Recently I randomly got back into watching CSI Miami because the new CSI Vegas made me want to go back and rewatch the original. Of course, when I came across "Cross Jurisdiction" episode my attention immediately flipped to CSI Miami. I honestly forgot how good the show and just how much I loved the character of Calleigh Duquesne and of course the Eric/Calleigh pairing.
I also forgot just how badly, in my opinion, the show had ended and how badly writers handled E/C in the final two seasons. They really should've written Proctor's pregnancy into the show. The idea fans would've been turned off by a pregnant cop was stupid. My perfect series finale would've been everyone, including characters from years past, at Eric and Calleigh's wedding.
So having gotten back into my favorite pairing and reading a lot of fanfiction about the two, my own muse ignited and would not leave me alone until I began writing. This is what came out and actually, I have quite a few E/C stories ideas written down and depending how this story goes, I may put more thoughts to "paper" in the future.
Story takes place in season 9 right after Eric returns, Jesse is gone BUT in my timeline Alexx never left the show.
Enjoy and be sure to tell me what you think!
Eric dragged himself across the threshold of the elevator into the lab. He was tired, no scratch that he was exhausted. Besides staying until well after 1am to examine evidence from the team's current case, he hadn't slept well when he had finally crawl into his bed. His bed. It didn't feel like his anymore given how rarely he slept at his apartment these days. In fact, the only reason he opted not to sublet it was its proximity to CSI.
On more than one occasion he and Calleigh found themselves either unwilling, or unable because of exhaustion from working late on a case to make the long trek to Bal Harbour opting instead to crash at his apartment. Calleigh. That was another reason he'd barely gotten any sleep, she wasn't beside him. Even from early on in their relationship, you know the stage where couple's simply can't keep their hands off each other, although who was he kidding, he still couldn't keep his hands off Calleigh, Eric was amazed at how quickly he found himself unable to sleep without her beside him. Of course, it had gone long way to boosting his ego when Calleigh had informed she felt the same way.
Unfortunately, he'd done his fair share of screwing up their relationship on more than occasion he'd found out just how difficult it was to sleep without Calleigh. Thankfully, no matter what happened they always seemed to find a way back to each other and thanks in large part to a promise made on beach down in the Keys after she'd been released from the hospital after her second bout with smoke inhalation, they would never have to found it out again. He felt a shudder go through him as the the memory of her dying before him flashed through his mind and the silent promise he made to never let anything come between them again.
He'd been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't seen Natalia standing in front of until he basically walked right into her. "Whoa, Natalia I'm sorry I didn't see you"
Natalia grinned. There was only thing that put Eric Delko into such a stupor that all his surroundings melted away; Calleigh Duquesne. "Clearly"
Eric laughed, "did you need something?"
"Uhh" she started, leaning in and lowering her voice to a whisper "did Calleigh come in with you?"
Even though everyone in the lab knew they were still together after his return to CSI, no one broadcasted it out of respect for Eric and Calleigh, especially Calleigh. Whispers and finger pointing for and toward women in police precincts often ruined careers, so both were eternally grateful none of that occurred and people just went about their business of doing their jobs. Eric was sure they still gossiped about the couple, but not in the way that would reflect negatively on them. Mostly it was lighthearted comments covering how cute they were as a couple, how lucky a guy Eric was—which of course true, to when they'd get married and have kids.
Even IAB had left them alone. Of course, IAB had their own problems to tend to and clean up and the disastrous mess Rick Stetler had made. Not that it would've mattered anyway, but it was still nice to not have them looking over their shoulders all the time.
So Eric couldn't help but chuckle at Natalia's subtle attempt to respect their privacy. "Actually—"
Eric didn't' get to finish as the booming not so subtle voice Maxine Valera called out to him "Eric, tell me Calleigh came in with you."
"Good morning to you too, Valera" Natalia said, trying to hide her amusement at her friend and co-worker's booming entrance. No one would ever say Maxine Valera was subtle.
Rolling her eyes Valera replied "Good morning Natalia….Eric, please I need to talk to her about the schedule."
