Author Notes: Hey I'm finally updating after almost two years. All my story lines are stuck in seasons 7, but that was the newest season when I first posted my stories and what can I say I really like season 7.

Chapter 9

Hurts Like

Frank paced break room as he waited for Horatio to arrive at the Crime Lab. His mind was could find no rest. He was exhausted and tired. He'd pulled a double the day before and was functioning on only three hours of sleep. He actually had planned to call it quits early today before everything happened. Now it was 3:00am, much later than his originally planned to clock out time, he'd down so much coffee it was as if he'd become immune to effects of the caffeine.

He was being blackballed by the IA, last thing hear was Ryan was being held in an interrogation room other than that he hadn't learned anything about this new evidence against Ryan. He was still pacing when someone came behind him and touch his shoulder, it startled him. It was Natalia and she was in worse shape than him. She mumbled something indistinctively to Frank then floppy onto the couch and started to fade in and out of sleep.

Frank was looking at her, wishing he could do the same when someone else walked into the room. It was Horatio. He walked silently to the coffeemaker and poured himself a cup. He leaned back into the corner in looked into the cup without a word. Frank starred at him a tad bit uneasy, he'd known Horatio to be a man of few words at times, but this silence scared him. The look in Horatio's eyes was different than any Frank has ever seen before. It was angry tangled with sadness and a hint for remorse and betrayal, but there was something more in his eyes something that Frank couldn't quite read. It was the burning need of vengeance.

His head slumped down with his eyes barely ajar, Eric sat in the dark. Despite all the pains and aches that were surging through his body his mind thought only of Calleigh. Most of the events of the last few hours were a blur in his mind, but one, it was the look in her eyes when she saw him. The look pierced worse the four bullets in his shoulder.

As he faded in and out of consciousness, each time he closed his eyes he'd see Calleigh's eyes. They were so full of hurt, confusion, betrayal and disbelief. He'd lied to her and she found out in the worse possible way. He'd witnessed that look in her eyes he'd seen many of times before, but this time it killed him to know he caused it.

There was no way out of this one, he was sure their new blossoming romance was now on rocky roads. It seemed like an irrelevant thought in the current situation he was in, considering his life was in eminent danger, but he couldn't get his mind off of Calleigh; thoughts of her consumed him. He didn't want to be one of the guys who disappointed her, but that was exactly what he turned out to be.

He head was reeling, his body hurt all over, he start fading in and out of consciousness, each time deeper than the last. He felt like he was dying and he probably was, judging from the blood still seeping from his wounds. The only reason he could maintain consciousness for the short period of time because he told himself he was going to pull through for Calleigh. He couldn't leave this world with knowing that he hurt her, He told himself he had to live long enough even if he only could manage an I'm sorry, he owed her that much.

"I'm so sorry" he said aloud, although he was aware he was alone. He was starting to lose his battle to stay awake and was starting to fading. He could now feel the full effects of his injury and it hurt like hell, he didn't know if he could wake up from this one. His mind begin to scramble, confused and distraught he called out "Calleigh" tear pouring down his face "Calleigh"

Just then a beam of light shined into the room. Eric shielded his eyes from the light. A woman stepped out of the light and reached out her hand and spoke. "Eric"

"Yeah, leave it up to Stetler to pick the most public interrogation room" Ryan thought as he waited for Stetler, though it was late the crime lab was busying with activity passerby starred at him wondering what actually he was doing in there. Ryan had been sitting in interrogation room for about an hour; he was getting more irritated with each second that passed. Stetler was taking his sweet time joining Ryan the interrogation room. Stetler was wasting his time, precious time he could be using to find Eric, but he was stuck playing Stetler's juvenile games. He was feed up, he was leaving. Just as he got up to leave, Rick Stetler was turning the corner heading straight for the interrogation room. This didn't stop Ryan; just the same he headed for the door.

"Going somewhere? What do you have to hide?" Rick said, meeting Ryan at the door as he attempted to exit. Stetler put his hand on his chest to stop him.

