As he walked into the long hallway, at the end, he noticed light sweeping out from underneath the bathrooms closed door. Stealthily he approached, entered his bedroom to his right and... as was he dialing Eric for backup, the bathrooms door opened.
Horatio put his phone away and waited for the person to pass his room enough to be at an advantage behind said intruder. As the person passed by, Horatio came out and pointed his gun at... Marisol's back.
"Marisol?!" Horatio caught himself whispering.
She turned to face him and a startled expression fell upon her face.
Horatio's heart pounded inside his rib-cage, and swore time froze.
This can't be happening, he thought sarcastically, I've finally lost my mind.
Still he couldn't help himself, he reached out to touch this 'illusion', this cruel joke, and was surprised to come in contact with warm living flesh. Despite his heart telling him to believe she was real, his mind forced itself to deny the beautiful reality. It was all too wonderful to be true. Nothing this great ever happened to him, not him. Ever!
He swallowed his joyous wonder "Is it really you?" He asked.
"Horatio, is everything alright?" Marisol said perplexed.
"Oh my God, Marisol let it be you and not another lonely mans delusion." Hot tears trickled down his weathered face. "I wouldn't be able to bear it, not this time."
"Baby, tell me what's wrong." She wanted to laugh, she never seen this side of him. He was always coherent, sound, never this illogical. That's why Horatio's current attitude was scaring her.
Leaning into her, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against his chest. The simple act confirmed she indeed was made of flesh and blood, there was no hiding the warmth radiating from her now. "Nothings wrong, nothings wrong. I - I can't believe - you're really here?" He choked out.
"Where else would I be?" She humorously asked.
Marisol felt Horatio's whole body shake in anguish. Now she was altogether dumbfounded. This was certainly not her Horatio.
"I've finally gone mad and I don't care," He confessed, "because you're here with me."
"I wouldn't leave you." She said, gently pulling away from his embrace she stared into her lovers eyes and immediately her heart fell, despair enslaved his blue depths. " You can't get rid of me, love."
She would never understand how that sentence was the bane of his existence, the poison which slowly killed his very nature. Her death had burned the last link to his heart. It didn't help she was etched into his memory. But since she had come back to him - didn't matter to him how, or if he'd finally gone bonkers - he was never letting her go.
"What's wrong?"
He couldn't answer her, he didn't know how to form the words to begin to explain, he didn't quite understand it himself. He was simply ecstatic she returned to him after all these years. He felt like all the water drowning him finally receded, allowing him to breath the invigorating air at long last. It was pure, unbridled euphoria.
A wide grin broke on his face. Composing himself he held out his hand to her, she took it without hesitation and followed him into the dinning room.
They sat staring at each other for what seemed hours to Horatio, but which in reality was five minutes.
"Would you like something to eat?" He asked as he stood and headed into the kitchen.
"We just ate." She followed him into the kitchen.
"Right... Dessert?"
She felt him flinch as she laid her hand on his shoulder. "Horatio, look at me."
He complied and turned to her.
"What's wrong?" She implored. "Tell me."
She grew more concerned with his each uncharacteristic action. Marisol perceived he was holding back, but she didn't know why or from what. This hidden something had to be brought out. She had to help him.
"There's nothing to worry about, simply the days work."
"Another kid?"
"A couple."
"Oh, sit down and tell me what happened. I'll get the dessert."
"No it's fine, I'll get it, really."
"Horatio sit down and relax, you're home."
"Okay, Love."
Horatio awkwardly walked back into the dinning room and sat down. But his vision remained glued on her, he did not dare look away. Not that he could look away.
Few seconds later Marisol returned with two plates of devils cake and sat next to Horatio.
"Thank you." Horatio said as he took a plate. "The case hit too close to home."
"How?"
"It reminded me of us."
"I can see how that'd effect you, Horatio. But they're not us." She said.
"No you're right. They're not." He toyed with his cake, pushing it from one side of his plate to the other. If he told her the truth why he was disturbed by the case, she wouldn't understand. Or if he could explain why this whole scene was wrong, why she shouldn't be sitting with him, and why the simple act of her staring at him with those bright eyes of hers was impossible, she would question how and when she died, maybe even deny the whole accident. What if she did accept she died six years ago, what would that do to her? Would she break down, feel lost, confused and terrified? He couldn't cause her trauma, not after what she already gone through. No, he couldn't bring himself to cause her irreparable damage. He was going to keep his mouth shut and be happy.
