A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta Tiff for her work and Melanie to help me with the one or other chapter in the beginning.

This story is (what I think) different to the other ones you've read from me and is in no way connected to any of them. The plot, especially the beginning, is based on the movie "Jack & Sarah" so yes, Horatio probably is a bit out of character here but that's what I wanted and had to do to develop my idea.

I'll forewarn you, that there will be a lot of drama, but also (what I hope) funny and easy going moments. There will be lot ups and downs, but I do hope that you'll stick through with me.

The characters don't belong to me (as always) just the original ones... to be exact one original is all mine.

Twist Of Fate

Chapter 1

Horatio was torn between fear and hope, while he was sitting in the waiting area of the operating room. The morning had started with a pleasant surprise for him, when Marisol had woken him, because her water had broken. Of course he had been nervous, since it was his first child, but they had made it to the hospital without further problems.

No, the problems had actually started in the delivery room and those problems were now the reason for his despair. For more than 15 minutes, he and the others hadn't heard anything about Marisol and the baby and the lack of knowledge was about to drive him nuts.

His in-laws had arrived the minute Marisol had been wheeled into the OR for an emergency C-section and now they were waiting with their son-in-law. "I'm sure everything is going to be fine, Horatio," Marta Delko tried to reassure him, though she too was anxious about her daughter's condition.

Horatio just nodded silently and started to nibble on his thump. He wanted to know what was going on behind the closed door. He wanted, no he needed to know that both of them were fine.

"I called Eric and he told me, that he's already on the way," Pavel Delko appeared and put his cell phone back into his pants pocket. "I'm sure they'll tell us something as soon as possible, Horatio. If something bad has happened and we pray to god that it didn't, they would've told us," he sat down next to his son in-law. His daughter and the lieutenant had only been married for a year now, but the man was part of the Delko family without any questions. He had helped Marisol through her chemotherapy and had given her hope for living and for that, Pavel would always be grateful.

"Yeah," Horatio mumbled and felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He needed to stay calm for Marisol and the baby, but all he wanted was to enter the OR to see what was going on there. Sighing, he looked down and ran a hand through his already rumpled hair. "It's just…why is nobody coming? Why don't we get answers to our questions?" he asked no one in particular and felt so helpless. He wasn't used to waiting, he was used to taking matters in his own hands and now he had given the life of his wife and child into strangers' hands.

"We will ask the next doctor we see," Marta said and looked at her husband, the fear showing clearly on her face.

"Right, we will-," Pavel started and was interrupted when the door was opened and a doctor entered the waiting area.

"Are you relatives of Marisol Delko Caine?"

Horatio looked up into a serious face and nodded quickly. Finally they would get some answers. "Yes. Yes, I'm her husband and these are her parents," he said and stood up in order to greet the doctor.

"Mr. Caine," the doctor acknowledged and took off the still bloodied gloves. "My name is Dr. Steven Brown, I was the surgeon in your wife's surgery. Let me first tell you my congratulations, to a very healthy, crying daughter," he smiled faintly.

Horatio's eyes lit up and quickly turned around to his in-laws who lay in each other's arms. "This is wonderful news doctor," he said and took a deep breath; the burden was visibly lifted from his shoulders.

"Yes, she's actually being checked out by our pediatrician while we're talking, but from what I saw and heard, she was doing more than fine."

Horatio nodded and absorbed this wonderful news. A daughter! This was fantastic. Marisol had wished for a daughter since the day they had found about her pregnancy and now her dreams came true. She had also named the baby from the beginning and Horatio hadn't minded at all. "What about my wife? May I see her?"

The change of air didn't get unnoticed by the persons present.

"Mr. Caine," Dr. Brown sighed and let his head fell. "There was a complication during the surgery."

"Complication?" Horatio stilled immediately and had a very bad feeling in his stomach. "What do you mean? What's wrong with Marisol?"

"You know that we had to perform a C-Section because of the bleeding? The reason for that was a disruption in your wife's uterus. She had lost a lot of blood during the surgery and when we finally closed the disruption, another broke free and was bleeding even harder than the actual one. Mr. Caine…you have no idea how sorry I am, but we couldn't save your wife's life. She went into a cardiac arrest and we tried to revive her, but…," he slowly shook his head, before he continued, "we couldn't. Due to the already made efforts while the delivery and the huge amount of blood loss, her heart was too weak. I'm sorry, Mr. Caine, but your wife is gone."

Numbly, Horatio looked at the doctor in front of him. Your wife is gone. Your wife is gone. The sentence was repeated over and over again in his head, but it didn't make any sense. How could Marisol be dead? She'd been fine this morning. She'd been looking forward to the delivery, because she 'wanted to hold her little visitor in her arms'.

A loud sob and a 'Nooooo' from Marta brought him back to the here and now and caused him to take a step back. "No," he said quietly and shook his head.

"Mr. Caine, I wish I could do something, but we couldn't save her," the doctor repeated again, because even though he was used to such reactions, it still was the worst part of his job. Telling relatives that their loved ones had died was the hardest part and it never got easier.

"No," Horatio said again and took step after step till he turned around to go.

"Mr. Caine, Mr. Caine," the doctor called, "your daughter, what about your daughter?"

But Horatio didn't listen. His eyes were fixed on the elevator. He didn't see his parents-in-law. He didn't see them crying or watching him.

"You need to stay, Mr. Caine," the doctor tried it again but to no use.

All he felt was the numbness claiming him. All he felt was the need to leave this place.

Nervously, Eric Delko stepped out of the elevator and stopped short when he saw his boss walking up to him. "H, is everything okay? What about Marisol and the baby? Are they alright?"

Horatio just passed by and entered the elevator with a stoic face.

"H?" Eric asked alarmed by this and looked between his parents and Horatio. "Horatio what's-, " he started, but the door had already closed.

In trance, Horatio pressed the down button and leaned against the cool wall. He needed to get away from here. That was all that mattered.