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**

"It might have been half an hour after this altercation when, as I was deeply absorbed in the heavenly scenery beneath me, I was startled by something very cold which pressed with a gentle pressure on the back of my neck. It is needless to say that I felt inexpressibly alarmed."

From "A Predicament" by Edgar Allan Poe

Sitting tucked away in the corner of the couch, Calleigh sipped on her cup of hot tea, staring out into nothingness, her body still numb from the night before. She hadn't wanted things to end as they did, but she had seen no other way. Horatio didn't seem to trust or respect her and that was something that didn't set well with her at all. Thinking back over the years, she wondered if that was why they had grown apart, each trying to make a life with someone else.

The sound of the doorbell pulled her from her thoughts and as she looked to the door, she wondered if she really wanted to answer it. When her name was called from the other side, she got up and went over, unlocking it and opening it before walking away, "Come on in, Tim."

Entering into the home, he eyed her surroundings and sighed, shaking his head, "Calleigh, turn on your cell phone, hell…answer your phone. I get real anxious when I can't get you." Entering into the living room behind her, he sat down and watched as she pulled herself into the corner and wrapped her arms around herself. Keeping the distance, he asked, "Are you concerned about Horatio's disappearance?"

Sighing heavily, she shook her head, "He's probably down in the Key's Tim…he told me he goes there when he needs to think about things. More then likely that's where he is…which means he doesn't want to be found."

"The chief has filled Horatio's position. Jesse told me." Tim looked to Calleigh and sighed, "Does this sound like someone who doesn't want to be found? The chief doesn't fill positions like H's unless there's something wrong."

"Or unless they take time off…which Horatio probably did and is down in the keys," she stated again. "If there was a problem, then the Chief wouldn't have filled the spot so quick. He would have waited for confirmation."

Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned to Calleigh fully, "I don't understand how this happens, Calleigh. You…and H…you were so…in love. How can you go from that to this?"

Getting frustrated, Calleigh got up, heading towards the kitchen, "Maybe if he would have trusted me and not try to lie to me, then maybe none of this would be happening." Getting out a beer, she carried it back out, opening it and taking a drink, "He couldn't even tell me the truth about getting another call and I was sitting right there, Tim."

"Have you ever stopped to think he may have done that to protect you? No one knows who this stalker is, or what they would do. He loved you enough to protect you, Calleigh."

"Lying to my face is not protecting me, Tim," Calleigh countered, her temper starting to bubble over. "Why do you think he left…'cause they are after him, not me. But, I had to drag that out of him as well."

Running a hand through his hair, Tim shook his head, "You're going to let this happen, aren't you? You're willing to let this come between you."

Cocking a brow at him, she shook her head, "How would you like to have someone you love lie to your face Tim? Wouldn't it make you wonder what else they would lie about?" Starting to pace, she breathed out, "I've been through it one too many times and I'll be damn if I'll go through that again."

"When, with the exception of yesterday, has he ever shown that he doesn't trust you and doesn't respect you? Horatio would rather die before putting you in harms way."

"Yeah, well he won't have to worry about that anymore now, will he?" she replied and then took another drink of her beer.

"Calleigh, you're jumping to conclusions," Tim said as he shook his head. Deciding to let it go, he arched a brow, "Despite what's going on, how are you doing, Calleigh?"

"Just peachy, Tim," Calleigh replied sarcastically and took another drink. Going over to the window, she looked out, "I've been thinking about moving back home and getting my old job back."

"So, you're going to leave." Faced with the notion of her leaving, Tim felt a hint of bitterness. Shaking his head, he stood, "You're going to leave because it didn't work out with Horatio, but what about…You know what, don't worry about it."

Turning and looking at him, Calleigh shook her head, "Don't worry about what, Tim? Might as well say it, Lord knows it can't be any worse then anything I've heard before?"

Approaching her, Tim felt his anger abating and then sighed, "I love you, you know that, Calleigh. I just…I don't want you to go. I understand if this is something you need to do, but…I just can't…" Averting his eyes he shook his head, "I have no say in whether you go or stay, but I wish you would stay."

Watching him for a minute, Calleigh lowered the bottle down to her side, "All I said was I was thinking about it, Tim. I…I haven't made my mind up yet."

