-1Calleigh leaned in a little, curious to know what had Horatio looking so perplexed. He faced her and asked, "Do you know any Latin?"

"Not much, why?"

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'Optima corrupta pessima'?"

"Optima corrupta pessima: The best things, when corrupted, become the worst," they heard a voice say. Startled, Horatio and Calleigh looked up to see Dr. Marshall walk back into the room. A nurse followed him in carrying a few supplies. Seeing their surprised faces, he smiled and said, "I had to learn Latin in med school." He paused. "It's an interesting phrase, though. I haven't heard it in a while."

The best things corrupted become the worst. All three of the notes were about corruption. Why were they in Ed's pocket?

Marshall's voice interrupted Horatio's thoughts. "Hold still," he said, stepping towards the bed. With a small needle, he injected the area around the wound, and Horatio could feel his shoulder go numb. Marshall cleaned it and applied a fresh bandage. "It's too soon to suture you up. First, I'm going to prescribe an antibiotic for you. Oh, and by the way, it's not optional.

Although this wound may not be deep, if it were to get infected--"

"I understand, Doctor," Horatio interjected.

Marshall studied his face for a second, unsure of whether or not to believe him. Finally, he wrote out the prescription, tore the sheet from the pad, and handed it to Horatio. He finished giving his reluctant patient instructions on how to dress his wound and change the bandage. "I want to see you again in five days. I'll stitch you up then." He turned to give Calleigh her instructions, but she was sound asleep. Whispering, he said, "It looks like the meds finally kicked in. I'll be back to check on her in the morning. You're free to go, Lieutenant."

"Thank-you, Doctor," Horatio said as he watched Marshall leave the room. He stood, buttoned his shirt and put his jacket back on. He turned his attention to Calleigh. The bruises on her face and neck were dark and reminded him of how close a call she had had. He sat back down next to her and watched her sleep. Seeing the blanket at the foot of the bed, he reached for it and pulled it up over her shoulders.

Calleigh stirred and her eyes opened sluggishly. "You're still here. What time is it?"

Horatio glanced at his watch. "Just after 2am."

"I thought you'd be gone by now. I promise I won't tell Alexx you didn't sleep." She barely finished the sentence before her eyes closed. Within seconds her breathing had slowed, and he could tell she was asleep again.

He switched the light off, and moved to the chair next to the bed. He sat for a while, envying the sleep she was getting. His eyelids felt like lead weights and he decided to give in to them, just for a moment.

He peered through the shattered windshield of Calleigh's car and saw her unconscious form dangling from the seat. The flames from her engine were spreading fast…much too fast. He reached through the hole in the glass and tried to pull outward, but it wouldn't move. Bracing his foot against the hood, he pulled again. Nothing. He felt the fire moving closer and started to panic. He tried to scream her name, but no sound would come out of his mouth. With his foot he began to kick at the windshield in desperation, trying to create an opening large enough to pull her out. But with every kick, the glass became stronger, eventually turning to steel. The flames were too close now, and he had to move away. He ran to the other side of the car and pulled out his Glock, shooting three rounds into the rear windshield. Each one ricocheted off, doing no damage to the glass. Suddenly, he heard Calleigh's voice. She had regained consciousness and was screaming his name. He looked through the window and saw her trying to free herself from the driver's seat. Horatio rammed his shoulder into the glass and fell to the ground in pain. He tried to pull himself back up, but he was paralyzed. The wound in shoulder was bleeding badly, and the blood was acting like glue, cementing him to the pavement. Through the window he saw Calleigh turn her head around to face him. Her eyes pleaded for him to rescue her, but he could not move. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she realized he could not save her. He watched helplessly, as fire engulfed the inside of the car.

Horatio's eyes shot open. His hands were tightly gripping the side of the chair and his breathing was ragged. The lights were off, and it took a moment for him to remember where he was. He looked over at the bed and relaxed slightly when saw Calleigh sleeping peacefully. Light was beginning to creep in through the blinds, and he sincerely hoped he hadn't slept long enough for it to be morning. He glanced at the clock next to the bed. 5:34. He cursed silently. Pulling himself out of the chair, Horatio rubbed his eyes with his palms. He had less than an hour and a half to drive home, shower, change clothes and get back to the lab.

