This chapter is not as long as the others, but I felt it was the right moment to end it. Hope you like it thank you for all the reviews, I'm loving them

Chapter 11:

Moving on from what happened on that day was not easy for Calleigh. There were days when she was crying to sleep and other days when none of the issues crossed her mind. There were moments when she wondered if Jake was okay and other days when she couldn't care less. Her father had called her the next day and apologized profusely for getting drunk and swore to try and never drink again. Calleigh nodded having heard that promise a million times before but she knew that he would never be able to truly keep that promise no matter how much he tries. She wasn't angry with him anymore, but was just tired of the ongoing saga, of taking care of him instead of it being the other way around, not that she needed him to take care of her but for him to at least be the father every girl wants.

The situation with her mother had been something else though...

Calleigh was on her way to Horatio's office to leave him some documents he had asked for. She was trying to act as normal as possible considering the person pissing her off, calling her like a million times after days had passed and she hadn't heard anything from her mother. Now she was calling and Calleigh had no time to waste during work with her. If she truly wanted to talk to her and apologize for embarrassing her, she could have done so on the day or the next but instead almost two weeks passed and she didn't hear anything. For all she knew, her mother was back in Louisanna, so no she did not have time for her now, but as soon as she reached the reception area, she saw her there, dressed in a sexy strapless dress, bright and red for everyone's attention again. Calleigh wanted to grab her and drag her out of fuckin MDPD but instead she took a deep breath and approached her. The receptionist was going to end up paging her anyway so might as well get this over and done with.

'What are you doing here?' Calleigh asked her.

'I came to look for you. Can we talk?' he mother asked her. Calleigh couldn't help observing her mother's outfit. A red strapless dress with silver heels and handbag, her hair was up in a ponytail and full on make up...in the bloody afternoon!

'Not really. I'm busy' Calleigh replied.

'Come on darling it won't take long' her mother told her.

'Wait a second' she told her. She hurried into Horatio's office and left the envelope on his desk and hurried back down to get her mother out of there.

'What do you want?' Calleigh asked her again crossing her arms in front of her chest.

'I want to apologize for last time' her mother started telling her.

'Took you long enough. Why didn't you leave another week before you apologize?' she asked her sarcastically.

'I didn't think you wanted to talk. I thought I better let things cool down' her mother told her.

'You're right. I don't want to talk to you. I've had enough' she said as her voice started getting a bit louder.

That was when she felt his presence next to her. He was on his way to DNA when he saw them and decided it was better to get them somewhere private. They were talking next to the reception and everyone was looking at them and knowing Calleigh, this was getting her even more pissed.

'Cal...why don't you go in one of the private rooms?' he suggested as he placed his hand on the small of her back.

'Who are you?' her mother asked Eric, clearly eyeing him up and down and Calleigh felt like she was about to scream with the way her mother was shamelessly eyeing Eric. She grabbed her arm and literally removed her from there and into the first private room she found.

'Are you going to be okay?' he asked her having followed them towards the empty room.

'Once I'm done with her' Calleigh told him and he nodded and turned to walk away and that was when he heard the door shut behind her. Glancing back, he really wanted to stay close by but he knew she needed the privacy and they could talk later anyway about what happened.

'So who was that hot Cuban?' her mother asked her and Calleigh was trying her best not to slap her in her face and turn it the other way.

'No one you will ever lay a hand on' she replied sternly crossing her arms again.

'Oh I see...you're fucking him are you? Well you go girl, that's one hot man' her mother said and that was it.

'Do you hear yourself? What are you? A sixteen year old? He is young enough to be your son! And you say you came here to apologize and yet you came dressed as a slut, hitting on my colleague. Do me a favour and don't ever come here again and if you want to go and get fucked go do it back home because if I catch you, I will arrest you myself' Calleigh told her.

'Oh come on darling, what's the big deal? I'm just having fun!' her mother replied.

'Having fun? You can go and have fun in privacy without having the world seeing you. Why don't you have some decency? But why would you? You never did. You never cared how I feel. You don't even care that you have humiliated me in front of my colleagues. So much for coming to apologize and do me a favour when you're in shit again, do not call dad. Leave him in peace' Calleigh told her.

'Oh come on, who was I supposed to call? He's a lawyer' she told Calleigh.