Tim nodded and reached to touch her cheek and smiled, "Just…consider us before you make your decision."

Looking up into his eyes, Calleigh nodded silently. Tears began to rim her eyes, and Calleigh whispered, "I'm just tired of hurting, Tim."

"Then don't hurt anymore, Cal." Pulling her close, he held her within his arms and closed his eyes, listening to her cry softly. Running his hand over her hair, he sighed and spoke softly, "Don't cry, Cal. I'm here for you."

Letting the bottle drop from her hand, she wrapped her arms around him, anchoring herself to him. All the hurt and disappointments she felt seemed to come to the surface and released themselves through her tears. A small sob left her and her voice hitched, "I…I lost him…Tim…I lost him…"

Allowing her the moment to exercise the grief, he rubbed her back in an effort to comfort her, feeling her body shake with her cries. When they died down, Tim whispered, "You haven't lost him, Cal. He still loves you, you just have to find him and make him see that you love him. It's not too late."

"But I…I told him we shouldn't be together anymore…" she cried softly as her tears still continued to fall. Releasing a shaky breath, Calleigh whispered, "He left because of me…"

"You just have to talk to him, Calleigh. You have to find him and talk to him. It's the only way that you'll be able to get to him. You can't give up on this, on him."

"Why do I keep fucking this up, Tim? Why?" she asked as she began to cry more.

"We make mistakes, Calleigh. The important part is to learn from them." Tim pulled away from her and cupped her face, smiling lightly as he moved the hair away from her eyes. He could see the devastation there, the desire to reconnect with him, and the despair in knowing that she may have lost her chance. Shaking his head, he finished, "It's not too late, Calleigh."

"I hope not," she whispered and moved back into his arms, needing some sort of comfort for the time being.

After taking the day to get to know each other and having dinner, Horatio found himself in her shower under the unforgiving spray of hot water that massaged his body. As he stood under the spray, he allowed himself to think of the past day at length, the slick feeling of soap cascading where she'd touched him, reminding him of their heated passion. Sharing himself with Taylor was vastly different from his time with Calleigh. There was something thrilling about doing things on a whim, not caring what happens from one second to the other, that appealed to Horatio. For once in his life, he was content without the shoulder of responsibility to weigh him down. The more he thought of his morning with Taylor, the more he warmed to spending more time with her. Even now, as he showered, he could imagine her body lying on the bed, waiting for him, the thought instantly getting him hard. He could barely believe that a woman like Taylor was the least bit interested, but he wasn't questioning and he certainly wasn't complaining.

As he dipped his head under the spray, his thoughts strayed to Calleigh, wondering what she was doing. By now, the team would've heard that someone else would be taking his spot and he was sure that Tim would've notified Calleigh of the change. He didn't know exactly when he would be returning, if ever, but right now, he was happy with where he was.

Turning the water off, he shook the excess water off and then stepped out, grabbing the towel that she had provided. Taking in a deep breath, he could smell the faint scent of vanilla and smiled, remembering the same scent on her skin as he took her. He was astonished at how he was reacting around her, but he just chocked it up to experiencing something new. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he noticed that she'd taken up his clothes and smiled, exiting the bathroom. The darkness of the hall gave way to a glow coming from her room and curious, he followed, pushing the door open completely to reveal her on the bed, waiting.

Taking a glance around as he approached the bed, he arched a brow and asked, "Setting the mood?"

Smiling as she laid back against the pillows with her hair fanned out around her, Taylor nodded, "Yeah…but I also thought it'd be more relaxing as well. I hope you don't mind scented candles. There all I have around here."

"I don't mind at all. They are very nice." Coming the side of the bed, he bent and moved a tendril of her hair away from her face and smiled, "This is all very nice."

"I was thinking maybe we could get to know each other more…relax…" she replied softly as she gazed up at him. "Maybe talk."

"Talking's good," Horatio said as he gestured for her to move over. When she did, he sat and laid back, and then turned to her, staring at her, "Well, you know I'm a cop, and that I obviously can hold my liquor better than some eighteen year old's… What else would you like to know?"

Rolling onto her side and facing him, she propped her head up with her hand, "Well, where are you from? You don't sound like you're from Florida originally."

