AN: Thanks for the reviews and the support, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 4: Reminiscing Part 4

While most of the family started walking outside, Horatio walked over to his two daughters and smiled at them. "Can I escort you beautiful women to your seats?"

The girls smiled as they stood up from the couch, then after they each took his arm and kissed his cheeks, Christy replied with love in her eyes for her father. "It would be an honor, daddy."

Sarah-Elizabeth also agreed with the sentiment, and as they started walking toward the sliding door, Horatio couldn't help but let his mind wander on when he had to let them both go.

Flashback

3 years ago

Since Horatio and Calleigh's house seemed like the spot the kids loved to get married at, their house was once again set up for a wedding, and this time it was for their oldest daughter.

Horatio walked to the master bedroom and knocked.

"Who is it?"

He smiled and replied. "Your father, can I come in?"

The door opened a second later and Brenda was in front of him with a smile. "Of course, dad." They all chuckled, then after giving his daughter-in-law a kiss on the cheek, he walked in the room before stopping his feet and staring at his beautiful daughter.

Through the years he could see the outward resemblance between his wife and Christy, but seeing her right now, he saw it more than ever.

Christy smiled a little shyly and asked softly. "So, how do I look, daddy?"

She didn't have her make-up on yet, but she was wearing the thin strap, knee-length, wedding dress and her hair was in place.

Before he answered, Maggie, Brenda, Sarah-Elizabeth and Calleigh decided to leave the room so father and daughter can have their moment alone, and after they all kissed his cheek, they walked out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

Horatio cleared his throat as he walked up to her, then he cupped her cheek with tears in his eyes. "So beautiful, honey, Tyler is one lucky guy."

Christy's eyes were also misting as she replied. "Thanks daddy, but I think I'm the lucky one."

He took a few minutes before he asked with a smile. "So you really want to do this, huh?"

Christy chuckled as she placed her hand on top of his that was still on her cheek. "I do daddy, I love him so much and he loves me."

Horatio nodded with a playful sigh before replying. "I figured you would by now since you guys made it this far."

She paused before speaking. "I tried daddy." He raised an eyebrow as she continued with a smirk and a little sympathy in her eyes, knowing how he must be feeling today. "To not get to this stage too fast, but it was inevitable."

Horatio smiled with a nod. "I know." Before bringing her daughter in her arms. "I love you, honey, and I'm so proud of you."

She wrapped her arms around her father and replied. "Thank you, and I love you too."

As they closed their eyes a few tears went down their cheeks, and after they pulled back a few seconds later, they cleared their throat as he cupped her cheek to wipe her tears away and continued. "I'll let you finish getting ready, then I'll see you downstairs so I can give my little girl away."

Christy nodded before he kissed her cheek, then after looking at her for a few seconds, he walked out of the room as a mixture of happiness and sadness washed over him.

When it came to him walking her to her groom, they took their time, and when they reached the end of the aisle, he took her hand and kissed it before looking at Tyler, then he moved their hands over to him and said. "Take care of my little girl."

Tyler smiled as he took her hand from his very soon to be father-in-law. "With my life sir, you can count on that."

Horatio nodded with a smile, then after kissing his daughter's cheek, he walked over to the first seat in the front row and sat down next to his wife before she slipped her fingers through his, knowing exactly how he felt about today.

It is so great to see your child go through the exciting stages of their lives, especially a wedding, but at the same time, letting them go can be a little difficult.

He looked over at his wife and she gives him a small smile and squeezes his hand, then he leans over and kisses her cheek before watching his daughter marry the love of her life.

3 months ago

After the youngest daughter, which happened to be the last Caine 'child' to get married, said her vows to her groom, they went and sat down at the tables that were set up on the deck to have some food and to hear speeches from the family, then after they were done and the newlyweds had their first dance, it was time for the father/daughter dance.

Once the music started, Sarah-Elizabeth looked at her father and asked. "How are you doing, daddy?" She knew that as happy as she was, her father had to be a little sad to let his last child, especially daughter, go.

Horatio gave her a smile and replied. "I'm so happy for you, Cody is a good match for you."

