The sun was out and shining bright on Miami like it usually does and everything seemed like it was fine to the outside world but to Eric Delko the world was falling apart. Since Speedle died, he couldn't seem to catch a break. It was one thing after the other. He drowned himself into the pleasure women can give him to get through it, having been the one who always hung with Tim outside work, Eric was affected the most...and then his sister got sick, and it was like the weight of the world was on his shoulders again. He was trying to handle it the best way he could without involving anyone else at the lab, but it was starting to affect his work. He was constantly late, missing calls for duty or having to ask his colleagues to cover for him and then...then Marisol ended up in trouble and Horatio had managed to get her out of it with Eric's help, and Marisol fell for Horatio and it was like another thing to shake his world.

Eric loved Horatio. The man got him where he is today. He believed in him, encouraged him to take this road and got him on board and Eric trusted him blindly but to find out that his boss and his sister were suddenly an item was another thing. For one thing, Horatio was much older than his sister and the other thing...his sister and his boss? He didn't care what people say, it is not about that, not at all but it is strange and Eric wasn't sure how to take it, what to make of it. He was still trying to digest that matter when Horatio informed him, that they were getting married and Eric felt like he was suddenly a volcano that needed to erupt...but he couldn't.

Horatio was his boss and whether he approved or not, Marisol was still going to marry him. He just couldn't understand why they were rushing into it. They had just started dating and Marisol needed to take care of herself, her health, not to mention how he had been the one to take care of Marisol since she got sick and now since she had started seeing Horatio, it was like Eric was out, and Eric was still trying to deal with that fact.

They wanted him at the wedding but Eric wasn't sure if he should or wanted to go for that matter. A part of him knew that he needed to attend, that he needed to be there for her, for both of them, that his support means the world to both of them, but the other part was angry, frustrated and confused. She didn't even tell him herself. She didn't even invite their family and Eric just couldn't understand. It was not how they usually do things in their family. Call him traditional and corny but to Eric this was not right and he just needed to talk to someone, so he pulled his phone out and started texting her.

'Can you meet me in my car in the garage? I need to speak to you' he wrote and then pressed sent.

oooOOOooo

Calleigh had just finished interrogating one of the suspects when her phone buzzed. Pulling it out she read the message and replied that she was on her way. She was not surprised. A part of her was expecting him to talk to her about the matter but at the same time she was not entirely sure he was going to. They had drifted somewhat apart lately. Between Ryan coming on board and Calleigh having to take the role as his mentor, spending most of their cases together, and Eric dating Natalia for a brief period of time, they had ended up drifting apart. She knew though that if she needed anything, he would drop everything to be there for her, just like she was going to do now. If anything had changed between the two of them, that was definitely not it. They knew that no matter what they will always be there for each other, so Calleigh hurried down to the garage. It was an odd meeting spot but with how the situation is at the lab at the moment, she could understand why he asked her to meet him in his car. She was sure that the last thing he wanted was for personal matters to be leaked, even if everyone already knew that Horatio and Marisol were getting married.

'Hey, I came as soon as I saw the message' she told him as she entered the car and closed the door 'I was in interrogation' she explained.

'Don't worry Cal' he told her giving her that smile that only seemed to be reserved for her.

'What's up?' she asked him.

He took a deep long breath and sighed heavily 'Well I'm sure you heard, everyone hears everything these days' Eric started and Calleigh smiled.

'Yeah I heard. You don't approve' she stated.

'They just started dating Cal. Who the hell gets married after a few weeks of dating? It's not like they had known each other forever' he told her frustrated 'He should be taking care of her. She needs to take care of her health right now not go and get married' he said.

'Eric just because they are getting married doesn't mean she is not taking care of her health. I think after what she has been through, she just doesn't want to wait any longer. Going through something like that, so life changing, changes your perspective of how you see things. I'm sure she just doesn't want to waste anymore time' she started telling him, being the voice of reason as always.

'She didn't even come to tell me or invite our family. It is not how we do things' he insisted.

'Eric' Calleigh started as she took his hand in hers, surprising him a bit. She was not one to be so touchy touchy but she felt the need to do it 'This is not about you but about Marisol and Horatio. She was probably trying to avoid a lecture from you and your family. She is happy, probably finally happy after a long time since she got sick, and she just doesn't want anyone to burst that bubble she is in' Calleigh tried to explain 'Would you like for someone to come and taint your happiness?' she asked and Eric took a deep long breath 'Exactly. I know this is hard. I know that even the fact that your sister is with Horatio is hard, but they are two grown-up people Eric and whether you approve or not...they are still going to do it' she told him and she was right.

'I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact they are now an item and now they drop this bomb on me' he said as he let his head drop back in frustration 'I'm just so tired Cal. It is one thing after the other. It's like I can't seem to catch a break' he admitted.

'I know Eric' Calleigh said sympathetically 'And I am here for you. Anything you need, any time you need to talk...I am still here for you' she assured him.

'I know' he replied smiling at her 'I wish I can at least have you there with me by my side' he told her 'But they are just getting a quick marriage thing apparently, no ceremony whatsoever' he said.

