Chapter 15:
The drive back home was a quiet one both of them lost in their own thoughts as Eric drove and Calleigh looked out of the window. There was plenty to be said but it was like they were both saving it until they were behind closed doors. It was almost like they were afraid to talk knowing that this talk was going to be a tough one. There was so much to say and think about and both of them weren't exactly sure they wanted to start it either. They had been through a terrible ordeal and knowing Calleigh, she preferred to stay quiet and just think about what happened but at the same time, Eric had a million questions and needed to speak about it.
While they had been waiting for her to show up at the old factory, and Eric was just sitting there, hoping and praying that she would just show up in one piece and this operation would just go smoothly, Eric felt like he was deteriorating as the minutes ticked by, and the minutes felt like hours. That is until the knock was heard and then her voice came through and Eric had to hold it together to not just jump over the poker table and take her in his arms and beat the hell out of the idiot that kidnapped her.
Kidnapped her! Someone had kidnapped her, and Eric was not handling that fact particularly well. He was freaking out on the inside now that it was all over, not that he wasn't before but before he had to stay focused and control himself...think, so he could help find her and save her. Now that she was here next to him, in the same hummer with him and on the way home, all that happened was sinking in and the coping mechanism that was helping him before, was no longer feasible. She seemed okay from the outside more or less but Eric knew better. He knew she was a wrack on the inside. He knew she was just trying to hold it together and acting like all was fine with the world, and Eric realized how much that was true the minute she opened her mouth.
'Eric...' she said almost too low for Eric to hear her.
'Yes Cal?' he asked, glancing quickly her way.
'Do you mind if we go to your place instead of mine?' she asked him.
Confused at that request, Eric slowed down and glanced her way again 'Are you sure?' he asked her 'I thought you wanted to go home' he told her.
'I did...I do...but...I think right now I just want to feel safe and I'm not sure I will feel safe at my house' she admitted.
'Oh...okay' he replied. It broke his heart to hear her say that, and now he was kicking himself for not coming to the conclusion by himself.
It didn't take them long to arrive to his place and when Eric pulled the hummer into park, Calleigh just sat there waiting...staring...like she wasn't ready to get out of the vehicle. Her eyes were scanning the area, trying to figure out if there was something off, something out of the ordinary. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even realize that Eric had gotten out of the hummer until he opened the passenger door and whispered her name.
'Cal' he whispered having figured out that she was lost in thought, God knows what she was thinking about. She literally jumped in her seat before she turned to look at him but didn't say anything 'Are you ready to go inside?' he asked her softly.
She looked his way and then back at the road ahead...paused for a minute...eyes scanning the road ahead and then nodded as she turned to look back at him 'Yes' she replied, but Eric could tell that she wasn't exactly comfortable. He took her hand in his and lead her to his place.
Walking into his apartment, Calleigh felt a sense of relief and warmth, like it had suddenly truly hit her that she was safe now, because she was finally at Eric's place. She heard him close the door and then he placed his hands slowly and very cautiously on her arms and Calleigh sighed heavily and turned around to hug him, burying her face in his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She could hear his heart beating which gave her a certain comfort and peace and when she felt his lips press against her head and his arms tighten gently and very carefully around her, Calleigh couldn't contain herself anymore. The tears started flowing. It wasn't often that she cried but she was kidnapped and Seth had even attempted to rape her. There were just so many factors in everything that happened that was rattling her inside, things that she needed to analyze and come to terms with.
'Everything is going to be alright Cal...I'm right here baby' he told her pampering sweet soft kisses to the top of her head.
She pulled out slowly of his embrace, her arms still on his hips as she looked up at him, her eyes glistening. He smiled softly at her, as his hands reached out and wiped her tears with his thumbs.
'You scared the hell out of me' he admitted.
'I know...I'm sorry' she apologized.
