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**

The realities of the world affected me as visions, and as visions only, while the wild ideas of the land of dreams became, in turn,―not the material of my every-day existence-but in very deed that existence utterly and solely in itself.

From "Berenice" by Edgar Allan Poe

Awaking slowly, Horatio frowned deeply as he moved, the pain seeming to erupt from everywhere. His thoughts were a blur and hectic, the scents and sounds of the previous night flooding him. As if by habit, Horatio coughed and then groaned at the pressure, his eyes opening to slits. The aroma that hit him was antiseptic and he grimaced once more. From that scent he could tell he was in the hospital, but for how long, he didn't know. A sudden thought hit him and he shot up, the pain more than he could bear. He knew where they were and he knew exactly how to get there. He had to tell someone.

"He knows," he spoke aloud, his voice raspy. Instantly, he felt hands on him trying to push him back down, even as he struggled, "HE KNOWS! Got to tell them…"

Horatio's sudden movements caused Jesse to quickly come out of his chair, trying to get the older CSI and his friend to lie back down. Hearing his requests, Jesse raised a brow, "Horatio, you're hurt bad, you need to lay back down. You're not fit to go anywhere."

Confused, he looked to Jesse and shook his head, "I've got to call them… He knows where they are at. Got to call Alexx…he could be heading there first." Moving to get up again, the room swam and he pushed through it, "I can't let him get to them…"

"Horatio…he was at Alexx's last night. They are okay, but he took Tim's daughter. We've got an Amber Alert out on her right now," Jesse replied as he looked down at him. "I didn't know how to reach Speed and Calleigh to do a welfare check on them."

"Call their cells," Horatio offered as he rubbed his eyes. The pain became bearable and he settled, looking to Jesse as he pulled the cell. His brow knit when he thought about being unconscious, "How…how long have I been gone?"

Glancing up at the clock as he found Calleigh's number, Jesse sighed, "About eight, maybe nine hours. The doctors said you got some bad smoke inhalation and a few cracked ribs…and one hell of a concussion." Hitting send, Jesse placed his phone to his ear, listening to it ring. When he got her voice message, he sighed as it went to her mailbox, "Calleigh, it's Jesse doing a welfare check on you guys. Give me a call as soon as you get this message."

Hanging up, he shook his head, "Speed had better answer his damn phone."

Watching as Jesse tried and failed to raise them, Horatio felt that overwhelming feeling of despair, shaking his head, "I'm too late…."

"Horatio, who is after them? Do you know who it is?" Jesse asked, his own concern for his friends growing.

Horatio nodded, wincing slightly, "Christopher Larken, he's a professor…Miami U. He walked…walked with a limp. He did…this." Focusing more on Jesse, his eyes widened, "He's going…to St. Petersburg…He's going after Calleigh."

Opening his phone back up, Jesse dialed another number and then looked at his boss, "We're not gonna let him get close to her Horatio." Putting the phone to his ear, he heard it ring twice and then his voice, "Frank…get an APB out on one Christopher Larken. He might already be headed up towards the St. Petersburg area. And Frank…have him considered armed and dangerous…ok, thanks."

Hanging up, Jesse looked back at Horatio, "I'm sure Speed got her to safety, Horatio."

"You said that he took Speed's little girl?" Horatio asked as he grimaced against the minute movements. It seemed as if even the slightest movement aggravated the wounds, his body screaming through the pain. Exhaling heavily, he steadied his sights, "We both know Speed. If his daughter's in danger…there's no telling what he may do."

"Horatio, do you have an address to where they were staying?" Jesse asked, already coming up with a plan of his own.

Horatio nodded, "420 East 1st Avenue. If he has Emma, he's got leverage. Speed will do anything to keep her out of harms way." He sighed heavily, wondering if everything was alright feeling his heart dropping with every beat. He couldn't believe that she was gone. "We've got to find them, Jesse."

"We will…I'm gonna take Walter with me and head up there, I'll make you St. Pete's PD knows were coming and what's going on. The chief already has Gunderson filling in for you until you're released." Grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair, Jesse looked back to Horatio, "We'll find them…and Larsen, H."

Lifting his body he shook his head, his will and determination coming on strong, "I should be out there…I have to find her…"

Moving to the bed, Jesse shook his head and he made Horatio lay back down, "No, Horatio…Calleigh would want you here, resting and healing. You're hurt, bad…you need to be here getting better."

Resigned to lie back, Horatio sighed and closed his eyes, "Just…find her, Jesse. Find her…please."

