Eric returned to CSI with a badly annoyed Frank Tripp having had a pointless journey. His temper was not improved when he found out that Horatio and Ryan had arrested the bomber and that said bomber had already killed himself. The case was, barring some extra paperwork, closed. Tripp was in no better mood, and between them they managed to glare at anyone who approached them. Calleigh, of course, would have been another matter, but she was still locked in her ballistics lab. Tripp left him, muttering something about needing a cold beer, and Eric made his way through to the break room in a foul mood.
"Eric, baby, what's up?" Alexx asked, her eyes dark with worry.
He slammed the cupboard door closed with, banged a cup down on the counter and opened and slammed shut a drawer before turning to face her. "Bad day," he snapped.
"No call to start acting like a spoilt child," she said lightly, and anyone who didn't know the ME would not have spotted the warning tone in her voice. Luckily for Eric, he was not in such a bad mood as to be suicidal, and he managed a smile.
"I was going to take Calleigh out for a really nice meal to celebrate it being ten years since she joined the police. And ask her to move in with me." He scuffed his foot on the floor, head down. Alexx smothered a smile as best as she could. Honestly, sometimes Eric managed to look like a kicked puppy. "Stupid Marty Periman," he muttered.
"Well, honey, Calleigh will understand. And you can ask her to move in with you another day," Alexx gave him a quick one-armed hug as she spoke and Eric nodded, a trifle sulkily.
"Eric, I'm so sorry," Horatio began, making both of his friends jump. He was standing in the doorway of the break room, and Eric wondered exactly how long he had been there.
"Don't DO that H!"
Alexx had her hand on her heart and was glaring at him. "Is it going to take someone having a heart attack to stop you sneaking up on people?" she gasped, a laugh hovering on the edge of her voice.
"I don't sneak. People just don't pay attention," Horatio defended himself. "I am sorry Eric, I didn't realise last night meant that much."
Embarrassed at being caught out like that, Eric muttered something noncommittal, and turned red. "But you caught the bomber," he said, raising his voice to a level the others could hear.
"Yes," Horatio said sadly, "but not for long."
"Someone else's problem now honey," Alexx said sympathetically. "Mine. And then Him upstairs."
"I don't like the ones that end messily," Horatio replied before moving back to the original subject. "I wasn't joking Eric, the other day. I will pay for you and Calleigh to have a night out. Whenever you want."
"Thanks H, you don't really have to you know." If anything, Eric was more embarrassed than ever.
"Take her out somewhere nice, ask her, and then send me the bill," Horatio said firmly. Eric grinned, his good humour suddenly returning, and went to find Calleigh. Alexx thought she heard, once Eric had left the room, Horatio murmur very quietly, "And wish me luck." Then he too turned to leave.
Alexx waited until he was at the door before she smiled and said, "You don't need luck, sugar. She'll say yes." Horatio stared at her, his eyes wide, and she widened her smiled. "She'll say yes."
Frankie was being hugged yet again by her mother at the airport before her family were due to go through security and fly home to New York. Darren was tapping his foot impatiently, but Lucy flung herself on her mother and sister for a three-way hug.
"I'll miss you so much!" All three chorused together. Horatio smiled to himself – Frankie might protest that she wasn't that close to her family, but she did love them. Mark and he shook hands formally before Mark grinned at him, looking once more the image of his daughter.
"Take care of her for me," he said sadly, his voice belying his smile.
"You know I will," Horatio replied, and was relieved to see the older man nod. It appeared he had convinced her father to trust him.
"And you got your man," Mark added. Horatio nodded, looking away. Mark laughed. "The most beautiful words in the English language to a cop are 'case closed'. Relax, Horatio. You got your man."
Frankie stood with one arm around Horatio, waving madly with the other as her family went through security. Her mother blew her one final kiss, and then they were gone from sight. They turned to head back to the car. "Well, thank God that's over," Frankie exhaled.
"Don't pretend you won't miss them," Horatio smiled.
Frankie chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Of course I will. And when Mom suggests we go and stay with them for Christmas, I will decide that it would be the worst torture on Earth. Actually," she frowned, "Christmas with Darren usually is a torture as you just know he's going to ruin what should be a perfectly lovely day."
"So do you feel like lunch to celebrate the fact that we made it through?"
"Lunch with you? I don't need an excuse," she beamed.
They ended up at a small café on the beach, far from their usual haunts. Ordering a bottle of wine, Frankie held up her glass in a toast.
"To a successful few days. You have not only charmed my mother and sister, you've impressed my father, thoroughly irritated Darren, closed a six year old cold case, caught a mad bomber, saved the city, and spent a small fortune on meals out, if you include last night and Eric and Calleigh's upcoming date. All in all, not a bad few days."
"I'll drink to that," he replied, smiling briefly before looking away. Frankie watched in concern as he took a couple of deep breaths. She sincerely hoped he wasn't about to have another guilt trip about Richard Delaney's suicide.
"Are you all right?"
He jerked back to look at her for only a second before he looked away again. She waited in silence, knowing from experience now that pushing the issue never helped. Once she would have demanded to know what was wrong, but knowing him a lot better, she resolved to wait it out. He would tell her eventually. While she waited, she changed the subject, and proceeded to tell him stories about previous outings with Darren, and the disasters that had ensued.