As he stepped out into the hallway, Dr. Marshall walked up. "Good morning, Lieutenant. I was just on my way in to check on our patient, but I see you beat me to it." Marshall noticed that Horatio was in the same clothes as the night before. "Oh! You're just now leaving, aren't youHave you really been here all night?" With one look at Horatio's eyes he knew the answer. "Never mind. I can see that you have. How's your shoulder?"

Horatio had forgotten about his injury. "Fine. No pain."

"Good. Remember what I said about the antibiotic." Stepping into Calleigh's room he said, "I'll see you in five days." Horatio turned and headed for the parking garage.

As he drove home his mind wandered back to the three anonymous messages he had received the night before. Apparently, someone at the FBI wanted Horatio to have some details of the case. He assumed Agent Locke was behind it. He had only had spoken with Webster, Matthews, and her. Webster wouldn't have sent the messages. He was far too adamant about keeping the MDPD off the case. His interaction with Matthews had consisted primarily in Horatio giving the agent his statement. Locke was the only logical answer. Suddenly he remembered what she had said to him earlier. "If you have questions, please contact me, although I can't promise you answers." Horatio wondered if that was her way of sending him a signal. He had been so unfocused that afternoon, that he wasn't surprised he didn't catch on.

At twenty till seven, Horatio stepped out of the elevator and headed for his office. After showering and putting on fresh clothes, he felt like a new man. Well, almost. Sleep would have been nice. He opened the office door slightly and froze. It was dark inside, but he could sense he was not alone. He pulled his gun from the holster and reached for the light switch. Light filled the room, confirming his suspicion. Sitting in the chair behind his desk was Virgil Webster.

The two men stared at each other for a brief moment. Horatio had heard that Web's methods could be unorthodox at times, but this was just strange. "Special Agent Webster," he said, returning his gun to the holster. He turned sideways and placed his hands on his hips. "Forgive my edginess. I'm not used to finding someone behind my desk at this hour."

"Are you used to finding someone at your desk at other hours, Lieutenant Caine?" Web didn't wait for a response. "I need to speak with you about Ed O'Neil. You told me yesterday that he had been under pressure from some corrupt officers back in New York, is that correct?"

"It is." Suddenly, Horatio knew where this conversation was heading.

"You said he was one of a few determined to stay clean. Is that also correct?"

"Yes."

"And you said he moved to Atlanta get away from it. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is." If Web continued questioning him this way, he was going to lose his patience.

"Then can you explain to me, Lieutenant, why Ed O'Neil's bank account balance was nearly half-a-million dollars? He inherited nothing from his parents, he didn't gable, win the lottery, or invest in stocks. Surely, no police officer makes that kind of money by obeying the law."

Horatio glared at him for a moment. It was bad enough that Web had snuck into his office, but he could handle that. What he could not excuse was the way Web was speaking to him. "Don't patronize me, Agent Webster. I know you're not here for answers about Ed's financial situation. What is it you want?"

"I want to know why you lied to me yesterday."

"I did not lie to you, sir."

Web stood and leaned over the desk, his hands gripping the sides of it. "Then why--"

"I said those things to you because they were the truth." He was struggling to keep his temper in check. "When we were on the force together in New York, Ed kept his nose clean. He moved to Atlanta to escape the pressure. That is what I told you, and that is the truth. As far as what happened after he arrived in Atlanta? That phone call from Ed the other night was the first time I had spoken to him since he left New York. I knew nothing about what happened in Atlanta until I spoke with his wife last night."

"And what did she have to say?"

Horatio couldn't believe the conversation he was having. There was no question in his mind that Web already knew about Ed's involvement with drugs. What he couldn't figure out was why he was being asked about things that Web already knew. If this was Web's idea of a game, Horatio wasn't about to play along. "She explained to me why she had filed for divorce."

