Post by jessica on Nov 29, 2008 1:58:13 GMT -10
This is small one shot, a friend of mine and myself have written yesterday. Don't ask me why we had this idea, but I definitely wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy as much as we did while writing it. 
Just as always, the CSI Miami characters don't belong to me, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer, but Aaron certainly does.
Please tell me what you think.
Jess
*******************
Part 1/2
Conquer your fear
First there was the thunder. Then came the lightning and suddenly the room was bright, the shadows on the walls made Aaron shudder. The four-year old boy lay awake in his bed, his eyes wide open. With his tiny fists he grabbed the blanket and tucked it under his chin in order to get back to sleep, but that attempt was unsuccessful. Quickly he made a decision and took his teddy bear. With it he left his bed and made his way to his parent’s bedroom. At the door he stood silently while he listened, but he couldn't hear anything besides the noises belonging to the storm outside. Carefully he pushed the door open and within a few steps he stood right in front of the sleeping form of his father. When there was another lightning stroke, Aaron moved even closer to the man, reached out and padded him on the shoulder. "Daddy?" He whispered, his voice nearly inaudible, but full of fear.
Making a grunting noise, Horatio turned on his other side and let out a deep breath. He was a light sleeper, yes, but when he was in deep sleep, it took a lot to wake him up; something like a constant tapping on his shoulder for example. Just like now. Sleepily, he opened one eye and tried to focus his sight to identify the intruder. Once he managed to do that, he opened the second eye too and looked at his son. "Aaron? Why aren't you in bed?" He asked him and tried his best to stay awake.
The boy smiled relieved that his Daddy was awake. "Can't sleep," he mumbled and pulled his teddy bear near to his chest. "Afraid."
"You can't sleep?" Horatio asked and rubbed his eyes. A glance at the alarm clock told him that it was in the middle of the night. "It's two in the morning, Aaron," he sighed and propped himself up on his elbow. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"There's a thunderstorm," the child whispered because he didn’t want to wake up his Mummy. His free hand pointed towards one of the windows and just in that very moment the thunder could be heard, followed by a lightning. Aaron took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Afraid", he said once again.
Okay, that made sense. Aaron hated thunderstorms, he was just like any child afraid of them and if Horatio had to be honest, he wasn't a fan of them either. "The storm can't hurt you, buddy," he said softly and started to sit up. "It's just a loud noise; nothing can happen to you, Aaron. I'm gonna bring you back to bed."
That was not the way he had planned it. "No," he shook his head, still standing on the same spot. "Want to stay here, Daddy."
"Here?" Horatio asked and sighed deeply. How could he say no to his son, when he looked at him like that? Clutching his teddy bear to his chest, wearing his cowboy PJ? "Okay," he nodded. "But be careful, we don't want to wake up mommy, okay?" He whispered and opened his blanket to give Aaron a chance to slide under the covers.
"Yes!" Aaron triumphed with a low voice, slightly leaped for joy and lost no time to crawl over his father to get between his parents in the middle of the bed. Everything was fine. Well, at least until the next thunder growled, which made him feel uneasy again. He reached for his fathers' hand, not wanting to let him go and snuggled into him, his back turned towards the windows so he couldn't see the storm that was still going on outside.
"Hey there little man," Horatio smiled and wrapped his arms around his son in a protective manner. "I promise you, that there’s nothing to fear," he said softly and stroke the boy's back. "You're freezing Aaron, for how long did you stand here?" He asked concerned, because he could feel the cold feet and small shivers running through the boy’s body.
The boy just shrugged, because he couldn't answer the question. Instead he laid his head on the chest of Horatio, enjoyed the closeness and the warmth coming from him. He played absent-mindly with the teddy bear. "You don't afraid?" He then wanted to know, trying to make out his fathers' face in the darkness.
"Of thunder? No," Horatio shook his head. "But I have been when I was your age, you know?" He couldn't tell his son, that he was still afraid, that would scare the boy even more. "Thunder is like the rain, the wind and the sun. We don't have to be afraid of them...," he told him and kissed the boy's head. He could have explained him the science behind it, but Aaron was too afraid and definitely too young to understand it. It would only confuse him and that made no sense to Horatio. "Do you want to know what my mom did? So I wouldn't be afraid of thunder any longer?"