"Hot date?" joke Natalia
Valera narrowed her eyes, "No, it's about my family, but wow aren't you just a ball sarcasm this morning."
Natalia put a hand over her chest and feigned being hurt "Ouch"
Eric's was starting to pound as he stood there listening to the two women trade snarky barbs. Normally he might enjoy watching the two women try to one up the other in a battle of sarcastic wits but given his lack of sleep the night before it was the last thing he wanted to endure at 8am.
"Actually" he said raising his voice just loud enough to drown out theirs, "I was just going to tell Natalia that I stayed at my place last night and Calleigh at hers, so no did not come in with me"
The two women shared a sideway glance, "Why, what did you do?"
Eric laughed, "What makes you think I did something Valera?" before she could answer Eric continued, "I stayed here last night until after 1am examining evidence and I wasn't about to drive all the way to Bal Harbour at nearly 2am only to have to turn around and come back in a few hours"
"If you say so, Delko" Valera replied in a teasing tone.
Valera seemingly made a sport out of picking on Eric regarding his and Calleigh's relationship. But she never once directed it towards Calleigh and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Eric.
"Ya know you don't pick on Calleigh like you do me about our relationship"
"Because Calleigh can fire me or worse, make me work the weekends."
Eric rolled his eyes, "oh c'mon Calleigh would never do that" She was way too professional to ever retaliate against a co-worker in such a manner. Just because she had the "boss card" didn't mean she would wield it in such a way.
"Yeah well, I won't want to test that out. I mean Ryan made that quip about her buttoning up lab coat as the two of you came out ballistics, and he ended up on bloater calls for a week."
Natalia quickly nodded her affirmation, "that's a good point. Calleigh of all people knows how much Ryan hates bloaters and not just because of his OCD." She had witnessed the ordeal and while it had meant to be a joke, they all knew Calleigh had only just arrived at the lab a few minutes earlier, hardly enough time for her and Eric to do anything, it had not for whatever reason come off that way. She personally thinks it had something to do with Ryan's timing or that he'd simply hadn't said in a funny way.
Regardless neither of the two laughed, and Calleigh her credit hadn't said a word, she merely gave him that patented Duquesne death stare, the one that stays stop while you're ahead and the added cock of the eyebrow that at the same time says you better shut up or a .45 bullet is coming your way. And Calleigh Duquesne never missed. Eric on the other hand ripped into Ryan about it later and rumor was the bloater calls were his idea.
Eric gave a full-throated laugh as he recalled the incident. While it hadn't really been funny at the time, the result of Ryan getting bloater calls had him in stiches. Calleigh could have a evil streak in her when she wanted to and it was situations like the one with Ryan that reminded everyone in the lab, joke if you want but she's still the boss.
"Anyway, you can clearly see Calleigh is not with me."
Valera frowned, "but it's after 8, if you're not the reason she's late then it's very unCalleigh like for her not already be here"
Eric ignored the latest jibe and glanced at his watch, "8:18am" it read, making Valera right it wasn't like Calleigh to be this late and not least tell him or someone else why. "Was there an early morning call out? Not that we need another case right now." He asked pulling his cellphone out of his back pocket.
Natalia shrugged her level of concern bubbling up ever so slightly, "Not that I know of, and even if there was, Walter and I were the ones on call."
Eric dialed Calleigh's familiar number, bringing the phone to his ear he moved toward reception and Paula who was exiting the evidence cage, "Paula have you heard from Calleigh this morning?"
The petite blonde shook her head, "No, she hasn't checked in with me this morning" Calleigh would often check in with Paula either for her messages or to let the patrol officer know she was heading to a crime scene, going to interview a witness or simply be late, which wasn't very often. In fact, the only times Calleigh was ever late and not one of the first people in the building was when she and Eric hit "traffic" in the morning. It didn't happen as often as people thought but Paula could always tell the difference between "traffic" and traffic the second the two CSI's stepped off the elevator.
"You've reached the voicemail of CSI Calleigh Duquesne with—" Eric hung up before recording could finish his level of concern rising with every second, "It's going to straight voicemail."
