Song fic about Horatio thinking about all of his failures in life. Song by GARTH BROOKS AND HE TOTALLY ROX, AND I THINK HE'S AWESOME!!! (If you squint, you can see DuCaine) ENJOY!!!

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It had been one of the emotionally draining cases of Horatio's memory, and all he wanted to do when he got home was crash on his bed and try to forget about everything that had happened. Sometimes he just couldn't believe the inhumanity of some people, such as a mother who had sold her daughter for prostitution, and the daughter had only been about 9 or so. Then there was the father who had gone on a killing spree, killing his son and 9 of his friends. Afterward he had just disposed of the bodies, not caring about it whatsoever. Horatio shuddered, picturing himself in the father's shoes. He almost slapped himself when he started to picture himself killing Kyle and a few of his friends. There was no way that he could actually do that. He was too humane, too feeling to do that sort of thing. With a groan he remembered that he had left an important file on his desk.

Ah well. Sometimes you just plain forget some things. Just then, Horatio happened to turn on his radio and heard "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" by Toby Keith, also known as "The Angry American." He smiled as he heard it, and without knowing he began tapping his feet to the music.

This is a song that nobody knows

I couldn't begin to describe how it goes

But it makes me cry or laugh right out loud

It's a song that I sing when there's no one around

Suddenly, he found himself singing along with the song, and when he finished singing, he realized that he was singing something totally different, something that he couldn't even describe how it goes. It was just babble, not really making any sense and making him want to cry, and also making him want to laugh out loud, something Horatio Caine rarely did. Crying was also something Horatio Caine rarely did, as was laughing.

The song Horatio was singing was just a song that he sang when there was no one around to judge him, no one around to make fun of him for singing it. And most definitely, no one around to make fun of his singing, which he was sure was less than perfect.

This is the man that nobody sees

He wears my old clothes and he looks just like me

Just one of the boys who gets lost in the crowd

He's the man that I am when there's no one around

Horatio walked to his bedroom and puts on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, some of his old clothes that he almost never wears anymore. Horatio looked in the mirror and saw that the person looking back at him looked totally different. He decided that this was the man that no one sees, one that wears his old clothes and looks just like him, but wasn't him, exactly. It was a memory of him, a memory of the time before his eyes were scarred with the inhumane things that humans were capable of doing. Horatio was now just one of the boys that always got lost in the crowd, no different than any other man in the city.

He wasn't Lieutenant Caine anymore. No, he was Horatio Caine, just a normal man that just wanted to fit in and blend in with the crowd, not carrying a shield or anything. Just another man in the crowd.

It's four in the morning

I'm lyin' in bed

A tape of my failures

Playin' inside my head

It's heartaches and hard knocks

And things I don't know

I listen and I wonder

Where, will it go

That night, Horatio lay awake on his bed and he just happened to glance over at the clock. It read 4 in the morning. With a groan he closed his eyes tightly, trying to force himself to get some sleep. But then, a tape seemed to start playing in front of his eyes, like watching a movie. He realized that it was a movie all right, a movie of his failures.

Remembering all the beatings he got from his father.

Watching his mom lying dead on the floor.

Seeing his dad blame it on him.

Seeing his brother being beaten by his father.

Shoving his father.

Watching his father fall down the stairs.

Seeing him lying there, broken and dead.

Seeing the police question him over and over.

Finally being acquitted of the crime.

The judge saying that it was an accident.

Growing up taking care of his brother.

Going to college and losing contact with his brother.

Getting stabbed in New York.

Watching Speed get shot and killed.

With a jolt he awoke and sat bolt upright in bed, trying to get the image of Speed dying in his eyes out of his head. He looked over and realized that he was going to be late for work. But then he remembered that he was off for the weekend, from the team insisting that he takes some time off. He faintly remembered Calleigh being off too, as she hadn't taken anytime off for a while.

This is a glimpse of the child that's within

He's so immature but he's still my best friend

If he could learn how to fly he'd never touch down

He's the kid that I am when there's no one around

He took a shower and groped for his cell, picking it up and dialing Calleigh's number.

"Duquesne." Calleigh yawned.

"I woke you up, didn't I, Calleigh?"

"Sokay. You sound like you just woke up."

"Yeah, I did, actually."

"What's up?"

"Want to grab some lunch together?"

"Sure. I've got nothing else to do."

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End of Part 1 of When There's No One Around, Part 2 to come soon!!! Please review, and thanks for reading! I hope you liked it, and adios for now!!!