Author's note: this chapter is dedicated to all my beautiful readers. Sorry that it took me so long to get back to this story. Hopefully you are enjoying the new chapters and continue to stick with me. I especially want to thank the beautiful people who took the time to review and let me know they are still there. Augus10, Calleigh16, juannediana, nonna99, Annemarie and Indi, it is great to know people out there are still interested in this little old story. This chapter is for you guys. Enjoy xxx

Chapter Twenty-One

Calleigh has only been in her new office for half an hour, barely had time to settle in, before a knock on her door reveals Ryan, Frank and Walter. She rises to greet each of them, a warm hug and quick kiss on the cheek for each, even Ryan, she is thankful for all the support is shown at the moment. They all return her gestures without hesitation, everyone of them squeezing her just that little bit longer than necessary, giving her their silent support and approval. They too can see Horatio's dark office across the hallway; can feel the gaping hole his lack of presence has left.

She chats to the boys for a few minutes before a tentative knock on her door has her gasping.

"Natalia. What are you doing here? I know for a fact you are meant to be home resting!"

"Nat" Ryan chokes out as he rushes to meet her at the door, slipping his arm around her and guiding her into one of the chairs by Calleigh's desk. "I only just left you and when I did you were tucked up safely in your bed. What the hell are you doing here? How on earth did you get here?"

"I had to come. I tried to tell you this morning but you wouldn't listen. H is already missing, and Eric is with the baby, I couldn't leave you guys too. I will only stay until the meeting is over. I promise. I just want to be with you when you have to walk into that meeting. You shouldn't have to do it with so many of the team missing."

"Nat, you really shouldn't be out of bed. The doctor only let you out because you promised you would be on absolute bed rest for the next few days. You promised you wouldn't do a thing, that I would be your slave. You must have been out of that bed before I had even made it to the driveway!"

"You were in the hallway, just outside my room" she whispers, her breaths coming short and fast.

"Nat" he scolds her, kneeling in front of her. He reaches for her hands and she gives them to him willingly. He feels how clammy they are and looks into her eyes, sees the pain flash before she manages to hide it, notes the short sharp breaths she is trying to swallow down; he can see her trip has taken more out of her than she will ever admit. "You promised. I know you want to be here but you're not up to it. I can see you. I know what you're trying to hide from us" he tells her softly, trying not to let the others hear. She sighs in response, not because she doesn't have anything to say, but because at that moment she can't. She knows she has pushed it a bit too far, she is struggling to catch her breath. She gives him a weak smile, the closest she will ever get to admitting he is right. He sighs, knows there is nothing he can do about it now. He continues to hold her hands, squeezing them tighter every time he sees her struggling, taking her mind off her breathing. Calleigh comes over with a glass of water, handing it to Nat who reluctantly pulls one hand from Ryan to take it.

"Sip it slowly Nat. Believe me. Too much at once and you'll regret it." Calleigh tells her with a smile.

She does as she's told and slowly she starts to feel better. Looking around she sees all the anxious faces staring back at her, Ryan's the closest and clearly most worried. She hands him the half empty glass before resting her now free hand against his cheek, her other still firmly grasped in his.

"I'm sorry if I have worried you. I'm fine, was just a little out of breath. I didn't have any trouble the whole way here. Just my luck it would hit me in front of you guys. But I'm fine honestly. And nothing was gonna stop me being here right now. Not a little shortness of breath, not some doctor and not even you Ry and your threats when you left this morning."

"What threats" Calleigh asks quickly, her lips quirking up.

"Ryan here threatened to tie me down if I so much as moved a toe" Natalia replies.

"I'll bet he did" Calleigh answers back, her face now breaking out in a full smile as she tries unsuccessfully to hold her laughter. The others quickly join in, the guys ribbing Ryan unmercifully. He blushes a bright red in response but takes the teasing good naturedly, and before long is giving back as good as he is getting. The mood lightens significantly and though none of them will say it, they are all glad Natalia has made the trip down, her presence has made them feel much more like the team they should be, and not the broken remains they currently are. Sitting together, joking around like nothing has changed makes all of them think that together they will get through it all, before long Eric will be alongside them and that one day H as well will be sitting with them all, teasing and joking like the family they all have become.

