Laila Collins was driving down one of Miami's many causeways when she got the call. She had been expecting it for awhile, and she felt her hand shake when she pressed the answer button and the speakerphone switch. It had been inevitable really. All it was was a matter of time. The fact that it occurred a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving would only make it worse. Truth be told, she had dreaded this moment.

"Hello Mom." She said, navigating around a snowbird in a jeep.

"Laila, honey. How are you?" Her mother's voice was cheery, if rather tinny from the phone.

"I'm good. How's everything in Conger?"

"Well enough, but it's cold."

"Mom, it's Iowa. It's always cold."

"Maybe we should come down to Florida. Get all tan and eat some turkey?" Her mother was never one for beating around the bush. "You want me and Jeff to come down? We could all be a family again." Laila felt a pang of regret. She really hadn't seen her parents in a year. But, there was another person she needed to consult. Her eyes slipped down to the boxes of forensics journals that occupied her front seat and the others that were in her backseat and her trunk.

"Well, I'd love it. I really miss you guys." Her voice almost cracked. She had some decent emotional support now, but an only child never stopped missing her parents. She was just about to continue when her mother broke in.

"So, should we book a flight?"

"Whoah, easy there. I need to speak to someone else. Okay?" Truth be told, Laila had hidden the fact that she had a steady boyfriend from her parents. Her father had a very protective nature, and it bothered him that he couldn't oversee her life down in Florida. Her mother was the town gossip, and her love life would have disseminated through Conger quicker than a gerbil on speed.

"You-someone-speak, a roommate maybe?" Her mother, whose name was Denice, sputtered. Laila could hear her whispering. "Not a boy, not a boy. oh please God, not a boy." She couldn't help but grin when she spoke.

"Actually, boyfriend." Laila braced herself for the tirade. Glancing down the causeway, she pulled off at an exit and parked outside a shopping center. This was going to take awhile and she didn't want to get crazy with her driving as she explained. She took it off speakerphone and held it up to her ear.

"Laila Marie Collins, you are living with a man and you aren't married! And I know you aren't married, because my daughter would have called! I knew Florida would do this to you. I just knew it! Imagine what Father Reeves would say if he knew. We're going to be the laughingstock of the town once this gets out." Denice practically exploded through the phone. Laila cringed away from the earpiece.

"Mom, just calm down a bit. I'll explain." She took a deep breath, trying to figure out the best way to explain. She told her mother how she had met her boyfriend, Lieutenant Horatio Caine, in a bar and they had set up a date. Laila neglected to mention that he had hauled her drunk ass home that night. Her mother kept a tense silence the whole time. Feeling the awkward silence build, she began to explain how her boss had unfortunately been murdered by one of his design staff and Horatio had been willing to believe in her innocence. She didn't tell her mother about how Horatio had an emotional breakdown before that and she had held him throughout the night, providing what little comfort she could in talking to him. Her mother definitely didn't need to know about their athletic activities involving the bed.

"And when did this take place?" Denice asked. Laila didn't like the fact that she was holding herself back. When her mother held herself back from asking questions, they tended to come out in a flood.

"Middle of September. We've been dating for a few months, and he asked I would move in with him." Laila could still see the uncertainty in Horatio's eyes. "I asked him for some time, thought about it, then called him later that week with a counteroffer. He would move in with me instead." She also could remember the laughter that emerged when she laid out her offer as she would have laid out an advertisement plan for a company. Horatio had accepted her offer, and she had been shuttling his belongings to her apartment for a few days.

"Is it serious?" Her mother's voice was reserved.

"Mom, he's a police Lieutenant. He's always serious." Laila let a little emotion trickle into her voice. "But we like each other. A lot. I'll talk to him about you guys coming over. I do miss you, and Dad."

"We miss you too Laila. I guess, well I guess I will wait for you to call me." Her mother did try to understand, but sometimes it was hard for her to accept what Laila had done in her life. Laila had no doubt that her father would know soon enough, and then the story would get passed around the local bar. Form there it would be told to wives, who would whisper it over telephones, and to teens who would text it back and forth. Thank God Miami doesn't have a gossip tree.

"I will soon. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too. Bye."

