Cool Miami Nights
Chapter Ten
"But WHY can't I go into work with you? Horatio, it's been two weeks! I was only supposed to have gotten a flesh wound, and I would've healed up enough by now. I'm going stir crazy in here!"
"Calleigh, it's still too dangerous. Eric is still driving everyone crazy looking for you, my father is out there, waiting for a chance to hurt both of us, not to mention that Yelena still comes to the department on the pretense of looking for Ray. I cannot chance you getting hurt or getting into trouble. You haven't learned control yet."
"Well, how the hell am I supposed to learn it sitting in this room? I can handle Eric, and I can handle your father! I can't believe you don't trust me." She turned her back on him, tears threatening to fall.
"Fine, I'm sure I'll regret this, but get dressed. I will take you to work, but you are on limited duty, do you understand me? NO field work."
"You'll be doing field work, why can't I go with you?"
"Because the last time we went into the field together I couldn't protect you, if you recall."
"So you think some perp is going to be out there ready to stake me?"
"Lab duty or nothing, Sweetheart. I have a pile of files on my desk that need completing, since I have been coming home early to be with you, how about you take care of those, and clean up your ballistics lab. The detective on day shift leaves a lot to be desired."
"Sounds like you had this all planned, I really don't have a choice, do I?"
"Of course you do. You can stay here or come back to work under light duty."
"Fine, light duty, Horatio. Anything to get me out of this room." She moved to the closet and picked out an outfit to wear that would cover any sign of what was supposed to be a life threatening injury. Once dressed she applied light makeup that would cover her now pale complexion. "How's this look?"
"Beautiful, as always, Calleigh. Ready to go?"
"Ready…just keep Eric away from me so I don't throw him across the room." She smiled, showing her teeth.
"Calleigh, retract your teeth, that's what I meant by control. Just at the thought of trouble, you show your teeth, and we cannot have that. I will be spending all my time glamouring people to make them forget what they saw."
She closed her eyes and felt her teeth retract slowly. "Sorry, I've really been working on that."
"I know you have, it's just hard when you don't have any real life situations to help you."
"Well, whose fault is that? Sorry, I don't want to fight anymore, can we go?"
"Absolutely." He gave her a gentle kiss before guiding her up the stairs. After locking the door behind them, Horatio led her outside to the Hummer.
"Oh, the air smells wonderful. I guess that's part of my heightened senses you were talking about, right?"
"Exactly." He opened the door and helped her in. "Remember the plan when we get to the lab, no detailed answers to the questions, and bury yourself in work. If too many people come into your lab and you can't handle it, come to my office and work on files."
"What about Eric?"
"Keep your teeth and your angry eyes to yourself. If you slip, let me know immediately so I can handle it, and whatever you do, don't bite anyone, no matter how hungry you might feel. Being around so many humans may have an effect on you. If you feel hungry, come to my office and I'll take care of you, can you do that for me, Sweetheart?"
"I have a feeling I should've stayed home."
"No, it's time for you to start learning how to be Vampire instead of Human. You may be sorry you made the decision to be turned."
She looked at him and smiled, and then reached for his hand. "I'll never regret my decision to stay with you."
He pulled the Hummer into his parking space in the underground garage. "Ready, Love?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
He helped her out of the vehicle and they walked hand in hand to the elevator. Once inside he pulled her into a deep kiss that didn't stop until they heard the bell sound for their floor. Calleigh quickly wiped her lip and motioned to Horatio to do the same, but he wasn't fast enough. Ryan and Natalia were waiting as the doors opened. Horatio cleared his throat and brushed past them, leaving Calleigh to deal with her friends. "You're back already? How are you?"
"I'm fine, the bullet missed everything important. I just have to take it easy for a while, but Horatio and the chief are allowing me back on light duty."
Natalia laughed. "You…on light duty? I can't believe you agreed to that."
"Well, it was light duty or nothing. I understand my day shift replacement isn't doing too well, so I can spend my time locked up in my lab being useful, rather than stuck in a hospital bed."
"Eric's been driving all of us crazy looking for you. He said that once you come back he's going to show you how much he really cares. He's a mess, Cal."
"I don't care how messed up he is. I already told him that it's over. I'm…I'm seeing someone else now."
"Yeah, I noticed how nice your shade of lipstick looked on him. You just met him, Calleigh, what do you know about him?" Ryan looked around to make sure Eric wasn't overhearing any of the conversation.
"You know, Ryan, I appreciate your concern, but it's really no one's business. I know enough about Horatio to know that he'll never treat me like Eric did, that's all you need to know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check in with Horatio and get my assignments and get to work."
Ryan and Natalia stood at the elevator and watched their friend ascend the stairs to the lieutenant's office, closing the door behind her. "Something's different, I can't put my finger on it, but she doesn't seem like the same Calleigh we know."
"Don't read anything into it, Nat, she was shot…that would make anyone seem a little different for a while. I'm sure our bubbly Calleigh will be back in no time."
"You've seen Calleigh?" Eric walked up at the end of the conversation.
"Uh, yeah, Eric, she's upstairs with Horatio. She's coming back on light duty."
