1A while later, Tim and Calleigh laid in bed, curled up in each other's arms.
"Baby I know right now may not be the best of times to talk but um..." Calleigh didn't know how to go on. "Okay. I don't know what other way to say it. A lot of people have brought up a Samantha. Your grandmother—"
"She told you didn't she?" Tim asked softly, a pained tone in his voice. Calleigh saw the upset look on his face.
"Honey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up but its been bothering me." she said, pissed at herself.
"No, its okay." Tim muttered. "I should've told you but I didn't. It just... it hurts too much to talk about it."
"Baby..."
"No. Cal, its fine. I should probably talk about it... make me feel a bit better."
"Tim, we don't have to." she mumbled but he had already started talking.
"You know me. I'm a loner, don't want to be bugged by anyone. I entered high school and never felt so confused before. I didn't know which way to go. I was in the library one day and had tripped over my backpack. That's when I met Samantha. I had knocked her over. We quickly became friends and did everything together. A lot of people thought it was more."
"Was it?" Calleigh asked.
"No. Samantha was like my sister and she could never be anything more. She always bugged me though that I should find a girlfriend. I told her I was just waiting for that person." Tim replied, stroking Calleigh's cheek gently. "I finally found her. But anyway... Samantha got into the accident and I hated myself more than anything. I had been on the snowmobile with her and walked away with a scratch. I kept telling myself that I should've been the one that had gotten hurt."
"Tim, baby that's not true." Calleigh said quietly. He ignored her and went on.
"I spent two years of college trying to find a way to make her better Calleigh. Nothing worked and I hated that I couldn't do anything about it. When she died, I lost it. My parents did nothing to help me and I felt alone again. Samantha... she made every day worth getting up for. She said I was crazy to hang out with her. I could've been the football star or something but I didn't want that. After her funeral, I left. I didn't know where to go and somehow I ended up in Miami. Samantha had been close with her uncle and he told me if I needed anything just to give him a call. He's a good man and I don't think I've ever treated anyone with the most upmost respect I give him besides you."
"Horatio..."
Tim nodded against Calleigh and she felt tears fill her eyes when Tim's own tears hit her bare skin.
"He got me back into everything. I went with him to CSI and I got into that. Megan helped me even more. She told me I had so much potential and should go back to school. So I did and a month after I was accepted to the team Horatio decided we needed one more. He found you. God, baby you were my savior. Yeah H and Megan helped me but... you made me alive again."
Calleigh didn't know what to say.
"When Horatio introduced us," Tim took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. He glanced up at Calleigh and chuckled. He reached over and wiped her tears away. "I'm making us into a bunch of saps. But when he introduced us I didn't know what to say."
"I was too busy checking you out so don't worry about it."
They both laughed at this and Tim went on.
"I know this is going to sound very cliche, but I knew that you'd be the one that I'd spend the rest of my life with."
"Oh God Tim..."
"I know I sound like some horrible romance novel. Angsty past, falls in love with unattainable girl, finally gets girl..." he grinned. Calleigh laughed lightly. "But you made me happy, really happy and you still do and will forever. I hated everything about my life and then you walked in or... rather Horatio dragged me into Ballistics and I can't even explain how I felt. We became best friends instantly... well after you spilled coffee all over me and asked my name again, stammering."
"I was nervous!"
"I didn't care. I think I still have the shirt. Its nostalgic. It smells like coffee but... its part of us. Anyway... over those five years I felt happy and that was odd for me. I know I didn't show it at work but..."
"We went out or hung out at our places and you were a totally different person." Calleigh finished. Tim nodded.
"When Paris happened, I really knew then. I mean I loved you from the start but I really knew I wanted to be with you in Paris. I loved waking up and having you in my arms, no matter how hard we tried to stay on opposite sides of the bed. I realized that this was how I wanted the rest of my life. I wanted to have you by my side. Calleigh, if you're not in my life then I don't have a life." he said. She felt herself tear up again. "And before when I said you kept me sane I wasn't just talking about the past few days. I was talking about the past six years."
"You're gonna make me cry again." Calleigh whispered. Tim smiled slightly and kissed her.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too."