Title: To Be Loved
Author: LiLAqUaMaRiE
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairings/Characters: Natalia Boa Vista, Horatio Caine
Rating: PG-13/K+
Warnings: Drama, angst.
Word Count: 1,057
Summary: Natalia believes she truly lost everything she held dear, she was wrong.
Note: Okay, so I decided to make this longer, due someone requesting it and due to the fact that I got hit by a plot bunny so here goes.

Turning the key, unlocking the door
Embracing the rollercoaster world
Take it in stride; you're just twenty-five
And you know we're all been hurt before
So you're not alone…no…
You're not alone…
- Hurt Before – The Corrs

Part Two - Horatio

CSI Natalia Boa Vista was walking down an empty hallway on her way to her lab. She was lost in thought. She couldn't believe Ryan forgave her for her mistakes. A smile spread across her lips at the mere memory of Ryan's smiling face staring at her. She wanted to shout out in joy - she never thought she could feel so happy inside.

As she was smiling, she glanced up to the nearby windows that were on one side of the empty hallway. She glanced outside the windows; it was a beautiful bright sunny day. It gave the dark hallways an ethereal glow. She was about to continue walking when her eyes spotted a figure standing by one of the windows looking outward.

Her eyes widened slightly, before falling to the ground before her. Her smile fell to a frown and the joy she felt, turned to nervousness. She swallowed hard. Her mind screamed for her to just to turn the other way around and head back where she came from.

Natalia almost did turn around but a small part of her mind stopped her. If she wanted things to get fixed between her and the people she cared about, she was going to have to do her part in the fixing.

Sighing in resignation, she took slow deliberate steps toward the figure; trying to calm herself as she did so. But as she did, she couldn't help but think that out of all the people she could have come across, did it have to be him in particular?

She managed to reach him, standing next to him as he continued to stare out the window. She glanced at his face; it had a forlorn look upon it. She remembered the problems he had to deal with these past few days, weeks even. She wanted to comfort him but at the same time she did not know what to do or how to react. She bit her lip, confused.

"Natalia."

She broke from her thoughts to glance at the man who had his head tilted towards her direction, looking at her with a blank stare.

"Horatio..."

Horatio Caine nodded to her in greeting before turning to look back out the window. Silence reigned over the two. The quietness was slowly starting to get on Natalia's nerves as she stood near him; she was feeling like a fool by just standing there doing nothing. "So, um….how are you?" She tried to make a little friendly conversation.

Without turning to look at her, he replied. "I've seen better days."

Natalia raised both of her eyebrows slightly for a moment. 'Well there goes my conversation down the drain.' She thought to herself as silence reigned once more. For a little while she tried staring at other places besides Horatio, completely nervous as to what to say – but the silence was really getting on her nerves as well. "I-I heard about…well you know, Marisol and your brother." She blurted out in a rush, before realizing what she just said. She opened her mouth, trying to fix it. "I mean…" She shook her head, "What I'm trying to say is–" Natalia stopped. 'This is so not turning out as well as I wanted it to go.' She thought to herself before closing her eyes trying to calm herself as she spoke. "I – I'm just sorry."

"I know."

She opened her eyes to see Horatio looking at her this time. His lips turned up into a small lopsided smile. "I know you do. Thank you."

"I..." Natalia was in shock; there was no other word to describe it. "I'm really sorry I couldn't come and…and say this before. B-but..." she took a deep breath, "but everything with the Feds and stuff, I-"

Horatio moved away from the windows and walked closer to her; he lifted a hand and placed it upon Natalia shoulder. "Relax."

She nodded silently and did as she was told. Horatio removed his hand from her shoulder and glanced down at the ground below. Natalia just stared at him once more in shock as he continued to speak, "What you did was wrong."

Natalia merely nodded afraid, to speak as she was getting reprimanded by the man she saw in some ways as the dad she never had.

"There's no excuse."

Her eyes started to slowly glisten with tears, she was not going to look away she told herself mentally. She was going to take whatever punishment H felt she deserved.

"But you had your reasons."

She blinked back her tears surprised, though one escaped. Horatio lifted his face to stare at her. "We all have our reason for doing things Natalia. You just have to learn from your mistakes."

She swallowed. "But I...I didn't mean-"

"I know."

She stared at him as he lifted a hand and dug out a handkerchief from one of his suit jacket pockets, handing it to her. "No more tears." He instructed her. "You're a CSI, remember that."

She nodded.

"No matter what, you're one of us. Understood?"

She nodded once more but he just stared at her; she blinked for a few moments before realizing what he wanted. "Understood."

A wider smile formed on H's lips this time, "Good." He brought out his shades from his jacket, holding them within his hands for a few moments before turning to walk away from Natalia. As he marched a few steps away down the hallway in direction she first came from, he stopped, turning around to face her. "Natalia?"

She turned around to glance at him at hearing her name being called out.

"If the Feds come to you again..."

She stared, confused.

"Let me know."

She nodded as he placed his shades upon his face this time turning around to leave, but not before turning his face to the side, "They can mess with me, but not with my family."

Horatio started to walk away, leaving a shocked as hell Natalia behind to watch him as he goes.

She stood there where she was, staring at the now empty space before her. A smile slowly formed on her face, "Family." She let out a small laugh, "Family." She turned around – heading once more to the place she was heading earlier, to her labs. This time she had a bounce in her steps.

Part Two - Fin.