"But how could I forget thee? Through what power,
Even for the least division of an hour."
William Wordsworth
***
Horatio was pressed against the side of the warehouse, waiting for the gang. The warehouse was the perfect spot to delay things until Calleigh arrived with the troops, but he wanted to be sure the gang saw him. He had to keep them too occupied to wonder about Zack and Ben. Horatio himself knew where they were, hiding behind a dumpster at a building on the other side of the intersection. At all costs, he had to lead the gang toward him. He only hoped that Zack's responsibility to Ben would outweigh his impulsiveness.
Here they came, several cars swarming down the street, homing in on the Pinto. Horatio looked at his watch, gauging time, then deliberately slipped through the door into the warehouse and let it bang shut behind him. He paused long enough to peer back through the gap, making sure that they had seen the movement. Once he was sure they were coming, he melted into the shadows. The warehouse was lit only by the setting sun through skylights at this point, and that light wouldn't last much longer.
They poured through the door, trying to look pugnacious and cautious at the same time. Twelve, he counted. Most with guns.
"You sure they came this way?" Horatio deliberately tripped over a box, and the crash echoed through the steel building.
"Split up," the leader commanded. "Come from each side, and pin `em between us. And you, find the back door. They ain't getting out of here alive."
Horatio flattened himself against a crate. Perfect. Dividing them up would make them that much easier to pick off. He heard the first one coming now. The gang member never knew what hit him. Horatio relieved him of his gun, then vanished into the shadows again. Drug gangs were used to frontal assaults. Drive-by shootings, face-to-face battle with other gangs. It was the main reason he had chosen this place. The maze would throw them off their routine. Two members down, ten left. Three down. He had just hit the fourth when his luck began to run out.
"There they are!" A shot whined through the space where Horatio had been a second earlier, hitting a crate, sending wood chips flying. Horatio scrambled around the next corner, low to the ground, and then went up, climbing the stacks, getting above eye level. He was suddenly grateful that he was wearing track shoes and sweats. He would hate to do this in a suit. Two of them came by in a rush below him, then stopped, puzzled at his disappearance. For the first time, he used one of the captured guns. Four shots, one through each punk's wrists, and they were writhing on the ground, out of commission. In the distance, he heard sirens. Come on, Cal, he thought. I can't hold the fort alone forever.
The other gang members converged on the shots. With half the gang down, six instead of twelve, it was turning into their kind of battle. At least he had evened the odds a bit. He took out another one before the gang realized he was above them. Then, all five remaining, including the leader, had him in their sights. Nowhere left to run. The sirens had been silenced, and he thanked whichever member of the team had that much presence of mind, to come in softly.
"Horatio Caine," sneered the leader. "Heard quite a bit about you."
"Chaz could tell you a few things," said Horatio calmly. He didn't shoot. There was no way he could take out five of them before they got him. The only solution was to stall for time now.
"Chaz is a loser. He made mistakes."
"Mistakes like writing down all his secrets in a notebook." Horatio took it out of his pocket, toying with it, ruffling the pages. "People really should know better."
"Give it to me." Behind the gang, the door slid silently open. Adele, Tripp, Calleigh of course. They were all here, bless them. Horatio continued fiddling with the notebook, keeping their eyes front, as the team fanned out behind.
"I'm sure you'll get a chance to see it again," he said. "The defense is always provided with a copy of the evidence."
"Freeze!" Five guns pressed against five heads, and the gang froze, bewildered, as one man suddenly turned into a whole swarm of cops. Horatio held his position, covering them, until all of the cuffs had clicked into place.
"Seven more down, Tripp. We'll need ambulances." He pocketed his stolen gun and slipped nimbly down the box stacks, reaching ground level half a second before Calleigh reached him. She latched onto him so fiercely that she nearly knocked him over, squeezing the breath out of him, then backing off only long enough to run her hands over his body, feeling for herself that it was intact. He flinched as she hit the right arm, and she ran one hand gently along the bandage, then wrapped both arms around him again, burying herself against him.
"It's okay, Cal." He squeezed her back, letting her feel the strength in him. "It's okay."
She straightened up, pushing away from him a bit but not letting him go. She wondered if she would ever let him go. "Where have you been?" The rest of the team was converging on him now, all asking the same question with their eyes. Even Alexx was here.
"It's a long story, and it's getting dark. Why don't we get the gang taken care of, then head back for CSI. I'll tell all of you at once." He suddenly came to attention himself, backing away from Calleigh. "I totally forgot the boys. Hang on a second." He trotted to the door, all of them following him. "Zack! Ben! Come on out, it's okay." They came slowly, eyeing the police warily, but wanting to see for themselves that Horatio was fine. They had heard the guns.
"Are you okay, H?" Ben attached himself to his free arm, the one Calleigh wasn't holding.
"Fine. Everything's fine now."
"Who. . . " Speed started, and Horatio shut him off with a gesture.
