Author's Note: Not a story, just a homeless scene I thought of during season 7, some elements of which may someday find their way into a story. I apologize if they seem out of character at times, but I usually visualize these scenes in my imagination long before I can actually put them into words, and much gets lost in translation. I suppose it may also be that I just see the characters differently than others do. Anyway, some wanted to see how I'd write a father/son interaction, so here you go. Now, I must get back to studying Vertebrate Embryology and Anatomy, etc. ;)
It was 7:00 o-clock on a Tuesday morning and Horatio and his son, Kyle, were in Horatio's office. They had just arrived, Horatio having spent the last 20 minutes during the drive in watching Kyle fumble with his tie. Today was Kyle's big day…well, I guess to be more accurate, it was Ryan's big day, but Kyle would be doing most of the talking. Nearly a month had passed since the day Horatio had almost lost his son when a grenade rolled out of the pant leg of a man Kyle was preparing for autopsy and proceeded to explode. Had Ryan not been there to throw Kyle out of the way, Horatio would have lost his only child that day, and Horatio had not forgotten.
"Dad, ugh, why won't this thing just work."
Horatio chuckled. "Here son let me see it" he took the tangled disaster out of Kyle's hand and patiently began working the knot out.
"Mom promised she would teach me how to do this, but she never got around to it."
There was a silent pause in the room at the mention of Julia, Horatio sensing the disappointment in his son's voice. Unable to bear it, Horatio quickly brought the subject around, not wanting Kyle to dwell on that sad subject. "So are you ready for today? Do you have your speech ready and memorized?"
Kyle decided to be cheeky "Wait, I have to memorize it?"
"Kyle." Horatio admonished with concern, and just a touch of lightheartedness seeping through the facade.
"Just kidding, geese dad, can't you take a joke. Of course I have it ready, well, most of it anyways."
Horatio had a twinkle in his eye. "Stand up straight so I can get this thing on you right, you little rascal." He nearly choked at the blank look of annoyance that swept across the boy's face at his endearing use of the phrase 'little rascal'.
Horatio absolutely loved teasing his son.
"Dad, don't ever call me that again." Kyle said flatly.
"So, you have most of it done." Horatio changed the subject. "What about the rest of it? What are you having trouble on, let me hear it?" Horatio finished with the tie and began straightening Kyle's shirt and collar, then stood back, hands on hips, and admired his handiwork.
"Okay, dad, you ready?"
"Absolutely, go ahead." Horatio folded his arms in front of him and listened with a half smile on his lips, as Kyle began rehearsing.
"Lieutenant Caine." A voice came to Horatio over his speaker phone. The smile faded.
Horatio pressed the talk button on the phone "What is it Nancy?" he answered, a little agitated.
"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but you have a visitor."
"Well tell them to wait, I'm busy."
"I tried to sir, but he insists you speak to him immediately."
Horatio sighed and looked at his son, "I'll be right down Nancy."
"You keep practicing, I'll be right back". He directed to Kyle as he left the room.
...
"Lieutenant Caine!" A man stormed down the hallway when he saw Horatio exit the elevator.
"Can I help you?" Horatio replied calmly as he approached the man. When he'd gotten as close to the stranger as he wanted to, Horatio stopped at an angle and looked at the ground.
"Don't play that game with me, Lieutenant. Why haven't you found my wife's killer?" The man spouted out angrily. "You remember me, Mike Newberry. I want to know why you haven't arrested anyone for my wife's murder." He pointed a finger in Horatio's face. "It's been over a year. What's the matter, are you just taking your sweet little time? I have spent the last year rotting inside a jail cell, while my 5 year old son bounced around in foster care because he had no one to take care of him. I had to practically beg the judge to release me early so I could take care of my son. And all this time you've been sitting here twiddling your thumbs doing absolutely nothing, letting my wife's murderer go free. Why haven't you done anything? Why haven't you found her killer yet?"
"Mr. Newberry I can assure you we have been doing everything possible to catch the perpetrator in this case, but our initial investigation was, shall we say… compromised, and the evidence tainted, leading to inconclusive results. It would never hold up in court. There haven't been any new leads, but I promise you that…"
"Dad."
"Kyle," Horatio shot Newberry a side-glance. "Kyle, I want you to go back up to my office and wait for me there. I'll be with you in a minute okay son."
"But Dad, I…"
"Do it now…," Horatio ordered, but then seemed to soften a bit, "Go on, do as I say."
"All right" Kyle rolled his eyes, but then turned around and began to walk back towards the elevator."
"Lieutenant, my wife deserves justice. I admit I may have made some stupid mistakes…,"
"Hmm" Horatio arched his brow, thinking about those stupid mistakes. "Some?"
"…but she did not deserve to be killed, especially after…wait, what did you say your name was? Kid, what is your name?"
"Mr. Newberry, "Horatio interjected, trying to draw his attention off Kyle.
Kyle turned around and looked at the man, then at his father, trying to determine what exactly it was the man wanted. He received the "everything's okay" nod from his father, and turned around again to walk away, but the man was too fast. Before Kyle could get two steps Newberry jumped on him and pushed him to the ground, pinning Kyle on his back. Newberry grabbed Kyle's tie and began pulling on it choking Kyle, and screaming nonsensical rants. "You! I should have known. Boy, this is all your fault. You broke my family up. You are the one who kidnapped her, aren't you?" He pulled harder on the tie "Aren't you?" …?
Newberry continued like this for what seemed to Kyle an eternity, but was really no more than 10 seconds. That is, until he heard a gun being cocked in his ear. "Newberry, get, off, my, boy." Horatio spoke calmly. "Take your hands off him, this minute, or else. I'm not afraid to use this, and I won't repeat myself."
Newberry gulped. Slowly raising his hands, he stood up and turned around only to stare down the barrel of Horatio's handgun.
Horatio grabbed Newberry's shirt collar and got right in his face. "If you ever so much as lay a finger on my son again, I Will Not Hesitate." And with that roughly shoved him into the hands of some waiting officers who'd come running from somewhere. "Get him out of my sight."
Horatio then turned his attention to Kyle who had moved to a sitting position on the ground and was breathing heavily trying to get his breath back. He knelt in front of Kyle and helped him loosen the now wrinkled tie. "You okay son?"
Kyle nodded his head, his hands still shaking. "I'm sorry." He whimpered as Horatio completely removed the tie "Did I do something wrong dad?" Kyle sounded about ready to cry.
"No." Horatio eased, deep in thought. Offering Kyle his hand, he pulled him to his feet. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Kyle, you didn't do anything wrong." He helped Kyle dust off his now dirty clothes, while simultaneously observing the boys' every movement until he felt satisfied the teenager had not been harmed.
"Are you sure? Who was that guy?" Kyle asked.
Horatio paused, "Kyle, we're going to have to talk."