I'd like to thank anyone who has been reading and reviewing this fic. I swear lately it's been writing itself and hopefully we can complete this shortly. Thank You.
Slightly Condoned
Disclaimer: Don't own anything…
Rating: R
Pairing: Eric/OC, Speed/Calleigh
Summary: Horatio receives some unexpected news as well as a seduction, while the remaining CSIs enjoy what seems like an uneventful breakfast.
Spoiler: Tinder Box, Body Count
A/N: Oh I'm having way too much fun with this fic; the ideas just keep rolling in, and please don't kill me with this ending.
Dedication: To Katie and Jacqueline, without our late night talks and your advice I wouldn't be able to write half of this stuff. A thanks is in grave order!
***
Part 21- Hey It's Me
Since Ezra was about three blocks away from the Miami-Dade Crime Lab Department, it was famous for its audience of cops and law enforcement officers, that including the District Attorneys of the county.
Horatio walked in and immediately the bartender Joe, gave him a polite greeting in the form of a nod, and then pointed to the stairs behind him, indicating that he knew Mia was waiting for him, upstairs, in the other dining room.
" Thanks." Horatio mumbled and followed the man's oral instructions, which he also had memorized by heart, having dined here so many times before.
The smell of coffee invaded his nostrils as he took the final step and ended up in a sun lit room, overlooking the highest landscape of the beachfront city.
In the middle of the room a small square table was set with white table cloth and gleaming white plates, around the walls identical naked tables were stacked on top of each other, with chairs pressed against them, indicating that the room wasn't being used this morning, or was reserved.
Either way, Horatio would've much rather had breakfast downstairs amongst other occupants of the restaurant, instead of here, in a secluded room with his ex wife. Because now he was suspicious and knew definitely, that there was an ulterior motive somewhere in her invitation.
Horatio stood for long moments in the doorway, somewhat observing the familiar area, when Mia looked up at him and smiled, resting her chin on her palm, " You like? I thought you'd want some privacy."
Horatio grunted in a very out of character fashion and moved to the table.
" Privacy? Something I am suddenly afraid of." He said taking a seat opposite of his ex lover, and looking her straight in the eye.
Her brow creased, but she smiled nonetheless, in her distasteful manner, and Horatio has the sudden urge to cringe but didn't, when he watched a waiter, he'd passed on his way up enter the room and place two hot steaming cups of coffee along with a percolator on the edge of their table.
Mia thanked him, for the both of them, and turned to Horatio waiting until the young man was out of earshot to speak, " Why would you be frightened, you never have been before."
Horatio opened his mouth to defend himself, but instead of speaking took a sip of coffee and allowed Mia to dominate the dialogue.
" Well, anyway, it doesn't matter, because this morning, I have some news for you." Mia announced and took the napkin on the table, placing it on the lap of what Horatio knew was an expensive skirt.
Her shopping tastes and obsessions was one thing that Horatio realized didn't separate her from the rest of the female population, however the fact that she was a conniving, cheating, bitch was, so he preferred not to read into that too much.
It'd give him a headache, and it was only about 8 in the morning, not a good way to start a day, but neither was having lunch with an ex wife.
" What kind of news?" Horatio asked with another sip of coffee added, " should I be scared now?"
Mia laughed lightly, and then took a sip of her own coffee, cringing at its bitter taste, she reached for a packet of Sweet & Low, simultaneously she began to speak.
" Horatio, Horatio, Horatio." She stretched his name longingly, distastefully, and in a way that made him wish it weren't his anymore.
" Mia, Mia, Mia." He mocked back and it only proved to prolong her torture on him, because she smiled thoroughly, and then continued to stir in her sugar seductively, swirling the brown liquid while looking at Horatio with the most intense glare he thought she'd possessed.
Yet again, it'd been a long time, since Mia addressed him with anything but offhandedness, so perhaps this wasn't the lowest the DA could go, anyway he didn't want to know the extent of her deviousness.
" So, does the name Megan Donner ring a bell?"
Horatio's head snapped up, hearing the name that wreaked havoc in his mind, he swallowed deeply, but not unnoticeably, because his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat underneath Mia's patronizing stare.
Apparently to her it was entertaining because she grinned and added, " I got on the phone with Adele Sevilla a few minutes after we parted two nights ago, and her name came up casually."
" Casually, as in you mentioned it, prying for info." Horatio scoffed bitterly, " I know how your mind works Mia, so cut the bullshit and tell me why you've so cordially invited me to have breakfast with you, if you don't want me to leave, because let's make something clear, my conscience with you is forgotten."
