The New Recruits
Chapter 6
Jacinda sighed as she looked up from a fingerprint that she was analyzing. She had been at this for almost three hours and she needed a break. As she got up from the chair, she un buttoned her lab coat and slipped it off. She would get back to work when she cleared her head.
In the two weeks since the explosion, everyone in the lab had worked overtime to find out who was behind it. The work was exhausting for Jacinda, but she like everyone else, wanted to catch this guy. Horatio's life hung in the balance, they owed it to him to finish this. Jacinda kept her thoughts on him as she pushed the door to the break room open. Like Jen, and RJ, Jacinda grew up in the labs at CSI. Horatio was always there for them as he had been for their parents and he cared for each and everyone of them. He was their protector.
Jacinda grabbed a bottle of water and sat down at a table, and put her head down. In seconds she heard the door as it swung open.
" Jacinda," RJ said as he walked to the refrigerator. He glanced at her slightly and smiled. Through out school he had a huge crush on her, but when they graduated, he went to Stanford and she went to the University of Miami. Years apart did nothing for his feelings about her.
" RJ," Jacinda returned as she lifted her head up. " How's your dad doing?"
" He's his sarcastic smug self. Which means he's okay."
" Good. Look , I never thanked you for getting me out of the rubble..."
" Hey , there's no need to thank me. I'm just glad that you are ok," RJ said as he pulled the chair out. " Mind if I sit with you?"
" No, go ahead. We haven't talked in a long time," Jacinda said as she tipped the bottle up.
" Yeah, not since, Jake..." RJ said hesitantly. He knew how touchy the subject was for her.
" Jake's history, RJ. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. Actually I have you to thank for that as well."
" Just doing what any friend would do, Jacinda. I couldn't just stand back and watch a friend get hurt. You're too precious to me..." RJ said as he stopped and dropped his head. " I just said that out loud , didn't I?"
Jacinda looked at him through surprised green eyes, " Yes, you did."
" Well, I meant it, Jacinda," RJ said. He couldn't hold it in any longer. Two weeks ago, he almost lost her.
Jacinda continued to watch RJ as his expression turned from embarrassment to love. She had to admit that she had felt something a long time ago, but then they went their separate ways and she met Jake. It was only after the situation with Jake did she even contemplate RJ, but she never acted on it, she just kept to herself. She didn't want to be put in that position again.
" Robert, I..." Jacinda started.
" I've loved you since ninth grade, if that couldn't sound any cornier. But it's true. There hasn't been a day that I have not thought about you," RJ said as he brought his hand up to caress her face.
Jacinda was speechless. Did she dare reciprocate? She turned her head away from him, breaking the intensity that radiated from his deep brown eyes. He dropped his hand and sighed.
" I hope that I wasn't too forward. It's just that I have been waiting for a long time to do that."
Jacinda turned back to him , her eyes moist with tears. She couldn't believe that this was happening here, now. She started to say something when she heard the door to the break room open again. She looked up to see Alexx and Jarrett as they sat down at the opposite table.
" This looks familiar," Alexx said with laughter in her voice.
RJ felt his face get red as he slid the chair out from under the table and stood. His godmother always knew how to embarrass him.
" What do you mean, Ms. Woods?" Jacinda asked.
" It Alexx, suga. What I mean is that this same scene was played twenty odd years ago at that very same table," Alexx said as she smiled widely.
" Alexx..." RJ said as he approached the table where she was. He didn't want anything to ruin this.
" Timmy and Calleigh had that same type of conversation. They were in love, but miscommunication was their down fall."
" Your kidding me, right?" Jacinda replied as she glanced to RJ.
" Jacinda..."
" Oh my God. You are not joking. My mother!..." Jacinda said as she put a hand over her mouth. Now it all makes sense, she thought to herself. She got up and walked to the door, unable to keep her thoughts together.
" Jacinda, please don't go. We need to talk about this," RJ said as he got up.
