Come take a ride with me

Calleigh felt it had been one of the worst days ever. She just couldn't remember when a case had ever affected her this much. It was one of those cases that left a sick feeling in your stomach. Children and fire arms are a lethal combination. When would they learn not to play with them? Two kids were dead after another had found a gun in a park rubbish bin, which some crim had tossed after a previous crime.

Her head hurt and she couldn't think straight. It was one of those nights she didn't want to go home. Sure, shift finished hours ago, it was a wonder no one from lates or graveyard hadn't told her to leave. Mind you, as a known work-a-holic, people were used to seeing Calleigh outside of her work hours.

Calleigh just couldn't face an empty house tonight, so she wandered around the lab, till she found herself back at the gun range.

All the evidence from the Child Shooting had been logged and put in the evidence locker, the range was just an empty space now, with the familiar targets hanging.

It was the middle of the night, she should really have gone home and got some sleep, she would be living on coffee in the morning otherwise.

Instead, she took out her gun and started shooting. Hoping to relieve her tension, hoping the feel of the cold metal in her hands would give her mind something to focus on.

What Calleigh really needed was someone to talk too. Someone who wouldn't judge her. Someone she could be herself with. Damn it all, what she needed was Horatio.

But to her knowledge he had left for home hours ago

---------

Up in his office, hiding behind a stack of paper work, Horatio was trying to focus on getting some his backlog cleared.

Truth be known, his mind was anywhere but on the files in front of him, tonight he just couldn't focus.

Today's Child Shooting case had hit him hard as well. One of the Victims was the same age as his nephew Ray, the other the same age as his niece Madison. He couldn't shake the feeling of what it would have been like if his brothers' children had been the victims. And with that in mind there was no way in hell he was going home to be alone with his thoughts in an empty house.

He needed to talk to someone.

Someone who would understand how he was feeling

Someone he could be himself with.

Not Yelina.

First of all, she had Rick now. Secondly, he couldn't really be himself with her. He felt like she was always judging him, looking down at him so to speak. Besides which, it was hard to talk to someone who didn't trust you. Because of Madison, Yelina didn't trust him anymore. And there was no way he was going to disturb his brothers' memory by telling her the truth. He would rather she was angry with him.

Eric and Speed just weren't the company he was looking for either. Besides which they had both left for home hours ago. Like he should have.

Calleigh.

Now she might just still be around he thought. She was as much of a work a holic as he was, if not more so. And he knew the case today had affected her just as much as it had himself.

Horatio was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of someone using the gun range. Sure it could have been one of the graveyard shift doing tests for a case. But Horatio had a strong feeling that Calleigh was the one doing target practice tonight. The feel of her gun in her hand would have helped her feel in control after today's disturbing case.

He picked up his suit jacket from the back of his chair and shrugged it on. Then he walked out his office and down the stairs to go and investigate.

------

He walked up silently and waited at the door watching.

Watching Calleigh take shot after shot after shot. She looked focused, but Horatio could tell she her mind was anywhere but on the target in front of her. Her grouping was perfect as always, and to most people her stance would have screamed that she was completely in control.

To someone who didn't know her as well, that's what Calleigh always was - In control.

Horatio did know her well however, and could tell she was anything but in control tonight. He'd seen it in her eyes during the day. The haunted look that echoed what he himself was feeling

------

Calleigh empties the round in her gun and that was how she felt too - empty.

She was about to reload her gun and start again, but a feeling of being watched caused her to pause in her actions.

Calleigh knew. She knew without even turning around. Only one person could cause this feeling of complete acceptance to wash over her. How comforting it was that he'd turn up just after she had been thinking about how much she needed to talk to him.

Very slowly Calleigh started to turn around. "Hey handsome" came her usual greeting, but without the usual cheerfulness.

"Hi yourself, beautiful" Horatio replied. "Mind if I join you?" "

"Not at all" Calleigh replied "I'd love your company after today. Thought we should both really be at home in bed". Horatio gave her one of his half smiles. "True, but I couldn't go home to an empty house tonight, and I don't think you could either, could you?