Ryan rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. "Stetler, I don't know what game you're playing or what you plan to accuse me for I've been waiting in this room for Lord know how long and my fellow colleagues and friend is out missing. I don't have time for this" He pushed passed Stetler.

Stetler don't try to stop him physically this time "You are such a hypocrite" He hissed loudly at Ryan "I knew about your little Gantry stunt, you're suppose up hold the law and you think you can just break it because Horatio Caine is so good a sweet talking the boss. You're all a bunch of criminals" Stetler yelled, Ryan froze and everyone in the hall stopped and stared at the exchange between the two men. Ryan charged briskly up to Stetler, he wanted to punch, he wanted to rip that smirk face, it was right they took his weapon. Channeling restraint only God could give him he held back, the only weapon he used was his tongue.

"Horatio has more dignity in his pink finger than you, criminal, criminal really? How dare make such accusations; you have no ground, no ground to stand on, the company you surround yourself with people like Ron Saris, yeah he he's the cream of the crop." Ryan pointed right at Stetler's face "The only crime we're guilty of is letting scum like you be a part of the force, Go to Hell, Rick." Ryan yelled at the arrogant agent and then turned to leave. Bystanders gasped at the Ryan reaction, watched Stetler's waited on him to reply

"Sure go ahead, Ryan run." Stetler replied in a weak, shaky voice "You're just scared so just go run to Horatio. Your suspension still stands, your done Ryan Wolfe. I got evidence I have against you this time." He yelled after Ryan, waving the manila folder at Ryan. Ryan charged back at Stetler and ripped the folder from Stetler's hand. "This is what I think of your evidence" with one swift motion he ripped the folder in two and trusted it and the air as he said "and your suspension. It won't stand ever." Through the flurry of shredded paper Ryan walked, this time for away for good, leaving the crowd in shock and Stetler to pick up the pieces.

Calleigh woke up; she reached over to the other side of the bed to wake Eric. Her hand grasped the air then fall to the bed, it was cold, no Eric. She sat up out of bed and looked around, no Eric.

"Eric" she called out "Eric" she run her hands though her hair and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Something wasn't right. She normally woke before Eric; sometimes she even had to brag him out of bed when he got a few too many extra winks of sleep. She looked over at the clock, it was blinking twelve o'clock. "Power must have gone out" she thought to herself.

"Eric" she got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, she opened the door. Suddenly someone come from behind and grab her by her waist and pulled her backwards. She let out a scream and began to kick; her captor turned her around to face him. It was Eric he was smiling at her, she stopped struggling and he released her from his grasp. Then he pulled back her into a warm embrace and went in for a long deep kiss. His closeness was so comforting, he broke away softy caressing her cheek. She smiled at him, he returned the gesture then she pushed him away, suddenly she was so angry at him.

"Where were you? Why are you up so early?" she questioned him as she moved passed him and walked into the bedroom once more, annoyed.

"I was uh just restless this morning so I took a walk" He looking at her confused, she shot him a look and crossed her arm around her chest, she didn't believe him.

"What you don't trust me?" he laughed at her angry express he found so cute.

"What? Do you trust me Eric? Tell me the truth, where you with Sharova?" she snapped

"We can talk about this later, I got to go" he said now he was getting angry, he started to walk off.

"I can't let you do that" she said coldly.

She picked up a gun from a dresser nearby and pointed it at him, he looked at her in horror and shock before he could recover she shoot out a couple round into him. He offered her a pain expression then stumbled back into the bathroom and out of sight. Calleigh stood there holding the gun, shocked at what she just done, she run into the bathroom. There was blood all over the floor and Eric was gone, she searched frantic over the bathroom for him, but still no Eric.

"Nononononononono, Eric, Eric, ERIC"

Calleigh jerked up in bed, screaming Eric's name, drenched in sweat. She looked around the room. It was dark and the moon shone in through the window. She looked at the clock it read 3:00am. She put her hands to her face and up through her hair wiping the sweat from her brow and hugged her knees, willing herself not to cry. It was just a dream and although that's not how it happened, it didn't change the facts. She shot Eric and now he was missing and it was all her fault.

