"I'm so nervous I think I might puke." Samantha stood staring at her reflection in the mirror, hardly able to believe that in less than an hour she would be Mrs. Horatio Caine. She ran her hands nervously down the front of her ivory gown. With it's sleeveless corseted top and flowing silken skirt, the exquisite gown showed off just the right amount of smooth white skin while accentuating her slim figure. She placed a hand over her belly, reminding herself with a flutter of nervous anticipation that her flat stomach was about become slightly rounder.
Calleigh laughed and stood from her seat to embrace Samantha in a warm hug. The two women had become close since her return to the lab one month ago. Samantha felt like Calleigh was the sister she'd never had. Calleigh seemed to feel the same, and she was only too happy to meet another young woman with a thirst for ballistics as strong as her own. Calleigh smirked at the thought. Well, almost as strong.
"You look stunning, Samantha. And you have nothing to worry about. I've known Horatio for a long time now. I've seen the way he looks at you. He loves you, and I know that you love him. What's there to be nervous about?"
Samantha chewed her lip a moment. "I--- I don't know. I still feel like this is all a dream you know? Like I'm going to wake up and it will all be gone…"
Calleigh smiled comfortingly. "This is one dream that you don't have to wake up from." She reached up to Samantha's hair and fixed one slightly out of place curl. Her hair was pilled atop her head, a few soft curls left to hang down her neck. It was Calleigh's idea to place a few baby white roses within Samantha's red curls. Calleigh took a step back and gave Samantha one last look. She was beautiful. "It's time, Samantha."
Standing in his custom tailored tuxedo with Delco and Wolfe by his side, time stood still for Horatio as he turned to the music that signaled the arrival of his beautiful young bride. When his eyes caught site of her for the first time, he was scarcely able to prevent a gasp from leaving his throat. Her beauty took his breath away. Horatio didn't know what he had done to deserve a woman like Samantha, but he offered up a silent prayer in thanks as he took her hand gently in his and turned with her toward the alter.
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"What are you thinking, Mrs. Caine?"
Samantha turned from her perch by the window to the sound of her husband's voice. She smiled sweetly. "That I'm the luckiest woman in the world, Mr. Caine."
"Hmm…" Horatio mumbled softly, moving to sit in front of her and taking her hands in his own. "No… no I'm the lucky one. I still can't believe your mine."
Samantha smirked, gazing down at their clasped hands. "Maybe we're both lucky." She moved her eyes back up to his.
He smiled at her. "I think you're right." Horatio turned his head to look over the Minneapolis skyline. He smirked amusedly. "How did your parents manage to get the same hotel suite from the convention?"
Samantha chuckled. "I have no idea. But if the room wasn't available, I feel sorry for whoever faced the wrath of my mother to get it."
Horatio laughed. "In that case, I'm glad your mother forgave me."
Samantha smiled. "I'm glad she forgave us both. I guess it's not easy for a mother to hear that her little girl is pregnant, but not married. Even in this day and age." She leaned forward, her face now mere inches from Horatio's. "But it seems that even my mother wasn't able to resist falling to the charms of Horatio Caine."
Samantha looked around the room, remembering the time she had spent with Horatio in this room just over one month ago. So much had changed since then. Her gaze fell to the kitchen counter and her face split into a wide grin at the memory that surfaced. Quite possibly, it was where their unborn child had been conceived.
"What's so funny?" Horatio asked, noticing her expression. A fresh wave of desire rushed through him when her seductive gaze met his.
"Are you hungry?" She gestured with a shrug of her shoulder towards the kitchen. "I was thinking you might want a… snack."
As smart as Horatio was, it took him a full minute to realize the implication behind her words. He groaned out loud. "Mmm… I believe I am hungry."
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"Excuse me?"
The receptionist looked up from her paperwork to smile at the couple in front of the reception desk. "Yes, can I help you?"
"We're looking for Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle."
"Oh… well they are out on assignment right now. Can I take a message?"
Samantha turned to Horatio and sighed. "I guess we should have called first."
Horatio shrugged. "Well you wanted it to be a surprise. It's ok though, we'll come back la---."
"Horatio Caine, is that you?" A female voice called out.
Horatio turned towards the voice and smiled. "Catherine Willows. Good to see you again."
Catherine smiled back at Horatio. "You too. Don't take this the wrong way but… what are you doing here?"
Horatio chuckled. "Actually, I'm here on my honeymoon. Catherine Willows, this is my wife. Samantha Caine."
Catherine smiled and shook Samantha's hand. "The unflappable Horatio Caine got hitched huh? Well congratulations to both of you."
Samantha blushed sweetly. "Thank you. We wanted to stop by and say hi to Grissom and Sara… we met at the convention."
Catherine nodded. "So I heard."
"What are you doing here?"
The three of them turned to the sound of Grissom's voice.
Samantha smiled at Grissom, her smile expanding when she noticed Sara come into sight behind him.
Sara smiled at Samantha and Horatio. "Hi! Didn't expect to see you guys so soon. But really, what are you doing here?"
Horatio and Samantha looked at each other briefly. Smiling, Samantha turned toward Grissom and Sara and held up her left hand.
Sara gasped and walked forward to examine the ring. "Oh my gosh! Congratulations!" Sara embraced Samantha in a warm hug and then did the same to Horatio. "I can't believe you got married! Honeymoon in Vegas huh?"
Horatio smirked. "Where else?"
Samantha made a small gasping noise beside Horatio and he looked down at her with concern. "Bathroom?" She managed to gasp out before her hand flew back to her mouth. Catherine, Grissom, and Sara all pointed down the hall and Samantha sprinted off in their indicated direction.
Grissom turned towards Horatio. "Is she all right?"
Horatio sighed and nodded. "The sickness comes and goes. She's uhh… she's pregnant."
Sara, Grissom, and Catherine all managed to gasp simultaneously.
"You have been busy." Grissom said with amusement.
Horatio blushed and bowed his head. "Yeah… I'm fairly certain I sent the Board of Directors at MDPD into simultaneous cardiac arrest when I told them I was marrying Samantha and then that she was carrying my child. Especially when in my very next breath I told them I was hiring another CSI. That… that was a bit too much for them to digest all at once."
Grissom chuckled. "If your Board is as stingy as ours, I can imagine it would be."
"Sorry about that." Samantha offered meekly as she made her way back into the lobby and pressed herself against Horatio's side. His arm came around her to hold her comfortingly.
"There's nothing to be sorry for Samantha." Sara beamed. "Horatio told us the good news. I'm so happy for you!"
Samantha beamed at all of them, and then turned her gaze up to Horatio who smiled down at her. If they weren't standing in the middle of a busy crime lab Samantha would have kissed her handsome husband. But she knew that would embarrass him. Instead, she whispered softly in his ear. "I want you. Now."
Horatio's eyebrows shot up and he smiled quickly at Grissom, Sara, and Catherine. "Well… it was great to see you all again. Perhaps we'll stop by again before we leave Vegas."
Sara smirked. "If you don't, we'll certainly understand why."