Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, including Tim
Speedle, (sigh), but hey, a girl can dream, can't she?
Rating: R, R, and more R
Pairings: Speed/OC, Speed/Calleigh, Calleigh/?
Summary: The team searches for a serial killer before he strikes again, bringing an old flame back to Miami and destroying Tim's precarious relationship with Calleigh.
A/N: This story just would not leave me alone! I went back and re- read it the other day and decided that I could do better. Therefore, I am reposting the story with corrections, no major changes. This time, I have given a lot more backstory on the fight that broke Tim and Leanna up, among other things.
Chapter 4
Leanna sifted through the mountain of digital photos taken from the surveillance tapes, searching for one familiar face in all four stacks.
She'd taken over a spot in the crime lab's break room and had been huddled over the table examining the photographs for what seemed like hours. She pushed back the fabric of her jacket and studied her watch. Nine-thirty. She yawned.
The break room door opened behind her and she immediately sensed Tim's presence. She was amazed - she still knew the sound of his walk after all this time.
Tim stepped up behind her as she studied two photographs carefully. "Whatcha got?" he asked gently, careful not to startle her.
Leanna tossed the photographs on the table and leaned back in her chair, massaging her aching temples. Tim wasn't sure if he longed to reach out and touch her, or to reach out and throttle her. "Nothing," she said glumly. "I don't see anything in these pictures, Tim."
"Neither did we," he responded softly.
"I want to see the crime scenes tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a better feel for him there."
Speed nodded. "That can be arranged. But I think you've got a pretty good handle on this guy already, Lea."
She smiled at his compliment and turned to face him. "Thanks."
He sat down in the chair next to her. "Horatio asked me to take you to your hotel."
She crossed her arms at her chest. "Are these orders from Horatio or are you volunteering, Tim?"
"I'm sure as hell not volunteering." He meant the comment to be a joke, but the words left his mouth sounding much more bitter than he'd intended.
She eyed him curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Four years of pent up frustration, anger and pain came tumbling out his mouth and Tim was helpless to stop the flow. "Four years, Lea. In four years, you haven't come home one time, not to visit me, not to break up with me, not to tell me to rot in hell."
"You made it very clear it was over when I left," she spat back. "I didn't think I had anything to come back for."
"You wanted to call off our wedding," he replied, his voice tinged with anger and bitterness.
"I didn't want to call off anything, Tim, I wanted to postpone it," she said flatly, refusing to continue this argument any further.
"Same damn thing," he argued.
Leanna rose from the chair and pushed it back, grabbing her briefcase and laptop. "I wouldn't want to waste your precious time, Tim. I'll get a cab."
Tim followed her into the hallway. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around. "We're gonna have this fight now or later, Lea, but we're gonna have it."
"We have nothing left to fight about." Exhaustion strained her voice, but Tim pressed on as she continued down the hall.
"Leanna." Tim's use of her full name stopped her and she turned to face him.
"You know what, Speedle?" she asked irritably. "In those same four years, you never once visited me either. You didn't try any harder than I did to fix our problems, and you sure as hell aren't blameless in our breakup."
"You're right," he agreed. "But I'm not the one who left, Leanna."
"No," she sighed before stepping out into the crisp Miami night, "you're just the one who drove me away."
"Drove you away?" he continued arguing as they made their way outside.
She swung around to face him. "That's right, Tim, you drove me away. You wanted me to give up my dream for you."
"For us," he countered.
"No, Tim, for you." She pointed directly at him. "You made me feel like I was two inches tall, some porcelain doll who was incapable of making her own decisions. You never asked me what I wanted. You wouldn't listen to me when I told you that I wanted to marry you more than anything in the world, but I wanted this too. I thought we could work it out but you simply assumed that I'd give it all up for you. And, you know what they say about assuming."
Her accusation stopped him dead in his tracks. Tim felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. By the time he regained his composure and started after her again, Leanna was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Calleigh slammed her apartment door and sank, sobbing onto the floor. She'd seen the whole thing – Tim and Leanna's argument. Thank God they hadn't seen her. She just didn't understand it; Tim Speedle was always in control of his emotions. But tonight, Calleigh had seen him fly off the handle, arguing in public with Leanna, something he loathed out of others. Tim wouldn't release his precious control like that without real, raw emotion. He still loved her, and Calleigh knew it. His years apart from Leanna had changed nothing.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hands. Standing, she made her way into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet above her refrigerator. She poured a drink, allowing the amber liquid to soothe her frazzled nerves. Calleigh padded into the living room, glancing at the mirror in her hallway. Walking up to it, she considered her reflection. Why didn't he love her? Why couldn't he see how much she loved him?
