"What the hell do you mean 'we don't know where he is'"? Eric practically yelled. The team (minus Calleigh) stood around Horatio's desk. Natalia turned around and paced. This was all absurd. Calleigh had finally been released from the hospital after a week and a half and things were starting to look up. Days had gone by now that almost seemed pointless. There was still no word from Rose or the children and the court date was set for tomorrow.

"Vega has made some type of deal with a judge saying that Bryan doesn't feel safe or stable with us knowing his whereabouts. It isn't good for his healing. They're still held under oath to remain in Miami. They just aren't required to disclose any other information to us until the trial date". Horatio's finished while looking down at his file. The room was silent. The chances of him actually trying anything against the team was highly unlikely, but the fact that the man who is responsible for all of these horrible crimes, including hurting one of their own, gets to walk around freely until trial is ridiculous.

"And there's nothing we can do...?" Ryan said quietly. Horatio just shook his head silently. Eric rolled his eyes and threw himself down into the chair against the wall of the office.

"It is of our best interest to keep working on finding more things to pin against him when the trial comes up" Horatio said as he looked up at the team. This wasn't either for any of them, but they needed to keep busy.

Eric got up and started to walk out of the office. "Eric-" Ryan started, in attempt to get him to be level headed. Eric turned around and looked at the three of them.

"Are you going to help me bulk up this case or not?" He said with relatively straight face, but something glimmered in his eye that was almost dark. They were Miami's best, if they wanted someone put away for life, they knew how to do it. Natalia got up without saying a word and left the office behind Eric, immediately followed by Ryan. Horatio leaned back in his chair when the door had finally closed and picked up his phone.

"Hey Alexx, how's she doing?" He started

XXXXXXX

Bryan pulled at his hair and squinted his eyes. "You know you screwed up right?" Vega said to him as she glided across the kitchen, her heels clicking along the tile floor, almost taunting Bryan for all he had done wrong. He gritted his teeth. He just wanted time alone without this woman telling him all of his wrongs. She grabbed an apple off the counter and leaned back as she took a bite. "I mean, granted I am the best lawyer around, you still screwed up" she said confidently. Bryan erupted into a yell as he got up and threw his chair across the room, it smashed into several wooden pieces as is collided with the refrigerator. Vega jumped a bit and dropped the apple.

"I want you out, I want time to MYSELF!" He yelled. Vega composed herself and brushed her hands off on her designer skirt.

"You know I can't leave you alone, breaks the deal we made" she stated calmly.

"Then I'll leave!" He yelled back at her as he walked towards the back door at the end of the kitchen. She felt herself growing agitated. She should have never taken on this case.

"You're going to turn this whole case to shit!" She hissed. He stopped in his tracks. She was right. All he wanted was to be with Rose, and that couldn't happen if he made things worse... Or maybe it could... He paused as the millions of ideas spun through his head like lightning fused tornado. A wicked plan brewing. He turned around on his heel and looked at her.

"I'm going to go upstairs and make a phone call. I want five minutes" he said with a suddenly innocent face. She paused for a moment. She had read in his file that he was bipolar and knew she shouldn't push it an further. She crossed her arm so we her chest.

"You can't make phone calls" she said firmly, "you cannot-" she tried to explain until Bryan cut her off.

"Disclose information about the case. I know, but I just want to talk to my friend okay, I don't have any family and I just want to ask how he's doing, you know? Talk to someone that doesn't think I'm this horrible person, just talk about something other than myself..." He looked down at his hands that were still bruised, one of his arms still wrapped up. Vega felt for him... He was a criminal of course, but he still had feelings. And that was where she made her first mistake...

"Five minutes" she said seriously. She handed him his cell phone back. He nodded his head as to thank her. And walked away slowly until he could shut a door behind him. A warm feeling spread over his body and a crooked smile across his face. He dialed and listened to two rings until the person on the other line picked up.

"You're all over the news you idiot, what the hell were you thinking?!" The man yelled. Bryan rolled his eyes and let him lecture.

"I have a plan, and it'll fix everything. I'll pay you back, I just need your help to get it done" Bryan said calmly. The man on the other line was silent for a little while..

"What do you think is going to get you out of this..?" Bryan smiled to himself, he got him on the hook.

"I can't get out of my charges with Rose yah know, but they won't be too bad. But the cop offense.." Bryan started.

