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As Ryan left Eric's room and turned out of the door he saw Calleigh already standing at the main desk with her badge on the counter. Ryan finally caught up in time to hear the woman seated behind the desk say "I cannot disclose that information". Calleigh stepped back for a moment and placed her hands on her hips. To be quite honest it was a little hard to take her seriously in her scrub shirt with her badge as her only means of intimidation. Ryan finally stepped forward in hopes that he would have more luck.
"CSI Wolfe, I think there may be a misunderstanding, this man is apart of an investigation right now" Ryan explained with a smile as he placed his badge on the counter as well while Calleigh snatched hers off. He hoped this would clear up whatever confusion there seemed to be. The woman looked up again as he spoke, recognizing him from only a few moments earlier. She looked disappointed as she replied.
"I understand that, but like I mentioned before, I cannot disclose that information" She sighed.
"On what grounds?" Calleigh demanded as she placed both hands on the counter.
"Calleigh, Ryan, with me please" a voice called out from further down the hall. The two turned to see Horatio standing at the end holding an evidence bag that seemed to be filled. Calleigh looked at him for a moment, trying to understand it all before she began blindly walking towards him. She learned early on working with Horatio that you should never question his abilities. Ryan followed again to catch up.
"Excuse me! You need a warrant for that!" The woman behind the desk called after them as she stood up while simultaneously picking up the phone on the desk. Horatio turned back to her and smiled as he put his sunglasses back on.
"I don't think so" He said as he walked towards the exit with Calleigh and Ryan behind him. Calleigh stopped for a moment after the three had finally exited the hospital. She placed a hand on her side where the bullet had grazed her a few hours earlier. Horatio stopped and looked her over for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay to be -"Horatio stopped as Calleigh raised a finger to him with that crazy smile across her face.
"I am ALWAYS, okay to be working a case Horatio. Don't you underestimate me yet" She said with her southern drawl thick. Truth be told her minor injury did hurt a little more than she anticipated, but then again, how do you really anticipate the pain of a bullet wound skimming your body. Horatio smiled at the ground, he knew even if she was hurting that she wouldn't mention it. Unless of course something was actually very wrong.
"So, ugh, what's in the bag H?" Ryan asked with his hands on his hips, squinting at the sun above them. Horatio offered another smile.
"This, is what's going to tie everything together" Horatio answered simply as he looked down at the bag in his hands, containing the clothes and personal items of the shooter. Calleigh felt her smile wear off as she remembered all of the hurt that had come out of the past month.
"And put this to an end.." She said flattly. Ryan nodded in agreement with the previous statements.
"Meet you back at the lab" Horatio said as he began walking back to his own Hummer. Ryan looked to Calleigh and gestured to the vehicle he had arrived in himself. Calleigh began walking with him, shoulder to shoulder, over to his vehicle. She opened her door and reached up for the handle to pull herself in, wincing as the raise in her arm caused pain in her side.
"You okay?" Ryan asked as he froze in his seat, ready to help if need be. Calleigh pulled herself the rest of the way into her seat and pulled the door shut. She turned to pull her seatbelt on.
"I really wish people would stop asking me that!" She said with a small laugh. Ryan couldn't help the smile he felt spread across his face. He knew she was feeling fine, it was one thing for her to leave the hospital and tell everyone that she was fine, it was another for her to leave Eric in the hospital. Everyone knew that there was something between the two of them. And when one was hurt, the other was always near by. It was assumed that they had feelings for eachother, but nobody knew anything other than that they were very close.