At the end of the meal, he was still not talking to her properly, but when he suggested a walk along the beach, she willingly agreed. Perhaps he would tell her what was bothering him when they were alone. They strolled along arm in arm, neither in a hurry to go anywhere. She let him think in silence, enjoying walking along the beach, laughing internally at a few badly thought out bikini choices. Of course, Calleigh or Alexx was best for that sort of conversation, and many a happy hour could be spent at a bar, laughing at tourists.
Finally they reached a part of the beach that was a lot less crowded, the tourists being mainly centred around the row of cafés and bars on the beachfront. They sat together on a handy pile of rocks, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"This is why I moved south," she said happily. "Sun, sea, and a sexy man to share the view with."
"You moved to Miami because you wanted to find someone to share the view with?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, I moved to Miami for the job. I stayed for you. And the beaches," she added with a sly smile.
"Chess?" She looked up, concerned at the anxiety in his voice. He looked desperately unsure, and she took a tight hold of his hand. Whatever bad news he had for her, they could deal with it together, she was sure. "Will you stay with me forever?"
Not the question she had been expecting, she thought uneasily, but she smiled anyway. "Of course I will. Always and forever."
He nodded vaguely, as though he hadn't really heard her. Something must be really wrong, she thought, her mind leaping from disaster to disaster. Cancer? Some other horrible genetic disease? Another woman? She discounted that possibility instantly. Horatio would never cheat – he was just too honourable for that. And besides, he wasn't a very good liar.
She moved to kneel in front of him. "Horatio darling, if anything is wrong, please tell me. You've got me really worried now."
He looked up, startled. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just …. wanted to ask you something."
"Then ask me."
He hesitated, looking everywhere but at her. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small, black box. Time slowed for Frankie, each moment seeming like eternity as she watched him open the box, revealing the most beautiful marquise diamond ring bordered by two glowing emeralds. Time still crawled along as he slid the ring gently on to her finger. She watched his actions as though she were somehow detached from reality, then sound and time rushed back in as she looked back up to meet his gaze.
"I love you," he said softly.
"I love you too," she replied, stammering in her nervousness.
"You deserve far better than I could ever give you, far better than a divorced, middle-aged man who is far too obsessed with his work, but I love you so much. Chess, I –"
"Yes." Frankie's interruption stopped him in his tracks. "Yes. Of course my answer is yes." She said it simply, not a trace of humour in her voice.
"You mean it?"
"Yes."
"You will marry me?" Incredulous disbelief shone in his eyes.
"Yes." Frankie started to laugh and flung her arms around him, burying herself in his embrace. He clung to her tightly and started to laugh himself.
"Only you would interrupt someone trying to propose to you!" he chuckled, smoothing back a stray curl of blonde hair with one hand.
"It's why you love me," she answered, dashing away a threatening tear with her hand. He nodded, and she frowned suddenly. "Hang on, there's something wrong here."
"Chess, whatever is wrong, I promise to fix it," he said, dread filling him.
"By my calculation, we've been engaged at least two minutes, and you haven't kissed me." She squeaked as he pulled her towards him, determined on rectifying that problem. Frankie closed her eyes in bliss as she felt his lips touch hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave herself up to the emotion of the moment.
"I love you." Both spoke at the same time and then started to laugh.
"It's true," Frankie said, returning to her original position next to Horatio and snuggling close to him. She held out her hand, admiring the way the sunlight glittered off the diamond. "I do love you. When did you start planning this?"
"When I saw the ring," he admitted sheepishly. "I saw it when Ryan and I went to pick up Delaney. I think Ryan thought I'd gone mad. It just looked perfect for you. You do like it, right?"
"Almost as much as I love you," she reassured him. "Um, do you mind if we don't do the big white wedding thing? I think a small, private ceremony, just those people we actually like, would be much better."
"Oh, your brother in law can come too," Horatio chuckled. They sat for a moment, and Frankie realised it was the first time Horatio had really relaxed in days. Then she leapt up. "What's the matter?"
"There's so much organise! Bridesmaids, dresses for me and them, flowers, where and when the actual ceremony will take place, the party afterward, the honeymoon… We need to really start thinking about these things. I mean, who's going to be your best man? You'll need suits, and oh, I forgot to mention transport to the ceremony! So much to do," she concluded.
Horatio looked slightly taken back by her long list. "What happened to the small, private wedding of a minute ago?" he asked weakly.
She frowned. "Small and private but stylish. I still want a gorgeous dress, and I'm sure Alexx and Calleigh will want to be bridesmaids. Ooh, and Madison can be a flower girl."
Laughing, Horatio stood up and brushed sand from his trousers. "We'd better get to it then."
"No rush," Frankie said with a smile.
"Why's that?"
"We have the rest of our lives together." She smiled happily and Horatio found himself wondering if he was going to wake up at some point from this dream. He had never felt so happy in his life.
"Can't wait," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. Dream or not, he was simply going to enjoy his time with Frankie while he could. "So where shall we go on honeymoon?"
A/N: And they lived happily ever after...probably. I think I'll be leaving Horatio and Frankie to it for a while. I may return to them in time, but I think I've reached the end of this particular arc, and this seemed like a perfect place to leave them. Imagine as you will their wedding, their blissful honeymoon (somewhere cold maybe? It's not as though they don't get enough sun in Miami) and the inevitable arguments over who looked worst in the wedding photos.
As for me, I think I might explore some NCIS fics, or maybe something completely different. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially Bookwrangler for such dedicated support.