The lyrics used in this piece of fan-fiction, are from Reaching For Heaven. I don't own anything; it belongs to Diana DeGarmo.
All my life
There was just me and my dreams
And the days went ticking by
Like the beat of my heart
Calleigh's eyes intently captured every single motion of the serenely waving tips of fountain grass actuated by peaceful, even currents of nightfall wind in their backyard, on which Calleigh most likely had the best view of all living in the large, white Creole cottage at the end of Centers Lane in Darnell, Louisiana.
She leisurely rose from the bed, getting up before soundlessly padding over to the wide open window on bare feet to perceive night's liveliness near. These very particular sounds only brought about by night were something that had never changed in Calleigh's over eighteen years of life, nor her perception about every component of them. All unique voices of the nature after dark together procreated that soothing feeling that compelled her to feel so undisturbed, and daintily in harmony.
Night sounds consisting of the rustling of vegetation, and chirping of young crickets and night birds came to Calleigh while thinking about her childhood. Young Calleigh had always been considered mommy and daddy's little girl, to abundant annoyance of her three older brothers. She lightly chuckled into the darkness thinking about the irregular frequency of times when her siblings had argued about their little sister always being favorited on most all conditions. Whereto had all these times gone so fast, Calleigh wondered.
Spent my nights
Wondering how it would feel
When the waiting would end
And tomorrow would start
No longer would she be mommy and daddy's little girl, though. Calleigh sighed, unconcernedly leaning against the frame whilst sitting into her squared bedroom window; one of her legs tucked against her and arms loosely embracing it, and the other occasionally brushing against tall pieces of herbage while swinging back and forth.
Already had she often wondered about this occasion when she would go to university, and be exchanging for something perhaps completely different than what she had slowly gotten used to until then.
This hadn't been the very first night when she would remain last awake, looking dreamily at the moonlight that washed over everything, and covered it like a warm, cozy layer of fabric.
Calleigh's long, light blond strands nearly unnoticeably participated with the breezes of air by lightly waving along. Her emerald green eyes slowly shut whilst Calleigh simply let her imagination go wild. Adultery, and freedom were calling, and it would be not long until she could dive into it, and just succumb. Tomorrow, there would be the start of something else. And dreams would no longer only be dreams, but possibilities.
Suddenly I see the light
Out of the darkness I'm coming alive
Calleigh's eyes twinkled, upon taking in the huge university building that became even larger whilst she walked up the stairs towards the main entrance hall, surrounded by plenty of high bushes, and short green trees. She radiated, almost bursting from bliss at sensing freedom so easily seize-able, and pure.
She sighed contentedly. Numerous boys, and girls would be new at university this year, and she would actually be one of them. Today, one of Calleigh's burning dreams would at last come alive. She felt more alive herself already. And even though Darnell usually experienced hot summers as well, every single ray of sunshine appeared to be much brighter here than at home.
So this is how it feels
Reaching for heaven
This is how it feels
Kissing the sky
Whenever Calleigh and most of her faculty friends, both male and female, saw chance to go sit into the wide, colorful park surrounding Tulane University, it would happen that some of the first Physics Bachelors could be seen lying around in the herbage with their sun shades upon their noses and course books in front of them.
Analyzing things together of course provided more fun than sitting alone into one's respective room at campus pondering over this or maybe that without much result.
This is what it means
Touching forever
Like a phoenix rising from the flames
I'm reaching for heaven
In fact, most of the first Physics Bachelors commencing in 1992, would manage to obtain their Physics Bachelor of Science degree after four years of reading oh so many course documents into the open. Even though the young Duquesne's first year at Tulane hadn't truly been the easiest – that mainly due to Elinor and Duke's most unsurprising divorce around the same time as her very first university level midterms, Calleigh could count herself one of them. Things had gone over fairly well taken all in consideration. Actually, that divorce somehow brought along relief. At last, all of the arguments, and fights would come to an end.
