BETA READ by shannyfish
When Calleigh got home around eight after a quite busy day at the lab, she immediately noticed the door of her apartment at South Beach forced open.
She had been busy for two hours to match all thirty-four bullets of a shooting at a poolparty and when she had finally finished, late in the afternoon, Alexx had walked into Firearms and had brought her six additional bullets she had retrieved during autopsy. Calleigh had sighed and had started on it immediately, concluding that not all of the bullets appeared to be from the same type of gun. Twenty-nine thirty-eight millimeters had been found, and eleven fifty-one millimeters and some of the bullets that had been recovered had been pretty much damaged beyond recognition. It had been rather hard to tell exactly how many firearms had been used and to match, because of the level of damage done to some of the bullets. She hadn't been able to say in every case whether the slightly different striation patterns had been a result of the damage, or because of two guns having been used, even though both bullets had been of the same type. Sometimes, being a CSI could bring a lot of frustration.
Calleigh's hand instinctively went down to her belt to take her Lady Smith, as she swiftly pushed her front door further open with her foot. Someone had turned her whole apartment upside down; had definitely been looking for something. She took a few more steps into the kitchen. No one seemed to be there. She slowly lowered her gun, reaching for her phone with her free hand.
*Horatio.*
"Horatio, someone seems to have broken into my apartment..."
*I'm going to be right there. Don't move.*
Calleigh turned around. She really thought she had just heard some noise in the bathroom. She calmly moved to stuff back her phone, holding up her gun into position again while moving in the direction of the hallway on her toes, trying not to betray herself by the sound of her heels.
Nothing, she concluded, attentively peering into the bathroom.
And then, unknown arms suddenly flew around her, caging her tightly in their hold. "No!" She could hear her Lady Smith hitting the shiny white tiles with a smash, feeling breathing on her neck and hands roaming where she didn't want them. Calleigh's mind, cued by the feeling of being powerless, could see what was about to happen. "No, don't! My baby..." she begged, trying to fight her attacker, but finding herself unable even though she tried so hard. He was just too damn strong for her...
/\/\/\/
After Speed's death, Horatio and Calleigh had become connected on a somewhat more intimate level than before. Both most stubborn CSIs had been forced to oversee the dangers of their current jobs. Barely two years after Speed's funeral, Eric had gotten shot on duty, and had barely survived it. She wouldn't give up, though.
Things had become quite hectic and even more dangerous than before after the Mala Noche interfering, leading to Marisol's death; resulting in Horatio going with Eric to Brazil for revenge, and Calleigh being temporary lead of the lab. With Horatio returning from Brazil, she had been forced in admitting to herself just in which degree she had missed him, and how downright terrified for something going wrong and something bad happening to him, more than Eric, even though her awareness of so much experience in his career yet.
One day, Calleigh assumed, she had already been lying to herself for long enough, and had asked him to have Chinese at her apartment after work. Horatio had agreed. When it had soon rolled around to one in the morning, Horatio had suggested to go home and allow her some night's rest. Calleigh's feelings had, however, taken upper hand again at that moment, asking him to spend the night together at her apartment. Lips had found each other in deep passion. Calleigh's feelings seemed to have been mutual.
/\/\/\/
Calleigh's attacker eagerly unbuttoned her blouse, almost immediately heading for her bra. "No!" Calleigh screamed, "Don't! My baby! Please..."
/\/\/\/
"Calleigh, I... guess that test's positive..." Horatio had whispered, looking at the white pregnancy test lying upon his table, then up into her eyes widened with pure surprise. According to the leaflet that had come along with the box in which the test had been, one single line meant that the test worked, and a second a positive result. He had briefly eyed the two reddish lines again to make sure. She hadn't said anything for a couple of instants, thoughts of impossibility running through her mind. She had always been precise taking birth control… Horatio had allowed one of his hands to lie across her belly, asking her how she felt about it; what she wanted to do… that he really wouldn't get angry if she felt like she wasn't ready for this.
It had surely come as a surprise, two months after her and Horatio's sexual encounter. She most definitely couldn't have thought about having a baby, having passed off the constant morning headaches as regular symptoms of flu or stress. However, Calleigh had known instantly that she would never be able to find enough strength to end his or her life. She had sighed, answering, "I definitely wanna have this baby. I don't care about carryin' a bit more weight and gettin' as big as a balloon."
Horatio had looked into her eyes to find them shining like his, and just like that their decision had been made.
/\/\/\/
'Hurry, Handsome,' Calleigh thought, when she all of a sudden heard someone pushing aside some broken pieces of what had once been a set of blue candles Alexx had given her when turning thirty-one. "Horatio?" she whispered, weakly. She really hoped it would be him.
"Calleigh!" Horatio exclaimed, noticing her in a very uncomfortable position on the carpet, that had gotten blood smears all over.
"Horatio, I'm havin' the baby... right now..." she cried. "And I don't really mind switchin'..." Another gasp of pain escaped Calleigh's lips. "Oh gosh... This is a real nasty one..." she panted.
