Author's Note : Sorry, guys...it is getting to be that crazy time of year when you have extra visitors and extra things on the weekly to do list and it messes up all regularly scheduled plans. So, without further excuse, here is the next chapter of my story...the reviews have dropped but it seems everyone is still reading by the number of hits, which is great. Thanks to all of you for making it a favorite and for your kind words. I'll get back on a pattern of posting every day or two for the remainder of the story.

Enjoy !!

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Chapter 10 – The Possibilities

The next morning she dressed quickly and headed down to breakfast. She noticed the door to Horatio's room was open and his bed was made. She assumed he was already down in the dining room. Sure enough, when she made her way into the kitchen she heard his voice coming from the other room.

"Estelle, these omelets are perfect, fluffy and buttery, just the way I like them. I can tell Calleigh was right, I'm sure to gain ten pounds while I am here."

"You eat up, Horatio Caine."

Calleigh smiled as she entered.

"Good morning, Miss Calleigh."

"Good morning, Estelle, Horatio."

Horatio thought she had never looked more beautiful. Her hair was down and kind of wavy like she had gone to bed with it still damp. She was wearing very little makeup and the small amount of green in her blouse made her green eyes shine.

"Good morning, Calleigh. You look lovely this morning. Being home obviously agrees with you."

Calleigh blushed slightly and sat down across from Horatio.

"Thank you. Estelle, did I hear someone mention omelets before I came in ?"

Before she could say another word, Estelle brought her a plate heaping with an omelet and hash browns. She sat some orange juice and coffee down on the table with her food. There was also a plate of fresh fruit sitting between her and Horatio.

Calleigh took a bite.

"Uummmm……I've missed these."

Estelle smiled.

"Horatio."

"Yes, sunshine."

"I'd like to go by the cemetery this morning. Will you come with me ?"

"Of course."

"Okay, after breakfast then. I thought then maybe we could have lunch before I go visit with Will's lawyer. I don't need you to come for that so you can come back here and relax before dinner."

"Whatever you want me to do. I'm here for you."

"I know, thank you. Tomorrow I thought I would go to the academy and you are certainly welcome to come along for that. You can see where I work."

"I would like that."

"Great."

Calleigh took another bite of food, closing her eyes to enjoy the taste. Horatio was glad to see her happy. He thought coming here would be hard on her but she seemed to be healed by it. Although, she still had a lot of painful meetings and memories to deal with so he would be here to see how that went. In fact, he had expected to see Will's parents here this morning.

"I thought the Durand's were coming by this morning ?"

"They were but I talked to Will's mom before I came down to breakfast, and they are going to come to dinner tonight instead."

Estelle came back into the room to check on them.

"Estelle, Horatio and I will be eating lunch out but we'll be home for dinner. Also, Will's parents will be joining us for dinner."

"Alright, Miss Calleigh. Anything specific you want for dinner ?"

"Oh, as a matter of fact yes. Horatio has been taking good care of me in Miami but I've missed my Cajun food."

Estelle smiled.

"Then I will fix your favorites. Horatio Caine, do you like spicy food ?"

"Well, Estelle, as I mentioned to Calleigh when were in Miami, I don't know that I have ever had true Cajun food but I do like spicy."

"Well, you will like Miss Calleigh's favorites, I'm sure."

"I'm sure I will."

Estelle left them alone again.

"You seem to have won her over."

"Well, we had a little talk this morning, so we are on the same page."

"Care to share ?"

"Not really."

Calleigh laughed.

"Okay, Horatio Caine."

Now it was his turn to laugh.

They finished breakfast and agreed to meet in the foyer to leave for the cemetery in fifteen minutes. Horatio went up to his room to freshen up and retrieve his wallet and sunglasses. Calleigh went out the gardens and cut a few fresh flowers to take to the cemetery with them. They met in the foyer as planned. They walked around to the side of the house where there were two cars parked under the carport. Calleigh bleeped the car locks on a white Range Rover and Horatio raised his eyebrows.

"What happened to your Jeep ?"

"Will thought this would be safer for me so we traded it in. I like the Range Rover though, it reminds me of the Hummers only smaller. Do you want to drive ?"

"Do you want me to drive ? You haven't driven since the accident."

"I think I am okay. I guess I need to get back in the saddle at some point."

"Well, then, you go ahead, it's your car, your town."

Calleigh smiled. They drove to the cemetery in silence. Horatio figured Calleigh had a lot going on in her mind as they drove and as they entered the entrance to the cemetery, he could feel her tense behind the wheel.

"You okay."

