We would like to thank ALL our loyal readers for your support while we have been away. In the next few weeks, you will see our stories being reposted here for all of you to read along with several NEW stories we've written while we've been away.

We appreciate all the kind messages we've received for our readers...we didn't realize how many of you were reading our stories, lol. It has brought HUGE smiles to us and we hope you'll continue to stick with us as we re-post some old favorites and hopefully new favorites. Thanks again!

CaineSpeedle & Speedfanatic05

Now for the good stuff!

**WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT AND LANGUAGE! You Are Warned**

DISCLAIMER: We don't own any of the Miami characters and we're NOT making any money off of them!

SEQUEL TO: "Legacy Of Madness"


Horatio stared out at the rustling of the palm trees, enjoying the light that was now flooding the room. Even despite the way he'd been feeling, he longed for the warmth of the sunshine more than anything, wishing that he could be on the beach in complete solitude. The joy of the sun shining was short lived as the craving came and he moved slightly to adjust himself. He'd told Yelina to go home an hour ago, and now, he was regretting that. Without anyone to fill the void, he was at the whim of his demons, and the urge clawed at him relentlessly.

Glancing at the clock, he wrung his hands together and bit his lip, turning for solace within the sunlight. Unable to find it, he cringed and then closed his eye, trying to burn away the sickening craving, searching for the steel will power that he had eluded to so many times before. When he couldn't grasp hold of it, he groaned and then started to move more, sitting up slowly, his body protesting every move. The television annoyed him and he reached to turn it off, the hum of hunger getting louder inside of him. Closing his eyes, he pressed his hands to his head and shook it slightly, hoping that it would end soon.

Carrying a duffel for herself and one for Horatio along with another large shoulder bag, Calleigh walked the hallway down to his room. Having gotten a call from Yelina saying Horatio had asked her to leave, Calleigh soon left Tim's and went to get everything they'd need. Coming to his door, she knocked lightly before going in, finding him sitting up in the bed and holding his head. Worried, she came closer, "Horatio…"

"It's too much," he whispered as he continued to hold his head. Unaware of anyone in the room, he kept his eyes closed and repeated it as a sort of mantra, trying to exercise the sensations that were overwhelming him. It wasn't until he felt her touch that he came out of it, his reflexes to push her away prevailing. Opening his eyes, he focused and then turned to see her shocked and standing still. Shaking his head, he whispered, "I'm sorry…It's too much…It's too much."

Placing their things down, Calleigh took a chance and sat down next to him on the bed. Rubbing his back slowly, she bowed her head slightly as she looked at him, "I'm here now, Horatio. I'll help you get through this."

Relaxing at her touch, he exhaled and then lifted his head to look at her, his eyes weary, "Calleigh…I can't do this. It's too much." The methodical way she soothed him lulled his demons away and he breathed easily, reaching for her free hand. "Don't leave me, Calleigh. Don't leave."

"I won't…I promise you that, Horatio." Continuing to rub his back, she whispered, "I'm gonna stick with you through this. Together we can beat this. You're strong, Horatio…deep down you're strong and can do this, I know you can."

Wincing as he turned completely to her, he began to shake more, "I can't. I shouldn't have told her to leave. I couldn't do it, I need it so much."

"You don't need it, Horatio." Wrapping her arms around and bringing him close to her, Calleigh continued to try to sooth him, "Your body might be craving it, but you and I both know you do not need that poison." Kissing the side of his head, she whispered into his hair, "You're stronger then it, you can beat it. I won't let you fall."

In a moment of firsts, Horatio admitted, "I'm scared Calleigh. I don't know if I can be strong enough." He could feel the fear encroaching upon him and held on to her tighter, anchoring himself to her. "I'm sorry, Calleigh…Sorry."

Holding him tighter, Calleigh placed a hand on his head and began to rock him slowly. Closing her eyes she kissed the top of his head, "I'm here, Horatio…this wasn't your fault." Never before had she seen him this low and it broke her heart to hear the pain and fear in his voice. "I won't let you fall…I promise…I won't let you fall."

