AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter, sorry I didn't post one last week, I just needed a break from everything, but I hope you all had a good 4th of July.

Chapter 10: Not alone anymore?

Feb. 28, 1999

When Horatio woke up that February morning, he thought it was just going to be like every other day, with the exception of celebrating someone's birthday. But it turned out not to be the case, it would be the day that changed his journey, his life in a way he could had only hope for, especially the last, almost, two years.

After arriving at the lab, Horatio headed right to the break room to get coffee, and when he got there, he sees Calleigh, who was looking down into her coffee cup, sitting at one of the round tables.

He cleared his throat before saying with a small smile. "Hi, Calleigh."

She looked up at the sound of his voice and gave him a small smile in return. "Oh hey, Horatio."

He gave her a little frown from the lack of sparkle in her eyes or the upbeat demeanor that she usually has, especially for today, her 26th birthday.

"What's wrong Cal? You've always told me you enjoy your birthdays." He then cleared his throat and finished softly, trying to keep his sadness out of it. "And I figured you would enjoy it a little more this year since you have someone special to share it with."

A few months after the death of her best friend, Lindsey, Adam, her other best friend, started showing up in Miami and the lab because they became a couple, so of course Horatio still couldn't tell her how he felt. She had actually found a little happiness, despite losing a good friend, and he didn't want to disrupt that.

His thoughts get interrupted when she spoke again. "Adam won't be here. In fact, you won't see him very much here at all. We broke up."

While he did feel bad that she was sad about it, he couldn't help his heart from racing just as little, which he tried to shake it off as he cleared his throat again. "I'm sorry to hear that."

She waved it off. "It really is for the best, we both agreed we were probably in it for not the best of reasons."

He nodded in understanding before replying softly. "Maybe, but there is no one way or a correct way to grieve and you two really needed one another at the time. You two lost a very dear friend."

She looked a little surprised at his comment before replying in return. "You really do understand."

He nodded before speaking without thinking. "More than you know."

Calleigh, being as smart as she was, picked up on that comment pretty quickly and asked again without much surprise. "You and Yelina."

He immediately shook his head. "Nothing happened between us, but if there was a different circum…"

He stops himself from continuing, and she asked while standing up from her seat. "What do you mean if there were different circumstances? What made yourself not go there?"

As she moved closer to him, their eyes connected the whole way, Horatio's heart started to race like when they first met, and he spoke softly. "Calleigh, I….."

He trailed off, shaking his head as he looked away, silently cursing himself for not saying it. And she wasn't going to let this moment go, so she moved her fingers to his chin to bring his head back so it was facing her again, but his eyes weren't looking at hers this time, so she cups his cheek, their hearts both still racing like mad as she whispered. "Horatio, why?"

He took a breath, and just before he could open his mouth again, not able to keep in what he was feeling towards the blond, they both heard the team singing 'Happy Birthday' right before they walked through the break room door, which her hand was immediately taken off Horatio's cheek just before they saw the team, well Eric, carrying a tray of chocolate cupcakes with one of them having a candle on top, as they stepped into the room.

She smiled through their singing, and when it was done, she blew out the candle and thanked them.

After a short celebration, which it was decided they'll do more of it at their usual bar after shift, their supervisor, Megan Donner, said it was time to get back to work.

As everyone started walking out of the room, Horatio and Calleigh shared one more look before going their separate ways.

After shift

Once shift was done, which had been a rare day where they didn't have to spend too much extra time in the lab, they did exactly what they said they were going to do, they went to the bar to have a few drinks, even Horatio joined, but he only had one before he left.

About thirty minutes later, while standing in his favorite spot on the beach, he hears that beautiful southern voice that just makes him want to close his eyes every time he hears it.

"Somehow I knew you would be here."

He started to smile as he turned around so he was facing her, but they were still at a distance. "You didn't have to leave your own party."

She smirked. "It's my party and I can leave if I want to." He chuckled slightly, causing her to sigh softly before speaking once again softly. " Besides, as great as our team is, there was someone that left my party who I wished hadn't."

Looking into her eyes, his heart once again started racing as he tried to speak. "Calleigh…"

But she cuts him off. "I'm tired Horatio, I'm tired of hiding what I'm feeling, of not doing what I should have done a long time ago." As she walked closer to him, she continued before he could reply. "It's a risk, sure, but it's a risk I need to take, I can't be scared anymore."