"Yeah you idiot why do you think I'm so mad?! That was stupid of you! You know better! Nobody would do that in their right mind Bryan! And what? Now it's my job to bail you out of something again..." The man ranted. He seemed frantic, as though this was a scenario he had dealt with before. Bryan let the empty pause hold for a moment.

"If the cop is gone, there is nobody to really testify, and no cop charges would be able to hold" Bryan said quietly. The man on the other line was quiet for a moment.

"You want me to kill some cop?!" He hissed into the phone.

"No, I want you to hire someone to do it" Bryan hissed back. Their banter almost familiar. There was an audible sigh from the other line. Bryan heard a knock at the door. Vega. He quickly walked to the farthest corner of the room and whispered "Her name is something Duqense, she's short and blonde. My trial is tomorrow. Get it done if I mean anything to you" Bryan rushed in a whisper as he quickly hung up and then deleted the phone call history. He rushed back over and opened the door and handed her the phone. "Thank you" Bryan said quietly as he walked passed her and headed towards the living room. A dangerous smile began to spread across his face as he walked to the couch. This might just work...

XXXXXX

Calleigh paced the room. They had finally got her caught up on everything and just as she was working on her statement for the trial tomorrow she got the call about Bryan. She took it fairly well, probably the best out of everyone on the team. She was worried that something could happen.. But Bryan vendetta wasn't against her, she was just in the crossfire. The chances that he would attempt something against her was slim to none. She hung up the phone politely and went back to work with Alexx on working on her statement. And that's how they got here. Alexx stumped her. She had been asking questions that Vega or the judge may ask to prepare Calleigh for the trial. It wasn't her first trial either, and Calleigh was great in court. She was strong, confident, and demanding. But something about this case felt different, as if something more were on the line.

"It doesn't feel right, something isn't right, I can feel it" Calleigh said while staring at the ceiling, trying to put her finger on it. Alexx got up from her chair and put a hand on Calleigh's shoulder.

"I know this is all crazy and happening fast, but it'll get better after this passes. Everything is right here!" Alexx tried, in efforts to calm Calleigh. Calleigh placed the palm of her hand on her forehead.

"I can't explain it. But something is off. I don't know. Run it again?" Calleigh asked. Alexx smiled and sat back down in her seat. "Tell us what you know about Bryan" Alexx started. Calleigh wiped her hand off on her pants and began. She knew her statement was solid, and that he would get put away. But the feeling wouldn't stop irking so she worked on this to avoid thinking about it. She was spending the night with Alexx and then Eric was to be by to pick her up tomorrow for the trial. They would meet the rest of the team there, but for safety reasons, keeping Calleigh somewhere people wouldn't think to look was just procedure.

Hours had gone by at this point. Calleigh looked at her phone , "2:32" was the time that glowed brightly in the dark room. She couldn't sleep. Alexx had been great, keeping her company, running her statement, even making diner. It had been hours and Calleigh couldn't sleep even if she tried. That feeling was still there. That something wasn't right in the plot of it all. If she closed her eyes for too long she would see the way Bryan looked at her with a gun pointed at her skull. It was haunting. She had had many guns pointed at her in her career and none shook her quite like that one had. She clicked her phone again "2:34". Calleigh sighed and rolled her head back. She sat up and sent a blank email to Eric. No subject, no text. It was something they did, to see if the other person was busy. The two of them, as do many people, keep their notifications off for new emails, it would just silently show up on their lock screen. If you happened to see it, you were available, but not bothered. Calleigh hit send and rolled over on the couch.

Bzzz bzzzz

Delco: "Can't sleep?" Her screen lit up. Calleigh smiled and unlocked her screen to reply.

"And why are you awake?" She typed. Her screen showed that he was typing before she could even exit the message.

Delco: Not exactly in the coziest sleeping quarters". Calleigh raised an eyebrow at the text. "I've been parked outside since 12, you didn't actually think I'd trust a random police officer over myself?" The second text read. Calleigh felt herself blush and held the phone to her chest. It was typical of him, and it's true, he would always rather do something himself. She got up off the couch and peeked through the blinds. She couldn't see much other than the gleam off the Hummer parked on the curb. She rolled her eyes as she slipped on her flip flops and carefully opened the door and walked to the vehicle. Once she got close she could make out Eric's smirking face as he leaned over the armrest and pushed the passenger side door open.

