Left Undone
Epilogue : Peace
Three days later
Horatio watch mournfully as the caskets were put side by side next to Tim's headstone. The family had finally been reunited. He slipped on the glasses before anyone could see the tears as they dropped and turned away from the caskets for a moment to look at his team, once again splintered. Eric was having a hard time keeping his composure, letting the tears flow at will, as he gazed into space. He had just completed therapy for Speed, and now Horatio feared that it would be another long journey for Calleigh and Timothy. Sighing, he set his gaze on Ryan , who had a stoned face, as he stared at the mahogany caskets. Horatio knew that Calleigh had befriended him when he had started, and had helped him through his first year. He had held Calleigh in high regards, letting her get closer than anyone before. Horatio could tell by the way that he stood, that he was already retreating into himself. The best thing had been taken from him, and that was understanding. He effected a look of loss even as he tried to stay strong. Finally, Horatio turned his attention to Alexx, who too was staring at the caskets, tears falling as well. There was something different in her tears ,he noticed. Her face wasn't contorted in pain, but it almost had a look of relief. It puzzled Horatio , but he didn't dwell on it. Each of them had their own ways of dealing with their grief.
As the ceremony came to a close, Horatio found himself surrounded by his friends, as he stood at the foot of the caskets. He put a hand on both of them and felt the tears surge out of him. He had known Calleigh for years, he himself had went to New Orleans to recruit her. His mind flashed on Timothy, remembering the day he was born, his first birthday and other milestones that seemed so precious at this moment. The power of his pain found an avenue out as he wept uncontrollably over them, shocking even Alexx. He had never let his guard down in front of anyone, and it was a little disconcerting.
Alexx put a comforting hand on Horatio as his tears began to make small wells on the wood, "Horatio, it's going to be okay. They are in a better place now. You've got to believe that."
Horatio nodded slightly and attempted to compose himself. Alexx was right, they had found peace finally. He looked up at her and smiled, she always knew what to say. His attention was caught by a figure standing in the distance and he lifted his glasses more to get a better look. He could plainly see the person standing near a tree. He looked to Alexx for a slight second and then back to the tree, noticing that the person was gone. In that moment, Horatio knew that they were indeed in a better place.
Tim stood by the tree watching the ceremony with a faint ache in his heart. He had stood by this same tree two years ago and watched as his family mourned him. The difference this time was that it was his very own family that was there. He felt the tears rise up inside of him as he saw Horatio stand in front of the caskets, letting his grief out for all the world to see. He remembered how stoic Horatio had been at his funeral, it being a stark contrast to the man that he saw here today. All the pain seemed to burst forward like a volcano, spewing it's burning lava into the heavens, searing his heart. As much as it pained Tim to see his mentor like this, he knew that this was the way it had to be. For the safety of those he loved, the world as he knew it had to end. He thought seriously of calling Horatio on his cell phone, but he realized that it would raise more questions than he could deal with , and pushed the thought away.
" He will heal," Tim said to himself, " In time, they all will."
In an instant, he turned and walked away, his memories of them tucked neatly inside the crevices of his mind.
TSJ
Six months later...
Riley stepped off of the elevator quickly and headed for the nurses station, her pulse racing at a maddening pace. She had gotten the phone call when she had gotten home from school, and she practically forced Johnson in the car. As they sped to the hospital, Riley thought about the months that had passed and felt a tug on her heart. Every moment since that day, she had thought about Timothy. Her heart seemed to fill with despair as she remembered his smile and his warm brown eyes, missing the touches, the sound of his voice. It had been hard but she was making it, day by day, hour by hour, she was living her life.
As Johnson slid the car into the parking space, she shook the memories from her mind and focused on why she was here. The ride up to the floor where her uncle was lying in a coma, was nerve wracking , and she thought of only one possibility; he had slipped away during the night. Riley couldn't help the pessimistic feelings, considering what she had gone through in her short life. She had learned never to have expectations, therefore she would never be disappointed. She wished that she had applied that when it came to Timothy, but she hadn't and disappointment wasn't the word for what she was feeling.
