AN: Thanks for the review and other support you have given me, here is the next chapter.


Chapter 2: Promises made

After a few minutes of silence they started talking, nothing really important, they just wanted to each other's voices. Then a little bit later C.J. pulls out some sandwiches and other snacks from a bag he had set by the cooler so they could eat something for lunch, and once they were done with that, he pulled out his favorite board game.

A few people didn't know that C.J. loved chess, which was basically his 'Uncle' Grissom's fault because the first time he taught him, he became hooked, and when the conversation about chess came up with Brenda one day, he found out she enjoyed playing the game too, so they enjoyed playing against each other sometimes.

As C.J. was setting the game up, she smiled before asking. "Are you sure you want to do this on my last day here?"

He smiled in return as he looked up from the board. "As long as you are with me, I don't care what we do."

Brenda still had the smile on her face as she placed her hand on top of his. "Well I'm with you through it all. I told my parents that I would say goodbye to anybody they wanted me too all week, but my last day was reserved for you." He gave her one more smile, then after she removed her hand, he finished setting the board up before declaring it was time to play.

A few games later, Brenda was trying to hold in her laughter as C.J. sat there for the last five minutes trying to think of where he wanted to put his piece, then finally she shook her head and said. "Give it up, C.J., no matter where you go, I got you."

A few seconds later he did what she told him to do, then after she placed her piece in the right spot, she looked at him and said. "Checkmate."

He groaned while shaking his head. "When did you get to be so good?"

She smiled a little. "Well not to brag or anything, but I think I've always been good." Then she smirked. "I think you need to get your uncle Grissom to help you brush up your skills."

As C.J. moved the chessboard from between them, he speaks. "I'll show you brushing up on my skills." Then he takes her down on the blanket and started tickling her. She tried to wiggle free but it wasn't working, he was too strong and had her pinned down pretty good.

Finally after a few minutes, she speaks in between breathing. "Ok...you...win...I...give..." A few tickles later he stops, but stays above her and they smile at each other, then when she finally got her air back, she speaks again. "Thank you, I needed that."

"What? You beating me two times out of three?"

She chuckled while shaking her head. "No, making me not think about what happens tomorrow for a little bit, I really needed that."

She cups his cheek as he nodded his head. "Me too."

They look deeply into each other's eyes as she rubs her thumb up and down his cheek, then she brings him down to her level and they started to kiss.
When they pulled back a few seconds later they looked into each other's eyes again, but saw something different between them, a more heated look, so when they kissed again it became passionate, more passionate than they ever experienced between them before.

After they pulled back a second time, he kissed her forehead before placing his forehead against hers and whispering. "Wow, you ok? We've never kissed like that before."

She whispered back as he removed his forehead from hers. "Yeah, and I think it was right that we experienced that for the first time together."

He smiled as he moved off of her, then he placed his elbow on the blanket so he can lay his head on the palm of his hand, and as his legs were intertwined with hers, he tucks some of her hair behind her ear. "Just like a lot of our firsts."

She smiled as she lays on her side so she could place her head on the palm of her hand. "Yeah."

After a few more minutes of silence, she speaks again. "C.J.?"

"Yeah?"

She took his hand that was playing with the tips of her shoulder lenght hair before slipping her fingers through his, then she looked down, feeling a little nervous, C.J. had sensed that so he squeezed her hand for reassurance. She took a few more seconds before looking into his caring brown eyes.. "You've been my first for everything, but there is something we haven't done yet and I can't imagine being with anybody else."

He looked at her a little shocked as his heart sped up. "You mean..."

She cuts him off. "Yes, so what do you think?"

He took a breath before slipping his hand out of hers and cupping her cheek. "Are you sure?"

She nodded before she cupped his cheek and brings him with her as she was laying back down. "Yes, I'm sure." When he was above her again they look into each other's eyes, then he leans down and started kissing her.

They felt nervous at first, so they took their time setting the pace.

As their kisses became more passionate, her hand went to the buttons of his shirt, but she had only gotten two undone when he pulls back from her.

She takes a few breaths trying to get the air back, then asked. "What? Am I doing something wrong?"

He shakes his head as he moved off of her again. "No, this is wrong." Then he turns and sits on the blanket with his back to her.

She looked down at her hands as she sat up, feeling very embarrassed. "I see. I guess it's me you don't want to share this experience with." Her heart was also breaking at the thought.

C.J. shook his head as he turned around, then he moves so he was right in front of her, places his hand on her chin and lifted it up before cupping her cheek and looking right into her eyes. "Believe me Brenda, I have a lot of different thoughts going through my head right now, but none of them wanted me to stop because I would be sharing that type of experience with you."

Her spirits were starting to lift up, but she had to be sure. "Really?"

He smiles as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "Really, I can't imagine being with anybody else either."

"Then why? You know kids our age have already done this."

"I know, but one of the things I love about our relationship is that we go with what we are comfortable with and don't care what other kids think of us when we're not as fast as them."

"Ok, I agree. But I'm offering to go to the next level."

