We would like to thank ALL our loyal readers for your support while we have been away. In the next few weeks, you will see our stories being reposted here for all of you to read along with several NEW stories we've written while we've been away.

We appreciate all the kind messages we've received for our readers...we didn't realize how many of you were reading our stories, lol. It has brought HUGE smiles to us and we hope you'll continue to stick with us as we re-post some old favorites and hopefully new favorites. Thanks again!

CaineSpeedle & Speedfanatic05

Now for the good stuff!

**WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT AND LANGUAGE! You Are Warned**

DISCLAIMER: We don't own any of the Miami characters and we're NOT making any money off of them!

SEQUEL TO: "Legacy Of Madness"

Meandering through the still lab, Tim yawned drastically, juggling the bottle of juice in one hand and several files in the other, his demeanor less than friendly. It was his main reason why he came in so early; he rather he didn't have to interact with others before his mind had a moment to wake up. The bad part of all of this was that now, mornings were different between him and Emma. In what used to be a light hearted affair was now laden with silence and disaffected tones. Emma was in a naturally sunny disposition, but with the change, she had begun to grumble instead of greeting him with a wide smile. He hated the change, but for the moment, it was something they had to endure.

Coming to the break room, he glanced in and did a double take, seeing her standing at the microwave, lost in thought. With a new born and a fiancé at home, Tim hadn't expected Calleigh to beat him to the lab, especially since they all left only hours ago. He was even more astounded to see that she was in a fairly good mood despite barely beating the sun up. Either she had a strong determination to finish this, or something else was amiss.

Pushing into the break room, he cleared his throat slightly to garner her attention and smirked as she turned fully to him, her eyes sparkling. For a moment, he was rendered breathless at her stunning beauty, but as his smile grew, he shook himself quickly, pushing down the lost feelings, "Ah…I didn't think you would be here, Cal. You must've beat the sun up today."

Stirring her coffee, Calleigh moved from the counter and over towards the table, "Well, Cerise woke me up early for a feeding and I knew if I laid back down I wouldn't get back up…so I decided to come on in. Besides, the sooner we find the bomber then sooner we all can rest."

Tim chuckled and then shook his head, seeing for the first time, the vestiges of weariness. It wasn't as blatant as dark circles, but he could tell now that he was closer to her, that exhaustion hung over her.

Readjusting the files in his hand, he smiled, "The joys of motherhood. How's Horatio doing today?"

Shrugging some, she looked down at her coffee and then back at Tim, "I think deep down he wanted to come in with me. He misses it, I can tell…but there's nothing we can do about it."

Feeling at odds, Tim nodded and exhaled heavily, averting his eyes to the floor, "Today, we're putting the bomb back together again, looking for signatures. We're also going to analyze the pieces for fingerprints and determine exactly what was used. Unfortunately, we don't need Horatio for that."

Nodding her head, Calleigh adverted her eyes, and sighed, "I know, Tim." Taking in a deep breath and forcing a smile, she looked back at him, "Well, I have some evidence of my own to run from the school. I'll check in with you later, okay?"

"Okay," Tim answered, instantly seeing the disappointment in her expression. He knew most of all what this was doing to the former Lieutenant and he could empathize with him. It was rough to suddenly find that he wasn't needed and for a moment, it drove him crazy until he settled into the role that life had provided. It was something he simply learned to live with.

Clearing his throat, he nodded as she passed and then called out to her, "If you need anything, just let me know, okay, Cal?"

Opening the door, Calleigh looked back at Tim and nodded, "I will. Thanks, Tim." Leaving out, the door closed behind her and she headed towards the elevators, her eyes gravitating towards the office that the love of her life had once occupied.

Watching as she walked to the elevators, he saw the longing in her expression as she looked toward the office that he now held. Shaking his head, he walked out of the break room to see a few lab techs trickling in, signifying, unofficially, the start of the work day. Making his way to the office, he nodded to a few of them, seeing the determination in their eyes. Yesterday brought about the most terrible event that the Crime Lab had ever seen and many of his colleagues were explicit in apprehending the one responsible for so many useless deaths. He was glad to see that determination and was hopeful that it would lead them to the end of this horrific disasters.

He almost made it to the stairs before hearing his name being called. Turning, he saw Walter lumbering toward him, an inscrutable expression on his face. If it was one thing he learned about the younger CSI was that if he was troubled, it was evident all over his face.

Frowning, he stated bluntly, "Two questions, what are you doing here? And what's wrong?"

