We would like to thank ALL our loyal readers for your support while we have been away. In the next few weeks, you will see our stories being reposted here for all of you to read along with several NEW stories we've written while we've been away.

We appreciate all the kind messages we've received for our readers...we didn't realize how many of you were reading our stories, lol. It has brought HUGE smiles to us and we hope you'll continue to stick with us as we re-post some old favorites and hopefully new favorites. Thanks again!

CaineSpeedle & Speedfanatic05

Now for the good stuff!

**WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT AND LANGUAGE! You Are Warned**

"In our endeavors to recall to memory something long forgotten, we often find ourselves upon the very verge of remembrance, without being able, in the end, to remember."

From "Ligeia" by Edgar Allan Poe

His thoughts were not his own as the horse meandered through the vast dry land, the heat swirling around them like a forceful gale wind, doing nothing to ease the burden of the heat. For miles there was nothing but rocks, dry brush and empty landscapes that gave no evidence of life anywhere, and no hope to find her. Tim wasn't naturally a pessimist, but with what was stacked against them, he was starting to feel as if there was no finding Calleigh, nor her captor.

The helicopter continued to make a sweep over them and even with hourly check ins, there had been no sign of life anywhere outt here save for the three of them. Even the initial group that had went out the previous night had returned back to the command post, leading to the idea that there was no finding the couple. Despite all of the negatives, however, Tim held on to the last sliver of hope that they were still out here. Calleigh was a survivor, she wasn't likely to go down without a fight, and he was determined to be there to show her that they didn't give up either.

Taking a glance over to Horatio, Tim sighed heavily and shook his head minutely, knowing how hard this had been on the red head. With every glance, he could see the despair rising, with each step, he could see the optimism dwindling. If he held even a sliver of hope, Horatio was holding on desperately to the last strand.

"Hey, H…have you tried to call in yet? I just saw the copter do another fly by about thirty minutes ago," Tim said with a bit of hope in his voice.

Lifting his canteen to take a drink, Horatio shook his head minutely, "I've got no coverage out here now, Speed. We're gonna have to rely on Ray."

Hearing them, Ray turned in the saddle and looked back at them, "We'll pull up at the top of this ridge coming up and give the horses a break. I'll phone Catherine and get a progress report."

Tim nodded and then sighed, gazing outwardly, "How far do you think they've gone?"

"Hard to say…but it'll also depend on how hard they are riding also," Ray replied as he spot something far off to the right of where he was riding. Stopping his horse, he placed his hand over his brow, blocking the sun from his eyes and trying to see better. Crinkling his eyes, he turned his horse towards it and headed off in that direction.

Watching Ray, Horatio looked over at Tim and nodded in the direction and then, holding his ribs, nudged his horse into a trot to follow. "Don't bounce out the saddle, Speed."

"Ha ha, very funny," Tim responded as he shook his head. Following suit, he finally caught up with them and winced as he pulled to a stop, looking to them in confusion, "What did you see, Ray?"

Dismounting, Ray kept hold of one of the reins and moved his horse for them to see. Kneeling down, he pulled out a pair of gloves, slipping one of and then picking up a piece of what he'd found, "Horse manure..." Squeezing it between three gloved fingers, he check to see if it was fresh and looked out, "Maybe six to seven hours old. Maybe less cause of the heat drying it out some."

"Six to seven hours…give or take," Tim stated as he exhaled loudly. "And all of this from…manure." Looking to Horatio, he arched his brow, "So, they have six hours head start. Can you tell what direction they are heading?"

Dropping the manure Ray nodded as he stood up and peeled off the glove, "Yeah…we follow the hoof tracks from the horse they are riding."

Noticing the tracks leading away, Tim nodded, "Okay, we follow the tracks. Can you get in touch with the helicopter and see if they can fly by again? I'm sure they'll be able to find them now that they have a point to work from."

"Well have to watch it though, Speed. If Larken thinks were on their trail he could take drastic measures with Calleigh," Horatio replied as he looked out in the direction the tracks went.

Pulling out his phone, Ray wiped at his sweaty brow, "I'll find out if anything's come in first." Dialing the number, Ray waited for the line to pick up. "Catherine…it's Ray. Got anything yet?"

