Sorry about the long wait... this is the first internet computer I have manged to get to in the last week!

anyways... R+R

Maybe I'm taking this a little too seriously. Maybe I'm over-reacting.

I'm Calleigh's guardian angel now and I have to protect her, but I may be over the top.

---FLASHBACK---

Calleigh talked patiently to a suspect and then showed him a warrant for his stomach contents. Admittedly an odd request, but still a valid one.

"You're crazy!" exclaimed the suspect.

Calleigh just continued with her explanation, while anger grew in me.

"How dare you say that to Calleigh! My girl is NOT crazy!"

I bit back my tongue.

Why did I call her "my girl"?

It's not as if we dated…

Or even flirted…

Just, now, she is my girl, isn't she?

I'm going to care for her now.

---END FLASHBACK---

Today was the first time in ten years that a boat has been pirated in Florida waters, and Eric thought he had found the boat.

He called the department to get another CSI to join him, along with SWAT.

The receptionist took the message, but the first CSI she met was Calleigh.

"Excuse me, Ms Duquesne? Mr Delko wants another CSI with him. He is in Miami harbour."

"What is he doing?"

I could just see Calleigh, agreeing to join Eric on a dangerous raid. I could see the excitement in her eyes; she was ready to put herself in danger

"No…Calleigh!"

Now she's just making my job harder on purpose.

"Someone please tell her to stay in the lab!"

I could tell that the situation would be dangerous.

"He didn't say. He mentioned finding a boat." The receptionist informed Calleigh.

"Thanks. I'll go."

I was just about to leave and ask Alexx to help me; she could ask Calleigh to process the new evidence she had just found or… something.

As I was going through the door, Horatio opened it and walked through it the other way.

"Stop her Horatio!" I willed.

I was sure that it would take more than to just "think" Calleigh safe, but at that moment, it was all I could do.

I was surprised when Horatio acted on my thoughts. He went to talk to her.

"Calleigh. What have we got here?"

"Eric called for backup, but I've got it."

No one could mistake Calleigh's enthusiasm. I had little hope of stopping her when she wanted to get into the field, but I hoped that Horatio would try.

"Where?"

"Miami harbour. I've got it Horatio."

"No, I want to take this one."

Yes! Thank you H!

Calleigh knew better than to argue with Horatio.

"I'm sure you have some evidence to process..?"

Horatio was babying her and she didn't like it, but it worked.

"Yeah, I do. See you later."

He nodded to her as she left.

I was glad that I was succeeding in my task from Eve, to guide and guard the chosen one.

I had had Horatio's help, but I was still succeeding.

I was glad of it, so glad almost, that I didn't notice Horatio's eyes rest on where I was standing for longer than was natural.

It didn't matter.

Calleigh was staying at the lab, safe.

I watched Calleigh work in the lab, testing various things and running fingerprints through AFIS.

It was a weary hour for her, especially as she knew that Eric and Horatio were in the field.

They returned soon enough with bagfuls of evidence… and another crime scene to process.

I was very glad that I had prevented Calleigh from joining Horatio and Eric, because they had just been barely missed by an RPG rocket launcher!

Calleigh's face lit up at the mention of the rocket launcher. It counted as a firearm and firearms are Calleigh's favourite area of the job.

She was probably just about to go and find an RPG to go and test fire!

If she did, I wouldn't be surprised.

"Why didn't you let me go to that scene, H?"

Great. Now she's arguing with Horatio.

"Exactly the reason you wanted to go," came Horatio's reply.

Why does he always speak in crypto?

He left, without explaining his answer.

Calleigh was wearing an expression that looked as confused as I felt.

--------------------

A little later in the day, Calleigh had been paired with Ryan Wolfe and assigned to a different area of the case. They were dealing with suspected cannibals.

It was better than being shot at with an RPG.

She and Ryan were doing interviews at the same time as Horatio. That way, I could listen to them both.

Calleigh and Ryan were interviewing a cannibal.

I was trying not to over-react.

They were in a building full of police officers, detectives and CSIs, all of whom carried weapons.

The suspect wasn't stupid enough to try anything.

I watched Horatio and Yelina interview their suspect. He was involved in another part of the same case.

Even though Yelina was the detective, it was Horatio that took the lead in the interview.

Yelina sat in silence, her eyebrows arched, until Horatio caught her eye, indicating that she should take over. She stood calmly and asked her question.

What the suspect did next made Horatio angrier than I have ever seen him.

Well, secnd angriest, only to the day I died. He was very angry then.

"Why don't you learn to speak English?" said the suspect, mocking Yelina's Hispanic accent.

Horatio was furious.

I expected him to grab the guy by the collar and throw him through the one-way mirror.

I really did.

From that moment, it didn't matter if the man was guilty or innocent.

I just knew that he deserves everything he's going to get.

I think Horatio was thinking the same thing.

--------------------

After watching Horatio's reaction to the racism from the suspect, I thought that I had been under-reacting earlier when it came to protecting Calleigh.

She wasn't going to suffer racist attacks, with her blonde hair and very American accent, but she was a police officer and would still have to put up with lots of verbal abuse.

I made my mind up, then and there, to make sure every single one of those verbal abusers got what was coming to them.