She turned on the light in her bedroom and opened the closet door. She grabbed a t-shirt from the drawer inside and held it up to her face, inhaling the scent of him. She buried her face in the soft cotton and began sobbing again. Crawling onto her bed, she wrapped the t-shirt around her and closed her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Leanna turned the hot water on full blast in the hotel shower. Stepping back into the bedroom, she removed her earrings and pendant, gingerly placing them on a small washcloth she'd procured from the bathroom. She stared at her engagement ring, emotion coursing through her body, making her nauseous.
She ran her finger over the stone. Jonathan had been so happy when he'd given it to her. Jonathan. Tim. The names swirled in her head and she began to feel dizzy. What am I doing? She asked herself, collapsing onto the bed. She cursed herself – it's been four years, Leanna. You've had four years to get over him. So, why haven't you, her heart called back?
It had been so hard for her to leave him, but he just didn't understand. She was only going to be gone for a little while. Just a few months, and then they'd have the rest of their lives to be together.
But, he couldn't understand that, or wouldn't. He'd demanded she give up the FBI, her dream for as long as she could remember. She'd told herself over and over again that if Tim really loved her, he would have understood, and would have supported her dream. It was that thought, and that thought alone, that got her through some of the loneliest nights.
She graduated first in her class; then asked that her assignment be changed from Miami to New York. Then she moved to Washington, where she met Jonathan. Jonathan understood, Jonathan got it, Jonathan supported her. So, why had she never been able to get Tim Speedle out of her head?
Leanna curled up on the bed and removed the ring from her finger, staring at the naked digit. She remembered another ring – a simple white gold band. One that she'd planned to have adorn her finger for the rest of her life...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Calleigh awoke to a knock at the door. Climbing sleepily out of bed, she tripped on her jacket and busted her knee on her dresser. Rubbing the knee and walking at the same time, she answered the determined knocker, "Hold your damn horses, I'm coming."
The knocking stopped and Calleigh peeped out the privacy hole. She sucked in a gasp and turned from the hole to rest her back against the door.
"Calleigh," he called out, "Open up, I know you're in there."
Calleigh opened the door to an extremely agitated Tim. "Can I come in?" he asked brusquely.
"No," she said adamantly, blocking his entrance into her apartment, "you may not."
Tim laughed and placed a drunken kiss on Calleigh's lips, gently picking her up at the waist and depositing her inside.
"Where's Leanna?" she asked irritably, not closing the door, because she reasoned, he wouldn't be here long enough to make the effort.
Tim picked up the bottle of bourbon Calleigh had left on the counter and poured a drink. He downed the dark liquid in one gulp. "At her hotel, I guess" he answered bitterly. "I'm not her fucking keeper."
"What are you doing here?" Calleigh spat out.
Tim stepped from the kitchen counter. He grinned as he approached her, sliding his arms her waist. Burying his face in her hair, he whispered, "I needed to see you."
The words and the booze on his breath combined made her sick. "Get off me!" she cried, wiggling out of his embrace.
He grasped for her wrists, but she stepped further away. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Wrong with me?" she yelled, "You're drunk! I saw you arguing with Leanna and now you come over thinking I'll screw you and make it all better?"
He didn't respond; he just chuckled hoarsely and started for the door.
Calleigh continued her assault on him. "Who is she, Tim? Just another fuck buddy like me? Another notch on your belt? Another way you get through the night?"
When he turned to face her, the fire and anger in his eyes startled her, even frightened her. "You think you've got it all figured out, right Cal?" he shot back. "You have no idea what Leanna means to me."
'Means' her brain processed, he didn't say 'meant'. Calleigh swallowed the lump forming in her throat and closed her eyes to the tears that were stinging them. "Get out," she said quietly.
Tim quickly realized what he'd said and his tone was softer now as he began to explain. "Calleigh..."
