Author's Note: Ok realisticly they wouldn't be able to get back from Italy this fast but hey its a fic so they can. And they did. lol.
S/C S/C S/C S/C S/C
Tim and Calleigh parted ways as the entered the lab. She went off towards autopsy and Tim went to go find Eric.
Calleigh sighed as she entered autopsy. There was just something different about it when your friends were the ones there vs. people you didn't know. Calleigh didn't see Alexx around so she removed the first sheet. Calleigh gasped as she saw the burns on Tyler's face, arms, and torso. "Oh stringbean. I...am so...sorry." Calleigh looked at him for a few minutes then went over to the next table to reveal Valera. "Oh Maxy...I am so sorry. I...if I had known..I... it shouldn't be you lying here or Tyler. I swear to you that we'll find out who did this. I promise."
S/C S/C S/C S/C S/C
Tim found Eric in the locker room. "Hey man." said Tim weakly.
"Hey Speed...back so soon?"
Tim sighed and sat down next to Eric. "I...I...i'm sorry."
Eric laughed. "Yeah...me too."
"Listen do you need any help telling Abby?"
Eric shook his head. "No I'll tell her."
Tim nodded. "Do you need anything?"
"Yeah..."
"Name it."
"My wife back." said Eric and got up.
Tim sighed as he saw the grief on his best friend's face. He wanted to do something for him. But what he needed he couldn't do.
S/C S/C S/C S/C S/C
Alexx sighed when she saw Callegih holding Valera's hand. "Calleigh honey...you shouldn't be here. When Horatio finds out that you guys are back he's gonna blow a gasket."
Calleigh sniffed and covered Valera back up. "I know it was a bomb but what killed them?"
"Well with Tyler it was a blow to the head. He suffered minor burns on his face, arms and upper torso. He was the furthest away from the explosion."
"And Valera?"
"The bomb turned her insides to Jelly."
Calleigh breath caught. "Did they suffer?"
Alexx placed her hand on Calleigh hand. "No honey...they went quickly."
Calleigh nodded. "Ok...Alexx...I need to go find Tim...excuse me."
"Sure baby."
S/C S/C S/C S/C S/C
"Tim...where's Eric?"
"I dunno...I tried to talk to him in the locker room but uh...he left."
Calleigh nodded. "How...do they look bad?"
Calleigh shook her head. "Alexx said they both went quickly." Tim sighed and looked at what once used to be the reception desk of CSI.
"It doesn't look like it did that much damage to the bulding."
Calleigh nodded. "How can something so small cause so much damage."
Tim shook his head and pulled Calleigh to him. "It's gonna be ok."
"You didn't see them." cried Calleigh. "They looked so...so helpless."
"I know baby...I know." said Tim as he rubbed Calleigh's back.
"Speed..."
Tim let go of Calleigh and turned around. "H..."
"I thought I told you not to come back..."
"One of my best friend's and my best friend's wife were just murdered...did you really expect me to stay in Italy?"
Horatio sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Listen..."
"H...don't...i'm working this case."
"Me too." piped up Calleigh.
"Guys..."
"Horatio...this pshyco murdered our family and it is only a matter of time before he gets to someone else. And I am NOT going to let that happen." said Calleigh tears streaming down her face.
Horatio nodded. "Alright."
S/C S/C S/C S/C S/C
"Daddy." squealed Abby happily as Eric walked into Abby's room.
"Hey princess."
"Hi...daddy." Abby was a fast learner she could talk like she was a normal adult. Valera called her the Mozart of her time.
"Hi." sniffled Eric.
"Where's Mommy?"
Eric faught back tears and picked up Abby from crib. Eric sighed as he remembered the fight Valera and him had had this morning. Maxine wanted to get Abby a toddler bed but Eric refused to believe that his little girl was growing up.
"Mommy...um..."
"Was wrong?"
"Mommy...had to go away baby."
"Why?"
"Daddy doesn't know why."
"I wanna see Mommy."
"Me too baby...but..."
"No...Mommy." cried Abby as she climbed out of Eric's lap and ran out her bedroom door as fast as her chubby legs could carry her.
Eric sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Me too...baby...me too."
S/C S/C S/C S/C S/C
Tim was starring at James in his crib when Calleigh snaked her arms around him. "I told you something bad was going to happen." Tim felt Calleigh sigh into his back.
"This wasn't your fault baby."
"Yes it was." started Tim. Calleigh turned around and saw tears in his eyes. "Because of some case I worked or...or some person that I pissed of two people that I care deeply for are dead Calleigh."
"Tim lower your voice." Tim sighed and Calleigh pulled him into their bedroom. "I said it once...I'll say it again. This was NOT your fault."
"You just don't get it do you? It's my fault. And that's not even the bad thing. I...this whole time I feel bad for my best friend...but at the same time I'm happy. I'm happy that it was somebody else and not you." admited Tim honestly. "I mean how selfish am I'm glad that my friend and my best friend's wife are dead. I mean Tyler had family...and Valera had Abby and Eric. And now...suddenly that little girl is without a mother. Now tell me what's so fair about that." said Tim tears falling from his eyes.
Calleigh closed her eyes and pulled Tim's forehead to hers. "This was not your fault. What happend happend. And you can't change that. Now Eric is going to need support right now...and he's gonna need it from his best friend."
"But I can't."
"Yes you can."
Tim sighed and pulled away from Calleigh and sat down on the bed. Calleigh sat down next to him and rubbed his back. "I just want it all to go away. I just want to go back to before...-"
"We were together?" piped up Calleigh.
tbc...