Walking up to Tim, Walter stopped and shook his head, "I've been here for awhile…so has Jesse and Ryan. Look, Speed…we need H here. This bomb…it's like nothing we've seen before, man. Granted there are a lot of pieces we recovered, but it's like it's only a quarter of the damn thing."

"And you can't get anything off of it as it is?" Tim asked as he started to ascend the steps. The morale was down and he knew that Horatio's presence would be the defining factor, but he had to make sure that he was staying within the bounds. "You know he can't process anything, he can't touch anything and he can't be left alone with the evidence. I just want to make sure we have everything we need before we bring him in."

Following him, Walter ambled up the stairs behind him and shook his head, "We've tried everything the three of us can think of to put that bomb back together…and I'm telling you. We don't have it all. It was either burned up in the area or turned into dust by the blast. There is no way we could have missed any parts."

Stopping at the door to the office, Tim turned and arched his brow, "Well, it seems like we're going to have to go back to the scene then. The bomb's there, that's for sure. We just have to find all of the pieces." Smirking, he opened the door and left it open, watching as Walter filed in after him. Placing the files down, he reached to turn on the computer and then came around and leaned against the desk as Walter stood before him perplexed.

"Look, Walter. I want Horatio on this as well, but the fact remains, he can't be here. We're going to have to do what we can with what we have. So, take Ryan and go back to the school. Scour the place until we find the missing pieces, okay?"

His brow furrowed and Walter sighed, "That could take days, Speed…you know that." Seeing his bosses look, Walter scratched the back of his head and turned back towards the door, "You're the boss…"

"Yeah, and the deaths of hundreds of students should get you to moving faster on that, Walter." The phone rang and he went to answer it, noticing that Walter had left without another word. Answering it tersely, he sat down heavily, massaging his brow, "Speedle."

The voice on the other end caused a smile to form and Rick sat back in his chair with a cup of coffee in his other, "Good, I see you're in early this morning. I'd like a progress report on the school bombing, Speedle."

Groaning inwardly, Tim shook his head and sat back, cursing his existence. Fighting to keep his tone friendly, he bit out, "The progress report is that there is no progress. I just got in the office, Stetler. There's not much more to report from last check in."

"We need to get this case closed as soon as possible. The press along with many city officials are breathing down our necks to get this SOB." Taking a sip of his coffee, Rick decided to push the envelope, "And what's this about Caine working at the scene yesterday? He's supposed to be strictly hands off."

Feeling his temper rise, Tim rubbed his face rough before sitting up and glaring at the files on his desk. This was not something that he needed, "Rick, let me explain this as simply as possible- so you can understand it. H was there under a consult status, but hands were needed to save children's lives. He personally saved two lives himself. Why are you still trying to hang him? He's no longer an active part of the crime lab, what more do you want from him?"

"Horatio Caine has nothing that I want, Speedle. I'm looking out for this lab and it's creditability," Rick stated as his voice raised slightly. "Caine is a threat to this lab being he's a heroin addict. You're damn lucky those to kids weren't furthered injured by his poor judgment in moving them and your poor judgment in letting him in that school!"

"If we didn't move those students, Rick, the chances are that they wouldn't be breathing today. You're nit picking, and it's sickening. Horatio Caine was no...is the best CSI out there, and it's a testament to bad judgment that his skills are going useless. Now…unless you have something helpful to add, I have a lot of work to get done."

A smug look settled over Rick's features and he set his coffee cup down, "I expect a report on my desk before lunch, Speedle…and that's an order." With that, Rick hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, is plan already starting to take shape in his head.

Slamming the phone down on the desk, Tim growled angrily as he eyed the mountains of reports already in need of attention and shook his head. This day was already shaping up to be the worst one on record, and it wasn't even eight o'clock yet.

Getting up, he heard the phone ring and groaned, rolling his eyes in disgust. Instead of retreating to the break room to take a breath, he sat down and picked up the phone wearily and waited, unsure if he was going to make it out of the lab alive.

Hearing Tim pick up, Chastity smiled some and raised a manicured brow at his tone, "Please tell me you're not pissed at something I did…or didn't do, sweetness."

At the sound of her light voice, Tim's demeanor changed instantly and he sighed, "It's nothing that you did, Chastity. I'm just having a shit for all of a morning. Would it trouble you to kill me now?" Rubbing his eyes, he recanted and shook his head, "Never mind, babe. What's going on?"

Looking over at Emma as she sat near the window of the apartment looking out, Chastity lowered her voice and turned her back, "I'm worried about Emma, Tim. She's barely said two words since you left. What happened before I got here? She's never this…quiet."

