Talleigh RP! All are welcome!

((Oh my goodness guys... I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in a while! I've been crazy busy...))

Christine was leaning over Calleigh as Eric got in the room. Eric immediately went to his best friend, who was lying unconscious on the floor.

"Eric! Is he okay, is he going to be alright? What the heck is going on? There was a man in here who was attacking Calleigh, why is all of this happening to you guys?" Christine asked frantically. She was rubbing Calleigh's arm gently. Christine was doing it more to calm herself, than to calm Calleigh, who had fallen back into unconsciousness. Christine was worried about the team, and she couldn't stand seeing all of them the way they were. She knew she had to go and tell Horatio what had happened. He deserved to know.

"Eric, I'll be right back. Horatio should know what happened. Maybe he can get someone in here... like, a uniform at her door, all the time. Are you going to be okay in here?" Eric nodded and Christine left the room on her way to see Horatio.

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Horatio listened to Raymond with clenched teeth as Raymond re-entered the room and continued discussing the gang and its members. Horatio heard the names of the second hand men of the leaders and racked his brain. He wasn't sure if he should recognize any of the names, so he tilted his head slightly at Ray and made eye contact, asking, without words, if he should know any of the names.

"First, and foremost, we have to keep Christine safe. I will do anything it takes to keep her okay. She is everything to me, Ray..." Then, Ray got in Horatio's face and promised on his life that he was there for he and his fiancee, no matter what. "I believe you, Raymond and I know that Christine is grateful for your concern, as am I." Then, he paused, "Raymond, what can you tell me about the gang?" There was a beat, "We can put it in as an anonymous tip. You and I know very well that the Feds can't know you're alive. If they find out... well, God knows what they'll do to Yelina and Ray, Jr." Horatio sat up painfully before saying, "Okay, Ray, you and I are going to try to smuggle me out of here. I have to get to HQ and talk to Frank. I'd like it if you kept a close eye on Christine and the rest of my debilitated team--"

Horatio was cut off by Christine entering his room. She slowly crept in, not wanting to bother the men with their discussion. She sent an apologetic glance toward Horatio, knowing she already interrupted them. Christine was still pale and shaken from the attack on Calleigh. Horatio angled his head at her, a worried expression settling across his worn features.

"Christine, are you okay?" Horatio beckoned her over to him with his hand. She obliged and sat down next to him. She automatically leaned into him and put her head between his neck and shoulder. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Horatio asked, lifting her chin gently.

"Calleigh, she was attacked again," Christine confessed. Horatio's attention quickly went from worried about Christine to an extreme uneasiness for Calleigh. He started disconnecting himself from all of the machines he was hooked to. Christine immediately protested, knowing he still had to rest.

"Somone has to stop this guy. It's done. He's over. Christine, go down to the station and get Frank, please. Raymond... can you follow her in the shadows? Becareful, both of you, and Ray, don't let the feds see you," Horatio cautioned. He stood up and fell into Christine because of his continuted weak state. She caught him, but struggled a little under his weight. Horatio tried to reposition himself to where he could almost support his own weight. Then, he slowly stood up straight, wincing the entire time.

"Horatio! What are you doing? You need to rest! Please get back in your bed. You're still in so much pain," Christine begged him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. This guy must be stopped. He's done threatening my team," Horatio was obstinate. Christine looked at Raymond, in an effort to get Ray's support in the matter.

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Jim finally woke up. He was lying in a complex situation in his car. He roused to the sound of a few police cars. He jumped up and started his car to attempt a quick getaway, only to realize that the sounds were coming from somewhere else in the city, and the sound was just reverberating against the tall buildings around him. He let out a breath he'd been holding for what seemed like forever before pulling out of his parking lot. He removed his disguise and then drove to Taco Bell to reward himself for a job well done. He knew they were scared now.
 
Alexx followed Christine into the room where Calleigh was. As Christine approached Calleigh, Alexx stood back for a second as to not overwhelm Calleigh just getting up. After a minute Alexx approached Calleigh as Christine went to check on Speed. She wanted to make sure Calleigh was alright. Alexx sat with Calleigh for a few minutes while she fell back into a deep sleep.

