Disclaimer: Don't own the main characters
Summary: It is the weekend of Calleigh and Horatio's 15th wedding anniversary and the house is full again with the Caine kids, but that isn't all that's going on during this weekend of celebration. What more could happen? Please read and find out. Ninth Story in A Different Beginning series. A little A/U.
Title: Never stopped
Genre: Romance, Family, Drama
Rating: K+
Spoilers: None
Time-line: 1 year after Trouble in Paradise?
Warnings: None
Main Parings: Ducaine
Minor Parings: GSR (Mention only), CJ/OC
Other Characters: The Caine kids, Eric, Ryan, Alexx, Brenda, OC
Series Order: A Different Beginning, A life changing moment, First day of school, A Change of heart?, A new baby in the family, Leaving Miami, One chapter ends, another begins, Trouble in Paradise?, Never Stopped
Never stopped
Chapter 1: Surprising Encounter
After Calleigh walked out of the bathroom, she turned her head to the right and smiled at her husband, he was standing in front of the dresser and just put his tie on and was about to tie it, but she cleared her throat and asked. "May I?"
He gives her that smile that she loves as he turned his attention toward her. "Having my beautiful wife of 15 years helping with my tie? I couldn't think of anybody better."
They were going to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary on Sunday.
She smiled bigger as she walked up to him, then after she finished his tie, she cups his cheek and said. "Fifteen years, handsome, can you believe it?"
He shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "It still feels like a dream, sweetheart." He continues as he leans down. "A very wonderful, realistic dream." Then he just pecks her on the lips so he doesn't ruin her make-up.
When she pulls back, she smiles again and replied. "I agree."
He smiles back as the sound of the doorbell went through the house. "We better get that."
Calleigh nodded with the smile still on her face, having a feeling at who was at the door, then she slips her fingers through his before walking them out of the room and down the hall, which they shouted to the younger kids to come downstairs.
As they were walking down the stairs with the kids behind them, the doorbell was heard again, so Calleigh said. "Just a minute." Then when the parent's feet hit the living room floor, Horatio removed his hand to let her walk to the door herself, but stayed close behind her.
Once Calleigh reached the front door, she stopped, wraps her hand around the doorknob, then started opening it, and when she could see who was in view, she smiled bigger and said. "C.J.!"
The now 23-year-old C.J. smiled in return. "Mom!"
She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her son, and C.J. hugged her back as he chuckled too. They just saw each other a few weeks ago and she was acting like they hadn't seen one another in years, but he didn't mind too much.
When they pulled back, Calleigh stepped to the side to allow him and his guest to come in, which they knew ahead of time he was bringing somebody for the weekend, and they did come in after C.J. grabbed his and his guest's bags. Then C.J. greeted the other members of his family as Calleigh shuts the door, and they were just as happy as Calleigh was.
After he released his father, he walked back to his guest, placed his hand on the small of her back, then speaks. "Everybody this is Wendy Banks."
Wendy Banks was 23, 5'7 with short blond hair, hazel eyes and a slim build. He had met her two years ago and thought it was time to meet the family.
The family was as polite as ever and happy that C.J. seemed happy, but no matter how hard they tried to shake it off, the feeling of meeting another girl in C.J's life seemed wrong in some way, especially in Calleigh, Horatio and Christy.
Calleigh cleared her throat to get everybody's thoughts to the present, then spoke as she released the younger woman's hand. "Nice to meet you, Wendy."
Wendy smiled at the Caine family before she replied. "Nice to meet you guys too, I've heard a lot about you."
They nodded, then Calleigh looked at her son. "Why don't you take your bags up to your old room before we go?"
C.J. nodded as he grabbed the bags before taking them upstairs with Wendy following him.
While the rest of the family was standing in the living room, 12-year-old Christy sighed and said. "I wish it was Brenda with him." Even though its been five years since she'd seen her, she still missed her a lot.
Horatio and Calleigh couldn't deny that's what they were thinking deep down, but they knew they had to respect C.J's choice, so Calleigh kneeled down in front of her oldest daughter, but before she could speak, Sarah-Elizabeth asked. "Who is that?" Since she was barely one the last time she seen Brenda, she had no idea who her sister was talking about.
Calleigh, still in a kneeling position in front of Christy, answered Sarah-Elizabeth's question. "She used to be C.J.'s girlfriend." She nodded in understanding as Calleigh looked at Christy and continued. "And I know how you feel honey, but we need to give Wendy a chance, we need to respect your brother's choice, ok?"
Christy nodded. "Ok mommy."
