A/N: sorry for the delay; had a system crash that my hubby and dad spent most of the weekend fighting with the computer over, and if it wasn't that, it was the fact that I started my first day back at work yesterday. Anyway, thanks for your patience and your reviews, as always.

Chapter 36

Sandra finally became coherent about five minutes after Horatio left. After checking her over, the doctor determined that, aside from needing stitches in her head and having a heck of a headache, she was fine. However, due to the fact that she had been nonresponsive for a bit, he did want her to stay over-night for observation, in case a concussion developed.

Head hurting too much, Sandra didn't argue. Once Calleigh arrived, partially to scrape her nails and partially to keep her promise to Horatio, she did admit there were some calls she had to make, specifically to her district manager to let them know what was going on. Calleigh offered to do that for her provided she take it easy and relax as much as possible. That Sandra agreed to. Then she asked about Horatio.

"I could've sworn I heard him," she said, her brow creasing as she tried to remember. "Something about not losing me."

"You may have," Calleigh said. "He was with you in the ambulance and he was here but he had to go take care of something. He'll be back soon, I promise."

"Okay," Sandra said, starting to feel the effects of the painkiller finally kicking in. "Hope he gets back soon."

"He will. You know he's worried sick about you," Calleigh said.

"That doesn't surprise me," Sandra said. "I didn't mean to worry him but then again I didn't exactly plan on this whole robbery thing. Mind you, I was pretty scared because I was afraid I wasn't going to get the chance to tell him just how much I love him."

Calleigh smiled. "Oh, I think you'll get your chance. Feel up to answering a few questions from the detectives involved in solving the robbery?"

"I'll do my best," Sandra said, rubbing her aching head.

But those questions were going to have to wait as a nurse and orderly came to take Sandra to her room. As they did that, Calleigh took Sandra's cell and, after receiving instructions from Sandra, went to place the call to her district manager.

It didn't take Calleigh long to explain the problem and the situation to the district manager, who was very sympathetic, concerned about Sandra, and promised to come by the hospital as well as getting Sandra's girls the change they needed for the store. As she was talking to the district manager, she saw a familiar Hummer pull up to the hospital. It was Horatio and he had a pleased smirk on his face.

"Okay, what did you do and where did you go?" Calleigh asked, literally pouncing on him after she hung up.

He took his hand out of his pocket and showed her the small blue box. Inside was a 0.23 carat round-cut diamond on an eighteen K gold band surrounded with alternating brilliant round and baguette diamonds in a channel-bar setting. Next to it was a matching band, minus the center stone. Calleigh's jaw dropped.

"That is beautiful," she said.

"She's going to marry me," he said, "even if I have to haul her over my shoulders and drag her to the nearest justice of peace."

Calleigh grinned. "Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem. She admitted that she had been scared during the bank robbery, mostly because she's was afraid she wouldn't get the chance to tell you how much she loves you."

Horatio perked up at that. "Yeah?"

"Yup. They're keeping her over-night for observation because of the fact that she was nonresponsive for a period of time. She's okay now, but she's got a bit of a headache and they had to put in a few stitches in her forehead," Calleigh said.

"Bet she loved that."

"Said something about yet another scar on her face?"

Horatio smiled tightly and asked, "Did they run an x-ray on her?"

"Nope but they will as soon as she gets settled in. They want to make sure she doesn't have any skull fractures."

"They are going to love her face," he thought. "I hope they don't ask too many questions, especially ones she can't answer." "What room is she in?" he asked.

She told him and asked, "Want me to have someone bring the Hummer to the hospital for you?"

"Please. I believe her truck is still in the parking lot as well."

"I'll get her keys and take care of that. Also, tell her that her district manager will be by later and knows what happened at the bank," she said, handing him Sandra's cell phone.

"Thank you, Calleigh."

"Not a problem. Now, go take care of Sandra and I'll take care of the vehicles."

Sandra's face lit up when she saw Horatio enter the room. She was in a semi-private room but was the only occupant for now and had been placed next to the window.

Her hand reached out for him and he grasped it tightly, wincing at the sight of the bandage on her forehead, near her hairline. "Hi there, Handsome," she said.

"Hi Beautiful, how are you holding?" he asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside the bed, not letting go of her hand.

"Head hurts but the doc says I'll be okay; just wants to keep me over-night to make sure I didn't rattle anything too hard." She gave him a slightly loopy grin. "As you can tell, I'm a bit stoned."

"That's okay; that's the one time you're allowed to be stoned in front of an officer of the law," he quipped, grinning. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"So am I." She turned on her side and studied him. "One thing I realized while all that shit was going on, I realized I hadn't told you I love you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

He smiled at that and moved closer so that he could rest his head against hers. "I love you too, sweetheart."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. When I saw you lying on that stretcher, I was afraid I was going to lose you. I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

"You won't, not if I can help it," she whispered back.

"And I know just how to make sure of that," he whispered, reaching for the little blue box he'd put back in his jacket pocket. "Marry me," he said, opening the box.

He watched as Sandra's jaw dropped. Her mouth worked a few times but no sound came out of it. Finally she managed to squeak out, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm very sure. I want you with me for the rest of our lives."

It was a bit of a shock for Sandra, something she had never even considered because she was reluctant to, but she knew there could only be one answer.

"How fast can we do it?" she asked, grinning.

He grinned back. "As fast as the law allows."

"Then lets do it."

"Yeah?" he asked as he carefully slipped the engagement ring on her left hand.

"Yeah, 'cause after today, if you think I'm letting you go too far, especially when I could've lost you, think again," she whispered, admiring the ring. "I love you so damn much it's unreal."

"That's good to know; I love you too, now and forever," he whispered back before kissing her.

"Forever."

When the orderly came in to take Sandra down to X-Ray, he stopped when he saw the couple and then quietly backed out of the room with a grin on his face. They either never saw him or never heard him because neither of them looked up at him, absorbed in each other as they were.

"I think I'll give the love birds a few minutes," he told the charge nurse, still grinning.