I was intending to post this yesterday but ran out of time:
Calleigh moved quickly as she heard the lock on the bathroom door being disengaged, she let out a small sigh of relief as she pulled herself to her feet. As the door opened she saw the man that she had secretly loved for so long looking at her uncertainly, that little head slant and shyness that he reserved only for the people closest to him. He looked away as he asked her, "How did you end up here in Miami?"
She smiled at the question as he mind wandered back to the week Horatio had spent with her in New Orleans.
Flashback. New Orleans 1999:
The case of the South Beach Slaughters had kept Horatio Caine in New Orleans for longer than he had intended but he told himself that it wasn't such a bad thing as it meant he could spend more time with the beautiful and alluring Calleigh Duquesne. Although her ballistics expertise were not needed on his case she had been drafted in to help him, most of the rest of her team had spent the week working through the evidence of a major road traffic accident that had taken the lives of eleven people.
He found Calleigh to be engaging company and her enthusiasm for the job was infectious, best of all she had the brains and the balls to back up her undeniable beauty. She had accompanied him on his interviews and visits to areas with potential evidence pertinent to his case as well as showing him some of the best parts of the city at night. He found himself feeling genuinely sad as he packed up his case files in readiness to return to Miami, he placed the lid on the box and debated whether to pay Calleigh a visit in her lab. "Go and see her, you'll regret it if you don't."
Letting his heart rule his head he took a deep breath and made his way to the ballistics lab, his breath caught as he stood in the doorway watching her firing test shots, how could one woman make shooting a gun look so alluring?
As if sensing she had company, Calleigh turned round and smiled brightly as she saw who had come to visit her. Placing the 9mm gun down and pulling off her ear protectors she walked over to him, "Horatio, what are you doing down here, I thought you were getting ready to leave this afternoon?"
He wasn't sure but he could have sworn her heard disappointment in her voice, "I was. I'm all packed ready to go. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye." He gave her an awkward, almost boyish smile as he glanced up at her and then back down at the ground. He was glad he had his sunglasses in his hands as at least it gave him something to fiddle with and occupy his attention.
Her heart melted at his words, she realised that she hadn't had this much fun on the job for years. There was something special about the redhead, his empathy for victims and his tenacity to go after the criminals with the full force of the law had left her wanting to learn more about him. She realised that he was a man of many layers and she had enjoyed spending the last few days peeling back a few of them. She knew that she had barely scratched the surface and it saddened her to think that she would not get the chance to know him better. He was somewhat of an enigma and she found herself attracted to his mysterious nature, she had no doubt that he was a good and just man but she wanted to know what made the man behind the image tick.
"We have an opening at our lab in Miami; we could do with a CSI like you."
His voice was quiet but full of certainty, he had made up his mind that Calleigh would fit in perfectly in his team, and the fact that he found himself physically attracted to her had nothing to do with it. He was older than her and too much had happened in his life to risk having his heart broken again, he told himself that his relationship with the stunning Southern belle was based on nothing more than a mutual admiration of each other's work ethic. He found her company addictive as she began to waken parts of his heart that he thought had died many years ago, she somehow made his days brighter with her beaming smile and infectious laugh. He'd become used to her presence this week and the thought of no longer sharing it darkened his already melancholy mood.
"You know, I've always wanted to visit Miami." Her voice broke through his internal meanderings and he looked up at her. "I hear the beaches and the nightlife are great, I've been thinking about making a change for a while."
"Well, Miss Duquesne, I can assure you that you would be a welcome addition to our team. Contact me when I'm back in Miami if you're serious about transferring." He handed her a card with his contact details and gave her another shy smile before leaving the lab.
Miami. Present day:
"I transferred to Miami less than a month later; I found I missed your company and you made it sound like too good an opportunity to miss."
He followed her as she walked back down the stairs and into the lounge again, "I guess you're regretting it now, getting involved in this whole mess."
"Not at all. Sure, there have been some pretty rough times along the way but I've loved my time here in Miami. I wouldn't change it for a second."
He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it as he hear a cell phone chirp, Calleigh flashed him an apologetic smile before reaching for her phone. Her face dropped as she took in Eric's words, "Ok, I'm on my way. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."
"What's happened?" Horatio asked quietly.
She wasn't sure she should tell him, Eric had already told her of his suspicions as to who was behind the bombing. Horatio felt guilty enough already and knowing the man he was it was inevitable that he would blame himself for the incident. If this week had taught Calleigh anything it was that keeping secrets from the people around you never did anyone any good, being open and honest seemed like the best option.
"There's been an incident at the crime lab…..a car bomb."
He closed his eyes and hung his head, "How many people died?"
"Two at the moment, there were about a dozen more people injured." He nodded his head sadly, still not looking at her. "I've been called in to help out; it's all hands on deck. I'm going to take you with me."
He looked up at her in shock, "You don't need to do that, just leave me here. I'll be fine." The thought of being surrounded by people that knew him when he didn't even know himself scared him a little. They would expect him to recognise them and would be disappointed when they didn't, even more of a reason to make him feel guilty for the things he had done. If he hadn't come to Miami none of this would have happened.
She stood up and held her hand out to him, "I'm not leaving you here on your own, you're coming with me so that I know you're safe."
"What about the officers at the front door?"
"I only trust our team; we don't know who the Malucci's may have got their claws into." Sensing his hesitance she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him from the sofa, "Come on, let's go."
As they pulled out of the driveway neither of them noticed the black van watching the house from a distance.
