Perfect Chord
a concord of union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to
the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a
common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave
(a)
They found Calleigh's father and took him home, Calleigh asking Horatio to stay with the car while she made sure her father was settled. He had heard about and seen enough; there was no use in having him witness the post- binge traditions that had been revisited countless times in the past year. Calleigh guided her father to the bedroom, taking off his shoes and loosening his belt once he was lying down. She grabbed the trash can from the bathroom and placed it next to the bed, then went back to pour a glass of water and grab a few Tylenol to place on the bedside table for when he woke up. Finally, Calleigh grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered her father with it. She sighed as she looked at his prone form, then placed a kiss on his forehead and turned to leave.
"I love you daddy," she said, walking back to the front door.
Calleigh locked the door and leaned against it, taking a cleansing breath before walking to Horatio, who was leaning on the front of the Hummer. He straightened as she approached, walking towards her and pulling her into an embrace before she could say a single word.
Calleigh let herself feel safe and comforted, enjoying the moment of peace before the storm she knew was approaching. This is the last thing she ever wanted Horatio to see. The excesses of her father, the way she enabled him to continue drinking, her inability to stand up to the man and demand better- for him and for herself. If anything could make him think less of her, this was it.
After a couple of minutes, she heard Horatio ask how she was doing. The question made her laugh bitterly and she pulled away.
"How am I doing?" she asked, blinking tears from her eyes. "Oh, I'm just swell."
Horatio shook his head and reached for her hand. He knew Calleigh was disappointed and angry, at her father and herself. His main concern right now was getting her to share this with him; Calleigh had given a general idea of what her relationship with her father was like during the short drive between his place and the bar, but she had avoided what Horatio suspected were the darkest details. More than anything, he wanted to make Calleigh understand she no longer needed to go through this alone.
He guided her to the Hummer, knowing Calleigh needed to be in a place where she felt secure before she would be able to open up. He drove her back to his apartment, hoping the good memories of what happened earlier would help her draw strength to face this demon.
As soon as Calleigh realized Horatio was driving her back to his place, she broke the silence that had enveloped them since leaving her father's home. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, trying to figure out what Horatio was thinking. She was tired of dealing with the emotions that caring for her father stirred up, and right now she wanted to take a relaxing bath and forget the last hour had ever happened.
Horatio glanced at her before refocusing his attention on the road. "I'm taking you back to my apartment. You're going to let me take care of you and then you're going to tell me about your father; and not just the surface story this time. I want you to share every last painful detail until you have nothing left to hide."
Calleigh began to feel angry. "I think not," she replied. "This is my problem. My family. You have no right to tell me how to deal with it. I'm doing just fine on my own, thank you very much. Now please turn around and take me home. I want to be by myself."
Horatio tried not to let her words hurt him, but they stung nevertheless. They pulled up in front of his apartment and Horatio turned the car off, turning in his seat and facing Calleigh. "I know this is deeply personal for you, and you're not in the mood to dredge up unhappy memories or deal with the pain they bring," he said, making sure his voice remained calm. "But in case you've forgotten, I happen to be in love with you, and that means I love all of you; the parts you think are bad or weak are just as beautiful to me as the parts you see as beautiful and strong, because they make you who you are. And that also applies to your family, your past, and anything else lurking in your beautiful heart that you think is too much for me to handle."
Horatio took a deep breath, wanting to make sure he was offering reassurance and support rather than unwanted pressure. He looked over at Calleigh, who was sitting in stunned silence. He took one of her hands in his own and continued.
"Even though you're drained and angry and you might not want to deal with your emotions right now, I'm asking you to do it anyway. I want to share this burden with me and to let me help you bear it. I love you, Calleigh Duquesne, and I'm not going to let you push me away just because this isn't a part of you and your life that you want me to see."