"The helicopter spotted them about twenty, twenty five miles into the Spring Mountains." Catherine asked as she covered her eyes with her hand.

"Okay, well, we've found there tracks and manure from the horse they got…I think we might be about six to seven hours behind them…possibly less. We're gonna try to catch up with them," Ray said as he walked to the side of the horse and took the canteen from the saddle horn. "How fast can we get some back up out here if we need it?"

"I can have the helicopters there in twenty, forty for the ATVs," she answered back, looking over the vast landscape. The heat was heavy and she sighed heavily, "I'll send more water with the backup. You boys take it easy out there."

"Always," Ray replied and then ended the call. Closing his phone and slipping it back into his pocket, he opened his canteen to take a drink, "Choppers spotted then about twenty to twenty five miles into the mountains. We'll be able to catch up with them soon. Better drink up while you can and take a leak if you have to now."

"Nah, I'm good, but I do have one question," Tim said as he turned his empty bottle upside down, "She's sending more water, right? It's getting hotter, if that's possible."

"There's more coming…and check your saddle bag, there should be a few more in there," Ray replied and took a drink. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked up at Horatio, "How are you holding up?"

"Sore, but nothing a hot bath and a few days off won't cure once we get Calleigh back," Horatio replied as he took off the ball cap Catherine had provided him with. Running a hand through his sweat dampened hair, he shook his head, "Where the hell is he taking her?"

Taking another long drink, Ray swallowed and sighed, "Rumor has it that there's a small creek that comes up from under ground in a canyon a few hours from here. They'd have fresh shade and water there…but also out of view of our choppers."

"And out of view is what he wants," Tim interjected roughly as he glanced to Horatio. In his eyes he saw the frustration and the fear and softened the edge in his voice, "I mean…he wants to evade being captured…"

"If we keep riding, we should catch up to them sometime around sunset…and if it's later…then we'll have to wait til morning before we can do anything." Mounting up, Ray turned his horse, seeing the looked in Tim's eyes, "Last thing we need is for one of us to get hurt or worse yet, fall off a ridge."

"That's no fun for anyone," Tim replied sullenly. He didn't like the idea of Calleigh still out there with this maniac, and giving them another night was out of the question. Looking out towards the rest of the barren land, he steered the horse away from them, "Let's get this going then. We have a deadline."

Following suit, Horatio nudge his horse to follow Tim's, making sure to stay to the left of the tracks that had been left behind. Clenching his jaw, the heat matched his temper, knowing they were close, just not close enough. Trying to remain focused, he heeled his horse into a trot, passing Tim, his eyes staying on the tracks they were following.

Tethering the horse to a shrub bush there in the canyon, Calleigh wiped at her dusty and sweaty brow. With the sun now setting, the impending darkness had her wondering what the night would bring for her. Watching as Christopher took the saddle bag off the saddle, she stretched and then walked over to the small creek and knelt down. Placing her hands into the cool water, she cupped her hands and brought some up to her face, wetting it and relishing the coolness. Doing it again and again, she then brought up another handful to her mouth and greedily drank it, refreshing herself.

Her skin burned with her movements and the soreness she had earlier in the day had subsided.

Cupping more water into her hand, she wet her arms and neck, hoping it'd help the sunburn she now had. Feeling a presence come beside her, she looked up to see him standing there and then kneel down beside her, "The water's cool…and feel's good."

Nodding silently, Christopher dipped his hand into the water and took a drink, relishing it's coolness. The remainder of the day was spent riding in silence, the events from that morning still hovering about them. He could tell that she was in a different place now, and he regretted that he had to put her there, but he had to have the knowledge that she was his. Looking to her, he saw the redness on her arms and reached out, "You're burned pretty badly, I don't have anything…"

Flinching away some, Calleigh shook her head, "Even me touching it hurts, Christopher. It'll be better in the morning."

"Yes, it will," he answered as he looked up to the darkening skies. As they traveled, he kept his sights in front of him as well as behind him, making sure that they weren't being followed. Hours ago, a helicopter had flown by, but he didn't pay much attention to it, as it never returned. It wouldn't be long until they had the chance to go back and start to live their lives the way it was meant to be.

Reaching for her face, he cupped it softly, "You're…still upset from this morning, aren't you? I can tell something's not right."

