CSI Critique FanFiction #2: CSI Miami, H/C, "Going Under" by Jennifer.
GOING UNDER
Missing Scenes
TexasJen
Calleigh sat on the bank of the canal, the sun warm on her back, though she couldn’t feel it. All she felt was the chill…the chill of her wet clothes, the chill in her hands as she smoothed her hair back off her face, the chill she felt down to her bones knowing she almost died. Her body trembled almost imperceptibly at the thought of how close she came to dying, and her cold fingers moved to her wrist to feel her pulse. She kept her fingers there, wanting constant confirmation that she was alive.
And that was how Horatio found her. He’d been on the phone with her when she was hit…and he’d heard it and everything else as she went into the water. After shouting her name into the receiver a couple times, he ran out of his office, calling for Delko to follow him, and calling the police and paramedics from his cell phone as he ran to his Hummer. He broke every speed limit to get to Calleigh’s side, the lights and sirens blazing.
His Hummer came to a screeching halt, dust flying, near where she sat. He threw open the door and breathed a sigh, his hand covering his heart, as if to calm the pounding in it. He moved to her side, taking in her pale countenance, her wet hair pulled back from her face, her fingers lingering on her wrist. He also saw the tremors. So in tune to her was he that he saw the trembling within her, even though no one else could have detected it.
He softly called to her, “Calleigh”, as he reached her side.
She made no movement, no sign that she heard him.
Again, his smooth deep voice softly called her name, penetrating her senses. “Calleigh.”
The thump-thump-thump of her heartbeat against her fingertips thumped loudly in her ears. Images ran through her mind like a movie playing in fast forward, playing over and over right in front of her eyes…the loud shot, the Hummer plunging into the canal, water seeping through, glass cracking, breaking the glass, water rushing in…she heard him call her name. She blinked and turned toward his voice, her heartbeat beginning to calm. Her eyes focused in on his face, on the sound that never failed to bring her a sense of calm…her name spoken in his soft deep, full of concern, voice.
He removed his sunglasses and called her name a third time, having penetrated the fog, “Calleigh?”
He knelt by her side and spoke softly to her, “I don’t want you to move ‘til we check you out. The paramedics are on the way.”
Suddenly she remembered what she had been doing, the evidence. Her eyes said it all. She didn’t even have to speak for him to know she was worried about the now compromised evidence. Regret and self-recrimination coated her words, “The evidence is um…” she began, unable to continue.
A smile curved his lips at her worry. So like Calleigh to be concerned about the evidence. Her dedication was one of the many things he loved about her. “Right now, Sweetheart, that’s not important,” he told her as moved in a little closer, placing his hand on her leg, hoping it would calm her trembling. His eyes bored into hers, conveying his thoughts without speaking further. He so rarely let terms of endearment slip while they were at work. They’d been seeing each other for a while and were keeping it a secret, not wanting any feelings of impropriety or favoritism from the others.
She blinked again and held his eyes, trying to tell him without saying it that she was sorry the evidence was ruined. “But it’s all compromised.” She could hear the sirens now, as they got closer.
“Yes…everything but you ma’am,” he replied as he rose to his feet and then bent down again to kiss the top of her head and brush his fingers warmly against her cold cheek. With the paramedics arriving, he needed to resist the urge to take her into his arms to calm and warm her.
The paramedics stopped near the Hummer as Horatio helped Calleigh up, his hand against her back as he walked with her to the rescue truck. Having been a CSI for years, he knew his way around their vehicles. He went to retrieve a blanket as the paramedic examined her and asked if she was injured. The paramedic stepped back as Horatio placed the blanket around her shoulders and rubbed her arms to start the warming. She smiled up at him in ‘thanks’, but it still wasn’t the normal mega-watt smile she usually gave him.
“What can you remember?” he asked softly.
“It was a blur.” The doubt was written clearly on her face, “You know, just…it came up out of nowhere.”
“Okay” he said gently, encouraging her to continue.
“I’m an unreliable witness,” she moaned as she covered her face with her hands, almost feeling ashamed.
“No worries,” he told her, not wanting her to feel bad.
Eric arrived and came to see how she was doing, concern clearly etched on his face. “Calleigh? You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she replied as she tucked her hair behind her ears in a nervous gesture. The slight tremor in her hands did not escape Horatio.
