"You ready?" Calleigh asked, watching as Horatio buckled himself into the passenger seat of her car.

"Whenever you are," he replied, giving her a shy smile.

The last few days at work seem to have dragged as far as Calleigh was concerned. It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the facade of professionalism with him when they were at work.

She had tried not to hover over him too much as he settled back into the more mundane aspects of police work - namely the amount of paperwork that came with being a shift supervisor. She knew better than to coddle him and that he would not tolerate her constant checking up on him, no matter how well intentioned.

She'd had to satisfy herself with a few stolen moments when they'd been the only people in the break room. They had sat side by side on the couch, sipping their coffees in companionable silence.

"Are you still ok for tomorrow?" he'd asked her quietly yesterday afternoon.

To her trained investigators ear, it sounded as if he were nervous.

"About that…" she began, a smile creeping across her face as she saw his eyes widen. "Of course I am. Did you think I was gonna blow you off?"

He'd grimaced at the thought. "It had crossed my mind. You probably have a lot of men asking you out on dates."

She rolled her eyes. "Even if I did, there's only one man I'm interested in."

She saw the sliver of a smile cross his features. "Who might that be?"

She repositioned herself on the couch to look at him, here eyes roaming his body. "Well, he's this tall, handsome man…"

"Really?" he responded, playing along with her teasing.

"He's kind of charming and he has great taste in movies..."

"He sounds like a catch."

Her eyes lit up as she unconsciously licked her lips. "Oh, he definitely is."

The way her tongue had slid seductively over her lips had almost sent him over the edge. It took all of his self control not to jump on her there and then...

"Watcha thinking about?" Calleigh asked, shaking Horatio from his pleasurable memory.

He looked at briefly before returning his gaze to the road ahead, knowing it would be a giveaway as to his embarrassment.

"I'm just thinking how lucky I am."

"Oh?" Calleigh replied, keeping her eyes on the road. "Why's that?"

He squirmed slightly in his seat. "I'm not sure you'd want to know why."

"Why don't you try me?"

He let out a deep sigh as he kept his gaze straight ahead. "For the first time in a long time, I feel...I don't know...happy, I suppose?"

The sadness in his voice broke her heart. How long had he been traveling his lonely road alone?

He suddenly knew that confessing his feelings would make her feel sorry for him. There were lots of things he wanted from her, but her pity wasn't one of them.

"Don't feel bad for me," he said, preempting anything she might have said in response. "It's been my choice to be alone. This is all on me."

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why choose to be on your own?"

He took a moment to consider his response. "I'm not good at letting people in. Most people get bored of trying to figure me out after a while. I can be hard work when I want to be."

"I won't."

"You won't what?"

"Get bored of trying to figure you out," she responded. "I'm not going to throw away what we have just because it gets a little messy."

He sighed again. "It could get a lot messy. And it might not be pretty."

"I'm not exactly perfect either."

"I don't want perfect, Calleigh."

"Neither do I. All I want is someone who loves me for who I am."

"And there's a whole lot about you to love," he said quietly.

"I know you don't think it, but there's a whole lot to love about you too, Horatio. I'll love you even when you're being hard work."

He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "There might be several times when we test that theory. I'm just warning you…"

—

"This is as beautiful as I remember it," Calleigh said as they made themselves comfortable on the sand, watching as the gulls swooped over the water.

Horatio had been pensive and quiet since their drive to the beach. He'd fiddled with his sunglasses several times - a testament to his unease.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" she asked as he lifted his arm and pulled her body towards him.

"Alexx gave me 'the talk' when she came to visit."

Calleigh knew instantly which visit he was referring to - the one where she'd made a house call to Horatio's house after not hearing from him for days.

"She said something that stuck with me. I can't get it out of my head."

"What did she say?"

Calleigh suddenly felt nervous.

Horatio ran his free hand through his hair, growling as the cast got in the way.

"She told me that if I ever hurt you…"

She could gather how that sentence had ended. Alexx had given her pretty much the same talk that day.

"I'm scared of hurting you, Calleigh."

"You could never do that."

He sighed. How could he make her understand?

"Not intentionally, no… I'm belligerent, stubborn and as Alexx likes to say, 'an emotionally closed off pain in the ass'."

"She told you that?"

"Several times." he replied. "There's something in me that pushes people away when they get too close. I guess I distance myself so that they don't get hurt," he shrugged.

"Or that's what you tell yourself."

Calleigh felt him flinch.

"Are you pushing them away for your sake or theirs?"

She felt the air rush out of him and knew that her words had hit home.

"My life's a car crash, Calleigh."

"You've been hurt?"

He nodded as he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Too many times. I'm not sure how capable I am of being in love…or loving someone."

How could he possibly think he was incapable of loving another person?

How many times had she seen him interact with his nephew or support the grieving parents or widows during the loss of a loved one? His empathy and emotional connection with victims were a testament to how deeply he cared.

