Butterflies
Pairing- Speed/Calleigh
Rating- R
Disclaimer- I love Calleigh and Speed but I don't own them: I'm just
playing with them for a little while!
Spoilers- small reference to Double Cap in last chapter
It was only 8 in the morning in Miami--the clear blue sky held the promise of a hot day to come. Calleigh Duquesne and Tim Speedle were both feeling a bit over-dressed for the weather as they walked toward the crime scene of their newest case. Calleigh sighed inwardly, wishing that she were on the beach reading a book and drinking iced tea.
"People shouldn't be made to work on days like these," she said to Tim. He grinned at her.
"If that were the case, we'd never have to work, Cal!"
"Good point. I guess I'm just in a funny mood today--work is the last place I want to be." Calleigh said wistfully. She was glad to be working with Speed, they bounced off each other really well but when Horatio had gone over the case file with her this morning she knew it was going to be long one.
" I can understand that," Tim replied, "especially when it's a case like this one." Both of them were mentally preparing themselves for what lay ahead. They knew their case involved a pregnant woman who had been found unconscious, her nearly full-term fetus surgically removed and nowhere to be found. Every case was difficult in it's own way but they knew that this one would be especially emotional. Her husband was distraught but was unfortunately also a suspect--Speed and Calleigh would have to investigate all avenues in order to solve this case.
Speed raised the yellow police tape surrounding the crime scene so Calleigh could step under it and then went under himself. Once inside, Speed began photographing the scene, while Calleigh collected blood samples and fingerprints. 30 minutes later they were finished and Tim was more than ready to leave.
He found himself looking at the photographs on the mantle while he waited for Calleigh to pack up her kit. The smiling faces of Ryan and Emma Pratt and their 2-year old daughter looked back at him. He found it amazing how quickly lives could change. These people looked so innocent and were just building a life and a family when the unthinkable happened. None of them could have predicted things turning out this way. Tim silently vowed to find out who did this and hoped that when he did it wouldn't be too late to save the baby.
"You ready?" Calleigh's voice made him jump, as he was brought back to the present. "Tim, are you okay?" She asked, the concern showing in her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Tim said, forcing a smile. "I just can't believe how many sick bastards are walking the streets. We've got to get this one Cal." Calleigh gave his arm a gentle squeeze and smiled at him.
"We've done all we can here, let's go back to the lab and see what we can find, okay? After that, we'll go to the hospital and see if Ryan and Emma are up to some questions." Tim nodded and with one last look at the picture-filled mantle, he led the way out the door.
"Where's the little girl, do we know that?" Tim asked, as they headed out into the sunshine.
"She's staying with her grandparents right now. She was there when it happened but Horatio said it seems as though she was sleeping the entire time. Ryan apparently found her sleeping in her bed when he returned home. Whoever did this did it very quietly--they knew what they were doing and what they wanted. They also had the precision of a qualified surgeon."
"Are you thinking black market?" Tim asked, as he loaded their gear into the back.
"Could be black market, of course. So many people want babies and are willing to pay a bundle for one. It could also be the work of an individual who wanted a baby of their own. Of course the husband is a possibility but so far he's got a solid alibi and Alex said he appeared completely distraught; but you never know these days. There are so many good actors out there posing as ordinary citizens." Calleigh shuddered. "I just can't imagine what that poor woman is going through right now. She was about to give birth and now she's left with no baby and no real answers as to where the baby went."
"No one should have to go through this. I think the big fear here is that whoever did it could strike again. If it is a black market operation then who's to say we aren't going to be investigating more cases just like this one?" At that, Calleigh looked at him sadly and got into the driver's seat, buckling her seatbelt.
"I hope you're wrong about that, Tim. Now let's get outta here--I want to get this stuff to the lab right away and get to the bottom of this one."
The day was a long one for Speed and Calleigh and it didn't bring them any closer to an answer. Calleigh felt like time was not on their side but they were doing all they could with what they had to work with. Horatio had assured her on his way out that she was doing a great job, despite the fact that they were still at a loss to explain what happened to the baby. The evidence just wasn't adding up yet.
She couldn't stop thinking about what it must be like to lose a child like that--losing a child would be hard under any circumstances but to have it stolen from your womb is unimaginable. These thoughts kept pushing her to go through the evidence one more time to find the one clue that was eluding her. She was concentrating so hard on the papers spread out in front of her that she didn't know Tim was in the room until he was standing right in front of her, holding a paper bag in front of her face.
"Hungry?" he asked. Calleigh smiled, happy for a reprieve.
"Definitely! What've you got?"
"Sushi from that place on the corner, I know how much you like the stuff and if you're involved in this case as much as I think you are then you probably skipped dinner." Tim handed her the bag and she dug into it without hesitation.
"You know me well," she said with a grateful grin. "This case has reeled me in and I'm just so frustrated that we haven't got any leads."
