Chapter 4. Too much...
"I knew this was a very bad idea," Calleigh thought, breastfeeding a baby while trying to test fire a gun. Both wearing hearing aids. The baby was almost gulping down the milk as Calleigh finally managed to get a clean shoot and smiled pleased. She then looked down at her daughter, finding she was gone eating, so she burped her.
Then she said, "I sure with your mother or sister would be here soon so that I could actually get some work done. Or maybe you would like to stay with one of your aunts."
The little girl wrinkled her nose to this as Calleigh locked away the gun and the bullet before walking upstairs. She saw Greg and Natalia discussing something in DNA; he had moved in with her a couple of months after Catherine moved in with Calleigh. That was about two years back. Natalia and Greg were now married and she was now to be called Natalia Sanders.
They however hadn't yet reproduced, Calleigh didn't know because they couldn't or if they didn't want to. They however never minded watching her little Katie Marie. Neither did Horatio, Ryan or Eric.
Horatio was actually great with the little girl, and she for some reason loved him. Maybe it was because her mother's did the same. Calleigh smiled as she heard his familiar footstep nearing her.
She turned to face him still smiling hearing her ask, "How's my ladies this morning?"
"Just fine handsome, and how are you?" asked Calleigh, as little Katie let out a sound of happiness.
"I'm fine, just fine," he said, giving her one of his rare smiles.
"Good, would you mind watching the little dragonfly for a little while," said Calleigh, looking at him with very hopeful eyes.
"No, not at all, where are you going?" he asked her.
"I need a little me time, I won't be gone long," she said, handing the baby over, that quirked a brow at her mother. Calleigh smiled at her saying, "You better behave, and Catherine should be back soon, she's at the scene with Ryan."
"I am aware of that, we'll see you later," said Horatio, as he turned and slowly started to walk towards Greg and Natalia. Little Katie looked over her shoulder, wanting to go with her mummy rather than her uncle Horatio.
Horatio slowly walking into the DNA lab, still holding little Katie Marie. She was gurgling happily; her green eyes were as glued to the lab table. Horatio doubted a bit before sitting the little girl down on the table. She slowly sat up, clapping her hands and smiling at Ryan and Natalia.
"Babysitting again?" asked Greg, looking at his boss.
"Yes, she needed some alone time," Horatio said with a sigh.
"Again, she should settle into the role of motherhood rather than dumping her on anyone else," Greg pointed out, as Calleigh had a tendency to do that after giving birth to her about six months back.
"Ever tried to telling her that," said Natalia calmly, lifting up the little girl to make room for some evidence. Katie giggled happily at her auntie Natalia, that said, "You're a real cute you know that."
Katie smiled and settled a bit better in her arms, just as Catherine and Ryan walked in with some more bags that needed analyzing. Natalia sighed seeing the load of the evidence. She put what she had just finished aside, only to open a bag saying, "What is all this?"
"Bomb parts and evidence of people that…" Catherine stopped, the scene had been horrific.
"I'll get to it, would you mind taking your daughter," said Natalia, carefully handing the little girl over to her second mother.
"And Calleigh is where?" the strawberry blonde asked looking around for her fiancée.
"Not sure," Greg said with a shrug.
"Could be anywhere really," said Natalia honestly.
Catherine looked over at Horatio that simply shook his head before she said, "And neither managed to keep her here, was that really so hard."
"Keep who where?" they suddenly heard Lindsey from behind.
"Calleigh seems she's missing again," said Catherine, it was not the first time it happened, but she hoped it would be the last if she could find her.
"Let me talk to her, I'll take Dragonfly with me," said Lindsey, taking her little sister from her mother.
"What makes you think she will listen when I've tried everything?" Catherine said.
"Have a little faith, just focus on work, see ya'll later," said Lindsey, sounding just like Calleigh normally did. Horatio smiled looking after her saying, "She's becoming more like her for each day."
"I don't know if that's a good thing or not," said Catherine with a heavy sigh as she wandered towards the break room. Most likely to get a cup of coffee.
Lindsey ended up finding her stepmother in a worn-out bar. She assumed by the name that was the Gun shack that the blonde had been a regular there since forever. The lights were minimal, there was some stall here and there and also tables. The blonde was sitting by the end of the bar, looking at a glass in front of her.
Lindsey walked over to her carrying a sleeping Katie Marie. She sat down next to the blonde saying, "You can't keep on running, and she's your responsibility.
"Well maybe I don't want it as much as I thought," said Calleigh with a heavy sigh.
"Funny you are saying that when you are again pregnant," said Lindsey with a heavy sigh.
"How did you…" the blonde stopped, looking at her with shocked eyes.
"Saw the test in the trash and I know it wasn't moms," the younger woman said.
"Fantastic, it's not that I don't love her as I do, more than life itself, it's just that it is sometimes overwhelming always having her there," said Calleigh with a heavy sigh.
"I can get that, but still she needs you," said Lindsey, slowly handing her over.