Just then Ryan sauntered off the elevator completely unaware of the growing situation, "Hey guys, what's up?" he said coming to a stop next to Valera.
"Have you seen Calleigh this morning?" she asked, silently hoping he would tell them he'd just seen her getting out of her car in the garage.
Ryan shook his head, "no, why?"
A horrible feeling began to settle in the pit of Natalia's stomach, "Ok, I don't want to jump to conclusions or go straight into a panic but, and I don't know about you," she said turning to face to Eric, "I'm getting a bad sense of déjà vu here."
An icy chill went down Eric's spine, he immediately understood the meaning behind Natalia's comment as the last time no one could get a hold of Calleigh, and her cellphone went directly to voicemail she'd been kidnapped by Seth McAdams.
His heart pounding, palms feeling sweaty, and bad thoughts racing through his head, Eric suddenly wasn't so tired anymore. Flipping his phone back open, he dialed another familiar number.
"Are you calling Horatio?" asked Natalia
"Yes" he replied to her, then turned his attention to reception, "Paula, can you have a unit sent out to Calleigh's condo?"
Paula frantically nodded picking up the receiver, "Yeah, of course" she replied, her slender fingers feverishly flying over the keypad.
By this point Ryan was thoroughly confused, totally unaware of what had his co-workers so incredibly concerned, yet his own began to rise. "Uh, guys what's going on, what did I miss, why is Eric having a uni sent to Calleigh's condo?"
"No one's heard from Calleigh since last night when she left here to go home and now her cell is going straight to voicemail."
"That's not like Calleigh."
Valera rolled her eyes "No, ya think Ryan?"
Natalia totally ignored the conversation Ryan and Valera were having next to her, her attention focused solely on Eric, who by now had begun to pace the reception area of the lab as he waited for Horatio to answer.
"H, it's me Eric, I can't get a hold of Calleigh….No, no one has seen or heard from her since she left the lab last night and her phone is going directly to voicemail, I….yeah Paula's having a uni roll out to her condo right now…..ok, yeah we'll meet you there." He finished snapping his phone shut.
"What'd he say?" asked Ryan
Eric sighed, "He said to wait and see what patrol finds but—"
"We're supposed to do nothing?" Natalia snapped. Her best friend was out there going through god only knows what, by god only knows who and Horatio wanted them to sit on the hands? Was he kidding? It so wasn't happening as far as she was concerned, Natalia didn't care if it meant disobeying a direct order and she was shocked at how calm Eric of all people appeared to be.
"No! He said to wait and see what patrol finds but given how far out Calleigh's condo is, everyone should grab their gear and head out there now. If we get half way there and Calleigh checks in, no harm and we turn around but if patrol finds something better for us to already be on our way"
Natalia heaved a sigh of relief while sheepishly avoiding eye contact with everyone after her outburst, "Ok, I'll grab our kits" she said motioning between her and Eric already starting to move toward the locker room, "and pull the truck around."
"I'll grab Walter and head out too" Ryan said trotting off to find the last member of their team.
Eric let out a deep breath, while running a shaky hand through his hair, his concern for the woman he loved more than anything in this world reaching atomic levels and his resolve and self-control to keep his emotional reaction turned inward was totally crumbling. "Stay focused Eric, Calleigh needs you to stay focused."
"Paula—"
"The second I hear anything from patrol I'll contact you."
Eric started toward the elevator, but stopped a thought coming to him, he turned back to reception "Paula, let patrol know they have permission to go inside if they don't get a response. There's a false brick left of the front door that has a key behind they can use."
"Ok."
Entering the elevator and pressing the button to go down to the main level to meet up with Natalia, Eric sent up a silent prayer for everything to be ok. Unfortunately, deep down he couldn't muster up the emotion needed to believe the words he was saying to himself. The only emotion Eric was currently experiencing besides fear was guilt. Guilt he hadn't listened to Calleigh when she told him to let the evidence go for the night and guilt he hadn't gone home with her when she'd ask him to.
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