Thanks for all those that reviewed Chapter 34!!
Sorry for the long wait!!
blackcat9517
black-dahlia75
Tenfour
Hannah-Lou
Dizzie-Bizzie-Lizzie
Quiz
LA Calleigh
celkin
Elislin
I give you permission to kick my ass for the long wait, but be gentle, i bruise easily :)
Chapter 35: Flashes Before My Eyes
Pain was all she felt when her attacker forcefully slapped her in the face. She did manage to move her face away from the blow, but she could easily feel the stinging sensation on her cheek. Her attacker came to her again and started to strangle her; she couldn't breathe as her attacker blocked her airway. She felt her life slipping away, but as she heard the baby monitor, she knew that she had to fight for the life of her daughter. So she fought back.
She punched her attacker in the face and as he fell, she was able to get her feet moving and by doing so, she kicked him in the gut. He was down for the count for now at least, so she was able to move past him, but she didn't expect him to grab her by her ankle and drag her down. She yelped as she was dragged back to her attacker, and then screamed as he grabbed her right wrist and twisted it.
"Do you think you're all that, Bitch?" he whispered in her ear as he pulled her up to her feet once more and then pushed her into the wall, "I will kill your daughter if you fight back again"
That did it for Calleigh, she was angry; no one would make a threat to her family ever again if she had something to do about it. She hit the attacker with her head, earning her a painful ache on her cheek after the vibrations died down, and as she felt and also heard a crack, she knew she just broke her attackers' nose. He screamed and he had to let her go so he was able to cover his bloody nose with his hands; this gave Calleigh the opportunity to run into the kitchen.
As she entered, she ran to the sets of knives and got the biggest one out; if she had a change to get to her bedroom, she could, but that was impossible, so she came to the next best thing in the apartment. As her attacker came towards her-bloody nose and all-she was able to turn around and stab him in the lower part of his abdomen, a place where she knew would kill instantly. Her wrist didn't appreciate it, but then again, her attacker was no longer alive to hurt her or her daughter.
She pulled the knife out and with shaky hands; she let it fall to the floor. Blood was all she saw, it was on her hands and on her kitchen floor. Blood was the last thing she wanted to see, but it was too late….
"Calleigh, Sweetheart, we're home"
She was startled awake as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking to her right, she found Horatio standing outside the open car door holding their sleeping daughter in his right arm. It was only a dream…right? She thought.
"Horatio?" she sleepily asked him, "Home?"
"Yes, we are home" he answered her back, "Come on, we need to get ice on your bruises and put Ali to bed before I put bandages on your still open wounds"
"Ok"
She was still getting past her nightmare that when she got out of the car, her legs were still shaky and felt like jelly under her. Luckily for her, when she exited the car, Horatio was there to help her stand on her own two feet, while still holding their baby girl. To tell the truth all she wanted to do was get inside and get into their bed and fall asleep. She wanted nothing more than to have Horatio hold her and love her like he has done before. All she wanted was to forget the events that took place…..forever.
Once inside, Horatio carried his still sleeping daughter upstairs and into the nursery, making sure to put her down softly and gently since he knew if she woke up, she was going to have a crying fit until she was held once again. After putting his angel in her crib, he walked out of the room, making sure to close her door, but leaving it ajar a bit before walking into the master bedroom and getting the first aid kit that was located under the bed in one of Calleigh's maternity boxes that held some of her maternity clothes from when she was pregnant with his daughter.
Grabbing the handle of the kit, he got back onto his feet and walked out of their room and once again down the stairs and into the kitchen. Having arrived home, Calleigh went into the kitchen as she saw Horatio bound for the stairs; she had a sense of warmth and security in this place and wondered why she let a thing like Horatio's ex girlfriend drive her mad. She wasn't too sure as to what came over her when she decided to leave, but she wondered why Horatio had more than a warm heart to even let her back into this home. She was the one that ruined their lives and how could he ever forgive her?
She was sitting on the stool of the island when she saw Horatio come into view with her first aid kit in hand. She had to smile when she thought about the little puff that they had over that thing. Neither wanted to give in and admit defeat, but after much playful bantering between the two, Calleigh was able to keep it in her possessions after making a statement about how they will need it one day if one of them gets hurt. That was the end of that discussion and luckily, neither had to use it…until now.
