White Sand
Author: Michelcz
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
Rating : K
Spoiler: Cross Jurisdiction, Weeping Willows
Character: Catherine Willows, Horatio Caine
Summary: Wedding day. Sequel to Stand by me.
Crossover between CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Miami
Horatio Caine had been standing on the back porch of his house for the two last hours. He had been looking on the ocean which had brought him his happiness. Yeah, his love didn't come from the ocean but form the desert. More precisely from the city in the desert. They found each other by coincidence. One case, two cities, two states and two teams. These things were on the beginning of their friendship which led to the relationship at the end.
Today was his D-Day. He is getting married the most beautiful and kind woman in the world. They had been engaged for two short months but it seems like an eternity to them. His life had a deep gap for long time which suddenly had been fulfilled by her. Everything faded away after the death of his mother when he was young man. He was forced to take care of his younger brother Ray who died several years ago. He thought and will think for whole life that it was his fault even though it wasn't true. But it was the last drop of his unfortunate life.
He had been also watching the beach which brought him woman of his dreams. The dreams which he thought that had never come true. This special woman fell into his life and with her bright light on his life way. He could see so much beauty of her in the sand which had lied on the beach. He had her every day present image before his eyes. He could describe how she was blessed with breathtaking beauty which you could see first in her strawberry blond hair and continued to her deep blue bright eyes where you could read like in the open book if you had known this woman, and finally her body. He had loved each curve of her body. She was absolutely magnificent creature. Even though she had been always told him and Lindsey repeatedly that she isn't perfect as they thought, he had seen her this way. She was absolutely everything what he had ever hoped for.
This beach had been their silent witness of theirs first kiss, first lovemaking and today, it was time for the best thing in its life. It'll become the witness of the moment when they'll tell theirs vows to each other. Their love will be sealed forever. They will start walking their way through the life together.
It's always been a mystery to me
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
But now that I have found you, I believe
That a miracle has come
When God sends the perfect one
Catherine Willows had been standing near the window which led on the ocean side of the house. She watched her fiancé and soon-to-be husband. He'd got his usual unspecific look in his face if she could guess due to his pose. She knew that he had been thinking about something important for him.
Catherine had been thinking how this everything happened. She had lived quite happily in Las Vegas almost three months ago. Yeah, quite happily is right phrase. She had been losing her best friend for sometime. The friend who had been also her love of the life. They draw too much apart. They built invisible wall between them. She didn't know when it happened. She didn't why it had been built. But she knew that it had torn apart her heart. She had loved him for so long time that she wasn't able to remember when it all started. She had known one thing. He had been only man who had been with her all time and she could count on him. He never let her down until the time three months ago.
He told her many harmful things. The things that broke up everything between them. She needed to have some distance from it. She went to Ecklie and asked him for leave. She had travelled long way to find her happiness and love. She found it unexpectedly or better it found her.
She left Las Vegas and went to find her stability in Miami. She had found not only the stability but also a man who was a gentleman. Man who started to build their relationship base on the friendship. They discovered feelings for each other but they didn't talk about it until the last evening in Miami. They confessed what they're feeling for each other. They kissed and engaged that evening. Today was her wedding day. Today, she is going to be married to the man who loves her with equal love as she loves him. He knew that she had loved someone for long time and he knew that she still loves him but only as a friend. She also knew he will be amazing father to Lindsey.
"Mom, please, stop looking out of the window. It's so ewwwwwwwww." Catherine was interrupted by her daughter. "You need to wait only fifty-five minutes now. So hold on and wait patiently."
Catherine tried to think up some meaningful answer when they both heard knock on the door.
"Come in if you aren't Horatio Caine. If you are, keep yourself in the distance for bloody fifty-four minutes," Linds yelled.
"Lindsey," Catherine said warningly.
"Hey girls, and I can come inside," somebody said low voice.
"Warrick. Uncle Warrick," was heard in the moment when the tall black man entered the room.
"So where is a bride? Hey, it must be you, Lindsey. I'm waiting for this moment from the times when I met you as a little girl," he teased her.
"War, forget quickly these words or you will die very painful and slow way," Cath told him with serious face.
"Come here, beautiful!" War told Cath. "It seems that Miami agrees with you. You look absolutely stunning, Catherine."
He watched her for few moments before he said.
"I didn't see you so happy for few years, Cath. You found a peace in your soul and minds. It's shame that it couldn't happen in Las Vegas."
"Yeah, it definitely agrees with me. I'm working side by side with a man who loves me and I love him back. War, I can honestly tell you that I haven't been more happy in the entire life. As you said I had been able to find a way to myself and mainly to the shine of my life, Lindsey."
"Oh guys, stop it. You're too gushy to my opinion." Lindsey told them. "Mom, it will be only fifty minutes from now. So chill out."
"You, Uncle Warrick," she turned to a the tall man, " you are here for her. Stop that and try to help me to keep her calm. By the way, I hope you're prepare for your big action. You're giving this insane woman away."
The long fifty minutes had faded away and the moment of the day had been only few seconds apart. Catherine had never been so scared that something bad is going to stop it. She had never been in this mood before. Even before her first wedding with Eddie. It all was in a blur. It was in the delirium of the alcoholic haze. It was a huge mistake in her life but with the greatest result. Lindsey. Now, she had been standing alone in the bedroom of the man who had become her life. She was so much lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear a knock on the door of the bedroom. She had jumped when she heard someone's voice behind her.
"Cath?" asked Warrick. "Are you prepared to go down?"
"No, I think that I will never be prepared for this step cause I'm thinking that I'm not worth it. But it's time to go. I want to do this and be with man I love and he loves me and everything about me," Catherine answered him.
