Title: The Fake Engagement
Rating: PG-13...for now...
Pairing: Horatio/Calleigh, Hagen/OC
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot, Maria Rodriguez,
MacKenzie Adams and Sally Johnson.
A/N: Hum, hum...I decided to add this chapter too...lol...have fun!
Toodles!
The Fake Engagement [2/?]
Calleigh stood in the parking lot of the CSI lab, her car keys clenched tightly in her hand. She looked around, half-hopeful that Horatio wouldn't come today, but lo, and behold, there was his Hummer, magnificent, as it's owner. She groaned but stiffened her shoulders and marched into the lab, prepared for the worst. On her way in, she saw Tim and Mackenzie 'saying' good-bye shamelessly, just outside of the building.
She grinned and couldn't resist calling out to them, "Get a room, kids! And don't forget, it's always better to be protected! Toodles!"
Tim flipped her off, not even taking the time to look her way, and Calleigh burst into laughter. She was still chuckling when she reached the break room, but halted when she heard gunshots.
She bit her lip, and broke into a run, grabbing her cell, to call Horatio. *Crap, now how are you going to ask him? Not with this crazed, loony bas--- *
All her thoughts slammed into each other when she realized that she was in the bullet range. With her gun out, she crept to the corner, plastered to the wall.
When she heard silence, she leaned forward and saw...nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zip.
Her gun still held out, she walked around, and then slowed. Someone was watching her keenly. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. This shooter was probably some criminal who she had put in jail, and now he was back for reve---
"Looking for someone?"
Horatio's powerful yet low voice filled the tensed quietness. *Or not* Calleigh finished her thoughts and she turned around, ready to launch her apology/request. "Actually..." She trailed off, the sight of her boss stilling her.
Horatio was leaning against the wall, his suit jacket, along with his trademark black sunglasses off. The sleeves of his cerulean silk shirt were rolled up to the elbows, and his black pants complimented his long legs. The best part, in Calleigh's opinion, was the sexy image Horatio made twirling a rifle around his finger, with the top buttons of his shirt left undone.
Calleigh just stared, savoring the image of Horatio playing with her gun. Horatio took her silence the wrong way. "Sorry for wasting your bullets, Cal..." He looked sheepish, and stepped forward to push her own gun down, which was aiming at him. Raising an amused eyebrow, he commented, "I'm not a rapist, or ex-con man here to kill you, so you can relax."
Calleigh blinked and dragged her mind back to reality. "It's okay..." She inhaled, and barged on, "Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday...I was just having a rotten day. That's all. I wasn't really mad at you."
She bared a glance in his direction, and was shocked to see him chuckling deeply. "Cal, we both had bad days...but now, now it's over." He grabbed two chairs, and rolled one over to his ballistics expert. He straddled the other, draping his strong arms over the top.
Calleigh declined it, "I'll stand because...it's...good to stand. And I like to be good...so I stand...because it's good!"
They both knew she was babbling, and Horatio seemed to be enjoying it a *bit* too much. "Are you okay?" He asked, amusement and concern in his face.
"Hagen's wedding!" Calleigh burst out, and Horatio raised his eyebrows, clearly confused, "Pardon me?"
Calleigh sighed, dropped into the chair, looked down and began the story. "Well, see yesterday, I got an invitation to John Hagen's wedding and he seemed to think I didn't have a boyfriend because it said Calleigh Duquesne plus Guest, and I questioned it, and he became all smug and in-your-face, and pissed me off even more, so I not only said I was involved, but that he engaged to me the night before." Calleigh didn't look up, but she could imagine Horatio's face. It would be impassive, but at the same time, his unhidden eyes would prod her on gently. She took another breath, and rushed out the last part. "SoheaskedmewhotheguywasandIsaidthefirstnamethatwasinmyhead."
Horatio, amazingly catching all this, replied with a low, knowing "who was...?" Calleigh squirmed in her chair, twisting her fingers, while muttering, "Horatio Caine."
Silence ensued. Scared Horatio hadn't died from shock; she looked up, and found her gaze locked with her boss's. "So let me get this straight..." Horatio began, "You told John Hagen that you would go to his wedding, accompanied by me, who would be playing your fiancé...?"
