DISCALIMER: I don't own CSI Miami and i don't make any money from it
CALLEIGH'S DECISION.
"Jake, would quit bugging me, and get the hell out of my lab" Calleigh yelled.
She was so tired especially of Jake bugging her about putting her job before him. She had enough on her mind and right now she needed to work.
"But Call, we cant you put you relationship before you work just once in a while at least?" Jake tired of coming second all the time.
"You know I care a great deal about you, but right now I really have to work" she replied still angry.
"You care for me, that's not enough. I want more, well if that's the way it is, don't let me come in your way, I have had it with you, so you can have a nice life and enjoy your work, since that's the only thing you care about" he yelled and stormed out the door.
Calleigh sighed. She suddenly felt so tired, tired of everything. Of her father which had start to drink again, we couldn't he just keep away from the bloody bottle. And her new responsibilities at work, with her promotion she had twice as much to do as before. And last of all Jacks constant nagging. She thought of Jake again but soon found out that they had grown apart ages ago, so this was probably for the best.
Calleigh sighed again, and took up a gun that needed to be tested and smiled. This what she really loved, and if a man couldn't deal whit it, well she simply had to wait until she found a man that would. She pulled the trigger again. A perfect shot. She just loved the feeling of having a gun in her hand and to shoot with it. She had loved guns as long as she could remember, there was just something about them that made her feel so right. She took up the gun again, aimed and shot perfection. One of the few thing her father had thought her was to shoot perfectly, she would always be great full for that, since it now was her great passion.
Horatio was on his way to see Calleigh, when he heard that she and Jake argued again. He never understood what she saw in him.
"She deserved so much better, someone that understood her and how much the work meant to her and accepted that. Someone who respected her and that would never hurt her. Someone like me" he thought. Horatio went inside her and saw her firing the gun and said: Nice shoot Lieutenant.
She turned around, smiled and said: Thanks H, but I tell ya, I am never gonna get used to be called Lieutenant.
"It is going to take some time, but you will get used to it. Are you okay? I heard you and Jake was fighting" Horatio said, he looked really concerned.
"Gosh, I dunno, but it was for the best. So what brings you here, I thought you were bizzy out in the field all day" she said, since Horatio had told her earlier that morning that he probably was going to be out all day.
"I was, but I know you have been going through some rough time lately so I just wanted to check if you were ok" he said.
Calleigh looked surprised at him and said: You know we don't have time for personal feelings at work although I thank you for your concern, but I am fine really.
He smiled at her not entirely convinced that she was telling the truth, but he had known her for so many years that he knew better that to importunate if she didn't want to talk.
Calleigh looked at Horatio, how come that he always cared so much about her when she knew that he most have more important things to worry about. He was her best friend, her confidant and understood her more than most of the men she had worked with and dated through the years.
"While I am still here, do you want to take a coffee in the break room with me" he asked.
"I would, but I don't have the time I am afraid" she replied looking at all the work that had to be done and sight.
"Ok, I guess I have to bring the coffee to you then, do you want it with sugar?" he asked and blinked to her with the one eye.
"Always" she said and smiled to him before he disappeared.
Calleigh started to think back on the first time they meet, she had been so young, just a couple of years over 20 and inexperienced in the field. Even though she was young, she knew everything that was to know about guns, since her father had thought her well. She was convinced that she could deal with anything and that she could solve every case that come a long. The first time she meet Horatio she thought he seemed boring and old, but she quickly discovered that she was wrong. He was, fun, kind and smart and had all the qualities of a good leader and teacher. She also found out that solving cases was tougher and than she first had thought. But it was also fun and challenging to solve them. She loved it more than anything in the world. Even though it took a lot of her time, there was nothing she rather do, to solve a case and give someone closer was incredibly rewarding. And she also got to work with what she loved the most guns. In addition to this she also had the worlds best colleges, they had so much fun together.
Calleigh smiled when she thought of the day she became Lieutenant, she was so happy and everyone was congratulating her. And Horatio had given her a gun with the engraving: To Lieutenant Calleigh Duquesne with love from H. She had had it in her holster ever since.
And with her promotion she felt like even more of an equal with H. And the rest o her colleges looked up to her. Horatio himself had told her that she would be become an even greater boss than he if anything ought to happen to him, not that anything ever would, but it still meant a lot to her coming from him. She smiled when she thought about his kind words.
Horatio came back with the coffee and found her smiling. She was so beautiful in her white suit, almost like an angel he thought. Even with her lab coat over she was beautiful. He saw her jacket hanging over her chair.
Horatio went up to her and said: Here's you coffee.
"Oh thanks, I didn't heat you came back" she replied and smiled at him.
"So how are things?" he said in a serious tone.
She sight and said: I have a lot to do here, but I love it, so I don't mind it at all. She smiled at him again. Now arguing there, she loved her work.
