Once again Athena has seized upon a scene from a new episode. I don't know of anyone who actually likes Rick Stetler. Apparently neither does Athena.

Cal, my love I will be in Houston next week and then with you.

Grey Area

Horatio's hand traced the soft contours of Calleigh's body as she lay next to him in bed. They had spent the night making love, and had slept long into the morning, waking only when the sun was streaming through the open window. A slight breeze stirred the air and the silken strands of Calleigh's long, blonde hair. One golden lock drifted across Calleigh's face and Horatio tenderly smoothed it back out of the way before slowly rolling to lie above her again.

"Good morning, Sweetheart."

"Mmm. It is a good morning, Handsome, especially when I wake up with you."

"I like the way you think, Ma'am." Horatio's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "Who gets to get out of bed to make coffee?"

"I made dinner last night," Calleigh said with an impish pout on her face. "You have to make coffee."

"Does that include breakfast too, because I'm not really hungry for food right now…"

Horatio leaned down and kissed her softly and then settled more firmly against her body. Calleigh looped her arms around his neck and arched to press herself closer to him. The kiss grew heated, and both coffee and breakfast were forgotten.

Nearly an hour later after making love again, Calleigh eased out of bed so as not to wake Horatio. She smiled down at him as she reached for her robe. He had fallen asleep again and was totally relaxed, one arm hanging over the side of the bed, and the other pillowing his head. She pulled the sheet up to his waist and placed a soft kiss on his bare shoulder before leaving the room and heading for the kitchen.

She had just finished pouring herself a cup of coffee and was stirring sugar into it when Horatio came up behind her and kissed her neck.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep so late, Calleigh," he scolded gently.

"Yes, I should have. It's our day off. You could have stayed in bed all day."

"Only if you stay with me."

He took a cup out of the cabinet and poured coffee for himself then placed two slices of bread in the toaster and set plates on the table for both of them. Calleigh sliced oranges and mangos and put them on the table as well.

"Juice?" she asked as she opened the refrigerator door.

"No, just coffee this morning, Sweetheart."

"Eggs?"

"Fruit and toast are plenty."

Horatio settled himself at the table and waited for Calleigh to finish pouring her orange juice before he began to eat. He was half way through his second slice of toast when he realized that Calleigh was watching him closely with that look on her face.

"What are you looking at, Calleigh?" he asked quietly, knowing that all too soon he'd have to tell her what was on his mind.

"I'm looking at a certain Lieutenant who is deep in thought about something that worries him."

She reached across the table and took his hand in hers, stroking the back of it with her thumb.

"What's wrong, Horatio?"

He took a deep breath and looked at Calleigh, mentally debating with himself about how much to tell her. Finally he spoke.

"Stetler has made noise in the department that he's on a witch hunt, with me being the witch. There have been hints that he may have uncovered some of the things in my past that could cause me problems if they ever catch the eye of the wrong people."

"Rio?" Calleigh asked softly.

"Among other things," Horatio sighed.

"You know he's tried this before, Horatio. What can he have possibly discovered now that he doesn't already know?"

Horatio ran a hand across his chin and took another sip of his coffee before answering Calleigh's question.

"Calleigh, there were some favors I called in when Kyle was in trouble, favors that could cause problems if Rick leans on the wrong people hard enough. I did nothing illegal, but taken out of context, they could seem that way. Rick is an expert at taking things out of context. You know that from your run in with him during the off duty shooting incident."

"That's an understatement."

"Yes. Well, Stetler will find a way to make it front page news unless I can shut him down."

"What do you have in mind, Handsome?" Calleigh asked.

"I was afraid you'd ask that," he sighed, laying down his napkin and draining his coffee cup.

"Calleigh what I am going to ask you to do is completely off the record and completely inappropriate of me. You can say no, and I won't be upset in the least."

"I'm listening."

Horatio took a deep breath and looked across the table at the woman he loved.

"Calleigh I need you to distract Rick. Get close to him. Find out what information he has. If I know exactly what he knows, I can make sure it never sees the light of day."

Calleigh looked at Horatio and then pushed back from the table. She walked around to Horatio's chair and slowly lowered herself into his lap. Taking his face in her hands, she looked deep into his troubled eyes before she answered him.

"Just how distracted to you want him, Handsome?" she purred, as she kissed him deeply and then began to stroke her hands up and down his chest.

Horatio growled and caught her hands in his, lifting them to his lips.

"Short of you actually sleeping with him, I'll turn a blind eye, Calleigh."

Calleigh laughed softly. "He will be so distracted he won't even know you exist."

"Just don't get too carried away with it, Sweetheart," Horatio said as his hands slid into the opening of her robe and eased it from her shoulders, baring her to his adoring eyes, "you know how jealous I can be."

"Show me," she teased just before his lips closed over hers.