Disclaimer: You've all heard it before.
A/N: Thank you for your patience. Thereare 24 hours of story time left after this segment, but we are nearing the end. I'm away from home right now, so it's taking me longer to write and post than I planned, so I want to thank you for sticking around to finish the story with me.
After two days of sunburns, bathroom breaks in the men's room, falling into Biscayne Bay and wearing someone else's robe while their clothes tumbled dry, Horatio figured Friday would be a good day to stay home.
He actually slept late, without nightmares, and woke up to see Madison standing over him, hugging her bunny tightly. The clock next to the bed read 9:00 a.m.
"I'm hungry," she announced.
Horatio rubbed at his face, trying to get his eyes to focus. Madison didn't disappear.
"Okay, sweetheart," he said after a moment. "Help yourself to cereal."
"I want pancakes," Madison said. "Do you know how to make pancakes?"
Horatio groaned. The clock said 9:01 a.m. He hadn't made pancakes in five years. He didn't even have syrup in the house.
"Please," she begged.
Coffee, is what he thought.
"Alright," Horatio said at last. "I'll make you pancakes. Go get dressed and let me shave."
Madison grinned and skipped out of his bedroom. Horatio lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, very glad he remembered to wear a t-shirt to bed. Definitely, staying home that day.
His cell phone rang. He had left it next to the alarm clock and reach over to grab it with one hand. He answered the phone, still staring at the ceiling, "Horatio."
"Good-morning, honey," Alexx said. She sounded extremely alert and awake. "How's parenthood treating you?"
"I'm just glad she's passed diapers," Horatio told her. "What can I do for you, Alexx?"
"Dennis has the day off," she said. Horatio heard Alexx shuffling a stack of papers in the background; he decided she was in her office. "He thought it would be nice if we had people over for dinner this evening. Madison can play with Bryan and Janie and you can talk with adults."
"Sounds wonderful," he said. "Can I bring anything?"
Alexx chuckled on the other end. "Just that little girl of yours. Oh, and I invited Calleigh and Eric. Calleigh's bringing her mother's pecan pie."
The last time Calleigh brought "her mother's pecan pie" had been to Thanksgiving at Alexx and Dennis' home two years ago. The pie was seen briefly in the dinning room before mysteriously disappearing. Eric and Tim insisted they had nothing to do with the pie's disappearance but were smart enough to save Horatio a piece.
"That may be bribery," Horatio told his best friend. He sat up and leaned forward, trying to snag his bathrobe from the valet next to the bed stand.
Alexx laughed outright. "Of course it is, sugar. Now, you be at our house at five. And bring your swimsuits."
Horatio frowned. "Five?" he asked. "Slow day?"
"Slow week," Alexx said. "Besides, the boss has been out for most of it."
The boss shook his head. "Alexx –"
"See you at five, Horatio," she said. "Now, I've got to go if I want to be able to leave early."
Alexx hung up. Horatio grabbed his robe and headed to his bathroom. Again, again, she had managed to be right and tell him what he needed to do.
Mtts
"Pancakes," Horatio muttered and stared at his open pantry. He closed the door and opened the freezer, hunting for flour or Bisquick or any other needed item for pancakes.
As any good bachelor, he came up empty.
"Pancakes," Madison echoed as he closed the freezer door. She had gotten dressed in the meantime and was now following him around the kitchen, mimicking his every word.
Horatio took a sip from his coffee and rubbed his forehead.
"Are you sure you want pancakes?" he tried again.
Madison looked up at him and vigorously nodded her head.
"We, uhm, well, we don't have what we need for pancakes," he told her.
Madison looked forlorn and stuck out her bottom lip. Horatio continued to rub at his forehead.
What the hell, he thought, it's only pancakes. He finished his coffee and put the mug in the dishwasher. He grabbed his keys from the corner of the countertop.
"Come on, Maddie," he said. "We're going out for breakfast and you can get pancakes."
Madison cheered and dashed to the side door. Horatio followed, opening the garage door above Madison's head. He helped her into the backseat and walked around to the driver's side door. He pulled out of the driveway and was headed done the rode before he realized he didn't know where to go for pancakes. Calleigh had once dragged him, along with Eric and Tim, to a pancake house. She had been hungry and swore pecan pancakes were the only things she could possibly eat that night.
First geckos, now pancakes. He knew he'd never hear the end of it, but called Calleigh for directions anyway.
"Original Pancake House," Calleigh said, choking on what annoyingly sounded like a giggle. "They're on Southwest 72nd Street."
"Thank you, Calleigh," he said, hoping to get her off the phone.
"No problem, Handsome," she replied. "Hang on." Then Horatio heard her say over her shoulder, "Horatio's taking Madison to breakfast at OPH."
"We haven't eaten yet," Eric said in the background. "You want to join them? We'll call it lunch."
Horatio slowed the car to a stop at a red light. He glanced in the review mirror to check on Madison. She was watching out the window.
"Doesn't anyone work when I'm away?" Horatio asked wearily.
"Oh, yeah," Calleigh said brightly. "We made an arrest in Tuesday's hit-and-run. And Eric has a new lead on the Mendez case. So, we'll meet you at OPH in fifteen minutes?"
"Fifteen minutes," Horatio agreed before flipping the phone shut. He glanced back again to Madison. "It seems, it seems your friends Calleigh and Eric are joining us for breakfast and dinner at Dr. Alexx's house."
Madison leaned forward in her seat. "We're going to Dr. Alexx's house?" she asked, excited. "I like her. Can I play with her kitty?"
