Title: Promises, Promises

Author: innocent choir girl (ff-dot-net), shannyfish (From Out of the Lab/Miami Heat/LJ)

Summary: Supervisor Scott O'Shay keeps his promise to Horatio, and starts to take funding away from the Miami-Dade Crime Lab, but with the cut in the media and the coverage telling residents what they're going to be losing out on; O'Shay uses his power to attack Horatio in another way other than funding. He cuts deeper. Spoilers for S5E19 "Bloodline" and S5E24 "Born to Kill".

Category: Ship Ahoy! Calleigh/Horatio

Genres: Angst, Drama, Episode Related, Friendship, Hurt Comfort, Suspense

Characters: Horatio Caine, Calleigh Duquesne

Rating: R

Chapter: 10 "Broken Hearted"

Author's Notes: for the darling Opal and Heather

……………………

"Horatio," Calleigh spoke up quietly from her spot in his arms. He'd made her a beautiful dinner and had been incredibly sweet and kind to her, but she didn't feel she could let that sway her from leaving Miami. She felt the need to get away for a while. She needed to think. She didn't want to ruin the evening or move from his arms, but he needed to know. "I'm still goin' to Louisiana…"

"I know," he whispered letting his lips fall to her forehead. "I'm going to find a way to get you back your job, Calleigh… I just need the time."

"Maybe I don't want it back," Calleigh whispered looking up at him. She liked having Horatio come over to her apartment. She loved him cooking and his touch. She didn't want to loose that. It was special and something completely different than she was used to.

Horatio was confused. Why wouldn't she want her job back? Calleigh was great at her job. She was dedicated and loyal…no one could replace her. "What do you mean Calleigh?" He didn't even know how she could function without it. She'd been a CSI for so long, he knew that being a cop and a CSI ran through his veins and he couldn't think of what he'd do if he lost it. Was she giving up? Did she not believe that he'd get her back into the lab? Or was Calleigh looking at other options? Was she looking more westward?

"If I work back at the lab," Calleigh started, moving her face upward and turning it so that she was only inches from his face. She could see confusion in his clear blue eyes. "I could never do this," she told him before letting her lips meet his gently at first, but then her hands came up to the sides of his head and the kiss had more passion and force behind it. And she found…that he was kissing her back. She was kissing Horatio Caine, her former superior.

Shock was the last thing in his mind as he broke from the kiss. There was so much more involved in it. Calleigh was right though, if they worked together again the last thing they could do was be together…but could he deal with Calleigh not being in his lab? "Calleigh…" he whispered staring at her. He watched her drop her head and knew that she thought he was mad or he'd taken it wrong. That was so far from the truth. Reaching out with his hand, he placed it on her cheek and gently ran his fingers along her face. "No hiding," he told her lifting her face to his.

When his lips pressed to her forehead, Calleigh closed her eyes and let tears fall. It'd been so long since she'd been kissed, let alone by someone she really truly cared about. Horatio was so different from all the men she'd dated though… It was beautiful, and she wished that they could work together, but still be like this. "Maybe its best that I go to Louisiana," Calleigh whispered, her throat closing up a bit at the thought of what she was saying as her brain argued with her.

"We could make it work," Horatio whispered letting his forehead rest against hers. He didn't want to see her go. He didn't know how he'd deal with her gone and not knowing if the trip was going to make her decide on moving to Louisiana. Louisiana was so far from Miami… It wasn't like she was moving to the other end of Florida…how could he live without her? They had finally touched and kissed and those feelings were things that Horatio dearly missed. With Calleigh…it was all new and wonderful…

Calleigh smiled at his words, and she knew that he'd try to move heaven and hell to get her job back at the lab. "What are you gonna do?" she asked. "Make me a lieutenant, too?"

"Mmmm that's a thought," Horatio pondered and pulled Calleigh into his arms on the couch. He wanted her close. "Lieutenant Duquesne…sounds good." He was still willing to give up his job so that she could go back to the lab. He knew that other jobs he could get wouldn't be the same…and that he'd miss it, but it would be worth it.

She cuddled and made sure she was completely pressed against him, her head on his chest as she closed her eyes. She wanted to remember that moment. Calleigh knew that no matter what, that her flight out of Miami was coming up soon enough. "I leave tomorrow," she whispered as her eyes filled up with tears. Normally, she wouldn't cry about such a stupid thing, but he couldn't see her face and she hated the thought of being like this with him and then leaving for who knew how long.

"You won't be gone for too long, will you?" he asked in a pained whisper. How could he let her go? She felt perfect. Calleigh fit perfectly into his arms and he was a bit shocked at how perfectly they fit together…but when he thought back on it, Horatio knew that he'd known it for quite a while… He and Calleigh had always done well together in the lab, and maybe this was why? Maybe they just belonged together in other ways than just working together.

Looking up into his eyes, she saw that her being gone was going to hurt him, but she felt like she needed that time just the same. "Not too long…" Calleigh told him. "I need time to think and to figure out things…"

Horatio's lips dropped and met with hers, "Then why don't we take tonight for us?" he suggested. "I'll take tomorrow off…we can have breakfast together and I'll drive you to the airport…" He didn't really want to let her go, but he figured if she had to leave…at least he could see her off the next day.

Her lips pressed back against his in response and deepened the kiss. They really didn't need the words, but Calleigh knew it was because Horatio felt the need to try to keep her there. She wanted Horatio to know that she loved the closeness they'd discovered more and more since Calleigh had been fired from the lab. Saying it seemed to make it cheap, she wanted Horatio to understand it another way…

She let her hands start to pull at his clothes. She tugged at his perfectly tucked button up long sleeve dark shirt from his pants. Calleigh let her soft hands roam to his skin. Her lips left his and moved to his neck. Her eyes closed, Calleigh was trying to memorize him. He was one man that she'd been patient and waited…they knew each other intimately…even before the first kiss. They had bonded before in a special way on a personal level and one of intelligence. Horatio was the one man who respected and trusted her unconditionally.

It was a rare thing.

It took Horatio a few minutes to start his own movements. He wanted to be with Calleigh…but he wanted to know that she truly was ready to move from merely touching to much more. He copied Calleigh's actions, untucking her blouse, but then started on the buttons of her blouse. When his fingertips first touched her skin, he pulled back sharply at first at the warmth of her skin, but then let them lay against her skin again. It was soft and warm to his touch and felt inviting. "Calleigh," he whispered into her ear before placing his lips to her skin right below her ear.

"Shh…" she whispered bringing a finger up to his lips. There didn't need to be words.

Clothes were slowly shed, left piled around the couch. In only undergarments, Horatio carefully held Calleigh in his arms as he stood up and headed for the bedroom. The kissing didn't stop and neither did the contact. When he laid her on the bed, it was gently. His body cried out to him as the contact between their bodies was parted for a moment. The thin sheen of sweat that had kept their bodies connected cooled. Horatio climbed onto the bed and his lips found Calleigh's again.

The last few articles of clothing were shed and fell to the floor. Skin and sweat were the only contact that remained. He didn't want it to be sex. Calleigh was too special and a lady…she was the woman that he loved unconditionally…a woman he wanted to make love to… Making love to a woman was something so different than sex…making love was bonding more intimately and connecting them on a completely different level. It wasn't meaningless…

Horatio stared into Calleigh eyes, and noticed that the normally blue-green eyes had turned to an absolute pure passionate green. His mouth devoured hers as their bodies met and melded together. He let go of work, rank, and consequences later on…he let their union be completely pure and carefree. His only thought to make it perfect for both of them…

…………………………

TBC…