Reunited

by sinjinh1

Tony takes the team to his favorite restaurant and someone discovers a way back to his past.

Tony looked at the restaurant as the team exited the car. He smiled as he looked back at his team. "Well, this is it. What do you guys think?"

Gibbs looked up at the sign that read "Hackney's." "When did this open?"

"About three years ago," Tony said as they headed inside. "I discovered it about a month after it opened. I always intended to bring you guys here, but work and everything."

Gibbs gave him a look. He had a feeling that Tony had wanted to bring Kate, but Ari put those plans permanently on hold.

"So, this is the perfect place to celebrate Gibbs coming home?" Abby asked.

"Exactly," Tony said as he smiled at her.

Gibbs looked up when someone approached him. He was about Gibbs' height, had dark wavy hair, and brown eyes. He smiled when he saw Tony. "Hey Tony, is this the team you keep bragging about?"
"Hey Jake," Tony said as he shook the younger man's hand. "Yep, this is them. Jake Hackney, I'd like you to meet Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky and Ziva."

"Nice to finally meet you," Jake said as he smiled at the team. "Tony has had nothing but great things to say about you. Come on, I have a table ready for you."

He led them back to a small private dinning room. "Tony called ahead and told me that this was a celebration dinner. Don't worry about the menu tonight, I've got everything taken care of. All I need to know is everyone's drink preferences."

He got everyone's drink orders and headed out of the dinning room. Gibbs looked at Tony. "He owns this place?"

"Yeah, opened it not long after he arrived in DC. His parents owned a restaurant back in New Jersey. He said after they died he couldn't stay in Jersey, so he decided to start over somewhere else. He said DC would always be in need of good restaurants."

"I can't argue with that," McGee said as he looked around. "This reminds me of an Irish pub"

"I was just thinking the same thing, Timothy," Ducky said. "It reminds me of several pubs I visited over the years in Ireland. I almost expect to hear an Irish drinking song."

"I could arrange it," Jake said as he returned with their drinks. There was a young woman with him. "This is Connie. She'll be helping me take care of you tonight."

Gibbs looked at Jake again. "Have we met somewhere?"

"I don't think so," Jake said with a small smile. "I'm usually pretty good at remembering faces. Of course, it's possible that you came to my parent's place. I was pretty busy bussing tables and washing dishes for a while there. So it's possible you saw me but I didn't see you."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Gibbs said as Jake looked back at the rest of the table. "Your dinner will be ready soon. I'll be back with some soup to tide you over."

They caught Gibbs up on some of the cases that he had missed as he was on his vacation, as Abby called it. The evening was spent with friends reconnecting and relaxing for the first time since Kate had died. Gibbs hated to admit it, but everyone needed this break.

He knew that the entire team had been under pressure since the explosion, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the pressure had started building when Kate died and still hadn't fully released. As he left Hackney's that night, he found himself thinking more about the young restaurant owner he had met than the problems with his team. He knew he hadn't seen Jake Hackney in New Jersey, but he couldn't place where exactly it was that he had seen him before.

The days went by and Gibbs started back at work. He knew that he had to regain the leadership of his team. It's not that he felt that he had to compete with Tony. Tony had gladly turned the reins back over to Gibbs when the older man had returned. He knew he had left the team in good hands when he had left NCIS. He just didn't know how much he would dread being in charge again. Maybe it was because he liked seeing Tony in charge. He liked seeing the smart, authoritative man he knew Tony could be. The goofball was a façade. Beneath the surface lay a very capable senior field agent who would have a team of his own before Gibbs knew it.

Everyone thought that the reason Gibbs had come back was to prove that Ziva wasn't involved with the terrorist attack. The truth was he had found himself missing Tony more and more every day. He knew that the younger man had a place in his heart, but he thought it was just a mentor thing. He had taught Tony everything he knew. He realized before Kate died that he had been using his "Gibbs-smack", as Abby called it, more as a way to just touch Tony than a punishment.

He knew that the explosion had made him forget Tony and his feelings for the younger man. He had to work through his grief over losing Shannon and Kelly a second time before he could revisit his feelings for Tony. He thought about his friend, Horatio Caine, and how Horatio had lost the love of his life before he had a chance to tell him. He had met Horatio while working a case in New York just before the CSI had transferred to Miami. Gibbs hadn't been surprised when he heard that Horatio had gone to Miami. He always thought that the redhead had seemed a bit out of place in New York.

