Title: Guardian Angel
By: Bj Jones
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone had to watch over them.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Various Executives, Producers and CBS own them. I'm not making any money off them, just borrowing them and will return them back to the lab in short order. Cause we all know if I owned them – Speed would be alive!
Beta: Thank you Calypso
Author's Note: In honor of Halloween...and a challenge to make Speed a ghost... No I'm not actually bringing him back this time... and only this time... any story after this he's alive!!!!!!

~*~

It's been twenty years since that day, the day I died. What am I doing here you ask? That's a good question, actually. I didn't cross over instead I'm still in Miami doing my job or at least as much as one can do when they are dead.

Oh, by the way, if you haven't figured it out yet, my name is Timothy Speedle, but my friend's call me Speed. I was killed in the line of duty, saving Horatio Caine or at least that's how the reporters told the tale. In reality I was careless and forgot to clean my gun. Stupid mistake I know and you would have thought I learned my lesson from Dispo Day. And no, I didn't have a death wish as some have said. I just got so wrapped up in solving the crimes, and figuring out the mystery that the act to clean my gun wasn't the first thing on my mind. Let me tell you it was the last thing I thought of when I died.

Maybe I should back up and explain. When I died, my friend Paul was there to meet me. I was happy to see him standing and smiling; I never really got over the guilt of not being able to save him. Or the fact I ran after his funeral. He smiled at me, and for a moment I thought I was going home, but that wasn't to be the case. He stayed with me as I watched the next week unfold.

I watched as Alexx cried through my autopsy. I watched as Horatio cleaned out my locker, his face stoic but his eyes filled with pain. I watched as Calleigh took out her pain at the shooting range, tears streamed down her face as she emptied clip after clip into the target. I watched as Eric took my bike out and drove to the Everglades and screamed out his anger to the heavens.

That was when Paul informed me, I wasn't to cross over. I had a task to do, guard my fellow teammates. And just between you and me, Delko needed all the guarding he could get. I've pulled that boy out of so much trouble it's not funny.

~*~

Unfortunately I can't save him this time. I have just been informed that Eric will be crossing over, and I will be there to meet him. I stand in the corner of the convenience store watching. He looks good for Forty-nine; he took over Horatio's job a few years back when H retired. Doesn't quiet pull off the suit look as well as H, but he's a good supervisor. He has a good team under him; he trained them well. He walks into the store talking to his wife on the cell phone. Who knew my death would inspire him to settle down, his oldest just turned sixteen. He laughed and told her he loved her. He hung up, and clipped the phone back to his belt, exposing his gun and badge to the gunmen.

I stepped out of the corner, I watched as Eric turned his head, his eyes focused on me. His head cocked to the side, a confused smile on his face. His eyes brightened for a second, then darkened in understanding. He didn't see it coming, the gunmen shot him in the back; he died instantaneously.

"At least I got to tell Laura I loved her." He looked at me with sad eyes.

"Yeah," was my only response.

We watched as Calleigh took over the scene, still beautiful even at fifty. Horatio pulled up in his Hummer, the red hair may have turned white but those blue eyes were still fierce. He looked down at the body, and I swear he looked over at me then turned to Alexx. What no one knew was Eric would be one of her last autopsies. The cancer was already taking affect. Sometimes I really hate knowing these things. She would be the next of our family to leave.

"Now what?" Eric asked me as we walked away from the store.

"I don't know what they have planned for you, but I'm still on guard duty." I explain.

"Guard duty?" Eric turned and looked at me.

"I never left; I've been here guarding your Cuban ass." I smirked at him. "You really think you got out of those sticky situations all by yourself?"

Eric looked back at the store, "I swore I felt your presence around the lab."

I just smiled, "by the way have you noticed you de-aged a good twenty years?"

Eric looked down; he wasn't in a suit, but khakis and a shirt. "How?"

"Not sure, it's either how I see you or you see yourself." I shrug, it doesn't do any good to question these things.