Web knew he would get nowhere with this type of questioning. "Alright, Lieutenant, if that's the way you want to do this…We know about Detective O'Neil's involvement with drugs in Atlanta, and obviously we know about your own brother's…" Web paused, searching for the right words, "checkered past." Horatio was livid. He placed his hands on the desk and leaned in until he was inches from Web's face. "You…leave him…out of this!" he said through gritted teeth. "Raymond has nothing to do with Ed."

"Perhaps not, but you were involved with both of them. Let's see…two men, both of them close to you, caught up in drugs while on the force. When things got bad for them, they came to you for help. You knew about Raymond, and yet you protected him. Why should I believe that you didn't do the same for O'Neil?"

"Agent Webster, I thought my brother was dead for years…we all did. When I found out he was alive, I tried to persuade him to come clean. I don't really see that as 'protecting' him. As for Ed, I told you I hadn't spoken to him in years. How could I 'protect' him if I didn't know he needed help? I had no idea what he was mixed up in. If I had had any idea, I can assure you I would have done the same as I did for Raymond. Urge him to come clean."

"Why did O'Neil actually come down to Miami? And please don't tell me it was to 'get out of town for a few days'," Web said in an almost mocking tone.

"Like I told you yesterday, he didn't say why he was coming." Horatio spoke slowly and deliberately, doing everything he could to stay calm. "All he talked about was his wife. If there was something more, he didn't tell me, and, unlike you, I was not going to jump to any conclusions. Until I spoke with Linda, I knew nothing about the trouble he was in."

"I think that's highly unlikely, Lieutenant."

"As unlikely as it may seem, it's the truth." Horatio was finished with the conversation. He stepped towards the door and said, "Is there anything further?"

Web studied his face intensely. "No, Lieutenant, there is not." Horatio opened the door, making it quite clear to Web that he was done speaking with him. With a smug expression on his face, Web let out a quiet chuckle. "I appreciate your…cooperation. I'll be contacting you soon."

"I'm sure you will," Horatio muttered as he closed the door behind Web. He stood with his hand on the doorknob for several minutes, replaying the conversation he had just had. He was not sure what had him more frustrated. The fact that Web had come into his office and accused him intentionally helping crooked police officers, or that Horatio had been unable to persuade Ed to confide in him before he was murdered.

Sitting at his desk, he pulled out his phone, and once again studied the messages he had received the night before. Corruption continues with us beyond the grave. When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken. Optima corrupta pessima. Those weren't the sort of notes Ed would have written for himself. They almost sounded like they were intended to taunt him.

Horatio no longer cared who within the FBI had sent him the photos of the notes. His main concern now was to find out who had sent Ed the notes in the first place.

-----------------------------

Calleigh looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. The bruises on her face were large and she knew they'd be impossible to hide with makeup. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by them, but she wanted to avoid the attention they would bring. She sighed quietly and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt wonderful, relaxing her aching muscles. After ten minutes, she climbed out and reached for one of the thin hospital towels on the rack. As she was drying off, she was startled by a knock on the door. "Yes?"

"Calleigh, sweetie, it's me," Alexx answered. "I brought you clean clothes." Calleigh wrapped a towel around herself and opened the bathroom door. When Alexx saw her, she gasped. "Oh my God. Frank said the wreck was bad, but I had no idea…"

"I'm alright, Alexx. They're just bruises. Nothing major. Thanks for bringing these by." Calleigh took the clothes and shut the door before Alexx could argue. "I'll be out in a minute." She got dressed and walked back into her hospital room. "Voila," she said. "Good as new." Alexx smiled at her irrepressible cheerfulness.

"So, are you ready to check out of here and get back to your beloved guns?"

"Always," Calleigh said with a smirk.

Alexx's phone rang. "Hello?…Okay…Alright. Calleigh's right here, so I'll let her know. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"What is it?" Calleigh asked.

"Double homicide in Coral Gables."

When they reached the scene Eric and Ryan were just pulling up. "Calleigh, are you alright?" Ryan asked. "We just heard what happened last night."

"It's just some bruises and a couple scratches."