"Like I said, it's a long story. Let's head for the lab."
***
"So I called Calleigh. And the rest you know." Silence reigned for a minute as the story soaked in. They were all in Horatio's office, him behind the desk, where he belonged, Calleigh sitting on the arm of his chair, the others scattered around the room.
Calleigh broke the silence. "I am never going to let you go off jogging without ID again."
"I think I'm going to start taking my gun with me," said Horatio with a grin. "You never know what might happen. Dangerous thing, jogging. Maybe we'd better stick to crime scene investigation."
Alexx hadn't said a word during the whole story, but now she stood up, coming around the other side of his desk, the one Calleigh wasn't on. She ran her fingers lightly through his hair, finding the sore spot, and he flinched slightly. Then, she ran her hands forward, feeling along the old scar and the surgical site a few inches behind it. "I'm fine, Alexx," Horatio protested. He tried to pull away, but Calleigh blocked him from the other side, pinning him between them. "Really. I didn't even have a headache except for the first hour or so." Alexx shifted her attention to his right arm, carefully removing the bandage, then staring at what was underneath.
"You taped it together?" The ME's voice was so intensely quiet it spoke volumes.
"I've been a little busy the last two days," Horatio started, and Ben spoke up from the couch.
"It was my fault. I told him not to go to the hospital. Or the cops."
Alexx carefully peeled the tape circles away and eyed the knife cut. It really did look worse today, Horatio thought, studying it himself. Freed of the tape, it split back apart, and the edges were inflamed and ugly looking. Alexx placed a hand on his arm, feeling the heat in it, then on his forehead. "You haven't got a fever, but it's definitely inflamed locally. You really need to get this tended to and stitched up. And I do think you need to be checked for the head injury, too."
Horatio started to speak, and Calleigh cut him off. "No arguments. Are you going on your own, or do we have to arrest you?" He smiled at her as he stood up.
"You are gorgeous when you're determined, you know that?" She tried to prevent his smile from disarming her but couldn't. Not that he would change her mind.
"I think I'll head home," said Speed, standing up and stretching. "This has been one hell of a weekend."
"Thank you for everything," said Horatio. "All of you. Now, let's all head home."
"You're going to the ER," said Calleigh firmly.
"One other thing," said Horatio, as his eyes rested on Ben and Zack. "Someone needs to call Child Protective Services to report finding two runaways."
Zack stared at him with hopeless, tired defiance. "I hate you," he said, but his tone was soft.
"No, you don't," said Horatio. "I'll be seeing you around, Zack. You, too, Ben."
Ben stood up. "I don't hate you," he said, wrapping both arms around Horatio. "Thanks, H." Horatio squeezed him back, and after a minute, Zack stood up and joined them in a 3-cornered hug.
***
The ER doctor carefully studied Horatio's eyes with his penlight, then switched it off. "I don't think any real damage was done," he said, addressing Calleigh. "The impact was a good four inches from the old surgery site. Thankfully. But if I were you," he said, switching his medical glare to Horatio, "I'd avoid getting hit on the head."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Horatio. "Sounds like good advice, in fact."
"I would like to get an MRI, just to make sure everything is stable, but unfortunately, we're still on emergency status, and the generators can only run so much. The MRI machine isn't operational. Power should come back on tomorrow, they say." He addressed Calleigh again. "Do you think you could bring him back tomorrow afternoon for an MRI? Assuming that the power is on, of course."
"He'll be here."
"Meanwhile, he should take it easy. And keep an eye on him."
"I will," she promised. She might never let him out of her sight again.
"Now, about the knife cut," he said, "there's definitely localized infection starting there. We'll give him a shot now, and I want to start antibiotics. It should have been flushed out and stitched two days ago," he said disapprovingly. "We'll get it sewed up and check that again tomorrow afternoon, too. And for tonight, I want you to go home and go to bed."
Going home, Horatio thought. It sounded like the best idea in the world. He was suddenly exhausted, now that it was all over. Poor Calleigh must be exhausted, too. He smiled at her again, reassuring her with his eyes. She must have gone through hell this weekend.
After the cut had been stitched up, Calleigh and Horatio headed out of the ER together. She was still holding onto him, gripping his unbandaged arm like a lifeline. "Now," she started, and he cut her off.
"I think we should take the doctor's advice."
"Really?" She'd expected arguments, even if mild ones.
"Really. We need to go home and go to bed." The inflection in his voice gave it a totally different meaning, and she forced herself to look away from those dazzling eyes. Otherwise, she would lose all capability of thought.
Alexx stood up as they walked through the waiting room. "How is he?" she asked Calleigh, but Horatio answered himself.
"Fine, like I said."
Alexx raised an eyebrow at Calleigh. "They think everything's okay, but they're going to do an MRI tomorrow after the power gets back on. And they put him on antibiotics for the knife cut. We've got to get the prescription filled at the hospital pharmacy upstairs."
