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Chapter 9

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Horatio pulled up to the curve and stopped the car in front of the elementary school. He leaned over the middle console and said, "Alright Ray, give me the kitten."

Ray did as he was told and said, "If you keep him, can I come see him?"

Horatio nodded and put the kitten in Calleigh's lap before exiting the vehicle. He opened the back door for Ray and took his schoolbag while Ray hopped out of the car.

Horatio helped him slip on his bag, "Have a good day at school and I don't want you getting into any trouble, okay?" Horatio knew about the times the school called Yelina.

"I won't."

"Bye Ray," Calleigh waved.

"Bye!" Ray replied before running off to a group of friends hanging out in the schoolyard.

Horatio got back in the Hummer and Calleigh glanced at him, "Boys will be boys."

"Yeah. He's a good kid when he wants to be, though, and popular too. Not like I was when I was his age," Horatio drove off.

"How come?" Calleigh asked, caressing the kitten in her lap.

Hands on the steering wheel, eyes looking ahead, he replied, "I was picked on."

"No. You?" she couldn't believe it.

He nodded.

She smiled at his reaction, "What did the mean kids make fun of?"

"The red hair made me stand out."

Calleigh smiled again. "I bet you were popular with the girls, though," she moved to brush her fingers through the hair kissing his nape.

"No, not so much," he smiled inwardly, glancing at her. Had he told her that caressing the hair at his nape made the hair on the back of his neck stand?

"Guess it took them a while to discover that red hair is very attractive." He looked at her briefly again. Her touch at the back of his head was driving him nuts.

Diverting his eyes from her gaze, he smiled gently.
Then, he looked at her again while at a red light, as she continued to produce tingling shivers at his nape.

"I didn't know you then, Calleigh."

She smiled, "I'm sorry you didn't... I would have been all over you."

"Hmm," he smirked. "What about you? I bet you were the prom queen."

"Well, yes," she admitted, ending her caress of Horatio's nape. "But, I was too busy with gymnastics and taking care of my brothers after school to think about boys as much as the other girls did."

"So, who was the lucky guy on prom night?" he asked, giving the car some gas as the light turned green.

"Kyson Mackenzie," she said dreamingly.

"That good, huh?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I had great admiration for him, Horatio, he was my best friend and I loved him as a friend."

"It's okay, Calleigh, you don't have to justify yourself."

"I'm just stating the facts so you don't get the wrong idea."

Horatio parked the car in the lot before the veterinary hospital and turned off the engine. He detected some annoyance on her part so, to make things right, he cupped her face and kissed her softly.

She hummed delightfully against his lips.

"I'm not," he told her kissing her again.

She pulled away, "What?"

"I said I'm not getting the wrong idea."

"Let me make it clear," she said pulling him into a deep kiss.

They reluctantly pulled away, hearing the small kitten cry.

"Let's take him inside," Horatio got out of the Hummer and walked over to the other side, offering to take Calleigh's hand.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," she drawled, securely holding the kitten in the other hand.

"My pleasure, madam'," he played along. She waited an instant while Horatio pressed the device on his keychain activating the alarm system for the Hummer.

As they walked away towards the building, he slid a hand down her back and held it over her belt. She switched hands, holding the kitten and reached behind her to cover his hand with her smaller one. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her neck.

They walked inside the veterinary hospital and Calleigh immediately explained to the secretary that they didn't have an appointment, but that the kitten needed medical care.

Horatio stood beside the counter with Calleigh and looked around. There were a few dogs and cats with their owners in the waiting area, smaller ones in cages. One cat was meowing loudly - probably unhappy to be here - and a small dog was barking seemingly out of nervousness.

"Alright ma'am, I think I can squeeze you in before the next client, if it's just a small injury." Horatio turned back to face the woman behind the counter. She had a round face, hazel eyes, dark hair, probably 56. In mid-forties Horatio believed, wearing a flowery shirt. It was hard to shut off the detailed analysis of people.

