Title: Rescue Me

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

Summary: Based on the original Season 5 Finale where Horatio was supposed to be on a plane with a convict. When the plane crashes in the Everglades, there are memories of an old case ("Golden Parachute") along with a need to get to the plane and Horatio. Will Calleigh and the team be able to make it out to him in time and catch the convict?

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

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

Characters: Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 4 "Grief"

Author's Notes: okay, so now it's time for me to get to finishing this one…even though I'm supposed to be finishing the missing scenes for "Not All Bad". Seven days! I have seven days to have "Stalked", "Smile", and "Rescue Me" finished!

…………………

The wreckage spread out through the Everglades, on land and in the water. It moved along at the river's pace. It didn't care about crime scene processing or contamination. Horatio Caine and Megan Donner argued over who had jurisdiction. Federal or local. Eric Delko was in a wetsuit and diving gear already in the water with other divers at Horatio's order. Calleigh was checking on what they had already pulled. But Horatio and Megan's arguing didn't go unnoticed by any member of the team. None of them were blind or deaf. Tim was the one who seemed to automatically try to keep the calm within the team.

It was like their plane down case in the Everglades all over again, Calleigh thought as she stared out at the wreckage. She could see the scene without all the people sifting through it. It was like she was staring out at it all on her own. She so badly wanted to see a sign of Horatio…any sign. Instead, she saw nothing.

"Eric, remember you're going to need to double up on antibiotics," Alexx reminded. "The Atlantic can be just as bad as the canals and Everglades."

"Got it," Eric spoke up.

"Hey, Calleigh," Natalia spoke up reaching out and placing her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "You okay?"

Calleigh snapped out of it and turned her head to the woman touching her, "What?"

"You okay?" she asked concerned.

"Fine," Calleigh whispered and then remembered that she was supposed to be going through debris with Natalia. "I just want to find Horatio."

"You know its okay to grieve for someone you love," Natalia allowed.

Calleigh looked back at Natalia, "I didn't love Jake," she told Natalia flatly and moved away from Natalia. She'd dated Jake during their time at the academy and lately, but it had been just that. Only dating. Calleigh didn't love him. She let her head drop and pushed back tears that threatened to fall.

………………………………..

"We found someone!"

The call rang loud and clear and pulled every person from their debris filtering whether it was on land, in the water, or in a rough lab. It was like a dinner bell had rung and no one had eaten in days. It was a mass stampede in the direction of the voice.

"He's alive!"

The addition of the last was enough to bring a smile to Calleigh's face as she hurried with the others. But when she got there and pushed through, her smile fell. It wasn't Horatio. It wasn't even one of the people in charge of the plane or part of the security detail. It was the convict Horatio and Jake had been transporting. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that he was alive and Jake was dead…and Horatio was still out there. Tears pushed, but were unsuccessful. She had to keep it together. "Has he been questioned?" Calleigh demanded quickly and firmly.

"Not yet," one of the FBI agents told her. "He's got to be airlifted."

Calleigh turned her gaze down to the injured James Willmington lying there on the sandy bank. "Have you seen Lieutenant Caine?" Calleigh asked needing to know.

"The red head with those sunglasses?" Willmington asked with a laugh. "He's a joke!"

"Have you seen him?" Calleigh asked him again just as firmly.

"Yeah…DEAD!" Willmington told her and then started to laugh. "And they all deserve it!"

…………………….

Her gut was twisting, and she knew that if she hadn't thrown up earlier that she'd ready to do it now. She hadn't eaten anything since, and she had no plans on doing so. But she had somehow ended up on a break of sorts. She was sitting in one of the tents that had been set up mainly as a locker room area. Two large benches were situated in the middle and large plastic crates were lined up around the edges with people's names on them. They were mostly names of diver's, their clothes were inside. Calleigh was torn on what to think. Was Willmington just joking? Was Horatio dead out there? Was she wrong?

Tears fell down her cheeks as her head dropped into her hands as she thought about what Alexx had said. Was she right? Should she step down and let the others work on it without her? Could she stand standing out on the side lines?

People heading towards the tent alerted Calleigh quickly enough, so that she was able to collect herself and ready herself to exit before they actually were within a foot of the tent. She wasn't ready to grieve…in any way. She needed to find Horatio first.

…………………….

"Alexx," Eric said gathering most of the team together. "Do you think Calleigh's going to be okay?"

"It can't be healthy to keep grief inside," Natalia added.

"I know you guys are worried about her, but Calleigh's dealt with grief in the past," Frank spoke up. Sure, he was concerned, but he wasn't going to make Calleigh stop doing her job.

Eric shook his head, "Yeah, let's think about how much Calleigh's already messed up from losing Speed AND Hagen…and now Jake and possibly—"

"Don't say it," Alexx quickly spoke up. "Horatio is out there…and he's alive."

"Look, we all know that Calleigh's 'I'm fine' response is code for 'I'm far from fine, but leave me alone anyways'," Eric spoke up again. He was concerned about his friend and just wanted to make sure that he was in his own right to be that concerned about her.

"We have to face it," Frank spoke up, "I know none of us don't want to hear it. But the odds of finding Horatio alive out there after all this time isn't good."

Alexx spoke up as tears followed from behind her sunglasses and down her cheeks, "I didn't want to tell you guys this…and I'm not going to tell Calleigh…but." She had to stop and take in a breath before continuing, "Horatio's the only one left unaccounted for. They found the pilot and co-pilot and the last security guard about an hour after they pulled out Willmington."

"And they're going to call it a night soon," Natalia spoke up.

"Time isn't on our side," Eric said quietly.

"We're going to find him," Alexx said confidently. "He's just got to hold on a little bit longer."

……………………….

TBC…