Dropping her eyes, she shrugged a little and spoke softly, "I know you'll never fully trust me, that a apart of you will always think I'm betraying you. How can we be happy like that?"

Grasping at his head he sighed heavily and closed his eyes, "I lose myself, Evie. I want to trust you, but I don't want to lose you. I just…I just want us happy."

Lifting her eyes back and looking at him, she tilted her head some, "Then we need that trust, Christopher…for us to be happy, there has to be trust between us." Getting up and going to the saddle bag, she knelt down, looking through it and finding an old bandana at the bottom. Going back over to him and wetting it in the water, she reached up with the wet cloth and began to gently wipe his face, "You're just as sunburned as I am."

"Yeah, but I somehow feel as if I deserve it. I've not been how I should've been to you, Evie." As she wiped his face, he sighed heavily and relaxed in her touch, "It shouldn't be like this."

Wetting the cloth again and wringing it out, Calleigh continued with her task of cleaning him up some, "Then I think we need to work on that first then, don't you? Cause without trust…we won't make it."

Opening his eyes, he looked to her, his brow furrowed with confusion, "What do you suggest?"

"That when it comes to talking about my life I had in Miami you don't get upset and pissed off. That we don't assume things, instead we listen to each other and talk through it…not yell and criticize."

Averting his eyes, he shook his head, "Evie…I…your life…your previous life it upsets me. What you were doing…" Meeting her eyes, he exhaled heavily, "I'll do this- I'll do anything to keep you with me. I won't yell at you…we can talk. I just want you with me…forever."

Deciding to push her luck, Calleigh cupped his cheek gently and moved a long strand of his hair from his eyes, "Can you do something important for me, Christopher? It's important to me…and to our future."

"Important to you? What is it, Evie?" He moved closer to her, excited about her request. His attention focused on her as she centered on him, their eyes holding a sturdy gaze.

Not wanting to make him mad, Calleigh continued to caress his cheek, "Christopher, I know how much you loved Evie…how you want me to be her…and want to be with her always. But…I'm not her, I'm Calleigh." Seeing his eyes hardening, she continued, "I wish I could have been her, to know that kind of love and devotion you have for her…she had to feel like a queen." Giving him a small smile, she licked her lips, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I want to feel that way with you…but as Calleigh."

Struggling with her request, he broke her gaze and ran a hand through his hair. For so long, he desired her because of how much she reminded him of Evelyn, and now, she was asking him to forget her. Shaking her head, he sighed, "Ev- I mean…Calleigh, this…this is hard for me."

Using both hands, she cupped his face, making him look at her, "I know it's hard, Christopher. Evie was a very special woman, and I respect that. I'm not asking you to forget about what you had with her, I'd never asked that of you…but I think she'd want you to move on, live you life to the fullest and love again."

Christopher nodded and allowed a small smile, "I'll do my best, Calleigh." Laughing, he raised his brow, "You'll forgive me if I slip. She's been in my heart…all this time."

Lowering her right hand and placing it over his heart, Calleigh nodded, "That's how it should be. I will never ask you to forget your love for her. I wish I could have known her…she sounds like she was a wonderful person."

Taking her hand in his he took it and looked at it, his brow wrinkling, "She was the best. But…then…she's not you." Without the shroud of Evelyn's love over his eyes, he looked to Calleigh and smiled, reaching to caress her face, "I…want to try…but Calleigh, they're coming for us. I'm…I'm sure that your friend is hell bent on snatching you away from me."

Shaking her head, Calleigh gave him a small smile, "Horatio cannot do anything to us here. This is not his jurisdiction…he's still in Miami, probably still in the hospital. He was hurt bad in the fire."

At the mention of the fire, he nodded, "My anger was more than I could handle. He stood in the way. I wanted you and he stood in the way, Calleigh."

Moving her left hand up and around his neck as he held her close, Calleigh shook her head, knowing she had him where she wanted him, believing everything she said. "Horatio's always been a friend, nothing more to me then that. I'm not in love with him and never have been…and I told him that."

"Nothing more? But I saw you kissing him, you were close to him." He closed his eyes and took in her scent, pressing himself against her body. In a matter of minutes, he was faced with a new outlook, changing everything. Pulling away from her, he narrowed his eyes, "You're asking for a lot, Calleigh."

