Title: Officer Down

Author: innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/Miami Heat)

Summary: This is a fanfic based on an episode that was supposed to be shot in season two where Calleigh is shot and Horatio has to face how much she means to him, but since that never ended up being taped, I'll make up my own version ;)

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

Genres: Angst, Case, Character Study, Drama, Friendship, Hurt Comfort, Pre-relationship, Suspense

Characters: Calleigh Duquesne, Horatio Caine

Warnings: None

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 8 "Complicated"

Author's Notesnone

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Wednesday – 0630EST
Calleigh's Apartment

Calleigh opened an eye to look over at her clock. It read that it was six thirty and she wondered why the alarm hadn't gone off. She reached out to turn the clock to inspect it when she felt a sharp pain and then remembered why. Her mind was a bit foggy, but the pain reminded her why the alarm hadn't gone off. She had to take time off to heal… She smiled when she remembered the night before. Carefully turning in bed, she smiled when she saw Horatio laying there facing her. She moved closer and then settled her head on the pillow telling herself that she needed to go back to sleep. After a minute, she squirmed a bit in bed to try to get comfortable and was surprised when arms snaked out to her and pulled her close. Horatio hadn't opened his eyes, but he had pulled her to his chest and Calleigh didn't complain. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered before kissing her forehead.

She took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Calleigh's new position was much more comfortable than she had been before. They were taking things slow. Even though they were in bed together, they were separated by a thin layer of clothing on each. Calleigh wasn't really ready for it…her body was healing, and she was still adjusting to being able to take her boss as more than her boss. She tried to push those thoughts away as she tried to make it back to sleep. "Horatio?" she whispered unable to sleep after starting to think about everything. She opened her eyes and watched as his opened as well.

"You okay, Sweetheart?" he asked concerned. He was starting to wonder if all of her moving had ended up pulling something.

"Why does it have to be so complicated?" she asked thinking about it all and wishing dating Horatio didn't involve her to lie to people, let alone go against regulations.

"Hmm?"

"Us…being together."

Horatio propped himself up a bit, so the sleep would start to slip from him, so he could think clearly. "Calleigh…I thought we decided to just let things happen… We should be happy."

"Aren't we?"

Horatio moved Calleigh from his chest, so they were facing each other in bed. He stared at her through the dark, "You're happy how things are? You don't want anything more?" He was a bit hurt, he had thought that Calleigh wanted the same thing he did…to live…to love…to be loved…

Calleigh sighed and reached out to touch his face, "I don't want to mess things up…" she whispered. "I want my best friend, no matter what…"

"And I'll be here, I promise you, Calleigh… I will always be here for you," he told her as he turned his head to kiss the hand she had had on his cheek. He reached out to touch her face, pushing hair out of her hair. The moonlit had made its way in through the window and was lighting up her face beautifully. Horatio could see the worry lines on her face, and decided to put a stop to it right away. He leaned in and kissed away all of the worry lines. "Always, Calleigh…" he whispered into her ear.

……………………………..

Wednesday – 1145EST
Calleigh's Apartment

She sighed as she moved in bed, trying to get comfortable, but then realized that something was missing. Opening her eyes, she groaned when she saw how bright it was outside and the time…she never slept in so late. She realized what was missing…Horatio. He had been in bed with her, and now he was gone…which she figured might have been what had woken her…besides the fact that she should have been up hours ago. Pulling back the covers that had her legs tangled, she pushed her legs over the side of the bed until they were resting on the carpeted floor. Pushing herself up, she headed out of the bedroom and out to see if Horatio had left. She couldn't believe that his getting up hadn't woken her…

"There you are," Horatio said with a smile as he was pouring a cup of coffee. He reached up to the cupboard to pull out another mug in order to get Calleigh some coffee as well.

"Here I am," she replied with a bright smile. "I thought you snuck away…" she commented as she neared him and then gratefully took the mug offered to her. Taking a sip, she smiled when she tasted the sugar in it. He had remembered. It was a small thing, but it also showed her that he knew things… Knowing how to make someone's coffee may not seem like a big deal, but it showed that you cared.

Horatio tilted his head, "I had to make sure that you weren't going to try and go off and work after I told you not to." He smiled when he just got a playful look from her, "I have some breakfast…if you'd like some?" He normally didn't do so much in the morning like make breakfast, but he knew that Calleigh needed it… She was healing, and she might not do it for herself.

"Where did you get eggs from?" she asked seeing the food waiting for them.

"I went to the store," he replied as he guided her to the table and took the plates to go quickly nuke them in the microwave to reheat them. He had waited; because he had wanted to eat with Calleigh…she had just taken longer than he had thought. "I used your keys."

She watched him and wondered how long he'd been waiting for her. "Ya know you could have eaten without me."

"No, I couldn't."

Her plate was set back in front of her, and Calleigh picked up the fork that was already waiting for her and took a bite of the breakfast. "Ya know, normally breakfast isn't so fancy."

Smiling, he nodded, "For me either, but you need it."

"Thank you," she told him as her eyes met his as he took a seat across from her. She smiled at him before going back to eating. It did feel good to eat something that wasn't hospital food. It felt nice…she couldn't quite put her finger on why. It was also nice to have company, she told herself. She smiled to herself as she picked up some of the sausage that was on her plate with some egg.

"What?"

She lifted her head to see that Horatio hadn't started eating, and had apparently just been watching her. She blushed and looked back down before looking back up at him. "Well…it's been a while since I've had company for a meal… Even at the lab, I usually just grab a granola bar or something and eat on the go."

"You need to stop doing that."

Her smile busted, "So do you," she pointed out ever so politely. A lot of her flaws he shared with her, and she was starting to like telling him that he needed to do the same thing. She got a smile at the very least.

"We should have lunch together," Horatio suggested before taking a bite of the breakfast.

"When?" Calleigh asked and then took the bite she had been holding. She savored the taste and thought that maybe she should do breakfast more often. Though, she wasn't sure if it would be the same if Horatio wasn't there.

He smiled up at her and reached out to take her free hand, and waited until she looked directly at him before saying, "Every day."

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TBC…