A/N: Thanks, ladies. I hope you enjoy this one.

Oh, and, by the way, there's a lot more to come, Donna. Hang tight ;)

Susan, grin I'm glad. chuckle And yes, I am up to something.

Geena, lol, the Chandler dance? Haha! Excellent!! And, Kyson is nothing. You'll see. ;b

Chapter 3: Titter

Calleigh sauntered up the familiar walkway. She hadn't seen the slanted glass and pale concrete building in so long. It all felt very unreal, like in a dream.

Madison let go of Calleigh's hand and ran up the stairs in front of the building.

"Madison, wait for me." Calleigh called, wanting to enter the building with some form of comfort only a wonderful child like Madison could give.

"Yeah," the little redhead held onto the railing and skipped to the door where she stopped and waited. Madison put her hand out with a smile and they went in together.

Once inside, they took the elevator down and Calleigh led Madison to the reception desk.

The receptionist, never looking up, but knowing someone had stepped up to her desk, lifted a finger, asking for a moment, as she finished her phone conversation. The woman hung the phone up, closing a file and Calleigh immediately beamed her a smile, "Hey Claudia."

Claudia looked up and smiled, "Calleigh Duquesne." She stood to lean over and hung her lightly, "or should I call you Mrs. Caine?"

Calleigh laughed, pulling back from the hug, "Calleigh will do just fine."

"Oh, and look at this handsome little boy!"

Calleigh smiled, "Yes, this is Darian."

"Oh, I just want to pinch his cheeks!" Claudia laughed, "But I won't." Reclaiming her role, she asked, "Are you looking for Lieutenant Caine? Because he's not in right now."

"Um, actually, I'm headed for the lab- out on a case, is he?"

"Yes. I can leave a message for him, if you'd like-"

Madison stepped in, "Horatio's not here?" Calleigh patted the little girl's head and looked at Claudia.

"No, that's okay. Thank you. It was nice seeing you." Calleigh took hold of Madison's hand again, "You'll see him tonight, sweetie." Truth was: she was as disappointed as her about not seeing Horatio.

As Calleigh and Madison started off, Claudia asked, "You're coming back soon, right?"

"Yeah, in a bit."

"Well, don't be a stranger around here…" Claudia advised.

"I won't," Calleigh called over her shoulder as she made her way down the hall towards the DNA lab.

She immediately spotted Eric who rushed out to see her, "Calleigh!" he smiled widely, taking her in his arms. "I missed ya. So has everyone, actually."

"Me too," she squeezed him back carefully, not to smother Darian.

"Hey Maddy," he pulled away from Calleigh and offered the girl his hand so she could give him five. She tapped his hand and giggled a "hi".

"And, how's the little man?" Eric asked, looking at Darian.

Calleigh smiled, "He's fine. Just had his afternoon nap."

"Wish I could do just that," Eric smiled.

Calleigh placed a hand on his side in sympathy. "Poor Eric."

He thought about Calleigh adjusting to being a new mom and chuckled, moving in to lend his finger to Darian.

He bonded with the baby for a while then gave Calleigh his full attention again, saying he had to get back to work.

"Where's the rest of the team?" she asked, before he left.

Eric pondered for a moment, "Last time I saw Speed, he was in the fingerprint lab."

"Okay, thanks Eric."

"No problem. I'll see you later?"

"Okay," Calleigh looked at Madison, "Come here, Maddy, we'll go see Speedle. You remember Tim, don't you?"

Madison nodded. "He has a motorcycle."

Calleigh nodded, "That's right."

Calleigh gazed through the lab's glass wall to where Speed was busy at work. He had headphones on, working with music, as he often did. She pushed the door and entered with Madison, walking over to stand before him so he'd notice she was there.

He sensed some movement and removed his headphones just in time to hear her say his name.

Not bothering to turn the music off, he frowned, "Calleigh, what, ah, what are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet me?" She leaned on one side, hand on her hip.

He rolled his eyes at her, "You know what I mean."

"Well, I came to see you guys and…" Just as she was going to say Horatio, Alexx walked by in the hallway. Speed noticed Calleigh's eyes on the M.E. and said, "Go ahead- go show her Darian - she's been dying to see him."

"Okay," Calleigh resigned easily, "I'll just leave this here," she gently dropped the diaper bag. "Madison, are you coming?" She looked over at the little girl who had jumped up, taking a seat next to Speed.

"She can stay here," Speed offered.

"Are you sure?" Calleigh clearly displayed hesitation. "It's okay with you?"

"Yes, what could go wrong in a few minutes?" he asked, wanting to pry an answer from her.

She cut her eyes at him.