Calleigh stared in wonder at Horatio, wondering what she had done to deserve this wonderful, understanding, compassionate man. Shaking off her temporary paralysis, she fumbled with the seat buckle and released it, practically throwing herself across the front of the cab into Horatio's arms. He held her tightly and Calleigh felt some of the tension drain out of her as she drew strength from him.
Her face buried in his chest, Calleigh finally managed to speak. "I love you so much," she said, looking up into his eyes. "You don't know how much I needed to hear those words, or how much it means to me." An overwhelming urge to kiss him surged through Calleigh, followed by an acute awareness of their location and position. Fixing a small smile on her face, Calleigh backed away, and looked at her hands. "Come on, let's go inside and have that talk."
Hours later, both Horatio and Calleigh felt completely drained. They had talked over some fresh coffee and the last of the beignets, and Horatio had supported Calleigh as she released all her pent up emotions regarding her father; the anger and disappointment combined with the blind love and devotion he still inspired in her. In return, Horatio shared his pain and the uncertainty that had plagued him ever since his brother's death. They had talked about Ray's undercover work, Chaz, the journal Suzie had given him with its painful indictment of Ray's character.
They had taken turns comforting and being the one comforted, and now they were both spent, physically and emotionally. They were sprawled across the couch, not quite sitting but not laying down either, and Horatio had pulled Calleigh into his arms as they enjoyed the silence and the peace being together brought to them both. Finally, Calleigh pulled herself out of Horatio's arms and stood, turning to face him.
"Come on, handsome," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling him to stand. "I can barely keep my eyes open and I could feel you nodding off as well. If we're going to fall asleep in each other's arms, it might as well be somewhere more comfortable than on the couch in your living room."
Horatio came fully awake at her words. He looked into Calleigh's eyes, trying to figure out what she meant. He could see Calleigh become uncertain and begin to mumble an apology, and he placed a finger over her lips.
"I want you to stay here tonight," he said, noticing Calleigh's shoulders relax. "I was just trying to figure out if you meant sleeping or ."
Calleigh smiled softly and reached up to stroke Horatio's face. "I think tonight we should just sleep," she said, answering his unfinished question. "If that's okay with you.It' been a long day, and the last part of it has been rough on both of us."
Calleigh noted Horatio's nod and the disappointment he tried to hide from her. She just smiled and allowed her fingers to drift over Horatio's face, continuing down his neck until her hand rested squarely over his heart. The rapid tempo caused her smile to twist into a smirk and Calleigh met Horatio's gaze with a wink. "There's no telling what I might be up for after a good night's sleep, though."
Horatio blushed a little and then took one of Calleigh's hands, using his free arm to turn off the living room lights. The evening had been filled with a great deal of emotion, mostly good, but some bad. Now he had overcome the initial reaction his body had to Calleigh's words, he remembered how tired he really was.
He led Calleigh to his bedroom and rummaged around in his dresser until he found some sweatpants and a t-shirt for her to wear. They took their time getting ready for night, smiling at how natural it felt to be going through this ritual together. Finally, they curled up in the bed, facing each other. Horatio reached over and brushed Calleigh's hair back from her face.
"I've dreamed about being here with you," he said softly.
Calleigh smiled and looked at Horatio. "Me too," she admitted.
Horatio pulled Calleigh closer and rested his forehead on hers. He remained still for a moment, convincing himself this was not a dream; Calleigh was really lying next to him. Finally, Horatio placed his lips on hers. The kiss was everything he could possibly imagine and more. The warmth of her mouth and the softness of her lips were perfect physical extensions of the heart and soul he had fallen in love with. As he deepened the kiss, Horatio felt his own heart expand with joy and a completeness he had never experienced before.
Finally breaking apart for air, he looked over at Calleigh and marveled at the thin sheen of tears he saw gathered in her eyes. He didn't need to ask; he knew they were tears of happiness. He probably had some of his own. He reached over and wiped them from Calleigh's eyes and tucked her slight form securely into his own. With a whispered exchange of love, they both fell into a peaceful slumber.
