A/N : Finally an update. I was too engrossed with Return To Me that I completely forgot about this. Sorry. My bad.
Enjoyyyyy ;)
Previously...
"We will get her babe. We will." The man smirked cunningly and kissed his wife on the lips passionately. They had plans in mind and they were going to execute it. Just like they did with the other girls. They knew they wouldn't get caught.
Horatio stopped at the destination. He never told Natalia where they were headed. He only told her that no one would bother them there. Once he stopped the car, Natalia looked around. He was right. No one was there to bother them. Of course no one would. It was a fairly secluded area. She glanced over at Horatio. He had a peaceful look on his face. His eyes were smiling. His face brightened up and she didn't know why. He looked back at her and smiled.
"Shall we?" She nodded and went out together with him. He had carried the food out along with him and he led her further down the road.
It was a beach and it was beautiful. The most beautiful she had ever seen in Miami. The full moon was a bonus. The sea was reflecting the moonlight and it had lighted up the beach a little, just enough to see the shoreline. It was quiet and peaceful. There were only sounds of the waves hitting the shore and the sounds of ruffling leaves. It was dark and the moon was the only light they could depend on.
"Come on." Horatio led her further. "Oh you might want to take off your shoes." Natalia couldn't see his face. She didn't know if he was either smiling or keeping his face straight. It was dark and she could only see his silhouette. Once they reached by the rocks, Horatio stopped. "Is it okay for you to sit here?"
She had found it sweet for him to ask her if she minded sitting on the rocks. She smiled inwardly. "It's okay Horatio. It's a nice place." She didn't really mind sitting on the rocks. Besides, given her nature of job, Horatio should have known that she doesn't mind getting dirty. She wasn't the type of girl who would go after only luxury. Horatio took a seat beside her and handed her the packed food. They ate without any disturbance. There was no noise, there was not a single sound except for the water hitting the shore. The wind was blowing gently, tousling Horatio's hair a little.
"I'm sorry our dinner didn't go as planned." Horatio turned slightly. He put his food down and took off his jacket. "Here. Take this. It's cold out here."
"It's okay Horatio. The wind is great." She smiled at him.
"I insist. I don't want you to fall sick." He held out his jacket for her but as soon as she reached out for it, he put jacket over her shoulders. As he was putting the jacket over her shoulders, his fingers accidentally brushed against her skin and she felt goosebumps forming all over her body. His touch felt so electrifying. She shivered. "I told you it's cold out here." She was glad that he doesn't read minds. Oh she would be so embarrassed if he does read minds. Instead of showing her concerns, she just smiled at him.
"So do you always come here?"
"After a tough case. I come here to find peace." She realized that he had brought her to his quiet place. He brought her to his personal space and she was grateful for that. He had trusted her.
"It's beautiful Horatio. I'm glad you brought me here. But you have nothing to worry about. I won't invade it." Natalia reached out to his arm and gave a gentle squeeze.
He tilted his head sideways and glanced at her. He gave his rare boyish grin. Her touch could melt him on the spot. He had missed the touch. Yet he felt so ridiculous. He was an old man and why would this be a special touch. This was just an assuring touch. Nothing more. Seeing his smile made her night. She wanted so much to just lean forward and take his lips in hers but she knew it was inappropriate. She would never force him. She promised to take it slow with him. She promised that she would win him over. Not force him. She wanted him to be ready on his own. She shrug the thought off, knowing that this was just a casual dinner between two colleagues.
Horatio looked at his watch and it was pretty late. He knew he didn't want this to end but all good things come to an end and this was one of them. He just wished there would be a next time. He politely asked Natalia if she wanted to leave and they both agreed that it was late. Being the gentleman, Horatio stood up first and held out his hands for Natalia to grab it as support. He helped her up then picked bag they used to keep the food. As they walked along the beach, they never uttered a single word but it felt comforting. It wasn't an awkward silence. Enjoying the slow breeze, his eyes focused on her from the side. He didn't want to get caught staring at her.
Natalia on the other hand, felt it. She could sense that Horatio was staring at her, yet she didn't want to say a word. She didn't want him to cave. Instead, she focused her attention to her feet sinking into the soft sand as she took every step. Having him beside her was just enough. She didn't expect him to reach out to her to hold her hand as they walk on the beach. Although, one day, she prayed that it would happen. As they approached the car, Horatio took a detour to dispose the bag and returned to her side, walking her to the passenger's side.
As he was about to open the door for her, he felt the strong urge to lean closer to her. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. He slowly leaned forward, absorbing the musky scent of her perfume. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and she felt her heart thumping hard. She could hear the pumping of heart. She closed her eyes as she felt Horatio leaning closer into her. She was waiting for this. She had been hoping for this for so long. Horatio was taking it so slowly that she wanted to just grab his head and just kiss him but she was patient. She wanted it to be at his own pace.
Then a beep destroyed their moment. They were about to have their very first kiss under the bright full moon and something just had to come up to destroy it. Horatio pulled back immediately and reached into his jacket pocket. Natalia sighed.
