Down to One
Author: NotasboredasIlook
Rating: M for profanity, violence and adult situations.
Disclaimers: CSI: Miami and the characters belong to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer and they have far more time and money than I do. I'm just using the products of their genius for nonprofit fun.
Category: DuCaine. Angst/Drama/Romance
Summary: Her heart was the traitor.
Timeline: CSI: Miami Season 8 through "Bad Seed." After that I take our team in a different direction. No Kyle in Afghanistan and no more Delko and Calleigh rendevous'. This is a continuation from "Her Dark Life." If you haven't read that, you may get a bit lost.
Status: Work in progress.
Chapter 2
Horatio smiled as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, then knelt down to grab the last of his bags off the dock. Heaving a bulky duffel onto his shoulder, he walked to the end of the pier where Kyle stood talking with Frank, Ray Jr. and Yelina. The memory of his son's spoken animosity toward Julia was still fresh in his mind, but he would honor Kyle's request for space on the issue … for now.
Yelina turned as he approached and smiled, the wind blowing strands of her rich chocolate hair into her face and whipping her pale yellow sundress around her shapely legs. To her right, Ray Jr. stood laughing with Kyle about his mishap with the marlin from the day before. Even Frank was chuckling and looked at complete ease in a Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts.
"Family …" Horatio thought as he stopped at the left side of Yelina and dropped the remainder of the bags with a slight grunt.
"Need some help with those, Dad," Kyle asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, H," Frank joined in. "We don't want to be straining yourself at your age."
Grinning, Horatio looked down and nodded. "You guys are hilarious."
Yelina laughed out loud at the exchange and wrapped her arm around Horatio's, leaning into him tightly. "Don't worry about it Horatio," she chuckled, "men improve with age. Our boys will come to learn this someday. Frank, however, may be the exception to the rule."
The group laughed again as Kyle and Ray retrieved the bags and began to walk to their respective cars. Frank picked his bag up as well and held his hand out to Horatio.
"Thanks for the invite, H," his Texas drawl thick with gratitude. "First vacation I've had in a long while. I 'preciate it."
Horatio nodded, but it was then that he noticed Yelina still hadn't relinquished his arm. Glancing at her, he found that she was watching the boys contentedly and wasn't paying attention. Opting to avoid being rude to his sister-in-law or his friend, Horatio merely smiled and used his free hand to give Frank a hearty pat on the arm.
"I'm glad you had a good time," he said warmly. "Next time, we'll actually catch something."
Frank guffawed, the sound snapping Yelina's attention back to her surroundings. She looked at her arm still wrapped around Horatio's and slowly slid her body away from his.
Watching her movements from behind his sunglasses, Horatio saw her blush slightly and look away. The warm Miami breeze picked up the jasmine scent of her perfume, filling his nostrils with the familiar aroma. The smell assaulted his memory and took him back 17 years earlier …
"I'm so pleased to finally meet you," Yelina's eyes glittered with sincerity as she reached out to shake Horatio's hand. "Raymond has told me so much, I feel like I've known you for years. I'm happy to be able to put a face to a name."
Horatio mock-glared at Raymond, who stood sipping his beer with a bemused expression, his arm around Yelina's shoulders. Horatio knew he would be meeting Raymond's fiancée for the first time that night, but what he hadn't been prepared for was her exotic beauty and overpowering sensuality. The moment they had been introduced, he felt regret and guilt: Regret for not having met her first and guilt for feeling that way. His brother was in love. Given the tumultuous lives the Caine brothers had had, he would never begrudge Raymond his happiness.
Still, he couldn't help but feel some jealousy: Yelina was clearly a very special – and very beautiful – woman.
Turning his face back toward his soon-to-be sister-in-law, he gave her a small smile and tried desperately to ignore the effect her perfume was having on him.
"Well, I can assure you that only half of what Raymond has told you is true," he said as he took her hand and gave it a squeeze, marveling in the softness of her skin.
"Earth to H."
The humor in Frank's voice brought Horatio back to the present and he raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Sorry about that, Frank," he said, hoping Yelina hadn't noticed him zone out. "I guess my mind is still out at sea."