Most of the Bachelors would be going for their Master's degree, but Calleigh wouldn't. Any girl having such results as hers would undoubtedly be considered to do exactly the same, though. Therefore, most of her friends appeared completely out of the blue when she announced, "So I guess… this is going to be my genuinely last party here at campus, then."
She hadn't mentioned anything about not doing her Master, which elucidated everyone's overly shocked expressions after Calleigh's answer upon her friend's question. "Then what else are you going to do?" Janet wondered aloud what anyone else did as well, but internally.
"I'm going to New Orleans Police Academy."
All this time
I never knew I was so strong
But you made me find the fire
That was there all along
Thus it would happen that Calleigh Duquesne joined the Police Academy in New Orleans at the age of twenty-two, as one of the few women – and the apparent only one with brains, and very good-looking features. Often enough, most of her male colleagues would tease her about having that intoxicating combination… that caused them all to run after her like a bunch of dogs…
None of them could have guessed that she would actually manage to do all physical, and cognitive tests without trouble during their twenty-two week education. Calleigh would overcome no issues in passing the series of written and, sometimes practical, tests, including Louisiana laws and criminal procedure, investigations, writing reports, using firearms, protecting oneself with defensive tactics, and traffic enforcement.
None of them would have ever thought that the pretty southern girl would soon end up being one of their best – if not the best – shots. The customary teasing comments wouldn't be heard anymore after witnessing every single one of her bullets hit target after just one endeavor.
Jake Berkeley, one of the guys that had enjoyed mocking Officer Pretty – Calleigh's nickname since day two – until then and had often whistled after her when passing by, somehow actually managed to get her to say yes upon inviting her to a rave in town one night in their seventh week at police academy – seeding lots of jealousy with their other male colleagues.
Their being an item not long after had been highly unanticipated by many. This rapidly resulted in most everyone talking about it; about him having been able to seize away that only pretty girl of their police officers in training, and her being happy with such peacock.
Calleigh would discover some of her strengths during that hard training, never before really having been aware of having had them. Consequently, she would easily get through police academy's final tests with shine, and earn herself that much wanted degree as one of the few. Some would remain at the academy as an officer, and others would join their local police department. Young Duquesne had dreamt about something more, though…
In your eyes
I can see all I can be
Suddenly I want it all
And I know you'll catch me if ever I fall
To Calleigh's utter surprise, her application to join New Orleans Police Department got approved within less than a month. While in time this opportunity might help her meet with her dream of moving up in the department, for now she felt nothing but happy to be part of the team.
She wasn't for long, though. That, however, only counted in her best interest. Calleigh often found herself confined within the four sound proof walls of Firearms, doing things that she certainly hadn't applied to or been hired for to begin with, and would be rather considered secretary tasks: arraying pages, numbering them…
Calleigh often felt less valued compared to her overall male colleagues. She didn't think that anyone really believed into her abilities, nor would allow her ever to unfold them… let alone ripen them any further.
She ended up returning to her favorite training part at police academy, Firearms, and invested every uncommitted brief time period reading up on new discoveries in that section, and taking some home college courses in Spanish after duty.
By the end of her very first year working there at NOPD, no gun still held secrets for her... nor would she be unaware any longer of what was being said whenever someone talked in Spanish.
Calleigh's relationship with her father slowly, but surely became stronger again around that time, too; Duke supporting her in doing whatever his lamb-chop thought to be right.
So this is how it feels
Reaching for heaven
And this is how it feels
Kissing the sky
With barely one wink at a bullet, she could easily determine which type of gun had been used for this or that felony. Officer Duquesne had promptly gathered an extreme expertise about firearms while working at NOPD, between her other official duties, resulting in her sobriquet Bullet Girl. Moderately, Calleigh's co-workers started realizing her capacities, and offering her somewhat more serious stuff to do than being the secretary of the NOPD Firearms Department. No longer would she be seen only as that blonde taking care of ballistics reports.
This is what it means
Touching forever
Like a phoenix rising from the flames
I'm reaching for heaven
Three and half years at NOPD lapsed fast; 1997 becoming actuality. And that's when a handsome red haired detective came into the picture.