Horatio chuckled to himself. He had forgotten he promised Madison she could see Alexx's cat. "I imagine so," he told her. "And, Dr. Alexx has two kids you can play with, too."
Madison clapped her hands. "Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty…"
MttS
Eric and Calleigh were already seated when Horatio lead Madison into the restaurant. Madison saw Calleigh and skipped across the room to their booth. Madison climbed up next Calleigh and tossed her arms around the blond woman.
"What, I don't get a hug?" Eric teased as Horatio eased himself into the booth next to him.
Madison settled next to Calleigh and looked at Eric with an expression of disbelief. "You're a boy," she informed him. "You don't hug boys."
Eric laughed at her answer and elbowed Horatio, who had picked up a menu. "We'll see if she says that in ten years," he said.
"She better," Horatio muttered.
Eric smirked. "I'm just glad Calleigh got over that," he said.
Horatio raised his eyebrows and tipped his head. "Calleigh carries a gun and knows how to use it."
Calleigh looked up from the children's menu and crayons she was sharing with Madison. "I heard that, bub."
"Yeah, yeah," Eric dismissed but winked at her. Calleigh smiled from the corner of her mouth at him.
Coffee, Horatio thought for the second time that morning and closed his eyes in pain. To his relief, a waitress headed their way. Sensing his distress, she filled his coffee cup before asking, "And what will it be this morning, dears?"
"Pancakes!" Madison immediately told her, leaning on the table.
The waitress laughed at her eagerness and nodded to Calleigh. "Buttermilk short stack with syrup?"
Calleigh glanced at Horatio, a little surprised. He nodded slightly in agreement. "Yes," Calleigh replied. "That would be good for her. And I will have your dollar pecan cakes with scrambled eggs. And a sweet tea, please."
"And chocolate milk," Madison added with a grin.
Eric quickly skimmed his menu when the waitress turned to him next. "Uhm, I'll have your blueberry pancakes, with bacon and a Coke."
Horatio looked up from fixing his coffee with cream and sugar. "Scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon and toast."
The waitress wrote down their orders, winked at Madison and headed toward the kitchen. Horatio savored his coffee while Madison chattered happily to Calleigh as they worked through the maze on the back of the children's menu. Eric settled back in the booth and shot a toothy grin at Calleigh.
Madison made a face and then leaned over and whispered something in Calleigh's ear. Calleigh nodded and slid from the seat, followed by Madison. "If you gentlemen will excuse us," she said, her Southern accent light, "we ladies need to powder our noses."
Madison giggled at the expression and took Calleigh's hand. The two of them left toward the restrooms.
Eric watched them go. He sat forward on the seat, folding his heads on the table. "She's so cute," he said to Horatio. "She sort of makes me think of having one."
"Little girl?" Horatio asked, setting down his coffee. There was an under level of seriousness in Eric's voice.
"Little girl, little boy," Eric said. "Delkoito. You know, having a family."
Horatio turned so he could see the younger man more clearly. He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"What does Calleigh think?" he asked gently. "Have you talked with her yet?"
Eric sighed and sat back again, playing with the tableware. "Nah," he admitted. "I dunno. I guess I'm not ready to ask her, yet. I mean, sometimes I am and sometimes…I don't know if I'm ready."
Horatio thought Eric's answer over and took another sip of his coffee. He set the mug down. "Eric," he said, "just don't wait too long to ask her."
Eric nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I know."
MttS
Madison splashed happily in the pool while Horatio floated in the pool chair. She was playing with one of the noodles the Wal-Mart clerk had explained was another necessity for children. She dog-paddled over to his chair and hung on to the side.
"I like your friends, Uncle Horatio," she said. "Miss Calleigh has pretty hair. I want hair just like her's."
"I like your hair the way it is," Horatio told her. He flicked a few drops of water at her freckled nose.
Madison bobbed in the water. "What are you going to do when I go home tomorrow?" she asked. "Will you miss me?"
Horatio sculled the water. A bright white sandhill crane called and flew overhead. Madison looked up, awe on her face.
He watched her look up, the filtered sunlight making her face shine.
"Yes," he said softly, "I'll miss you."
Madison returned her eyes from the sky to her uncle. "Huh?" She grinned. "Davy goes to see his daddy every other weekend."
"Does he?" Horatio asked.
"Uh-huh." Madison nodded, her eyes wide. "If he can see his daddy, can I come be with you?"
"Can you… come see me?" he said thoughtfully. "You would want to? What about your mommy?"
Madison splashed him back. "I see her all the time," she said matter-of-factly. "I hardly ever get to see you. And you're funny."
Horatio watched her play in the water. She tried to do a flip but was prevented from doing more than dunking herself by the floaties on her arms. He glanced at the clock, which read they had an hour before having to leave for Alexx's house.
The pool was not very big, just large enough for what is called "social swimming." Madison paddled to one end of the pool and used her feet to shoot away again from the side. There was a splash in the pond outside the lanai; Horatio turned to see one of the hawks rise from the water, gripping a fish in its talon.
His pool chair suddenly wobbled and he flailed to the side. The movement made the chair flip over. Horatio went into the water. He sputtered to the surface, toes brushing the bottom of the pool, to hear Madison giggling.
"I made you go in the water," she laughed, swimming just out of reach.
Horatio wiped his face and grinned at the mischievous child. "And I think, my friend, that I should return the favor," he told her, swimming to her side in two long strokes.
Madison squealed in delight as he caught her and lifted her above the water. She hurriedly gulped a breath of air before he tossed her forward in the water. There was a splash and she bobbed up, laughing.
"Do it again, do it again!" she cried, splashing water at him.
Horatio laughed in returned and picked her back up.