Part 3

Hearing that, Aaron was on his feet and by Horatio's side. "I want a tie, too!" he pleaded and took one of Horatio's hands. "Can I have one? Can I?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I have one fitting to Spongebob...but I guess we will find one...," he said and opened the wardrobe again. "I will take this," he said and grabbed a lilac one. "And this... would perfectly fit to your outfit." He had some older ties he didn't wear any longer, so Aaron could play with it.

Calleigh simply watched the two, smiling softly as she heard Aarons' doubtful reply.

"Lilac?"

"Yep, sometimes a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do and this includes wearing a lilac colored tie, when his beautiful wife is wearing a purple dress," he smiled at his son. It had been a few years back that he bought the tie, he couldn't even remember why, but now was the perfect moment to wear it. "Yours is blue, don't worry, Aaron," he laughed and ran his hands through the blond hair. "Now we just have to bind the tie." He walked to the mirror, so he could see what he was doing, while Aaron was watching him.

And Aaron did the best he could to follow the single steps his dad showed him, but ended with a knot in his tie and slumped shoulders. "I did wrong, Daddy. Can you help me please?"

"Of course, Buddy," Horatio smiled gently and hadn't had assumed that Aaron could follow the steps. A Windsor knot wasn't that easy. "I'll show you," he crouched down in front of his son and undid the knot in Aaron's tie. "It took me a while to learn it, you know?" He said softly and slowly started to bind the knot. "My mom showed me...when I was a little bit older than you are. It was my first real birthday party ever and she wanted me to look like a real little gentleman..," he told him in a gentle voice and carefully adjusted the tie. "Now have a look in the mirror."

Slowly the boy approached the mirror and grinned. It sure wasn't a common combination with a Spongebob shirt but Aaron liked it. He was proud to wear a tie, just like his Daddy and that was all that mattered to him. "Thank you," he said and noticed something else namely that they both were still wearing socks. "Shoes! We need shoes, too. But no lilac ones!" he shook his head.

"No! Definitely no lilac ones," Horatio shook his head fiercely. "But shoes I can take your mom dancing with," he told Aaron and took his hand in his. "Let's have a look in the shoe cabinet downstairs."

Watching both men disappear, Calleigh fell in love all over again. She had seen Horatio around children long before Aaron was born, but seeing him with his son, made her feel very proud. Horatio was, as clichéd as it sounded, one of a kind and she was very happy that she could call him hers. Giving them some time to get ready, she walked into the bathroom again and put on some perfume. They really needed to get ready, but if they came too late, it wasn't that bad. Family was much more important than a ball with an open start and ending.

As always, Aaron loved challenges especially those he started on his own, like finding the right shoes within 30 seconds. "I want these!" he announced happily, pointing to his sneakers while his father still couldn't make a decision. "I won. You lost."

"Mhm, but finding the perfect shoes is not a game..," Horatio said and reached into the cabinet for some finer shoes. "I guess I need to polish them...," he sighed more or less to himself and grabbed a brush. "Do you have everything you need for your overnight stay?" He asked his son and sat down on a step to clean his shoes. Aaron had the tendency to forget the, in his eyes, more important things he couldn't live without and it had happened more than once, that they had to drive back to get his teddy bear, for example.

"Yes." Nodding Aaron sat down next to his father and put his beloved sneakers on but couldn't hide a grin. "Nana says I can stay up as long as I want."

"She did, huh?" Horatio asked not really convinced. "When did she say that?" Looking at the first spic and span shoe, he grabbed the other and watched his son putting on his sneakers. They still had Velcro fasteners and so Aaron didn't need help with them.

Without looking up he answered. "On the phone. Grandpa said it, too," he added quickly.

"Interesting," Horatio murmured and put on his shoes. "Do you think they would say it again? I mean…do you think they would tell it your mom and me?" He asked with a smile. He was quite sure that his son was fibbing, but he wanted to make sure, plus he loved to investigate. It was in his nature after all.

"Uhm," the boy said shyly and tried to find a way out of his dilemma but was interrupted by his Mom.

"Still not ready boys?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"I'm ready! Daddy's not!"

"No surprise here," Calleigh laughed softly and held out Horatio's jacket, which he had forgotten upstairs.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He huffed and took the jacket from his wife. Slipping it on, he looked down on himself and was very pleased. "My, do I look great tonight...," he said in faked awe and glanced at Cal when he heard her clearing her voice. "Oh, you look good..," he said easily and made a side step, so she couldn't hit his arm. "No...you look absolutely wonderful tonight, Cal..," he said honestly and took in her sight. He was a lucky devil to call her his.

She didn't know how he did, but whatever he said Cal couldn't stay mad at him for long. And the problem was, he knew it all too well and could wrap her easily around his finger. "Thanks, you do likewise, Handsome," she answered flattered by his words after all.

Aaron grinned. "Do I look handsome, too?" He didn't know that Cal had called Horatio by his nickname and got the wrong meaning. Nevertheless he stood up and placed his hands on his hips, showing his best imitation of his fathers' gestures, a broad grin on his face.

"Of course you do, Buddy," Horatio grinned. "Like father, like son," he thought and reached out to Calleigh for the last steps. "Are you ready, Sweetheart?" He asked when she stood next to him. He loved the fact that she was wearing high heels, because then she measured up to his shoulder easily.

"Yes, I am," Calleigh smiled as she took his offered hand and inhaled his after shave. "We are ready to go, right Aaron?"

"Yes, Mommy," the boy answered and took her hand, too.

Looking at her son and then back to her husband, Calleigh nodded. "All right then. Aarons' backpack is already in the car and we're still on time. Let's go and have some fun, boys."

"I can't wait to see Nana," the boy squealed and pulled his parents towards the front door, or at least he tried to.

Smiling, Horatio rolled his eyes and opened the door for his family. They would have a nice night, he was sure and when they left the house and stepped into the warm air, he knew that it would not only be nice but wonderful. His son was happy, his wife too and that made him the happiest man on earth.

The End….for now