'You'll be fine Eric' she assured him and Eric nodded 'Now I need to get back and try and close this case. Will you be okay?' she asked him and Eric nodded so she opened the door and was about to get out of the car when he suddenly called her and Calleigh turned to look around.

'Thanks Cal. Thanks for always being here for me' he told her and she smiled.

'Always Eric' she replied with a warm smile that always seemed to melt some part of him.

'Always' he replied back and then she was out of his sight.

OooOOOooo

It all seemed like one crazy nightmare. It all happened so fast. One minute she is giving Horatio a fine bottle of champagne and congratulating him and the next Marisol was shot dead. She closed her eyes as she thought of that moment when she found out the Delkos had been shot. That was all she was told and Calleigh rushed to the scene to find Eric's arm had been grazed and Marisol being rushed to the hospital, fighting for her life.

'Eric...are you okay?' she asked him as she watched one of the paramedics take care of his arm.

'Marisol...she's been hit' he told her 'It's bad Calleigh, it's bad' he repeated, raising his free hand to his head in desperation and worry.

Pressing her lips together, she touched his good arm 'She's a fighter Eric' she told him trying to give him some courage, but her eyes caught those of the paramedic who shook his head letting her know that it was really bad, and he wasn't sure that she would make it.

'I know' Eric replied 'She has to pull through Cal, she has to' he repeated as the paramedic finished taking care of his arm.

'Come on...let's try and figure out who shot you guys' she told him as she squeezed his good arm gently in encouragement.

At first they thought it was a crazy ex-girlfriend of his but then they had found out it was one of the mala noche members. She was with him when he received the call...the news he was hoping he would not receive. Calleigh could feel her heart breaking as she watched him take in the news. She realized she wanted to comfort him at that moment, but they were working and it was kind of strange but Calleigh couldn't get the image and the thoughts out of her head, so she decided to go to him. She had this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't seem to shake off. The feeling that he needed her, that she needed to be there for him. He had tried to be strong all day because he had to work the case and find out who did this, just like it had happened when Speedle was killed, but this time it was even worse because the person dead is his sister.

She was almost at his door when she heard him scream and then there was a loud noise. She pulled the key he had given her out of her pocket, pulled her gun out and opened the door to find Eric making a mess of his own home. She quickly put the gun away, closed the door behind her and attempted to call him.

'Eric...Eric stop' she called out but it was like he couldn't hear her or see her, so she tried again while trying to approach him 'Eric stop...Eric...Eric stop' she yelled. He was blinded by his own rage, but the minute he got close to her, she grabbed his arms and turned him around, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him close to her as she started whispering soothing words in his ears 'I'm here Eric, I'm here' she started telling him as she tightened her hold on him.

It was the sound of her voice, her scent, the way her hair felt tangling in his fingers that calmed him down and made him realize that Calleigh was there, holding him in her arms, being there for him and Eric broke down, crying as hard as he could. She held onto him, few tears of her own streaming down her cheek in silence. It broke her heart to see him like this...so broken and in so much pain. She wanted to take that pain away, tell him everything was going to be alright but unfortunately it wasn't. Marisol was not coming back, there was nothing she could do. All she could do was be there for him, let him know he could count on her, be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen.

She had no idea how long they had stayed like that, holding onto each other for dear life, until Eric started to slowly pull away. He stopped close to her, close enough that he was in her personal space, yet Calleigh didn't take a step back. She didn't feel threatened with him being so close, instead she put her hands on his hips.

'Calleigh...what are you doing here?' he asked her, his hands on her arms as they moved slowly up and down.

'I thought you might need me' she offered smiling softly at him. He finally smiled at her and pulled her slowly in his arms, resting his cheek against the top of her head as she let her face rest against his chest. She could hear the sound of his heart beating, realizing that he was calming down and Calleigh knew that it was because of her.

'Thank you' he whispered before giving her a kiss on her head and Calleigh smiled softly.

Calleigh pulled slowly away and looked up in his eyes, her hands still on his hips 'Come on...let me help you get this place back in order' she told him.

'You don't have to do that Cal' he told her.

'I know...but I want to' she told him. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked at him, making his heart soften, the pain melting just a bit at the sight of her, at the knowledge that she cared so much about him.

Together they got the place back in shape and when they were ready, Calleigh made her way into the kitchen and started the kettle. She caught sight of the open bottle of tequila on the counter but didn't say anything. Truth be told, she could smell the alcohol on him, but giving the situation, she was expecting it. It was either drinking or not being at home but having sex with some random girl, and somewhere deep inside of her, she hoped that it was the first option. She wasn't sure why and she really didn't want to get into that at the moment either. The most important thing right now is that he was safe at home...slightly drunk but still safe at home. She pulled two mugs from the cupboard above her head and got the coffees ready.

'Did you eat anything?' she asked him as she made her way to him with the mugs in her hands. He was sitting on the couch, looking as defeated as he did when he got the news earlier.

'No' he replied 'Didn't even cross my mind' he admitted.

'Do you want me to cook something for you or maybe get takeaway?' she asked.

'Not really' he told her.