" RJ , I have to go. I'll talk to you later," Jacinda said with tears in her eyes. She had to find her mother. Quickly.
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Calleigh slipped on the goggles and earphones as she walked to the firing range. Like Speed's music, bullets helped Calleigh focus, and she was in desperate need of that right now. The recent events coupled with her conversation with Tim had left her flabbergasted and she really didn't know where to turn. Filling her hand with the gun, she remembered something she had said to Horatio some years back, You know this is why I like ballistics... it's simple. It was Horatio she thought about as she squeezed the trigger.
After she emptied the clip , she turned to replace the gun back in the vault. Standing in the doorway was Jacinda.
" Oh, honey. You scared the dickens out of me," Calleigh said as she smiled at her.
" We have to talk , mom." Jacinda said glaring at her.
" What's got you in a tizzy?"
" Do you still love him?"
" Yes, I do." Calleigh said as she held her head down.
" God mom, when were you going to tell me?" Jacinda said loudly.
" What business is it of yours?" Calleigh asked as she turned to face her daughter.
" A damn lot..."
" Jacinda Denise, I will not take that tone from you..." Calleigh said as she walked back to the gun vault.
" Mom, RJ loves me and I–I love him. But with you having cravings for his father..."
" What did you say?" Calleigh said as she stopped in her tracks.
" RJ loves me."
" You sure about that, Jacinda?"
" Yes. I could see it in his eyes in the break room. Mom I have always loved him, but our paths never crossed that way. Now , I think we have a good chance at something. That is if your raging hormones can stay out of it," Jacinda said sulkily.
" What's that supposed to mean?"
" I know you and Dad aren't having the greatest time and that this isn't the first time it's happened. You are thinking separation aren't you?"
Calleigh remained silent as she looked at her daughter. She had known that this day was coming. As much as she had loved Phillip, that conversation with Tim had erupted something inside of her. She constantly thought about him and what they had all those years ago. She felt herself changing from the inside and she knew that Phillip had sensed it as well. She had stopped talking to him and spent no time with him and in turn, he had stopped coming home at a decent hour...
" Phillip," Calleigh said as turned on the light. She had been up waiting for him, he was almost four hours late. " Where have you been?"
" W-what's it matter to you? You don't talk to me any more," Phillip said as he stumbled across the foyer, knocking over a vase. It fell onto the floor splintering into a million pieces.
" Phillip Willison, you are drunk! Why are you doing this?"
" Why are you still here? You love him, why don't you go to him?"
" Phillip..."
" No Calleigh. Don't think that I forgot about finding you two in that compromising position. I trusted you when you said that it wouldn't happen again. But who do I hear you talking about to Maxine? HIM!" Phillip said raising his voice.
" He was in an explosion, Phillip! I was concerned for his health," Calleigh said with tears in her eyes. It was all coming out whether she liked it or not.
" Concerned my ass. I heard you when you were talking to her. You said that you still loved him! After all these years Calleigh... I loved you, but you had him in your heart." Phillip returned harshly.
"I'm sorry, Phillip..."
"Right. I should've known, this was going to happen. I was your rebound after him ,after all," Phillip said as the spite grew in him. " You should've married him instead of me."
" Phillip, if you would just let me explain..." Calleigh said as the tears flowed down . Coming face to face with her feelings for Tim in front of Phillip was hard for her to bear.
" I'm filing for separation. I'll get my things out." Phillip said as he ascended the stairs, he was finished with trying to stay in her heart.
Calleigh stood at the end of the stairs with her face wet with regret. What had she done?
" Mom!" Jacinda said getting her attention.
" Hu- what?"
" So you and Dad are..."
" Getting separated, Jacinda. But I don't think this will affect you. Tim loves Robin. He'll never leave her," Calleigh said wistfully. She had made her bed now she had to lie in it.
" I hope not," Jacinda returned. She then left her mother in the gun vault. She didn't want to think about the repercussions of her mother's decision.
TBC...
A/N: what would a chapter be without some Speed/Calleigh drama :)