Eric picked up his phone in the middle of the first ring knowing that it was someone from the lab. "Yes, he's here" Eric stated while he closed the glass door to Calleigh's room unsure of what was happening. Natalia sighed on the other line.

"It's not him that were worried about right now" she started. "It's Rose". Eric thought for a moment thinking that somehow Rose had been hurt and that Bryan was injured by officers on duty. But it didn't make sense, Bryan was released and Rose and the kids should have been in custody still.

"Where is she?" Eric stated plainly as he looked back at Calleigh who was watching him with a confused look on her face.

"We released her! We got the info we needed and we asked her to stay but he refused. She said she had enough with the drama for the day and just wanted to be with her kids" Natalia tried to calmly explain. Eric felt his face heat up in anger. This was not how things should be going. Eric stepped outside the room and closed the door behind him. Calleigh rolled her eyes. She knew he wasn't going to let her in on whatever it was they were discussing.

"How could you guys let her go!" Eric hissed under his breath. Natalia could practically he heard clenching her fists at Eric's attitude.

"You think we wanted to let her leave? She has rights Eric! And we tried! More importantly, as far as we know she's fine!" Natalia barked back at him. Eric took a breath and looked at the ceiling. Getting angry over a poor situation and taking it out on a coworker was not the way to go.

"So why am I getting this call, what is the new info?" Eric said calmly. Natalia smirked on the other line, she knew Eric had finally stopped with the attitude.

"We think she is the one the attacked him" Natalia started. "We put a BOLO out on her car and haven't found it yet, the house and hotel are empty and Louise hasn't heard anything. We think she fled" Natalia finished. Eric pinched his nose trying to wrap his head around everything.

"And where is Vega?" Eric asked. Before Natalia could even get the words out of her mouth the sound of high heels clicking down the hallway interrupted his thoughts. The sound he was used to hearing from Calleigh or Natalia. He turned to see the one and only, Elisia Vega walking towards him. Eric hung up the phone before another word could be said regarding the case.

"You must be Eric Delco?" She said with a devilish smirk. She reached out a hand to shake his and he immediately dug both his hands into his pockets. She looked down at her rejected hand and chuckled. "Ah, I see, you must of heard of me?" She said in a sultry voice, he brown wavy hair cascading over her shoulder. Eric grimaced at her.

"Not anything positive" he said in disgust. She took pride in fighting for criminals who harmed or killed the men and women protecting Miami. She smiled at his response and took a step forward towards him, "we could make great acquaintances you know, work a case together every now and again" she said as she took a step closer. Somehow in that time Calleigh had managed not only to get out of bed, but to slide open the glass door. She leaned against the door frame and smiled with her emerald greens sparkling.

"Sweet heart, I just don't think you're his cup of tea" Calleigh said with her southern draw thick. Eric turned around to look at the petite blonde who was clearly holding onto the door with all her strength but still stood with a mischievous smile on her face. There truly was no stopping her. "And I'm not just referring to the fact that you're a criminal supporter" Calleigh continued. Eric tried to hide the smirk that was welling up inside him, Calleigh was by far one of the sassiest human beings he had ever come across. Vega stood with her arms crossed. Eric placed an arm around Calleighs waist to help her back to her bed.

"If you'll excuse us" Eric said with a mocking smile. He turned and began sliding the glass door shut.

"Maybe try another tactic to get your information next time" Calleigh called after her as Eric shut the door. Elisia gave Calleigh a tight smile and waved as she turned her back and walked in the direction that Bryan had previously be wheeled to earlier. Eric finally got the fire cracker blonde back the her bed. He tried to help her get on to it before she slapped his hand away.

"Oh please, I think I can sit on my own" she said with a mock angry tone. Eric just stood and watched her with his hands on his hips as she sat her small figure onto the bed and tried to rearrange some of her wires that she had tangled around her monitor on the walk to the door.

Once she finally got settled Eric pulled a blanket back up over her. She gave him a gentle smile as a 'thank you' since she would never say it herself. "So, they brought in Vega for me? Must mean I'm finally a big deal in Miami huh?" Calleigh joked. Eric shook his head. How is it she could still have such a sense of humor at a time like this.

