3 days later

"Hey H?" Eric called, leaning through the half open door to the lab.

He looked up from the bloody shirt he was analyzing at his team who stood just outside the door waiting.

"I think you'd better come up front." He said, a small smile betraying him.

"Is everything okay?"

"Up front." Speed insisted.

He looked to Calleigh who shrugged unable to fill him in.

"Okay."

He strode purposefully down the main hall feeling the eyes of his team on his back. He had spent the last two days under the constant ministrations of one or another of them. And true to Calleigh's prediction he'd had to endure a heated motherly lecture from Alexx for staying out so long (though she had not escaped unscathed either). And though he was back today with the doctor's consent he was rarely out of sight of one his little family.

"Would someone mind telling me what's going on?" He stopped just outside of the entrance way.

"Up front." Is all he receive from an overly stoic Speed.

A smile broke out across his face as he moved beyond the desk into the reception area.

"Lydia." He greeted her, going to one knee to accept a hug.

"You didn't say goodbye." She accused her hands on her hips in a very good imitation of him.

"Yes I did. But you, you were asleep."

"Oh. Okay." She shrugged, satisfied with his excuse and threw her arms around his neck nearly knocking him over.

"I was sad that you had gone."

"I was sad I had to go."

"You left your coat."

"Mm hmm. I didn't want you to get cold."

She carefully handed it to him.

"Thank you." He could feel the smiles and snickers of his team behind him.

"It smells like you." She told him shyly. "I like it."

He stood, looking over at Calleigh.

She put her hands up in surrender, "She wouldn't let me take it, wanted to bring it back to you herself."

"Is this true?" he asked the little girl.

"Uh huh. Who's that?" She pointed to Speed who was leaning up against the reception desk, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Lydia, this is Tim and Eric. Calleigh told your class about them." He pointed to each as he introduced them. "Gentlemen, this is Lydia."

She nodded somberly and marched past him, holding her hand out for Speed to take.

He smiled, looking at Calleigh as he wrapped her small hand in his. "It's nice to meet you Lydia."

"You see mo, mol, molcules." She informed him, struggling with the word.

"Molecules." He corrected grinning. "That's right."

She turned her attention to Eric, holding out her hand to him confidently. He knelt down bringing him to her level. "It's nice to meet you Lydia."

Her face screwed up in confusion as she studied his.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You don't look like a fish."

"Oh, well." He bulged his eyes out and sucked in his cheeks doing comical impression of a fish then brought his hands up and wiggled his fingers, a sure sign of a tickle on the way. She shrieked joyously and ran back to Horatio's protective embrace.

"He's funny." She whispered to him, her arms clasped tightly around his neck.

"I agree." He told her, sending a smile to his youngest team member overtop her head.

"Look gramma. He has his magic back." She took his face in her tiny hands.

"Yes, I can see that." A handsome older woman stepped forward.

Horatio stood, lifting the small child easily to rest on his hip. "Is this your grandmother?"

Lydia nodded happily. "Yep."

"Ma'am." He said, offering her his hand, "She's a beautiful girl."

"She is." The woman agreed. "It's nice to finally meet you, considering I've heard non stop about you for the last two days. She is very taken with you."

"As am I with her."

"Lydia, you need to give Lt. Caine your present and then we need to leave the policemen alone so they can do their job." She held out her arms taking the child from Horatio.

The girl nodded taking a rolled sheet of paper from her grandmother and slid down.

"Hasho, Hat." She frowned, unhappy with her inability to say his name.

Horatio knelt again, bringing her to him. "Horatio." He said, slowly helping her pronounce it. "But you know what? Most of my friends just call me H."

She looked back at the team for confirmation, surprised at their nods. Flustered she thrust the rolled parchment into his hands.

"What's this?" He asked as he carefully unrolled it.

"That one is me." She pointed to a small stick figure done in dark brown. "And that one is you." Her finger rested on the taller figure in the painting, painted in a light brown with a shock of orange hair. "We're holding hands." She pointed to the spot where the lines that were their arms met.

"I can see that. Thank you Lydia, it's beautiful."

He searched the picture over. "What's this?" he asked, fingering the small blue stone that held her magic.

"I taped my magic there real tightly so a bad guy can't ever take it from you. That way you will always have some."

"Thank you." he whispered, his voice wavering with emotion at her unselfish generosity and pulled her into his embrace.

"Lydia." Her grandmother called softly, holding out her hand.

"Will you come see me?" She asked, her arms tightly locked around his neck, her nose pressed to his.

"I will. I have some bad guys to catch and then I will."

"Okay." She said satisfied with his answer and pulled away walking over to Calleigh.

"Thank you little one." Calleigh whispered as she took the girl in her arms.

"The little girl tilted her head, looking at Calleigh with wonder. "It's pretty on you." She whispered, touching Calleigh's cheek.

"What is?"

"His magic."

Calleigh looked down, hiding the blush that betrayed her thoughts.

"Bye Mr. Tim. Bye Mr. Fish." Lydia waved to them, giggling at the face Eric pulled.

Grandmother and granddaughter were nearly out the door when she turned around and ran back, her arms wrapping Horatio in a tight hug.

"See you later alligator." She whispered to him.

"In a while crocodile." He countered, touching his forehead to hers.

She giggled softly, patted his cheeks and ran back taking her grandmothers hand.

Horatio stayed kneeling until the pair disappeared from sight.

"Calleigh." He said, looking down at the masterpiece in his hands. He waited until the room had cleared, leaving just the two of them. "That night, while we were searching for Jacob, you told me I didn't understand." He looked to her for an explanation.

"You said I didn't have anything to prove to you."

"And you don't."

"But that's not what I meant. When I said I would be standing as long as you are, I meant just that. Horatio, in some ways you are every bit as addicting as they are." She titled her head at the doors that Lydia had just disappeared through." When there's nothing left in us to give we take strength from you. As long as you have the energy and drive to be standing, those of us who care about you will be too. And when it all becomes too much and you need a refill... well, then... we'll be there to give it back. Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?"

She ran her hand down his cheek catching the magic that once again overflowed from his eyes. "Thank you for being my hero Horatio Caine."

"No, no Calleigh, thank you for being mine."