Chapter Nine

A/N: So my play-thing I was in ended last night. And I'm sad. Real sad. I miss it and everyone from there so much already. . But I will write to make it better. Actually my goal, by the end of the week, or sooner, is to finish nearly all my fanfictions. I know. Let's see how I do!

--&

Eric was still in the layout room wondering why Calleigh wouldn't have told him that she had been attacked. But, he supposed, she really didn't have much of a chance to tell him that between making near escapes from creepy, infatuated murders and driving as quickly as possible back to the lab, her thanking him all the way. He had to put the whole dilemma out of his mind and focus on his work. At least he had to try, but really, all he had to do here was run Richard Houston's name through fingerprint databases, and that could take hours, if not days. He should go see how Calleigh was doing… he knew he wouldn't get anymore work done if there had been any more to do if he didn't go talk to her first anyways. And off he went.

--&

"Can you explain this to me more thoroughly?" Horatio requested, wanting to roll his eyes at the 'professional' way they had to conduct the interrogation.

"Well, she is compulsively jealous and competitive, but technically, she's not mentally insane. Not insane enough to go to a physc ward, anyway." Calleigh attempted.

"I see." Horatio wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

"I know it's a confusing situation… I don't understand it myself." Calleigh admitted, "But I'm trying my best to convey what I do know to you."

"And I appreciate that." Horatio smiled. "Is that all you know?"

"Yes." Calleigh nodded and Horatio turned off the tape recorder that he knew IAB would want to listen to as soon as he left the room.

"Sorry about the formalities." Horatio smiled. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I should be used to this by now." She smiled at him. "But I'm going to go see how Eric's doing with that lead, okay?"

"Sure." Horatio nodded, watching her walk off to meet Eric who, due to some ironic timing, was currently walking down the hallway towards them. As he popped the tape out of the machine and slipped it in his pocket to go and give to Rick Stetler, he noticed, through the glass walls of the Miami PD that IAB may have a different sort of issue to sort out with his team in the near future. But, he supposed, it'd be worth it in the end.

--&

"Eric!" Calleigh exclaimed with a bright smile. She was happy to see him, although they hadn't been apart for more than an hour.

"Hey Cal!" They hugged, sort of. They both wanted to hug at the least, but it was work, and if they were starting a relationship they would need to stay professional about it. "Were you attacked this morning?" He regretted being so blunt as he saw her smile slowly slide off her face. "Sorry, I just… needed to know."

"Yes." Calleigh nodded, "But maybe we shouldn't talk about this here."

"After shift?" Eric suggested.

"Sounds good." Calleigh nodded. "But I've got to get to my lab, I heard Ryan got a shootout, and I'm sure he's dying for my help."

"Okay." Eric nodded. "See you then." He wanted to laugh at how awkward things were between them at work. They were both waiting for some sort of new, definitive ending to this conversation now that they were semi romantically involved. A kiss? A hug? Possibly, but they knew it couldn't happen at work, so they both awkwardly walked away. To any of the regular lab gossipers this awkwardness would have been seen as I sign that the two close friends were having a falling out, but to them, and unbeknownst to them, Horatio, it was the start of so much more.

--&

Michelle sat patiently in the holding cell as she waited for her lawyer to arrive. He'd gotten her out of situations before, and he'd better get her out of this one as well. No one knew that she was in Miami, well, she supposed that Calleigh did, but that was beside the point. Calleigh never called home anyways, and they still liked her better. Michelle was always there, she was with them, there for every important event that Calleigh missed in her family's life back in Louisiana, yet they still loved Calleigh more. And there was only one thing she could do to change that.

"Michelle," She heard her lawyers voice as he entered the room.

"Drew." She stood to meet him. "Can you get me out of here?"

"I'll try my best." He nodded. "Officer, is there someplace private my client and I could go to talk?" He asked.

"I'll go and find a suitable location." The officer nodded, leaving the room.

"What'd you do this time?" Drew sighed. Michelle was unbeatably one of his tougher clients. He knew she had a sever case of jealousy, and it got her into trouble more often than he'd like.

"Calleigh." She sighed. He knew all about Calleigh, though he'd never seen or met the woman, he knew the havoc she reeked in her clients life.

"What happened this time?" Drew sighed again.

"I attacked her." Michelle admitted.

"You what?" Drew was astonished. He'd known Michelle to talk about doing such a thing, but she'd never gone so far as to actually attack the woman. She'd had the occasional assault charge, but those were all dismissed due to certain events in Michelle's past, but an attack on her cousin was something completely different. Especially since her cousin was an officer of the law.

"I attacked her." Michelle repeated, almost nonchalantly.

"What has your physiatrist said about channelling your anger?" Drew demanded.

"I couldn't help it." Michelle told him.

"Where and when?" Drew asked.

"This morning at a club." Michelle answered.

"A club in the morning?" Drew furrowed his brow.

"Someone was killed there the night before. I had been there, trying to channel my anger," She rolled her eyes at him, "And then I saw Calleigh."

"You didn't notice her the night before?" Drew wondered.

"She was investigating the murder." Michelle rolled her eyes again. Sometimes Drew felt like he was dealing with a teenager, not a woman in her late twenties. Just then the officer re-entered the room.

"We've got an investigation room where you can talk." He informed them. "Right this way." Drew shot Michelle a disapproving glance as they followed the officer out of the room, Michelle in handcuffs, Drew walking in front of her. These next few days were going to be tough, he could tell already. He hadn't even met the infamous Calleigh Duquesne yet, and he could already feel a migraine coming on. The things he'd do for his job.

--&

A/N: Hah I'm on an updating rampage tonight! Score! I hope that these updates are not all too rushed or anything, definitely tell me if they are, or if they aren't.