He remembered Horatio telling him about the trace expert he had met when he had joined the lab in Miami. He remembered telling him about the cocky detective that he had just recruited from Baltimore. He remembered the conversation he had with Horatio when the CSI made the decision to join the bomb squad.

"I can't do it," Horatio had said. "I can't go into that lab and look at him every day and not think about my feelings for him. I can't go on like this Jethro."

"Joining the bomb squad is not going to help Horatio," Gibbs said as he looked at his friend. Horatio had come up to DC for some down time before starting his training at the bomb squad.

"I won't see him everyday," Horatio argued.

"Can you honestly sit there and tell me that you won't think about him every day? Can you honestly tell me that your head will be totally into your job? That you won't be thinking about what he's doing, if he's safe out in the field, does he need back up?"

"I have to concentrate on the job, Jethro," Horatio said as he frowned.

"I know you do," Gibbs sighed. "I just hope you don't do something you'll regret."

Gibbs smiled when he thought about the phone call he had gotten from Horatio telling him that he was back at CSI. He had been asked to lead the dayshift team when Megan Donner left on extended compassionate leave. He could understand Megan's pain, but part of him was glad because he knew that Horatio had to face his feelings.

He realized the hypocrisy in what he was doing with Horatio. But he had been a Marine. He was still a Marine in his heart and mind. Being a Marine had made him very skittish about expressing his feelings for another man. It wasn't until he had gotten a phone call three years ago that he realized how short life really was.

"Gibbs."

"Jethro, he's gone," came the chocked sigh through the line.

"Horatio?" Gibbs said as he glanced over at Tony and Kate. "What happened? Who's gone?"

"Tim," Horatio said as he tried to pull himself together. "He was shot. He died in my arms, Jethro."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Gibbs said as he got up and headed toward the elevators, Tony and Kate just staring at him.

"You don't have to, Jethro," Horatio protested.

"We both need to understand that this is what friends do for each other."

He went to Miami and made sure Horatio expressed his grief. He couldn't help thinking that the jewelry store owner reminded him of Ari, but he didn't think about it. He concentrated on helping his friend. Horatio returned the favor and had come up to help him deal with his guilt over Kate's death. He realized he hadn't called his friend since the explosion. He picked up the phone and dialed Hoartio's cell phone.

"Caine."

"Horatio, how's Miami treating you?"

"Jethro, I thought the world had swallowed you up," Horatio said, a strained laugh in his voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Marisol's dead."

"Delko's sister? What happened?"

"She was killed by the Mala Noches," Horatio said as he sighed. "They killed her to get to me."

"Wait, why would they kill her to get to you?" Gibbs asked, then understanding set in. "You went through with the wedding."

"Yes, I did," Horatio confirmed. "I told you how I felt about her."

"I know," Gibbs sighed. "I know why you married her. You did love her Horatio, never doubt that."

"I don't, but thanks for reaffirming it for me."

"No problem. So I assume you got the guys who did this."

"Yes, but I had to go to Brazil to do it?"

"Brazil?"

Horatio explained everything that had happened since Marisol had been killed. Then Gibbs told him about the explosion and his subsequent amnesia. "You remembered Jenny Shepard before you remembered Tony?"

"She was at the hospital," Gibbs argued. "He was trying to find a terrorist."

"Use this second chance Jethro," Horatio advised. "Don't make the same mistake I did."

"I'm not making any promises."

"I'm not asking for any."

Gibbs hung up and looked at Tony's desk. He knew he had to talk to the younger man. First, though, he wanted to find out where he knew Jake Hackney from.

Tony sat down at the bar and looked at his friend. "Jake, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You have to talk to him, Tony," Jake advised. "I saw the way he looked at you the other night."

Tony gave him a look. "Are you sure he wasn't just looking to smack me?"

Jake laughed. "I'm sure. Look, he almost died. You told me you were going to tell him how you felt after Kate died. What happened?"

"His ex showed up," Tony said as he tired not to sound bitter. "I told you about the new director."

"Yeah."

"Turns out she and Gibbs have history."

"Ah. Has he started seeing her again?"

"No, but he remembered their relationship while he was in the hospital. He remembered her before he remembered me."

