AN: Thanks for the reviews and the patience, here is the next chapter. Warning: Subtle mention of Violence & Implied/Suggestive adult behavior.

Chapter 11: Getting to know him

March 1999

Luck was on their side when they found out there would actually be a ballistic conference in New York around the same time they would be there, so once all of that was set up all they had to do was wait for the day they could leave, and two weeks later it was that time.

Once they were settled on the plane and after it took off, Horatio looked over at Calleigh and slipped his fingers through hers. She looked at him with a smile as she squeezed his hand before he spoke softly. "Thank you for taking this trip with me."

"Thank you for inviting me. Can you tell me a little bit more about them?"

While she knew a little, she didn't know much about the man he had considered a best friend, which like he told her before he didn't use the word lightly, so he must have been pretty important in his life, and considering he was the godfather to all three of Derek's kids, the feeling must have gone both ways.

Horatio nodded with another smile before telling her throughout the flight about Derek, not only him as a person/family man, but a partner as well.

When the plane arrived at the airport, they followed the other passengers off the plane, then it wasn't very long after they stepped into the airport when they saw Derek and his family, which D.J., who will be eight in two days, saw him first, so he removed his hand from his father's and shouted 'Uncle Horatio' with a smile while he ran towards him.

Horatio smiled in return and brought the little boy in his arms, and in that moment, seeing the protectiveness/love in his blue eyes for that little boy, Calleigh couldn't help but think of him when he'll look at their kids that way. She immediately shook her head with a silent chuckle as she thought to herself. 'Woah there Cal girl, that's a little too fast, don't you think?' she mentally shook her head again as she watched Horatio continue his greeting to the little boy.

"It's nice to see you again too little man, I've also missed you." As the little boy and Horatio we're pulling back, Horatio smiled again as he continued. "And D.J. I would like you to meet someone very special to me, Calleigh Duquesne."

Calleigh kneeled down so she could be eye level with the little guy as she spoke. "Hi, D.J. I've heard so much about you."

The little boy smiled a little shyly before he asked. "Are you Uncle Horatio's girlfriend?"

Calleigh nodded with a huge smile and sparkle in her eyes. "As a matter of fact, I am."

D.J. smiled as he heard his father's voice behind him. "And we've heard so much about you Ms. Duquesne."

Horatio immediately looks down, no doubt trying to hold his blush while Calleigh stood up with a bigger smile. "Really?"

Derek nodded with a smile as he pats his best friend's shoulder. "Oh yeah, well once I finally got him to open about the new change in his life, which I can probably take a good guess on the exact day you came into his life because his tone on the phone sure sounded different."

Calleigh takes a look at Horatio, who was still looking down, with a loving smile, then looked at Derek while holding out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've also heard a lot about you, and please it's Calleigh."

Derek nodded with a smile as he took Calleigh's hand. "It's nice to formally meet the woman who made this once lone wolf really happy."

As they release hands, Horatio cleared his throat before finally speaking. "Can we please change the subject off me now."

They started chuckling before Derek introduced Calleigh to his wife and twin girls before they headed for baggage claim then to the Miller's minivan.

After arriving at the Miller's house, which that's were Calleigh and Horatio will be staying as long as they were in New York, they just hung out on their back deck talking while watching the kids play in the backyard.

Once dinner came, which during that time the Miller's had two pieces of news, one, Derek was up for captain since Captain Jennings was close to finally retiring, and two, they had asked Horatio if he wanted to be godfather to their newest addition in six months. Of course there was no hesitation from him on agreeing to it.

When dinner was done, Horatio and Derek took care of the dishes while Calleigh and Felicia went to the living room to talk.

Horatio looked over at Derek with a smile. "Congratulations."

Derek smirked. "For which part?"

Horatio chuckled. "For both of course, and as for becoming the captain, I hope it happens for you, I can't think of a better man to lead the next generation."

Derek cleared his throat before replying with emotion. "Thanks man." Horatio nodded before Derek asked with a smirk. "So, now that you have found your 'one', when is it your turn?"

"My turn?"

He chuckled. "Yes, your turn, you know that certain something that will make me an uncle."