'There are plenty of them in Miami, now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. Some of us work for a living' Calleigh told her and with that she opened the door and walked out and didn't even bother to look back. She was done with her.

She had spent her entire life being patient and tolerating her behaviour. Now Calleigh has had enough of her. Horatio called her in the office as soon as he saw her to talk to her about the documents she had left him, but while she was talking to him, she caught sight of her mother and Eric coming from the opposite side. Her eyes were fixated on her mother wanting to see what she was gonna do. She had made it obvious that she had found Eric attractive. She watched her calling him and Eric had to stop and talk to her. Horatio was talking to Calleigh but his words were falling on deaf ears as Calleigh had no idea what he was telling her. Her eyes and everything in her were on the scene unfolding before her eyes. She watched as her mother put a hand on Eric's chest in a very sexy way and Calleigh was starting to become furious but then watched as Eric took a step backwards putting space between them, removing her hands off him.

Horatio was watching Calleigh staring out of the office, Eric and the lady in the area between the reception and the elevator...and then they watched her turn around and leave.

'Ma'am?' Horatio called out and Calleigh turned to look at him.

'I'm sorry Horatio can you just give me a minute? I need to breathe' she told him and with that she stepped out of the office and practically ran away before even Eric could reach her.

He decided it was best to give her some space. He knew she saw the whole thing, at least from his end he didn't do anything that should be pissing her off. But how could her mother flirt like that with an officer? Someone who was clearly her daughter's friend, without shame? Shaking his head, he dismissed the situation and continued working on the case.

OooOOOooo

They didn't talk all day about what happened. He had tried later, but she had told him that it wasn't time and that she preferred to talk later after work, so he gave her her space but when he tried to call her after work, she wouldn't pick up. She had left without saying goodbye and that told Eric that she was not in a good place at all. She was hurt and upset and the walls were probably high up. The only thing he wasn't sure of, was whether she was upset with him or with her mother. He went over to her house and knocked on the door but nothing, she didn't reply. She was not at home and then he thought that maybe, she was at the beach, in their usual spot so he went to look for her there...and there she was in the usual spot, with her knees up against her chest, hugging them. He approached her slowly then. He stopped next to her and she looked up at him without saying a word and looked back at the water, rolling to shore. He sat down behind her and slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. She was silent for the longest time, not saying a word, not even letting herself get some comfort from him, from their position. It always worked before, but today she felt cold, like the walls had reached so high up, not even he could pull them back down.

'Talk to me Cal' he told her in a whisper as he rubber her arms gently.

She was still silent for a few minutes and then out of nowhere she started crying and it was not like her. He turned her slightly around and she grabbed his t-shirt and buried her face in his chest, and just cried harder. He rocked her and pampered the top of her head with kisses while his hand caressed her hair 'Let it all out...it's okay, I'm here' he told her. At the moment, she looked like a little girl with a broken heart who needed her teddy bear to give her some comfort and make her feel safe again.

Slowly, she started calming down but Eric continued to caress her hair and planting sweet soft kisses on the top of her hair 'Sorry' she apologized.

'No need to be sorry' he told her 'Do you want to tell me why you are crying?' he asked her as he reached out, and wiped the remainder of her tears with his thumbs.

'I spoke to her like an adult today. I never spoke to her that way before' she told him 'But she has no shame...no remorse...nothing. She didn't even apologize for not letting me know that she was in Miami...but which mother does that? Which mother visits the city her daughter lives in but doesn't let her know? At one point I was so mad at her that I told her if she wants to get fucked, she should go and do it back at home because if I catch her, I will arrest her myself' Calleigh told him 'For heaven's sake she was hitting on you right in front of me' Calleigh said exasperated as she ran her hand through her hair 'What did she tell you before she left?' Calleigh asked him.

'You don't want to know' he replied.

'Come on Eric tell me' she told him.

'No Cal, I'm not going to tell you because the last thing that I want to do is hurt you. You don't need to know. You saw her, I know you saw how she was behaving with me. You don't need me to tell you what she said exactly' Eric told her.

'Oh my God...' Calleigh said as she turned away from him. She was so embarrassed, she couldn't even look at him 'I'm so embarrassed' she whispered.

'You have nothing to be embarrassed about Calleigh' Eric told her 'She can try all she want...you are the only one I want' Eric told her.

