A/N: OK now that ffnet is back up and running, here's the next chapter. Please read and review!
Horatio and Frankie both fell silent as they drove up to the Agramonte Hotel. They had arranged to meet Mark and Victoria for dinner in the hotel, while Lucy and Darren would spend the evening by themselves. Apparently Mark was keen to avoid his son-in-law after spending two months with him. Frankie was still amazed Horatio was here at all. She wouldn't have blamed him for sticking with the case, especially as they seemed to finally be getting somewhere. When she had mentioned this, he had simply repeated what he had said the day before: that nothing was as important to him as she was, and he intended to convince her father of that.
"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked again, as he pulled up outside the valet parking.
"I'm positive. Eric said he could do the searches on Warner and Barker himself, and I think it would be good for him. I'm thinking about suggesting he apply for level 3 soon, so he should have a few more investigations where he's the lead." As they walked into the hotel lobby, he took hold of her hand, before raising it to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. "I love you."
Frankie broke into a huge grin as he said that. Not even her father's glare could dim her sudden rush of high spirits. Her parents joined them and they went into the hotel bar for pre-dinner drinks, which Horatio was beginning to suspect he would need, given that Mark was still staring at him.
Frankie ordered a glass of white wine, but Horatio only ordered a coke. The frown on Mark's face deepened. "Don't you drink?"
Victoria looked as though she was struggling not to laugh as she laid a warning hand on her husband's arm. Horatio blinked a couple of times at the harsh tone, but answered evenly, "I have to drive home, so I'll just have a glass of wine with my meal."
"Hmm." Mark would have doubtless continued his interrogation, but his wife elbowed him sharply in the side. He sighed and studied his drink silently for a second. "How's the case going?"
They chatted about the case, and Frankie gradually dropped out of the conversation as Horatio and Mark found some common ground. Victoria moved to sit next to her daughter so they could gossip quietly.
"I've warned your father to behave, but I don't think he listened," she said. "At least they've found something to talk about now."
"How long do you think that will last?" Frankie asked pessimistically.
"Long enough for your dad to see how much Horatio cares for you," Victoria said, taking her daughter's hand. "He just doesn't want to lose his favourite girl, but he'll get used to the idea when he realises that Horatio loves you. He just doesn't want to see you get hurt again."
"Horatio is very different to anyone else I've ever dated," Frankie snapped. "He would never hurt me."
"Then he'll convince Mark of that. Until then, you're just going to have to be patient with him. He loves you very much."
The men's discussion was becoming slightly heated. Mark glared at Horatio. "You aren't going to let Frankie go out in the field while this is going on are you? She's already been hurt once on the job!"
Frankie winced as she saw pain and guilt flare in Horatio's eyes, and stood up before he could answer. "Oh look, I think our table's ready!"
Sufficiently distracted, both men calmed down while they sat down, perused the menus and ordered the food. Mark clearly decided a truce was in order, at least while the women were present, and chatted mainly to his daughter, giving Horatio a much needed break. Frankie had warned him, he thought ruefully, but he still hadn't expected Mark to be quite so….protective. Although, thinking about it, Horatio himself was just as protective of Frankie these days, so it was difficult to blame the man. He just wished he was making a better impression.
He looked up and was surprised to see Victoria studying him as intently as Mark had done. She smiled when he noticed her scrutiny though. "Frankie tells me you have a young niece called Madison," she said lightly. "I understand she hasn't been well in recent years."
"She had AML: acute myelogenous leukaemia." He sighed heavily. "She's doing much better now though. She's been in remission for two years, so we've almost definitely got it beaten."
"The poor thing! Still, that is good news that she's getting better. Do you plan on having children yourself?" Victoria asked innocently. Horatio choked on his wine.
"Mom!" Frankie sounded horrified.
"I'm just asking, sweetheart."
Horatio managed to get his breath back sufficiently to answer. "We haven't actually talked about that." He paused for a second, and gathered his courage. "But, I'd like to, one day." He held his breath, and didn't dare look at Frankie.
She touched his knee gently under the table and smiled when he turned to look at her. "So would I," she said softly. "So would I."
"Wonderful! I do so long to be a grandmother." Victoria sounded content, Mark looked like thunder.
Frankie beamed happily at her father, and he grudgingly smiled back. Mark waited until the end of the meal, when both women disappeared into the restroom, and left the men in the bar alone, before he decided to have a quiet word.
"Horatio, I need to have a little chat with you." Horatio fought the urge to search for reinforcements, in the shape of Frankie, and merely nodded.
They made their way to a quiet corner of the bar, where no one would be able to overhear them. Mark studied the man before closely. Horatio cared deeply about Frankie, that much was obvious. Whether or not he was good enough for Mark's youngest daughter was still to be decided.
"I hope you realise how lucky you are to be with Frankie."
Horatio looked surprised that that should be in doubt. "Of course I do sir. She's wonderful, far too good for me."
Hmm, at least he admitted it. "You're quite a bit older than her."
"I know."
"Fourteen years. That doesn't bother you?"
Horatio was beginning to sound as though he was getting angry. "Like I said before, she's far too good for me, but if the age difference doesn't bother her, then it doesn't bother me."
Mark nodded, pleased to hear a little heat enter the other man's tone. Frankie could be a bit of a handful, she would need someone who could argue with her. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his wife approach with Frankie following her. Time was running short. He gave Horatio one final assessing stare and nodded.
"All right, you'll do." Horatio's eyebrows hitched up at that. "I want you to remember something: if you ever, ever upset my little girl, I will kill you. You can take that as a promise. If, on the other hand, you ever hit her, or even think about hitting her, I will string you up by your own entrails before I let you die. That's also a promise. If however, you look after her and make her happy, then you and I will get along just fine. Do I make myself clear?"
Horatio, lost for words, could only nod. Mark smiled at him for the first time, and walked back to join his family, Horatio trailing behind. Frankie pulled him aside instantly.
"Is everything all right? You look very pale."
Horatio looked across at Mark, who was chatting to his wife. "Your father and I have, um, come to an understanding," he replied. A slight understatement, but true enough, he thought. Besides, he was beginning to like Mark's way of thinking, and was already planning on using some of those threats on anyone who even thought of dating Madison. Or his own children, he thought, suddenly very happy again.
