Chapter 2. Confusion

It was around three PM the next day that Greg was driving Natalia and Valera to the airport, none of them had managed to get a hold of Calleigh, they both had tried, but they only got her machine.

"What do you make of it?" Valera asked Natalia as she looked nervously to the check-in at the airport.

"I think it's safe to say that she will stay behind," said Natalia with a little smile.

"And if Eric asks?" said Valera, nervously biting her lip.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," said Natalia with a giggle, looking over at Greg saying, "You'll come over next weekend right?"

"I will yes," he said, before giving her a soft kiss, then saying, "Call when you get back, beautiful."

"I will," she said, giving him a last kiss before walking towards the check-in. Greg looked after them before he walked towards his car thinking that Eric would not be happy when his bride did not return from Vegas.

It was early Monday morning that Natalia an Valera returned to the crime lab, still a little jet-lagged. Horatio that saw the two women came in, walked over to them and asked, "So how was the weekend?"

"Amazing, we had so much fun, and Natalia found herself a man," said Valera with a giggled.

Natalia blushed modesty as she said, "He's coming over next weekend, and I should probably tell you that Calleigh stayed behind."

"I know, she called me about an hour ago saying she would take a week off," he said.

"Really, must be serious then," said Natalia with a smile.

Horatio was about to say something when Eric joined them saying, "You two come back without Calleigh?"

"Well she ran into someone she knew and we never saw her after that," said Natalia truthfully.

"And it never occurred to you to tell her make it to the plane in time?" said Eric.

"Well we would, only her phone was off," said Natalia with a sigh, thinking, 'You really should have called him."

Natalia looked over at Horatio, which gave her a warning look, before he turned to his ex-brother-in-law saying, "She'll call you when she's ready to do so, but for now you and I are going out to a scene."

"I knew I should never let her leave," said Eric annoyed, tramping towards the elevator, as Natalia leaned over to Horatio saying, "She will call him right?"

"In time, and congratulations on your new boyfriend," he said and smiled at her.

"Thank you," said Natalia, giving him a smile, before the redhead took the elevator down with Eric. She was at that point glad she was not Calleigh, considering how ugly it most likely would get.

At the same point Calleigh was looking over at a strawberry blonde that was sleeping next to her, smiling. She felt happier than she had in the longest time. She of course knew that she would have to call Eric, knowing that he by now was wondering what had happened to her.

Slowly she got out of the bed, and walked down the stairs to the living room glad Horatio had agreed to give her a week off. Then again she had managed to work up more weeks off than that.

She sighed turning on the phone, dialing Eric's number. He picked up after two rings saying, "Calleigh, where in the hell are you?"

"I'm still in Vegas, I ran into someone and…" she stopped wondering how she was going to explain that she had ended up in bed with Catherine Willows. She looked at the engagement ring still on her finger. A silver one with a heart shaped diamond.

"What is going on?" he asked, he didn't seem too happy, which was understandable all things considered.

"You remember Catherine?" asked Calleigh.

"Willows, yes, what about her?" Eric wanted to know.

"Well we've stayed in touch over the years, more over the last two. I never planned to run into her here actually, but Natalia ended up with one of her coworkers and our paths collided. We went to dinner Saturday and one thing lead to another," said Calleigh with a very heavy sigh.

"So you are telling me you went to Vegas, and…and…you slept with her," his voice was filled with disbelief.

"Yes," Calleigh confirmed.

"How could you do that, don't I mean anything to you?" he asked her.

"Of course you do, Eric I'm sorry…I…I…" Calleigh said, she was lost on work.

"You know what, just go to hell," he said in a hateful tone and hung up.

"Oh Eric," she whispered, tears starting to fall from her eyes. She never meant to hurt him, not like this. What the hell was wrong with her?

She needed to get out of there that much she knew. It was then she saw the car keys on the dresser in the hallway. The blonde didn't think twice before grabbing them, she unlocked the front door and then got into Catherine's car before driving off full speed.

When Catherine woke up about an hour later she found herself alone in bed. She frowned yelling out for the blonde. Silence. Slowly she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom where she combed her hair and put it in a tight ponytail. She put on a some makeup, and then got back into the bedroom before she got dressed.

"Calleigh!" she called out once more, making her way down the stairs. She quickly searched the first floor, only to find that the blonde was nowhere to be found. The only trace after her was her cell that was still in the living room.

Catherine would have checked the call log, only she found that that would be to invade the blonde's privacy so she let it bed. She walked outside thinking the blonde had gone for a run to clear her head, knowing she sometimes did that. Instead she found her car gone, thinking, 'Great, that's just great."

Catherine sighed as she dialed Nick's number saying "Nick is there any chance you could come and get me, I'm a car short here."

"Someone stole your car?" he asked her.

"No, not exactly, more borrowed it, can you get here?" she asked again.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes if that's okay," he answered.

"Okay, see you then," she said and hung up wondering how she was going to find Calleigh when her phone was there.

She thought for a second before she called Horatio's number figuring if anyone could trace her it had to be him. Ring…ring…ring…ring, then she heard his velvet rumble say, "Horatio Caine, hello."

"Horatio, it's Catherine Willows, I'm having a problem and I was hoping you could help me out," she said with a heavy sigh.

He sighed before he said, "I'm listening."

"I don't know what Calleigh have told you, but she's been with me since Saturday, only to recently have run off with my car, have you any idea where she could have gone," said Catherine, hoping he would know.

"Any chance you are missing a firearm?" he asked her.

Catherine quickly went through her collection before saying, "No, they are all accounted for."

"My bet is that if she is not with you or in her hotel room then she's at the nearest gun range," he said calmly.

"I'll check that and thank you," she said.

"You are welcome, I doubt I need to tell you that you probably shouldn't have done what you did all things considered," he said.

"I know…I know, but…" she stopped.

"I understand, just find her," he said.

"Will you talk to Eric?" Catherine asked, thinking that Calleigh most likely would have broken the news before taking off.

"I will," said Horatio, before hanging up.

Catherine sat down on the couch, figuring she couldn't do anything before Nick got there either way.

In the end Catherine ended up finding the blonde at a gun range close to the crime lab. The blonde stood facing the target, legs spread, gun in front of her. She let her fingers slide onto the trigger making a couple more rounds disappear, before putting the gun down with a heavy sigh and removing her hearing aids.

She looked at the gun once more, letting a hand caress over it before putting it back into a holster on her hip. Catherine frowned wondering where she had kept the holster and the gun while she had been there and if she actually had a license to carry without her profession.

The blonde slowly turned only to meet the older woman's wondering eyes. She let a low huff escape her lips. Frustration and confusion were showing in her emerald green eyes.

"Calleigh…?" Catherine questioned in a soft tone.

"It just became too much, I needed an outlet. The last days have been so wonderful, I even forgot about him completely. That has never happened before as I love him. I even wanted to marry him, I honestly did, then I see you and…Now I don't know. I know I want to be with you, but I feel guilty about how we came together considering I was still with him. I should have ended it first if I had any idea that I… that I would feel like this," Calleigh said.

Catherine nodded, before saying, "So how do you wish to handle this, other than firing round after round?"

"I think that I would want us to be a couple, but to take it slow," said Calleigh honestly.

"I can agree to that, do you still wish to stay here the following week as planned?" the older woman wanted to know.

"I do yes," she said with a yawn.

"I think it would be wise that I drive you home so you can rest," said Catherine.

Calleigh just nodded, she was suddenly feeling so drained. Catherine wrapped her arm around her waist, following her to the car and helping her inside before starting up the engine to drive her home.

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