'There is nothing to apologize for Cal...this was not your fault' he told her but the truth was that she blamed herself for at least some of the things that happened. For instance, she shouldn't have gone to check out the lead on her own. She should have taken the website Cooper created seriously. She dismissed the danger he put her in because she was too focused on the Newberry case. She wanted to object and tell him all of this but now was not the time. She knew he would not simply accept her saying that it was her fault. This could possibly turn out into a full out argument which she had no energy for right now, so for now she didn't say anything. In all honesty, she didn't feel like talking. She just wanted to stay safely in his arms and do nothing else. She looked away then without saying anything, and that told Eric that she might not fully agree with him but now was not the time. There were a lot of things that he wanted to know and talk about but they would simply have to wait because right now the most important thing was Calleigh.
'Hey...why don't you go have a nice hot shower and change into something comfortable and I'll prepare coffee for you?' he asked her 'Or maybe you want something to eat?' he asked her, realizing that she hasn't eaten anything in practically two days.
'I'm not really hungry Eric' she told him as she turned to look at him.
'Calleigh you haven't eaten anything in two days' he tried to tell her 'Even if just a sandwich or toast' he told her, his eyes practically pleading with her.
Calleigh could tell how worried he was so she nodded 'Okay...just one sandwich' she told him 'And coffee would be nice' she told him with a hint of a smile.
'Okay' he replied smiling at her as he reached out his hand and slowly caressed the cheek where a bruise had been formed. He had noticed it immediately but up until now, he didn't say anything. It was only now that he indicated to her that he had noticed it, not that she had any doubt. She hadn't seen her face so far but from the punch that she had received, she had imagined that her face was going to bruise. Her eyes connected with his as they held eye contact for a few seconds, letting each other silently know that Eric was aware of the bruise and that the subject on that was not closed, but for now it will have to wait 'Go and have a shower and I will start preparing coffees' he told her and Calleigh nodded 'If you need anything just call me okay. I'll be right here' he told her.
'Thanks Eric' Calleigh told him and he nodded as he watched her turn around and walk away from him. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the way she was walking, feeling like something wasn't right.
'Hey Calleigh' he called out and she turned slowly to look at him 'I love you' he told her and she smiled at him.
'I love you too' she replied and with that she made her way into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She just needed some time for herself, some privacy. In reality, it was an internal conflict. A part of her desired some time for herself and the other part just wanted to be with Eric. During the time she was kidnapped, she kept thinking about him, thinking about all the beautiful memories, about the time when they had gone to the swings, their spot at the beach, dancing, making love, and Calleigh had found courage in those memories that she was going to get through this ordeal and see him again, have him hold her and kiss her again. At that thought she realized that he hadn't kissed her yet, but she was sure that it was because he was being cautious, and that got her thinking of how he was going to be with her, how he was going to handle her. The last thing that she wanted was to be treated like a fine china. She might be going through a rough time of course and she was going to need a lot of courage and support probably whether she liked it or not, but she was not fragile and her confidence wasn't completely gone. She just needed to let everything that happened sink in and deal with it her way...well now deal with it her way with Eric's help because she was sure that he wasn't going anywhere.
Bending down to pull out one of Eric's t-shirt, Calleigh cried out in pain as her ribs protested the movement. She straightened up and took a deep calculated breath as she let her hand rest against the furniture. So far Eric didn't say anything about the bruise on her face and Calleigh knew that he was just giving her some space, but she wasn't sure he would hold back on that particular subject if he realized that she was injured like this as well. Running a hand through her hair, she carefully went down to grab a t-shirt and a panty and proceeded into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she gasped at the image she saw staring back at her. Her cheek was bruised but apart from that, she wasn't sure what she was seeing. Maybe she just needed to ease up on herself. She had been kidnapped after all, not eaten or showered for two days and took a couple of blows as well. She couldn't expect herself to look as fantastic as she always does.