"I will, Horatio…I promise we'll find them all," Jesse replied, determination in his voice. "You stay in the bed and do what the doctors say. If not…I'll be sure to let Calleigh know when I find her and then you'll really have hell to pay."

"You wouldn't do that, would you, Jesse?" Horatio tilted his head slightly and raised a brow, a faint smile appearing, "That's just…mean." Chuckling lightly, he raised a hand, "I'll stay…but call me, Jesse, alright? I want to know what's going on."

"I'll call as soon as we get there or if I hear from Speed or Calleigh." Slipping his jacket on, he nodded, "Take it easy, okay?"

"Okay," he allowed. Once he was alone, Horatio grappled with the thought of her out there with the stalker in close pursuit. More than anything, he wanted to be out there finding them, but he knew right now it was time to rest, to be ready for her when she returned to him.

Yawning and rolling over in the motel bed, Calleigh laid on her back, her hair fanned out around her. After having traveled a few hours away from St. Petersburg, Calleigh had been able to persuade Tim to pull over for the remainder of the night. It had been almost three in the morning when they had found the small motel about twelve miles off the main highway, far enough away in hopes of Larken not being able to find them. With Tim wanting them to stay together, he had gotten them a double room, Calleigh taking on bed while Tim and Emma shared the other. All three had been tired and fell asleep as soon as the lights were off.

Slowly opening her eyes, Calleigh blinked, letting them adjust to the dimly lit room. Looking over at the other bed, she saw Tim and Emma were both still asleep, his arm around his daughter protectively. A smile formed as she watched them, seeing a side of Tim she'd never seen before. Sitting up, she stretched and went to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.

Hearing her get up, Tim opened his eyes and rotated his body gently as to not wake up Emma. He had slept for almost an hour before the images that were now burned into his memory woke him, causing him to reach out for Emma to clutch her close. As he wrapped his arm around her, he remembered taking an assessment of her face and the anger that clawed at the surface for the man who took her. The place where she was struck had turned a sickly purple and he had to bite his lip from allowing her to hear the curses he wanted to spew.

Rising slowly, he sighed and stretched, rotating his shoulder. If not for the Kevlar he thought to put on before the action went down, he knew he would've been flat on his back, and his daughter wouldn't have a father. Solemnly, his thoughts went back to St. Petersburg and he sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. The sound of the door creaking open pulled him from his thoughts and he looked to see her walking slowly out of the bathroom.

"So…can't sleep?" he asked softly. She jumped slightly and he chuckled, shaking his head, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. How are you feeling?"

Shrugging as she limped, Calleigh went back to her bed and sat down on the edge, "Relieved in some ways…still scared in others." Looking at Emma, she nodded towards her, "She looks a lot like you, Tim. And she's lucky to have you as a dad."

Tim glanced backwards at her sleeping form and laughed lightly, his brows raising, "As much as she looks like me sometimes, she has her mother's ways. She can be so stubborn, but then turn around and be as sweet as honey and before you know it, you've forgotten why you're upset at her." Facing Calleigh, he sighed heavily, "I wouldn't take her for anything, she's my life."

"That's as it should be," Calleigh replied as she smiled. Running a hand through her hair, she looked back at Tim, keeping her voice at a whisper so not to wake Emma, "Have any idea where we're going?"

Getting up slowly, Tim shook his head and walked towards the window, opening the drapes slowly. The dust filtered out and he crinkled his eyes in disgust, waving it away. There was no way that he could allow his child to be put in constant danger, so he thought to take her where she would be free from harm until he could sort this all out.

"My parents are in Syracuse, I'll get her there, and then…I guess, until we can make sure that this guy is gone, we'll have to keep moving. I don't trust going back to Miami…"

"Tim…if we go back to Miami we can end all this. I don't want to be on the run like some criminal. We'll be protected…"

"We were protected in Miami and St. Petersburg, but he still found you. I'm sure right now, he's laying low, trying to figure out how to get to you, but Calleigh, he can't get to you if you're not in Florida." Turning to her, he emphasized, "And we're not on the run like some criminal we're surviving."

Sighing, she lifted her leg up onto the bed, flinching as she did so, "It doesn't feel like it." Glancing back over to him, she shook her head, "Sorry…I'm just not usta running from trouble. I kinda like facing it head on."

"I understand that, I'm not used to running either, but it's only logical. You have a bad leg, I have…her." Looking to Emma, he sighed, "I can't let anything happen to her, so she's my weakness."

