Title: I'll Never Let You Go

Author: AllOverTheWorld

Summary: A killer with a grudge against Serbian immigrants is quickly increasing his body count in Miami. Can Horatio and Calleigh stay focused on the work after an event at the crime scene brings new and undiscovered feelings to the surface?

Authors Notes: Thanks to ladyd10, snow6835, Amythest Lilly, daxy, elislin, Pinkyster, sunshinebulletgirl and muddpuppy19 for all reviewing! After some writers block here you go:

Calleigh hated being outside of the loop, it made her feel like an invalid, someone not good enough to know what was going on in the real world. Of course, she knew that all of that was a lie but as she paced relentlessly around the small apartment she couldn't help but wonder about the 'what ifs'.

What if the suspect had booby trapped his apartment?

What if he had been waiting for Horatio and Eric to arrive?

What if…

What if…

What if…

She wanted to force Frank to take her to the apartment right now but knowing the Texan she would sooner fly to the moon then get to that apartment "Are you ever going to sit down?" Frank asked "You're making me nervous."

Stopping her pacing for a moment Calleigh leaned against the wall in between the two windows so she could give Frank a withering look "I hate being trapped like this." She said

"I understand, you think I want to be here babysitting you?" he said, a slight smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"No one's stopping you." She retorted "Door's over there." She said gesturing with one hand.

Frank laughed "I go out that door and my career's over, I'll taking the babysitting duty."

"Do you have to call it that?" she asked

"What babysitting?"

"Yes." She said "It makes me sound like I'm five."

"If Horatio didn't know that the second he left you would hotwire a car and follow him, I wouldn't be here."

"Hey" Calleigh protested "I wouldn't hotwire a car I'd convince a uni to drive me over there."

"Oh, great" Frank said "Ruin some poor officer's career."

"I just don't get why he thinks' it is necessary to keep me locked up here. I can handle myself." She said, for the hundredth time that evening.

"He knows that." Frank said "Just with this killer after you and all he would rather not be standing over your grave. He's worried."

Calleigh sighed "I guess I'm just not used to having someone worried about me."

"Comes with having a lover." Frank said

"You know that how?" Calleigh questioned

"I haven't been single my whole life." Frank said, mocking anger "I'm telling you that there are certain things you should expect when it comes to love and worried partners is one of them."

"Basically there's a fine print to every relationship." Calleigh said

"Exactly." Frank said and turned to look inside the fridge "How does Horatio expect you to stay here if there's no food in the fridge?"

Calleigh shrugged "I'm sure he has it all figured out."

At that moment Frank's cell phone started vibrating on the kitchen table and he picked it up and looking at the caller ID he said "Speak of the devil." Before answering "Hey Horatio, any luck with the apartment.'

"Not at all Frank." Horatio said sighing "All we got was proof of premeditation."

"Shame, any clues as to where the guy went?"

"None, the apartment looked like he had just left. There was something else that we found though-" he said

"This doesn't sound good." Frank commented

"It's not. Sabtanovic stalked all of his victims before he killed them. He found out their routines, patterns, eating habits, what kind of gas they put in their car, everything. Each victim had an entire wall devoted to their lives."

"And let me guess." Frank said "Calleigh has her own wall?"

"Yes. It's not as in depth as the rest but he still had too much information on Calleigh, I think she's one of his next targets."

"You used the plural, so we have more than one target?"

"I've got Ryan tracking them down as we speak and I've got Delko sending alerts to the airports, train stations and bus stops as a precaution. I don't think this guys going to flee until he's finished what he started."

"I agree."

"Which means keep Calleigh-"

"Away from all windows, doors and strangers, I got it Horatio." Frank said

"I'll be there in five." Horatio said and the line went dead.

Frank sighed and turned back to Calleigh who had already moved out of the view of the windows "I figured that you were talking about me and not the neighbor's cat when you said away from all windows, doors and strangers."

Frank nodded "Sabtanovic wasn't at the apartment and he's added you to his hit list."