Only moments after Calleigh had fallen back to sleep Christine rushed out of the room to Horatio's room. Alexx ran after her. She had promised Horatio that she would stay with Christine. In the hall Alexx yelled to Christine "wait a minute. Christine to you really think going back in there right now is the best idea? I know that Horatio does need to know just what happened, but him and Raymond needed to talk. I just wanted to warn you that it might not be the best idea to interrupt them right now." As Christine continued into Horatio's room Alexx could only follow her.
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"The gang has done a very good job of recruiting new men. All but one though, Victor Hugo. He was a partner of a man that you arrested not too long ago."

As Horatio told Raymond as his plan for them to try and smuggle Horatio out of there, a worried look stretched across his face. "Horatio you do realize that any weakness that you may be showing, the gang is going to prey off of. You really should just rest for at least one more day Horatio. You won't be any good to your team dead."

When Horatio stopped him and told him that he wanted Raymond to stay behind, Raymond was suprised. He felt as though he would be of more help to Horatio. However he knew that Horatio knew best in this situation, so he would follow any lead that Horatio set.

Just as Raymond was going to tell Horatio what was going through his mind, he and Horatio both were interrupted by Christine entering the room. The moment he saw Christine's face he began to worry. He feared that something may have happened. As soon as Christine began to describe the attack, Raymond knew that he almost had to stay and help the rest of the team out.

After a moment of Christine and Horatio talking, Horatio attempted to get up out of the bed. Raymond quickly ran over to try and help them so that Horatio would not fall with Christine. After they were settled Raymond stepped back to look at Horatio. "Horatio, are you crazy? You are only going to hurt yourself."
 
Tim was coming to a little, gradually becoming more responsive as the minutes passed. Finally his eyes flickered open and he asks in a groggy voice, "What happened and where is my Calleigh?"

He remembers being woken up by the cloth that was pushed up against his face. He took a breath in, but that had only made the (I'm guessing choloform) work quicker. He also remembers trying to fight, to get away from his attacker and keep Calleigh from harm but before he could, he passed out and fell to the floor.
 
Eric felt Speed waking up.

"Speed...Calm down...Calleigh is ok. The attacker came in again. Thank God Christine was here to save her.

He backs up to allow Speed room to stand.
 
Speed sat up at first, rubbing his eyes. He wanted to jump up straight away and hold Calleigh tight in his arms, but he got enough of a dizzy spell as it is, just sitting up straight made him want to pass out cold again. But he fought against it, eventually getting up and standing next to her. He looks at her for a couple of seconds then looks over to Christine and Delko before crawling into her bed behind her and pulling her close to him.
 
Calleigh groaned a bit. She felt someone behind her and she wasn't sure who it was. Maybe she was dreaming, but she could smell Tim. That natural scent that she'd grown to know and love was right behind her and she knew it. She just hoped that she wasn't dead, because if she was, then that meant that Tim was dead, and she didn't want that.

A few minutes later, she found the strength to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Christine staring at her, and Delko next to her, but she quickly turned around and saw Tim right behind her. She wrapped her arms around him, but when she opened her mouth to say something, a voice no louder than a whisper would come out. Her throat was sore and there were visible bruises. "Tim..." she whispered as loudly as she could, that was all she could do, was whisper. It hurt her, but she needed him to hear her. She needed him to know she was okay.
 
"Shhhh....Calleigh, it's ok.." Tim whispers into her ear and plants a soft kiss on her cheek. He knew she was okay, and he hoped she'd stay like that for a while longer, at least. He was half terrified, half pissed that the man who put her in the first place had the audacity to come after her in the hospital where she was recovering from his last brutal attack.
 
((Sorry.. I forgot to respond to Alexx in my last post, so here you go. :)))

Christine ignored Alexx when she told her that it wasn't a good idea to interrupt Ray and Horatio, but she couldn't help it. She knew that Horatio would want to know about Calleigh and what happened to her. So she went in, with Alexx on her heels and explained everything to Horatio. He decided to take matters into his own hands now and wanted to visit with her. Obviously, Christine and Ray protested.

