Deprived of a dinner date with Calleigh, Horatio had accepted Yelina's invitation. She wanted to apologize for trying to push a relationship with him, she said, and besides, Ray, Jr. was asking to see him. Horatio had just arrived at Yelina's house when the call came that Calleigh had been injured in an armed robbery.
He and Yelina arrived at the scene at the same time as Alexx. Horatio immediately thought the worst. Alexx saw the panic on his face and she went straight to him.
"Calleigh's gone to the hospital. She's going to be fine, Horatio."
He nodded. "What was she doing here? She was supposed to be with her brother tonight."
"Her brother?" Alexx's expression turned grim. She gestured to one of the men on the floor. "Is this her brother?"
Horatio said nothing. He stared at the gash in Nate's side; his eyes, so like Calleigh's, would never see again. Horatio followed the blood trail to the gunman's body; the knife still clutched in his hand. There was so much blood; Nate's, the gunman's . . . Calleigh's.
"I'm sorry, Horatio." There was genuine regret in Alexx's voice.
"Do we have any eyewitnesses?"
"The cashier saw everything but he's in shock. Paramedics took him to the hospital too."
Horatio nodded, distracted. "Where are the girls?"
"Girls?"
Horatio didn't hear. He was already searching the aisles, knowing that Calleigh and Nate wouldn't have left the girls home alone.
"Simone? Nicole?"
He found them wedged between the freezer and the wall. They were clinging to each other, shivering. He sank to his haunches.
"Hey, there you are."
Nicole burrowed her face in her sister's neck. Simone looked up at him with big, frightened eyes.
"Don't be scared. I'm Horatio, remember? I'm your Aunt Calleigh's friend."
"Aunt Calleigh told us to be quiet," Simone said, her eyes filling with tears. "Where's my daddy?"
"He's . . . not here right now. Tell you what, if you come out from there, we can go find Calleigh."
"I'm scared." Simone's voice was very small.
"It's okay to be scared. You've been very brave."
It seemed an eternity later that Simone stretched out her hand. Horatio helped her and Nicole out, surprised when Nicole wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face. He kept himself between Simone and the bodies as he took them outside. Once the girls were safely buckled in, he called Yelina over.
"I'm going to the hospital. Please get hold of Speed. Tell him he's in charge here. I'd stay, but . . ."
"But Calleigh needs you." Yelina nodded her understanding. "Go. We'll keep you updated."
Calleigh woke up feeling like her head was made of cotton wool. She tried to sit up, then felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and fell back down. She had vague memories of someone coming at her with a knife, shooting him, and Nate . . .? What about Nate? He was up in DC.
Then she remembered his promise to cook a birthday dinner for her, going to the store because he'd forgotten to buy ice cream, him tackling the gunman . . .
The door to her room opened. She smiled at Horatio, not understanding why he looked so serious.
"Hey, handsome."
"Calleigh." He sat on the edge of the bed, taking her free hand in his.
Her free hand? She frowned, suddenly realizing just why her shoulder was so sore.
Horatio kissed her forehead, then rubbed his nose against hers. She smiled. There was something so intimate in the gesture. His tears were hot on her skin . . .
"Horatio?"
"Oh, Cal. I don't know how to say this."
"What's the matter? What's wrong?"
"It's Nate."
And then she remembered the gunman grabbing the knife, stabbing her brother, coming for her . . .
"No."
"Calleigh, I'm so sorry."
"No. You're wrong."
"Calleigh, I was there. I saw him."
Something in his tone got through to her. She clutched his arm, needing the contact. "The girls—"
"They're outside."
She nodded. "Do they know?"
"No. Do you want me to tell them? I wasn't sure—"
"I'll do it." Calleigh closed her eyes, trying to get her breathing back under control. "This is so unfair. First Holly, now . . ."
She couldn't say his name. Giving voice to it would make it real and she wanted to pretend, just a little longer, that nothing had changed. That it was her birthday and everything was fine.
She reached for the necklace Horatio had given her, horrified when it wasn't around her neck.
"I've got it, Cal. I'll get it cleaned then give it back to you."
She smiled through her tears. "Will you tell the girls I'd like to see them?"
When Horatio moved to the door, Calleigh summoned every ounce of strength she had. Then she did something she hadn't done in years – she prayed.
Calleigh refused to stay in the hospital longer than one night. She managed to talk Horatio into driving her home in the late afternoon, and had barely settled in when her family arrived. Kenwall Hayes was the first to knock at the door. Calleigh had a suspicion he might be drunk and sent the girls to her bedroom to watch a video. Not long after that, Charmaine showed up, threw her arms around her daughter and burst into tears. Calleigh's youngest brother, Jeff, was right behind their mother.
Calleigh introduced her family to Horatio, grateful that he was still there. She wasn't sure she'd be able to cope alone. Horatio told her later that he had no plans to be anywhere else.
"Oh, Calleigh, how could you let this happen?" Charmaine said. Horatio was too shocked at the woman's gall to say anything, and studied her instead. She looked nothing like Calleigh; tall and dark, with opaque blue eyes, Charmaine bore a closer resemblance to Nate. Though she was still a beautiful woman, time was taking its heavy toll on her. And Calleigh would never say anything like that.
