CHAPTER 5

3 months later

Tim looked miserable and tired as he walked through the halls of CSI, towards Horatio's office. At Horatio's door, he sighed deeply before knocking.

"Come in," Horatio mumbled. Tim opened the door and stepped into Horatio's office, closing the door behind him. "Speed, how are you holding up?" Horatio motioned for Tim to sit. Tim sank slowly into the that was in front of the desk, opposite his boss. He sighed again before answering.

"I'm alright. It just gets harder waking up every day knowing that Alyssa's out there somewhere with that sick bastard. And that she has been for over three months" Tim said, fighting back his tears. Horatio gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry Speed. How are Calleigh and Becky?"

"Uh, Calleigh keeps having nightmares about Ally and what Prior's doing to her. Becky hardly comes out of her room; she still thinks we blame her. Anyway, can Calleigh and I have next Wednesday off?" Tim ran a hand through his hair.

"Of course. Do you mind me asking why?"

"Next Wednesday, it's uh, it's Ally's birthday," Tim's voice cracking.

"Oh, okay," Horatio said quietly as Tim got up to leave the room. He stopped at the door and turned back to Horatio, who was now looking through various files.

"Hey H" Horatio stopped and looked up at Tim.

"Yeah Speed?"

"Thanks, for everything" Tim smiled slightly. Horatio gave a small smile in return.

"Anytime Speed. And if you or Calleigh need any time off, you take as long as you need. Okay?" Tim nodded and left Horatio's office.

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Tim stood in the doorway of Ballistics. He stood there just watching Calleigh work. When she was looking down the microscope, he finally walked, or rather snuck behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, making her jump. She turned in his arms and hugged him tightly.

"H said we can take next Wednesday off," Tim said stroking Calleigh's long, blonde hair. She nodded against his chest. Tim let her out of his arms and she looked into his loving chocolate eyes. She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him towards her, kissing him softly.

"I love you Tim." She mumbled against his lips. He hugged her again and kissed her hair.

"I love you too Baby." Calleigh walked away from Tim and back over to the microscope. They were working on what looked like a murder. A girl's parents had come home from dinner and found their daughter's dead body in her bedroom, a gunshot wound on her right temple. At that point, at the crime scene, it looked like murder, but the evidence the CSI's were finding, was leading them into different possibilities. "What have you got on the bullet?" Tim asked as Calleigh stepped aside and let him look down the microscope.

"Well, it's a .22 calibre, and, it matched the bullet from a home invasion and murder in Las Vegas back in '99. And I found this sticky substance on the nose of the bullet we got out of the victim. Speaking of the victim any ID on her yet?" Calleigh asked, handing a small envelope to Tim. He nodded.

"Yeah, her name was Kate Black, her prints were in CODIS. She attacked and nearly killed one of classmates when she was in 10th grade. I checked her medical records, for the last year she was being treated for depression." Tim gave Calleigh a file, she sighed when she opened it.

"She was only 16 years old, well; at least we can try and tell her parents who did this to their daughter." She looked at Tim. She looked pained. She felt slightly jealous at the thought of this girl's parents getting to know who killed their daughter, and where she was. Thinking about a dead young girl made Calleigh think of Alyssa.

"She didn't have any parents. Her dad ran out on her and her mother when she was 4, and her mother," he exhaled deeply "her mother committed suicide last year. Kate was the person who found her. She was in foster care."

"Poor girl. Do you think you'll need some help processing all this stuff in Trace?" Tim nodded and took her hand in his.

"I wouldn't have anyone else help me process it all," and with that, they left Ballistics.

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Tim and Calleigh sat in the Trace lab, processing things from various cases for about an hour and a half. They stopped working when Eric walked in, a very nervous, worried look on his face.

"Hey guys, Horatio wants to see all of us in his office," Tim and Calleigh looked at each other, and then followed Eric out of Trace.

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Tim, Eric and Calleigh sat nervously on the couch in Horatio's office. Horatio stood up and walked out from behind his desk, he eyes fixed on Tim, then on Calleigh then back to Tim. He had the same look that Eric had when he got Tim and Calleigh from the Trace lab.

"Speed, Calleigh, I want you to stay calm with what I'm about to tell you. About a half hour ago, John Prior was sighted, with a little girl, matching Alyssa's description." Tim's and Calleigh's eyes widened.

"Well do we know where he is?" Tim asked eagerly.

"Yeah, he's at a house in Coconut Grove."

"Well, let's go," Calleigh said standing up. Tim stood up next to her.

"Calleigh I want you to stay," Tim put a hand on Calleigh's slightly swollen belly.

"Tim, just because I'm pregnant, that doesn't mean I can't help you get our daughter back. I'm coming with you."

"Calleigh, Speed's right you should stay here," Horatio agreed with Tim. Calleigh shot him a nasty look.

"Fine I'll stay here," she cupped Tim's face with her hands and kissed him softly. "Get our little girl back Tim."

"I will honey. I promise." He kissed her again and looked at Horatio and Eric, who were waiting by the door, "All right, let's go get her back." Tim, Eric and Horatio left the room, leaving a tearful Calleigh standing in the middle of the room.