"Well, I'm not. I was born in New York, but career advancement brought me to Miami. I've been married twice, divorced once and a widow." Horatio stopped and then looked to Taylor and sighed, "And of course, I've recently gotten a broken heart."

Listening, Taylor reached for his hand, taking it in hers, "You've been through a lot, Horatio. No one should have to go through all that."

"As much as that is true, it's made me stronger. For every loss, every heart break I've learned to use it to help me get past the job." He looked to her fingers intertwining with his and smiled, "So…what about you, Taylor?"

"Well…" she smiled as she looked back up at him, "I'm originally from Dayton, Ohio…grew up there with my dad. My mom died when I was three, so I don't remember much about her. But, dad did a great job. When I graduated from high school, I took a few months to decide what I wanted to do…and ended up applying to several colleges…and here I am."

Horatio smiled and whispered, "Here you are." With the limited life experience, he realized that the difference in their age was great and he exhaled lightly. Determined not to let that ruin things, he instead asked, "So…what are your plans for after school? Do you have a job lined up?"

"I've already got one actually. Medical Transcriptionist. It's four days a week, for four hours a day, but, it helps pay a few of the bills. My grandmother left me enough money to cover the rest and the upkeep on this place for awhile." Smiling, she tilted her head some, "But, once I graduate I'm hoping to be able to get into an office management position."

Horatio chuckled and shook his head, "Office management, it sounds so…safe. At least you're doing something that you want to do, that's what matters." He squeezed her hand and asked, "What about family, do you want one some day?"

Smiling more, Taylor nodded, "Oh yeah. I'd like to have at least two children someday. I was an only child, so I know what it's like to have to play alone sometimes, and it's not fun. I figured with two, they could keep each other company."

"Yeah, well, I had a brother, and he was hell on wheels. He was so hard to keep up with. Ray…he had his own ways of going about it." The brief thought of his deceased brother brought about a thick silence and he averted his eyes.

Noticing a change in him, Taylor lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry, Horatio. I take it you and your brother don't get along now."

Looking to her, he lifted her chin and shook his head, his voice quiet, "Taylor, my brother's dead. He's been dead for a couple of years now…"

Shocked at his admission, Taylor blinked and crinkled her brow, "Oh Horatio…I…I'm sorry…"

"It's alright, Taylor. Raymond's been gone from my life for years, his death, although hard, was not a surprise to me. I see his wife and son sometimes, but mostly, it's just me." Horatio reached to caress her face and smirked, "He's in a far better place now."

Seeing he'd dealt with the loss and had for the most part moved on, Taylor nodded and whispered, "It doesn't have to be just you anymore, Horatio."

He smiled and then chuckled, "It's nice to know that there is someone out there that's open to something new."

Moving closer to him, Taylor placed her hand onto his chest, her fingers playing in the hair there, "I believe in being open about things…whether it's about life…food…everything really. How else will we know what we like and want."

Loving the feel of her hand on his chest, Horatio nodded, "I believe in being upfront, there's no reason for someone to have to guess what you want." Looking to her, he asked, "What do you want, Taylor?"

"Happiness…and love. Sometimes I wonder if a person can really have both," she replied softly." Seeing his curious expression, she breathed out softly, "I've never really had both together."

"You've never been in love and happy? What's the world coming to?" Turing to her completely, he smiled, "That's gotta change, Taylor. You've got to experience love and happiness."

Dropping her eyes down to the sheet, she frowned slightly, "I've been in love…only he didn't know…or didn't want to know. I tried to tell him, but…he's gone now." Looking back up at him, she shrugged slightly, "He was a good friend though."

"What happened to him? Was he a student at the university?" Horatio asked as he centered on her. He could tell the despair was deep and that she was trying in vain to hide it. Caressing her face softly, he said, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Taylor. I understand."

"He…he wasn't a student…just someone I'd known for a few years and grew close to. He…he always gave me good advice though, I guess I miss that the most." Slowly looking up at him, tears rimmed her eyes and she shook her head, trying to will them away, "I miss him."

Horatio brought her closer and wiped her eyes gently, giving her a warm smile. It was obvious that she was still hurting, and as much as he didn't want to, he acknowledged his own pain and the reality of the moment. If nothing else, he could be her comfort.