Allowing her to hold him, he relaxed, the feeling of being safe coming over him. All the doubts and questions of her loyalties and activities receded as he felt the truth in her touch. She was there for him, and she was going to be strong enough for the both of them. After getting himself together, he began to pull back from her, keeping his head bowed. Easing back against the bed, he exhaled and closed his eyes, his body going limp. The ordeal was stripping him clean and leaving him with no other choice than to trust her. Heaping itself upon him, he cringed as the urge grew and he grit his teeth as he gripped the sheets on the bed.

"Just a little bit to get me over. I need just a little bit," he whispered urgently.

Turning herself to now face him, Calleigh remained on the bed beside him and reached for the wash cloth and wet it in the basin. Wringing it out, she gently wiped at his brow, "No you don't, sweetie. It'll only hurt you more, it won't help you." Remembering what she had brought, she reached for her purse and brought out to bags of hard candy and some gum. Setting them on the tray, she spoke softly, "I had a friend in college who went through this also…and she found that gum and hard candy helped with the cravings some. I got you a couple bags. Do you want to try?"

Horatio studied her for a moment before absently shaking his head, his body trembling with need. He would try everything he could to rid himself of this weight that now oppressed him. He dropped his eyes and sighed, "Anything to help this."

Nodding, she smiled, "That's the positive side I want to hear." Reaching for the bag of butterscotch candies and knowing those were is favorite, she opened it and got out a piece. Taking it out of the wrapper, she placed it in his hand, "I remembered they were your favorite. When you start to get low I'll get you more."

Turning the piece of candy over in his hand, Horatio smiled faintly and sighed, "We're going to make the dentist rich." With no other words, he took the piece of candy into his mouth and exhaled heavily, looking to Calleigh as he took her hand, "Thank you, Calleigh."

Holding onto his, she gave him a soft smile, "You're welcome, Handsome." Leaning down, she gave him a kiss on his cheek and then sat back up, "I see the nurse brought in a walker for you. When you feel like you're up to it we can get you a shower."

"I want to rest first, but then I want to shower and shave. Then maybe we can…talk?" He looked to her with a hopeful gaze, wanting to fill his time with everything he could think of so that his thoughts would not become idle. He glanced to the bags and asked, "You brought something for me to do?"

Smiling more, Calleigh reached for the large shoulder bag and pulled out the laptop, "I did. And…I even created you a facebook account as well so you can go on there and maybe play some of there games. There's a few really good one's you might get into. Plus…" she said as she brought out some journals and three books, "I brought you some reading material as well. Oh…and we have movies also."

Looking at the things she brought, he smiled, "Well, you certainly brought a lot. This should keep me busy. Reaching for the journals, he looked longingly and then set them aside, "There won't be much use for these, I'll probably never see the inside of the lab again."

"Yeah you will. The Chief knows you didn't do any of this, that it was forced on you. Yeah it might take awhile, but you'll get back in there…if you want to that is." Reaching and moving a strand of hair from his eyes, she gave him a small smile, "I want to see you back in your office when I come up from Ballistics."

Horatio returned her smile and nodded, "We'll see, okay? I hardly think that I'll have any creditability with being a junkie." Looking towards the movies, he gestured with a nod, "Feel like watching movies?"

"Sounds good. Let me just put these things away really quick." Handing him the movies, she then got up and went for her bag, "Pick out what you want to watch. Oh, and I got you some boxers and a robe to wear. I know the hospital gown's are all little…revealing."

"A little too much for my taste." Moving slowly to sit up, he exhaled, "I'm going to need your help, you won't mind will you?"

Placing her bag into the small closet, Calleigh closed the door back and went for his bag, "You know I don't mind. That's why I'm here, to help you any way I can…within reason that is."

Catching her connotation, Horatio nodded, "No requests, gotcha." A pang hit and he closed his eyes and then shook his head, "Just keep me busy, or knocked out. That seems to work better than anything."

