Fixed [5/9] (Colby/OFC-Callie, PG-13)
Originally posted to mustangcandi and shared 11.21.07 through savecolby...
Title: Fixed, Part V of IX
Characters/Pairings: Colby/OFC-Callie, inferred - David/Claudia
Rating: PG-13 (implied nudity and adult situations)
Word Count: 2,252
Summary: She saw every thing she needed to see when she looked into his eyes.
Spoilers: possibly 3.24 - The Janus List
Notes/Warnings: The fifth part of the follow up series to Broken. I wrote all 9 "Fixed" pieces after 3.24 - The Janus List but before 4.01 - Trust Metric to resolve my issues with the situation so I could sleep at night. Any similarities between this and Trust Metric are PURELY coincidental...no credit is meant to have been taken or earned from this fan fic. It was all for my own personal therapy.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
Colby had just stepped out of the shower when he thought he heard a knock at the front door. He chose to ignore it though as he ran the towel over his dripping wet hair before he set about toweling the rest of himself dry. It was when he’d finished that task that he heard the knock again. Picking up his silver linked watch from the sink to slip it onto his wrist, he noticed the time and a speculative look crossed his face. He wasn’t sure who could be stopping by on a Saturday afternoon. Very few people knew he was back in town, and David wasn’t home. And since David had spent the night at Claudia’s, he had to assume that it wasn’t her stopping by either. When there was a third knock, he quickly wrapped the towel about his waist and went to see who it was and what they wanted.
He felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him as soon as he looked through the door to see Callie standing on the other side. He could feel himself instantly spiral into a near panic…something that was very much unlike him. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure what to do. He knew in his heart she couldn’t be there to see him…even if the idea did spark a flicker of hope within him. But, realistically, she had to be there to see David…and David wasn’t there. He didn’t want to answer the door to have her think he was trying some game with her to get her to talk to him. But he also didn’t want her to think no one was home when he’d been just on the other side of the door.
Somehow his mind moved him to action as he took a deep breath to calm his quaking nerves. Slowly, he opened the door - leaving the chain on so that she would hopefully not feel threatened by his presence. He just couldn’t bear to see that anger in her eyes. Not again.
He offered her a weak smile as he looked at her, unable to keep from drinking in the way she looked - still so beautiful to him in every way as the afternoon sunshine warmed her where she stood in the hallway. The vision of her before him made his entire body weak for her even as he finally spoke. “David’s not here, Callie. It’s…it’s just me.”
Callie had noticed when she pulled into the apartment complex that David’s Jeep was not parked in its usual spot. She said a quiet thank you to no one in particular as she hoped to find Colby at the apartment alone. The thought had occurred to her that he might not be there at all…or worse yet, that he would have someone with him. She could have called…she should have called, but when she’d left the FBI office - the only thing she could think of was seeing him, and talking to him face to face even if she had no idea what she was going to say. Her stomach began to churn as she considered that maybe he did have someone in the apartment with him…why else would it be taking him so long to answer the door? Then again, she thought she knew him better than that and maybe he just wasn’t there.
She had been just about ready to turn and leave when the door slowly cracked open. For a moment, their eyes met and they simply stood there looking at each other. And then he’d spoken, letting her know that he was the only one around. She could hear in his voice that he was asking her to trust him, even though he thought she had no reason to do so. She could feel her heart warming through as her stomach did flip flops while she looked at him - peering around the door at her. She could tell that he was nervous…that he was afraid he made some mistake by answering the door to let her see him. He was on unsteady ground and unsure of what to do because he wasn’t sure what to expect from her anymore. Given the way she’d been treating him, he had every right to feel that way, she thought as a pang of regret coursed through her.
“I know, Colby,” she finally admitted, offering him the same half smile he’d given her. “Actually I…I came to see you. Can I come in?” she asked quietly, still trying to gather her own thoughts…not completely sure of what she was going to say should he let her inside.
