CSI:MIAMI SEASON ELEVEN
Episode Ten
A/N: Most of this episode is a happy pg. The end snuck up on me and it went M for a bit. If you're young or offended, don't watch them take a shower.
"How's that ankle feelin', Sis?" Calleigh's oldest brother handed her a glass of lemonade and pulled up a chair.
"It still hurts, but not enough to keep me from this party. From the looks of things, y'all went to an awful lot of trouble."
"For you? Never any trouble, baby sis. We'd been itchin' for a boil, and when Mama called and said you'd gotten married in Miami and adopted two little ones, it just seemed like the perfect time. Look at 'em, you'd never know they didn't grow up out here."
"They are pretty special angels. They actually picked us. Their father was a criminal, and we had the kids at the station waiting for child services. Austin asked me to take them home that day. You know their father actually shot Horatio? Then he pushed one of my best friends off a pier in the trunk of a car. He blamed her for losing his kids."
"Sounds like somebody who can't be responsible for his own actions."
"No, he's not. He won't be getting out of jail at all now. Two counts of attempted murder on police officers...just one count is life without parole. He got two consecutive sentences."
"Do the kids know?" He looked at them playing in the yard with their new cousins.
"They do. Their pretty smart, and Child Services had the television, so they saw the news. Austin actually helped us capture him. He lured him to a park so we could catch him before he hurt anyone else, or got killed." She took a long drink of her lemonade. "I don't know how Mama makes hers better than mine, I use the same recipe. You should've seen the kids when they realized they were getting Horatio as a new father. They were so thrilled. It's been strange for us, we've been apart for so long."
"But you saw him every day."
"I did, and it seemed like every day we grew farther apart. But the day I almost lost the kids, I called him and he was right there. Just like always."
He got up and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I think I'll go toss the ball around with the boys for awhile. Can I get you anything else before I go?"
"I'm fine, thanks for the lemonade." She smiled as she watched him begin to play with the kids. Horatio looked up at her and smiled and winked as he began to play with the children. Soon all the men and children were in the middle of a spirited game of touch football. It reminded Calleigh so much of her childhood, when her aunts and uncles would come over for a boil, and she was right out there with the boys getting dirty. Her mother always said one day she was going to have children just like her, and she'd be the one having to clean up her sweet daughter. She smiled as her daughter tackled her brother, dust flying everywhere.
"Remember what I told you, Calleigh?"
"Oh, Mama, you startled me. Yes, I was just remembering. You said that someday I'd have kids just like me to run after. Patty hasn't even been my child for a week and look at her, she's so much like I was at that age."
"Children become what they are taught. You're lucky these two were away from that awful man for most of their little lives."
"Horatio told you?"
"While he was getting your breakfast this morning. I'm so proud of you, Cher. It takes a special person to raise someone else's children."
"Mama, you had half the town here at one time or another, you took care of all of our friends. That's where I learned it."
Her mother smiled. "More lemonade?"
"Yes, please. Are you ever gonna tell me exactly what you put in this?"
"I will before you leave. You need to take care of that man and those adorable grandchildren of mine."
Calleigh looked at the playing field just in time to see Horatio tackled. "They're supposed to be playing touch football, but it's getting a bit rough."
"You do realize you're at the Duquesne house? When is football NOT rough here." Her mother rang the bell on the porch and the game came to an abrupt halt. "All right everyone, time to get washed up and get to boilin', that water's got to be ready by now." Everyone scattered, running for the outdoor sinks to wash their hands.
"What can I do, Mama?"
"Everything's done, you just sit right there. Is it time for another pain pill?"
"Not yet, I'm all right, I just feel so useless.
"You're not useless, Beautiful. You're just sitting there decorating the porch." Horatio kissed her softly, and then lifted her leg and placed it in his lap. "How are you doing?"
"It hurts, but not as much as this morning, I can take another pain pill after dinner. I hate that I have to be up here while y'all are down there."
"Your dad is going to bring a small table up here with three chairs. The Caines will eat together. I've talked to your brothers, and they know what I'm supposed to put on your food tray, so we'll be all set. Don't worry."
"But what about our guests? The ones not in our family."
"They can come up here and visit you, I'm sure they'll understand why you can't walk around. Ah, here comes our table and chairs." Horatio helped Duke set up their eating area, and then went back down to help Calleigh's brothers finish boiling the crawfish. Austin and Patty's eyes went wide as they watched their father dump the food on the newspaper covered table.
The shrimp was dumped into the second pot, as it didn't need long to boil. By the time the crawfish and vegetables had cooled down a bit, the shrimp would be ready. John handed the children their trays and helped them fill each one with the boiled seafood and vegetables. While Horatio was dumping the second pot, John helped the kids onto the porch to sit with their mother.
"Daddy will be here in a minute with your tray, Mama. He's helping Uncle Patrick with the shrimp."
"I see that, Sweetie. Are you going to eat all that food?"
Patty sighed. "I don't know, but Uncle John said as long as we didn't bite into it, we can put it back on the table. He said it is a little spicy, too."
"It should be, but not spicy enough to taste bad. Just try everything, if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, all right?"
