Thanks for the reviews everyone! So, this isn't the last chapter, I don't know how long it's going to be ;)
Tons of Nat in this chapter.
Eric stepped into Natalia's hospital room, she was slowly coming out of her drug induced slumber. Eric sat in the chair beside her, smiling despite the ache in his heart. She repetitively blinked her eyes and looked up at Eric.
"I owe you one," she smiled, her voice slightly hoarse.
Eric chuckled. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, my throat is a bit sore," Natalia shrugged, then her eyes grew with worry and her voice went slightly hysterical. "Oh God, please tell me Horatio is okay."
"Calm down, he's fine," he assured her. "He will be out of here in a few days."
Natalia relaxed into her pillows and rubbed her eyes, removing any traces of sleep. "How's the search for Toller coming?"
"Wolfe and Walter are on it right now, they are going to see you guys when Calleigh and I go in tonight," he explained.
Natalia nodded in understanding, but she noticed a change of tone in his voice when he said Calleigh's name. There were definitely two sides in the way Eric said Calleigh's name. One side was hard, defensive and even slightly angry, while the other side was the one Natalia was used to hearing, full of love, happiness and devotion; never had Natalia heard the two dynamics together.
"What's going on?" Natalia asked.
"Wolfe said there is still the BOLO out, there are-."
"Eric, I'm not talking about the case. I'm talking about with you," she said. "What's going on with you and Calleigh?"
"Nothing," Eric answered a bit too quickly. The fact that Natalia had the special ability to read people with one glance had eluded him; he should have known she would suspect something.
"You're lying," Natalia replied, instantly.
"It's nothing," he repeated, but he was even less convincing than the lie before.
Natalia sighed in frustration. There was nothing she hated more than an unanswered question and it promoted curiosity, which had become her worst trait, she was sometimes a bit too curious. Not only out of the need to solve the puzzle in front of her was Natalia determined to get the answer, but it was apparent this situation with Calleigh was affecting Eric negatively and if it was affecting him, there was a good chance it was too affecting Calleigh.
"I can tell this is serious," Natalia said, sitting up in bed and folding her hands in her lap. "You saved my life, now let me help you."
Eric shook his head, half of a smile forming on his lips. "I appreciate that, but there really isn't anything anyone can do."
"You can do something. I'm sure if you just told Calleigh you're sorry or whatever, she'll take you back. It may take a while for that to happen, but she will take you back," Natalia said, confidently, assuming that Eric had done something to jeopardize their relationship—that had been the reoccurring pattern—and he was at a loss of how to repair the damage.
Eric's reaction to her advice was not at all what Natalia was expecting. He didn't smile or nod, instead he just became solely focused on the tiles of the floor. Natalia's eyebrows knitted together as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Unless," she began, "you want Calleigh to apologize for something."
To that, Eric responded; he released a despairing chuckle and shook his head.
"It's not really a matter of one of us owing the other an apology," he said, still looking at the floor.
"Then what is it a matter of?" Natalia asked.
From where Eric was sitting he had three options. One: He could lie, but he knew Natalia had enough common sense and skills in interrogation that she would be able to see through it. Two: He could leave, only then she would track him down and question him again. Three: He could tell her the truth, an option he wasn't eager to choose, however the one he felt most obligated.
"Fine," Eric sighed in defeat. He proceeded to summarize the last few months and the events of earlier that day. Eric made sure not to reveal too many details, wanting to be as discreet as possible.
Natalia listened well, seeming to understand how Calleigh's unpredictable trust issues and her walls could cause issues in a relationship. Eric didn't explain each individual dilemma they had endured—she probably had heard about most of them from the rumors circulating in the lab, anyway—but gave Natalia a basic overview of the heartache they had caused one another and how it seemed their relationship consisted of one factor…pain.
Once Eric thought he had supplied Natalia with enough information, he stopped and only then Natalia spoke.
"I see where you're coming from, Eric, and I know sometimes it's tough, but isn't Calleigh worth it?"
Eric stared at the ground, seeing for one moment the love he still had for Calleigh and how every fight or disagreement they ever had was remedied by their feelings for one another. They had been willing to sacrifice anything for one another. He could see Calleigh's smile, hear her laughter and feel her in his arms and wanting all those magical moments to return. But Eric was very much aware that love couldn't conquer all complications, no matter how desperately he wished it could.
"She is," Eric sighed. "But…"
"But nothing. Eric, do you think Horatio is going to quit working at CSI just because there is the chance he will get shot again?" Natalia asked.
"That's different," Eric sighed.
"The principle isn't," she pointed out. "Please, just sleep on it."