"Taylor, it's going to take you a long time to cope with your loss, but each time you do something that makes you happy, you're making that step." Horatio stared into her eyes and felt the need to love her, to protect her from her unhappiness. Inching closer to her, he asked quietly, "What makes you happy, Taylor?"

Keeping eye contact as he closed the space between them, Taylor whispered, "You did today."

"I made you happy? How?" Horatio knit his brow in confusion, the day being a muddle of drink after drink and then astronomical sex with her. He saw nothing that would stoke happiness in the face of what she was dealing with, but he remained open. "What did I do to make you happy?"

"Just talking to me, being open, listening to what I had to say. Not a lot of people do that with someone they just met. Usually they just focus on themselves…but you didn't," she said softly and then dropped her eyes back down.

Lifting her chin, Horatio shook his head slowly, "Taylor, you needed someone to be there for you, I was that person. It wouldn't have done anyone any good for me to sit and wallow in my own problems when it was obvious that your pain has consumed you. You needed an outlet, and…I was it." He leaned to kiss her and then smiled, "You're a terrific listener yourself. You've done so much for me in one day…"

"You think so?" she asked in a whisper as she enjoyed the closeness they were sharing. Placing her hand back onto his chest, she looked into his eyes, "I feel so comfortable with you."

Horatio laughed and kissed her gently, smoothing the hair away from her face, "We seem to fit. There are no expectations with us." Holding her close, he closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, "We're free to feel how we like."

Wrapping her free arm around him, she sighed contently as she snuggled closer to him, "I don't want this to end, Horatio."

"It doesn't have to, Taylor. We don't have to do anything we don't want." His fingers tickled down her arm and then to her waist, "I don't have anywhere to be anytime soon. I don't see why it has to end."

"But what about your work?" she asked as she left her head and looked back at him, "Don't you have to go in or something?"

"No. I'm on indefinite leave. I called them before I started drinking, I already knew that I wouldn't be going in. I've been temporarily replaced."Grinning, he licked his lips, "So, I can get lost and it wouldn't matter."

His answer brought a smile to her face and Taylor raised a brow as she whispered near his lips, "We can be lost together then…I'm on vacation for the next two weeks."

"Two weeks. We can get into a lot of trouble by then," he smiled as their lips brushed each other. The kiss was simple but morphed into something altogether different as he grasped at the strands of her hair. Pulling himself back, he parted from her and lowered his head, an apology on his lips, "I'm sorry…you wanted to talk."

Moving her hand between them and reaching up, she caressed his cheek, "It's okay, Horatio. You don't have to apologize for that…or anything else here."

The sound of her understanding coursed through him and he took her hand and kissed it. Pulling her close, he crashed her body against his and he smiled warmly, whispering, "You've seen my …intense side, I want to show you how it feels to be loved."

"I want that, Horatio," she whispered softly, getting lost in his blue eyes. Moving her leg and resting it up on his hip and whispered again, "I want that with you."

In response, Horatio kissed her again, feeling his body reacting to hers. It took no time for the kiss to turn and the urgency to burn through him. True, this was someone he met at a bar, but there was something telling him that there was something underneath the core of her.

Parting from her, he whispered breathlessly, "I want to make love to you, Taylor."

With her arm and leg wrapped around him, Taylor rolled back onto her back, bringing him with her and smiled, "Then what's stopping you, Horatio?" The light of the candles flickered around the room and she whispered, "Show me love, Horatio."

Licking his lips, Horatio kept her gaze, the soft glow of the candles encasing her. His heart sped as he thought briefly about what he was about to do but then he shook himself, realizing that with Calleigh's refusal of him or his love, that there was nothing holding him back. Dipping his head, he began to kiss her slowly about the jaw and then further down, nipping at the warmth of her neck, instantly feeling her nipples scraping gently across his skin. He groaned and then kissed her flesh passionately, ready to let go of his control.

Glancing towards the dresser, Taylor then arched her neck, letting him have more access to her skin there. Able to wrap both arms around him now, she held onto him, soft moans of pleasure starting to fall from her lips. "Horatio…" she whispered softly, letting him take her to levels of pleasure that she'd never been to.