Thanks for all the reviews!

Mac groaned and winced at the pounding in his head. He couldn't remember how he had managed to get such a headache. The last thing he remembered was crouching down next to his lover.

Horatio!

Mac opened his eyes and looked around. He couldn't see anybody. Where was Horatio?

He tried to move but found that his wrists were bound together behind the back of a chair. He tried to wriggle them free, but the rope that bound them wouldn't budge. He then looked around and noticed all the pictures of himself. Horatio was with Mac on some of the photos and on all those photos, Horatio's face had been burnt away. Mac knew where he was now. Only one person had motive to kidnap him; Melissa Mathers.

Mac continued to try and get his hands free as he tried to look around the apartment. It was dirty and probably located in an area where the neighbors were used to criminal activity. Meaning that even if Mac screamed no one would help. Only one door as far as he could see, behind him he heard a shower running, so he knew there was a bathroom too and probably a sleeping area and a kitchen.

The shower got turned off and Mac heard someone humming to the tune of song. He hissed as the rope cut into his skin and his attempts to get free grew more desperate. If Melissa had kidnapped him it meant that Horatio was probably hurt or worse…

She must have hit Mac in the head with something as he was trying to help his lover and she had probably done something to Horatio as well so that Mac wouldn't notice her approach. He should have paid more attention. He cursed at himself silently for letting himself and his lover become easy targets. He could only pray that Horatio was safe and alive.

"Ah you're awake!"

Mac stopped moving and tried to turn his head towards the voice. He couldn't and he froze when he felt two arms wrap around his neck in a hug from behind. Melissa's damp hair fell down on his shoulders and she kissed his cheek before moving to stand in front of him.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up for hours." She smiled, "I'm so glad that you're finally here."

"Melissa, let me go."

"I can't do that." Melissa said, "You don't see; you don't understand that you and I are meant to be together."

"Melissa, I can only be with you if you let me go." Mac said, he decided to play along and hope that he won Melissa's trust by doing so.

"Mac I love you, but you can't fool me that easily." She giggled, "I know that you don't understand yet. But you and I are one; one soul in two bodies and we are going to be united soon."

"What are you going to do?" Mac asked.

"I'm going to do what I wrote in my letters." Melissa smiled, "I will admit that I was planning on becoming one with you in a fancy hotel, but this place will have to do."

Mac started to pull at the ropes again. Not only were his wrists tied together, but they were also tied to the chair. He couldn't get lose. His head was pounding and he had so many questions.

"Where is Horatio?" He asked.

"Well, the last I saw of him was when he was on the ground as I drove away with you." Melissa shruggded and proceeded to tell Mac how she had dressed up as a chef and slipped a heavy dose of sleeping pills into Horatio's drink.

Then she had waited for him to start falling asleep and for Mac focus on him before she hit Mac with the baseball bat and dragged him into the car. She had then beaten Horatio with the bat and left him in the parking lot as she drove to her rental apartment with Mac.

"So you don't know if he's at a hospital?" Mac asked.

"Don't worry about him. He stood between you and me so I had to get rid of him." Melissa smiled and straddled Mac's lap.

She was naked and Mac looked everywhere but at her body. Melissa hugged him and pressed her breasts against his chest.

"You and I belong together. In this life and the afterlife."

"Melissa, I have to make sure that Horatio is okay. If he isn't then you have committed murder and you don't want that do you?" Mac asked.

"I don't care as long as I am with you." Melissa smiled and placed a soft kiss on Mac's lips.

When Mac didn't kiss her back she deepened the kiss and forced her tongue into his mouth. She moaned and Mac tried to turn his head away. Melissa giggled when they parted and ran her hands over Mac's shoulders and chest.

Mac was getting very frustrated. Nothing was working; she didn't trust him and she didn't believe he was interested to know if she murdered Horatio or not just because he was worried about her. She knew what he was thinking. Melissa knew that Mac didn't care about her. He only wanted to know if his lover was still alive.

"How did you get here?" Mac asked.

"I had help."

"From who?"

"I'm not allowed to say his name."

"It's Sinclair isn't it?" Mac growled.

Melissa put a finger of his lips.

"Shh, don't get upset." She said, "He helped me bring us together. He's a good man."

Mac growled and Melissa kissed his cheek. She then ripped his shirt open and kissed his neck. She continued down to his chest and Mac started fighting to get his hands free.

"Melissa, I'm very tired so I don't think we should do this right now." Mac said, "Maybe if you let my hands free and let me get some sleep on the bed we can do it later."

Melissa laughed and caressed Mac's cheek with her thumb.

"Silly man, I know that you will run from me if I let you go." She smiled, "I don't want you to run."

"I won't run, I promise."

"Mac, I can see it in your eyes that you still don't fully understand that we are one soul."

Mac sighed. Melissa grinned and kissed his chest. She slid down on the floor and continued kissing his chest and down over his stomach; she stopped just above the hem of his jeans and then kissed her way back up again. Mac would have loved to be kissed like that if it was by Horatio, not Melissa.