"I've never known a scratch that required seven stitches," Alexx muttered. Calleigh glared at her playfully. Eric pulled his kit out of the Hummer and stepped under the crime scene tape. Together, the four of them walked across the grass towards the back yard.

"Glad you're alright, Cal," Eric said. "Frank told us how bad it was. That damn drunk! I'd like to give him a piece of my mind."

"I think Horatio beat you to that last night, Eric," Calleigh replied. "But it was actually more like a piece of his elbow."

Ryan stopped in his tracks. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Eric asked.

"Listen." They stood for a moment, straining their ears to hear what had caught Ryan's attention.

Suddenly, Alexx thought she heard the muffled voice of a child coming from the back yard next door. Calleigh and Eric looked at each other, also hearing the sound. Ryan walked to the gate of the wooden fence and opened it slowly. A large in-ground swimming pool dominated the yard.

"You can't just go in there!" Eric shouted. Ryan held up his hand, telling them to be quiet.

A small voice called out. "Help!" The four of them took off running in the direction of the cry. Ryan was the first to see the young boy in the pool struggling to keep his head above the surface. "Help me!!" He could barely get the words out before his head was once again below the water. Ryan dropped his kit and dove into the water. He wrapped his arm around the boy's waist and lifted him up until Ryan could hear him gasping for air. Quickly, he used his feet and free arm to paddle to the side of the pool, where Eric and Calleigh were waiting. Eric lifted the child up out of the water and laid him down on the grass as he coughed and fought for air.

Alexx knelt down and gently spoke to the boy. "Just breathe, sweetheart. You're going to be okay." The gasps soon stopped and the boy's breathing became more regular.

Using the ladder, Ryan climbed out of the pool. He turned as a woman came screaming out of the back door. "Oh my God!! Luke!!" She sprinted around the pool towards her son, sobbing loudly. The CSIs stood and watched as she fell to her knees and cradled the boy in her arms. The mother looked up at Ryan who was soaking wet. "Thank-you," she said through her tears. "You saved my boy."

Ryan said nothing, but nodded to his co-workers in the direction of the gate. They left quietly and went next door to start processing the scene.

"I can't work in this," Ryan said, looking down at his wet clothes.

"Mr. Wolfe," he heard a voice say. He turned and faced Horatio, who was standing with his hands on his hips, staring at the younger CSI's soggy outfit.

"H, I'm sorry. I just--I mean--"

"What Ryan here is trying so hard to say, is that he just saved a young boy from drowning in the pool next door. That's why his clothes are wet." Calleigh said, matter-of-factly. She crossed her arms and tried not to grin as she watched Ryan shift uncomfortably in his soggy shoes.

"Is that true, Mr. Wolfe?" Horatio asked.

Ryan took a deep breath. "Yes…it's true." He shot a sarcastic look at Calleigh. Thanks a lot.

"In that case, perhaps you should go home and get some dry clothes and meet us back at the lab."

"But, what about--"

"I'll take care of it." Horatio said, seeing Ryan's confused expression. "Don't forget, I know how to process a scene, too."

Ryan laughed. "Right. Sorry, H. I guess I'll see you all back at the lab." As he walked away, Horatio turned to Calleigh.

"So?" he said quietly.

Calleigh knew that look. He had a way of asking questions without having to say anything. "I'm feeling alright. A little bit sore, but that's it."

"And you're sure you feel up to this?"

"Yeah. I'd go crazy if I was stuck in that hospital room any longer." She thought back to the previous night's events, and remembered how he had been there…for all of it. "Um…Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How did I get out of the car last night? I know I didn't get out on my own."

Horatio stared at the ground, uncomfortably. He didn't want her to know he had saved her life. "Uh…well…"

Calleigh realized in that moment that he must have pulled her from the car. "How did you do it?"

Horatio knew he was fighting a losing battle. He scratched the back of his while trying to figure out a way to not sound like a hero. "There was a hole in the windshield, and I pulled you out."

Suddenly, Calleigh remembered the blood she had seen on his hands. He had cut himself trying to save me. "Let me see your hands," she said quietly.

