From Fiasco to Something Beautiful (A CSI Miami fanfic)

FROM FIASCO TO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

 

“I think you helped cover for two murderers.” Stetler’s voice seemed to echo and seemed distant, but loud, like it was booming.  She could hear him and his accusation plainly. 

            “What?!” She was taken aback.

            ”I believe you are familiar with Seth McAdams and Tommy Garver.”

            “Yes.  They KIDNAPED me, Rick.”

            “I know that.”

            She rolled her eyes.  “I know that.” She said, sarcastically. 

            “Miss Duquesne, that isn’t helping.”

            “Well what do you want me to do, Rick?  You’re acting like that was no big deal, and that me getting kidnapped was my fault or something.  It wasn’t.  And as bad as they were, they didn’t kill the poker player.  Acute arsenic poisoning did him in. “

            “You still covered up an investigation.”

            “Not really.  Only on the surface.  They wanted me to cover up their murder, so I pretended to do that, but I would leave clues for the team to find.  If I was really trying to cover it up, why would I do that?”

            “I don’t know.  Maybe you really want to be in league with the criminals.”

            “That’s bull and you know it.”

            “What if I don’t?”

            “Well find a way of knowing, because I’m innocent.  I didn’t do anything wrong.”

            “Well, I’ll just have to question your friends then.”

            “Go right ahead.”

She knew her friends would side with her.  Stetler was a jerk.  This whole thing was embarrassing however.  She hated this feeling.  She had always tried to do her best, and uphold the law.  That was her job.  Having someone question her was embarrassing and almost felt like a violation.  But right now, there was nothing more she could do.  He was going to talk to the team.  They would be on her side, especially Eric.  Of course, that was obvious.  He had been so great about the whole thing.   And she felt closer to him now than she ever had before.  As of now, though, she didn’t know what to do about it.  She had too many problems at the moment. 

 

Stetler brought in everyone for questioning.  He even dragged Alexx in from home and made her answer questions about Calleigh’s character.  She woman shook her head.  “Don’t you have anything better to do, Rick, than harass an innocent girl?”

            “Ha ha.”

            “It’s not funny.  Calleigh Duquesne is a fine person and a great CSI.  She is upstanding.  Considering all the crap she’s had to put up with, with her dad and all, she’s very positive.  Bright and happy.  And she DID NOT help murderers.  They’re behind bars now.  What more do you want?”

Of course, Rick had to admit, she had beat him. The next person he brought in was Natalia Boa Vista.  He thought that surely she’d talk, because she used to be a mole from the FBI, but, she said that Calleigh was a friend, and she led them all right to the criminals. Then, Ryan Wolfe, who Stetler hated.  He hated that Wolfe had gotten back on the force.  He should have never been allowed to come back.   “There was no cause for them to kidnap her, other than to hide their crime.  The whole thing was started because Cooper was pissed at Calleigh for making him lose his job.  He basically handed the criminals her phone number on a silver platter.   Now, I didn’t hear what the exact problem was with Cooper, but Calleigh doesn’t stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.  She’s not that kind of girl Rick.   She isn’t covering for anyone.  Leave her alone.” Wolfe had said.

            “Who, might I ask, besides Miss Duquesne would know about this incident?”

            “Um, Delko.  It was between Calleigh, Delko and Cooper.  I have no idea what about.”

            “I’ll question Delko then.  Now, get out of here.”

            “Ok.  Geez!”

And he was gone.  When Eric Delko walked in the room, it was obvious that he knew that Stetler was trying to get dirt on Calleigh.  He had an attitude that just said, “You’re an ass.”

When Delko sat down, Stetler said, “Do you know anything about am incident involving CSI Duquesne and Dan Cooper?”

            “Yeah.  Why?”

            “What was the incident about, and what became of it?”

            “Cooper stole Speedle’s credit card out of his locker, and started using it like it was his.  He committed credit card fraud.   Calleigh found Speed’s card in the Hummer and we didn’t have any idea how it got there.  I called the company and they said that the card was active.  Horatio went to the place and checked it out, there was a list of transactions, and the balance was over $2500.  The card had just been used at the Zorba Café, so Calleigh and I went there and we found out it was Cooper.  She confronted him and said that he had broken the law, and hurt people because of his actions.  She said if he didn’t turn himself in, she’d arrest him.  So, he lost his job, and I guess he was pissed.  So, he was trying to find something wrong with her and let everyone know.”

            “The website showed her holding a paper with procedures of handling evidence on it.  Has she forgotten?  That seems very dangerous.”

            “She hasn’t forgotten. And the paper wasn’t her’s.”

            “Then who did it belong to?”

            “Me.”

Rick gave him a stare. “You best explain yourself, Delko.”

