Title: If They Only Knew 1/?
Author: Wolfsong98
Rating: FRT
Warning: N/A
Summary: How hard is it to walk in someone else's shoes? Two men in Miami are about to find out.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters, nor am I making any money from this. I'm simply borrowing the characters and I promise to return them when I am done.
Author's Note: I'd like to give special thanks to Refreshingbeverage/Occipitallobe for being my beta for this monstrous story. All other mistakes are mine.
Horatio dropped his pen onto his desk before dragging his hand down his face. He had been staring at the same file for the last ten minutes and succeeded in nothing more than having the words blur together.
He didn't realize that he was rubbing at his wrists as he remembered his encounter with Sergeant Stetler.
Horatio glanced back at Eric before he followed the other man out of the crime scene. He swallowed deeply in an attempt to keep himself from vomiting. The redhead knew that he had made enemies and should have warned Rachel. If he had, she might still be alive. Resden was an intelligent man who knew Horatio's weakness. Walter Resden was framing him and he had to put his trust in his team; right now they were his only hope. Additionally, there was the fact that Stetler had a personal vendetta against him. Once they were outside, Horatio had to quickly sidestep in order to keep from running into the Sergeant's back having been lost in his thoughts.
Before he could ask the other man why he had stopped, Stetler had whirled around and was holding a pair of handcuffs.
Horatio's eyes narrowed. "No."
"You know it has to be done."
Horatio knew that Stetler had a point but he wasn't about to give in just yet. "At least wait until we get to the car. I'm not going to run."
"No can do, Horatio. You know protocol doesn't work that way." Rick Stetler said as he stepped forward and closed the handcuffs around Horatio's wrists. The action earned himself a glare from the redheaded lieutenant.
A soft knock on his office door, tore Horatio from his thoughts. Looking up he saw his ballistics expert standing in the doorway. He gave her a small smile. "Calleigh, come on in. What can I do for you?"
"Alexx sent me."
"Why?"
"We're all getting ready to go out for dinner. She felt that we all needed it after today, especially you. Alexx told me, and I quote, 'Tell Horatio he is coming with us even if you have to handcuff him and drag him out of his office.'"
Horatio chuckled softly, closing the folder that was in front of him. "It beats trying to do this paperwork."
Calleigh frowned as she stared at the ever growing amount of files that had accumulated on her boss' desk. "When is the next batch due?"
"Monday morning at eight."
"Then, you can take it home with you tomorrow night and work on it over the weekend." She said with a smile. "You should have plenty of time to get it completed before it's considered late. Now," Calleigh began holding out her handcuffs, her eyes twinkling in mischief, "am I going to have to do what Alexx ordered me to?"
"No need," Horatio quickly replied before she had a chance to approach him.
"Well get a move on, then. Alexx wanted me to have you down in the parking garage in," the blonde paused as she glanced down at her watch, "in five minutes."
"Just let me shut down the computer and I'll be ready."
Calleigh nodded her head but made no move to go anywhere.
Standing up, the redhead pulled on his suit coat. "Are we going to the Good Times Bar & Grill?"
"No, Alexx suggested we try that Chinese restaurant on Biscayne Boulevard that had its grand reopening last week."
"Reopening?"
"You know that arson case we had six months ago?"
Horatio closed his eyes for a moment as he thought back. "The China Surprise?"
Calleigh nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. Anyways, 'Mom' said that she's heard nothing but good reviews since they reopened and thought that tonight would be a perfect opportunity to see for ourselves."
Calleigh led the way down to the parking garage where the rest of the team was waiting. As Horatio neared, he heard Eric and Ryan arguing about a bounced check. However, the two of them quickly stopped once they noticed him.
"Good, you're here." Alexx replied with a smile at their arrival.
"Yeah, didn't need nor want to be handcuffed for a second time in one day."
"I know."
"So now that everyone is here, are we ready to go?"
"Almost," Alexx answered as she patted Eric gently on the shoulder.
"Are we going to carpool or have everyone meet up there?"
"I suggest meeting there," Horatio replied, looking over at Calleigh.
"That sounds good to me as well." Ryan agreed quickly.
Eric looked over at the brunette and shot back, "Yeah, you just don't want to ride in anyone else's car or have them messing up your own."
"Enough, the two of you are starting to give me a headache." Calleigh said, glaring at the two men.
"Okay," Alexx said, stepping between the two men before either of them could say another word. "That's settled. Does everyone remember how to get there?"
After they all assured her that they knew where to go, the team parted ways heading towards their respective cars. Horatio climbed into his personal vehicle, a black Hummer, and watched as the others left.
Once he was alone again, his mind drifted back to the day's events. Horatio sighed. Hell, if the situation had been reversed he probably would have arrested Rick. But, Horatio thought to himself, he wouldn't have taken near as much amusement out of it. The redhead was certain that Stetler had been smirking gloating to himself the entire drive back to the precinct while Horatio was handcuffed in the backseat.
xXxXx
Rick sighed as he signed off on the last of the day's paperwork before clearing his desk and locking the files away. He knew what everyone thought of him. He would bet money that Horatio's team and the majority of the Miami Dade Police Department thought that he was upset because he had failed yet again to take Horatio Caine down. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, and if asked he'd deny it, but Rick was actually glad that Horatio wasn't responsible for Rachel Turner's death.
There were times he wasn't sure how he felt about the Lieutenant. However, there was a comfortable safety in their ongoing rivalry and, as much as hated to admit it, he had grown used to being on Horatio's bad side.
His stomach growled loudly as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and walked out the door. Rick froze as he tentatively looked into his outer office before sighing in relief. Rose, his secretary, had already left for the night and for that he was grateful. The last thing the brunette needed was for the older woman to carry out her threat of packing him a lunch. Rick knew that she would make him sit down in front of her to eat it if he didn't stop forgetting to bring himself something to eat.
After locking up, Rick left for the day. He liked taking the stairwell instead of the elevator because there was less of a chance of running into anyone that held a grudge against him simply because of the area where he worked. The exercise that taking the stairwell provided was an added bonus.
As the brunette made his way down to the parking garage he was thinking about what he wanted to do for supper. He smiled when he remembered that he passed by the China Surprise on his daily commute.
"That's settled." He told himself with a grin. He had actually eaten there once before. Not only had that been on opening night, but it had been Rose's birthday and the dinner had been his present to her.
xXxXx