Sorry about the wait. It's now 12:30 at night (or is it morning) and I just now have time to type. Please read. I apologize in advance for my lack of technique involving dialogue.

Horatio sat in the chair behind his office desk, head sunk in his hands wearily. Anyone who was anyone in the Miami-Dade Crime Lab knew that Horatio Caine did not show any emotion to make someone think even for an instant that he was tired. The glass walls of his office, however, did not offer much privacy from the outside world. The only other place for him to go and not be bothered was the bathroom, and that just didn't sound very appealing for some reason or another. Two days; two days he had been gone. No trace, no evidence, nothing that even gave him as to clue as to where Eric might be.

And yes, it was taking a toll on him.

Two people were watching this minor scene with difficulty, but with fascination. Never had Horatio shown so much stress.

"You think he's finally met his match with these people?" Ryan Wolfe asked Calleigh. This defeated man was not his boss that he, Ryan, had come to know. Calleigh put on her best "what are you talking about" face and replied. "What people?"

Ryan huffed a humorless chuckle. "Cal, come on. You know who."

Calleigh turned her attention to the red-head a few yards in front of her. "Maybe so," she whispered, "but I'd rather not." Her hand gently grazed her stomach before dropping to her side once more. "I can't imagine the hell they've put Eric through these past couple days."

Ryan heard the crack in her voice, and didn't know how to reply other than, "Are you alright, Calleigh?"

A quick smirk passed over her mouth, but vanished almost as soon as it appeared, and her lips opted to glue together in a painful purse. "No."

"Cal…" he began, but cut off when her posture suddenly straightened as she watched her boss sit up in his chair, eyes widen at the screen of his phone, and press the device quickly to his ear. Catching their inquisitive, alert eyes, he turned his chair to the window, away from the two CSI's. Ryan and Calleigh's wide eyes met. Was it Eric, or mobsters? Either way, the conversation was short, and when it was over, Horatio turned back to his desk and began fidgeting with his phone. He appeared to be internally debating something.

The anticipation, waiting for Horatio to call them over to give them news, became too much for Calleigh, and she crossed the hall and burst unexpectedly into his office.

"Horatio," she said quietly, a tone quite the opposite of her demeanor. "What was that about?"

Horatio glanced up at her. "Come in, Ms. Duquesne."

Calleigh sighed exasperatedly and stepped inside fully, shutting the door behind her. "So?"

"He's alive," Horatio answered simply.

Calleigh let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and a true, genuine smile crossed her features. She noticed Horatio's nervous expression, however, and it faltered just slightly. "But?"

Horatio sighed. "He's beaten up pretty bad, and needs medical attention, but I'm sure you've figured out at this point why he can't go to a hospital. I told him to call Alexx ASAP. He's heading home now."

Calleigh nodded. Now she was absolutely positive that bullet had hit him. But what was the extent of the wound, and what else had been done to him?

Horatio interrupted her thoughts. "Go home. You need some rest." Any other day Calleigh would have refused but, unbeknownst to Horatio, her home was Eric's home, which meant that she could finally, finally see him. She had to see him, needed to see him with her own eyes.

With another nod and a whispered, "Thank you," she was out the door.

*****

the ride home was the longest Calleigh had ever experienced. When she pulled into the driveway, his car on its typical right side, her nerves surprisingly reached a new high, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering madly.

Speaking of things in her stomach…

The mere thought of telling Eric she was pregnant worried her beyond belief. Sure, they had talked about having kids, and he made it very clear that he wanted them, but…she was thinking later. Much later. As in marriage, later.

She took a deep breath and unbuckled her seat belt, trying to push all worries out of her head. She needed to be strong for Eric. Grabbing her purse and keys, Calleigh stepped out of her Chrysler and walked quickly to the front door.

As soon as she opened to it, he was there to meet her. Neither would ever be sure who lunged first, but one moment blue eyes were connected to brown and the next their lips were devouring one another's. One would have thought they had been apart for two years rather than two days, they were kissing so passionately.

Eric pulled Calleigh inside the house only to push her onto the door, hands traveling up her body to tangle in her hair. Calleigh's belongings lay forgotten at her feet as her small pale hands moved from the hard planes of his chest to his rough, unshaven cheeks. He nibbled on her lower lip teasingly, and immediately Calleigh's knees weakened. As much as she hated the fact that Eric could do that to her with such a simple action, she loved even more when he wrapped his deliciously strong arms around her waist to hold her steady. In the meantime, Calleigh moved her hands once more, right where his gunshot would was. Eric winced and gasped slightly, hoping she would pass it off as a gasp of pleasure. No such luck. Calleigh reluctantly tore her lips away from his and looked at his arm, emitting a gasp of her own.

"Eric," she breathed. All pleasure dissipated from her body and was replaced with deep concern. "What happened?"