            “I haven’t forgotten.  I just—since the accident, sometimes I can remember things that I learned a long time ago, and sometimes things get fuzzy.  It’s getting better, but I’m just being safe not sorry.”

            “You seem pretty hell-bent on not getting Calleigh in trouble.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I mean, everything I say, you downplay her involvement or make her look like a hero.”

            “I’m not making that up.  She IS.  And she didn’t cover up for criminals.  She just made it look that way to THEM.  She led us to everything.  She used police code to send us a message.”

            “How did she do that?”

            “She made a 60 in fingerprints, because she knew I would come and dust for them. You shouldn’t be getting on her case.  She didn’t do anything wrong.  You should be thanking her.  She’s brilliant.”

            “You know, I think I have figured out something very important just now.  You and Calleigh are the ones who want to be a couple—not you and Boa Vista.”

            “Me and Boa Vista have been over for a long time.  And Calleigh and I aren’t a couple.”

            “But you want to be.”

            “Ok, you caught me.  But that doesn’t mean we’re together.  Sure, we like each other, but nothing’s come of it.”

            “She was dating Jake.  She still may be.”

            “Hence another reason why WE’RE not together.”

            “But, it may be over, seeing as how he wasn’t anywhere to be found when Calleigh was kidnapped.  I wonder where he could have been.”

            “Why don’t you call HIM in and ask HIM that.  I don’t know.”

            “So since he didn’t show, you got to be the knight in shining armor.”

            “I guess.  But he could have been there.  He wasn’t though.  Calleigh shouldn’t have to pay for his rudeness and lack of a moral center.”

            “You must be close to her.  She’s your girl.”

            “We ARE close.  She’ll always be my girl.”

            “HA! You said the two of you aren’t dating.”

            “We aren’t.  But we’ve known each other for a very long time.  We’re confidants and partners.  Friends.  We trust each other with our lives, with every fiber of our beings.  That’s how we are.”

And again, Stetler was speechless.  So, he called Calleigh back in.  “Your friends seem to really have your back, so you’re lucky.  I have to drop the allegations.  One thing I’m curious about, while he didn’t say anything to say you guys were, I get the feeling that the two of you have a thing going. He called you his girl.”

            “We’re not going out, but yeah, I pretty much, am his girl.  He’s my guy.  We’re each other’s go to.  We share things with each other.”

            “Hmm.” He said.  Then he left.  That was the end of it.  He left.  Of course, he looked pissed, but she didn’t care.  He was gone.

 

Calleigh went to find Eric in the fingerprint lab.  He was dusting for prints.  She walked in with a smile on her face.  “Hey, Eric! How’s it coming?”

            “Fine.  I think we may have caught a break on the Braighton case.  These prints go to Jack Opitz.  He used to be a friend of Andrea Braighton.  His prints were in the system for attempted rape.  When he got arrested, she stopped all contact with him.  Now, his prints appear on the knife that killed her.”

            “Makes sense.  He was pissed off.  He could have confronted her and things got out of hand.”

            “That’s my theory.”

            “I heard you had to speak to Stetler.”

            “yeah.  Are you ok?  I was worried about you.  And I thought he was trying to get rid of you.”

            “Oh, he was.  But with what I said, and what you guys told him, he had to let off the investigation.  He hates me, but he had to drop it, so I’m fine.”

            “He tried to get me to say bad things about you.”

            “I know you didn’t.”

            “it was almost like he wanted me to be embarassed that we are so close.”

            “I guess.  But I know you’re not.  I’m not, because we’re so close. And, I need to say that I respect you for respecting me, and just in general. You are a good man.  You always have been.  And for that, I want to give you this.” She said, kissing him on the lips.  He was shocked obviously.  But he got a bashful smile on his face.  She blushed then.  She had really enjoyed kissing him. It was fun.  “You’re welcome.” He told her.

            “After work, I’ll thank you again.  I enjoyed the kiss.”

He looked surprised.  “Really?”

            “Yeah. I’m through with all this formality, Eric.  You’re a great friend.  You’re someone I feel for.  I care very deeply about you.  And I’m tired of pretending that I don’t love you.  I’m tired of trying.”

            “You love me?” His eyes lit up. 

            “yeah.  Very much so.”

He looked very happy to hear that.  She knew that he loved her.  He always had.  After work, she let him drive her home.  She had taken her Hummer to work because the day before she was closer to home than to the lab.  She was tired and didn’t feel like going there and going back.  Eric had gotten a ride with Ryan in the morning, just because Ryan was driving by.  So, she told him to drive her car.  He looked shocked, especially when he saw the car.  She had a BMW and it was one hot car.  “Nice!  I get to drive this?”

            “Uh-huh.” Then she looked at him.  “Most people, I would never trust with it, but, you are another story.  I trust you’ll take care of my baby.”

