A/N: okay, Chapter 4 up and running. After Chapter 4, things are going to jump ahead a little bit and then things are going to start getting really interesting, so keep reading and reviews are, as we all know, always welcome.

Chapter 4

When Savannah stopped by Reception that evening, she was all but bouncing. She'd gotten a job that afternoon at a café near the ocean and, for a waitress position, it paid well. She would be starting her new job tomorrow morning. She was sure Horatio would be pleased.

Jane smiled at Savannah and handed her the artist bag.

"What's this?" Savannah asked, curious.

"A gift from Horatio. He said you needed it," Jane explained.

Curious, Savannah looked inside the bag and found, to her surprise, the art supplies. Her eyes went wide with wonder. "But-but why?" she asked, growing worried and confused.

"Because he wants you to be happy, sugar," came Alexx's voice. Savannah looked up to discover the M.E. standing nearby. "And if drawing makes you happy, then he'll do what he can to help you do that."

"But ma'am, where I come from, gifts come with a price tag," Savannah admitted. "Both Papa and Andrew said that nothing in life was free. You get, you give."

Alexx snorted softly. "Honey, Horatio isn't like that, not at all. The only thing he wants is for you to be happy. You have an incredible artistic ability and he's simply trying to help you foster that," she explained.

"He's not gonna ask for any… favors?" Savannah asked, still struggling to believe her.

"If you're talking about the kind of favors I think you're talking about," Alexx began, watching the girl's face go scarlet, "then the answer is a definite no. He's not that kind of man. Honey, Horatio will never lay a hand on you in anger or in a sexual fashion. That's not his way. In all the years I've known him, there are only two times I know of when Horatio has hit somebody and the second one I'm not even a hundred percent sure about, but both times it's been warranted."

"What were the two times?" Savannah asked hesitantly. She was curious and this was a good way to find out a bit more about her roommate.

"Both incidents involved men who had gone after his own. One fellow murdered a woman he'd known and another, if the rumors are true, had been involved in the murder of his wife," Alexx replied. "Horatio looks after his own, no matter who they are and no matter the circumstances."

Savannah nodded, absorbing the information.

"It's just… this is like a dream for me. I've never owned anything like this, never had anyone tell me they wanted me to draw. I'm afraid I'm going wake up and find out I'm still in Alabama and this was all just a dream. I've never had any of my dreams come true," she confessed.

Alexx put her arms around the girl and gave her a comforting hug. "Then maybe it's time they started coming true," she said, smiling.

Savannah nodded. Alexx was a comforting person and it had been a long time since she'd been held the way Alexx was holding her. She found herself missing her mother and Alexx seemed to sense this, giving the girl a badly-needed mother-type hug.

"You're safe, sugar, you're safe," she said.

"Give me a bit of time and I might actually start believing it," Savannah admitted. "I'd feel a lot safer if I knew where I could find a rifle and some buckshot though," she said.

"Whatever for?" Alexx asked.

"Just in case a certain ornery critter by the name of Rick decides to show up and get mouthy again."

"Are we talking about Rick Settler, Internal Affairs?" Alexx asked.

"Guess so. He accused Horatio of cradle-robbing 'cause I'd had a nap in his office."

Alexx scowled. "That boy had better watch his mouth."

"Which is why I wanted a loaded rifle. Kinda hard to say much when someone's shoved buckshot up your backside," Savannah said, grinning. Both Jane and Alexx snorted with laughter.

"In that case, talk to Calleigh. She's our ballistics expert," Jane said.

"Then she must be the Southern lady Horatio said would clobber him if he didn't at least offer me his couch when I admitted to being tired yesterday," Savannah said.

"That's Calleigh," Alexx said, grinning.

Horatio finally appeared, smiling when he saw Savannah and Alexx. He was with Eric Delko and Savannah blushed when she saw the good-looking Russian-Cuban CSI, who smiled at her.

"Hey there," Horatio said. "Are you hungry?" he asked Savannah.

"Always," she replied.

"Good. This is Eric Delko, our CSI and diving expert," Horatio said, introducing Savannah to Eric. "Eric, this is Savannah Abbot from Ladonia, Alabama. She'll be staying with me for a while."