Covering his eyes with his hand as he rested his elbow on the desk, Tim sighed, "She's mad at me. My late nights are not wearing well on her. I think she's trying to stay up for me and she's missing her sleep too." Sitting back, he reclined in the chair and stared at the picture of him and Emma and exhaled heavily, "This job is effectively ruining my life. My daughter hates my guts, I have an impossible task to undertake…and," he said as he smirked lightly, "My girlfriend is probably going nuts because I still haven't taken her out for dinner."

Smiling, Chastity chuckled, "No, I'm not…yet anyways. I was thinking about taking Emma out to the movies if that's okay with you. They have a matinee today and then maybe afterwards…we could all have lunch if your not to busy."

"I can't promise lunch, but I'll work all morning to make a way. I really do want to see you for more than five minutes as I'm running out the door." Tim quirked a brow and relaxed more, relishing the moment to talk to her, "Besides, we have to talk about something."

Going to the kitchen, Chastity raised a brow as she went for the cereal to make Emma a bowl, "We do?"

"We do. It's nothing bad, but I just want to throw something out at you. We can talk about it later." Glancing up at clock, he sighed, "Don't worry, we'll get a chance to talk, but for right now, I have to get to work."

"Okay. I'll call you once the movie is over and we'll go from there, okay?" she replied as she finished fixing Emma's cereal.

"Sounds great, Chastity. Um… have fun, okay?" Running his hands through his hair, he closed his eyes and sighed, "I wish I could go with you. I'm in sore need of a day off."

"I know, sweetie. Catch some bad guys…but be careful too," she replied, a small smile surfacing as she thought of what she could do for him later that night.

Tim nodded and smiled, wondering what she had in mind, "I'll see you later, Chastity."

Saying her goodbye's to Tim, Chastity set about to try to brighten up Emma, not wanting to see the little girl so down.

Carrying his kit in one hand and a flashlight in the other, Ryan walked through the destroyed seventh grade hallway of the school. Glancing to Walter, he could see the determination along with the weariness that the cases what throwing onto everyone that worked it. Coming to the area that the bomb had been detonated, Ryan set down his kit and took a look around.

"Okay, this is where Speed and H found most of the bomb…we can start from here and work out way outwards," Ryan said as he pulling out a pair of gloves from his pocket.

"Outwards. Sounds…long and drawn out." Surveying the area, Walter shook his head and sighed, "We just signed away our lives. Hope your rent's paid up."

Smirking, Ryan snapped on his gloves and smirked, "Be glad I said I'd come help you, Walter. Otherwise you'd be having all the fun by yourself."

"Yeah, well, if I'm not mistaken, Speedle said all hands on deck. What exactly do you think that means, Wolfe?" Slipping on his gloves, he moved slowly, "Let's get started, alright? The quicker we can get this done the better."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…Hey, did he say if H was going to be in today? We sure could use his help on piecing this thing back together," Ryan said nonchalantly as his eyes and flashlight moved slowly over one area, going over it thoroughly."

"Nah, I think we're flying solo on this one, Ryan. I think he may have over stayed his welcome yesterday. Speedle's adamant about getting this put together before bringing H back in."

Moving over slightly to a different area, Ryan sighed heavily, "As much as I like, Speed…I really wish H was still running the show. The lab just isn't the same without him…" Stopping mid sentence, Ryan reached back into his kit, pulling out the tweezers and then looked back at the area. Carefully, he reached down and retrieved a small piece of plastic barely bigger then the top of a pen cap. "Found another piece I think…or so it look's like a piece of it."

Walter's smile slowly rose on his lips as he chuckled, "Score one for the team. There just might be help after all." Taking Wolfe's cue, he began to search the area thoroughly and came upon a charred piece of plastic with more wires sticking out. Placing in into an evidence bag, Walter smirked more, "See…it's not all that bad."

Raising a brow and sitting back on his haunches some, Ryan sealed his evidence bag, "Walter, we still have two other hall's to scour…and who knows where the main one was at upstairs being that most of it probably fell when the floor collapsed or got blasted outside somewhere."

Smirking, he shook his head as he started back, "Gotta keep a positive outlook, Ryan. We're going to get this taken care of."

"Yeah."

Minutes turned into hours and Ryan stood from his spot stretching his back. Looking over in the direction Walter had taken, he called out, "I thought Jesse was supposed to be here helping us. You heard from him?"

"He was supposed to be coming. I have no idea where he's at." Wiping his brow, Walter exhaled and started back, "Since you're taking a break, you should call him and see where he's at."