Come to find out I was stuck with him, ironic if you ask me. He asked me once if it got easier to see loved ones go on, I didn't respond. How could I tell him that every year on the anniversary of my death Horatio visits my grave and talks to me, not knowing I talk back? Or how I felt when Calleigh named her son Timothy. I can't explain that every time I walk by the oak tree in the cemetery that Alexx dedicated in my name, I see her crying over my body. All I know is its painful watching from outside the window. Eric will understand when he watches from the sidelines as his son graduates from high school, or when another man walks his daughter down the aisle.

~*~

I walk through the silent house, looking at the pictures and memories scattered throughout. Eric stands near by his heart breaking as he watches Alexx's son and daughter talk to the doctor. He knows why we are here; it isn't to comfort Calleigh or Horatio who stand in the kitchen watching Alexx's grandchildren. We are here to bring her home.

I sat quietly next to her bed; it was painful to see such a vibrant woman eaten away to nothingness by this disease. You would think that in the past twenty years someone would have found a cure by now.

I took her hand, smiled at her when she looked up at me. "Speed," Her voice was soft and tired.

Her husband looked over at her, eyes wide, "Alexx." He caressed her gray hair.

I looked over at him I could feel his pain, hear it in his voice. I looked back down at Alexx, "Hi."

She smiled at me, "Is it time to go?"

I nodded and smiled at her, "Yeah."

"Is Eric here?" She asked her eyes bright.

"He's waiting for us in the other room," I squeezed her hand. "It's time to say goodbye."

I couldn't stop the tears as I watched her say goodbye to her husband, "I'm going to be fine, Speed's here. He'll take care of me." I held her hand as she labored for breath, "I'll always be here for you, the kids, and my beautiful grandbabies. But it's time for me to go, I love you."

I held her as she cried in my arms, as her family and friends cried over her. The three of us stood there watching as they mourned. As we turned to leave I felt an intense stare, I turned to see Horatio looking right at me. I have no idea if he saw me or just felt our presence. He had always been keen on where his team was, even now in his late sixties he had a keen sense of what was around him.

"I can't believe Calleigh named her grandson, Eric." Eric gave us a sad smile.

"You shouldn't be surprised since he's Tim's son." I responded looking out over the ocean, "Alexx?"

Alexx looked over at us, "I miss my grandbabies."

"I know," I put my arm around her. It was good to see her vibrant and full of life, so to speak. Her hair was back to its beautiful chocolate brown, her eyes bright, and her body not wasting away.

"I heard young Mike is planning on following grandma's footsteps," I smiled at her.

"I'm proud of them," She hugged me back. "So now what?"

"You know I asked the same thing, and he never answered." Eric commented from his perch.

I sighed, "It's not up to me. But the way things are going, I've got a feeling you will be hanging out with us for a while, or at least till the rest of the family comes home."

"In the mean time?" Alexx asks.

"Haunt the lab?" Eric snickers.

I gave him a mock glare, "Don't knock it till you try it. I got rid of that pesky DNA tech you guys hated."

~*~

I left Alexx and Eric with Calleigh; she had just lost one of her grandchildren, ran over on her bike by a hit and run. What I didn't tell them was the evening was going to get worse. I stood in his townhouse, listening to him calm a distraught Calleigh on the phone. There were pictures of his family scattered on the mantle place. Ray Jr. and his wife at their wedding, he followed his father and uncle's footsteps and became a cop. He works as a detective; his wife is a lovely CSI, trained by Calleigh. A picture of Madison at her college graduation sets next to it. She works as a doctor at UCLA medical center, specializing in cancer research. They had lost Susie ten years ago to cancer.

I watched as he grabbed his coat, and head for the Hummer. Even retired he still drives one. I take the seat next to him, knowing he'll never make it to Calleigh's. Sometimes being the one they see when they cross over really sucks. As we drive down the interstate, he looks over at me.

"I'm not going to live through the night am I?" He asked his blue eyes filled with emotion.

"No," I looked over at him. "I'm sorry."