Calleigh took the baby, looking at her; it was a smaller version of herself. She looked at her, her eyelids fluttering before closing, she was tired. Much like herself. Having a baby had been much harder on her than she first thought. It required so much and it sometimes drove the blonde crazy that she had not time for herself alone, or time for Catherine for that matter. By the end of the day both were simply too tired to care for each other and they just fell asleep.
And this was only with one, how would it be when there was one more. One more to keep her up at night, suck on her nipple until it was raw, one more to bring at the lab to try raising while working, making them have even less alone time.
She sighed heavily, looking at the little girl sleeping in her arms, then at her grown up stepdaughter. Even if they were still not married Calleigh functioned as her second parent, and Lindsey had started calling her for ma. Even she could be a challenge at times even how good she was.
Was she crazy for having to try to give birth to a second child? They both had agreed on it, Catherine had even been at the procedure as with the first one. Only now the blonde was no longer sure it was the right thing for her or them. All things considered neither was getting any younger by the years.
She looked at Lindsey with tired eyes filled with helplessness. Lindsey looked back at her with calm eyes saying, "You'll be fine, you both will."
"I really don't know, it seems too much already," Calleigh whispered.
"Perhaps, but let me ask you this, if you could start over would you had it any other way?" Lindsey asked.
"No, I wouldn't, spite the fact that she is a handful I love her to bits," said Calleigh, which was true.
"Why don't I take her for tonight, so you two can have some alone time?" Lindsey offered.
"You are sure you want to do that?" the blonde asked.
"If I didn't I wouldn't have offered," said Lindsey with a smile.
"That would be more than appreciated," said Calleigh and smiled back at her.
"You should probably get back to the lab or mom will go insane with worry," said Lindsey.
Calleigh nodded and as she slowly got up and started to walk towards the door she looked back to the glass of whiskey, it would remain untouched.
As soon as they she back, Calleigh found her mistress on DNA; she wrapped her arm around her waist, kissed her shoulder and whispered, "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too," Catherine whispered, her hands resting on top of Calleigh's as a smiled graced her lips. More words were not needed to be outspoken as Calleigh continued to hold on to her tightly. The news about the newcomer would have to wait.
From the hallway Natalia and Greg were watching the older couple, his arm around her waist, holding her close, she leaning partly against him. He bent to kiss the top of her hair, whispering, "You think we'll get what they have someday?"
"Handsome, we already have," she said, before giving him a kiss. Then she dragged him towards the break room for a coffee. He just smiled at her wondering just how many cups of coffee she needed. He had lost count over the years, but she did drink a lot.
The couple had discussed the possibility of children before they got married as Natalia was still fertile, but they had left it be considering her age it was not highly recommended. So instead of children they had a couple of cats that served for that very same purpose.
Their name was as simply as Night and Day as one was white and the other black, both of them loved the two dears more than anything else. Ryan looked at her wife as she poured herself a cup of coffee, spite her age and the few strands of grey in her hair she was still beautiful. And there would never come a day when he regretted upon marrying her.
In another part of the lab Horatio and Ryan were walking alongside. Quietly talking about a case, the redhead from time to time casting a loving glance over at Ryan. They might now be a couple considering that Horatio were happily married with his Julia, but from time to time you couldn't help but wondering if there was something more than friendly feelings between them. Then again the redhead loved all of his coworkers in very special ways.
As they walked past DNA his eyes fell on his two favorite ladies, they were at the moment holding each other very close, whispering sweet nothing into each other's ears. And as Horatio could not see their daughters present he assumed Lindsey were at home with little Katie Marie.
He smiled thinking about how they became, just because of a silly trip to Vegas. Eric had changed labs about a year later. He was now in New Orleans, Horatio had never asked for reasons for his transfer, but he suspected it involved a girl. How they had met if that was the case he didn't know.
Walking towards the break room he could hear Natalia's happy giggles, meaning she most likely was there with her husband. Horatio smiled wondering if there was any coffee left. Not that he would mind as he had all the time in the world to make new. As the two men entered the break room his expression turned to shock when he heard sounds of pleasure coming from the DNA lab. He sighed thinking that he would have to wait a while to go back for his evidence, knowing that it most likely would have to have been a while if the two women couldn't keep their hands of each other at work. Then again they were parents of younglings, how they managed that he would never know.
As he smiled to Natalia that gave him a nod as hello he couldn't help but to be grateful for having the best team that was and that they even with their small flaws managed to work so well together. He loved them all to bits as he considered all his family and he knew they all did the same when they came to each other.
Natalia was about to walk out and back to DNA when Horatio said, "If I were you I would wait, someone is busy there."
Natalia rolled her eyes, shook her head and fell down on the nearest couch instead, figuring she for once could do with a longer break, while she heard the other three laughs above her. She smiled a little thinking that life at the lab was in deed great, she had her husband, family and friends at the same place, and she wouldn't want it any other way. To her like the rest life was just perfect, and she wouldn't want to change a thing, even if it included waiting to get back in her lab as her best friend and her wife was having sexual relations in there.
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