The big detective looked from Yelina to Horatio and back again. He smiled crookedly and turned, walking toward his car.
"Not a problem," he said over his shoulder. "See ya at the office."
The two watched silently as Frank departed. Though they said nothing, the silence was comfortable, cultivated after years of working together both on and off the job. Yelina knew him as well as anyone did. Most of the time, she was able to get a good read on him, even when he didn't want her too. Sometimes, it was unnerving. Other times, he was grateful that she cared enough about him to maintain that kind of insight.
As Frank stopped and said goodbye to Ray Jr. and Kyle, Yelina sighed softly. Horatio took off his sunglasses and looked at her.
"Penny for your thoughts."
She smiled and folded her arms across her chest, nodding toward her son.
"This was good for Ray, he needed this," she said as she turned to face Horatio. "We've missed you, you know? The last few years have been very hard for him, especially after his father ... now my little boy is becoming a man …"
She paused and swallowed hard. Horatio's heart tore as he saw tears well in her dark eyes. Quickly, she wiped them away and took a shaky breath.
"Well, I'm just grateful he has you to help him learn how to be one."
Horatio blushed slightly and looked down. "I know I haven't been around much lately, but I hope Ray knows I'll always be there for him."
Reaching out, Yelina took Horatio's hand in hers, caressing his knuckles with her thumb.
"He knows," she said, tilting her head down so he would look at her. "And now he has Kyle, as well. He … WE … are both very blessed to have such a wonderful family."
Horatio looked up and smiled at her, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "So are we, Yelina. So are we."
At that moment, the breeze picked up again, covering them. Yelina reached up with her free hand and softly cupped Horatio's cheek.
"Horatio …" she whispered.
"Whoa, check this out."
Kyle slapped Ray Jr. on the back and motioned toward the pier where their parents were standing. Frank too, stopped as he opened his car door. The three watched as Yelina leaned in close toward Horatio …
Ray Jr. grimaced and looked at Kyle.
"Gross dude, did our parents just kiss?"
Running his hand over his face, Kyle wondered if he really saw what he thought he saw.
"I can't be sure from here," he groaned, " but I think so, man."
By six o'clock, Calleigh had had enough. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something vital in the Landon case, but no matter which way she looked at it, the evidence was all saying the same thing:
Gwen Landon killed her husband. Even without the evidence, Gwen had signed a full confession. She admitted to shooting her husband multiple times while she slept.
Sighing, Calleigh climbed into her car and started the engine. Rolling the windows down, she slid a pair of black Calvin Klein sunglasses on and pulled out of her stall in the parking garage.
As she drove home, she considered that maybe there was truly nothing more to the case. Perhaps she was trying to keep her focus on Gwen Landon so that she wouldn't have to think about … other things … other people …
One person in particular …
Rubbing her forehead, she stopped at a traffic light and looked at her watch. She had less than an hour to get home, take a shower and get dressed for dinner.
"It's a date."
While the logical part of her was trying to maintain the notion that this was just dinner, Horatio himself had called it "a date." What Calleigh was struggling with was whether this was a "date" or a "DATE."
"Oh my God, you are nuts," she mumbled to herself as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "And now you are talking to yourself in the second person … fantastic."
An early evening breeze swept through the open windows of her car and she tried to relax into it as she drove toward her home. Traffic was surprisingly light and her commute went more smoothly than she had anticipated. Despite this, by the time she pulled in front of her building, she realized she only had roughly a half-an-hour to get ready.
Grumbling, she ignored her mailbox and went straight to her apartment. Once inside, she tossed her purse onto the couch and headed for her bathroom. Starting up her shower, she undressed quickly and tossed her clothes into the laundry hamper. Grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste, she stepped under the shower's warm water. It then occurred to her that she had no idea where they were going for dinner, therefore she had no idea what to wear.
While lathering her hair, she did a mental inventory of her closet. She considered the blouse and skirt she had originally picked out for the first dinner date, but then she wondered if wearing an outfit that you had been ditched in was bad karma.
