Title: Confessions

Author: innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/Miami Heat/LJ)

Summary: Horatio and Calleigh both end up shot and alone. They confess what they know they should have done long ago…

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

Genres: Angst, Character Study, Drama, Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Suspense

Characters: Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne, Alexx Woods

Warnings: none

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 4 "Finally…"

Author's Notes: this is the final chapter of "Confessions". See! I told ya it wouldn't be more than five chapters… EHEHEHEHEHE Usually I have to tie up all loose ends, but perhaps I will revisit this storyline for a sequel later on ;)

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Days passed, and Calleigh was relieved to be released from the hospital. There was still swelling on her spinal cord, but it had gone down and for as much they knew she was going to get almost full movement back…it would just take time. She wasn't allowed out in the field, and had to attend physical therapy. The doctors had also limited her time standing, not wanting her to cause anymore damage. It felt odd that she was being released because Calleigh felt like she should be 100, but at the same time she was ready to go home… She wanted privacy and to sleep in her own bed. She wanted just those simple things that she had been without being in the hospital.

"Are you ready, Ma'am?"

Calleigh smiled seeing Horatio at the door. He had been released three days earlier, and had been spending the later hours of the evening with her in the hospital. The men had argued, at least they had tried to do it quietly in the hallway, on who was to pick her up and because of obligations with work…Horatio was the one who ended up being able to break free to get her. "Ya know I'm perfectly fine," Calleigh said, "I don't need this wheelchair."

"Procedure, Ma'am," he reminded knowing that he hadn't wanted to be wheeled out the other day and hated feeling so dependent on others. "You do want out of here, don't you?" he asked with a bright smile as he started to push the wheelchair out. A nurse was waiting to accompany them out, so she could retrieve the wheelchair once Calleigh was in the car.

"Yes… I do," she told him. "But I miss walking…" Calleigh had realized just how hard it would have been if she'd lost mobility, and she knew that that road would have been one that would have broken who she had worked so hard to be.

Horatio smiled, "I have orders from your doctors," he told her looking down at her surprised look as she looked up towards him.

"I can walk…" Calleigh told him wondering exactly how much the doctors had told him. She hated to look weak, especially in the eyes of the guys she worked with. She had worked so long to prove that she could do just as well as any of the guys she worked with. She had made it to Detective, and most of the guys were shocked with her rank… She didn't want to have to rebuild all of that all over again.

"We're going to take it easy," Horatio told her as they exited the hospital and Horatio pushed her in the direction of the Hummer.

"Horatio—" she started to argue.

Stopping, he unlocked the Hummer and opened the passenger side door. Turning around, he stopped Calleigh from standing, and scooped her up into his arms. He heard the nurse arguing, she was on duty when he had been there and he was sure it was something concerning his own injuries. Once, Calleigh was in the seat, he closed the door and thanked the nurse as she took away the wheelchair before walking around and getting into the driver's seat.

"Horatio, I can still work. The doctors even said I was doing much better than most people do with the injury I sustained," Calleigh immediately defended the moment his door opened on the other side.

He sat in the driver's seat for a minute, silent. He didn't want to argue about work… So, Horatio started the Hummer and started away from the hospital.

The scene before her wasn't her home, and it wasn't the Crime Lab… Calleigh started to wonder what exactly was going on. She had taken Horatio's silence as there was either a problem or he was mad at her. She chose the first as the most likely. The ocean was in front of them, they were parked up on a cliff overlooking one of the many beaches of Miami. It was beautiful…and relaxing to watch… But Calleigh wanted to know what was going on. She was about to ask him what was going on, when he started talking first.

"What do you remember of when you were shot?" he asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the ocean, but removing his sunglasses.

Confusion crossed her face as she thought about his question, "Looking over my shoulder, the sound of the gunfire...the smell…the pain…" Calleigh frowned, "I remember you had me…but everything was sort of fuzzy… Why?"

"You don't remember anything I've said since then?"

"We talked about not being such workaholics yesterday…" Calleigh told him even more confused.

Horatio smiled, they had joked that they could never not be workaholics…and Horatio was sure that there was some truth in that. "When you were shot, Calleigh…you said something to me…" Horatio was starting to wonder if she had been delirious at the time…if it was something that she didn't even know she was saying or if maybe she thought he was someone else.