Sitting back on her haunches, Calleigh kept her eyes locked with his, "That's because I want to be with you, Christopher. I've seen how gentle and wonderful you can be…and I want more of that. Is it wrong for me to want that from you?"

"No, it's not, but…" Biting his lip and turning away from her, he shook his head, "I'm putting everything on the line here. What can I expect from you?"

Moving back up onto her knees, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, dreading what she was about to say. Giving him a smile, she whispered, "You can expect me to be only with you…to give you my love and respect and trust as well. I won't let you be alone, Chris…I promise."

His smile grew and he pulled her close, feeling her warmth but careful not to touch her sunburn. It was all that he needed, for her to say that she wanted his love, and she was willing to give her own love in return. He was overwhelmed with joy and he whispered, "This is too good to be true. You're willing to love me?"

Nodding her head, Calleigh gave him a warm smile and leaned forward, there foreheads touching, "Yes, Chris…I'm willing."

Reaching up to touch her face, he breathed out, smiling, "Calleigh…I would like to kiss you. Do you mind?"

Giving him a small smile, Calleigh held back wanting to do all she could to hurt him as he had done her. The question made her want to slap him, but, she nodded, "I'd like that, Chris."

Leaning close to her, his lips brushed hers lightly and he parted from her, "I really…really…liked that. I won't go any further." Staring into her green orbs, he caressed the strands of her hair, "I want you forever, Calleigh."

"I'll be with you…forever." Calleigh replied, her hand reaching up and running through his hair. Giving him a bright smile, she looked towards the saddle bag, "Is there something in there we can have for dinner."

"I think there's something, I can't really remember what I took from that guy's house." Getting up, he moved towards the saddle bag and then dipped his hand in, pulling out a few items. Going back over to her, he smiled faintly, "These are our meal choices for the night. Whatever you want, we'll have."

Looking over the few things he had, she chose the can of ravioli's and smiled, "Granted it's not much, but, we can share them." The rattling sound of a western diamondback rattler caught there attention and Calleigh placed her hand onto his arm to hold Christopher still. Slowly looking down, the serpent slid into view and then coiled up a few feet away. Trying to remain calm, Calleigh asked softly, "Where is the gun, Christopher?"

Watching the reptile move slowly, he reached behind him and slid the weapon out of his pants. Handing it to her, he whispered, "Do you think that you can hit it?"

Raising a brow at his question, she smirked, "I'm not called Bullet Girl for nothin'." Noticing the silencer still in place, she loaded the barrel and took aim. Firing one shot, the bullet struck the snakes head, killing it instantly. Handing it back to him, she shrugged, "Look's like we've got fresh meat for dinner also."

In awe of her prowess with the firearm, he kept his eyes on the now dead snake, feeling the cool metal of the gun in his hand. He'd never seen her in action, and now he knew how deathly accurate her aim was. Coming back to himself, he nodded towards the creature and arched a brow, "You're going to eat that?"

"We are going to eat it tonight," Calleigh said as she found a stick and picked it up. Going over and making sure the snake was dead first, she then reached down, picking it up and holding it up, smiling, "All we need is a small fire and we can roast it. Kinda taste like chicken."

"Chicken, huh?" Scratching his head, he laughed lightly and then waved it off, "Fine, I'll eat it, but only for survival." He watched as she put the snake down and then narrowed his brow, "You're going to have to skin it, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" she replied as she washed off her hands and then walked over to some of the sage brushes and began snapping off dead branches, "But, we'll also need a small fire. If you want you can skin it…it's not too hard to do."

"Um…yeah, maybe I'll just gather the branches for a fire. I'll leave that to you," Christopher answered back as he started to move towards more brushes. Following her example, he snapped until he had a formidable pile, taking it to her, "I think this is more than enough, right?"

Washing off the snake, she looked over and shook her head, "We'll need more, Chris. That'll burn up quick being everything around here is so dry. Hey, can uh…can I use the knife so I can get the snake skinned?"

Reaching from behind him, he pulled the knife out and handed it to her, "Sure, I'll just get the brush together. Be careful, that blade is sharp." Holding her gaze, he smiled, "Try not to get too brutal with the little guy."