"Let's take a break then. You've got sushi and I've got a burger so let's just give this a rest and get our minds off it for awhile." Tim said, opening his own paper bag and taking a bite of his cheeseburger.
"No sushi for you?" Calleigh teased, knowing full well that Tim would rather die than eat sushi. He just rolled his eyes at her. She put the papers she was reading aside and began to eat. "Thanks so much for this Tim, I really needed it."
"My pleasure--this case is a tough one and I figured you'd need a breather, not to mention some food. I know I did." Tim proceeded to down the burger in about 30 seconds flat and then moved onto the fries. Calleigh watched him with amusement. He really was adorable in a scruffy sort of way. Even though she was known to give him a hard time about his somewhat unkempt appearance, it was part of what made him so attractive to her. She had to admit that in his case, she kind of liked it when he had a bit of stubble on his face and sometimes wondered what it would be like to feel it against her skin.
"What?" Tim looked at her quizzically and Calleigh felt a blush rising to her cheeks, not realizing she'd been studying him so intensely.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking I really don't feel like working anymore tonight." Calleigh said, shaking her head.
"Let's get the hell out of here then." He responded with a grin. Calleigh looked around at all of the paperwork she still had to go through and sighed.
"I've got too much to do still, Tim. I wanted to go through everything one more time before I went home."
"Why, so you can go to bed and dream about the case? Those dreams wouldn't be so sweet Calleigh. That's the stuff nightmares are made of, you know. I think it's important that work isn't the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep." Tim said, a very serious look on his face. She knew he was right--some of the stuff they saw on the job was definitely nightmare material.
"It's okay, you know. Sometimes I've had revelations about cases just as I'm drifting off to sleep. I find it's a good time to think." Calleigh tried to reassure him.
"Finish up your food and then I'm taking you somewhere to get your mind off of this." Tim insisted. As much as Calleigh wanted to go wherever he would take her, she knew that she shouldn't do it. Tim saw her look of hesitation. "No way am I going to leave you here to pore over this case for the millionth time--no arguments." He smiled at her and Calleigh felt herself melt inside. She knew she wasn't going to win this one.
"Okay, okay. Where are we going, anyway?"
"That's a surprise. You'll like it, don't worry." Calleigh went to work on her sushi, feeling the butterflies flutter around in her stomach at the thought of spending an evening with Tim. She just wished she knew what he was thinking right now.
TBC...
Pairing- Speed/Calleigh
Rating- R
Disclaimer- I love Calleigh and Speed but I don't own them: I'm just
playing with them for a little while!
Spoilers- small reference to Double Cap in last chapter
It was only 8 in the morning in Miami--the clear blue sky held the promise of a hot day to come. Calleigh Duquesne and Tim Speedle were both feeling a bit over-dressed for the weather as they walked toward the crime scene of their newest case. Calleigh sighed inwardly, wishing that she were on the beach reading a book and drinking iced tea.
"People shouldn't be made to work on days like these," she said to Tim. He grinned at her.
"If that were the case, we'd never have to work, Cal!"
"Good point. I guess I'm just in a funny mood today--work is the last place I want to be." Calleigh said wistfully. She was glad to be working with Speed, they bounced off each other really well but when Horatio had gone over the case file with her this morning she knew it was going to be long one.
" I can understand that," Tim replied, "especially when it's a case like this one." Both of them were mentally preparing themselves for what lay ahead. They knew their case involved a pregnant woman who had been found unconscious, her nearly full-term fetus surgically removed and nowhere to be found. Every case was difficult in it's own way but they knew that this one would be especially emotional. Her husband was distraught but was unfortunately also a suspect--Speed and Calleigh would have to investigate all avenues in order to solve this case.
Speed raised the yellow police tape surrounding the crime scene so Calleigh could step under it and then went under himself. Once inside, Speed began photographing the scene, while Calleigh collected blood samples and fingerprints. 30 minutes later they were finished and Tim was more than ready to leave.
He found himself looking at the photographs on the mantle while he waited for Calleigh to pack up her kit. The smiling faces of Ryan and Emma Pratt and their 2-year old daughter looked back at him. He found it amazing how quickly lives could change. These people looked so innocent and were just building a life and a family when the unthinkable happened. None of them could have predicted things turning out this way. Tim silently vowed to find out who did this and hoped that when he did it wouldn't be too late to save the baby.
"You ready?" Calleigh's voice made him jump, as he was brought back to the present. "Tim, are you okay?" She asked, the concern showing in her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Tim said, forcing a smile. "I just can't believe how many sick bastards are walking the streets. We've got to get this one Cal." Calleigh gave his arm a gentle squeeze and smiled at him.
"We've done all we can here, let's go back to the lab and see what we can find, okay? After that, we'll go to the hospital and see if Ryan and Emma are up to some questions." Tim nodded and with one last look at the picture-filled mantle, he led the way out the door.