Taking his clothes out and placing them where they needed to go, Calleigh smirked, "Maybe when you get out we can go to the Keys. We could take in the sun and water…and even do some pt down there as well. I'm sure we both could use that."

At the thought of the isolation, Horatio shuddered and then attempted to put a smile on his face. He didn't like the thought of being out there alone with Calleigh in part because he didn't trust himself. Another part of him was hesitant for the lack of opportunities. Although he wasn't counting on relapsing, he still felt a need to be close to the city.

"Yeah, we could do some pt, that would be great."

Smiling more as Calleigh finished up, she came back over to him and slipped off her shoes, "We can also talk and go for walks as well, ya know. Like we did the last time we were there."

"Yeah, that would be nice," he said almost absently. Staring into nothingness, he began to think more about the long stretches of days he was going to have to endure without and cringed, grabbing at the sheets. His legs kicked slightly as he turned, shaking his head.

Seeing him getting uncomfortable again, Calleigh licked her lips, "So uh…did you still want to watch a movie? If you want I can massage your back and shoulders while we do."

Jolting himself out of his stupor, he shook his head, "Huh? What did you say?"

Taking a seat on the bed beside him, she took his hand, "I asked if you wanted me to massage your back and shoulders while we watch the movie."

"Um… yeah, sure," he responded as he furrowed his brow. He could feel her squeezing his hand and he fought to keep it there, not wanting to upset her more than necessary. Anxiousness crept up on him and he shrugged, "After my shower, okay?" Moving somewhat fast he pushed the sheets away and looked to her, "I've got to use the bathroom."

"Okay." Getting up and moving his walker closer for him, Calleigh then moved to the side to help him up, "Take it slow and easy, Horatio. I don't want you getting dizzy and falling."

"I won't fall," he answered back sharply. "I need to get to the bathroom…now."

"Okay, okay, we'll get you there. Calm down, Horatio." Once he had his legs dangling over the bed, she moved the walker closer. "Remember, I'm here to help, not be a hindrance."

Grabbing the walker, he stood and then faltered, feeling Calleigh catching him. Anger suffused within him and he pushed himself off, using the walker to steady himself and then looking to the IV, "If you don't get that, I'm snatching it out."

Releasing a breath, Calleigh moved around him and got the portable pole for the IV. Moving it, she kept her eyes down from him, "Got it. You can go now." Watching as he took his first step, she stayed beside him, making sure he wouldn't fall. When he finally reached the bathroom, she opened the door for him and let him go in first. Seeing he was in and where he needed to be, she moved the pole in and stepped back, "I'll give you some privacy. Yell when you're ready."

Horatio nodded and then reached for the door, closing it. Using the restroom, Horatio then moved slowly around the small room, facing the mirror. Taking a long, hard look, he grimaced at his appearance and then looked away, unable to take much more. The man that looked back at him in the mirror was a stranger, yet familiar. He had the same blue eyes, but they were hollow now and rimmed darkly and his color was paler than it had been before, his red hair dull. Gripping the sink, he looked down at the IV lines and then to a dark purplish spot, recognizing it easily. Reaching for it, he scratched as if he couldn't reach deep enough to relieve the itch.

Leaning against the wall outside the bathroom, Calleigh closed her eyes, wondering if Tim had been right. Horatio's moods seemed to take her by surprise and over the smallest of things. Hearing the toilet flush, she looked towards the door and continued to wait. When the nurse came in, she gave her a small smile, "Hey, Keisha."

"Hi, Calleigh. How are things today?" Keisha answered as she came in with a chart. She looked to the bed and arched a brow, "He ran away?"

"Bathroom…" she replied as she hiked her thumb towards it. "Hey, when is his next dose of his meds? He's having some pretty bad cravings."

Keisha lifted the chart and then glanced to the clock, "In about an hour, why? Is it getting that bad?"

"Yeah, it is. I got him some hard candies hoping they would help, but it doesn't look like it is really," Calleigh said and moved from the door. Going to the woman, Calleigh whispered, "Can the doctor prescribe him a little higher of a dose to help with this. He's going out of his mind with these craving for heroin."

