Disclaimer: Not my characters, alas.

A/N: Nath, thanks for the beta. This is a post-ep for The Episode That Never Was, also known as Officer Down. I couldn't resist :o)

The worst is over now and we can breathe again

I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away

There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

Seether, "Broken"

Calleigh couldn't sleep. The pain in her shoulder was worse but she refused to give in to the temptation of painkillers. It was stupid, she knew, but she felt that taking the drugs meant that he'd won.

Her eyes narrowed as her thoughts turned to Marco Rosetti. No, she decided, she wasn't going to think about him.

Too late. Again, she felt the sting in her shoulder then heard the shots ring out. Heard Horatio's panicked cry—

Calleigh sat up. If she couldn't sleep, she may as well do something useful, she thought. On the way to the living room, she turned on all the lights. Calleigh had never liked the dark – too many nights spent lying awake while her parents argued. She opened her laptop and sat down to write a report on the previous afternoon's events. As she typed, images returned with startling clarity.

"Our source says he's got the meth ready to move." She watches carefully for Horatio's reaction, knowing the subject of meth is painful for him.

"Let's go then."

The warehouse is too quiet. Something's not right. A shot whizzes past, just missing Horatio's head. "Calleigh, get down!"

Too late. Another shot. Searing pain in her shoulder. Shit.

Staring up at the roof. Horatio looking down at her, his blue eyes troubled. His hands stained red. "It's okay, Calleigh. I've got you. Just hang in there." Why does he look so frightened?

A knock on the door drew Calleigh from her thoughts. She frowned, wondering who could possibly want anything at this time of night.

"Horatio?"

"Hi."

Something had to be wrong; this kind of thing was completely out of character for him. Yes, they were more than just colleagues but the progression to something more was moving at the same slow pace it always had. They weren't at the point where one of them could arrive, unannounced, at the other's house in the middle of the night.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course. Sorry." She stepped aside and let him pass. He headed straight for the living room but didn't sit. Instead, he stood at the window, drawing back the curtain to look out over the city.

"Umm, can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Something stronger? Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat . . ." She couldn't help babbling. Everything about this night was strange.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Okay." She sat, closed her laptop and started to rearrange things on the coffee table. If she was nervous, she couldn't sit still. "Why don't you sit down?"

He shook his head.

"Is something wrong? What brings you to my neck of the woods anyway?"

"I was passing by. Your light was on."

Yeah, she thought. Passing by. Like hell.

"I thought I'd . . . I just wanted to see how you were."

Calleigh gave up being subtle. "Mere concern doesn't bring you out here at three in the morning."

"Calleigh."

He turned to face her. His eyes were dark with an emotion she couldn't read. She shivered at the intensity.

"Yes, Horatio?"

He crossed the room and sat next to her. "A few inches lower and . . ."

He didn't need to finish the thought. Calleigh knew how lucky she was. Instinctively, she reached for his hand and raised it to her heart. It warmed her skin through the thin cotton of her pajama top.

"I'm still here," she said.

His lips curved upwards. "Yes. You are still here."

Her mouth was suddenly very dry. She was sure he could feel her quickening heartbeat. "Why did you come here?"

His gaze flickered to her shoulder. "I had to know that you were really okay . . . that I hadn't lost you."

Something hummed in the air between them. She'd never before thought of herself as his to lose.

"May I look at it?"

All she could do was nod. Horatio slowly unbuttoned her top. Her breath caught in her throat. He was too much the gentleman to stare at her bare chest. Instead, he slipped her arms out of the sleeves, carefully peeled back the tape covering her wound and lifted the gauze.

"My first battle scar," Calleigh said, her voice cracking on the last word. This was dangerous territory and she had no idea how to proceed.

Horatio raised haunted eyes to hers. "Calleigh."

She was caught in his gaze. Trapped, but with no desire to run. "I'm really okay."

"I know."

She nodded. "Don't make me cry again, Horatio. I used up all my tears last night."

He blinked away his own tears before they could fall, then cleared his throat. "You should get some sleep."

"Yeah."

Neither made a move to get up. Her skin was too hot under Horatio's hand, too cold where he wasn't touching her. She shivered.

"Sorry." He put the dressing back in place and picked up her shirt, but didn't release it. Suddenly self-conscious, Calleigh stared past him.

"Could I, uh, stay?"

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I . . . I would really like to hold you tonight. If you'll let me. If I'm just making you uncomfortable, I'll leave." He didn't meet her gaze.

Calleigh slipped her pajama top on but didn't button it up. She stood and held out her hand. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

He followed her to the bedroom. When she slipped under the covers, he stripped to his boxers, then climbed in next to her. He reached across her to switch off the lamp then left his arm draped protectively, possessively, over her.

She was in heaven.

He held her close, skin to skin, but there was nothing sexual in the contact, just mutual comfort. He was incredibly warm. Calleigh closed her eyes and lay her head against his chest. Lying so intimately didn't feel the least bit strange.

"I'm really glad you came over." In the dark, it was easy to be honest.

"I wish I hadn't needed a reason."

"You don't." Calleigh held her breath; afraid she'd gone too far.

"You mean that?"

"Yes."

For a while, neither spoke. Then Horatio said, "Okay. Good to know."

She smiled and cuddled into him. This was definitely something she could get used to.

"What happens now?" she asked. "Seeing as how we're sleeping together and all."

He laughed, the sound rumbling against her. "Oh, I think we'll figure something out."