Title: I'll Never Let You Go

Author: AllOverTheWorld

Summary: A killer with a grudge against Serbian immigrants is quickly increasing his body count in Miami. Can Horatio and Calleigh stay focused on the work after an event at the crime scene brings new and undiscovered feelings to the surface?

Authors Notes: Thanks to daxy, Pinkyster, Sea-Patrol-NCIS-freak and Amythest Lilly for reviewing my last chapter, this chapter is dedicated to you guys!


The intruder was silent as he lifted the window that would lead him into his next targets house. He had spent years planning this killing spree and when it was over he would return to his home country a billionaire. He would be a hero to the government. He would have taken his revenge. Hefting himself up and into the small room he was momentarily taken back as he realized that he was in a young child's bedroom. The small figure in the bed was lying still but he could tell from the breathing pattern that the child was awake.

"Are you a monster." The small child asked from her bed, her brown eyes wide in terror.

The intruder thought for a second and in that moment his gun weighed heavy in his hand but he thought of his own past and instead he pulled out a roll of duct tape and a set of handcuffs. In a swift movement he placed a piece of tape over the girl's mouth and cuffed her hands to the bed. That would keep her quite until his job was done.

"I'm not the monster here." He whispered, his voice was thickly accented "I promise." He said and walked out of the room.


Darkness had long since cloaked Miami when Calleigh's doorbell rang, startling the blond CSI out of her reading. Looking up at the clock she was surprised to see that it was eight forty five, she had been absorbed in Yugoslavian firearms craftsmanship for over seven hours. The next thought that entered her mind was the fact that someone had rung her doorbell and she wasn't expecting anybody. With an aching hand she checked for her weapon before she stood up. There was a protesting in her muscles from the sudden movement after so long without even the slightest stretching.

Walking towards her front door she peered out of the peephole and was pleasantly surprised to see Horatio standing on her front porch holding a bag of, what she assumed and hoped was food "Horatio" she said with a smile as she opened the door "What are you doing here?"

"We were supposed to have dinner remember?" Horatio asked, looking at Calleigh in that infuriating way, as if he was trying to read her mind.

"Yes, of course." Calleigh said and stepped aside to let Horatio inside.

They walked into the living room and Horatio froze "Calleigh." He said and his voice was low and almost angry but not quite. As he surveyed the mess of papers, pictures, plastic 3-D replica's and news paper clippings that were scattered across the floor, sofa and armchair of Calleigh's living room "Is this your idea of not working?"

She turned on him "Horatio I tried. However after cleaning all of my guns and I mean every gun I have in this house of mine I was bored. Then Eric called and"

Horatio interrupted "So I have Eric to blame for your recovery today?"

She rolled her eyes "He asked me about the gun that Natalia pulled out of the death trap and well that's how all of this got started."

Horatio sighed "So tell me about the gun."

Calleigh's eyes lit up "It's a Zavasta."

Horatio just looked at her.

"Okay Zavasta guns are extremely well made but very rare anywhere that's not one of the former Yugoslavian countries. They are most popular in Serbia but that doesn't mean anything in terms of who our killer is."

"Hold on." Horatio said "Our victim was Serbian."

"That's not a coincidence." Calleigh said

"No it's not." Horatio agreed "What else do you know about these guns?"

Calleigh gestured around at the mess in front of them "All of that is everything I know."

Horatio smiled "Alright, before we dive into that mess let's eat." He said

"We're going to have to eat in the in the kitchen, if you don't mind standing up." She said sheepishly and walked into the kitchen with Horatio following her.

Horatio set up the containers of Chinese food whilst Calleigh grabbed paper plates and cups for the two of them "What do you want to drink?" she asked "I have orange juice, water, milk or whiskey."

Horatio's head turned "I didn't see you as a whiskey drinker."

Calleigh's laugh filled the small kitchen as she made to open the fridge but let out a hiss of pain as her hands burned. Horatio turned to her and was about to help her when she shot him a glare and he put his hands up in mock defeat and allowed her to open the fridge on her own "There's are a few things you don't know about me." She said and pulled out a container of hot sauce and set it down on the counter.

The next twenty minutes were filled with the sounds of clanking of silverware and the shuffling of containers as they ate. Finally the silence was broken by Calleigh who said "I never did thank you for what you did today."

"You never had to." Horatio replied

"I've been told it's bad luck not to thank the person who saves your life." She said with a smile

"Who told you that?" he asked looking into her shining green eyes

She just smiled and turned to refill her glass with water before turning back to him and taking a mouthful of fried rice. A comfortable silence descended on the duo as they continued eating but eventually their plates had been scraped clean and the only food left was the fortune cookies that came with the meal.

"You open yours first." She said and slid a neatly packaged cookie across the counter.

