H: A Time for Healing

Chapter 38

"Boys," Jo looked from Liam to Kieran sternly, "You broke a very serious rule here. Do you know what you did?" The twins looked at each other, Kieran shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It was difficult to determine how upset Aunt Jo was, Liam reflected, fiddling with his pencil, and wondering where they should start with their explanation.
"Kieran," Jo pushed her hair back behind her ear, asking her nephew softly, "why did you contact Lieutenant Caine when I explained to you that he is very busy in Miami? He has responsibilities there that he can't just walk away from."
"But Aunt Jo, Mr. Horatio gave us his card, and said we could call him if we needed to any time," Kieran explained earnestly. "We met him in Florida when we were visiting you so he's not a stranger, Aunt Jo. We didn't really break the internet rule that we can't email someone we couldn't shake hands with. And we didn't bother him at work, really. We figured if we sent an email he wouldn't have to give us an answer right away." Jo bit her lip as Kieran's face split into a huge grin. "But he did say he CAN come to our Career Day Auntie! Too bad he can't bring the Hummer though." Jo found herself biting her lip to keep a straight face as Liam's muttered, 'Bummer about the Hummer' reached her ears.

(The next morning in Miami)

Horatio stopped outside the meeting room, his eyes taking in the scene before him. His CSI's were assembled around the table, as well as Frank Tripp and Alexx. He had called the morning meeting to put to rest the rumors that he was leaving CSI or that he was being transferred to another lab. Everyone seemed relaxed on the surface, sipping their coffee and nibbling on the fruit and bagels he had ordered. He pushed the door open to a chorus of 'Good Mornings' and went inside.

Forty-five minutes later, Horatio leaned against the wall, arms folded and surveyed his team.

"In my absence, Ms. Duquesne has kindly agreed to take over the daily scheduling and other routine duties." He looked at the perky blonde who beamed and nodded from her seat at the table. "Any questions?" Horatio asked, his blue eyes going from face to face. Detective Frank Tripp finished his last swallow of coffee and set the foam cup on the table. Moving restlessly in his seat, he looked at his friend and colleague.
"Horatio, this sounds hinckey to me. Are you sure Stetler's not sending you on some wild goose chase up there while he's up to something here in Miami? It wouldn't be the first time he's yanked your chain over something." Horatio's mouth twitched with a hint of a smile.
"I don't think so Frank, but it wouldn't hurt to keep your eyes and ears open here. You can reach me by email or send me a text if you see anything you don't think is right. Yelina will be available if anyone needs something … quietly investigated."

(One evening sometime later in Minnesota)

"If Mr. Horatio isn't staying at our house, do you think we still have to clean our room, Liam?" Kieran put his Calvin and Hobbes book down as he looked at his twin in the lofted bed across from his own. Liam nodded, not looking up from his own book.
"Yes! I already checked with Aunt Jo." He put his bookmark between the dog-eared pages and leaned over to drop it onto the floor below. "I hope he talks about driving the Hummer in a police chase and chasing the bad guys out on the ocean in those fast boats we saw when we were there with Aunt Jo."
Passing by the twins' room, Jo knocked lightly and poked her head inside. "Hey guys, lights out. You've got school tomorrow and spelling tests! I know that you can both get them all correct. Then you won't have to take it again on Friday."

"OK, Auntie! Can you come in and say good-night?" That was Kieran's voice floating down from his lofted bunk. Setting the bath linens down on the small student size desk, Jo carefully climbed the ladder far enough to give her nephew a hug and wish him sweet dreams. Roxie's nails sounded on the hardwood floor accompanied by a sorrowful whine that her two favorite playmates were sleeping in the air where she couldn't join them.
"Aunt Jo," Liam's disembodied voice floated down from where he was snuggled under his blankets, "will Uncle Jasper take Roxie home when he comes next week? I think she'll be lonely in his apartment." Jo patted the pups head and climbed the ladder to wish her other nephew good-night.
"I don't think Jasper will take Roxie home, Liam. Jasper's friend has been staying at his apartment while he's been overseas and I think he's going to still be there while Jas is home. We'll have Roxie most of the time, I imagine."
"I think we need to go to the Petco before Mr. Horatio gets here, Aunt Jo. Roxie is almost out of the goopy stuff we put in her Kong toy and I saw her eat one of her fleece toys today. She might eat Mr. Horatio's sunglasses and shoes and gloves and stuff if she doesn't have some new toys. Good night Aunt Jo." Liam's voice was sleepy and she didn't think he even heard her wish him sweet dreams.