“Somebody doesn’t want the evidence to see the light of day. Can you think of anything? Something for us to go on?” Eric questioned.
She looked at Horatio and saw nothing but love and encouragement reflected in his eyes. She fought the urge to grab onto his hand as she answered Eric’s question, “The car was black…maybe…I don’t know!” she cried.
Horatio ended it. “Okay,” he said to Eric, then “No worries,” to Calleigh. He turned away and indicated for Eric to follow him, “Eric” so they could speak away from her.
After speaking to Eric, he turned back to Calleigh, finding her refusing a trip to the hospital, telling the paramedic that she felt fine.
The paramedic eyed her narrowly, “Are you sure, Miss Duquesne?”
Horatio stepped in, knowing full well she wouldn’t go to the hospital, knowing himself what she needed. “I think what Miss Duquesne needs is to go home and get some rest.” He dismissed the paramedic with a look in his eyes.
The paramedic wordlessly acquiesced. He’d heard about the connection the Detective and the Lieutenant shared, and knew Lieutenant Caine would take care of her.
Horatio squatted down, level to Calleigh, and spoke softly and gently. “Calleigh, Sweetheart…I’m going to take you to my house. I want you to stay there and get some rest.”
She opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it at the look in his eyes. She’d seen the need. Not the normal need she usually sees there, but one borne of a deep concern for her well being. It never ceased to stop her in her tracks and for not the first time she wondered how she got so lucky to have this man love her as deeply as he did. She placed her hand in his outstretched hand as she rose up off the ambulance bumper. His lips pursed as he felt how cold her hand still was, and again fought off the urge to take her in his arms right then and there…in front of Eric, the paramedic, and the police. Instead, he reluctantly dropped her hand and guided her to his Hummer with a hand at the small of her back.
Calleigh hesitated before getting into Horatio’s Hummer. It was the same as the car she was driving when she went into the canal, and the images again threatened to invade her consciousness. Sensing how she felt, Horatio gave her a moment, but stood close behind her.
His voice was low and achingly soft, “Cal?” as his fingers lightly brushed the back of her neck.
She didn’t speak, couldn’t speak over the lump in her throat, brought on as it always did by the tenderness in his voice. She took a deep breath and climbed up into the front passenger seat. Horatio leaned over her to fasten her seat belt, and pulling the blanket closer around her, he planted a quick kiss against her cold lips, resisting the urge to warm those lips up…ever aware of those around them.
During the ride Calleigh leaned her head back against the headrest, trying in vain to get the images of the accident out of her mind. Again her fingers drifted to the pulse point on her wrist, and feeling her pulse she took a deep calming breath.
Her movement didn’t escape Horatio. He reached over with his right hand and laid it warmly on her leg. “I can assure you, Calleigh, that you are most definitely alive.” His hand moved to her face and he lightly brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “Warm, beautiful, and vibrantly alive.” His words and his tone spoke volumes about the depth of his love for her, and she turned her head into his palm, eyes filled with unshed tears. Thankfully they had come to a red light. Horatio quickly unbuckled his seatbelt. “Come here, Sweetheart” he softly intoned as he reached for her with his right arm and unbuckled her seatbelt with his left hand. He enveloped her in his arms as best he could over the center console, and whispered softly that he was there and she was okay. Tears fell from her eyes, but she cried silently, concentrating on Horatio’s comforting words. They stayed like that until a horn from the car behind them ended the hug.
They arrived home shortly thereafter and as soon as the door closed behind them Horatio enveloped Calleigh in his arms. They stood there in silence, swaying slightly as he rubbed her back warmly, uttering soft words of comfort in an effort to quell the quaking in her. The tremors he’d detected in her earlier were back, this time much more noticeable as they wracked her body. He pulled back and framed her face in his hands, “Sweetheart,” he said ever so softly and gently, “It’s okay to cry.” Her eyes filled and her chin trembled, “Baby…” he whispered as he moved to cradle her head against his chest. This time she cried openly, her tears wetting his shirt, his arms closing tightly around her.
As her tears began to subside he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to his bedroom. He sat her gently down on his bed and bent down as he began to remove her shoes. She stared blankly at him as he removed her shoes and then her socks. Placing his hands on either side of her, he kissed her as he moved his body forward against her body, gently forcing her to lie down.
