Stay With You

Chapter 6

Tim opened the door to the room slowly and saw that she was resting. He put a finger up to his lips and turned to Sascha, hoping not to awaken her. Just as the door clicked softly to a close, Sam spoke , her eyes still closed.

" I'm not asleep."

" You've got to be the lightest sleeper I know," Tim said softly as he stood at the side of the bed. He tried to smile but he found himself mimicking the gesture. He was much more concerned with her health. " How are you feeling?"

" Tired," Sam returned as she turned her head to him, herself trying to smile but it faded quickly. She glanced at Sascha and again tried to smile, " Hey you. I heard that you saved my life."

Sacha smiled brightly and moved closer to the bed. She noticed the sadness that hung deep in Sam's brown eyes and smiled wider in hopes of brightening the feeling in the room, " I was just doing what anyone else would've done."

" You did more than that, Sash," Sam replied as she fought to take in a deep breath.

Tim noticed and grasped her hands, feeling the chill that hung on them. There was definitely something wrong here. He gazed into her eyes, seeing the same look he saw at home, and adverted his own. He's heart dropped as he remembered their conversation before he was called to work. He squeezed her hand gently and she again gave a faded smile. It was time that she told him the truth.

" Tim, there's ... something... I want to tell you,"Sam said breathlessly. It was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe.

"Daddy..." Sascha said warily. She was becoming alarmed at Sam's breathing.

Tim acknowledged Sascha, the turned his concern to Sam , saying, " Sam, honey, maybe this could wait. You are not up for this."

" No, ... I have to tell you," Sam continued.

"Sam,..."

"Tim , just ... let me... get it ... out."

Tim nodded and held her gaze as she fought to breathe. This is wrong, she can't breathe, Tim thought as he glanced back at Sascha. Sascha took the hint and started to walk out of the door. She would wait out there until they were ready for her to come back in. When the door closed softly behind her, Sam, looked into his eyes. The fear and distress that she saw made her feel even worse about what she was going to say to him. She steeled herself, and tried to breath deeper. She would need all of the air she could get for what she was about to do.

" Tim,... Something... happened... in New York," Sam started, " Something ..that should've... never happened."

Tim felt his heart racing more as he broke his gaze with her. He could practically taste his tears as they welled in his eyes. He knew exactly what was going on.

" Just tell me Sam."

" I saw Martin... while I was there... I was in... the restaurant ...when he walked in. We sat and... we talked... I just needed... someone to talk to.. about my fears.. and my hopes, ...and he was there...," Sam said slowly.

Tim sat back in his chair trying to process this. After all of this time, after all of his attempts to reassure her of his love for her, she confides in her former lover. Inside , he felt the heat rising and he tried to keep it in check as he glanced at her, tears brimming his eyes. He trusted her with his heart, with his love...

" So , you and Martin just talked?"

" It wasn't... anything, Tim... I- I just... got swept up... in the moment," Sam said as she felt the streams of tears as they dropped. " I... needed ... someone..."

" And your phone was out ? Or you forgot my number? Does that ring mean anything to you, Sam? It meant something to me. It meant that I could trust you, and that you could trust me. I told you so many times that I didn't love Calleigh anymore and that you were the one that I wanted to be with. I gave you my heart, Sam."

Sam dropped her eyes and wiped them slowly with her hands. The worst was yet to come, " Tim,... there's... more..."

" What ? What more could there possibly be?" Tim asked, his voice rising slightly.

" I-I'm... pregnant..."

He stared at her for a moment then quickly got up. He wanted to say something to her, but there was nothing he could say. He walked to the door without looking back and swung it open, slamming it hard enough to shake the room. Sam jumped as the tears flowed. What had she done?

Outside, Tim kept his eyes lowered as he passed Sascha who was staring at him in confusion.

" Daddy, what's going on?"

"We're leaving," he returned as he stopped. He kept his back to her, not wanting to show his anger, his hurt, for fear that it would transfer to her.

" Daddy,..."

" Sascha, I said we're leaving."

Sacha looked back at the door, then to her father's back. Whatever it was that transpired between those two, it wasn't good. She walked to him and grasped his hand as she came up to his side, squeezing it. Here they were again, just the two of them.

S/S

Calleigh pulled the towel down from the rack as one little girl scurried away, water dripping from her wet locks. She sighed and brushed a strand of her own locks away from her eyes, frustrated. She had spent a good portion of the day away from the lab, and she really needed to get back to finish a report that was due.