"No, your right as always. I just couldn't face it. I kept thinking about those kids."

"Me too," Horatio said. "Move over"

-------

Now it was Calleighs's turn to observe.

She could tell Horatio wasn't his usual in control self tonight. He was almost trembling as he took his shots. She didn't know why he chose to come down here to her instead of seeing his sister in law - just the thought of Yelina made her shudder - but she was very glad he did. She always felt so much better when he was around. It was a sense of belonging she shouldn't even have, but she did anyway. Horatio was her best friend - how she wished it could be more.

Not that he ever noticed the way she wanted him to. She'd even tried going out with that idiot John Hagen - good looking idiot (though not as handsome as Horatio), but idiot none the less - just to try to make Horatio jealous.

But that hadn't worked either. He'd never look at her in more than a platonic way. All the guys around the lab wanted Calleigh - except the one she herself wanted!

"Don't think about it" Calleigh said to her self "He's here now when you need him, and that's what matters."

-------

Horatio emptied his round and put his gun away.

"Well, that feels slightly better, but not much" He said. "Are you planning on staying here until shift starts again in the morning?"

"Probably" Calleigh admitted. "But so are you, don't even think about trying to deny it Horatio Caine!" She finished after seeing the look Horatio shot at her.

"True, I'm not going home" Horatio said. "But I don't want to stay here either. There's a place I sometimes go when I feel like this. Would you care to take a drive with me?"

Not many people left Calleigh speechless, but Horatio excelled at it. 'Calm down, He's only asking you to go with him as a friend - but what the hell' She thought.

"Sure handsome, where to?" Calleigh replied out loud.

"Do you like surprises?" Horatio queried teasingly

"Yes!" Calleigh shouted grinning like a young child. "I mean yes, of course I do", She replied in a more adult tone. Horatio laughed - and Calleigh joined in, it felt good to be able to laugh.

"Come on, lets get out of this place" Horatio said.

He reached over and took Calleigh's hand. Horatio lead her out of the gun range, and then together they walked out the building to his Hummer.

--------

Ever the gentleman, Horatio opened her door for her and helped her in the vehicle. He then closed the door and walked around the large vehicle to climb up into the driver seat.

Horatio smiled as he thought how trusting Calleigh was, just to hop in and go with him, no questions asked. That made a welcome change from Yelina. She would have grilled him from here to the end of the earth and back again. But Calleigh would go to the end of the earth and back again for him.

------

Calleigh was curious, but not afraid. She trusted Horatio emphatically. She could see they were heading out of the city, the bright lights of Miami were getting dimmer, and it seemed as though there were a million stars in the sky above them.

After awhile Horatio turned off down a side road, and they continued to ride in silence. But it was not uncomfortable - it was that companionable silence that only comes when two people know each other as well as Horatio and Calleigh did. When you get to the stage you don't have to constantly talk for fear of silence.

After about 15 minutes Horatio pulled off to the side of the road, and stopped the large vehicle, pulling Calleigh out of her revive. He got out without saying anything and came around the Hummer to open her door, taking her hand and helping her out.

He led her down a short path, and Calleigh gasped when she saw it.

A picture perfect secluded cove. Vegetation surrounded them, the brilliant stars shone above then and the bright moonshine reflected on the still waters. The only movement was the gentlest lapping of the waters on the sandy beach.

"Horatio, it's beautiful" She whispered.

Not that there was any need to whisper, there was absolutely no one around but the two of them, but it was the sort of place that made you quiet in it's stillness.

"It is, isn't it" Horatio said. "You know, I've never shown this to anyone else Calleigh."

"Really?" Calleigh asked.

"Really."

"Then why me? Why not Yelina?" Calleigh asked with a slight scorn.

Horatio went stock still at her tone and looked at her incredulously. 'Oh my God' He thought. 'What have I been doing to Calleigh with all the attention I've given to Yelina recently?'

Calleigh was horrified. She couldn't believe she'd just said that. "Horatio, I'm so sorry. That was really uncalled for." Calleigh mumbled

"No Calleigh, I'm sorry" Horatio said sincerely. "Do you want to sit here for awhile? I really do want to talk with you."

