Chapter 9

"It's open!"

Calleigh came through the door and tiredly dropped her purse on the table in the foyer. When he heard the knock, Eric had left his place beside the kitchen island and reached for the refrigerator and two cold bottles of water.

When he turned to his best friend, the first things he noticed were her red-rimmed eyes, then the flush on her cheeks. She noticed that he noticed, but she just rolled her eyes and came to join him in the kitchen.

"You okay, Cal?" Eric asked her gently. Of course she's not okay. Why would she be okay? This is not okay.

"No," she answered plainly, taking the proffered water. "C'mon."

She kept a careful distance between herself and Eric on the way to the living room, and once they got there she sat on the opposite end of his couch. He'd slipped the DVD into the player before she decided to come inside, so now all he had to do was press 'play.'

He hesitated, though. "Calleigh, we can end this now. No one says we have to watch this."

"And what," she said in exasperation, "go to work on Monday and lie to Horatio? You and I both know that's not happening."

"Well—"

"Besides, you're going to watch it with or without me," she interrupted quietly.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Still, Eric didn't move. Calleigh scooted over a foot and stretched to snatch the remote from his hands. She hit a button, the player hummed, hit another button, and the TV sprang to life. It started from the beginning, and Calleigh quickly fast forwarded to the point where they left off at the lab.

The bar was dark, the music loud, and Eric and Calleigh sat center stage in Speed's covert production, locked in a devastating embrace. Both of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats on the couch, but they managed to keep their eyes trained on the screen.

Soon, they watched as Eric pulled the money from his pocket, grabbed Cal's hand, and headed out the front door. Speedle's camera followed them the entire way, zooming out with dramatic effect as they exited. End scene.

Tim's face replaced the footage from the bar. I didn't go out that night planning to film you guys. When I left, I looked over my shoulder and… there you were. Maybe if I'd kept my mouth shut this week, I wouldn't be sitting here with a fat shiner. Honestly, I'll take the shiner any day if it means you get your head out of your ass.

Two faint voices had begun to play in the background behind Speed, and as he finished his short monologue, they grew louder. Calleigh could tell almost immediately who they belonged to: Delko and Speedle. A few feet away, Eric swallowed so hard he was sure Cal could hear it.

So, what was up with you and Calleigh yesterday?

What do you mean, 'what was up?'

I don't know, you were acting strange.

Well, we walked up on two headless bodies, Speed. I'm pretty sure acting strange is allowed.

That's not my point.

Then what's your point?

The voices faded into silence as Tim's face returned.

Before you stop this DVD to come kick my ass, hear me out. Remember the experiment we were doing for the Fowler case? Yeah, well, I didn't either, not right then. Later that afternoon, I needed to log the data from the voice recorders, and…voila.

Lucky for me, not for you. What follows is my most damning piece of evidence, brother, and you would do well to listen to your own words.

Calleigh peeked over at Eric and saw that his face had become flushed, but not in embarrassment. He was angry. "What is he talking about?" she asked, hitting the 'pause' button to force an answer out of Eric.

He screwed the cap on his water bottle and threw it haphazardly to the cushion beside him. There was just a little too much force behind his toss. "We, uh, we were testing decibel levels on various brands of digital and tape recorders. Remember Annie Fowler?"

"Yeah. Claimed she recorded her husband making a death threat."

"Right, and killed him in self-defense," Eric continued, "which wasn't self defense at all."

"Anyway…" Calleigh remembered the case. She wanted to know what conversation Speedle was talking about. Wait… "Wait," she said suddenly, pinning Eric with an incredulous look. "You wrapped up the Fowler case the day you and Tim had that big blowup. I remember, because I had to finish it with you."

"Yeah, um—"

"It was about me." Her voice was deadly quiet. Her eyes had grown dark and her face was hard like marble. Eric didn't know what was running through Calleigh's mind at the moment, but he was sure it couldn't be good. He looked down at his hands.

"Yeah."

