Things didn't get better immediately like Horatio said. He tried to cut back on hours at the lab, but with one CSI down, Horatio had to pull his share of doubles like everyone else. Speed was going to recover but it was going to take awhile. But Horatio was trying, Yelina could tell, he made it a point to drop by for a quick luch with her at work, and tried to drive her and the boys home if he was working overtime so that he got to see his family at least once a day. Things would get worse before they got better, Horatio had told her one night. And finally he found a suitable addition to his team in Ryan Wolfe, the young patrol officer Horatio had met on one of his cases. Yelina had worked with him before and he came highly recommended.
Yelina woke one morning to the smell of bacon and eggs. Horatio was nowhere in sight so she guessed it was him doing the cooking. She walked downstairs to find Matt and Josh eating their breakfast in the dinning room and Horatio cooking at the stove.
"Mommy!" The boys greeted her, and Horatio turned, the pan in one hand.
"Morning." He greeted her with a smile. He slipped the strips of bacon onto a plate already containing scrambled eggs, and noddded towards it. "Eat up."
Yelina noticed Horatio wasn't dressed for work. He was still in what he wore to bed the previous night, a T-shirt and boxers. Yelina took her seat.
"What's all this about? Aren't we going to be late for work?" Yelina asked, taking a bite out of her breakfast.
"We aren't going to work. I took the liberty of putting in a couple of days of vacation for you." Horatio smiled. "We're going on a trip."
"Daddy says we're going fishing." Josh said with glee.
Yelina raised her eyebrows. Horatio chuckled. "I rented a yatch, we'll take it out to sea, spend a day or two out there, it'll be nice. No interuptions, nothing but the four of us and the ocean."
"You sure the kids won't get sea sick?"
"If they take after me they won't." Horatio smiled.
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Yelina had her doubts about the trip but as the day progressed, she relaxed enjoying the rocking of the boat, and the sound of laughter from her husband and sons. They weren't anchored too far off from shore, Horatio had assured her, although she couldn't see anything but sea for miles. The weather was perfect there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
Horatio left the boys at the fishing rod, and he sat down beside her.
"Didn't know you could drive one of these." Yelina said.
"Picked it up when I was undercover." Horatio said refering to the time he had disappeared for almost a year. "You having fun?"
"Yeah I am." Yelina smiled leaning towards him to plant a kiss on his lips.
"Yuck!" Matt groaned. Watching his parents kiss.
Horatio laughed. "One day you won't find it so disgusting."
After dinner the boys were tucked into bed, Horatio and Yelina were up on deck, gazing at the stars.
"You went to all the trouble to plan this?" Yelina asked.
"I told you I'd make things up to you. I know, one trip like this doesn't fix anything, but I know how much we haven't been spending time together as a family."
He pulled her to him and she leaned back into him, her head on his chest.
"I just hated how I never got to see you. It was like I wasn't married."
"I know. I apologise."
"But I know how much you love you job."
"I love you more."
Yelina turned in his arms to face him and they kissed. The boat rocked gently to the waves as they shared a pssionate moment, their tongues interwined. Horatio ran a hand under her silk blouse, breaking the kiss to look into her eyes as if to ask if going ahead was ok. Yelina knew what he had in mind and replied by slipping a hand into his jeans. They made love under the stars for the first time in months that night.
It's sad to think that some couples might give up too soon 