The more she got closer, the faster his heart was beating, and he spoke almost breathlessly. " Calleigh…"

He gets cut off again, but this time it wasn't with words, it was her lips touching his, giving him the best feeling in the world that he's ever felt. Before either one deepened it, she pulled away feeling breathless, despite them not deepening it, and she spoke with a smile. "Just how I always thought I would feel after kissing you."

Since she took a risk, he took one too when he moved his hand up to cup her cheek as he asked breathlessly. "You thought of us kissing?"

Her smile and green eyes were bright as ever. "Every day since we met, handsome."

He gets a shy look from the last thing she said, causing her to chuckle as he replied. "I thought about it too, and I must say the reality is so much better."

She nodded while wrapping her arms around his neck. "I second that, now how about we share anot…"

This time she gets cut off when his lips touched hers first this time, and this time they did deepen it, which as great as that first short kiss was, this one was 20, no, 100 times better.

When they finally pulled back, they were even more breathless than the last time, and when they could speak, they both whispered 'wow', causing them to chuckle while they place their foreheads together and closed their eyes.

They soaked up this beautiful moment in silence for a bit, then he took a breath as he pulled back before speaking again with a slight frown. "And you want to know what I've been thinking about this morning?"

She ran her fingers at the nape while asking. "What?"

"Why you looked so sad when you said it was for the best that you and Adam broke up?"

She nodded in understanding before she replied with a sigh. "I missed my best friend."

He nodded in understanding this time. "I get it, with all the stories you said about Lindsay.."

She cuts him off with a small smile. "No, not her. I mean I will always think of her and miss her very much, but I was talking about you. I felt you've been pushing me away these last few months."

This time he sighed. "I didn't want to, but it was hard being…"

She cuts him off again. "I get it more than you know."

She then looked down, sadly, and he seemed to get it, so he moved his finger and lifted her chin up before replying in a reassuring tone. "And one of the reasons Yelina and I didn't go there was because I was falling for you."

She started to smile, her eyes getting bright again. "You were?"

Now using the words she did a moment ago. "Every day since we met, sweetheart."

She chuckled as she placed her forehead against his again, then after a sigh, she asked. "And how come we didn't do this sooner if we were both feeling it that soon?"

He sighed in return. "At least for me, I guess I thought I could be rejected. And while I've had my fair share of relationships, the way I feel about has never been felt towards anybody else before, so getting rejected by you would have hurt more than you know."

Calleigh looked at him with wide-eyes. "Anyone?"

He could see the question in her eyes, asking if it also included women whom he had feelings for but was never in a relationship with, a specific woman at that, and he smiled while cupping her cheek again and answered that question truthfully. "Anyone Calleigh."

She smiled with a shy look on her face before she shook her head and placed her hand on top of his that was still cupping her cheek. "And that never would have happened, I was yours the moment our eyes met."

He took a relieved breath. "That's good to hear." He then ran his thumb over her hand as he continued. "And I would have never rejected you."

She then smirked. "So, in other words, we were just being scaredy cats."

He chuckled in return, which he wasn't known to that very often. "I like to think of it as being cautious."

She chuckled in return with a nod. "Ok, fine." Then she gets more serious. "But we don't have to be scared anymore, we are together now."

She was moving in for another kiss, but he stopped her, which caused her to look at him in confusion, then he put on the most serious look on his face that she had probably ever seen, which was saying a lot since he was always a serious man, especially when it came to their cases.

"Are you really sure about us, because you realize I'll be forty next year and you haven't even hit your thirties yet."

She wanted to be serious too, but she couldn't help but smirk first. "You actually see us lasting a year?"

While he still looked serious, there was also a vulnerable side he was showing, something he only shows to those he was closest with, while he replied. "I don't want to scare you or put any pressure on you on how long I actually see us together."

She'll admit she did feel a little overwhelmed about that comment, but like she thought a moment ago he was a serious guy, and if they ended up together, while it might not be smooth sailing all the time, this was probably going to be 'it' for the both of them. They were each other's 'ones', she really believed that.

And honestly, she was ready for it, she was ready for him, because not counting the last guy she dated, since he was sweet, caring and an all-around wonderful guy, he just wasn't the right one for her in that way. She's seen what else was out there and she knew she couldn't do any better than Horatio Caine.

With that thought in mind, Calleigh moved her hand from the back of his neck so she could cup his cheek and spoke with the most seriousness she's probably spoken the whole time they've been here.

"I'm sure handsome, I'm not going anywhere, no matter what age you turn."

Horatio's face just lit up like it had never lit up before as the relief showed up in his eyes right before he brings her in for another kiss, this one more passionate than the last as they poured everything they felt for one another in it.