Moving away from the mirror, she turned the water on and stepped in. She closed her eyes as the water splashed on her, washing away all the remnants of the past two days. So much has happened that Calleigh wasn't sure from where to start. A part of her wanted to think about everything that went down while the other part didn't want to think at all. She just wanted to forget that she was kidnapped and punched and that her life had been in danger. She just wanted to shower and crawl into Eric's arms and stay there forever.
oooOOOooo
Eric on the other hand was sitting down on the couch his thumbs massaging his temples as a headache started bombarding his head. He didn't sleep much the past two days not to mention how worried he had been about Calleigh. His head didn't really bother him the past two days and even the episodes had been sparse, in fact they had been sparse for weeks now but now he was not feeling himself. Maybe it was because he had exhausted his body worrying about Calleigh and not really resting so he could continue looking for her. Apart from all of this, he still had no idea what happened in the past two days while she was missing and Eric was worried about her. She had already ended up crying which was definitely not like her, but at the same time it is good because at least she is not bottling everything inside. To anyone on the outside, she looked fine, but Eric could see that she was anything but. He could tell that she had a lot on her mind, that these past two days and the whole ordeal had taken a toll on her. He wanted to know what happened but Eric knew that she might not possibly be up for that at least not straight away. What he was sure she needed was a lot of rest and something to eat, so he got up slowly from the couch and made his way into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water and two asprins and swallowed them, hoping they would help with the headache at least and then he turned on the kettle and started preparing the mugs for the two of them. He felt like having a coffee now, like he needed something warm and Eric needed to clear his head. He just needed to be with her, hold her for as long as possible.
With the sandwich and coffees ready now, Eric checked the time and realized that she had been in the bathroom for quite a while. He turned towards the bedroom, unsure whether to go and check on her or simply wait and give her more time, and she would be out when she is ready. He contemplated for a moment, but then decided to go and check on her. He was worried about her. He didn't want to interrupt but he was sure she would understand.
He slowly opened the bedroom door, walked inside and knocked softly on the bathroom door not to startle her 'Cal...are you okay in there?' he asked her. He could still hear the water running but he couldn't hear any movement.
'I'll be out in a minute' she replied.
'Okay' he replied. He wasn't sure if he should wait for her in the bedroom or not but then he figured it would be best to give her some space. She did say she would be out soon. It was something he needed to figure out. Eric knows that Calleigh doesn't like being treated like she is about to break but at the same time he wasn't sure how to handle this situation. He wanted to take care of her, be there for her but give her the space that she needs at the same time.
Not long after, Calleigh emerged from the bedroom in his t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Her hair was wet and loose in carefree bangs and she looked fresh. Tired...but fresh.
'Hey' Eric greeted her.
'Hey' she replied with a soft smile 'Sorry I took so long...I didn't realize' she apologized.
'It's fine Cal...I was just...worried' he told her as he reached out and softly stroked her cheek with his thumb. He watched her close her eyes at that gesture, appreciating it. It just felt good to feel his touch. It made her feel loved and safe 'Why don't you sit down? The sandwich and coffee are ready' he told her, so Calleigh made her way towards the couch, climbed onto it, crossed her legs on the cushions and grabbed a blanket to cover herself. She wasn't feeling cold but she was craving some comfort. He handed her the sandwich and placed the coffee on the coffee table in front of her and then he went into the kitchen and grabbed his.
Placing his mug next to hers, he sat down next to her giving her enough space while still sitting close to her. He just needed to be close to her like he was scared she will vanish if he is not so close.
'How are you feeling?' he asked her as he watched her munch on the piece of bread.
She glanced his way and smiled softly 'Better' she replied 'But I don't know what I am feeling' she admitted.
'You don't have to start analyzing everything now Cal' he told her.
'I know but I just...' she dropped her hands and sighed heavily 'I feel like it is my fault. I should have been more careful. I had an uneasy feeling and I still got out of the hummer. I could tell that something was off. I should have called for backup' she admitted.
'Yeah it is always better to have someone with you especially when there was the issue with the website that Cooper created' Eric replied.
