When Horatio opened the door to the suite he was almost barreled over by a middle-aged woman with short brown hair streaked softly with red highlights.
"Oh!" She gasped holding a hand to her heart. "Sorry I thought..." She glanced past Horatio and smiled. "There's my Sammy!" Horatio promptly moved out of the way so Samantha and her mother could hug inside the doorway.
Horatio knew from Samantha that her parents were both in their mid fifties. Samantha's mother was certainly beautiful for a woman of any age. She kept her hair short, her face free of plastic surgery or any other anti-aging method save for a soft layer of make up. Horatio suspected her hair was probably dyed as most women in there fifties had at least one gray hair... but heck... who didn't dye their hair nowadays? To put it simply, the Higgins were a lovely family.
"Mom, this is Lieutenant Horatio Caine. Horatio, this is my mother Deb. Call her Debbie she loves it."
Deb shot Samantha a teasing death glare. Turning back to Horatio she shook his hand and smiled. "Deb is fine thank you... Debbie sounds like what you call a five year old not a fifty-five year old."
Horatio smiled. "Deb it is then. Please call me Horatio." Horatio's cell phone chirped from his coat pocket. "Excuse me, please." Answering the call, Horatio stepped out of the main room and into his bedroom where he quietly shut the door to give Samantha and her family some privacy.
Samantha's mother didn't waste a moment. "You're sharing a room with your boss? Your male boss?"
Samantha rolled her eyes and cast a pleading look at her father. "The hotel screwed up our reservations, mom. And it's a two room suite." Samantha crossed her arms looking defiant. "And I'm thirty years old and perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Deb crossed her arms, her expression matching her daughter's perfectly. "Thirty years old or not, it is inappropriate to be sharing a hotel room with your boss. I'm going to have to speak to him about this… what's his name again?"
"Horatio, and no, you are most certainly not going to say anything to him about this. It was my decision to take the suite. Horatio probably wanted to take separate rooms in a hotel across town but I wanted to say at the convention site ok?"
Deb narrowed her eyes. "They offered you separate rooms? And you declined?"
Samantha fought the urge to pull her own hair out. "Yes. Mom I told you… the hotel screwed up our reservations. Our options were a two-room suite in this hotel, or separate rooms at some random hotel at some random location in Minneapolis. I made the call, and it really isn't any of your business anyway. Please drop it."
Deb appeared as though she had other thoughts to share on the matter, but Don's quiet voice stopped her. "Deb. Let it go."
Horatio chose that moment to re-enter the room, fully prepared to apologize again for his cell phone's interruption, but stopping short at the tension he sensed. Both mother and daughter stood with their arms crossed looking thoroughly put out while Don stood just behind his wife looking rather at peace with the world.
Horatio cleared his throat. "Sorry again for the interruption. Just the lab checking in."
Samantha's father nodded and smiled. "Not a problem. I would imagine in your line of work you rarely get any real time off."
"True enough." Horatio replied quietly.
Uncrossing her arms, Deb turned towards Horatio. For a moment Samantha thought she might have to throw her body in between her mother and her boss. "Do you two have plans this evening?" Deb asked.
Horatio glanced at Samantha and let her respond. "Actually mom, we do." Samantha explained the circumstances to their evening plans with Grissom and Sara.
Samantha's mother smiled in reaction. "The Phantom of the Opera. You've been listening to that musical since you were twelve. You've seen that show what… eight times?"
"Nine. But who's counting?" Samantha smiled.
Deb turned back to Horatio. "Samantha gave up a singing career to pursue forensics."
Samantha snorted. "I didn't give up a singing career mom. You make it sound like I was signed to a record label and then walked away… I never made it any further than community theatre." She explained to Horatio.
Deb pressed on. "But you were the star of each and every one of those community theatres."
"Not always."
"Even in the chorus… you were the star."
Horatio smiled and glanced over at Samantha. "I'm sure she was."
-----------------------------
Horatio attended the remaining seminars alone that afternoon so Samantha could spend some time with her family. He chuckled at the memory of Samantha's torn expression when faced with the choice between missing some very exciting forensics seminars and missing time with her family. Ultimately family had won out and Samantha had left with her parents telling him she would be back before they had to meet Grissom and Sara. In the interest of time the four criminalists had decided to attend the performance first and save dinner until after.
Stepping out into the lobby, Horatio stopped when he heard his named called out.
"Horatio!"
Horatio turned and smiled at Samantha's father, Don who jogged up to him in the lobby.
Horatio inclined his head. "Don. Did you have a good afternoon?"
Don nodded. "We did, thank you. And Samantha only complained six or seven times about the seminars she was missing."
They smiled. Horatio asked. "Where is Samantha?"
"She's up in her room getting ready. Deb and I are on our way out… I left her in the car so I don't have much time." He smiled. "I just wanted to catch you before we left."
Horatio nodded his head, hands going to his hips as he waited for whatever it was Don had to say.
"How old are you, Horatio?"
Blinking, Horatio responded. "Forty-Five."
"Do you have feelings for my daughter?"
Horatio inwardly cringed, though his face registered nothing. What didn't escape Samantha's father was the delay in Horatio's response. The delay told him enough. "I…"
Don sighed. "You do." He inclined his head at Horatio. "You do realize you're fifteen years older than her, right?"
Horatio nodded. "I do."
Don sighed again. "Well… I've never had to say this to someone your age before… no offense."
"None taken."
"But…" Don continued. "Treat her well. And let me think… I haven't had to give this speech since her senior prom. Uhh… oh yeah. If you hurt her I'll have to kill you." The smirk he finished his statement with softened the blow somewhat.
Horatio was unable to keep the surprise from his face this time. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, hands still planted securely on his hips. "Are you… are you giving me permission to see your daughter? Although for the record, I do feel I should tell you we're not currently dating."
"I am giving you permission yes. I know Samantha, and with or without it she'll see who she wants to won't she?"
Horatio smiled. "I believe you're right. What umm… what about your wife?"
Don nodded. "She'll be understandably not pleased I imagine. But… you let me deal with her."
Horatio chuckled. "Fair enough. I'd shake your hand but that would make this feel too much like a business transaction."
Don laughed. "All right. I'd better get out to the car before my wife comes in after me. The Higgins women can have some formidable tempers."
"Duly noted. Take care, Don."