Silently Calleigh lay there with her eyes closed. She had noticed the presence of her son the minute he climbed into bed, but she figured that Horatio would handle the situation well. Now she was curios what her husband would tell Aaron, because she simply loved the interaction between him and Aaron. Horatio had a way to connect with people and that made him special to her.
Aaron nodded. "Grandma?" He said and wasn't sleepy anymore. He loved to hear stories about his grandmother, even though he never had the chance to meet her.
"Yes, grandma. She had told me, why there is thunder. She told me that it's the angels’ stomach growling, when they're hungry...," he started with a smile. "Just like the way your tummy grumbles when you didn't eat your breakfast. With the angels, it's just louder. Because they're in heaven... and do you want to know what she did then? She watched the lightning with me..."
That picture made Aaron giggle a bit, but then he grew alert. "Watch the lightning?" He asked with a frown on his face, but even if his features couldn't be seen in the darkness his doubts were still noticeable in his voice. "You and her? Together?"
"Yes, me and my mum, together. We stood by the window and watched it. And you know what? When you watch the lightning, it's not scaring you at all," he told him. "Do you think we are brave enough to have a look at it?" He asked him.
"That is a tough decision," Cal thought still pretending the sleeping beauty, but also wondering what Aaron’s answer would be.
The boy began to move anxiously while he tried to find a solution. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Horatio grinned. "We could have a try, don't you think? And if it's still too scary, we quickly hop into bed again," Horatio suggested. "But you don't have to be scared, Aaron. I'll be there the whole time."
"O-okay," he answered and began to stir in order to get up. "Promise me?"
"Scouts Honor," Horatio smiled back and pulled away the covers. Sitting up, he opened his arms for his son. "Come here partner," he asked him softly and within seconds he held his son in his arms. Carefully he stood up and quietly walked to the window. Pushing away the curtains, he stopped and smiled reassuringly at his son. "I promise to be here..," he told him again and looked out of the window, waiting for the next lightning. He felt a bit uneasy, but he tried his best to hide it from Aaron.
Still a bit afraid, Aaron threw his arms around Horatio’s neck, placing his head on his shoulder and risked a look outside the window into the night. He could see the palms swaying in the wind and could hear them rustle. With a glance back over his father’s shoulder he watched his Mommy sleeping. Then a loud thunder rolled and made him slightly jump even when he felt the strong arms of his Daddy around him. "That one was really hungry," he stated quietly and referring to the explanation Horatio had given him earlier. "Right?"
"Very hungry indeed," Horatio laughed softly. "Maybe the angel saw a giant chocolate cake and got hungry?" He smiled at Aaron and loved the fact, that his son believed him. It wasn't the ultimate truth of course, but if it helped Aaron to conquer his fear, it was all that mattered. Suddenly a lightning appeared and he felt his son shivering. "Look at the light partner, isn't it fascinating? Look at the form and the way it lights up the sky. It's like a very big lamp. It's just outside...so the angel can find the cake.."
"Big lamp," the child repeated the words astonished by the fact how the lightning moved across the dark sky. In the distance he could see a smaller one and pointed in that direction. "Not so big."
Calleigh had turned around so she could watch her two men standing beside the window watching the thunderstorm. Her heart was full of love for them, because she didn't take the presence of Aaron for granted. Many years she and Horatio had tried to conceive a child but the chances had been very low, due to the fact that the doctors had told her about problems concerning her fertility. So Aaron could be considered as a miracle child and made her love him even more.
Aaron searched the sky. "Can't see any cake", he shook his head. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. It's on the cloud, we just can't see it. It's too far away," Horatio answered. "Let's hope the angel will find it, so his or her hunger will stop." They continued watching the sky and slowly the thunder moved on. "It looks like the cake has been found," Horatio whispered and looked at his son, who had his eyes closed. "And it looks like my little man is a sleepy head," he said to himself and slowly put the curtains back to where they belonged. "Let's get you into bed, partner...," he talked with the boy and made his way out of the room and right into Aarons'. Carefully he got him under the covers and ran his hands through the blond hair. Aaron was the most precious thing that had ever happened in his whole life. The day when they found out that Calleigh was expecting a child was next to his wedding day, the most important day of his life. And sometimes he still wasn't sure if it was just a dream or reality. But then Aaron would storm into his room and he knew that it was anything but a dream. It was his perfect life.