'Oh yeah that...I forgot about it' she admitted. It was true. It didn't even cross her mind although she did assume that when she first came to that her kidnapping was a result of the website, but since then she had forgotten about it.
'It doesn't mean that it is your fault though' Eric started telling her 'Cooper put you in that situation. He exposed you' Eric told her as he tried to control his emotions. He could feel the anger resurfacing and now was not the time to explode but Calleigh could see the emotions play across his face so she placed her hand on his but as she did, she noticed that his hand was bruised.
'What happened to your hand?' she asked him as she stroked his knuckles. They both looked down at his hand and then back at each other.
Eric let out a long breath 'I punched a wall instead of punching Cooper in the face' he admitted.
'What? Eric!' Calleigh exclaimed.
'He practically fed you to the sharks Cal' he told her 'When I tried calling you and it went into voicemail, I realized that you were in danger...so I went to confront him. I swear to God I don't know what kept me from hitting him' he admitted.
'Well I'm glad you didn't' she told him.
'What? Why?' Eric asked her.
'Because I don't want you to get into trouble Eric' she replied as if it was the obvious reason.
'Well I did threaten him that if something happened to you, I would have gone back and killed him' he replied.
'You did what? Oh my God...Eric' Calleigh exclaimed worriedly. She shifted a little closer then and took his hand in hers 'You wouldn't have though, right?' she asked for clarification.
Eric looked away at that and pulled his hand away from hers 'You could have been killed Calleigh. I was so angry...so worried about you...I felt like I could tear him apart at that moment and yes...yes I would have made good on my promise' he admitted. She was looking at him, could see his jaw setting hard, his eyes turning cold as he thought about that moment, and it reminded her of how she felt when she was interrogating the guy who had shot Eric in the head.
She closed her eyes, covered her mouth and ran a hand through her hair 'I understand' she admitted.
Eric frowned at that and turned to look at her 'You do?' he asked her surprised.
'I do' she confirmed 'I remember I felt that way while I was interrogating the guy who shot you. I swear I never felt so angry. I wanted to put a bullet into his head' she admitted 'Ryan almost punched him but somehow I managed to control myself and Ryan' she told him.
'I didn't know that' he admitted. That was when he caught sight of the mugs of coffee on the coffee table so he reached out to check if they were still good to drink. It was a good thing he didn't pour the hot water immediately when the kettle boiled and then he had covered the mugs to keep them hot.
'Still good?' she asked him. They had almost forgotten about the coffee even if she really wanted it but when they start talking, it often happens.
'Yeah' he replied as he gave her his. She took the mug in her hands, enjoying the feel of the warm mug against her hands as she started drinking. Both taking that moment to let their minds drift to different directions. Calleigh could still hear the guy who shot Eric say that he did it so he could pay his debt on his car, and she still couldn't believe how someone could agree so easily to kill someone just to pay his debt while Eric's thoughts drifted to what he would have done if they didn't get to her in time.
Both lost in their own heads, Calleigh finished the coffee and went to stretch to put the mug back on the coffee table when a sharp pain tore through her body and she cried in pain, immediately snapping Eric out of his thoughts as he took the mug from her hand and placed it on the small table.
'Calleigh what's wrong?' he asked her 'What happened? Where are you hurt?' he asked her panicking. He was on his knees in front of her, his eyes searching her body, one hand on her thigh and the other one cupping her cheek as he watched her squeeze her eyes trying to get her breathing even again.
'It's okay...I'm okay' she repeated.
'Calleigh what happened?' he asked her 'Where are you hurt?' he asked her again.
'It's nothing Eric, I'm fine' she tried to tell him even if she knew that he was not going to let this go, and then his eyes settled on the bruise she had on her cheek and it dawned on him having read what Seth had been accused with before.
'Oh my God...Calleigh...did he...? Did he?' he started asking her but he couldn't verbalize it. The thought that someone would violate her in that way made him sick, and Eric could feel himself starting to panic on the inside.