"And you two both need some sleep tonight," said Alexx.
"But maybe something to eat first," said Horatio, who hadn't eaten all day and was finally down to noticing it. Calleigh stiffened up instantly.
"Damn. There isn't anything at the house to eat. I was going to go to the store on Saturday. And what little there is in the fridge will be worthless by now."
"Tell you what," said Alexx, "you kids head on home, and I'll swing by my place and pick up some sandwiches and such, then bring them over."
"Thanks, Alexx," said Calleigh. "I couldn't face the store tonight. We've got to pick up that prescription at the pharmacy, then we'll head home. See you there." Alexx departed on her errand of mercy, and Horatio and Calleigh headed upstairs, then, finally, out to her car. They were silent as she pulled out into traffic. Being together again said everything that needed to be said. Horatio leaned his head back against the headrest, watching the city. Still a darkened city, with only the traffic giving light. He felt like everything was right again, though. The whole world back in order. Calleigh was here. His eyes slowly drifted shut.
She steered the car across the city to their house. It seemed an eternity since they had left it together early yesterday morning. She pulled into the driveway, switched off the headlights, and turned to Horatio. He was sound asleep. She loved him with her eyes for a minute. Even his silhouette in the faint moonlight was handsome. She could feel the tiredness in him, had been aware of it even before he had, and briefly, she considered just letting him stay here. She would stay too, of course, and they could just sleep in the car all night. Better not. She got out of the driver's side and went around, opening the passenger's door. She leaned forward, kissing him softly, drawing a line down his beautiful face. His eyelids fluttered. "Come on, handsome," she said. "We're home, and you're too big for me to carry. Let's go in."
He smiled as his eyes opened. "I could carry you, though." He reached for her, and she skipped back nimbly out of reach.
"No way. If you rip those stitches out, I'm putting them back in myself. Without anesthetic."
He got to his feet and reached for her again, hugging her tightly. "I missed you, Cal."
She let herself settle against him, drawing strength from his presence. "I missed you, too." What an understatement, but it said all that needed to be said, somehow. She leaned against him. Maybe they could spend the night standing here together in the driveway. Reluctantly, she broke away after a minute. "Come on, Horatio," she said. Hand in hand, they went up the walk to the door and entered the house together.
"About time. I thought you were never coming home," said Hagen from the darkness.
***
A match flared briefly, and then a candle flickered into life. Hagen was framed on the far edge of the wavering golden circle. Horatio, after one second's surprise, slowly swung the door closed behind them, but did not push it to. He left about a six inch gap. "Hagen, what a surprise," he said, almost as if he had encountered him at a social function. "What are you doing out?"
Hagen was rocked. "You didn't know I'd escaped?"
"Damn it," said Calleigh, "I knew I was forgetting to tell you something."
"No, I had no idea. When did you escape?" asked Horatio amiably.
"Friday night, just after the blackout," he responded. "So all this weekend, while you've been plotting your testimony, thinking how you were going to put me away for good, I was already out."
"I hate to disappoint you, Hagen, but honestly, you haven't even crossed my mind once the last two days." Calleigh snickered, and Hagen felt the old familiar rage rising in his throat. Damn it, these two never had taken him seriously.
He lifted his arm, and the gun glinted in the candlelight. "Well, you're going to notice me now. You're not going to testify, Horatio. Hold it!" Calleigh had slipped one hand surreptitiously toward her pocket, and Hagen caught the movement.
"It's not a gun, just a cell phone," she said. Too bad. Horatio had a point. Maybe she should start carrying her gun all the time, too.
"Take it out slowly, without opening it, and put it on the counter there." He pulled the hammer back for emphasis, and the click echoed coldly in the room. Calleigh slowly crossed over to the counter, and Horatio went with her, sticking close. Hagen turned to keep the gun trained on them.
"Now," he said, after she had put the phone on the counter. "So, you're married now. Well, I hope you took your vows seriously. Especially that part about till death do us part." Calleigh looked around surreptitiously, trying to spot any weapon, form any plan, and Horatio squeezed her hand reassuringly. She met his eyes, and his head tilted about half a degree toward the door, which was now behind Hagen since he had turned. Calleigh followed his thought and saw the door standing slightly open. Alexx, she thought suddenly, and Horatio's eyes caught hers, confirming the thought. Stall for time. Hagen would never shoot them abruptly, anyway. He would want them to feel the nails in the coffin first. He wanted recognition, acknowledgement.
"You'll go to the chair for this, you know," said Horatio, and Hagen's eyes glittered dangerously in the candlelight.
"I'm counting on it. My life is over anyway. You didn't even leave me enough to make a deal."
"Sorry," said Horatio.
"You don't know what prison's like, Horatio. I'm not serving a long sentence. I'd rather die." He raised the gun. "And this way, I get revenge, too."
"What did I ever do to you?" asked Calleigh. She understood his grudge against Horatio, but her?
