I'd like to thank anyone who has been reading and reviewing this fic. I swear lately it's been writing itself and hopefully we can complete this shortly. Thank You.
Slightly Condoned
Disclaimer: Don't own anything…
Rating: R
Pairing: Eric/OC, Speed/Calleigh
Summary: Tim and Calleigh struggle to rekindle old relations, while Eric's new romance blossoms and Horatio finally realizes what's been behind his irritancy with the help of a friend.
Spoiler: Tinder Box, Body Count
A/N: My man H is in this pretty heavily, and with Jacqueline's words, " Timmy is on every one's shit list in this one."
Dedication: To Katie and Jacqueline, without our late night talks and your advice I wouldn't be able to write half of this stuff. A thanks is in grave order!
***
Part 23- Blissfully Ignorant Or So I thought
About forty minutes after Speedle left, Calleigh finally worked up the urge to call him.
She took a fourth helping of coffee and went to sit near the window, through which she had a perfect view of the kitchen, where Eric and Elisabeth were fooling around over the sink while doing the dishes.
Right now, Eric had his arm around Elisabeth's waist and she kept blowing soap bubbles at him, which he caught with his tongue and then kissed her.
Calleigh frowned, hating herself for feeling as envious of the sprouting relationship as she did, and yet that was exactly how she felt.
All that kept swarming in her mind was why couldn't her and Tim be like that, they used to be, and not more than 48 hours it seemed as if their bliss would never end, and then one simple comment and she was afraid to pick up the phone and call him.
She wanted to trust him, believe that he'd never stoop down to her level, and act out by 'accidentally' retrieving a phone number of someone else who could make him happy, and yet something inside her didn't sit well with the whole situation.
And she had yet to finalize what that was.
Nevertheless Calleigh's self-pity session was quickly interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. Over the running water and the barriers of their won little world, the happy couple had not heard her answer.
She mumbled to herself about them being sickly happy and then pulled out her phone, hoping and praying it wasn't from any of her family members stating that RJ was in another 'jam' after last night's 'party' she wouldn't be able to handle that.
However, Calleigh was much more surprised to find "Speedle" flash on the screen.
" Duquesne." She still answered as professionally as possible hoping not to convey any of the doubt that she was feeling, and what not.
It was bad enough that he already probably suspected that she thought he was less than loyal so it was pretty much pointless to hide; yet that didn't stop Calleigh from becoming territorial with her emotions.
" Hey it's me." Speed said, mentally chuckling at using the same greeting as the one that boggled his mind not an hour before.
" Uh, hi, everything okay at the lab?" Calleigh asked, not really sure where the conversation was going, their communication was a bit off lately, to say the least.
" Oh, umm…" Tim's voice trailed off as he entered the Crime Unit for the first time that day.
He mouthed a thank you to the security guard when he gave him his messages and then added swiftly into the phone, " Everything's cool, just a little anomaly in the security tapes we recovered from the Breedge Case."
Calleigh took a sip of coffee and shot one look at the kitchen, Elisabeth was now sitting on the counter, and it looked as if Eric and her were back in high school, necking like teenagers.
She frowned, but continued anyway, to carry on a normal conversation as if her insides weren't turning, " That's good, so when can ya join us here for the post fuck fest." She snapped out of necessity, and then immediately regretted it.
She could just picture Tim either raising his eyebrows or wishing that he didn't hear that cryptic comment, however, he surprised her and just chuckled.
" That bad huh?"
" Uh, yeah they're going in at it between the fridge and the stove."
Calleigh laughed at her own statement, ironically eliciting humorous undertones at how bitter she sounded.
" Always was my favorite place." Speed said, and their communication ripped again, the slight glitch wasn't in any security tapes, Calleigh thought, it was in this relationship.
The way Tim said that in past tense got the blonde's blood boiling just a little bit more, the pressure was heady, and neither knew what the outcome would be.
" Could still be." She compromised.
" Is that a promise?"
" Do you want it to be?" Calleigh countered and polished off her coffee, as Tim decided it was time to break the conversation and get to the point, when he saw Horatio urging him mutely into his office.
" Listen Cal, I need to ask you something." He said in full seriousness and Calleigh visibly tensed up, yet it wasn't like she'd be surveyed any time soon.
" W-What is it Tim?" She stuttered involuntarily and then cursed herself for acting this way.