"You told him?" Calleigh sounded hurt and Eric's eyes snapped to hers. She had to know that he would never do that.

"Of course not. Calleigh, look at me!" She'd turned her head away from him, and he wanted to make this very clear. "Speedle knew what happened, but he figured it out on his own."

"Yeah, how?"

"Don't do that, Cal. Don't get mad. At the time, I didn't know how he knew. After tonight, it's not hard to put the pieces together. He saw us leave together."

Calleigh sighed and ducked her head. True. "We showed up together the next day, too."

"Yeah. Let's just finish this, okay?" Eric stole the remote back from her and resumed the video. Not that he wanted to… just like the scene at the bar, Eric knew what happened next.

More pictures played across the screen, moving at a turtle's pace and serving as a backdrop for the two disembodied voices.

My point is that Calleigh's wearing the spare clothes she keeps at your place. My point is that you two showed up here together.

She was drinking last night, Speed. She just stayed over at my place.

Don't lie to me, Delko. Cal had one beer.

Calleigh noted the sudden fury in Tim's voice, and it took her by surprise. He never took that tone with either of them, ever. She heard what sounded like the clink of glass on glass, and she guessed that the two men had set their beakers or test tubes or whatever on the lab table.

Whoa, back up. What's with the attitude?

The attitude? God you're such a… Eric, you don't just sleep with your best friend and then show up to work the next day like nothing happened. What the hell are you doing, man?

Calleigh could just picture Eric's face as he stood talking to Speed, because it probably looked a lot like it did right now. Blotchy with indignation, flustered, a little abashed. There was never any use in lying to Tim; he was like a human lie detector.

Silence.

She seized the opportunity to send Eric a questioning glance, but he said nothing, just motioned in defeat for her to keep listening. Soon, she could make out the faint sounds of footsteps and a closing door, then a sigh.

Eric recalled what happened that day in the lab with crystal clarity, and he was replaying each move, each look in his head as he listened to the dialogue. The door closed and locked, he walked back to the table, leaned his hands against the edge, sighed.

Mind your own business, Speedle.

This is my business. I don't get what's going on with you. You're risking a whole hell of a lot, whatever it is.

Don't you think I know that? Eric yelled.

Then, why?

I'm not having this conversation.

Speed wasn't going to let it drop. Yeah, you are, Delko.

No, I'm not.

Calleigh's not your typical one-night stand.

Go to hell, Eric spat.

I guess I'll see you there… Delko, listen to me. You gotta fix this.

There's nothing to fix! Just stay out of it.

Okay, so you're telling me you just made love with the woman of your dreams, and then you agreed to forget the whole thing? Simple as that?

I didn't tell you anything, Eric growled through clenched teeth. His eyes were traitors to his cause.

Eric, you love her.

Again, heavy silence.

You can't lie this time, can you? You can't tell me you don't love her.

There was a long pause, and when Eric spoke up again on the recording, Calleigh had to strain to listen, even though they could have heard a pin drop in Eric's living room. Her entire body was trembling, afraid to hear what he would say next.

I don't know what I feel.

So you were with her on Friday night. Eric refused to answer. Okay… I'll take that as a yes.

This is between me and Calleigh, Speed, the younger CSI said.

Maybe it is, Tim's voice rang out, loud and clear, but you two are royally effing things up—

Delko interrupted. So that gives you the right to interfere? I don't think so.

Speed forged ahead fearlessly. You don't think Cal feels the same way?

Sitting on the couch, listening to himself talking with his dead best friend, Eric felt his chest painfully tighten. He remembered that moment—the moment he gave up. He'd crumpled onto a lab stool and studied his hands for what seemed like an eternity. Then he answered.

It doesn't work that way, man.

No?

Speed, you have this, this twisted idea that love conquers all. Did it for you and Charlie? No. I know that's harsh, but it's the reality. In the real world, fairy tales don't exist.

Who's being the cynic, now, Delko? Tim didn't like what he was hearing, but now that he had Eric talking, he wasn't about to ease up.