Eric reached out of the women's hand and she pulled him into the light. Once out of the room, two sets of hands grabbed him and lifted him on a gurney, which began to be wheeled down the halls. Still temporarily blinded by the brightness of the light he wasn't able to make out any of the faces that surrounded him. Voices spoke over him and hands moved rapidly around his body examining, removing and patching. Everything was a blur, so he called out for Calleigh once more. "Calleigh?" no one replied, but the woman who was still holding his hand squashed tighter.

He looked in the direction of the women who held his hand, but he couldn't see her face. He could only see a head of cascading blond locks and a face that was turned from him. As he started to fade out of consciousness he was lifted into the back of some type of vehicle and he lost hold of the woman's hands. He grasped for her hand once more and after a second of frantic grasping at air, he made contact with her hand once more. In the comfort of the warmth of her hand, he allowed himself fade into darkness knowing he was in good hands.

She finally built up enough strength to get out of bed and walked to the window and peeking though the curtain. She hugged herself tightly and walked over to the nightstand and grabbed her cell. No new messages, no new text and no new news on Eric. She walked into the bathroom and over to the sink, splashing water into her face a few times then wiping it clean. She looked at herself in the mirror and the face the greeted her was that for a stranger. Her face and eyes were red and puffy, she was paler than normal and her hair was still a wreck. She glared at herself a little longer before she exited the bathroom and walk to the kitchen and get a glass of water. Her body ached, it felt as if she'd just run an entire marathon. She walked into the living room and threw herself on the couch and soon she was asleep.

Now she was in the Everglades, she run to the edge on the water and as she reached the bank it began to crumble under she feet. Soon she was swimming, trying her best to reach the bank before it was too far gone, but with every stroke it got farther and farther. She saw a boat in the distance as they got closer they spotted her in the water and went to rescue her, when they got closer enough to reach her someone reached out and offered a hand, but she refused. The bank was still in view she could reach herself. The boat moved on, leaving her to swim to the bank alone.

Soon another boat came and head over to help her, she had been swimming for a time now and she was starting to get tired. This time she took the help when it was offered, but she would only let them take her as close as the bank as possible as then she would continue swimming to the bank on her own.

So as soon as she felt close enough, she got back into the water and tried to reach the bank, but as she reached it, it began the crumbled more rapidly and she was swimming once more. Soon another boat came, but this one didn't stop it moved right in front of her and hindered her from moving forward and the bank got farther and farther away. Now she was out in open water with no shore in sight, alone, treading to stay afloat.

Slowly she started to loss her strength and slip under, the water enclosed her and she began to drown. When she thought all hope was lost, someone pulled her back the surface. It was Eric, carried her back to the shore, finally she was on solid ground and she could breathe again.

And before long she was floating on air wrapped in Eric's arms, she was on top of the world and it was perfect then all of a sudden the world came crashing down, she lost her hold on Eric. She reached out to make contact once more, but found herself grasping for nothing. She reached and reached but nothing, she found her crashing to the ground, heading to disaster at full speed.

Calleigh jumped awake, almost falling off the couch in her wake. Another dream, she shook her head, she couldn't make complete sense of the dreams, but one thing was always the same, she'd loss Eric and end up alone.

Horatio took a long sip of his coffee letting out a long sigh, he was in deep thought. Through the day a bad situation had spiral out control and turned into a totally nightmare. He had sent Natalia and Frank home so they could get at least some rest before they had to return in the morning, he was going to need all the help could get. Through delivery via the office grapevine he had gotten wind of the Wolfe/Stetler pissing match that had taken place in the hall of the lab and with the chief out of the office it seems as if Stetler's accusation against Ryan were going to stick, for now. The searches for Eric brought forth no results, even a trace and it wasn't looking good. Horatio was typical strong and not easily broken, but right now he felt weak. He was already on the ground and he was continuing taking more blows. He only saw things getting worse, in the break room Horatio Caine braced himself for the storms he was going to have to face from both sides.

Hope you enjoyed it, I will update soon. I promise no more two year breaks lol- Quitethefangirl