"I said GET OUT!" she screamed, pushing him out the door and slamming it in his face.
Rating: R, R, and more R
Pairings: Speed/OC, Speed/Calleigh, Calleigh/?
Summary: The team searches for a serial killer before he strikes again, bringing an old flame back to Miami and destroying Tim's precarious relationship with Calleigh.
A/N: This story just would not leave me alone! I went back and re- read it the other day and decided that I could do better. Therefore, I am reposting the story with corrections, no major changes. This time, I have given a lot more backstory on the fight that broke Tim and Leanna up, among other things.
Chapter 4
Leanna sifted through the mountain of digital photos taken from the surveillance tapes, searching for one familiar face in all four stacks.
She'd taken over a spot in the crime lab's break room and had been huddled over the table examining the photographs for what seemed like hours. She pushed back the fabric of her jacket and studied her watch. Nine-thirty. She yawned.
The break room door opened behind her and she immediately sensed Tim's presence. She was amazed - she still knew the sound of his walk after all this time.
Tim stepped up behind her as she studied two photographs carefully. "Whatcha got?" he asked gently, careful not to startle her.
Leanna tossed the photographs on the table and leaned back in her chair, massaging her aching temples. Tim wasn't sure if he longed to reach out and touch her, or to reach out and throttle her. "Nothing," she said glumly. "I don't see anything in these pictures, Tim."
"Neither did we," he responded softly.
"I want to see the crime scenes tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a better feel for him there."
Speed nodded. "That can be arranged. But I think you've got a pretty good handle on this guy already, Lea."
She smiled at his compliment and turned to face him. "Thanks."
He sat down in the chair next to her. "Horatio asked me to take you to your hotel."
She crossed her arms at her chest. "Are these orders from Horatio or are you volunteering, Tim?"
"I'm sure as hell not volunteering." He meant the comment to be a joke, but the words left his mouth sounding much more bitter than he'd intended.
She eyed him curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Four years of pent up frustration, anger and pain came tumbling out his mouth and Tim was helpless to stop the flow. "Four years, Lea. In four years, you haven't come home one time, not to visit me, not to break up with me, not to tell me to rot in hell."
"You made it very clear it was over when I left," she spat back. "I didn't think I had anything to come back for."
"You wanted to call off our wedding," he replied, his voice tinged with anger and bitterness.
"I didn't want to call off anything, Tim, I wanted to postpone it," she said flatly, refusing to continue this argument any further.
"Same damn thing," he argued.
Leanna rose from the chair and pushed it back, grabbing her briefcase and laptop. "I wouldn't want to waste your precious time, Tim. I'll get a cab."
Tim followed her into the hallway. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around. "We're gonna have this fight now or later, Lea, but we're gonna have it."
"We have nothing left to fight about." Exhaustion strained her voice, but Tim pressed on as she continued down the hall.
"Leanna." Tim's use of her full name stopped her and she turned to face him.
"You know what, Speedle?" she asked irritably. "In those same four years, you never once visited me either. You didn't try any harder than I did to fix our problems, and you sure as hell aren't blameless in our breakup."
"You're right," he agreed. "But I'm not the one who left, Leanna."
"No," she sighed before stepping out into the crisp Miami night, "you're just the one who drove me away."
"Drove you away?" he continued arguing as they made their way outside.
She swung around to face him. "That's right, Tim, you drove me away. You wanted me to give up my dream for you."
"For us," he countered.
"No, Tim, for you." She pointed directly at him. "You made me feel like I was two inches tall, some porcelain doll who was incapable of making her own decisions. You never asked me what I wanted. You wouldn't listen to me when I told you that I wanted to marry you more than anything in the world, but I wanted this too. I thought we could work it out but you simply assumed that I'd give it all up for you. And, you know what they say about assuming."
Her accusation stopped him dead in his tracks. Tim felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. By the time he regained his composure and started after her again, Leanna was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Calleigh slammed her apartment door and sank, sobbing onto the floor. She'd seen the whole thing – Tim and Leanna's argument. Thank God they hadn't seen her. She just didn't understand it; Tim Speedle was always in control of his emotions. But tonight, Calleigh had seen him fly off the handle, arguing in public with Leanna, something he loathed out of others. Tim wouldn't release his precious control like that without real, raw emotion. He still loved her, and Calleigh knew it. His years apart from Leanna had changed nothing.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hands. Standing, she made her way into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet above her refrigerator. She poured a drink, allowing the amber liquid to soothe her frazzled nerves. Calleigh padded into the living room, glancing at the mirror in her hallway. Walking up to it, she considered her reflection. Why didn't he love her? Why couldn't he see how much she loved him?