For Christ's sake—you don't wake up one day and decide, 'Oh, I think I'll fall in love today.' Your problems don't magically disappear because you love someone! Reality isn't any less real. It sucked one day, and it'll suck the next.

You think you can't be with Calleigh because she's your best friend? Because you work together?

For starters. But like I said, he scowled, it's none of your business.

That's bullshit.

What do you want me to say, Tim? Eric screamed. Present-day Eric shut his eyes against the rage he heard in his own voice.

Do you want me to tell you I love her? Yeah, I do. Do you wanna hear how I've loved her from the start? I can't tell you that. You ask me what happened on Friday, well I don't know! Are you happy? I. Don't. Know.

So I repeat, you're royally effing things up. You're making it way harder than it has to be, man.

You don't understand, Speed. You'll never understand. You think it was easy for me to walk away? You think I could do that to Calleigh if I didn't think it was the best possible option? For both of us?

Tim was becoming just as angry as the man across from him. How could that be what's best? How, Eric? Why walk away when that's not what you want?

She deserves better! Eric had finally lost his control, and his reverberating voice cracked with emotion.

Speedle stayed quiet for a minute, watching Eric and trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

So that's it? he asked. You don't think you're good enough?

She just… deserves better.

Calleigh doesn't want 'better.' Calleigh wants you, Delko.

You don't know that, he said acrimoniously. You can't possibly know that.

Sure I can. It's in her eyes every time she looks at you. Maybe she doesn't know it, or—didn't know it 'til this weekend…

Stop. Just stop, okay?

No. You said it yourself, you're in love with her.

And it doesn't change a damn thing!

It changes everything!

No it doesn't! Because I'm still me and she's still her, and I can't be the kind of man she needs me to be.

Which is just a lame-ass way of saying you're scared. You and Cal are both just scared.

Calleigh was frozen in her spot on Eric's couch. She heard the scraping noise of a chair being shoved across the floor.

There is no 'me and Cal.' His words were hard and cold.

So, what, you're just gonna screw her and move on? You're right, she does deserve better.

Both Eric and Calleigh jumped at the sound of glass shattering. Cal remembered this, now. She'd walked down the hallway just in time to see Eric knock a tray of fragile vials to the floor half-way across the room. She stopped and stared, mouth gaping, as did everyone else within a fifty-foot radius. Unlike the muted sounds of Delko and Speedle's voices shouting from inside the lab, Eric's first roar and the shrill of splintering glass had echoed through the entire sixth floor.

Calleigh couldn't hear what they were saying, but she caught on fast when Eric threw the first punch. Then she was running. The door was locked from the inside, and in the precious time it took her to fumble with her keys, Speed and Eric had collided and crashed to the ground.

When Calleigh finally reached them, she had to use all her God-given strength to pry them apart. She ended up pinning Eric to the far wall of the lab and struggling to keep him there. Over her shoulder, Tim was on the ground, panting as hard as his two friends, bleeding from the mouth and shooting daggers at Delko.

Speed's glare was nothing compared to Eric's. The look in his eyes had frightened her. If anyone asked her today, Calleigh couldn't tell them what she whispered to her best friend in that moment. All she knew was that he calmed down immediately, scrubbed his eyes with one hand and then left the lab without looking at her.

The photographs faded from the screen and the muffled sounds of Speed's cursing melted away into the refrains of the background music from before.

So there it is, Speedle was saying all of the sudden. He looked out at them defiantly with his week-old black eye and split lip.

Delko, you know you love her. You really don't need me to make a list of all the reasons why. Stop making excuses. Calleigh deserves what she wants, and she wants you.

I should be happily married by now. You're right, love isn't a cure-all. So you don't believe in fairy tales. That's fine. But don't think for one second that Cal doesn't love you right back.

Maybe the timing's not right. Maybe you both have some growing up to do. I don't know. All I know is that you're throwing away the chance to spend the rest of your life with a woman like Calleigh Duquesne. Hate to say it, bro, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to you.

Take Charlie's ring and go tell her that.