Stay With You

Chapter 8

Calleigh flipped up the phone as she stood in the elevator, and dialed his number. Her experience with Tim in the firearms lab was heavy, and she thought she needed to talk to him. Her eyes brightened when he picked up the phone on the first ring.

" Hey handsome, are you sitting by the phone, waiting for me to call?" Calleigh asked lightly.

" No, just going over some paper work. Are you done?"

" Yes, and I'm on my way home. Have the girls gotten back yet?" Calleigh asked as she looked at her watch. She was grateful for their babysitter, especially recently. She had been so nice about keeping them and she was the first babysitter Calleigh ever knew of that offered to pick them up .

" They got back about an hour ago. They had already eaten, so I went ahead and put them to bed."

" So, studious," Calleigh chuckled into the phone, " Did you pay Dana?"

" Tipped her extra," Horatio replied absently. Calleigh knew that his attention was elsewhere, mainly on his lab. He had been out of action for close to four weeks , and she could understand how stir crazy he was getting. He was always a man of action, never really taking the time he needed. Thanks to his incident, he had finally gotten that time. Now he was ready to jump in the saddle once more.

" I know that tone when I hear it. I'll be home shortly," Calleigh smiled slightly. " Have those files put away when I get there."

" Okay," Horatio intoned just as absently as before.

" Horatio..."

" I heard you."

" I want a divorce..." Calleigh said testing him. She didn't mean it, but she had to get his attention somehow.

" Um hmm, love you too," he said quickly.

" Horatio Caine!" Calleigh effected in her strongest southern accent. " Get your nose out of that paperwork for just one moment."

Horatio heard the slight irritation in her voice and set the paper down, now focusing his attention on her. There was something wrong.

" Calleigh, are you okay?"

" I'm fine. I just want you to acknowledge me, Horatio."

" Calleigh, I'm sorry ..."

" It's okay, Horatio. I should be home soon," Calleigh returned quietly. Instantly , the thought of her and Tim in her lab, invaded her conscience. She cleared her throat lightly and exhaled.

"Calleigh,..."

" I'll see you when I get home."

With that, she flipped the phone down and leaned against the elevator wall. Even though she had told Tim to fight for his love, she had felt the all too familiar pulling of her heart. She longed to have that passion back in her life, not necessarily with Tim, but she wanted to feel alive more. Closing her eyes, she put her hand on her stomach and patted it lightly.

" We've got some issues, baby."

Calleigh got off the elevator and headed toward her truck, feeling a little less than satisfied. If only this stress could be alleviated, she could think clearly and make some changes in her life. As the images of her time with Tim again faded into her memory, she felt the urgency to get to her husband. In order for her to be happy , or for them to last, she had to do something, and quick.

S/S

Tim debated on whether to go to the hospital or to go home. He rode the Ducati for what seemed like hours before he decided that he'd better go home. If Sam was resting, then he didn't want to bother her. Besides, he had to think about what to say to her when he did see her again.

As he pushed the yellow bike further, his mind rested on what happened at the lab. He admitted that he was emotional, and irrational, but his impulsive move could've cost him everything. With his deep love for Calleigh, the situation could've easily turned the other way, and possibly destroying several lives in it's wake. He thought of how close he had come to submitting himself to Calleigh once more, and an actual shiver coursed through his body.

I guess it's true when they say old habits die hard, Tim thought to himself as he turned onto his street. He chuckled to himself as he covered the pristine beauty and walked to his door. Unlocking it, he slowly walked in, seeing the television as it lit up the dark living room. Walking to the huge big screen, he glanced over at Sascha's sleeping form on the couch and smiled lightly. He then switched it off and turned to the couch, kneeling down to pick her up. As he lifted her into his arms, she stirred slightly and smiled lightly.

" Daddy?"

" Yeah, sweet heart," Tim said as he walked effortlessly towards her bedroom.

" Are you okay?"

" Yeah , Sash. I'm fine."

" What time is it?" Sascha asked drifting off once more.

" Late," Tim simply stated as he turned the covers on her bed then laid her gently inside of them. He kissed her on her forehead and smiled as he pulled the covers up to her shoulders.

Before he left out, he heard her reposition herself better in the bed and said softly, " Love you dad."

" Love you too, Sash," he replied as he walked out of the room.

Getting upstairs, he walked into his bedroom to find Sam's things on the floor, untouched. He lifted up a suitcase off of the floor and watched as the contents spilled out onto the floor.