Reaching into his pocket, Ryan smiled, "Gladly…as long as I don't have to bend down for a little bit." Dialing Jesse's number, Ryan rolled his neck and then heard him answer, "Jesse…where the hell are you, man? I thought you were supposed to be here at the school with us."

Standing and stretching, Jesse grimaced as he glanced to the microscope, "I'm trying to make my way out there, Ryan, but I've been ordered by Speed to make progress on the pieces we have here. I have to find out exactly what compound was used to make the bomb go boom. I'm almost finished though." Laughing slightly, he looked to see Calleigh walking through the corridor, a longing expression on her face, "How does it go for you two?"

"We've been able to locate a few more fragments of one of the bombs…but, we're still looking. Think you can see if Speed can get a few off the night shift to help us out here?" Ryan asked as he turned to see Walter bagging another piece of evidence.

Hearing some movement coming from the end of the hall, Walter peered to see several forms coming toward them. "Hey, Wolfe, I think he may already have. There's about three or four coming to our rescue."

"Good." Focusing back on his phone conversation, Ryan sighed, "Well, when you get here, there's still plenty to go through. Oh, and hey, can you go check to see if the results are in from that oily substance we found here yesterday?"

"As soon as I finish here, I'll go and check it out," Jesse answered as he settled back down. Smiling, he added, "You two have fun out there."

Scowling, Ryan rolled his eyes, "Yeah, thanks." Hanging up with Jesse, Ryan walked over to Walter, "Hey, let's take a breather outside and get some fresh air and some water. They can handle it in here for a few minutes."

"I agree. I think we can take a break." Slipping off the gloves, Walter approached and nodded to the replacements, "You guys take over for a few minutes while me and my man take a breath." Walking past Ryan, Walter smirked, "Whatcha waiting for, an engraved invitation?"

Smiling some and walking to catch up, Ryan looked up at the big guy, "You know, you could have been a comedian had you decided not to become a CSI. Although…you'd be making more money here."

Walter chuckled and shook his head, "Cute, very cute. At least I'm keeping it light. This is some heavy stuff." Taking a second to look back, he sighed and glanced down, "I just don't know, man. Who would do something like this?"

Shaking his head, Ryan slipped off his gloves and shoved them into his pocket, "Some sick bastard that we need to hurry up and find. What I don't understand is, this place had surveillance camera's at every entrance and at no time was there no one that didn't stop by the main office and check in. I'm starting to wonder if it might be an inside job."

"You know, you might be on to something, Ryan. Do you think Speed has thought to look at the faculty and staff? There could be possible motive." Walter smirked, "See, you can be productive when you want to."

"Ha ha, big guy…but Frank and Speed were both gonna be talking with the faculty and staff members today along with members of the school board."

"That will give us some direction then. If we're looking for an insider, that will most likely shorten the list." Walter nodded to the Hummer and asked, "Did you bring water?"

"Yeah, it's in the back," Ryan said as they headed towards it. Taking in a long deep breath of fresh air, he then glanced back at the school, "When we get back in there, I want to take a look around inside the library. A lot of the second floor ended up in there."

Making it to the Hummer, he waited for Ryan to open the door and then reached in for the little cooler. Pulling two bottles out, he tossed one to Ryan, "You're thinking that there could be more pieces of the bomb there?"

Opening his bottle, Ryan stared at the school, "Hard to say, but it never hurts to make sure. I just don't want us missing a direct link to this guy." Taking a drink, he wiped at his mouth and looked back at Walter, "I think I might call Speed and see if I can get some flood light's down here. Laurie is working tonight…so I might as well also."

Walter smirked, "Let's just hope that you can get some work done along with that socialization."

"I will, don't worry about that. She and I don't fraternize on the job." Taking another drink, Ryan looked back at Walter, "Hey, have you seen who Speed's dating?"

"Nope. And he's not making it easy to find out either. My guess it's some wild child girl he met while out at a club or something. The man needs something to let loose on after all this." Walter laughed and then shook his head, "Although, having Emma slows things down tremendously."

Smiling some, Ryan looked back over at Walter, "Yeah, but at least he's got her to go home to. I've seen him with her here and he's a totally different person. Even seen him laugh from just her smile. That's got to be an awesome feeling."

"Yeah," Walter responded wistfully. He took a swig of the water and then looked to Ryan again, "It's something we look forward to, I suppose. He was just lucky to find her when he did. Have you heard anything about H and Calleigh's wedding? Is it still going to happen?"