"I'll talk to him and see what he says," Keisha responded as she looked to the bathroom door. Arching a brow, she asked, "How long has he been in there?"

Glancing at the clock, Calleigh raised a brow, "About four minutes. I've been timing him. He said he had to go bad…and he didn't have anything with him except the IV and walker when he went in. Why?"

"Keep track of how long he's in there. He may not have had anything in with him, but there's plenty of damage to be done." Keisha placed a hand on her arm and shook her head, "I don't think that you have anything to worry about, Mr. Caine seems to be level headed."

Hearing him curse, Calleigh's brow crinkled and she moved to the door, knocking, "Horatio…you okay?"

Scratching at his arm, he felt the wetness and then looked down to see blood. Cursing aloud, his hands shook as he tried to turn on the water, unable to grasp the knobs. Hearing her concerned voice, he called out uneasily, "I- I'm fine. Just need another minute, okay?"

Looking at Keisha and then back to the door, Calleigh began to get worried, "Horatio, what are you doing in there? Do you need help?"

Furrowing his brow as he managed to turn the water on and then tried to clean himself up, not having any success at it. Hearing her knock again, he answered, "I- I'm okay. I'm just washing my hands."

Not liking the sound of his voice, Calleigh looked at Keisha, "I don't like this." Taking a deep breath, Calleigh placed her hand onto the door knob and turned it, opening the door. Seeing him at the sink and trying to wash the blood from his arm, her brow furrowed and she moved to him, "Horatio…what happened? Keisha he's bleeding."

Horatio heard her enter and looked to her, seeing Keisha coming up behind her. Sighing, he whispered, "Shit." Gathering himself, he looked to Calleigh again and smiled, "I just had a problem. Everything's okay though."

Looking at his arm, she took it in hand and looked up at him, "Horatio…this is not okay. You clawed your arm into bleeding." Moving and letting Keisha examine his arm, Calleigh sighed, "Tell me the truth, Horatio…what happened?"

He winced as Keisha looked at his arm and stared at it, "It itched…so I had to scratch it." Trying to pull it away, he added, "It's alright."

"No, Mr. Caine, this is pretty bad. I'll have to call the doctor…"

"No! You can't do that!" Horatio pulled his arm away and flung her away, "I'll be restrained again…I don't want to be restrained."

"HORATIO!" Calleigh yelped as she got hold of his arm. "Calm down. They can give you something to stop the itching…and the cravings." Making sure she had a firm hold of him, she looked to Keisha, "Call the doctor please."

Keisha moved quickly as Horatio watched, and then turning to Calleigh. He growled, "I said I didn't want to call the doctor. He's going to order me back under restraints."

Looking up at him, Calleigh did not back down, "If you keep acting like this he will. Now I suggest you calm down before he gets in here. This is part of the addiction, Horatio…they can give you something to help with it."

Stopping, he stared at Calleigh and then to his arm as it bled profusely, "What's…what's wrong with me?"

Reaching up with her free hand, she shook her head as she cupped his cheek, "It's not you, it's the addiction, Horatio. Let them help you…let me help you. We can help you beat this if you let us. But we need to know what your feeling and when so we can help you."

"I want a fix. I'm anxious…nervous. It's eating at me, Calleigh. It's all I want." Horatio leaned into her hand and closed his eyes, "It's not going anywhere."

Taking in a shaky breath, Calleigh whispered, "We'll beat this, Horatio…but I need you to dig deep down and try…try for us. I love you and I don't want to loose you to this."

Horatio nodded as he heard the doors open and the rush of action and looked to Calleigh, "I'm sorry about this, Calleigh."

"It's not your fault, Horatio. Come on, we need to get you out of here so they can fix your arm, okay?" she said softly as she looked up at him. "I'll be right there with you…I'm not gonna leave."