" Great," he said as he threw the suitcase onto the bed. He knelt on his haunches and began to pick up her things. As he sorted through them, he saw a paper bag . It piqued his interest and sat on his bottom on the carpeted floor. He riffled through the bag, noticing it was nothing more than some extra toiletries that she had brought as a ' just in case'. Just when he was pulling his hand out, his fingers caught hold of a ziploc bag. He grasped it and pulled it out, seeing nothing but a napkin with a familiar marking on it. It took him a moment before he realized that this was the napkin from the restaurant they ate at before she left for New York.. Being the investigator he was, he opened the bag and slowly pulled the tissue out. He saw her handwriting, it not being characteristic of her. Usually her hand writing was precise and neat, but what Tim saw, was disorder and frantic thoughts. Despite this, he was able to read what she had written.

I'm pregnant with his child, but I'm still afraid of losing him to her. Why do I do this to myself? He said he loves me...

Tim felt the napkin drop from his hands as he closed his eyes and tossed his head back. He knew exactly who she was talking about, and it had nothing to do with Martin Fitzgerald. It was his child that she was carrying. He sighed as he returned his thoughts to how he reacted to her admissions, realizing now that maybe he had been harsh on her. He got up off of the floor and walked to his phone. He stared at it for a moment, weighing whether he should call her. Again, he thought about the time and went back to picking up her things. There was always tomorrow.

S/S

Sam tossed fitfully in the hospital bed as she tried to fall asleep. Not only was the oxygen line in the way, but also her thoughts prohibited her from a peaceful night's rest. Her breathing had returned to normal after her first breathing treatment, but the doctor ordered the oxygen line as a precaution.

Giving up on the notion of getting some sleep, she stared at the phone that was mere inches from her on the table. She wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice. She wanted to tell him that it was his child that she was carrying, and that she was sorry for making the worst choice she had made in her life. She wanted to tell him that she still wanted to marry him, but mostly she wanted to tell him that she loved him.

She reached out to the phone hesitantly, as if it would suddenly come to life and snap her hand, pondering on whether to call him. The time on the clock that hung in her room, read a little after eleven, but she knew that he was up, possibly putting her things away. She threw caution to the wind as she picked up the phone and dialed .

" Hello," she heard his raspy voice as it quickened her pulse.

" Tim..."

" Sam? Are you okay?"

" I'm fine , Tim. I just wanted to hear your voice," Sam replied realizing her voice too was raspy. She felt the smile form on her face as she imagined him sitting on the edge of their bed, folding her clothes and putting them in neat little piles. " I wanted to make sure that you are okay. You left out of here without saying much of anything."

" Hey , about that, I'm sorry..."

" No, there's nothing to be sorry about. I did something wrong, and you reacted to it."

" I didn't give you time to explain," Tim replied as he continued to fold. He couldn't help that he always needed to keep his hands busy.

" So you found the napkin, I take it," Sam said as she settled some. This was coming easier to her now.

" Yes, why didn't you tell me , Sam?"

" I didn't know how you would react. We haven't really talked about children, and I was still fearful of what I didn't understand. I'm sorry, Tim."

Tim sat on the other line quietly for a moment before he spoke again, " I love you, Sam, more than ever . I can't see my life without you in it."

" Tim what are you saying?"

" I'm saying that I want to marry you this weekend," Tim replied filled with confidence. He knew that this was the best solution for him. She had been there when there was no one else.

" Are you sure?"

" Never been so sure of anything else. I love you."

" I love you, Tim. More than you'll ever know," Sam replied as she felt the tears come to the edge of her eyes. All this time, she had felt like she was losing him, but instead she could hear the commitment in his voice.

" Good and can we make a pact to talk to each other? No more running off to each other's exes," Tim retorted dryly.

" Deal."

" And Sam,..."

" Yes Tim," Sam said as she wiped the tears.

" Please remember from this moment on, that I'm going to stay with you for the rest of our lives."

"I will Tim. I will."

" Great. Now , I want you to get some rest and we will talk some more tomorrow. I'll probably peek in on you in the morning before work."

" Sounds good to me."

" Sam?"

" Yes, Tim."

" I love you with all my heart," he replied deeply. This feeling was intense for him and he breathed easily now that he knew that she was his for life.

" I love you. Good night."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

Sam replaced the phone on the cradle and smiled heavily. Soon , she felt her eyelids as they drooped. Finally, the rest she was seeking was coming to her.

TBC...

A/N: Thanks to Deb for unknowingly inspiring me with a line... lol