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A/N: Sorry for the wait. I hope it's enjoyable, though I get the feeling I'm slowly losing my grip on my muses here. By the way I really appreciate all the feedback ladies and gents. It helps me keep this thing afloat more than you might think.

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The cell phone on Calleigh's hip beeped and shook urgently until she answered it.

"Calleigh Duquesne."

"Uh, Miss Duquesne I'm calling from The Rusty Nail, a drunk fella here says he's your dad and I'm afraid if someone doesn't come to claim him soon we're gonna have to send him to the drunk tank."

"Oh." Calleigh sighed, and her shoulders sank. "Hold him a short while, would you? I'll pick him up in a few minutes, as soon as I can get away. Thanks."

Closing her eyes for a minute, to rub her forehead and collect her self from this disappointment she thought, why? Why does she always hope that the last time will definitely be the last time? Standing tall, shoulders back she held herself up to approach her boss ready to take the embarrassment that comes, every time she has to ask this question. Every time she has to ask her LT for time off work to tend to her inebriated father. Her only consolation being that her boss was none other than Horatio Caine, one of the most compassionate men she'd ever know. She'd told herself that a million times. It was the only thing that kept her nerves down. Watching him from afar she felt her humiliation start to surface.

"Horatio?" She said meekly, "Can I get a minute of your time?" He tensed, hearing his name on her lips. It would almost have been nerve-racking if it didn't sound so good. He noticed she'd been having that effect on him more frequently by the day. It must be his guilty conscious, he thought.

"Horatio, I know quitting time isn't for another hour or so, and I've still go paperwork to do but I've got to ask if I could take leave early...because... because." Her excuse seemed harder then she anticipated.

"Family." He interjected, not being able to watch her struggle to speak with him. "Go ahead Calleigh." His words were softened by what she knew to be the sweetest look in his eyes. That look that calmed her, no matter what the circumstance.

"Cal?" A voice reached her when she began to walk away "What's up? You've still gotta get me that paperwork from our case this morning, I can't close this thing without it."

"I'm sorry John, I've got to--"

"I know what you've got to do." He growled quietly, having heard her conversation with H. He despised what she did for her father, but when it interfered with his life, as well, he wouldn't stand for it. "Look Calleigh I've gotta wrap this thing up so how about we get this done first?" She could kill John for this, she thought. Personal grudges be damned. This was work and his opinions about her family had no place here. John however was a detective, as she was, which gave her no place to undermine him. If nothing else she was professional and was not about to let John's goading change that. Horatio wasn't far and certainly not out of earshot. He stepped casually towards them and with hands on his hips he looked at John over his brow.

"I told her she could go, John." Horatio spoke calmly and authoritatively, but Hagen didn't try nearly hard enough to suppress the irritation in his reply.

"Look Lieutenant I know you like to do favors for your friends but..." Horatio was nothing if professional too.

"This is as much about a favor for a friend as it is about keeping the wellness of my CSIs at mind, Detective." Wide eyed, Calleigh fidgeted anxiously watching these men growl at one another, over her none the less.

"It's alright Horatio." She attempted to mediate, "John's right. Work comes first around here. I'll get it done, then--" Horatio turned to her and his demeanor changed swiftly back to empathy.

"Go Calleigh." He said taking the case file from her. "I'll get you your paperwork, John." Lightly touching her arm he stepped, with her, away from Hagen. "Go see your father." He whispered.

Several hours had passed, the sun had set and her father was safely home again. She'd stuck around with him a while, making sure he was alright, seeing him to bed, and giving him the same tired lecture. Why she even bothered any more she wasn't sure. Calleigh wanted to go home, curl up in bed and give up. Just give up and cry, but the clock in her car reminded her it was only ten and Horatio would likely still be trapped behind a desk.

"Knock, knock." She said cheerfully before actually getting a look at him. He wasn't at his desk, where several stacks of paper had spilled onto the floor, but rather he was crouched aside the doorway mindfully picking up broken glass, piece by piece. "Looks like a hurricane hit." She pointed out as he looked up to see her through tired eyes, his face rough with stubble again. Noticing the tissue spotted with blood wrapped around one finger she fussed, "Oh, what happened?"

"Accident." Looking back down, he lied. Poorly. "What are you doing back here?"

