"Are you sure you want to do this now Cal?" Speed asked as he pulled outside the front of Horatio's beachside condo.
"Want to no, need to yes." Calleigh smiled.
"Good luck." Speed said.
"Thank you and thank you for dinner." She leant over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Calleigh took a deep breath and walk up to the door. She took another breath before extending her hand out to press the buzzer. Her finger hovered over it; she drew her hand back, and then extended it. She snatched her hand and leant against the wall and slid down until she was sat down, her legs in front of her neatly crossed at the ankles.
That was where Horatio found her ten minutes later when he got home from the store.
"Calleigh." He said taking sunglasses off. She looked up at him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Umm. Hi." She said getting to her feet.
"Been waiting long?" Horatio asked.
"Umm no. Actually I didn't press the buzzer." Calleigh replied.
"So you thought you would drop by and sit outside?" Horatio questioned as he unlocked the door.
"I was working up... We need to talk." Calleigh said deciding the direct approach would work.
"I recall mentioning that earlier, but you didn't want to discuss it."
"This isn't about Yelina. Alexx told me why she has doesn't like me, I can see her perspective."
"Then what do you want to talk about?"
"Can we go for a walk?" Calleigh asked.
"Let me put these things away." Horatio said. Calleigh waited outside for him to come back. "I thought you were supposed to be having dinner with Speed."
"I did he dropped me off here." Calleigh slipped off her shoes as they hit the beach.
"It explains the dress. You look nice by the way."
"Thank you." Calleigh unconsciously smoothed the skirt of her dress out. "It was quite enlightening."
"Enlightening about what?"
"You." Calleigh replied.
"You discussed me?"
"We talked about Alexx, Eric and Yelina too. He asked what was bothering me."
"I see." Horatio said leaving an opening for her to continue.
"I hate it when you do that." Calleigh said.
"Do what?" Horatio inquired.
"Leave gaps for people to fill in. Its fine with a suspect, but not with me. I'm supposed to be your friend."
"You are my friend Cal." Horatio insisted. "You said you wanted to talk so I'm listening."
"No I said we needed to talk."
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Did you tell Tim and Eric I was hands off when you got back from interviewing me in New Orleans?" Calleigh asked.
"Who told you that?" Horatio questioned.
"That Lieutenant is called avoid the question."
"I'll answer your question if you answer mine."
"Tim." Calleigh replied.
"Yes." Horatio said.
"Why?" Calleigh asked.
"Because you're beautiful, smart and charming and I wanted you to be able to do your job without them bothering you."
Calleigh stopped dead and looked at him. He realised she had stopped walked and stopped himself and turned to look at her.
"Calleigh?" Horatio said.
"You can't say things like that." Calleigh said.
"I was just answering your question." He pointed out.
"You know Speed has a theory as to why you reacted the way you did when he invited me for dinner."
"And what was that?"
"That you were jealous." Calleigh replied.
"I see."
"Thinking back to the conversation I had with Alexx earlier she would agree with him."
"I see." Horatio repeated.
"Eric on the other hand, I'm too much of a lady to repeat what he said."
"Calleigh where is this conversation going?"
"I'm still trying to work that out. Can we just walk for a while?"
"If that's what you want." Horatio agreed.
"You know I can take care of myself." Calleigh said after fifteen minutes just walking along the beach.
"I know that Cal."
"It's sweet that you guys want to watch out for me."
"All watch out for each other."
"As for Yelina..."
"Calleigh if she is making your life difficult and that is having an effect on how you do your job we should sort it out now."
"Horatio, Alexx was right when she said Yelina was hostile because she was jealous of our friendship. I can't do anything about that because it is her problem, not mine. I can still do my job." Calleigh stated.
"I'll talk to her."
"Don't, this is doesn't have anything to do with you except in the broadest sense, let it go."
"Calleigh, everyone has the right not to work in a hostile environment." Horatio said.
"I don't want to talk about Yelina anymore."
"If it does become more of a problem I want you to come and tell me. I'll deal with it." Horatio instructed.
"Okay." Calleigh agreed. "You never did tell me what you thought."
"Thought about what?"
"Tim's theory."
"It's a work in progress." Horatio admitted. "He has no evidence to prove or disprove it."
"Horatio, I'm not talking science here, I'm talking about something else."
"What do you want me to say Cal?" He asked.
"I don't know." Calleigh sighed. "It's a beautiful night." She turned to look out to where the stars were beginning to show in the night sky.
"That it is."
Calleigh sank onto the sand.
"Do you ever wonder?" Calleigh asked.
"Wonder about what?" Horatio sat next to her.
"What if your life had been different? What if you had made different choices?"
"Everything that has happened whether it was good or bad has brought me to this point in my life." Horatio said. "To this beach, under these stars, with you here."
"That's a good way to look at it." Calleigh admitted. "But are there some things you would change if you had the chance."
"I would rather my mother hadn't be murdered or my brother. But if my mother hadn't died I wouldn't have become as CSI, if Ray hadn't died I wouldn't have know I had a niece."
"You have a niece?" Calleigh questioned.
"Do you remember Madison, Susie's daughter?" Horatio asked.
"Yes. She's Ray's daughter?"
"Yes. Wow. Does Yelina know?"
"No and I'd rather she didn't find out."
"If she does it won't come from me." Calleigh said.
"What would you change?" Horatio asked.
"I'd rather my father wasn't an alcoholic and that I didn't grow trying to protect my brothers from it. I'd rather forget the whole thing with John Hagen. But they brought me to this beach, under these stars with you."
They sat for a minute watching the waves crash against the beach.
"Horatio."
"Yes?"
"If I do something will you promise not to fire me or think any less of me?" Calleigh asked.
"Calleigh, I'd never fire you or think any less of you."
"Good." She took a breath and leaned over and kissed him.
TBC