"A pleasure to meet you," Eric said, offering his hand, which she accepted.

"Likewise," she replied, still blushing.

"How are you finding Miami so far?" he asked, deciding she was a pretty young lady and a little harmless flirting wouldn't hurt any.

"It's very… culturally different," she squeaked out.

Eric chuckled. "That's one way of putting it, yes," he said, grinning, causing Savannah's face to turn scarlet again, and duck her head shyly.

"And on that note, shall we head for dinner?" Horatio asked, smiling, quickly sensing a rescue was needed on Savannah's part.

Savannah nodded, feeling as if she would burst into flames any minute. They bid Eric and Alexx good night and headed for the elevators, which had, thankfully, just opened.

Once Horatio and Savannah were gone, Alexx said, "We need to keep a fire extinguisher around when you show up around Savannah."

"Why?" Eric asked, still grinning. He was fully aware of the effect he had on the younger female population and found it quite amusing.

"Because I thought the poor girl was going to spontaneously combust any second!" Alexx shot back, also grinning.

Jane reached under the Reception desk and popped back up a second later, fire extinguisher in hand and a mischievous grin on her face. "I think I'll keep this a little bit closer next time, just in case you really turn the charm on the girl," she quipped, causing both Alexx and Eric to laugh.

Outside, Savannah blushed as she spoke.

"Horatio?"

"Hmm?"

"Th-thank you for the art supplies. It was really, really nice of you and I appreciate it a lot," she stammered out. Horatio looked at her and smiled. She found herself itching to capture that smile on paper, right down to the way the moonlight and the building lights played across his face and hair.

"You're more than welcome. And just so we're clear, I don't expect anything out of it," he said.

"I know. Alexx set me straight on a few things," she admitted.

"That's good to hear," he said, silently thanking Alexx. "Now, how does seafood sound to you?"

"Sounds good to me. I also got some good news."

"Good news is always good to hear," he said, unlocking his car door and letting her get in.

Once she was buckled up and they were heading towards the seafood restaurant, Savannah told him about her new job and how she'd gotten it with no résumé.

Flashback to earlier that day:

After lunch, Savannah and Horatio had parted ways after agreeing that Savannah would meet him back at the lab at a certain time later that evening for dinner.

Savannah'd had a wonderful time checking out downtown Miami before making her way to the beach. There, she indulged herself a bit by playing in the ocean but not going too far from land. The waves were a new experience for her and she found herself enjoying herself immensely. After a bit, she decided to stop at an outdoor café near the ocean and treat herself to coffee and desert while watching the public.

It was while she was sipping her Cuban-flavored coffee that there was a very loud crashing noise. Heads snapped around, including hers, to spot a young Cuban waitress looking completely humiliated; she'd accidentally dropped a very large tray full of dirty dishes. Spotting the host, a guy with a smarmy attitude, sneering at the girl, Savannah instantly felt sorry for the girl and rushed from her seat to try and help.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," she soothed as she crouched down to help. The girl looked up at her, nearly in tears and her face scarlet. "It's okay, sister; these things happen. I'll help you."

"You don't have to," the girl started.

"Nonsense. One waitress to another, regardless of where we work, we help each other," Savannah said, neatly piling the dishes back on to the tray. Thankfully, nothing was broken. She lifted the tray and put it on a nearby empty table. "You been doing this long?"

"No, only a month and I'm terrified of loosing my job," the girl admitted.

