DISCLAIMER: see chapter one
A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay on the this chapter, I was out of town for the weekend.
cantlivew/outHawkMash: Thank you for the review, I wrote the details of Horatio's shooting because of your request, I originally hadn't planned on writing that part.
Ussshorty: thank you so much for the review.
Sarge1: "Truly stunning" I couldn't think of a more fitting way of describing Horatio…mmm that guy! Thanks for the review :-)
Wuchel1: sorry for the wait…I'm trying to hurry…. :-)
Seren Lunar Echo: Here you go, what happens to both Horatio's :-) Thanks for the review!!

Thank you to all the reviewers, it means so much, you guys are awesome!!!
-RaeAnne

CHAPTER SIX

Horatio approached his house, pulling the Hummer into the driveway. He paused hand on the door handle, something wasn't right. He glanced into the rearview mirror, then the side mirrors.

His house was dark, there was no movement except the wind making the tree limbs sway. Before he opened the door, he ran his fingers over the butt of his gun, assuring himself that it was ready for easy access if need be.

He exited the Hummer and proceed around the vehicle, he paused in front of the garage door, listening. The breeze, chimes from a neighbors house, his own regulated breathing. He scanned the area, the street dim, two out of the three street lamps out. He continued to the concrete stepping stones though the yard toward the porch. Gravel. He heard gravel. He paused inches from the bottom step, time slowed and Horatio felt his heart pound, his chest begging for air, his breathing stopped. He reached for the gun at his waist as he spun towards the street.

He barely got the gun from his holster.

Horatio gulped as everything went in slow motion, he never heard the shot. Burning, heat ran through him as he hit his knees. He struggled for air. He blinked, pain coursing through him, with a small gasp, eyes blank he fell back. Horatio stilled.

"Where is he?" she burst through the emergency room doors, clunky too large boots from McIntyre's trunk made thudding noises as she ran head long into Speedle.

"Calleigh slow down," Speed put his hands on her arms and tried to calm her.

"Tell me where he is!" she demanded eyes ablaze. "If you don't tell me where he is I will tear this place apart till I find him!"

"Okay, I will take you to him… just calm down," Speed managed to get her to hold still. "Horatio was shot, but he is fine, it was only a flesh wound, barely a graze, clean, on the shoulder they think he hit his head when he fell, that's why he was unconscious… he is fine."

"Then take me to him," she met his gaze head on.

"There is something else…" he stopped her.

"It will wait, right now I want to see Horatio." She left no room for argument.

He led her to a curtained off area in the ER. She wanted to sob, to scream, but she just calmly pulled back the curtain and stepped in.

"Horatio!" the name came out as both a scream and a whisper.

Horatio laying on a white hospital bed still in his suit, albeit bloody. He looked tired and angry, his left arm was in a sling that sleeve of his deep blue shirt ripped. He looked up as she came forward and he felt the pain drain from him, he had never seen anyone who looked as much like an angel as her, his dear Calleigh.

"Calleigh," his voice was horse and deep. She paused for only a second then rushed towards him and into his arms.

"Oh Horatio…" she sobbed as she let her hot sticky tears drench his shirt, she was surprised to feel a warm damp on her head. His good arm wrapped around her his hand cradling her head against his chest. She felt joy with his every breath, he was alive!

"Let me see your face," he pushed her away slightly. She obliged and didn't try to fide her tears or her joy.

"Aww, Cal, it's good to see your face," he smiled a thumb brushing away her tears.

"I'm sorry to butt in, but there is something I need to show you guys," Speed stuck his head in the room.

"Okay Speed," Horatio regained control and masked his emotions with speed and efficiency.

"Why are you in that?" he laughed as he looked at her black and pink silk robe, he loosened the tie and it reviled a pink satin and lace nightgown.

"It's a long story," she sighed.

"Okay… we found this at your house… and this one at Calleigh's apartment," Speed announced bringing in two evidence bags.

"At her apartment?" Horatio glared.

"Yes in the bush where they found the puppy," Speed answered.

"What? Fill me in here guys," Horatio said a little piqued.

Speed looked at Calleigh who dropped her head.

"I woke up around three, Horatio was gone, I searched the apartment and couldn't find him, I went down and started looking there, I asked Officer McIntyre to help me, he had fallen asleep, we finally found him behind a bush…" her voice quivered.

"He fell asleep?" Horatio asked teeth clenched.

"Yeah, I got the same story from McIntyre," Speed added.

"Fine, I'll deal with him–- later, what do the notes say?" Horatio wanted to move past the McIntyre situation, or he would be out of the bed and teaching the officer a lesson.

"This is the one we found at your house,"

"Caine:
You are playing with fire, and you are getting burned. I thought
your lackey was just testing me, but it seems you are trying to get my girl.
I will not stand for that, consider this your warning. Your free, well, low
cost pass. I will come after you. You can't fool me, I saw you with her, any
fool could see that she wants you, and you her, but I will not allow it! She
is mine! Watch your back."