He opened it and a smile crossed his face "Do not seek happiness because it is right in front of you." He looked across the table and their eyes met, green looking into cobalt blue. Their gazes locked only for a second before he looked away, unsure of what had just happened between them "What does your say?"

She cracked her cookie in half and pulled out the slip of paper "Your future depends on your actions, like the wind blows the trees." She said with an air of mystery before putting both halves of the cookie in her mouth.

"Very lady-like." Horatio commented and mocked a wince of pain when Calleigh reached across the table and lightly smacked his arm.

"That's not very nice." She said, ignoring the growing pain in her hands.

"I beg your pardon ma'am." He replied

"You can make it up to me by telling me what you found out today about the case."

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to ask." Horatio said "Our victim was a Serbian immigrant named Milica Androvic. She came here with her husband ten years ago before the borders were closed. Her husband died six years later from colon cancer and she moved down to Miami after his death. Ryan and Natalia went to her house, that's where she was murdered. However that crime scene is just as clean as the construction sight. Eric went over her phone records and the photographs from the crime scene, nothing extraordinary there either."

"So basically we got nothing."

"Basically yes, the only thing we have is the gun from the crime scene."

"And yet your keeping the ballistics expert at home." She said

"My ballistics expert almost died today."

"And?" she asked "It's not like I haven't almost died on other days."

"Calleigh" Horatio began but he was interrupted by his phone ringing "Caine." He said and listened for a moment "All right Eric, I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He said and hung up

Calleigh looked at him "I'm coming with you."

"You don't even know where I'm going." He said

"I doubt it's to meet up with Eric for drinks so I can only assume it's another crime scene. Another crime scene means more victims and I have no doubt that this scene will be as perfect as the last. This means that the only evidence we will have is more than likely going to be a gun. I am a gun expert, hence I will be coming with you. Also you're not taking my hummer without me."

Horatio knew there was no way to dissuade Calleigh from this so he just nodded "Let's go."


There was the crunch of tires on gravel as Horatio and Calleigh arrived at the crime scene, Horatio had driven (much to Calleigh protest) and reached the crime scene in record time. Stepping out of the crime scene and slamming the passenger side door behind her Calleigh looked at the small suburban house they had arrived. It was quaint, with the white picket fence and the oak tree that, on sunny summer days, would cast shade across the front lawn. The house was painted a baby blue color but the recent rain storm had carved tracks in the mud spattered front of the house.

As Calleigh made her way up the cracked concrete sidewalk she saw Barbie's, a pink paddling pool, a slide set and various other toys scattered across the path. A sinking feeling rose in her heart as she walked up the steps and into the house, children's toys meant a child lived there and so far no one had said anything about living victims. Crossing the threshold into the house, Horatio and Calleigh looked in on the colorful walls and artfully decorated rooms of the Spopovic residence.

Milo and Dana Spopovic had emigrated from Serbia in 1988 to escape the impending chaos. Whilst escaping they lost all of their possessions and arrived in the United States with nothing more than the clothes on their back and sixty dollars. However over the past twelve years the two had turned their lives around. Dana was an interior designer while Milo owned his own landscaping company and in 2004 their daughter Kayleigh Spopovic had been born.

Pictures of the happy family adorned the wall to Calleigh's right as she walked up the stairs, the facts of this family sounding so similar to Milica's was eerie. At the top of the stairs she could see the master bedroom, now crime scene, with Ryan and Eric processing it at the end of her hall to the left. Directly in front of her was the bathroom and at the other end of the hallway light radiated from a magenta painted room.

Calleigh turned to Horatio but before she could ask he shook his head "Our killer cuffed the girl to her bed and gagged her with duct tape." A wave of relief radiated through her at this news but at the same time another question arose, why wouldn't he just kill the girl as well? "Natalia is in with her now but the girls not talking."

"I'll go." Calleigh said at once and turned right down the hallway while Horatio turned left and went into the crime scene. Walking inside the room Calleigh saw Natalia sitting next to Kayleigh who was crying and wouldn't let Natalia anywhere near her.

The two women's eyes locked and they silently communicated what the plan was. Natalia stood up and walked quietly out of the room while Calleigh stood where she was. Once Natalia was gone Calleigh spoke "Hi." Her tone was soft and she crouched down, bringing herself down to Kayleigh's level.

The girl looked at the new person in her room and her eyes instantly flashed to the badge. Seeing this Calleigh unclipped it and put it down on the bed where Kayleigh's small hand reached out and grabbed it. After a moment of careful inspection the brown haired girl looked up at Calleigh "You're a cop."

"That's right." Calleigh nodded "I'm here to make sure the person that hurt your mommy and daddy don't come back and hurt you. Can you tell me what happened?"

Fear flashed into the girls eyes "He told me he wasn't the monster." She said quietly "Then he tied me up and I couldn't talk. I got really scared. Then I heard my mommy screaming and there were two bangs, like in the TV. Shows my daddy watches."