Calleigh smiled as she reached up and kissed her daughter's forehead. "That's my girl."
As she stood up all the way, C.J. and Wendy were walking back down the stairs, then he smiled at everybody and said. "Everybody ready to go?"
The family smiled and Horatio replied. "Yeah, let's go."
After they all grabbed their jackets and Calleigh had her purse, the Caine family walked out of the house, then went to the vehicles, which C.J. and Wendy got into the vehicle that C.J. rented as the rest of the family got into Calleigh's.
When they got to the restaurant that they had reservations for, they were seated at their table, leaving one spot open, which the waitress asked if they were in fact waiting for one more member, and Horatio and Calleigh just smiled brightly with a nod.
As they were waiting for the drinks, and before they ordered their food, their last member had finally arrived, which Christy noticed him first. "Kyle!" Then she got off her chair and started running towards him before the family could stop her.
Kyle chuckled as he picked up his little sister with a small groan and replied as he moved her so he could hold her comfortably, then replied. "Next time I don't think I'll be able to pick you up."
She chuckled as she kissed her brother's cheek. "I've missed you."
He smiled. "I've missed you too, little one."
After they hugged, he sets her back down and they walked to the table hand in hand.
By the time they had reached the table the rest of family was standing up.
He released Christy's hand before bringing Calleigh into a hug, while Horatio talked to Christy about her actions, even though he understood her excitement.
"Hi mom."
Calleigh wrapped her arms around him and replied after a sniffle. "Hi honey, I'm so happy you'll be with us this weekend."
As they released the hug, he shook his head with a smile. "I wouldn't miss your guy's anniversary, especially your 15th."
She smiled, and after Kyle kissed her cheek, he went to his father, where he was immediately in his arms. "Hi son."
"Hi dad."
When they get out of their hug a few minutes later, he greets the younger siblings before greeting C.J. and Wendy, which he felt the same way as the other family members when he met her, but he kept a polite smile on his face the whole time.
Once he sat down between his father and Christy, the waitress came and took their food orders before walking away again.
Throughout dinner the family felt whole again, especially to Horatio and Calleigh, and they couldn't help but smile as they watched their kids interacted and laughed with one another.
When they finished their dinner and the bill was taken care of, they got up from their seats and walked out of the restaurant, and while they were headed for the vehicles, Christy asked her two older brothers. "Can we go to the movies now, you promised the last time that you guys were here that we would go."
Before the brothers had a chance to reply, Calleigh speaks. "Honey, they probably need to rest tonight, why don't you wait until tomorrow, perhaps?"
Christy looked at her mother, then at her brothers and gave them the look that they could never resist, which they laughed as C.J. looked at Kyle, and he just shrugged his shoulders, saying it was up to him, he then looked at Wendy and asked. "What do you think?"
She gives him a smile, although it kind of looked a little fake to Horatio and Calleigh, then replied. "It's up to you."
C.J. looked at his little sister again and replied. "Alright squirt, we can go." She cheered which got the younger kids cheering, and as Horatio and Calleigh were saying goodbye to their children, they told them to be careful, which C.J. responded that they would be.
After Sarah-Elizabeth was in Kyle's rented vehicle and Josh was in C.J.'s, Christy wasn't sure which brother she wanted to go with, so C.J. cupped her cheek and helped her out. "How about you pick one going there, then pick the other going home, ok?"
She nodded before picking Kyle first, her reasoning for that was because it had been the longest since she's seen him, and C.J. respected that.
They get to the movie theatre and buy tickets to a movie that not only would the older 'kids' not be board watching, but also something the parents would approve on if they were here, then headed for the concession stand.
As they were walking that way, Sarah-Elizabeth had to go to the restroom, so C.J. looked at Wendy and she gave him another smile before saying it was ok and walking away with his sister. After he had paid for the snacks, he started walking away with Josh so they could be out of everybody's way while they waited on Kyle and Christy to get their items and on Wendy and Sarah-Elizabeth to get back from the bathroom, and as he reached the back of the line, a little kid coming from his right ran right into him.
He looked down at the little guy as he looked up at him, and there was something about the boy's eyes that looked familiar to him, but he couldn't place them, or at least that was until he heard that voice. "Now, honey, what do you say?"
The little boy swallowed. "Sor...Sorry mister."
C.J. would have answered back right away, but his eyes were already on the woman who spoke, then he speaks softly, shocked that he was really looking at her. "Brenda."
Brenda looked at her young son before moving to the guy's face when she heard that familiar voice and her eyes grew wide, equally shocked that she was really looking at him. "C.J."
AN: Wondering what's going to happen next? Please review.