So, this is just a little one-shot that I wrote after last night's episode. I hated that Calleigh called Eric family, so I thought maybe she was just screwing with him and this is how I like to think things really went. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Duh.

Like Family

Eric Delko hated being a CSI sometimes. Well, not really, he actually loved his job more than almost anything. But it had its definite down sides. Like having to pretend that he wasn't head over heels in love with one Calleigh Duquesne when he was in the lab.

He'd barely seen her all day while he was working on the case, so by quitting time, all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and hold her tightly.

But he couldn't.

Instead, he was stuck acting like nothing was going on.

He'd been happy to see that she was the only one in the locker room when he'd come in. Ready to go, babe? the words had almost slipped off of his tongue, but he'd caught himself. He knew that even though they were alone she would have given him a reproachful look and he would have paid for it later. They'd agreed: regardless of their company (or lack thereof) at work it was always professional, that way, they were less likely slip up around their colleagues.

So, he'd bitten his tongue and asked if she was leaving.

"I'm gonna go have dinner with a friend," she'd said.

"A friend, huh? Trying to have a life outside this place?" he'd joked good naturedly.

"I'm tryin'," she'd chuckled.

"It's none of my business," he'd replied.

Yeah right. To both of their statements.

As if she was really having dinner with a friend tonight. Oh sure, she was having dinner, but it was with someone who was definitely more than a friend to her. Him.

As if it was really none of his business and he really wouldn't care if she was going out with him and decided not to tell him.

Yeah right.

"You know I love you like family."

Ugh. He hated what that would've sounded like to an outsider. Like she thought of him as a brother. It was wrong on so many levels and made the things that he wanted to be doing to her completely unspeakable.

Luckily, he knew what she meant. She wanted it to sound like that to outsiders. But who cared how it sounded to outsiders? He knew that she was really just telling him that she loved him in "work terms".

"Yeah I know; that's what we are, right?" had been his covert response.

And they were. Just not in the way that it sounded.

Family is the people that are there for you and that you love unconditionally and can't live without. Those things definitely applied to Calleigh and he knew that one day, she would officially be a member of his family.

But for now, he was content (content enough anyway) to just pretend like they were friends and colleagues while they were at work. Or at least he was going to keep telling himself that.

He'd watched her walk away with somewhat of a wistful look on his face. He'd love to have been able to catch up with her and wrap his long arm around her narrow shoulders, drawing her into his body. Maybe he'd have laid a light kiss on her temple just to let her know that he was there.

Instead, he'd continued to get his things together in his locker. Once he'd waited the designated five minutes, he'd strolled out into the warm night air and made a beeline for his car.

The fifteen-minute drive was excruciating. He wished that he could just teleport himself to his place—it would make life so much easier.

When he pulled into the driveway, the sight of Calleigh's car made him smile. It made him happy to know that she felt comfortable enough in his home not only to possess a key, but also to get there before him and be there when he wasn't.

"Cal?" he'd called anxiously when he'd stepped inside and locked the door behind himself.

"Bedroom," she'd called back, so he'd followed her voice.

He'd leaned against the doorframe and just watched her as she moved around effortlessly, finishing her routine of getting out of work clothes and into home clothes. He loved this side of her. Sweatpants and one of his Miami t-shirts that had shrunk to be too small for him, but was still loose on her little frame; her face already scrubbed of makeup and her hair tousled from the clothes change.

Sure, he adored the professional, never-a-hair-out-of-place Calleigh too, but this Calleigh was probably his favorite. Excepting of course, just-woken-up-still-naked-from-last-night Calleigh. That was definitely his favorite.

"Eric, why're you staring?" her voice had broken him out of his trance.

By the look on her face, it wasn't the first time that she'd tried to get his attention.

"Sorry…I was just looking at my friend," he popped a small smirk.

"Friend, huh?" she'd come closer and rested her hands lightly on his hips.

"Uh huh…such good friends that we're practically family," he'd nodded earnestly.

"Shut up," with that, she'd used her deceptive strength (as if he wasn't a willing participant) to pull him down to her and kiss him.

Now, hours later, as they lounged on the couch, he could still imagine the feel of her lips on his.

"You okay? You've been kind of quiet all night," Calleigh commented, drawing a small pattern on the bare skin of his forearm.

"Yeah…I was just thinking about how nice this is. You know, being able to actually touch you and not have to worry that someone is going to see," Eric admitted.

Calleigh sighed softly. "I know…but for now I think it's our best option. Don't you?"

"Yeah, it is, I know. I just don't always like it."

"I don't either."

"I think the ME has a crush on me," he mentioned idly.

"Well, I may not be your girlfriend at work, but I'm still the ballistics expert, so you send her up for a little chat with me if need be," Calleigh said easily.

Eric chuckled at that. "I love you Cal."

"I love you too. And not just like family," she told him, turning her head so that they could meet eyes.

He saw nothing but adoration in her emerald orbs and he knew that she was speaking from the heart.

"We'll tell them someday," she whispered and leaned in to kiss him again.