"Give it a rest," Jeff said. "What was she supposed to do? She killed the guy, didn't she?"
"After he killed Nate. Calleigh, darling, do you have anything to drink?"
"Tea, coffee or fruit juice?"
"Nothing stronger?"
"No, ma'am."
"No?"
"I don't keep alcohol in my house."
Charmaine sighed, disapproval evident in her tone. "I suppose tea will do."
Calleigh disappeared into the kitchen. Horatio stared at Charmaine for a moment before following Calleigh. He found her bent over the counter, crying silent tears.
"Cal?"
She turned into his embrace. "I don't want them here, Horatio. I miss Nate, I do. I . . . she doesn't even care that I got shot. Nate was the perfect child. Always. Jeff is just . . . I don't even know how to explain Jeff. I'm the daughter who shamed the family by . . . that's not important. But Nate was . . . he just did everything right. He . . . he . . . she blames me. I wasn't imagining that, right? You heard it too . . ."
He rubbed her back, wanting so badly to protect her from the people in the other room. "Listen to me, Calleigh. It's not your fault. Sometimes bad things happen for no reason at all. You know that. We see it every day."
"I should have had my gun. I should have done something . . . he was my little brother!"
"I know." He did. He thought of Raymond. Even now, it hurt. He knew exactly what Calleigh was feeling and still, all he could do was hold her. Nothing in the world could make it right.
"They're going to hate me."
"Calleigh, that's not true."
"Nothing I've ever done has been good enough for my mother. And now . . . now . . ."
Horatio tipped Calleigh's chin so she was looking up. He held her gaze. "Calleigh, you don't have to please her anymore. You don't have to please anybody."
"But . . ."
"There is nothing you or anyone could do that would make me love you less." He wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Please don't cry over them, Cal. Cry for Nate, not because they're upsetting you."
"Aunt Calleigh, I'm thirsty." Simone was at the door. She was in her pajamas, her hair hanging forward to hide her face.
Horatio poured some fruit juice into a glass. Calleigh's right arm was in a sling; Horatio wondered how Charmaine had expected her to play hostess.
"Who are all those people? Did they know my daddy?"
"Yeah," Calleigh half-answered. "They did."
"Aunt Calleigh, is Mommy and Daddy together now?"
"Yes."
"Is me and Nicole gonna go live in an orphanage?"
"What? No. Why would you think that?"
Simone shrugged, and finished the last of her juice. "'Cause that's what happened to Annie. And the mean lady at the orphanage made her scrub the floor. But then she went to live with that other guy."
"Simone, I promise I will not let you go to an orphanage, okay?"
"Okay." Simone handed the glass back to Horatio. "Uncle Horatio, will you come tuck us in?"
"In a minute. Go on, I'll be right there." He wasn't sure when he'd become Uncle Horatio, but he didn't mind. Right now, there was something more pressing on his mind.
"Don't the girls know their grandparents?"
"Nate . . . he and my parents had a huge fight . . . it was about me, my date for the prom—"
"Calleigh, what on earth is taking so long?" Charmaine's tone was accusing, and Horatio automatically took a step closer to Calleigh.
"I'm sorry. I was waiting for the water to boil."
"Well," Charmaine huffed, "never mind. It's late. Jeff and I are going back to our hotel. Lieutenant Caine, it was a pleasure."
Charmaine left without saying goodbye to Calleigh. Horatio put his hand on her shoulder and gave a reassuring smile. Kenwall and Jeff called out their farewells, then the door slammed closed.
"Calleigh?"
"Go tuck the girls in. I'll finish telling you the story when you get back."
"You should get some sleep too. You're exhausted."
She shook her head. "I don't want to sleep."
Horatio kissed her cheek, then went to Calleigh's bedroom. The girls were cuddled together in the middle of the double bed, fast asleep. Horatio pulled the covers up and switched the TV off. He glanced once around the room, absorbing every detail. The alligator he'd given Calleigh was on her bedside table. Seeing it, he smiled.
She was curled up on the couch when he returned to her.
"How's your shoulder?"
"Sore. I took another painkiller. I'm just waiting for it to kick in."
Horatio sat next to her, putting his arm around her. She leaned into him.
"So . . ." he began.
"Where was I?"
"Your prom date."
"Ah, yes. I went with Andy Freeman. He was perfect in every way but one; he was black. Daddy couldn't bear to think that we might be anything more than friends and forbid me from going. I was determined to be there – not even my father's belt could keep me at home."
Horatio felt himself tense. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone raising a hand to Calleigh.
"When I got home, Nate was waiting in my room. He knew I was planning on running away and he wanted to come with. I should have made him stay behind but I was just so angry with my parents. We made it all the way up to Raleigh and stayed at my uncle's place for a couple of days, till my daddy came up to fetch Nate. He told me he didn't care what I did, but he wasn't going to see Nate's life ruined because of me. Nate never forgave him."
Calleigh let out a deep breath.
"What about Jeff?"
"Jeff's gay. But Nate pretty much disowned Mom and Dad, so Jeff's their only son. It's enough for them to overlook his lifestyle." Calleigh yawned. "I think that painkiller's starting to work."
Horatio helped her to the guestroom. She crawled under the covers fully clothed and was asleep in just minutes. Horatio kissed her forehead, something that was quickly becoming a habit, then left the room.