"Yeah, just nervous I guess. It's getting very real now."

Before he could reply, she pulled into a parking space and got out of the car. She started walking across the lawn and Horatio followed a few feet behind. As they approached a small mausoleum, he saw the name, DURAND, printed along the top of the doorway. Calleigh slowed down as she approached and turned back to look for him.

"I'm right here."

Horatio saw the nameplate as they had drawn closer.

WILLIAM JASPER DURAND

July 4, 1971 – March 9, 2007

Beloved Son and Husband

She walked up and put the flowers into the flower holder on the nameplate. She stepped back and lowered her head. He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm going to walk right over there where that bench is and wait for you. You take your time with him. If you need me, just call for me, okay ?"

She put her hand over one of his and replied quietly.

"Okay. Thank you."

He pressed one of his handkerchiefs into her hand before he walked away and over to the bench about twenty yards away. He sat with his back to her in order to give her as much privacy as possible.

After about twenty minutes, he heard her walk up to him and then she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm ready."

He turned around and stood up. He could tell she had been crying but she looked composed.

"You okay ?"

"I will be."

He walked around the bench and looked at her. She looked lost. He held out his arms to her and she gladly walked into his embrace. He just held her for a few minutes and rubbed her back. She pulled back and tucked her hair behind her ears. She smiled at him and they walked to the car.

They headed into town for lunch. The hostess brought them to their table and seated Calleigh. Horatio stood for a moment waiting for the hostess to leave.

"Will you order me a tea ? I'm going to step out a minute and make a phone call to the lab and check in."

"Of course."

And then unexpectedly for both of them, Horatio leaned down and kissed Calleigh on the cheek. He leaned back and smiled.

"Be right back."

He turned and walked away before she could reply. She touched her hand to her cheek and whispered out loud.

"What is going on with us ?"

She had butterflies in her stomach.

"And, what is wrong with me ?"

After that kiss the other day, she thought coming to New Orleans would put her back in her comfort zone but she was more confused about Horatio since she got here; while he almost seemed more sure of himself. She had decisions to make about her future and she was starting to be affected by her renewed feelings of closeness with this man.

She didn't really believe in fate or signs, but was someone trying to tell her something, telling her to give him a second chance. He sure seemed to be very attentive to her lately. And, it was like there was this underlying story going on in her life. She had all this grief and even guilt built up over losing Will and she missed him terribly. But, when she looked at Horatio when he was watching her, she had this feeling of anticipation.

It was all very conflicting. She couldn't have Will back, no matter how much she wanted it, no matter how many dreams had been shattered when he died. She needed to grieve, she needed to allow herself time to figure out what was next. But, what if Horatio was offering her a chance at something she had dreamed about before she married Will and what if, in her grief she missed out on a second chance at her dreams.

Maybe her father was right, she just needed to open up a little more to the possibilities. She looked up to see Horatio coming back to the table and she smiled.

As he walked toward her, Horatio couldn't help but smile, he knew this was a big day for her and he was so proud of how strong she was being given the circumstances. She did look beautiful today.

Before he sat down, he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, she turned her head slightly at the last moment and he ended up kissing her mouth instead. As he drew back, startled, she glanced down, biting her lip. He slowly sat back into his chair.

"What was that about ?" he asked quietly.

She looked up slowly from under her eyelashes and smiled weakly.

"I was half-asleep during our last kiss and I just wondered what it was like. Are you mad ?"

"Why would I be mad, being kissed by the most beautiful woman in the room? I was just surprised. So, what are we having for lunch ?"

Horatio tried to hide his shock at the kiss from her by changing the subject, but he himself was hard-pressed to remove the thoughts from his own mind. Were the tables turning here ?

After lunch, Calleigh drove him back to the house. She promised she would call him when she left the lawyer's office. He went into the house to find the smell of something wonderfully sweet floating on the air. Estelle.

He walked to the kitchen to find her pulling a fresh batch of cookies from the oven. He reached over and pulled one off the cooling rack on the counter and took a bite before she turned around.

"Mmmmmmmm…"

She spun around and almost dropped the tray of cookies before giving him a scolding look.

"Horatio Caine. You scared me to death. You like my molasses cookies, do you?"

"They are delicious."

"They are Miss Calleigh's favorite."

"I can see why and they are now mine."

"Why don't you go out to the patio and I'll bring you some with some tea ?"

"That sounds nice. I need to go upstairs and get something from my room and I will be right down."

Horatio spent the rest of the afternoon out on the patio doing some paperwork from the lab and eating Estelle's cookies. It had turned out to be a beautiful day and he lost track of time. His cell phone rang, startling him.