"I won't," she chuckled lightly. Picking the snake up out of the water, she took it over to one of the larger rocks and laid it out over it. Turning it belly up, she took off the head, knocking it aside and then slowly and carefully began cutting a single slit up the body.

Busying himself with his task, Christopher glanced over at Calleigh as she worked, wondering where she had learned survival skills. Gathering more of the brush, he returned to her and knelt, shaking his head, smirking, "Poor guy never had a chance."

Smiling as she gutted the snake, she then began skinning it, "We'll be able to add it to the can of ravioli or eat it by itself being we don't have plates. We can set the can to the side of the fire for it to heat at least."

Nodding, he took a seat next to her and chuckled, "Can I ask you a question, Calleigh? Where did you learn your survival skills?"

Keeping her eyes on what she was doing, Calleigh smiled, "My dad taught be when I was growing up. We'd go out on camping trips during the summer sometimes when he wasn't working…then when I went to the academy we had to take survival classes."

Listening to her, he nodded and gestured to her, hopefully coaxing her to continue, "Keep going, I want to know everything about your past. What were you like when you were a little girl? How did you learn to love…guns so much?" His eyes caught hers as she looked up at him. Reading the disbelief in her eyes he allowed a small laugh to escape, "I know…you'd think I'd know everything about you, but the truth is, Calleigh, I only know what you're doing now, not you're past."

Deciding to make up what she could, Calleigh smiled and then reached back, going through the sticks and finding a straight one, "Well…I guess my granddad got me into guns. He had a few rifles always hanging on his living wall and would hunt a lot. He took me with him a couple times and taught me how to hold one and as I got older he taught me the basics."

"So it's a family thing?" Christopher asked as he settled more. He relaxed his arm and leaned back on it, "It's nice that you had a family…I mean, I know about your father's…ah…addiction, but at least he's still apart of your life. Your mother is still there too…It's gotta be nice to be apart of something."

Cutting the meat into manageable pieces, Calleigh shrugged, "Sometimes…but other times it's hard." Finishing up, she took a few pieces and the stick and moved back to the creek, washing them off. Once done, she speared the pieces and then got more, "Sometimes I wish things were different."

"But how? You have a family that loves you, they wouldn't harm you. It's a treasure to have that." Arching his eye brow, he looked to her intently, "What I would have given to have that in my life."

Glancing at him, she sighed, "I know I had it good…it's just…with my dad's addiction, it's taken it's toll on the family and more so on me."

"I'm listening," he said softly, focusing on her more. Keeping the space between them, he turned to her fully, "I'm sure you can deal with getting some of this off of your chest."

Not really wanting him to know her inner thought's about her family, Calleigh remember some of what she had read in a file during a case sometime back with Eric's psychologist. Taking in a deep breath, she continued to prepare the meat, "Sometimes I wish my dad hadn't of came to Miami, that he would have stay at home. It frustrates me that momma or my brother won't help more with him or give him the support he really needs, instead, I'm the one that has to do it."

Watching for her emotions, Christopher bit his lip, "We sacrifice for the ones we love. We'll do anything, even if it hurts. But even so, Calleigh, this isn't fair to you. You're young, you shouldn't be saddled with taking care of your father."

"Someone has too, otherwise he'll fall again," she said as she finished with the meat and then spear the stick into the soft sand at the edge of the creek. Going over to the saddlebag, she sifted through it, finding a lighter and checking it. Seeing that it worked, she moved back over and knelt down at the small pile of brush. Forming it to what she needed, she then lit it and began to blow, seeing a small line of smoke starting and then the fire catching the rest. Reaching over and placing more onto it, she then grabbed the stick with the snake meat and sat down.

Holding the stick over the fire, she looked over at him, "Compared to what you went through I guess I had an easy life, huh?"

"Yeah, your life was better, but not necessarily easy. It's not easy dealing with addiction." Lapsing into silence, he stared at the fire, knowing that this was what he needed. Something, however was nagging at him and he glanced to Calleigh before retaining his sights back on the fire. Things had turned too easily, she was rescinding her guard too quickly. Something was up. Deciding to let it go for the moment, instead, sighing, "I'm going to take a walk…I'm not going far."

"Okay. As soon as this is done I'll put the fire out." Watching as he stood, she handed him the knife back, "Thank you for giving me some trust, Chris. That means a lot to me."