They continue to sit together, chatting and joking, Calleigh moving back behind her desk and gathering the papers and files she will need for the meeting. Before they know it, there is a knock on Calleigh's open door and they all look up to see Gabe and Jonah smiling back at them.

"Hey guys, sounds like you're all happy to be back at work." Jonah laughs.

"Nat! What are you doing here?" Gabe exclaims as he sees the brunette in the middle of the group.

"I had to be here for my team" she quickly responds, daring the men to question her, but she is just met with their smiles, they didn't expect anything less.

"It's nearly time. You all ready?" Jonah asks after a moment.

"Yep" Calleigh replies, taking a breath and rising to her feet. Just as she does her phone rings and she reaches down to take it from her hip, smiling the instant she sees the screen. The words 'Eric- cell' are glowing across the screen and below them a picture of Eric and Xavier cuddling in the armchair. The others notice her smile and know immediately who is calling her.

"Hey" she answers, "cute picture."

"You like it? I had a nurse take it yesterday when you were out of the room for something. Had to wait until you were busy to send it to your phone. I thought for a moment you had caught me, but you didn't. My super sneaky skills strike again."

She chuckles in reply.

"You touched my phone. You know the rules."

"Yep. And I will happily accept any punishment you deem fitting when you get home tonight. It was worth it." She feels her smile growing and is surprised for a moment when the embarrassment she thought she would feel with her colleagues seeing her respond to him like this does not come. Instead she only feels happy. Happy that this wonderful man is on the other end of her phone and she will be going home to him at the end of the day. Glad that he is hers and she has accepted that wholeheartedly and nothing anyone can say will change her heart.

"Whatcha' calling for?" she asks.

"Just wanted to wish you luck for your meeting. I know you don't need it, but I wanted you to know there is a gorgeous baby and handsome man here rooting for you."

"Oh really, who's there with Xavier?" she replies cheekily.

"You wound me woman" he replies. "Seriously though Babe. I know you got this, but I just wanted to call and let you know we are here. Always will be."

"Thanks Eric" she answers, turning to the windows, trying to keep some of her conversation private. The other realise she doesn't want them listening in and quietly turn to each other and start talking, Jonah and Gabe coming right in to join them, their chatter almost drowning out Calleigh's conversation.

"I wouldn't have had the strength to do this without you Eric."

"You would have Babe. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. But if I can make this any easier for you I will."

"You do Eric. You do. What are you guys up to?"

"We have packed up and are just waiting on the Doc to get back with the release paperwork and then we are breaking out of this joint. Ma and Papi were here earlier and I finally managed to convince Papi to take her home. She wanted to stay and then drive with me but I want to have a bit of time to settle in at home before they all descend on me and I know that if Ma comes home with me she never will leave and my sisters will be right behind her."

"Eric" she sighs, "you are gonna need your mum. What if Xavier cries in the car? What if he won't settle when he gets home?"

"Cal, I'll be fine. I just want a bit of time to settle into this without all the gushing and overbearing...advice I know will come with them. And hey, if I really need her, I'll just call her. She'll probably be parked around the corner waiting anyway, do you really think she will go home and leave me alone?"

She chuckles in response. "Just promise me Eric, that if you need any help at all you will call her or one of your sisters. I can't be here worrying about you all the time. I will anyway, but it will be easier knowing you are not trying to take this all in and cope on your own."

"I promise Cal. Do you really think I'll have a choice anyway? I give them half an hour tops before they are all at my door. This is my family we are talking about. They don't know the meaning of the words personal space and privacy."

"Alright then, have a good day. I'll call you when I get out of the meeting. Love you."

"Love you too. And Babe, you got this. Knock 'em dead." He replies before hanging up.

Calleigh takes a moment before turning back to the others in the room, all trying their hardest to look like they didn't just hear her entire conversation, but the smiles on each of their faces at the declaration they just heard her make gives them all away. She chooses to ignore them.

"Well come on ya'll, lets head in there then."

