Title: Sacrifice
Author: lildreamer
Rating: K+
Pairings: DuCaine friendship, HipHuggers angst
Spoilers: "Seeing Red"
Summary: Tag for season finale.
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami or any of its characters. So don't sue me!
Read on…
She shot him.
Calleigh's heart dropped into her stomach. She felt sick. The haunting images of the shoot-out earlier that day replayed in her mind. By the time she had spotted him, it was too late. She had already left her mark on the silver car, having shot at it several times beforehand with pinpoint accuracy.
He had looked right at her as they passed, his chocolate brown eyes filled with anguish, pleading for her forgiveness. But the shock of seeing him there had frozen her in place. So by the time her mind had finished processing what had happened, he was gone.
She had hoped and prayed that she hadn't hit him. But in the back of her mind, she knew. There was no way she could've missed. Because she never missed.
What have I done?
For the very first time, she cursed herself for being so good with guns.
She felt a cold tear slide down her face. She had shot Eric. And now he was somewhere out there bleeding, fighting for his life. The thought was devastating. Another tear followed the first, then another and another. She couldn't remember the last time she had let herself cry. Really cry. Some days after a hard case she had wanted, even needed, to cry but knew if she had started, it would have been difficult to stop. Now she let the sobs wrack through her whole body, the pain too much for her to contain.
Then somehow she was in Horatio's arms, clinging to his shirt and sobbing against his shoulder.
"I shot him…" she choked through her tears. "I shot him…"
"Shh, it's ok…it's all right," he told her gently. "You didn't know."
Calleigh's anguish was causing tears to spring into Horatio's eyes. He couldn't bear to see her in this much pain, but he didn't know how to make this better.
Standing several feet away, in the shadows of the trees, a lone figure watched the two CSIs sadly. He leaned heavily against a tree trunk, trying to ignore the searing pain in his right shoulder. He knew the pain he had caused her and wished with all his heart that he could be there to take it away. But he couldn't. He'd broken the rules. He'd betrayed her.
He could never go back.
He had sacrificed everything to save his father.
A tear broke down his cheek.
I'm sorry…
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