Nodding, he swallowed and smiled, "Yeah, they are. I don't think they have a date yet, but, did you notice the ring he gave her?"

"That rock is huge," Walter answered, his brows raised. "If you're judging by the rock, then I'd say he loves her…a lot. No one gives a ring like that if they don't love them."

Smiling more, Ryan nodded and looked down, remembering the first time he'd seen then together. "They've always loved each other I suspect…even before they realized it." Finishing off his bottle of water, Ryan placed it into a bag in the back and nodded towards the school, "Finish that up and we'll get back at it. We need to get these kids some justice."

Nodding, Walter took the last swig and placed it in the bag along with Ryan's and closed the door. Starting toward the school, he sighed and shook his head, refreshed and ready to end this.

Walking through the corridor while holding Emma's hand, Chastity searched for the break room which was the location where Tim was supposed to meet them. Having called him before arriving, Chastity made sure he was free to have lunch with them, anxious to see him. Since he had gotten the promotion at work, she'd seen less and less of him and any chance she could have to be with him, she was going to take it. This was the first relationship she was involved in that she hadn't ran for the hills yet and that was important to her. She really cared for Tim, and she could feel that with each moment they were with each other, she was falling for him more and more.

Bringing her out of her thoughts, she felt Emma tug on her hand, her expression stern. The little girl had seen her life change almost instantly, and if she was anything like her father, she didn't adapt to change well. Stopping, she knelt next to her and moved a strand of hair behind her ear as she addressed her lightly, "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Daddy's too busy for lunch with us. Can we just go home?" Emma asked with a gruff look on her face. "He doesn't have time for us anymore."

"No, Emma. Your father's not too busy for us today. He said we could have lunch with him. We brought his favorite, so he has to come to lunch with us." Cupping her cheek, her expression lightened and she sighed heavily at the despondency that surrounded her, "Your father doesn't like this either."

"Then why doesn't he just work at home like he usta if he doesn't like it?" Emma asked as she looked to Chastity for answers. In the time Tim had been seeing her, Emma had grown to like the brunette and look forward to the days when she could come over when not working. Tears began to fill Emma's eyes as she asked, "Did I do something bad?"

Chastity's heart broke at the sight of her tears and she shook her head, "Emma, you didn't do anything bad. Your father's working hard to make a better life for you. He's also helping out a very good friend of his. He's not happy that you two are separated."

Emma's lip trembled and she shook her head, "My mom works like daddy does. Will he stop loving me like she did?"

Pulling the little girl into her arms, Chastity held her close, feeling her tiny body trembling. Rubbing her back, she whispered, "Em, your Dad loves you very much. So much that he can barely stand himself. Sweetie, he'll never stop loving you, okay?"

With her arm's wrapped around Chastity's neck, Emma sniffed, "Promise?"

"Promise, sweetie." Pulling gently away from her, Chastity smiled, "Now, are we ready to go and see him?"

Nodding her head, Emma then pointed towards a hallway, "The break room is down there, Chastity."

Chastity smiled and nodded, "Well, let's not keep him waiting, okay?" Standing and taking her hand, she began down the hallway, glancing down to see her smiling. Coming to the break room, Chastity looked in to see if he had made it and bit her lip when she found it empty. She squeezed Emma's hand and whispered, "He's going to be here, baby, I promise. Want to go in and sit down?"

Frowning some, Emma nodded and hung her head as Chastity opened the door. Taking a chance glance back, Emma saw her dad come around the corner and spot them, a smile coming immediately. Her own smile formed and Emma took off towards him, "Daddy!"

Rounding the corner, Tim lifted his eyes to see them at the door of the break room and then heard her call out to him before leaving Chastity behind. He increased his pace to meet her, taking her into his arms and holding her tightly, ignoring the several sets of eyes that had now settled on them.

Taking a deep breath, Tim released it slowly and whispered, "Hey, kiddo."

Wrapping her arm's around his neck, Emma held tight to him like she'd never had before. She'd miss her time with her dad, the long talks, the games they'd play together, even things as simple as him brushing her hair. A small smile formed and Emma released a breath, "I missed you."

"I miss you, sweetie." Unwilling to let her go, Tim relinquished his hold on her anyway and gazed at her, running his hand through her hair, "I see Chastity's doing a better job at your hair than I am. It's pretty."

"Yeah, but I miss you doing my hair, daddy," Emma said as she looked at him. "I miss everything we usta do."

Tim sighed and nodded, "I know, baby. I know. I hate it too, but for right now, we have to deal with this." Her expression dropped and Tim groaned slightly, the weight of the day trying to catch up to him, "Can we just have lunch for now?"

