Title: Auld Lang Syne

By: Kasandra

Rating: K+ for some harsh language.

Pairing: S/C

Summary: Two broken hearts on New Year's Eve.

AN: Totally got inspired by Standoff S1.E.10 "The Accidental Negotiator". This is my version S/C style.

AN2: Special thanks to LiLAqUaMaRie for helping me expand on my idea.

It is said that whatever you are doing when the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve, is an indicator for what you will be doing for the rest of the year.

Being broken hearted on New Year's Eve was the last thing Calleigh had planned. Nonetheless, she found herself sobbing into her pillow and her mind drifted in attempt to understand what had conspired only two days earlier.

Tim and Calleigh had been dating exclusively for only a few months – in fact, they were just shy of their four month anniversary together. Still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship, things never seemed better for the young couple.

However, this fight was different from all other arguments and bumps in the road they had faced in the sense that both parties were extremely hurt. Most arguments they had were minor and resulted in them making up immediately.

Though an unlikely pairing, Tim and Calleigh had seemed to complete each other in a way no one outside of the Miami day-shift team understood. The road to the relationship had been complicated. The two co-workers hadn't realized that there was a mutual attraction between them until Horatio assigned them to the Melanie Hines case.

After that case had been disappointedly closed, they were inseparable. Both had innocently figured it to be nothing more than a long awaited friendship that finally blossomed; but after one evening where too much alcohol had been consumed, their friendship had hit the fan, proving that there was more to them than they had naively assumed.

They had both been positive that they would make the relationship work, putting in every effort possible to not 'fuck it up' – as Tim had so bluntly put it – like every other relationship he had been.

And so Calleigh found herself spending a lot more time in Tim's apartment, just as he would at her home. It was then – on a day that seemed like any other normal day between them, when things turned sour.

Their last case had been simple; there was nothing stressful or unusual about it; routine. Calleigh, Eric and Tim had decided to hit their usual bar for quick drink to celebrate the fact that they were getting out from work ridiculously early for once. Eric quickly met a girl and took off – not that Calleigh or Tim minded.

"Hey, how about we go to your place?" Tim murmured against Calleigh's ear, before dipping his mouth to press a kiss on one of the more sensitive parts of her neck. Calleigh turned her head to press brush her lips against his, before conceding. Tossing a few bills on the table, Tim grabbed Calleigh's hand as they quickly made their way from the bar to the parking lot, where her car and his beloved Ducati awaited them.

His hand was on her lower back, as he walked her to her car. Clutching her keys in one hand, Calleigh pulled Tim in for another kiss, threading her free hand through his dark and unruly hair. Tim began to slip his hands up her the back of her shirt; Calleigh made no move to stop him. Finally, they parted knowing that if they kept at it, their badges wouldn't get them out of being charged with public indecency.

"See you soon babe." Tim replied, leaving Calleigh in a slight daze. She climbed into her car, and watched Tim kick up his bike into gear from her rearview mirror. Calleigh told him to pass her, and as he sped away, Calleigh wondered how she never realized what a wonderful man was under her nose until now.

She arrived at her home a few moments later; Tim was leaning against her door waiting impatiently. They wasted no time, stumbling through out her apartment, trying not to break their physical contact with each other as they stripped out of their clothes. Tim picked her up from her bottom and she wrapped her petite legs around his waist.

They landed on her bed with a soft thud and Tim tried hard not to crush her with his larger frame. Hours later, they were asleep; their legs were entangled in her sheets. Calleigh snuggled in Tim's embrace while his arms wrapped around her in content.

Around three in the morning, Calleigh woke up to the sound of Tim shuffling around her bedroom, searching for his clothes. Her back was to him and she stiffened when she heard him grab his keys. She debated whether or not she should alert him to the fact that she awake. Instead, she chose to let him leave. Not too long after she heard him leave, she wrapped a sheet around her as she ran towards the window. Calleigh watched confusedly as Tim sped away from her apartment.

It was the first time that Tim didn't spend the night. It was unusual – Tim always spent the night, even after their first hookup. Tim never hinted to there being a problem in the relationship before and Calleigh was unsure of what his actions meant. When she arrived at the lab later on, Calleigh made sure to keep her distance from Tim – that is until they were assigned to another case together.

"Hey," Tim casually replied to Calleigh as he approached the elevator where she stood. Calleigh gave him a quick closed smile before turning back to face the elevator. Tim made a move to kiss her, but Calleigh turned her cheek.

Tim was slightly taken aback by her actions and the ride in the elevator became uncomfortably quiet.

"Listen, if this is about me leaving this morning…" Tim began, clearing his throat but Calleigh raised her hand.

"This isn't the time or the place." Calleigh replied quietly. "We'll discuss this later."

Later on meant Calleigh and Tim having a screaming match in the middle of his apartment.

"It's not that I don't love you Calleigh, but I don't get what the big deal is!" Tim snapped angrily, slamming his fist on the kitchen counter.

"Tim, you always spent the night. So explain to me why you would leave in the middle of the night then? Besides that, you also didn't even bother leaving a note! Don't you realize how used you made me feel?" Calleigh replied bitterly as she wiped her eyes against the sleeve of her blouse.

"I don't know! I was scared Calleigh, is that what you want me to say?" Tim replied, his brows furrowed.