" He's got to be okay," Riley said as she passed the nurses station. The nurse looked up at the blur and stood up quickly.
" Um, miss, I'm sorry , you can't go back there," she said as she came around to the side of the nurses station.
" I can, and I will," Riley replied as she started to walk towards the corridor that was lined with rooms.
The nurse stepped in front of her, preventing her from going any further and Riley stared at her in disbelief, " I got a call from the doctor about my uncle. So I need to be in there."
" And who is your uncle?"
" Robert West," Riley said as she remembered the new monikers given to them. " The doctor said that it was urgent. Now , if something has happened to him and you are preventing me from seeing him, then, I would think that you would be in some serious trouble."
The nurse stared back at her in disgust, but let her pass, and watched her as she disappeared down the corridor. She had been on shift for almost twelve hours and didn't have the desire or the will to fight with some teenaged kid.
Johnson struggled to keep up with Riley, and as she neared the door to her uncle's room, he caught her hand just before she raised it to open the door.
" Lucy, wait. Are you sure you are ready for this?"
Riley turned around and looked him in the eye. She had grown accustomed to her new name, but she didn't like it, " Regardless if I'm ready or not, Johnson, I have to go in."
Johnson saw the resignation in her eyes and let her hand go. He had been amazed at how mature and responsible this young lady had been despite the many tragedies she had to endure. He reached out and opened the door for her, letting her walk in alone. When he saw the relief on her face, he let the door closed behind her and walked to the elevator waited. He had a phone call to make.
" Hey, can I get a hand in here?" Tim called out as he struggled to put the bags on the counter top. As he unloaded the bags, the food toppled out , falling to the floor, causing him to curse under his breath. He crouched down and started to pick the things up.
" Since when do you need any help in the kitchen?" a voice said from behind him. His face lit into a smile as he stood up from his crouching position, turning to face her.
" Since, today when you sent me to grocery shop. You should know better by now, Cal, that I'm a dangerous man in a grocery store."
Calleigh walked over to the food on the floor and bent down to pick it up, eyeing the products with a gleeful smile on her face.
"And what is this for?" she asked as she handed him the strawberries and whip cream.
"Not what you think. Honestly, you should get your mind out of the gutter sometimes ,Calleigh."
" Why? It makes life so much fun," she replied with a different smile on her face. Tim knew exactly what that smile meant. "Did you remember to get some mustard?"
" Yes, I remembered the mustard . It was on aisle five, just like you said it would be," Tim replied as he smirked at her. " Now ,if you can help me with this , we can get to the possibility of more exciting things."
" Promises, promises... Oh I forgot , your brother called."
" Yeah? What did he want?"
" Oddly , he wanted to talk to Junior."
" Really? Wonder what's that all about?" Tim said as he started putting things away.
" I don't know, but after he hung up the phone, he was out of here in a flash. I think it had something to do with Riley."
Tim stopped what he was doing and turned to Calleigh, surprised etched on his face. In all the time that they had been in San Diego, he had not once heard his son speak of Riley. He figured that he was gathering his will to finally talk to her, not knowing how she would take his sudden appearance. Tim had watched his son struggle to gain a sense of what he wanted , for months, and he had even sat down to talk to him, hoping to help. After the conversation, nothing was really gained and Tim figured that his son would know the right time to go to her.
" You think that he's going to go to Riley?" Tim asked thoughtfully.
" I think today is the day, Tim. Our son may just put caution to the wind and go for what he wants."
" I sure hope so, because I know that he loves that girl. Do you know how many songs he's written about her since we've been here?"
"Too many to count. He's an emotional kid, I'm glad that he has an outlet that he can turn to . It helped him during your absence," Calleigh said as her tone turned reflective.
Tim put the food down on the counter top and moved to her gracefully, seeing the slight twinge of pain that showed in her green eyes. When he returned to them, he swore to himself that he would do all in his power to make sure that she and Timothy would never have to feel that pain again. Taking her in his arms, he gazed into her eyes feeling his eyes well, and spoke softly.