"Ditched …"
Something uneasy tugged at the back of her mind as she considered this, but her haste didn't allow her to focus on it long. Rinsing her hair under the shower's stream, she brushed her teeth at the same time. When she considered her teeth and hair to be satisfactorily clean, she turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around her slender, yet curvy form. Grabbing another towel, she patted her hair dry and glanced at the nearby clock: 6:44 p.m.
She paused as her stomach fluttered and her body flushed with warmth and nervous tension.
"Oh for pete's sake, stop acting like you're in high school," she berated herself. Grinding her teeth, she grabbed a comb and headed into her bedroom. Pulling the comb through her wet locks, she opened her closet, her eyes scanning the possible wardrobe selections.
"Too dressy … too casual … too slutty ..." she groaned and rolled her eyes as she flipped through hanging garments. "Why am I obsessing about this?"
Her forced apathy went flying out the window when she came across THE dress: The sapphire blue pique dress that she had bought on a whim a few months ago while shopping with Natalia. The jewel-tone of the dress made it appropriate for dressier occasions while the cut allowed for more casual wear.
Calleigh had loved it the moment she saw it.
"You just need the right shoes," Natalia had told her at the time. "This is the best kind of dress … it's multipurpose, it shows off your figure and it will knock the socks off of any guy who sees it on you. That is always money well spent."
Though Calleigh still wasn't sure how she felt about this "date," a slow smile crawled across her face. Suddenly, the idea of putting Natalia's theory to the test seemed irresistible.
Horatio sat in his car outside the apartment building, staring up at the high-rise. Somewhere inside, Calleigh was most likely waiting for him. He looked at his watch: 6:58 p.m.
Taking a deep breath, he was surprised at the nervous anxiety he felt as he stepped out of his car. But then, much had happened in a few short hours …
What had started out as a simple day had quickly become complicated. There was a lot he had to think about. But it would have to wait. Calleigh deserved his focus.
Walking into her building, he rounded the corner to the elevators and punched the "UP" button. He smiled slightly at the memory of the last time he had been there; the way he had held her sleeping body in his arms; the feel of her head resting against his chest.
But the smile quickly turned into a frown as the events of what had happened later that night resurfaced as well.
"We've both been ditched by a Delko."
Closing his eyes, he forced the memory and the bitterness that accompanied it away. He had come to terms with what had happened that night. He also knew that Calleigh couldn't be held responsible for her words or actions. There was no use dwelling on it.
The elevator doors opened with a "ding," causing Horatio to open his eyes. Stepping into the box, he pushed the button for Calleigh's floor. He watched the floor numbers light as the elevator carried him closer to his dinner companion.
"No, she's more than that," he thought to himself as he looked at the ground. "She's much more than that. How much more, however, is something I need to figure out."
As if to answer him, the elevator came to a stop and opened. Stepping out, Horatio walked down the hall to Calleigh's door. He paused for a moment and looked at his feet. In a few seconds, he would be on a date … with Calleigh. Swallowing hard, he didn't know why the idea of such a thing suddenly seemed unfathomable.
He couldn't NOT acknowledge that something had passed between them the day of the mall murder investigation, but now he found himself questioning how real it was. If he had misinterpreted those feelings in any way, he would be risking the friendship of one of the most important people in his life.
"Is that a risk I am willing to take?" he asked himself as he looked back down the hall. For a split-second, he considered getting back on the elevator.
Looking back at Calleigh's door, Horatio exhaled and made his decision.
She had just fastened the last bobby pin in her hair, securing it back in a French twist, when she heard the knock on the door. Checking herself one last time in the mirror, Calleigh smoothed her hands over her blue dress and sleek hair and took a deep breath.
"Just a second," she called out as she walked through her living room and stopped at the door.
"Now or never, Calleigh," she told herself as she turned the doorknob slowly, revealing Horatio to her in a way that reminded her of a very specific dream ...
"Hello, handsome."
Horatio looked up when Calleigh spoke and then felt his world tilt on its axis.
As his eyes traveled over the beautiful woman in front of him, he decided that some risks were definitely worth taking.
*dramatic chipmunk music here*
So, Yelina and H? Did they or didn't they? (Don't hate on me yet ... I promise to make it worth your while).
I love feedback so lay it on me. :)