"It's sad is all, from what they had to go through to be happy just to have it all yanked away from them. I can't begin to imagine how that must feel." Horatio told her. "And worse, he died holding her. She'd been killed first then him, he bled to death. We were too late to save him. We tried but we couldn't. It makes me so mad, they had so much to live for, then a mad man comes and steals it from them. It's not fair, it's not right. He'd been in remission for three years and then this, and then he had to watch his wife die in his arms? It's just not... fair."
Marisol watched as his eyes glistened with anger and pain.
"Hadn't they gone through enough already? Didn't they deserve at bit of happiness, just a little bit?" His unwavering stare begged her to answer his question, to explain why horrible things happened. She couldn't. "And I can't solve this one, not this one, and I need to. I have to solve it!"
Taking his hand she stood. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"Not everything is tragic in life, Horatio, there is much more to live for than looking for the bad and dwelling there."
Standing, Horatio followed Marisol into their bedroom and closed the door behind them. He hadn't been with another woman since Marisol's death, he was incapable of dirtying their bed by bringing another female into it. Their bed was a sacred place.
Turning to Marisol, he tentatively cupped her cheek and leaned in. His lips quivered as he anxiously closed the distance between them, Marisol noticed.
Her lips were as sweet and plump as he last remembered.
Leaning his head against Marisol's, Horatio held her close, savoring her warmth and lavender perfume. He craved her touch, it didn't have to be sexual as long as she held him he was safe. The world's icy touch couldn't reach him when she was with him.
His heart began pounding, and static joy and goose pimples ran up his body. It was a sorely missed sensation. To be in her arms was like the world resumed its rotation, its true meaning.
She ran her fingers through his hair and down his back, soothing his apparent anguish.
Letting her out of his embrace, he stared into her eyes. They held the same conviction for life, the exact will to fight for their love.
"I love you." He said, tracing out her face with his finger, burning her into his memory if she happened to vanish before his eyes.
She smiled. "I love you, too."
The first article shed was his suit. She slipped her manicured fingers between his beating heart and his dark Armani jacket.
"You're scared?" She said.
"No." He told her, it was true he wasn't scared. "I'm happy." To get the point across, he kissed her.
Slipping out of his jacket, he discarded the clothing on the seat beside their bed and helped her out of her dress. She was as beautiful as last he saw her, perhaps more so. Swallowing his excitement, he tentatively ran his fingertips on her stomach and in the valley of her heaving breast. Then back down to her white lace panties, letting his hand come to rest at her thigh.
"So beautiful." He said before lifting her onto his waist, she instinctively wrapped her legs around him.
Laying her gently on their bed, she took hold of his trousers and unzipped him. He held her gaze while she unbuttoned his shirt quickly there after.
He wore no white v-neck underneath his formal shirt, though wearing one was his custom.
His eyes laser focused on her bra, he needed to rid her of them. Slithering his fingers under her garment he squeezed her - her breath hitched - before sliding the bothersome thing down her chest.
His desire was mounting but he needed to be methodical. If he didn't restrict himself he'd ravish her, he wanted their joining to last.
Unfastening his hip holster, he placed his firearm away and proceeded to take his shirt off and toss it away, it landed near his jacket.
The caged heat between them was eating her alive. She couldn't endure any of his orderly movements any longer, sitting up she grazed her lips from his stomach to his lips, wrapped her slender arms around his neck and lured him to her, in a one swift enticing motion.
He had no clue how she did it, he just followed her wherever she led him.
They remained entwined in each others arms, staring into the others eyes before she went back to his trousers to pull them down.
The fresh cool air pricked at his skin, his mouth opened involuntarily and a small gasp escaped.
It was her hands that brought the best in him, brought out the sweet agonizing gasp and moans from his body.
A wicked grin flashed across her face as she ran her finger nails on his chest down to his copper wired navel till they landed right were they were aiming. In holding him in her hands, his neck strained and his eyes closed in bliss.
Quickly taking her hands captive, he stopped her examination and allowed himself a second to absorb everything. Which didn't mean there wasn't sweat already beading his body, a tiny stream ran down his back to pool at the small of his back.
Not being strong enough to stay away from the splendor she bestowed, he pecked her lips as he yanked her underwear off.
The outside world faded away from him, nothing else mattered but Marisol.
Staring into her eyes he entered her heavenly gates and was rewarded with a gasp from her quivering lips. He was finally home, there was no other place he'd rather be.
He held her close to his heart, more willing to let the moment last for eternity, but as always he couldn't deny his body it's rightful place.