She turned on the light in her bedroom and opened the closet door. She grabbed a t-shirt from the drawer inside and held it up to her face, inhaling the scent of him. She buried her face in the soft cotton and began sobbing again. Crawling onto her bed, she wrapped the t-shirt around her and closed her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Leanna turned the hot water on full blast in the hotel shower. Stepping back into the bedroom, she removed her earrings and pendant, gingerly placing them on a small washcloth she'd procured from the bathroom. She stared at her engagement ring, emotion coursing through her body, making her nauseous.
She ran her finger over the stone. Jonathan had been so happy when he'd given it to her. Jonathan. Tim. The names swirled in her head and she began to feel dizzy. What am I doing? She asked herself, collapsing onto the bed. She cursed herself – it's been four years, Leanna. You've had four years to get over him. So, why haven't you, her heart called back?
It had been so hard for her to leave him, but he just didn't understand. She was only going to be gone for a little while. Just a few months, and then they'd have the rest of their lives to be together.
But, he couldn't understand that, or wouldn't. He'd demanded she give up the FBI, her dream for as long as she could remember. She'd told herself over and over again that if Tim really loved her, he would have understood, and would have supported her dream. It was that thought, and that thought alone, that got her through some of the loneliest nights.
She graduated first in her class; then asked that her assignment be changed from Miami to New York. Then she moved to Washington, where she met Jonathan. Jonathan understood, Jonathan got it, Jonathan supported her. So, why had she never been able to get Tim Speedle out of her head?
Leanna curled up on the bed and removed the ring from her finger, staring at the naked digit. She remembered another ring – a simple white gold band. One that she'd planned to have adorn her finger for the rest of her life...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Calleigh awoke to a knock at the door. Climbing sleepily out of bed, she tripped on her jacket and busted her knee on her dresser. Rubbing the knee and walking at the same time, she answered the determined knocker, "Hold your damn horses, I'm coming."
The knocking stopped and Calleigh peeped out the privacy hole. She sucked in a gasp and turned from the hole to rest her back against the door.
"Calleigh," he called out, "Open up, I know you're in there."
Calleigh opened the door to an extremely agitated Tim. "Can I come in?" he asked brusquely.
"No," she said adamantly, blocking his entrance into her apartment, "you may not."
Tim laughed and placed a drunken kiss on Calleigh's lips, gently picking her up at the waist and depositing her inside.
"Where's Leanna?" she asked irritably, not closing the door, because she reasoned, he wouldn't be here long enough to make the effort.
Tim picked up the bottle of bourbon Calleigh had left on the counter and poured a drink. He downed the dark liquid in one gulp. "At her hotel, I guess" he answered bitterly. "I'm not her fucking keeper."
"What are you doing here?" Calleigh spat out.
Tim stepped from the kitchen counter. He grinned as he approached her, sliding his arms her waist. Burying his face in her hair, he whispered, "I needed to see you."
The words and the booze on his breath combined made her sick. "Get off me!" she cried, wiggling out of his embrace.
He grasped for her wrists, but she stepped further away. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Wrong with me?" she yelled, "You're drunk! I saw you arguing with Leanna and now you come over thinking I'll screw you and make it all better?"
He didn't respond; he just chuckled hoarsely and started for the door.
Calleigh continued her assault on him. "Who is she, Tim? Just another fuck buddy like me? Another notch on your belt? Another way you get through the night?"
When he turned to face her, the fire and anger in his eyes startled her, even frightened her. "You think you've got it all figured out, right Cal?" he shot back. "You have no idea what Leanna means to me."
'Means' her brain processed, he didn't say 'meant'. Calleigh swallowed the lump forming in her throat and closed her eyes to the tears that were stinging them. "Get out," she said quietly.
Tim quickly realized what he'd said and his tone was softer now as he began to explain. "Calleigh..."
"I said GET OUT!" she screamed, pushing him out the door and slamming it in his face.