I never can resist these challenge things; give me one and I drop all other WIPs. But, I haven't abandoned From Out of the Darkness, I promise.

Elements: 1)Some Form of Art. 2)An Autumnal Day. 3)A Road Sign. 4)Two People Having A Conversation. 5)Must follow EC canon(ish).

Below is what the British weather has done to me, and it's just a strange one-shot. By the by, does Autumn remind anyone else of Van Morrison, or is that just me?

(Edit: Just changed the title because this song came on and it fits better - it's by The Verve.)

(Edit 2: ladyd10 pointed something out to me. Just for the record, though, I did check out some pictures before I wrote this, and there was definitely a hint of browning leaves. And, no, they weren't dead palm trees :p.)

Love Is Noise

It started out quietly at first, as a near-silent whisper that gradually shifted into a soft hiss. On it continued, vibrating through the trees until Bayfront Park was alive with the sound of rustling. And Calleigh found herself shivering a little as the cool breeze swept over her, a tell-tale sign that Autumn was well and truly setting in, at least by Miami standards, anyway. Gazing out across the ocean, she found her eyes drawn to the waves, and she watched as they danced in and out before the water reclaimed them once more.

There was something mesmerizing about the emerald sea, something magical that refused to break her piercing gaze, keeping her brain focused on the thoughts that had been plaguing her for longer than she cared to remember. And as a violent swash surged up the beach, lost its energy to the sand and rolled gently back down the bank, she ran a hand through her hair, sighing as she realised that she still wasn't sure what to do.

She knew what she wanted, a part of her probably always had, but that didn't make her decision any easier. Made it harder, in fact, because all sense of reason was abandoned when it came to him... Eric. Even now, she could feel the corners of her mouth turning up and she was forced to bite down on her bottom lip, hating that the mere thought of his name could affect her the way it did.

She didn't hate it, though. Not really; he'd always been able to make her smile, make her eyes light up in the way they did only for him. How he managed to break through her walls time and time again amazed her as much as it did frustrate her. Trust wasn't the issue, of course it wasn't, but the state of their relationship was.

Because how do you go from being co-workers and best friends to being involved in a full-fledged romance?

It was something she'd allowed herself to consider a lot, lately; would it take a moment, a heated and passionately intense moment that would catapult them out of their comfort zone and into a state of play that both had craved for far too long? Or would it be seamless, captured in a simple look or a touch that silently informed the other that the white flag was up and yes, a kiss would be nice?

Very nice, in fact...

The cry of a gull pulled her eyes away from the enchanted ocean-dance, and she turned her attention to the sky as the bird swooped low, dangerously close to the water, before allowing itself to glide along with the wind once again. And just for a moment, she imagined herself in the gull's place, dared herself to let go and let her emotions fly free.

But she couldn't.

At least, not yet, anyway.

She sighed then, deciding that she wasn't getting anywhere standing here. So, after a final glance at the soaring bird, she turned towards the green oasis of the park and made her way over to the main footpath, strolling under the barely-rusted trees, the odd leaf peppering the walkway with subtle tints of orange and red. But still she couldn't shake the thoughts from her brain, and as the wind picked up and tossed a few leaves into the air, she ignored it, her mind working over-time as she lost herself to her own imagination.

. : : : .

"Calleigh!" a voice suddenly called out to her. Whipping round, her breath caught in her throat and her heart began to beat that little bit faster. Because he was in front of her, jogging towards her, his T-shirt riding up with each powerful stride, revealing a flash of toned, caramel skin...

"Hey," he said softly, once he was near enough.

Flashing him a smile, she answered, "Hey yourself."

"Want some company?" he asked, falling into step beside her when she nodded.

They walked in silence for a few moments, hands occasionally brushing, eyes occasionally meeting... until Calleigh finally broke it with a nervous, "So, what brings you out here?"

"I came here to think," he replied simply, gesturing around the park.

She frowned then, wondering just what it was he'd needed to think about, and she tried to catch his gaze, hoping to read something in those dark eyes of his. He deliberately avoided her, though, and kept staring straight, eventually asking, "What about you?"

"Oh, you know," she shrugged, "just came here to think."

A small chuckle escaped him, a verbal reflection of the playful smile that was tugging at her lips. "Wanna tell me what about?" he ventured, allowing their eyes to meet briefly.

"That depends," she told him, "on whether you're going to tell me?" He chose to remain silent, merely allowed a wistful smile to grace his features before it slowly melted away. "Eric?" she frowned, a little unsure about what was going on. Since his shooting she'd slowly got used to the new, thoughtful him, but there was something about his demeanor right now that seemed strange. She allowed her eyes to wash over him, taking in every detail of the face she knew so well; the curve of his nose, the set of his jaw. The shape of his hairline, the outline of his mouth...