"Then you two go where it's safe for her. I can go back to Miami and we'll get this guy, especially now that we know who he is," Calleigh replied as she looked at him. "Tim, I don't want you two in danger anymore."

"And I don't want you in danger. There is a reason why I chose this, Calleigh. We've known each other for a long time, you're my friend. I can't just allow this to happen." Moving towards her, he sighed heavily, "Okay…let's say this. I take her to Syracuse, and then we can discuss what to do."

Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, Calleigh thought about it for a moment before nodding, "Okay…but we need to call and see what's going on…that and check on Horatio."

"I don't see any problem with that. Horatio will probably love to hear from you, Jesse too for that matter." Walking away from her, he shook his head, "If you're so adamant about going back, we can do that, Calleigh. I'm going to make sure Emma's safe first."

"I want her safe too, Tim." Looking around the sparse room, she leaned back against the headboard, "What time is it anyways?"

"It's about five. You should try and get more sleep, we'll be leaving at seven. We should get to New York in sixteen hours." Taking a seat, he held his head in his hands, "We'll probably stop around Virginia to rest."

"I need to call and check on Horatio first…" she said as she reached for her purse. Looking in it, her brow crinkled and she looked at him, "Have you seen my cell?"

"No, I haven't. It could be in the car. I didn't think about that when we were coming in. Most likely, mine is there too." Hearing nothing but silence, he turned to her and exhaled heavily, "I'll go and get them."

"Thank you." Watching as he left out, she looked around, shaking her head. With so much going on in the last twenty four hours she hadn't really had too much time to think. Running both hands through her hair, she then held her head as she closed her eyes, wanting nothing more then for all this to be over with and be back in her own home.

The door opening caused her to look up and see him coming back in with both phones in hand. When he came over, she gave him a small smile, "Thanks."

"No problem," he responded as he handed it to her. Moving on to his bed, he shook his head, "Try not to stay up all night on the phone. We have an early day."

"The sun will be up in an hour…" she said as she got up and looked at her phone, seeing she had messages. Opening it, she pulled up the inbox and crinkled, "That's funny, I've gotten three messages from Jesse."

Tim snickered lightly and shook his head, his voice thick with sarcasm, "This will be a great chance for you two to catch up."

Raising a brow, Calleigh looked back, noting the times he'd called and how close together they were. Hitting dial, Calleigh placed it at her ear and looked at Tim, "I don't think he's wanting to chit chat."

"Just the same, you should probably call him," Tim responded as he laid down. Tucking himself against Emma. When she moved and whimpered, he held her tighter and whispered, "Shh…it's alright, baby. Go back to sleep."

Hearing the line ringing, she got up to go into the bathroom so they could rest. When Jesse picked up, she whispered as she limped, "Jesse, it's Calleigh."

Hearing her voice, Jesse sat up straight in his seat and glanced over at Walter as he drove, raising his brows. Turning more towards the door, he gazed into the night sky and frowned, "Calleigh, are you okay? Where are you, what's going on? Horatio told us that your stalker…"

"I'm fine…we're all fine, Jesse. Tim got us out of there and we have his daughter as well. What's going on with Horatio? Last I heard was the medics were there at his place. Is he okay?" she asked as she closed the door behind her.

"He's got a serious concussion, severe smoke inhalation and several fractured ribs. He's the one who told us about Larken. Calleigh…where are you exactly? We're on our way to St. Petes…"

Taking a seat on the edge of the tub, Calleigh shook her head, "We're not there. I…I'm not really sure where we are. Once we got Emma from him we left and didn't look back. We're in some little town right now. We got a room for the night so we could get some rest."

"Well…when do you think you're coming back? You know Horatio's going to want to see you." Hearing the silence on the other end he arched his brow, "Calleigh…you are coming home, aren't you?"

"Tim thinks it might be best that I don't, not until Larken is caught. Maybe it's for the best, I don't know," she replied as she stared at the wall. Dropping her sights, she sighed, "Larken…he knows too much about me, about my life."

"That's what you have me for, Calleigh. I can protect you…we…can protect you. Just…come home." He felt his heart pulsating at the thought of her and Horatio and sighed heavily, knowing that this would bring her home, but not necessarily into his arms, "Horatio needs to know that you're okay, he needs to see you, Calleigh."

Wiping at the tear the escaped her eye, Calleigh shook her head, "I can't put y'all in any more danger, Jesse. I've already tried to get Tim to just take Emma and go…but he won't."