"Caine."

"Horatio, it's Calleigh. I just wanted to let you know I was on my way home."

He looked at his watch.

"What time is it ?"

"About three."

"I lost track of time. How did everything go ?"

"Fine. I pretty much knew what the will said so it was just the formalities of signing paperwork and everything."

"Good. So, I'll see you in a few."

"Yes. Okay, drive careful."

"I will."

Calleigh arrived at the house about thirty minutes later. She found Horatio out on the patio with Estelle's directions. She leaned over him and snatched a cookie off his plate and popped it in her mouth.

"Mmmmmmmm…these are my favorites."

"I heard."

She came around the table he was sitting at and sat down across from him.

"So, is there where you have been all day ?"

"Yep, I talked to Eric a few times and finished up almost everything we had pending. I'll need to fax a few things in the morning and get the rest with my signatures in the mail."

"We have a fax machine in the office, you can fax them tonight."

"Oh good, then we can just mail everything from the academy tomorrow."

Calleigh looked out on the gardens and took a deep breath. Even though it was still getting cool at night, spring was definitely in the air.

"When I am here, I miss the smell of the ocean. But, when I was in Miami, I missed the smell of the gardens. I guess you can't have both."

"Sure you can."

"Somehow when you say that, I believe you."

"Well, it's true. Look Calleigh, there is something I need to talk to you about."

He looked serious.

"What is it Horatio ?"

He took a deep breath. It was now or never. He stood up and came around the table.

"Come here."

She stood up confused and he walked her down the steps into the garden. He motioned for her to sit down on a bench near the center of the fountains and flowers and she did. He sat down next to her.

"Calleigh, you may have noticed that I have been acting differently since your accident, since you woke up. The day your father called me to tell me you had been in the accident was the last day in a long, long week. I was really feeling all the pain and suffering that week more than usual and I couldn't shake it. I had been sitting in my office that night……missing you."

He looked at her to see if there was any reaction. She just stared back at him.

"When I walked out to my car, I got the call. I felt like my own life had just ended. Calleigh, I care about you and I know you know that because I know you care about me. We've always been there for each other. But, it was then that I realized there was more to it for me and I vowed at that moment, to be here for you while you dealt with this."

Calleigh was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the direction this was going especially considering her own thoughts earlier today.

"Horatio….."

"Let me finish, please."

He looked at her and she nodded for him to continue.

"Calleigh, I know you are hurting. I know what it is like to lose something that represents your life, your dreams and your future. I know Will has only been gone a short time and you need time to deal with that. But, I am not going to hide behind propriety and professionalism anymore and I am not going to pretend that there isn't more between us, because there is. I want to be the person that you pick up your dreams with and I want a chance to be your future. I know Will would want you to live your life. And, the truth is, I think you feel something too."

Calleigh was stunned. Her mind was telling her to consider the possibilities, but her heart was feeling guilty. She tried to deny her feelings to him.

"Horatio, if this is about that kiss I stole earlier, it was silly and I didn't mean to …….."

She never finished. Horatio reached up and put his hand to the back of her head and pulled her closer. Before she finished her sentence his lips crashed down onto hers and swallowed her last words in a mind-blowing assault on her mouth. The kiss lasted an eternity or so it seemed. When he finally released her, she sat there with her eyes closed and as he pulled away and stood up she almost fell forward in dizziness.

"Just think about it, Calleigh."

No response.

"We better get ready for dinner."

Calleigh opened her eyes and looked up.

"What ?"

"It's almost four-thirty, we better get ready for dinner."

"Oh, right. Okay."

She was still in a daze as she stood from the bench. Horatio caught her arm as she swayed with the effort of standing. She didn't see him, but he smiled to himself at her obvious reaction to the kiss. He had said what he wanted to say and he hadn't expected her to fall into his arms and declare her love for him. The ball was in her court now.

Calleigh walked into the house in a daze as Horatio collected his papers from the table and headed into the house a few minutes later. Estelle came into the entryway just as he was getting ready to go upstairs.

"Is Miss Calleigh okay ?"

"Yes, why do you ask ?"

"She came into the kitchen, looked around, didn't say anything and then left, like she was lost."

Horatio smiled.

"She's just feeling a little dizzy, nothing to worry about. Can you tell me where the office is, I need to fax a few things back to Miami ?"

Estelle directed him to the office and headed back to the kitchen. After faxing the documents over to Eric, he went back to his room, changed into a different shirt and washed his face. He hoped Calleigh was okay at dinner and that he hadn't ruined everything with his confession. He, however, felt much better.

