The waiting room was silent except for one of the nurses chatting quietly to the other. Eric was leaning against the wall, his expression blank and unreadable. Tim was sitting down, his head bowed as he stared at his lap. He was unaware of the tears that rolled down his face and then hit his knees, soaking his jeans. The silence was broken when a door swung open and one pissed off southerner sauntered in. Eric glanced over his shoulder.

"Calleigh!"

Tim stood up quickly and Calleigh was in his arms in a second, bawling her eyes out. Tim didn't know what to do. He held her tightly as she sobbed into his chest and he was amazed that she made it over to the hospital in one piece.

"W-W-What ha-happened?"

"We went to the hotel." Tim started, pulling them both down into his chair. "And the girl on duty didn't know where they were. I ran into McMahon on the street and he had Sammy. I chased him back into the hotel and he disappeared into the elevator. I took the stairs and when I was close enough to get Sammy she screamed and fell..."

Calleigh buried her face in his chest and Tim kissed the top of her head.

"She's going to be okay."

"He pushed her?"

"No. He... He..." Tim didn't know whether to tell Calleigh or not. "He... Calleigh, I don't want to tell you."

"Tim, please..."

"He shot her."

Calleigh went into another fit of crying and Eric gave Tim a sympathetic look.

"Shh... Calleigh, honey calm down."

"Calm down!" she yelled, jumping off his lap. "Calm down? Tim that's our daughter in there so no I will not calm down!"

"I know but..."

"But nothing!"

"Honey, I know." Tim tried to pull her back into his arms and she relented. "I know Cal. Believe me, I know... I've been pretty messed up for the past hour. Ask Eric but she's going to be fine. I know she is. I wouldn't lie to you."

And Calleigh believed him.

S/C-----

Tim glanced down at Calleigh, who had her head in his lap and was asleep. He thought about the past nineteen years, well actually twenty-one years. He had been twenty-seven and working at CSI for three years. Horatio made him work solo on a sex offender case. The suspect was one Michael McMahon, who went after sixteen to seventeen year old girls. Tim hated himself after the evidence hadn't hold up in court and McMahon walked. Now it was coming back to haunt him. Nothing was ever easy for him. He had Calleigh and then nearly lost her when Webster came into their lives. Then there was Sammy, his little Sammy and he swore, the second he first held her, that he'd never let anything bad happened to her. Tim kept that promise for seventeen years...

"Mr. Speedle?"

Tim's head snapped up and saw a doctor, still in his ER scrubs, standing before him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm Dr. O'Neill. I operated on your daughter."

"Hold on." Tim nudged Calleigh gently. "Cal..."

"Mmm..."

"Honey, come on. The doctor is here."

Calleigh shot up like a rocket and ran a hand through her hair.

"Is she okay?" she asked immediately. Dr. O'Neill stared at them and Tim felt his stomach turn and Calleigh tightened her grip on his hand.

"I managed to get the bullet out of Samantha. It just missed a major artery and she'll be fine but I'm watching that for any infections. When she fell down the stairs from the impact of the bullet she hit her head and there was some swelling. I think she'll be okay. She's in recovery and when we get her into a room I'll come and get you."

"Thank you so much." Calleigh said, a relieved tone in her voice and unshed tears in her eyes.

"Just doing my job." Dr. O'Neill replied.

S/C-----

Tim had sent Calleigh home, much to her dismay. He promised he'd stay and would call when Sammy woke up. So now he was sitting at Sammy's bedside, watching her intently. The only sign of her being alive was her chest falling and rising with each breath. Tim forced himself to stay awake but he reluctantly fell asleep.

"Daddy..."

Tim shifted in his chair and opened his eyes slowly. Sammy stared back at him tiredly and gave him a small smile. Tim sat up quickly and moved closer to her.

"Hey."

Sammy could detect the relieved tone in his voice.

"How're you feeling?"

"Tired, drugged up, and everything hurts."

"I kind of figured." Tim said, cracking a small smile.

"Where's Mom?"

"I sent her home a few hours ago."

"Few hours... how long have I been here?" Sammy tried moving and groaned in pain.

"Sammy, you gotta take it easy." Tim said. "As for how long you've been here... since yesterday when I found you."

"It was Jason's father." she muttered.

"I know. Uncle Eric is trying to find him. Just relax."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For getting kidnapped." Sammy said.

"Sweetheart, that wasn't your fault. So don't say you're sorry." Tim said.

"Then I'm sorry about how I've treated you for the past two months. I guess I do still need you to watch out for me."

Tim leaned over and kissed Sammy's forehead and she threw her arms around his neck.

"I always will." he whispered.

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you too Sammy."

"Samantha, you're awake!"

A bored voice broke the two Speedles out of their little moment and Tim turned and saw Susan, the nurse in the doorway.

"She's awake Mr. Speedle, you can go now."

Tim nodded and Sammy caught his hand.

"Daddy, don't leave me."

"I got to. I've stayed here way past visiting hours."

"I don't care. I don't want to be here alone."

Susan sighed irritably as Tim sat back down.

"Samantha, he's been here long enough." she said.

"I don't care." she said, her Speedle stubbornness shining through.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to." Tim said. "Got it Susan? And if anyone has a problem just tell them to talk to Lieutenant Speedle."

"Uh... Lieutenant... I um... I had no idea... I'm... stay as long as you want." Susan stammered, backing out of the room. Sammy giggled.

"Will you really stay?"

"Yeah. I'll never leave."

And they both knew he wasn't talking about just tonight.