"I guess I need to get back into the bed." Sighing, he began to move out of the bathroom, only to face a contingent of nurses along with his doctor. Shaking silently, Horatio grabbed hold of the walker and started off, feeling the tension in the room. It was eerily silent and he resisted the urge to comment instead, climbing back into bed.


Finishing up packing, Calleigh looked around the hospital room, making sure she had everything. The past two weeks had been an up and down struggle with Horatio. His urges dwindling some with the new medication they were now giving him, but, she could still see the uneasiness there. He'd even taken to certain twitches that most recovering addicts had, itching, picking at their skin, even mood swings. Gone were the worst of the muscle spasms even though he still occasionally had one or two light ones daily.

Zipping up the bags, she went over to him and sat down next to him on the bed and took his hand in hers. Giving him a smile when he looked at her, she spoke softly, "Glad to be getting out of here finally?"

"You don't know how much I am," he said as he sat, watching her pack. He felt a surge of relief flow through him as he moved to stand slowly, "I can't wait to sleep straight through the night."

Watching him, she smiled more, "And in your own bed too I'm sure." Getting back up with him, she stretched, "I know I'll love sleeping in a real bed again." Running her hands through her hair, she sighed, "That and we'll be able to eat real food…not this crap here."

"Yes, it would be nice," he responded softly. Taking her hand he squeezed it, "are you sure that you want to do this? They have a vacancy at the rehab center, it will be safer for you."

Shaking her head, she squeezed his hand, "I want to be there to help you, Horatio. You helped me so much after I got back…now it's my turn to return the favor." A small smile made way and she pushed up on her toes and gave him a kiss, "I want to do this."

Horatio nodded and glanced to the clock, "When are they supposed to come and let us know when I can go?" He started to walk towards the door but then stopped, scratching at his neck, "I'm anxious to breathe fresh air."

"Should be here in the next few minute's. Lydia came him while you were shaving and said she was getting the paperwork ready." Walking to him, she placed her hands onto his back, rubbing gently, "I brought you something by the way."

"Something new?" he arched his brow and looked behind him, a smile coming. He had to admit, he was happy that she'd stuck with him through it all and it eased his doubts. Turning to face her completely, he smiled more, "What's this something new?"

Reaching over for her purse, she reached in and pulled out a new pair of sunglasses for him. Smiling, she handed them to him, "I know how much you like them…and that you would need them when we get outside."

Taking the glasses in hand, he smiled and unfolded them, slipping them on, "So…how do I look?"

Smiling even more, she wrapped her arms around his waist, "Handsome as always." Silence filled the room for a brief moment before Calleigh finally spoke again, "I'm proud of you, Horatio. You've come a long ways these past couple weeks."

"Yeah, but I couldn't do it without you. You've been here since the beginning." Her proximity infused him with warmth and he smiled, "I can't thank you enough, Cal."

"I'll always be here for you, Horatio. I won't push you away again." Giving him a hug, she felt as his arms came around her. Closing her eyes as her head rested against his chest, she whispered, "I love you."

"I love you." Holding her tightly, he exhaled heavily and then looked up at the door as Lydia entered with her hand filled with papers. Groaning, he whispered to Calleigh, "Gotta go sign my life away. Be right back?"

Letting him go and stepping back, Calleigh began to gather up the bags, anxious to get him out of there. She knew getting him to his beach house would do him wonders, she just hoped and prayed everything would go as planned.

Handing the clipboard with papers to Horatio, Lydia began to go over them, "Okay, Mr. Caine, time to bust you out of here. Now, the doctor has given you a few prescriptions that you'll need to get filled. Take them both in the morning with your breakfast like you did here. Also, I printed out some numbers of a few therapists here in Miami and in Key West that you can see…which is strongly advised to help you through any depression and any urges that arise."

Taking the papers in hand, he nodded and then glanced to Calleigh, "We can stop and get this filled before we go home." He smiled at Lydia as she gave him the clipboard to sign and then nodded, "Alright, that says I'm a free man. Lydia, I can't thank you enough."

"You're welcome, Mr. Caine. Now, unfortunately, hospital rules state you get one last ride. I'll get a wheelchair and get you on your way." Taking the clipboard back, she left them again.