Jesse sighed and rubbed his neck hard, hearing the conflict in her voice. She wanted to come home, but she knew that she couldn't avoid the issue of the stalker, and what he could do to those whom she cared for. It wasn't enough that Horatio was in the hospital because of this, the professor wouldn't stop until he had her. She was thinking of her friends, her loved ones first.

"Calleigh… we're going to fix this, and then you're going to come home. Things are going to work out."

"I wish they would soon then…I want to come back home. I need to be working…not running from some psycho," she breathed out heavily. Taking in a deep breath, she then refocused, "How is Alexx and her family? He didn't hurt them did he?"

"No…just a few scrapes. They're petrified of course, I think Alexx sent the kids to her parents." Jesse exhaled hard and then closed his eyes, remembering their date, "Calleigh…just take care of yourself, okay. Come back to us."

Nodding as she wiped at her eyes, Calleigh tried to remain positive, "I will…besides, you still owe me a dinner."

"That, I do. I intend to make good on it," Jesse smiled widely. He licked his lips and sighed, "I hope that I can do it real soon, Cal."

"I do too." Running a hand through her messy hair, she sighed, "Hey, what hospital is Horatio at? I at least need to call him so he'll stop worrying about me. If I know him he's probably climbing the walls to get out of there and get back to casing Larken."

"He's at Dade Memorial," Jesse responded quietly. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "He wasn't the least bit responsive to the nurses' advice. He's ready to come out now. He would definitely love it if he heard from you."

"I'll give him a call next then. Maybe he'll settle down some then and rest." Standing up and pacing the small area of the bathroom, Calleigh smiled, "But you be careful too, okay? I don't want to get a call saying you're in the bed next to him."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me. Walter and I are going to St. Petersburg and see what's going on there. If he's still there we'll find him."

"Just be careful. Larken is dangerous and not letting anyone get in his way." Leaning against the wall, she furrowed her brow, "Is anyone looking into him at the lab? I mean, does he have a history of this with other women or something?"

"We just found out that his name is Christopher Larken and that he's a professor at Miami U. We'll get into him tomorrow. Right now, I'm more interested in getting him off the streets. Did you see him in St. Pete's?"

Biting her lip, Calleigh closed her eyes, "Yeah, we did, but we got away with Emma and without getting hurt…I can't say the same for Larken though."

"What do you mean, Calleigh?" Jesse asked, arching his brow deeply. Taking a deep breath, he stared into the darkness, "Calleigh…what are we walking into?"

Biting her lip, Calleigh shook his head, "A couple of Tim's friends subdued Larken so we could get away. Needless to say, he killed two before the others got to him and was able to restrain him til we got away. I…I don't know what happened after we left."

Sighing heavily, Jesse glanced at Walter and shook his head, "Then there's a chance that he's not even there anymore…and he killed two? Is he armed, Calleigh?"

"He's got both a knife and gun that I know of. There could be more though knowing him," she replied softly. "He uh...he got mad at Emma and hit her...gave her a black and blue mark on the side of her face."

Jesse winced, "And he lived? I can't believe Speed didn't kill him right there." Rubbing his face, Jesse sighed heavily and shook his head, "So, we need to consider him armed, dangerous and pissed off. He's definitely looking for Speed's blood now. He's been denied you in front of him. He's not going to rest, Calleigh."

"That's why you need to get either Ryan or Natalia to look into him. Find out about his past, any family or connections he has...and any training we need to know about." Crinkling her brow, she shook her head, "We've got to get this guy and fast before someone else get's hurt."

"We'll get on that, Calleigh. But for right now, this guy's running foot loose and fancy free. I think Speed's got the right idea in keeping you away from here. Let him keep you until you get word that he's taken care of, Calleigh. I know it's going to be hard, but it's better than having to identify you on Tom's slab."

"Call me at least so we know what's going on, okay? And if there is anything we can help with on our end, let us know."

"Just stay safe, Calleigh. That's all I want right now." Turning more to his door, he lowered his head and his voice, "Calleigh…please…be careful, okay? I really would like to know if we have a chance. I know you and Horatio have… history."

Closing her eyes, Calleigh shook her head, "Jesse, right now...I'm not sure if anyone has a chance...including me. Let's just get through this first, okay?"

"Okay, yeah…" Jesse responded, sitting up quickly. Keeping his head down, he cleared his throat, "Alright…well…um…take care of yourself, Calleigh. I'll talk to you later." Flipping the phone down he tossed it at the console and sat back, closing his eyes, exhaling heavily. On top of not knowing where she was, apparently now, she was pissed.

