AN: Wow, sorry it took so long to write this! This is the highest rated chapter I've ever written, and I wanted to make it realistic, but my mind kept throwing up roadblocks. Hope it turned out okay!

[*]

Calleigh didn't give up until one a.m. She had danced a few times with Eric, but both of them kept stealing glances toward their respective best friends, who were seated at bars on opposite ends of the club. Finally, Calleigh sighed.

"They're not going to do anything unless we make them, are they?" She asked her boyfriend.

Eric shook his head. "Nah. Speed's too confused-"

"And Becca's too conflicted." Calleigh finished his sentence with a small smile that quickly slipped away. "Let's just let them sleep on it and try to fix it tomorrow."

"Okay. Is Becca still good to drive? Because I know I had a few too many." Eric grinned.

Calleigh sighed again as they began to make their way off the dance floor. "I think so. She's just been sitting there, I haven't seen her drink anything else."

"Unlike Speed, who's probably had another three mojitos," Eric stopped as they reached the edge of the dance floor. "I'll get him, you get her? Meet you at the car?"

"Good plan," Calleigh smiled up at him, stepping closer.

Eric glanced around quickly to make sure their colleagues weren't watching, then leaned down to kiss her lightly, teeth grazing her lower lip, then pulled back when she leaned closer. "We have to go, Calleigh."

Calleigh made a small noise of frustration, but she smiled up at him when she complained "You're being a tease!"

Eric just grinned. Then he pointed over her shoulder at a figure coming through the crowd. "Looks like Becca's noticed we're ready to leave. I'll see you soon!" He walked in the opposite direction towards Speed's seat, dodging a few college kids on the way.

Eric clapped his friend on the shoulder. "We're getting' outta here, Speedle."

"Okay." Speed didn't look up from his almost empty glass.

"Come on, Speed," Eric was trying to help his friend, but he had no idea what to say. Before Calleigh, he'd never felt particularly strongly about a girl, and he hadn't had any problems with the blonde CSI. He made a weak attempt. "You can talk to her tomorrow."

Speed just sighed. Then he drained his glass and motioned to his friend. "Lead the way.

…

Calleigh was already buckled up in the backseat of Becca's car when the two men came out of the club. When she was sure Speed wasn't looking, Calleigh motioned to Eric to sit in the seat next to her. Eric helped a wobbly Speedle into the passenger seat, handing him the seatbelt, which the dizzy trace expert managed to successfully manipulate after just a few tries. Then Eric slid into the seat next to her.

"Okay, where are we going first?" Becca asked. Calleigh noticed that she was looking pointedly into her rearview mirror, deliberately not looking at the man in the seat next to her. Calleigh sighed inwardly. This'll be tough.

"Uh, Eric's place is closest, how about there?" Calleigh said randomly. Becca mumbled an agreement and pulled out of the lot.

The entire car ride was filled with the worst type of awkward silence. The only talking was when Eric gave Becca the directions to his apartment. Calleigh and Eric exchanged many worried looks, and Speed and Becca both seemed very interested in the view outside their windows.

Finally, Becca turned into a parking lot bordered by apartment buildings and slowed to a halt. There was a moment of silence.

"Well, this is my stop," Eric said, mostly to break the pregnant silence. He opened the door and stepped out.

All good intentions aside, Calleigh didn't want to spend another moment in that awkward silence. "You know Becca, my condo isn't too far from here, and it's a bit out of your way, so I could just walk the rest of the way."

Eric stopped walking when he heard her speaking. He quickly covered up the small grin that had spread over his face.

But the telling smirk that Becca directed at Calleigh told the blonde that she'd seen it. "Sure, Cal, just don't get" she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively "held up too long."

Calleigh straightened up to defend herself, then gave up. "Don't worry Becca, I'll be safe," she replied with her own look. Calleigh slid out of the car and walked over to Eric. They both waited until Becca drove the car out of the lot.

"You know," Calleigh began, "my apartment is a bit far."

"Miami can be dangerous at night," Eric grinned as he played along.

"You have a guest bedroom, right?" Calleigh smiled flirtatiously.

Eric motioned towards the front door. "I don't think we'll need it!"

…

Becca didn't need to ask for directions to Speed's place, since she'd driven him home a few nights when his motorcycle had been in the shop. So the ride across town seemed even longer with no conversation to fill it up. Finally, Becca parked her car in the street in front of Speed's building.

She sat there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Speed was still staring out his window, and it was a moment before Becca realized that he was asleep.

"Tim?" She asked. When there was no reply, she poked him on the shoulder. "Tim!" Becca said louder.