Nodding, Emma looked back at Chastity and then back to Tim, "We got your favorite…just like you like it. A Ruben with the works from Old Towne." Taking his hand as he set her back down on her feet, they began to walk. Looking up at him, Emma asked, "Daddy, will you be late again tonight?"

"I'm working really hard so I can be on time tonight, kiddo. I don't like being away from you. I love you." Coming to the door, his eyes met Chastity's and he smirked lightly as he took her in, his head tilting slightly, "Chastity, it's nice to see you."

"You to, Tim," Chastity said as she gazed at him. "We uh…we brought your favorite. Emma insisted on us getting it for you."

Tim licked his lips and smiled more, stepping closer to her, "And I hope you got some for yourself too. I don't want to eat alone."

Smiling more, Chastity nodded and licked her full lips before speaking, "I got the same as you. It sounded delish when Emma ordered yours." Seeing some of the people Tim worked with watching them, she blushed slightly, "I think we have an audience."

Pulling himself away from her slightly, he nodded, "Let's have lunch." Opening the door, he allowed Emma in and then motioned for Chastity to pass, catching her briefly, "You're amazing, you know that?"

Looking into his eyes, she whispered so only he could hear, "So are you, Speed." Going in, she followed Emma to the table and set the food down. Opening the bag, she began to pull out the food as Tim got them drinks. "How long do you have for lunch?"

"An hour, depending on if I get called out for duty." Settling down in front of them, he smiled and glanced to the food, "My ladies did wonderfully. This looks great."

Sitting down next to Tim, Emma opened her sandwich and looked at him, "Daddy, when do you get a day off again?"

Taking a bite, he chewed and the swallowed, shaking his head, "I don't know right now, kiddo, but hopefully soon, I'll grab one. But don't worry, I'm going to work hard to get off early."

Chewing and then swallowing her bite of food, Chastity reached for her soda and opened it, "Well then, anything special you'd like for dinner tonight? I'm sure Emma and I can whip something up and have it waiting when you get off."

"Surprise me. You're very good at that," Tim answered as he smiled. He suddenly found himself longing for the day to be over so that he could relax and spend time with the two people who made his life worth living. "If I can think of anything, I'll let you know."

"I'm sure you will," Chastity chided as she gave him a wink and then took a bite of her sandwich. Seeing Emma having problems getting her drink open, Chastity reached over, opening it for her and giving her a smile, "Did you tell your daddy what we went to see?"

Taking a long drink, Emma sat her soda back down and smiled, "We went and saw 'Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel'! And Brittney sang 'Single Ladies'."

"Did you? That had to be fun. Did you sing along?" Tim asked as he poised to take another bite. He looked to Chastity and smiled lightly before retaining his gaze with his daughter, "You'll tell me all about it, right?"

"Yep!" she said and then took a bite of her sandwich. Chewing, she looked back at him, "Even Chastity sang with me. She sings pretty, daddy."

Blushing some as she placed her drink down, Chastity chanced a glance at Tim as she picked up her sandwich, "You sing much better then me though, Emma."

"Well, I'll have to hear Chastity sing won't I?" Laughing, he glanced up to see Calleigh come through the door and nodded to her, seeing her expression change at his company. Gesturing for her to come over, he smirked, "Cal, how's it going?"

"Good. Hey Emma…" Calleigh said as the girl jump down off her chair and came over to her. Kneeling down, Emma gave her a hug which Calleigh gladly returned and then watched as she went back to her chair to finish eating. Standing back up, Calleigh looked to Tim, "Just thought I'd have lunch before getting started on the tool marks on those wires you asked about."

Tim nodded and then gestured to Chastity, "Calleigh, I don't think you've met Chastity yet. Chastity, this is Calleigh, one of my best friends. Calleigh, this is Chastity…my girlfriend."

Giving the woman a smile, Calleigh moved to her and held out her hand, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Taking the blonds hand, Chastity shook it and nodded, "Like wise. Tim's told me a lot about you."

"Well, all good I hope," Calleigh replied as she pulled back her hand and gave a glance at Tim.

"Of course, nothing but good," Tim answered as he smiled to Chastity. Chuckling lightly, he then refocused on Calleigh, "So, Cal, have you and H hammered down a date yet? You have us all stirring."

Shaking her head, Calleigh shifted her weight some and slipped her hands into the pockets of her lab coat, "No, not yet. I was gonna talk to him about that tomorrow though. We know who we want there, and where we're going to have it though."