She raised an eyebrow as she asked. "But?"

He chuckled as he shook his head. "Could never get anything past you, must be the CSI in you." She smiled with a nod as he continued after a sigh. "But, it is a little sad to see not only my last child, but youngest daughter, go."

She nodded in understanding, then as she brings him in her arms, she whispered. "Just remember that no matter what, I'm always your little girl."

He smiled, he's been telling his girls that for years, as he ran his hand up and down her back, then after they pulled back from each other, he cups her cheek and said. "I love you honey, and you are absolutely right, you'll always be my little girl."

As the music stopped, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

When he pulled back again, she opened her eyes and replied. "I love you too, daddy."

They smiled at each other as Cody and Calleigh walked up to their significant others, then Horatio took his daughter's hand, kissed it and handed it off to Cody for the second time today, which he smiled at his father-in-law before taking his bride's hand so they could share another dance.

Before the music started again, Calleigh puts her hand on her husband's shoulder and asked. "How are you doing, handsome?"

They started dancing and he replied as he was looking over her shoulder to see his kids and their significant others. "Overall, I'm pretty great. I mean our children are happy and in love, they gave us some beautiful grandchildren."

Before he continued, she speaks with a smile. "Possibly a few more in the future."

He smiled with a nod as he brings her closer. "Yeah. We also all have good health, and best of all." He kissed her head before finishing. "I have the love from the most beautiful woman in the world, outside of our daughters of course, and I know I'll never have to let her go. What more could I ask for?"

She smiled while she wrapped her arms around him, and as she places her cheek against his shoulder, she whispered. "Nothing, and you're right, handsome, you'll never have to let me go." He sighed in content as he held his wife in his arms and watched the people around him, feeling pretty lucky to have this wonderful, growing family.

End of flashback

He mentally shook his head as they finally stepped out on the deck, then once they got to one of the tables that was set up, he took Christy's hand and kissed it before handing it over to Tyler.

Tyler smiled at his father-in-law, took his wife's hand and helped her sit down before taking the seat that would put their 2 year old daughter in-between them while his oldest daughter was on the other side of him.

After Horatio repeated the action with Sarah-Elizabeth, he walked over to the other table that was set up, helped Calleigh to and in her seat before walking to his, but before he sat down, he grabbed his champagne glass and raised it up. "I would like to make a toast."

Before he could continue, there was a clearing of a throat in the doorway of the sliding door. "Got room for one more family?"

They all turned toward the door, then Calleigh smiled with tears in her eyes. "Josh!"

Josh smiled at his mother as she got off the chair and walked up to him, then she speaks again as she brings her third son into her arms. "I thought you weren't going to be here today." Calleigh was prepared to spend this holiday without one of her children because she thought that he would be staying at his in-laws, but seeing him here made her very happy and feeling complete.

Josh replied while he wrapped his arms around his mother. "We wanted to surprise you, sorry we are late."

Calleigh shook her head as she pulled back from his arms, then she cupped his cheek and looked into that face that was more like Horatio everyday. "You guys are here now, that's all that matters." He smiled before giving her a kiss on the cheek, then walked out on the deck to greet the rest of the family while Calleigh greeted her last daughter-in-law and another grandson, William, who happened to be 3 years old.

After her daughter-in-law walked out on the deck with her son in her arms to say hi to the family, Calleigh turned and watched them with a growing smile.

Out of all the daughter-in-laws that she had gained, which don't get her wrong, she loved Maggie and Brenda very much, but Josh's wife held a special place in her heart because it was more than the simple fact that she made her son so happy, it was because she was Sara and Grissom's daughter, Bethany.

While she watched Josh's family get settled at the table where her and her husband was sitting, Calleigh's mind goes back to the day Josh made the announcement that shocked the family.

Flashback

7 years ago

When Josh became 18 and he had to pick his college, he chose to not only leave the state of Miami, but across the country to go to the University of California, Berkeley to study engineering.

He wasn't sure how they would take his career choice because he always felt that his interests were so different than everybody else's in the family, he even stopped playing organized sports after Middle School and gave back the basketball that C.J. had given him, so he could give it to one of his children because he figured they would get more use out of it. But the family, especially his parents, supported and even encouraged him to follow his heart. They didn't care what he wanted to do as long as it wasn't a crime and he was happy doing it.