Horatio's face gets a little red. "Oh that." Derek chuckled again with a nod before Horatio cleared his throat and shook his head. "It's a little too early to be thinking of that, don't you think? It hasn't even been a month yet."

Derek countered while raising an eyebrow. "And are you telling me you haven't thought of it, even for a second?"

Horatio sighed. "Honestly I have, but then the doubts come through."

Derek then asks with sympathy. "Because of how you were raised, how your father was?"

It was about three years after they became partners and after one of the worst cases they had worked together, Horatio told Derek about his childhood and what happened 'that' night three years ago that changed his life. And that's when it was fully confirmed for Derek that they were more than just partners because Horatio trusted him with something barley anybody knew or probably will ever know about him.

Horatio nodded before he replied softly. "Yes."

Derek placed his hand on Horatio's shoulder as he continued with a warm tone. "I understand your concern with that, but I've seen you with my kids, and from what I've seen, you would be a wonderful dad, those kids would be lucky to have you."

Horatio looked at Derek in surprise. "Kids? As in more than one?"

Derek lightly slapped his friend's back with a chuckle. "Of course. Can you honestly tell me you could stop at one with their mother being half Calleigh?" When Horatio's face turned a little embarrassed for what felt like the hundredth time since arriving in New York, Derek chuckled again with a nod. "See, I knew it. That woman has done something to you, something that I haven't really seen the whole time I've known you."

"Which is?"

"True, pure happiness, and dear I say a peacefulness I had never seen with you before, and that makes me happy for you."

Horatio sighed in content and opened up a little more. "As clichéd as it sounds, I honestly didn't know true love could feel like this. I mean I felt or thought I was as in love before, but after meeting Calleigh, it's so much different, more intense, even."

He smirked and patted his friend's back one more time. "And that's why it's called true love, it's supposed to be different." After Horatio nodded, he gets a worried look on his face, which Derek saw it and continued. "But you are worried about something?"

The redhead nodded again with one more sigh. "She doesn't know my past, on what I did."

"What you did was an accident, he pointed the gun at you after he shot his wife, and you tried to take it from him, what else could you have done? And from what you've told me about her and how I already see the way she looks at you, I don't have any doubts that she would understand."

Horatio nodded with a small smile. "I just hope you're right."

Derek just nodded with a smile as he removed his hand from the other man's shoulder before they go back to doing the dishes.

A few hours after the kids were put down to sleep, the grown-ups decided it was their turn to get some shuteye, so they said goodnight to one another, and while Derek and Felicia were heading towards their room, Horatio and Calleigh were heading to the last guest room in the house.

Once they were in their room, they gathered their sleeping clothes before taking turns in the guest bathroom, then they got in bed.

But before they could go to sleep, Calleigh spoke with a concerned tone. "Horatio is everything alright? You seemed pretty quiet out there after dinner."

After his talk with Derek, it got him thinking more now than ever on what she didn't know about him, and if she could really love him once she did.

He sighed with a short nod. "Yeah, I've just been thinking."

She tried lightening the mood when she replied with a smile. "It must be pretty serious." But then when his looked turned a little more serious, she got a little worried. "It's not us, is it? Have I done…."

Horatio immediately cuts her off as he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb up and down it. "No sweetheart, you haven't done anything wrong, but in a way it does have something to do with us. That comment that you made a few weeks ago about you wanting to know the whole me, you're right, you need to know the man you love before this relationship gets any deeper, just in case you uh, you change your mind about….."

He trailed off and looked down, and Calleigh shook her head while cupping his cheek with a smile. "No matter what you have to tell me, nothing is going to change how I feel about you."

He just sighed as he replied softly. "I really hope you are right about that."

Before she could reply, he continued, telling her about his violent childhood, and all Calleigh could do was lay there and listen to the man she loves retail that horror that he lived through growing up, which only broke her heart.

Then after telling her about 'that' night, and what he did, he looked down and closed his eyes, not wanting to see her get up and walk out of the room.

