His hand stilled on the door knob as he heard the light tap upon it. He knew it could only be one person and he suddenly felt trepidation and fear low in his stomach, giving his hand a slight tremble. With a shaky breath he opened the door and found the person he had expected at the other end, her head down, her hands down around her midsection combined and moving in a very uncharacteristic gesture of worry as she wrung them.

He spoke her name softly, almost questioning, and at the sound, her head shot up, surprise coloring her features. He took a moment to look at her- her eyes were the first thing that he noticed, red-rimmed and puffy, like she had been crying mere minutes before. She smiled- albeit weakly- and asked if she could come in. He simply nodded and moved out of the way so she could pass him by. She moved passed him rather quickly, avoiding his gaze. He closed the door behind her and followed her into the living room. She stood, and when she saw him come in behind her, she gestured to the sofa. He gave a nod of his head and sat, the trepidation and fear doubling as he studied her. He found the nervousness of her body language un-nerving himself and was silent- he wanted to give her a moment so she could collect her thoughts, so she could possibly shed some light on what had happened earlier in the day. A few seconds passed by and she inhaled shakily and began to speak, her voice uncertain.

"Eric, I just wanted to come over and apologize for my behavior earlier today. I, uh,"

She gave a nervous chuckle, running her hand through her hair, then bringing her hands back together to continue their nervous gesture.

" I don't know what came over me. I should have never acted like that- it was totally unprofessional and it- I- compromised our partnership and I just- I'm hoping that we can forget it and move past it and get back to where we need to be- as colleagues and friends."

Her peace spoken, she exhaled and for the first time since she had gotten there, she met his eyes, a hopeful look radiating out of them.

Her words hit him hard in the stomach and he closed his eyes at the sudden feeling. For a second he couldn't breathe and they sat like that for a long moment, silence booming in their ears. He could feel her peering at him and her gaze made him uncomfortable, suffocated. When he opened his mouth to answer her, a laugh found its way out lips- more of a harsh bark than any sort of humorous indication- that surprised both of them. He had no control, however, and for a few seconds that's all that existed in the silence- his harsh, humorless peels of laughter.

It alarmed her, sent her eyes wide and her mouth agape. She stood, confused, simply looking at him, her brows furrowed and dread setting upon her body like a blanket. She had prepared herself for anger, indignation, sadness… but this?

After his laughter subsided, he brought his eyes to meet hers and they bore into her. She swallowed at the look he gave her- intense and angry, questioning- and waited for the on set of emotion to begin.

"Eric-" She said softly, an apologetic tone coming through but he didn't let her finish.

"What I don't get, Cal," He bit out her name and she winced at the sound, "Is what exactly I'm supposed to forget. Is it the whole morning within itself- the favor I did for you on my day off- how YOU came onto ME, or is it the fact that I told you that I loved you after we had sex and you promptly got up off of the table and left me without even a goodbye? You have to let me know because right now I'm a little more than confused." With that, he got up off the couch, running a frustrated hand over his closely shaven head, getting ready to exit the room, his anger reaching a boiling point all too quickly. At her soft utterance of his name, he spun on her, his eyes blazing.

"No, Calleigh," he said, harshly, "I don't think you know what you're asking me to do here." He gestured to her wildly, "I love you. I love YOU and you- what exactly? Fucked me, called it good, left to go shower any evidence of our time spent together, and now you want us to go back to normal? It's not going to happen! It's all or nothing here, Cal! I can't do this- this- whatever it is you're asking me to do. I can't pretend that this didn't happen, that we didn't happen, and I don't know how you can!"

She closed her eyes as she felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes and an icy clock form in her throat. She felt her stomach clench at the familiar stirring within her. When she spoke again, her voice sounded vulnerable and shaken to her own ears.

"Eric, I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I can say it before you believe it but I was irrational- this is my fault, I made the rash decision and I understand you're upset-"

He broke in, his voice booming in the small apartment,

"I don't think upset covers it. I'm angry, I'm- I'm- I told you…" His voice trailed off, his tone tinged with a sadness that was quickly trying to overlap his anger. He swallowed hard.

"This morning, I had you. I had you for the first time and it was everything that I've dreamed of. You were more than what I could've asked for- perfect and beautiful and free like I've never seen you before- and you want to take that away from me? No. I won't let you. Be sorry, try to take it back, act like it didn't happen but you won't take that memory from me. You never will."

And the tears came full up in her eyes as he expressed himself to her- his words evoking the memory that she had tried to block out for the past hours of the day. She closed her eyes and felt the hot tears roll down her cheeks as the situation finally came crashing down fully upon her shoulders. This was a man- a wonderful man- standing in front of her- exposed and hurting- expressing his love and devotion to her and she wanted it, wanted him so badly in that moment that it scared her- scared her even more than it had this morning.