"I came to thank you, and to see if you needed some help with all those forms... but don't you go changing the subject on me Horatio Caine. I find it hard to believe this was an accident." Crouching beside him she assisted him in gathering the shattered remains of a picture frame. "For starters this picture belongs on your desk and I doubt it fell down and landed across the room. Secondly..." She looked up to meet his eyes, "You're never clumsy." The wall beside the door held further proof of his lie, when she saw the mark where the picture frame likely it hit. It was definitely thrown. And with some force. "But then again you're not usually violent either. Least, not without a serious push." Retrieving a new tissue from his desk, she took his hand and dabbed carefully at the cut. "What happened?" Watching her hands take care of his, he grumbled something unintelligible. Waiting on him for clarification, he handed her a folder and note attached by paperclip.

Lieutenant Caine, It has been over a week since CSI became short one employee. This is your third notice to review these resumes and choose at least one applicant for interview and hire. If you do not we will be forced to hire a new applicant without your say.

Calleigh thumbed quickly through the folder and its contents. Sure enough, resumes. She choked trying to swallow the idea that the department wanted him to replace Tim already. It had barely been over a week for Christ's sake. She looked back to Horatio who stood slumped and defeated.

"I can't do it Calleigh. I can't just..." This time he couldn't say the words but didn't have to.

"Of course you can't. C'mon Handsome, lets get this cleaned up." Silently she led him to the break room and held his hand over the sink for a few drops of peroxide. He didn't flinch. "That doesn't sting tough guy?", she teased hoping to get any sign of a smile from him. He only shook his head. It probably did sting a little, and he might have noticed but in comparison to everything else it just didn't seem worth acknowledging. Gently she dried his hand and applied a bandage. With a quick peck on his damaged finger she'd kissed him better. "There." She said with accomplishment, but really just enjoying an opportunity to fuss over him. "Go on and sit down handsome. I'll get some coffee."

He sat on the couch in silence until she returned, taking the seat at his side. She delivered his coffee, prepared just as he always drank it, though it wasn't likely either of them would touch it.

"I feel...sick." He sighed. He couldn't describe it any other way. His guilt had grown and lingered so that it was eating him alive. Almost literally. His stomach had been too knotted to eat for ages and couldn't have been emptier. His body betrayed him for his punishment of holding back food and the twisting of his stomach was making him ill.

"Guilt can do that to you." She said as though she was speaking from first hand experience. "Don't beat yourself up like this, Horatio. When was the last time you ate? Would you like something?" Without waiting on his answer she took some change from her pocket, "The vending machine isn't known for its fine home cooked meals, but it's better than nothing."

"No, thank you." With the current state of his stomach food didn't seem like an option. She put the change down on the coffee table and sighed to herself feeling unable to bring him any consolation, any joy. Keeping his thoughts to himself his eyes closed and his brow furrowed.

"Stop." She said plainly and his eyes opened.

"Stop what?"

"Blaming yourself for Tim. If the department says you have to hire a new CSI. We'll understand. We won't hold that against you."

"But Alexx and he--" He tried to argue, knowing how much grief this would cause. Tim was special and irreplaceable and a part of their family. Everyone felt as though they'd had a unique rapport with him that was ultimately lost when they lost him.

"Alexx knows you Horatio." She interrupted, refusing to let him even complete the thought that any of their professional family would detest him for doing his job. "She knows this is hard for all of us. She'll understand."

"And Eric?"

"Eric admires the hell out of you. He'd never be angry." Both were silent for what felt like much longer than they actually were.

"And you?" He finally spoke watching her hopefully. In his mind he was begging for the right answer. The only answer he could live with.

"My feelings about you will never change." She was careful. Careful not to jump in too quickly. She could have told the truth, just declared how much she loved him, but to risk scaring him off now didn't seem worth it. She had him here and that was enough. For now.

She shuffled closer and, with an arm around his shoulders, draped her legs over his knee. Leaning against him she pulled him in close to lean against her in return. She couldn't tell exactly who was supporting whom, which was just how she wanted it. Her hand brushed soothingly through his hair and he seemed to forget his promises not to do this. Not to drag her into something that ought not to have a future. And not to drag her away from someone she already had.

"It's late." He mentioned. "I should get you home."

"No." She said gently. "Not tonight."

"Ok." He didn't protest her declination, and rather just rested his chin on her shoulder."Thank you."