Title: Her Smile

Author: Little Horatio

Summary: Horatio and Calleigh get together for Valentine's Day with the help of their fellow CSIs.

Author's note: This is a fic for the challenge given to me by kiuna'yukina. I know it's after Valentine's Day but what can I do? I haven't had any sleep for two straight days and I was becoming delusional. Just ask her. I was all cranky and bitchy. Preparing for the trade fair took a lot out of me and my council members. We looked like shit when we tried to sell our home-baked pastries. Luckily, though, we sold out, all of us did. It was a fun experience.

Our happiness disappeared when our bitch-of-a-principal started complaining how noisy we were. She even had the guts to cancel our trade fair. Fortunately for us, our dear old Economics teacher sucked it up and apologized for us. It was all his fault in the first place anyway. He gave us only three day—THREE DAYS—to prepare for the stupid thing. And because of that, our council spent the whole night and morning baking brownies and cookies and all that.

God, the kids are gullible pricks. They bought everything we had to sell. Once we were sold out, I took a piece of stick, some streamers and taped them together. I told them you can swat and annoy your classmates with these, and they believed me! They bought the damn thing.

Anyway, I once again apologize for this fic's delay. And please be gentle with this one. It's my first DuCaine fic and I'm not sure if I did well. It's kind of…rushed.

Main Characters: Horatio Caine and Calleigh Duquesne.

Her Smile

'Another long day, another case solved,' the thought came to his mind as he filled his cup with coffee. He turned around and resumed watching his young CSIs enjoy yet another victory against the felons of Miami. His eyes were especially locked on a certain southern belle that made her way back to the couch that centered inside the break room.

"It's Valentine's Day and still they can't give us a break and just go at it," complained the youngest CSI with brown hair and serious eyes who went by the name of Ryan Wolfe, preferring to the criminals that made themselves busy all day long.

"Maybe they didn't have a date and decided 'what the heck, I have nothing better to do anyway'," Speed told them, saying what was on his mind the whole time they were solving cases. He was wearing his usual lazy-eyed look and usual attire that was, specifically, his wrinkly shirt and a pair of faded jeans.

"Sounds like you, Ryan," pointed out the dark-skinned and fairly handsome CSI, Eric Delko. He had that boyish grin on his face again.

"I don't see you preparing for a date," shot back Ryan.

"That's because I don't have one," he replied in a laid back kind of way. "I'm feeling generous and I'm leaving the guys with their girlfriends for a change. Besides, I don't feel like having a lady with me for once."

"The great Eric Delko has no date?" questioned the African-American, Alexx Woods, who was the chief coroner of the Miami-Dade Police Department crime lab. "On Valentine's Day? Miracles do happen. Usually, you go at it with strangers left to right."

"You're making it sound like I'm a playboy," Eric said, accusingly.

"You are," Speed said simply, and took a sip of his coffee.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are." This time the beautiful ballistics expert, Calleigh Duquesne, argued, wearing one of her smiles.

Horatio felt his knees go weak, seeing her smile like that. It was the number one thing he loved about her. Nobody, he thought, could imitate something as special and affectionate as that. He sipped his coffee and set it aside, still mesmerized by the blonde's dazzling smile.

"So, honey, what's this rumor about you and Jake having a date tonight?" asked Alexx in a gossipy way.

Jake.

Horatio frowned at the irritating name.

"You and Jake on a date?"

"No, it's not a date," Calleigh denied blushingly. She remembered Jake telling her the second he got off the elevator. She was taken by surprise by the notion. She was expecting a request from somebody else. "It's just dinner, that's all."

"Okay…if that's what you say…"

"That's not funny, Speed," she said, seeing the unbelieving stare the crop-haired brunette was making. "Really, it's just dinner. It's nothing special."

"How about you H?" asked Ryan, seeing him standing alone and leaning against the counter.

"Yeah, anyone special you have for tonight?" added Eric.

"No one…" Horatio replied in what seemed to sound like a whisper, taking his coffee and having a sip, trying to cover his scowl. His 'special someone' already had other plans.

