Once Horatio left, he didn't waste any time in going toward the crime lab to check over some leads. Hearing Jessica say that she still loved him had made him the happiest man alive in Miami. It wasn't time yet for them to be together again, but he promised himself that soon, they would be. When she was healed completely, when the case was over, then he would make her his again. Her well-being was the only thing keeping him from restarting their relationship now. The only way to keep her safe was to love her from a distance until things were cleared up.
After getting to the crime lab, he parked the Hummer out front and shut the engine off. Opening the door, he stepped out and closed it behind him, starting up the sidewalk toward the building. Coming through the doors, he took his sunglasses off and put them in his coat pocket. Not wasting any time, he walked through the hallways to find Calleigh and have her check on some leads. He could rely on her to get the job done and be efficient about it. Pushing the doors to the ballistics lab open, he walked inside and went to where she was standing. "Calleigh, I have some leads I need you to look into for me." He said as he put his hands on his hips and looked over at her.
She turned and smiled at him before nodding, "Sure thing, Horatio. What am I looking for?" Thinking for a moment, he put his thoughts in order, "The men we arrested in the warehouse, I want to know who they're connected to." The blond nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to look up at him. "Horatio, are you thinking they followed her here from New York?" She asked with concern in her voice about Jessica. He frowned a bit and then nodded, "I don't know who they are, and we need to find out before she's safe."
"No problem, I'll get right on it, Horatio." She said with a smile before placing a hand on his arm and turning to close the evidence report she'd just finished. Horatio nodded and watched her, not sure what else to do but think. Every part of him needed to know who the men were that had held Jessica against her will. He needed to know why they had chosen her and how they knew she was so close to him. Something had to give in the case, it had to or she wouldn't be safe without him. That thought made him want to go running back to her, but he restrained himself.
Not even fifteen minutes after Horatio had left, Jessica had cracked, leaving Eric and Taylor in a panic. Memories from her past in New York were flooding her mind, along with ones from here in Miami. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she relived the moments, weakly trying to fight Eric and Taylor off of her. "Eric, we have to call Horatio!" Taylor called to him, near in tears herself as she tried to keep Jessica still so she didn't hurt herself more. Eric didn't want to interrupt Horatio, but he knew that Jessica's well being was more important to Horatio than he knew.
Opening his cell phone, Eric dialed the number for his boss, waiting for the other man to answer. Hearing the phone ring, Horatio took it from his side, a frown crossing his face when he saw the number. Flipping it open, he brought it up to his ear, "Eric, what's wrong?" Relieved to hear Horatio's voice on the other end of the line, Eric spoke up, "Something is wrong with Jessica, H. She won't talk and it looks like she's having flashbacks. What ever is going on in her head, it's not good, H." Concern gripped Horatio and he didn't respond as he closed his phone and turned, hurrying out of the ballistics lab. Not wasting any time, he wound his way back through the lab, his heart beating fast in his chest.
Going out the front doors, he jogged to his Hummer and opened the door, getting inside and starting the engine. Keeping as calm as he could, he pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road. He was more focused than he'd been since the day she went missing, needing to get back home and see her with his own eyes. Her past from New York was a bad one and he didn't want her to relive all of those memories alone. If anything happened to her before he got there, he would never forgive himself for leaving her at home without him again.
After getting off the phone with Horatio, Eric had sat down on the bed, helping Taylor to try and hold Jessica still. She had started crying harder, begging for Horatio, almost like she didn't even know that they were there. It had Taylor worried a great deal, and she was just hoping that Horatio would hurry and get there. "Horatio please!" Jessica was screaming now, making Taylor move away from her, shaken to see her friend like this. Eric was doing all he could to hold her still, trying not to hurt her in the process of trying to help. All he could do was wait for Horatio to get there and then let him handle it, he just hoped the lieutenant got there soon.
It didn't take Horatio long to get back home, pulling into the driveway and parking the Hummer, shutting the engine off. Not wasting a minute, he got out and closed the door, running around the front of the Hummer toward the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he went through the balcony door into the bedroom, freezing when he heard her scream. Shaking himself out of it, he undid his belt and took his gun and badge off, handing them to Taylor. Pulling his jacket off, he put it on a chair and hurried over to the bed, crawling up onto it with Jessica. Eric let go of her and moved off of the bed, going to Taylor's side and putting an arm around her shoulders.
Horatio gently pulled her into his arms, holding her close and whispering softly into her ear, his fingers lightly stroking her hair. She knew when he was there, everything about him was comfort and safety, but even he couldn't stop the memories. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly, remembering the night in New York when she was raped. There was no danger now, but the memory would always be the same, and it led her back to memories in Miami. Even when she'd gotten out of the hospital, she hadn't told anyone about what happened at the warehouse. Only small details that didn't require her explaining more were answers she'd given.
Jessica remembered every movement, sound, and word that had been spoken or done while she was held captive. She carried some wounds that would be scars later, something to always remind her of what she went through. It had never been about her though; it had only always been about Horatio, using her to get to him. Even she didn't know what they had accomplished by getting caught and arrested, but she had a feeling there was something more at work. With the memories still flooding her mind, she couldn't talk to him, there was too much emotion shaking her. His voice soothed her though, letting her know that she wasn't alone through the memories.
Eric and Taylor had been quiet since Horatio had gotten back home, but Taylor was falling apart from having to see her friend like this. Looking at his boss, Eric met Horatio's eyes and without words let the older man know they were leaving. Gently, he turned and led Taylor out of the room and onto the balcony, closing the door behind them. "Don't tell anyone about today, I don't think H wants this to get out." Eric said quietly as he started down the stairs with her. "There has to be something someone can do for her, Eric. She's suffering, badly." Taylor countered as she let him lead her down the stairs, still visibly shaken.
"I think H is the only one who can help her, Tay. There are things that only he knows, if anyone can help her, its H." Eric said back to her as he opened the door to the Hummer he'd driven here, helping her in and then closing the door behind her. Horatio heard them leaving and he closed his eyes, holding Jessica tight against him. "Talk to me, sweetheart, don't leave me now." He said softly against her ear, needed to hear her talk so that he knew she was really ok. Slowly, and with all the will she had to block out the memories, she managed to calm herself. Locking the images out of her mind as far away as she could, knowing he would be there to keep her safe.
"That's it, sweetheart, calm down and talk to me." Lifting her head, she looked into his eyes, tears still coming from hers. Reaching up, he gently wiped them away and shifted until he was sitting up with her on his lap. She rested her back against his chest, feeling his arms go around her to keep her close, making her feel safe. "Tell me what happened, Jessica. All of the memories that hurt you, tell them to me and let me carry that." He said softly against her ear, one of his hands finding hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. She turned her head to look at him, seeing the gentle expression on his face, she finally nodded, agreeing to tell him everything now.