When he graduated from High School he became the first and only child of Horatio and Calleigh's to be named valedictorian, the others were very close,
but he became the only one to have that honor, of course he picked on the older siblings a lot with that one. After he spent that last summer in Miami hanging out with family and friends, he started a new adventure, an adventure that he never expected would have lead him to a woman that he had known all his life, but only saw on rare and special occasions.

At age 22, and starting his last year of College, Josh came home to visit the family for Thanksgiving, only he wasn't alone, he came with Bethany, which everybody but one family member figured she wanted to come and visit them, they just didn't realize there was more to it.

As the whole family was sitting down at the dinner table in the dinning room, Calleigh looked up from her plate of food and smiled at Bethany. "It was nice of Sara and Grissom to let you come here for the holidays, I know how much having all their kids with them mean to them during this time." Bethany smiled a little before clearing her throat and taking a drink of her water.

As she was setting the glass down, Kyle asked from his spot at the table. "Not that we aren't happy to see you, but what are you really doing here?"

They all looked at him as 24 year old Christy speaks. "Kyle!"

"I'm sorry, but something has to be up, I mean why would she come here and spend the special holiday with us and not her family."

Christy answered. "She's always been like family."

"I know, but..."

Josh cuts his older siblings off. "Ok stop it, I was planning on waiting till after dinner was done, but here I go." As the family's eyes turned to him, he continued. "Having Bethany here isn't just so she could visit the family, she's here because." He placed his hand on top of hers as he finished with a smile. "I've asked her to marry me and she said yes, so we wanted to come here tell you guys." The family looked at them completely shocked, which Kyle had a little smirk on his face because he was right something was going on, then after a few seconds of silence, Josh cleared his throat and asked. "So..."

But was cut off when C.J. tried to speak. "Wait...What?"

Calleigh then cuts him off by clearing her throat before speaking while moving her finger between them. "So, how long has this been going on?"

Josh and Bethany looked at each other, and she smiled at him with a nod, which he nodded back before looking at his mother. "Well as you all know Bethany was at Berkeley too, and one day we just happened to run into each other. Then we started to become better acquainted with one another until we became friends, and before she graduated we realized that our feelings for one another had grown beyond friendship, so we've been dating for 2 years now."

Calleigh nodded before looking at Bethany. "And your parents, did they..."

Bethany shook her head and replied. "They didn't know until last week, that's when they told me to come here with Josh so we could tell you as soon as possible."

Calleigh nodded again, then asked Josh. "So what does this mean, will you be staying out there or what?"

A part of Calleigh was always hoping that once their children go off to college, and if it was in a different city than the one she was living in, that they would come back eventually, so she was a little worried on what this development would mean because she knew Sara felt the same way about her children, and it wasn't like they could be in two places at once.

Josh sighed as he continued. "We'll have to see what plays out, but the chances are high of us moving to Los Angeles after I graduate. Bethany has a transfer in place to work at the CSI lab there."

"I see." Calleigh then clears her throat as she gets up from her seat. "Excuse me." Before leaving the room.

The family sat there in awkward silence, not sure what to do and still very shocked on the news, and before Horatio could get up from his seat, Josh shook his head as he stood up after letting go of Bethany's hand. "I'll go dad." Horatio nodded and got comfortable in his seat again as Josh walked out of the room.

As he walked into the living room, his mother, standing in front of the sliding door to the deck, speaks. "I guess it was a foolish dream to have all my kids close to me after they go out and find themselves."

Josh shook his head as he stopped next to her. "It isn't foolish, mom, maybe a little unpractical, because I mean life is pretty..."

Calleigh cuts him off as she looked over at him. "Unpredictable and anything can change your plans for the future."

Josh smiled with chuckle. "Don't I know it, I never thought I would fall in love Bethany, it came out of nowhere." Then he looked at her with a serious face. "But I do and she is a wonderful woman, mom."