Abruptly, after answering their questions, he walked out of the break room, taking his coffee with him and leaving his team puzzled by his actions.

"Poor Horatio," Alexx said in a sympathetic tone, "He's alone on yet another Valentine's Day."

"Yeah," Speed said in his lazy drawl as he remained in his seat. "It's been like that every year."

"I feel sorry for the boss," said Ryan as he regretted asking the question.

"I wish we could do something for him," Eric told them, heaving a sigh.

Calleigh felt a pressure building inside her chest and stood up quickly, the guys looking at her as she did so.

"I-I have to go," she said, her voice unsure of what to say. "Gotta get ready for tonight."

"'Kay," Eric said, "Bye, Cal."

"Have fun, honey," Alexx added and watched her leave.

Ryan looked out after waiting for a minute to pass and resumed his seat beside Eric.

"Okay, we're clear," he said in a hush tone.

"Told 'ya it would work," Speed announced and laid out a hand.

"Whatever," Eric said as he begrudgingly laid a twenty-dollar bill on his friend's palm. He had lost the bet that the simple comment of 'special someones' would get the two out of the break room faster than you could say 'pnuemonoultramicroscopicsiliconvolcanoiosis.'

"So Calleigh really has feelings for H," said Ryan with a nod of his head. Anybody who had watched their reactions at the early event would think so to.

"And H really has feelings for Calleigh," confirmed Eric.

"Well, yeah," agreed Speed. "Look at how he walked out after you asked him about a special someone after Calleigh just said she was having dinner with Jake the Jerk tonight."

"Why won't she just say no?"

"She can't just say no," Alexx told Ryan with a shake of her head. "They had a history together."

"Well, yeah, but they're not actually…together," Ryan pointed out.

Alexx rolled her eyes. Boys…

"And tonight they won't be either," Eric said. "We're doing the plan."

"You actually think it would work?" Speed said in a snappy retort.

"Of course it would," the Cuban replied. "I made it."

"Which is exactly why I asked."

"Just trust me on this…"

"Okay, then fire away," Ryan said.

"Alexx," Eric turned to her. "In what time exactly are they going to have dinner and where?"

"Nine o'clock tonight," she said quickly, repeating what she had heard earlier that afternoon, "and they're having dinner at the Ambiance."

"Ambiance?" Timothy Speedle reiterated. "I didn't know Jake the Jerk could afford a place like that. It's way too fancy."

"If you ask me, fancy does not suit him," Alexx speaking her mind.

"Nothing suits him," Ryan said.

"Anyway, I think we should call Ray, Jr. and give him the go signal," Eric said, not wanting to waste any time with his plan.

"Are you sure it's a good idea involving Horatio's nephew with this?" questioned Speed. "I mean, the kid's got Yelina Salas for a mother."

"And that's why we need him," reasoned Eric, getting tired of the same conversation they had three hours ago. "Once the plan's in motion both Jake and Yelina would be out of the picture, and that leaves H and Calleigh alone, together, on Valentine's Day."

"Yelina doesn't have feelings for H anymore," Speed mentioned. "The woman's dating Stetler for Christ's sake."

"We still need to be careful."

Speed merely rolled his eyes.

"Alexx's job is done and it's up to the three of us," Eric continued. "Ryan, you'll call Ray, Jr. and tell him to do what he needs to do and later help him out when he's going at it at Jake."

"Copy that." Ryan nodded.

"And, Speed, it's up to us to deal with Jake and Yelina."

"I know the plan…"

"Wish us luck, Alexx," Eric said with a grin. He looked down at his watch and waited for the second hand of the clock to hit twelve. "The plan starts……NOW!"

CSI: Miami

Raymund, Jr. had received the call and started to tiptoe across the hall to his mother's bedroom. He heard the hard spraying of the shower and instantly went to action as he saw her purse laid on the bed.

He reached in and quietly rummaged around, looking. Finally, his hand made contact with her cell phone and started pressing buttons.

He went to the menu, then the messages, and then started to text away.

Meet me at the Ambiance at 9 o'clock sharp. Be there and don't be late.

