I'm feeling kind. I'm giving you this chapter now, even though I only published the last chapter yesterday. enjoy...
Now that I'm Calleigh's guardian angel, I have less time to myself, less time to fill.
I'm not saying it in a bad way because now, at least I have a purpose.
But it does mean that I don't see the others as much as I used to. I've not seen Eric or Horatio or even Alexx alone for quite a while.
Today though, I heard snippets of conversation and had to learn more.
I caught the words "unnecessary force" and "unarmed suspect" coming from the interview room.
The voice was the voice of Rick Stetler, IAB.
I really hate that guy.
When he dies, I'll kick his butt from here to the other side of heaven. Assuming he gets to heaven.
The voice that replied was very familiar.
It was Horatio.
I didn't understand. Horatio doesn't use force on unarmed suspects. He just doesn't.
He continued.
"Especially with a woman."
I think he's getting confused in his old age.
There are no women in the case….
Wait… Unnecessary force… Unarmed… Woman… Stetler…
The pieces fell together.
I followed both men's gazes and saw that they were both watching Yelina.
I remembered her black eye.
Horatio had been sure that Stetler had something to do with it, and personally, I agree.
Yelina told some story, she fell in the kitchen, apparently.
Stetler tried to steer the conversation away from Yelina.
"There are no women in this case."
Horatio had a quick reply.
"There's always a woman involved."
Stetler was becoming angrier by the second.
Horatio, though he showed no signs of fury, was obviously full of rage inside.
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Everyone should have a guardian angel.
I saw Horatio leave the interview with Stetler, sometime later.
I couldn't help thinking "Horatio, why don't you take care of Yelina?"
She needs you, not Stetler.
You go and be her guardian angel, Horatio.
Do it for her.
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I found Horatio a guardian angel as well.
Calleigh.
I saw her earlier. She took him to one side and talked to him and made sure he was OK.
It was a kind gesture.
Just the thing a guardian angel should do.
What a real guardian angel should do.
I should be able to talk to Calleigh. I can't tell what she is really thinking without asking her.
Just a short chat to let her know I'm still there for her.
She covered for me, with my gun, so I'm doing the same for her, in a way.
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"I need an unbiased opinion."
"People only say that when they already have an answer and are looking for someone to agree with them."
"You are very smart."
"I know that much honey!"
I watched the two people that had meant the most to me since my death, Alexx and Calleigh, laugh and smile together.
They are the only two people I know that always have laughter in their eyes and always have a smile on their face.
Both such beautiful, successful women, and always so happy.
I think it's the two of them that keep the department going, being so positive in the face of the death and evil they work with.
As I realised this, my respect for them grew.
I also realised that I wouldn't have stayed sane since my death if it weren't for Alexx. And now, Calleigh has given me purpose.
Something to keep going for.
Something to live for.
Something to die for.
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Calleigh walked out of the interview room later, looking pleased with herself.
She had just single-handedly caused a suspect in their investigation to drop the charges of police brutality against Horatio.
The charge that Stetler had been investigating.
He had been watching Calleigh's interview from the outer part of the interrogation room.
When Calleigh "persuaded" the suspect to drop the charges, Stetler balled his hands into fists and screwed up his face in anger.
It was almost as if he wanted Horatio to be guilty of something, just so he could rub Horatio's nose in it.
He was angry because Horatio had been cleared.
Calleigh walked straight past him as she left the interrogation.
After a moment, he followed her, his fists still clenched.
I pictured Yelina's black eye again and remembered what he could be capable of.
I stood between him and Calleigh.
Surely he wasn't stupid enough to go anywhere near Calleigh?
Not only were they in the police department, he must have known that Calleigh would hit back, but twice as hard.
These sensible thoughts obviously occurred to Stetler, because he took a step back.
"Well done," he said, doing a very good job of keeping the anger out of his voice.
Calleigh nodded her thanks and continued on her way.
Stetler turned on his heel and went on his.
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It was nearly the end of the day and most people had gone home.
I saw Calleigh, still in the lab.
She wasn't heading home anytime soon, so I decided to go and see Alexx.
I hadn't spoken to her in quite a while.
"Hey Timmy! Why have you been avoiding me?"
"Alexx! You know I would never avoid you!"
We spoke in tones of mock annoyance, as a joke we had always shared.
"Aww, I know you wouldn't avoid me on purpose. You must have been busy!"
I did tell her about becoming a guardian angel before it actually happened, so she knew all about it.
"Not really. I've just been hanging around mostly."
"Same. The only interesting thing that has happened to me lately was an autopsy I did earlier. The poor girl was suffocated with Nitris Oxide."
"What's interesting about that?"
I used to make jokes about dying a lot when I was alive, but now I don't find it funny.
"The use of Nitris Oxide," Alexx continued, "Is to enhance sexual pleasure."
"Wait, Alexx. How do you know about that? You don't seem the type to use that kind of thing… if you know what I mean…"
I felt a blush rise in my cheeks even as I said it.
And to make matters worse, Alexx was laughing like I was a comedian.
"Timmy! That's the funniest thing I've heard all year! And, for your information, Eric told me about the Nitris Oxide."
That makes sense
"Trust him to know about that!"
I left the morgue a bit later, after a good laugh and chat.
I headed to Calleigh's flat to spend the night.