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 10

Calleigh sipped her red wine, leaned back in her chair and smiled at Horatio. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked playfully, eliciting a soft laugh from Calleigh.

"Because you are so darned handsome," she teased. Calleigh reached across the table and took Horatio's hand. "I'm having a really good time."

Horatio smiled brightly. "Not too tired, then?"

Calleigh shook her head. "Not at all. I was a little worried when I went home to change, but now I'm fine."

Horatio's eyes danced in the candlelight as he stroked Calleigh's hand. "And have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?"

She laughed. "Only about a million times, but, hey, who's counting?"

"Not me," he said gently. "Would you like to dance?"

"Absolutely." Calleigh set her napkin on the table and stood, taking Horatio's hand again as he led her onto the dance floor.

Horatio wrapped her into his arms, bringing one set of hands in between them, and placing his other arm demurely at her waist. She closed her eyes and sighed, perfectly content to stay this way forever.

Calleigh felt a sudden wave of guilt sweep over her. She and Tim had kept their relationship such a secret that even Eric had never known what was going on. Horatio certainly had no clue that something was going on between them. "Horatio?" she asked quietly.

Horatio hummed in her ear, leading them to the music. "Yes?"

She took a deep breath and began. "There's something I need to tell you, something about me and Tim."

Horatio shook his head, never missing a beat of the music. "I already know, Cal, and frankly I don't care."

Calleigh breathed a sigh of relief. "How did you know?"

He answered her honestly. "Leanna accidentally let it slip. I guess she thought I already knew." Horatio felt Calleigh tense up at the mention of Leanna's name. "Calleigh, it was totally innocent. She's not at fault."

He sensed Calleigh's feeling of betrayal and had an overwhelming desire to defend Leanna and Tim. "She saved him, Calleigh. You didn't know Tim six years ago, when he first came to work here. He was just a shell of man, lost in his grief at the loss of his best friend. I wish you could have known them then, Cal. The love they had for one another – it was so beautiful, so overwhelming. You couldn't be in their presence and not feel it radiating from them. It's the way I always dreamed you and I could be."

Soft tears began to spill from Calleigh's eyes at his confession. "Oh, Horatio, you are far too wonderful a man for me." She stepped from his embrace and headed for the table. She picked up her wrap and purse.

Horatio had followed her, and grasped her wrist. "You're not leaving?"

"Horatio." She paused, trying to choose her words carefully.

"Calleigh," he cut her off. "I thank God that Leanna told me about you and Tim. You want to know why?"

She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Because it made me realize how stupid I had been, not telling you how I felt before now. I don't care that you slept with him and I don't care that you love him, because I know that the promise of what you and I could have is stronger than that."

Calleigh collapsed into Horatio's open arms. "I love you," he said gently, stroking her golden curls. "I can admit that now."

"I don't deserve you," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Calleigh," he said emphatically, "it is clearly I who doesn't deserve you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tim awoke the next morning, happier than he'd been in years. Leanna had fallen asleep in his arms and hadn't moved throughout the night. Her left hand was resting on her pillow and Tim grinned when he noticed she was still wearing her wedding ring.

Her contented sigh indicated that she was awake. "You planning to take that ring off?" he teased into her ear.

Leanna smiled brightly, turning over and scooting deep into his embrace. "No way, Hosea."

He laughed at her childish reply and stroked her cheek with his finger. "What if I bought you a different ring?" he asked seriously.

Leanna was taken aback and looked up at Tim with confusion. "I don't want a different ring. What are you talking about?"

Tim shrugged. "Well, last time, I never bought you an engagement ring."

She rested her head on his arm, gazing at him with her beautiful green eyes and smiling. "I didn't need an engagement ring then, and I don't need one now."

"I have the money, Lea."

"I never said you didn't," she argued gently. "I don't need some stupid diamond to tell me that we're getting married or remind me how much I love you."

He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her. "What if I want the whole world to know how much I love you?"

She considered this for a minute; then answered sarcastically, "Well, it's totally written all over your face, but if you feel some overwhelming macho desire to stick a huge diamond on my finger, go for it, stud."

"Good," he answered, kissing her again. "It's settled then. We're going shopping."

"You're SERIOUS?" she asked when he rolled out of bed. "We have to go to work, Tim."