"Oh, come on Calli, you know it wasn't your work I was referring to" Horatio said and looked into her beautiful green eyes.
"Yeah; I know that, but I rather not talk about it" she replied thoughtfully and looked away.
He looked concerned at her and said: You know you got to get out more and do something that isn't related to your job. I know the perfect place, do you trust me?" Horatio said.
"Always, do I need to bring anything" she asked knowing he was right.
"Just swimwear, meet me by the car in about an hour, I got to take care of something first" he said.
"Ok" she replied, wondering what he had in mind. Although she imagined it involved swimming, and she had always liked to swim, and she hadn't done so I ages.
Calleigh went home to her apartment, she was looking all over for hr bathing suit, but couldn't find it anywhere. Frustrated she remembered it was in her gym locker. She looked in her closet and found a couple of bikinis. She sighed, she loved to wear them, but to wear them in front of Horatio was kind of weird. She looked at the clock, and released there was no way she was going to make it to the gym and back to the station in time, so she quickly changed into one of the bikinis and stormed out the door.
Calleigh found Horatio waiting by his car. She walked up to him and asked: So where are you taking me?
"To the beach off course" he said and opened the door for her. She climbed in and the drove of to the beach.
When they got there Calleigh took of her high heals and walked barefoot in the sand. She couldn't event remember when she did that last, if felt great.
Horatio was walking right next to her couldn't believe that she had actually agreed to skip work and walked barefoot in the sand next to him smiling.
"This looks like a great place, shall we sit down?" Horatio said. She just nodded still smiling and he put down a blanket that they sat down on.
"Why have you brought me here?" she asked, glad to be outside the lab enjoying the sunshine at the beach for once.
"To give you a break from everything" he said and smiled warmly to her and continued "So do you want to swim?"
"Sure I want to" she said, starting to take of her white suit and lime green top. When she was standing in front of him in her blue bikini she asked: Aren't you going to swim?
"No, but you go ahead" he smiled and nodded against the water. She smiled back and walked out in the water and started to swim. The cool water felt like silk against her skin. She had completely forgotten how much she loved to swim. She felt so free, so alive, so happy all at once. She stopped and laughed of joy before she kept on swimming.
From the beach Horatio watched Calleigh, how her perfect well trained body become one with the she as she was swimming back and forward smiling for her self. He could see how much she enjoyed it and that gave him a feeling of satisfaction.
He started to think about her as so many times before, about how she only ended up with the wrong guys, about her alcoholic father who always promised her to stop drinking, but never did. He so her disappointment every time it happened.
He saw how she had been working all hours, he knew one of the reasons was that she had much more to do now that she hade become lieutenant, but he also suspected that she like him self hated to com home to an empty apartment or house. God, he didn't even knew if she had moved after her promotion, he never thought about asking her.
Horatio was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Calleigh had come up of the water and stood right beside him dripping wet.
"H, are you ok?" she asked in a concerned voice.
"Yes, how was the water?" he answered looking up at her. She sat down and wrapped a towel around her self.
"It was great, you should have tried it. So what are you thinking about, trouble on a case?" she asked looking at him.
"Actually I have, but just now I was thinking about you" he said in kind of a serious tone.
"Me, what for?" she asked.
"I was just wondering if you had moved after you got promoted, you should be able to buy a bigger place now" he said.
Calleigh just laugh and said: Didn't need the money from my promotion for that you know. I am a great saver, only reason I haven't got a bigger place is that I like my apartment, it is more than big enough for me.
"But what if you got a boyfriend, and got married and had kids, then you would need a bigger place" he said.
She looked shocked and replied: Married, kids, hold on. I just broke it of with Jake. What are you taking about?
"I was just talking hypothetic" he said quietly.
She looked at him with scepticism in her eyes. What was he thinking about, kids would be great some day, but not for long yet. Boyfriend and getting married, what was he aiming at.
Calleigh looked confused. Horatio looked at her and said with gentle voice "I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to confuse you".
"Then why did you, you know I got a lot on mind right now already" she said in an annoyed tone.
"I was just thinking that maybe you wanted to be with someone that understood you, respected you, and could make you happy, and that you one day could get married to and so on" Horatio said in a serious voice. He looked into her green eyes and saw something that he didn't see very often insecurity.
Calleigh tried to make sense of what he was saying, bur couldn't, so she said: If there was such a guy, but I haven't met one yet.
"I think you are wrong, I think there is a man that can give you all this and more, one that is your equal in every way, and that guy is me" he said.
He sat still waiting for her reaction. Calleigh was surprised and overwhelmed by his words. She had never thought about him as her boyfriend even though all that he said was kinda true. They worked perfect together and he has always been there for her and he was the greatest and kindest man in the world and probably the only one that understood her. They where equal in most ways and even if they did not always agree on everything, they used to solve their differences or agree to disagree.
