Saturday Morning

At the Cabin

Eric smiled softly at a sleeping Calleigh who had wrapped her arms around his chest. They were both still wrapped in each other, naked from hours of lovemaking. He kissed her brow. His love stirred and gave peaceful sigh. She opened her eyes a moment later.

"Mornin'," she said to Eric, smiling.

"Good morning," he replied.

Without a word, Eric tried to get up from the bed minutes later, knowing the reaction he would get.

"And where do you think you're going?" Calleigh said, straddling Eric.

"Apparently nowhere," he grinned.

Back in Miami, Little Havana. Rachel's House

Rachel smiled at her five-year-old son's concern at what his three-year-old cousin was going to do with he and his brother both at soccer practice, after which he was going to a birthday party and his brother had Cub Scouts.

"Don't worry about Chloe. She's going to spend most of the day with uncle Horatio then she's spending the night with grandma and grandpa."

At three Chloe still couldn't quite say 'Horatio.' His name often came out "'Ratio." More recently she took to calling him "H' like her dad always did. Horatio found that cute. Horatio had called Rachel's home when the kids were eating breakfast. She told Horatio that he didn't have to come over and get Chloe. Carlos would bring her over when he took the boys to soccer practice. He would put Chloe's safety seat in Horatio's car just in case the two wanted to go anywhere. Rachel packed up Chloe's things to take to Horatio's because he was going to drop her off to Chlorinda and Pavel's house where she was going to spend the next two nights.

There was no worry of Chloe getting bored. Over at her former brother-in-law's house her niece had a chest full of toys, Play-Doh, finger paints, crayons, coloring books, Legos and jigsaw puzzles. There was also a shelf of children's books and movies. A true sign of how much he loved having his godchild in his care.

Looking around Horatio's home some people would think Chloe actually belonged to the lieutenant because along with many photos of his late mother there were many, many photos of the child from the time she was a newborn till now displayed around the house. Chloe once asked her godfather who the lady and little boy were in the pictures.

"Dat's Chloe," she said pointing to her photos, "but who's dat?"

"That's me with my mom when I was a little boy," Horatio told her.

Chloe knew her godfather's mother was deceased or "in heaven" so she didn't ask about the woman's current whereabouts.

"Oh," Chloe said. "Where is your daddy?"

In Chloe's world, all kids had a mommy and a daddy, and they were both good people.

Horatio smiled at her innocence.

"My dad didn't live with us," he told her.

The little girl was too young and innocent to be told the truth.

Chloe started to squirm with anticipation as the minivan pulled up to the front of Horatio's house and she saw him waiting for her in the driveway. As soon as her uncle Carlos put her down from lifting her out of her car seat she ran over to Horatio. Horatio lifted her up and Chloe put her palms on his cheeks and kissed his face. Horatio smiled.

"Hello sweetheart," he said to Chloe as the two rubbed noses. "I missed you. I haven't seen you in the few days."

The two didn't get the chance to go to the zoo because it started raining shortly after Chloe arrived. They were able to feed the ducks in the back before the rain came. Inside, the crime lab supervisor and the little girl built houses, trees and buildings out of Legos and put lawns and animals around them using Play-Doh. Instead of going out for lunch the two stayed in and had PBJ sandwiches with potato chips on the side for dessert.

Eric called to check on his daughter while she was with her godfather.

"Hi daddy!" She said when Horatio passed her the phone.

"Hi princesa. Are you having fun with uncle H?" Eric asked his daughter.

"Yeah!" Chloe replied, telling her father everything they were doing and what they ate for lunch.

Chloe was curious to know if her parents had done anything fun. He told her the one G-rated bit of 'fun' that was fit for her three-year-old ears. He told her that he and Calleigh had gone for a walk on one of the trails behind the cabin and they seen some strange looking berries they had never seen before.

Chloe didn't really want to leave Horatio's to go nana and pop-pop's as the evening started to arrive, and uncle Horatio wasn't too happy about her leaving, either. Horatio called Chlorinda and asked if she minded if the two had a "sleepover." Chloe had stayed over at Horatio's alone before. He didn't have a spare room so she slept in his bed with him. Horatio was very protective; he would put Chloe on the inside next to the wall so there was no chance she would fall out. Chloe was very cuddly anyway and she often hugged into him at night. Horatio enjoyed that.

"I'll bring Chloe over in time for dinner tomorrow," Horatio told the older woman.

Chlorinda had talked to her granddaughter before Horatio and she had been the first one to mention a "seep over" with H.

"That's fine, Horatio. You're invited tomorrow, too, you know."

Horatio had no trouble putting Chloe to bed that night. After a bubble bath, a snack and bedtime story she was nearly asleep in his lap. He kissed her brow and put the covers over her before he got off the bed. He put two pillows behind the child so she wouldn't fall out when he wasn't there.

The lieutenant smiled at the sleeping girl, truly grateful he was allowed to be such a part of her life.

This story is far from done but should Calleigh & Eric add to the family in the upcoming sequel? Vote now!