Eric sighed. "Let's go somewhere more comfortable."

He led her by the hand to the couch, pulling Calleigh into his lap. Calleigh resisted. "Me in your lap isn't going to help the pain I'm sure you're in."

Eric shook his head. "I need you Cal, even if that means just holding you. Please don't fight. I've been doing that for nearly sixty hours."

Calleigh's tense body relaxed slightly and she leaned into his chest, felling his arms wrap snugly around her still-slim frame. "Now tell me what happened, starting with your arm."

Eric glanced at his bicep. Since being home, he had showered into an Adidas track suit, minus the jacket because of the summer heat, which left him in the white shirt and matching blue and white wind pants. He sighed again. "Nothing. It happened earlier today."

Calleigh raised her head, placing a hand on his cheek in order for his eyes to meet hers. "Haven't we lied to each other enough, Eric?" It wasn't an accusatory question, but more of a statement. "It was my bullet, wasn't it?"

Eric's eyes averted hers once more before nodding. This was the last thing he wanted to be talking about. Hell, he didn't even want to be talking; he wanted to be making sweet, passionate love to her, to forget everything that had happened for a couple of secluded hours.

"Cal, I can't tell you anything about what went down these past couple of days. Not if I want you, or anyone I love, for that matter, to get hurt. And by hurt, I mean killed." He shuddered at the thought.

She stroked his cheek lovingly. "I'll be fine, Eric."

Eric shook his head, holding on to her a little tighter. "I can't, Calleigh. If I tell you, they'll find out. They're absolutely everywhere. So, I can't…I just can't."

Calleigh took a deep breath and knew that it was now or never. She had to tell him before he did something even more stupid and noble. "Hey," she began, a small smile on her lips. "You better cheer up, or you're going to hurt me and…a special someone."

Eric eyed her inquisitively before grumbling, "What special someone?"

Calleigh placed a hand over her stomach. "Our special someone."

Eric's eyes flitted back and forth; stomach, eyes, stomach, eyes, before it finally registered in his brain. "Cal," he breathed. "You don't have the flu, do you?"

Calleigh giggled, a tear slipping down her cheek, shaking her head. "No. No, I don't."

She leaned in and kissed him slowly once, twice, a third time before pulling away, glancing at the clock. "Alexx will be here and minute," she reminded, wiping the tears away.

Eric nodded, and gazed upon her with a new eye. She wouldn't be this small in a short amount of time, and it was all because of him. "I can't believe you're pregnant," he said softly, kissing her cheek. Calleigh smiled and voiced her agreement before frantic knocking at the door interrupted her. Calleigh kissed him one more time before answering the door.

Immediately Alexx entered the house, knowing she didn't need to be invited in, especially in this situation.

"Hey baby," she greeted Calleigh with a hug. "Where's my patient?"

An hour later Alexx had Eric stitched and patched up, and had confirmed that the gun wound, while the most severe of his wounds, it was miraculously not infected. She had then given him some a prescription for pain reliever, that was probably going to become his new best friend over the next couple of days, then left with promises of seeing them soon.

Now Eric and Calleigh were lying peacefully in bed together, Calleigh's head on his chest and Eric stroking her hair gently. Calleigh suddenly chuckled.

"What?"

"I just realized something," she explained.

"Oh?" Eric inquired curiously. "And what might that be?"

"When Horatio told me to go home, he knew that you would be here. He knows."

Eric chuckled slightly himself. "Yeah, well, it was only a matter of time. Nothing stays a secret from that man very long."

"Agreed."

There was a moment of silence before Eric spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Cal."

Calleigh raised her head to look him in the eye. "For what?"

"Everything," he answered. "For lying, for disappearing, for causing everyone so much trouble, for getting you knocked up…"

"Eric, you didn't get me 'knocked up,'" she insisted. She grabbed his hand and placed it over her stomach. "We're in this together."

Eric slipped his hand under her shirt and caressed the skin softly, sighing. "I know. It's just; I know you wanted to wait."

"We can't change what's been done," Calleigh said softly. "And I would do just that for anything in the world. I mean, if we had waited as long as I had planned, my biological clock would have been down to its last seconds."

Eric failed to see the humor in her little joke. "Still."

Calleigh sighed, frustrated. "Let me put it this way." She strained her neck to place a kiss right below his chin. "In all thirty-six years of my life, I've never been happier." Eric smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead.

And as they drifted off, Calleigh realized a few other things: he was here, beside her; his large hand was splayed across her abdomen; he was raining kisses in her hair; and she had her real pillow back. She had him back.

Now if she could just keep him here.

AN: So I have some serious thinking to do, since as of this point I'm not exactly sure how to continue. Oh, and I would like to point out that I wanted to do more interaction will Alexx, but she will be back (I think). Review por favor!