Horatio snapped, shoving his coffee cup away and about ready to get up.
Mia didn't stop him until he was at the door.
" Horatio I don't think you want to leave." And for some reason her tone of voice made stop, although it shouldn't have.
The red haired CSI turned around uneasily, and questioned, " And why the hell not?" His tone was curt and condescending but it didn't stop his tough exterior from melting with the next words out of the DA's mouth.
" Because then you wont hear all about the little rumor that perhaps Donner is coming back."
And all he could think now was "Damn it Mia."
***
The doorbell sounded just as Elisabeth flipped the last of the bacon onto the platter.
" There." She smiled at Eric sweetly, and he rolled his eyes as he accepted the plate and Elisabeth stretched, " Aren't you gonna get that?" she asked.
" Aren't you gonna get dressed?" He countered, and it was Elisabeth's turn to roll her eyes.
" Why?" She bit her lip and inched closer to him.
" Uh, because you're in my t-shirt, and a thong, I think they'd suspect something other than cooking went on here." Eric said, and welcomed her arriving form to him.
The doorbell sounded again, and he grabbed her by the waist, " In a minute." He yelled and then crushed his lips on hers, Elisabeth let out a small whimper, but when his tongue reached in to pry for access, she denied it to him by biting.
" And the fact that I didn't change clothes from last night wouldn't be any indication of that huh?" she winked, and he snapped the strap of her underwear.
" Go, before I have my way with you." Eric shoved her slightly into the doorway.
" Now that wouldn't be such a bad thing."
" The food will all go to waste." He reminded, and for a split second silence fell between the two.
Only to be interrupted by the voice coming from outside the door.
" Okay, I hope both of you are decent because we're coming in." Calleigh said, and after a few moments the people inside heard a key jiggle.
" Oh shit, go now." Delko said smiling, and Elisabeth disappeared into his bedroom, focusing on dressing.
" Ok, okay, chill." She slammed the door loudly just as Calleigh flung the front door open.
" Bout fucking time, is this how you greet all your guests, no wonder you live alone." Calleigh announced, trying very hard to conceal the chuckle rising in the pit of her stomach as she heard Elisabeth rummage in the bedroom.
" Fuck you." Delko rolled his eyes, and walked back into the dining room, that had been already set up with four settings.
" No thanks." Calleigh mumbled, and looked across to Speed, and although he caught her eye, it didn't seem as if he was all too comfortable on the subject.
He'd been quite all through the car ride, and the only thing he'd said to her after his encounter with Aunt Jemima, was we'd better go or we'll be late, when he found her in the living room drinking coffee.
She'd said nothing, and they acted like complete strangers to each other, up until this point, and now the ballistics expert was having serious doubts about her way of returning his favor.
She knew it'd eventually bite her in the ass, and apparently it did, sooner rather than later.
" Oh, coffee!" Calleigh chimed and then ducked underneath Speed's arm where he was blocking the kitchen way, and snuck into the kitchen.
" Freak." He mumbled teasingly.
" I am not, you're the one who wont touch this shit." She replied grumpily, and Tim rolled his eyes, " That's only because it'll kill ya."
" But Pepsi wont, please." Calleigh ignored him and walked into the dining room, the other way, commenting that something smelled enticingly good.
" Yeah, Liz cooked though, thank her not me." Eric replied, a little proud of letting Calleigh that bit of information.
She smiled at him, almost knowingly, but didn't say anything.
Instead Speed took the liberty of the commentary, " Obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be eating this."
" Screw you." Eric shot back with only half of the usual dose of sarcasm, just as Elisabeth walked in.
" Good morning, aren't we peachy today." She ruffled up Tim's hair, before giving him a kiss on the cheek, and then sauntered over to Eric with a big smile and said, " I left you a little present for you back there, check it out later?"
Then she kissed the corner of his mouth casually, and walked over to the table, " Let's eat kiddies, it's getting cold."
Calleigh smirked, and then sat down next to Elisabeth and smiled, " Like I said last night, you're bound not to go home empty handed."
And then received a kick under the table from the woman beside her.
***
" Excuse me?" Horatio thought he misheard her when Mia uttered her last mocking words.
" I said, a little birdie told me that Megan got tired of Chicago and decided to skip back to Dade, I wonder why but you know I'm frankly a little surprised you didn't know."
" Shut up Mia, this is none of your fucking business, why should I have been informed of her arrival in advance, we were barely coworkers." Horatio exclaimed and found himself slowly returning to the table.
