Disclaimer: They aren't mine, if they were we'd see a heck of a lot more H/C scenes.

A/N 1: Hey everyone, I'm back with a post-ep/missing scene for "Seeing Red." What can I say, I wanted more DuCaine so I wrote it! lol. Hope ya like it. :) Any spelling/grammar errors are my own (hopefully I got them all.)

The smell of grass, muddy water and sweat swarmed around her. Her usually bright emerald eyes were stormy and shining with tears. Wrapping her arms around her midsection, she continued walking, refusing to let her sobs be overheard by the group behind her -finally sliding to the ground behind a tree. It was there, knees pulled to her chest, hands folded in silent prayer; head bowed that Horatio found her several hours later.

"Calleigh, Calleigh sweetheart, look at me." He whispered soothingly, his voice bringing her back to the present.

From behind the protective curtain of her hair, she slowly opened her eyes; sniffing before lifting her head. With trembling hands she wiped the silky blonde strands back, her red-rimmed eyes meeting his concerned gaze.

"C'mon,"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Cal took the hand he held out to her. Her mind and body too ravaged to refuse –even if she'd wanted to. Slowly, with a steady hand at the small of her back, Horatio led her to his Hummer and eased her into the passenger seat. Their exit lost in the chaos of officers still searching for Eric, all except Frank. Who watched silently from a few yards away . . . praying the team would be able survive this.

The ride to Horatio's house was silent, the pair lost in their own thoughts and raw emotions. Numbly, Calleigh allowed him to guide her inside, lowering herself onto his black leather sofa then kicking off her heels. Meanwhile he headed for the kitchen, quickly setting a pot of water on the stove to boil.

When he returned a few minutes later, two steaming mugs of tea in hand, he found the blonde hugging her knees to her chest. Carefully, he placed the mugs on an end table beside her, gently brushing his hand down her arm and took a seat across from her on the coffee table. After so many years together, he knew her mind as well as he knew his own, knew the pain and confusion raging inside her and simply waited for her to speak.

"I keep seein' his face," she stated quietly; no louder than a whisper. "I didn't know . . . not 'till I'd already hit the car."

Horatio titled his head, trying to draw her downcast gaze to him, "Sweetheart, this isn't your fault. Your bullet may not have been the one to hit him." In response she scoffed bitterly, her pointed gaze zeroing in on him.

"The hell it wasn't. He drove through my direct line of fire. I saw the bullet hole of at least one shot . . ." she paused, taking a ragged breath. "We bothknow this isn't the first time I've hit a rushing target." And she was right, both their minds flashing to her off duty shooting, which had occurred a little over a year ago. That time -even with alcohol in her system- she'd shot and killed the driver. That fact alone practically sealed Eric's fate, his only hope being that she'd hit his shoulder or arm -rather than a vital organ.

"Calleigh," He soothed, trying to keep positive despite the odds.

That however, didn't happen and Calleigh bolted from the couch. Quickly making her way around it and headed for the back doors leading to the patio. Like a shot, Horatio was hot on her heels, grabbing her arm before she could make it through the doors and spun her around to face him; pinning her gently against the cool glass.

"Let me go Horatio," she pled softly. A plea he denied her, knowing full well that was the last thing she actually wanted. He loosened his grip on her arm, his concerned blue eyes scanning hers and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. Moments later, Calleigh allowed her walls to crumble, hot tears spilling from her eyes and she buried her face against his chest.

The redhead sighed, squeezing her gently and taking her pain onto himself, the quiet sobs causing her petite frame to shake and placed a kiss to her temple. "Shh," he whispered and rubbed soothing circles over her back. After a few long minutes she quieted, lifting her head from his chest and began to wipe away the tracks from her tears.

"Better?" he asked, sliding her hair back with both hands. She sniffed, and nodded slowly before responding.

"Yes and no," meeting his eyes, she allowed him to lead her back to the couch. "It's like Speed all over again, except this time I'm the one who fired the shot and Eric could be lyin' dead in a canal right now."

Horatio eyed her for a moment, his tone careful as replied; knowing he was heading into dangerous waters. "Along with the fact, that you weren't sleeping with Speed." The blonde froze, her green eyes going wide with shock and battled to keep her breathing normal,

"How did you . . ." she began, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"You gave him an ultimatum didn't you?"