Blinking slowly as she closed her own phone, Calleigh ran a hand through her hair. She knew Jesse had feelings for her and even she had felt some for him, but, she also held feelings for Horatio, feelings she'd had for years that had grown with their friendship. Sighing, she reopened her phone, dialing the number for the hospital. Getting his room number, she had them ring it and waited until she heard his groggy voice on the other end answer, "Hey...it's me, Calleigh."

Hearing her voice, Horatio tried to open his eye's more, a lazy smile coming. Licking his dried lips, he spoke slowly, "Calleigh, are….are you okay?"

Sitting down again, Calleigh nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Tim got us out of there...and we have Emma with us."

"That's good," Horatio responded, rubbing his head. The pain had started to lessen, but it was still there as a nagging reminder. Trying to sit up, he grimaced and groaned, "He didn't get a chance to get to you…that's good. I'm worried about you."

"I know you are, that's why I called. Jesse said you were climbing the walls practically." Leaning her head against the wall next to her she sighed, "It's Larken, Horatio...the professor from the college. He's the one that's been stalking me."

"I know…he paid me a visit. I recognized his limp." Holding his head, he exhaled lightly, "How did you get away from him?"

"We had some help in the form of a few of Tim's friends...but, he did kill two more before they got him restrained so we could get away." Licking her lips, she sighed, "He was trying to use Emma as leverage...we had to do something."

"At least you're okay…you are okay, aren't you, Calleigh?" His voice softened as he settled and he glanced out of the window, seeing the vestiges of the sun as it began to rise. He blinked and glanced down, his brow furrowing as his mind began to work more, "Calleigh…where are you? Do you know where you're going?"

"I'm not sure where we're at. We stopped around three and got a room so we could get some rest. Tim wants to get Emma to Syracuse...then he and I will talk about everything from there."

Horatio frowned, despite the pain that came with it, and sighed heavily. He didn't like her tone and the uncertainty of the situation. Closing his eyes, he tried to keep the despair out of his voice, "It doesn't sound like you're coming home, sweetheart."

"Tim doesn't think it'll be safe for me there...not until Larken is caught anyways," she replied, a sadness in her own voice. Closing her eyes, she fought to keep her tears at bay, "I want to come home...but I can't."

Hearing the sadness in her voice, he sighed, his heart hurting for her, "I know, Calleigh. I want you to come home, but if it's safe for you to be away…then…it's what we need to do. I know that Speed will take care of you, you're safe with him." Rubbing his temple, he tried to will away the pain that was coming and attempted to lighten his voice, "It's for the best, sweetheart."

Her tears broke free from under her lids and Calleigh began to cry. Covering her eyes with one hand, her voice broke, "I...I want this over...too many people have gotten hurt...all because of me..."

At her tears, Horatio felt his heart breaking and he moved slowly to sit up more. He wanted to be there to console her, to hold her in his arms and to assure her that things were going to work out. The more she cried, the more he wanted to get up and set things into motion to find Larken. The professor had interjected himself into Calleigh's life, shattered the normalcy of it all and it was time to change that. He wanted Calleigh back home, where she belonged.

"Calleigh…it's been worth it to keep you safe, sweetheart. As long as you're safe, it's going to be alright. I'm going to be leaving the hospital in a day, and when I do, nothing else is priority. We're going to find Larken, and he's going to pay."

Her tears kept coming and Calleigh shook her head, "He's hurt so many, Horatio...you, Alexx and her family, he killed two of Tim's friends...he...he even hurt Emma. I can't let everyone keep getting hurt...I'm what he wants..."

"We're never going to let him get that close to you, Calleigh. We're going to do what we do best, and we're going to catch him and I'm going to personally be there to put him away." His anger at Larken began to strengthen and swell and he gripped the phone tightly, "He's going to wish he'd never laid eyes on you."

Wiping at her eyes, Calleigh reached for the toilet paper, pulling off some and wiped her eyes again. Sniffling some, she sighed, "Just be careful, Horatio. He already got to you once...I...I wouldn't be able to live with myself if..."

"Don't worry about me, Calleigh. I'm going to be just fine." Smiling, he sighed, "I'll be waiting to see you again."

"I want that...I want that more then anything right now," she replied softly as she wiped at her eyes again. Taking in a shaky breath, she looked down at the floor, "When this is all over with...I want to spend some time at the beach...away from everyone and everything...just us, okay?"