"He saw you take me home," she shivered.

"Well, I guess the Eric thing is out huh," Speed stated the obvious.

"Yes, but we still can use this," Horatio stated. "He thinks there is something between Calleigh and I so we'll use that to our advantage…"

Calleigh felt all hope that she summed up last night drain.

"Okay, here is the one from her apartment,"

"Calleigh, Calleigh, trying to make me jealous? The dog was a nice touch
on your boss's part. I am not the monster you think I am, see I saved your
dog. You can thank me later, hopefully your boss will be able to do the
same."

"Is the puppy okay?" Horatio asked.

"Yes, he's at the animal ER now. The vet said he will be just fine," she smiled thankful that both her Horatio's were okay.

"Good. We'll go check on him when they release me, which will be soon," he stated.

"If they are sure you are okay…" Calleigh replied.

"I am fine, and they will let me go, we have too much to do."

"What happened Horatio?" she asked pulling a chair next to the bed and Speed left them alone.

"I don't want to talk about it right now Calleigh. It never should have happened, I wasn't aware of my surroundings," he gritted his teeth, staring straight ahead, his fist clenching, he knew it could have been Calleigh instead of him, he could have caused her, her life.

"I don't care what you have to do, we can't have that officer falling asleep again! This is Calleigh's life we are playing with here! I want her protected at all times. This case needs to be shut and we need to throw the key away on this guy!" Horatio was pacing his office floor trying to keep calm, not very successfully.

Speed and Eric were seated on the leather couch trying to make something out of their boss's loss of normal even keel. "We are doing our best to keep Cal, safe, we don't want to see her hurt anymore then you do…" Eric tried to assure.

"Well our best is not cutting it," Horatio directed his gaze on them making both men feel a warmth sting their cheeks. It was no often that you were reprimanded by Horatio.

Horatio sat in his office chair and turned away from them, their dismissal was curt. Horatio heard the door close and he felt his chest constrict. He shouldn't have chewed them out like that, he knew that. But the helplessness he felt now he had not felt since his brother's death and it was taking its toll.

He turned back to his desk and tried to drain his mind, clear out his emotions, he would walk into that meeting tonight and face his team like the Horatio Caine they knew, he would be back to aloof, to tough, to impenetrable then, but right now he felt weakness.

"How did he get in the house?" Horatio demanded angrily, the emotions he had tried to rid creped back.

"He broke the lock, we found it when we went over to the apartment," Eric answered.

"Because the Officer was asleep! She could have been killed right then!" Horatio hardly kept his anger contained.

"But he didn't," Calleigh said calmly meeting Horatio's steel gaze she was the only one that could calm him, that could soften him.

"She is going home with you tonight, is that alright Alexx?" Horatio ignored Calleigh and turned to Alexx.

"Of course, the guest room is all ready for her," Alexx replied.

"Good, now we have got to figure out a way to get him to come out.." Horatio went on with the meeting not being able to look at Calleigh, he was still angry at himself, angry at McIntyre, still feeling the terror the thought of losing her had manifested, every time he looked into her tear stained face.

"He has attacked you, and you want to try and aggravate him more?" Eric asked bewildered.

"Yes—he will come out of hiding if we push him hard and long enough, I could have had him this time—but if we can convince him that Calleigh is truly lost to him he will react and we will get him! This time we set the rules," Horatio answered.

"Okay, what do you suggest?" Speed piped in.

"I haven't gotten that entirely figured out—yet."

"A wedding…" Alexx said.

"What?" all parties exclaimed.

"A wedding, it's perfect. What is more final then that? If he thought that he would lose Calleigh to you by marriage he would react, I am sure of it. What really could you do that would give a such a feeling of finality more so then that?" Alexx explained.

They were quiet while the idea floated.

"Are you willing?" Horatio directed the question at Calleigh.

Her heart thumped wildly, her deepest dream coming true…but only for a farce. Was it worth it?

"Yes."

"Good lets get it together, say by Saturday?" Horatio consulted his calendar, five days, that should be plenty of time.

"Under normal circumstance I would laugh, but yes we can get it done," Alexx was secretly happy with the prospect of planning a wedding, just wishing it was under better terms.

"Its got to look real, but lets not make a huge thing all right?" Horatio furthered his directions.

"You got it," Alexx took charge.

"We could get the Miami Herald to run an article on the wedding, how it was because that with the recent attacks you didn't want to postpone it any longer," Eric offered.

"Yes, but that would create a conflict of interests with me being her boss…so announcing it wouldn't be the best route" Horatio tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"I'll take a leave of absence, they can say I quit because of our marriage, I could easily be reinstated afterward, it is important the Truman know the full story, and that to him looks like we're really doing out of love" Calleigh brought her gaze from the black of the table to seek the steel of Horatio's blue gaze, but he wouldn't accept her challenge.

"Good."