" Livvy, you come back here this instant, young lady!" Calleigh said as she held her arms out to receive her other daughter , who was shaking her hair out like a puppy. Calleigh sighed heavily and glanced at her watch. Six thirty. Well at least the day shift will be gone, she thought as she felt tiny splashes dropping on her head. " Lizzy, don't do that. Horatio!"

Horatio walked into the bathroom with Livvy in tow, " I think you've misplaced someone."

" Cute, can you give me a hand? I really wanted to finish that report today, and it's already six thirty," Calleigh said quickly.

" Calleigh, Calleigh, honey, relax. I've got Livvy, and send Lizzy when you are done drying her off," Horatio said calmly as he extended his hand to Livvy.

" So glad that you can stay calm. Did you call Dana?"

" Yes, Calleigh. She says she'll be here in ten minutes," Horatio replied as he led Livvy to her room to dress. He had taken his pain medication when he got home, and now he was enjoying a moment of good mobility. He had Livvy dressed in minutes flat. When he looked up , he saw Lizzy as she waited patiently and he motioned to her. Before Calleigh could finish cleaning the bathroom, he had both girls dressed and ready to go.

" Wow, you work fast," Calleigh said smiling lightly. She was exhausted at this point , but she knew she had to keep going.

" They complied ," Horatio returned as he heard the familiar car horn blare. " Ladies ,I think Dana's here."

" Yay!" Came the excited voices as they left the room in a hurry.

Calleigh stopped to look at Horatio and kissed him on the cheek, " Thanks for the help."

" You are so very welcome. Now go to the lab, so you can come home at an decent hour, Mrs. Caine," he replied. They both walked down the stairs and Horatio watched as his ladies departed. He was alone , and the silence seemed deafening. He walked to his study and grabbed a case file. There wasn't any harm in staying up to snuff with his job.

S/S

As he entered the house, Tim felt instantly that he had to get away. He had to get distance between him and his pain. Sascha watched him as he grabbed the keys to his Ducati before he went to the door. He turned to her, with a heavy laden heart. He could barely find the words to help him make sense of what had happened, so he knew that he couldn't talk to Sascha about it, not yet. He walked back to her as she stood in the foyer with understanding in her eyes. At that moment, he knew no matter what went on in his life, his daughter would always be there.

" Sash, I'm going to the lab for a couple of hours. If you need anything, just call my cell, or better yet, call your Uncle Eric. You gonna be okay until I get back?"

" Dad, I'm fifteen. I'll be fine, go sort yourself out," Sascha said with a light smile. She knew when her father had needed time to be alone.

" How grown up of you," Tim returned letting a smile creep up onto his face. " I shouldn't be long. No boys."

" Can Tiffany come over?"

" That's fine, but Sash..."

" I know, I know, no boys," Sascha replied. " Have I disappointed you yet?"

" No, just thought that it was the father thing to do," Tim said as he turned to the door again. "Make sure you lock the door, and whatever mess you make..."

" It's mine to clean, I know dad..."

" Sash, you know I love you, right?" Tim said turning back to her.

" Yeah , dad. I love you too, and whatever this is, we will get pass it," Sascha said as she hugged him. She wanted him to feel the truth in her words. They had been through everything in the book together, and they had been strong. As she let him go, she saw him wipe his eyes with the back of his hand. He then turned silently away and walked out of the door. She watched him as he pulled the tarp back on his yellow Ducati and started it up. She hadn't seen him ride that bike in weeks, so she knew that whatever was bothering her father, it was serious. Locking the doors, she prayed that he would be careful while he was out, searching for his answers.

S/S

Calleigh looked up from the microscope in firearms , just as a bullet hit on IBIS. She smiled to herself as she glided to her computer and took the print out. For the next ten minutes, she sat at her desk, finishing the reports that she would leave for Tim before going home. She thought about him and let a smile come to her face as she remembered a time long ago.

" Tim," Calleigh said to herself aloud. She opened the phone and spoke into it. " Speedle"

" Hi, Cal," Speed answered.

" How'd you know?" Calleigh asked.

" You know there's this thing called a caller -id..."

"Okay smart ass. What do you want? I just got to the scene."

" Can't I call my wife to check on her?" Speed asked feigning a hurt tone.

" I just left not ten minutes ago, Tim. You called three times."

" I miss you ."

"Aww, honey, that's so sweet,..."

She shot her head up quickly as she saw him standing there in her doorway. He had a look of absolute despair, his hair had looked as if it was wind blown and his stubble added to his haggard look. It pained her so suddenly, that she felt her eyes get heavy. What had happened to him?

" Tim,..."

"Calleigh," Tim said with obvious pain in his voice, " I need you..."

TBC...

Muahahaha... gonna have to wait until the next chapter to see if this gets Talleigh :)