Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:M, I'm doing this just for fun.

Pairings: Horatio/Calleigh, OC/Jesse

Summary: Vampires are recognized citizens, and Horatio happens to be one of them. When his pomme de sang, his apple of blood, the person who he feeds off from, dies, he desperately needs someone to replace him…

VAMPIRE'S HEART

CHAPTER 1: WHAT HE NEEDS

Placing the pen down with a weary sigh, Horatio snapped his mobile phone open, placing it against his right ear.

-Caine, here. -, he said.

-Hello, Horatio. It's Mac. -, the voice on the other end of the phone answered. A genuine smile blossomed on the redheaded Lieutenant's face. That was definitely a voice he was glad to hear, after the week that had just passed.

-Hey, Mac, how are you doing?-, he asked politely, relaxing against the back of his chair, the smile still present on his face and now on his voice, too.

-Can't complain, been busy, you know how New York can get…-, Detective Mac Taylor replied easily, then, turning noticeably more serious: -How are you holdin' up?-, he asked in a soft tone, as if fearing an exaggerated reaction from his Miami counterpart. Said counterpart sighed heavily, and even if Mac couldn't see him, or maybe because he couldn't see him, passed a hand over his tired face.

-Just peachy, Mac… I suppose you heard, this is why you are calling, am I right?-, Horatio replied, posing a question of his own. He could almost feel the younger man nodding, even before his answer.

-As always, my friend. I'm sorry for your pomme de sang. -, Mac said, and the redhead picked up on the sincerity in his voice. He snorted.

-Don't be. I hated him. I know it's a horrible thing to say, but he was an evil man… he hadn't been sentenced to death for nothing, after all. -, the bitterness in Horatio's tone was so vivid, Mac instinctively moved the phone away from his ear, closing his blue eyes in pain for his dear friend.

-… and he wasn't very helpful as a pomme de sang, his blood was too bitter and viscid for my taste, and besides, he was often unavailable. So, not a great loss. -, the Miami Lieutenant added in a neuter tone.

Hoping his little tirade was finished, Mac tried to introduce a more pressing topic.

-Have you already decided who's going to be your new pomme de sang?-, he asked, almost timidly. He heard his friend sigh on the other end of the line.

-No, I haven't. I could live off from artificial blood, you know?, but these damn politicians refuse to acknowledge this fact…-

Mac sighed, Horatio sounded angry, no, livid! This time, however, he was on the politicians' side, even if he wasn't ready to admit it in front of his friend: he himself would have had trouble working side by side with a vampire who had not fed on warm blood in a couple of weeks…

-Listen, I may happen to have the solution to your problems…-, Detective Taylor offered cautiously, he had to play his cards right in order to convince the redhead.

This time it was Horatio who sighed tiredly. –I'm all ears…-, he replied, his tone skeptic.

-We have an officer here who's very well up on vampires and werewolves. Could be your man…-, Mac trailed off, willing Horatio to catch up on his meaning. Of course, he had to offer some kind of opposition.

-Just because he thinks he know everything there is to know about vampires doesn't mean he does. You can't hope to understand the culture of vampires by studying it on books…-, the redhead rebelled, sounding affronted.

-Calm down, my friend. When I said very well up, I meant really into your world…-, this time, Mac was sure he'd understand his meaning. In fact…

-You mean… a werewolf?-, Horatio sounded surprised. Good, he was an inch from victory.

-Exactly. Just what you need, right?-, he replied smugly.

Horatio sighed, defeated. After all, he trusted Mac, right?

-He better be damn good, an absolutely not a troublemaker!-, the redhead tried sounding stern, but the effect was ruined by the general aura of tiredness that seemed to accompany him those days.

Mac didn't promise. After all, he would be lying, and to a dear friend no less.

*

-Knock knock. –

Despite the hour, despite the fact he still had tons of reports to sign, despite the soreness in his back, Horatio smiled. A small crooked smile, but a genuine one nonetheless.

-Hello, Calleigh. -, he greeted his late visitor, the perfect embodiment of politeness. Raising his head from the papers he was examining, he focused his attention on the blonde's petite form, currently leaning against the doorway.

He took quick notice of her attire, a pair of simple pants and a long sleeved shirt, everything rigorously black; she seemed to wear that color a lot lately, he briefly mused.

-Hi, Ha… Horatio…-, Calleigh corrected herself. She had not used his special nickname in ages, especially not after having started a relationship with Eric, so it seemed wrong, somehow, to use it again so soon after the breakup with the Cuban. If the redhead had noticed her slip, he didn't show.

-What can I do for you, Calleigh?-, he asked calmly, surveying her every move without resulting indiscreet. The blonde cleared her throat, shifting her weight from her left leg to the right one.

-We are going out for a beer. We were wondering if you'd like to come with us?-, she asked in a small, soft voice. Horatio cast a quick glance to his watch and smiled wistfully: it was dinnertime and sure as hell no one on his team had had a decent meal yet, but they were willing to postpone dinner so that he could join them for drinks.

-Thank you, Calleigh, I appreciate the offer, I truly do, but I wouldn't be great company…-, he replied somehow longingly. His real meaning was that he had not fed yet, so his body was unable to ingest anything, not even liquids. And it was common knowledge that he didn't particularly like to drink blood, even if artificial, in public…

Calleigh understood his meaning and smiled wistfully herself. It was so sad to see Horatio look so dejected, so disheartened… and had he lost weight recently? God, it was an heart wrenching sight to behold…

They were stalling, so many things left unsaid between them, but they weren't ready to express them yet, it was still too difficult, too complicated. In the end, Horatio put on a brave façade, as was his custom, as smile encouragingly at Calleigh.

-Go, Cal. Enjoy yourself, God only knows if you've earned the right to do so. -, he told her gently, a soft, almost tender expression on his face. Calleigh found herself smiling back at him.

-Okay. Thanks… See ya tomorrow. -, she said, her tone more cheerful than when she had entered his domain.

-No, thank you. And, Calleigh?-, Horatio stopped her before she was out of his sight. She turned towards him, startled.

-Yes?-

-Do eat something for me. I don't want you to starve yourself. -, he told her, concern evident in both his voice and eyes.

Her own expression softening noticeably, a clear sign she was touched by his care, she replied in kind: -And you try to go home at a decent hour, okay?-

-It's a deal. -

***CONTINUES***

I sincerely hope you liked it, I just had to write it, it was seriously messing with my head! Let me know what you think? Definitely more surprises to come…