"You ignored me. You little independent minx! You don't need any man, do you? I wonder how you stand her, Horatio."
The door swung open silently, and Alexx stood there, a sack in one hand, a carton of bottled water in the other. She sized up the situation instantly, silently set the sack down, and gripped the water with both hands. With clinical detachment, she eyed the back of Hagen's head, selecting the best point of impact.
"You've got it wrong, Hagen," said Horatio. "She just didn't need you." Hagen's hand came up as Alexx's came down. He crumpled to the ground as Horatio and Calleigh dodged instinctively, but the gun did not fire. The next instant, they had him, Calleigh kneeling on his back, grabbing the gun, while Horatio removed the curtain ties from the window and roped his hands behind him securely. Then they both looked up at the unflappable ME. She had picked back up the sack of sandwiches. "Good to see you, Alexx," said Horatio.
"Nice to know I'm welcome," she replied. "Did anyone call 911 yet?"
"We were waiting for you," said Calleigh. "Phone's on the counter." Alexx crossed the room, and Horatio and Calleigh, on either side of Hagen, leaned across him for a quick reassuring kiss.
"Calleigh, tell me one thing," said Horatio as they parted.
"Sure, what's that?"
"Is there anything else that's happened this weekend that I need to know about?"
She smiled at him. "Nope. I think all the loose ends are tied up." She studied the knots he had tied admiringly.
Hagen stirred beneath them, and they rolled him over, letting him sit up. "What the hell?" His eyes traveled from one to the other of them, puzzled. "Who hit me?"
"Alexx," said Horatio. Alexx, on the phone, looked over and smiled at the introduction, her teeth flashing in the candlelight. "You just can't win, can you, Hagen? This ought to add some years on your sentence." He flinched internally at the venom in the other man's eyes, but his own held steady. It was Hagen's eyes that fell first. They waited for the police in silence.
***
Horatio, Calleigh, and Alexx sat around the table, finishing sandwiches. "Thank you again, Alexx," said Calleigh.
"Any time," she replied. "I'd better be getting back home, if you two are sure you're safe here alone."
"I think we've encountered our quota of bad guys for the day," said Horatio. Alexx smiled at him, then came across and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"I'm glad you're back, Horatio. Take care of him, Calleigh."
"I will," she vowed. Alexx left, and the two of them sat there in exhausted silence for a minute.
"Not exactly the relaxing weekend I'd planned," said Calleigh finally.
"You got what you wanted." She looked up at him, surprised. "You wanted to take my mind off the case. Like I told Hagen, I hadn't thought of him once all weekend." His eyes smiled at hers across the table, then went distant slightly. "His trial starts Tuesday."
"No," said Calleigh firmly.
"I'm fine, Cal. And I'd rather get it over with."
"We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow." They sat there a while longer. Almost too much effort to get up and go to bed. Horatio finally stood up.
"If I don't haul myself to bed now, I don't think I'll make it."
"Me either." She pried herself out of her chair and joined him, picking up the flashlights, blowing out the candle. They started down the hall together, but the phone rang. "Go on, I'll get it." She turned back, finding the phone by feel. "Hello?"
"Calleigh, it's Eric."
"Hi, Eric."
"Look, I know it's 2:00 AM, but I just wanted to tell you, I got a call just now from the police. They found my stuff. Including the gold medal."
Calleigh smiled to herself in the dark. "That's great, Eric. I'm glad you've got it back."
"Yeah, me too. Tell H for me, will you?"
"I will. He'll be happy for you."
"Is he okay? What'd the doctor say?"
"He's fine, we think. Just needs some antibiotics and some rest. They're going to do an MRI when the power comes back on, too, but that's just making sure. They think he's okay."
"Great." Silence lengthened for a second. "So everything's okay?" His tone made it a question.
"Everything's okay, Eric. Get some sleep yourself."
"Right. Good night, Calleigh."
"Good night, Eric."
She found her way down the hall into the bedroom. Horatio was stretched out flat on the bed, still fully clothed, dead to the world. She just stood there admiring him for a moment, reassuring herself of his presence. Yes, everything was okay. She crossed to the bed and removed his shoes, then gently undressed him. He never stirred, the only movement his deep, rhythmic breathing. She tucked him in, pulling the sheet over him, then undressed herself and rolled in beside him. Her body craved sleep, but she wanted to watch him a little longer. She snuggled down against him, spooning her body against his, resting in the contact. She had him back. This eternal weekend was over.
Horatio shifted slightly as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tightly against her. "I didn't forget you," he said distantly, without opening his eyes.
"What?" She kissed him gently.
"I didn't forget you. I only forgot your name. I could never forget you." She buried her head in his chest, holding him tightly, listening to the even, reassuring beat of his heart. "Horatio," she said softly, not calling him, just claiming him. He didn't move again. She held herself awake as long as she could, wanting to hold him while he slept, and she never was sure at what point the reality changed into the dream, or if the two were, in fact, the same.
