A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews guys! You all rock!
As TenFour pointed out, there wasn't a lot of Alexx around in the previous two chapters. Alexx plays a huge part in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or its characters. Cindy on the other hand, belongs to me! ;)
"Order up!"
Calleigh scooped up the three plates with ease and moved into the dining area where she placed the dishes in front of the customers.
"Enjoy," she said with a smile.
Heading back into the kitchen to add up the check on another customer's order, she stopped by Cindy and waved a stack of money in her face. "That last customer was a huge tipper! The girls night is on me this week."
Cindy laughed, "Alright, but I get to pick the movie."
Calleigh just nodded as she went back to work.
It had been a month now since she left Miami and her old life. Rock Harbor had become her new home and she was fitting in nicely, although at times she missed the warm Miami sun, her friends and co-workers, and a certain redheaded man that still made her heart flutter once and a while.
'Get a grip Calleigh,' she said to herself as she went about clearing tables, 'He's probably dating someone by now, maybe even remarried. He's moved on and so have you.'
For the most part she was happy here. She and Cindy had become very close friends and they did everything together, including celebrating Cindy's 30th birthday a week or so ago. Cindy always teased Calleigh about the fact that many of the diner's patrons had their eye on her, but Calleigh kept telling Cindy that she didn't want to date anyone, she was happy being single.
That night when shift was over, the girls headed back to Calleigh's apartment for a night of chick flicks, manicures, and chocolate ice cream. Cindy bounced onto the couch and started flipping through channels while Cal dished up the ice cream in the kitchen.
"Would you look at that!" Cindy said, stopping on a channel, "Hey, Calleigh, that girl looks just like you!"
Calleigh hurried into the living room and stopped dead in her tracks. They were doing a news report and the man being interviewed made her heart stop beating.
"And how long has your wife been missing Lieutenant?" the news anchor asked.
"About a month now," Horatio answered, "I'm hoping that by getting the word out again we might find her."
"Is there anything you would like to say to you wife over the air?" the anchor pressed.
He turned to look at the camera directly and hundreds of miles away, Calleigh felt as if he were staring right at her. "I love you Calleigh," he said, emotion in his voice, "I don't understand the reasons you left. I miss you and I need you. Please come home."
Calleigh dropped the bowl of ice cream she was holding and it shattered on the wood floor, spreading ice cream all over.
"If you've seen Calleigh Caine or have any information about her disappearance," the reporter said,"please call the hotline at 673-5596." A picture of her, taken just about the time she'd found out she was pregnant, flashed across the screen, with the hotline number just beneath it.
"Calleigh," Cindy said, hurrying over to help clean up the ice cream, "Is that you the newscaster was talking about?"
At this Calleigh burst into sobs. Cindy helped her over to the couch, the spilled ice cream suddenly forgotten. Cindy handed her a tissue from the coffee table and she took it gratefully. They sat in silence for several minutes before Calleigh found the courage to speak.
"The woman on the TV is me," Calleigh began, "or at least was me at one point. I...I did some horrible things, and I couldn't deal with the fact that I'd let my husband down, so I left, hoping that he would get over it and move on. Apparently he hasn't." She chuckled, but there was no mirth in her voice.
"He really looks like he loves you," Cindy said, putting her arm around Calleigh, "What did you do that was so horrible that you couldn't stay?"
Calleigh started to cry again, "I lost our baby and it was my fault."
"Oh sweetie," Cindy said, holding her tight, letting her cry.
"I just didn't deserve him," she murmured after a few minutes, "And I still don't. That's why I can't go back to him."
"But he loves you Cal," Cindy said, wiping Calleigh's tears, "Isn't that reason enough to go back? You're breaking his heart."
"I already broke his heart once, and I'm not going to do it again. I can't go back. Please, don't make me," she pleaded.
Cindy shook her head sadly, but agreed not to tell anyone.
The girls night was pretty much ruined by this time, but Cindy still tried to make the best of it, anything to get Calleigh's mind off the man she left behind. The man that still loved her with all of his heart.
Calleigh couldn't stop thinking about it when she went to bed that night. He wasn't letting go like she had asked him to. He couldn't keep searching for her and waste his life away. She wasn't going to allow herself to be found. But she did need to make sure he stopped searching.