Calleigh winced, nodding then said. "Listen, it's okay...if you can't. I mean, the whole idea is absurd! We can't pull it off." Calleigh knew that Horatio had a challenging streak in his body, and added a tone of challenge into her voice, thinking fast. She stood up, and walked to the bulletproof door of the range. She was opening it when Horatio's firm voice stopped her.
"Where and when?"
Calleigh squealed with joy inwardly, but her face remained casual. She turned around, her eyes searching his face, "In Canada...Ontario, to be specific. Next Sunday." Sunday was in five days, since today was Tuesday.
Horatio nodded, surprising not only Calleigh, but a part of himself too. "Okay...I'm in. Miami's criminals been on a low, and if they do decide they want to crash, we've got Eric, Tim, Alexx, and Frank. For how long is this charade?"
Calleigh gaped at him, speechless and dumbfounded, "Uh...for the weekend, but his wife wants me...*us*...to be there a few days early." She felt a pure femine rush, when she had corrected herself.
Horatio stood up, stretching gracefully, his toned muscles flexing visibly under his shirt. "We'll leave Thursday." Calleigh beamed at him, her smile full of heartfelt gratitude. She came up to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug. What she didn't expect were two powerful arms enveloping her in return.
They stayed like that for a few moments; still, seeming a little motion could shatter the moment, when a beep interrupted them. Horatio cleared his throat, and let go over her, stepping back. A small pink flush rose to Calleigh's cheeks but she battled it down and looked up. Regrettably, Horatio had his sunglasses back on. He pointed to his pager, while dialing a number on his cell. "Frank." He said to her, in order of an explanation.
Calleigh nodded and walked back to the door, opening it. Turning back, she saw him on his phone, his voice firm and official. Calleigh tossed him an almost audible "Thank you," and he gave her a smile that would remain in her heart forever.
Walking out of the range, Eric ambled up to her, holding two bullets in a plastic bag, calling "Cal, I need your expertise!" She grinned at him, and they walked away, to the ballistics lab, she unaware of the pair of shaded indigo eyes following her until she was out of sight.
"Well, this ought to be...interesting," Horatio commented to himself, shutting his phone, slipping it into his belt, and slid on his jacket while striding out of the bullet range, vowing to return if these were the sort of requests he would get from his blonde-haired vixen.
The Fake Engagement [2/?]
Calleigh stood in the parking lot of the CSI lab, her car keys clenched tightly in her hand. She looked around, half-hopeful that Horatio wouldn't come today, but lo, and behold, there was his Hummer, magnificent, as it's owner. She groaned but stiffened her shoulders and marched into the lab, prepared for the worst. On her way in, she saw Tim and Mackenzie 'saying' good-bye shamelessly, just outside of the building.
She grinned and couldn't resist calling out to them, "Get a room, kids! And don't forget, it's always better to be protected! Toodles!"
Tim flipped her off, not even taking the time to look her way, and Calleigh burst into laughter. She was still chuckling when she reached the break room, but halted when she heard gunshots.
She bit her lip, and broke into a run, grabbing her cell, to call Horatio. *Crap, now how are you going to ask him? Not with this crazed, loony bas--- *
All her thoughts slammed into each other when she realized that she was in the bullet range. With her gun out, she crept to the corner, plastered to the wall.
When she heard silence, she leaned forward and saw...nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zip.
Her gun still held out, she walked around, and then slowed. Someone was watching her keenly. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. This shooter was probably some criminal who she had put in jail, and now he was back for reve---
"Looking for someone?"
Horatio's powerful yet low voice filled the tensed quietness. *Or not* Calleigh finished her thoughts and she turned around, ready to launch her apology/request. "Actually..." She trailed off, the sight of her boss stilling her.
Horatio was leaning against the wall, his suit jacket, along with his trademark black sunglasses off. The sleeves of his cerulean silk shirt were rolled up to the elbows, and his black pants complimented his long legs. The best part, in Calleigh's opinion, was the sexy image Horatio made twirling a rifle around his finger, with the top buttons of his shirt left undone.
Calleigh just stared, savoring the image of Horatio playing with her gun. Horatio took her silence the wrong way. "Sorry for wasting your bullets, Cal..." He looked sheepish, and stepped forward to push her own gun down, which was aiming at him. Raising an amused eyebrow, he commented, "I'm not a rapist, or ex-con man here to kill you, so you can relax."