Even for the least division of an hour."
William Wordsworth
***
Horatio was pressed against the side of the warehouse, waiting for the gang. The warehouse was the perfect spot to delay things until Calleigh arrived with the troops, but he wanted to be sure the gang saw him. He had to keep them too occupied to wonder about Zack and Ben. Horatio himself knew where they were, hiding behind a dumpster at a building on the other side of the intersection. At all costs, he had to lead the gang toward him. He only hoped that Zack's responsibility to Ben would outweigh his impulsiveness.
Here they came, several cars swarming down the street, homing in on the Pinto. Horatio looked at his watch, gauging time, then deliberately slipped through the door into the warehouse and let it bang shut behind him. He paused long enough to peer back through the gap, making sure that they had seen the movement. Once he was sure they were coming, he melted into the shadows. The warehouse was lit only by the setting sun through skylights at this point, and that light wouldn't last much longer.
They poured through the door, trying to look pugnacious and cautious at the same time. Twelve, he counted. Most with guns.
"You sure they came this way?" Horatio deliberately tripped over a box, and the crash echoed through the steel building.
"Split up," the leader commanded. "Come from each side, and pin `em between us. And you, find the back door. They ain't getting out of here alive."
Horatio flattened himself against a crate. Perfect. Dividing them up would make them that much easier to pick off. He heard the first one coming now. The gang member never knew what hit him. Horatio relieved him of his gun, then vanished into the shadows again. Drug gangs were used to frontal assaults. Drive-by shootings, face-to-face battle with other gangs. It was the main reason he had chosen this place. The maze would throw them off their routine. Two members down, ten left. Three down. He had just hit the fourth when his luck began to run out.
"There they are!" A shot whined through the space where Horatio had been a second earlier, hitting a crate, sending wood chips flying. Horatio scrambled around the next corner, low to the ground, and then went up, climbing the stacks, getting above eye level. He was suddenly grateful that he was wearing track shoes and sweats. He would hate to do this in a suit. Two of them came by in a rush below him, then stopped, puzzled at his disappearance. For the first time, he used one of the captured guns. Four shots, one through each punk's wrists, and they were writhing on the ground, out of commission. In the distance, he heard sirens. Come on, Cal, he thought. I can't hold the fort alone forever.
The other gang members converged on the shots. With half the gang down, six instead of twelve, it was turning into their kind of battle. At least he had evened the odds a bit. He took out another one before the gang realized he was above them. Then, all five remaining, including the leader, had him in their sights. Nowhere left to run. The sirens had been silenced, and he thanked whichever member of the team had that much presence of mind, to come in softly.
"Horatio Caine," sneered the leader. "Heard quite a bit about you."
"Chaz could tell you a few things," said Horatio calmly. He didn't shoot. There was no way he could take out five of them before they got him. The only solution was to stall for time now.
"Chaz is a loser. He made mistakes."
"Mistakes like writing down all his secrets in a notebook." Horatio took it out of his pocket, toying with it, ruffling the pages. "People really should know better."
"Give it to me." Behind the gang, the door slid silently open. Adele, Tripp, Calleigh of course. They were all here, bless them. Horatio continued fiddling with the notebook, keeping their eyes front, as the team fanned out behind.
"I'm sure you'll get a chance to see it again," he said. "The defense is always provided with a copy of the evidence."
"Freeze!" Five guns pressed against five heads, and the gang froze, bewildered, as one man suddenly turned into a whole swarm of cops. Horatio held his position, covering them, until all of the cuffs had clicked into place.
"Seven more down, Tripp. We'll need ambulances." He pocketed his stolen gun and slipped nimbly down the box stacks, reaching ground level half a second before Calleigh reached him. She latched onto him so fiercely that she nearly knocked him over, squeezing the breath out of him, then backing off only long enough to run her hands over his body, feeling for herself that it was intact. He flinched as she hit the right arm, and she ran one hand gently along the bandage, then wrapped both arms around him again, burying herself against him.
"It's okay, Cal." He squeezed her back, letting her feel the strength in him. "It's okay."
She straightened up, pushing away from him a bit but not letting him go. She wondered if she would ever let him go. "Where have you been?" The rest of the team was converging on him now, all asking the same question with their eyes. Even Alexx was here.
"It's a long story, and it's getting dark. Why don't we get the gang taken care of, then head back for CSI. I'll tell all of you at once." He suddenly came to attention himself, backing away from Calleigh. "I totally forgot the boys. Hang on a second." He trotted to the door, all of them following him. "Zack! Ben! Come on out, it's okay." They came slowly, eyeing the police warily, but wanting to see for themselves that Horatio was fine. They had heard the guns.
"Are you okay, H?" Ben attached himself to his free arm, the one Calleigh wasn't holding.
"Fine. Everything's fine now."
"Who. . . " Speed started, and Horatio shut him off with a gesture.