He continued looking at her, blinking for a moment as he savored the way his name had sounded from her lips while he searched her eyes. After the cold stares he’d received just two days ago, he wasn’t sure he could believe that she was there to see him. But, her eyes weren’t cold any more. She was not angry. Something was different…and she really had come to see him. There was no way for him to deny the way his heart sped out of control as he closed the door only long enough to remove the chain so that he could open it fully for her.
She stepped past him into the apartment and smiled at him gratefully for a brief moment before she had to look away. She had mistakenly allowed her eyes to rake over him, standing there in his towel with his hair still damp after a shower. The sight sent a jolt through her insides. She could feel her body warming with the memory of how that body felt against her…how it felt as part of her. As flashes of endless nights of passion and early morning trysts filled her memory, she missed him more in that moment than she had the entire month he’d been gone. And now more than ever, she remembered why she was standing there with him…why she had come to see him.
“I…I can’t stay long, but, I…I wanted to ask you something…something in person,” she spoke slowly, still not able to look at him.
“What is it Cal…Callie?” he asked expectantly, finding it nearly impossible to breathe as he waited for her to tell him why she was there. He was sure to correct himself as her name - so familiar to him, slipped from his lips as he remembered all too clearly her words from that day seemingly so long ago.
She had to admit - that stung a bit. She wasn’t sure if the pain was from the regret she felt for what she’d said or if her heart ached because she missed hearing him say her name…the name that only he could call her. Cal. She’d been his Cal…and in her heart of hearts, broken though hopeful for healing, she knew she wanted to be his again.
She turned to face him fully then, keeping her eyes fixed on his to avoid the way his perfectly sculpted body shown in the afternoon sunshine. For the first time, she really looked into his eyes…and for the first time she saw the pain and sadness he’d been through. His eyes that used to shine so brightly were dull with the sorrow of his heart. He knew he’d hurt her…he thought he had been wrong…and he missed her. Just like always, she saw every thing she needed to see when she looked into his eyes.
The fact that she had been making things harder for him by not talking to him and being so cold didn’t help the guilt that was consuming her as she looked at him. She hadn’t known his secrets…she hadn’t known anything until today - until the file…and now she regretted every thing she had said to him that day so long ago. She regretted most that she had not trusted him. But…that’s why she was here. She was here standing before him hoping that somehow she could make this right again. At the very least, she wanted…no, she needed to salvage the friendship they’d always shared.
“I wanted to ask you if…if you’d like to have dinner with me at the house…tonight,” she heard herself say. She was just going on instinct now. Suddenly there seemed to be too many things to say for the time she had. This just wasn’t the place.
His heart was in his throat as he stood there looking at her. For the love of God, please don’t let me be dreaming he thought to himself. He was afraid to blink for fear that when he reopened his eyes, she would be gone and her invitation for dinner would have never existed. But he closed his eyes against the warmth in his heart, and when he looked up again…there she was, standing before him and smiling nervously at him as she looked into his eyes. There was something in her eyes he didn’t recognize, something he’d never seen before - which surprised him, knowing that at one point, he had known her better than anyone else. He didn’t know what her motivation was for asking. He didn’t know what had changed to make her come here…to see him, but something was different. And he didn’t really care what. All that mattered was that she was there…reaching out to him.
Realizing he hadn’t answered her, he had to clear his throat to fight back the emotion that was welling up within him at the possibilities she’d just laid before him. “Yeah, Callie. I'd like that very much. What…what time?”
Callie felt herself breathe a sigh of relief when her offer had not been turned down. She’d waited patiently for his answer, and wasn’t sure he even heard the question when he’d finally spoken. He would be joining her for dinner that night…and then they would talk. She had no idea what would transpire. She didn’t know if they could work through this…if they could at least come out of it as friends. She wondered if what they had could be fixed at all…but whatever was meant to happen - they needed to take the time to try.
“Say around seven thirty?” she replied, smiling again as she enjoyed that familiar expectant look that was now dancing across his face.
