Title: Happiness is…

Author: innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/Miami Heat/LJ)

Summary: Horatio has a heart to heart with Calleigh about what's been going on with her. With her odd behavior, everyone is wondering what happened to the happy Calleigh they all knew and loved? And how can they help get her back?

(Reply to Robin's Challenge)

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

Genres: Angst, Drama, Episode Related, Established Relationship, Friendship, Hurt Comfort, Suspense

Characters: Calleigh Duquesne, Horatio Caine

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 3 "Strike Three"

Author's Notes: For Robin!

………………………

The sun had gone down and it was past time for him to go home, but he knew one of his CSIs was still in the building. He wasn't about to have her work herself to exhaustion after the day she'd had. He was sure that no one else needed to butt heads with her.

When he walked into ballistics at first he thought that she'd snuck home without him noticing. She was still there. Calleigh had fallen asleep on the Norton file with evidence results in it. He smiled remembering several years back when they'd worked day and night on a case and he'd found Calleigh asleep in ballistics. He hated waking her, but knew that he had to.

"Calleigh," he said keeping his voice low. He didn't want to startle her. "Calleigh." He saw her start to stir and hoped that the rest had done something to lighten her mood.

When Calleigh's eyes opened a bit and she saw that it was Horatio standing there, her eyes went wide, and she shot up from her seat. She gathered the file nervously. "I'm SO sorry, Horatio… I had been reviewin'—"

"It's fine," he said cutting her off with a smile. "It's time for you to go home. We're the last from day shift here."

"I need to finish—"

"It'll be here in the morning, Sweetheart." He tilted his head, watching her, "Why don't you let me give you a ride home?"

"I'm fine, Horatio," Calleigh told him as she quickly flipped open the folder and started to look over the results printed inside. "I'll see you in the mornin'."

"Don't make me order you home, Calleigh," he said really not wanting to seem pushy, but she needed to go home. He knew Calleigh was a workaholic and just as dedicated to her job as he was, but there was a time where you needed sleep instead of another dose of caffeine.

"I'm just gonna finish up," Calleigh insisted.

"Camden's going to be here soon," Horatio told her.

"He already is," Calleigh said. "I sent him to the break room."

Horatio knew that it was going to be difficult with Calleigh acting so stubborn. "I'll call for an escort."

"Horatio—"

"I will," he said quickly.

Calleigh had had enough. She slammed her hands down on the smooth table, in the process knocking her folder and papers to the ground. "I'm FINE! I can do my job! I can, Horatio! I don't understand why everyone suddenly thinks otherwise!"

"No one's said that," Horatio reminded her softly. "We need to talk…tonight. I can't have you disrupting the operation of this team, in the lab or in the field."

"Horatio—"

Horatio took a step towards her, genuinely concerned for her. "What's wrong? What's been going on with you?"

"I'm FINE," Calleigh told him. She was shocked that he thought there was something wrong with HER. It was everyone else who were acting odd. "No one thinks I'm competent today."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Horatio told her gently. "You don't smile anymore… You're not happy… You don't seem to get along with people the same way you used to…"

"I smile, I'm happy, and I get along with people just the same," Calleigh snapped. "People change, Horatio. Maybe you're the one who's changed."

Horatio frowned, "This isn't a sudden thing, Calleigh. It's just suddenly gotten worse. I'm not the only one who sees it and is concerned."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Does it have to do with Hagen and Speedle's deaths?" Horatio questioned.

Calleigh blinked and then looked away and whispered, "We nearly lost Eric."

"I know," Horatio responded just as quietly. Was that the root cause of it all? Speedle and Hagen had died the same year, just at different ends of it. That was three years earlier, and Horatio hated to think she'd suffered all that time. Gently, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Let's go get some coffee and something to eat." He knew that the last thing she needed was further confrontation, but he also knew she needed to get of the lap. Horatio was going to take her to a nice, quiet diner he knew. He just hoped it would help.

………………………………

TBC…