A/N: I realized I forgot to mention this at the beginning of chapter one: NONE OF THE CHARACTERS OR CONCEPTS FROM THE SHOW BELONG TO ME. Sad, but true. I don't even own a Hummer. I'm not making any money with this. If I were, I'd own a Hummer :D

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Calleigh couldn't help but be amused by Horatio's scowling efforts to hypnotize the car back into action. He was alternately glaring at the front bumper, brooding over the rearview mirrors or glowering at the dashboard, supporting his actions by taking his sunglasses off and putting them back on at regular intervals.

True, it was not the most desirable situation she could have imagined, but the company could have been worse and so could the prospects. After all, Tripp knew exactly where he had left them, and their friends were bound to notice their co-workers' absence in a few hours. All they had to do was wait.

Unless of course, complications would set in.

Horatio was thinking along the same lines, it seemed.

"Maybe we should turn the A/C off," he suggested in a quiet voice.

Calleigh looked at him as if he had just asked her to walk back to the HQ. "Excuse me?"

"I'm thinking about the batteries," he explained.

If possible, Calleigh's look of incredulity became even more disbelieving. The Hummer was supplied with a potent power source. "How long do you suppose we're going to be here?"

He didn't answer, and she felt a twinge of panic.

When it had become obvious that they were not going anywhere on their own volition, they had retreated to the preferable comfort of the car's interior. Calleigh had adjusted the climate control to a frosty breeze that would have done a Nordic blizzard justice and aimed the steady airstream at her face. Horatio, meanwhile, had silently taken up position in the driver's seat again. His hands where now firmly placed on the steering wheel, as if he expected the car to spring back to life any second and wanted to be ready when it did.

But then why did he worry about their power supply?

"You're not suggesting this situation is going to last longer than the batteries, are you?" Calleigh managed to weave a cheerful scoff into her voice.

Any cheerfulness eluded her at his answer. "We don't know that," he told her quietly.

"They're bound to miss us at the crime lab," Calleigh insisted.

"Are they?" He shot her a quick glance. "Eric and Speed are working a scene, I don't know if they will even check back in today. I sent them there myself, told them to be thorough. Alexx has taken the day off, so she doesn't even know we're gone…"

"… and Tripp is not likely to contact us today because he doesn't expect any results so soon." Calleigh finished for him. The reason for Horatio's sulky mood was becoming apparent to her now. Tentatively, she reached out and turned the air condition off. The low humming deceased and the natural sounds from the swamps found their way inside the car, drawing all attention to the outside.

It was barely past noon and the sun was a glaring ball of fire above them. In the stark sunlight all the colors seemed surreal and everything was in sharp contrast. Never had nature looked less idyllic.

Even with all the crime-scenes she had seen in broad day-light Calleigh would never have imagined that a sunny panorama could suddenly seem so eerie. She didn't notice Horatio taking off his sunglasses just to tinker with them, all the while staring at his hands as if contemplating deep thoughts. When he finally spoke, something in his voice made her look up.

"What about John Hagen?"

"What about him?" Calleigh asked, alarmed. For the first time she became really aware of the fact that there was no way out of this situation. Not only did they have no one looking for them. Also, if Horatio decided to subject her to vexing small talk about one of the biggest mistakes in her life, she would have to face it. Or she could opt to run off screaming into the wetlands, of course.

"Is … ahm … is he going to miss you?"

Calleigh needed more than a moment to process this question in its proper context. "Oh, you mean, is he likely to notice I'm missing?" Of course that's what he meant, she chided herself mentally. What else would he be talking about? Was she really thinking a private place was all it took for Horatio to start taking an interest in her that went beyond their professional relationship? Granted, this was as private as it got, but their surroundings were not exactly encouraging idle chit-chat.

"Him and me … that didn't work out," she told Horatio truthfully. "So no, he's not expecting to see me." She was oddly relieved to have made it a point she was not seeing Ray's former partner anymore, even though she was surprised Horatio thought they were still an issue. For some reason, she felt the need to explain things further. "It was nothing, anyway," she added with a light smile. "His views and mine – they didn't mix."

"Well … that's bad news."

"Oh no, I'm actually glad it's over. It wasn't much to start with," Calleigh emphasized.

"I mean for us."

"Why would that be … oh," she bit her lip as she finally caught on. He is still talking about your present situation, Duquesne, she reminded herself. Maybe you should start paying attention to it as well. You're still stranded in the middle of nowhere with a fresh supply of latex gloves and UV lights and fingerprint detection kits but not a crumb of bread. Maybe there are more urgent matters at hand than your ill-advised fantasies. Did I mention alligators?

She was so busy being embarrassed about applying everything he said to a more personal level that she almost missed his next remark. "Beg your pardon?"

"I said …" he repeated in a low voice, "… that in a way, this can also be considered good news," he made a short pause, during which he leant closer to her, and let his voice drop even more while adding, "… for us."

With one smooth movement he was gone again, unboarding the vehicle and making his way to the rear doors of the Hummer. While he was searching for whatever it was he was hoping to find in the back of the car, Calleigh just sat there motionless, her mouth still in the half-opened position his last statement had induced.

Now they were talking complications.