Author: Lori51

Rating: T

Disclaimer: These characters have never been and will never be mine. I'm just borrowing them and will return them unharmed.

Category: DuCaine

Summary: Horatio and Calleigh are married with children and recuperating together. Things are going well, but Horatio wants to make all of her dreams come true, and he won't be happy until he gives her the dream she has all but given up on. But will she forgive him? DuCaine. Horatio/Calleigh, Frank/Natalia. Third in a series after "A Sea Change" and "Armed and Dangerous." It will be very confusing if you don't read those first.

A/N: The events of this story directly follow those of "A Sea Change" and "Armed & Dangerous." You might want to read those first, in that order, or you'll be lost. Keep in mind that the events of "Armed & Dangerous" finished about the end of July, so this one starts right after, at the beginning of August. Hope you don't mind bearing with me, as this one is a lot different in structure. You'll see why. Hope you like.

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think. :)

Oh, yeah, since the chapters are a lot longer, and fewer, there are probably going to be little M parts in most of them, but I don't think it's enough to push the whole story into M-ville.

Prologue

Calleigh woke slowly to sunlight streaming in the window, wondering what had happened to the alarm, and the backup alarm, their children, until she registered the solid warmth of her husband spooned up behind her, a muscled arm holding her close, and remembered that it was Sunday. Date weekend. A wonderful date weekend. She smiled dreamily, closing her eyes, remembering how wonderful it had been so far.

Horatio had smiled at her once they'd gotten their Saturday errands done. "Today is for you," he'd told her, bringing her upstairs where he'd run her a hot bubble bath.

"Horatio," she'd said almost in exasperation. "I don't have time. I have too much to get done today—"

He'd cut her off with a kiss. "Which will all keep. I want you to let me pamper you today. I want you to let me show you how very much I love you." That had melted her and her resistance. After a nice long soak, he had bathed her carefully, washing her hair and massaging her scalp long and luxuriantly. Wrapping her in a fluffy towel, he dried her lovingly, then led her to their bed where he asked her to stretch out and proceeded to give her a long, blissful, mind-erasing full-body massage. She'd looked up at him, totally relaxed, and smiled. "I think you have too many clothes on, my husband," she'd murmured, and he'd just smiled. "Why, Mrs. Caine, I do love your dirty mind, but that's for later, when we're without children. Close your eyes and take a nap while I drop off the kids, and when you wake up, dress nice, because I'm taking you out."

The next time she'd seen him, he'd looked so unbearably handsome in his suit and blue shirt that she'd had a hard time keeping from dragging him to bed then and there. He'd stood there watching her in the doorway to their bathroom while she put on her makeup, smiling shyly as he handed her a beautiful red rose. "The red rose symbolizes both abiding love and passion, both of which I have for you in equal measure." He took her hands in his carefully. "The beauty of the rose interspersed with its thorns symbolizes a love that is stronger than anything that tries to destroy it." He'd kissed her tenderly, reverently. "I think that's us." She'd wrapped her arms around him, and in time he'd taken her to dinner, danced with her in his arms, and then they'd sat on the beach with a bottle of wine, like the first time.

He'd changed—again—since that horrible day. He'd stopped looking over his shoulder, and they'd begun to live again. He had let go of his paranoia; how, she had no idea. All she knew was in the past few months he'd let go of all the worry that had plagued him and simply let himself live. They'd settled into an easy routine while he was home recovering that had continued once he'd returned to work. Summer had ended, and she knew he'd very much enjoyed spending time with the kids while he was home recuperating. The four of them were thick as thieves, and she'd envied them that precious time together, even as she knew they all needed it. She'd been in charge of the lab while he was out, and even as she loved it, she spent the hours wishing she could be home with her family. She was loving this change in him, and desperately hoping that nothing would happen to make him regret it.

After the beach, he'd taken her upstairs and taken his time to show her how much he loved her. He really was the most romantic man she'd ever known. He knew her so well now—body and soul—that she didn't stand a chance when he made a concentrated effort to seduce her. He had worshipped her body the way only he could until she had lost track of everything but him, completely under his spell. His touch and his kiss and that voice had wrapped themselves around her until she wasn't sure where she ended and he began, and it had been exquisite. She smiled now at the memory, at how very loved and wanted and treasured he had made her feel. It had been quite a night.

And then her eyes flew open in shock. Oh. My. God. Last night... What was she going to do now?

TBC...