"Mommy?"
Eric gave Calleigh an apologetic look as everyone heard Sammy enter the room. She looked up from her lap and smiled slightly at Sammy.
"What's wrong sweetie? You should be asleep."
"I heard people talking. What's going on?"
"Nothing." Calleigh said quickly.
"Where's Daddy?"
"He's..." Calleigh looked up at Eric for help.
"Where?" Sammy asked.
"He had to go away for a while." Eric replied. Sammy's blue eyes filled with tears.
"Why? I want Daddy!"
"I know honey." Calleigh pulled her into her arms. "I want him too."
S/C-------
Tim opened his eyes slowly, wincing when a bright light hit them. Finally when his vision was focused, Tim was met with a pair of blue eyes. Not Calleigh's loving ones or Sammy's curious ones. A pair of bored, yet evil eyes.
"Finally, you're awake."
Tim groaned. He would never forget that voice.
"How's it going Webster?"
"Well... eight years of prison... killing a few more people... buying a house in Coconut Grove... I must say I've had my moments. How's it going Tim?"
"Well... next week will be eight years of being married... have a daughter... great house... though I bet you know all of that already."
"Yeah." Webster nodded. "Say how's Calleigh?"
"Oh she's peachy." Tim muttered, wondering what hell she was going through right now.
S/C------
Calleigh walked down the stairs after putting Sammy back to bed.
"So... what's new?" she asked, as if it were any other case. Horatio looked at her for a few seconds.
"Um... nothing really. Calleigh, you realize this is a crime scene right?"
"Yeah."
"You're not working it."
"Yes I am and this is my house."
"We don't let the victims' families stay at the crime scene." Horatio said. "And no you're not working this."
"Do you actually think I'm going to let someone else work this case?" Calleigh asked.
"No but I am. I'm calling in a new CSI."
"A newbie?"
"His name's Ryan Wolfe. He should be here any minute." Horatio said, turning to Eric. Calleigh crossed her arms and glared at Eric.
"Uh... H." he pointed at Calleigh with his pen.
"Calleigh, no." he said without turning around.
"Horatio..."
"You're not working it!"
"Why and you better give me a damn good reason."
"Tim's your husband." Horatio said. "Eric, what did you find?"
"Um... Cal, I can't work with you staring at me like that." he muttered.
"Calleigh, will you leave?"
"No." she said stubbornly. "I expect to be kept informed on this."
Horatio sighed, frustrated and rubbed his forehead.
"Calleigh..."
"Horatio, I'm not letting my husband's fate be put in the hands of some newbie that has no idea what he's doing."
"Eric and I will be there working the case as well."
"Why don't you go stay at my place?" Eric suggested. "Valera won't care."
"Lieutenant I'm sorry I'm late." a nervous voice said. Calleigh gave Horatio a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "You must be Mrs. Speedle..."
"That's Detective Speedle." Calleigh corrected. "You must be the new guy."
"Ryan Wolfe ma'am."
"Don't call me ma'am. Look I'll go to Delko's but in the morning I'm going to be at work and I'm working this case. Got it?"
Horatio glared down at the petite blonde but she glared right back at him, each holding their ground.
"Calleigh..."
"Horatio..."
"Dammit fine!"
"Now that wasn't so hard. I'll see you boys in the morning." Calleigh said and disappeared upstairs to grab Sammy.
S/C------
"You got to get some sleep Calleigh." Valera said, rubbing her back slightly. "He's gonna be fine."
"I feel terrible." she mumbled.
"Why? You didn't do anything."
"Yeah I did. Webster wanted Tim to meet him in this deserted building and I told him I didn't want him going and we got into a fight. I... I said I regretted us ever happening." Calleigh said.
"Cal, he knows you didn't mean it." Valera sighed.
"He tried to get me to apologize tonight and I wouldn't. I just... I didn't want him going."
"Fighting wouldn't change that."
"I know." Calleigh whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Can... can you uh do me a favor?"
"Yeah."
"Can you call Eric and tell him to tell Horatio I'm coming in late today?"
"Yeah. Go upstairs Calleigh. Get some sleep." Valera said. "I'll get Sammy off to school too."
The blonde nodded and walked into the guest room, collapsing onto the bed. She crawled under the blanket and buried her head in the pillow, tears steadily flowing down her cheeks.
S/C------
Tim sighed deeply as he looked around his surroundings. It was solitary confinement. It really was. No windows, just four walls and a door. There was a dim light hanging from the ceiling and the constant swinging back and forth of the chain was driving the CSI insane. Tim's ankles were taped to the legs of the chair and his arms were around the back of the chair, taped and then his wrists were taped together. Webster really made sure Tim wasn't going anywhere. He sighed again, wondering what time it was. He wondered if it was still nighttime or not. He wondered what Calleigh was doing. His beautiful Calleigh. Tim closed his eyes tightly, hoping to God he could just conjure up an image of her. Or Sammy. Either one or both would have been fantastic but his mind was drawing a blank. How long would he be here until the team found him or... or... or he died?
S/C-------
Calleigh's eyes were red and she looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep as she walked into CSI later that afternoon.
"Detective Speedle!"
Calleigh glanced behind her, hoping to see Tim but the receptionist was talking to her.
"What's up Colleen?" she asked.
"Detective Salas left a message about your case." she replied, handing over a pink note.
"Yelina isn't working my case."
"Whiskey Stop?"
Calleigh sighed, having forgotten all about that problem.
"Horatio!"
"Yeah?" the redhead was focused on a paper in his hands but looked up, a distracted look on his face. "Calleigh, sweetheart, no offense but..."
"I look like shit I know. Look... I'm working the Whiskey Stop case but I want to work Tim's. Can you get Ryan on it?"
"Wasn't your father a suspect in that?"
"Yes and I don't want to deal with him. Right now... I think he is capable of whatever happened at that crime scene. Just please Horatio?" Calleigh pleaded. He nodded and pulled out his cell phone.
"Meet me in my office. Delko's already up there." he added before dialing a number.
S/C------
"He knows what he's doing." Horatio said. "The only thing he left behind was the cloth that was doused in chloroform. The ladder he used to look in on the second level is clean of any prints."
Eric shook his head.
"I don't get it. Why not just wait for Speed to come to that place?" he asked. Calleigh's face lit up. "What?"
"Horatio do you still have that address? The one Webster left for Tim?"
He nodded and as he went to reach for it his cell phone went off.
"Caine... mhmm... mhmm... are you sure? Alright... thanks." he snapped the phone shut and looked at Eric. "Come on."
He stood up as did Eric and Calleigh followed.
"Where are you going?" Horatio asked.
"To the crime scene."
"No. Stay here."
"Horatio..." Calleigh got a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"I don't know Calleigh." he said honestly. "I really don't. Look go help Ryan with the Whiskey Stop case."
S/C-------
"This helps us a lot." Eric muttered under his breath. "Firemen done in there?"
"Yeah." Hagen nodded. "At least one body in there, so they say. Burned badly. Can't get a definite ID. Need prints or something. You think..."
"No." Horatio lied and walked towards the... well can't really call it a building. The building's remains. He knelt down next to Alexx, who shook her head.
"I don't know." she sighed.
"This was the address Webster left Speed." Horatio said. "Alexx... I need to know."
"And I'm telling you Horatio I don't. The body was doused in an accelerant and I won't know until I get back to the lab." she said. "I hope to God for Calleigh's sake it isn't him, for all of us."
Horatio sighed and nodded.
"I'll see you when I get back to the lab."