They found Calleigh's father and took him home, Calleigh asking Horatio to stay with the car while she made sure her father was settled. He had heard about and seen enough; there was no use in having him witness the post- binge traditions that had been revisited countless times in the past year. Calleigh guided her father to the bedroom, taking off his shoes and loosening his belt once he was lying down. She grabbed the trash can from the bathroom and placed it next to the bed, then went back to pour a glass of water and grab a few Tylenol to place on the bedside table for when he woke up. Finally, Calleigh grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered her father with it. She sighed as she looked at his prone form, then placed a kiss on his forehead and turned to leave.
"I love you daddy," she said, walking back to the front door.
Calleigh locked the door and leaned against it, taking a cleansing breath before walking to Horatio, who was leaning on the front of the Hummer. He straightened as she approached, walking towards her and pulling her into an embrace before she could say a single word.
Calleigh let herself feel safe and comforted, enjoying the moment of peace before the storm she knew was approaching. This is the last thing she ever wanted Horatio to see. The excesses of her father, the way she enabled him to continue drinking, her inability to stand up to the man and demand better- for him and for herself. If anything could make him think less of her, this was it.
After a couple of minutes, she heard Horatio ask how she was doing. The question made her laugh bitterly and she pulled away.
"How am I doing?" she asked, blinking tears from her eyes. "Oh, I'm just swell."
Horatio shook his head and reached for her hand. He knew Calleigh was disappointed and angry, at her father and herself. His main concern right now was getting her to share this with him; Calleigh had given a general idea of what her relationship with her father was like during the short drive between his place and the bar, but she had avoided what Horatio suspected were the darkest details. More than anything, he wanted to make Calleigh understand she no longer needed to go through this alone.
He guided her to the Hummer, knowing Calleigh needed to be in a place where she felt secure before she would be able to open up. He drove her back to his apartment, hoping the good memories of what happened earlier would help her draw strength to face this demon.
As soon as Calleigh realized Horatio was driving her back to his place, she broke the silence that had enveloped them since leaving her father's home. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, trying to figure out what Horatio was thinking. She was tired of dealing with the emotions that caring for her father stirred up, and right now she wanted to take a relaxing bath and forget the last hour had ever happened.
Horatio glanced at her before refocusing his attention on the road. "I'm taking you back to my apartment. You're going to let me take care of you and then you're going to tell me about your father; and not just the surface story this time. I want you to share every last painful detail until you have nothing left to hide."
Calleigh began to feel angry. "I think not," she replied. "This is my problem. My family. You have no right to tell me how to deal with it. I'm doing just fine on my own, thank you very much. Now please turn around and take me home. I want to be by myself."
Horatio tried not to let her words hurt him, but they stung nevertheless. They pulled up in front of his apartment and Horatio turned the car off, turning in his seat and facing Calleigh. "I know this is deeply personal for you, and you're not in the mood to dredge up unhappy memories or deal with the pain they bring," he said, making sure his voice remained calm. "But in case you've forgotten, I happen to be in love with you, and that means I love all of you; the parts you think are bad or weak are just as beautiful to me as the parts you see as beautiful and strong, because they make you who you are. And that also applies to your family, your past, and anything else lurking in your beautiful heart that you think is too much for me to handle."
Horatio took a deep breath, wanting to make sure he was offering reassurance and support rather than unwanted pressure. He looked over at Calleigh, who was sitting in stunned silence. He took one of her hands in his own and continued.
"Even though you're drained and angry and you might not want to deal with your emotions right now, I'm asking you to do it anyway. I want to share this burden with me and to let me help you bear it. I love you, Calleigh Duquesne, and I'm not going to let you push me away just because this isn't a part of you and your life that you want me to see."
