Disclaimer: Don't own the main character just borrowing them.

Summary: After Eric leaves, Calleigh and Horatio become close, but what happens when he suddenly comes back? Will Ducaine end before they begin? And what happens when he goes to Vegas to visit an old acquaintance. Also Someone from Vegas relocates to Miami to mend a broken heart, will he find love? Characters from the original CSI appear. First Ducaine Story. Read and find out.

AN: As you can tell by my screen name I am really out of my comfort zone, but Ducaine is one of my favorite couples and the idea came to me, so I had to give it a try. I hope you give it a try.

AN#2 : I didn't watch the later seasons so descriptions of certain episodes was based on promos, spoilers and reading about them so any mistakes I apologize.

AN#3: See Profile if confused about the Other Characters.

AN#4: Sorry if anybody is out of character I do try my best.

Title: Picking up the pieces
Rating: K+
Time-line: CSI Miami: Season 9, CSI: Season 10
Spoilers: Mentions of a few episodes from 8 & 9
Warnings: Violence (Briefly)
Main Parings: Ducaine
Minor Parings: Calleigh/Eric (Mention), Ryan/OC (Special note in Profile), Warrick/OC (Special note in Profile), Catnip, GSR


Picking up the pieces

Chapter 1: Comfort

A 5'3, slim, long Blond-haired, Green-eyed, Calleigh Duquesne stood in the locker room and watched Eric Delko walk away with tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe this happened. He just walked away not only from being a CSI but their relationship. Even though he didn't say the words, she just had a feeling deep down they were done. She thought he would be different than the other guys she had dated and hurt her. She wiped her tears away and shook her head before she got into that train of thought, and since it was the end of shift, she grabbed her things from her locker, walked out to the parking lot and into her vehicle.

A 5'11, slim, Red-haired, Blue-eyed, Horatio Caine was up in his office looking out his window, which he had just watched Calleigh get into her vehicle and drive away. He sighed, knowing she must be hurting because Eric left. He had a feeling that his young CSI was leaving, and even though they didn't come out and say they were in a relationship, he felt that something was different between them.

He saw how scared she was when Eric went missing and how relieved she was when he was going to be ok. Horatio sighed again and turned away from his window, she is hurting and now it was up to him to comfort her and that's what he was going to do. He puts on his sunglasses as he walks out of his office, then walks out of the lab, gets in his vehicle and heads towards her house.

Calleigh had just changed into something more comfortable when there was a knock on the door, she sighed and walked to it.

When she opened it she saw Horatio standing there with his sunglasses on.

A part of her should have known he would be here, in the past he was there for her when she needed comfort and could always count on him, but lately their friendship had been slipping and she didn't realize how much she missed it or him until he was standing in front of her. She had always had a secret crush on him but since nothing came of it she tried to moved on, then she thinks 'look where that got me', she mentally shook her head from those thoughts. She didn't want to think about that right now.

He takes his sunglasses off, tilts his head and noticed she had stopped crying but her eyes were still a little red. However, to him she still looked beautiful, something he he had always thought since the first day she came to work for him 12 years ago, which that's how long he had loved her, he just has never said anything. Even now he is still going to keep it a secret because at this moment he just wanted their friendship to be back on track, he missed it and her.

They continued to look at each other, then the moment he was about to take a breath to talk she closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.

When he got over the shock he wraps his arms over her shoulders and rubbed her back up and down.

After a few minutes she pulls back, looks up at him sheepishly and spoke in her southern accent. "Sorry Horatio."

He gives her a small smile and replied. "Don't worry about it Calleigh."

She gives him a smile back. "Would you like to come in?"

"If you don't mind."

She nods, releases the hold on him and moves out-of-the-way so they could walk in the house.

They took a step to the door, and just like the gentleman he is, lets her walk in first, and once he was in her house he shuts the door behind him.

Before they got to the couch Calleigh speaks again. "Do you want something to drink?"

He shook his head as he replied. "No thanks." She nods again and sits down. He walks the rest of the way to the couch and sits down next to her, but leaving some space between them.

It was a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, then he looks at her and said. "Calleigh I'm…."

She cuts him off. "I know you came over here to comfort me but can we please not talk about him."