Calleigh turns them so they were face to face, then she cups his cheek and replied. "You don't have to sell me on her best qualities to make me fall in love with her, because I already know and I do, I don't think there is any doubt you'll have a wonderful life with her."

He looks at her a little confused and asked. "So wait a minute, marrying her isn't the issue here?"

Calleigh smiled with a shake of her head. "I'll admit I'm kind of shocked, but no, marrying her isn't the issue, I'll just miss you. I know we'll see each other on holidays, but it isn't the same."

Josh nodded with a smile as he took his mother's hand off his cheek, then he brings her in his arms. "I'll miss you too mom, but I promise I'll keep in touch as much as I can." Calleigh nodded with a sigh, knowing she had to let him do this.

After they held one another for a few seconds they pull back, then she sniffled as she cupped his cheek again. "Do you know how proud I am of you?"

His eyes was misting a little as he asked. "Really?"

She looked at her son confused on why he asked that. "Of course, did you really think I wasn't?"

He sighed before replying. "I don't know, I mean Kyle went out and defended our country for 10 years, C.J. won multiple championships on every level he played basketball and ended up being a doctor so he could save lives, Christy is teaching the next generation, and Sarah-Elizabeth is a future CSI, following in yours and dad's footsteps, and me..."

She cuts him off as she ran her thumb up and down his cheek and looked into his blue eyes, his father's eyes. "Are learning how to build and design things that could be around for a very long time, that is nothing to lower your head at, it is a wonderful accomplishment, so yes, I'm very proud of you and I love you so much."

She wiped a few tears off his cheek before she brings him in her arms again, and he replied with emotion as he held his mother. "I love you too, mom."

When they pull back from one another again, they wiped the remaining tears away before Calleigh speaks again. "We better go in there so I can do a better job at welcoming a new daughter in our family." Josh smiled with a nod as he placed his hand on the small of his mother's back before they walked back toward the dinning room.

When they made it back into the room, the family stood up from their seats as Calleigh walked over to Bethany, then she stopped in front of her before cupping her cheek and looking into her blue eyes. "Bethany, through the years I've seen you grow into this beautiful, wonderful woman, and I know your parents are proud of you. Just know I'm proud of you too, especially for finding something so special in my son that you would want to share your life with him, a life I believe will be very good for you guys." Calleigh cleared her throat and finished. "So what I should have done in the first place was say, welcome to the Caine family, we are proud to have you."

Bethany's eyes started to mist over as she spoke with emotion. "Thank you." Besides her own family, she admired the Caine family more than anything, and was very honored to be welcomed in to it. Calleigh nodded as she wiped the young woman's tears off her cheeks while she continued. "I want you to know that I love your son very much, we just didn't expect it to happen."

Calleigh smiled as she removed her hand. "But that's life, we know." She looked at the family as she finished. "Don't we guys."

They all chuckled with a nod as they walked up to Bethany, and before they all welcomed her in the family, Calleigh kissed her cheek and stepped away.

After Horatio had his turn in welcoming her in the family, he walks over to his wife, puts his arm over her shoulders while she wrapped her arms around his waist, then after kissing her head, they watched their youngest son with his fiancée, and they don't think they have ever seen him as happy as he was in this moment, so they were going to make sure they call the Grissom's to thank them for bringing her into the world so she could be the light in their son's life.

End of Flashback

Calleigh cleared her throat before walking back to her table, then after she sat down, Horatio grabbed his champagne again, held it up and spoke with a smile. "After that wonderful interruption, let me start over." They chuckled before he spoke again. "I would like to make a toast." As everybody grabbed their various drinks, including the older grandchildren who knew what was going on, he continued after clearing the emotion from his voice. "To family, happiness and love, Marry Christmas everybody." They all repeated his words before taking a sip of their drinks.

When Horatio sat back down in his seat, and before he started eating, he looked across the table, and when his eyes caught his beautiful wife's, they smiled at each other, happy beyond words to have their whole family here, even the ones they thought that wouldn't be. Calleigh was going to have to give the Grissom's a call to thank them for giving up this family time with them.

AN: Hope you enjoyed it, next chapter is the last of the story and the series. Please review.