By Your Side
Chapter 12
Tim sat across from Sam, unable to take his eyes off of her. In a couple of hours, she would board the airplane and return to New York. He wished that he had a little more time with her. He touched her hand as she stared at the table, deep in thought. There was something brewing under those brown eyes of hers, and Tim wasn't going to let her go before he found out what was bothering her.
" Hey, why are you so gloom? You said you'd be back in about two to three weeks. That's still enough time to get married," Tim said as he continued to gaze at her.
" I know, but I just can't help but think..."
"Think what?"
" That you will not want me when I get back," Sam said as she finally lifted her head up to look into Tim's brown eyes. Confusion took root in her own.
" Sam, I love you. I told you , nothing is going to get in the way of us. When you get back , we will get married, and then maybe you can stop worrying about the insane notion of me leaving you." Tim said at his attempt to lighten the situation.
" I know you love me, but I also know that Calleigh is still close to your heart. I'm just wondering if I will be coming back to the same Tim that I left."
Tim sat back in the chair and stared at her. Why was she being this way?
" Calleigh and I are over," he stated bluntly, " and I am marrying you. So , lighten up, Sam. I don't want you to go to New York like this."
He got up and inched his chair closer to hers, sitting only inches apart. Sam looked at him and offered a weak smile then turned away from him. This was just too hard for her. Tim started to say something to her, but the waiter came with their meal, and he got up and returned to the opposite side of the table. This was certainly not how he wanted to see her off.
Calleigh sat and watched Horatio as he said goodnight to his daughters, noticing the extra time he took with them. There was something that was bothering her about all of this and since he hadn't come to her with it, she was going to go to him. After he had returned to the bedroom, Calleigh sat at the edge of the bed and exhaled deeply. Something was going on with her husband, and she figured that it wasn't the stress of the job either.
" Horatio, I've noticed you haven't been quite yourself, is everything ok?" Calleigh asked as she turned to him.
" Everything's fine, Calleigh. I'm just tired is all."
" You are a terrible liar, Horatio Caine. There's been something bothering you all day, yet you walk around like the skies are blue..."
" Well, Calleigh, they are," Horatio said lightly.
" You know what I mean, Horatio. You never complain, you never show what's really going on with you. It's like you shut the world out. It's not healthy. Every body has feelings." Calleigh said with sadness in her voice. If there was something that she could change about Horatio, it was the fact that he rarely made mention to how he felt and she knew in her heart that her husband struggled to make sense of what he saw everyday.
" Calleigh, if I allowed myself to dwell on the emotions that I experience everyday, I would drive myself insane. As a police officer, a scientist , a husband ,and a father I can't afford that. There is just a way that I have to deal with it and I do." Horatio said as he moved next to Calleigh.
" Are you sure you're okay?" Calleigh said as she gazed into his deep blue eyes , her worry had subsided some.
" I'm perfect. You and the girls, are my life and even though I have had my share of bad , you make it worth living," Horatio said as he placed his hands on Calleigh's cheeks. " Now , let's go to bed. We have work in the morning."
" That never stopped you before," Calleigh said as she leaned in to kiss him. He smiled brightly and gave in. As they settled into their deep passion, Calleigh's worries were but a distant memory. Life was finally where she wanted it to be.
The next morning, Tim walked into the lab with a sullen look on his face. Things had not gone well for him last night as he saw Sam off at the airport. There was just so much to be said, but neither of them wanted to say it. He had returned to his empty home and sat up the rest of the night , thinking. Now in the brightness of the morning, Tim realized that he had made a grievous mistake in letting her go without assuring her the security that she so desperately needed.
As he began his work, he saw Calleigh pass by. He got up quickly to catch her before she made it to the elevator.
"Calleigh! I've been wanting to talk to you about Sascha. Is she okay?" Tim asked almost out of breath.
Calleigh turned around and faced Tim seeing a certain sadness in his eyes that startled her.
" She's fine. Working hard is all. I keep telling her to call you."
" Why doesn't she? Have I done something wrong?" Tim asked with hurt in his voice.
" No. She's very intense when it comes to her rehabilitation. She strong and focused. Much like her father," Calleigh said as she pushed the button to the elevator. She turned again to see someone behind Tim, and a smile appeared on her face. " I got to go Tim. See you around."
Tim nodded slightly and watched Calleigh get on the elevator. As he turned he heard a familiar voice call to him.
"Daddy."
Tim turned completely around to see Sascha standing with a cane. Tears welled in his eyes as he took in her standing form. It had been so long since he had seen her stand completely. She stood the cane next to the wall and began to take little steps until she had gotten her balance, then she began walking at a normal gait. Tim watched her as she walked the distance of the hall way, all the while with a huge smile on her face. When she got to him, she noticed that he was crying at full tilt.
" Daddy, why are you crying?" Sascha asked softly. " I'm walking."
" I-I'm so proud of you honey. And I miss you," Tim tearfully as he took her into a strong embrace. Sascha enveloped herself in her father's arms, joyful that she could finally touch him. She too had missed him.
" I missed you too daddy, but I wanted to do this, alone. I even told mom to just drop me off at the center for my appointments. For months it was just me and Robi."
" You worked hard. It's been eight months. Just eight months... and you did it," Tim replied with a smile forming.
" I'm a Speedle, once I get something in my head I don't let it go. Didn't I tell you that I was going to walk down the aisle at your wedding?" Sascha said as she pulled away from him. She noticed the sadness in his face and was puzzled. " Daddy, what's wrong?"
" Sam went back to New York last night..."
" You didn't do anything stupid did you?" Sascha asked sternly.
Tim looked at her and smirked. She was definetately a Speedle.