Speed's head jerked up. "Yeah?" he asked groggily. "Wha' happn'd?"

Becca sighed. She turned off her car and walked around to help her… friend?... out of his seat. She had to undo the buckle for him, and when she pulled him out of the seat he stumbled a few steps until she caught him.

Becca pulled his arm over her shoulder and tucked her hand around his waist, trying to keep the dizzy man standing. If her breath caught for a moment when he gripped her bare upper arm, it was just because he was heavy.

After a few moments though, Speed was able to walk on his own, and Becca was a bit disappointed when she didn't have to help him up the stairs. But when they reached his apartment Speed swayed uncertainly, the key in his hand.

"Let me get that," Becca took the key from Speed and opened the door, guiding him inside.

Becca was surprised when she saw Speed's apartment, having figured him for the type to have a fully functioning bachelor pad. What she saw was a well-furnished living room with a light blue sofa and wine red carpets, bordered by an open granite countertop that separated it from a kitchen filled with shining appliances.

Becca sat Speed down carefully on the sofa, then went to the kitchen and scrounged around in the cabinets until she found a cup and some aspirin. After filling the cup with water, she sat down next to her still dizzy colleague on the couch.

"Tim," Becca said softly, "You should take this so you don't have a giant headache in the morning."

Speed smiled blearily and downed the pills with the water. He put the cup on a small table at the end of the couch and slumped against Becca, practically pinning her to the couch. Becca was trying to find a way to shift him without disturbing him too much when she heard his light snoring. That figures. She thought tiredly. I'll just wait for a while until he's really asleep, then I'll leave…

…

Something shifting against her brought Becca back to a state of wakefulness. Blinking her eyes open, Becca gasped slightly when she saw Speed's smirking face a few inches from hers. "Tim!"

Speed moved back, still grinning at her annoyingly. "You fell asleep," he said.

Becca gasped again and looked at her watch. "It's almost three in the morning, Tim! Why didn't you wake me?" Becca asked indignantly.

"You looked like you needed your sleep." Speed continued to smile at Becca like he was laughing at a joke. But he stopped grinning when Becca stood suddenly.

"I have to go, I should get home," Becca muttered, checking her watch again. At this rate I won't get home 'til three thirty!

"You don't have to go," Speed said seriously. "It'd take you awhile to get home."

Becca looked up at him, surprised by the offer, to find him standing very close. "You know, I-I should really, go-" Becca was stuttering suddenly and she turned to go quickly. Speed's hand closed around her wrist lightly, pulling her back. He didn't say anything, but looked in her eyes with a small smile. He moved a bit closer, but Becca stepped back.

"Tim, we shouldn't," Becca whispered, finding it hard to talk when he was looking at her that way.

"Why not?" Speed matched her volume, slowly moving his hand up her arm toward her shoulder.

Becca's mind was suddenly blank. "Because," she was stuttering again, "we, we work together, and we both have the same shift tomorrow, and-" Becca gave a little gasp when he stroked a particular spot on her forearm. Why did I have to wear a sleeveless top?

Speed moved even closer, and Becca found herself frozen in place by his deep brown eyes. He paused for a moment when they were millimeters apart, and her breath caught. Then he closed the distance between them.

-

A sharp pain in Becca's side made her open her eyes, only to see closed lids directly in front of her. One of Becca's hands was tangled in Speed's hair and the other was struggling with the buttons of the plaid shirt he was wearing. Speed arms were wrapped around Becca tightly, holding her close. They were kissing hard, tongues sliding together and Becca realized she was grinning against his mouth. Out of the corner of her eye Becca could see what had caused the pain on her hip: Speed's granite countertop. They had been stumbling backwards, Speed steering them toward a doorway off the living room that Becca guessed led to his bedroom, and Becca had bumped into the edge of the counter. For a moment she was tempted to continue their somewhat lurching journey toward the bedroom, but the moment the thought passed through her mind Becca froze.

Speed's eyes flew open the as Becca tensed, and pulled back so that his face was a few inches from hers. "What's wrong?" he asked breathlessly. When Becca considered it, she realized that she was out of breath as well.

"I have to go!" Becca wrenched herself away from Speed and practically ran out of his apartment, once again leaving a very confused man in her wake.

…

Becca and stared at the clock. The bright red digital numbers told her that she'd been trying to fall asleep for exactly one hour and forty-eight minutes since she'd collapsed on her bed fully clothed. But every time she closed her eyes, a new detail of the events at Tim's apartment flooded her mind.

