Title: Solace

Author: AllOverTheWorld

Shippers: Horatio/Calliegh

Summary: Calleigh takes solace in firearms, as strange as it seems to most; she finds comfort amongst Sig Sauers, Colts, Sniper Rifles, and Shot Guns, Machine Guns, exploding rounds and gun powder. Most, if not all, on the CSI team know where to find her after a particularly long or hard (most times both) case: her ballistics lab. What happens when that solace is shattered? When her one sanctuary is no longer what it was? Where will she go? Who can she turn to?

Authors Notes: Thanks to Pinkyster, LA Calleigh, ajay1960 and muddpuppy19 for all reviewing!

Tristan's ear was burning with such white hot searing ferocity he didn't even know was possible "thanks for five older brothers" he thought as he walked down the dusty road.

His left ear was bleeding profusely and he had resorted to walking shirtless down the mosquito filled Everglades in order to try and stop the bleeding. Unfortunately for him he was still leaving a relatively noticeable blood trail and if that stupid bitch he had tried to car jack called the cops, well then he was screwed. All of this seemed to have a certain irony to it and he figured karma might as well hit him now then later, when he really was on the run from the cops. Nevertheless the pain was quickly becoming more than he could handle and as he gently dabbed at the wound he realized that it had also skimmed his head, just barely. Whoever that woman had been, she was a damn good shot "A few more centimeters to the right and I was a dead man."

The moon was high in the sky at this point and he really had no real clue how to get back into Miami where he needed to regroup with himself, get this wound looked at and figure out how next to try and kill Calleigh Duquesne and that damn Lieutenant that was always by her side. Shaking his head, then instantly regretting that decision he paused for a moment to let his vision stop spinning. At that moment he heard the sound of a car coming out of the blackness. Silently he slipped into the patch of darkness to his left and hoped that he was walking in on some bear, or worse, an alligator. As the car passed him he realized that it was not the Miami Dade PD but instead some country hick taking a ride.

Stepping out into the road he flailed his arms as much as possible and tried to get the damn pick up trucks attention. Lucky for him it stopped, turned around and came back to where he stood, panting and clutching at his ear "Sir" he gasped (although sir was a bit of an overstatement for the gentleman sitting in the driver seat)

"Well what the hell happened to you?" the driver asked, eyeing the blood soaked t-shirt Tristan clutched to his ear.

"Run in with an ex-girl friend." He quickly lied

"Out here?" the driver questioned, with a raised eye brow. The driver looked to be in his mid thirties or early forties with scraggly brown hair with a wispy beard that barely clung to his chin and the kind of eyes that betrayed the fact he was probably much smarter than he appeared to be.

"Long story." Tristan sighed, faking a smile.

"I know the story, you want me to take you to a hospital?"

Tristan shook his head "Just back into Miami would be nice, I wasn't planning on getting kicked out of the car halfway into the damn Everglades." He said as he clambered into the car and settled down onto the worn passenger seat.

"Name Jason Bly, what's yours?" Jason asked as he pressed the gas pedal and the old pick up truck roared into life again.

"Blaine, Blaine Nixon." He lied, again, this time using his eldest brothers first name and Gunnar's last name.

"Alright Blaine, whatcha doing in Miami?"

"How do you know I don't live here?"

Jason turned to him "Believe me, I know. 'Sides, you sound like you from Louisiana round about."

"Good guess." Tristan laughed and the small talk between the two strangers continued on as they got nearer Miami.

"You had to pick the Hummer with the broken GPs didn't you Delko." Ryan said angrily.

"Don't blame me!" Eric retorted. It was late, pushing eleven thirty and the two CSI's were lost but both refused to call Natalia to admit it "How many roads could there possibly be that go off of the expressway and directly into the Everglades?"

"Apparently more than one." Ryan muttered "Look, someone needs to call Natalia and tell her we are lost so she can tell us where the damn car is."

"We're not lost, we're just not at the crime scene."

"Right. So if we're not lost how do we get back to Miami?"

"Turn around, follow the road and keep going towards the big lights in front of us, simple." Eric said and soon after he finished speaking Ryan's phone rang.

Digging it out of his pocket he took one look at the caller ID and said "It's Natalia, its for you."

"I'm not taking it!" Eric said "Talking on the phone and driving isn't safe, it's illegal."

"Okay, how about this. You pick it up and tell her we are lost and then I'll arrest you and you can process the crime scene in handcuffs."

"Whatever Wolfe" Eric huffed as he picked up the phone "Hey Natalia."

"Where are you guys?" she asked, sounding exasperated "Some poor uni has been out at Burns' car for hours waiting for you two to get there. He waited so long that he called me, and I am now processing Tristan's car, alone. Plus I've been calling you two for ages, I was beginning to freak out!"

