Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami and I don't make any money from it.

Authors Note: I was watching an old Donald Duck Christmas movie when this idea came to me :o)

I wish all my readers a merry Christmas :o)

The Christmas wish

It was the night before Christmas and Natalia was doing the last of her Christmas shopping for her friends and family back home. She would be going home early the next morning and she wanted everything in order before then. That wouldn't be an impossible task as she only had a few times left to fix.

As the middle-aged woman was walking from store to store in the busy streets of Miami she couldn't help, but to look at the couple's that was going hand in hand doing their Christmas shopping together. Everyone seemed to be having someone but her.

She sighed heavily thinking that her sister Christine like every year before would bring her husband Tom and her two girls, like every year before. Even her sister Anya had managed to find a companion by now, only she was left without someone.

"Hey Natalia," her thinking got interrupted by Calleigh Duquesne's Southern drawl. She turned to see both her and Eric walking arm in arm. Even they had found someone, each other.

"Hey guys, what are you doing, I thought you were going to Calleigh's," said Natalia and smiled at them.

"Not until tomorrow, we're going to Eric's parents for dinner tonight, then catch an early morning plane. We thought we do some last minute shopping. What about you?" Calleigh asked, looking at her friend with sparkling eyes.

"Same with me, leaving tomorrow morning as well," said Natalia, her smile suddenly disappearing.

"Something wrong?" Eric wanted to know.

"Nothing other than the usual, every year my sisters show up with their men and I have no one," Natalia admitted.

"Well maybe you should ask Santa to bring you one, have you been good this year?" Eric teased.

"Funny, I better get going," said Natalia, hurrying away before they could say anything more.

"You know what's ironic?" Eric asked Calleigh a moment later while they were looking at some scarfs for her mother

"No what?" she said, looking at him.

"Horatio will be celebrating Christmas alone as well, and I'm sure he would be more than happy to go with Natalia," said Eric.

"I thought he was celebrating with Julia and Kyle," she said a bit surprised by this.

"No they were going to her parents last I heard," he answered.

Calleigh just nodded at this thinking about his earlier comment about Horatio going with Natalia. If that was a fact why hadn't he done something about it by now she wondered. She sighed as she slowly picked one of the many scarves and dragged him with her to pay.

Natalia were in her bedroom, ready to go to bed, wishing she wouldn't have to do that alone as as many times before. She walked over to the window and opened it, looking up at the starts, somewhere in the distance eying her constellation.

It was then she came to remember something she used to do as a child. Wishing under a star the night of Christmas to make your wish come true, it rarely ever worked, but as it was Christmas she figured it couldn't hurt to try.

She folded her hands and looked up at the sky saying, "Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish that this Christmas I will be able to find true love. I know it's a lot to ask, but if you could at least guide me in the right direction I would be very grateful."

She sighed heavily thinking this was by far the stupidest thing she had ever done and closed the window to go to bed. Maybe she with any luck would meet mister right in her dreams.

It was early Christmas morning that a tired Natalia woke up by the sound of her doorbell. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the digital watch on her nightstand. It viewed 5.30. Who in their right mind would ring her doorbell at this hour?

As she heard it ring again, she got out of bed and grabbed a bathrobe close by. She took a quick look in the mirror on her makeup table before she ran downstairs yelling, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

She made her way to her door sighing heavily as she opened. Whoever it was were going to be yelled at for waking her, Christmas or not…

She gasped when she saw the redhead standing outside her door and said, "Horatio, what in the name of God are you doing here this early?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't sure of when you were leaving and I couldn't take the change of missing you," he apologized.

"Well come in then and why?" she wanted to know, still not completely fine by being waken up.

"Because I wanted to give you your present, or rather I wanted you to take it with you. And I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas Natalia," he said, looking at the woman oppostire him, wearing a worn out night robe to show her nightgown and therefore her breasts. Her hair was messy and her hazel eyes looked both tired and annoyed.

"That's…that's sweet of you," she managed to get out, as he had taken her by surprise with this.

"I can always make you breakfast or take you out for one as well if you're not in a hurry," he offered.

"I…I'm not, but Horatio there is really no need, I'm sure you have things you need to tend to," she said, a bit insecure as to why he wanted to do this. Not that she minded of course.

"Actually no, so should I make you something or…?" he asked.

"The kitchen is that way, I just need to get dressed then I'll be right with you," she said and pointed in direction of the kitchen. He nodded and slowly walked that way as she ran back upstairs.

As she took a quick shower and did her makeup she wondered why on earth Horatio would want to cook her breakfast or why he found it so important that she would get her present in time. Could he be having some kind of feelings for her, was that why it was so important.

Natalia had actually never thought about it before, or him as any kind of dating object. Sure he was handsome and kind and loyal and showed her nothing but respect. And he for sure was the perfect man to bring home…

The middle-aged brunette ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, saying, "Horatio, do you have any plans this Christmas?"

"No," he said, looking at her with questioning eyes.

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come home with me for Christmas, as…" she stopped wondering what the heck she was saying. Was she really asking him this, what the hell had gotten into her? Was she really this desperate?

"As your date?" he questioned, quirking his brow in his particular way.

"Yes, I understand if you don't…" again the brunette stopped in her words.

"I'd love to, Natalia," he said and smiled warmly at her.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Why not, we are both enjoying each other's company at work, so I don't see why we shouldn't elsewhere," he said, putting some scrambled eggs and bacon alongside the toast on a plate, before handing it to her.

"You're absolutely right, handsome," she said without even thinking.

He didn't even seem to notice as he grabbed a plate and sat down opposite her. They ate in silence for a while before he asked, "Do you wish to open your present now or later?"

"Now," she said, looking at him with curious eyes, putting her plate aside.

He nodded and let his hand reach down in his pants pocket and pulled up a square pack that he handed over. Natalia's eyes widened as she opened it to find it was from one of the finest jewelry's in town.

"Horatio, you really shouldn't…" she said, carefully opening the lid of the box, gasping. It was holding a necklace in what she could only assume was white gold holding a black heart. Natalia knew that to be a black diamond and to be rare.

"I should, your neck always is so lonely without a necklace, so I thought I give you something that was as unique as you," he said and smiled at her.

"Oh Horatio," was all she managed to get out, as tears of joy was starting to fall from her mocha colored eyes.

Horatio took out a handkerchief from his breast pockets and dried them of whispering, "You shouldn't cry that ruins your makeup."

"I'm just so happy, and I didn't even get you anything," she said, smiling through her tears.

"As long as you'll say you'll be mine, that's all I need," he said with a smile.

"I will, I will," she said, throwing her arms around him and kissed him all her heart desired.

That Christmas would be the first of many Natalia brought her man home for Christmas. It is however safe to say her family got surprised when she showed up with a man on her arm unannounced. As for Natalia she stopped wishing under stars on Christmas Eve as it actually had worked that one time. She had gotten exactly what she wished for her true love, and really what more could she wish for.

Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)