"We have a case." She nodded and Horatio opened the door for her. "I'll send you home first. We don't want you to be doing the dirty work in that pretty dress." Horatio smiled.
Horatio made it to the crime scene within half an hour. He had already sent Natalia home to change. She would report straight to the lab after that since Calleigh and Eric was already there. He pulled over across the street and he saw Eric standing over the body. Calleigh was nowhere to be found and Frank was questioning witnesses. Eric saw Horatio pull over his Lexus and he smirked. Despite having a murder at hand, he was still happy for his brother in law. Horatio stepped out and Eric was impressed at him. The blue shirt was a fit on him. It shaped nicely on his body. He saw the gray pants and he knew that there was a matching jacket but he didn't see it on him or in the car when he peeked into the car. Horatio looked dashing.
"Woah H." Eric teased. "Dashing."
"Eric." Horatio snarled. "What have we got?"
"Rose Martinez. The kidnap case." Horatio sighed.
"Same ammo?" Eric nodded.
"Body was cleaned up. Scene had nothing. Calleigh and I canvassed the place. We don't need to wait for autopsy to know that she was tortured."
"Hey I heard my name." Calleigh came in, interrupting. The moment she saw Horatio, she stopped dead at her tracks. "Wow." She had never seen Horatio out of his work suit and now she's seeing him in a casual dressing. Light blue shirt, sleeves rolled up, gray pants and no jacket. Even his sunglasses were out of sight. "Hey handsome." Horatio glanced over to Eric and Eric smiled widely, chuckling aloud. Horatio blushed and even in the dim lighting, they could see his face turning red.
"Come on Calleigh. Stop teasing this dashing man. We don't want him to explode here." Eric chuckled again and Calleigh softly giggled. Calleigh made her way to the hummer to head back to the lab while Horatio and Eric waited for the ME to finish bagging the body.
"So H, great date?" Horatio just rolled his eyes at Eric. "The case came in huh? No hanky panky then?" Eric shut his lips tight, suppressing a giggle.
"Eric." Horatio growled yet Eric still tried to suppress a laughter and failed miserably.
Horatio shook his head then took his leave to head for the lab where the team would be waiting. He was right. Calleigh was already waiting for him with Ryan. Natalia was nowhere to be seen. He checked his watch. It had already been 2 hours. She promised that she would be at the lab as soon as possible. Horatio shrugged it off. Maybe she needed a little more time.
"Cal, you sure that's Horatio?" Ryan asked unbelievably. Calleigh smiled.
"Yeap. That's Horatio. Dashing isn't he." Calleigh laughed. The moment Horatio entered, both of them put on their serious demeanor. They were back to work. Horatio wanted reports on the case. They had been on the case for a very long time. The killer was smart. He didn't leave any evidence on the victim or anywhere around the body. Neither were there any marks on the body that can be used to identify the weapon. Calleigh handed him the photos of the victims from the current case and the previous cases that have yet to be solved. All of them had the same injuries. They were beaten, burnt and electrocuted. They couldn't find anything distinctive on the burn marks.
Horatio sighed. They had gone through this case over and over yet they still couldn't find a break. They needed at least something to give closure to the families of the victims. Their daughters were kidnapped and were not found and when they were found, they were dead. Horatio needed to make it right.
"Have any of you seen Natalia? She hasn't reported yet." Both Calleigh and Ryan looked at each other than back to Horatio. They both shook their heads.
Two hours and Natalia still hadn't reported to the lab. Horatio was getting worried. He should have stayed with her while she got herself changed. He tried calling her cellphone but there was no answer. He tried a few times and there was still no answer. He paced up and down in his office while trying to reach Natalia. After so many tries, he decided to head over to her place to make sure she was alright. He had called for Calleigh to come with him while he tasked Ryan to track her cellphone. Once they arrived at Natalia's condo, her car was still there. Horatio didn't feel right. He reached to his side and unclipped his gun holster, pulling out his gun. Calleigh followed. They reached at her door and Horatio gasped at the sight in front of him. Her door was wide open and he saw his jacket across the hallway.
"Horatio, we've got to call it in." Calleigh broke him from his daze. He composed himself before agreeing to her suggestions. Calleigh quickly fished out for her cellphone and called it in. "Don't you dare pick up that jacket." Horatio glared at Calleigh menacingly. "I know what you're thinking Horatio. Don't." He sighed. He left the scene and sat on the flight of stairs.
He was the last person to see Natalia. He wished he had been there to accompany her. What was he even thinking wanting to pick that jacket up. He just didn't want to create a controversy. He shook his head. That jacket could help them. Even if the rest were to find out that he went out with her, then so be it. He was a man. He deserved to go out with a beautiful woman. Except right now, that woman is missing and he's the only suspect. He sighed as he cradled his head in his hands.
"Hi princess...Wakey wakey..." The man called out in a sing-song tune. Natalia woke up. Her vision was a little blur but she saw him. She recognized him. She knew him but she doesn't know where she was. She was drowsy. She knew she wasn't at home but where was she?
TBC...
Thank you for reading this. Tell me what you think! :)
Critics? Compliments? Just shoot. hehehe