"Tony, he remembered her first because they had been physically intimate, not because he still loves her. Trust me, you are the real reason he came back."

"I hope you're right."
"Don't blow this chance, Tony."

Tony caught the look in his friend's eyes. "What happened to him, Jake?"

"He was taken from me before I could tell him how I felt," Jake sighed. "I don't want that to happen to you. You've had a couple of close calls. You and the Y-Pestis. Him and the explosion. There probably isn't going to be another second chance."

"I'll do my best," Tony said as he got up and reached into his pocket for his wallet.

"Your money's no good today, Tony. Go back to work and talk to Gibbs."

Tony started to argue but thought better of it when he saw the look Jake was giving him. "I'll see you later, Jake."

Jake watched him leave then turned and walked toward his office. "Connie, I'll be in here for a while. Call me only if you need me."

"You got it."

Jake closed the door to his office and leaned against it as he sighed. He headed toward his desk and sat down. He took his keys out and found the one of the drawer on the right hand side. He unlocked the door and took the picture out. He touched the face smiling up at him from the image. "I wish I had told you, H."

Tim Speedle tried not to cry as he looked at the picture of the love he had to abandon when he had been forced to leave Miami.

Time passed and work made Gibbs temporarily forget about Jake Hackney. Then, about six months after he had first met the young man, Gibbs found himself dinning at his restaurant. He studied the younger man as he walked through the restaurant, greeting customers, making sure that everyone was enjoying their food, talking to his staff. He knew he had seen this man before and he was beginning to think he knew where from.

Jake smiled when he saw the NCIS agent. He walked over and sat across from him. "Good to see you again, Gibbs."

"You too, Jake."

"You enjoying your meal?"

"Very much so."

"Good. Tony told me you were a pretty picky eater."

Gibbs laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am. So, Tony tells me that you've been here about three years."

"Yeah, I came down after my parents died."

"What happened?" Gibbs said as he noticed that the sadness in Jake's eyes.

"They were killed by a drunk driver. They were one their way home and the guy ran a light. They never saw it coming."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jake said as he gave Gibbs a small smile. "It was a while ago. Listen, I have to get back to the kitchen."

"Go ahead, I don't want to keep you from your work," Gibbs said as Jake got up. "I'll see you later, Tim."

The color drained out of Jake's face for a minute then he composed himself. "What did you call me?"

"I'm sorry," Gibbs said as he smiled softly. "My head's still not screwed on right. I think I got you confused with McGee for a minute. It happens sometimes, Jake. Go on, go back to work."

"You sure you're okay?" Jake said as his face relaxed. He seemed to be buying Gibbs' excuse.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gibbs said as he took a sip of his coffee. "I've got to get back to work myself."

Jake just nodded and headed back to the kitchen. Gibbs paid the check then headed outside. He waited until he was in the car before he dialed his phone. "Caine."

"Horatio, I want you to do something for me without asking any questions," Gibbs said as he stared back at the restaurant.

"Jethro? What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything later," Gibbs said as he sighed. "I just need you to do something for me."

"What is going on, Jethro?" Horatio asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Can you send me a picture of Tim?"

"Tim?" Horatio asked as he shut the door to his office. "Tim Speedle?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said as he started the car. "You're just going to have to trust me on this one, Horatio. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I suppose I can," Horatio said as he reached in his desk drawer and kept the picture of Speed that he kept there. "You are going to have to answer my questions eventually, you know."

"I know, and I will. I just need time to figure some things out. Then I will explain everything. I promise."

"All right. I'll send the picture to your private e-mail account," Horatio said as he laughed a little. "You do know how to open your e-mail?"

"Yes, I know how to open my e-mail," Gibbs said as he stared at the phone. "I'll call you soon."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Horatio said as he hung up.

Gibbs headed to his house and got to the front door just as Tony pulled into the driveway. He watched the younger man get out of the car. Something was bothering Tony. "What are you doing here Tony?"

"Jake called," Tony said as he gave the older man a look. "He said you called him Tim. He said you told him that it was a memory thing and that you mistook him for McGee. I thought you weren't having anymore memory problems."

Gibbs sighed. "Come inside. There's something I probably should have told you a while ago."