"Bye." The phone clicked as her mother hung up. With a huff, Laila pulled into drive and got back onto the causeway. A short time later she was pulling up to her apartment building. Leaving her Mustang in a loading zone, she got a cart from the front desk and loaded up Horatio's books. An elevator ride only took a few minutes to reach the twentieth floor, where she lived. Being so high up gave her a great view of the ocean, that she regularly enjoyed from her balcony. Laila unlocked her door, comforted immediately by the familiar sights of her apartment.

There was a small entryway, which flowed into a living room done in tan and light blue. Everything was tiled with little white squares, and a small set of tiled steps rose up to display the dark wooden dining table that had come from Horatio's apartment. Just behind the table, and a little ways to the right, the door to the balcony was hidden behind a sheer white curtain. The newest additions though, were five large bookcases. Two of them were filled to the gills, her library stashed away finally. The others were in the process of being filled with Horatio's books, knickknacks, and pictures.

"Horatio, you always are thoughtful." She muttered as she set the books in front of the bookcases. He had actually suggested the bookcases when he had come over to find her tearing through her apartment looking for a single book. With a weekend free, they had spent their time building the bookcases and watching football. Truthfully, aside from the typical sniping about instructions that came with building furniture, they got along really well. She had accepted the fact that he took his job as a priority, which had come around after he had missed a date for a case and had shown up the next day with flowers and an apology. He had been able, so far, to put up with her football fixation and her love of books. Her job required a small amount of time outside the apartment, most of what she did was done over the Internet, and he didn't seem to mind that she tended to go out later in the afternoon.

Laila smirked as she took the cart back down. Ever since seeing him breaking down, she had felt like she understood him. Horatio was protective, he was loyal, and he tried to take on the world's burdens. He didn't speak about his feelings often. He tried to keep them down, buried underneath his will. The few times he had let them out, she had been there to comfort him if needed and strengthen him. Seeing a human being break down like that, it had bonded them. He wasn't the only one who had broken. Laila regretted remembering this, but she tried to tell herself to use it to make her stronger. After seeing her boss in a pool of his own blood, she had gone almost comatose. Horatio had cared, taking her home and being there when she broke down crying.

Neither of them had asked for the other to comfort them.

They just had.

Horatio Caine felt slightly odd parking in the high-rise's parking lot. He still wasn't used to calling this place home. He wasn't afraid to call it home, this place had always been one of comfort. It had been a strange few months for him. Sleep, one of the only things that eluded him, had returned when he was with Laila. A continuous romantic relationship, one that hadn't been interrupted by suspicion and death, had kept him both uneasy and extremely happy. He was worried that he would do something that would set her off and she would leave.

His biggest worry had been asking her to move in. They had been dating for about two months when he had asked her. It was one of their usual Monday dates, going for dinner and a walk at night. She had tensed in his arms, letting the jacket he had wrapped around her shoulders slip had looked out at the ocean for a few moments before responding. Truth be told, they always seemed to be at the ocean. Every one of their dates ended with a walk along the beach. But, back to the story. She had asked for time, and he had given it. Over the next week they had texted each other, but he didn't see her until she had come into his office as he was packing to leave on a Friday. Laila had set her briefcase down and asked him to listen to her offer. She had detailed how she thought that living together would pose no issue, but his apartment did. She felt it was small, and too far away from the beach. What she offered was for Horatio to live with her. He would have access to all of her things, to her balcony, and she would even begin transferring his belonging over to her apartment. He had been struck by how professional she had been, almost like a general laying out a battle plan. He had to stifle some laughter while listening.

He had accepted.

Truth be told, he was glad to be living with her now. They had both found out that they slept better when the other was present, but this couldn't be all the time. Some days he would have to work late, or he would get called in. Other days she would work late into the night on a project for her consulting and would fuel herself with soda. The way she had put it made sense to him. It's like I can sleep, but I sleep ten times better when you're there. Horatio shook these thoughts out of his head as he stepped into his new home.

"Hey Horatio!" He heard Laila call. He glanced around to find her organizing a collection of journals on a bookshelf. He walked over, enjoying the way she had dragged two armchairs and coffee table over to make a reading area. He also enjoyed the fact that she had been willing to accept the bookcases. Coming to watch a football game, he had found blankets and pillows thrown everywhere as she groped for a book under her bed. Horatio had decided to teach her how to organize.

"Laila." He said. Horatio had always been one for simplicity. She turned around and kissed him. As usual, it was light but held the promise of something further if that's what he wanted. Sometime he took her up on that offer, other times he let it pass by. This time, he returned her kiss, but not with the passion that held promises of things to come. Laila didn't seem to mind, instead turning around to look at the bookshelves. He could see the pride she had in filling them. "Lot of books."