Ray, Jr. pressed one more button and sent the text message straight to his unknowing uncle. He quietly placed the cell phone inside the purse and hurriedly tiptoed out of his mother's bedroom.

A few miles away, Horatio Caine saw his cell phone glow and vibrate on his polished wooden desk as he read a book in his study. He brought the book he was reading down and reached for his cell phone.

"Yelina?" he said as he read the name blinking in his cell.

He pressed the button and read the text message.

He raised an eyebrow.

CSI: Miami

Jake, excited as ever, drove around the neighborhood as he makes his way to the famous Ambiance. He just got out of his apartment, wearing his best suit and tie. And he couldn't wait to spend his evening with the famous Bullet Girl, Calleigh Duquesne. Their relationship had a little trouble and that they lacked what people would call, well, a relationship. But tonight, he thought, it was time to impress her, no matter what. Starting with, getting to Ambiance early and before her.

He had planned something special for her and he couldn't wait to see the smile that, he knew, would form on her face.

Jake got immediately distracted by two floodlights and two construction workers waving at him, wearing their hard helmets. One was waving a sign that reflected STOP and the other was pointing at the other direction, implying that he should go there than his usual route. There was a road block and another sign that said, 'Do not cross. Deep excavation.'

He didn't see their faces because of the floodlights and because of the helmets they were wearing, but it didn't bother him. In fact, he was just pissed that he had to take the longer way out and around the block.

Why were they fixing the road at night anyway?

With a frown, Jake spun the wheel and turned right, instead of driving straight ahead. One of the two men held a thumbs-up as he did.

Unknowingly to Jake, the thumbs-up simply meant that he was a sucker.

The two men quickly removed the road blocks and the signs and hurriedly disposed of their construction vests that had reflective tape.

They hid at the bushes, one of them revealing black binoculars.

"I can't believe he fell for the 'deep excavation gag'," said Speed as he used his binoculars to spot the car continuing to the right. "Is he that dense? Who would fix a road in the middle of the night on Valentine's Day?"

"This is way too easy," Eric said, "It's not even a challenge."

"Shush. He's getting closer," interrupted Speed, and then brought down his binoculars. "Let's go."

Jake tapped his fingers on the wheel and decided to add some more speed to his driving. He could not afford to be late because of some minor road problem. With the thought floating in his head, he stepped on the gas and accelerated further.

Then, out of nowhere, a teenager came into view of the headlights, skating across the road. By the time Jake saw him; he quickly stepped on the breaks and screeched along the road.

The boy heard the screeching noise and saw the headlights. He quickly jumped out of the way even if he knew he was a few feet from the car and that it wasn't going to hit him. He found it necessary to make things look more believable. He let out a shout as he fell to the ground.

Jake immediately got out of his car the second it stopped and ran towards the boy.

"Hey, kid," he said, his heart beat doubling, "you okay?"

"I…I think so…" said the teenager with a groan, rubbing his hip. He saw his skateboard and hastily got up. "What the hell did you do to my skateboard?!"

"Um…it just got a little damaged, that's all."

"Are you blind?" exclaimed the boy with dark curly hair. "It's split in two!"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" said Jake, defending himself. "Why were you skating at night anyway?"

"You almost ran me over and it's my fault!?" said the appalled teenager. "Screw you, man."

"Hey, hey!" Jake said, demandingly. "You don't have any idea who you're talking to, kid. I'm a police officer—"

"No, YOU have no idea who're you talking to," interrupted the younger. "Don't you know who I am? I'm Raymund Caine."

Jake was taken by surprise by the boy's surname.

"I didn't know Lieutenant Caine had a son," he said with a confused face.

"I'm his nephew, dumbass," the teenager shot back. "I'm Raymund Caine, Jr."

"I don't care who you say you are, punk, you're coming with me," Jake said and grabbed the teenager by the arm.

"What? Hey!!" yelled Raymund. "Let go, you asshole!"

"We're gonna do something about that mouth of yours," the older said, dragging him. "Maybe a night's stay at MDPD's holding cell will do some good."

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Yelina?" Jake said as he turned around, watching the fuming woman stomp towards him, coming out of nowhere like the boy.