He kept an amused expression inward and, instead, exhaled loudly, "Just go. Quick."

"Okay." She started for the door, then turned, "Thank you, Tim."

"Yeah," he watched as the door closed. Speed looked over at Madison who was staring at him and asked, "Ever heard of the Black Eyed Peas?"

Madison shook her head and Speed grinned. "Here-" he adjusted the headphones as much as he could and placed them on her head.

Alexx was pouring herself a cup of coffee in the break room, back facing the door, when Calleigh entered unnoticed.

"Mmm. Smells like Eric's special blend…" Calleigh commented.

Alexx spun around, "Calleigh?"

"Hey," Calleigh smiled, walking over to the surprised M.E.

Alexx put her cup down. "You," she pointed her finger, "you and Horatio - both of you have to stop sneaking up on me like that. Nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Calleigh rolled her eyes and hugged the darker woman.

"Oh my goodness! Look how big he's gotten!"

"Yeah, I wish there was a correlation with my weight so as he gets bigger, I'd be getting thinner."

"Oh honey, give yourself some time."

"Time I've got plenty of. It's a chance to go for a run without worrying about him being too hot or getting caught in the rain that's the problem."

Alexx touched Darian. "May I?"

"Of course, Alexx, you are the godmother…"

Alexx smiled, taking the boy out of Calleigh's sling into her arms, "Come here, sugar."

Her dark eyes shone brightly. "You're so handsome," she cooed, rubbing his cheek. Her voice had changed somewhat. She kept her head down towards Darian, but lifted her eyes to meet Calleigh's murmuring, "I always knew you'd make beautiful babies."

"Thanks. If I didn't remember having carried him for nine months, I'd swear I had nothing to do with it… he's all Horatio."

"Were you hoping to see him?"

"Who, Horatio? Well, I get him enough at home. Not exactly his better self all the time, but he tries hard to be the best husband in the world even if, most of the time, he comes home beat."

"I'll try to keep a better watch on him."

"Thanks, Alexx. Oh, which reminds me…" Calleigh trailed off. "Can you watch Darian for just a minute?"

"Sure, honey," a frown dimmed her countenance, "But where are you off to?"

"I left Madison with Speed and I don't want to overburden him longer than necessary…"

"Oh." Alexx replied as Calleigh headed towards the door.

Unhurriedly, Alexx walked out after her.

Calleigh entered the lab eying Speed suspiciously.

"Hey, Cal," Speed greeted her.

"Tim," she looked over at Madison, sporting big headphones, who was giggling like crazy. "What exactly is she listening to?"

"It's good. You should listen to it-" Speed said, taking his latex gloves off.

Calleigh moved closer to Madison and plucked the headphones off, sticking her ear against the earpiece.

Let's get retarded (ha), let's get retarded in here. Let's get retarded (ha), let's get retarded (woah, woah, woah) in here. Yeah.
Oohhoo! Aha, oohhoo... in here... Cookoo, aha, cookoo, in here (R-E-T-A-R-D-E-D)... Cookoo, aha, let's get, cookoo, in here...ow, ow, ow...
ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya...
Runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin'

Calleigh pressed the stop button on the portable CD player and Madison looked up at her, asking, "Why do they wanna get retarded?"

Calleigh gave Speed a bad look. Alexx, who had been standing in the doorway, laughed.

Speed rounded the table's corner to where the girls were standing and took his discman back. "It's just a song," he explained to Madison and spared a glance in Calleigh's direction, hoping she would see it the same way he did.

He put his music away and, hearing a gurgle, he looked in Alexx' direction.

"Wow," he stepped closer to Alexx, looking over Darian more closely, "he's got big feet."

Calleigh, who had helped Madison off the stool, turned. She watched as Speed traced a line along Darian's bare sole, the baby's toes curling tighter in response.

"You know what that means," Alexx chuckled.

"What?" the baby's mother asked.

"Honey," Alexx said, thinking her tone was enough for her friend to fill in the lines.

It wasn't. "What?" Calleigh asked, puzzled.

"You really don't know.." Alexx retorted.

"That he's going to be tall?" Calleigh took a thought-out guess. Speed shook his head and held back a laugh.

"Uh-uh." Alexx replied, shaking her head, and Speed was unable to stifle a laugh. "Think about it-"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Calleigh exclaimed, the subject dawning on her, "Give me my baby."

Alexx laughed lightly, "A girl gets curious. What's your excuse, Timmy?"

"I was just stating a fact." Speed refused to believe he had started this whole talk about the link between the size of a man's foot to his … Calleigh joined Alexx in laughter and Speed just grumbled and walked off shaking his head.

TBC…