"I'll make that happen, Calleigh. When this is over, it's just going to be us. No phones, no work…Just us." Taking a deep breath and paying for it with pain, he let it out shakily and glanced outside to see the sun coming up. As much as he wanted to stay on with her, he knew that she would have to go. A small smile came as he thought of their ongoing bet, giving her a small chuckle, "Then I'll get to cook for you and treat you like a queen. I think I can throw a massage in there too."

Smiling some she sighed, "I would like that. Right now it feels like the world is on my shoulders, ya know?"

"I can understand that, and I wish I could take that away from you, Calleigh. But when you come back, we'll let all of that go." Horatio watched the sun come up and regret filled his voice, "Calleigh…I want you to get as much rest as you can. It's important that you remain strong."

"I know. It's just hard to knowing he's out there somewhere. I'll probably go across the street and get some coffee and all of us something to eat. I'm sure Emma will be pretty hungry when she wakes up...so will Tim." Getting up and moving to the mirror she looked at herself, seeing the dark rings around her eyes, "I look like shit right now. Too bad that wouldn't turn this guy off."

"You've been through a lot, Calleigh. It will all be over soon," Horatio tried. Short of getting out of the hospital bed and searching actively for her, he couldn't do anything at the moment but continue to assure her. He hoped that his words were somewhat comforting. "When you come back, I'll take you to my beach house in the Keys and we'll sleep for however long you want. Everything is going to be however you want it."

"That sounds nice," she replied softly as she turned from the mirror and leaned up against the door. "What are you going to do? Your neighbor said your house was all but gone."

The events of the previous night had been a blur, but he remembered that his house had gone up in flames and sighed heavily, "I don't know …really. I'll have to look for another place. I can get a room somewhere until I find a place."

Thinking, she shook her head, "You have a key to my place still...use it. Lord knows someone needs to be there especially with my small armory of guns I have stored in my closet." Calleigh suddenly realized that Larken could have accessed her guns and she closed her eyes, "Horatio...my guns. If Larken had access to my house..."

"I'll get status reports. I placed a detail there before you left, just to keep an eye on the place. So far, there's been no report's of a break in." Letting the silence take over for a moment, Horatio pondered her offer, "Ah…Calleigh…you were serious about me using your key?"

Smiling some, she pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, "Yeah, I was. You need a place to stay, Horatio and I have the room. Use it, please. The pantry is stocked and there's a twelve pack in the bottom of the fridge and plenty of meat and frozen dinners in the freezer."

Horatio smiled and nodded slightly, "I promise, I won't be a bad guest. I'll even replenish what I take." He smirked and added, "It would be better if you were here though."

"If only you knew how much I want that as well," she replied softly. Silence filled the line before Calleigh spoke again, "Horatio...if anything happens to me...do me a favor and watch out for my dad..."

The defeat rang through her voice and Horatio frowned, annoyed slightly, "Calleigh, nothing's going to happen to you. We're going to get this guy and you're coming home, Calleigh. You're going to come home."

"I'm just saying though...we don't know what's going to happen...but I need to make sure my dad's taken care of if something does. Just humor me here, okay? You'll watch out for him?" she asked.

"I will, Calleigh. Anything you need me to do, I'll do it." The door opened and he saw the nurse starting to come in and shooed her away, wanting just that much more time with her. The nurse didn't pay any attention and came in anyway, starting to check his vitals.

"I see you're wide awake this morning, Mr. Caine. Would you like to have breakfast?"

Hearing the nurse on the end, Calleigh smirked, "Tell her yes, Horatio. You need to eat...for me."

Reluctantly, he answered, sighing heavily, "Yes, I'll have breakfast. Could you just give me a minute here?"

Laughing, the nurse shook her head, "Sorry, champ, I've got to finish this before my shift ends. You can talk, I promise I won't spill your secrets."

Chuckling some, Calleigh sighed, "Oh if she only knew." Hearing him groan, she pursed her lips, "Be a good boy, Horatio and let her take your vitals. Besides, we could give her a scare and I could get your blood pressure up."

"You would do that, wouldn't you…or you would try to." Horatio chuckled and shook his head, "There's no way you can make my blood pressure go up."

Chuckling lightly, Calleigh moved back to tub and sat back down on the edge, "Now that almost sounds like a challenge, Lieutenant. So...picturing me in a little string bikini would do nothing to you then, huh?"

"On a daily basis," Horatio responded calmly with a smile. His tone was smug and prodding as he arched a brow, "That's the best you have?"