"Like I said, it's a long story. Let's head for the lab."
***
"So I called Calleigh. And the rest you know." Silence reigned for a minute as the story soaked in. They were all in Horatio's office, him behind the desk, where he belonged, Calleigh sitting on the arm of his chair, the others scattered around the room.
Calleigh broke the silence. "I am never going to let you go off jogging without ID again."
"I think I'm going to start taking my gun with me," said Horatio with a grin. "You never know what might happen. Dangerous thing, jogging. Maybe we'd better stick to crime scene investigation."
Alexx hadn't said a word during the whole story, but now she stood up, coming around the other side of his desk, the one Calleigh wasn't on. She ran her fingers lightly through his hair, finding the sore spot, and he flinched slightly. Then, she ran her hands forward, feeling along the old scar and the surgical site a few inches behind it. "I'm fine, Alexx," Horatio protested. He tried to pull away, but Calleigh blocked him from the other side, pinning him between them. "Really. I didn't even have a headache except for the first hour or so." Alexx shifted her attention to his right arm, carefully removing the bandage, then staring at what was underneath.
"You taped it together?" The ME's voice was so intensely quiet it spoke volumes.
"I've been a little busy the last two days," Horatio started, and Ben spoke up from the couch.
"It was my fault. I told him not to go to the hospital. Or the cops."
Alexx carefully peeled the tape circles away and eyed the knife cut. It really did look worse today, Horatio thought, studying it himself. Freed of the tape, it split back apart, and the edges were inflamed and ugly looking. Alexx placed a hand on his arm, feeling the heat in it, then on his forehead. "You haven't got a fever, but it's definitely inflamed locally. You really need to get this tended to and stitched up. And I do think you need to be checked for the head injury, too."
Horatio started to speak, and Calleigh cut him off. "No arguments. Are you going on your own, or do we have to arrest you?" He smiled at her as he stood up.
"You are gorgeous when you're determined, you know that?" She tried to prevent his smile from disarming her but couldn't. Not that he would change her mind.
"I think I'll head home," said Speed, standing up and stretching. "This has been one hell of a weekend."
"Thank you for everything," said Horatio. "All of you. Now, let's all head home."
"You're going to the ER," said Calleigh firmly.
"One other thing," said Horatio, as his eyes rested on Ben and Zack. "Someone needs to call Child Protective Services to report finding two runaways."
Zack stared at him with hopeless, tired defiance. "I hate you," he said, but his tone was soft.
"No, you don't," said Horatio. "I'll be seeing you around, Zack. You, too, Ben."
Ben stood up. "I don't hate you," he said, wrapping both arms around Horatio. "Thanks, H." Horatio squeezed him back, and after a minute, Zack stood up and joined them in a 3-cornered hug.
***
The ER doctor carefully studied Horatio's eyes with his penlight, then switched it off. "I don't think any real damage was done," he said, addressing Calleigh. "The impact was a good four inches from the old surgery site. Thankfully. But if I were you," he said, switching his medical glare to Horatio, "I'd avoid getting hit on the head."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Horatio. "Sounds like good advice, in fact."
"I would like to get an MRI, just to make sure everything is stable, but unfortunately, we're still on emergency status, and the generators can only run so much. The MRI machine isn't operational. Power should come back on tomorrow, they say." He addressed Calleigh again. "Do you think you could bring him back tomorrow afternoon for an MRI? Assuming that the power is on, of course."
"He'll be here."
"Meanwhile, he should take it easy. And keep an eye on him."
"I will," she promised. She might never let him out of her sight again.
"Now, about the knife cut," he said, "there's definitely localized infection starting there. We'll give him a shot now, and I want to start antibiotics. It should have been flushed out and stitched two days ago," he said disapprovingly. "We'll get it sewed up and check that again tomorrow afternoon, too. And for tonight, I want you to go home and go to bed."
Going home, Horatio thought. It sounded like the best idea in the world. He was suddenly exhausted, now that it was all over. Poor Calleigh must be exhausted, too. He smiled at her again, reassuring her with his eyes. She must have gone through hell this weekend.
After the cut had been stitched up, Calleigh and Horatio headed out of the ER together. She was still holding onto him, gripping his unbandaged arm like a lifeline. "Now," she started, and he cut her off.
"I think we should take the doctor's advice."
"Really?" She'd expected arguments, even if mild ones.
"Really. We need to go home and go to bed." The inflection in his voice gave it a totally different meaning, and she forced herself to look away from those dazzling eyes. Otherwise, she would lose all capability of thought.
Alexx stood up as they walked through the waiting room. "How is he?" she asked Calleigh, but Horatio answered himself.
"Fine, like I said."
Alexx raised an eyebrow at Calleigh. "They think everything's okay, but they're going to do an MRI tomorrow after the power gets back on. And they put him on antibiotics for the knife cut. We've got to get the prescription filled at the hospital pharmacy upstairs."
"And you two both need some sleep tonight," said Alexx.