“I’ll be there,” he breathed, and his voice was hopeful.
Hearing his words, her smile softened in its nervousness and she took a step closer to the door. “Thank you, Colby,” she sighed before she could stop herself as she turned once more to look at him.
The only thing Colby really wanted to do in that moment was pull her into his arms and hold her against him. His arms ached from the want of it…but he knew it was too risky. This communication had been a big step for her - and the balance between them now was far too fragile. They were both standing on a precipice, trying to figure out which way they would fall and he didn’t want to be the one to plummet them over the edge from where they would never return.
“Thank you for…for even asking, Callie,” he answered, struggling to say her name in its entirety again, and feeling emptiness creeping up into him as she took another step closer to the door.
He stepped with her and out of habit, moved to open the door for her. It seemed she was just going to slip away from him again without another word until later that night, but before she’d stepped out into the hallway, she stopped in front of him. She looked up to meet his eyes, and without thinking about what she was doing, she reached up her hand to touch his face. She remembered the way she had traced the shape of him in the picture from the file, wishing more than anything she could touch him - and now, she had been unable to let the opportunity slip past her. Ever so tenderly, her hand cupped his jaw as her thumb gently caressed his bruised cheek - a reminder of the fight he’d had with David. She wanted to say something. She wanted to speak what was on her heart…but all she could do in that moment was touch his smooth skin, and smile softly up at him.
As soon as he felt her skin against his own, Colby closed his eyes and moved into her touch. Instantly, he was alive again…more so than he had been since that day over a month ago. With each caress of her thumb against his cheek, the closer his soul crawled towards life - out of the half dead state he’d been in since she’d left him. But, just as quickly as her touch had been given, she pulled her hand away - looking up at him for a moment before she turned and walked away. The moment was gone…but it had been enough to give him hope - maybe a false hope - but suddenly life had new meaning. Maybe they could fix this…maybe she could forgive him and maybe she wanted to - he was just going to have to ask her for it. And tonight…maybe, just maybe, she would give him the chance. [ original post]
<< Fixed, Part 4 Fixed, Part 6>>
Title: Fixed, Part V of IX
Characters/Pairings: Colby/OFC-Callie, inferred - David/Claudia
Rating: PG-13 (implied nudity and adult situations)
Word Count: 2,252
Summary: She saw every thing she needed to see when she looked into his eyes.
Spoilers: possibly 3.24 - The Janus List
Notes/Warnings: The fifth part of the follow up series to Broken. I wrote all 9 "Fixed" pieces after 3.24 - The Janus List but before 4.01 - Trust Metric to resolve my issues with the situation so I could sleep at night. Any similarities between this and Trust Metric are PURELY coincidental...no credit is meant to have been taken or earned from this fan fic. It was all for my own personal therapy.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
Colby had just stepped out of the shower when he thought he heard a knock at the front door. He chose to ignore it though as he ran the towel over his dripping wet hair before he set about toweling the rest of himself dry. It was when he’d finished that task that he heard the knock again. Picking up his silver linked watch from the sink to slip it onto his wrist, he noticed the time and a speculative look crossed his face. He wasn’t sure who could be stopping by on a Saturday afternoon. Very few people knew he was back in town, and David wasn’t home. And since David had spent the night at Claudia’s, he had to assume that it wasn’t her stopping by either. When there was a third knock, he quickly wrapped the towel about his waist and went to see who it was and what they wanted.
He felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him as soon as he looked through the door to see Callie standing on the other side. He could feel himself instantly spiral into a near panic…something that was very much unlike him. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure what to do. He knew in his heart she couldn’t be there to see him…even if the idea did spark a flicker of hope within him. But, realistically, she had to be there to see David…and David wasn’t there. He didn’t want to answer the door to have her think he was trying some game with her to get her to talk to him. But he also didn’t want her to think no one was home when he’d been just on the other side of the door.