Smirking, Calleigh got an idea and reached back turning on the water, "Well, I guess you can listen to me taking a bath then...which, I'll have to remove all my clothes for of course."

The smile faded some and he glanced towards the nurse as he heard the bath starting causing his face to flush. Recovering, he swallowed, "Uh…not even close. Seriously…Calleigh, this is a losing battle…"

Raising a brow, she smirked, "Oh, so me all wet, in a hot bath tub and naked does nothing for you then?"

Readjusting himself, he stammered, "I…uh…You are getting warmer. Try again…"

Smirking, she quirked her brow, "Just think, Handsome, if you were here with me, you could lather me up with the soap, making my body all nice and slick, even watch as the suds slid off when I rinse."

Coughing, he heard his heart monitor spike and glared at the nurse as she came to his side with her brow drawn. Pulling the phone down, he asked, "A minute, please?"

"Keep that heart rate down, Mr. Caine unless you want your doctor in on it."

"Promise," he whispered as he nodded, "just five more minutes." Horatio smiled victoriously as he watched the nurse depart, pulling the phone back up, "You would allow me to lather you up?"

Turning off the water, she smiled, "If the right moment ever came around." Wiping off her hand on one of the towels, she smiled more, "I got you didn't I?"

Chuckling as his heart monitor began to spike again, he nodded, "Judging by this monitor, you're giving me a heart attack." The door opened and he sighed heavily, shaking his head, "Sadly, I've got a team of nurses ready to aid me. I suppose I should get off of the phone." His tone softened and turned pleadingly, "Call me, Calleigh. Where ever you go, call me, okay?"

"I promise you I will. Tim said we'll be somewhere in Virginia tonight. As soon as we stop I'll call you back and let you know where we are at," she replied as the sadness started to creep back in. "Get better for me, okay? Do what the doctors and nurse say."

"I will. Calleigh…" he said as he sighed heavily, "please, Calleigh, please be careful. I love you."

Closing her eyes, Calleigh nodded, "I love you too...and I'll be careful, I promise. I'll call you later tonight."

"Good," Horatio exhaled and smiled. "Until tonight then. Bye…Calleigh."

"Bye, Horatio..." Calleigh replied softly before closing her cell phone. Sitting there staring at it, her heart broke, wanting to be back in Miami and where things were familiar for her. Fighting the emotions that were wanting to come to the surface once more, she stood up, going for the door.

Turning off the light and opening it as quietly as she could, she knew she couldn't sleep and decided to go to the small diner across the street. Both Tim and Emma would be up soon and she knew they all needed to eat. Heading out and going over to the small table, she found a piece of paper. Grabbing the pen there, she quickly wrote Tim a note, telling him where she was. Looking over at them as they slept, she smiled, seeing his arm still around his daughter protectively. Getting the room key, she went to the door, opening it as quietly as she could and then slipped out, closing it behind her. Taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air, she headed towards the diner, the thought of a piping cup of hot coffee quickening her steps.

Sitting in the rented car, Christopher glared at his image in the rearview mirror, taking in the damage done by those goons in St. Petersburg. Shaking his head, he recounted how he had taken some blows before they had tired and left him. A devious smile inched across his face as he thought about the sounds of their cries of pain as he dispatched them on the front lawn, using a gun that they didn't even check for. Once he got himself up, he picked up his knife and other gun and then checked each of the now fallen bodies, chuckling over each one. Knowing that he had an ace in his pocket, he took his time in recovering, going into his house and cleaning himself up as much as possible. When he emerged, he surveyed the carnage and shook his head, clicking his tongue in his mouth at their sloppiness, his mind now on catching up to them. It had taken him a few hours, but he finally found them at a small motel off of the highway. He sat patiently and waited, watching the room, relishing in the fact that he would have his chance again.

After having dozed for a few minutes, he woke to see her slipping out of the room, holding the room key in her hand. A slick smile slithered over his face as he moved quickly, wincing at the pain that now accompanied the blows he received, making him even angrier. He moved faster until he was directly behind her, reaching out to grab her. Bringing her close, he clamped his hand over her mouth and brought her closer, her scent almost over powering him, "Scream and I'll kill your boyfriend and his girl while you watch." When she settled he smiled and exhaled, relieved to have her in his arms again. Pulling her back, he breathed outwardly, "We're gonna get away from here. Just you and me…"

Fear coursed through Calleigh as he held her tight to his body, unable to move. With her arms pinned down at her sides, she dropped the room key in hopes Tim would find it there. When he started to drag her backwards, she drug her heels, leaving marks in the gravel and dirt of the motel parking lot. Balling up her fist, she waited until she could try to make a run for it, hoping she'd be able to catch someone's attention.