But that never happened, she had lifted his chin up and cupped his cheek again only seconds after he had closed his eyes, she then ran her fingers up and down and whispered softly with emotion and tears in her eyes. "You did the only thing you could have done in that situation." He opened eyes and looked at her in shock and she continued while still running her thumb up and down his cheek. "I know you, you wouldn't willingly kill someone. Even, in my opinion, those who really deserve it. I don't blame you for what happened that night, and nothing you said tonight changes how I feel about you. In fact, I love you even more, because despite what you had been through, I know in my heart you'll be a different man, and that someday a different husband and father than your own. I love you, Horatio and thank you for trusting me with your past."

He honestly had no words after what she said while seeing the honesty, love and even passion in her eyes, and he knew in that moment, better than any moment they had shared together, that he had found his one, that he could spend a lifetime with this woman and it still wouldn't be enough, so he did the only thing he could think of, he leaned forward and kissed her passionately.

She kissed him in return matching her passion with his, they even started to lay down with him above her, but before things took an even more passionate turn, they pull back, trying to catch their breath as he moved his lips to her ear.

He finally spoke her name softly. "Calleigh."

Calleigh smiled as she ran her hand up and down his back before whispering in return, having a feeling on what he wanted to say. "It's ok handsome, I don't think it's a good idea for our first time to be here either. We can wait."

He smiled, happy she had the same thought, even though admittedly part of him didn't want to stop, as he kissed her cheek before he moved his head so they could look into each other's eyes that were filled with love and happiness.

"I love you, Cal."

She moved her hand to cup his cheek with a smile on her face. "I love you too."

They kiss softly one more time before he moved to lay back down on the other side of the bed, then once he was settled, she moved to lay her head on his chest. He kissed her head as they sighed in content before they slowly fell asleep in each other's arms.

Next Day

After Calleigh went to the ballistic conference, she met Horatio at the cemetery, then once she was there, they greeted one another before Horatio slipped his fingers through hers and led her to his parent's tombstone.

Once they got there he sighed, slipped his hand out from Calleigh's before he kneeled down and placed the flowers he had in his other hand at his mother's tombstone, he took a moment before 'talking' to her, telling her about his life in Miami and about Calleigh.

When he was done, he told his mother he loved her, missed her and that he'll come visit again when he comes back to New York, then he stood up and turned to Calleigh, who gave him a small smile while taking his hand again.

They look at one another for a minute in silence, then he nodded with a small smile in return before they headed towards the exit of the cemetery.

After they made it to and in the vehicle, Calleigh asked softly. "If it's not too hard, can you tell me about your mother? The woman who raised an exceptional man."

Horatio gets embarrassed by the last thing she said, then cleared his throat and replied softly. "I will be happy to."

As he started the vehicle, he started telling her about his mother, and during the rest of the trip when they weren't with Derek and his family or when she didn't take the time to go to the conference, he even showed her around his old stomping grounds from when he was growing up and told her the good stories, which may have not been a whole lot, especially when it involved his father, but there were a few good memories he still keeps close to his heart from that time of his life.

When it was time to head back to Miami, admittedly they were a little sad about it, not only because they were leaving Derek and his family, but because they could be more open as a couple here, like holding hands and holding one another without any worry that someone was watching.

After they made it back to Miami, they departed the plane, got their extra baggage, got a taxi and headed to her place first.

Once the taxi stopped in front of her apartment complex, he told the driver to please wait before they got out with her bags and headed towards her apartment.

They stopped at the closed door and she unlocked it, opened it and sets her bags inside before turning to him with a smile. "I had a wonderful time, once again thank you for inviting me."

He smiled as he cupped her cheek. "It was my pleasure."

She sighed before continuing. "Now I don't know what I'm going to do until I can see you tomorrow at work."

He smiled while suggesting. "You can always come over for dinner tonight."

She smiled brightly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, is six alright?"

"I'll see you then sweetheart."

"You got it handsome."

He leaned down and they kissed softly.

After he pulled back, they smiled at one another before she went inside her apartment while he turned and headed down the hall then towards the elevator so he could exit the complex and head home to prepare dinner.

Later that night

By the time she arrived at his place, dinner was being set on the table, which had a candle in the middle and wine chilling on it.

She complemented the setting while he poured their glasses, then after a sweet toast, they started eating dinner with not too many words, but it was completely comfortable.

