Title: Smile

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

Summary: An AU type of story, with Tim Speedle living through "Lost Son". How would the team we know be different? How would their lives be different from how it is up until the current season?

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

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

Characters: Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne, Tim Speedle

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 4 "In My Dreams"

Author's Notes: Last Day!

………………

Calleigh slowly moved through her workload. It wasn't that it was heavy processing, but more to the fact that she was heavy in thought. She had a decision to make, one that would change her life. She had noticed Speed enter ballistics, but had chosen to ignore him until she'd finished aligning the bullet striations under her scope. "Yes, Tim?" she asked sweetly as she straightened and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Speed asked almost dreading the word 'yes'. If she said that word then his life would be over. Normally 'yes' was a happy response to a question like 'will you marry me?' but not this time. As much as he hated seeing her in so much turmoil over what to do, he knew he'd hate her being several hundred miles away more.

"I dunno, Tim," she told him honestly. "I was goin' call NYPD and talk to Mac Taylor. I just can't take it anymore."

He could hear frustration in her voice and the fact she was torn trying to make the decision. "You should definitely call him then," he told her flatly, reminding himself that he couldn't be emotional in the decision. He couldn't be selfish. It was Calleigh's decision to make, and he had no say in it. His job was merely to be supportive.

"I hate to think of it as runnin' away, but it could make things easier," Calleigh continued.

"So, think of it as starting over or moving on with your life," Speed suggested.

"I ran into Marisol earlier," she spoke up as she put a new bullet under her microscope. Her voice dropped to a sad, quiet tone as she glued her eyes to the device, "She was thankin' me for helpin' watch the lab while Horatio's gone." Her voice broken, "She kept goin' on talkin' about how excited she is about the honeymoon and how she and Horatio want kids."

Once the sniffling began, he pulled her away from the microscope and into his arms with her head resting against his chest. He knew that the incident with Marisol must have been devastating. He KNEW that she had to go to New York now. There was no way she could bear the pain there in Miami.

"I just stood there with a smile on my face and told them that I was happy for them," Calleigh blurted out between sobs.

It was heart wrenching to see her so upset, fragile, and confused. "Call Mac," he whispered as he hugged her tightly and then placed a kiss to her forehead. He desperately wanted to tell her that things would get better or be able to make it all better, but he couldn't.

…………………

Tim Speedle was processing evidence for one of his cases in the Trace Lab. With headphones hooked to his ears, he mouthed the words to the song as he worked. He had found it was the best way to pass time and to black out all distracting noise to help him concentrate on the task at hand.

"Speed," Horatio said, but when he noticed the faint music and the ear buds, a small smile formed on his lips. He closed the distance between them and pulled one of the ear buds from Speed's ear, "Speed…"

"Oh! Sorry," Speed apologized and shut down his iPod before pulling out the other ear bud. "It helps me concentrate."

"I'm sure it does," Horatio said. "I'm here about the evidence in the Smith case."

"Right—" Speed said looking through his things for the case file in question. "I processed it and found a fiber…"

Horatio took the file and looked over the findings inside of it, "This is interesting."

"Hopefully it'll help."

"I'm sure it will," Horatio told him and then closed the case file. "And by the way, I'm happy for you."

"Huh?" Speed blurted out unintelligently as he tried to think of why Horatio would be happy for him.

"I saw you and Calleigh…I'm happy for you two."

Tim shook his head, "I told you, we're just friends. Calleigh doesn't think of me that way. We're close, but we're just friends."

"I saw you two…you can't deny it," Horatio pushed.

"Calleigh loves someone else," Speed told him. "She thinks of me like a big brother…that's all."

"I know you love her," Horatio told him. "You'd have to be blind to not see it."

"Calleigh and I would only be together," Speed told him. "In my dreams…" He shook his head as he turned to Horatio, "We just both love people we can't have… I hope you and Marisol have a good honeymoon…"

………………….

Speed sighed as he entered the lab. Horatio and Marisol were to have left that morning, and he was relieved after the day before's events. He'd been worn down by having to comfort Calleigh, but bite his tongue at the same time. Then, he'd been grilled by Horatio who was insistent that he and Calleigh were dating. "If Horatio only knew," he muttered under his breath. He collected his messages at the front desk before entering the lab itself. He noticed Calleigh, she didn't look any better, and he took a deep breath to prepare for what was coming. "Hey," he greeted trying to push forward a smile.

"Mornin'," she returned and took to his side. "I've been offered a job on Mac's team in New York." A smile bubbled to the surface, "I wanted you to be the first to know."

"That's great," Speed told her trying to sound sincerely happy for her. "But do me a favor?"

"Sure, what?" she asked stopping to look at him.

"Hold off on leaving," he begged a bit. "It looks bad when I'm left in charge and I scare off CSIs…" he teased.

Calleigh shook her head, "You even said for me to call Mac and now you don't think me leavin' is such a great idea?"

"I didn't say that," Speed told her and then corrected. "Just, wait until Horatio gets back."

"I want that job in New York, Tim," she told him. "I've finally decided that it's really time for me to move on with my life… I had chances to tell Horatio how I've felt, and I've missed every chance…or else that could be me now with him on some sunny island…" She sighed and looked directly at him, "But you're right, I'm goin' stay until he gets back. I'm goin' to tell him how I feel before I leave…but I already put my notice in his box this mornin'."

…………………….

TBC…