He pegged her quickly to be as sweet as can be, "You'll have to wait a few minutes though, because Dr. Dane is busy at the moment giving a vaccination."

"Okay, we'll wait," Calleigh looked at Horatio, feeling bad that they were already late for work and that it had just gotten worse. She knew how driven he was about his work and this was surely testing his patience.

When they had taken a seat in the waiting area, Calleigh asked, "Horatio, why don't you go ahead... I'll take the bus back to CSI."

"No, you're not," he shook his head.

"I know it's bothering you. I can tell you're itching to be back at the office."

Brows lifted, he said, "Well, you're wrong. I'd rather be here with you than be doing paperwork."

She smiled at his subtle humor. Of course he did, she meant the case.

"What about the case?"

"I have a fully capable team to work on that. I'm more worried about the little guy," he stroked the kitten's throat with his finger and the kitten purred in response.

"I think he likes you," Calleigh replied.

"Duquesne," a voice called.

"Yes," Calleigh got up and walked to the front desk and Horatio followed saying, "That was fast."

The same dark haired secretary looked at him and said, "We don't want to keep injured animals waiting, sir," with a slight attitude.

"That's very kind of you," Calleigh told her.

"Go through the door on your left, straight down the hallway and the door will be on your right, Dr. Dane is waiting for you there," the secretary instructed.

"Great, thanks," Calleigh said. Horatio echoed her thanks, slipping in 'Daniela', from her nametag, hoping to ease his way out of his unnecessary remark from earlier. He smiled in pardon and she smiled back in forgiveness.

When they got to the designated room where the vet was standing, Mr. Dane welcomed them in, "Come in, Mr. and Mrs. Duquesne-"

Calleigh looked at Horatio, wondering if she should correct the man, but saw the glint in Horatio's eye so she left it as is.

Dr. Dane was a tall man almost the same height as Horatio, but thinner and he had blond hair and green eyes. Calleigh gently tried to remove the kitten from her shirt, trying to unhook the claws. Horatio helped and she placed the kitten on the stainless steel table.

"Now, let's take a look see here, what seems to be the problem..." The vet examined the kitten, "Have you any idea how she hurt her paw?"

"It's a she?" Horatio was delighted.

Calleigh looked at him thinking 'what is up with you?' He wasn't behaving like his usual self.

She looked at the veterinarian and said, "No, I found him - I mean her, in a parking garage. Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, I'm fairly certain it's only a sprain because I know for sure that it's not broken," he manipulated the cat's paw.

"So it will get fixed on it's own?"

"Yes. I can give you some pills to give her to dull the pain, if you'd like."

"Yeah, I would."

"Okay, all you have to do is squash the small pill into a powder and mix it with water."

"Not milk?" she questioned.

"Well, giving cow milk to a cat isn't recommended, but if she doesn't want to drink the water than yeah, that would be option B."

"Alright, thank you very much, Doctor."

"You're welcome. Three pills should do the trick; you can pick them up at the front desk, on your way out. If you decide to keep her, come back for the shots when she's a few months older."

"Will do," Horatio jumped in.

Horatio and Calleigh walked out of the veterinary hospital, relieved that the kitten was going to be fine.
"So, what do we do with her? Know anyone who'd be willing to take her for the day?" Calleigh asked, before going over to the passenger side of the Hummer.

"No. You?"

"No," she said sadly. "And I can't keep her in the lab, it's not safe for her there, not to mention the ballistics lab will make her lose her hearing."

"I'll keep her in my office."

Calleigh's eyes widened, "Horatio, if you get caught -" she started, shaking her head, not knowing how to end her sentence.

"I won't," he unlocked the Hummer and climbed in.

She hopped in the Hummer and smiled brightly.
"I'll give her some medicine so she stays quiet."

"Let's hope it works."

"Oh. And I'm sure I can find a box in the lab to put her in."

Calleigh kept talking while they drove off to the crime lab and Horatio listened and smiled, loving how maternal she was with the kitten.

TBC...