Chapter 10

"Hey Calleigh." Eric said as he walked into the ballistics lab.

"Hi." She said without looking up.

"Weren't you supposed to pick Danny up a half hour ago?" Eric looked at the clock on the wall.

"Oh my god! I forgot!" Calleigh dropped with the evidence in her instant panic. Every minutes she was wasn't there, was one that could cost Danny her life.

"Cal..." Eric grabbed her hands to get her attention, "I'll get her. Calm down."

"Thank you, Eric! I can't believe this." She looked so helpless, like the world was on her shoulders and she was crumpling under the weight of it.

"Calleigh, it's alright. She's going to be fine." He gave her a playful grin and a wink as he walked out of the lab, causing her to smile.

Eric called Horatio from the garage to let him know where he is going. He climbed into the Hummer and took off toward the high school. The drive was pretty short. When he was in high school, he would definitely have been walking. When he pulled up there were still a few groups of kids in front of the building. He started looking for Danny. She must have spotted him first because she was already walking toward him. A boy from a nearby group broke away and stepped in her path. The cop and protective-brother in Eric took over and he was out of the Hummer before he even registered the thought. As he got closer, he could see that she was smiling politely while the boy tried his best line.

"Baby, then you must know what I'm hereafter." He finished with a playboy smile.

"Aw," she smiled seductively and leaned in close to his ear, "then you must know you're not going to get it." Her smile quickly changed smug and she walked around him. Eric chuckled, remembering his own failed attempts. They could hear his buddies telling him he had been shut down when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to look at him, but continued to walk, even though it was backwards.

"Come on…just go out with me." He still had that silly look on his face. Eric remembered having that look.

"No" She said, finally to the vehicle. She turned to get in. He held the door so she couldn't open it. Panic rose in her chest, but she forced it back down. The cop was here, and this kid wasn't purposefully scaring her.

"Why not? You just coming off a bad relationship of something?" He sounded so hopeful. God, if getting a date for Friday night was her biggest concern…

"You mean because it couldn't possibly be that I'm just not interested?" She looked him in the eye. He feigned offended. She took a deep breath, "I'm not coming off a bad relationship. I'm coming off of being raped."

"I'm so sorry." His puffed up ego deflated, but he didn't act like she was contaminated, like she had expected. He was sincere.

"You didn't know." She didn't look him in the eyes like she had done before.

"Well, whenever you're ready, I really would like to go out with you." He opened the door for her to get in. She merely nodded and climbed in. He closed the door after her. "My name's Seth, by the way."

Danny smiled and let out a tiny laugh as Eric pulled away from the curb and headed for the lab.

"How was your day?" Eric asked.

"It was fine."

"Just fine?"

"You knew my father?" She looked at him. "Tim Speedle."

"Yeah, I knew him. He was my best friend."

"What was he like? My mother… she never said anything about him. Not even once."

"That's hard to believe, because every time she looked at you she had to have seen him." He looked at her briefly before continuing, "He was a good man. He wasn't the most organized person, but he was strong and determined. I remember, he used to take things at of Calleigh's kit without telling her. And she would get so upset with him. And he would talk her down every time, and then go right back and do it again." He smiled at the memory. She smiled too, imagining Calleigh being so angry then forgiving, even though she knew it would happen again.

"How did he die?"

"There was a shoot-out when he and Horatio went to check up on something. His gun misfired, and he was shot. He died so fast. Emergency never had a chance of making it in time." Danny nodded.

"I wish I had met him." Eric stretched his hands then gripped the wheel again.

"He would have loved to have you in his life." He glanced at her and saw her wipe her eyes and turn to look out the window.

The remainder of the drive was made in silence.