He nods and gives her a small smile. "Yes Ma'am."

She smiles back, and once they were comfortable on the couch they started talking, it was just like in the past.

They talked about old times, smiled and laughed, just enjoying the time together.

As it was getting later in the evening they had a little dinner, which it was only sandwiches, and as he took his final bite and swallowed it his phone rings. He looks at the ID, then at her and smiles apologetic to her, she nods back telling him to get it.

He gets up from the table and heads to the back porch, and while he was looking out in the ocean, he picks up his phone and said. "Caine." He talks to the caller. "Yeah…I was wondering if you're still interested in the job….ok….see you in two weeks….Bye."

After hanging up the phone he puts his in his pocket and just stood there for a few minutes, then when he turned around Calleigh was just coming outside.

They look at each other as she asked. "You want to sit out here?" He nods and smiles, she knew he likes looking out in the ocean.

She hands his bottle of water to him before they sat down at the patio table.

When they were completely seated he looks back out in the ocean, she looks at him for a minute, then turns her attention to the ocean too.

After a minute of silence she speaks. "So are you going to find somebody else to help at the lab?"

Since Eric left, that left them with four people. Themselves, Ryan Wolf, who was 6'0, Muscular, had Brown hair, Hazel eyes and used to be a cop before he was hired after they lost a CSI years ago , and Natalia Boa Vista, who was 5'7, had Brown hair, Brown eyes, she was still just training to be a CSI, but also works in DNA.

He looks at her, she looks back at him, he nods then said. "Actually yeah I had a feeling that…"

He trails off getting uncomfortable, talking about Eric right now. He didn't want to make her upset or sad, but Calleigh sighed and said. "It's ok, I know eventually he would come up, go on."

He nods and continues. "I had a feeling Eric was going to leave, so I called a few people a couple of days ago and they said they would get back to me, well one of them just called me back."

She nodded as he looked back at the ocean, and after she took a drink from her water she asked. "Who?"

Still looking out there he replied. "Warrick Brown from Las Vegas, you remember working with him four years ago don't you?"

Four Years ago Warrick Brown and Catherine Willows from the Las Vegas Crime lab came to Miami to help track down a suspect from their case.

"Yes I remember him, did he say why he wanted to relocate?"

Horatio replies after taking a drink "No, but I guess their loss our gain, right?"

They look at each other and smiled a little, then she nods. "Yeah." He nods back, and after a few minutes of staring they looked away.

A few seconds later Horatio cleared his throat, and as he was getting up he said. "I better head home, it's getting late." Calleigh nods again and gets up too.

As they were walking to the front door, a part of her wanted him to stay longer because their time together all evening was one of the best she had in a long time and she was afraid that after he leaves it would be like it was before, which she didn't want that.

Her face must have shown what she was thinking because when he stepped on the front porch and turned to her, he asked. "What's the matter?"

She was thinking about telling him it was nothing, but she knew he would get it out of her in the end, so she spoke the truth. "I really missed talking to you like we did tonight. I am afraid that once you leave we will go back to the way it was, and I don't want that." She didn't know why but she started to cry again.

He cups her cheek with his hand, wiped her tears away, then said."It won't, I am not going anywhere unless you tell me to. I want the old friendship that we had in the past too, so if you need me all you have to do is pick up the phone, ok?"

She nodded, he wiped the remaining tears away and wraps his arms around her shoulders as she wraps her arms around his waist, then they both close their eyes savoring this feeling.

After a few minutes they opened their eyes, pulled back and looked at each other, he gives her that smile that Calleigh had always loved and said. "I missed our talks too, Goodnight sweetheart."

She smiled at the endearment that she missed and said back. "Goodnight Handsome."

He smiles bigger at that, also missing the endearment, then after one more look, they release each other, then he turns and walks to his vehicle, got in and drove away.

Calleigh watched until she couldn't see him anymore, then she walks inside, cleans up and heads to bed. Despite not having a good day, her evening wasn't so bad, least she got her best friend back.

On Horatio's way home he was happy that he got his best friend back too, and maybe a part of him was hoping one day it could be more.


AN: well there you go, do you want to read more? Please review.