" It's just fucking Speed." Calleigh told herself, but she couldn't believe it was that simple anymore, and for a split second she wondered if it ever was…*that simple*.
And at first it was a welcomed challenge, but now she just didn't know if it was worth fighting the good fight anymore, maybe they should just call it quits.
While Calleigh trailed on with these thoughts, Speed had other ideas, " Calleigh, would you go out with me?"
At first she thought she misheard her boy friend asking her out, and Speed thought she would laugh at him.
Either way, their worst nightmares came true as Calleigh laughed and repeated, " You're asking me out?"
" Yes."
" Oh uh, honey, I hate to burst your bubble but I had sex with u in the evidence locker two days ago, if we weren't in a relationship then, I don't see how my reputation stuck." Calleigh teased and judging from the glint in her voice Speed guessed so too.
And rolled his eyes, " Take it or leave it Cal, I'm bored, I wanna see a good movie, go to a nice restaurant, and then invite you in for a night cap." Speed paused, allowing Calleigh to digest what he was suggesting.
Then he added, " We never do that anymore." Very subtly, almost as though he was afraid to admit it, and on some level Calleigh knew he was, because he was telling the truth.
They weren't a couple anymore.
She wasn't sure what they really were anymore, and thus there may not have been a good reason to continue this, however something inside Calleigh was telling her not to let go, and she trusted her gut.
And she couldn't deny that his attempt to rekindle or salvage the last big of her common ground was incredibly sweet, " Oh okay, you've convinced me, but on one condition."
Calleigh cautioned.
" Anything." Speed said, his voice perking up, and Calleigh had to smile at the enthusiasm that she placed there.
" Instead of a night cap…you invite me over for…uh, dessert." She whispered huskily into the mouthpiece as if some one was listening and Tim received an instantaneous chill that ran through his entire body.
" Done, it's good that I know your favorite." He commented.
" Wouldn't have it any other way." Calleigh added, and then she heard Horatio's voice in the background.
" You need to go, say 6:30 good for ya?"
" Yes, and yes, dinner and movie got it."
" Okay, talk to ya later."
" Bye Cal."
" Bye."
Calleigh hung up and stood up to refill her coffee cup, but casting a curious look into the kitchen, she decided against it…
" Damn hormones." She whispered and switched on the TV…
***
Elisabeth pulled back from another long kiss, and looked at Eric thoughtfully.
" What?" He asked, and slid her off the counter, ready to tackle the dishes again.
" I think Hunter's hiding something and we need to talk to him again." The ADA explored, and then returned to Delko's side, as he worked on drying a few plates.
" Well, I'm glad my kisses force you to think of work." He supplied sarcastically, and received a semi-painful nudge in his gut from the woman standing beside him.
" Hey, it's not like that, I just never got to finish exploiting my theory, because of Ms. Coffee Addict over there." Elisabeth said a little too loudly, and Eric smirked when he heard Calleigh shout back.
" I heard that."
" Good." Elisabeth countered, and dipped her hand into the soupy water, " Maybe it'll help you change your ways."
" Ha, like that's ever gonna happen." Eric said quickly and Calleigh rebuked, " Smart boy, he's a keeper Lizzie." She teased, and Eric rolled his eyes, unaware that the woman beside him fell deep in thought, contemplating what Calleigh suggested absent-mindedly.
It was sometimes a little uncanny for Elisabeth to think that the ballistics expert could say things with such significance in such an inappropriate time, and get away with it.
The maliciousness factor, never seized to alert Elisabeth and yet she return to the confines of the kitchen, away from the thoughts that irritated her.
" Yeah, uh, can we skip that subject and discuss what we came here for." Eric thankfully saved her, unbeknownst to him, and that was another thing that gravely attracted Elisabeth to the Russian-Cuban.
His ability to say the right thing at the right time, and without even knowing it. This was a skill, Elisabeth had yet to master.
" Be my guest, but I just got a call from Tim, and he doesn't think he'll be joining us very soon so make plans without him." Calleigh forewarned and Delko nodded, they shared an unnoticed look of suspicion but both denied they were feeling the same doubt.
Probably because guilt consumed the core of that thought, there had been no reason so far to doubt Speedle and furthermore, Calleigh had been for the short time the unfaithful one, and yet deep inside the two friends couldn't over look their concern.