Calleigh nodded and moved around to the side of the bed so she was sitting next to the girl on the bed "Can you tell me what he looked like?"

Kayleigh shook her head violently and tears welled up in her brown eyes.

Slowly, Calleigh reached out with one arm and pulled the girl into her, at this gesture the small child broke down sobbing into Calleigh's chest "It's okay." Calleigh repeated over and over again as the girl continued to cry.

Finally with her sniffles subsiding the girl pulled herself off of Calleigh's chest "He had a funny voice." She said and started to hiccup.

"Funny how sweetheart?" Calleigh asked

"He sounded like my daddy."

At this precise moment Horatio walked in "Hey Kayleigh. Do you mind if I borrow my friend here for a second?"

Kayleigh shook her head "Can I hold your badge?" she asked quietly

Calleigh nodded "You can keep it safe for me."

Stepping outside of the little girls earshot Calleigh asked "Did you find anything?"

"No, nothing useful at this crime scene either."

"How about a weapon?"

Horatio nodded "It appears to be the same one that killed the parents, another Zavasta by the markings."

"Horatio I'm beginning to think that this is someone with a grudge against Serbian immigrants. The only thing that doesn't add up is that Kayleigh told me that the attack sounded just like her dad."

"So a Serbian with a grudge against other Serbians?" Ryan asked, joining the two at the other end of the hallway "This keeps getting more and more twisted."

"That, Mr. Wolf, is only the half of it." Horatio said


It was late, or was it early?

For the past two hours Calleigh had been working in her lab, much to Horatio's protest, trying to pull anything off of the two guns. After using every trick in her book Calleigh had only been able to confirm that the two guns in her possession were indeed the murder weapons for their various cases. She looked up at the sound of someone entering her lab and was appreciative to see Horatio carrying two cups of coffee.

He set one down next to her and asked "What did you find?"

"Not a single thing. No prints, no unusual markings, nothing that would help me identify this guns owner. It's not even registered, not that that's a surprise or anything." She said agitatedly. She had been agitated ever since the crime scene where she had no choice but to watch as Kayleigh was forced to go with child services. Her heart had ached for the crying girl as she was torn away from the blond CSI and taken into a black government car.

"This crime scene is cleaner than clean so it's no surprise the gun is clean as well." Horatio said gently, shaking Calleigh out of her memory.

"I know, I was just hoping that I could get something from them. Both guns had only enough ammo in them to kill the number of victims we have which tells us that our killer had a plan and was confident that he could pull it off."

"That's something and something is more than nothing." He said "Why don't you go down to Alexx, get you bandages changed and then go home, get a few hours sleep them come back at eight and don't worry" he said, seeing the protest cross her face "Eric, Natalia and Ryan are doing the same thing."

"You're going home right?" she asked, looking at him "You look more worn out than I do."

Horatio nodded, although he knew he probably would only catch an hour or so nap on his couch "I'll even let yourself drive home."

It took Calleigh about five minutes to pack her things up and replace the guns back in the evidence bags and put away the necessary paperwork "Night handsome." She said and left Horatio standing in the dark ballistics lab alone. The sudden emptiness pressed in on him from all sides and he felt like he was suffocating. He was an emotional mess with no way of untangling the knots of emotions he was feeling at the present the words "Night handsome." Ringing in his ears.

Over the years Horatio had dated a few women but none of them made him feel quite like Calleigh did when they were together. Running a hand through his flaming red hair he let out a small sigh of frustration at himself. What he had done at the crime scene he would have done for any of his CSI's in a heartbeat but the way he had so easily comforted Calleigh, so willingly let her cry on his shoulder was something else altogether. The flare of annoyance (or was it jealousy) at Eric for talking to Calleigh that after noon was a new phenomenon for him as well.

Walking out the lab he watched the elevator doors slide shut on Calleigh and Natalia who were chatting as they left the lab. He, however, would not be leaving any time soon and with this in mind he walked to his office. Piles of paperwork sat on his desk along with a few letters and the flashing light next to his phone indicated he had a message awaiting his attention.

Sinking into his chair he could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him and Horatio knew that he would only last a few hours before the couch would be looking incredibly comfortable. Somehow he managed to keep his attention focused on the mindless paperwork for an hour before he lay down on the black couch. Removing his jacket he used it as a pillow and closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift back into unconsciousness.


Another few murders, another perfect crime scene. This killer is smarter than any of the CSI's anticipated. Anyway Horatio and Calleigh obviously have some unresolved tension and emotions to deal with along with a rapidly increasing body count from a still unidentified killer. Any and all reviews are welcome!

Also as a side note I loved my college visit this weekend, for all that care. I really just cant wait until I get all my essays in and all of that out of the way.

Next Chapter:

Coming up the killer is closer than the CSI's think.

AllOverTheWorld