They went inside and Gibbs headed over to his computer. He turned it on and went to open his e-mail account. "Did I ever tell you about a CSI from Miami named Horatio Caine?"

"I think I've heard you mention him a time or two," Tony said as he gave him a look. "Is he coming to town or something?"

"I think he might be coming to town at some point," Gibbs said as he opened his e-mail and found the picture Horatio had sent him. "In fact, I can almost guarantee that he will be coming to town."

"Okay," Tony said as he started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Gibbs asked as he walked over to him.

"He's coming up here to see you," Tony said as he tried to keep the emotion out of his voice. "I won't get in your way."

"If he comes up here, he will see me yes," Gibbs confirmed. "But I won't be the reason for his visit. Jake will."

"Jake?" Tony asked as he gave Gibbs a look. "Jake's never been to Miami. How would he know Horatio Caine?"

"See for yourself," Gibbs said as he pointed toward the computer.

Tony walked over to the computer and looked at the picture on the screen. "Gibbs, why do you have a picture of Jake in your e-mail?"

"That's not a picture of Jake," Gibbs said as he came and stood beside the younger man. "That is a picture of Timothy Speedle."

"Who's Timothy Speedle?" Tony asked as he gave Gibbs a confused look.

"He was a CSI who worked for Horatio until he was killed three years ago," Gibbs said as he looked at Tony. "Around the same time that Jake's parents were killed. Not long before he came here."

Tony shook his head, "Wait a minute, you're not trying to say that Jake is this Timothy Speedle?"

"I think he is," Gibbs said as he printed the picture. "I think somehow he faked his death and came to DC."

"If this is true, he had to have had a good reason," Tony argued. "I don't think that Jake is the kind of guy who would just abandon his family and friends."

"I don't think he did it by choice," Gibbs said as he sat down. "I think perhaps he had some help."

"Like some federal help?" Tony said as he picked up on the older man's train of thought. "Gibbs, if he is in witness protection, you can't just bring someone from his past up here. What if he's still in danger?"

"We'll find out before we contact Horatio," Gibbs said as his phone rang. "Gibbs. Yeah, McGee, we'll be right there."

"Case?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said as he went over and turned off the computer. "Let's get to work."

They finished the case then they pursued their unofficial investigation into the identity of Jake Hackney. Tony sat in front of Gibbs personal computer searching for any reference to Jake Hackney. He looked at Gibbs while he was waiting for the computer. "You know, you never told me what made you decide to see if Jake is really this Speedle guy."

Gibbs gave the younger man a cup of coffee. "Speedle meant a lot to Horatio. When he died, it devastated Horatio."

"Was that the reason you took that mysterious trip to Florida three years ago?" Tony asked as he looked up at Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded. "I met Horatio on a case when he was still in New York. We became friends. He told me how he felt about Speed. I told him…"

"Told him what?" Tony asked as he got up.

Gibbs backed up a little bit. He hung his head as he spoke. "I told him how I felt about you."

"About me?" Tony said, his voice betraying his emotions.

Gibbs looked up at him. "I was too much of a chicken to say this before. Or too much of a Marine. Take your pick."

"Tell me now."

Gibbs looked him straight in the eye. "I have loved you for a long time now, Tony. Almost from the first time I met you. When you had Y-Pestis, I was so afraid I was going to lose you. Horatio told me to tell you how I felt. He lost his opportunity, and he didn't want the same thing to happen to me. I was going to tell you when you got out of the hospital, but I didn't. Then Kate was killed, and I was obsessed with Ari. I should have told you a dozen times before the explosion. I couldn't remember you, and when I did, I felt so guilty for forgetting you in the first place, I took off. Part of it was because I was pissed because of what happened with the ship, and part of it was I couldn't forgive myself for forgetting you."

"It's not your fault," Tony said as his voice cracked a little. "You couldn't help getting hurt."

"No, I couldn't," Gibbs said as he reached up stroked the back of Tony's hand. "I should have told you when I came back. I love you Tony. I have loved you for a long time. If you don't feel the same way, tell me now, and we'll move on."

Tony responded by pulling Gibbs to him and giving him a passionate kiss. When they parted, he smiled and said "Does that answer your question?"

Gibbs smiled a little. "I suppose it does."

Tony pulled Gibbs into his embrace and held him. "God, Jethro, I was so scared I was going to lose you when I saw that explosion."

