For the Sake of the Show

Eric's love life suffers, thanks to Greg and Sara.

…

(Don't know anybody, don't know anything.)

…

Jorja Fox had just climbed into bed when the phone rang. Looking over at it, she twisted under the covers, and picked up the phone form its cradle, and brought it to her ear.

"'ello?"

"Hey."

"Eric, I'm sleeping."

"No you're not. You're watching Letterman, grumbling about the dog tracking dirt on the bed and pretending to go over tomorrow's scenes." She laughed softly, looking around the bedroom, and noting that he was right. There were jokes about the president coming from the TV set, Ali breathing softly at the end of the bed, and the script open to tomorrow's scene, dutifully being ignored.

"What do you want, Eric?"

"I couldn't sleep." He smiled into his phone, glancing at the clock on his dashboard, with its red digits reading 12:39.

"So you wanted to wake me up to tell me about it?"

"I though we established you that were already awake."

"Eric, it's getting late."

"I know, and I hate to ask you to get out of bed."

"I'm not getting out of bed."

"Well, as long as you get out of bed in about ninety seconds, and open the front door, you can get back into bed."

"Why in ninety seconds?"

"Because I don't have a key."

"Are you in the car?"

"Actually I'm just pulling into your driveway." She sighed, smiling at his antics.

"Use the spare. Keep it. You're the only one that uses it anyway." She didn't wait for his reply, but placed the phone back in its cradle, and turned back to Letterman. Ali perked up at hearing the front door open and close, and leapt off the bed to assess the situation, only to come trotting back at Eric's heels. He entered her bedroom with ease, watching as Ali jumped back on top of the bedding. He was wearing sweatpants and one of his 'Greg' tee shirts, with an old, faded ACDC screen print on the front.

"Did you read our scene for tomorrow?" He grinned at her, and she snatched up the script, paying no attention to him as he kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed, petting Ali. She peered at the dialogue for their scene as he watched Letterman laugh at his own joke, introducing George Clooney onto the set. "Hey." He tapped her arm, not taking his eyes form the TV.

"What? Jesus. I'm reading."

"Billy should get George Clooney to guest star."

"It's confusing enough with just me and George."

"D'you get to the good part yet?"

"I will if you let me." He didn't answer, but leaned over, reading over her shoulder, invading her space. "Eric."

"What?"

"Nothing." She tossed the script aside, and it landed inches from Ali at the end of the bed, watching him as he sat back against one of her pillows. "D'you want to talk about it?"

"What? I didn't say anything."

"Whatever's making you crazy. You could shoot an episode right now you're so wired."

"Greg and I lead similar lives." She frowned at his skittering around the subject, and turned to face him.

"Eric, I can't validate your feelings if you don't tell me what's wrong." He frowned, turning his attention from George Clooney and David Letterman to Jorja beside him.

"It's nothing."

"Obviously not." There was an awkward silence that hung between them, and he let out a long breath. "Once again, why are you in my bed in the middle of the night?"

"Hannah kicked me out."

"It's your house, Eric."

"Yes, well, tonight it's hers."

"What did you do to piss her off?"

"Why do you always assume it's me who's done the 'doing?'"

"Because it's usually you."

"She read the script."

"The whole script?"

"She was less than pleased. Like probably throwing my clothes onto the front lawn pleased. Not that I'll have to worry about picking them up, the paparazzi will have snatched it all and put up my boxers on eBay, the way they were swarming tonight."

"It's one scene, Eric."

"Oh I know. She told me." Jorja rolled over on her side, taking in his troubled profile before he shifted to face her, their noses inches from each other. "We were cruising towards the Dumpsville exit anyway. Besides, now she can put on her resume 'Dated and Dumped CSI star Eric Szmanda' and sell her story to E! and make money off me."

"Yes you can stay here."

"Thanks." He leaned over, and pressed a childish kiss to her cheek, making her laugh. She settled into the bedding, rolling to her other side. She felt him move, reaching for the remote, switching off Letterman mid-joke. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and snuggled into her shoulder, pulling her against him.

"Eric."

"We can call it rehearsing and no one will be the wiser."

"I suppose if Greg and Sara can have sex, than you and I can share a bed."

"I hope they get it on much more."

"Why, so you can have a better excuse to climb into bed with me?"

"An actor should always fully research and rehearse all their challenging scenes, so as to authenticate them."

"For the sake of the show then."

Her soft laugh was lost on him, however, he was already asleep.

……

A/N: something different. Meh. Was stuck in my head for Greg and Sara, but was much more interesting with Eric and Jorja. (Hannah doesn't exist). I obviously don't know either of them.