The waiter had delivered their meals already and Mia picked at her eggs, as she surveyed her surroundings as if for the first time, and in the most devious way possible.
Like what she'd told him a few seconds before was as insignificant as the fly buzzing around her breakfast.
" I mean I thought you were friends with Ms. Donner, oh and I wonder if she changed her last name back to her maiden, I hear 75% of widows who don't are bound to commit suicide." Mia pointed out and took a sip of coffee.
Horatio felt like choking her.
" You insensitive bitch." He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to maintain his anger and volume of voice to a minimal.
" My, my Horatio, isn't your vocabulary improving." The lawyer snorted as if was named called every single day, and not that Horatio didn't suspect so.
" Megan lost everything when she lost Sean."
" I divorced you, so what?" Mia spat, and then finally took a fork full in her mouth, and Horatio now had the urge to slap her.
" There's a difference Mia."
" I know, Megan's an innocent delicate flower, who you didn't mind screwing on the side when we were married, and I'm just a bitch." Mia slammed the table and then got up, and walked around to face Horatio.
" I never fucked her Mia, she was married." Horatio reminded her.
" Well that wouldn't stop you now would it." Mia exclaimed, inching closer and closer to Horatio.
" It didn't stop you." Horatio spat back and just as Mia's hand reached out to no doubt slap him, he caught it and then caught her lips in a rekindling kiss.
But the kiss held bitter after taste and he nearly shoved her off himself.
Mia didn't seem fazed but instead a little pleased with herself that she'd gotten to him so deeply.
" As good as you remember?" She asked impishly.
" There is a difference between Megan and you." Horatio stepped back to the staircase.
" Oh yeah what's that?" Mia folded her arms a little annoyed, seeing as though she thought they were over that topic.
" Yeah. Megan loved Sean, and you didn't love me." Horatio shrugged, and then descended to the first floor.
Mia stood silently for a few seconds and then she had the urge to slap Horatio…
***
" Okay, so I'm thinking Hunter's hiding something." Elisabeth said as she returned to the living room with a full coffee maker.
" I call first dibs." Calleigh piped up, and Elisabeth rolled her eyes.
" Speedle, how much do you allow her?" She asked, and yet refilled the blonde's cup.
" He doesn't own me for your information." Calleigh smirked and took a lengthy sip of the coffee just to prove it to her friends.
" Yeah, I'm just borrowing her." Tim teased and leaned against his chair.
" Fuck you."
" Did that." Speed continued anyway, and it was Delko's turn to roll his eyes, and yet he didn't think the subject of his friends' relationship would be a hot topic that wasn't full of tension.
So instead he concerted on Elisabeth's first assumption.
" Can we please skip the disgusting details of your after hours activities, and concentrate on the case, isn't that why were sitting at home on paid leave." Eric reminded.
" Since when have you been so uptight about your job, chill Delko." Calleigh teased, and Elisabeth plopped down beside her, picking up a piece of bacon.
" I am chilling, however, not for long because Liz's bitch of a boss will have all our heads on the line if we don't sum this up by at least tomorrow night." Eric supplied and refilled his own coffee.
" She didn't give me a dead line Eric." Elisabeth reminded and chewed again.
" Yeah, but something's up her ass anyway." Speed commented, and Calleigh turned to him with a disapproving glance, " Tim."
" Calleigh."
" C'mon you guys cant be this bitter toward someone you barely know." Calleigh threw her hands up in exasperation as she leaned back.
" She broke H's heart." Eric defended.
" And you're his bitches?" Elisabeth raised her eyebrow, and Calleigh stifled a laugh.
" No, unlike you we're just dedicated to our boss." Speed shrugged.
" Your lap dogs, or your just judgmental, you don't know her like I do, and yet you still have the common sense to consider her some one not worthy of your time? I expected better from you Tim." Calleigh frowned, and then took another sip of coffee.
Draining her cup, she refilled it, and messaged her temples methodically.
" Oh don't do that Cal, I've had encounters with that woman."
" So have I." Eric piped up and Elisabeth nudged him.
" Okay I don't wanna get into this, let's just concentrate on the case, fighting over this will get us nowhere." Calleigh commented.
" I second that." Elisabeth mumbled but before she could get on with the subject of the Gale case, a cell phone sounded through the room.
It was the jingle from the Meow Mix commercials and quickly Speed scrambled to his hip, " Okay, I love that commercial sorry." He frowned and then answered it.
" Speedle."
" Hey…it's me."
TBC…