When they pulled back from their long kiss, he kissed her forehead with a sigh, and when he got his air back, he spoke after clearing his throat. "Now let's get out of here, I believe I owe you a birthday dinner."

She chuckled as they pulled back. "You know you don't…"

He cuts her off and took her hand without even thinking about it before they started walking towards the parking lot.

"I want to, I mean that's what a boyfriend does for his girlfriend, right?"

Her face just lit up with a nod, hearing him use those words for the first time. "Yeah, you're right "

He just nodded with a sigh of relief while they continued towards the vehicles in comfortable silence as they enjoyed the feeling of finally being together.

One week later

After shift, Calleigh headed over to Horatio's for a date, something that's happened four times in the last week, but it still felt like their first one.

Horatio was on the phone when he opened the door after hearing a knock. "Of course buddy, I wouldn't miss your birthday for anything." He smiled and waved Calleigh in, who was holding out a bottle of wine. Then once she was in, he finished up his conversation with his godson. "Goodnight to you too." After a few words with Derek, they hung up and he looked at Calleigh with a smile. "Hi, sorry about that."

She shook her head with a smile. "That's ok, so it is that time of the year, huh?"

Despite him being committed to his job, there was always a couple of days that he would actually take time off, and one of those days was his God children's birthdays.

He nodded as he moved towards the base for his cordless phone so he could hang it up, then replied as they headed towards the kitchen. "And I was actually going to talk to you about that after dinner."

She nodded while he pulled the lasagna out of the oven before he grabbed the salad, cottage cheese and tomatoes from the fridge, then after opening the wine and poured their glasses, they made their plates and sat down at the kitchen table.

She smiled so she spoke. "Everything looks and smells amazing."

"Thank you, Cal. I just hope it tastes like it."

"I'm sure it will, handsome."

Once they finished their dinner, which it was as amazing as Calleigh thought it would be, they moved their evening to the couch, and after they were settled, Calleigh asked. "So, what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

Now feeling a little shy, he cleared his throat before replying. "Well, you see, I was going to ask if you would like to go with me on my trip."

She looked shocked for a second, then she started to smile. "It would be our first trip together as a couple, are you sure we are ready for that?"

Honestly Horatio was ready for a lot of things when it came to him and Calleigh, but he didn't want to speed things up too much just in case she wasn't ready, so he did tell her the truth as he took her hand.

"I do feel I am ready for it, but if you're not, you don't have to. It was just a thought I had."

She squeezed his hand in reassurance with another smile. "And it's a wonderful thought, something I could get on board with."

She paused and he took that opportunity to ask. "Why am I sensing a 'but' here?"

She nodded with one more smile. "But we both agreed we would keep us a secret for the time being and with both of us leaving, wouldn't that raise some eyebrows?"

He nodded in agreement. "You make a good point Ms. Duquesne." He then smirked with a mischievous look on his face. "But what if there was one of those ballistic conferences that you like so much that you can 'go' to."

She chuckled with a nod. "That would work, who knew Horatio Caine had a devious mind."

He whispered softly as his lips moved closer to her. "There is a lot you don't know about me."

They kissed softly before Calleigh cupped his cheek and whispered in return. "And I'm looking forward to learning it all." Before bringing him in for another kiss.

Later that night

Once they had stopped kissing like they couldn't get enough, they settled more comfortably on the couch before Horatio put on a movie, and they must have fallen asleep because before they knew it, they were waking up in the middle of the night.

They look at one another shyly before Calleigh spoke. "Horatio, I'm…."

He cuts her off with a wider smile. "You have nothing to apologize for, I fell asleep too, remember."

She chuckled slight before sighing and getting shyer while she admitted. "And it was probably the best four hour sleep I ever had."

He nodded while cupping her cheek. "For me too."

She then smirked. "So, should that be a sign for more sleepovers in the future."

Without missing a beat and speaking with a little bit of seriousness, he replied softly. "I hope so." Then he ran his thumb up and down her cheek as he continued. "And I promise that sleep, until you are ready for more, is all we'll be doing. I don't want to rush this."

A few tears came to her eyes unexpectedly as she whispered in return. "Me neither and thank you for saying that."

"No need to thank me, sweetheart. I just want you to be comfortable with everything we do."

She cleared her throat and spoke as she moved closer to him. "Well, I am definitely comfortable doing this."

Then her lips touched his and time meant nothing to them, getting lost in each other's kissing while still keeping it as innocent as they could.

AN: Thanks for reading and please review. I'll get the next chapter up soon, although it might take me a bit, so bear with me.