"I don't think you're gonna loose your job over one lousy spill; I've been a waitress for three years and I can't tell you how many spills I've taken, especially the first year I started," Savannah said, rearranging the dishes on the tray to properly balance it. The girl's face lit up at the prospect of finding a confident who understood the job, especially one as friendly as Savannah. "Tell you what, I'm gonna give you a couple of tips that I learned the hard way about, okay?" The girl nodded eagerly. "There are three things you always gotta remember when you're dealing with trays, especially heavy ones like this. Balance, Board, and Bend. The three B's, as I call 'em. With Balance, try and center your dishes in the middle of the tray as much as possible, but don't stack 'em too high. If you think you have too much on your tray, it's best to make two trips and waste time rather than making one trip and having an accident. With me so far?" The girl nodded again, paying close attention. She was beginning to wish someone had told her this stuff sooner, but Savannah was here, so she would do her best to remember and learn. "Okay, Board." She knelt down so she was shoulder level with the tray and the girl joined her. "Board is for your back. Keep it as straight as you can and the best way to do that is pretend you've got a board shoved up your backside. It might cause you to push out your chest a bit, but it will help," she explained, demonstrating. "Bend is very important. Use your legs, especially your thighs, to stand up, never your back. So, in this situation, you gotta bend a bit to get the tray up. Slid the tray on to your shoulder and never be afraid to use your shoulder for that extra bit of support." Savannah carefully slid the tray on to her shoulder and gripped it. Then she carefully stood up, using her thighs to stand up. The girl watched in awe as she neatly got the tray balanced. "Where's the kitchen?" she asked.

"This way," the girl said, quickly leading the way. In the kitchen, Savannah reversed the procedure and neatly slid the tray off her shoulder and on to the counter.

"Keeping your back straight at all times like that will actually save your back in the long run," Savannah explained as they left the kitchen. "If you need to, one of the best things you can invest in is a back brace. They're easy enough to get, they're not expensive, and they provide support for your lower back, and if you wear it under your shirt, no one will notice."

The girl nodded, taking it under very serious consideration. "Thank you. I will remember what you said," she said, smiling.

"Not a problem, sister, not a problem," Savannah replied, smiling back and heading back to her table. "I'm Savannah, by the way."

"Maria," the girl said, still smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Maria," Savannah said, sitting down. Darn, her coffee had grown cold. Oh well, it still tasted good. "Better return to your duties before that bonehead over there," she said, nodding in the direction of the host, "gets pissy with you."

Maria nodded and quickly moved off and Savannah continued to enjoy her coffee, waiting for her desert. A moment later, a man bearing a tray and her desert arrived at her table. "Oh, thank you," she said.

"My name is Davis and I'm the manager here. May I join you?" the man asked.

Savannah gestured at an empty seat. "Help yourself," she said.

"That was very kind of you to help Maria the way you did. She tells me you said you've been a waitress for three years," Davis said, sitting down.

"Yup. I was a waitress for this diner in Ladonia, Alabama, for three years, almost four. Even the local sheriff liked me; said I was one of the best waitresses he'd ever known and could pour coffee with the best of 'em, never spilling a drop," she said cheerfully.

"Tell me about your experience," Davis said. And she did, throwing in a couple of humorous stories that still made her giggle even now.

"Well, by any chance are you looking for a job?" he asked, satisfied with what he'd learned.

"Yes, very much so," she said.

"In that case, I am offering you one as a waitress here," he said. He named a salary figure and Savannah found her jaw dropping open. It was more than she'd been making when she'd been in Alabama.

"For what you're offering, sir, I'll take it," she said.

"In that case, can you start in the morning?" he asked, smiling.

"Name the time and I'll be here." Davis named the time and she made a note of it on a napkin. Horatio was going to be really pleased with her. "Oh, clothing requirements; what am I expected to wear?"

"No jeans but definitely casually comfortable and professional," Davis said, pleased she'd asked. "We will supply you with an apron tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good," she said, watching as Maria watched her. She gave the girl a small thumbs-up and the girl all but bounced with glee. She had a feeling she was going to wind up being good friends with Maria and that was okay with her.

"Oh, and by the way, your bill has been paid for," Davis said. Savannah blinked in shock and he smiled. "It's our way of saying, 'Welcome to Seaside Café'."

"I can live with that!"

Present moment:

Horatio smiled. "The Seaside Café is a really nice place," he said. "You won't have much trouble, except during costal storms, but I would imagine they have methods to prevent too much damage." Savannah nodded. "I am very pleased, but more so for you than about you getting a job. You're going to be okay."

She nodded again, smiling to herself. Maybe Alexx was right; maybe, just maybe, my dreams are going to start coming true, she thought.