Disclaimer: It's been a year; hopefully, by now, everybody knows CSI: Miami does not belong to me.
Author's Note: I realized only as I read the reviews that I had written View Down The Scope as it was conceived - part of a longer story - which I truncated into the Kill Zone Challenge. So, the bet that teased people was to be explained in the following two, non-existent chapters. Honestly, I did not realize I had done that; my betas certainly did not tell me; I have an itching suspicious they purposely did not. :- I can hear people saying, "Well, duh! Why would we?" Okay, this is a Miami story so here are the people who make things worthwhile: kdeb, Marianne, b8kworm, and Mr. Hathaway. I especially would love to thank kdeb for everything - hand holding, brainstorming, keeping me awake, etc. Oh, and I love my betas.
Summary: But when Pygmalion fell in love with his creation, Aphrodite had to turn the statue into a woman, flesh and blood, to make him happy.
Rating: PG-13
Archive(s): Evidence of Things Unseen, Lonely Road, mine. Anybody else, email me.
Pairing(s): Horatio/Calleigh.
Spoiler(s): Body Count, The Oath.
The sequel to View Down The Scope.
..... ..... .....Title: Everything Comes In Threes
Author: Laeta
Chapter 1: Blindsided
Calleigh hated to wake alone - especially when she fell asleep with a partner. However, she had to give credit for the high comfort level of his bed; though it was not as good as he himself, it was good enough. Thought registered, she wondered briefly why she had not woken when he had carried her from the sofa to his bed.
Wasting no time, she rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom where a surprise greeted her. There were a number of toiletry items waiting for her use - her favorite brands - and confusion warred with annoyance. Why would Horatio take the time to set these things on the counter if he was not there when she woke?
She heard a noise from the kitchen and settled for rinsing her mouth with the wash before she confronted the disruptor of her silent musings. They would settle the differences before she made herself at home in his house; after all, that was the message he left with the state of the bathroom.
An unusual sight awaited her within the confines of the kitchen: Sheila. Horatio was no where to be seen.
Sheila greeted Calleigh with an open, wide smile though her eyes were tired and sad. It immediately brought concern to the forefront.
"Sheila! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the school?"
Her words were bitter: "They decided I should take the day off. To avoid repercussions, of course."
"Repercussions?" Calleigh assessed the situation quickly and understood. "Because of Aaron and EMPAD."
"You got it."
"Is that why you're here?"
Sheila shook her head and sighed. "I wish it was. They got a call for a scenario early this morning; the council or whomever figured it would be better to have them at the training ground than out and about in Miami. The only way to keep them in one spot is to have them train."
That explained Horatio's absence.
"Anyway, I figured I ought to come here and pass the time with you." Sheila's expression went from amused to mischievous. "I heard you slept like the dead this morning. Busy night? No wonder you didn't hear the phone ring."
"Sheila!"
The reply was laughter and a flippant, "Okay, okay; I'll be good. Promise."
At Sheila's carefully blank face, Calleigh could only scoff in skepticism.
They breakfasted in companionable silence since Sheila had fallen asleep again not long after she arrived at Horatio's. The morning newspaper had been brought indoors, but neither made a move towards it. They already knew what the headline would be.
In the end, Calleigh broke the silence with a sigh, still mulling over Sheila's thinly veiled innuendo: "I wish he did do something."
Prompted by a question, she elaborated. "He was the perfect gentleman last night. We slept on the couch; that's it. It was a good opportunity and nothing happened!"
Sheila merely leveled a dubious expression at her friend. Oh, where was that line between privacy and need-to-know?
"Do you really think he would take advantage of a situation like that?"
Calleigh shrugged, checked instantly by Sheila's serious tone. "No, of course not. I just wish I had something to work with. Something that would tell me how far I can go."
The silence lengthened until it made Calleigh uncomfortable. Clearly, Sheila knew what that something was.
"Sheila, tell me what you know."
"Don't make me. It's not my right." The frustration shone for the world to see.
"Please. I love him. Help me understand him." Her voice had turned emotional, wavering only slightly as she said the words, instinctively knowing there was pain - past or present - involved.
Decision made, Sheila's shoulders sagged under the burden of betraying one friend to help another.
"First of all, it's not because of you he didn't do anything last night. I'm sure that, in another lifetime, he would've made a move and the consequences be damned. Okay?"
Calleigh nodded.
"You know that he was married once?"
"It's in his personnel file. Is it her name, with Yelina's, that's listed as next-of-kin?"
"Yeah. Stacy Caine, née O'Reilly."
Sheila traced patterns on the wooden table, gathered her thoughts. Even years later, it was difficult to take the high road and accept the events as they had unfolded.
"I'm sorry, Calleigh. This is difficult. Aaron, Stacy, Horatio, Ray Senior, and I, we grew up together. Anything that hurt one of them, hurt me, too."
"Sheila, I wish I could know how difficult things were. I can't unless you tell me."
She smiled for the sake of the future. Calleigh was right, and maybe it was time to let go of the past.
"Stacy moved away to Atlanta in high school; she had boyfriend there who went a little berserk when she dumped him. She came back home, attended FSU like the rest of us, and it was like one big reunion. Horatio and Stacy, they hooked up at the same time as me and Aaron did - in college. We had a beautiful double wedding."
Calleigh smiled; she had seen the pictures.
"Not long after, the guy came back, looking for Stacy. He found where they were living and came at them with a knife. He managed to cut Horatio - bad, but Horatio got him pretty good, too. Shot in the leg. Stacy called Aaron; there was no nine-one-one system back then."
Calleigh nodded.
"The guy's still in prison; Horatio and Aaron go to every parole hearing to make sure he stays there. But, Stacy's and Horatio's marriage didn't last; Horatio was willing to stick it through, but Stacy felt so guilty. She loved him, she really did, Calleigh, but it wasn't enough to overcome the fear of the guy coming back and actually killing Horatio."
"Oh, my God. Sheila -"
Sheila winced. "Horatio, he's not afraid of a relationship with you, Calleigh. I think he's afraid of past boyfriends or what-have-you's who are going to try to take you away from him."
Sheila reached out and grasped Calleigh's hands. Comfort flowed between both women.
"He's kept the scar, as a memory."
Calleigh nodded, wisely remaining silent as Sheila slowly withdrew from her shared past with Horatio.
She blinked a few times to re-insinuate herself in the present. Needing the goodness of life, the brightness in her voice and posture did not seem so artificial: "Things will be alright, Calleigh. In the meantime, I don't suggest you push things; besides, you have a bet to win, remember?"
"How can I forget?" Calleigh grinned. "Give me twenty minutes and we'll see how well I do."
"I'm feeling generous. I'll give you an hour."
"Remind me to never cross to your bad side, Sheila."
Just like that, laughter filled a house starved into loneliness.
© RK 25.May.2004