Two weeks passed since Horatio and Natalia had been hospitalized and things had slowly returned to their original normality. Toller had miraculously been caught after three extensive days of searching, Horatio and Natalia had already returned to work and Calleigh slid back into Second in Command after Horatio's return. Unfortunately, the situation between Eric and Calleigh didn't change; they were still distant and had hardly spoken to one another since the afternoon at the hospital. Now, Calleigh fought through the burn in her chest as her feet traveled faster against the revolving belt of the treadmill, attempting to keep her breathing steady. She could feel the droplets of perspiration form on her face the same way dew appeared on morning leaves, beads of sweat running down her face to form a path over her fair skin. She was one of the few people at the local gym and one of two people on the treadmills, the man three machines down also living in his own little world.
"You look like you are about to die," Natalia stated, also wearing workout attire, her hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail and two bottles of Gatorade in hand. The two women had carpooled to the gym together after a tense workday and figuring that the gym was a good place to work off some steam—working off some calories was a bonus. Natalia's newly appointed therapist also suggested to her that perhaps taking the time to improve her physical health as a way to aid her psychological well being; the therapist then stated spending time with friends would also potentially have some benefit. Besides, ever since her conversation with Eric a fortnight ago, Natalia wondered how Calleigh was coping and if Eric had taken any of Natalia's advice.
"How was aerobics?" Calleigh asked, ignoring her friend's comment.
"It was okay," she shrugged before looking at the readings on the treadmill display panel. "Calleigh, you've barely been here forty-five minutes and you're almost at nine miles. Either you're on steroids or you are pushing yourself way too hard."
"No pain, no gain," she panted, still trying to take strong breaths.
"What are you trying to gain, a trip to the hospital?" Natalia asked, reaching up to decrease the speed on the treadmill until it (and Calleigh's feet) stopped. "Rehydrate," she said, holding up one of the bottles of Gatorade.
Calleigh sighed in defeat and stepped off the treadmill, taking the drink Natalia offered her. They stepped towards a nearby bench, Calleigh's thigh and calf muscles throbbing with every step she took.
"It's not like I was going to give myself a heart attack," Calleigh pointed out, still trying to catch her breath as they sat down.
"True, but if I had your lungs, I wouldn't take chances," she said, twisting the lid off the bottle to take a sip of the blue liquid.
Calleigh chuckled. "Third time is supposed to be the charm."
"And God forbid that should happen. If something happened to you I'd be the only woman on the team…. Not to mention a certain Cuban would be very, very upset," Natalia stated, confidently, approaching the subject she had been hoping to reach.
"You think?" Calleigh asked, trying to sound nonchalant about Eric, pretending that if he didn't care then maybe she could adapt to the idea they were no longer together; the idea he didn't want to be together.
"Calleigh," she sighed, impatiently. "We both know he would care and we both know he is crazy about you."
Calleigh rolled her lips as she screwed the lid back on her bottle, wishing the words escaping from Natalia's lips were true, but Calleigh had learned to embrace reality and her heart began to ache, the pain wasn't a result of her intense workout.
"And you are crazy about him," Natalia said, the same certainty still dominant in her voice, nudging Calleigh with her elbow.
"Nat, I'm not crazy about Eric," she lied; Natalia may have been one of the closest friends she had, but Calleigh wasn't opted to share her details of her personal life. When it came to her romantic tragedies, she preferred to handle it the way she normally handled everything—alone, Natalia knew that. But Natalia also knew how in love the two were, despite how much they denied it.
"You know what I think? I think you are both crazy about each other, but you are both too hardheaded to accept it," Natalia stated, but Calleigh didn't reply, she had suddenly fascinated by the label on the bottle. "C'mon, Calleigh, you've found your perfect guy. I'm still waiting, embrace it."
"Natalia, that's probably because you are a bit too picky," Calleigh pointed out.
"I am not picky. I'm just looking for a guy who is nice, smart, polite, chivalrous, funny and has a voice like Alan Rickman's," Natalia shrugged, adding the last characteristic as a joke.
"Okay, so we just need to find you a British man who was brought up in Elizabethan times and who can sound good when teaching Potions at Hogwarts and trying to kill John McClane. Yeah, piece of cake," Calleigh chuckled.
"I can dream, can't I? Calleigh, seriously, Eric loves you with every fiber in his body," she insisted, her voice beginning to sound desperate as it became harder for Calleigh to accept anything she said.
Calleigh had already spent many nights lying in bed with Eric haunting every thought that passed through her head, the pain piggy-backed onto it. She couldn't discuss this anymore with Natalia and she took another swig of Gatorade before re-sealing the top and standing up.
"I'm going to do a few pull-ups," Calleigh stated, moving towards the numerous metal bars passed the treadmills; she heard Natalia jog to catch up to her.