Ryan started the car and drove off, following Horatio back to their headquarters to begin piecing everything together. Calleigh looked out the window as they drove back. It was perfectly sunny, not a cloud in the sky. People walking by to different shops and restaurants, going about daily life. She couldn't understand how their lives were so disordered right now while everyone else's was unaffected. It was so odd to see. They finally pulled up to CSI and began walking towards the entrance just as Vega was exiting with Natalia holding the door open for her. She looked pretty beat up and avoided eye contact as she left the building, meanwhile Natalia had a huge smile plastered across her face. Horatio nodded at Vega as a greeting as she walked by, he always was a properly polite man regardless of the circumstances. Calleigh took her time getting out of the car as she met up with Ryan again and began climbing the stairs. She too watched as Vega walked by and couldn't help but feel pride in the fact that she was leaving.
Horatio stopped by Natalia for a moment and said something that nobody else heard. Natalia nodded back at him and headed down the stairs to meet Calleigh and Ryan. She gave her blonde friend a loose hug and looked her over. "You need a change of clothes" Natalia said with a chuckle, Calleigh couldn't hold back the smile that crossed her face. Of all of the things that she could say or ask, it immediately went to her attire. She was almost thankful that she didn't get questioned about her well being again though. Natalia would likely wait until later to bother with that. She knew Calleigh hated being asked anyways.
"I'm going to catch up with H, I'll see you guys in there" Ryan said with a smile, giving a quick glance to Natalia who smiled back and nodded. Calleigh raise a hand to shoo him away as a joke and continued the walk up the stairs to the entrance, Ryan had already rushed in.
"How is Eric doing?" Natalia finally asked as the two entered the air conditioned building. Calleigh sighed as she put on a forced smile appearance to all of her other coworkers that had clearly heard about what happened earlier. She knew if she didn't, they would assume something was wrong. Calleigh kept up and looked at the floor for a moment as they continued their walk to the locker room.
"He's good! They were able to stop the bleeding and get him back to his room in under an hour, they said the bullet missed all major organs so he was lucky" Calleigh finished, remembering back to this morning when it all had happened. She squinted her eyes for a moment trying to clear the thoughts from her head. Natalia looked over and tried to ignore it, she again, knew Calleigh wouldn't want to talk about it.
"That is lucky, but I have to say Cal, you got the luckier end of it" Natalia said as she pushed and then held open the door to the locker room for her friend. Calleigh walked in and headed to her locker.
"And why exactly would that be, I wouldn't call the past month 'lucky'" Calleigh said as she opened her locker and pulled out a green button up. She turned her back to Natalia and removed the scrub shirt, exposing the gauze pad taped to her side. Natalia felt for her. Calleigh slipped her arm into the button up and began doing to buttons.
"Well, the fact that Eric covered you and the both of you came out with technical minor injuries is amazing in and of itself. We're all lucky, come to think of it" Natalia explained. Calleigh did up her last button and turned back around as she began to redo her ponytail.
"I don't know about all of that" Calleigh reiterated. Natalia came and sat on the bench.
"Listen, we all signed up for this, we all knew that there would be trouble and a lot of risks" Natalia started. Calleigh smiled and rolled her eyes. She had heard that a million times. It was something that they all knew and lived by. Natalia caught the eye roll and laughed while she continued. "We came into this job expecting the crime and the long hours and threat of injury, but we got more than that Calleigh. We got family and friends and people that would willingly take a bullet for us" She said with a genuine smile. Calleigh finished fixing her hair and stopped for a moment to look over at Natalia. She was right, but Calleigh also did not want to have a conversation about Eric right now and she knew that that is where this conversation was heading.
"You're right.." Calleigh finally sighed. Natalia smiled wider at her victory.
"So.. have you two.. Yah know…?" Natalia started before Calleigh cut her off as usual.
"What's the deal with Vega?" Calleigh jumped in. This time, Natalia was the one who didn't want to talk about it.
"I have to clarify some things with Horatio before I discuss any details, but she might be helping us.." Natalia explained quietly, while looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody overheard her speak. Calleigh furrowed her brow as she stood up, looking down at Natalia.
