Chapter Twenty-Seven

"C'mon H! We all know you'd do anything that Aimee wants," Speed said. "You've been putty in her hands since you met her!"

Speed wasn't wrong but Horatio wasn't going to admit it.

The conversation about the Caine family acquiring a pet dog in the future was taking place in the break room. Frank was forever sharing silly selfies of himself and Jilly since he got her. Horatio thought between this and Eric and Calleigh asking for middle name suggestions for their twin sons his family's plans would be ignored. Nearly the whole family was on the dog bandwagon. Except Hunter but from the way Jilly made him giggle he was likely going to want a dog once he was a toddler. Yes, he read how pets were good for kids even at a young age. But it was another living being to look after. That argument didn't sway his wife. As Speed said, Aimee always got her way.

"So will you guys go to a breeder?" Calleigh asked.

That would be a no. They would adopt from a shelter whenever they did get a dog, not that this point was something he had to argue. "Need I remind all of you I'm the boss around here?" Horatio said to the room.

"Yes but we all know who your boss is," Eric said.

Again something the boss couldn't dispute.


Now that Eric and Calleigh were in the family way Tim Speedle felt more isolated. Eric's time and attention was completely on Calleigh and the coming babies, where it should be. But he wasn't used to be the only one into the single, carefree life. Tim never thought Horatio Caine could be such a family man. A great father to a teenage Kyle, yes. But for him to marry and have three more kids? That was something the younger CSI hadn't expected. Even after five years Tim didn't know how to handle this side of the man, not that Horatio Caine was ever one for the Miami night life. It had been always nearly impossible to get him to go for a drink with the team after work. It was even harder now. His life revolved around his family. Having missed the forensics conference in Miami because of Hunter's impending arrival he was obligated to the four day one in Tampa in a week "unless someone was dying." Rachel was very upset that daddy was going to miss a preschool play she was in.

Daddy was upset about this too. Aimee and Kyle were both going to record the event on their phones and Daddy would see it the same day. But Rachel was right. It wasn't the same. Her preschool were having a daddy-daughter dance soon and Horatio was determined to get to that even though that too would be in the afternoon.

Not wanting to pick one son over the other to inherit his name Eric decided that neither boy would be a "junior." Middle names were still to be decided the parents-to-be knew they wanted both boys would share his initials. The boys would be named Evan and Ethan. If Eric's family were expecting "more Cuban or more Russian" names they were going to be disappointed. The couple weren't going to reveal the babies' names until they were born. With the exception of their youngest Horatio and Aimee had done the same. It was the only suggestion they gave about naming children. Cheyenna Caine didn't get her name until she was born. She was supposed to be named Amber, which was now her middle name. They had changed that in the delivery room. Rachel got her name before she was born it wasn't revealed to anyone.

Eric was still having trouble with his mother and two sisters over-stepping their bounds. They kept telling Calleigh she should have a homebirth. Both sisters gave birth to all their children at home.

"Good for them," Aimee Caine said to Calleigh when she told her that.

Calleigh said she was trying to be 'polite' to her future in-laws.

Aimee snorted, she didn't have that obligation. Plus, Eric's dad had crossed a line with Kyle, her first-born so she wouldn't have a problem giving Pavel Delko a piece of her mind either. "Seriously. Did you remind them you're the one giving birth?" She asked. She was careful not to mention the fact that it was a twin pregnancy meant the birth might get complicated quick so being at a hospital would be a better idea. Everyone knew that, perhaps except for the Delko sisters. "Want me to talk to them? Because I'd love to!"

Calleigh declined with a laugh. Aimee told her that no matter her in-laws wanted or said she couldn't be stressed out right now for both her and unborn babies' sake. She had a feeling very soon the expectant mother's desire to be polite would go up in smoke.