"It's nothing," she heard him murmur, bringing her gaze back to his. Before she could push it, though, he suddenly pointed ahead and said, "Come on, I wanna show you something." His pace quickened, and Calleigh was left with no option but to follow.

He eventually stopped in front of a monument, and, upon seeing it, her curiosity piqued. She'd passed it many a time when strolling through this park. In fact, Bayfront was littered with statues; Christopher Columbus, Claude Pepper, a memorial to honour the crew of the Challenger Space disaster... the entire place was like a front row ticket to history.

But the one in front her now puzzled her. "Liberty Column," she murmured softly. "What about it?"

He said nothing for a moment, merely stared at the jagged white rock before him, following it up towards the desperately reaching arms that pointed to the sky. "You know what it symbolises?" he finally asked.

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded, "it's a monument to the thousands of unknown Cuban rafters lost at sea while trying to reach the U.S."

"Not just that," he said, turning to face her, "it's a reminder to be thankful. To know that you're lucky." The wind picked up then, whipping around them and creating a roaring hiss as it travelled through the trees. Ignoring it, however, Eric took a step closer and continued, "It's a symbol of bravery, Cal. Of letting go of everything, packing up and beginning a journey."

Maybe it was the way he held her gaze as he said it, or the way that one of his hands slipped through hers, drawing her body towards him, but Calleigh suddenly couldn't help but feel that he wasn't just talking about Liberty Column anymore. "But what if it that journey ends like the rafters?" she heard herself whisper.

He smiled then, his free hand moving up to her face, cupping her cheek and bringing her closer still. "It won't," he told her simply, before he captured her mouth with his in a slow, deep kiss; the kind that began in the pit of her stomach, fluttering up through her body in the shape of a shiver as skin danced against skin. The kind that -

. : : : .

Come on, Calleigh, she told herself, shaking the day-dream from her mind, noting that she was still walking along the main footpath, all that's missing is the fireworks. But, although she rolled her eyes, there was a small part of her that couldn't help but wonder if she and Eric could happen like that. That wanted it to.

Suddenly realising that she was in danger of going in a circle, back around the park, she made a left and headed for the parking lot, forcing her body against the autumnal breeze as she passed a jagged white rock, desperate hands reaching out towards the sky. And as the wind blew another gust her way, sending it straight through her and into the trees, setting Bayfront alive with a melancholic murmur, she slipped into her Hummer and shut the door.

Hard.

As she took a moment to check her reflection in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of the sky; menacing clouds were beginning to roll in from the East, a dark shadow creeping in. Deciding to concentrate on getting home, she strapped herself in quickly, hoping to get there before the storm broke. But her mind was incessant, and she sighed when Eric flitted into her thoughts once more.

Running a hand through her hair she tried to force him out, feeling a surge of frustration rush through her.

Why wouldn't he leave her alone?

She knew why, though; it was because she didn't want him to. As much as she hated to admit it, thinking about Eric had become normal for her, almost a comfort. And she briefly wondered if he found that, too, if her face was the last thing he saw at night before he lost himself to sleep...

On and on her brain went; images flashing, memories playing, possibilities appearing... until she wasn't sure what was real any more.

. : : : .

"Calleigh!" a voice suddenly called out to her, a hand tapping at the car window. Flicking the switch to wind it down, she smiled as she turned to see Eric standing there, his hair a little windswept, with that sexy, messy look to it. "Don't suppose I could catch a lift?" he asked, a cocky grin tugging at his mouth. "I've been jogging and, uh - " He pointed to the gathering clouds, "I don't really wanna get caught in that."

Laughing, she gestured towards the passenger door, "Sure, get in." She didn't need to ask twice, and within moments he'd climbed into the Hummer. "I didn't know you ran here," she said as she pulled out, following the road signs and making a right out of the car park.

"Yeah, it's got a good atmosphere, you know?" he replied, leaning back into his seat. Upon hearing her chuckle he glanced over, "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she told him simply, biting away the smile from her mouth, only for it to spring back even stronger. He shifted his position again, his hand falling down beside him, brushing against her arm and sending a bolt of... something up her sleeve. Before she could say anything, though, a deep rumble of thunder suddenly vibrated through the sky.

"Did you even see the lightning?" Eric asked, peering through the window, his hand coming to rest on the dashboard.

Willing the heated tingle out of her arm, she shook her head, "No, must be pretty close. Least it hasn't started to rain, yet." The words had barely left her mouth when a curtain of water appeared out of nowhere, coating everything it touched, even managing to find its way inside of the car as Calleigh closed the window.

"Well, that was clever," he teased as she switched her wipers on.