"We don't have to eat it all?"
"No, Austin, just eat what you can. Save room for dessert. Knowing your aunts, they each made one."
"Which one is best?"
"They're all good, I'll let Daddy know that if you eat a good amount, I'll let you have a little of each."
"YAY!"
"And just what are we celebrating, kids?" Horatio put Calleigh's tray in front of her and sat down with his family.
"Mommie said that if we ate a good dinner we could have a little of each dessert."
"She did, did she? Well, Mommie usually knows best. How much is a good dinner?"
"I told them they had to at least try everything, but what's not to like? We know they like crawfish, everyone loves shrimp, and the rest is just potatoes, corn and mushrooms. You didn't give them any garlic, did you?"
"John dished the trays up. You don't have to eat the garlic if you don't want to."
"Daddy, I don't like mushrooms." Patty spoke quietly, but her eyes spoke volumes.
"Do you like them, Austin?"
He nodded. "I can eat hers, then we're not wasting, right? That way she can still get her dessert."
"Sweetie, do you want to just take a bite of one cooked this way?"
"Do I have to?"
"Come here, baby." She pulled her daughter into her lap and rocked her. "No, you don't have to. You can give them to Austin if you want. Uncle John didn't know you don't like them."
"I love you, Mommie." She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her cheek.
"I love you too, angel, now go eat before it get's cold. Do you kids remember how to shell them?"
They nodded and dug in and were racing each other to see who could finish first.
After dinner all the children stuffed themselves with the desserts, and sat quietly on the porch while their parents cleaned up the yard. One by one, the visitors stopped to see Horatio and Calleigh and once again offer congratulations on their marriage and their wonderful children. Then it was bath time. All the kids were bathed and dressed in the pajamas and gathered in from of the television to watch a movie. One by one they dropped off to sleep. Horatio covered their children with a blanket and carried his wife upstairs to bed. They were as exhausted as the children.
"Ready to get that boot off?"
"Good Lord, yes. Will you help me shower?"
Horatio let loose a low growl. "You know there's no way I'm just going to hold you up and wash you don't you?"
"Countin' on it, Handsome."
He helped her free herself of the confines of clothing, and then removed his own. "Sit right there, let me get the water the right temperature, I don't want to burn you."
"Not moving."
After turning on the shower, he turned around and admired his beautiful, naked wife. He lifted her gently and helped her into the bathroom, and then into the shower stall. The warm water cascaded softly over both of them. Horatio pulled her into his body and claimed her mouth roughly.
"God, Calleigh. You had me so worried last night."
"It's just a little cracked bone, I'm fine, Horatio."
"If you'd been higher up when you fell, Calleigh, I just don't want to think about it."
She ran her hands up the chiseled muscles of his stomach and chest.
"Then don't think about it. You took care of me. You got Ruthie, you took me to the hospital, hell, you waited on me hand and foot today. I'm sorry I worried you. I had no idea the ladder was weak. We both climbed up, I guess coming down was different."
"Calleigh?"
"Mmm?"
"No more talking." He silenced her with another blistering kiss, pushing her into the cool tiles for support while his hands roamed her body.
She reached down and took his hardening length into her hand and began to pump gently, loving the power she had over him. He reached for her injured leg and lifted it over his arm, and then slid into her welcoming depths.
"Am I hurting you?"
"Are you kidding?" She giggled "There's only one thing I feel right now, and it's not my ankle." She wrapped her arms around his neck for more support and they began to move together, each feeding the other's passion.
"So close, Horatio...so close."
He changed position, and began to pump deeper and faster until he felt her clinch around him, and then followed her into bliss. "Well, that's one way to take my mind off my foot." She kissed him softly as he moved her foot back to the floor of the shower.
"Now, hold still while I wash you. I don't want you slipping." He soaped the washcloth and began to gently scrub her entire body, not missing one spot. After shampooing her hair, he rubbed in the conditioner and handed her the cloth. "Your turn to wash me while the conditioner sets in. Don't do my legs though, I don't want you bending over and lose your balance."
"Yes, Sir." She giggled again and scrubbed him down, watching the dust from the football game flow down the drain. "Boy, you really got dirty with the kids today."
"I had fun, Sweetheart. Ray and I didn't have that with our family."
"Well, now you do. You marry a Duquesne, you're family for life. There, all done." She handed him the cloth so he could wash his lower body, and began to rinse the conditioner from her hair. He finished washing and stood up, where he was met with a kiss and a smile. I love you Mr. Caine."
"And I love you, Mrs. Caine." He turned off the water and pulled a towel from the rack for her hair, and another one to dry her body. Once he was done he dried himself. After helping her to the bed, he locked the door and slid into bed next to her.
"Do you have to be up with the chickens in the morning?"
"No, your mother told me that my one and only job for the rest of our visit was taking care of you."
"We probably should cut the trip short and get home to get this thing looked at by an ortho."
"I was thinking the same thing. We'll talk to your parents in the morning. Try to get some sleep."
She yawned loudly. "I don't think that's going to be a problem." She pushed back against him and closed her eyes. She was asleep in minutes.