            “So, you really like your car, huh?”

            “who wouldn’t.” She laughed.  He got in the driver’s side, buckled up and stuck the key in the ignition and turned.  The engine started and he drove off, being careful, but still not ruining the fun.  She turned the radio on.  They were playing music from the early 2000’s and Calleigh laughed when No Doubt’s ‘Platinum Blonde Life’ came over the speakers.  Once Eric realized what it was, he laughed too.  “I remember orientation, when I had just met you.  I didn’t know we were gonna be working together as a team.  We flirted a little, and me and Speed became good friends.  We decided to gang up on you and put this song on, just because you were blonde.”

            “I remember it quite clearly.  I thought it was cute.  I thought you were cute.  I actually was a little sad that we were going to be on a team, because I wanted to date you… but then, I realized that you, me, and Speedle made a great team.  We were meant to be.  But now, I don’t care about all this policy crap.  I’m in my thirties and I’m getting wrinkles… I work too hard.  I need to have time to go to the spa, get a massage.  And I need to stop worrying about stupid things.  Or pretending that I’m not in love with the right one.  It’s a lie.  I AM in love—with you.  And I know what we have is something real.  It’s always been.  I trust you with everything I am… And I want you.”  She took a breath.  “Now, don’t freak out, but, when you were talking about how you wanted a family, I enjoyed it… And I was a bit turned on by it.  It got me thinking.  You got me thinking.  And I want all that.  I want a family and a house.  A husband.” She looked at him, expecting him to be weirded put by the whole thing.  But he wasn’t.  Eric just smiled.

            “Me?  You want to marry me?”

            “Yeah.  I do. You’re the only one I trust enough for that role, and I’m in love with you, we’re a good team.”

            “I like the idea.”

            “So we can go down that road?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Great!  Thank you.”

They got into the door of her house, and he was struck by how neat and orderly it was.  It had been years since he had been there last.  She thanked him for driving her home. 

            “It’s no problem.”

            “I know.” Then she smiled.  She looked like she had something on her mind. 

            “What is it?” He asked.

            “This is nice.  You and me… US.”

            “It IS nice.”

            “Do you really want to get married?”

            “Yeah.”

            “I’m glad.  Now it’s all that I can think of.”

And she kissed him then.  For a long time, passionately. 

            “You’re so beautiful.” He told her.

When he said it, her eyes welled up with tears. And she smiled, laying her head on his shoulder.  “No one’s ever said that to me before, except my dad…”

            “Well they should have been, because it’s true.  It really is. You are beautiful, smart, charming, sweet, funny, tough, strong, trustworthy, and a true friend.  You care about people.  You care about justice.  You’re cheerful and optimistic.  And so many other things, some of which, there are no words for.  And you’re everything to me.”

A few more tears rolled down her cheek, and she kissed him.  “Thank you.”

            “You’re welcome.”

Calleigh Duquesne had just realized, yet again, how lucky she was.  She had a guy by her side, and he loved her.   He truly cared about her.  He wasn’t afraid of confessing his devotion for her.  Even before he said anything, she knew, just from the look in his eye, or the actions he did.  And he was the man for her.  She trusted him.  With her life, every fiber of her being. He was the only person she was sure about.  He was different than anyone she had ever dated…and far better looking, that was for sure… But that wasn’t why she liked him.  He was committed.  For him, a relationship with her wasn’t a one night stand.  It wasn’t a drink at a bar.  It was long-term.  He was long-term.  He wanted to get married and have a family.  He wanted something solid, and he had gotten her to see that she wanted that too.  They hadn’t even been together until today, but he always was committed to her.  That spoke volumes about his character.  And he wanted to be a dad.  How sexy was that?!

            “I think you’ll be a great dad.” She told him. He looked at her, slightly surprised.  He wasn’t sure how to take that because she had instigated it and used future tense.  She knew that, and she knew what he was thinking.

            “I’m saying that you and I…if you wanted…we could—um…try to start a family together.  I want to do it while I still can, and I love you so much.  We were talking about marriage and all that good stuff.   I wouldn’t be committing you to it, unless I thought that you want to do it.”

He smiled.  He didn’t say anything.  He just held her close to him, kissing her gently. “I’m honored that you see me as that person.”

            “But…” She looked at him, expecting him to let her down gently, say that it was too soon.

            “No buts.  I love the idea.  And we’ve known each other for forever, so I don’t think it’s too soon.”

            “Really?  And with me?”

            “Yeah, Cal.  Of course really, and with you.  Every time I look into my future, the ideal situation has you in it.”

            “As a wife and mother?”

            “yeah.  I hope that doesn’t freak you out that I would dream about such things.”

            “Not really.”