AN: It's make me happy you are all enjoying this story. Thanks for the continuing support, here is the next chapter, enjoy.
Chapter 4: Falling faster
After they enjoyed a family friendly movie and a small-size popcorn, so they don't spoil their dinner, they headed for the food court and got a Pizza to share. They hadn't really discuss having dinner together beforehand it just sort of happened, but they all enjoyed it.
When they got done eating, cleaned off their table and threw away the trash, they walked out of the mall and Horatio walked Calleigh and C.J. to her vehicle.
Once they got there. Calleigh unlocked the doors, then she looked down at C.J. and asked. "So what do you say to Horatio, C.J.?"
He smiled and looked up at Horatio. "Thank you for the movie, snacks and dinner, I had a really good time."
Horatio bends down so he was eye level with the boy, and replied with a smile. "You're welcome, I had a good time too." C.J. smiled bigger and surprised the older man when he wraps his arms around his neck for a hug.
After he pulls back, he turns to the back door, opens it, gets in, then shuts it as Horatio stands back up.
When he was standing again, Calleigh and Horatio look at each other in silence for a few seconds, then she cleared her throat and said. "Thank you Horatio, you didn't have to buy anything for us."
Horatio nodded. "I know, but I wanted too, it was the least I could do for him since I didn't win that basketball for him."
Calleigh smiled and replied. "Well I think you made it up to him, he was smiling throughout the movie and dinner, so once again, Thank you."
"You're welcome Calleigh."
They look into each other's eyes again for a few more seconds before she looked away and started speaking again. "I better go, C.J. has to get ready for bed."
"Alright, goodnight."
"Goodnight, see you tomorrow."
Horatio does a short nod, then he tapped the window on the back door and waved at C.J., which he waved back with a smile.
After one more smile between Horatio and Calleigh, Horatio walked away, but he looked back to make sure she got in her vehicle and watched the vehicle drive away until he couldn't see it anymore before walking to his vehicle with a smile still on his face. He hadn't planned to spend the evening like he did, but it was better than he could have imagined and he didn't regret a single second of it.
When Calleigh and C.J. got home she started his bath, while he went and got his PJ's.
After it was the right temperature and depth she walked out of the bathroom to give him some privacy but cracked the door just incase, then she went and got her sleeping clothes ready so she could take a shower once he was sleeping.
20 minutes later C.J. was in his bed and Calleigh had just walked into his superhero themed room, grabbed a book from his bookshelf before walking over to his bed, then she sat down and scooted backward so her back was against the headboard of the bed.
After making sure C.J. was tucked in good enough, she opened the book and was about to read, when C.J. speaks. "Aunt Calleigh?"
Calleigh looks over to the little boy and asked. "Yeah?"
C.J. moved his head up to look at her and continued. "I really had fun tonight and I like Horatio, can he do that again with us?"
Calleigh was really happy that C.J. liked Horatio, and as much as she wanted to shout yes at the top of her lungs, she knew she had to be careful with letting C.J. get too attached to him, because they weren't even dating and he could cut ties with them just like that, which would leave them both heart-broken.
She mentally shakes her head from that sad thought, then answered his question the best she could at this moment. "We'll see ok?" C.J. nodded with a small smile. Calleigh could see a little disappointment in his eyes, but noticed he wasn't expecting her to expand her answer.
After making sure he was comfortable again, she looked down at the book and started reading to him until he fell asleep.
She closed the book, watched him for a few minutes, before getting up and bending down to kiss his head and whisper. "I love you."
When she pulls back she walks over to the bookshelf and puts the book back, then she walks to the door, but stops in the doorway to look at him for a few more seconds before turning off the light, which made his spider man nightlight came on, then walked out of the door, cracking it behind her.
Once she walked into her room, she took a shower and got ready for bed, but before she snuggled down in her blankets and closed her eyes for sleep, she picked up her phone from her nightstand, hits speed dial number one, puts the phone up to her ear, and waited.
A few rings later she hears the greeting. "Sidle."
Calleigh smiled and said. "Hey Sara."
Sara smiled on her end and said. "Hey Cal, did you have a nice evening with C.J?"
Calleigh smiled bigger, not only because of her evening with C.J. but also for thinking about Horatio being there too, then said. "I did very much."
Sara chuckled and said. "The tone of your voice tells me he paid for dinner."
