look. "God made you five foot, three inches for a reason, don't over do it, and me six foot, one to hit into low ceilings." Calleigh looked at him in a different way. She was amazed at his choice of words.

"I'm sorry," she head dropped, "I like my height, but it's the best part of the tree to decorate, Eric and I've always done it. Well, with the help of someone." She looked back up at him. Never noticing that their bodies kept touching.

"No worries," he said. Then he turned her around facing the tree, handed her the glowing star and gave her a boost. A gasp came from her mouth and he smiled to himself. She smiled too, placing it on the top.

"Thank you," Calleigh said as he put her down. The two gazed at the twinkling lights and colours in front of them. Yay, Eric wasn't spending Christmas Eve, Day or Boxing Day alone!