When dinner was eaten and the dishes taken care of, they headed to the living room and cuddled on the couch for another round of silence.

After a while they could feel the sleepiness settling over them, and she sighed, not wanting to move from his arms, but knowing she had to.

"If I don't leave now, I don't think I can make it home without crashing."

He smiled as he replied softly. "Or you can just stay here tonight."

She smiled in return. "That is a nice thought, but I didn't bring any extra clothes."

She didn't want to be presumptuous on if she was staying the night, even though since they became a couple they've been staying the night at each other's places more than being alone, and truth be told she did go back and forth a few times before she made the decision not to, now she wished she had.

"Well, I do have a washer and dryer you can do the clothes you have on for tomorrow."

She raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "And what exactly do you have in mind on what I am wearing while my clothes are being washed?"

He chuckled while his face gets a little red, causing her to chuckle in return, before he cleared his throat and replied. "I can maybe find something for you." He then cupped her cheek and spoke softly again. "But if you want, I'll take you home."

She shook her head with a bright smile. "No, I think I'll stay, if you really don't mind."

"Not at all."

They kiss softly before pulling back, then they get off the couch and head to his room.

He walks to his dresser, found some boxers and an old New York police department t-shirt and hands them to her. Once she takes them, she heads to the guest bathroom and changes while Horatio changes into his sleeping clothes.

After her clothes gets tossed in the washer, they cuddle on the bed, just enjoying the moment, then not long after, they look at one another and share a loving smile before they leaned towards one another and started kissing, softly at first, but then the passion started to come through a little more as she rolled on her back, taking him with her so he was now above her.

He pulls back a few moments later and whispered softly. "I didn't ask you to stay for this."

She smiled as she cupped his cheek. "I know, but I'm ready if you are."

His heart was racing as he asked softly again. "Are you sure?"

"I believe this will answer that." She said right before bringing him into another round of passionate kissing, and this time her fingers went to the hem of his shirt and started pulling it up, which made him involuntary shiver.

She pulled back the minute she had felt that and asked him softly as she cupped his cheek. "You ok, handsome?"

He nodded and took a breath before replying. "I'm just not use to people seeing me without a shirt."

There was a slight pause then she gasped softly as she ran her thumb up and down his cheek while asking softly again, her heart breaking at the thought of her question. "Scars from your childhood?"

"Yes, as you know the abuse didn't only happen emotionally."

Tears came to her eyes. "Oh handsome, I'm so sorry."

They moved on the bed so they were on their knees facing one another, then she moved her hands to the hem of his t-shirt again and slowly moved it up, their eyes remaining on one another the whole way just in case Horatio wasn't ready for this, but he didn't show any signs of her wanting to stop, so she didn't.

Once his shirt came off, she gasped slightly at the scars on his chest, which caused him to look down, then she moved towards his chest and kissed from the top of the scar that was at the spot where his beautiful heart was, diagonally down.

When she got about halfway, he brings her face back up to his face, both now looking at one another with so much passion in their eyes that they couldn't contain it any longer, so from the moment they kissed again, it was all about the feel of their lips on one another and the feel of their hands, getting lost into each other like they never had before with anyone else.

Sometime later, with only a sheet covering them, Horatio pulls back with a contented sigh, then moved his lips to her forehead and kissed her before moving so he was now laying down next to her.

When she turned so she was in his arms with a contented sigh of her own, he kissed the top of her head and whispered while running his hand up and down her bare back. "You ok, sweetheart?"

She smiled against his chest, lightly kissing the scar there while she wrapped her arm around his waist so she could run her hand up and down his bare back, feeling even a few more scars, she finally replied. "Never better handsome, thank you."

"No, thank you." He kissed her head one more time and closed his eyes. "I love you."

She yawned and closed her eyes. "I love you too, sweet dreams."

"Sleep tight."

They slowly feel asleep in each other's arms, both feeling more loved and protected than ever before, and knew from this moment on, no matter what life was going to throw at them, or how long it took them to get where they wanted to go, they were already in it together.

AN: Thanks for reading, and please review. More to come when I can find the time to write and post. Hope overall you are enjoying this story. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and keep safe out there.