Only, for some reason, she didn't find it very funny. In fact, she suddenly found his comment unnecessary, annoying, frustrating. So she told him so; "Shut up, Eric."

"Come on, Calleigh, it was a joke," he said, feigning hurt. "I just meant - " Her elevated sigh cut him off, a not-so-subtle warning that he should listen to what she'd said.

A heightened silence took hold then, only broken by the crack of invisible lightning or the deep grumble of thunder. But the anger radiating off Calleigh was louder, more violent, diffusing through the car until Eric suddenly found himself flaring, "What the hell is your problem, Cal?"

And she didn't know, really she didn't. Maybe it was the storm... maybe.

Or maybe it was the fact that she hated how every-single-thing he did affected her, how the tiniest touch could make her feel amazing, how the tone of his voice could cut through her, the fact that he was sofuckingclose and she was incapable of doing anything about it. And before she knew what she was doing, she pulled over and stopped the car, turning to face him in blind fury, "My problem? God, Eric, my problem is that I - " She broke off suddenly, silently scolding herself for raising her voice like she had, for nearly admitting to him how he made her feel...

But he refused to let it drop, instead asking, "What, Calleigh? Your problem is what?"

She was breathing heavily now, feeling as though the Hummer had shrunk about ten times in the past ten seconds, and she found herself being forced to open her door to climb out, needing to get away from him, from everything. The rain soaked through her immediately, seeping into her clothes and running down her skin, cold and probing as she leant herself against the side of the car. The sound of a door slamming told her that he'd followed her, and she closed her eyes, pushing her drenched hair off of her face.

"Could you stop running for once in your life?" she heard him ask, his tone different now; still angry, but more controlled.

Her heart skipped a beat and she spun round, turning to face him over the car. "What?" she asked, voice barely audible through the rain. And she wasn't sure if he'd heard her, because suddenly he was moving, heading around the hood until he was standing next her, close to her.

But he had heard, for he answered quietly, "You always run away, Calleigh. Every time we get close to..." He stopped when she stiffened, and she realised that he was far more aware of why she'd exploded than she'd like to admit. "You start looking for the nearest exit," he continued, his voice getting stronger, "whether it's behind your own stupid walls, or Jake, or - "

"Jake?" she cut in, eyes flashing up at him dangerously.

"Yes Jake," he insisted firmly, taking a deep breath when she looked away, down at the floor, anywhere but him. She remained silent, and Eric sighed, growled his frustration and took a step backwards, bringing his hands to his hair where he ran them through it. And all the while the rain continued to beat down, a constant and rhythmic backdrop to the mess of emotions that it seeped into.

"Why do you do it?" Eric asked eventually, confusing her with his question. "Why do you run?" he clarified.

Another flare of anger rushed through her then, hating that he was asking her to explain herself, demanding that she tell him. But the worst thing, the very worst thing, was that she had no answer, or at least none that made any sense, and before she could stop herself she yelled into the wind, "I don't know, okay!" She looked away, repeating herself in a whisper, "I don't know."

But he didn't seem to care, or at least if he did, it didn't matter anymore, for he was suddenly in front of her, in her personal space, his wet hands on her wet clothes, his hot breath on her cold skin.

And then he kissed her.

Pushed her back against the car, lips everywhere, hands everywhere, tongue somewhere...

Maybe it was because he didn't know what else to do, because it was the only thing he'd been able to think of, but either way she didn't mind; because Eric was kissing her.

Hard.

And God! it felt amazing.

Skin against skin, lips crashing again and again, hands roaming over and over, tongue probing further and further -

. : : : .

Stop it, Calleigh, she scolded herself, resting her forehead against the steering wheel of her Hummer, still stationary in Bayfront Park. You have to stop it.

She remained still for a few moments, willing the fading day-dream from her mind, only not really wanting to.

But she needed to.

For it really had started to rain now, and driving in a heavy downpour was never fun. In fact, judging from what she'd just imagined, it was downright dangerous. She couldn't solely blame the weather, of course, but... it was there, and she had to think of some rational reason for why she was acting like she was. So, deciding to tell herself that Autumn was simply a sensuous month, she forced the last ghost of a kiss (oh!) out of her brain and imagined it carried away by the wind, floating on the violent hiss that was barely audible over the rain.

After a deep breath, she allowed herself to sit up again and reached for the ignition, allowing the car to roar into life. And even though she'd got no closer to figuring out the answer to her questions, to her problems, she had realised something today.

Regardless of how they happened, of how they broke the barrier between friendship and romance, it was going to happen.

Perhaps it already had...

And as she pulled out of her car space, she glanced one last time in her mirror and watched as the autumnal breeze continued to blow incessantly.

Until Bayfront Park was alive with the sound of rustling.

- Fin -