MDPD Lieutenant Dorsey had been looking for an adequate Firearms assistant and since Calleigh had been hoping to soon unearth new horizons and been willing to accommodate in Miami, young Bullet Girl had appeared perfectly cut to fit his requirements.
Officer Duquesne hadn't quite announced herself well by coming in late on her very first day – mainly due to getting lost in this new environment. She, however, appeared to have made some impact upon Horatio that day, causing him to ask her assistance in their case, and allowing her to gain unique experience.
That's where it had all begun…
You alone have shown me
Shining new hope rises now for all
I owe you
It's my turn to show you
Detective Caine's intuition about Calleigh's abilities or hidden strengths certainly hadn't wound up false, nor the female's hopes for what it would all actually be like…
And since she soon confirmed Horatio's initial assumption that something behind that radiant, pretty exterior contained some rare, innovatory intelligence, she often enough administered very useful information; never turning Horatio down.
It rather coincidentally happened that MDPD's Forensics Department found itself in need of a qualified ballistics expert, and Lieutenant Donner almost immediately agreed with Horatio's suggestion to hire Calleigh to undertake Cohen's former position upon seeing her curriculum vitae.
Forensics surely had undergone some radical changes since then. There hadn't really been equipment nor own qualified DNA analysts. Therefore, for example, all time co-operation with the FBI had been most necessary until that second millennium. Good connections between all different authorities had been more obligatory then than today. Since Criminal Justice authorities were scattered over different authorities that way, solving delinquency wasn't particularly made any easier.
Collisions between this and that authoritative source were legion. Forensics slowly getting somewhat more independence when moderately obtaining their own DNA analysts and another lot of organized laboratories run by a team of CSIs – of which each member's profession meant something vital – most likely contributed to the gap between the different Crime Justice authorities causing them. The number of solved cases augmented immensely around the same time as well, though.
This is how it feels
Reaching for heaven
And this is how it feels
Kissing the sky
By the end of Calleigh's first year as an official CSI member, she and Horatio could understand each other without words. Even though a very unique, strong bond between all different members had originated, something peculiar between them both remained. Something reciprocal, maybe.
Horatio had been the one to foresee opportunities which Calleigh eagerly seized, each one bringing her somewhat further to realization of her dream bubbles. And Calleigh's efforts had been one of the perhaps largest contributions to the MDPD Forensics Department's current level.
This is what it means
Touching forever
Like a phoenix rising from the flames
I'm reaching for heaven
Often enough, them both would end up working on some case until after duty. Today wasn't any different at all.
Calleigh yawned, head leaning upon both hands whilst she tried hard to continue focusing on the pieces of evidence lying in front of her. Horatio's almost inaudible chuckle sounded through the empty Trace laboratory. "You tired?" He wondered, looking sideways at his favorite CSI while patiently waiting for her answer.
"A bit," she admitted.
Horatio nodded. "What about leaving this for night shift just once?" Calleigh's eyes briefly diverted to capture his before trailing back towards their evidence, then chuckling, and nodding.
Both CSIs laughed aloud, unbuttoning their white, mid long lab coats; Horatio politely coming to his colleague's aid after having undone his.
Reaching for heaven
This is how it feels
Kissing tthe sky
"And where would you like to go, Officer Duquesne?" Horatio questioned amusedly, looking up at her swiftly before turning his eyes back towards the road, and waiting to join into the busy evening traffic, fingers unconsciously tapping upon the side of the wheel.
"I'm not sure, Lieutenant Caine," she teased. "Maybe I would like somewhere quiet… with some good beer?"
"I believe… that's easy to be arranged."
This is what it means
Touching forever
Like a phoenix rising from the flames
I'm reaching for heaven
Reaching for heaven
Heaven
"Thank you," Calleigh whispered, momentarily hesitating, before leaning up to peck her friend's cheek. Horatio chuckled, leaning down to touch lips with her, eyes widening just briefly, before shutting.
And even after their touch of lips, some awkward, and blissful feeling captured them vigorously within its might. Eyes connected. Sighs emitted.