'Eric you gotta eat something. You haven't eaten anything all day. You're taking medication, you have been drinking and not eating. The last thing that we need is you ending up in hospital' she told him trying to reason with him.

'Fine' he said 'Just...get anything you like. You know what I like' he replied. He could feel a headache coming and his arm was hurting. The wound was still quite fresh and after all the extra movement from trashing the place and putting it back together, the pain was getting even worse.

'How about some southern fried chicken?' she asked him 'A little bit of comfort food' she told him.

Eric nodded 'Sure' he told her.

She placed the order and not long after they were round the kitchen eating the yummy pieces of chicken and fries. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he actually smelled the food, and now he could actually take two panadols for the headache he had.

'Thank you Calleigh' he told her as they were clearing everything from the table 'I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled the food. It was delicious, thank you' he told her and Calleigh smiled.

'You're welcome' she replied. They hadn't said a word while eating but now that they were ready from the food, they both knew it was time to talk. Eric could tell that she was waiting for the right moment to say something. He could feel her looking at him from time to time while he ate but he pretended he didn't notice 'You wanna talk?' she asked him, resting against the kitchen cabinets, arms crossed in front of her.

'Not sure' he replied as he moved past her.

She watched him make his way to the couch, as he sat down, his elbows pressing on his thighs, his thumbs pressing into his head. She sighed, as she pushed herself away from the cabinets and made her way to him, sitting down next to him, one leg bent under her bum as she let her hand rub his back.

'It won't change anything but at least you get things off your chest' she encouraged him.

'It's just that...I feel...powerless...exhausted. I keep thinking I'm in this horrible dream that I can't wake up from' Eric told her as he turned to look at her.

'I know' she whispered 'I don't get why. Why did they shoot her? What did she ever do to them to deserve this?' he asked. Calleigh knew exactly why, but she was not going to say anything to Eric. She knew that deep down he knew the answer to that question 'What am I saying? I know why. It's because of H...because she was his wife' he said 'Damn it' he cursed as he let himself fall back onto the couch 'Why did she have to get involved with him? After everything she had been through...Why did she fall for him?' he went on and with that he got up from the sofa and started pacing around, feeling his anger surfacing again and Calleigh could feel it.

'Eric' she whispered.

'It's all his fault. I didn't want to say anything before and I tried to keep calm and try to not let this thought haunt me but damn it I need to get it off my chest' Eric said as he turned to look at her 'First Speedle and now Marisol. I know she was with me, that I am also responsible for her death because I didn't protect her, but if she wasn't his wife she would probably still be alive' Eric told her.

Calleigh got up and approached him, placing her hands on his arms 'You can't blame yourself Eric. There was no way you could have know. They took the shot from too far away' Calleigh told him.

'You would have realized' he admitted and Calleigh frowned a bit 'I saw a flash of light right before I was shot. I could have saved her and I didn't' he told her. Calleigh sighed and pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was right. She would have realized but she was not going to tell him that 'I let her down' he whispered letting his face hide into the crook of her neck as his fingers went up and down the length of her hair.

She tightened her hold on him and hugged him a little tighter 'It's not your fault Eric, you didn't let her down. There was a hit on her...there was nothing you could have done' Calleigh told him 'You know how sharp these gangs they can be' Calleigh told him and then she paused for what felt like forever 'They could have killed you' she whispered her hand stroking the back of his head.

He hadn't thought about that. He had been so busy thinking about Marisol and about who and why she was dead, that he didn't give it a second thought that he could have encountered the same faith as her. He pulled slowly away, just enough that he could look in her eyes.

'Cal' he whispered as he cupped her face with both hands, even though his injured arm ached with the movement. He could see her swallow hard, as she blinked her eyes rapidly, her hands now resting on his hips, her lips slightly parted as she kept eye contact with him, her heart beating savagely in her chest having Eric this close to her.

'I could have lost you' she whispered.

'You didn't. You never will Cal' he told her as he let his forehead rest against hers. It was so easy to fall, to kiss her right now, but the last thing he wanted to do was fuck up their friendship.

'I don't know what I would have done' she told him.

'I'm right here Cal' he told her. She could feel herself falling, drowning into him but she couldn't, not when their emotions were on such a rollercoaster. She always liked him, she always wondered what it would be like to be with him, to give them a chance but she always held back because their friendship was too important for her and whether she knew that he felt the same way she did, didn't matter because she was not going to take advantage of him, not when he was in such an emotional state after losing his sister. She came here to comfort him, and even though she knew she would be comforting him in the best possible way probably, she just couldn't let it happen...not like this. She sighed and let her head drop on his chest pulling him into a hug, letting the sound of his heartbeat assure her that he was alive in her arms. She felt him wrap his arms around her, his hand on the back of her head and then he pressed his lips against the top of her head.

'Stay with me tonight' he told her.

Calleigh smiled and pulled slowly out of his embrace 'Sure' she replied as she looked at him and Eric smiled at her one hand cupping her cheek.

'Thanks Cal' he told her before kissing her forehead 'I will never let anything happen to you. I promise I will always protect you Cal' Eric told her.

'And I'll protect you Eric' Calleigh told him 'I promise'.