Title: Spirit
By: Kuroi Neko-kun
Pairing: gen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A meeting that was not supposed to be.
Disclaimer: Don't own them... *chases Tim's ghost*
Warnings: Implications of our dead character.

***

I slowly walked down the road, feeling strangely refreshed and enlightened. Like a weight had been lifted from my weary shoulders. I stopped walking for a moment, realizing I do not know where I'm going. Everything felt so surreal. The last thing I remembered was that searing pain in my chest. Even that disappeared. I sighed before walking aimlessly. Maybe I'll find something.

Where I ended up? A cliché diner. And I can't seem to get any service. It's like I'm invisible or something. I sat there for a good five minutes before leaving. As I stepped out of the door, I wondered what I was doing in there. I'm not hungry at all. I shrugged my shoulders before walking off again. If I could find my bearings, maybe I could head back to crime lab and get my updates on the case. What the hell am I doing so far away from the crime lab anyway? H will kill me if I'm not back there... I started to sprint but I immediately stopped. I don't have bearings remember?

"Where the fuck am I?" I muttered. I can see signs but when I try to look, it blurs up. What the hell is happening here?

"Are you lost sir?" I looked up to a smiling face of a young brunette woman. She reminded me of Calleigh sans accent and blonde hair.

"Yeah, pretty much," I said.

"Where are you heading, maybe I can bring you there," she said.

"Do you know where the Miami Dade Crime Lab is?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll be working there officially tomorrow," she shared. Oh great, that means I can actually thank her over and over.

"Oh, really? I'm working there too. Are you a lab tech?"

"No. CSI." I felt myself brighten up at this point. I knew that if she was a CSI, I could work with her at a point. Let's hope its dayshift.

"What about you?" she finally asked.

"You'll see," I answered.

We talked about things related to our field. I began telling her about Calleigh, Eric and H. How I really felt about working with them. How much I love each and every one of them. I did not understand why a guy like me, a guy who always kept to himself would suddenly blurt out my innermost feelings to a stranger. Somehow, it felt right. In exchange, she told me about herself. She was a CSI three from L.A. She got into complications with her boss and took the opportunity to transfer out. She heard about the Miami-Dade's reputation of being the most technological of all crime labs. I kidded about us not beating Las Vegas. She laughed. She has a cute laugh.

"Oh," she said in the most disappointed of voices," We're here." It was true. We had already reached the crime lab. I didn't even realize that.

"Well... Thanks... uh..." I searched for a name. Nothing came up.

"Alena. Alena Richardson," she said, reaching out for my hand. I shook it.

"Tim Speedle. Hope to see you again, Alena..." I said as I stepped forward. As I did, I felt the wash of relief run through me. As I let it ride, I heard someone say," Tim?"

After he had said that, she intended to reply but he had disappeared. It was strange for her as she never heard the door opening. She intended to search for him but she thought it was a quicker way to just inquire. She entered the crime lab and headed for the reception.

"Alena?" She turned to see her boss, or soon-to-be-boss, looking at her with an inquisitive look. "What are you doing here? Work starts tomorrow..."

"I know," she said, smiling," I was wondering if Tim Speedle came by. I just wanted to say something to him. He left in a rush back in here... I think." The look on Horatio's face changed as he furrowed his brows. He sighed before looking at her as if trying to comprehend what she had said.

"Alena, Speed... I mean, Tim Speedle died two months ago. We hired you to replace him," he explained. That smile she had disappeared. She stared at Horatio for the longest of times before nodding slowly. She knew that Horatio never joked about and that look meant something.

"Alena? Are you okay?" She just faked a smile before patting his shoulder.

"I'm fine. See you tomorrow then."

Fin