He grinned and picked up the bedside phone. Dialing quickly, he waited for a reply; then said, "Hey, H. If it's okay with you, I'm gonna take the day off and put a big diamond on Leanna's finger."

"Huge diamond," she teased, admiring his naked form as he talked to his boss. She knelt on the bed in front of him, letting the sheet fall away; and began pressing hot, wet kisses over his chest.

"Excuse me, H, huge diamond." He covered the phone with his hand, lifting her chin to his face and kissing her deeply. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and moaned as her fingers enveloped him. "You're killing me here," he whispered into her mouth.

"Not likely," she argued, trailing her lips over his neck as she stroked him.

Horatio laughed heartily, oblivious to their interaction. "Speed you have enough time off to leave me in a lurch for three months. I won't exactly object to you taking one day off, especially since the case has wrapped."

"Thanks." He disconnected and leaned down, scooping Leanna into his arms. "We need a shower." His voice was deep and sultry as he whispered in her ear.

"I like the way you think," she moaned as he attacked the spot on her neck and carried her into the bathroom.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wow!" Leanna exclaimed, slipping a one-carat radiant cut diamond on her finger.

"This is so weird," the sales woman, Jackie, shook her head. "Four years ago, I sold you guys wedding rings. Now you're here for an engagement ring. Tim, don't take this the wrong way, but don't you have it a bit backwards?"

"Whatever it takes to finally marry this woman, Jackie," he teased, admiring the stone on Leanna's finger. "I think we've found a winner."

"I'll say," Leanna agreed, turning her hand for a different angle on the stone. She then looked at Tim seriously. "Are you sure about this?"

He kissed her gently. "I'm sure."

"It's a lot of money," she sighed, turning the ring over to look at the price tag.

He shrugged. "It's just pennies a day for the rest of our lives."

"I love you," she answered, pressing her lips to his. "It already fits."

"That just means you don't have to take it off ever again."

"Good," she teased, nuzzling his nose, "because you'll have to pry it off my cold dead fingers if you ever want it back."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Where are Tim and Leanna?" Eric questioned, sitting down at the conference room table.

"Taking the day off," Horatio explained. "Which is exactly what I want the rest of you to do. You've earned it."

"Not so fast," John leaned on the doorframe, his eyes sullen and his expression crestfallen.

Horatio looked at the detective, hands planted firmly on his hips. "What are you talking about John?"

John sighed heavily. "We've got another couple. Dispatch just paged me."

Calleigh's shoulders fell. "How is that possible, John? We've got the guy in custody."

"I don't know, Cal," he shook his head. "Better call Tim and Leanna in."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tim was finishing up the payment on Leanna's ring when his cell phone rang. "Yeah, it's Speed," he answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Speed, we have a situation," Horatio spoke deliberately, "I need you and Leanna here immediately."

Tim glanced at Leanna, who was watching him with curiosity. "Uh, we're about twenty minutes from the station, H," he answered.

"Light it up, Speed and get here quick."

"You got it," he snapped the phone shut and placed it back on his hip. "We gotta go," he said to Leanna, then turned his attention to Jackie. "Thanks for everything, Jackie."

"Tim, what's wrong?" Leanna questioned as they made their way out of the jewelry store and over to Tim's truck.

"I don't know," he answered, opening the passenger door for her, then crossing over to the driver's side. "But, H wants us there immediately."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Despite Horatio's brave confession of love and Calleigh's elation at their budding relationship, she still felt a twinge of jealousy and anger when Leanna stepped into the conference room. Calleigh immediately noticed the new ring on her finger and the way Leanna unconsciously ran her finger over its white gold band.

"Whoa," Eric commented, lifting Leanna's newly bejeweled hand. "That's some rock, Speed."

"Thanks," Speed muttered, taking a seat next to Leanna, and casting a glance at Calleigh, who did her best to smile brightly at him.

"Gentlemen, focus," Horatio warned. "We have another dead couple, found late this morning by the cleaning crew at the Agramont."

"How is that possible?" Leanna demanded, resting her hands on the table. "We caught Vincent. He confessed."

"Did he get this couple before we caught him?" Tim questioned.

"We don't know," Horatio answered honestly. "Let's get out to the crime scene."