Dissension in the Ranks

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of the characters.

Summary: Serving two masters is tearing the team apart and two CSI's butt heads in an effort to defend their respective mentors. [Post ep for Golden Parachute.]

Calleigh shifted her weight from her right foot to her left and tilted her head to the side, nodding absentmindedly as she handed her report to Horatio. The Lieutenant spoke with his hands, gesturing around the lab with the papers handed to him by the pretty ballistics expert widely known to most as Bullet Girl.

Tim's brow furrowed as he watched their interaction, trying in vain to read their lips. The case was over, solved to everyone's satisfaction, so why did Calleigh's expression seem so grave?

What were they discussing?

Someone called his name and, startled, his head snapped from the pair to the brunette in front of him. She was saying something but, for the life of him, he couldn't recall what.

"Tim? Speedle? Are you even listening to me?"

She was annoyed, he could tell, but he couldn't keep his eyes from straying to the two in the hallway or find his voice to answer her.

Megan's gaze followed his own and her eyes narrowed as Calleigh said something to Horatio and started walking in their direction. All too soon the blonde bombshell opened the door to the trace lab.

"Hey, Megan," she began, smiling sweetly in that disarming way of hers. "Horatio would like to speak with you."

Dark eyes glanced warily between Calleigh and Megan as the older woman arched a perfectly manicured brow before nodding and heading for the hallway. Tim watched as his mentor approached their boss and almost immediately sparks began to fly.

It was no secret that Horatio and Megan had two different work methods, two entirely different ways of approaching cases, and butted heads more often than not. To say that things had been strained back when Megan had been in charge was an understatement but now that Horatio was the head honcho, things were almost volatile. Anything, even the most innocent of comments, could set one or both of them off and this uncertainty had the entire team walking around on eggshells.

"What's that about?" he asked, eyes never straying from his superiors.

Calleigh shifted beside him but, instead of being engrossed in the confrontation happening in the hall, she seemed more interested in the report he was working on. Glancing over his shoulder she said: "Beats me. He didn't say."

Tim scoffed. "Does he ever?"

Green eyes shot to his profile to find him no longer staring at Horatio and Megan but at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, Cal. It's not like H is ever as forthright as he should be," he replied offhandedly, as though expecting her to agree.

Instead of being pacified by the nonchalant response, Calleigh's posture became defensive as she straightened and crossed her arms. "And just how forthright is he supposed to be?" He opened his mouth to retort but she ignored him, forging on. "Who's to say Megan's way is the right way?"

His eyes narrowed and he abandoned his relaxed position against the desk in preparation of the oncoming battle. "She got the job done."

Calleigh rolled her eyes, huffing out a breath of air as she did. "So does Horatio." Pausing for a moment she added: "Megan was completely in the wrong today, dogging Horatio's every move and trying to override his authority."

"She was doing what she thought was right," he shot back in a heated attempt to defend the woman who had basically taught him everything he knew about processing crime scenes. "Megan was just trying to do things by the book."

She just shook her head and leaned forward, jabbing her finger at his chest. "Sometimes the book is wrong and, in this case, it was wrong; she was wrong. Like it or not Horatio is the boss now. If she can't handle that then maybe she shouldn't be here."

Taking a step forward and towering over the short blonde by a good four inches, maybe more, he opened his mouth to argue but a throat clearing from the door cut him off.

"Everything okay in here?" It was a question but Horatio's tone made it sound like a statement and there was no denying that the intense expression he wore was meant to serve as a warning.

Calleigh's frown quickly brightened into her usual hundred-watt smile but Tim noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Absolutely."

Sighing and lifting his eyes to the ceiling he nodded, adding: "We were just going over what to put in our reports."

It was lame and, by the cocked brow he received, Horatio didn't buy it for a second but he nodded nevertheless and ducked back out as quickly as he'd come in. They both watched as Horatio led Megan toward his office, no doubt deciding that their conversation was best continued in private.

When they were out of sight Calleigh laughed nervously and dropped her arms to her sides. "What are we doing?" she wondered as she reached out to touch his arm, bringing his attention back to her.

He accepted the gesture with a shrug and relaxed to his usual slouch. "Beats me," he returned with a shake of his head. "What goes on between them has nothing to do with us."

She nodded, running her hand down his arm and letting it linger on top of his own. "We good?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

Dark eyes scanned her face for a moment before he allowed himself a small smirk. "We're good."

Green eyes lit up and she squeezed his hand before turning to leave the room. "Oh and Tim?" she called just shy of the door.

"Yeah?" he answered distractedly, already having turned back to his report.

"You misspelled receive. 'I' before 'E' except after 'C', remember?" And with a giggle she was gone.

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