"That's why I want you to go into this with your eyes open, Calleigh. I want you to know what you're getting yourself into before it's too late."

"You think I'd walk away just because it gets too hard?"

"Most people do," he said quietly.

"I promise I won't if you'll do one thing for me in return."

"I'll do my best."

She manouvered herself so that she could look him in the eye. "I want you to promise me that you'll try."

"Try?"

"Promise me that you'll try to let yourself be loved…that you'll let me in, even if you think it's too dark or too messy. I want to see it all."

He looked uncertain, yet he couldn't doubt the sincerity in her words.

"I promise I'll try."

She leant forward and rewarded him with a searing kiss as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

—

"This is the place?" Calleigh asked as they stood outside a small restaurant, a short walk from the beach they'd enjoyed the afternoon on.

"It is," he replied, holding the door open before following her inside.

"Horatio, it is so good to see you, chere!"

He quickly found himself enveloped in a tight embrace. Tight enough that it made him groan in pain.

The dark-skinned, middle-aged woman released him instantly and held him at arms length, taking in his appearance.

"Oh no, what happened to you?"

He shrugged awkwardly.

"It's nothing."

"Does the one who did this to you look worse?"

He grimaced. He'd rather not recall what had happened that fateful night.

"Sadly not."

She waved a hand dismissively at him and turned her attention to the blonde woman by his side.

"And who might this lovely lady be?"

Horatio suddenly felt awkward - how would he introduce Calleigh to her? As his girlfriend?

He cleared his throat before replying. "This is Calleigh Duquesne," he said, placing an arm on the small of her back. "She's my…uh…girlfriend." He glanced at Calleigh briefly, looking for any signs that he'd been too forward in his assumptions about their current relationship.

"Calleigh, this is Delphine Dubois. She and her husband Francois own this restaurant."

Delphine smiled at the pair of them. "Duquesne, now that's a Louisianna name if ever I heard one."

"Born and raised," Calleigh replied with a smile.

"And how did you end up with this young man, chere?"

"We, uh…work together," Horatio supplied, feeling awkward as Delphine ushered them to a table with a sea view.

"You've managed to distract this one from his work?" Delphine asked with a smile.

"It's a long story," Horatio interjected before Delphine could fire any more questions at Calleigh.

"And I shall get all the details before the end of the night, no?"

Delphine handed them both a menu, giving Calleigh a conspiratorial smile before walking away.

"Well, she's quite forward," Calleigh said as she perused the menu.

Horatio grimaced. "That would be an understatement."

"She seems to know you quite well."

Calleigh knew she was fishing for information and wondered how much Horatio would reveal without a little gentle prodding.

"I've known Delphine and her husband since I moved to Miami. They're good people."

She could see that he was beginning to become uncomfortable at the direction of the conversation and decided to change the subject. He'd already opened up to her today more than he ever had and it was best not to push him. She was in this for the long haul after all.

"What do you recommend?"

Horatio responded instantly. "The jambalaya."

She smiled at him. "Any particular reason?"

He shifted slightly in his seat before twirling the stem of his wine glass. "It's the best in the city," he began, before pausing for a beat. "It was the first meal we shared together when we were in New Orleans, too."

Her face must have registered her surprise as he tore his gaze from her and out toward the sea.

Had he been studying her as much as she had him?

Had they both secretly yearned for each other all these years?

"Are you ready to order?" Delphine asked, reappearing at the table.

Horatio looked at Calleigh. "Ladies first."

"We'll both have the jambalaya," she said with a smile. "I've heard it's to die for."

"I'd recommend the house red wine to go along with it," Delphine encouraged.

Calleigh held a hand up. "I'm driving, so I better not."

Delphine turned her attention to Horatio. "And for you, chere?"

"Just a beer, thanks."

"Coming right up," Delphine replied, placing her pad back into her apron and making her way to the kitchen.

"You drink?" Calleigh asked, somewhat surprised.

He gave her a humourless smile. "As much as it might surprise you, I'm not a total bore."

"So I'm beginning to find out."

—

"Wow, you were right about the food," Calleigh said, placing her cutlery down and wiping her mouth with a napkin. "That was delicious."

Horatio took another swig from his bottle of beer. "Do you have room for desert?"

He looked at her intently.

Maybe he didn't want this night to end either?

As they enjoyed their meal, it struck Calleigh that she had never seen Horatio look so relaxed. They had shared easy conversation as they ate. She had rarely seen him look so laid back and comfortable in his own skin.

"How about we share one?" Calleigh suggested, unconsciously rubbing her bottom lip with her thumb, unaware that her movements were having a significant effect on him.

He swallowed nervously. "Sounds good. You'll have to excuse me for a moment," he said as he stood. "I'm happy with whatever you decide."

Delphine made her way over to their table as she watched Horatio make his way to the bathroom.

"You're good for him, chere," she said as she began stacking their plates. "He looks happy."

"You've known him for a long time?" Calleigh asked.