"It's a new leaf," he said with a smile as he took the knife back. Turning to walk away, he waved to her, "Don't eat up all the snake."

Smirking, she cocked a brow, "Oh I'm not, I'm gonna let you taste the best part with me." Hearing his chuckle as he walked away, Calleigh smile dropped and she sighed. Looking around and gauging the area, she looked for possible escape route's should she need it during the night.

Settling down for the night, Tim took a second and joined them at the make shift campfire, taking a look around. They'd gone as far as they could, reaching the canyon just before nightfall. Both Ray and Horatio had decided that it was better to wait until the next day to continue on down the canyon in hopes that they would find them. He could tell that the decision didn't bode well with Horatio, but logic was the determining factor. They would have to wait until the first morning light.

Coming to rest next to Horatio, he glanced at him and then nodded, giving a cursory glance to Ray as well, "How are you holding up, H?"

Shifting some against the rock he was leaning against and keeping his eyes on the fire, Horatio palmed his ribs, "I'm sore, but it's nothing I can't handle right now. What about you? I know this type horsepower isn't what you're use to."

"The same as you, sore, but I'll live. I've gotten used to the mode of transportation." He looked up at the darkened sky, exhaling heavily, "You know, if we weren't tracking someone, this would be an excellent way of relaxing. It's nice enough to bring someone who will appreciate the beauty of it all."

Chuckling lightly as he stoked the fire Ray interjected, "You weren't saying that earlier today when it was one hundred thirteen degree's out here. I think the exact phrase was who the hell in there right mind would want to hide in this oven."

"Yeah, I think I did say that," Tim conceded, laughing slightly. Rubbing his neck, he offered, "It's different when you're not roasting alive. It's much more tolerable when you can enjoy what's around you."

Pulling out a bottle of water, Horatio opened it slowly, "If you want to enjoy the desert, then go to the Painted Desert in Arizona or even to Monument Valley…that is something to write home about."

Quirking a brow at his admonishment of a distant desert, Tim asked, "How do you know about a desert in Arizona? I thought you made a B line from New York to Miami."

Nodding his head and then taking a drink, Horatio raised a brow, "I did…but, I've taken a vacation or two since then. I do know how to relax and take a break, Speed."

Tim chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "Never in my years at CSI did I see you take so much as a break. It just shocks me that you've taken a vacation…at some time or another. It's…weird."

"That was before you came to work at the lab, Speed." Taking a drink, Horatio then closed the bottle back up and set it aside, "I think the last time was after Al and I had a close call when I was on bomb squad."

"Bomb squad…do you even know how many years that's been?" Tim looked to Ray and shook his head, "It's been years since he's been on the bomb squad. I think when you get back to Miami it's time for you to take a vacation."

Smiling some and looking down, Horatio sighed, "We'll see. Other things come first and foremost."

Getting more comfortable, Ray pointed to Tim, "What about you? When was the last time you took a vacation, Speed?"

Tim ran a hand through his hair and snickered, "The past five years have been a vacation. When I left Miami, I didn't really go back into the lab, I did some consultations, helped out, but I've not had a steady job until now. However, when I get back, I owe a little girl a trip to Disney World."

Smiling, Horatio nodded, "I'll make sure it happens for you both, Speed. It's the least I can do for you both."

"I know a five year old who's going to love you for that." Tim gazed upon the sky again his thoughts now treading on the issue at hand. The silence brought about the possibility that things could go wrong and as he looked back to them both, he sighed heavily, "I wonder what Calleigh's going through right now."

Shaking his head, Ray raised a brow, "Best not to be thinking about that, Speed. Just hope she's okay and he hasn't hurt her. If he cares like he says he does, he might be doing all he can to make sure she's safe and unharmed."

Tim nodded and looked to Horatio, seeing the vestiges of apprehension, fear and despair in his eyes, exhaling lightly. He knew the just the mention of Calleigh elicited this reaction and he offered an apology, "Look, H…I'm sorry…"

Shaking his head, Horatio stared at the fire as it licked up into the night sky, "We'll end this tomorrow and get her back. She won't spend another night with him." Looking over to Tim, Horatio tilted his head some, "She's gonna make it…and we'll be there for her."

"Yes…we will." Keeping his sights on Horatio, he nodded, "This ends tomorrow."