"Where's the little girl, do we know that?" Tim asked, as they headed out into the sunshine.
"She's staying with her grandparents right now. She was there when it happened but Horatio said it seems as though she was sleeping the entire time. Ryan apparently found her sleeping in her bed when he returned home. Whoever did this did it very quietly--they knew what they were doing and what they wanted. They also had the precision of a qualified surgeon."
"Are you thinking black market?" Tim asked, as he loaded their gear into the back.
"Could be black market, of course. So many people want babies and are willing to pay a bundle for one. It could also be the work of an individual who wanted a baby of their own. Of course the husband is a possibility but so far he's got a solid alibi and Alex said he appeared completely distraught; but you never know these days. There are so many good actors out there posing as ordinary citizens." Calleigh shuddered. "I just can't imagine what that poor woman is going through right now. She was about to give birth and now she's left with no baby and no real answers as to where the baby went."
"No one should have to go through this. I think the big fear here is that whoever did it could strike again. If it is a black market operation then who's to say we aren't going to be investigating more cases just like this one?" At that, Calleigh looked at him sadly and got into the driver's seat, buckling her seatbelt.
"I hope you're wrong about that, Tim. Now let's get outta here--I want to get this stuff to the lab right away and get to the bottom of this one."
The day was a long one for Speed and Calleigh and it didn't bring them any closer to an answer. Calleigh felt like time was not on their side but they were doing all they could with what they had to work with. Horatio had assured her on his way out that she was doing a great job, despite the fact that they were still at a loss to explain what happened to the baby. The evidence just wasn't adding up yet.
She couldn't stop thinking about what it must be like to lose a child like that--losing a child would be hard under any circumstances but to have it stolen from your womb is unimaginable. These thoughts kept pushing her to go through the evidence one more time to find the one clue that was eluding her. She was concentrating so hard on the papers spread out in front of her that she didn't know Tim was in the room until he was standing right in front of her, holding a paper bag in front of her face.
"Hungry?" he asked. Calleigh smiled, happy for a reprieve.
"Definitely! What've you got?"
"Sushi from that place on the corner, I know how much you like the stuff and if you're involved in this case as much as I think you are then you probably skipped dinner." Tim handed her the bag and she dug into it without hesitation.
"You know me well," she said with a grateful grin. "This case has reeled me in and I'm just so frustrated that we haven't got any leads."
"Let's take a break then. You've got sushi and I've got a burger so let's just give this a rest and get our minds off it for awhile." Tim said, opening his own paper bag and taking a bite of his cheeseburger.
"No sushi for you?" Calleigh teased, knowing full well that Tim would rather die than eat sushi. He just rolled his eyes at her. She put the papers she was reading aside and began to eat. "Thanks so much for this Tim, I really needed it."
"My pleasure--this case is a tough one and I figured you'd need a breather, not to mention some food. I know I did." Tim proceeded to down the burger in about 30 seconds flat and then moved onto the fries. Calleigh watched him with amusement. He really was adorable in a scruffy sort of way. Even though she was known to give him a hard time about his somewhat unkempt appearance, it was part of what made him so attractive to her. She had to admit that in his case, she kind of liked it when he had a bit of stubble on his face and sometimes wondered what it would be like to feel it against her skin.
"What?" Tim looked at her quizzically and Calleigh felt a blush rising to her cheeks, not realizing she'd been studying him so intensely.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking I really don't feel like working anymore tonight." Calleigh said, shaking her head.
"Let's get the hell out of here then." He responded with a grin. Calleigh looked around at all of the paperwork she still had to go through and sighed.
"I've got too much to do still, Tim. I wanted to go through everything one more time before I went home."
"Why, so you can go to bed and dream about the case? Those dreams wouldn't be so sweet Calleigh. That's the stuff nightmares are made of, you know. I think it's important that work isn't the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep." Tim said, a very serious look on his face. She knew he was right--some of the stuff they saw on the job was definitely nightmare material.
"It's okay, you know. Sometimes I've had revelations about cases just as I'm drifting off to sleep. I find it's a good time to think." Calleigh tried to reassure him.
"Finish up your food and then I'm taking you somewhere to get your mind off of this." Tim insisted. As much as Calleigh wanted to go wherever he would take her, she knew that she shouldn't do it. Tim saw her look of hesitation. "No way am I going to leave you here to pore over this case for the millionth time--no arguments." He smiled at her and Calleigh felt herself melt inside. She knew she wasn't going to win this one.
"Okay, okay. Where are we going, anyway?"
"That's a surprise. You'll like it, don't worry." Calleigh went to work on her sushi, feeling the butterflies flutter around in her stomach at the thought of spending an evening with Tim. She just wished she knew what he was thinking right now.
TBC...