"Well, let me in on the secret. I'm dying to know something." He heard Emma snicker and laughed as well, "You see, I'm not the only one here."

"Well, Horatio asked Kyle to stand up there with him, then on course you guys, Alexx and her family, almost everyone here and my mom and dad said they come. And…" she said as she headed towards the refrigerator to get her lunch out, "We're having it on the beach."

Tim nodded as he stared at Chastity, his thoughts lingering on what he wanted to talk to her about. As if snapping out of a trance, he said, "Sounds like the only thing missing is the date. Are you guys waiting for a special day? I know H has been anxious about it all."

Getting out her lunch, Calleigh then headed over to the other table and pulled out the chair to sit down, "No, we just haven't had the time to really sit down and talk about it. Horatio's been taking Kyle to his appointments, and then with Cerise being born and me coming back to work…we've just been…busy."

Tim could hear the weariness in her voice and exhaled, "You know if there's anything that I can do, Calleigh, just let me know. I know things can get a little- hectic. You're not alone in this."

"I know…and thanks, Tim." Opening her lunch, she got up to get herself a drink, "I think once the date is set we'll be fine. We figured we'd have a small reception at the house and then I might take a week if that's okay with you."

"A week is fine, Calleigh. I don't see a problem with a week. Just let me know." Looking to Emma, he chuckled, "I'm sure Emma's more than ready. She gets excited when she just plays dress up. Can you imagine what she's going to do when she dresses for your wedding?"

"Well…" Calleigh said with a smile as she came back with her drink and set it onto the table and then went over to Emma and knelt down next to her, "I was kinda hoping Emma could do something special at the wedding."

Looking at Calleigh and crinkling her brow, Emma tilted her head slightly with a smile, "I get to do something special?"

"Yes…if you want to. I need a beautiful little girl to be my flower girl...I was hoping you could help me with that," Calleigh replied as she smiled at her.

"Flower girl?" Emma asked slightly confused.

Chuckling some, Calleigh nodded, "Yes. You see, you get to carry a beautiful basket of flower petals and then you take a handful at a time and drop them onto the ground for me."

Smiling brightly, Emma turned to her more, "I can do that. That's easy! Daddy, I can be a flower girl?"

"I don't see why not. We have to make sure we get a dress, right Calleigh?"

Standing up, Calleigh smiled down at Emma and then looked at Tim, "Actually I was hoping Emma could go shopping with me to get a dress for her...if that's okay with you."

"I have to get someone's permission first," Tim said as he looked to Emma again. "What do you say, sweetie? Want to go shopping with Ms. Calleigh?"

"Yes!" Emma replied with a bright smile as she looked at them.

"Well good. I have next Saturday off…how about I pick you up then?" Calleigh asked Emma and then looked to Tim for confirmation.

Throwing a short glance to Chastity, "I think next Saturday is perfect. You just let me know how much it's going to cost and remember, I'm on a budget."

Quirking a brow, Chastity spoke up, a devious smile riding her lips, "So, Tim, what are you going to wear? I don't think I saw a tux in your closet."

Clearing his throat almost nervously, Tim asked, "Ah…you're not going to need us in tuxedoes are you, Calleigh?"

Thinking about it, Calleigh shrugged as she went back over to her table and sat down. "Well, now that you mention it, yeah. I was thinking white tux's for all the guy's…full tux's that is." Seeing his strickened look, Calleigh began to laugh, "I'm joking, Tim. A regular suit and tie is fine."

"Good, I have that then. Looks like we're settled." Tim finished his sandwich and then looked to his watch, "My luck's holding out, no one's called me in the last few minutes."

"That's always a good thing," Calleigh said and then took a bite of her sandwich.

Chewing and then swallowing, Chastity looked over at Tim, "I take it you've been pretty busy this morning?"

"Yes, and it's been full of disappointment as well, but it's nothing that I can't handle. Other than the movies, what have you two been up to?"

"Not a lot actually. I thought maybe when we leave here we could go to the park or something," Chastity replied as she looked over at him. "I figured Emma and I could spend the day outside the apartment finding things to do."

"The park sounds great. I know Emma would love the park, right kiddo?" When she answered emphatically, Tim grinned, "She loves the idea." Leaning in closer, Tim smiled, "And what will you be doing while she's playing?"

Smirking some, Chastity shrugged, "I'll probably go play with her." Looking into his eyes, she smiled, "Care to give me an idea on what you want us to talk about tonight?"