"I'm Seventy-three years old; I have lived a good life." Horatio looked out the front window. "It's going to devastate Calleigh."

"She's strong," I watched the traffic. "Alexx and Eric are with her now."

"I saw you," Horatio stated. I just looked at him waiting for him to continue. "At the store, when Eric died. You were watching Alexx with such sadness in your eyes. I knew we were going to loose her soon. When she retired, informing us about the cancer I understood the look in your eyes, you already knew. Like you knew tonight I'm not going to make it, so you sent Eric and Alexx to be with Calleigh." All I could was nod. "You never left, did you?"

"No," I answered. "Thank you for coming and seeing me. I enjoyed our conversations and looked forward to them each year."

Horatio looked over at me a sad smile on his face; he missed the oncoming headlights.

I walked into the house to see Calleigh's husband holding her as she sobbed. The phone had been thrown across the room, shattered on impact when it hit the far wall. Alexx and Eric turned towards me as Horatio stepped up behind me. His hair was once again brilliant red, his eyes sharp and focused on Calleigh.

Calleigh's voice was tired. "I'm the last one."

~*~

"Exactly how old is Calleigh now?" Eric asked as we watched Horatio try so desperately to point out the evidence to a new CSI.

"Ninety-five," Alexx stated. "He should just give up."

"It's entertaining," I laughed as Horatio accidentally knocked over the trash can, scaring the kid half to death.

Horatio walked up to the rest of us, "No matter how sophisticated the equipment gets you still need the damn murder weapon."

"The kid's green, he'll do fine. I mean Delko here turned out pretty good." I grinned as Eric took a swing at me. I'll be the first to admit it was nice being with the team again; just Calleigh had a stubborn streak a mile long and refused to die.

"Are we heading out to the plantation?" Horatio asked his eyes watching the kid.

"As stubborn as she is, she can't hold me off for long." I comment. She's been on her deathbed twice. And I sat with her both times, she yelled at me for not cleaning my gun, and then we talked about her family. She told me under no circumstances was she ready to go, and proved her point by getting off that bed. Did I mention she was stubborn?

~*~

The room was warm, sunlight poured through the windows giving the room a welcoming feel. Calleigh sat at her vanity, brushing her long white hair. Her hands shook, as she clipped it back. She looked up into the mirror and smiled.

"I'm not leaving." I just smiled at her. "I have to see Horatio graduate."

Horatio her great-grandson, he's Eric's son, Tim's grandson does anyone besides me see the humor? And the true humorous part of the situation, he has red hair. I stepped aside as her granddaughter Alexis helped her finish getting ready. As they left her room she looked back at me, I told her I would be waiting.

The graduation was beautiful; he talked about how his great-grandmother inspired him to be someone she would be proud of, and to honor the man he was named after. Horatio stood in the shadow of a magnolia tree, sunglasses firmly in place to hide the tears.

The family gathered at the plantation in celebration. Calleigh had lived a long and happy filled life. She had three children, ten grandchildren, and at the moment seven great-grandchildren. She sat in her rocking chair, watching the children run around, a smile on her face.

I leaned forward my hand on her shoulder, "It's time to go." She looked at me a smile on her face. She stepped out of her rocking chair and faced us. The years melted off, she was the spitfire southern girl I remember back in Miami. She turned and took one long last look at her family. She took my hand, laughing as we walked out.

~*~

"So now what?" Eric asked.

I rolled my eyes, "You keep asking me that, and I still don't know the answer."

Horatio looked over at his team, "No one is concerned that we are ghosts."

"I'm beyond used to it by now," I laughed, grinning at Calleigh who was climbing the magnolia tree we were sitting under.

"There must be some reason, we haven't crossed over?" Alexx commented.

I gave up trying to figure out the powers of be a long time ago, "They will let us know when they feel like it, kind of like HR. In the meantime I suggest we just enjoy our time together." I look at the family I left behind so long ago. It didn't matter what happened, if we crossed over, or if we were stuck on earth doing the work of the powers of be. I was... well I was finally home.