"Horatio? What are you doing here?"

Horatio's eyes widened behind his sunglasses and he turned around.

"Calleigh, hey. Uh... I was going to pick Meghan up today. You know, some bonding time." he lied. "Is that alright?"

"Of course it is. I have to take James to a dentist appointment anyway."

"Well I have perfect timing then."

Calleigh smiled as the bell rang. The twins came rushing out, neither talking to the other.

"Meg, you're gonna go with Uncle H." Calleigh said, grabbing James by the backpack before he ran off.

"Can I go?" he asked.

"No. You, young man, are going to the dentist."

"But Mom!"

"But Mom nothing! You need to get your teeth cleaned and see if I can get you to see the orthodontist."

"I don't want braces! I already have glasses!"

"Be happy I let you have contacts then." Calleigh smiled. "I'll see you guys later."

Horatio led Meghan over to his car and they quickly got in.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Back to my place and then we have to make a quick stop before I take you home."

---------S/C--------

"So explanation... you said you'd give me one." Meghan reminded. Horatio nodded.

"Okay. Nine years ago, your dad was being stalked by someone he had put in jail. This person had gotten parol and was now out and trying to get your dad. I suggested that he went into witness protection until we caught his stalker. He started to protest but then thought of you, James, and your mom. He agreed. After he went into protection, his stalker seemed to have disappeared. We couldn't find the person."

"Then why didn't you let him out?"

"He was afraid that once he came back to us then it would just start all over."

"Why didn't you get the person when they started stalking?"

"We don't know who it is." Horatio replied. "All your dad got were pictures and typed letters and we couldn't get anything from them."

"So just because some person had a grudge he had to leave?" Meghan asked.

"It was for you guys."

Meghan jumped when she heard a quiet voice behind her. She turned and stared at Tim as he walked out from the shadows of the kitchen.

"I told you we'd come to you." Horatio said, giving his friend a glare.

"I didn't care. Needed to get out of the house anyway." Tim replied, his eyes on Meghan. "Pictures don't do any justice."

"You were snooping around? Oh why am I even surprised? You're not supposed to come out of that house."

"I knew it!" Meghan exclaimed. "I... something wasn't right about that whole story of you dying on duty!"

Tim gave a small smile and shrugged.

"H isn't Steven Spielberg."

"Thanks a lot." he grumbled.

"Are you mad?" Tim asked, ignoring Horatio. Meghan nodded.

"I don't like being lied to."

"Gee, she's just like you." Horatio mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I wanted you to be safe, along with James and your mother. By the way, you look just like her." Tim said.

"And you look just like James... well he looks like you..." Meghan stammered. What was she supposed to say to him? "Are you going to be around?"

"No! You can't tell Mom Meghan. I'm serious. She cannot know that I'm still alive."

"Don't you want to see her?"

"Of course I do. There's nothing more that I want than to be with you guys but it could screw up everything. Me being here right now could be screwing all of this up. Horatio told me you figured it out and was bringing you here to explain. I wanted to see you, just for a second."

"I don't want you to go again."

"And I don't want to go again. I'm not really. I'm closer than you think." Tim said. Meghan crossed the room and hugged him tightly. Tim hugged her back, wondering what he had missed out on the past nine years. "I have to go."

Meghan held onto him tighter, tears springing into her eyes.

"It's not fair." she whispered.

"I know it's not." Tim said quietly. "But soon, this may all be over."

"Yeah. I'm sure it will be." Meghan said sarcastically. "Just like you said before, on the computer."

"I don't like you going through my stuff either."

"I'll go through windows to get evidence to prove that I'm not crazy."

Tim laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be around."

"Can you call?"

"No. Phones might be bugged. The house might be being watched. I got to be careful."

"Is it always going to be like this?" Meghan asked, looking up at Tim. He thought for a second and shrugged.

"I really don't know. I hope not."

--------S/C-------

"What did you do with H?" James asked.

"Talked." Meghan mumbled, picking at her food.

"Meghan, are you going to eat it or play with it?" Calleigh asked.

"What did you talk about?" James asked. Meghan desperately wanted to tell her mother and brother about Tim, how he was still alive. But she made a promise to her dad and she wasn't ready to break it.

"Stuff that doesn't pertain to you." Meghan snapped.

"Jeez don't need to get an attitude." James muttered.

"Look who's talking."

"I just wanted to start a conversation."

"If I wanted to talk to you, I would've said something. You know what? You're just jealous that I got to hang out with Uncle Horatio today. You want to know what we were talking about?"

"Yeah I would."

"We were trying to figure out ways how to get you to not be so ugly."

"You're very funny." James sneered. "Did you ever think of taking up stand up comedy?"

"Ti–James stop!" Calleigh exclaimed.

"You know, she calls me ugly but you don't say anything to her." he said. "She's just being a baby again, trying to get attention."

"I'm done." Meghan mumbled, pushing her chair out.

"Meghan, you didn't even eat anything. Sit back down." Calleigh ordered.

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are. Now sit down."

Meghan walked out of the kitchen. Calleigh sighed and grabbed Meghan's plate. She brought it over to the counter and wrapped it up, then put it in the refrigerator.

"You should try being a bit nicer to her." she said. James rolled his eyes and finished his food, then went to bed. Everyone always took Meghan's side.

-------S/C------

Calleigh sighed as she glanced at the clock again.

"MEGHAN, LET'S GO!" she yelled up the stairs. "WE'RE RUNNING LATE!"

When Meghan didn't answer her, Calleigh headed upstairs to her daughter's closed door.

"Honey, this isn't the day to sleep in." she said. "I know you're upset but come on. Don't ignore me."

Calleigh opened the door and let out an audible gasp, seeing the empty bed.

"Meghan?"

---------S/C---------

Half an hour later, Calleigh's house was swarming with police and CSIs. She stood in the hallway upstairs, talking to Horatio.

"I.. I don't understand. She... she was upset last night. She did not run away."

"There's no evidence saying that she was kidnapped." Horatio said. "What was she upset about?"

"She and James started fighting over what you and her talked about."

"She told you?"

"No. She wouldn't tell me. She got all nasty and sarcastic. What did you two talk about?"

"It's confidential." Horatio said quietly.

"My daughter is eleven Horatio. Her life is not confidential, not to me at least." Calleigh said. "What did you talk about that got her so upset?"

"She wasn't upset when I took her home." he defended.

"Horatio..."

"Uh... I told her there may be a slight, actually a good chance that... that... that Speedle is still alive."

Calleigh laughed and leaned against the wall.

"I'm sorry I thought you just said you told my eleven-year-old that her father, who's been dead for nine years is still alive. Horatio, where the hell do you get off at telling my kid that? Why would you tell her lies like that?"

"Probably because they aren't lies."

Calleigh froze when Tim walked over to her.

"Hi."

"H-Hi? That's all you have to say to me?" she stammered.

"Well... that and do this," Tim pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. Calleigh felt herself getting lightheaded and Tim tightened his hold on her when she went limp in his arms.

"Personally," Horatio started, "I don't think that was the best way to tell her."

"No shit."

Horatio had to smile. With that sarcastic comment, he knew that Tim Speedle was finally back.