CHAPTER 3

FLASHBACK---

Tim walked down the halls to here arguing. "John...stop...I told you not in the lab."

"Well when there be time Calleigh? Your always here. With them."

Tim could see Calleigh glaring at the man. "I'm sorry if my job hurts your sex life John. But I happen to love my job. Its more to me then just an arrest jacket. So if you don't mind I have to get these to Speedle."

John chuckled. "Speedle...is there something going on with you to?"

"Excuse me? I'm dating you remember."

John shook his head and walked away. Calleigh sighed and went to walk away when she saw Tim. "Please tell me you didn't hear that?"

"Alright...then I won't."

Calleigh sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Hey we all have our problems."

Calleigh smiled. "Oh here...this is for you."

"What is it?"

"Some substance Alexx found on the vic's shoe."

"Alright...I'll get to right now."

Calleigh smiled. Tim wished she wouldn't have. He admitted it he hated her when she first came to the lab but now...now he couldn't get enough of her. And when she smiled like that it killed him. "TIm..."

"Huh?"

"I thought you were going to trace?"

"I was...I am...if you need me just give me a page."

Calleigh nodded. "You got it." Tim took a deep breath as she walked past him. Tim didn't know it but Calleigh was smiling.

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Tim groaned as his cell phone went off. "Hello."

"Hey man."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Delko its one in the morning. What do you want?"

"You wanna go out."

"Delko...like I said its one in the morning."

"I know and like i said you wanna go out? There's this new club...Descent."

Tim rolled his eyes once again. His best friend may have been a party animal but he wasn't. He hated clubs...the music was always bad, the people were rude and everywhere you looked was someone either making out or having sex in some corner. He loved Miami but you just couldn't get away from all the hormones.

"Yeah alright give me...20."

"Alright i'll pick you up."

"Ok." Tim sighed and got out of bed.

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Tim smirked as he saw Delko making out with some girl. "Classic Delko."

"What?" asked Maggie a girl Tim met at the bar.

"Nothing...its just...that's how he is."

Maggie nodded. "You wanna dance."

"I don't dance."

"Then why did you come?"

Tim shrugged. That was a good question. Why did he come?

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"Oh my god Mandy she's still inside!" yelled Maggie as Tim managed to get her out of the burning building.

"Stay here! I'm going back in."

Tim sighed. He didn't want to go back in but his best friend was still in there. So was countless other soon to be victims.

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Tim sat at the edge of a gurnee while a medic treated his cut on his arm. Tim looked over as he saw a car door slam. He sighed as he saw Calleigh get out of it. She walked up to him slowly but didn't speak until the medic left.

"You ok?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah...just remind me not to go clubing with Delko again."

Calleigh smiled and placed her arm on his shoulder. "I'm really glad your ok."

Tim found himself smiling. Which was weird because it was something he never did. "Thanks."

Calleigh nodded. "So I guess we should get in there."

Tim nodded. "Yeah...hey Calleigh?"

"Yeah..."

Tim sighed. "Nevermind."

Calleigh nodded and started to walk over to the once 'hot spot' of Miami.

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"So Speedle you got a girl?"

Tim glared at Hollis. "No...hows the wife."

"Alright point taken." Tim smiled slightly but then noticed the 'accident'. Before Tim could even blink shots began to hit the windshield. He opened the door and got out using the door as a shield. He pulled out his gun aiming it through the window. Tim looked back into the truck noticing Hollis lying on the seat. Tim grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down onto the pavement. Tim noticed a man dressed him black aim a gun at him. Tim did the same. The only difference being nothing came out of his gun. Tim couldn't hear or feel anything as the bullet made contact with his vest. He looked down at his chest and saw the blood. And he couldn't really tell if it was his or someone elses.

"Speed! Speed."

"My chest...my chest."

"I know...let me see...alright...its ok kevlar got it! Kevlar got it man your gonna be ok."

"My chest."

"I know! Just hang in there partner. RESCUE! GET ME RESCUE RIGHT NOW! Speed!"

"H...can't breathe."

"Its ok your gonna be ok. The kevlar caught it. Just breath..breath easy keep breathing if you can."

'If I can? Thats real comforting H.' Thought Tim to himself. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get Calleigh off his mind. Her smile. Her hair. Her laugh. Those bright green eyes. Everything about her. He just wanted to tell her that he...that he loved her.

"H..."

"I'm right here Speed."

Tim took a few deep breaths. "Hollis?"

Horatio looked to his right. "He didn't make it."

Tim closed his eyes as he heared the sirens of an ambulance. "Speed look at me...it wasn't your fault."

Tim nodded through the pain he still felt in his chest. If this was what it was like to get a bullet in kevlar he hated to know what it was like to actually get shot in the chest.

PRESENT---

Tim saw Calleigh look at the floor. "You were shot Daddy?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah."

"Did it hurt?"

"Well...a little...yeah."

"Have you been shot more then once?"

Tim sighed and looked at Calleigh who's eyes were watering. "Yeah baby I was. When you were real little."

"Did you almost die?"

Calleigh put a hand over her mouth. "Mommy?" asked a confused Livvy as she watched her mother walk out of the kitchen. "Daddy what's wrong with mommy?"

"She just doesn't like to talk about that."

Livvy nodded. "Daddy will you finish telling your story?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah..but first let me go check on mommy ok?" Livvy nodded. "Ok you just finish coloring Blue ok?" Livvy nodded once again. "OK...I'll be right back."

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Tim watched Calleigh lean against the railing of the back porch. "You ok?"

Calleigh smiled lightly. "I'm fine."

Tim sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm fine...i'm right here." mummbled Tim into her neck.

"I know that. Its just...I dunno."

Tim smiled lightly and kissed her temple. "Its in the past."

"I know that...but memories last a lifetime."

Tim sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Let's go eat dinner ok?"

Calleigh nodded. "Ok."

TBC...Ok I know I know Tinder Box came before Dispo Dady but being me didn't remember that until I was like typing up the last few sentences and being me am to lazy to go back and fix it. lol. So yeah...please review.