Author's Note: You guys are the best. Thanks for all my reviews.

Author's Note 2: Violence is mentioned at the end of the chapter.

TALLEIGH FOREVER

Tim sighed as he looked at Kenwall Duquesne through the glass of the holding cell. Tim took a second to collect himself and entered the room.

"Mr. Duquesne?"

Kenwall sat up quickly. "Young man."

"Please...call me Tim." Kenwall nodded.

"I'm in trouble aren't I?"

Tim sighed. "That's why i'm here. I'm going to need your clothes to take back to the lab for further processing. I'm also going to need a DNA sample and tap lift your clothes." started Tim. "You can put these scrubs on when i'm finished."

Kenwall nodded and Tim took his hand. "What's that?"

"Oh its just uh...a little tool we have to check for gun shot residue."

Kenwall nodded. "And?"

Tim smiled lightly. "Your clean."

"So that's good?"

"That's very good..." Tim took a swab from his kit. "Ok, I'm going to need you to open up for me alright. Great. Know all I need to do is tape lift you." Tim carefully placed the swab into his kit and took out a lifter. After collecting a few fibers and a hair from Mr. Duquesne's jacket, Tim made his way to the back of the suit jacket. "Mr. Duquesne?"

"Yes?"

"When you were leaving the bar was any glass broken?"

"No...I...I don't think so."

"Well its tempered."

"What does that mean?"

"It means its from auto glass." Tim put the lifter in his kit and sat down next to Kenwall on the bench. "Look...Mr. Duquesne now is the time if you remember anything you have got to tell me."

Kenwall wrinkled his brow. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember anything?"

Kenwall shook his head. "Ok...well I have to get back to the lab." Tim grabbed his kit and reached for the door.

"Mr. Speedle?"

"Tim."

"Tim...I really screwed things up with her this time...didn't I?"

Tim looked at the floor and then back at Calleigh's father. "I'd think that's a safe bet."

S/C S/C TALLEIGH S/C S/C

Calleigh sighed and grabbed another tissue from the box sitting next to her on the couch. Her dad had done his fair share of horrible things. Beating her, her brothers. Grouding her for no apparent reason at all. Leaving her mother. Drinking. Calling her to come pick him up when he knew how she felt about him. Asking for money. But this...being a suspect in a murder investigation. This was to much. Calleigh threw the remote across the room when she couldn't find anything good to watch. She grabbed the blanket from behind the couch when the doorbell rang. Calleigh groaned and got up.

She looked in the peep whole on the door. Tim. What was he doing here? Calleigh looked at herself in the mirror that was in the hallway by the door. 'Great Calleigh. You look like you were just run over by a truck.' Her eyes were puffy from crying. Her nose was red and she had mascara running down her face. "Just uh...just a second." Calleigh ran to the bathroom and quickly washed her face and threw her hair up into a sloppy bun. Calleigh took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Tim...what...are you doing here."

"I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing?"

Calleigh smiled lightly. "I"m fine."

Tim eyed her. "Cal, I've known you for years. Your not a very good liar." Calleigh smiled and gestured for him to come in.

"Come on in. It's not as big as your place. But its home."

Tim smiled lightly and Calleigh noticed that Tim had something behind her back. "What cha got there."

Tim's smile faltered and pulled the flowers from behind his back. "I brought you these."

Calleigh's smile widened. "Tulips...I love tulips...Tim you didn't have to."

"No I did have to."

Calleigh smiled and took the flowers from Tim. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to go put these in some water." Tim nodded and watched Calleigh as she came back in a few minutes later and sat the Tulips on the coffee table. "There beautiful Tim. Thank you." Tim smiled and watched Calleigh carefully as she sat down on the couch.

"It wasn't any trouble."

Calleigh nodded and all of a sudden she became very interested in her hands. "So um...how's uh...how's the case coming?"

Tim took a deep breath and let it out. "You know I can't talk about that with you."

"Right."

"Hey." said Tim as he grabbed Calleigh's chin. "Your dad didn't do this." Calleigh shook her head.

"You don't know what he's capable of."

Tim dropped his hand. And Calleigh wished he wouldn't have. His hands were warm and they warmed her cold skin. Tim looked at the scar on the side of Calleigh's neck.

"Did he do that to you?" asked Tim as he gestured to her neck.

Calleigh brushed the side of her neck. "This...yeah...I was 17."

"What happend? If you don't mind me asking."

"Its ok. I came home late from prom. He called me a whore and chassed my date away. He dragged me inside...and he...he." Calleigh put her hand to her mouth as she cried. Tim closed his eyes. He hated to see her cry. She was so protective so stubbron. So brave. Unlike him. And he hated the fact that the man who helped bring her into this world would hurt her. He didn't understand how anyone could hurt someone so...gorgeous.

Tim put his hand on her knee. "Its ok Cal. You don't have to say anymore."

"No, I want to. He dragged me into the house and just about called me every other name in the book. He said he wasn't going to have a daughter who would destroy his name around town. So he took a pillow case and put a few books in it and hit me with it."

"That's why you were so stubborn to catch the guy who hurt Maria."

Calleigh nodded. "I knew how it felt to get beaten for just being alive. Anyway so he hit me. And my screams woke up my brother Tommy. He jumped on my dad's back and tried to get him off me. My dad backed up and slammed him into the wall. He kicked him and then he took of his belt and instead of hitting me with it on my...he took it to my stomach...my chest and my face." Calleigh dropped her head and took a deep breath. But Tim didn't remove his hand from her knee.

"When my dad was done he went into the kitchen grabbed a bottle of Vodka and went onto the back porch. I looked over at my brother who was struggling to get up. But he was a Duquesne he was tough he walked over to me...he picked me up and carried me to his room. He cleaned up my cuts and gave me some ice for my bruises. He sat there with me til I fell asleep. And when I woke up he was still sitting there...watching me-."

"Protecting you." finished Tim.

Calleigh nodded. "Yeah."

Tim gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm so sorry that happend to you."

"Eh, Its ok. I went through worse."

"Still nobody...and I mean nobody deserves to go through that. Especially someone so-"

Calleigh lifted up her head. "Someone so...what Tim?"

"So beautiful."

"You think i'm beautiful?"

Tim shook his head. "I think your gorgeous. You don't need eye liner and mascara and fancy clothing to make you beautiful Calleigh. Its right...here." said Tim as he took his hand from her knee and placed it on her heart. "It's right there."

Calleigh smiled and placed her hand on his. "Tim..."

Tim put a finger to her lips. "Shhh..." Calleigh reached out and put her hand on his stubbled cheek. "Can I kiss you?"

Calleigh smiled lightly and nodded. Tim reached his hand behind her neck and pulled her closer to him. "I won't hurt you."

"I know...you could never hurt me."

Tim nodded and brought his lips to hers.

TBC...Aren't I just the most evilest person you've ever met. lol. Please leave me a review.