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Horatio was annoyed at Raymond's reaction. Of all people, he thought his brother would most understand his reasoning and his actions enduced by the emotional pain he was experiencing. He shook Christine off of him and he slowly made his way to the door. He walked past Ray and then leaned on the door frame, catching his breath. He had to see Calleigh. He didn't know why Christine and Ray were trying to stop him. He continued down the hallway towards Calleigh's room, when finally Christine came to his side.

"Horatio, I want you to know that I don't approve of you walking around the hospital in this state. You're not completely healed, and I'm worried about you. I also want you to know that even if I don't like what you're doing, I'll support you, no matter what. I love you, sweetheart," Christine said, walking up behind him. She grabbed Horatio's arm, wordlessly inviting him to support his weight on her.

Horatio was glad to hear that Christine was there for him, no matter what. He already knew that she was, it just made him feel better to hear the words.

They slowly walked down the hall to her room. They saw Speed sitting on Calleigh's bed with her, comforting her and telling her everything was going to be okay. Horatio gently loosened himself from Christine's grip and continued to the bed by himself.

"Calleigh? Sweetie?" Horatio asked for her in a weak voice. He tried to clear his throat in an attempt to fix his minor problem, but it didn't seem to help matters. "Are you doing okay, Cal?" Horatio had made his way to the side of the bed and leaned heavily on the side.

Christine let him go, but she kept a close eye on him. She wished that he would have just stayed in bed, but she knew that his stubborness and the lieutenant in him would always get the best of him. All she could do was let him go. She let a small tear roll down her cheek as she thought there was nothing she could do to protect her fiancee.
 
Alexx stood back as Christine and Horatio talked. As Horatio began to get up to try and walk out, Alexx wanted to protest. She knew somehow it wouldn't do any good. It would only make Horatio want to go more. She just stayed behind him to make sure he didn't fall.

As Horatio reached the doorframe Alexx began to worry about Horatio. He didn't want to see him get even more hurt than he already was. When Christine grabbed Horatio's arm Alexx was alittle relieved. She was still uneasy about Horatio just walking around the Hospital.

When they got to Calleigh's room, Alexx simply stood in the back of the room. She wanted to see how Calleigh was doing, but she also knew how much Horatio wanted to see Calleigh. She knew that those two needed to have a moment together. Alexx just sat back and watched as Horatio went to the bedside of Calleigh to see how she was holding up.

She went to stand next to Christine in the back of the room. She looked over at her " How are you holding up hun? I'm going to stay with you and make sure your safe okay?"

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As Raymond expressed the way he felt about Horatio's decision, he looked at the expression on Horatio's face. Raymond stopped for a second think about everything Horatio said. He knew that Horatio wanted what was best for Christine and the rest of his crew and there was no better man to protect them than the man that knew everything about the gang attacking them. Knowing this was the reason why Raymond was willing stay back. Besides, Raymond didn't want to see anything more happen Horatio emotional or physically. He knew the kind of effect that losing Marisol had on him, he didn't want him to have to go through that all over again. He knew how much Christine ment to Horatio. That was why Raymond was willing to do whatever it took to make sure Christine was safe.

When Horatio got up to walk to Calleigh's room Raymond didn't agree with the idea of Horatio walking around. He didn't want to see him hurt any further than he was. However he knew just what sort of man Horatio was. He knew that Horatio had to see Calleigh, so he didn't not verbally protest.

Walking down the hallway towards Calleigh's room Raymond worried about Horatio the most. He knew that Horatio had to quickly get better for the road ahead. He knew Horatio would be a dead man if he got hurt again. He knew though that the person he really needed to be by his side at the time was the woman he loved, Christine.

When the group got to Calleigh's room, Raymond fell back alittle. He let Horatio have his moment with Calleigh and went to the back of the room to stand next to Alexx. He listened to hear how she was doing as her and Horatio had their moment together.

Raymond went over to Christine who was also in the back of the room. "Christine, Horatio wants me to stay with you and the rest of the team. I'll be able to protect you guys because I'm the one with the most knowledge of the gang that's trying to hurt you."
 
Calleigh sniffled and cried into Speed's arms a bit. She had her head buried in his chest, and her arms were tucked between them as well. She listened to his comforting words, as much as it didn't seem like it, he helped her a lot by just letting her know that he was there. "I love you Tim," she said lightly as she reached up and gave him a kiss.

