Dinner Parties, Blue Dresses & Olive Juice Chapter 2: I have some bad news, a csi: miami fanfic

Dinner Parties, Blue Dresses and Olive Juice

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I am sorry it's taken me so long to continue, but I had an urge to write a House fic before hand, so my attention was split two ways. This chapter should explain the title a little more.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! (Literally, I live in a cardboard box and wear bin liners…)

By the time Calleigh got to her apartment after work, it was already half 6, meaning she had an hour to get ready before Horatio arrived. Luckily, the dress didn't take much finding, and after a ten minute shower, she was ready to get dressed. Her hair still wet, she tied it into a twist at the back of her head, not caring what it looked like, since once she'd got the hairdryer out, she'd undo it anyway, hopefully leaving her with slightly wavy golden locks. Humming to herself she opened her closet and knelt down to find her shoes, the only pair that went with the dress. As she bent down, she thought she heard something behind her, but there was nothing there, so she continued to look through the pile of shoes.

Horatio's car pulled out of the car lot at precisely 6:45, he'd timed it perfectly. Still enough time to pick up his suit from the dry cleaners, not that he didn't already have too many in his closet, but it was his favourite one and probably the smartest of all. Though Calleigh hadn't actually said what he should come wearing, the fact that there would be place markings meant he definitely needed a smart outfit. This couldn't help but make him wonder what she would be wearing.

After picking up his dry cleaning, he got home with twenty minutes to get dressed if he spared ten for picking up his 'date' for the evening, though he hadn't thought of her that way until that split second when he looked at the clock. They weren't going on a date, he was merely helping out a friend. Dressing as quickly as he could, he was soon out of the house and on the road towards Calleigh's apartment. On his way, he grew increasingly nervous; his thoughts drifting back to what he'd find when he knocked on her door, so that when he actually arrived, right on time, he sat in his car for a moment, wondering. Finally, he got out and walked up to her door, knocking loudly on the wood.

"Come in, it's open," A familiar voice yelled out at him.

Pushing open the door, Horatio was greeted by the back end of his 'date', who was still going through the bottom of her closet. A flying shoe just missed his face. Calleigh turned around, a blush on her soft face. A part from her expression, she looked amazing, her blonde hair hanging loosely down from where it had fallen, and even without make-up, she was perfect. His eyes moved down to her dress, which was of a blue velvet nature, and showed off her figure, even if she hadn't had time to smooth it out. As she stood up to apologize, Horatio's heart fell for her.

"Calleigh, I have some bad news,"

A serious look of worry replaced the embarrassment on her face, "Oh god… what?"

"The back of your dress… it's got a rip in it…" He rested a hand on the place he meant, an odd feeling going up his arm as he did so, "You got another dress?"

A red tint to her cheeks again, Calleigh yanked on the doors of her closet and pulled back several plastic-covered outfits, most of which were work clothes. At the very back, a dusty looking dress was all that was left, and she had no idea where it was from. Without saying a word, she pulled it out and blew some of the dust off of the plastic cover. The dress itself was also blue, but a deeper shade, and made from satin rather than velvet. Calleigh was speechless as she held it up to herself, finding it to be the right size and of a good length too.

"I have no idea where this came from, but I'm wearing it,"

The hall Calleigh's father had booked was a large building with a huge car lot at the front of it, and a balcony with a view of the sea round the back. Guests were already beginning to arrive when she and Horatio arrived; another thing adding to Calleigh's nerves. As she stepped out of the car; Horatio holding the door open of course; she couldn't help but let out a sigh. Each time she bothered showing up to one of these dinner parties, another half a dozen people she'd never met came cooing around her, asking about her job and such things that they obviously weren't really interested in. She was amazed her dad even had that many friends to invite in the first place.

"You okay?"

Calleigh faked a smile, "Yes I'll be fine,"

Inside, the room was practically full already, with several couples laughing way too loud to be natural and making far too much small talk for Calleigh's liking. Hasn't anyone ever heard of keeping to themselves? She thought as the minute she entered a woman in a white gown came bouncing up to her, a huge smile on her face. Before she knew it, Calleigh was caught in a tight embrace with the woman who she didn't even recognise.

"Oh! Aren't you just the most beautiful thing alive! Look Camilla, it's Calleigh, Kenwall's daughter! My, aren't you looking amazing? I haven't seen you since you were… about 10 years old! Then again, I always said you'd grow up to be of model potential. My Geraldine, she's gone into the fashion business, could get you an agent…"

Calleigh's face turned from shock to disgust. Didn't this woman realize that she was old enough to make her own decisions, and had a career she was more than happy with already? Pulling out of the hug, she felt Horatio's reassuring hand on her back, and she smiled inside, remembering she was not alone, "Thanks… didn't my father tell you, I'm a CSI… I get paid to play with guns,"

Horatio chuckled knowingly at that last comment, understanding that she was just trying to lose the woman's interest. Once the woman left, Horatio found them some seats at the side, admiring the huge table that he guessed they would be sitting at to eat. Calleigh shuffled nervously in the metal chair, staring out across the room, and thinking. Why had he been willing to go with her? And what the hell did the hand on her back mean? Calleigh had always thought her affection for him was a one way thing, but she was now thinking she'd maybe been wrong. Brushing it off, she turned to Horatio, a smile on her face.

"I guess this isn't so bad…"

Before he had a chance to say anything, someone practically ran toward them, his arms open and soon he was hugging Calleigh tightly. Horatio chuckled for the second time that night.

"Lamp chop, you made it!"

Calleigh frowned and mouthed a single word to Horatio, "Uhto,"

A/N: there it is chapter 2! Please tell me what you think! I do know where this fic is going now, finally lol. And the next chapter won't take so long to write, I swear! It will also focus a little more on that case I mentioned at the start since I was meant to focus on both )