Disclaimer: I own anyone you don't recognize. Everyone else belongs to Anthony Zuiker.
A/N: YOU NEED to read A Big Mistake before reading this!
S/C------
Previously...
"Tim, get the door."
She had to ruin it. But she'd get her punishment as she heard Tim's surprised tone and walked into the foyer.
"Christian Randall." Calleigh sighed. The federal agent smirked and took his sunglasses off. "Tim, let him in..."
Tim reluctantly moved out of the doorway and let the man in. He protectively wrapped an arm around Calleigh and Christian's smirk widened.
"It's not me you have to worry about. We need to talk."
S/C------
Calleigh sat on the love seat next to her husband and stared across the room to Christian.
"So what is it?" she finally asked.
"Kerner knows you're still alive." Christian replied. "You blew your cover Calleigh when you came back here."
"You sent me back to Miami."
"Under Lt. Caine's orders. He said he wouldn't let you around here."
"Well then Horatio needs to brush up on his babysitting skills." Calleigh snapped. Christian sighed and ran a hand through his cropped brown hair.
"Look, I'm not doubting Lt. Caine. But now you've put everything that we've worked for at risk."
"So what? You want me to get 'killed' again and get taken away from my family again? Put them through another year of hell?"
"No. You said you didn't want them coming into Witness Protection with you the first time. Either we stop protecting you or they come with you. Right now, your husband and your children are at danger."
"Well where is Kerner? Why for this past year have none of you great detectives been able to find him?"
"We don't know. He's well hidden."
"If he's so well hidden then how do you know he knows I'm still alive?"
"We have our ways." Christian replied as his cell phone went off. "Excuse me."
He walked into the kitchen and Tim turned and looked at Calleigh.
"What?" she asked.
"You had the option?" Tim asked. "Of bringing us in with you?"
"Yes and of course I declined it! Tim, it's horrible!" Calleigh exclaimed. "I don't want to pretend anymore! I don't want the kids to have to go through that, hiding who they really are!"
"Honey, we want them safe don't we?"
"Yes but I don't want them going through that! I'm not uprooting them because someone wants me! He doesn't want the kids Tim! He doesn't want you! He wants me! Why make them suffer for something they didn't do?"
"I'll suffer if something really does happen to you, or something happens to the kids. I mean, Jesus Christ Cal. You guys are my whole life."
"So you're saying you want to do this?" Calleigh asked quietly.
"I'm not saying I want to. Honey, we want to protect our kids. I do. I want to protect you and I know I try so hard to be your hero all the time and keep you guys out of harm's way but I'm not always going to be here. What if I'm at work? Or you're at the store? Or one of us is at a conference? Or they're somewhere? I don't want to lose you again, that'll really send me over the edge. I don't want to lose the kids, forget it. I'm a goner. What I'm trying to say is..."
"Is that this may be our only option."
Tim nodded.
"It sucks." Calleigh mumbled. "It really does. I mean, you're always getting switched around to different places, becoming new people, have a new background, new house, new job. They switched me around so much because they were so afraid that Kerner would find me. I... I hated telling people that I was... was... whoever the hell they came up because that wasn't me. I wasn't Sally Jones from New York or any of that. I kept to myself, I began not trusting people... there were so many times when I wanted to call but knew I couldn't. I was only allowed to keep in touch with Horatio since he set this whole thing up. Even though you're around other people you feel lonely. It's not the same. You're not around the people you know. I don't want the kids to go through that and they're just kids Tim! I could barely remind myself to say, 'Oh Hi I'm Amy Smith.' Sometimes I'd slip and start saying, 'I'm Calleigh Speedle.' Do you think they can? I mean, Abbie could most likely but Nicky's only nine and we know Jen's got a helluva mouth on her..."
They both laughed quietly at this.
"Tim, since the day that they were born we were able to protect them and they've all survived."
"Barely." he mumbled as Christian walked back into the room.
"I have to go. But we'll be in touch. I suggest you make up your mind soon." and he let himself out.
"Okay, like I was saying, they're all in one piece." Calleigh went on.
"Yes and sweetheart we also didn't have a maniacal serial killer after us."
"What difference should that make? If we keep doing what we're doing now then everything should be fine!"
Tim sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Why are you being so difficult?" he moaned.
"I'm not! I want what's best for our children! Just think about it Tim! Do you want to leave all of this behind?"
Tim stared at Calleigh for a minute and shook his head.
"No. You're right. I don't." he said quietly. "But, I want the kids to be safe."
"So do I." Calleigh nodded, walking into the kitchen. Tim followed her and sat down at the table. "Tim, nothing is going to happen. Okay?"
"Yeah." he nodded. Oh how wrong they were.