"And you don't know how much I want to, but I don't want it like this for you." He ran his thumb up and down her cheek again as he spoke with sincerity.
"I don't it to be like, and please pardon the expression, this hit and run type of thing." She chuckled a little as he continued. "You deserve better than that, and anything less would feel cheap and I don't want you feeling like that, especially your first time, it should be special and not rushed like this."

Brenda started to have tears in her eyes after his sweet words. From the moment he became her boyfriend she knew she got lucky, and in this moment it only reaffirmed her thinking.

She sniffled as she nodded her head. "You're right, thank you. I guess I lost my head for a bit."

He speaks as he wiped her tears away. "We're teenagers, it happens." Then after he kissed her forehead, he looked into her eyes and continued. "And eventually it will happen for us."

"How do you know? We can make plans face to face, but a lot can happen once we are apart."

C.J. nodded as he removed his hand from her cheek. "Because of this." Then he puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a silver ring with a small ruby diamond in the middle, her favorite color.

She looked at it wide-eyed and started to say. "C.J. I..."

He chuckled as he took her right hand. "It's not what you think." Then continued as he slipped it on her right ring finger. "I know that things can change, but every time you look at this promise ring, know that I am always with you and that my feelings for you will never change from this moment on." He cups her cheek again as he finished while looking into her eyes. "I refuse to believe that this is the end of us, what about you?"

She looked down at the ring on her finger before looking into his eyes again. "I believe in us too."

He smiled as he kissed her forehead, then speaks as he pulled back. "Good."

After pecking her on the lips, he moves so he was sitting behind her now, then after she scooted back so her back was against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on top of his while they looked out at the setting sun, soaking up whatever time they have left with one another.


Before Dinner

While C.J. and Brenda were still outside and Josh and Christy were upstairs, Calleigh, Horatio and Sarah-Elizabeth was in the kitchen, which the parents were preparing dinner while Sarah-Elizabeth was in her hair chair playing with her toys, at least when she wasn't throwing them on the floor with a laugh, thinking it was funny.

After about the fifth time, Horatio walked over to her toy, bent down and picked it up, but before he handed it to her, he asked. "Can you say please, Sarah-Elizabeth?"

He said it a few times while she was listening intently, then she replied. "Pwease, dada?"

Horatio smiled as he handed her the toy. "Good girl."

Sarah-Elizabeth smiled. "'ood 'irl." (Good Girl)

"That's right, good girl."

She kept repeating it as he started walking back to the counter, then she tossed her toy on the floor again and said good girl before chuckling.

Horatio and Calleigh chuckled a little as he shook his head, then as he started walking back to her toy, they heard the front door open.

They look at each other again and she nodded at him with a smile, he gave her a little smile back before giving Sarah-Elizabeth her toy and walking out in the living room.

When he made it to the next room, he saw Kyle heading upstairs, so he said. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Kyle shook his head with a sigh. "I'm not hungry."

Before he continued up the stairs, Horatio speaks again. "Can we talk?"

"I don't have anything more to..."

"Please, just a few minutes?"

Father and son looked at each other, and since he was curious what his father had to say, he nodded as he turned to walk back down the stairs.

Once his feet touched the living room floor they go over to the couch and sit down on opposite ends, then after a few second of silence, Horatio clears his throat before speaking. "I know when you told us what your plan was I flew off the handle a bit."

Kyle gave his father a little smirk. "A bit?"

He chuckled a little and replied. "Ok, maybe more than a bit." Kyle smiled a little as Horatio continued with another sigh. "But what you need to understand is that as a parent we worry, and with you going into the army, where danger is a lot higher we tend to be more concerned."

Kyle nodded. "I do understand that dad, but you and I both know there is danger when we walk out this house, heck even inside the house can be dangerous if you're not watching what you're doing." Horatio thinks 'well played' as he continued with a small smirk. "Besides it's not like I've never been shot before."

Horatio gave him a disapproving look and said in a sharp tone. "Kyle!"

"Sorry, dad." Then Kyle sighed as he continued again. "I just thought you would be proud of me."

"I am son, I know it's an honor, it's just like I said the parent part of me is afraid."

Kyle nodded in understanding, then continued. "A part of me is too, but I know that if I do what I'm trained to do and carry your strength with me, I'll be fine, you'll see." Kyle sighed again as he finished. "This is something that I want to do and I hope I have your blessing, or at least your understanding."

By now Horatio knew that he wasn't going to get Kyle to back down his commitment to the army, and no matter how much he was worried and will be until the day that he leaves the service, he has to let his oldest go, so Horatio sighed and said. "Ok, you have my blessing." Kyle smiled a little as Horatio continued. "But you have a month before you are 18 and in that time I'm expecting a lot of family time, and at least one family vacation with all of us."

Kyle stands up from his side of the couch, walked up to him and held out his hand, Horatio stands up, takes his hand and shakes it. "You got a deal."

After they release hands, Horatio brings his son into a hug and said. "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad."

By the time they got out of the hug, Calleigh had walked in the room and shouted upstairs to tell Christy and Josh that dinner was ready, then she looked at her other two guys and asked. "Everything ok in here?"