Somehow his mind moved him to action as he took a deep breath to calm his quaking nerves. Slowly, he opened the door - leaving the chain on so that she would hopefully not feel threatened by his presence. He just couldn’t bear to see that anger in her eyes. Not again.
He offered her a weak smile as he looked at her, unable to keep from drinking in the way she looked - still so beautiful to him in every way as the afternoon sunshine warmed her where she stood in the hallway. The vision of her before him made his entire body weak for her even as he finally spoke. “David’s not here, Callie. It’s…it’s just me.”
Callie had noticed when she pulled into the apartment complex that David’s Jeep was not parked in its usual spot. She said a quiet thank you to no one in particular as she hoped to find Colby at the apartment alone. The thought had occurred to her that he might not be there at all…or worse yet, that he would have someone with him. She could have called…she should have called, but when she’d left the FBI office - the only thing she could think of was seeing him, and talking to him face to face even if she had no idea what she was going to say. Her stomach began to churn as she considered that maybe he did have someone in the apartment with him…why else would it be taking him so long to answer the door? Then again, she thought she knew him better than that and maybe he just wasn’t there.
She had been just about ready to turn and leave when the door slowly cracked open. For a moment, their eyes met and they simply stood there looking at each other. And then he’d spoken, letting her know that he was the only one around. She could hear in his voice that he was asking her to trust him, even though he thought she had no reason to do so. She could feel her heart warming through as her stomach did flip flops while she looked at him - peering around the door at her. She could tell that he was nervous…that he was afraid he made some mistake by answering the door to let her see him. He was on unsteady ground and unsure of what to do because he wasn’t sure what to expect from her anymore. Given the way she’d been treating him, he had every right to feel that way, she thought as a pang of regret coursed through her.
“I know, Colby,” she finally admitted, offering him the same half smile he’d given her. “Actually I…I came to see you. Can I come in?” she asked quietly, still trying to gather her own thoughts…not completely sure of what she was going to say should he let her inside.
He continued looking at her, blinking for a moment as he savored the way his name had sounded from her lips while he searched her eyes. After the cold stares he’d received just two days ago, he wasn’t sure he could believe that she was there to see him. But, her eyes weren’t cold any more. She was not angry. Something was different…and she really had come to see him. There was no way for him to deny the way his heart sped out of control as he closed the door only long enough to remove the chain so that he could open it fully for her.
She stepped past him into the apartment and smiled at him gratefully for a brief moment before she had to look away. She had mistakenly allowed her eyes to rake over him, standing there in his towel with his hair still damp after a shower. The sight sent a jolt through her insides. She could feel her body warming with the memory of how that body felt against her…how it felt as part of her. As flashes of endless nights of passion and early morning trysts filled her memory, she missed him more in that moment than she had the entire month he’d been gone. And now more than ever, she remembered why she was standing there with him…why she had come to see him.
“I…I can’t stay long, but, I…I wanted to ask you something…something in person,” she spoke slowly, still not able to look at him.
“What is it Cal…Callie?” he asked expectantly, finding it nearly impossible to breathe as he waited for her to tell him why she was there. He was sure to correct himself as her name - so familiar to him, slipped from his lips as he remembered all too clearly her words from that day seemingly so long ago.
She had to admit - that stung a bit. She wasn’t sure if the pain was from the regret she felt for what she’d said or if her heart ached because she missed hearing him say her name…the name that only he could call her. Cal. She’d been his Cal…and in her heart of hearts, broken though hopeful for healing, she knew she wanted to be his again.
She turned to face him fully then, keeping her eyes fixed on his to avoid the way his perfectly sculpted body shown in the afternoon sunshine. For the first time, she really looked into his eyes…and for the first time she saw the pain and sadness he’d been through. His eyes that used to shine so brightly were dull with the sorrow of his heart. He knew he’d hurt her…he thought he had been wrong…and he missed her. Just like always, she saw every thing she needed to see when she looked into his eyes.
