TITLE: Three Blind Mice
AUTHOR: Vanth's Key
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Take the story on an allegory/non-literal basis or even I can feel insulted by the parallel.
DATE: RK 22.Jul.2005
DISCLAIMER: CSI: Miami, its characters, and its franchise are copyrighted to CBS, JB, AZ, CM, AD, etc.
FEEDBACK: If it pleases you.
PAIRING: Horatio/Calleigh with mentions of Horatio/Megan, Horatio/Yelina, and Horatio/Rebecca.
RATING: PG13/T for word usage.
SPOILER: All episodes, including 10-7, and interviews.
SUMMARY: She glanced into his eyes when she moved from his body; he saw just how much she knew -- her soul all-knowing when matters concerned him.
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Did you ever see such a thing in your life as three blind mice? --- Nursery rhyme.
Horatio Caine usually divided his life into two eras: BC -- 'Before Calleigh' and AC -- 'After Calleigh'. Ever known for facing situations headlong, he had acknowledged that he had fallen in love with her. He also admitted his ready acquiescence scared him.
So he ran, figuratively speaking.
He ran into the arms of three extremely intelligent women.
Megan Donner -- he had only himself to blame for their relationship. Neither had paused long enough to understand one thing: it had been too soon and now she was gone along with memories of Al and the ways things once were. She taught him one valuable lesson: sex was not as good as love was. She made sure to tell him, without confusing or mincing words together. He and Sean would never compare.
Then Megan moved on, away from grief, and Yelina walked in, still marked by it. At first, he told himself bridges were best repaired because of Ray, Junior. Surely someday the boy would want to hear stories of his father. Who better to tell them but himself?
Who knew what Yelina thought at that?
Eventually, he clued in -- the change in perfume, the subtle differences in makeup and clothing. All those little things a man was supposed to notice and to feign ignorance at the same time.
Megan resurfaced in his mind; the rate and destruction of their fast pace to sex stalled him. Without knowing, he had courted Yelina slowly, satisfyingly, and tastefully. Ever wonder what mixed messages from a man does to a woman?
It made her blind to her past -- a deceased husband and his son faded in favor of a man, especially the brother of the dead. Ray, Junior was none the wiser, enjoying Uncle Horatio and all the principles he represented.
Everything was a joke that ended with the resurrection of Raymond Caine who saw through the façade of wife and of lover -- or of brother. Yet, he gave no blame, no resentment, nor resignation.
It happened; that was all there was to it.
Horatio hoped marital strife was something he did not create as Yelina and Ray, Junior boarded the plane to Brazil. Somehow, he knew it would be one of many issues through which the reunited couple would struggle.
He was three days away from blaming himself for Yelina when Rebecca came to see him again. Aside from their differences in professional opinion, she had resented second tier placement to Yelina. Now she was back and she wanted it all.
When Rebecca left that first night, he was glad Ray, Junior was with his father and his mother. Horatio was ashamed that those principles his nephew respected had been nowhere in sight.
Strange how Horatio could satisfy her while he felt he had nothing left to give. The satisfaction of her contentment was no longer enough but Rebecca was not intuitive enough to see. For it was not because Yelina was gone that his life lost its meaning, it was because he felt Calleigh was now farther and farther from his reach.
Calleigh had changed; he blamed himself for it.
Strong, independent, vivacious Calleigh Duquesne had turned into another woman with only a shadow of the traits with which he had fallen in love. Could it be that if only his attention had been on her -- on his team -- they could have avoided so many events? Speed's death, Eric's indiscretions, the investigation into Valera's work, Ryan's loose tongue, the death of Alex's colleague, and Calleigh's guilt by association to Hagen.
Could it truly be that simple?
Horatio wished he could blame Megan, Yelina, and Rebecca. His non-existent irrational side advocated a positive approach insofar as the fault was entirely upon the women. The stronger logical portion of his mind was decidedly negative; it debated everything stemmed from his inattention and negligence. He resolved the issue by awarding points to the negative.
After he finalized her transfer from Ballistics, he scrutinized her carefully, looking for anything that could give him an excuse. He finally had to invent a plausible one though he knew that she saw its easy transparency.
The conversation was banal, unremarkable. However, Horatio reviewed it constantly, looking for those unconscious body movements that would betray her hidden emotions. His flawless memory only proved how much of a survivor she was -- like a bird hiding any signs of ailment to prevent drawing attention to itself, she gave away no hints.
He decided to try another tactic: an impromptu visit while she relaxed at her favorite spa. No stranger to the usefulness of bribery, Horatio parted ways with substantial amounts of cash.
The oil he chose was heat activated so he took care to warm it with his hands before applying it to her exposed skin. Her instinctive and immediate relaxation rewarded his subterfuge, until the time came to talk.
Calleigh gave no start of surprise at the sound of his voice; she merely rose from her prostrate position and re-robed herself. She turned as she tied the sash about her waist, showing just a hint of her breasts. It was a seducer's move; Horatio knew it when he saw it.
Then, she slid from the table, approached him, and leaned. Her mouth was centimeters away from the juncture of neck and ear.
"You ruined it by speaking, Horatio," she whispered, pitched low enough to arouse him by tone alone.
His arms came up automatically to encircle her body but she slipped easily away. The question on his mind was asked by body language.
This time, she nuzzled into him, invading his personal space with no remorse.
"I knew it was you by the scent of your cologne."
In other words, from the moment he stepped into the room.
She glanced into his eyes when she moved from his body; he saw just how much she knew -- her soul all-knowing when matters concerned him. That was the moment it hit him: the realization that there would be no mistakes with her for she saw through him like no other woman had, including his sole memorable 'Before Calleigh' relationship, his ex-wife.
It would take time, but the inevitability was too apparent to rush. He would abide by her rule and let things come.
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