They follow her to the door, all of them pausing as they watch the procession walking through the halls before them. Every single one of their bosses are present. They have never seen so much brass in one room. Gabe and Jonah each reach out and squeeze one of Calleigh's shoulders, letting her know they are there with her. Frank, Walter, Ryan and Natalia quickly follow suit. Calleigh turns back to her colleagues, sending them each her thanks with a smile, her eyes turning to Nat and realising it is not even worth telling her to go home, she won't win that one. She turns back and heads out the door, back straight and head held high as she enters the room, her team filing in behind her, telling everyone there that she has this, she is the right person for the job.

The rest of the morning fly's by, and before she know it it's nearly lunch time and she is leaving the meeting slightly shell shocked but feeling much better in her position, the support she has been shown still felt now as she leaves the room, her team silent and strong at her back, as they have been all morning. The meeting went well. The brass were a bit shocked at her steadfast refusal to remove anything to do with Horatio. They argued that keeping his office was a waste of resources but she refused to budge and eventually they just gave up, though she is sure it will come up again. They ran through their expectations and all she will be responsible for. The sheer scope of Horatio's job has her wondering how the hell he ever got through this, but she is determined to succeed, for herself and for Horatio. The team from Munroe county came in and gave them an update on Horatio and Natalia's case. They have identified the man behind it and are closing in on him. Sadly the thing that has triggered his attack, losing his two children, will now be permanent. Attempting to murder two police officers means he will be lucky to ever see his kids again. They manage to sort out the roster as best they can. She breaks the news to everyone that Eric will be out for awhile on emergency family leave, and while there are questions and some shocked and angry looks she refuses to reveal the reason why. It is up to Eric if and when the rest of them find out. They manage to take one of the swing shift down to fill Eric's spot and another CSI from Munroe county has sent word they would like to fill a spot, so she will cover for Horatio. The slack from Natalia will be filled with double shifts and overtime, but no one minds, it will only be a month, less if Natalia has her way, though Calleigh is adamant she won't.

Calleigh heads to her office with her team, Gabe and Jonah right behind her. Natalia doesn't even argue when Calleigh orders her home and she agrees to the lift Gabe is offering. Ryan wants to take her but he knows he needs to stay at work and Nat won't let him come anyway, though she does allow him to walk her down and help her into Gabe's car. The rest of them slowly scatter from Calleigh's office, Jonah heading home while the others head to their respective workstations and offices. Finally Calleigh is on her own and she quickly shuts her door before heading to her desk to sit down, her phone out and dialling Eric before she is even settled. He answers immediately.

"Hey Babe"

"Waiting with the phone in your hand?" she laughs.

"Yep. I thought you'd call ages ago. We have been waiting, haven't we little man" he coos over the phone and she correctly guesses he has the baby in his arms.

"How are you going? All settled in? Your mother driving you crazy?" she questions.

"Surprisingly no. Xavier was great in the car. Not a peep. I even pulled over at one point to check on him, worried he had stopped breathing or something. But when I leant over the seat and looked at him he was just laying there, blinked at me a couple of times, yawned and stretched and then shut his eyes and fell asleep. Nothing fazes this kid. We got a good one here. Anyway we got home and I had just settled him into his new cot. His room looks great by the way, they have all outdone themselves this time, guess I'll keep 'em all for a bit longer. So, Xavier had just gone to sleep when the doorbell rang and there they all were, Ma, Papi, my sisters, their husbands and even my nieces and nephews. Apparently a new family member means a day off work and school all around. They all send you their love by the way and can't wait to catch up with you."

"I can't wait to see them either. I've missed your family so much."

"Well, maybe this weekend. We'll see closer to it and if you look like you can do something I'm sure Ma would love to have lunch for us all."

"That would be great. I have to come in Saturday, I have a heap of work to do already and I'm gonna need Saturday if I even hope to get anywhere near on top of it, plus I'm doing the morning for Gabe cause he is covering me on Thursday morning."

She hears Eric's breath catch and hates herself for reminding him of the funeral when he was so happy just moments before. She quickly changes the subject.

"So is your family still all there now?"

"Nope. They only stuck around for a couple of hours. Xavier got so many kisses and cuddles, the house is now organised to an inch of its life and the fridge is overflowing with meals. The girls and their families left without much fuss, though they did warn me they will be back every day to check in on their new nephew. Ma was another story. Papi had to practically drag her out. I swear I could still hear her yelling back at me out the car window long after they had disappeared down the street." She laughs in response, knowing he was not exaggerating at all.