As soon as she opened it and locked eyes with him she felt at rest. There was something about being in his presence that held her together. She was a strong person, and very independent. She didn't need anyone. But there was something about being around him that kept her strong, kept her confident, and kept her ... okay.

She grabbed onto the safety handle and pulled herself into the Hummer as she usually did, then turned herself in her seat to face him. He placed a hand on the side of her face and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. Calleigh reached up and put her hand over his. He offered her a gentle smile, which she was greeted by when she reopened her eyes. "Only a few more hours, and then all of this is over" He said quietly. He knew that this case was different for her. It was different for all of them. They've had hostages, kidnappings, and bullet wounds all before. Calleigh had been on death row this time, they hadn't been that close to losing someone in a long time, not since Eric got shot…

Calleigh sighed gently and relaxed her back against the chair and looked out the windshield. He was right. Just a few more hours She just had to tough it out through that trial and then everything would be okay. Things would settle out, her and Eric could finally talk, Calleigh could get back to work. . .

"Where'd you go querida?" Eric asked softly, he didn't want to disturb her. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts bout in a peaceful way. It was likely the only type of 'rest' she had gotten all week. Calleigh blinked a few times.

"Just thinking of how everything is going to change when all of this is over, when things finally settle" Calleigh answered with an exhale. Eric reached over and grabbed one of her hands with his own and kissed the top of it.

"Just a few more hours Cal" He said, and that was the last things she heard before she finally drifted off into sleep. Granted it was in the passenger seat of Eric's car, she slept well. Eric didn't have the heart to wake her, the bags under her eyes told the truth about how much sleep she had been getting. She woke a few hours later to the Hummer moving. She squinted her eyes and rubbed at her neck. Sore.

"Didn't want to wake you, we're heading back to your place, figured you would want some time to get ready" Eric explained. "And yes, I let Alexx know that I had you". Calleigh looked at the clock, 9 AM. Did she sleep in the car? Eric looked over at her and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the confusion on her face. She looked so sleepy, it was adorable. He could never comment on that though, not unless he wanted a hard slap across the face.

"Thank you" She said as she readjusted herself in the seat into a sitting position as she pulled down the mirror to look at herself. Eric nodded back at her as a way to to her thanks. Something that didn't need thanking. He would do anything for her in a heartbeat, and he knew she would do the same. A few minutes later of driving in silence they arrived at her place. Nothing out of the ordinary but Eric still took his time to get her door with on hand on his holstered gun the entire time. Calleigh hopped out of the Hummer and began the walk to her front door. It was hard not to feel self conscious. It still felt off and she still hadn't figured out why. She walked behind Eric as he walked up to her door and looked around. Everything was in place. Calleigh smiled as she walked passed him and used her key to unlock the door. Eric himself had a key to her place, as she had to his. Just in case of emergency. They were each other's ICE contact as well. They never really thought much of it. Eric thought about it before using his key, he'd only had to use it once. He thought about it over in his head while she unlocked the door. It was almost a year ago when she had called saying she needed help and they she wouldn't be able to get the door so he needed to use his key. Eric in a panic rushed over and got in as quickly as he could only to find Calleigh on her kitchen counter, soaking wet, with both her hands over the spout that was still spraying out water. He almost immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter. He'd bring it up later after the trial to keep her in good spirits. He watched as Calleigh walked straight back into her room. Eric plopped down on the couch. Being able to stretch out his legs felt good. He ran back out to his Hummer realizing he had forgotten his change of clothes. As he shut the trunk to the Hummer he got an odd feeling… He looked around the surrounding area for a short while and returned back into the house with his suit in hand.

30 minutes later Calleigh arrived from her room dressed in a simple suit. She wore a plain grey button up blouse with high waisted black slacks. She pushed her hair up into a high ponytail and put on a simple pair of black heels. She was still slightly bruised in the face but left it untouched. She would not hide what had happened. She eventually emerged and looked at Eric straightly. This was it. Eric nodded at her and reopened her front door and escorted her to the car again. This was the day, this was the trial.

FRIENDS! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! You guys have been such great followers of this story and always leave me such sweet reviews. I love hearing about how much you guys enjoy it or when you specifically like one section! It's great to know that people out there enjoy my work! So as always, let me know what you thought! And what's going to happen next?