Calleigh stared in wonder at Horatio, wondering what she had done to deserve this wonderful, understanding, compassionate man. Shaking off her temporary paralysis, she fumbled with the seat buckle and released it, practically throwing herself across the front of the cab into Horatio's arms. He held her tightly and Calleigh felt some of the tension drain out of her as she drew strength from him.
Her face buried in his chest, Calleigh finally managed to speak. "I love you so much," she said, looking up into his eyes. "You don't know how much I needed to hear those words, or how much it means to me." An overwhelming urge to kiss him surged through Calleigh, followed by an acute awareness of their location and position. Fixing a small smile on her face, Calleigh backed away, and looked at her hands. "Come on, let's go inside and have that talk."
Hours later, both Horatio and Calleigh felt completely drained. They had talked over some fresh coffee and the last of the beignets, and Horatio had supported Calleigh as she released all her pent up emotions regarding her father; the anger and disappointment combined with the blind love and devotion he still inspired in her. In return, Horatio shared his pain and the uncertainty that had plagued him ever since his brother's death. They had talked about Ray's undercover work, Chaz, the journal Suzie had given him with its painful indictment of Ray's character.
They had taken turns comforting and being the one comforted, and now they were both spent, physically and emotionally. They were sprawled across the couch, not quite sitting but not laying down either, and Horatio had pulled Calleigh into his arms as they enjoyed the silence and the peace being together brought to them both. Finally, Calleigh pulled herself out of Horatio's arms and stood, turning to face him.
"Come on, handsome," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling him to stand. "I can barely keep my eyes open and I could feel you nodding off as well. If we're going to fall asleep in each other's arms, it might as well be somewhere more comfortable than on the couch in your living room."
Horatio came fully awake at her words. He looked into Calleigh's eyes, trying to figure out what she meant. He could see Calleigh become uncertain and begin to mumble an apology, and he placed a finger over her lips.
"I want you to stay here tonight," he said, noticing Calleigh's shoulders relax. "I was just trying to figure out if you meant sleeping or ."
Calleigh smiled softly and reached up to stroke Horatio's face. "I think tonight we should just sleep," she said, answering his unfinished question. "If that's okay with you.It' been a long day, and the last part of it has been rough on both of us."
Calleigh noted Horatio's nod and the disappointment he tried to hide from her. She just smiled and allowed her fingers to drift over Horatio's face, continuing down his neck until her hand rested squarely over his heart. The rapid tempo caused her smile to twist into a smirk and Calleigh met Horatio's gaze with a wink. "There's no telling what I might be up for after a good night's sleep, though."
Horatio blushed a little and then took one of Calleigh's hands, using his free arm to turn off the living room lights. The evening had been filled with a great deal of emotion, mostly good, but some bad. Now he had overcome the initial reaction his body had to Calleigh's words, he remembered how tired he really was.
He led Calleigh to his bedroom and rummaged around in his dresser until he found some sweatpants and a t-shirt for her to wear. They took their time getting ready for night, smiling at how natural it felt to be going through this ritual together. Finally, they curled up in the bed, facing each other. Horatio reached over and brushed Calleigh's hair back from her face.
"I've dreamed about being here with you," he said softly.
Calleigh smiled and looked at Horatio. "Me too," she admitted.
Horatio pulled Calleigh closer and rested his forehead on hers. He remained still for a moment, convincing himself this was not a dream; Calleigh was really lying next to him. Finally, Horatio placed his lips on hers. The kiss was everything he could possibly imagine and more. The warmth of her mouth and the softness of her lips were perfect physical extensions of the heart and soul he had fallen in love with. As he deepened the kiss, Horatio felt his own heart expand with joy and a completeness he had never experienced before.
Finally breaking apart for air, he looked over at Calleigh and marveled at the thin sheen of tears he saw gathered in her eyes. He didn't need to ask; he knew they were tears of happiness. He probably had some of his own. He reached over and wiped them from Calleigh's eyes and tucked her slight form securely into his own. With a whispered exchange of love, they both fell into a peaceful slumber.