With everything in hand, Calleigh tilted her head, "When we leave, did you want to grab a bite to eat really quick? We can eat it on the way down."

"That sounds good, and I was going to ask, can we stop by the store? I need to grab a few things."

"I don't see why not. We'll probably need some things for the beach house anyways. Food wise at least," she replied as she walked to him. "Anything special you'd like for dinner tonight? I'm cooking."

Licking his lips, he pondered the thought, "Um… just surprise me. At this point, anything will be great." Lydia entered with a wheelchair and Horatio froze, the smile dwindling. He swallowed hard and took a step back, "Do I have to ride in this thing?"

Setting the break, Lydia then stood back up, "I'm afraid so. It's a rule I have to follow if I value my job…which I do. Don't worry, it's only to the front door then you can walk to your vehicle if you'd like."

Looking to Calleigh, he sighed, "Just to the door, okay? That's it." As she nodded, he exhaled heavily and took a seat, settling in uneasily. Gesturing to the door, he hurried along, "Alright let's get going. I'm ready to go."

Releasing the break, Lydia chuckled, "I'll get you down there as quick as I can, sir."

Following behind then as they left the room, Calleigh then picked up the pace, coming to his side. Seeing the uneasiness he held, she reached for his hand, "In three minutes, you'll be wishing for this air conditioning, Horatio. It's an oven out today."

"I'll take the oven over this any day," Horatio responded as they neared the elevator. Thankful, he didn't have to wait for one to come available and they slid in easily. As the doors slid shut, Horatio breathed in and let it out slowly, keeping his eyes closed. Behind his lids, the images of his captivity rose up and he twitched, his anxiety getting the best of him. Feeling her hand on his shoulder, he breathed out again, "I'm…I'm okay, Cal."

Bending down to him, Calleigh whispered words of encouragement, knowing he was uncomfortable in the wheelchair, "You're doing great, Handsome. Two more floors to go…then you and I can go spend some time on the beach."

Horatio nodded and breathed in deeply and released it slowly, opening his eyes just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. The bustle of the ground floor of the hospital startled him somewhat, but he acclimated himself rather quickly. As Lydia wheeled him towards the exit, he looked to Calleigh and gave her a smile, thankful that this was almost over.

The door opened and he felt the immediate onslaught of heat and winced, practically seeing the heat waves in the air. Looking to Calleigh as Lydia parked the wheelchair, he chuckled, "You weren't exaggerating, it's ridiculous out here."

Chuckling slightly, Calleigh waited until he was up out of the wheelchair, "Well, be glad my car has a wonderful ac unit." Adjusting the bags some, she tilted her head, "You ready, Handsome?"

"More than ever," he answered as he turned back to Lydia, "Thanks again, Lydia. Don't take this personal, but I really hope I don't see you again."

Laughing, Lydia nodded, "I understand. Take care, Mr. Caine."

Watching as Lydia left and went back inside, Calleigh raised a brow and looked towards the parking lot, "Okay, well, let's get to the car and get on the road. I'm sure we'll miss a lot of the traffic."

Horatio nodded and they set about a slow walk, the heat becoming more and more oppressive. He wiped at his brow and then looked to Calleigh and reached to stop her. At her quizzical expression, he answered the unasked question, "You shouldn't be carrying all those bags. Let me help, Cal."

Giving him a small smile, she handed him the carry bag and then one of the shoulder bags, "Thanks, Handsome." As they began to walk again, Calleigh took in a deep breath and smiled, "I uh…I told Tim where were going and he wanted me to tell you if you need anything…to check on construction at your place…send down anything, he would."

Horatio looked away and then shook his head as chuckled lightly, "Um…that's nice of him. I'll keep that in mind." Finally making it to the car, Horatio set the bags down at the trunk and waited for her to unlock it, taking a furtive glance around. It had been so long since he'd been outside that room, he almost felt as if he didn't know where he was.