[*]

Two hours, twenty-one minutes previously

Speed kissed her softly, his lips barely brushing her, while his hand continued to stroke her shoulder, slowly coming up to cradle the back of her neck. When his thumb brushed the skin under her ear Becca leaned into the kiss, pressing her lips against his and bringing her hands up to his chest.

Speed leaned forward so that Becca didn't have to tiptoe to kiss him, pushing her back a few steps and letting his other hand fall to her waist. Becca responded by running her hand down the scratchy skin of his neck and gasped lightly when he pulled her closer, caressing her cheek. Becca lightly trailed her tongue along his bottom lip, and gasped when he started kissing her with more force. Their tongue slid between each other's mouths and Becca found she was breathing purely in gasps. Speed was pulling her closer with both arms under her shirt and she found her hands fumbling with the buttons to his shirt.

Speed was walking her backwards and each step seemed to pull them closer together. Becca gave up on his shirt and wrapped one arm around his neck, savoring his taste as she pressed their mouths together even harder.

Becca was so swept up in Speed, in the taste of his lips, his breath on her face, his touch on the now bare skin of her back that only made her want more. His fingers seemed to be gripping her tightly, but the contact seemed feather-light to her, and she urged him with her motions to hold her tighter. She ran her hands over the skin of his chest she'd exposed, though his hair, trying to feel all of him at once. The few rational thoughts that buzzed through her mind were flying in every direction, and she could no more catch one and act on it than she could have pulled away from him at that moment. She was completely caught up in Speed and the way he was making her feel, and she didn't want anything to change.

A stray step took them too close to the counter, slamming her hip against it painfully…

[*]

Becca sighed, once again giving up the battle to fall asleep. She knew why she was having trouble. The last time she'd felt so… overwhelmed, so unable to form a coherent though, was the last time she'd been with Mark. She'd kissed a few random guys in random bars, trying to see if she could still feel something toward them, but the kisses had always left her feeling more empty. She felt broken.

But with Tim, the kissing hadn't been awkward or forced. She hadn't even considered that they worked together, or that she was afraid of emotional connection, since the moment his lips had touched hers. All she could think of was his hand, his tongue, how he was moving against her. There hadn't been any thought, and that lack of complete control over her environment, a fear she recognized had only appeared since she'd left Chicago, was what had caused her to run away from her first complete happiness in almost four months.

Becca sighed. It was going to be a long day.

[*]

When Speed woke up, he didn't open his eyes for a few reasons.

He told himself it was because he knew better, and this was the truth. He'd had enough hangovers to recognize one, even though this time it wasn't that bad. He knew if he opened his eyes, the light his bedroom curtains let in would give the room a pale, washed-out sheen, which would hurt his eyes and make his head throb worse. He knew that opening his eyes would, unavoidably, lead to sitting up, then standing, then making his way to work with a pounding headache.

But the real reason Speed wouldn't open his eyes was because he was still thinking about his dream.

In his dream, Becca had come with him to his apartment and fallen asleep next to him on his couch. Speed had dozed for a bit, but woken and spent an hour watching her sleep. She was even more beautiful when she slept, Dream-Speed had noted. She looks more relaxed, like she doesn't have to put on a front. When Becca had woken up, Dream-Speed had let his inhibitions, already loosened by the mojitos, simply fly away, and kissed her. Despite his nonchalance, his heart had been pounding loudly in his ears and he was afraid that Becca would not only reject him, but either slap him, report him to Horatio, or laugh in his face. But she hadn't.

Speed smiled, still refusing to open his eyes, relishing the taste of Becca's lips that he could still remember from his dream. She'd kissed him back. Speed sighed, finally giving in to the part of him that didn't want to be lectured by Horatio on being late for work. If only the dream had been real.

Speedle stumbled to his bathroom, surprised that his headache wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought it would be. He looked in the vanity mirror to judge his appearance and froze.

There was lipstick smeared on his mouth.

Speed immediately recognized the shade, but the thought didn't fully make its way through his head for several seconds. That's the color Becca was wearing in my dream!

Speed slowly wiped at the tinted stain on his lips, then stared at the color on his fingers. It wasn't a dream! Speed smiled, suddenly a lot more enthusiastic about going to work.

[*]

Okay, so, what'd you think? Is this a match made in heaven, or is Becca going to run away from a potential relationship? What do you want to happen? Critique and suggestions are all thoroughly considered!

You just read all those words, surely you can spare a few for the writer? Even a 'Great story' or a 'I'm trying to forget this story' is appreciated, and I will never erase an anonymous review. Thanks for reading!