"He did, and the movie."
Sara raised an eyebrow in confusion and asked. "Ok it feels like I am missing something here, what happened?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Because I have this strong feeling you're not telling me everything that happened tonight."
Calleigh chuckled and replied. "Alright you got me." Sara snickered as Calleigh continued. "Horatio was the one that paid for dinner and the movie." Calleigh could hear Sara chocking on something, so she said. "Sara, are you ok?"
Sara wiped her mouth off with a napkin she had next to her dinner plate, and after she got done coughing she speaks. "Yeah sorry my drink went down the wrong pipe, hold on a second." After she coughed a few more times, she cleared her throat and said. "Now did I hear that right, Horatio was there?"
"Yes."
"So you asked him out?"
Calleigh shook her head, even though Sara couldn't see it, then replied. "Actually he was already at the mall getting a present for his nephew and we kind of literally ran into each other, then C.J. asked him if he wanted to join us, so one thing led to another and he ended up paying for the movie and dinner."
Sara smiled and replied. "Well congratulations on your first date with Horatio."
Calleigh shook her head and argued. "It wasn't a date, it was two co-workers running into each other then going to a movie and having dinner."
"Hmm, and who paid for the movie and dinner?"
"Horatio..." She stopped when she heard Sara laughing, then Calleigh smiled and continued with a smirk. "Ok, then if you want to call that a date, then I believe the deal was that you have to tell Grissom how you feel or at least ask him on a date." That stopped Sara's laughing and Calleigh snickered.
Sara cleared her throat and said. "Alright it wasn't a date." Calleigh knew that Sara wasn't ready to strike up the nerve to ask him out yet.
After Calleigh calmed down from her chuckling, Sara continued. "Well date or no date I am glad you had a good night, and did C.J. like him?"
Calleigh sighed in content and replied. "Yes so much, he wants him to join in the next time we go out, I think he is already attached to him."
"Sounds like somebody I know."
Calleigh smiled at that. "I just want to be careful were C.J. is concerned, I don't want to get his heart-broken."
"I know, and along with yours."
"Right. I can see a glimpse of Horatio being a very good, kind man, but the truth is I've only known him for two weeks. I need to be sure before we get any deeper, that is if we do."
"I hear you Cal, and I am sure you will figure it out."
"Thanks for listening Sara." She had to stop because she started to yawn, then after the yawn ended she said. "Excuse me."
"It's ok, I should let you go anyway. It's about 11 your time, you should get some sleep so you'll be rested for tomorrow."
Calleigh was going to say something, but she yawned again. "Yeah you're right we'll talk another day, bye Sara."
"Bye Cal."
After they hung up, Calleigh sets the phone on the nightstand before snuggling under her covers, then she laid her head on the pillow and a few minutes later she was out like a light with a smile on her face.
When it became morning Calleigh and C.J. got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and after he packed a few things to take with him, Calleigh dropped him off at Ashley's house since he didn't have school today because of a teachers workday, then she headed into work and an hour later she was out in the field with
her team.
It was going on the second hour they've been out in the field, when Calleigh's cellphone rings.
She excused herself from the group, walked away so she wouldn't be in the way, and answered her phone in her usual greeting. "Duquesne."
She could hear sniffling as the caller speaks. "Calleigh."
Calleigh's heart started to speed up when she asked. "Ashley? What's wrong, is it C.J?"
"No, sorry, nothing is wrong with C.J. I just got a call from my brother, my dad is in the hospital and I need to go up to Jacksonville."
"Of course, I'll meet you at the lab."
Ashley sniffled again and said. "Thank you, I'm sorry I have to do this to you today."
"You can't predict emergency's, it's ok Ashley."
After they said bye they hung up the phone, then she let out a big sigh of relief as she ran her hand down her face.
She felt bad for Ashley, but she was thankful nothing was wrong with C.J.
Horatio had witness Calleigh's actions, so he walked up to her and asked in a concerned voice. "Everything ok Calleigh?"
She looks at Horatio and replied. "Ashley, she watches C.J. when I can't, well she has an emergency and needs to go up to Jacksonville." She stops, bit her lip and continued. "And I nee..."
Horatio cuts her off. "Lets go."
Calleigh shakes her head and replied. "You can't leave here, you're the boss."