" No, the FBI called her back to work. Some important case that they needed her on. She said that she would be back in two to three weeks," Tim replied before his cell phone rang. Tim looked at Sascha then to the cell , then put a finger up. Sascha leaned on the wall as he answered the phone.
" Speedle." Tim sighed into the phone.
" Speed, we have a call out. DB in the Grove. Alexx will meet us there." Horatio reported.
" I got to get my kit. I'll meet you at the Hummer."Tim said noticing something different in Horatio's voice.
" Okay, Speed."
The phone went silent before he could form a question and he flipped the phone down and shrugged slightly. He then returned his attention to Sascha .
" Sash, I gotta take this. Maybe we can have lunch or something."
" I'd like that dad. Maybe I can hang around Valera in DNA until you get back."
Tim hugged her again and smiled as she turned to walk away. He watched her as she got to the DNA lab , remembering at the last moment that she had forgotten to pick up her cane. He picked up the cane where she left it then strode to catch up with her.
" Sash, you forgot this," Tim said as he handed her the cane.
" Oh, yeah, right." Sascha returned. As Tim turned to walk back to his lab, Sascha called, "Dad?"
" Yeah sweetie?"
" Be careful."
" I will," Tim replied as he turned to go. He glanced back at Sascha before opening the door to the lab and smiled. His day just got brighter.
" Good morning, Alexx," Tim said lightly as he knelt by the body that she was analyzing.
" Not for this guy," Alexx said as she turned the body over. She had been there ten minutes before Horatio and Tim and was almost finished. " Your guy, got caught unawares, he was bending to get his morning his paper and ... he got this instead." Alexx said pointing to his head.
" A gun shot wound. So someone was waiting for him to go and get the paper and take him out then?" Tim asked as he looked over the body.
" Nope. The bullet originated from inside the home," Alexx said as she turned the head to reveal a fairly large entrance wound. " What you see in the front is actually the exit wound. Through and through."
" Is there anyone else in the house?"
" No. He had no family here at the time. His wife was away on business and when she returned this morning this is what she found. She called the police in hysterics from outside. She never went into the house."
" What a way to find someone," Tim said as he got up. He looked to Horatio who was looking over at the blood pool. He noticed as Horatio seemed to be on an edge of a thought. Tim turned back to Alexx as she got up and asked, " Alexx, have you noticed how Horatio's been acting?"
" He's always like this at a scene. You've known him for years, it's just the way he works."
"Yeah, but this is different," Tim said as he watched Horatio enter the house. A moment later, Calleigh pulled up and got out of the Hummer, a bright smile plastered on her face.
" So, Alexx, what do you have for me?" Calleigh asked as she set her kit down.
" You are a little late, Calleigh. GSW to the interior of the skull, through and through. There's a bullet with your name on it somewhere out here."
" I had something to take care of before I got out here. The doctor called me with some news."
Tim looked at her with surprise, is there something wrong with her?
" And?" Alexx said with a little apprehension in her voice.
" And , I'm pregnant." Calleigh said with a light sigh. I haven't told Horatio yet, so please guys.."
" Oh don't worry about me," Tim said as he put his hands up. " My lips are hermetically sealed."
Calleigh laughed at Tim then proceeded to look for the bullet. Alexx gathered her things and was heading for the coroner's van when gunshots rang out from inside the house. Tim, Calleigh and the two uniforms filled their hands with guns as they quickly entered the home. They went through the bottom of the house, making sure that it was cleared. Tim then walked up the stairs cautiously with his gun trained. As he opened the first door, he saw the blood first. Tim took out his radio and made the call.
" This is CSI Tim Speedle, we need a paramedic at 145 S. Trenton. I have an officer down. Repeat and officer down. Request immediate medical care," Tim said on the verge of tears. Although they had some rough times, he still saw Horatio as a friend and mentor.
He looked back to see Calleigh as she came to the door and closed his eyes. On the floor in the room, Horatio laid on his back struggling for air. Blood seeped out from under him and saturated his gray suit. Tim knelt down and pulled Horatio's suit coat off of him. Alexx came in the room quickly and took her place by his side. She unbuttoned his shirt and looked at the wound, it was extensive.
"Tim, I don't think he's going to make it," Alexx whispered as she leaned forward.
" The paramedics are on their way,"Tim said as he looked down on Horatio. Calleigh stood motionless behind them. " Calleigh, you sure you need to be in here?"
" H-He's my husband. I want to be here," Calleigh said as she walked to Tim and knelt beside him. Tim got up and made room for Calleigh. She grabbed Horatio's hand and squeezed it. " I'm here, Horatio."
Horatio tried to speak, but instead, blood poured out of his mouth. Calleigh used the lapel of his shirt to catch it. She looked into his blue eyes and saw sadness. It was then she knew that he wasn't going to survive. She ran a shaky hand through his red hair and cried, he would never see his daughters grow, never see them graduate high school, go to college or get married. He would never know about his unborn child.
" I love you, Horatio," Calleigh said as she saw him close his eyes. She squeezed his hand, hoping that he would return, but nothing came. "Horatio?" Calleigh whispered. She looked to Alexx who had been watching with tears in her eyes.
Alexx moved to take his pulse and then shook her head, " Calleigh, I'm sorry."
Calleigh dropped his hand and got up. His blood had covered her hands and her pants , making a grizzly pattern on the tan fabric. She retreated out of the room in tears, passing the paramedics as they made it to the outside of the room. Tim looked at Horatio's body, himself stained with the Lieutenant's blood and let a tear fall. Horatio Caine was no more, and his widow was pregnant. He would have to be there for Calleigh , more than ever.
TBC...
A/N: This was the hardest for me to write, cause Horatio is one of my favorite characters. Read and Review please!