" Oh okay, well, as I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted…twice, I think Hunter is hiding something, and I think we need to go down there and talk to him. Present him with the evidence we have now, and then see where it goes from there." Elisabeth began.
" You think there's something to present?" Calleigh raised her eyebrow.
Elisabeth looked at Eric and then back at Calleigh, " Yeah, I sort of had a theory…" Her voice trailed off with uncertainty and Calleigh detected it immediately.
" Well, I'm sure whatever it was, it was well thought out, so don't be shy…" Calleigh winked encouragingly and Elisabeth let out a bashful snort.
" Actually it was on impulsive, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not in lawyer mode 24/7." Elisabeth smirked and Calleigh retaliated coolly, " I didn't think you were, I just happen to conclude that you're wise all on your own with out the ADA title in front of your name."
" Thanks for the compliment Cal, vise versa, and I think I'm gonna go hook Eric's laptop up, I'm sure Speed saved all the info, you think he could email it to me?" Elisabeth wondered, and Eric woke up from his daydream long enough to nod.
" Yeah, I think that could be arranged, I'll give him a call when you're ready." Eric smiled at Elisabeth, a smile of adoration, and the kind that Calleigh remembered relishing in.
Now she just simply didn't care.
Taking an unnoticeably large breath Calleigh tried to steer herself away from the feelings she was harboring, and at the same time the apartment seemed excruciatingly suffocating, and she needed to get out.
Before Elisabeth could leave, Calleigh turned back to look at the blossoming couple.
" Uh, do you need anything from the office?" Elisabeth raised her eyebrow at that question and when she looked Calleigh over once more, it all became really clear to her.
Calleigh was urging to get out of the proximity of all this happiness, the antsy worried look in her eyes, proved Elisabeth's suspicion and she sighed.
Never did she want her euphoria to be some one else's pain the ass, but yet that's how it so cryptically remained and she chose not to worry it, even if only gently.
Instead an idea came to her, and she suddenly, out of thin air, decided she needed to get some supplies from the firm for her home office, and Calleigh could deliver it, if she'd like.
" Uh, yea, I need a list of things, I've been meaning to pick up and the office supplies are free anyway so why spend the money." Elisabeth piped up and then went in search of her purse, hoping Calleigh couldn't detect her over enthusiastic behavior.
Calleigh did anyway, but merely nodded, not knowing if she should be going along with the heist, when she knew the outcome.
Elisabeth returned to an eerily silent living room, handing Calleigh a list she'd obviously scribbled up in the two minutes she was gone. Both CSIs remained oblivious and quite, the blonde didn't even study the list, knowing whatever was on it, was just meant as a distraction.
A silly excuse to get her out of this stupid apartment, and not witness any more cuteness.
" Thanks, I'll be back within the hour." Or not.
Calleigh sighed guiltily at thinking so negatively and disappeared behind the front door.
Leaving the two lovers in easy silence.
Elisabeth cautiously leaned against Eric's front, her back sinking into him comfortably, " God I hope she's okay." Delko's voice vibrated through the stillness and Elisabeth turned around and kissed him…
***
Tim hung up his cell phone, and placed it into the waistband of his slacks, as he made wide but reluctant strides toward his boss.
Horatio gave him a warm yet straight faced glance, and bid him good morning.
" Yeah, so what's up?" Speed wrapped his arms around his elbows, pressing them deeper into his ribs, hoping this physical discomfort would ease the emotional one that psychically told him, that his boss didn't invite him in for tea and cookies.
But then again, Tim wasn't sure if he was here to talk business either. Hell any way he went about it, he was screwed.
There'd be no option rather than to tell the truth, and that would be nasty.
This confrontation would be nasty, somehow in the back of his head the trace expert knew his boss was suddenly alerted about the possible return of his past colleague, and judging by the look on Horatio's face, he wasn't pleased. And if he was, he had a very callous way of showing it.
Horatio closed the door behind his guest, and motioned Speed to a chair.
He didn't sit down, instead a nervous look flashed across his brown eyes, completely giving him away, however, it wasn't like the elder didn't already know that Tim had been in on the whole situation.
Knew everything, and yet walked passed Horatio in the halls and gave him oblivious smiles, and talked shop with him, trying to ignore that the DNA samples Horatio handed him, he should've been giving to her.