"Half of them are yours." She retorted, sidestepping around him. "I'm getting dinner on. The meatloaves are almost done." Horatio smiled. Laila had been cooking for him more often, and he had to admit he enjoyed it. A good home-cooked meal was a viable remedy to a hard day of work. It was after the meatloaf was finished that he noticed she looked nervous.

"Is everything alright?" He asked as they took up a spot on the couch. Laila bit her lip before she responded.

"My parents. They want to come down for Thanksgiving and my mother isn't exactly pleased that I've decided to live with you." She didn't seem to upset, but there was a concern in her voice. "I told her that I would talk to you about them coming down."

"Why does she care if we're living together?" Horatio truthfully couldn't see the reason she would be so upset.

"You're from New York, right?"

"Yes."

"And you've lived in Miami for awhile?" It felt more like a question than a statement from her.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Horatio, you don't get what it's like to live in a small town. Everyone's very conservative and everybody knows everybody. My parents didn't live together until they were married. My mother is the town gossip, she considers you socially awkward if you don't know what your neighbor ate for dinner three days ago." With a sudden urge, Laila stood up out of his arms. She paced around the couch. "I left there to get away from all of that. I don't want you to get caught up in all of it. Down here, nobody cares what you do. Back home, it's weird if you do anything alone."

"Laila, just calm down." Horatio stood, catching her by the shoulders. "I can take care of myself. I'm fairly sure I can handle your parents." With a smirk he ran his hands through her hair. God, how he loved that hair. It was so soft, and whatever product she used on it made it smell amazing.

"Oh Horatio, you might live to regret those words." Her voice was light, but her words were anything but. Horatio chuckled, before drawing her back to the couch. She joined him, grabbing a pillow. "So, should I call her back on my own, or do you want to talk to her?"

"I'll talk, you listen." Horatio grabbed her phone from its place on an end table. He studiously ignored Laila's look of disbelief. She let it go, snuggling onto his shoulder with a muttered 'this ought to be good'. He flipped through her contacts until he found the one labeled Mother. It rang a few times, he had set it on speakerphone.

"Laila?"

"Actually, m'am, this is Lieutenant Caine of the Miami-Dade PD." Horatio talked with a firm voice, keeping it calm.

"Are you the man that's been dating my daughter?" Laila's mother, who's name she quickly whispered into his ear, sounded shrill.

"Yes, Mrs. Collins. In fact, I wanted to invite you down for Thanksgiving." Horatio could almost hear Denice's jaw hitting the floor. "We would love to have you both come down, and I would like to meet both of you personally."

"I-I, I guess we can look for flights. I'll just call you with the details later."

"That sounds fine. Have a good night."

"You too, Lieutenant. You too." With a click, her mother hung up. Laila began to laugh, a wonderful sound that reminded him of their walks on the beach. When she finally regained her breath, she spoke.

"I have never heard her speechless before." She said, burying herself in his shoulder. "And while I would love to stay here all night, I need to take a bath. Plus, you've got work." Laila seemed to heave a world weary sigh as she stood to go. Horatio watched her leave, wanting to follow but decided to stay and watch the news. Once he was certain she was done, he went to her bedroom. Our bedroom, he chided himself. Laila was sitting there in her pajamas, rubbing lotion into her legs. Somehow, these little touches made the whole upheaval he was experiencing worth it. To be able to take the lotion from her and work it into her skin himself, ah, that was bliss. Once the lotion had been smoothed away, he left to change into what he wore for pajamas. He went shirtless, a pair of flannel pajama pants tied around his waist. Laila was sitting up, reading a book. Horatio remembered the time he had come over to find her reading a book on forensics. She had tried to get rid of it by flinging it halfway across the room. Horatio had retrieved it, then told her if she had any questions he would be glad to answer them. He joined her, grabbing what he was currently reading off of his nightstand. Finally, he felt his eyelids begin to droop, and Laila must have as well. Soon both lamps had been turned off, and he had her pulled over to him.

"Good night, Horatio." She whispered, letting her head fall onto the pillow. He could never have asked for anything more, to know that someone cared about him enough to wish him a good night.

"Good night, Laila."

And so it begins again! Please leave your reviews!