The fact that she had been making things harder for him by not talking to him and being so cold didn’t help the guilt that was consuming her as she looked at him. She hadn’t known his secrets…she hadn’t known anything until today - until the file…and now she regretted every thing she had said to him that day so long ago. She regretted most that she had not trusted him. But…that’s why she was here. She was here standing before him hoping that somehow she could make this right again. At the very least, she wanted…no, she needed to salvage the friendship they’d always shared.
“I wanted to ask you if…if you’d like to have dinner with me at the house…tonight,” she heard herself say. She was just going on instinct now. Suddenly there seemed to be too many things to say for the time she had. This just wasn’t the place.
His heart was in his throat as he stood there looking at her. For the love of God, please don’t let me be dreaming he thought to himself. He was afraid to blink for fear that when he reopened his eyes, she would be gone and her invitation for dinner would have never existed. But he closed his eyes against the warmth in his heart, and when he looked up again…there she was, standing before him and smiling nervously at him as she looked into his eyes. There was something in her eyes he didn’t recognize, something he’d never seen before - which surprised him, knowing that at one point, he had known her better than anyone else. He didn’t know what her motivation was for asking. He didn’t know what had changed to make her come here…to see him, but something was different. And he didn’t really care what. All that mattered was that she was there…reaching out to him.
Realizing he hadn’t answered her, he had to clear his throat to fight back the emotion that was welling up within him at the possibilities she’d just laid before him. “Yeah, Callie. I'd like that very much. What…what time?”
Callie felt herself breathe a sigh of relief when her offer had not been turned down. She’d waited patiently for his answer, and wasn’t sure he even heard the question when he’d finally spoken. He would be joining her for dinner that night…and then they would talk. She had no idea what would transpire. She didn’t know if they could work through this…if they could at least come out of it as friends. She wondered if what they had could be fixed at all…but whatever was meant to happen - they needed to take the time to try.
“Say around seven thirty?” she replied, smiling again as she enjoyed that familiar expectant look that was now dancing across his face.
“I’ll be there,” he breathed, and his voice was hopeful.
Hearing his words, her smile softened in its nervousness and she took a step closer to the door. “Thank you, Colby,” she sighed before she could stop herself as she turned once more to look at him.
The only thing Colby really wanted to do in that moment was pull her into his arms and hold her against him. His arms ached from the want of it…but he knew it was too risky. This communication had been a big step for her - and the balance between them now was far too fragile. They were both standing on a precipice, trying to figure out which way they would fall and he didn’t want to be the one to plummet them over the edge from where they would never return.
“Thank you for…for even asking, Callie,” he answered, struggling to say her name in its entirety again, and feeling emptiness creeping up into him as she took another step closer to the door.
He stepped with her and out of habit, moved to open the door for her. It seemed she was just going to slip away from him again without another word until later that night, but before she’d stepped out into the hallway, she stopped in front of him. She looked up to meet his eyes, and without thinking about what she was doing, she reached up her hand to touch his face. She remembered the way she had traced the shape of him in the picture from the file, wishing more than anything she could touch him - and now, she had been unable to let the opportunity slip past her. Ever so tenderly, her hand cupped his jaw as her thumb gently caressed his bruised cheek - a reminder of the fight he’d had with David. She wanted to say something. She wanted to speak what was on her heart…but all she could do in that moment was touch his smooth skin, and smile softly up at him.
As soon as he felt her skin against his own, Colby closed his eyes and moved into her touch. Instantly, he was alive again…more so than he had been since that day over a month ago. With each caress of her thumb against his cheek, the closer his soul crawled towards life - out of the half dead state he’d been in since she’d left him. But, just as quickly as her touch had been given, she pulled her hand away - looking up at him for a moment before she turned and walked away. The moment was gone…but it had been enough to give him hope - maybe a false hope - but suddenly life had new meaning. Maybe they could fix this…maybe she could forgive him and maybe she wanted to - he was just going to have to ask her for it. And tonight…maybe, just maybe, she would give him the chance. [ original post]
<< Fixed, Part 4 Fixed, Part 6>>