Blush reddened her cheeks, and she could feel the heat in them as she remembered what he was talking about. "I remember… I thought you knew…but I wanted you to hear it," she confessed. "It felt right… I don't regret it. Horatio, you're my best friend, and I trust you with every part of my being…"

"You never heard me," he told her with a smile as he watched her. "I told you so many times…and every time you had fallen asleep on me." Horatio reached out for one of her hands, "So, let me say it now…"

"I already know."

Horatio was a bit surprised at that statement. Was he that transparent? He had tried to keep his feelings hidden…or was it just because it was Calleigh? Calleigh had been able to read him through even his straightest of faces. She knew exactly what needed to be done in situations…and maybe she knew him better than he had thought.

Calleigh smiled, "We're probably two of the people who are at that lab the most, and you don't think I'd see something like that? It's just not...appropriate for work. Dating co-workers really isn't encouraged."

"I don't want to be miserable all my life," he whispered as he rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. "I want to be happy…and I want you to be happy to." He knew that she was just as miserable in life as he'd been. They'd both had unfortunate relationships and he was sure that they both felt the same about needing happiness… They needed more than the Crime Lab.

"You don't have to be miserable, Horatio," Calleigh told him with a smile. She let her head relax against the headrest and smiled over at him.

Nodding, Horatio smiled and then looked out the windshield out at the water. Right now, it felt perfect. She knew…but he still hadn't said it, and he felt cheated in a way. But it didn't seem that Calleigh needed that verbal affirmation. "I'm not supposed to work for a couple days…"

"Me either," she huffed. She knew that since she had been shot that they had found someone to work ballistics and with her luck it was someone screwing up how she had things and someone incompetent…and most likely male.

Squeezing her hand, Horatio smiled, "You'll survive…"

"So, why don't you come and eat with me?" she offered. "We'll get take out and be recovering gunshot victims together." Calleigh knew that it would be hard…especially with their jobs, but they'd figure that out.

Horatio wasn't so sure it was a good idea; he couldn't tell if she wanted to pursue the idea of a relationship from what they'd talked about. He wanted a serious relationship, and though he didn't take Calleigh for someone who took relationship idly, he didn't want to mess up their friendship either. "Calleigh, I think—"

"Horatio Caine, are you about to turn down my invitation?" Calleigh asked frowning. She could feel his tension. But being miserable was only going to shorten both of their lives. "It's just take out…"

"Calleigh—"

Playing the defenseless maiden was not a card that Calleigh played often, but for Horatio to let down his guard and to join her for the evening, she could sacrifice it. "You do realize…without anyone to keep me company that I'll be walking around and if I fall because of swelling…no one will be there to save me." The smirk that she saw quickly form on his face told her that he didn't believe that she couldn't take care of herself, but she knew right then that she had won.

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Giggling, Calleigh realized that it had been quite some time since she had been so happy about something simple such as an evening at home. She and Horatio had gotten Chinese and had taken it back to her apartment. She had sat on the couch the whole time, as Horatio insisted he needed to get everything. It had become mildly entertaining at times. "Oh my…it's already midnight," Calleigh realized as she looked over at the clock. "How did it get to be so late?"

"I should go," Horatio told her. "I know that you've eaten and you've taken the prescriptions…" He got up ready to leave, smiling down at her. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked propping her head up with her hand, she watched him.

"Tonight."

Calleigh smiled, "Ya don't haveta go yet… I'm not tired yet…" she told him hoping to convince him to stay. She had enjoyed their time together, just talking…no work… He smiled more, and seemed generally happier and more relaxed. "It's not like we're working tomorrow… No curfew."

Smirking, Horatio picked up his jacket off the back of one of her chairs, "You should rest."

"Sitting is resting," Calleigh told him. "Please?"

"Shall I tuck you in?" he joked. It seemed like she was using her not being asleep as her tactic, so tucking her into bed would certainly take care of her not walking around without him being there.

She frowned, "I suppose…if that's my only option," she conceded sighing. She wasn't ready to end the night just yet. "That means I gotta move…" Calleigh mumbled, she'd grown too accustom to her current position on the couch.

Horatio held out a hand and helped her to her feet. His hand found her back and he carefully helped her to her bedroom. He got her to the bed, where she sat facing him. "Now you're in your room safe and sound." He got down on one knee in front of her before she could say anything, "Now, I'm going to go home, but if you need anything, you call." Getting up, he squeezed her hand a bit and then leaned forward planning on kissing her forehead, but his brain changed its mind and his lips found hers. Pulling back, he breathed with his forehead against hers, "I love you, Calleigh…"

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The End