'No...no...he didn't' she told him immediately seeing the pained look on his face, in his eyes.
'Calleigh' he warned, giving her that look that told her not to hide anything from him when it comes to these things.
'I swear Eric...he didn't...he tried, but I fought back' she explained.
'Is that when this happened?' he asked her as he stroked her bruised cheek and Calleigh nodded.
'He punched me so hard I fell to the ground and then he started kicking me' she told him.
'Can I see where you are hurt?' Eric asked her. She wasn't sure. It wasn't because she didn't trust him, but she had an idea how he was going to react. She had seen how badly her side was bruised, and if he was impressed by her cheek then her side was going to do quite the impression. Eric could see she was hesitating, so he stroked her cheek again 'Please Cal...I need to see where you are hurt' he told her.
'Okay' she said, so slowly and carefully she started lifting the t-shirt until she uncovered the bruise. Her side was all bruised turning in all shades of blues and purples. He gasped and ran his hand down his face and Calleigh quickly pulled down the t-shirt and wrapped her arms around herself.
'I'm sorry Cal...I'm so sorry this happened' Eric told her.
'I know' she replied fighting back the tears that she could feel filling her eyes.
'You emm...you wanna go to bed and rest?' he asked her before swallowing hard. She stared at him for a moment, getting the hint that he needed some time to digest everything that they have been talking about. She could see that he was fighting hard with himself to be strong for her, and well truth be told, she was tired and she did need to rest. She wasn't sure she wanted to be alone. She wanted to stay in his arms or at least close to him. She just needed to feel safe.
'Yeah...I guess I do need to rest' she told him 'Will you stay with me?' she asked him.
'Of course Cal...where else would I be?' he asked her.
He helped her up then and walked together towards the bedroom. Entering his bedroom, Calleigh stopped in front of the bed and turned to look at him. He cupped one cheek and stroked her face, his thumb caressing her lips as he stepped closer to her. Resting his forehead against hers and Calleigh closed her eyes as she placed her hands on his hips. It felt so good being this close to him. She opened her eyes and slowly closed the little distance there was between them and placed her lips against his. She felt his hand slide into her hair as he kissed her back slowly, both of them parting their lips needing more from this kiss but never losing control. They were just grateful to be here together safe and sound.
'God I missed you so much' Eric mumbled against her lips as they stopped kissing, their foreheads resting against each other.
'I thought I'll never get the chance to do this again' she whispered.
'Not on my watch' he replied. He would have never stopped looking for her but the truth was that if Calleigh hadn't convinced Tommy to turn himself in, Eric wasn't sure they would have found her in time, even if she was leaving them hidden messages in every place.
Calleigh could feel him thinking so she kissed his lips again 'Stop thinking. It's over now' she told him.
'I'm sorry' he apologized 'Come on let's get you into bed' he told her. Calleigh nodded and Eric helped her up, making sure that she stayed off her bruised side. He climbed in next to her and Calleigh snuggled closer into him. She sighed happily that she was finally in bed with Eric, and realized that it was only now that she was finally feeling safe.
'What?' he asked her having heard her sigh.
'I just realized that I just felt suddenly safe...finally' she said 'Your arms are my safe place Eric' she told him as she looked in his eyes and Eric smiled at her as his hand reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear.
'That is such a wonderful compliment' he told her feeling his heart happy for the first time in what felt like forever.
'I love you Eric' she told him.
'I love you too Calleigh' he told her before he leaned in and kissed her slowly, making sure to keep his hand at the back of her head. He could feel her trying to deepen the kiss, realizing she wanted more but she was hurt and Eric didn't want to hurt her. Making love to her now would be tricky with her side that bruised so they will have to wait and make love when she was better.
'I want you Eric' she whispered against his lips when they finally broke the kiss.
'I want you too Cal but we can't...you're hurt' he tried to reason with her as he looked in her eyes.