(That very evening in Miami…)

Horatio let the car roll up the drive and waited while the garage door slid up silently. He maneuvered his vehicle into the darkened interior, the dim light glinting off the glossy black paint of the other occupant. Before he went in the house, Horatio ran his hand lightly over the hood, wondering again at his impetuous decision to purchase the vehicle. He had replaced the Minnesota plates with a Florida license plate and took it out once every other week or so to wash it or visit Aunt Florence. The first time she had watched him pull up to her house in it, she had only smiled and patted his hand, nodding her head in a pleased way.
"You did good, Lieutenant. Our Jo will be tickled when she sees it!"
"I hope so, Florence," Horatio had murmured, dropping the keys in his pocket. Images of Jo driving, her hair fluttering out of it's confining clip in the open air of the convertible, singing along with the Boss booming from the speakers were never far away when Horatio looked at the little Capri. Nor could he forget the sadness in her blue eyes has she had dropped the keys into the man's grubby hand at the used car dealership when she was trading it in for the minivan she needed if she was to bring both dogs back to Minnesota.

With a last glance at the little car, Horatio turned to go inside and finish his packing. Before he left the sunny shores of Miami tomorrow, he had some last minute things to finish up. Visiting Aunt Florence last week, she had pointed out that Horatio would be in Minnesota over the Valentines' Day holiday. He had nodded and murmured yes, not too concerned about finding 'the perfect gift'. But on his way home from picking up some new suits from his tailor yesterday, something in the window of the small jewelry store next door had caught his eye. It would be ready for him to pick up tomorrow on his way to the airport, the beaming shopkeeper had assured him with a wink of his eye.

Horatio stood in the doorway, staring at his neatly made up bed. Instead of being a haven for a night of dreamless sleep, he found memories of the night he and Jo had become lovers beneath the scented sheets waking him each time he'd drift off. As the time came for him to leave Miami, the memories had been more persistent and he had taken to sleeping on the sofa. With a sigh, he turned and left the room, picking the pillow up from where he'd left it just inside the door. Settling down on the sofa in his darkened living room, Horatio wondered if Jo's sleep was as fitful.

As their passion slowly ebbed away, Horatio cuddled Jo close to him, feeling her breathing slowly return to normal. She was dozing, floating in and out of a woozy reality, when his warm lips lightly brushing hers brought her lashes sweeping upward to find him looking at her in the moonlight filtering through the window.
"Are you okay Josie?" he asked huskily, his hands caressing her silky skin beneath the sheet. She nodded contentedly and he felt her body stretch against his.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her softly, his thumb stroking her lips.
Shaking her head, Jo whispered, "I didn't think it mattered."
"Of course it matters, Sweetheart," he answered her, stroking her hair from her face.
She misunderstood. "I didn't … know how you'd feel about …," Jo stumbled and found she wanted to hide her hot face in his shoulder.
"Sweetheart, I would have taken it slower if I had known. It would have been better for you." He dropped a kiss on her lips, his blue eyes tender.
"No Horatio." Jo felt suddenly shy of him. "I … it was wonderful. I wouldn't have wanted you to have done anything different."
"It will be better for you next time Sweetheart, I promise." His voice was a rough rumble in her ear, and she felt his warm lips trailing kisses along her shoulder.
"There'll be a next time?" she asked innocently.
"Of course there will Sweetheart," he answered her. "Why would you think anything else?"
"I just thought…" Horatio didn't let her finish, his mouth covering hers in a deep kiss that promised many more nights spent in each other's arms.

The End - [Author's Note: this story/series will continue with Horatio and Jo, Kyle and Jasper meeting in Minnesota. Thank you for reading!]