Sweet jesus, how long as it been since I decided to even try and do something in this place? I don't even know myself, but- I will tell you it's been one hell of a rollercoaster time for me. I just can't say sorry enough to the lot of you for ditching this place. ~~ It's awful. I'm so terribly sorry. Once I finish a fic in another fandom, I'll try and get started on a small, good one here. I promise.

For now, enjoy this one-shot… and the Horatio/Natalia friendship I love. With very gentle spoilers to 9.01: to which I don't even know if they are true.

I don't own CSI: Miami. Oi vey.

Sad Princess

She stopped playing long enough to hear a knock on her front door. She didn't want to go and answer it, fearing something for the worse. It was what she did- she felt like ever since Alexx had left the team, she had to be the one who watched over everyone. If Calleigh was going to be the gun-wielding, no-nonsense sister that no one ever had, than Natalia may as well have been silent, new mother of a broken family that everyone had.

That's what Natalia feared- the worst. Every day since Jesse's death.

Another knock, this time harder and longer. The CSI stood up and pushed her hair out of her face, swallowing and walking to it. She peeked through the window and was surprised to find an oddly familiar face standing on her doorstep. Natalia went back over and opened the door, gazing at her visitor and offering him a tired smile. "…hey."

"Are you all right?" were the first words out of his mouth.

Natalia wanted to shake her head, to cry into his arms and just bitterly sob about how it wasn't fair his life had been taken and not hers. But she didn't. Like the woman everyone thought she was, she nodded her head and gestured him in. "Yeah. Fine. Playing a little bit of piano."

Horatio simply entered her house, looking around curiously and following his young CSI out into the living room. He had never actually been in her home before, and he was impressed. It was a gorgeous living space, to say the least- Natalia had pieces of artwork lining the walls as if it was some art collector's hall from the guest rooms to her living room. He couldn't help but gaze for a moment at one of Jesus before coming into the living room.

He stopped.

Natalia had a grand piano in the corner and a sofa by the window. There was no television in sight, and a bookshelf rested next to the couch. Along the wall next to the piano were hundreds of CDs and a stereo system of highest quality. It all looked untouched, as if it was just there for show, sans for the sofa and the piano. All of this led into the kitchen- clean as anything and almost in similarity to Marisol's in beauty. Simplistic, but just… bright.

She watched him look around, folding her arms and smiling quietly. "You like it?"

Horatio turned to her, ducking his head. "You live in a beautiful home, Natalia."

"You'd think I would enjoy living here," she muttered, sitting at her piano and gazing at the keys before her. "But some days- I just don't. I hate it. Extravagance was never my lifestyle." Her fingers unconsciously took their place on the white keys, pushing down as if it were simply robotic movement. "I liked things simple, elegant." Her voice became dark. "Others thought different."

The music seemed to sail out over the two of them alone in the house. Horatio walked to the piano, Natalia moving aside quietly and continuing to play. He watched her fingers work the magic and looked at her quietly, tilting his head. "…what's wrong?"

She just shook her head, sniffling quietly. It hurt too much.

A hand rested on her leg, finger stroking silently. "Natalia?"

"It wasn't fair. Why him?" Her fingers were hitting the keys harder now at some points, shaking slightly. "Dammit, Horatio, we could have done something for him! Why the hell did they just leave him to die like that?"

Horatio stopped her hand now, but the music still reigned. As if someone had placed her piano interlude on the repeat setting, it floated throughout the living room as he spoke quietly to her. "It wasn't their fault. It wasn't your fault. Jesse's body just couldn't—" He choked a little, keeping his voice steady. "It couldn't wait anymore for them."

She shook her head, sobs rising in her throat. Horatio quietly slipped on arm around her on the piano bench, feeling a few tears slide down his face as well. She curled in his arms, shaking her head with her cries growing louder. He rocked back and forth on the cushioned bench, shushing her and watching her just let her entire heart release. Like a saddened girl who knew her fairy tales would never true, Natalia wept softly at the memory of her fallen friend.

At the thought she would never see Jesse Cardoza ever again.

All Horatio could do was cuddle her. Hold her. Soothe her and tell her they were all going to be okay, even if it was a complete lie. Because it was a lie she could believe. So he did. He held her close. Cuddled her. Shushed her and stroked her hair with tears running down her cheeks as she buried her face into his chest.

"It's going to be okay."

She shook her head. "No it's not."

"…you're right. It's not." He looked up out the window, swearing he saw a figure walk by the glass. "But we can always dream it will be."

Written to "Sad Princess" by Yoko Shimomura – Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep OST.

I have had too much Disney magic from when I worked there for six months. Can'tcha tell? :D

Anyways, yeah. Hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to leave a review or something. I'm sorry if it seems like I screwed them up… D: