Three weeks went by and things were almost perfect. The only things that still bothered everybody, or especially Eric and Horatio was Raquel. It seemed as if she had chosen not to accept her son for who he was. And she no longer had any contact with any of her kids.
Joseph still lived with Eric and Horatio. He could of course afford to buy an apartment for himself, but he enjoyed staying with Eric and Horatio, and they enjoyed having him there.
However, he knew that he would have to move eventually. He did not want to burden them and they needed some time alone every occasionally.
It was now a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Eric and Joseph were sitting on the back porch watching Horatio kick soccer with Frank youngest daughter Madeline.
Madeline used to come over sometimes to hang out with H and Eric. She was the only one in her family and friends that loved soccer. Once she found out that Horatio was a big soccer fan as well, she came to their house to play with him. Sometimes Eric would join them. Bu not today.
"How old is she?" Joseph asked nodding towards Madeline.
"14, but her 15th birthday is coming up next week." Eric said.
"She's winning over Horatio." Joseph grinned.
Eric chuckled.
"Yeah, she usually does. H used to play soccer when he was young, but the older he gets the worse he gets." Eric grinned, "At least he says so. But I don't agree."
"So has Ryan chosen a best man yet?" Joseph asked.
"Yeah, but he's going to say who it is on Monday." Eric said, "But I have a feeling that it's H." He smiled.
"Any particular reason?" Joseph asked.
"Yeah, H is like a father figure or very close uncle to Ryan." Eric said, "H has also stood up for Ryan and helped him many times, and Ryan's always said that he doesn't know how to repay him."
"Yeah, Horatio does seem to put other people's safety and well being first." Joseph smiled.
"Yeah, he does." Eric smiled.
Eric and Joseph sat quiet for a while. Still watching Madeline kick Horatio's ass. She tackled him and splashed water at him sometimes.
"Eric, I'm going to divorce you mother." Joseph said after a while.
Eric looked with wide eyes at his father. He had never expected it. He knew that Joseph and Raquel were different, but he though that his father's love for his mother was way too strong for Joseph to ever leave her.
"I can't live with her anymore." Joseph said.
"Why?" Eric asked.
"Well for starters we are very different." Joseph said, "And as you may have noticed by now it doesn't seem as is she's ever going to accept you and Horatio."
Eric nodded.
"Yeah, but you love her don't you?" He asked.
"Oh yes, absolutely." Joseph said, "But she called me yesterday. On my cell." He said, "She said that she wanted me to come back home. And I had to choose between her and you kids."
"You chose us." Eric smiled.
"Of course." Joseph said, "I've never had this good contact with any of you before, and I am not about to loose that." He said seriously.
Eric nodded.
"I'm glad to hear that you chose us dad, even though a divorce is always a sad thing." Eric said.
"Yeah, but sometimes it's necessary." Joseph said.
Horatio ran towards Eric and Joseph. He was out of breath but grinning.
"She's killing isn't she?" Eric grinned.
"Yeah, she's dangerous." Horatio chuckled.
Madeline soon joined the men.
"Already giving up uncle Horatio?" She grinned.
"Never, but I'm older than you and I need to rest a little bit." Horatio smiled.
Madeline laughed.
"By the way dad is home all grumpy today. You didn't happen to kick his ass in poker last night did you? Again." Madeline grinned.
The men laughed.
"I sure did." Horatio said.
"Frank also thought he could beat my father in poker." Eric smiled.
"Just because I'm old he thought he could win over me." Joseph said.
"Yeah, he never learns." Madeline grinned, "Come on uncle Horatio, let's play some more." Madeline said and pulled Horatio towards the beach and their little soccer field.
-I-
"A gun range?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, I have checked with the PD and we have permission to wed at the gun range." Calleigh smiled.
"That's unusual. To wed at a gun range I mean." Ryan said.
"I know, but that's what makes it's so fun." Calleigh smiled," It's fun to do something different sometimes Ryan."
Ryan smiled.
"I know." He said,"Alright, we shall get married at a gun range."
Calleigh shrieked and hugged her husband to be.
"Have you chosen a best man yet?" Calleigh said," Or will you have several?"
"I'm thinking about having two." Ryan said.
"Good, then I'll have to brides maids then." Calleigh smiled.
"Cal, we haven't decided a date yet." Ryan said.
"I knew we had forgotten something!" Calleigh giggled.
"Well what do you think about the 5th July?" Ryan asked.
"That's in four weeks right?" Calleigh asked, Ryan nodded.
"That sounds great!" She smiled," We have to get a priest." She said.
"My uncle said he'd be willing to wed us." Ryan smiled.
"Uncle Thomas?" Calleigh asked.
"Yeah." Ryan said.
"Good, I like him." Calleigh said.
Ryan was glad that Calleigh liked his uncle. Especially since Cal and his mother had some trouble getting along sometimes. They didn't hate each other. They just didn't understand each other, so sometimes they argued because of a silly misunderstanding.
"Is you family coming Calleigh?" Ryan asked. He knew it was a subject she rather not talk about.
"My father is, but I'm not sure about my mother." She sighed.
"I'm sorry." Ryan said.
"Don't Ryan. It's her choice to drink instead of coming to our wedding." Calleigh said," She's disappointed me so many times now. Maybe it's for the best if she doesn't come." She said.
"I know you don't think that Cal." Ryan said.
"For our sake and all the guests, I think it is for the best. Even though another part of me wants her to come." Calleigh said, "I just hope that my father don't get drunk."
"If he starts to drink too much on our special day. I'll make sure that he leaves." Ryan said.
"Thank you Ryan." Calleigh smiled and kissed him.
Ryan held her close.
-I-
It was quite late in the evening and Eric was in the kitchen, helping Madeline with a school project. Madeline was going to make a power point presentation about water and some sea animals. And Eric happened to be quite the expert in that area.
Horatio was on the phone with Frank. Madeline wanted to stay the night at Eric and Horatio's. So H made a call to Frank to make sure it was okay.
"Of course it's okay H. Just don't teach her stuff that she shouldn't know about." Frank said on the other end of the phone.
"Such as?" Horatio asked.
"About CSI stuff and so on. You know that she's dying for Alexx to show her the morgue. She wants to know all sorts of gross stuff that we see almost everyday." Frank said.
"She has that from you." Horatio chuckled.
"I might have been very interested and almost overexcited when I started working in homicide. But she's taking it to a whole different level." Frank snorted.
"Don't worry Frank. Me and Eric will just sit up all night with her and watch horror movies." Horatio said.
"Which is another thing that freaks me out." Frank said.
"Watching horror movies? Surely Frank you're not spooked by horror movies?" Horatio teased.
"No, but Madeline thinks everything is cool when it comes to horror movies. She laughs her butt off if someone gets their head cut off." Frank said.
"Frank, I think that the reason you and I might not laugh at that is because we happen to work with such cases. She's a teenager and interested in all sorts of stuff right now." Horatio said, "It's not like she's going to copy the things she sees."
"No thank god for that. I am so glad that I have a daughter that is a member in anti crime clubs." Frank chuckled.
"She told me you were grumpy this morning." Horatio said, "Because you lost yesterday."
"I might have been grieving the loss of my money and been a little annoyed for loosing. But I'm not grumpy." Frank said.
"Right. Frank whenever you want to admit to someone that you simply suck at poker. I'm here for you." Horatio teased.
Frank laughed.
"This is one Texan that you can never get to admit anything." Frank chuckled.
"We'll se about that." Horatio said.
"Sure. Alright, Madeline has soccer practice tomorrow though, so I'll come and pick her up around nine." Frank said.
"Alright." Horatio said, "She kicked my ass in soccer today."
"As usual then." Frank chuckled.
"She's really good." Horatio said.
"I know, I'm proud of her." Frank said, "I don't from who she got that big soccer interest, but I'm glad that she plays it."
"Yeah rather than football." Horatio said.
"Hell yes, if she was on a football field she'd get knocked down immediately." Frank said, "She's too small."
"I'm sure she'd be though enough to play football as well." Horatio said.
"Yeah, being small can be good too." Frank said, "But she has a less risk of getting injured on the soccer field."
"That's true. I have to go know Frank. I'll see you tomorrow at nine." Horatio said.
"Bye, and don't destroy my daughter." Frank said and hung up.
Horatio chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Eric asked.
"Oh wait, I know!" Madeline exclaimed, "Dad told you not to destroy me." She grinned.
"Yeah, exactly. He told me about your fascination of our job and how you laugh your butt off when you watch horror movies." Horatio smiled.
"Yeah, well it's funny. And it's only a movie." Madeline said, "As for your jobs. One day I will manage to see the morgue." She smirked.
Eric and Horatio laughed.
"Hey, where is your father Uncle Eric?" Madeline asked.
"He's out at the moment." Eric said, "You can sleep in the guest bedroom tonight." He said.
"Then where will you father sleep?" Madeline asked.
"On the couch." Eric said.
"That's mean Eric; you can't let that old man sleep in the couch." Madeline said, "One of you should. Or I can do it."
"He suggested it himself." Eric said, "But don't worry. It's a sofa bed."
"Oh, why didn't you just say that from the beginning." Madeline said.
Eric and Horatio chuckled.
"Do you have any horror movies at home?" Madeline asked.
"Yeah, Eric has big collection of horror movies." Horatio smiled.
Madeline nodded and almost ran into the living room.
Eric sighed.
"She's a handful. Poor Frank and his ex-wife." Eric smiled.
"Yeah, she never seems to get tired. But you have to admit that you love her energy." Horatio smiled.
"Oh yes, no doubt about that." Eric said.
"Hey, Uncle Eric and Horatio, can we watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The beginning?" Madeline asked from the living room.
"Are you sure?" Eric asked.
"yeah, don't worry. The first movie with blood and death in it that I saw was Vampires, when I saw 10." Madeline answered from the living room.
"Who showed you that movie?" Horatio asked.
"Uncle Tim." Madeline said.
"I knew Tim let her watch horror movies." Eric smirked, "She always got what she wanted when he babysat her."
Horatio chuckled.
"So how about it?" Madeline asked.
"Sure kiddo, we can watch that." Eric said.
Horatio and Eric went into the living room, watching Madeline putting the disc in the DVD.
The three of them sat down in the couch.
"If you get scared you can always hold each others hands." Madeline teased.
"We don't get scared." Eric said.
"What if it's a gun in the movie then Eric." Horatio teased and received a slap on the arm from Eric.
"I'm not afraid of guns anymore." He said.
Horatio kissed him.
-I-
Joseph had been out with a few friends at a bar. It was now almost midnight and he was on his way back to his son's house.
"Joseph?" He heard a female voice ask from behind him.
He turned around and saw his wife. Soon to be ex-wife.
"Hello Raquel." He greeted her somewhat stiffly.
"Where are you going?" Raquel asked.
"That's none of your business anymore." Joseph said.
"You're going to him aren't you?" Raquel asked.
"If you are referring to Eric as him, then yes, that's where I'm going." Joseph said.
"Do you even miss me?" Raquel asked.
"No, not anymore." Joseph said.
"You will one day." She said.
"If that day ever comes, all I have to do is think back to these last few weeks and I will remember why I left you." Joseph said.
"You're an idiot Joseph!" Raquel growled.
"I learned from you." Joseph said.
"Learned from me? You must have picked up idiotic things from your daughters." Raquel said.
"My daughter? They're your daughter too!" He growled, "They are our daughters. And I am going to our son's house." He said.
"Oh please Joseph. You can't just come around in a second. Are you telling me that you don't find it disgusting to see those two faggots kiss? To see them hug?" Raquel asked.
"Don't call them faggots!" Joseph growled, "I will admit that I still find it a bit uncomfortable at times. But when you see the love in their eyes that they have for each other. I can help to be jealous." Joseph said.
He walked towards his car, Raquel followed closely behind.
Just as he was about to get into his car he turned around and looked at Raquel. A woman that he had once loved. What had made her change so much? She had not been like this when they met.
She was such a different person and he no longer recognized her.
"You will receive divorce papers next week from my lawyer." Joseph said and got into the car.
Leaving a stunned Raquel behind.
Raquel was furious; she wanted to hit both Joseph and Eric.
She thought seriously for a second to hire a hit man. But maybe that was a bit too much. She didn't actually want anyone to die. Just to pay for lying to her and for betraying her like this.
TBC…
AN: Uh oh, trouble maybe? Haven't actually decided yet.