"Yeah, I'd like that handsome" Calleigh shyly replied

Horatio sat down on the golden sand, and pulled Calleigh into lean against him as she too sat down.

They were silent for a long time, just looking at the moonlight on the water. Then Horatio plucked up the courage to speak. "You know Cal, today's case hit me really hard and I know it did you as well. Sitting in my office this evening, all l could think about was how much I wanted to talk with you, needed your company."

Calleigh stared at him, completely astonished.

"I'm sorry if I said something wrong" Horatio said, misunderstanding the way she looked at him.

"No, no," Calleigh quickly explained " It's just that while I was wandering around the gun range, trying to clear my head, all I could think of was how much I wanted your company this evening. To be able to talk to you. Not really about the case or work or anything like that but just about you" Calleigh finished softly.

"Well, let's talk then," Horatio said smiling. "Like about how utterly beautiful you are Calleigh. Not just in looks, although I do think your stunning, but in personality as well."

"Stop fooling around handsome!"

"No, Calleigh. I'm not fooling. You are so trusting just to come here with me, no questions asked. I ….no one else trusts me like that Cal, no one."

"Well, your sister in law seems to think your something special H"

"Not anymore Calleigh" Horatio replied. "I still love her as part of my family, which is how I always thought of her, and always will, but do you remember when we found Ray's killer?

"Yeah, I remember" Calleigh answered "Susie's husband"

"Correct." Horatio was astonished she'd remembered. "Well, a little while after that Yelina told me she couldn't trust me anymore."

"That's ridiculous! You're the most trustworthy person on the planet."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"Why doesn't she trust you?" Calleigh queried.

"Do you remember Susie's daughter Madison?"

"Yes, the cute red head."

"She's Ray's daughter"

"Wow. But why would that make Yelina not trust you? Shouldn't she be mad at Ray…. Hang on; she thinks Madison's your daughter doesn't she?

"Yes." Horatio replied. "And there's no way I'm going to tell her the truth. I'd rather she was mad at me than my deceased brother. No matter how mad I got at him about it when I found out during that case."

"I'm sorry Horatio" Calleigh said. "So do you go and see Madison at all?

"Quite a bit. But I'm just a friend as far as she knows. I haven't told her I'm her uncle." Horatio paused for a moment. "I don't know Cal. Two of those kids today being the same ages as Madison and Ray Jnr, just made it that much worse.

Calleigh didn't say anything. Instead she leaned in closer to Horatio and put her arms around him. Horatio tucked her head under his chin and stroked her beautiful golden hair lightly.

"Why did this one get to you beautiful?" Horatio asked after a few minutes.

"I don't really know. I love guns, but in the wrong hands…..the results are so tragic…..I wanted to talk with you …. But not about the case….I think it's time to put that to rest." Calleigh paused for a moment. "You mean a lot to me Horatio; I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"I care about you to Cal. More than I probably should." Horatio answered her.

Calleigh pulled back her face to look up at him.

"Please don't get mad if I say this, but I'd really like us to move beyond just being friends" Calleigh said quietly.

'Oh Lord' she thought. 'I can't believe I just admitted that to him. I think the moonlight's starting to affect my brain.'

And it was getting to her. To both of them in fact. Horatio felt more at peace than he ever had. It just seemed so natural to sit in the sand and talk with Calleigh under the moonlight.

Horatio caught the look of mortification on Calleigh's face, and put his hand up to cup her cheek lightly.

"Don't look so scared beautiful," Horatio whispered. "As wonderful as it is having you as my best friend, I too want to move beyond just being friends."

"Really" Calleigh queried

"Really," Horatio said with one of his half smiles. "So, on that note, do you have plans for Friday night? You know we both have it off right?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Calleigh asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"Well. What ever you want to do, I'll be there with you" Cal said smiling.

"How about diner, then a stroll along our private beach here? Horatio asked

"Sound's perfect" Calleigh answered him.

She lifted her face to his, and their lips met in their first kiss, full of hope and promise.

The end.