And especially when Horatio had announced to the team that they were one member short as of the present, Speed gave him a fake, slightly disheveled look, and then glanced the other way. Avoided the pained gaze Horatio couldn't conceal.
And although the Lieutenant knew that Tim didn't owe him a damn thing, he still felt like their mutual respect for one another and what could also be considered, as friendship would've pushed him to say something.
Anything.
Anything to ease Horatio's riled nerves, not the tiniest hint was contributed, and now Horatio couldn't help but question why?
Tim seemed to be clairvoyant or otherwise quite observant because at the mere glance from his boss, he stiffened and Horatio sighed.
This was not going to be easy.
" I talked to Adele Sevilla today." Horatio began but Speed sharply, and sarcastically cut him off, it didn't seem unlikely for the rugged New Yorker to do so, but in the spirit of their conversation it seemed more than inappropriate, and somewhat suspicious.
" Good for you H, next time, tell her hi from me." Tim suggested, or more so advised but Caine didn't seem fazed.
He never was, and Tim wondered if his self-defense mechanism was a stonewall. If so, they weren't so deathly unlike.
But it wasn't like Tim didn't already know that, and on some level he thought Horatio suspected it too.
" Don't you want to know what we discussed?"
" Not really, no, but I don't think that's going to stop you from informing me, so I'm just going to say go for it." Speed threw caution to the wind and sank into the chair, he had declined earlier.
There was no way of going into this conversation without getting your hands dirty, he so concluded and in doing so, he couldn't be hypocritical and not take the risk of being straight forward, so instead he focused on Horatio's response.
The red-haired CSI leaned against the door he'd just closed and looked intensively at Speed, however, the younger was so used to this gaze that it didn't seem appropriate for him to be so infatuated with it.
However the slight difference with the situation and that impossible stare was that instead of watching from the sidelines Speed ended up smack dab in the middle of Horatio's eyesight, placing him in the hot seat.
Tim swallowed, but invisibly because Horatio continued as before, except he kept approaching closer and closer, until he was standing almost hovering over Tim like an eagle, and he desperately wanted to sink into his chair and never be heard from again.
" Let's not beat around the bush Speed, I know you don't owe me anything, not even an explanation if your so inclined to act but I know you knew where she was all along, I knew you'd have conversations with her, or held some sort of contact while she remained unheard from. And I don't condemn you for doing so in discretion and yet I just would like to know why I was kept in the dark.
All you had to do was let me know if she was okay, and alive, all you had to do was give me a subtle hint that you were watching over her. But you didn't, and I don't understand why everyone kept me in the dark." Horatio exclaimed, but didn't raise his voice; the intensity in which he voiced the significance of his issues at the moment was enough to threaten Tim into oblivion.
However, he also never forgot the fact that this was still his boss, his friend, someone he respected and cared for immensely, and he was only acting so because some one he loved vanished, without a trace, and somehow he felt wounded to know that she decided to break off call contact with him especially.
Tim could understand how badly it felt to get your heart broken and that's why he didn't press Horatio on the matter, not allowing his patience to run out.
" H."
" What?"
" I know your pissed, but I know its not because you were kept in the dark." Tim took a risk and decided to voice his opinions as straightforwardly as possible, hoping to get the same open response.
Horatio stopped in his tracks; Speed suspected that he wasn't expecting Tim to be so blunt in his suggestion.
" Alright, then let's hear it Speedle, tell me why I'm so pissed off."
He threw his hands around, and started pacing the length of his office. It was quite wide, and grating the seated man's nerves.
Tim sat up, and called out, " First stop annoying the hell out of me and sit." He pointed to the chair behind the black wooded desk and after casting a look at it, Horatio simply walked over to it, and leaned against the taut edge.
" I know Adele told you more than just the fact that she's coming back, she also told you that she asked her not to inform you of her status, and *that's* why your pissed off, no other reason so please don't act all holy and robotic because I see right through it H." Tim spoke, rising to his feet with every word.
" You don't *have to* hide from me or anyone else who considers you a friend, because you think your sneaky with your feelings, well you ain't and unlike some people who just observe it, I know for a fact that you love her, and believe me there's nothing wrong with it." Speed shrugged and headed to the door.
Horatio remained silent, and yet a little perturbed, probably because someone had finally said to him what he'd been denying the belief of for so long.
That he, Horatio Caine, really was in love with Megan Donner…
TBC…