His kiss awakened a need in Calleigh and when he began to unbutton her slacks, intending to remove them and her shirt so she could rest comfortably, she grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket, bringing him down to her for a deep kiss, conveying her need.
Horatio knew what she wanted…needed…to feel alive, she wanted and needed a life affirming sexual romp. He was never one to refuse her, especially when she wanted to make love, and this would be no exception. This time he knew it wasn’t so much her wanting to make love, but her desire to feel alive after coming close to dying. Understanding this, he quickly removed the rest of her clothes, and with her help he shed his own, laying his suit across a chaise lounge.
There was no foreplay, no softly whispered words of love. Instead, this was a frenzied coming together of two souls very much in love, but needing a release that would resonate through their bodies long after the coupling ended.
Minutes later she collapsed breathless onto his chest, soft whimpers still emanating from her. He kissed the top of her head as he stroked her hair and back. “You okay now?” he softly questioned, his deep voice vibrating against the cheek that lay on his chest.
She lifted her head and smiled into his eyes, “I think so,” she replied lazily, and then biting her bottom lip continued, “Thank you for that,” she said, obviously referring to their frenzied lovemaking.
He smiled, his eyes twinkling with love and understanding. “You’re welcome.” He reached with his finger to tuck her blonde locks behind her ears. “I understand the need to reaffirm that you’re still alive. You remember what brought us together, don’t you?” he questioned.
Calleigh smiled her response. Of course she remembered…he’d needed to feel alive when his life had been in mortal danger, and it had been their first time making love. He’d felt guilty afterward, thinking he’d taken advantage of her, but that was quickly put to rest when she’d kissed him senseless and revealed to him just how long she’d been in love with him.
“I love you, you know,” he whispered softly.
She smiled broadly at him. “I know,” she drawled before meeting him halfway for a long heartfelt kiss.
Horatio pulled back from the kiss and rolled her to the side, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. “I’m going to get back to work and find the bast…the person that did this to you. In the meantime, I want you to rest…get some sleep,” he said, an eyebrow raised as he finished, fully expecting…and receiving…a protest. He placed a finger on her lips to shush her protest. “Please Sweetheart, for me…just rest.”
Her look softened and she nodded her acceptance. He kissed her again before extricating himself from her arms, covering her with the blanket that lay at the end of the bed, and moving to the bathroom for a quick shower. He dressed just as quickly and moved to the bed to kiss her goodbye before leaving. He looked down at her as she slept, then bent down to study her more closely as she “slept”. He eyed her warily, wondering if she was really asleep…or just pretending. After a few moments, he smoothed back her hair and kissed her cheek. He turned to go, stopping one more time at his bedroom door to look back at her. He smiled as he looked down and shook his head…that woman, he loved her more than life itself, but she was going to be the death of him some day.
Less than an hour later, freshly showered and dressed in clothes she kept at Horatio’s house, Calleigh went to the kitchen to use the phone to call for a taxi. She glanced out the window and saw a police car idling in the driveway. Puzzled, she walked to the squad car as the young officer rolled down the window.
“Why…can I help you with something, Officer…”
“Officer Parker,” the young man stated.
“Officer Parker.”
“Lieutenant Caine said you would need a ride to the lab…” he looked down at his watch, “…right about now.”
Calleigh smiled. He knew she wouldn’t stay, and probably knew she’d been faking being asleep when he left. She couldn’t pull the wool over his eyes, no matter how hard she tried. She chuckled as she went around to the front passenger seat, smiling at the young officer, who wondered why she grinned the entire way to the Miami Dade Police Department.
Within minutes she was at the lab. After stepping off the elevator she glanced up at Horatio’s office…and found him standing outside his door, in his usual stance…hands on his hips, jacket open, staring down at her. Only this time he was smiling. She smiled her mega-watt smile back at him and caught his wink. After looking around to make sure no one was watching she quickly pursed her lips at him, signifying a kiss of thanks before she turned toward the trace lab.
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This week's TQ: When reading a fanfiction outside of your usual fandom name three things you can do to get the most out of the experience?
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Thank you everyone for participating. Last week went pretty well and I really appreciate everything.
I won't copy and paste most of the stories into the thread but we had to do it this way due to special circumstances. Please everyone enjoy reading this one, I did. And please leave your critques.
Oh, and don't forget the "TQ."
-LLK
Okay, here goes:
