Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine & title belongs to the fabulous song by Weekend Players.

A/N: This was dying to get written in an attempt to make Horatio happy. I hope you like it.

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Chapter 1: Encounter

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Horatio stood immobilized watching the elevator doors close. He knew what Yelina had meant when she told him that she was sure Dan Cofield's widow would appreciate everything he did. He had understood the double meaning. She was referring to her appreciation for everything Horatio had done for her.
He knew how much it made her happy that he would always be there for her in a heartbeat. He knew how good he felt doing it. Not out of obligation but purely to help out because he cared about her.

He told her, "Well, I just let the evidence clear his name." And that was what he was going to do; let the evidence clear his own name.

Yelina then told him Dan's widow was lucky to have him and he knew that Yelina felt the same way. Though it was too complicated for her to accept the Horatio she loved. The Horatio that supposedly had an illegitimate daughter with a parolee, whose devotion to people came in first to his drive for justice and love of science in second; leaving very little room for a relationship. The Horatio who hesitated to extend his feelings for her further, in respect to his deceased brother.

"See you tomorrow." They exchanged glances and when she turned in the elevator to look him in the eye, he knew she still carried the same feelings she once did, but he wouldn't wait for her to realize her mistake. He wouldn't wait until she understood who he really was and all he was. No one had ever said that it was hard to trust him and it caused him unbearable pain.

Deeply wounded, he climbed the flight of stairs to his office to finish up some paperwork before locking his office for the weekend.

Deciding to forget his hurt feelings, he drove off in the Hummer towards a grocery store for some liquor. It seemed like the only thing that would fill his pierced heart. He would have gone to a bar, but he didn't want to risk showing his pain if the sadness came to be too much to bear. He had his pride and knew what was best.

Pushing the front door, he walked inside the store and grabbed a hand-held plastic basket. There weren't a lot of customers at this late hour of the night and the music was nice and soft winning over his wariness. He strolled down the fifth aisle, going unabashedly straight for the booze.

Having picked up the necessary ingredients to make Black Russians, he sauntered passed a few aisles looking for something he could sink a tooth into. Eyes scanning the display hung over the aisles announcing different products, he didn't see the person turn the corner and bumped into her.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately placing a gentle hand on her forearm in pardon.

Wait ah... hang on a second... He realized who it was, a fraction of a second later.

"It's alright, Horatio."

That sweet voice...

It was Calleigh clad in black jeans and a white striped blouse. He thought his nose had played a trick on him, but the vanilla scent was truly hers.

Curiously, they both looked to see what each carried in their baskets.

Calleigh had hers hung on her arm and wasn't at all shy about anything she had picked out.

"Hmm." she hummed with a mischievous grin "What do we have here?" She asked pointing to the bottle in Horatio's basket.

"Getting plastered, are we, Lieutenant?"

He gave her a lopsided grin at her directness.
"Possibly."

He pointed to the lemons in her basket, "For lemonade?"

She giggled, shaking her head, making her full head of hair bounce delightfully. "They're actually to garnish my Cosmopolitans."

"Apparently," he smiled with his eyes as he took in her impeccable countenance, "I'm not the only one with that idea tonight."

"You're celebrating something too?"

He skillfully hid a frown and nodded, planning to find out what Calleigh was celebrating.

And then she asked something with an easiness that simply charmed him. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." He replied easily.

They sashayed over to the checkout and Horatio stopped Calleigh from reaching in her purse whispering, "It's on me."

She flashed him a smile.

The cashier smiled too, "And who says chivalry is dead?"

"There are a few that make it live on." Calleigh glanced at Horatio as he smiled taking the grocery bags she had packed with him and thanking the cashier.

As they walked alongside in the parking lot, Horatio gently cleared his throat.

"What?" Calleigh asked knowing very well there was something he wanted to say.

"Well I, ah, I don't usually ask about a woman's wardrobe, but I'm curious because you seem to wear black quite often... why is that?"

She grinned, not only at the fact that he noticed, but that he was curious about her. "Black is thinning," she answered simply.

"Wow." He shook his head in disbelief for the second time today.

"Care to explain the enthusiasm?" She asked quirking an eyebrow.

He thought for a few seconds; making sure he'd answer appropriately. It wasn't only that wearing black wasn't necessary because she embodied splendor, but he replied: "I didn't think that was the reason, that's all." He couldn't tell her what he instantly wanted to say.

"Well, let's just say it's not the only reason." She fell silent, holding back a smile.

"Go on," He prompted, interested.

"I beg your pardon, but my lips are sealed," she smiled coyly with emphasis on the word 'beg' remembering his comment from many months ago.

He didn't stop dead in his tracks, although his heart stopped at that instant. He smiled like an idiot, unlocking the trunk to place the grocery bags.

She motioned to her car, "I'll follow you with the Jeep."

"Okay," he said trying to hide the fact that he'd miss her. He loved having her at his side and that comment had meant a lot to him.

TBC...