"We don't need to worry about it, they don't stand a chance" Eric assured. Just as he finished there was a gentle knock on the door. They both turned to see Alexx who gave them a warm smile and entered.

"Hey baby, how are we feeling" she asked as she glided across the room and sat on the edge of Calleigh's bed.

"Not horrible. When do I leave?" Calleigh said like an excited child on Christmas. Eric rolled his eyes and slouched back in his chair.

"I'm gonna say a week at LEAST" Alexx started. Calleigh stared at the ceiling, she honestly knew she'd be here a while. "I am not even your doctor so who really knows, but they'll need to keep your for observation and to make sure everything is alright" Alexx continued. Calleigh looked back at her with a smirk. "No I will not be putting in any words for you Ms. Duqunse" Alexx said with a laugh. She didn't even need to hear Calleigh ask. "Now, I'm going to actually get back to the lab, work doesn't stop just because I do! I'll stop by tomorrow alright?" Alexx said with a smile as she got up.

"I'll hold you to it" Calleigh said back with a smile in return. Alexx squeezed Eric's hand and left the room again. Eric kept fiddling with his phone, likely texting the lab and keeping up with everyone.

"You don't need to stay you know? I'm sure they could use you back at the lab" Calleigh said without looking directly at him. She was instead more interested in detangling one of her wires. Eric looked up at her with a face that read "are you kidding me?".

"I think I'm good here" he said back with a chuckle in his voice. He watched as she continued to fiddle with her cords. She only did things like that when something was bothering her.

"You know what's crazy about everything that happened?" She said simply while she finally worked one of the kinks out. Eric just watched, waiting for her response. She finally put the wires and cords down.

"You were the last one I saw when it started, and the first I saw when I woke" She said quietly. She finally looked up to check his face for some type of reaction. Eric grabbed his chair and sat it directly next to the side of her bed and took one of her hands in both of his.

"And the worst part was, my biggest fear through it all, it wasn't dying, it was not getting to see you again". She finished. Eric raised her hand and kissed it. Calleigh gave out a quiet laugh and looked to the ceiling to try and hide her embarrassment. She didn't know why she was saying all of this but the more she spoke, the less weight she felt on her shoulders. "This is all so silly" She mumbled with another laugh as she turned to look to the window on the other side of the room. Eric got up from his chair to sit next to Calleigh on her bed. He raised his hand again and cupped her face in his hand to turn her to look at him.

"It's not silly. It means something. Something to me at least". He said quietly as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, on the side that didn't have a bandage covering it. She couldn't help but feel at home with him. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to forget about all of the circumstances surrounding them right now, all of the bad and harmful things in both of their lives, and to just take in the one good thing she had in front of her.

Eric felt his phone buzz against his leg and squinted his eyes shut. It was his time to trade shifts. Ryan was coming in next to watch over Calleigh for the next hour or so. Not for medical reasons, but the fact that she was the only suspect and that their perp and her attacker were in the same building called for some added security.

"Calleigh -" Eric started as he rubbed a thumb over her face. She looked so at peace. Eric almost didn't want to have to leave. She had been through so much as it was. "You mean so, so much to me, and one day I'm gonna show that to you" He finished as he stood up off the bed. He leant over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "So that means you need to stick around okay?" He said as he back up towards the door with a smile. Calleigh rolled her eyes and chuckled. "No more jumping in front of bullets or running into burning buildings? For just a little while at least?" He said as he opened the door. Calleigh finally burst into a fit of laughter that forced a toothy smile across Eric's face as well. "I'll be back later okay?" He finally said as he began to close the door behind him. Calleigh nodded with a smile. One good thing. She had one good thing. And that was going to have to be enough to get her through this.

AHHH please don't hate me for taking so long! I had midterms and a million assignments due and I'm graduating in the summer so I'm in a huge rush to get everything done and I'm sorry! I hope this chapter was good for you guys! I wanted to get a little EC in there but not any of the good real romance yet! That stuff will come later and over time! So leave me your comments, concerns, questions, and cheers in the reviews! Love you guys!