TITLE: Change of Heart

AUTHOR: DesertLizzie

RATING: PG-13

SPOILERS: None

DISCLAIMER: The characters from CSI: Miami aren't mine, nor is the original premise of the show. I don't claim any of them. I'm just using them a bit here. 

AUTHORS NOTE: Hi there! This is my first CSI fan fiction. I have written in other worlds but I am a relative newcomer to CSI. I am not a fundamentalist when it comes to the technology involved with forensics. For those of you who are looking for a story heavy on that aspect of the show, I'm afraid you might be disappointed. What I am doing is creating a story based around the CSI: Miami characters with a few of my own added in. This story will go where the television program won't – right into their personal lives. Don't shoot me for not following the wildly popular Horacio/Calleigh pairing. I love both characters enough to explore other avenues for them romantically. I hope you enjoy the beginning to this story. I welcome your reviews. I will, of course, post chapters as they are written.

Horacio Caine's early morning quiet was shattered by the sound of a barking dog. Not, in itself, an unpleasant sound, particularly in the idyllic suburban neighborhood for which he'd spent months looking. It was, however, unexpected, as none of Horacio's neighbors, at last count, had given up their big city existence enough to get rid of the "pocket pets" they called dogs in favor of the real thing.

The bark he heard was from a bona fide dog that had to have weighed at least fifty pounds and Horacio was just curious enough to look out his front window. Sure enough, there was a large yellow Labrador retriever, wagging his tail and barking toward a moving van that was parked in front of the house next door.

A moment later a tall, slender woman came from around the opposite side of the van. She spoke to the dog, who immediately stopped barking and sat down, his tail fanning the grass. Her smile was evident, even from that distance and Horacio felt himself smile as he watched the woman praise the dog. His eyes caught sight of the mantle clock and he reluctantly folded his newspaper and prepared to go.

The woman was carefully taking items out of the van as Horacio pulled out of his garage. On a whim he stopped his car, got out and went over to her. As he got closer Horacio realized that she was several years older than he had originally thought, probably in her late thirties. She was also less pretty and more stunning up close. Her honey gold hair was pulled into a high ponytail and the length dangled thickly between her shoulder blades. Violet blue eyes flashed his direction and he realized that she was tall enough that he didn't have to look down to look her in the eye. Just right jeans hugged a narrow waist and a simple white t-shirt completed the oddly seductive ensemble.

Horacio vaguely heard the woman clear her throat as it became apparent he'd been staring.

"Hi." Her voice, while feminine, was modulated and pitched low, the single syllable caressing the air between them. Horacio blinked twice and smiled, leaning down to show his hand to the dog, who sniffed and licked it, then put his head under Horacio's palm.

"Hello."

"Sheba, you're such a hussy!" She said, good-naturedly.

"She's beautiful."

"Thanks. Sorry for all the barking." She nodded toward Horacio's front window.

Horacio shook his head. "Don't worry about it – I wasn't bothered. My name is Horacio by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Horacio." She took his outstretched hand and clasped it firmly. "My name is Victoria. I'm your new neighbor."

"Good to meet you Victoria. Do you have help?" He glanced at the full van.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Victoria raised her watch to her view. "They should be here any moment, and it's a good thing. I'm going to be late for my first day at work if I don't get moving."

"I need to get going too. I guess I'll see you around."

"I look forward to it." Victoria smiled again and Horacio couldn't help but smile back.

He was still smiling when he reached his office located within the Miami Dade crime lab. The quiet, steel doors of the elevator whooshed open and Horacio stepped into the cool, hushed hallway. There was activity going on behind the clear glass and steel walls of the labs, but the sounds in the hallway were muted, belaying the importance of the work that was done in this part of the building. Horacio saw two of his team members at the end of the hall – Calleigh Duquesne and Eric Delko. Eric turned the corner and disappeared from view as the older man neared them.

"Good morning, Horacio."

"Good morning Calleigh. Wasn't that Eric I just saw you with?"

"Saw me with? Why would you say that he was with me? I think I did see him, but he was hardly 'with' me." She rolled her eyes dramatically.

Horacio looked harder at his ballistics expert. Was Calleigh Duquesne babbling? And blushing, no less, he was sure of it. He smiled. "Okay." He paused a moment then asked, "Are you working on the ballistics for the Colby trial today?"

"Uh-huh. They go to trial next Monday. With luck I can finish up later this afternoon."

Horacio walked by Calleigh into his office and picked up the stack of paperwork that lay on his desk. "From your lip, Ms. Duquesne. We could use a breather." He shook his head grimly at the stack.

"What we could all use is a vacation." Detective Frank Tripp paused at the door.

"Trouble Frank?" Horacio considered the older gentleman.

"We'll soon find out. We have a new lieutenant starting today, and if you'll excuse me for saying it Calleigh, she's a lady cop from DC." Frank said with borderline mock despair.

Calleigh laughed. "I know you're kidding, Frank."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because if you weren't I'd feel the need to hurt you." Calleigh blinked ingenuously up at the large man and left the office.

"I think she's serious, Frank." Horacio said.

"What is she, 5'3?"

"I wouldn't put anything past her, though. What happened to Jacobs?"

"Retired. Didn't say a word about it to any of the detectives but I guess he's been discussing it with the brass for quite a while. His replacement is supposed to be quite a hot shot. Took a while to get her, that's why he didn't leave until now."

"Interesting." Horacio considered the information.

"Yeah. Interesting." Tripp smirked. "Well, here I go."

"Good luck."

Frank waved without turning around.

Horacio's thoughts drifted back to his new neighbor until the phone rang.

Eric playfully bumped Calleigh's arm as she tried to line up ballistic striations on a spent bullet.

"Cut it out!" She feigned irritation. The young man smiled and leaned close to Calleigh's ear.

"Am I bugging you?" He whispered.

"Yes!"

"Not near as much as I'm going to."

"Eric!" Calleigh looked around. They were completely alone. Eric stepped back and opened his arms.

"There's no one here. Besides, what does it matter if people find out?"

"By people, you mean Horacio, and I just don't want to deal with that right now." She laid her hand on Eric's forearm. "It's not that I think he would object as much as I don't want to give him a reason to keep us from working together."

"It sounds like an excuse." He smiled and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the tell tale shade of red hair as Horacio walked into ballistics.

"Hi boss." Eric shrewdly reached for a pencil behind Calleigh on the desk and moved away.

Horacio paused a beat, looking at the twosome and wondering why they were trying to hide their relationship from him. "I thought I saw you. I need you to go with me. We've got a body in some water."

Eric left to get his SCUBA gear.

"Do you need me?" Calleigh asked.

"To stay and finish this, yes, I do." He smiled down at her. "You know, Calleigh, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here, don't you?"

Calleigh angled her head slightly and smiled. "Of course I do."

"Good."