Feeling her hand on his arm, he came to himself and smiled, "Sorry, I was gone for a second."

Giving him a small smile, she shrugged, "It's okay. I was like that too when I got out the hospital, remember?" With the trunk open, she placed the bag she had in and watched as he did the same. Closing it back, she hit the automatic locks on her remote, "What store did you want to stop at or will any do?"

"I was thinking about one, Ocean. It's on the way out and it won't take long," Horatio responded as he opened the door to the passenger side. "You wouldn't mind going in for me would you?"

Opening her door, Calleigh shook her head, "Nope, I don't mind. Just let me know what all you need." Getting in, Calleigh started the car and turned on the air, letting the heat out before closing her door. Once he was in, she reached into her purse and got a pen and a small piece of paper. "Just write down what you need me to get."

Taking the pen and paper Horatio wrote down a few things before thinking of more. As the car started off he handed her the pen and paper, "I think that's everything."

Glancing at the list as she maneuvered her way in the parking lot, Calleigh nodded and placed it into her purse with the pen, "Sounds good. I'll leave the car running so you don't have a heat stroke. Can't have you going back to the hospital."

"No, there's no need to go back there," Horatio replied with a smile. "I plan on staying far away from there from now on." A pleasant silence descended upon them and he sat back and watched the scenery go by, losing himself in the different colors that passed by in a flurry. He licked his lips and then felt his leg beginning to jump, finally looking up to see that they were close to the store. Taking his phone out, he dialed a number then hung up, turning to smile at Calleigh.

Glancing at him and noticing his phone in his hand, Calleigh smirked, "What are you up to, Horatio? Or are you trying to get Yelina to come rescue you from me?"

"I thought about something and then decided not to do it. That's all." Reaching over to caress her cheek, he smiled warmly, "Wild horses wouldn't tear me away from you."

Giving him a bigger smile, Calleigh glanced at him again, "You say the sweetest things, ya know?" Seeing the store coming into view, she changed lanes and turned on her signal, "How about after here we get something to eat. I'm starving for some reason."

"Didn't you eat breakfast?" Horatio questioned as they finally pulled up. Glancing to the side of the store he then narrowed his brow, "We can eat as soon as we finish here."

"Good." Pulling into a parking spot, Calleigh parked the car, leaving it running. Gathering her purse, she took off her seat belt and turned to him, "You sure you don't want to come inside with me?"

"Positive, I'll just slow you down. We want to get to the Keys before sunset, right?" Horatio looked to the curb again and then turned to her and smiled, "I'll keep the air going."

Smiling, Calleigh leaned to him, giving him a kiss, "I won't be long then." Reaching for the door and opening it, Calleigh got out and then headed for the door.

Watching Calleigh as she entered into the store, Horatio rolled down the window and stuck his hand out, waiting. This had to go off without any hitches and a couple of calls made to some well known informants turned up favorable results. Palming the wad, he glanced into the rear view mirror to see him coming.

Walking towards the car and flipping his key ring around on his finger, Curtis Bowens glanced around some and slipped one hand into his pocket. Coming up from the end of the car, he tossed the keys hard, causing them to fall to the ground at the passenger door. Bending down to get them, he slipped his hand out of his pocket and passed the small baggie to Horatio and took the money from his hand. "Oops, sorry man, my bat. Have a good day, brother."

Nodding, Horatio took the baggie into his hand and the rolled the window up. Slipping it into his pocket, he watched the door and waited for Calleigh to emerge. A sense of excitement surged through him and he found that he could barely contain it, getting out of the car when he saw Calleigh walk out. Meeting her, he took the bags in hand and then ushered her to the car with a smile, "It wasn't too much was it?"

"No, it wasn't. But, I was able to get everything on the list," she replied as they reached the car. Getting in while he put the bags into the back seat, she put her purse back there and then got on her seat belt. When he got in, she looked to him, "Okay, what would you like to eat? Burgers, fish, Mexican, Arby's, Chinese… You name it and I'll stop."