"I need to talk to her."
"Not a good idea. I don't think she want to talk to you." Natalia rubbed his arm gently.
"What aren't you telling me?" Eric glanced up at the office, where the blinds were closed. "Why are the blinds closed?"
"If you haven't noticed, Horatio always keeps them closed when he's here."
"I don't trust him. I think he's known where Calleigh's been all along and just won't tell anyone. Doesn't he know we're her friends?"
"I'm sure he does. Look, Eric, Nat and I have to go interview a couple of witnesses, you'd better get back to work before Horatio comes out. You know what a tight ship he runs."
The office door opened and Calleigh emerged, smiling, and started down the stairs, stopping when she saw Eric looking up at her. Smile fading, she descended the stairs and headed directly for her ballistics lab, ignoring his attempt to talk to her. Eric started to follow her, but was immediately cut off by Horatio. "Isn't your lab the other way, Mr. Delko?"
"I want to talk to Calleigh."
"Ms. Duquesne has quite a bit of work to do, and does not need the distraction. Do you have the reports of the fingerprints ready for me?"
"No, I don't, I was…uh…"
"Then I suggest you get back to your lab and get them finished. I want the reports on my desk before you leave tonight, is that clear?"
"Yes, Sir." Eric turned to go back to his lab, and Horatio made his way to Ballistics to check on Calleigh.
She looked up and smiled as she felt him enter her domain. "Hi, Handsome." She sighed as she felt his arms wrap around her waist.
"How's the lab look?" He softly kissed the back of her neck.
"It looks like nothing has been done for several days. Now I see why you were hired for this shift, they needed someone strong for cleanup. I don't even think everything's been cataloged correctly." She turned in his arms. "Did you take care of Eric?"
"For the time being. He wants to talk to you, but he has fallen behind in his work because of his searching you. I told him to finish all his reports before he left tonight. That should keep him out of your hair."
She snuggled close to him, inhaling his scent. "Good, because there is only one man I want in my hair. Now get out of here and let me get some work done…boss." She reached up and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I can't wait till morning."
"Come take a break in a couple of hours, I'll let you rest and feed in the office."
"You know, you're going to have to teach me how to hunt and feed sooner or later."
"As soon as you learn control, Love. I don't want you killing anyone."
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that…I don't want to kill anyone either." She kissed him again and turned back to her work. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."
He reached around and lightly ran his teeth across her neck, causing pleasure to radiate through her body. "I'll be waiting." He retracted his teeth and moved quickly through the lab and back up the stairs, leaving an angry Eric watching his every move.
As soon as Horatio closed his office door, Eric made his move toward Calleigh. He moved quietly through the lab, and opened the ballistics door, closing it softly behind him. "Get out, Eric." Calleigh never turned around.
"How did you know it was me? How did you know it wasn't HIM again?"
"I can smell you. I said get OUT!"
"You can smell me? What the hell are you talking about?" He moved closer to her, reaching for her hand...
"GET OUT, ERIC!" She pushed him away and into the wall.
Horatio's head snapped up from his desk. With no one left in the lab to see him, he was at the gun lab door in a heartbeat. He threw the door open and was inside before Eric knew what hit him.
"What the hell is going on in here?"
"Eric was just leaving, Horatio."
"No, I wasn't. First, she tells me she can smell me from twenty feet away, and then she throws me across the room. I want some answers right now, Calleigh."
"Horatio?" Calleigh looked to her love for help. She knew she couldn't undo what she had done, but Horatio could make sure he didn't remember.
He held Eric to the wall and looked into his eyes. She watched as Horatio's eyes glowed red, and Eric slowly slumped to the floor. "Help me get him up and into the break room. Come on, Calleigh, before anyone comes back, he's just in a deep sleep, and it won't last long." The couple picked Eric up and carried him to the break room, depositing him on the sofa. "There. He never went into your lab; he was tired and took a nap. I need to see you in my office right now." She nodded and followed him up the stairs. "Now, you want to tell me what that was all about?"
"He opened the door, and I asked him what he wanted, and then he wanted to know how I knew it was him and not you…I didn't think, I told him that I could smell him. Then he tried to touch me, and I shoved him. I just didn't think that he'd go across the room."
"That's why we have to work on your control, Sweetheart. I won't always be around to help you out."
"I was under control, Horatio. The first thing that came to my mind was to bite him, but I didn't know how to put him under my control first, so I stopped."
"That's a start. He'll be waking up in a bit, why don't you go back to work and see how much you can get done, and I'll get you out of here a bit early and see if we can't find you a bite to eat."
"Sounds good. I love you."
He kissed her gently, letting his teeth graze the inside of her lip. "I love you, too."
"No don't start that or I'm not leaving this office." She smiled and returned to her lab, humming happily, as she quickly finished all the work left her by the day shift. She took the reports up to Horatio's office and helped him finish the pile on his desk.
"That's it…all done for the night. How about I take my favorite detective out for a bite?"
"Sounds heavenly, Horatio."
He logged them both out and they walked hand in hand to the parking garage where they climbed into Horatio's unmarked car and headed out for Calleigh's first lesson of many.