He stared at her uneasily. "Calleigh…"

"Horatio, please."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't look her in the eyes as he turned over his hands.

"My God," she gasped. Dark red cuts covered the surface of his palms and fingers. She reached for a hand, but stopped herself, not wanting to embarrass him in front of the other CSIs and officers. "Thank-you," Calleigh whispered.

Horatio's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "You never have to thank me for doing my job, Calleigh."

Your job? Calleigh rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but admire his modesty. "I guess we should get to work. What's the situation here?"

"Double homicide. A woman in her late thirties, Leslie Kline, and a man in his early forties. His name is Michael Davis. Both of them were shot in the swimming pool."

"Who found them?"

"Mrs. Kline's oldest daughter Stacy. She was very surprised to see her high school principal in the pool with her mother."

"Her principal? Oh, poor girl. Is…there a husband?"

"There is. Donald Kline. He's on his way here. He's been at a football game."

Calleigh looked over at the two dead bodies now lying on the concrete. "Let's get to it, then. Do you think you can remember how to collect evidence, Lieutenant?"

The side of his mouth curled up into a little smile. "I think it'll come back to me."

-------------------------

Ryan felt much better after changing into a dry outfit. Something about the feel of wet clothes made his skin crawl. He shuffled through some paperwork on his table while he waited for the team to return from the crime scene. The door opened behind him, but he didn't turn to see who had entered. "Hi," came a voice from behind him. He snapped his head around and saw Natalia smiling broadly over his shoulder.

"Hi, yourself," Ryan replied, returning the smile. "What's going on?" Without warning, she leaned in and kissed a very surprised Ryan on the cheek. "What was that for?"

"That's from Anya."

"You mean to tell me…that kiss…was from your sister?"

"Mmhmm," she replied. "That boy you saved earlier, Luke, is Anya's godson. Anya is best friends with his mother. Oh! And this," she kissed him on the other cheek, "is from her."

Enjoying himself fully, Ryan said, "Are there any more messages of this sort that you'd like to relay?"

"Just one." Natalia leaned in once more, but this time her lips met his. When she finally pulled away, it took a moment for Ryan to collect his thoughts.

"And…um…who was that one from?"

"That one was from me," she replied with a wink.

"Well, in that case, I'd like to send a reply." He moved in to kiss her but froze when he looked up and saw Horatio standing in the doorway. Quickly he pulled away form Natalia. "H! I'm…sorry. I…didn't see you standing there."

The corners of Horatio's mouth turned up slightly. "Mr. Wolfe, no apologies are necessary. I just came to bring you the evidence from the scene for processing." He handed Ryan a sealed white cardboard box. "Let me know what you find." Turning to leave, he nodded to Natalia. "Miss Boa Vista."

Ryan's jaw gaped open as he watched Horatio leave the room. "Well, so much for our little secret," Natalia said.

"You…don't think he'll tell anyone, do you?"

"Horatio? No. I think our secret's safe with him. But…why does it have to be a secret? I don't like having to hide, Ryan. It makes me feel like we're doing something wrong."

"We're not doing anything wrong, but I want to be careful. Horatio's done so much for me…and you…I don't want anyone questioning our performance as CSIs just because we're dating." He studied her eyes, those eyes that drove him wild. Ryan couldn't help but cave. "Alright. If you want, if you really want, we don't have to keep it a secret anymore."

Natalia beamed at him. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to make things difficult for Horatio, either, but…are you sure?" She was so excited, that she didn't realize how fast she had spoken.

Ryan laughed at her. "I don't think I caught much of what you just said, Natalia, but, yes. I'm sure. When the time is right, we can let people know. That is…unless you had plans to announce it formally over the police radio."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank-you!!" she squealed. Realizing how noisy she was, she blushed and let go of him. She cleared her throat and put on an air of sarcastic professionalism. "Well, Mr. Wolfe," she said, using her best Horatio impersonation. "I will leave you to your work." Natalia walked out, leaving Ryan smiling from ear to ear.