The rope was cutting his skin open and Mac hissed at the pain. When Melissa pulled open the buttons of his jeans and started caressing his lenght through his boxers Mac stopped and thought about as many boring things as he could. He would not allow himself to respond to her touch.

"Maybe you really are tired." Melissa sighed when she got no reaction from Mac.

She stood up and placed a kiss on Mac's lips before she walked passed him and disappeared somewhere in the apartment. She came back minutes later with some clothes on.

"I'm going to buy some food for us so you get your energy back." She smiled and went out the front door.

As soon as the door closed and locked Mac used all the strength he had to pull his hands free, but it didn't work. The rope didn't loosen up.

-I-

The team was sitting in the waiting are at the hospital. They had got a call a few hours ago about their boss having been found unconscious at a parking lot. His car and Mac was gone and there were no surveillance tapes close by that had recorded anything. Horatio's clothes had been processed and hair from Melissa had been found, but they still had no idea where she and Mac was.

A doctor approached the team and they all stood up and got ready for any news.

"Lieutenant Caine has a concussion, two broken ribs, internal bruising and a deep gash at his right temple." Doctor Wilbur Jones said, "He is unconscious right now, but his vitals are good and I am hoping that he will wake up soon."

"Can we please see him?" Alexx asked.

"Of course, he is in room 335." Doctor Jones said, "Please don't overcrowd him for too long though."

The team wasted no time and hurried off to the right room. They couldn't believe that this had happened. Horatio and Mac had gone out for dinner and had just gotten engaged and now Horatio was in the hospital and Mac was missing.

When they entered Horatio's room Alexx held back some tears as she saw her oldest "baby"; he was hocked up to several different machines and had an oxygen mask over his face. He looked like he was sleeping. He was topless and the bandages over his ribs barely hid the ugly marks caused by the broken ribs. He had a bandage around his head too. Alexx sat down on one of the chairs next to the bed and grabbed his hand. Eric sat down on the other side and the rest of the team remained standing.

"Please wake up soon, honey." Alexx whispered and let some tears fall.

Calleigh also wiped away some tears and Walter pulled her in for a supportive hug. Soon everyone was part of a group hug and when they parted they said nothing. They just looked at their leader, their friend and family member. And they prayed that he would wake up soon and that Mac was alive.

"We have to call the New York team." Ryan said.

"I'm on it." Frank sighed and left the room.

"Where was the guys' protection?" Walter asked, "Didn't they have two cops following them around all the time?"

"Yeah, but apparently someone that looked just like Melissa was seen outside the restaurant. When the cops approached her she ran, they followed her hoping that they'd catch the real Melissa." Eric said, "Only she turned out to be a junkie looking for a regular customer that she was going to sell drugs to. She panicked when the cops approached her."

"Did she look like Melissa?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes, actually they were very similar in appearance." Eric said, "The cops chased her for almost thirty minutes, when they got back to the restaurant they found H on the ground and called an ambulance."

"Is it possible that Melissa paid this junkie to be there and get the cops away from the place?" Ryan asked.

"No, the junkie swears that she has no idea about it." Eric said, "And I believe her."

"How come no one at the restaurant recognized Melissa?" Ryan asked.

"There are a lot of people working there and they had filled the place with customers. Everyone was too busy working to notice her." Eric sighed.

He had interviewed the owner of the restaurant with Frank and the two officers that were supposed to be protecting Mac and Horatio. The owner hadn't even noticed that he had a missing chef suit from his extra supply. The man was simply too stressed about getting his food out to the customers to make sure that all the extra suits were still in the supply.

Eric didn't blame the man. Who would have thought that Melissa Mathers would steal a chef suit and drug Horatio with sleeping pills just so she could kidnap Mac? And who could have possibly known that a junkie would be there at the same time and have a striking resemblance to Melissa.

It was a weird coincidence, but for once it seemed to be just that; a coincidence.

-I-

Mac stopped trying to get free when the door opened and Melissa entered the apartment. She had a grocery bag in her arms and headed for the kitchen. It didn't take long before she came back with a bowl of fruit and straddled Mac again. She tried to get Mac to eat the fruit, but when he refused she threw the bowl at the wall and stood up. She slapped Mac across the face and glared at him.

"Why are you so stubborn?" She asked, "I've done nothing but show you love. You belong to me and the sooner you understand it the sooner we can unite and spend an eternity together."

"I don't belong with you." Mac said.

Melissa growled and turned on the TV. She watched some sit-coms for a while before the news came on. Mac became alert and hoped he would hear something about Horatio. To his relief he did. It was reported that Horatio had been attacked last night and that he was in critical but stable condition at the hospital. He was going to make it!

Melissa stood up and screamed angrily. She started throwing things around the apartment and several times she almost hit Mac.

"How could he make it? I hit him so many times!" She exclaimed, "I beat up him like a maniac and he is still alive!"