"OK, Catherine Willows, you need to memorise one thing. You are worth all things which are going to happen now. You are worth this man because I could see how you look when he is somewhere around you. You're glowing."
"I will ask you one more time, Cath," War said firmly, "are you ready?"
"Nope." She told him back. "But it's time to start the show. Let's go."
Horatio Caine had been impatiently waiting on the beach with a priest and theirs families and friends. He had been waiting for this moment almost his whole life. He had been so much trying to find his another half. He had found her. Now he stood here and waited for her.
He had been clothed in a white shirt and white pair of trousers and barefoot. They decided together that it will be simple wedding on the beach which had become something more for them. It was their private paradise and you can wear only white in your paradise. Be clothed in white colour and be barefoot. Only one thing will be different. Lindsey will be clothed in a gown of aquamarine colour. They asked her to do it. She didn't know why it was so important for them. This colour will become a significant colour of their family. It will seal it all. It's a colour of their future life together.
It's always been a mystery to me
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
But now that I have found you, I believe
That a miracle has come
When God sends the perfect one
Now gone are all my questions about why
And I've never been so sure of anything in my life
Horatio's attention had been shifted from his thoughts about his life in the moment when the first tones of the unusual wedding march started. He had turned around and caught a glimpse of a woman who was his wife-to-be.
I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me
I promise that wherever you may go
Wherever life may lead you
With all my heart I'll be there too
From this moment on I want you to know
I'll let nothing come between us
I'll love what ever you love
The woman who just had been walking barefoot towards him through the sand on the arm of her friend who wore black long sleeves shirt and black pants. She had worn long strapless ivory gown which had been billowing around her ankles step by step.
I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me
He made the sun He made the moon
to harmonise in perfect tune
One can't move without the other
They just have to be together
And that is why I know it's true
You're for me and I'm for you
Cause my world just can't be right
Without you in my life
Her eyes locked on her husband-to-be, her heart bursting with happiness. This all seemed like a dream to Catherine but it was really happening. She was going to the arms of a happy future. She had found a man who loved not only her but also her daughter.
They watched each other with silly looks in their faces. She tried to walk elegant gait but she couldn't fight the bounce in her step. She wanted to be beside him as soon possible. She wanted to go through the ceremony soon, especially when it will be a ceremony with surprise for Lindsey. Finally, she had been in front of the man of her life. Horatio reached out and took her from Warrick who had given her away.
"Take care of her, man. She needs it even though she's saying something else," was all what he said to Horatio.
"I will. I will." the man in front of him said and gently grabbed Catherine's hand and gently squeezed it.
I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
He must have heard every prayer I've been praying
Yes, He knew everything I would need
When God made you
When dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me
The last tones of the song faded away during the long gaze which they changed between them. They reluctantly broke the contact of theirs eyes and turned their attention to the priest who had been standing before them. Both were absolutely obvious of the people who had formed semi circle behind theirs backs and had started to watch the beginning of the ceremony.
"Brothers, sisters, family and friends, we came here today to be witnesses the union of Catherine Willows and Horatio Caine," the priest started his speech, "two were meant to be. Two who had been searching for each other for a long time. Today we will witness the union of two parts of one soul. Two soul mates are joining into one soul. Their love is pure. It belongs only them. May God bless this marriage with His eternal presence in both of them. Now, Horatio, you can say your words to Catherine."
Horatio turned to face to his bride and started to talk.
"I, Horatio, affirm my love to you, Catherine, as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together."
"I take you Catherine to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live."
"And now, please, can you turn to the second woman in your life," the priest asked him.
"Lindsey, this part of the ceremony had been requested by your mother and me. I want to ask you one question in front of all important people in our lives. Could you do me a honour and will you become my lawful daughter? Could you take my surname as your own? I'm not trying to take a place which had been you father. You had a father who loved you and he'll live in your heart and minds till you die. Everything what I need to know is only one word, yes or no, so I can sing up the adoption papers." Horatio was looking at young girl before him who had been bitting her bottom lip during his speech.
"Yeah, I want to be your daughter by the law. I will be honoured to have your last name. You're the man who had made my mother happy. Can we sing the papers now?"
"Yeah. Of course, we can do it now. Warrick, please, can you give me the papers?"
After the singing the adoption papers, Lindsey rushed in the embrace of Horatio and hugged him tightly. Catherine watched whole situation with the tears in her eyes. She saw how her groom kissed their daughter on the cheek and sent her back to her uncle Warrick.
Now, it was finally Catherine's turn. She looked up at the man, who had written admiration and love for her in his face, beside her and started with her vow.
"Horatio, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle."
"I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life."
"The rings please," the priest turned to Warrick and Calleigh who had held rings and quickly handed them to Cath and Horatio.
"With this ring, I thee wed, and offer you my life, my fidelity, and my love," Horatio said and placed ring on Catherine's finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed, and offer you my life, my fidelity, and my love," Cath repeated after Horatio and slipped the ring on his finger.
"With this ring, we offer you stability, unity, family and love for the rest of your life," they together told Lindsey and put the ring into her right hand and closed it. They held their clasped hands for a few moments as a sing of new formed family.
"Then by the laws of God and man, I pronounce Catherine Willows and Horatio Caine, man and wife. Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."
"It is my pleasure and privilege to introduce to you all, Horatio, Catherine and Lindsey Caine."
After these words Lindsey stepped back from her parents to give them a privacy.
"You may kiss your bride, Horatio."
Slowly he wrapped his arms around her waist and let his lips fall to hers. Horatio's lips captured Catherine's and held them in long passionate kiss. They reluctantly parted after a while when they heard cheering and whistling around them.
Horatio firmly wrapped his arms around both his woman and they started their walk away from the priest like a family.