A few moments later, Horatio appeared at her bedside. She turned around and saw his caring face looking down to hers. She wondered if the bruises on her neck were visible to anyone or not, but that was what she was least worried about at the moment. He'd called her sweetie, which she thought was a very caring way to adress her, but the sound of his voice told her how much he really cared. He sounded very weak, and broken. Hell, he shouldn't have even been up and walking around but Calleigh wasn't about to protest.

"Horatio..." she trailed off, not really knowing what to say. She wanted to say something that would at least comfort him, but she didn't know what to tell him. She figured she'd just answer his question and that would be enough for now. "I'm okay," she said lightly. She reached out and took one of his hands in hers. "Sit down, don't strain yourself," she whispered as she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. She honestly didn't know what else to say, but in this moment, she wasn't exactly sure they needed words to express what they were feeling either.
 
Christine hastily wiped her tear away as Raymond approached her. He said a few things to her, which she barely heard, due to her overbearing thought processes. She wished Alexx was the one who had came to her, not this stranger, though, she couldn't deny being grateful for his willingness to help... much like Horatio would do for a victim.

"What is going to happen to us?" she asked, fearful for Horatio and her own life.

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Horatio smiled wanly at Calleigh when she grabbed his hand. His face paled even moreso as he carefully pulled himself up and into Calleigh's hospital bed. He sat down next to her, secretly thankful for her offer. Tim looked on as he settled down next to her, both of their heads propped up by the raised bed.

The red-head turned toward his friend. "Calleigh, please tell me everything you can about what happened to you. I know that it's going to be difficult, darling, but please try, okay? We have to get this guy," he said in a deeply caring voice. He hated everything that she had to go through. Again, he blamed the new attack on himself. He wasn't sure how it was his fault, but he was still overcome with an enormous amount of guilt. He slowly reached up and pushed a blonde strand out of her eyes.
 
Calleigh made sure that he got onto the bed okay. When he did, she reached for his hand and held it firmly. Tim's arm had found it's way around her waist, and her arm was over his. She heard him ask her to tell him everything that she knew about what happened to her. She didn't really want to say anything, especially with Tim listening, but it was necessary for her to catch her stalker.

"I remember....sleeping. I was sleeping when he came into the room. I heard a thud on the floor, but in my mind, it was just all part of some dream. I didn't wake up until after her shook me. I couldn't see his face. All I know was that he was Caucasian, and that he had a little bit of gray hair sticking out of the hair net. That's all I saw. He had on dark glasses, so I couldn't see his eyes, and the mask hid the bottom part of his face. You should...probably get a picture of these, so you can see how big his hands are," Calleigh said as she pushed her hair to the side to show him her bruises. They were turning a light purple by now, and they were starting to make her sore. Her voice was reduced to a hoarse whisper, but everyone in the room could hear her just fine anyway, so she wasn't too worried about it.

"He leaned down into my ear and he told me that he was going to kill me. I tried to fight him off, but he'd put something into my IV to make me weak, and I couldn't fight back. She put his hands around my neck and he..." Calleigh trailed off and closed her eyes. She was getting a bit teary. She looked over to Tim and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. She needed him to be there, she needed to feel him. "I love you," she whispered to him, so that only he could hear. She then took a big breath and turned to Horatio again. "You can guess what happened after that. I think it was Christine who chased him off, I don't know, I can't remember much before I passed out. When I woke up, Tim was here, and so were a few other people. I was just scared for all you guys, I didn't want him to get you," she said lightly as she held both Tim and Horatio's hand.
 
"I didn't want him to get you"

Calleigh's last few words resonated off Tims skull like the shrill ring of a cell phone. He shuffles just a little closer to Calleigh in her hospital bed, then wraps his arm around her a little tighter. He was here, he was getting as close to Calleigh as he possibly could to give her a feeling of safeness and security that only someone like him could provide.

He gives her a light kiss on the cheek and says, "He didn't get Horatio, and he didn't get me. We're here for you like we always will be, in every way we possibly can."
 
((Okay... Joe, pretend this little bit that I'm about to post is above my response from Christine to Raymond. I missed the part where Alexx responds to Christine, until.. well, now. Thanks, haha))

Christine watched sadly as Alexx walked up to her, she assumed the ME was going to say some words of wisdom, which she often had in these situations, but instead, asked how she was holding up. Before answering, Christine casted another long look at Horatio. Then, she turned back to Alexx.