"But maybe something to eat first," said Horatio, who hadn't eaten all day and was finally down to noticing it. Calleigh stiffened up instantly.
"Damn. There isn't anything at the house to eat. I was going to go to the store on Saturday. And what little there is in the fridge will be worthless by now."
"Tell you what," said Alexx, "you kids head on home, and I'll swing by my place and pick up some sandwiches and such, then bring them over."
"Thanks, Alexx," said Calleigh. "I couldn't face the store tonight. We've got to pick up that prescription at the pharmacy, then we'll head home. See you there." Alexx departed on her errand of mercy, and Horatio and Calleigh headed upstairs, then, finally, out to her car. They were silent as she pulled out into traffic. Being together again said everything that needed to be said. Horatio leaned his head back against the headrest, watching the city. Still a darkened city, with only the traffic giving light. He felt like everything was right again, though. The whole world back in order. Calleigh was here. His eyes slowly drifted shut.
She steered the car across the city to their house. It seemed an eternity since they had left it together early yesterday morning. She pulled into the driveway, switched off the headlights, and turned to Horatio. He was sound asleep. She loved him with her eyes for a minute. Even his silhouette in the faint moonlight was handsome. She could feel the tiredness in him, had been aware of it even before he had, and briefly, she considered just letting him stay here. She would stay too, of course, and they could just sleep in the car all night. Better not. She got out of the driver's side and went around, opening the passenger's door. She leaned forward, kissing him softly, drawing a line down his beautiful face. His eyelids fluttered. "Come on, handsome," she said. "We're home, and you're too big for me to carry. Let's go in."
He smiled as his eyes opened. "I could carry you, though." He reached for her, and she skipped back nimbly out of reach.
"No way. If you rip those stitches out, I'm putting them back in myself. Without anesthetic."
He got to his feet and reached for her again, hugging her tightly. "I missed you, Cal."
She let herself settle against him, drawing strength from his presence. "I missed you, too." What an understatement, but it said all that needed to be said, somehow. She leaned against him. Maybe they could spend the night standing here together in the driveway. Reluctantly, she broke away after a minute. "Come on, Horatio," she said. Hand in hand, they went up the walk to the door and entered the house together.
"About time. I thought you were never coming home," said Hagen from the darkness.
***
A match flared briefly, and then a candle flickered into life. Hagen was framed on the far edge of the wavering golden circle. Horatio, after one second's surprise, slowly swung the door closed behind them, but did not push it to. He left about a six inch gap. "Hagen, what a surprise," he said, almost as if he had encountered him at a social function. "What are you doing out?"
Hagen was rocked. "You didn't know I'd escaped?"
"Damn it," said Calleigh, "I knew I was forgetting to tell you something."
"No, I had no idea. When did you escape?" asked Horatio amiably.
"Friday night, just after the blackout," he responded. "So all this weekend, while you've been plotting your testimony, thinking how you were going to put me away for good, I was already out."
"I hate to disappoint you, Hagen, but honestly, you haven't even crossed my mind once the last two days." Calleigh snickered, and Hagen felt the old familiar rage rising in his throat. Damn it, these two never had taken him seriously.
He lifted his arm, and the gun glinted in the candlelight. "Well, you're going to notice me now. You're not going to testify, Horatio. Hold it!" Calleigh had slipped one hand surreptitiously toward her pocket, and Hagen caught the movement.
"It's not a gun, just a cell phone," she said. Too bad. Horatio had a point. Maybe she should start carrying her gun all the time, too.
"Take it out slowly, without opening it, and put it on the counter there." He pulled the hammer back for emphasis, and the click echoed coldly in the room. Calleigh slowly crossed over to the counter, and Horatio went with her, sticking close. Hagen turned to keep the gun trained on them.
"Now," he said, after she had put the phone on the counter. "So, you're married now. Well, I hope you took your vows seriously. Especially that part about till death do us part." Calleigh looked around surreptitiously, trying to spot any weapon, form any plan, and Horatio squeezed her hand reassuringly. She met his eyes, and his head tilted about half a degree toward the door, which was now behind Hagen since he had turned. Calleigh followed his thought and saw the door standing slightly open. Alexx, she thought suddenly, and Horatio's eyes caught hers, confirming the thought. Stall for time. Hagen would never shoot them abruptly, anyway. He would want them to feel the nails in the coffin first. He wanted recognition, acknowledgement.
"You'll go to the chair for this, you know," said Horatio, and Hagen's eyes glittered dangerously in the candlelight.
"I'm counting on it. My life is over anyway. You didn't even leave me enough to make a deal."
"Sorry," said Horatio.
"You don't know what prison's like, Horatio. I'm not serving a long sentence. I'd rather die." He raised the gun. "And this way, I get revenge, too."
"What did I ever do to you?" asked Calleigh. She understood his grudge against Horatio, but her?