" Cal, I can't tell you how much I love you. When I was away from you, my life felt empty. But now that we are together, I feel like I have been restored."
" Oh, Tim," Calleigh replied just as softly as she wiped the tear from his eye. " I know why you did what you did, and it makes me love you even more. I hope that I never have to feel lost like that again."
" I promise that you won't ," Tim said as he bent slightly to kiss her. Calleigh held on to him as if her life depended on it and allowed herself to be engulfed by his love. This is how it was supposed to be.
" Malcolm?" Riley said as she came to the foot of his bed. His head was turned to the side, but she could see his eyes open. At the sound of her voice, he turned his head and faced her, a smile quickly taking over him.
" Riley, are you okay? Where are we?"
" I'm fine. We are in San Diego. How much do you remember?" Riley asked as she came to his side. She sat and grasped his hand, feeling the warmth of it.
" Not much. I remember seeing a car, then hearing a gun, then hearing a voice, but after that it gets sketchy. How'd we end up in San Diego?"
" We were flushed out and an attempt was made on our lives."
" An attempt?"
" You were shot and so was I," Riley stated as she lifted up her shirt to expose a scar on her stomach, " but as you can see, we made it."
" I'm sorry, Riley..."
" No there's nothing to be sorry about, Malcolm. We are alive and well," Riley replied as she dropped her head slightly.
Noticing, Malcolm squeezed her hand and asked, " If that's the case, then why are you so sad?"
" I had to leave him... He died because of me," Riley said tearfully.
" What do you mean? Timothy's dead?"
Riley nodded her head as she felt the tears choke her. The staleness of her pain became fresh again at the mention of his name. She wiped at her eyes, trying to gather the strength to tell him what had happened. Until now, it was something that she relived only in her mind, but as she gave words to her feelings, she felt as if she was slipping into darkness.
" I was on the plane , heading here, when I heard it over the radio. Tim and his mother had a hit put out on them, and they were being chased. I-I heard the gunshots... Then someone said that they had been killed."
" You can't possibly know if that was true ,Riley. They could've gotten away," Malcolm returned as he fought to hold back his own tears. He had grown to care for Timothy as if he was his own son.
" I heard it for myself ,Malcolm. Then, a week later, I called Donnie to get information and he sent me this," Riley said as she pulled a clipping out of her bag.
Malcolm took it out of her hand and read it aloud, " Local Detective and Son fall victim to street violence."
Riley's voice shook as she looked up at him, seeing the sadness that had taken refuge on his face, " They died because of me."
Malcolm let the clipping drop from his hand and moved to embrace her. She wept in his chest, letting all of it spill out into the open. In an instant, the door opened and a doctor walked in , prompting Riley to let go, gathering herself quickly.
" Um, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have to do a preliminary exam of Mr. West. You can wait outside if you want."
Riley moved quickly out of the way and walked to the door almost thankful for the interruption , " I'll be back, uncle Robert."
He nodded as she opened the door and walked out. He knew that he would have to be there for her now more than ever.
He had a sense of urgency as he passed the gift shop, looking for the bank of elevators to take him to his destination. His body tingled with anticipation at what he was about to do. For six long months he longed to be with her to tell her that he loved her. It took him that long because he was afraid of what she might say or do at the deception, but he hoped upon all hope that she would understand that it had to be done.
He stopped at the information desk to ask for some help, not wanting to waste time by searching for it on his own. He didn't want to miss this chance. He had to tell her today. As he walked up to the information desk, he saw her as she turned the corner, tears flowing down her cheeks. Her once beautifully happy face had been overtaken by despair and sadness. Seeing her like this, he had to make it right.
Riley got off of the elevator and strode towards the door, the only thought in her mind was to get to some fresh air. She had to clear her mind of this, she had to shed this debilitating pain for her own sake. Her uncle was awake and now she had to focus on helping him back to health, and that would entailing her letting go of Timothy.
