DISCLAIMER: see chapter one

A/N: Hey I'm back!! I am so happy to report that I have restored life to my computer! It should have been fixed sooner but with Christmas and New Years…Thanksgiving for that matter it threw my plans into a tailspin! I am back now, and I have gotten my story back on track, and finished (again….) so it will be all done in a few more chapters. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all your patience and support, you guys rock!!! On with the story…:-)

CHAPTER SEVEN

Miami Herald

There is something good coming out of the recent attacks on CSI Calleigh Duquesne; a wedding.

"With the recent attacks on Miss Duquesne's life she and Lt. Caine have realized that life is too short to not live it fully." Mason Rockford, Miami/Dade Crime Lab spokesman commented Monday. "Miss Duquesne will be quitting the lab, but not because of the threats made by JD Truman, she intends to take the time to enjoy her life and soon her marriage," Rockford continued.

The wedding is to take place at the Golden Beach Hotel, Saturday, the guests to include Police Chief Mark Beckum and Chief of Detectives Henry Pierson.

"I love Horatio Caine with my whole heart…it didn't take Truman to convince me of that, but it did just intensify our affection" Duquesne was quoted as saying…

Calleigh sighed looking at the hastily taken picture of herself and Horatio, arms wrapped around each other leaning against one of Hummers. She folded the paper then turned to Alexx.

"Well I suppose we should wrap this up huh?"

"Yeah, baby, we probably should. Have you picked your colors yet?" Alexx sat on the floor of her living room, legs tucked under the coffee table that was covered with glossy brochures and various magazines.

"Don't you find this all just a bit strange? Planning this…this charade as if it were my real wedding?" Calleigh folded her arms.

"Well think of this as your dress rehearsal."

"Not a real easy thing to do…This silvery purple and this blue," Calleigh changed gears mid sentence handing over two swatches.

"Very nice, not as cheery as I would have expected a Calleigh wedding to be. Calleigh do you love, I mean truly love Horatio?" Alexx added as an after thought.

Calleigh looked a little frightened as seemingly all knowing eyes bored into her, "Yes, Alexx I do. I didn't mean for it to happen…honest I didn't" she half laughed half cried.

"Aww, Cal, its going to be okay. He cares for you, he does… he wouldn't have sat out side your window nearly all night to make sure you were safe if he didn't… he wouldn't have gotten you that puppy…"

"What? When did sit outside my window?" Calleigh sat upright.

"Every night since we got the first note from Truman! You didn't know?"

"No… he never said anything, he really watched my apartment?" Calleigh felt gladness flood her.

"Yeah he did. He cares about you Cal."

"Just like he does about everyone on his team," Calleigh dried her tears and prepared to once again separate her heart.

"Maybe, but I think it goes a little deeper then that."

"How's the arm, H?" Speed asked as he, Eric and Horatio were getting the last alterations on their tuxes.

"It is fine, Speed. How is the set-up going at the hotel?" Horatio asked adjusting his jacket.

"Everything is going well, we got the equipment set up in two rooms, one on each side of the hotel, we'll be able to look out on the beach during the ceremony and reception and also watch the arriving guests," Speed pulled at his cummerbund with distaste.

"And we'll have undercover agents posing as servers and such, besides everyone there pretty much will be a cop, Truman has got to have some guts to crash a party like that!" Eric chuckled admiring his profile in the long mirror, and gave himself the nod of approval.

Horatio dipped his chin and thought for a second about his 'bride' about Truman and when he lifted his face upward a smile spread slowly as he looked to across the street where Calleigh was getting her dress fitted and said, "I am counting on it."

"Hey Cal, congrats on the engagement, I just heard!" Rachel from DNA greeted Calleigh as she came off the elevator.

"Thanks Rachel," Calleigh headed toward Horatio's office, stomach churning, she had been numb all day, the lies were eating away at her.

"Knock, knock," she tapped on the partially opened door.

Horatio was on the phone but wavered her in. She entered, a large paper bag in hand.

"Hey what are doing here?" he asked hanging up the phone.

"I was going out of my mind at Alexx's, I brought dinner," she forced a smile sitting the bag on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"How is everything going?" Horatio asked cautiously, sitting next to her on the sofa, helping to bring out the Chinese take out containers.

"It's three days till D-Day and I feel fine?" she shrugged.

"Isn't it 'it's the end of the world, and I feel fine'?" Horatio tried not to laugh at her bad but all too entertaining rendition of the classic song.

"Either way, I'm not fine, I'm not okay. Horatio how much longer? How much more of this can we do? We don't even know it this…this wedding will work!" she slapped some chow mien on her paper plate.

"We have to go on with this. We don't have a choice; we need to get this guy and quickly. Beside we are too far into planning this sting we can't back out now," Horatio answered picking at his orange chicken.

Calleigh felt a little insulted that he took this 'wedding' as causally as he did. "We don't even know that he will show!"

"No, but if he doesn't he will sometime after the fact… it is setting him up."

"So what we wait around, maybe tempt him with a 'child' and hope he strikes again? This is growing insane! Horatio, we are playing with not only my life but also yours! Do you realize the webs we are weaving here?"

"Yes, I know! Calleigh I have spent nearly every waking hour and then some thinking about this! I want this guy as much as you do—I am doing everything the best way I know how!"

Calleigh remained silent for a long moment trying to choose her next words. "Why didn't you tell me that you watched my apartment?" she finally asked softly.

Horatio showed surprise for only a flash, he put down the take out container, "When did you find out?"

"Alexx let it slip while we were planning today, why didn't you tell me?"

"There was no reason to worry you. I wanted to make sure that you were all right, that is possibly part of the reason Officer McIntyre fell asleep, I always relieved him around two and turned it over to Officer Davis around five. The time was short but I felt better knowing that you were all right…" he shrugged.

"You aren't the reason McIntyre fell asleep," she was quick to assure.

"I had no idea that you were out there…" her eyes misted and she put a hand on his leg. She wanted so bad to tell him, tell him everything what was in her heart but she couldn't. "You have treated me so well…you've taken care of me, thank you," she pulled back and the silence was deafening.

He slipped a hand over hers; it was shaking.

She nodded knowingly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"H, we need you in the conference room right away!" Eric stepped into the AV lab.

"All right—I'll be right there, Eric," Horatio nodded calmly standing from the computer table.

"It just came in. A visitor found it in the side parking lot. We had an officer pick it up, it's been scanned and is ready for you," Speed filled in as Horatio entered.

On the table was a large flat brown paper wrapped package. Horatio nodded pulling a pocketknife out, cutting the twine.

HORATIO CAINE

Was scrawled in thick wide script. He swallowed as he looked at the large painters canvas. All over the beige materiel there were pictures of Calleigh, candid pictures, from the trial, from a night vision camera pictures of Calleigh entering her apartment. In the middle the picture of the Miami Herald wedding announcement, Horatio's face blacked out.

Horatio's fists clenched as he read "Till DEATH do you part" which was written in scarlet red dripping lettering.

"Get the paper to trace, see if there is anything that could point us to location…Speed get the surveillance tapes and look for a vehicle," Horatio's anger was barely subdued as he gave orders.

"and not a word of this to Calleigh!" he called over his shoulder as Speed and Eric left.

Horatio leaned on the table, head throbbing, Truman was getting close and outwardly violently in more obvious ways. He grabbed a water glass from the table and sent it sailing into the wall, glass and water spreading.