"I know," Gibbs said as he held onto the younger man. "I felt the same way when that bitch gave you Y-Pestis."

Tony pulled away. "You know, Jake told me not to let this second chance pass by. He said we might not get another one."

"He's a smart man," Gibbs said as he looked over at the computer. "If he is Speed, he deserves to have a second chance with Horatio."

"He told me that the man he loved was taken from him before he could get a chance to tell him how he felt. That could be true if he was placed into witness protection."

"The first thing we have to do is make sure we are right about Jake being Tim."

Tony nodded as they headed back to the computer. Tony sat down in front of the screen and frowned. "What is it?" Gibbs asked.

"There's no record of a Jacob Hackney being born in New Jersey in 1973," Tony said as he scrolled down through the information on the screen. "There's no record of a car crash three years ago that would have killed his parents. What do we do now?"

"We still have to have proof that he is Tim Speedle," Gibbs said as he went over and pulled an evidence bag out of his backpack. It had a glass in it. "I had a drink with Jake the other day. When he went to the kitchen, I took the glass. I don't know if Abby can get DNA off of it, but we can at least get fingerprints."

"But we can't run any of it through the system," Tony argued. "If he is in witness protection the minute we run his prints or DNA the feds will grab him and he'll disappear."

"Then we don't run them through the system," Gibbs grinned.

Tony gave him a look. "What do you have planned?"

Gibbs just smiled as he lead Tony out of the house. They headed to the NCIS morgue. Gibbs talked to Ducky for a minute and they went to wait in Ducky's office. "What are you doing?" Tony asked.

"Ducky has connections," Gibbs said as he grinned.

Ducky came in about ten minutes later. "Alexx has a lot of questions, but she faxed the information."

"Tony, take this up to Abby so she can get the fingerprints and any DNA, and tell her not to run the results through the computer."

"Okay, Boss."

Tony went up and gave the glass to Abby. She gave him a look when he told her not to run the results through the computer. She got the prints and she did manage to get some DNA off of the glass. "I don't have anything to compare it to," Abby said as Tony took the results from her.

"Don't worry about it Abs," Tony said with a grin. "I think the Boss has a comparison."

"You are going to tell me what's going on, right," Abby said as she gave him a look.

"Of course."

Tony headed back downstairs and went into Ducky's office. "Here are the DNA and fingerprints off the glass. Abby wants an explanation. I'm sure Ducky does as well."

"Actually, Anthony, Jethro has been filling me in while you were with Abby," Ducky said as he took the file from the younger man. "Let's see what we have here."

Tony took a seat beside Gibbs and they waited for Ducky to look over samples. After a few minutes, he looked at the agents. "Well, there's no doubt about it, Jake Hackney is Timothy Speedle."

"You're sure?" Tony asked, suddenly concerned for his friend's safety.

"Quite sure," Ducky said as he turned the file over to him. "The samples match perfectly."

Tony looked at the file, then nodded as he handed it to Gibbs. "What do we do now?"

"I think you need to talk to Jake while I call Horatio," Gibbs said as he looked at Tony.

Tony sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Tony made sure he waited for the lunch rush to end before he went to see Jake. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to his friend, but he knew he had to say something soon. Gibbs told him that Horatio was taking the first flight out from Miami. He had to tell him what they had found out before Horatio arrived. He walked in and saw Jake standing at the hostess station. Jake smiled when he saw him. "Hey, Tony. Looking for a late lunch?"

"Ah, no, actually, I came to talk to you," Tony said as he looked around. "Can we talk in private?"

"Yeah, sure," Jake said as he gave Tony a concerned look. "Let's go to my office."

Tony followed Jake to his office and they sat down. "What's going on, Tony?"

Tony sighed. Then he made his decision. "You remember when Gibbs accidentally called you Tim?"

"Yeah," Jake said warily.

"It wasn't an accident."

"What do you mean?"

"About ten years ago, Gibbs worked a case in New York. When he went up there, he worked with a detective named Horatio Caine."

Tony waited for Jake's reaction before he continued. "They kept in touch over the years. Telling each other about cases and about the people they had fallen in love with. Gibbs told Horatio about me, and Horatio told Gibbs about Tim Speedle. Gibbs went to Florida to be there for Horatio when Tim died, three years ago."