" Can I do that?" she asked herself as she continued to walk, oblivious to anything in her path.
She passed the information desk and was almost to the door when she heard her name.
"Riley?"
She stopped and turned around, knowing that there was no one here that knew her old name. Her eyes welled as she lifted her gaze to meet his, and she put a hand to her mouth to quell the scream that she felt coming from deep inside. He walked up to her slowly, and reached out his hand, and she hesitantly put hers out to feel that it was real.
" It can't be, I heard the radio. It was in the paper... You are supposed to be dead," she said as she dissolved into tears. He pulled her into a strong embrace, his body relaxing at the contact that he had been missing. He felt her body shake as she sobbed into his chest, and he held on to her tighter.
" It had to be done, Riley. It wasn't going to stop if we didn't die."
" But how?" Riley asked as she pulled away from him. She searched his eyes for validation, finding the love that she had lost .
" My Uncle Donnie is a resourceful son of a gun. He fitted us with kevlar with squibs. It was all very Hollywood. When we got shot, the kelvar protected us from the bullet and activated the devices."
" How did you ... The medical examiner had to pronounce you ,right? How did you get around that?"
" Alexx was apart of it from the beginning. She had done the same for my father two years ago. All we had to do is play dead. After that, we were debriefed and put on a plane here. Three days later, my father joined us."
Riley watched him as he spoke and she felt the sadness morph into something entirely different, anger.
" So, it took you six months to tell me? Why? For those six months, I cried over you, hard. My world had completely stopped turning."
" I waited because I knew that you were going to be mad at me . I didn't know how I was going to handle it, Riley. I was scared."
Her demeanor soften quickly, and she realized that she was being too hard. What mattered was that he was here, he was alive, and she couldn't have asked for anything more. Her hands found his face and pulled it down to hers, and she let her lips gently touch his.
" I'm not mad at you, Timothy. I'm happy that you are okay..."
" Just happy?"
"Well okay, over the moon."
" That's better," he smirked as he bent to return the kiss. After parting, he said, " So Malcolm's awake?"
" Yeah, and I told him about what happened. Imagine what he's going to say when he sees you."
" I can only imagine,"he returned chuckling. He took her hand and lost himself in her sparkling eyes, saying, " I love you."
" I love you, Timothy, or is it someone else?"
"It's Patrick, Patrick Sanders, Jr."
" It's nice to meet you, Patrick," she replied laughingly.
" Funny, huh? So what's your new name?"
" Lucy West."
" Lucy, ... as in peanuts Lucy? You're kidding..."
" Nope and if you are not careful, I'll knock your block off..."
Timothy laughed at her and took her into another kiss, not caring about who saw them. He had found his love once more and he intended on keeping her this time.
TSJ
" Are you ready to go?" Riley called as she pulled on her jacket. " I don't want to be late."
Malcolm appeared at the top of the staircase with his cane and descended slowly. Riley watched him with pride and love, marveling at the rate at which he had recovered. It had only been two weeks since he was discharged from the hospital, but he had taken on the rehabilitation process as if it were a high priority. He wasn't about to let this get the best of him.
" We are not going to be late, Riley," he said as he came to rest at the bottom of the stairs. " We aren't even supposed to be there for another hour."
" I just want to be on time. And you better get in the practice of calling me Lucy. You don't want Donnie coming after you ."
" Oh no, we can't have that," Malcolm returned as he smiled. He was happy that he could count the Speedles, or the Sanders , as they were now known as, as his friends.
" Well , come on then. We have to stop by their house to pick them up," she prodded.
Malcolm let out a sigh as he stepped off of the last step, and opened the door, " After you."
"Thanks, and I'll drive."
"Naturally," he returned as he followed her. He was glad that despite every thing, that she was okay.
Tim opened the door to see Malcolm standing with Riley , who had a huge smile on her face, knowing who it was for. He sighed slightly and said, " I'm sorry , Lucy, he's left already."