'Please Eric...I know you won't hurt me...I just want to feel good and loved and surrounded by you' she tried to explain. The thought that Seth had tried to touch her, had thought about doing her, disturbed both of them. It made Calleigh feel dirty and it drove Eric insane to think that he wanted to touch her 'Please Eric' she asked again as he felt her hand moving lower. She begging him to touch her and the last thing Eric wanted was to make her think that he didn't want her, but he was conflicted because he was scared of hurting her.
That thought escaped his mind the minute he felt her hand move over his bulge and then grabbing his butt 'Make love to me Eric' she whispered as she shifted even closer if that was possible 'Just a quick one...I just want to feel you all around me...inside of me...I want you to make me feel good and beautiful again' she told him. She was playing dirty and she knew it but she desperately wanted him to make love to her and Eric couldn't resist anymore.
He locked his lips with hers, his tongue immediately finding hers as he kissed her passionately letting all the emotions flood him as his hand moved into her hair deepening the kiss. They kissed passionately and when their lips parted Eric started moving down her jaw and then her neck. Calleigh gasped as she tilted her head backwards giving him better access as her hands wrapped around his neck while his hand was cupping her breast from over his t-shirt she was wearing and then moved lower under the material, into the hem of her panties, immediately removing them. He was getting to the point but Calleigh didn't mind. She wanted him to get straight to the point this time. She wanted him to touch her, she wanted to have that feeling he always gives her and Calleigh didn't have to wait that long. She felt his finger slide inside of her and Calleigh moaned, shutting her eyes as her hands moved to his head.
'Oh God that feels so good' she whimpered as he pumped his fingers inside of her while he started moving lower 'You make me feel so good' she went on. All this talking was getting to his head and was making it difficult to keep control of himself. He settled between her legs then and as he pulled his fingers out of her, he started massaging her bead with his tongue, making her cry out in pleasure as he picked up his pace. She moaned and whimpered and Eric sucked her harder. He could tell she was getting close with the way her breathing was picking up and when he inserted his finger inside of her while he kept on sucking her, Calleigh couldn't hold back any longer as her orgasm hit her making her whole body tingle.
Eric moved off her then getting rid of his clothes and releasing himself. Carefully, he covered her body with his as he captured her lips kissing her hard and passionately as Calleigh met him with the same amount of passion, her arms wrapping around him, her nails digging into his skin making him growl. She could feel his length teasing her and Calleigh cried in anticipation as Eric settled himself between her legs, making sure to keep his weight of her bruised area as he started pushing himself in.
He stopped and took a moment relishing the feeling of being surrounded by her. His eyes met hers then and Calleigh reached up and kissed his lips again. He kissed her back and started rocking himself into her heat and after a couple of thrusts, Calleigh broke the kiss, a moan escaping her mouth and Eric picked up his pace, thrusting harder and faster. He knew he wasn't going to last long and when Calleigh wrapped her legs around him, Eric sunk even deeper into her. He focused on her...the way the emotions played on her face, the way she bit her lip and moaned, the way her hand shifted from grabbing the sheets or massaging her globe, the way her eyes fluttered and the way his name escaped her mouth like a prayer and Eric lost it. He came hard inside of her too lost in her that he couldn't hold any longer and then Calleigh came with him.
Both of them breathing heavily, he pulled slowly out of her then and Calleigh snuggled into him, as Eric grabbed the sheets and covered them.
'Are you okay?' he asked her 'Did I hurt you?' he asked.
'No Eric...you were wonderful' she told him as a yawn escaped her mouth and Eric couldn't help but smile.
'So were you' he replied 'Now...why don't you sleep? You need to rest' he told her.
'Okay...just stay with me' she told him.
'I'm not going anywhere Cal...I promise' he told her and Calleigh nodded. He kissed her head and held her closer and Calleigh sighed as she snuggled into him and closed her eyes, and finally let sleep claim her.