"Cal, you can't avoid this subject forever," Natalia sighed, shaking her head, her ponytail bobbing slightly with each movement, some of the hair escaping and falling in front of her face.
"I wouldn't have to avoid it if you stopped bringing it up," Calleigh replied with a small grin as she set her drink beside the foot of the pole.
Natalia exhaled heavily as Calleigh jumped to grab the bar above her and pull herself up. Natalia began to nibble on the inside of her cheek, inwardly debating whether or not to tell Calleigh about the conversation she and Eric had shared weeks before. She knew telling Calleigh would betray Eric's trust and even hurt him if he were to find out, especially were this to end disastrously. But she felt by omitting information from Calleigh, she wasn't receiving a part of Eric's perspective that Natalia felt she deserved to know.
"Calleigh, I talked to Eric and I can tell he still has feelings for you," she sighed.
"When did you talk to him?" Calleigh asked, trying not to break her concentration as she raised her chin above the bar once again.
"When I was in the hospital. He came to see me and he seemed down, so I talked to him."
Finally, Calleigh lowered herself and her hands unclenched from the bar, her eyes now holding sadness, the kind one generally receives after reliving a painful memory.
"So you know why things are the way they are?" Calleigh asked; Natalia nodded.
"But I don't think he has stopped having feelings for you, he's just been-."
"Hurt," Calleigh finished the sentence, grabbing the bottle and the two began to walk aimlessly around the gym.
"Yeah. But, Calleigh, I know you never intended to hurt him and things probably just happened. And he has unthinkingly hurt you in the past-."
"Not in the same way," Calleigh pointed out, not meeting Natalia's eye, her sight focused on the pair of Nikes she had on her feet. Calleigh sighed and stopped to face her friend. "Listen, Natalia, I appreciate what you are trying to do, really. But there's nothing that can be done."
"When there's a will, there's a way," Natalia reminded her.
"True," Calleigh nodded. "So I will be going to the showers, which are that way."
Calleigh then turned around and headed towards the direction of the showers, leaving a slightly frustrated Natalia alone in the middle of the gym.
"Your friend seems a little pissed," a man commented as he approached Natalia, flinging his sand colored bangs out of his eyes.
Natalia shook her head, turning on her own heel to head towards the showers, but he just jogged to catch up with her.
"Is that a shake for no she's not pissed or are you just annoyed with me?" he asked with a smirk.
"Both," Natalia snapped. "But if she was upset, I don't see how it would be any of your business."
"Because I could cheer her up." His mouth slid into a devilish grin as he gave Natalia a wink.
"She has a boyfriend," Natalia said, icily, her brain not even registering what she said was a lie…it just didn't feel as though it were a lie.
But the man rolled his hazel eyes. "It didn't sound like it to me," he scoffed.
"Don't believe everything you hear," she retorted. "Now take it somewhere else."
He looked as though he were about to make another remark, but thought better of it and walked away from Natalia.
Pathetic, she thought as she picked up the pace and headed to the showers.
Natalia dropped Calleigh off at her home, said she would see her at work the next morning and then proceeded down the road as Calleigh went into her house. She dropped her gym bag by the closet door, not particularly in the mood to bother with it. Calleigh's legs were throbbing from the extensive workout and her mind had been emotionally drained due to her and Natalia's conversation. She kicked off her shoes, lied on her couch and closed her eyes. But the darkness behind her eyelids shifted as her body shut down into sleep mode. She was standing the middle of the very gymnasium she had just left and surrounded by people, all holding bottles of Gatorade. Natalia was there, repeating all her romance advice she had offered earlier, Eric was there stating all the reasons he wasn't willing to work their relationship out and Walter and Ryan were constantly inviting her out for a drink once she was done running.
"I'm not running," Calleigh insisted, but her respiratory system felt as though it were. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, she was wheezing for oxygen and the room began to spin. Calleigh was then on a gurney and being pulled down a hospital hallway. Several faces looked over her in worry including Horatio, Alexx, Ryan, Walter, Frank, her middle school principal (for some reason she couldn't fathom), and even Speedle. But Eric wasn't there, Calleigh asked for him, but a tube that appeared in her throat to assist her breathing made it impossible. When she turned her head towards the hospital door, she then saw him…walking away from her, very indifferent.
Calleigh tried to call to him, but then Alan Rickman's rich voice filled her head, repeating the words "he is gone" over and over. Calleigh tried to drown him out, but the voice just got louder and louder and louder until finally something that sounded like a car horn abruptly woke her.
Calleigh's eyes flew open as a pick-up truck blew its horn as it drove by her home. She squinted against the sun that rippled through her front window. She looked at the clock on the VCR/DVD player; it was time to proceed to yet another dismal day of missing Eric.