Mac smiled slightly and ducked his head before he was hit by Melissa's cell phone. She then straddled Mac again and looked at him; panting and with a glare that could kill.

"We have no time to waste. If he wakes up he can tell what happened." Melissa said.

What Melissa didn't think about was that Horatio had already been asleep from the sleeping pill by the time she kidnapped Mac and beat him. He would have no idea what had happened.

Melissa yanked off her top and crushed her breasts against Mac's chest. Mac forced himself to think about boring things as Melissa slipped her hand inside his boxers and started caressing his length.

"Don't fight me Mac." She whispered.

But Mac did fight. He used every power he had not to grow hard and to his relief it worked. Melissa stood up and slapped him several times across the face.

"Damn you Mac Taylor!" She growled, "You will unite with me sooner or later."

She pulled her top on again and walked into the kitchen. When she came back into Mac's line of sight his eyes widened when he saw her. She was dressed in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. But what scared Mac was the object in her hands; a big kitchen knife.

"Maybe this will finish the job." She said and put the knife in the hem of her jenas before heading to the front door.

"No wait! I'll do it, just don't kill him!" Mac exclaimed, "I'll have sex with you if-"

"You won't do it with love. You don't understand Mac. This is more than just sex; this is about us becoming one."

"Alright, alright. I'll do it. I see it now." Mac said desperately.

"No, you don't. As long as that redhead is alive you don't understand." Melissa said and walked out the front door.

"No! Melissa come back!" Mac yelled after her.

He started to desperately pull at the ropes and ignored the pain as it cut into his flesh even deeper. Blood was dripping from the wounds but Mac didn't care. He had to stop Melissa from killing Horatio.

-I-

Horatio opened his eyes and waited for the blurriness to fade away. He moaned and tried to move but it felt like his body weighed a tone. He turned his head to the right and found Alexx waiting for him.

"Welcome back, sweetheart." She smiled.

Horatio tried to speak but his mouth was too dry. Alexx removed the oxygen mask and let him drink some water.

"What happened?" Horatio asked.

Alexx told him what the team knew. They knew that he had gotten sleeping pills in his drink after they had processed Mac and Horatio's plates and glasses from the restaurant. They knew that Melissa was involved and had probably stolen Horatio's car. However, the car had been found empty just fifteen minutes ago. In the car was blood and hair, probably belonging to Mac and Melissa, they would most likely find her prints too.

"I don't remember any of this." Horatio said.

"Well, we think you were knocked out by the sleeping pill before Melissa approached Mac." Alexx said, "We have no way of knowing exactly what happened though because there were no surveillance cameras that caught it on tape."

Horatio tried to sit up, but a firm hand on his chest pushed him back down. His whole body ached and the only thing he could think of was Mac.

"Where is Mac?" Horatio asked.

"We don't know."

"I have to find him." Horatio said and tried to get up again.

Alexx gently, but firmly pushed him down on the bed again. Horatio sighed in frustration.

"Please Alexx, I have to find him." He pleaded.

"The team is on it. They will find him."

"I have to do something!"

"Yes, you can stay here and get better. Honey, there is nothing you can do right now that the team hasn't already tried. Every cop in the city is looking for Mac and we're using every available resource to find him or Melissa." Alexx said, "Danny Messer is on his way down to help as well."

"So you want me to do nothing?" Horatio asked.

"Honey, I know what you're thinking. You want to find Mac yourself and save him from Melissa. I understand that." Alexx said, "But you're in no condition to do so."

Horatio sighed and nodded. He closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep. He heard Alexx's phone ring and she shook him lightly.

"Honey, I have to go. I got three bodies coming in." Alexx sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Horatio said, "Look, since I'm not allowed to go anywhere, can you at least call me with updates?"

"Of course honey and don't worry, I'll be back." Alexx smiled.

She kissed Horatio on the cheek and turned to leave. Horatio closed his eyes and waited for the door to close before opening them again. He slowly sat up in the bed and gasped as his ribs hurt. He managed to get to the edge of the bed and sat there for a while panting. He then slowly got down on the floor and grabbed onto the bed to keep himself steady. He waited for a moment to catch his breath and groaned as he started moving towards the door.

He opened it and peeked outside. Nobody was around. With slow and painful steps he moved towards the staircase at the end of the hall and opened the door. He looked at all the stairs he would have to go down before he reached the first floor and sighed. It was going to take a while and it would be painful. He took one step and then another and tried to control his breathing.

At the same time a woman in a sweatshirt and jeans walked down the hallway to room 335. She was surprised to find no cops outside the room, but then she didn't know that they had been stupid enough to go for coffee instead of watching out for the lieutenant. She opened the door with an evil smirk and looked inside the room. To her surprise and frustration the room was empty.

Melissa growled and looked down the hallway, there was only one way that the lieutenant could have taken to avoid running into someone he knew that would stop him from getting out of the hospital; the staircase.

Please review!

Hopefully I didn't forget to explain anything in this chapter or missed some details, if I did please let me know so I can explain it in the next chapter.