By morning she had decided that she would call Alexx, her one confidant at the crime lab, and have Alexx tell Horatio to stop looking for her. She took her phone and went for a walk near the ocean to make the call. She dialed the number with shaky hands, and then put the phone up to her ear, waiting for her past to answer.
"Hello, Alexx Woods speaking"
"Alexx," Calleigh said, tears coming to her eyes, "It's me, Calleigh."
"Calleigh? Oh my gosh, I never thought I'd hear from you again," Alexx gushed, relief evident in her voice, "Have you called Horatio yet? He's been sick with worry!"
"No, I haven't called him yet, and I don't plan on doing so either," Calleigh said, "When I said I wanted to disappear for good, I was serious. I just called to have you relay a message for me."
"I would love to Calleigh," Alexx said, suddenly getting an idea, "But can you call me back in just a minute? I'm getting really bad reception in the morgue. Let me get to higher ground so we can talk more. Alright?"
"Alright Alexx," Calleigh said, "I'll talk to you in a few minutes."
Alexx hung up the phone and raced over to the lab as fast as she could go. She passed the break room where Ryan, Eric and Horatio were all working on their first cups of coffee for the day.
"Horatio, Calleigh just called," Alexx said excitedly.
Horatio spit out his coffee as did Ryan and Eric. "What!?" Horatio said, totally stupefied, "Alexx, are you serious?"
"As a heart attack," Alexx said, "But she's going to call back in a few minutes and I was thinking that if we can trace her call..."
"We can find out where she is," Horatio said cutting her off, "Brilliant Alexx!"
"Let's get set up in the AV room before she calls back," Ryan said, and all four friends headed down the hall.
They were just hooking up the last of the equipment when the phone started to ring again.
"Remember, Horatio," Alexx said before picking up, "Not a word. I want her to think that I'm alone so she'll stay on the phone longer. Can you do that?"
He nodded solemnly, but his heart was aching to hear his wife's voice.
"Calleigh," Alexx said answering the phone, "I'm so glad you called back. I've missed you so much, the whole lab has missed you."
"I miss you guys too," Calleigh said. Hearing his wife's voice over speaker phone was enough to make Horatio's knees go weak and he had to bite his finger to keep from saying something.
"You really won't come back to us?" Alexx asked, watching Cooper as he dialed in on Calleigh's location.
"I'm sorry, Alexx, but I've made my decision," Calleigh explained, fighting back the sadness in her voice, "I've got a good job here and people who care about me. I'm fine. I just need you to convince Horatio that he can move on too."
"But honey, he's heartbroken over the fact that you're gone. He's not the same without you," Alexx said, watching Horatio's eyes as she spoke.
"I know, Alexx," Calleigh sniffed, the tears now forcing their way down her cheeks, "But you've got to understand that I'm not coming back. I need you to help him move on without me. He doesn't need me as much as he thinks."
"Oh, but he does," Alexx said softly as she watched a tear creep down his face.
"Listen, Alexx, I've got to go, work starts in an hour. It was really nice to talk to you again; tell everyone that I love them and I'll never forget them," she struggled to get the next part out, "And tell Horatio that I love him with all my heart, but I'm where I need to be right now."
"I will, honey," Alexx said, "You take care of yourself, alright? And if you ever need a friend, I'm always here."
"Thanks Alexx," she said, wiping a tear away, "Take care."
"Bye Calleigh," Alexx said.
As soon as Calleigh hung up they all turned to Cooper.
"Did you get a location?" Horatio asked, urgency in his voice.
"I did and you'll never believe where she is, Rock Harbor, Maine," Cooper said, "I got within a block of where she made the call."
"Maine," Horatio said quietly, "I've got to go find her. Hold down the fort for me guys," he said turning to Ryan and Eric.
"Will do boss," Eric said.
"Bring her home safe," said Ryan.
"I will," Horatio said grabbing a computer printout and then before leaving the room, he turned back to Cooper, "And Cooper, great job. You can expect a huge bonus when we get back."
Cooper smiled as Horatio raced out the door.
A/N: Dum, dum, dum! Will Horatio find Calleigh? Will Calleigh run again? Find out next time in the fifth installment of To See Her Smile
Also, please read and review! It makes my brain write so much faster! ;)