"I don't know what to do," she spoke softly, her voice wavering, sobs threatening to over take her. She pushed them down, willing herself to speak.

"I just want to make this right, Eric, I want to make us right." She finished the sentence in a whisper, bringing her eyes to meet his once again.

He took a step toward her, pleased when she didn't immediately retreat.

"Then tell me what you feel, Calleigh, tell me: Do you want to forget today?"

Silence filled the room as she looked at him, pensive, tears trailing silently down her cheeks. He took another step, bringing himself a mere step from her own body.

"Or more importantly: Can you? I"

The sob broke from her then, her chest heaving with it. He took the final step then, reaching out to touch her and was more than dismayed when she took several steps back toward the door, her hands up.

"I-" she spoke hurriedly, dismayed herself, "I can't do this. I'm sorry."

She turned, her hand reaching the door knob and giving it a swift turn.

He knew that this was it- if he couldn't reach her now, then it was done and the one thing- the one person- he knew he loved above all else would be walking out of his life forever.

"Fine!" He yelled, "Walk out, Calleigh, run away! But know this: I would have done anything for you, would have loved you unlike anyone else- hell, I do! But if you're too much of a coward for that then that's fine- go. Leave. But know that you passed up the one person who- who-"

She turned around to look at him, grief evident in her every pore as she fought with herself, fought with her fear.

"I love you, Calleigh," he said, defeat blatant in his tone, "And the worst part about it is that I know you love me, too. I saw it this morning, felt it, and you're running away."

She looked at him then, really looked at him then, fully exposed to his gaze. She felt naked before him, even more naked than she had been that morning with him, and felt another sob rise in her throat as his words echoed in her ears.

"I don't- I- Eric… I can't do this, get hurt, get… again, and I…" Her words sounded weak even to her own ears- he was right. She loved him, had loved him for months- and if she were honest with herself, years- and he was offering that love to her, his arms wide open, his heart exposed for them both to see. She felt stupid, insipid, juvenile, and above all, terrified at the prospect.

He simply shook his head, hung his head and began to turn, done with the conversation and his pleading. He knew when to fold, he knew when he had lost.

At the sight of his back, though, more fear and anxiety spread through her than ever before as the gravity of his words hit her full force in the gut. Done. Finished, love gone and forgotten,. The fear of losing him suddenly outweighed the fear of having him.

She shut the door then, the soft click resounding in his ears. He thought she'd gone and he let the grief wash over him then, tears pricking his eyes.

In four large, hurried steps she had covered the distance between her and his retreating form and placed her hands on his forearm. At the feel of her, he turned, surprise evident in his body language. He barely even had time to say her name before her lips crashed down upon his, rendering him speechless.

She kissed him then, tears running full force down her face. She kissed him with a passion unparalleled to any she had even given and felt her heart thud heavy in her chest as his arms wound themselves around her to cup the back of her head, tangling in her hair. Hers came around to land on his chest, gripping his shirt, holding on for dear life as she poured everything that she was feeling into the kiss. She trailed her tongue across his lip, heart soaring as he allowed her entry, his tongue tangling with hers.

She broke away when emotion stirred in her and a sob broke from her lips. He placed his hands on her cheeks, looking at her as she cried.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" She sobbed as he kissed her forehead, "I'm sorry- I love you, I love you, I do, I just…I'm so scared of losing you- I want you. God, Eric…"

At the sound of the words, he closed his eyes, reveling in the admission. Hr reassured her that he was right here, would always be there and felt her nod against his chest in understanding.

He shushed her and she was barely aware when they moved to the couch. He laid her down, gathered her in his arms, and tucked her head into his chest as she cried. She curled her arms around him, amazed at the feel of simply being with him, feeling his body next to hers.

He told her again that he loved her as she cried and kissed her hair, letting her sob away her fear and frustration and uncertainty. He felt her lull into sleep after she was spent, grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and closed his eyes with her, holding her even tighter to him.

When he woke to his phone going off the next morning, he looked at her, still sleeping peacefully. He answered it, getting the location of where they needed to be, and promised to be there as soon as he was able.

He shut the phone, looked down upon her and smiled warmly, relaying the events in his head. He only hoped that that morning she still felt assured that her decision was the right one, that she could be his.

He said her name softly until she stirred, bringing a finger to trace along her cheek.

When she woke, she met his eyes, a soft groan escaping her lips. She simply sat though, looking at him, her clear green eyes holding no fear, no uncertainty. Just resolve, devotion, love. For him.

She kissed his lips softly after he told her where they needed to be. She simply nodded but looked at him, one question in her mind.

"Five more minutes?" She whispered, burrowing into the warmth of his chest.

He smiled, his thoughts reassured, and wrapped his arms around her, bringing his face to the cradle where her neck met the slope her shoulder. He placed a warm kiss there and closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her and nodded in agreement.

Five more minutes? Five more minutes he could definitely do.