Jake looked at him for a long time before he spoke. "Gibbs knows Horatio?"

Tony nodded. Jake got up and started to pace his office. "Horatio knows I'm here?"

"Yeah, he does."

Jake shook his head. Before Tony could stop him, he was out the door. Tony got up and followed him as fast as he could. They made it out into the main dinning room before Jake stopped short. "H," he said softly.

He tried to turn and run away, but Tony stopped him. "You're safe. No one's going to come after you. Gibbs already checked. Davis is dead."

"I left him," he heard Jake say as Gibbs and Horatio entered the restaurant. "He thinks I'm dead. He's not going to forgive me for that."

"Give him a chance," Tony said as Horatio made eye contact with the younger man.

"What should I do?" Jake asked.

"Let him take care of you," Tony said as the older men approached them.

Horatio reached out and touched Jake's cheek. "Tim."

The younger man closed his eyes. "H."

Before he knew what was happening, he was pulled into the strong arms of the red head. "Gibbs told me, but I didn't believe him until I saw you."

"I'm sorry, Horatio," Tim cried.

"It's not your fault," Horatio said as he held him. "You didn't have a choice, Speed."

"Why don't we go back to Jake's office?" Gibbs suggested when he noticed that they were getting an audience.

The four of them headed back to the office and Gibbs shut the door behind them. Horatio kept a hand on Speed's shoulder. He looked like if he broke contact, the younger man would disappear. "What happened?" he asked the man he had been morning for three years.

Speed sighed. "You remember when you first arrived in Miami I was working a drug case with Hopkins?"

"Yeah, you two got a solid conviction on Michael Davis," Horatio said as he recalled the case. "Hopkins retired not long after that. I never found out why."

"Davis threatened both of us as he was being lead out of the courtroom. Hopkins decided that he would retire before Davis could get out. Figured he wouldn't be a target if he wasn't still with the police. The feds came to me and told me that Davis had made bail and was looking for me. He had photos of my apartment and the lab. I was told that I would be placed in witness protection, that I didn't have a choice. I was supposed to be involved in a motorcycle accident when I went on my vacation. Before that could happen…"

"I called you in to investigate that boat crash," Horatio interrupted. "The jewelry store?"

"Rudy was a fed, or a CI, I'm not sure. I was told to keep the agents informed on the investigation. When I told them we were heading to McCauley Jewelry, they said they had it covered. Although, I swear they said the guy's name was Ari, not Rudy."

"Ari?" Gibbs said as he straightened up. "Are you sure they said Ari?"

"Yeah, why?" Speed asked as he gave Gibbs a look.

"That son of a bitch!" Gibbs said as Tony went over to him.

"Jethro, he's dead. He can't hurt us anymore."

"He probably enjoyed being involved in taking out a police officer."

"Who's Ari?" Horatio asked as he gave them both a look.

"Ari was a terrorist," Tony explained as he looked at Speed. "He's the guy who killed Kate."

Speed nodded in understanding. Horatio looked back at his former CSI. "Your gun?"

"They switched it. Remember when I headed to the bathroom before we went to the jewelry store?"

Horatio nodded and Speed continued. "The agents were there. They said that they had put blanks in that gun, and in the guns of the guards at the store. They didn't tell me that the gun was dirty. That's why I looked down when it misfired. I knew my gun was clean, and I assumed that one was as well. I couldn't believe that they would pull that. I promise you, Horatio, after Dispo Day, I cleaned my gun on a regular basis. I had cleaned it that morning."

"They used Dispo Day against you knowing that we would just assume you hadn't learned your lesson," Horatio sighed. "Speed, I'm sorry. I should have had more faith in you."

"It's not your fault," Speed said softly. "I just wish it hadn't gone down the way it had. I saw the look on your face when I got shot. I knew what it would do to you and to Alexx, and the rest of the team. I knew I didn't have a choice. It had been easier when they said they were going to stage an accident. When I knew you would actually be there to see me die, I tried to talk them out of it. They wouldn't listen."

"The FBI's like that," Tony said as Horatio's phone rang.

"Caine," he said then he smiled a little. "He's right here. There's someone who wants to talk to you."

He handed the phone to Speed who gave him a look as he put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Oh my god, it is you Timmy."