"Burgers sound good, can we get it to go? I really want to get to the beach house," Horatio said as he fastened his seat belt. He smiled and looked forward, "It will be nice to get out of here for a while."

"Burgers sound great actually. Oh…and fries…I've been craving some from McDonald's for some reason. Normally I don't get them," she replied as she started to back out. Putting the car in gear, she pulled out, "I was thinking, how about pot roast with all the trimmings tonight? We can stop at the store near the house when we get down there."

"That sounds good. If I'm not tired, I'll go with you and we can cook together." Horatio smiled and looked to her, "I think I owe you a meal anyway."

Smiling and glancing at him, Calleigh chuckled, "You remember that? I'd forgotten, but I'd love having you in the kitchen with me." Reaching over and placing her hand on his, she sighed, "This is a new start for us. I don't want to fuck it up again like I did last time."

"No, Calleigh, you weren't the one at fault. There are things that I should've done…" Looking at her hand, he smiled and then looked to her, "But like you said, it's a new start for us."

"Then I think we should make the best of it this time. We got some time alone now to build it together." Seeing a hamburger joint ahead of them, she raised a brow, "I swear hospital food should be banned…like Chinese, it leaves you hungry again not long afterwards.

Horatio laughed and nodded, looking out of the window, "You're right about that, Calleigh." Once they got to the window, he asked, "Can you get me something small?"

"Yeah…they have small combo's. Which one you want?" Looking towards the board, Calleigh smirked, "Oh yes…I know what I'm getting…McRib's…I love those things."

"Just a burger and a drink, that's all I want," Horatio said as he glanced to his watch. He watched as she ordered and then laughed slightly as she pulled up. Catching her expression, he explained, "That's a lot of food, Cal. Is everything okay?"

Reaching back for her purse, Calleigh shrugged, "I told you I'm starving. I feel like I could eat a cow." Getting her wallet out, she pulled out the money and looked at him, "Trust me, when I'm hungry, I can eat."

"I see," Horatio answered back as he stared out of the window. He could feel the sensation of the item in his pocket and the anticipation jumped into high gear as he then focused on the car ahead of them. Furrowing his brow, he asked tersely, "What's this guy's problem?"

Looking ahead as the cashier handed the man his food and then a carrier of drinks, Calleigh furrowed her brow and looked over at Horatio, "He was just waiting on his food, Horatio. No biggie."

"It's taking forever," he grumbled back as his leg began to jump. Wringing his hands together, he sighed, frustrated that they weren't moving fast enough.

Noticing Horatio was getting antsy, she was relieved when the guy moved his car up and then she pulled up to the window. Paying, she sighed, "We'll be on the road in a few minutes."

"Good." He could tell she was getting upset and tried to dial back his frustration, turning toward her, "I'm just anxious to get out of the city, Cal."

"I know you are." When the woman handed her the bag of food and then the drinks, Calleigh put her window up and moved out of line. Heading out the parking lot, she glanced at him, "You sure you're okay?"

Making a conscious effort to stop his leg from jumping, he nodded, "Yeah, I'm just ready to get settled in at the beach house. I'm ready to relax more."

Pulling out into the traffic, Calleigh headed towards the interstate they need. Silence filled the car as she drove and Calleigh reached over, taking his hand. Giving it a squeeze, she glanced to him again, "I'm sorry everything took so long."

"It's alright, I just need to practice better coping skills," Horatio explained as he squeezed her hand back. He gave her a small smile and then moved to caress her cheek. He stared at her as she drove, exhaling lightly, "Thank you for doing this, Calleigh. I had to get out of the city."

Smiling some, she relished his touch, hoping they would be able to reconnect with each other again. "I know you did. Besides, I'm still on leave and couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing then spending it with you."

"Maybe…maybe we can find each other again," Horatio added wistfully as he turned away. His brow knit as he felt a pang and he loosened his hand from hers. The ride was going to be long and with his score in his pocket and a syringe that he stole from the hospital, it was going to be just that much longer before he could ease the pain. He hated to deceive Calleigh, but this was something he needed.