'She realized that something is going on between us...she realized because she made a comment when it was just me and her...and yet she still tried with you afterwards' Calleigh said 'Let me guess...she said that she is better than me, didn't she? She probably said that she could satisfy you more than I ever can' Calleigh told him. He really didn't need to confirm it. It was written all over his face. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him as she turned to look away 'Unbelievable' she whispered.

'Do you want to know what I told her?' Eric asked her and Calleigh turned to look at him 'I told her that for me...there is only you Cal, who can ever satisfy me, who I'll ever want to be with...no one else' Eric told her as he cupped one cheek, his thumb caressing the area and Calleigh smiled at him as a single tear escaped and Eric wiped it away with his thumb.

'You told her that?' she asked him.

'I did...and I meant it' Eric told her. She shifted on her knees then looking at him and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. He hugged her tight and she hugged him even tighter. She pulled slightly out of his embrace, leaving her elbows on his shoulders. Her face was inches away and Eric looked at her as he watched her lean down to capture his lips. He felt her kiss his lips slowly and Eric kissed her back, parting his lips inviting her in. He felt her tongue in his mouth, twirling with his, his hand moved to cup the back of her head and Calleigh deepened the kiss. Slowing down for some much needed air, Calleigh stayed close 'Do you want to go for a walk? She asked him.

'Sounds nice' he told her.

So they got up and started walking along the beach. He felt her slip her hand into his, tangling their fingers, and Eric couldn't help feel warm inside. It felt good to hold her hand like this. He smiled at her and kissed her temple and Calleigh closed her eyes at that gesture.

'I like it when you do that' she admitted and Eric smiled.

'Oh yeah?' he asked 'Why's that?' he asked her.

'It makes me feel special' she replied with a shrug.

'You are special Cal' he told her as he stopped walking and turned to look at her. The wind blew at that moment, pushing her hair in front of her face and Eric reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear.

'And that' she whispered smiling at him. She was becoming better at this...at opening up to him. She was usually very closed off but with Eric she found it easier to talk and say what she was feeling and Eric loved it.

He smiled at her and let his forehead rest against hers 'I love what you do to me' he whispered, his hands on her hips 'I love the way you blush when I say something like that and the way you look at me and give me that gorgeous smile of yours...I love that you trust me so much you open up to me' he told her.

Her hands were on his arms, letting his breath wash over her senses, his lips close to hers, her eyes closed...Eric kissed her and as they deepened the kiss, his arms now on her back he lifted her up and Calleigh raised her legs back laughing.

'I wish I have a photo of this moment' she told him.

'I'm sure that can be arranged' he replied.

He looked around and saw another couple walking towards them, so he walked up to them and asked them if they could take a picture for him and Calleigh, so Eric recreated the moment and kissed her again, and Calleigh laughed and raised her legs back, and the photo came out wonderful.

She was looking at the photo with him and then out of the blue, she leaned in and kissed his cheek and Eric smiled.

'What was that for?' he asked her.

'You give me hope Eric...that maybe this time round, this relationship will not be destined to fail...that maybe for once in my life I have found someone who truly cares about me' she explained.

Eric smiled, her words touching his heart as he looked lovingly in her eyes, one hand instinctively cupping one cheek 'Calleigh...you are my world. I can't imagine my life without you in it' he told her.

Calleigh smiled at him 'You know...if we were at home right now...I'd tell you to make love to me' she told him and Eric wrapped his arms around her.

'Let's plan it...make it special' he told her.

'Really?' she asked him and Eric chuckled at that reaction.

'Yeah...I want it to be special...that you will always remember it' he told her.

She was looking at him, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight and she felt it...she felt the emotion...those three words she never said to anyone but God knows she wanted to tell him how she felt...they were in the tip of her tongue but Calleigh felt it was too soon to say them...and then she thought she would tell him when they make love and she would make it special for him too in that way.

'You know...you said you don't know what you would do without me...well the truth is...I don't know what I would do without you too Delko' she told him, her arms wrapped around his waist 'I don't know how I would have made it through this horrible day and yet...yet you managed to make it end in this amazing way' she told him.

'So you're feeling better?' he asked her.

She sighed then 'I am...I mean...they are what they are. Thank God I don't have to live under the same roof anymore' she told him. He kissed her forehead then, his hand on her cheek 'Stay with me tonight?' she asked him.

'I'd love to' he replied and with that, they turned around and made their way home.