As Horatio gets the butterfly bandage for her eye out and the wrap for her wrist, he thanks the heavens above that she is ok and so is their daughter. He feels a pair of eyes watching him and looks up to see Calleigh looking at him and what he is doing. Their eyes meet and Calleigh looks away, almost ashamed to be in his presence. He immediately stops what he is doing and gently lifts her chin so she is able to look him in the eyes.
"Don't hide"
He hears he mumble something, but cannot fully make it out. He wonders what she is thinking and what she is feeling, but he might have a clue on both accounts. He looks her in the eyes again and when people say that the window to your soul is through your eyes, they aren't kidding. Just by looking at her, he can feel the stress of the day weigh upon his too and he cant help but feel her pain, the same pain that she is in right now as she sits on this stool. He takes one final look at her and leans down and plants a lingering kiss on her temple.
"Don't hide from me," he tells her into her hair after the kiss is finished.
"I'm sorry" she finally spoke, "I..How-How can you still-still love me?" she asks
"Sweetheart, I loved you since I first met you, I never stopped loving you, I can never stop loving you"
"But, How can-you still-still love me after—after all this?"
"Because Sweetheart, without you or Ali, I would be completely and utterly lost" Horatio tells her sincerely "Why do you think I had to speak to you in the morning before work, or when I was having a hard time dealing with paper work, and I always spoke to you before I left for the night" he continues on, "because Calleigh, you were my rock, everyday and night, you were the first person that jumped into my mind"
Still looking at him, she smiles and relaxes in his arms as she gives a sigh or relaxation before replying back to her rock as well "I love you Horatio"
"I love you too Calleigh, and I love the daughter that you have given me" he answers back before moving away so that he is once again by the kit, "So what do you say that we get your cut bandaged up and your wrist in a wrap before we follow our daughters steps and go to sleep"
"Sounds good to me," she answers with a smile
He takes some rubbing alcohol out of the kit, followed by some cotton swabs and cotton balls, then the butterfly bandage and the wrist wrap before closing the kit up and moving it aside. Opening the top to the alcohol, he pours some of it into the cap with one hand as the other grabs one out of two cotton swabs and dips it into the clear liquid.
"This might sting a little," he warns her as the swab comes close to the open wound above her eyebrow.
Yep that hurt all right, he thought when he saw her flinch from the alcohol touching her delicate skin. He blows a puff of air near the wound before grabbing one of the butterfly bandages and carefully placing it over the wound so that it would heal and leave no mark. Next was the wrist bandage.
He gently took her right hand and gently held her wrist so that it was immobile and started to take the bandages that Alexx must have put on it. As the wrapping came off her hand and wrist, he was able to fully see the damage that was done.
Her hand from the second knuckle of the pinky and all the way to her wrist and up was really discolored. Faint purple and yellows marred her perfect skin in what looked to be a hand and also what looked to be faint blisters were popping up under the marks as well. He was careful so that he wouldn't move her hand in any way possible.
Keeping her hand in one possession as he got the wrap from the counter proved difficult as he could tell that it was hurting her. He placed one end of the wrap on her wrist and held it there as he started to bandage her wrist up. Every now and then, he looked up to see her wince in pain from the way that the bandages were pulling at her skin, so he had to take it off.
He gently placed her bruised hand on the countertop and went back to the first aid kit and once again opened it. He looked for the gauze bandages-the same one that was on her wrist before- and took them out and turned to Calleigh and once again took her hand and started to wrap her hand in the bandage. Once he was done, he cut the bandages with some scissors from the kit as well and went back to the wrap that he tried to put on her before. Once finished, he kissed the bandaged wrist, earning him a smile from Calleigh.
He would never tire seeing her smile..never.
"How about we head to bed, I'm tired and I know that you are too"
"Please, I do need some rest" she informs him
And so he took her un-bandaged hand and together they walked from the kitchen to their master bedroom. Horatio helped Calleigh undress, breathing a sigh of relief when he only saw two bruises on her- one on her shoulder and the other on her ankle- before he helped her redress in her pajamas. As he undressed, he looked over to the bed and saw Calleigh already under the covers, her bandaged hand on top of the covers and that brought a smile to his face because he missed her.
When he was in his pajamas, he turned the main light off and walked over to the bed and got in and in turn Calleigh snuggled up to him as he breathing evened out and she succumbed to sleep. He kissed her hair before he too succumbed to the sand man.
TBC…(so what do you think? More or No?)
So tell me what you think and I will do my best to update faster! Once again I am sorry for the really long ass wait!