"You ignored me. You little independent minx! You don't need any man, do you? I wonder how you stand her, Horatio."
The door swung open silently, and Alexx stood there, a sack in one hand, a carton of bottled water in the other. She sized up the situation instantly, silently set the sack down, and gripped the water with both hands. With clinical detachment, she eyed the back of Hagen's head, selecting the best point of impact.
"You've got it wrong, Hagen," said Horatio. "She just didn't need you." Hagen's hand came up as Alexx's came down. He crumpled to the ground as Horatio and Calleigh dodged instinctively, but the gun did not fire. The next instant, they had him, Calleigh kneeling on his back, grabbing the gun, while Horatio removed the curtain ties from the window and roped his hands behind him securely. Then they both looked up at the unflappable ME. She had picked back up the sack of sandwiches. "Good to see you, Alexx," said Horatio.
"Nice to know I'm welcome," she replied. "Did anyone call 911 yet?"
"We were waiting for you," said Calleigh. "Phone's on the counter." Alexx crossed the room, and Horatio and Calleigh, on either side of Hagen, leaned across him for a quick reassuring kiss.
"Calleigh, tell me one thing," said Horatio as they parted.
"Sure, what's that?"
"Is there anything else that's happened this weekend that I need to know about?"
She smiled at him. "Nope. I think all the loose ends are tied up." She studied the knots he had tied admiringly.
Hagen stirred beneath them, and they rolled him over, letting him sit up. "What the hell?" His eyes traveled from one to the other of them, puzzled. "Who hit me?"
"Alexx," said Horatio. Alexx, on the phone, looked over and smiled at the introduction, her teeth flashing in the candlelight. "You just can't win, can you, Hagen? This ought to add some years on your sentence." He flinched internally at the venom in the other man's eyes, but his own held steady. It was Hagen's eyes that fell first. They waited for the police in silence.
***
Horatio, Calleigh, and Alexx sat around the table, finishing sandwiches. "Thank you again, Alexx," said Calleigh.
"Any time," she replied. "I'd better be getting back home, if you two are sure you're safe here alone."
"I think we've encountered our quota of bad guys for the day," said Horatio. Alexx smiled at him, then came across and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"I'm glad you're back, Horatio. Take care of him, Calleigh."
"I will," she vowed. Alexx left, and the two of them sat there in exhausted silence for a minute.
"Not exactly the relaxing weekend I'd planned," said Calleigh finally.
"You got what you wanted." She looked up at him, surprised. "You wanted to take my mind off the case. Like I told Hagen, I hadn't thought of him once all weekend." His eyes smiled at hers across the table, then went distant slightly. "His trial starts Tuesday."
"No," said Calleigh firmly.
"I'm fine, Cal. And I'd rather get it over with."
"We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow." They sat there a while longer. Almost too much effort to get up and go to bed. Horatio finally stood up.
"If I don't haul myself to bed now, I don't think I'll make it."
"Me either." She pried herself out of her chair and joined him, picking up the flashlights, blowing out the candle. They started down the hall together, but the phone rang. "Go on, I'll get it." She turned back, finding the phone by feel. "Hello?"
"Calleigh, it's Eric."
"Hi, Eric."
"Look, I know it's 2:00 AM, but I just wanted to tell you, I got a call just now from the police. They found my stuff. Including the gold medal."
Calleigh smiled to herself in the dark. "That's great, Eric. I'm glad you've got it back."
"Yeah, me too. Tell H for me, will you?"
"I will. He'll be happy for you."
"Is he okay? What'd the doctor say?"
"He's fine, we think. Just needs some antibiotics and some rest. They're going to do an MRI when the power comes back on, too, but that's just making sure. They think he's okay."
"Great." Silence lengthened for a second. "So everything's okay?" His tone made it a question.
"Everything's okay, Eric. Get some sleep yourself."
"Right. Good night, Calleigh."
"Good night, Eric."
She found her way down the hall into the bedroom. Horatio was stretched out flat on the bed, still fully clothed, dead to the world. She just stood there admiring him for a moment, reassuring herself of his presence. Yes, everything was okay. She crossed to the bed and removed his shoes, then gently undressed him. He never stirred, the only movement his deep, rhythmic breathing. She tucked him in, pulling the sheet over him, then undressed herself and rolled in beside him. Her body craved sleep, but she wanted to watch him a little longer. She snuggled down against him, spooning her body against his, resting in the contact. She had him back. This eternal weekend was over.
Horatio shifted slightly as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tightly against her. "I didn't forget you," he said distantly, without opening his eyes.
"What?" She kissed him gently.
"I didn't forget you. I only forgot your name. I could never forget you." She buried her head in his chest, holding him tightly, listening to the even, reassuring beat of his heart. "Horatio," she said softly, not calling him, just claiming him. He didn't move again. She held herself awake as long as she could, wanting to hold him while he slept, and she never was sure at what point the reality changed into the dream, or if the two were, in fact, the same.