Anger infused within him as she drug her heels and he picked her up, jostling her. A cry of pain erupted from under his hand and his eyes widened, "Don't make me hurt you, sweet. I don't want to hurt you, but you've got to come with me. I'm going to make you feel so good and you in turn will make me feel good."

Struggling, she kicked back with her uninjured leg, catching his at the knee. As he cried out, and loosened his grip on her, she did it again and flailed. When her arms were free, she quickly turned, taking a swing at him and catching him across his jaw before turning to run. Seeing a man across the street coming out the diner, she yelled, "HELP!"

Stumbling to his feet, Christopher glowered at her as she ran towards the man across the street. Pulling out the gun, he pointed it and squeezed the trigger, watching the potential savior go down. Ambling towards her, he caught up to her easily and snatched at her hair, pulling her back. Placing the gun at her head, he snarled, "I should kill you right now, BITCH. You should not have done that. That was not NICE!" Jerking her towards the room, he grinned maniacally, "Maybe I should go in there and put this gun to the little girl's head and watch my art work. Shove the gun in your boyfriend's mouth and make him beg for his life? Would you like to see that? WOULD YOU?"

Her hands went to his as he pulled, causing her to cry out. Feeling the gun at her temple, her chin trembled, "H-He's not my b-boyfriend. H-He's just a friend...d-don't hurt them. I'll...I'll do what you want...just...don't hurt them."

Calming at her words, he sighed and nodded, "It's good for him that I believe you. Besides, I've seen you with him, he's not your type." Jerking her towards the car, he whispered in her ear, "We're leaving this behind, and starting over. Going far away from here. We're gonna make each other happy again."

Flinching as he pulled her along, she grimaced, "A-Again? I've never been happy with...you." When they reached his car, she struggled some, "Please, don't do this...people will be looking for me..."

"And they will never find you. I've made the necessary arrangements, taken a sabbatical at the university. I've made it to where we can be together, Evelyn. We can be happy again." Opening the door, he sat her down bodily and smiled as he knelt to caress her face, "The last time, I didn't get a chance to make you happy, now I have that chance again. We can be happy again, Evie."

Pulling back from him, Calleigh shook her head, "My name is Calleigh…not Evie or Evelyn…it's Calleigh Duquesne…you know that, you've called me that."

His expression clouded over and he snatched at her arm, pulling her close, "We are going to be happy again. If I have to make you understand this, I will." Letting her go, he slammed the car door, keeping the gun on her as he rounded the car to get to the driver's side. He couldn't believe his luck, he'd found, lost and found her again, and now he had a chance to start all over again. The smile came back and as he turned the ignition, he even laughed. "We're going to go far away from here. Get you away from your…distractions. Then you'll understand, Evie."

"You won't get away with this, Larken. Horatio and the others will find me…" she said as she glared at him and then moved up against the door as he leaned over to her.

Growling at the sound of his name uttered by her lips, Christopher hit the window behind her, speaking through clenched teeth, "He is dead to you, do you understand? DEAD TO YOU! If you say his name anymore, you're gonna regret it!" Hitting the window again, he nodded and then retracted his body away from hers, allowing his hand to trail down her leg. Noticing the wound, he clicked his tongue, "We're gonna have to get this looked at. Do you have medication with you?"

Shaking her head, her hands trembled some, "I-It's in the…room…"

"We'll get you more, then. You're done with your old life, you're going to start a new one with me." Pulling out quickly, he locked the doors and placed the gun in his lap, "I don't suspect you're going to be a difficult person on this trip, but this is just a reminder."

Seeing they were headed towards the highway, Calleigh swallowed hard and asked, "W-Where are you taking me?"

"I'm going back to where it started, sweetheart." Turning to face her, he smiled widely, "Nevada, of course!"

Shaking her head, Calleigh reached for the door handle as she pushed the locking mechanism to disengage the locks. Pushing the door open, she moved to lounge out the door, only to be drawn back by her hair hard as the car skidded to a stop, "LET ME…GO!"

His anger got the best of him and as he wound his hand in her long hair, he pulled back and struck her with his fist, rocking her head against the glass. The pane of glass spider webbed and his expression softened as her eyes slid close. "You forced me, Evie…I didn't want to do that. But when you wake up, you and I…we'll be happy again." Loosening her hair, he started to drive again, content that his life was changing for the best.