"Alexx," he said as he closed his eyes to try to fight the tears that were forming. "Alexx, I'm so sorry."

"Hush now," she said soothingly. "You just come home with Horatio. Come back where you belong, Timmy."

"I don't know if I can," he said as his voice chocked up.

"Let Horatio take care of everything, Baby. It's so good to hear your voice. I never…"

"I'm sorry, Alexx, I really am."

"Stop, Baby. I know if you had a choice you would never have left home. All that matters now is that you are safe and that you are with Horatio. The rest of it doesn't matter."

"Yes, ma'am," he said as the tears started to flow.

"Let me speak to Horatio," she said and he handed the phone back to the older man.

"Alexx."

"Bring him home, Horatio. Bring my baby home."

"You have my promise," Horatio said as he hung up.

Speed turned away from them and Horatio put his hands on the younger man's shoulders as he turned him around. "She's not disappointed in you. She loves you and she wants to make sure you're safe. So do I. You know that, don't you?"

Speed nodded as Horatio pulled him close. Tony and Gibbs watched them before Tony asked, "His mother?"

"Close," Horatio said with a smile. "Alexx kind of adopted Speed when he came to work at the crime lab. I think she was as devastated as I was when we thought he died."

Speed pulled away from him. "I don't know who she did the autopsy on. I don't know how they managed to pull that part off."

"Alexx never really cut into your body," Horatio explained. "The bullet was a through and through. Calliegh had it so she didn't need to recover it. Because of the surveillance tapes and Rudy's confession, we didn't need a lot of physical evidence. It did strike me as odd when Rudy disappeared from lock up. I was told he was shot resisting arrest when they caught up with him."

"Oh, he was shot all right," Gibbs said, the memory of Ziva putting a bullet in her brother's brain coming to his mind.
"So what happens now?" Speed asked as he looked at the three men. "I can't just pack up and move back to Miami. I own this place. I have employees to think about."

"Well, it depends," Horatio said as he took Speed and they sat down on the couch in his office. "I know you want to come back to Miami. I could see it in your eyes when you talked to Alexx."

Speed nodded and Horatio continued. "Do you want to come back to the crime lab?"

"I'm not sure," Speed admitted. "I haven't done any forensic work for three years. And I have enjoyed my life as a restaurant owner. It's been fun trying out new recipes."

"You have time to decide," Horatio assured him.

Speed looked at Tony and Gibbs. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

Tony went over to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. You didn't have a choice in any of this. Right now, you need to go home, think about what you want to do, and let Horatio take care of you."

"I can't just leave in the middle of the day," Speed protested, guilt written on his face.

"Connie is a very capable manager," Tony argued. "She can take care of things here for a few days. And if you decide to sell and go back to Miami, she would be an excellent choice to take over."

Speed sighed as he looked around the room. The last three years had been hard on him. Thoughts of Horatio had kept him up at night. He had made a life for himself here. He had friends, including Tony. He had a business that he loved. He knew it would end sooner or later, but not because he had been given the opportunity to get his old life back.

"I need to think," he finally said. "About all of this."

"I understand," Horatio said. "I'll be staying at Jethro's house when you're ready to talk."

Speed nodded and walked out of the office. He spoke briefly to Connie before he headed out of the restaurant . Horatio followed him out and smiled a little when he heard the roar of a motorcycle. He looked over his shoulder at Tony. "Let me guess, a Ducati."

"Yeah, I guess he had one in Miami," Tony said as they headed to Gibbs's car.

"It's been in my garage at home since he…" Horatio hung his head. Then he looked up at them. "It's been a tough few days."

"I can only imagine," Gibbs said as he looked over at Tony. He reached in his pocket and took out his keys. "You know the way back to the house. Take the car. I figure you need some time alone as well. I'll be at Tony's or at NCIS if you need me for anything."

Horatio nodded and got in the car. He drove away thinking about everything that had happened in the last couple of days. It had all started with a phone call from Gibbs asking him for a picture of Speed. After he had e-mailed the picture, he had gone to the cemetery. He spent an hour at Speed's grave. He couldn't figure out why Gibbs would want a picture of a man who had been dead for three years.

Then Alexx had come to him saying that she had gotten a phone call from a colleague in DC who had asked her for Speed's DNA and fingerprints. He told her he was sure it was nothing, but deep down inside, he didn't believe it. Then he had gotten another call from Gibbs.