Delphine held the plates close to her body. "Since he moved here."

"How did you meet?"

Delphine smiled at the memory. "We had some trouble with a local group who didn't take kindly to having coloured folks in their neighbourhood. One night, they broke in and took a baseball bat to the place. They broke anything they could get their hands on."

"That's awful. I'm so sorry."

Delphine waved her concern away. "It was a long time ago, chere. Horatio was the detective in charge of the case. He caught the people responsible for it and Francois and I thought that would be the last we'd see of him. His job was done when he came to give us the news. We thanked him and wished him well and then he turned up at the restaurant the next day with several of his colleagues from the department. They spent their day off helping us clear up."

If she had any doubt before as to what type of man she was falling in love with, now she was certain that entrusting her heart to him had been the right decision.

"Horatio turned up every day after that to help out with the repairs, even after a night shift as a detective, until we were ready to open again. He's been a regular here ever since."

"You care about him a lot," Calleigh observed.

"Would you mind?" Delphine asked as she motioned to Horatio's vacant seat.

"By all means."

"Francois and I were never able to have children," she began, a sad smile crossing her weathered features. "Horatio has been through a lot since he came here and from what he's let slip occasionally, things were not easy for him as a child either."

Horatio had always remained tight-lipped about his past - a subject that still remained off topic for them for now.

"When his brother died…. We hadn't seen in him in days and then we heard on the news about Raymond. We saw him walking on the beach one night after closing and I swear, I have never seen him look so lost…so broken."

Calleigh said nothing, allowing Delphine to continue at her own pace.

"Francois had to almost drag him inside. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept for a week." The memory brought tears to Delphine's eyes, even now. "We sat him down…forced him to eat a good meal. Francois brought a bottle of brandy out thinking that it might raise Horatio from whatever hell he was locked in. The brandy seemed to work and to this day, it's the only time I've ever seen Horatio truly upset."

Delphine reached across the table and took Calleigh by the hand. "He's a good man, chere. Be patient with him, ok?"

Calleigh could feel the tears well up in her own eyes. "I will."

Delphine wiped her own tears away. "You're the first woman he's ever brought here. He must be serious about you."

"You think so?" Calleigh asked hopefully.

"I've told you, chere, he's like family to us and I think he feels the same way…even though he never says it. He would never introduce us if he didn't think you were the one. He's had a few relationships here and there from what I've heard. They've never lasted long enough for him to bring them here."

The sound of Horatio clearing his throat took both women by surprise.

"Thank you for keeping my seat warm, Delphine," he said with a hint of humour in his tone. "I see the pair of you have been talking. Anything interesting?"

Delphine scoffed. "Just women talk, that's all."

Horatio reclaimed his seat. "Oh, I don't doubt it."

—

Pulling up outside Horatio's house, he turned to Calleigh and asked. "Would you like to come in for that bottle of wine now?"

She wasn't quite sure if she'd understood him correctly. Was he asking her to stay the night?

"I'd love to," she replied without needing to think about it.

Settling on his couch, each with a glass of wine in their hand, Horatio turned to look at her.

"Did you enjoy today?" he asked shyly.

She ran a hand up and down his arm. "I loved it. Thank you for introducing me to Delphine. I know she means a lot to you."

"I hope she wasn't too forward with you. Subtlety has never been her strong suit," Horatio frowned.

"She cares about you a lot."

He shrugged awkwardly, never being comfortable with emotional conversations. "She and Francois are good people. They didn't deserve what happened to them."

"And neither did you," Calleigh replied, referring to the brutal attack he'd suffered several weeks ago.

"I suppose I should be grateful in a way."

Calleigh frowned at his statement. The animals that had set upon him had almost killed him.

He could see the confusion on her face.

"Maybe we would never have taken the next step if it hadn't been for what happened," he clarified. "Maybe it was the kick up the ass I needed," he mused. "In the metaphorical sense, obviously."

Taking the wine glass from him and setting it down on the table, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply.

He didn't need any encouragement to respond in kind as he leaned forward and gently laid her down on the couch, their hands exploring each other's body as their lips met.

Feeling his hormones get the better of him, Horatio broke away suddenly, his breath heaving. "Wait."

Calleigh was confused as to why he had stopped so suddenly. She could feel his desire as his body laid on top of hers.

"What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath. "I've waited so long for this. I want to do it properly."

He looked at her intently.

"I don't want a quick fumble on the couch. I want to love you properly...in my bed."

She smiled seductively at him as she rose from the couch.

"What are we waiting for then?"

She took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked as he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her close.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Just shut up and kiss me."

He did as she asked as he made a fervent assault on her face and neck as their hands pulled at each other's clothes. Her lifted her up, ignoring the pain in his ribs and gently laid them both on the bed.

"Calleigh, if this isn't what you want then we have to stop now. If we go any further I'm not sure I'll be able to control myself."

She kissed him again. "Don't stop," she said breathlessly. "I don't want you to ever stop."