"You might be right, but I need a little bit of time to think it through, ok?" she said. He nodded and said that he understood. Then they went back to the lab.
"Where the hell have you been Calleigh" Ryan shouted when she finally returned.
"One that is none of your business and two don't bug me right now" she said tiredly.
"As long as you are my boss and I need to reach you it is my business, have you figured out the weapon that killed our Vic?" Ryan said.
"No, I was just going to get started on that one" she said and walked to the gunvalut to see if she could find what she was looking for. She went over to a shelf and with knives and took three out three of them and walked out to Ryan again.
He looked at her, her hair was wet and she had look in her eyes that he had never seen before, like she was distant and confused at the same time.
Calleigh took the first knife and stabbed it into a dead pig that she had someone bring to the lab, she looked at the Vic's wound, but there was no match. Then she repeated the procedure with the two other knives and found out that the second one was a match.
She looked at Ryan and said: This is the kind of knife you are looking for, I'll call the judge and get a warrant you can pick up on the way, you can take Frank with you.
Ryan took a quick look at her, nodded and disappeared.
Calleigh cleaned up the knives and put them back where she had found them, called the judge, and got someone to get rid of the dead pig before she sat down in front of her laptop to write down her findings.
As she sat there she started to think about Horatio. His red hair, his blue eyes and everything else about him. How he had always been there for her when she needed it, and how sweet, gentle and kind he was in addition to be though and hard as nails when he needed to. She felt what she lacked of when it came to showing emotions he had plenty of. And he also respected her and her wishes when it came to work and everything else. Once again she saw him in her mind and smiled. Then she continued to work.
Horatio looked at the clock. 10 PM. He had driven back to work to get something that he had forgotten and saw that Calleigh's car was still in the garage. He sight, did she never take a night of. All though she always admired how hard she worked, he also thought it was kind of sad that she almost never took the night of. He walked out of the car and into the building. After he had stopped by his office to get his things he took the lift down to see her.
He found her sitting by her desk in front of her laptop, he walked up to her and asked: Mam, can I interest you in a late dinner?
"Oh, hi H, what are you doing here so late?" she said surprised.
"Asking you out for dinner" he replied smiling at her.
She smiled and said: I don't think that's the only reason why you're here, but since I'm hungry ok. I just have to finish this, can I meet you upstairs in 15 minutes?
He said ok and disappeared.
Calleigh finished what she had been doing and went down to the wardrobe to change and put on some makeup. Then she walked out to the car where Horatio was waiting. He took one lock at her and became totally speechless. She was stunning beautiful, instead of the pants she usually wore she had a black skirt and a aqua green top, her hair was hanging loose down her shoulders and she also had black high heals to match the skirt.
Calleigh walked up to him and Horatio said: Calleigh, you look incredible in that outfit.
She blushed and answered: Thank you, you aren't that bad your self.
He opened the door for her and said: Shall we?
"H, there is just one thing" she said quietly.
"Yes?" H replied and looked curious at her.
"The thing you said earlier about being the right man for me, well, you were right, so if you really are willing to get into a relationship with me and all my baggage, I'm yours" Calleigh said and looked hopefully at him.
"Sweetheart, you know I wouldn't think twice about getting into a relationship with you. And you know my dear we all have baggage" he said and smiled warmly at her.
"True" she said and smiled back. He bent down to kiss her and she kissed him back before they got into the car and drove of.
The next day Ryan came running into Natalia and Eric, he stopped, locked at them and said: You guys are never going to believe what I' m about to tell you.
They both looked at him and asked at the same time "What?"
"I just saw Calleigh and H kissing and flirting in his office" Ryan said.
Natalia giggled and said: So he finally made a move on her and she accepted it, well good for her.
"You mean you knew?" Ryan asked surprised.
"I'm not blind, I can see when people are in love, and those two have clearly been so for a long time, just look at them, they are the perfect couple" Natalia said and pointed at the glass window where Calleigh and Horatio was walking towards them hand in hand smiling.
Horatio stopped and looked into her beautiful green eyes and asked: Calleigh, sweetheart, are you sure about this, people are gonna talk you know.
"Let'em talk if they have nothing better to do. I'm in love with you and you with me, that's all that counts, to hell with what everyone else thinks" she replied, happily that she finally had made the right decision when it came to a man. She knew he would make her happy and that she deserved it.
"True, my love" he said and opened the door for her "After you my lady".
They walked in and Calleigh said: So, boys and girls, ready to solve the case.
"Lieutenant, Sir, always" Natalia said and smiled to Calleigh, hoping she would one day find the right guy. Calleigh smiled back and started to give everyone their assignments.
"My life is finally getting in order, the perfect job, the perfect friends and the perfect man, it just cant get any better than this" Calleigh thought and smiled at Horatio which smiled back at her.