Horatio waves it off, turns around and shouted. "Jesse!"
Jesse looks at Horatio and asked. "Yeah, H?"
"You're boss for an hour."
He smiled and replied. "You got it." Then goes back work.
Horatio looked back at Calleigh and said. "Now that's covered, why don't you gather your things and we'll leave." Calleigh nodded with a smile and went to do her task.
Once she grabbed everything and put them in the back of the CSI issued hummer, she gets in the passenger seat, then after she shuts the door Horatio starts the vehicle and they head back to the lab.
It was few minutes of silence, then she looks over at him, which she couldn't see his eyes because he was wearing his sunglasses that she noticed he wore a lot, and said. "Thank you."
He smiled and replied, while still looking where he was driving. "You're welcome, you can't predict what's going to happen, so I understand."
Calleigh looked down at her hands with another smile, because that's basically what she told Ashley.
The rest of the drive was done in comfortable silence.
Horatio pulls into the lab parking lot 15 minutes later and stops in front of the entrance of the building.
Calleigh gets out and walks to Ashley and C.J., which they were standing right on the sidewalk in front of the building.
Ashley said a few more apologizes, and Calleigh just reassured her that it was alright, then after a quick meeting to Horatio, Ashley walked away with hurried steps.
They watched Ashley walk away, then Calleigh looks down and C.J. was looking down at the ground, she puts his hand on his shoulder and said. "It's not your fault C.J. things happen."
He speaks in a sad voice. "I just don't want to be a burden."
Calleigh bends down, lifts his chin up, looks into his brown eyes and speaks as she cups his cheek. "You'll never be a burden to me, I love you so much, Ok?"
He nodded with tears in his eyes and said. "I love you too, Aunt Calleigh." Calleigh smiled, then wrapped her arms around him to give him a hug.
When they pulled back she said. "Now you can stay here with me today, I collected enough evidence so I can stay in the lab."
She looked at Horatio and he nodded his head, but noticed C.J. was still a little sad, so he steps closer to the little boy and said. "Hey C.J., why don't you come with me to my office for a second while your Aunt grab's her things." C.J. looks at Calleigh and she nodded in acceptance, then he looks back at Horatio and nodded to him.
As Calleigh stands up she watches Horatio and C.J. walk into the lab before she turned and walked back to the hummer to grab the evidence she collected and her kit, then she walked to the entrance of the lab.
She had just walked in when the six year old boy came running up to her with his backpack bouncing up and down, a basketball in his hand, and a smile as he speaks with enthusiasm. "Look what Horatio got me Aunt Calleigh!" She was shocked for a few seconds, then looked at Horatio as he walked up to them with a smile.
She shakes her head. "You didn't have to do that."
He shrugs and replied. "I felt bad that I couldn't win him one, so..."
She cuts him off. "So you thought you would buy him one instead."
He nods with a small smile. "The manager at the arcade was nice about it after I gave him a huge tip."
She puts her hand up to her lips and replied. "You didn't?"
"I did."
"That was very sweet of you."
He looks into her eyes, then looks over at C.J. and said. "He is worth it."
That melted Calleigh's heart as she heard those words, then looks at C.J. and said. "Did you say thank you?"
C.J. nodded with another smile. "Yes and he said we maybe can go play later, can we?"
"I'll think about it, ok?" C.J. nodded as Horatio and Calleigh start looking at each other, but their moment was interrupted a few seconds later because C.J. started bouncing the ball in the lab.
She mentally shakes her head, looks back at the little boy and said. "C.J. don't bounce the ball in here, please."
He stops the bouncing, looked at her sheepishly and said. "Sorry."
Calleigh nodded as Horatio cleared his throat and said. "I better get back to the crime scene, I'll see you guys later."
They said bye, and after one more look between Calleigh and Horatio, he walked out of the lab, while putting his sunglass back on.
Calleigh watched him, still feeling overwhelmed about what he said about C.J., what he did for him, and how he was looking at her. With him showing her more of that kindness she had a preview of last night, she was falling for him faster than anybody she had ever met, and she knew C.J. was already putty in his hands.
Calleigh mentally shook her head, cleared her throat, looked at C.J. and said. "Alright, let's go to my office and get you settled, so I can start going over these bullets."
He nodded and the two of them walked to the elevator go down to her ballistics lab.
AN: Please review.
