Chapter Twelve

A/N: Well, it has been a long time to say the least! If you were a follower of my DuCaine series, then you know that my devotion to school and preparation for my career has kept me very busy. I have finally found some time to sit down and put another piece to the puzzle that is Melissa and Horatio's story. So even if I only have one reader following along by this point, I truly hope you enjoy the next chapter of Savior.

It was well into the hours into the night before Horatio found it in himself to calm down after his deepest feelings came to the surface in front of Melissa. It was a rarity, this expression of pain and willingness to tell his story. But she'd asked the question that he'd spent his whole life looking for his own answer to. Why did he help her? Why did he care to begin with?

When faced with her question, he knew no other way to answer it than by attempting to level with her. It wasn't a matter of competition - both of them had seen hell in their lives - of that, he was certain. But to know that you weren't alone; that you weren't the only one who'd experienced such great loss and struggle - that was a comfort that made all of the difference in the world. But in his attempts to comfort her, he found himself on the receiving end of her own as he sobbed uncontrollably in her arms. It was one of his weakest moments, and he was the first to admit it.

She'd held onto him for all she was worth, his cries of pain going straight to her heart as he fell apart before her. Thinking back to her time in the ICU, she remembered how much he blamed himself for her condition. It was apparent that he was full of guilt, and she had her suspicions that the man who'd given her a second chance was not without demons of his own.

Her assumptions had been woefully correct, and even after drawing back from her arms, he buried his face in his hands once more, unwilling to let her see the pain in his eyes. So, she just sat with him. Hours passed, but she didn't mind. She knew what it was like to have everything come tumbling down on top of you at once, and often, she found herself crying until she couldn't anymore. When that was over, there would be nothing but emptiness; and she knew that he was feeling just that - empty.

She couldn't remember when, but at some point in the night, she dosed in her spot near him on the couch, and she dreamed of the unfairness of it all. It angered and upset her; how a man who did nothing but sacrifice it all for everyone else could suffer so greatly.

When she came to, the sun was just beginning to grace the sky with its presence. Frantically, she sat up and looked at the spot where he'd been seated. Horatio was nowhere to be found, but she calmed when she heard a shower turn on somewhere in the house.

Knowing that he was more than likely getting ready for work and that he would want to be out the door as quickly as possible, she decided not to wait up and see if he was alright. Now wasn't the time to ask, and it was still very early. Feeling the effects of being up so late into the night, she laid her head back down and soon, her eyes drifted shut in exhaustion.

Down the hall, Horatio emerged from his bedroom, slipping on his suit jacket as he did so. As he made his way towards the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee, he made sure to glance over at the couch and saw Melissa fast asleep, just as she'd been when he'd finally brought his head from his hands late last night.

Stopping for a moment, he retrieved the blanket from atop the couch and draped it over her before continuing on his way. As he mixed the sugar and cream into his coffee, he couldn't help but think back to the idea that had crossed his mind as he lay in bed just hours ago.

After he'd gotten up from the sofa, he'd adjusted Mel so that she was laying versus sitting up in an uncomfortable position. He'd spent too many mornings feeling the regret of sleeping sitting up to let her awaken with a stiff neck and back. Afterwards, he found himself climbing into bed in an exhaustion-filled haze. It had been awhile since he'd broken down the way that he did, and it took more out of him than he'd realized.

It was no more than an hour later that his eyes shot open, the incessant nightmares that he battled with night after night laying claim to him once more. Sighing, he merely laid there, trying to gather himself as he usually did after being woken up by the vivid dreams.

He couldn't help but think of what had transpired last night, and the more he thought about all that Melissa had told him, the more he entertained the thought that crossed his mind in the process. He wasn't entirely sure how he could pull it off with the hectic and unpredictable life that he led, but he knew that he owed it to the young girl to try.

After twisting the lid shut on his coffee cup, the redhead grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Before he could leave, he glanced behind him at the young woman on the couch. She had a look of peace on her face; something that was undoubtedly rare since the untimely passing of her family. He turned his attention back to the door, and as it closed behind him, one thing was apparent.

He had made up his mind.

Two months later...

"She's a great kid, Mari. She really is. You would love her...I know it. She's smart, kind, and helpful. Life...life dealt her a bad hand. And she deserves a chance. She deserves a chance to have a place to call home. She deserves to have someone there to cheer for her at her hockey games. She deserves family...no matter how big or small," the redhead spoke softly as he sat against the headstone with his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"I can do this...I know I can. But it would be even better if you were by my side, sweetheart." He spoke with sincerity, feeling the familiar sting of remorse that usually followed his yearning to have his beloved wife still by his side. Suddenly, the still air around him came alive with a strong breeze, and with it, came a sense of warmth in his heart. Smiling ever so subtly, he stood from his spot and looked up at the clear blue sky.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

It was past six o'clock when Melissa heard the front door open from the guest bedroom she currently occupied. She'd been busy for the last hour or so preparing some dinner for the evening; something she was used to doing since becoming a foster child. She found over time that she enjoyed cooking, and it gave her time to think and relax. After putting supper in the oven to stay warm, she retreated to the bedroom and got lost in a novel that she'd been reading before everything happened.

Melissa looked up when the redhead lightly tapped on the open door, a hint of a smile on his face. She hadn't seen him smile since the day she found out that she was clear to come home from the hospital, so it was definitely a welcome sight.

"I made dinner, if you want some. I figured you would be tired when you got home, so I took care of it," she spoke kindly as she set her book to the side.

"Thank you, Melissa. Have you eaten yet?" he asked, knowing that she was supposed to have something on her stomach when it came time to take her antibiotics and medications for her heart.

"Not yet, but I planned on it. I'll fix you a plate while I'm at it and we can eat at the table, if that's alright." The redhead smiled at her offer, and he led the way to the kitchen while she followed behind. He helped her put everything together, and soon, they were sitting at the table laughing and conversing over a warm meal. Time passed, and as they were cleaning and putting dishes away, he faced her and his tone grew serious.

"Melissa, there's something I have to talk to you about."

Once again, they found themselves seated on the couch in the living room. They'd finished the dishes, and they now sat in the exact same spots as they did months ago when everything came apart at the seams. Except this time, the atmosphere around them was not that of sorrow and pain. Something was different, but Melissa couldn't place it.

"I spoke to Social Services today, Melissa." He began and watched the uneasiness come over her features.

"Did they find another family for me?" she asked with hesitation apparent in her voice.

"They did." The redhead answered swiftly, the room quieting afterwards. She bowed her head, knowing that the safety and comfort that she had felt since coming to stay with the Lieutenant was too good to be true.

Sensing her confusion, he reached inside his jacket, retrieving several folded documents from it. He unfolded them and handed them to her, watching as her eyes scanned the words before her.

"No. You...you didn't." She spoke as her head shot up to look at him. The same hint of a smile from earlier in the evening was on his face, and he watched as she got to the last page of the paperwork. On the line at the bottom, was his signature. But above it, was the agreement of adoption spelled out in official print. Horatio watched as her eyes filled with tears, and his hint of a smile became much more as she threw her arms around him and cried happy tears for the first time in forever.

"I have a home," she choked out happily. The redhead felt tears of his own sting his eyes, but welcomed them this time around. He felt that same warmth in his heart as the day he spoke his intentions to Marisol at the cemetery. He'd given up on the dream of having children the day she died, but now, he had a son and a daughter to call his own. He hadn't been lucky enough to be there for either of them for the majority of their lives. As true as it was, he had this moment and the time ahead to devote to both of them. Of all of the uncertainty in his life, there was one thing he was sure of then and there.

He'd made the right decision.