"Scared? Of what? Me? Us?" Calleigh angrily questioned. She ran her hands through her hair. She was genuinely hurt.

"Yes us. Fuckin' a Calleigh, don't you feel that perhaps we rushed things? Everything is happening so fast! I've never committed to anything before… this is hard." Tim replied honestly but regretted his words instantly.

Calleigh's cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry if I'm too much of a hassle, Tim."

"Calleigh, come on… damnit! I didn't mean it like that." Tim replied, his voice now quiet.

"Yes you did or else you wouldn't have said it. Perhaps if this is too much, then we should call it off entirely." Calleigh replied, her voice cracking.

"Calleigh…" Tim begged.

"No, no. We're over – I mean it. Now you don't have to worry about committing and I don't have to worry about investing in something that has no future. Sorry if I wasted the last four months of your life." Calleigh huffed, grabbing her jacket. "I'll see you around."

And before Tim could reply, she had walked out the door – and out of Tim's life.

Calleigh hadn't realized it until she looked at the clock, but she had finally stopped crying. Her pillow was streaked with mascara that she hadn't removed. She groaned as she got up from the bed; she was tired emotionally, physically and mentally.

Not wanting to be alone anymore, Calleigh shrugged out of the lounge pants and t-shirt she was wearing into jeans and a tank top. She quickly scrubbed her face and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Grabbing her car keys, she headed down to the very same bar that she, Eric and Tim had frequented before the breakup.

The seedy bar was filled with smoke and even more people. Loud music played in the background against a television currently set to the infamous ball drop in New York City.

Calleigh flagged a barkeep – she was in the mood to drink. She ordered a double whiskey sour – her daddy taught her many things growing up – one of them was drinking. Sipping the drink slowly, she once again went over the fight in her head, wishing that she stayed instead of having such a volatile reaction. She also knew she didn't have herself entirely to blame for the breakup; Tim wasn't innocent by any means but she did have some leverage in controlling the argument. Instead they both acted irrationally.

"Cheer up sunshine; it's New Year's Eve. Time for new beginnings," the barkeep told her gruffly.

Calleigh looked up at him and gave him a grim smile. "I suppose," she replied wistfully. She was supposed to be looking forward to 2007 with her boyfriend, and instead she was starting it, the same way 2006 was ending – with a broken heart.

"Wonder what Tim's up to," she mused into her drink before finishing it. Calleigh signaled for another and glanced at the television. It was five minutes 'til the arrival of 2007.

There was a tap on her shoulder, and Calleigh sighed, figuring it to be some guy wanting a New Year's kissing partner. "I'm not interested in kissing you-" she retorted as she turned around.

It was Tim, looking at her bemused. He shook his head, before speaking. "Still pissed at me huh?"

Calleigh looked at him in surprise. "How did you know I was here?" she questioned, fidgeting with the drink in her hand.

"I didn't. I came here to drink my sorrows away, as clichéd as that sounds." Tim replied, shifting his weight to his other foot. He shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Okay, I lied. I followed you here. I had gone by to talk to you when I saw you pull out of the driveway."

Calleigh's mouth formed a silent 'o', wondering how she hadn't noticed Tim's bike in her rearview mirror. 'Must be really out of it Duquesne.'

Tim took her lack of response as a silent means to continue. "Calleigh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not spending the night like before. I'm sorry for hurting you. The last thing I wanted you to feel was cheap and used. You know you mean more to me than just a quick roll in the hay."

"Charming words," Calleigh replied sourly, crossing her arms over and against her chest.

"I don't want to lose you – but babe, please understand where I'm coming from. I told you that I didn't want to fuck this up. This- the relationship- us, is just new to me," Tim paused before continuing. "I never committed myself to anyone before. I guess I got scared."

Calleigh let out a defeated sigh. "Tim, I would love to say that I completely understand where you're coming from, but I can't. How would you feel if the person you loved, just suddenly left one day without so much of a note?" Her bottom lip quivered and she willed herself not to cry. "You have no idea how much it stung watching you leave."

Tim's eyes widened slightly. "You were awake? Why didn't you say something?" he spat.

"What was I supposed to do? Beg you to stay? Come on Tim, you know me better than that." Calleigh replied. She could vaguely hear the people in the bar start the countdown to the New Year. She reached over and grabbed Tim's hand. "Perhaps I did overreact," she finally admitted with a sad smile.

Tim ignored the confetti that was currently surrounding them as people shouted Happy New Year to each other. "Calleigh, I know it's only been two days but they've been absolute hell. Breaking up with me has taught me that I can commit - I can't stand the thought of not being with you, every day and every night. Please babe, give me another chance."

Calleigh decided that she had heard enough and pulled him in for a kiss as the drink in her hand crashed against the floor. Tim pulled her body flush against his, and she gripped the back of his neck tightly. He roughly kissed her back, his stubble irritating her skin but she didn't care.

"Just don't ever leave me again Speedle," Calleigh murmured against his cheek, before nipping his ear playfully. She felt Tim shake his head as he ran his hands down her sides, tickling her.

"Happy New Year Calleigh," Tim replied softly, pulling away to look at her.

Calleigh smiled back. The barkeep was right, it was the New Year but she and Tim were headed for a new beginning all of their own.

FIN.