Kyle smiled as he walked up to his mother. "Everything is perfect." Then he kissed her cheek before walking towards the kitchen, his appetite better than it was when he came home.

Calleigh looked at her husband as Kyle had walked away, then Horatio walked up to his wife, kissed her softly and said. "Well better than it was this morning."

Calleigh nodded with a smile, happy that peace was restored between father and son in the Caine household, then she slipped her fingers through his before they walked back into the kitchen as the other kids came downstairs to join the family in the kitchen.


Later that night

After the family had dinner they decided to enjoy a movie so they were all in the living room watching it, except Sarah-Elizabeth since she had fallen asleep, when the back door slid open.

They paused the movie, then Christy gets off the couch and ran to Brenda to give her a hug, which Brenda accepted it gladly. She had really loved the family almost as much as she had loved C.J. and was really going to miss everybody here.

When Christy pulled back from the hug, she asked. "Would you like some dinner? We already had some, but I can keep you company as you eat."

Brenda kneeled down so she was eye level to the little girl and replied with a smile. "Thank you sweetie, but I have to get home, it's getting kind of late."

Christy nodded in understanding. "Well maybe you can have dinner with us tomorrow?"

Christy didn't know that Brenda was moving, so Brenda just gave her another little smile, then C.J. kneels down in front of her sister. "Hey squirt, why don't you get me some milk and you can keep me company while I eat some dessert." Christy nodded with a smile, then after a hug to Brenda again, she ran out of the living room toward the kitchen.

Once she was out of the room, C.J. and Brenda stood up, then Brenda looked at his parents and said. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home."

Horatio and Calleigh stood up from the love seat, then Horatio walked up to her, brings her in to a hug and whispered. "You're very welcome."

Brenda and Horatio smiled a little before she was brought into a hug by Calleigh. "And you are always welcome here." Then she whispered. "And thank you for how you were with my son, you've made him very happy."

Brenda liked to think so too, so she smiled a little bigger as her and Calleigh pulled back. "Thank you, and you're welcome." Calleigh nodded with a small smile before stepping back so Kyle could be next.

Brenda cups his cheek and said. "I know I've said this multiple times already, but thank you for helping us."

He waved it off and said. "No problem, and I enjoyed getting to know you better."

As he brings her into a hug, she replied. "Me too." Then she whispered. "Try and take care of him as much as you can."

He whispered back. "I'll do what I can until you come back into his life."

They pull back from each other's arms and they looked at each other with hope that she will come back into his life, then she cleared her throat as she headed for the couch, where Josh was sitting.

He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he saw his family looking kind of sad, so he felt it a little too, but he did smile a little when Brenda stood in front of him and smiled. "High-five Josh." He stands up on the couch and gave Brenda a High-Five, something he loves doing, which they all started chuckling, then Brenda brings the little boy into her arms and said. "Be good little man, ok?"

Josh wraps his arms around her waist and whispered. "Ok."

When they pulled back, Josh sits back down as Brenda turns and looks at C.J.

He clears his throat and said. "I'll walk you outside."

She nodded, then looked at his family again, gave them a small smile and waved bye before C.J. slipped his hand into hers and walked them toward the front door with the family looking sadder each step they took.

When they made it outside, he walked her to the side of the street where her vehicle was, then she stopped, turned around and looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to you."

C.J. shook his head as he cupped her cheek. "It's not, this is just see you later until next time, ok?"

She nodded before he brings her in his arms, then after kissing her head softly, he whispered. "What time is your flight?"

She sighed. "9 in the morning." Then she pulls back from his arms and continued before he could speak. "But I don't you to be there." He looked at her sadly as she cupped his cheek. "I can't do this scene again tomorrow, it will hurt too much."

As much as he wanted to, he didn't want to cause her anymore pain than she was already going through, so he nodded and replied. "Ok, I'll respect that."

"Thank you."

After looking into each other's eyes for a few seconds, he cups her cheek and pulls her to him, and when they kissed, it was so much more than passion and see you later, it was everything they had felt for one another the year they've been together.

When they pulled back, he places his forehead on hers and whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too." She sighed as she stepped back, then gave him a little smile as she continued. "Take care of yourself and your family."

"You too."

After another long look, she finally gets into the driver's seat of her vehicle, and after starting it, they waved at each other before she started to drive away.

As he watched her go further out of his life, he was feeling the worse pain he had ever felt since he lost his biological mother, which he doesn't really remember the pain that he had back then since he was so young, but he knew it couldn't have been light considering it was his mother. He mentally shook his head and sighed as he turned back towards the house.

When he opened the front door and walked in, everybody was out of the living room except Calleigh, which she had stood up when she saw him walk in the house. After he turned around from shutting the front door, Calleigh could see him barely holding on to his emotions, so she held out her arms and said. "Come here, Honey."

He sniffled as he walked up to her, but by the time she had wrapped her arms around him, he started to cry deeply like he just lost his best friend, and she even lost a few tears herself, not only for the pain that she felt her son going through, but also because she was going to miss her too.


AN: Interested in more? Please review.