Riley turned to glare at Malcolm then huffed, walking into the house leaving the men to watch her as she made her way to the couch.
"Now, I see why she wanted to come early," Malcolm said as Tim closed the door. Tim chuckled slightly as they both walked into the living room, and Calleigh followed behind them, with her bag.
" Robert, how are you doing?" she asked as she pecked him on the cheek.
He barely responded, not being used to his name, but he recovered to reply, " Oh, I'm fine. Just can't get used to the new me."
" I know what you mean. I've been Calleigh for my entire life, and when someone calls me Rebecca, I act as if I don't even hear them."
" Oh so that would explain why you don't answer me," Tim piped up.
" Well, that and sometimes, I truly do ignore you," she returned smiling.
" This from my loving wife," Tim said as he heard the door bell ring. He got up to open it, seeing his brother on the other end. " Donnie! Glad you could make it."
" I'm not late, I'm right on time,"he replied as he walked through the door. He waved to them in the living room, seeing the clouded face of Riley as she sat in the chair. " Hey what's wrong with her?"
" She missed Timothy, he's already down at the club."
" Oh well, I think we need to be making our way down there, don't you?"
" Capital idea, there, Donnie," he said as he turned back to them, " You guys ready?"
Riley got up in a flash and ran to the door pushing through the storm door, letting it slam behind her. Tim glanced out at her as she stood next to the SUV, almost unable to keep her cool.
" I guess, that means yes," Donnie replied as he opened the door. Soon they were on the road, headed to the club, making Riley a very happy girl.
The club was jammed pack as they came up, and the clouded expression returned to Riley's face. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid, knowing that this was the best club in San Diego. She wanted to get a good seat to see him, and her chances were looking slim to none. Tim turned to look at her, and smirked slightly, parking the SUV. When they got out, he surveyed the crowd until he found who he was looking for.
" Chuck! He hasn't performed yet has he?" Tim called out above the din of the crowd.
" Not yet, but if you want to see him, I suggest that you get in there," Chuck said as he lifted up the rope, letting them under.
" Is our table reserved?"
" As always, Patrick. Go ahead in."
Tim nodded his thanks and turned to Riley who had relief painted all over her face, " Never underestimate a Speedle."
" I'll remember that," she replied as they walked in the door. Riley was astonished at the difference of the atmosphere that she had just walked into. Despite the large crowd outside, the mood inside the club remained temperate, and mellow. They made their way to their seats without any problems and settled in just as the band took the stage. Riley's face lit up when she saw Timothy position himself behind the drum set, throwing her a bright smile.
" He's been working on this for a while,"Tim said as he sat between Calleigh and Riley. " Says that you are going to like it."
Riley continued to watch him as he twirled the sticks between his fingers, saying, "I'll love anything that he plays."
They all laughed as the MC came to the mike , the thunderous applause rousting him.
" Ladies and gents, I want to thank you for coming out . First I want to introduce the band behind me, starting with Patrick Sanders who wrote most of the music that you will be hearing tonight."
Timothy stood slightly to acknowledge the applause and glanced over to Riley who was clapping wildly and shouting, motioning for her to cool it. When the applause died down some more, the MC continued to introduce the rest of the band, then finally turning it over to the pianist.
"Alright guys, you ready?" he asked as he nodded to Timothy. Timothy took the gesture and began to play as the pianist continued, " This one's called Left Undone."
The sounds of the music that Timothy had written almost a year ago, wafted through the club mesmerizing the crowd as they listened intently. Riley never took her eyes off of him, noticing the passion as he played the drums. He worked as if he was on autopilot, never opening his eyes, and never missing a beat. Tim watched him with pride as he took Calleigh's hand, squeezing it. He had missed out on two years of his son's life, and seeing the end result of it tugged at his heart strings. Life for them would never be left undone again.
THE END.
A/N: Oh gosh, I felt like I was on a journey with this chapter. Well , there it is , it's finished. Let me know how you felt about it...