"I'm surprised your dad managed to drag her away."

"I didn't think he would for a bit there. She dug her heels in and it looked like nothing was gonna get her to leave. On the way out my sister's not so subtly told her to go with them and let me and Xavier settle in but she stubbornly refused to listen, pretended she didn't even hear them. I had kind of accepted she would be here for the rest of the day, but I went into Xavier's room to get him a pacifier, I've already lost four by the way. There is a black hole in this house that is sucking up paci's. Anyway, when I came back in the room, Papi was gathering their things and Ma stood up, gave me Xavier and then followed Papi. It did take her another 15 minutes and numerous repeated instructions. Not to mention I had to promise her like 10 times that I would call every couple of hours and let her know how we are going, but Papi finally managed to wrangle her out the door and into the car, and now here we are, Xavier and I sitting on the couch in a blessedly peaceful house with nothing really to do."

"Aww Babe, you a bit bored" she teases him. "You've had him home for only a few hours and you are already over it. How are you gonna handle the next few months?"

"Stop teasing Cal" he jokingly chastises, "I never said I was bored. I'm loving this. I could sit here all day holding this little man and it will never get old. We have nothing to do cause Ma and the girls did it all, and they'll be back tomorrow, though I won't be surprised if at least one of them finds a reason to pop back in again today, so I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna have anything to do but look after this guy for awhile yet. Not that I'm complaining. He has already gone through a steriliser full of bottles and Ma has done one full load of washing. Not even 4 hours have we been home Cal. How the hell can one little guy make so much mess in less than 4 hours?"

She is laughing at him outright now. "Oh Eric. You really have no idea do you Babe."

"That's what Aña said" he laughs back, "before she proceeded to tease me about the lack of sleep, non-existent social life, piles of dirty diapers and endless cold meals I have ahead of me.

"Gotta love your sister" she chuckles. "Aña always has loved rubbing your nose in things hasn't she."

"That's what baby brothers are for" he replies, perfectly mimicking his sister's usual response to his complaints about her teasing. "But seriously, she was the first one to take Xavier and change his diaper and she came with one of those diaper holder things that you stick the dirty ones in and it wraps it all up so you don't stink the place out."

"Like I said" Calleigh responds, "gotta love your sister."

Their conversation soon drifts into a comfortable silence, neither feeling the need to say anything else, but neither wanting to hang up either. Calleigh shuffles things around on her desk, organizing the stacks of paperwork and logging into her computer, getting ready for the hours of work she has ahead of her before she can even think of leaving. Eric is happy to stay on the line and listen to her work while he stretches out on the couch and cuddles his boy to his chest. Occasionally one of them would speak, telling the other whatever had popped into their head, but mostly they just went about their tasks happily connected by the open phone line. Well, Calleigh did anyway. Eric listened to the sounds of Calleigh hard at work, the rustle of papers and clicks of the keyboard and couldn't help but chuckle softly at the gentle humming he heard across the line, telling him Calleigh was concentrating hard and he knew that if he could see her, she would be running her thumb back and forward across her watch as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and focused intently on whatever document she was reading or task she had ahead.

Before long Calleigh's concentration on the paperwork she is studying is pulled by an odd sound. She looks around her office for a moment before realising it is coming from Eric on the other end of the phone. She fights to hold her laughter as she realises the curious noise is that of father and son snoring together down the line, Eric's much louder snore echoed by the most gorgeous little squeak of a snore she has ever heard. One she has heard the last few days and knows she will never get tired of. One that has an ache in her heart pulling at her, a feeling she never thought she would feel. After sitting and listening for longer than she will ever admit to anybody she reluctantly hangs up the line, knowing that if she doesn't she will never get any work done, she will instead sit there and wish desperately she was there with them, curled up on the couch and snuggled with her two boys. She quickly sends Eric a text, teasing him over his snoring stopping her from getting any work done before pushing her phone to one side and focusing on her work. Before long she is lost in the endless protocols and responsibilities she now faces, and the paperwork that will haunt her dreams for the months to come.

Author's note (part 2): So the previous chapter I had to split into 2, has gotten so very big that I now have to split it into 3. So, hopefully you enjoyed this instalment and look out for the next one soon.