"Cell phone service goes in and out when you're lost in the Everglades!" Ryan called from the passenger seat which earned him a glare from Eric who responded

"Um, yea, we're lost."

"What, wait, and lemme guess. Neither of you wanted to call me and admit you got lost. Such men." She said sighing "I'll pull up the tracking on your Hummer and tell you guys how to get to me."

"Thanks." Eric sighed and waited for her to give him directions.

Twenty five minutes later the Hummer pulled up to the scene where flood lights blasted the car and its surroundings with light and Natalia was photographing the scene. As she heard their arrival she turned "Thanks for coming, I wasn't sure if I could spend another moment with officer orderly over there. Won't say a word to me, it's against his duty or something."

Both Eric and Ryan laughed as they finally started processing the crime scene. It was silent for a while as Eric looked for fibers inside the car and Ryan investigated the perimeter "You saw this blood trail right?" he asked Natalia.

"No" she replied sarcastically "I completely missed the giant chunk of ear sitting on the road. Anyway I was going to follow the blood trail but I can't do that alone so…" she trailed off

"Don't send Eric out there, he'll get lost." Ryan joked

"Shut it Wolfe, I'm telling you that wasn't my fault!" Eric said exasperatedly "If you're that concerned you and Natalia follow it."

They did and Eric watched as the two disappeared into the night, pulling out his phone he then proceeded to dial Horatio's number.

"Yes Eric, did you make it to the crime scene?" Horatio answered, quieter than normal due to the fact Calleigh was finally asleep in his bed and he was lying next to her.

"It took a while but we got there in the end, I'm tell you that GPs needs to get fixed. Anyway that's not why I called. Ryan and Natalia are following a blood trail that seems to be coming from a wounded ear."

"Wounded ear?"

"Seems like it was shot off."

Horatio laughed, he needed to thank Fiona for her help at the next chance he got but for now "Alright, send an alert out to all the ER's, if the wound is as bad as it looks then he is going to need some medical attention sooner or later."

"Will do H. How's Calleigh?" Eric asked, the concern unmistakable in his voice.

For some reason the concern Horatio heard in Eric's voice made him jealous, maybe it was the fact he knew the Cuban had feelings for Calleigh that extended beyond the workplace "She's asleep at the moment, getting as much sleep as possible is the best thing."

Eric was about to respond when there was a unmistakable whimper on the other end followed by the sound of someone struggling with more, added, whimpers. Pangs of jealous rose through Eric as he envisioned Horatio there to hold Calleigh, comfort her and then the sound of a dial tone shook him out of his thoughts and he resumed working the crime scene.

"Stop! Let me go Gunnar!" Calleigh shouted into the darkness as she awoke, still half dreaming but fully entangled in her, Horatio's rather, sheets.

Her blond hair was matted to her forehead as she desperately struggled to free herself to no avail and the tears that ran down her face were quickly become more numerous. Then suddenly the soft touch of Horatio's hand on her shoulder and his voice saying "Calleigh, sweetheart, it's only a dream. You're safe."

As she slowly began to realize where she was the sobs of shame and embarrassment clung to her. How could he still care this deeply for her after her rejection? Horatio had told her that he loved her and all she had said was 'I can't." She didn't dissever his comforts.

Shying away from his touch Calleigh curled her self into a ball and lay there on the sheets with the tears falling silently down her face. The funny thing is that Horatio seemed to know exactly what she was thinking "I know why you said you can't love me." He said gently, not accusatory, just stating a truth.

Calleigh glanced at him.

"He broke your trust and a man should never do that to woman, not on the level he did to you sweetheart. I don't care if you ever can love me just know and understand that I will always be here for you, no matter what."

Unwrapping herself from herself Calleigh sat up against the headboards and began to speak in shaky words "I know." She said softly "You always have been there, after every case, every disaster I've gone through, you're there, just like my guns."

Horatio's heart soared but outwardly he kept the same calm, comforting demeanor. Calleigh's words were more than enough because she loved guns, she trusted guns, she went to bullets and bangs when she was upset and he was like that to her. It was all he needed. Slowly he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and to his relief and surprise she didn't resist it but instead leaned into his chest and allowed herself to fall back asleep.

YAY! Well, Calleigh and Horatio are on the right track, it will just take time. Another chapter done and we are edging slowly closer to the close of our story. Don't worry we still have A LOT to go through before we get there but I have figured out how it's going to end, now it's just a matter of writing it all. Anyway please please please keep reviewing, they really do make my day and I try my best to reply to ALL.

AllOverTheWorld