Just as always, the CSI Miami characters don't belong to me, they belong to Jerry Bruckheimer, but Aaron certainly does.
Please tell me what you think.
Jess
*******************
Part 1/2
Conquer your fear
First there was the thunder. Then came the lightning and suddenly the room was bright, the shadows on the walls made Aaron shudder. The four-year old boy lay awake in his bed, his eyes wide open. With his tiny fists he grabbed the blanket and tucked it under his chin in order to get back to sleep, but that attempt was unsuccessful. Quickly he made a decision and took his teddy bear. With it he left his bed and made his way to his parent’s bedroom. At the door he stood silently while he listened, but he couldn't hear anything besides the noises belonging to the storm outside. Carefully he pushed the door open and within a few steps he stood right in front of the sleeping form of his father. When there was another lightning stroke, Aaron moved even closer to the man, reached out and padded him on the shoulder. "Daddy?" He whispered, his voice nearly inaudible, but full of fear.
Making a grunting noise, Horatio turned on his other side and let out a deep breath. He was a light sleeper, yes, but when he was in deep sleep, it took a lot to wake him up; something like a constant tapping on his shoulder for example. Just like now. Sleepily, he opened one eye and tried to focus his sight to identify the intruder. Once he managed to do that, he opened the second eye too and looked at his son. "Aaron? Why aren't you in bed?" He asked him and tried his best to stay awake.
The boy smiled relieved that his Daddy was awake. "Can't sleep," he mumbled and pulled his teddy bear near to his chest. "Afraid."
"You can't sleep?" Horatio asked and rubbed his eyes. A glance at the alarm clock told him that it was in the middle of the night. "It's two in the morning, Aaron," he sighed and propped himself up on his elbow. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"There's a thunderstorm," the child whispered because he didn’t want to wake up his Mummy. His free hand pointed towards one of the windows and just in that very moment the thunder could be heard, followed by a lightning. Aaron took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Afraid", he said once again.
Okay, that made sense. Aaron hated thunderstorms, he was just like any child afraid of them and if Horatio had to be honest, he wasn't a fan of them either. "The storm can't hurt you, buddy," he said softly and started to sit up. "It's just a loud noise; nothing can happen to you, Aaron. I'm gonna bring you back to bed."
That was not the way he had planned it. "No," he shook his head, still standing on the same spot. "Want to stay here, Daddy."
"Here?" Horatio asked and sighed deeply. How could he say no to his son, when he looked at him like that? Clutching his teddy bear to his chest, wearing his cowboy PJ? "Okay," he nodded. "But be careful, we don't want to wake up mommy, okay?" He whispered and opened his blanket to give Aaron a chance to slide under the covers.
"Yes!" Aaron triumphed with a low voice, slightly leaped for joy and lost no time to crawl over his father to get between his parents in the middle of the bed. Everything was fine. Well, at least until the next thunder growled, which made him feel uneasy again. He reached for his fathers' hand, not wanting to let him go and snuggled into him, his back turned towards the windows so he couldn't see the storm that was still going on outside.
"Hey there little man," Horatio smiled and wrapped his arms around his son in a protective manner. "I promise you, that there’s nothing to fear," he said softly and stroke the boy's back. "You're freezing Aaron, for how long did you stand here?" He asked concerned, because he could feel the cold feet and small shivers running through the boy’s body.
The boy just shrugged, because he couldn't answer the question. Instead he laid his head on the chest of Horatio, enjoyed the closeness and the warmth coming from him. He played absent-mindly with the teddy bear. "You don't afraid?" He then wanted to know, trying to make out his fathers' face in the darkness.
"Of thunder? No," Horatio shook his head. "But I have been when I was your age, you know?" He couldn't tell his son, that he was still afraid, that would scare the boy even more. "Thunder is like the rain, the wind and the sun. We don't have to be afraid of them...," he told him and kissed the boy's head. He could have explained him the science behind it, but Aaron was too afraid and definitely too young to understand it. It would only confuse him and that made no sense to Horatio. "Do you want to know what my mom did? So I wouldn't be afraid of thunder any longer?"
