Thanks for waiting, this chapter is little shorter than the others but I figured you'd like an update now rather than later. Also this hasn't been beta read as you'll probably figure out but if anyone would like to beta the next chapter please let me know. x
Eric stood silently beside Calleigh as they waited in ballistics for a call from child services, to let them know that Amy had arrived at PD. He knew something was wrong, because he knew Calleigh. Something about the case had stirred hidden feelings in his partner and he was determined to help her resolve them but now was neither the time nor the place.
Eric couldn't help but watch as she stared blankly at the screen, her eyes clearly not registering or effected by what was flashing on it.
"Calleigh?" Eric said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact snapped Calleigh back to reality and the case at hand but as she tried to concentrate, Calleigh found herself leaning back relishing the heat that Eric's body brought. In an attempt to focus Calleigh, blinked a couple of times and gently shook her head, however, she noticed the concern look on Eric's face before looking at the computer screen.
"I'm fine," she said quietly, giving her almost trademark answer to Eric's impeding questioning.
"Calleigh, talk to me," he said his voice softening causing Calleigh to turn her head and look at Eric. His eyes almost pleading her to talk to him, but something was stopping her, she just couldn't do it and it wasn't like she didn't trust him...she did, it was more the fact that she had never spoke about her past experiences.
"Eric...I..." Calleigh open her mouth to try and explain but couldn't formulate any words and luckily for her was interrupted by her cell which, saved her from looking like a babbling idiot.
"Duquesne?" Calleigh asked answering her cell not bothering to look at her caller ID as she moved away from Eric, who couldn't help but, roll his eyes at the situation they had gotten themselves into and the fact that Calleigh was being her usual self and had put up her emotional defences.
Eric struggled to listen on Calleigh's conversation but by the look on her face it didn't sound good so, instead turned most of his attention to the bullet match on the monitor in front of him. The gun that had been used to kill Amy's mother, wasn't afraid of the system in the last 5 years it had been used in 9 shooting with only 2 being fatal, however the hard part was the fact it didn't have a registered owner so there was no telling where it was or whether it was still with its original owner.
Calleigh hung up on her cell and covered the short distance between her and Eric in a second, where she placed a hand on his shoulder, not noticing his involuntary shiver, and lent over him to read the screen.
"Anyway, that was Frank. The car that Amy was being brought in was stopped about a block from here and Amy's gone," Calleigh explained quietly, her breath tickling his ear.
Eric quickly had to stop himself from turning his head to meet her lips, this was not the time or the place, also knowing Calleigh, he might end up with a bullet to the gut if he wasn't quick enough.
"What do you want to do?" Eric asked clearing his throat,
"Well, Frank and Horatio are at the scene so I guess we are going to have to sit tight until they find a lead," Calleigh replied suddenly very conscience of her proximity to Eric removed her hand from Eric's shoulder and took a small step away, leaving Eric feeling slightly confused and feeling the loss of the contact.
"Right, I'll go see if Valera has the DNA results back yet and then we'll have to go speak to Frankee if she doesn't turn up," Eric said getting up, leaving Calleigh to wonder what had just happened between them.
It wasn't long before Horatio walked into ballistics with a bullet and shell casing in hand, causing Calleigh to look up.
"Can you process this?" he asked handed Calleigh the evidence bags
"Sure, is this connected to Amy's disappearance?" She asked taking the evidence, with a false smile from Horatio and walking over to the microscope slicing open the bottom of the evidence bag before placing the recovered bullet under the microscope.
"It's a match Horatio. Now we just need a hand to place the gun in." Calleigh said looking up from the microscope and stepping away allowing Horatio a look for himself.
"Thanks ma'am," he said standing up straight
"No problem, just don't tell Ryan that your evidence came first," Calleigh replied smiling,
"It's our secret Cal," Horatio said before leaving making Calleigh smile, genuinely.
Eric walked past Horatio came out of ballistics smiling, at least Calleigh was in a better mood because it took a lot to make Horatio smile at the moment, then again who couldn't resist Calleigh's southern charm?
"Should I be jealous?" Eric asked smiling as he walked into ballistics, DNA results in hand,
"Depends on what you've got for me," Calleigh replied as Eric passed her the results folder.
Calleigh quickly took in the results before handing the folder back to Eric, a frown on her face. The results were useless, no name was churned, in fact its only use was that it confirmed their suspicions that Amy's father had something to do with her mother's murder and own disapperance.
"I..I'm going to talk to Frankee, tell her what's been going on. Could you go see Cooper and try track down the father, use credit cards, phone details, previous addresses...anything, just get us something to work with?" Calleigh asked running her hand through her hair, trying quietly vent her frustration.
"You sure you don't need me?" He asked gently grabbing her arm as she tried to walk past him. From there Eric could see he own frustration mirrored in Calleigh's eyes, their evidence was causing them to grasp at straws but with no definitive lead, they seemed to be going down an endless one way street and had now met the brick wall at the end.
"Yes, I'm sure. Thanks Eric but I need you to go speak to Cooper as it seems the best way forward." She said, a weak smile on her features, as Eric let go of her arm, but before leaving ballistics Calleigh turned to face her partner, "And just so you know there's only one man at the moment, so I wouldn't be too jealous," Calleigh said winking, before disappearing around the corner, leaving Eric with a huge grin plastered to his face and feelings of delight and hope bubbling under his skin.
please press the little button! x