"Wasn't I on it before?" Calleigh asked, gesturing to surrounding apartment "I mean I kind of assumed the fire destroying my house was kind of a sign."

Frank shrugged and returned to his investigation of the cupboards and the rest of the kitchen but only succeeded in finding a couple of plates and a pile of mouse droppings "PD really knows how to find the keepers." He said

"I'm thinking about moving in here, it's got a great view and the bathroom ,well who needs modern plumbing?"

Frank laughed "Rent's probably cheap."

Calleigh sighed "The only problem is there's no where to hid all my guns."

"Deal breaker?"

" 'fraid so." She said laughing

There was a gentle knock on the door and instantly both Calleigh and Frank reached for their weapons as Frank made his way towards the door. Calleigh stood in the corner with her weapon trained on the door only to put it down after Frank holstered his gun and opened the door. Horatio stepped across the threshold and quickly made eye contact with Calleigh.

"Good thing you came back" she said

Raising an amused eyebrow Horatio asked "and why is that?"

"I was beginning to think of moving in, you know, now that I have no house and all."

Tactfully Frank took the open door as a chance to leave and give the two some privacy as Horatio moved closer to Calleigh "I don't think that's necessary."

"Hmmm, really now and what do you have in mind?" she asked, moving forward slightly as her pulse rate began to thump slowly faster in nervous anticipation.

"I wouldn't normally rush this kind of thing but circumstances as they are" Horatio said "would you like to move in with me?"

She nodded breathlessly, so much was going on in such a little amount of time.

"Granted we are going to have to catch the guy who wants to kill me." She said with a soft smile

Horatio was about to respond when he caught a glint of something off of the roof across from the apartment window. His first thought was that it was just the sinking sun hitting a wire or something but the second flash of sun on metal told him this was no wire. Grabbing Calleigh's arm he pulled her down at the exact instant shots began to ring out.

He hit the floor with a thud, Calleigh landing on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. That didn't matter anymore when he heard her anguished cry of pain. Easing himself up slowly, and not in view of the window, he practically yelled "Calleigh!"

She too pushed her self up but with only one arm, the other cradled against her chest. Her breathing was coming in rapid, uneven breaths and she collapsed into Horatio's chest as she let out another cry of pain and her right hand flew up to stem the bleeding from the wound in her left arm. Wrapping her in his arms Horatio said "Let me see sweetheat."

She slowly moved her fingers and allowed him to inspect the wound. Lucky for her it was only a flesh wound but for a flesh wound it was pretty deep. Blood was racing down her arm and soaking into his trousers but none of that mattered, his head turned and he pulled out his gun as the door whipped open and the young officer who had arrested him stepped into the room with his own gun drawn.

The officer spotted the broken glass from the window but before he could radio for help third gun shot went off and he fell to the ground. Frank was standing in the doorway behind the now fallen officer but Horatio yelled "Stay back!" he said and reached for his phone "This is Horatio Caine and I need immediate medical assistance at" as he rattled off the address and apartment number Calleigh let out another, slightly more muffled, cry of pain.

After he hung up the phone Horatio turned to the young officer who's eyes were open, but he was lying perfectly still "Are you alright?" he asked

The officer didn't move"Kevlar stopped the bullet but I probably bruised a rib." He said, through barely moving lips "What about her?"

Calleigh sat up slightly, still holding the bleeding wound and through gritted teeth she said "Just a flesh wound."

Horatio took her up in his arms and said "Stay down."

Calleigh wanted to tell him to stuff it but the pain radiating from her arm was so burning, so intense, that she simply collapsed into his chest. More gunshots rang out but these sounded slightly more distance and Horatio hoped that they were of Dejan Sabtanovic being taken down.

Alright, so let's just say that I am suffering from a MAJOR case of writers block and that is why I have been rather delayed in the posting. I do have more chapters outlined I just needed the inspiration to write them in a fashion I liked. That said I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried to have a little Calleigh/Frank dynamic but I'm not really sure how it turned out. Will they catch Dejan? Horatio and Calleigh living together! Argh so many more questions! Anyway… Thanks for reading.

AllOverTheWorld