"What the hell are you doing to my son, Berkeley?!" she questioned, her nose flaring in anger.

"This kid's your son?"

"Come here, Raymund," she said taking him. "What did he do to you?"

"The jerk tried to run me over, mom," he claimed, pointing at the police officer.

"He what?!"

"N-no!!" Berkeley denied. "It was an accident!!"

"He tried to kill me!!" Raymund continued his accusation. "And look what he did to my skateboard!"

"Listen here you lying punk—"

"No, you listen!" Yelina exclaimed fiercely, protecting her only child, her motherly instincts going in. "Lay a hand on my son again and you'll be begging for mercy once I'm through with you."

"Look, Yelina, calm down, it was---"

"Hell no, it wasn't an accident!" Raymund cut him off. "Don't listen to him, mom. He even said he'd force me to spend the night at MDPD's holding cell after he almost KILLED ME because he's a police officer and he can do whatever he wants."

"Oh, is that so?" Yelina growled and started to roll up her sleeves to her arm while she walked towards the shaking Jake Berkeley.

"Yelina, please, wait!!" pleaded Jake. He knew what she could do when she was angry and it wasn't helpful that he did. He was so screwed.

Berkeley's screams could be heard a mile away and Speed and Eric had to stifle their laughter so as not to be heard as they hid behind the bushes, enjoying the scene they had planned.

"I never imagined it was gonna be this funny," sniggered Eric, trying to control his laughter.

"I never knew Berkeley screamed like a girl," said Speed, enjoying himself as he kept watching Yelina beat Jake like some rag doll.

"I never knew his neck could bend that way either."

Eric and Speed turned around and saw a smiling Raymund, Jr. right behind them.

"You did good, kid," Eric said, ruffling the boy's hair.

"I know."

"You're mom's one hell of a fighter," Speed said, hearing Berkeley's screams of pain.

"That's only half of what she can really do," said Raymund proudly. "And you two owe me a new skateboard, plus a new game for my x-box 360, as agreed."

"We know," Eric said. "Now, it's only up to H and Cal if they really want to confess their feelings for each other."

"They should," Speed said. "The tension between them every time they get near each other gets annoying."

CSI: Miami

Horatio Caine entered the famous restaurant wearing one of his designer-labeled suits and a Hugo Boss, black sateen pattern spread collar dress shirt. A man came to him and asked what his name was.

"Horatio Caine," he answered.

"Right this way, sir."

Horatio followed him, and as he did, he began to look around for a familiar face.

He did. But it wasn't who he really expected.

"Calleigh?"

"Horatio?" She stood up, completely surprised by her LT's presence. She watched the man leave and then asked, "What are you doing here?"

It took him awhile, but he finally snapped out of it. She looked so gorgeous.

"I, uh…Have you seen Yelina?" he changed the subject. "She sent me a text message, saying we'd have dinner here."

"Oh," she said, in a way, disappointed but not showing it. "Sorry, Horatio, but I haven't seen here."

Horatio nodded and lowered his gaze. He began smiling.

"Horatio?"

"I believe, we have been set up, Miss Duquesne," he said, thinking that it was the only possible explanation for their coincidental meeting.

"Set up?" She became confused but eventually saw through. "The guys…"

"Yes," the redhead confirmed, "the guys…"

Calleigh started to blush profusely and said, "So, um…care to have dinner with me, Lieutenant Caine?"

"Only if I'm paying," he smiled, he, too, starting to blush.

"That can be arranged," she said and smiled happily, glad that she was going to spend the rest of Valentine's Day with Horatio instead of Jake.

Horatio, being the gentleman he was, waited until Calleigh sat down again before he took his seat.

"So?" Calleigh said, knowing that they were going to have an awkward start. "How do I look?"

Horatio chuckled. "Good enough to eat."

"Why, thank you, handsome," she smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He gave her a gentle smile.

Halfway through dinner…

"Calleigh?"

"Hmmm?"

"Is something bothering you?" seeing that she looked troubled.