Calleigh on the other hand was still completely disorientated. She stood in front of the mirror in her room staring blankly at her reflection. She reached up and touched her lips, remembering the feel of Horatio's mouth that had been there only minutes before. Good Lord, the man knew how to deliver a thorough kiss. She couldn't remember her dream or the dream kiss but was certain neither could live up to what she had just experienced.

She whispered to herself.

"Take a chance, Calleigh, take a chance."

She wanted to. She had no idea Horatio had been entertaining the idea of them exploring something more. His confession had come as a complete surprise even though she had felt something was different between them recently. And, he had missed her. He had been thinking about her back in Miami. He was the first one her father had called, he was the one her father wanted her to consider the possibilities with, she knew.

"Oh, God…..what am I going to do."

She walked over and sat in the rocking chair near the window after picking up a picture of her and Will from the vanity. She held the picture in her hands and talked to him.

"Will, what do I do ? I miss you so much and I love you so much. You've barely been gone a month and I am falling in love with someone else. What is wrong with me ? I am a horrible person."

She paused and looked out the window then back at the picture.

"I'm falling in love with Horatio."

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Will's face, his smile and she tried to make him tell her what to do.

"You want me to be happy, don't you ? You even asked me about Horatio after you met him, if there was anything between us because you sensed some kind of connection. But, once you spent more time with me, you knew we were just friends, close friends. And, we were. We are."

She stood up and put the picture back, picking up the one of she and Horatio from the wedding.

"I want to keep living, Will. You know I don't believe in signs but I need one. I need to hear from you that I should consider the possibility, that I should give whatever this connection is with Horatio a chance."

She heard a knock at her door and put the picture down.

"Yes."

Horatio didn't open then door, just called to her through it.

"Will's parents are here. I'm heading downstairs. You okay ?"

"Yes, I'll be right down."

Horatio left and headed downstairs. Calleigh finished freshening up, changed into a clean dress and headed down to greet her guests. Everyone was gathered in the library off the main entryway and all eyes turned to her when she entered the room.

She was wearing a simple black dress with s a fairly short skirt and fitted sleeves. On her feet were a pair of flat heeled black boots that stopped just below the knee. Horatio stopped breathing.

Mrs. Durand was the first to speak.

"Calleigh, darling, you look lovely. You're absolutely glowing. Being home must be agreeing with you."

Here goes nothing she thought.

"Thank you. Actually, I spent some time in the gardens this afternoon and it was quite refreshing."

She turned and looked at Horatio with a wink, and he finally breathed. She told Will's parents about the trip to the lawyer and the cemetery. She filled them in on her plans for tomorrow.

The dinner conversation continued on to various other topics. Horatio was glad to see that Calleigh seemed happy.

Estelle served dinner and paid close attention to Horatio's reaction to every dish. He seemed to enjoy them all but she saw him ask for seconds of one thing…..her crawfish étouffée. She would remember that. When he saw her enter from the kitchen he wiped his hands and mouth and dispensed his praise.

"Estelle, I don't know when I've had a better meal. Everything was delicious. After this feast, I won't need to eat for two days."

He patted his stomach in appreciation and gave her his most disarming smile. And Calleigh noticed that Estelle fell victim to his charm just like everyone else.

"Oh, Hortio Caine, you're just saying that."

"No, I mean it. It was all perfect. No wonder these are all of Calleigh's favorites."

Calleigh smiled.

"Estelle, he is right, everything was delicious, especially the étouffée. Thank you for going to so much trouble."

Mr. and Mrs. Durand also chimed in with their compliments on the meal. Estelle was getting flustered by all of the compliments. She quickly made her exit for dessert before anyone could say anything more.

Mrs. Durand turned to speak to Horatio.

"So, Horatio, how long will you be in New Orleans ?"

"Well, I am currently on a leave from work, but I am due back in the office in two weeks, so I'll be leaving sometime before then."

"Hopefully, this time you will get to see some of the sights. There are quite a few things that are open again and back to normal since the hurricane. Calleigh will have to show you around."

"I look forward to that."

He turned and looked at Calleigh and was rewarded with one of her smiles.

Estelle came back into the dining room with what Horatio learned were homemade pralines along with a fresh pot of coffee. He was so full but the smell of the dessert was so enticing he had to indulge.

After dinner they retreated to the library to chat and wind down after dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Durand left a little later and Calleigh and Horatio headed up to bed with plans to go to the police academy the next day.

--- to be continued ---