Calleigh remained quiet for several minutes, a myriad of emotions playing within the depths of her emerald eyes. The bond she and Horatio had formed years before not requiring speech to pass between them. She sighed, diverting her gaze and answered him. "Yeah," nipping her bottom lip, she tagged his eyes and continued. "I told him I wouldn't stand by and watch him cross that line. Lord knows, I've been through that enough for one lifetime."

Inhaling sharply, she stood up from the couch and made her way over to a front window. Her gaze watching as the last of the sun's rays disappeared from the sky, her voice soft as she added, "I think we both know which side he chose."

His eyes wandered over her body, noting how she shifted all her weight to her right leg, the way she crossed her arms protectively over her chest and the obvious tension in her back. He sighed quietly, joining her at the window and carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. Watching her reflection in the glass, he saw her eyes drift closed at the touch and felt the tension leave her back. The significance of her current wardrobe choice, head to toe black, was not lost on him. An odd choice, given the rising summer temperatures; yet she'd been wearing it more than usual lately.

"You're wearing our color," he stated quietly, his breath warm against her neck. A second later she ducked her head, a tiny knowing smile forming at her lips. Their flirtatious banter from six years ago -specifically about her and black clothing- flashed across her memory.

"I lied," she replied.

Horatio hummed softly countering, "Why do I get the feeling, that's not the only thing you've lied about?" Her green eyes opened, seeking his in their reflection. "Do you love him?"

Calleigh sighed, a heavy silence building between them for several long seconds. She then turned to face him, her hands coming to rest against his chest and locked eyes with him. Her voice was soft, knowing this had been the true reason for her tears,

"Not the way he thinks I do."

She held his gaze briefly, then blinked and looked down. "I've tried to, thought if I kept tellin' myself I did . . ." she sighed, "It never changed anything. I do care about him -just not that way." The soft caress of his fingers against her cheek, caused her to look up and meet his eyes. He knew their "separation" had been hard on her, yet again he'd put his pursuit for justice before her, and their relationship had just disintegrated. Not that either of them had ever truly stopped caring for the other, or wanted the relationship to end.

"He was there; despite knowing in my heart of hearts that it was wrong . . . I did it anyway." She stated a few minutes later adding, "I was gonna break it off, then all this stuff with his dad happened . . ." she trailed off again, knowing that her devotion to own her father -to trying to help him- had been the only reason she'd stayed with Eric. "I didn't want him to go through that alone."

Horatio sighed, wiping a silk strand of hair behind her ear. Trying once again to soothe her with his tone, "I'm sure I've put you through worse over the years Sweetheart." Her almost immediate response surprised him.

"No, Horatio. You'd never put me through something like this –ever." Her emerald eyes burned with conviction and he knew better than to argue. "Everything you did while we were together, you always consulted me on. And on the few occasions where it was too dangerous, you made sure I didn't know, didn't become a pawn they could use and did everything you could to protect me." The blonde took a breath, her eyes softening when she spoke again. "I can't say that about Eric, not anymore. This whole thing with his dad has changed him, he's been hiding things from me, edgy whenever I ask questions and has up and left more than once in the middle of the night. At least with you, I knew who I was sharing my bed with."

It was after that little speech that Horatio spoke again, "You knew his father was involved, didn't you?"

"I suspected it. When I confronted Eric, he told me his dad wanted help to get out . . . I didn't think he'd actually do it –I hoped he wouldn't." She inhaled sharply, taking another breath as her guilt began to rise again. "You've always told me there's a fine line -he's crossed it Horatio. If my bullet didn't . . . doesn't kill him, the Russians will."

"We're not gonna let that happen," he whispered, once again caressing her cheek.

Seconds later his lips lightly brushed hers; her response was a soft sigh and a few light swipes of her own. The rational part of their brains knowing, for now anyway, that it couldn't go farther and separated; his chin coming to rest on the top of her head. Once they got Eric back, Calleigh would do what she should have months ago . . . and only hoped that he could forgive her.

Her heart having never been hers to give . . . as it had never left Horatio.

~Fin~

A/N 2: Love/Hate? Let me know! :)