Calleigh blinked and dragged her mind back to reality. "It's okay..." She inhaled, and barged on, "Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday...I was just having a rotten day. That's all. I wasn't really mad at you."
She bared a glance in his direction, and was shocked to see him chuckling deeply. "Cal, we both had bad days...but now, now it's over." He grabbed two chairs, and rolled one over to his ballistics expert. He straddled the other, draping his strong arms over the top.
Calleigh declined it, "I'll stand because...it's...good to stand. And I like to be good...so I stand...because it's good!"
They both knew she was babbling, and Horatio seemed to be enjoying it a *bit* too much. "Are you okay?" He asked, amusement and concern in his face.
"Hagen's wedding!" Calleigh burst out, and Horatio raised his eyebrows, clearly confused, "Pardon me?"
Calleigh sighed, dropped into the chair, looked down and began the story. "Well, see yesterday, I got an invitation to John Hagen's wedding and he seemed to think I didn't have a boyfriend because it said Calleigh Duquesne plus Guest, and I questioned it, and he became all smug and in-your-face, and pissed me off even more, so I not only said I was involved, but that he engaged to me the night before." Calleigh didn't look up, but she could imagine Horatio's face. It would be impassive, but at the same time, his unhidden eyes would prod her on gently. She took another breath, and rushed out the last part. "SoheaskedmewhotheguywasandIsaidthefirstnamethatwasinmyhead."
Horatio, amazingly catching all this, replied with a low, knowing "who was...?" Calleigh squirmed in her chair, twisting her fingers, while muttering, "Horatio Caine."
Silence ensued. Scared Horatio hadn't died from shock; she looked up, and found her gaze locked with her boss's. "So let me get this straight..." Horatio began, "You told John Hagen that you would go to his wedding, accompanied by me, who would be playing your fiancé...?"
Calleigh winced, nodding then said. "Listen, it's okay...if you can't. I mean, the whole idea is absurd! We can't pull it off." Calleigh knew that Horatio had a challenging streak in his body, and added a tone of challenge into her voice, thinking fast. She stood up, and walked to the bulletproof door of the range. She was opening it when Horatio's firm voice stopped her.
"Where and when?"
Calleigh squealed with joy inwardly, but her face remained casual. She turned around, her eyes searching his face, "In Canada...Ontario, to be specific. Next Sunday." Sunday was in five days, since today was Tuesday.
Horatio nodded, surprising not only Calleigh, but a part of himself too. "Okay...I'm in. Miami's criminals been on a low, and if they do decide they want to crash, we've got Eric, Tim, Alexx, and Frank. For how long is this charade?"
Calleigh gaped at him, speechless and dumbfounded, "Uh...for the weekend, but his wife wants me...*us*...to be there a few days early." She felt a pure femine rush, when she had corrected herself.
Horatio stood up, stretching gracefully, his toned muscles flexing visibly under his shirt. "We'll leave Thursday." Calleigh beamed at him, her smile full of heartfelt gratitude. She came up to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug. What she didn't expect were two powerful arms enveloping her in return.
They stayed like that for a few moments; still, seeming a little motion could shatter the moment, when a beep interrupted them. Horatio cleared his throat, and let go over her, stepping back. A small pink flush rose to Calleigh's cheeks but she battled it down and looked up. Regrettably, Horatio had his sunglasses back on. He pointed to his pager, while dialing a number on his cell. "Frank." He said to her, in order of an explanation.
Calleigh nodded and walked back to the door, opening it. Turning back, she saw him on his phone, his voice firm and official. Calleigh tossed him an almost audible "Thank you," and he gave her a smile that would remain in her heart forever.
Walking out of the range, Eric ambled up to her, holding two bullets in a plastic bag, calling "Cal, I need your expertise!" She grinned at him, and they walked away, to the ballistics lab, she unaware of the pair of shaded indigo eyes following her until she was out of sight.
"Well, this ought to be...interesting," Horatio commented to himself, shutting his phone, slipping it into his belt, and slid on his jacket while striding out of the bullet range, vowing to return if these were the sort of requests he would get from his blonde-haired vixen.