Returning

Eric looked down at Calleigh with a slight smile on his face, remembering the "bath" they had shared and the complete and utter disaster they had made of Calleigh's bathroom. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I really am. It's going to be weird, though."

He gave her shoulder a little squeeze as the elevator doors opened on CSI. "One day at a time, right?"

"Right." Calleigh rolled out ahead of Eric and immediately turned down the hall toward the locker room, not looking into the labs nor paying any attention to the faces that turned her way to watch her. Had she even glanced once to the side, she would have seen soft, yet joyful smiles; she had been much missed and much worried over.

"Cal, you want to slow down some?" Eric asked as he jogged to keep up with her. He held the locker room door open for her.

"I don't know if I can do this," she admitted.

Eric smiled reassuringly at her. "Sure you can. The hard part is over. You beat the bug. Now you get to get on with the rest of your life."

She looked up at him with a ghost of doubt in her eyes. "But-"

"No "buts"; you can do this." He looked at his watch. "Bust a move, H has a meeting in the Layout room in five minutes."

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Horatio looked over at the door as Eric walked in. "Where's Calleigh?"

"She's still in the locker room. H, she's a little nervous about coming back. It's been four months and she knows that she'll have to take a batch of her proficiencies over again," Eric said.

"Then maybe our little gathering isn't such a good idea," Natalia observed.

Ryan pulled his head back in the door, pushing it all the way open so that Calleigh could easily enter. "Too late; she's almost here. I just saw her come around the corner."

"Then we press on," Horatio said as Calleigh entered the room. "Welcome back, Calleigh."

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual. Butterflies were dive bombing in her stomach. Suddenly she was lifted completely out of her chair and spun in a circle.

Frank gently put her back, placing a shy and soft kiss to her cheek. "Glad you're back. This place is too dull without you."

"Frank, give me a warning next time you want to do that!" Calleigh said with a little laugh. "Did I see a cake on the table?"

"I made a small one last night," Natalia said, bending over and giving her a hug. "This is a party after all."

There was sudden moisture in Calleigh's eyes and she blinked furiously to rid herself of it. "Y'all didn't have to do this. I could have come back with no fanfare."

"No way. You beat all the odds, babe, so you get a party," Ryan said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

"Isn't there a rule about no food or drink in the work areas," Stetler asked as he entered, hands behind his back.

Horatio grimaced. "Lighten up, Rick. We're having a little celebration. We can do that."

Stetler looked over at Calleigh, noting with pleasure that she seemed to be fully recovered, all the normal healthy glow that she had always had being returned to her skin. He really hoped that Calleigh had licked that drooling thing. "I figured you would be because I heard a rumor that your team is complete again. Welcome back, Ms. Duquesne."

"Thanks, Rick," she said softly.

Rick brought his hands from behind his back, revealing a small flower arrangement. "I thought this might brighten your office."

Calleigh took the arrangement, handing it off to Eric. She smiled, slightly puzzled as to his sudden humanness. Normally he wasn't so kind. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. I'm just pleased that we have our top ballistics expert back. So get yourself back to work before I have to write you up," he said with mock sternness.

She threw him a spirited look. "Not without a piece of cake, I'm not."

"Fine. Cake, then work," Rick said. He turned toward the door. "If you'll excuse me, I need to see to a few things. Welcome back, Calleigh."

Ryan gazed after a retreating Stetler. "Was he just human or should we go looking for a pod?"

"No need, Mr. Wolfe. Sometimes even Rick can be decent." Horatio turned to Calleigh, taking a couple of things off of one of the work stations. "Calleigh, I think these belong to you."

Calleigh looked over at him, seeing her firearm and badge in his hands. Her own hands shaking slightly, she took them from him. "Horatio, I-uhm, well...I don't know what to say. I mean, I haven't taken, I mean, I'm not authorized to...Are you sure?"

"Calleigh, the only proficiencies that you need to retake are the ones that ran out while you were on leave. I'm sure you can remember everything perfectly. Your firearms proficiency isn't due for another six weeks," Horatio said, smiling at her. "Go ahead and put them on. They're yours anyway."

Hands still shaking, Calleigh clipped her badge and ID to her waist and then slid her holster into it's accustomed space, the weight feeling just right. She ran her hand lovingly over the hand grip, fingers suddenly itching to hold it out and squeeze the trigger. Leaving the firearm, she traced her fingers over the engraving on her badge, feeling the star inside the arch. She traced every bump and valley, almost reading it all with her fingers.

"Well, how does it feel?" Horatio asked, squatting down to be almost eye level with her.

She smiled, eyes meeting his. "Perfect."

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Good. Are you ready for a tour of your new and improved Lab?"

"Am I ever!" Calleigh beamed as Horatio lead the way.

She followed him down the familiar corridor to her Lab. Turning in, her eyes widened to take in all the changes. All her work surfaces had been lowered and her scopes had been put on specialized tables that could be raised or lowered depending on the analyst. She roamed around the Lab, gently running her fingers over the old, familiar work surfaces, feeling completely at home.

"This is wonderful, Horatio, but..."

"But what?"

Calleigh wiggled her toes inside her shoes. "What if I regain the use of my legs? Y'all are gonna have to put it all back because I am just not that short."

"I have plans for that already," Horatio said, leading the way onto the firing range.

"You had the cubicle remodeled, too? Horatio, I could have just gone on the other side. You didn't have to-"

"Yes, I did," he said softly above her protests. "Calleigh, do you remember when Megan sent me to recruit you from NOPD?"

A soft smile crossed her face. "I do. I can't remember how many rounds you watched me fire and how much evidence you watched me process. I can remember that your face just kept lighting up with every success I had. You hadn't shadowed me for a full day before you offered me the job here."

"I've never regretted it for a second, Calleigh. You've made me so proud of everything you've done here in the last dozen years. You've won us so much prestige that with you on the team, we're the top Lab in the South, not just Florida. You have commendations and have given so many lectures and written so many papers that I lost count. Yes, I did have to have all this done because I want you to be able to keep doing what you do best to the best of your ability," Horatio said warmly, the years of mentor ship, friendship and partnership making his voice slightly hoarse with emotion. "Besides, I can't think of this Lab or my life without you. Your friendship means a lot to me, Sweetheart, and I'm so glad you're back."

Calleigh was silent for a while, digesting what Horatio said. "You know, you're going to have to knock that off because if you don't, I'm going to actually cry and I think that's pretty unprofessional now that I'm on the clock."

Horatio chuckled, handing her a file folder. "Since you're on the clock, I need this analyzed as quickly as you can."

She flashed him a blindingly bright smile. "You got it, Lieutenant."