"I'm holding up okay, I guess... I mean, how should I be holding up? I don't know... I just want everything to be the way it was before all of the attacks. The moment Horatio asked me to marry him was a perfect moment. I wish I could go back to that. But, I can't, and that's okay, because I know that my baby will be okay. Look at him, he's so strong-willed and, well, amazingly wonderful," she said, chuckling forlornly.

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As soon as Horatio settled, Calleigh reached for his hand. She needed all the support she could get to relive what had happened to her, and Horatio was willing to oblige all of the support he could offer.

Then, Calleigh told her story. Horatio carefully nodded, shook his head, and had surprise on his face at all the appropriate times, but he waited until Calleigh finished relaying her story to him to speak. She paused toward the end, whispering in Tim's ear. When she turned back to Horatio, her eyes were getting watery, and one drop spilled over. He gently wiped the tear off of her cheek with a little flick of his thumb. Then, Cal finished her story. Horatio looked over at Christine, who was in conversation with Alexx and Ray, proudly when Calleigh said that his fiancee had fought her attacker off. She had failed to mention that to him when she was informing him of Cal's attack. He smiled, then refocused his full attention to Calleigh. Tim had a few words to say to her about the attacker, and then it was his turn.

"Calleigh, sweetheart, you really can't be feeling guilty about this. None of this, and I mean none of this, is your fault. Just like Speed said, we are both fine, Christine and Alexx are fine, Eric is fine. Even Raymond is fine. We're all fine, Calleigh. This isn't about us, he's not after the team, he's after you, for some sick reason... He's not going to hurt us, sweetie, that's why we have to protect you. You don't have to worry about protecting us, alright?" Horatio put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
 
Calleigh looked between her two, what she thought of now, guardian angels. She had a grasp on both of their hands, and they were both comforting her. She felt safe and secure, just like she always did when she was around them. She wished it would just stay that way for once. She wanted to get out of this hospital. She wanted to go to the beach with time like he promised a while back. She wanted another chance, on that very same beach, for him to ask her to be his wife again, and this time, she wouldn't pass out. She just hated being in this hospital. She wanted out.

"I know he hasn't gotten to you, but the fact that he almost has scares me. Not just because you guys mean the world to me, but because you mean the world to so many other people as well. If he gets to you before he gets to me, then what are the chances I'll still be alive in the end of it? If you're going to be in this, we're going in as a team. No one is being protected by anyone, we're all equal, and we all watch each other's backs. I just don't want this to be a guilt trip for anyone if anything happens. We need to go into it knowing that we are all doing the same job. The fact that he wants me should be forgotten. Please..." Cal said as she looked between the two.

Cal looked over to Christine and saw that the woman looked a little broken. Calleigh slid down to the bottom of the bed, and got herself up. She was a little lightheaded, and she still couldn't walk all that well, but she was doing really good. She walked over to Christine and stopped in front of her. "Christine....thank you," she said before wrapping her arms around her friend and hugging her. Christine had saved her life, and she couldn't feel any more grateful. She looked down to Eric and smiled a bit. She was glad she was surrounded by all her friends.

Soon, she seperated from Christine and went to Ray. She smiled and stuck her hand out. "I don't believe we've met, my name is Calleigh Duquesne, I've heard a lot about you, you were really an inspiration to Horatio, you know," she said in her thick southern accent. It seemed like Calleigh had just gone from broken down, emotional woman to the spitfire southern bombshell she had been just a few weeks ago. Her spirits were lifting as she healed, and it was very noticeable. She had been a bit nervous about meeting Ray, but he looked almost like Horatio, which made it a lot easier for Calleigh to introduce herself.

When she finished shaking his hand, she looked up at him, maybe a little too fast. She felt dizzy, and had to grab his arms to steady herself. "Sorry," she said with a light blush as she stood solidly, yet didn't let go of Ray. She closed her eyes and made sure she wasn't feeling dizzy before finally letting go. "I'm not fully healed yet, but I promise that when I am I won't randomly fall on you," she said with a small giggle. She always did love meeting new people.
 
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