"We don't need help from a person like her" Calleigh began as she walked passed Natalia. She reached the door and turned around at Natalia who was now standing, a disappointed look across her face. "Matter of fact, we don't need help at all" Calleigh finished as she walked out of the locker room. She knew she was probably harsh and that Natalia wasn't the person that deserved her attitude but she was angry. Vega was a horrible person from what she knew. Eric was now in the hospital, someone had tried to personally kill her, and now the law enforcement's biggest legal enemy wanted to help them? It wasn't exactly what she was interested in hearing at the moment.
She stopped once she was halfway down the hall and turned around, her guilt getting the best of her. "I'm sorry" She started as she looked at Natalia who had just caught up to Calleigh again.
"She really could help our case" Natalia interrupted. Calleigh closed her eyes, having zero interest in what Natalia had to say.
"I am sure that you are convinced that this is a great idea, I am just in a different place. Lets just not talk about it for right now okay?" Calleigh offered. She knew Natalia was going to be hurt by her lack of belief that Calleigh had in what she had to say, but she also knew that Natalia would hopefully understand why. Natalia opened her mouth to speak but closed it again.
"Okay" She said simply. Not with defeat, but with the tone that the conversation was not over. Calleigh nodded and the two continued their walk to trace, where they assumed they would find the other two men. Natalia pushed open the door to trace revealing bloodied clothes laid out on the glowing table in front of them, the clothes completely drenched in blood. Natalia walked in as Calleigh stood in the doorway and looked at all of the evidence. Eric's shirt laid out as well, with Calleigh's next to it. It was unreal. Horatio stepped away from behind the table, grabbing a few jars off the table as he walked towards Calleigh, who was still frozen in place.
"Calleigh, a word please" Horatio said with a small smile. Calleigh nodded as she finally pulled her eyes away from the bloodied clothes and backed out of the doorway. Once the glass door shut behind them Horatio looked her over. She seemed lost in thoughts. He felt his forehead wrinkle with concern. Calleigh look at him and furrowed her brow again.
"Horatio" She started. He smiled again. He knew she had said she was okay already, he also knew not to push it.
"We will have more than enough hands in there, and I think it would be more convenient to have you analyze our bullets. The gun has already been placed in the armory, and these are for you" Horatio said as he held out the jars containing bullets. Thankfully they had been cleaned of blood already. Calleigh gladly took the jars, finally some normality.
"I'll let you know what I find" Calleigh said as she turned to walk towards her home away from home. Horatio reached out a hand and gently grabbed her arm. She turned around and looked at him.
"If you need anything.."He started.
"I will let you know" Calleigh finished with another smile. She knew Horatio was always concerned about her. It was one of the only people other than her father that she would allow it from. They had known and worked with each other for a long time now. Been through almost everything. "Multiple funerals, deaths, injuries, and personal family issues. She watched as he nodded back to her and watched carefully as she turned back around and headed down the hall. After a few steps she heard him open the door back to trace. It hurt her that everyone was so worried about her. She wanted them to be back to normal. The more they worried about her, the more she thought they might have something to worry about. The blonde gun expert finally reached her lab and felt relief rush over her. The while evidence container sat on her table, wrapped in red evidence tape. To Calleigh it looked like a wrapped gift under a christmas tree. Matching the bullets to this gun was going to make the case against at least Eric and her and the sniper. It could potentially help get Bryan if they were lucky. She cut open the box and carried the gun to the shooting range, placing it down on the counter while she put on her ear protectors and glasses. She loaded the gun and picked it up, aiming it at the target, firing it once. She placed the gun back down and removed her protective gear as she walked towards the gel block, holding the bullet. She extracted it and looked at it as it gleamed in the light.
"If you can't get back, get even" she said to herself quietly, knowing in her heart it was a match. Now just to prove it.
OKAY GUYS! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! So much more to come for this story and I'm really excited for you guys to experience it with me :) Let me know as usual what you think, and what you think will happen next?! And as I mentioned before, please please please fill out my poll! It'll help a lot with my planning for the next story!