"It's nothing bad, I just wanted to extend an offer." Hearing Emma becoming antsy, he sighed, "It's nothing, Chastity, okay? Don't worry about it. Have fun, enjoy the day and pity me stuck in my dreary office."

"You know, I have my cell…if you get to flustered and need someone to talk to…" she said as her fingers traced small circles on the back of his hand, "I'm a good listener."

Tim's eyes gravitated toward Calleigh and he cleared his throat as he pulled his hand away slightly. Giving her a devious grin, he leaned in more to conceal the conversation, "I'm sure that you are a good listener, I was hoping to find out what else you're good at. But that's for a later time." Parting from her, he kept his eyes on her and winked, "So, you two go and have fun, I'm going to work to get out of here tonight."

"Okay." Cleaning up everything and placing the trash into the bag, Chastity and Emma got up. As Emma told Calleigh goodbye, Chastity threw away the bag and then came back over to Tim, "Give me a call later if you get a chance so I know when to expect you. We'll have dinner ready when you get off work."

Seeing the flicker of despondency in her eyes, Tim's brow furrowed and he shook his head, "There's nothing to worry about, Chastity. Everything's just fine." Walking with her to the door, he leaned closer and asked, "What's wrong?"

Eyeing him, Chastity then let her eyes go to Emma and Calleigh seeing how close the two of them really were. Looking back at Tim, she shook her head, "It's nothing, Tim. As you say, nothing to worry about, okay?"

There was something amiss with Chastity but with the arrival of Emma at her side, he didn't have another chance to ask. Instead, he leaned into her and gave her a peck on the cheek, lingering for a second longer, whispering, "I'll call."

Nodding slightly, Chastity looked down at Emma, "You ready to get going, kiddo?"

"Yep!" Emma smiled and went to Tim. Giving him a big hug, she held tight to him, "I love you, daddy."

Picking her up in his arms, he held her close, "I love you too, sweetie. You take care of Chastity for me okay?" Letting her down, he held her hand and nodded, opening the door, "How about I walk you two to the car? Would you like that, Emma?"

"Yeah!" Emma exclaimed as she jumped up and down some and then they walked out into the hallway. Calming down, she took her dad's offered hand and walked side by side with him. Looking up, she crinkled her brow, "Daddy, when are you off work again?"

"I hope very soon," Tim answered as he looked to Chastity. Walking closer to her, he spoke softly, "So…what was that back there? What's going on?"

Looking down as they walked, she took in a deep breath and then looked back up at where they were walking, "It was nothing, Tim…really. I'm fine, okay?" Looking to him, she shrugged, "Really, I'm okay."

His belief in that statement was unfounded and he sighed as they walked the length of the atrium. He wasn't going to make a scene, but he could feel that there was something wrong. Her demeanor had changed too fast. Pushing out of the door, he walked closer to her and whispered, "You mean the world to me Chastity, if there is anything wrong, you'd tell me, right?"

Deciding this was neither the time or the place to talk about what was bothering her, Chastity took in a deep breath and licked her lips, then looking up at him, "I think it's best if we just talk about this later, okay?"

Having to take that as his answer for now, he nodded and then walked apart from her, "Later then." Coming to the car, he bent to Emma and smiled, "I want you to tell me how much fun you had tonight when we eat dinner, okay?"

Giving him one last hug, Emma smiled, "I will, daddy. I love you."

"I love you, kiddo." Hearing the locks disengage he allowed her to leave his arms and then turned to Chastity. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled, wanting to connect with her again. As it was, it seemed that she was becoming more and more distant as the minutes ticked by. "Chastity…have a good afternoon, okay? I'm going to bust my ass to get this work done so I can come home tonight. We need to…connect."

Making sure Emma got in okay, Chastity then turned to Tim and nodded before looking back towards the building, "I'll understand if you're late again tonight." Looking at him, she then looked down and shifted her weight and then looked back up at him, "I know how you get busy here."

Damning logic, Tim reached up and took her lips gently before pulling away, keeping her within his grasp. When he opened his eyes, he smiled and nodded, "I know when there's something wrong and I won't press you about it, but you've gotta know how I feel about you. Whatever it is, I want to know, okay?"

Her eyes searched his and then she nodded before whispering, "Okay." When he gave her another kiss, she kissed him back and then whispered again, "Be safe, okay?"

"I will." Smiling as she left his arms, he stood back and waved to Emma as Chastity slipped in. The car pulled away and he stood staring for moments until the tail lights disappeared. Turning back to the lab, his mind set switched and he was ready for work again. Nothing was going to keep him from going home tonight.