Silently Calleigh lay there with her eyes closed. She had noticed the presence of her son the minute he climbed into bed, but she figured that Horatio would handle the situation well. Now she was curios what her husband would tell Aaron, because she simply loved the interaction between him and Aaron. Horatio had a way to connect with people and that made him special to her.
Aaron nodded. "Grandma?" He said and wasn't sleepy anymore. He loved to hear stories about his grandmother, even though he never had the chance to meet her.
"Yes, grandma. She had told me, why there is thunder. She told me that it's the angels’ stomach growling, when they're hungry...," he started with a smile. "Just like the way your tummy grumbles when you didn't eat your breakfast. With the angels, it's just louder. Because they're in heaven... and do you want to know what she did then? She watched the lightning with me..."
That picture made Aaron giggle a bit, but then he grew alert. "Watch the lightning?" He asked with a frown on his face, but even if his features couldn't be seen in the darkness his doubts were still noticeable in his voice. "You and her? Together?"
"Yes, me and my mum, together. We stood by the window and watched it. And you know what? When you watch the lightning, it's not scaring you at all," he told him. "Do you think we are brave enough to have a look at it?" He asked him.
"That is a tough decision," Cal thought still pretending the sleeping beauty, but also wondering what Aaron’s answer would be.
The boy began to move anxiously while he tried to find a solution. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Horatio grinned. "We could have a try, don't you think? And if it's still too scary, we quickly hop into bed again," Horatio suggested. "But you don't have to be scared, Aaron. I'll be there the whole time."
"O-okay," he answered and began to stir in order to get up. "Promise me?"
"Scouts Honor," Horatio smiled back and pulled away the covers. Sitting up, he opened his arms for his son. "Come here partner," he asked him softly and within seconds he held his son in his arms. Carefully he stood up and quietly walked to the window. Pushing away the curtains, he stopped and smiled reassuringly at his son. "I promise to be here..," he told him again and looked out of the window, waiting for the next lightning. He felt a bit uneasy, but he tried his best to hide it from Aaron.
Still a bit afraid, Aaron threw his arms around Horatio’s neck, placing his head on his shoulder and risked a look outside the window into the night. He could see the palms swaying in the wind and could hear them rustle. With a glance back over his father’s shoulder he watched his Mommy sleeping. Then a loud thunder rolled and made him slightly jump even when he felt the strong arms of his Daddy around him. "That one was really hungry," he stated quietly and referring to the explanation Horatio had given him earlier. "Right?"
"Very hungry indeed," Horatio laughed softly. "Maybe the angel saw a giant chocolate cake and got hungry?" He smiled at Aaron and loved the fact, that his son believed him. It wasn't the ultimate truth of course, but if it helped Aaron to conquer his fear, it was all that mattered. Suddenly a lightning appeared and he felt his son shivering. "Look at the light partner, isn't it fascinating? Look at the form and the way it lights up the sky. It's like a very big lamp. It's just outside...so the angel can find the cake.."
"Big lamp," the child repeated the words astonished by the fact how the lightning moved across the dark sky. In the distance he could see a smaller one and pointed in that direction. "Not so big."
Calleigh had turned around so she could watch her two men standing beside the window watching the thunderstorm. Her heart was full of love for them, because she didn't take the presence of Aaron for granted. Many years she and Horatio had tried to conceive a child but the chances had been very low, due to the fact that the doctors had told her about problems concerning her fertility. So Aaron could be considered as a miracle child and made her love him even more.
Aaron searched the sky. "Can't see any cake", he shook his head. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. It's on the cloud, we just can't see it. It's too far away," Horatio answered. "Let's hope the angel will find it, so his or her hunger will stop." They continued watching the sky and slowly the thunder moved on. "It looks like the cake has been found," Horatio whispered and looked at his son, who had his eyes closed. "And it looks like my little man is a sleepy head," he said to himself and slowly put the curtains back to where they belonged. "Let's get you into bed, partner...," he talked with the boy and made his way out of the room and right into Aarons'. Carefully he got him under the covers and ran his hands through the blond hair. Aaron was the most precious thing that had ever happened in his whole life. The day when they found out that Calleigh was expecting a child was next to his wedding day, the most important day of his life. And sometimes he still wasn't sure if it was just a dream or reality. But then Aaron would storm into his room and he knew that it was anything but a dream. It was his perfect life.