"Horatio, this is going to be hard for you, but I need you to know that I'm not lying to you."

"This is about the picture of Speed you wanted, isn't it."

"Yes, it is. Jake Hackney opened a restaurant here in DC three years ago. Tony has been going there ever since it opened. He took the team there after I came back from my hiatus. I met Jake that night and thought he looked familiar. It took time for me to figure out where I had seen him before. It was in the picture you showed me of Speed. When I asked you for the picture, I did it to confirm that Speed is Jake Hackney."

"Jethro, Speed died in my arms."

"No, he didn't. He is alive and well and running a restaurant here in DC. If you don't believe me, check the DNA and finger print reports that I just e-mailed you."

Horatio sat down hard when he read the e-mail. "I'll be there on the first flight out," he said as he hung up the phone.

Now, he was in Gibbs's driveway staring at the house and not believing that he had actually seen and held Tim Speedle. He got out of the car and took his bag out of the trunk. He headed inside and headed to Gibbs's guest bedroom. He took out some clothes and headed to the bathroom. He started the shower and as he stepped under the water, he thought about the look on Speed's face when he had seen Horatio for the first time in three years.

He looked scared. He looked ready to bolt. He knew that he would never blame Speed for what happened. All he had to do was convince the younger man of that. He got out of the shower, dried off and had just got finished getting dressed when he heard a knock at the door. He noticed that it had started raining as he passed through the living room. He opened the door and was surprised to find Speed standing on the other side, rain soaking him.

"Tim, come in before you get sick," he said as he ushered the younger man in. "How long have you been standing there?"

"A while," Speed admitted as he shivered. "It took me a while to work up the courage to knock."

"Come here," Horatio said as he directed Speed to the bathroom. "Get out of those wet clothes. I'll see if I can find you something to put on."

He left Speed in the bathroom and headed to the guest bedroom. He found a sweatshirt he had forgotten he had. It was Speed's. When he went to pack up Speed's apartment, he had found it and kept it. He couldn't help it, the shirt smelled like the younger man. He grabbed it and a pair of jeans and headed back to the bathroom. He stopped at the door and took in the sight of Speed standing there naked in the bathroom.

Speed turned around when he heard the older man. He went to reach for the towel Horatio had left for him. Horatio stopped his hand. "Wait," he said softly. "I have been waiting for a long time to see you like this. I thought I was never going to see you again."

"I'm sorry, H," Speed said as he shivered again.

Horatio walked over to him, put his hand on the back of Speed's neck and pulled him close as he kissed him. "Never apologize for something that was beyond your control," he said as he pulled away. "Come on, let's get you warmed up."
Before he could protest, Speed was led into the guest bedroom and laid onto the bed. As Horatio started to kiss him, all thoughts escaped Speed's brain and he gave into the pleasure he thought was going to be denied him forever.

Gibbs looked at Horatio as Tony helped Speed put their bags in the car. "I'm glad Speed decided to go home with you."

"So am I," Horatio said as he smiled. "Connie practically forced him out the door when we left the restaurant. She promised him that she would take care of it for him. He is thinking about selling it to her."

"She would be an excellent choice," Gibbs said as he looked over at the younger men. "I'm glad you got him back, Horatio. I can't imagine what I would have done if it had been Tony."

"We both have second chances, Jethro," Horatio said as he turned to look his friend in the eye. "I noticed that a moving company was coming in tomorrow."

Gibbs grinned. "Tony's moving in. Until we can gage everyone's reaction to our relationship at work, the cover story is that his building has been condemned."

Horatio nodded as they watched Speed and Tony.

"You going to be okay?" Tony asked.

"I think so," Speed said as he smiled a little. "It's going to be hard facing everyone, but I need to do this. Not only for me, but for them as well. They won't believe it's real unless they see me. I'm not sure I'll believe this is real until I see them either."
"You make sure that he takes care of you," Tony said as the older men approached them.

"I will," Speed said as he turned to Tony and gave him a hug. "You two should come to Miami."

"We will," Gibbs promised. "Call us and let us know how everything goes."

Horatio nodded and he and Speed got into the car. "Tim?" he asked as he looked over at his new lover.

Speed squeezed his hand. "Take me home, Horatio."