From The Beginning
Chapter 11
A/N: I know, I should be ashamed of myself, starting something and not finishing it. Here's my amends. I hope you like!
"So, is it on again or off again?" Eric asked as he pulled the crate off of the Hummer, heading into the lab. He smirked as Tim shook his head in disbelief and held the door open for him, a familiar scowl starting to form. It was familiar in the way that Eric had always seen it from the older CSI, mainly when he himself spoke to him, but despite that, he could easily say that he and Tim had become pretty good friends and excellent partners.
In the months since Jack's retirement, Eric had seen a transition of sorts from Tim, what was once grim and bleak, had come around to sporadic moments of conversations, and even hitting the clubs some nights. Eric liked to think it was his friendly personality that had broken the ice between them, but somehow, he also knew that a little bit of it was Tim. With the absence of Jack, it seemed as if the trace expert delved into himself, and it was something that Eric could tell he didn't like.
"Remind me again, Delko, why it's any of your business?" Tim questioned as he followed him to the evidence locker. His brow stayed in a perpetual state of heightened curiosity, wondering just where Delko came up with this stuff. Eric turned to him and he didn't go the extra step to mask his irritation. If he wanted everyone in his business, he would've announced it at the beginning of shift. "You're not serious, are you? You're really asking me about my personal business?"
"It's not so personal when I saw you with a brunette on your arm last night at the club. So , that undoubtedly tells me that you and Pam are definitely off again," Eric replied smugly. He placed the crate down on the table and smiled , snickering, "Which, by the way, I have to know, did you get said brunette's number?"
Tim sighed frustratingly as he continued to walk through the lab, going towards his lab coat. "You know, Jack and I had this very cool relationship, he stayed out of my business, I stayed out of his. You think you could handle a situation like that?"
Eric feigned hurt with a smile and shook his head, "I tend to think of these little encounters as building on our friendship. Trust me, in a few years, you'll look back on this and laugh."
Tim stared at Eric and shook his head, motioning to the crate, "Mind if we get to work now, Clark Kent?"
"No, by all means," Eric responded, chuckling as he gestured towards the crate , allowing him passage. Tim began to pull the evidence out as Eric looked on, recording the data. Silence fell between them as the rhythm established itself, in which Tim was thankful for. He liked Delko well enough, but the young Russian- Cuban had a curiosity streak that put papparizzis to shame. Just as he thought he was going to get off scot free, Delko cleared his throat, "So, you get her number or not, Speed?"
Placing the last evidence baggie in the locker, he groaned and stared out into nothingness. Working with a partner that wasn't Jack was proving to be something to be desired.
/CSI/
Horatio sat back in his chair as he read the report over and over again, trying to stay in the moment. Often during the day, his mind wandered to her, wondering what she was doing. In the months since Megan had left, Horatio hadn't been able to be as attentive to Yelina as he would've liked, and even so to his young nephew, coming around sporadically, whenever his schedule allowed it. Silently, he cursed this fact, but sighed , realizing that he held no more power over the city's crime rate than the next person, and vowed to himself that he would do better.
A buzz brought him out of his thoughts and he sat up, pulling the chair closer to the desk, reaching for the phone. Clearing his throat, he spoke almost harshly as if being interrupted in his thoughts of his sister in law necessitated his ire.
"Caine."
"Lieutenant, there's someone here for you at the front desk," the desk sergeant said succinctly, "Would you like for me to take a message, sir?"
A visitor? "No, that won't be necessary, Paula. I'll be right down," he responded, his voice lacking interest. Hanging up, he stood and stretched before grabbing his suit jacket, slipping it on effortlessly. Making sure that his badge and ID was in plain sight, he made his way to the door, his mind still wondering who would be visiting. If it were Yelina, her identity would've been ascertained, but as it stood, it was a mystery to him.
It took him less than ten minutes to reach the atrium, each step progressing rapidly as she came into view. A small smile appeared as she turned to see him coming, her hand going up to greet him. With a nod, he waved back and quickened his pace even more. Once he was standing in front of her, his smile brightened even more, her hazel eyes instantly holding his blue eyes, an easy familiarity passing through them.
Since meeting in the ER a couple of months ago, Horatio had been seeing Dr. Carmen Mendoza off and on, keeping it non exclusive. It turned out that the arrangement worked for the both of them ; Horatio's position at the lab commanded virtually all of his time just as Carmen's did in the ER. If nothing, Horatio was seeking the companionship that he knew he couldn't have with Yelina, and it didn't escape him in the least that Carmen possessed alluring hazel eyes, very similar to that of his sister in law's. The difference , of course , was that he was able to fall headlong into her admonishing gaze without worrying about the ramifications.
"Carmen, what brings you down here?"he asked his smile threatening to over take his face. In a day where he needed a little bit of light, she had arrived. "Not that I mind so much. How'd you manage to get away from the ER?"
Carmen laughed lightly as she pulled her long, dark hair from around her neck, tilting her head, " You know, funny thing, there's a such thing called a day off. You might want to check that out sometime." She shifted her weight and let her hand drift to her hip, watching his eyes travel with her movement, "I was wondering if you would be free for lunch?"
Horatio glanced at his watch and then around the atrium. "Give me about thirty minutes and we can have lunch. Have any ideas ?"
"A couple, but sadly, none of them involve actual eating." Carmen arched an eyebrow distinctly, a knowing smirk racing across her face. "I was thinking of something a little more different. If you know what I mean, Horatio."
He chuckled and bowed his head, his eyes staying on the gleaming floor, shaking it, "Never one to mince words." Lifting his eyes to hers, he exhaled , both eyebrows raised, "Tell you what, give me thirty minutes, and we'll discuss lunch arrangements, okay?"
"Thirty minutes?" Carmen asked, her arms now crossing over in front of her. The sun dress fully accentuated her body, exposing her dark skin tone in just the right manner. The wicked smirk appeared once more and she shook her head, "Time's ticking away, Lieutenant. Tick , tock."
He watched her as she came closer, almost close enough to kiss him, his heart starting to race. It had been so long since he could feel that sensation without the baggage of guilt heaved heavily on his shoulders, the feeling had become somewhat foreign to him. Completing her journey, his lips caressed hers for a slight second before he pulled back, smiling.
"I'll call you when I get close, okay?" he asked, his eyes riveted to her lips as she licked them deliciously. "Where are you going to be?"
"Oh, around. Don't take too long, Horatio," she warned as she turned her back to him, showing off her toned musculature from the laps she swam in her very minimal free time. If she wasn't at the hospital, or at home, she was at the pool, getting her laps in. She knew that her body drove him out of his mind , and at every turn, she exploited it. Glancing over her shoulder, she winked at him and smiled, "See you in thirty minutes."
Horatio watched as she walked away, her hips swaying almost hypnotically. The more he watched her walk away, the more he realized that his heart was slowly becoming hers, his desires running rampant through him. Once she was out of sight , he was able to return to reasoning, and he made his way back up to his office to finalize the paper work.
Hurridly, he finished up and closed the files, with just ten minutes left. Grabbing his suit coat, he pulled his phone out and dialed her number, his eyes glistening over in anticipation, "I'm done, where are you?"
"Go to the garage," her voice responded almost sensually.
Horatio smiled and shook his head, slipping on the suit coat. Without the strain of his fractured family, he finally felt as if his life were his own. He was finally making steps from a beginning and not an end.
End
