Author's Note: If you haven't seen the newest episode, "law and disorder" this story might be hard to follow! But no worries! Here is the link to the awesome episode: .com/shows/csi_miami/video/2214020067/csi-miami-law-disorder. It is a great episode! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story. For right now, it is a one-shot but if you want more all you have to do is review and I will happy to continue. Thanks!

"Then, what is it?" Eric asked as Calleigh pressed the wet, warm cloth against his cheek.

She sat back holding the cloth in her lap. She hesitated before she spoke, "I'm thinking about adopting Austin North and his sister." Her voice was soft, as if she was telling him a secret only he could be trusted with.

"Wow! That's, that's great!"

After the hell Austin and his sister went through with their father it was a relief to Eric to hear an amazing woman like Calleigh would be raising them the rest of their life, but for some reason he wasn't satisfied.

"If you need any help...doing that, I'd love to help," he looked up at Calleigh, who looked skeptical.

"I don't know. I think this is something I need to do on my own."

He nodded, pressing his lips together, "It's hard parenting alone, you know."

"I think what these kids need is stability and... You and I- we're on, we're off, we're on."

Eric rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement.

"That's anything but stable."

"Putting the kids first...You're already thinking like a mom."

Later that day...

"This is Horatio Caine requesting backup," he yelled into the police scanner while driving. "18th Avenue."

Horatio put the scanner back and put both his hands on the steering wheel, maneuvering his way around cars on the bridge. He had gotten a call that Samantha Owen's boyfriend, Josh Avery had his lawyer, Darren Vogel held at gunpoint.

Horatio slowly crept inside the abandoned storage area. It was the same place Ryan and him found Natalia and the car she hijacked when she was hypnotized.

He took out his gun and held it arms length in front of him. He turned around to find Josh holding a gun to the lawyer's head.

"Put the gun down," Horatio said calmly.

"He used me."

"Josh, that may be the case but you don't need to do this."

"This man. He deserves to die," he said, his teeth clenched tightly in anger.

There was fear in Vogel's eyes as Josh cocked the gun.

"Put the gun down," Horatio repeated still tightly gripping his.

"Put yours down then."

"You and I both know that's not going to happen."

"If I put mine down, will you put yours down?" Josh asked.

Horatio felt himself nod as he waited for Josh to throw the gun on the floor. He kicked it over to him and Horatio slowly lowered his gun moments after he saw back up had arrived. Darren reached into his pocket quickly and took out a gun, aiming it right towards him. Seconds later, everything went black for Horatio

"We did it," he heard Josh say to Darren.

"I'm looking for Horatio Caine," Eric yelled breathlessly as he ran into the hospital.

"I'm sorry sir, Mr. Caine can't have visitors at this time."

He shook his head and ignored the nurse behind the desk. "Where is he?"

The nurse sighed and pointed to a long corridor on the right. Without hesitation, he ran down the hall, pushing past patients, doctors, and nurses.

"H..." Eric said once he opened the door.

Horatio lay there helplessly, tubes going through his nose and an IV tube going through his wrist. His hand was covering his chest, where he was shot.

"Eric," he could barely whisper.

"H, I heard Avery and Vogel did this to you."

Horatio nodded and turned his head towards him. His blue eyes were filled with pain and were darker than ever.

"Eric...I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything."

"I need you-...I need you to be the new leuitenent."

"H...don't think like that," Eric pleaded, his eyes slowly filling with tears. "You're going to be fine."

"I-I'm dying," the words barely came out of his mouth.

"No, no...no..You're going to fight. Remember like we always do?" Eric recalled the time he was shot in the head and Horatio said those words to him.

Horatio tried to smile. He lay his head back on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling.

Eric exited the elevator to find the lab not as crowded as it usually is. The first person he spotted was Ryan who was in one of the glass rooms examining the bullets from the Josh Avery and Darren Vogel hoax.

"Where is everyone?"

Ryan looked up and once he did he looked relived to see him. He quickly pointed behind him to a different room where Calleigh and Natalia were sitting down. They were both crying and Natalia was resting her head on Calleigh's shoulder.

"Frank locked himself in the locker room and Walter went out for a drive," he looked back down at the bullets. "They're taking Horatio's death pretty hard."

"And you're not?"

"Gotta do my job." He didn't look up. His expression didn't show any sign of sadness, but his eyes were filled with it. "The nighttime csi's are helping out with the case so we don't fall back."

"You're already thinking like a leuitenent," Eric said under his breath.

"Pardon?" Ryan finally looked up.

"Look, um, Ryan, Horatio requested before he died that you'd take his place as lieutenant," he lied.

"Me? Wh-what about you? Or Calleigh?"

Eric swallowed hard. He knew he had always wanted to be lieutenant since day one but he never thought it would come to him so quickly. He knew he had I make sacrifices.

"Calleigh would be busy starting a family...and I...I uh would be busy."

Ryan was shocked. "Wow..I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to," Eric smiled and walked out.

"Eric!" Calleigh approached him just as he was getting into his car to leave the lab.

"Hey."

"Did you hear about Ryan?"

"Yeah," Eric forced a smile. "He deserves it."

"So did you...why did you turn it down?" Calleigh took him by surprise.

"What are you talking about?" Eric laughed, feeling his cheeks turn bright red.

"You know what I'm talking about. Why did you turn down Horatio's request for you to be lieutenant?"

Eric sighed, got out of his car and gently placed his hands on Calleigh's shoulders. "I want to be there for those kids. Most importantly, I want to be there for you. Even if you don't want me to be."

Calleigh looked into his eyes as if she were looking for something in them and kissed him on the cheek. "Putting the kids first...you're already thinking like a Dad."