"Oh, no, it's nothin'," she said. "It's just that I can't believe that jerk can't let go of the fact that we're through. He even had the guts to ask me out with all those people watchin'. I couldn't say no…"

Horatio got the feeling that this was going on for awhile now and it was only the tip of the iceberg.

"So, who do I need to beat the hell out of for making my Calleigh sad?" he asked jokingly, which was a complete and obvious lie.

"Jake Berkeley and his arrogance," she said. She heaved a sigh. "I don't know why but, I seem to only attract jerks recently. First Hagen, then Elliot and now Berkeley. It's like I end up with the bad ones when all of the good ones like you are already taken."

"I'm not taken, Calleigh," he said, reaching for her hand. "I was never taken."

Calleigh searched his eyes and only found the truth.

"I have something to confess…" Horatio cleared his throat. He didn't know how to say everything that had built up inside him. He wasn't even sure if words could even express how he felt about her, but he had to try. "For a long time, I've been lying to myself and I've been hiding the truth away. Well, not anymore, not this time."

He held her delicate hands and felt her soft touch. "Calleigh Duquesne, the first time I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the one."

"Horatio…"

"You looked so incredible and amazing and you just blew me away," he opened up, taking everything out of his tight chest. "When you looked at me with your beautiful green eyes, I got so weak. Never in my life have I felt that way, and it's all because of you."

"Oh, Horatio," Calleigh sighed in relief, her eyes all teary. She never felt so happy. "I never knew you felt the same way. I always thought I was never good enough for you, when I think about all the things I lacked. I felt so confused inside."

"Shhh." Horatio cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears off using his fingers. "If ever, I should be the one saying that to you. Reminded by you every time, when that smile of yours creeps into my mind, I go crazy knowing that it gets harder for me to control myself, to forget the feeling that I love you."

Calleigh blushed and gave a short laugh. "I'm so glad I was given the chance to spend this night with you."

"As do I."

After their dinner at Ambiance, Horatio took her to the beach. They sat on the soft white sand, shoulder to shoulder and hands together. They watched the moon and its reflection on the water.

"It's so beautiful out here, watchin' the stars and everythin'," Calleigh said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You know what makes everything more beautiful?" he said, smelling the vanilla fragrance on her soft blonde hair.

"What?"

"I'm spending it with you," Horatio said and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Likewise," she said.

Horatio chuckled.

"What's the matter, handsome?" she asked, looking up at him. His blue eyes glistening.

"I just remembered the first time I touched you," he said. "Nobody told me you'd feel so good. Then again, nobody said you'd be so beautiful. And nobody warned me about your smile."

Calleigh giggled. "Well, sounds like I met up to your expectations."

"All too well," he added. He ran his hand through her hair. She looked at him and smiled.

"I'm so helpless when you smile…" he said in a whisper, as he was being overwhelmed by her beauty.

Without warning, Calleigh reached up and pulled him into a searing kiss.

Once the shock had subsided, Horatio deepened the kiss and held onto her like she was the only thing keeping him alive. The contact was only broken when the need for air became unbearable.

"Thank you, Horatio," she said, looking into his deep blue eyes. "For everything."

"No, Calleigh," he said, looking to her green ones. "Thank you for everything…for letting me have you…"

Calleigh smiled and leaned in for another kiss only to stop abruptly, halfway.

"What's wrong?"

"I just remembered…" she said as realization hit her. "What happened to Jake?"

Horatio smiled. "Well, taking into consideration Speed, Eric and Mister Wolfe…who knows what those three did to him."

Calleigh giggled and continued the kiss; her arms around his neck, making him go deeper and closer. She couldn't have asked for anybody but him.

And she was sure that Horatio felt the same.

Both of them did not expect any of this, and, at that moment, Horatio had no wish to be with anybody else and thought that there was no better way to spend Valentine's Day than to just be with her and her smile.

The End

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Little Horatio: So? How did y'all like it? I hope I did a good job. Just leave some sentiments if you want to. Thanks for reading!

Well, what d'ya know! It's already 2:18 in the morning! And I have to make a video with kiuna'yukina and my cousin for our project in math later at 9!! I'm screwed…