Disclaimer: It's been a year; hopefully by now everybody knows CSI: Miami does not belong to me.
Author's Note: Inspiration comes from odd places. The company named in this story is real as are all facts related to it save my OC's relation to it; that is fabrication. That said, I came across the name of that company in the captioning of the picture on page 585 of Modern Physics, fourth edition, used for course 750:313:01 in Spring 2004 and taught by Professor Gustafsson. Also, many thanks to Professor Figueira. As always, Mr. Hathaway; thank you for coming into my life. Sun Mee and b8kworm, you feed the obsession so nicely. Marianne and kdeb, you guys rock my world.
Summary: "Words are only metaphors for other words, Calleigh. You are a heart divided because that's the home of happiness and love."
Rating: PG-13
Archive(s): EoTU, Lonely Road, mine. Anybody else, email me.
Pairing(s): Horatio/Calleigh
Spoiler(s): Small for "Complications". There is also a reference to that article posted on the H/C list regarding the Miami/NY crossover. When you get to that part, I'm sure you'll recognize the one I'm referencing.
..... ..... .....Title: A House Divided
Author: Laeta
Email: ladylaetayahoo.com
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."
--- Abraham Lincoln,1858
"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation;
and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
--- Matthew 12:25
Epilogue
The morning greeted her cheerfully with a smiling sunny day. Her distant relatives looked on with quietly sympathetic faces but only Nadine acted on her confessions to David the previous night. She refused to let Calleigh leave without extracting a promise with severe repercussions if Calleigh did not give her weekly updates concerning Horatio. This, Calleigh bore with no resentment, instead savoring the female bond of sister-to-sister she never experienced in a family of boys.
At the motel, Calleigh's unconscious surprised both her and her family: in her suitcase was the Bible containing the family tree she vaguely recalled. Immediately, she handed its precious contents to Nadine and knew it was God's reward for the difficult life she led.
She did not bother to return to New York and find a way to resolve the bubbling confusion within her heart. In any case, Horatio would sense her thoughts and confront her; she was not ready for it. So, she accepted the plane ticket procured by the family and avoided Horatio.
Back in Miami, she settled her emotions by calling home - her mother, her brothers, and her cousins - and told them of the family in Pittsburgh. She spearheaded the fund whose goal would be the maintenance of the mansion. The Historic Society of America was hot on her trails as it joined, excited to aid in the restoration of a house built by an associate of General Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette.
When she returned to work, it was quietly; she neatly compartmentalized her private activities concerning the newly named Duquesne Family Mansion - the Estate was in Pittsburgh and the Seat was in France - from her public life where her unresolved emotions towards Horatio remained. Work on the Mansion distracted her, and it helped her forget Horatio. Sometimes.
Her relatives called her often and they threw frequent reunion parties in both America and France at odd times of the year simply to gather the family together. Eventually, the Louisiana Duquesnes became sister and brother, daughter and son, granddaughter and grandson, aunt and uncle to everybody in the Pittsburgh and the French branches.
Calleigh knew the relative peace she felt would end and, at that moment, she would be forced to deal with Horatio's rooftop plunge. She compromised, promising herself all the time she needed once the ribbon cutting ceremony at Duquesne Family Mansion had passed into hallowed history.
She vowed to forget the slanted look he gave her as he approved her vacation request without a contrary question. Until, surrounded by members of all three branches, she looked up and saw her father break away to greet a lone observer. Kenwall Duquesne greeted the tall man with great enthusiasm and nearly dragged the unfortunately victim closer to Calleigh.
Blinking against the bright sun, she recognized him as Horatio and her heart whispered one word to her mind: "Lover". Kenwall gave Horatio one last prompt in her direction before he turned away to attend to her mother. So, it was up to Calleigh to welcome Horatio. She straightened her shoulders; she could do this.
"What are you doing here, Horatio?"
Harsh, maybe, but he grinned. "Uhm - I was invited."
She changed her expression from wariness to disbelief.
"I - uhm - I saw the articles in the paper about the restoration of the Duquesne Family Mansion. Uhm - I compared the address with the one in your file - the part where you list next-of-kin." Then, he turned contrite. "I made a donation."
"What?"
He shrugged. "I know how much your home means to you. It was the least I could do in appreciation for the work that brought you to - Miami."
Oh, how Calleigh wanted him to say "to me". Ignoring the pang within her heart, she reached out to hug him for his generosity. It was true; home meant so much to her, but home resided within the man in her arms. When she was ready, her mind would echo the truth.
Behind her, Grandfather David and Antoine, le Grandpère from France, watched Horatio hold Calleigh awkwardly. The two men grinned; they loved weddings.
She was too far away to hear the words Antoine directed to David, but her heart heard and resonated with hope. The translation? The heart follows the trail of love to its home and thus resolves all complications.
© RK 26.Apr.2004