Title: Sacrifices
Author: LiLAqUaMaRiE
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairings/Characters: Mainly Speed but will hopefully include all of them.
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, angst
Warnings: AU (Lost Son - 3x01) and mentions of death…
Summary: Everyone thought Tim Speedle had been murdered. Everyone was wrong.
Disclaimer: I don't own "CSI: Miami" or anything related to it. So don't sue me please!!!! I'm already poor as it is. Don't need a lawsuit to put me out on the street.
Note: First time trying out a fic idea like this, so if I go slow in putting up new parts, bear with me and any grammatical errors – I apologize beforehand.

As the years go by
I race the clock with you
But if you died right now
You know that I'd die too
- 'Until the Day I Die' by Story of the Year

SACRFICIES

"The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else; it is a mainspring of human activity - designed largely to avoid the fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the final destiny of man." – Ernest Becker

Prologue: The Beginning of the End
Two Years Ago - Miami
Location: Labs

It was a usual hot day in Miami when the Miami-Dade CSI's were working hard on the case of the missing child – Joey Williams. Each Crime Scene Investigator was on their own working upon different part of evidences that they had gathered in hopes of finding the young child.

Within the building in one nearby lab, there was one of those CSI's by the name of Timothy "Speed" Speedle; he was currently examining something for the said crime when the sound of a cell phone ringing overcame the lab. At the sudden noise Speed broke away from his work, distracted. He reached for his cell phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Mr. Speedle, it's time."

Speed was at the time glancing around at the evidence in front of him when he froze in his actions. His eyes widened immediately as he registered the words he heard into his brain. He knew that voice, he knew what they meant. It was a CIA agent and they were now calling him in. He couldn't help but be taken by surprise. He didn't imagine that the CIA would call him up so soon; he thought he would still be able to spend some more time with his friends – his family.

He was mistaken.

Tim knew he had to respond back, but he couldn't help but feel speechless. He closed his eyes for a moment sighing softly in resignation as he nodded to himself as he finally replied, "Understood."

He was responded back with one word before the line went dead, "Good."

He stood there holding the cell phone to his ear, hearing and knowing that the line was dead. It ironically ended up reminding him of how he was soon going to be to the others – dead.

Tim slowly closed the cell phone, putting it away. His eyes were unfocused as his mind had only one thing running in a small mantra.

He needed to talk to someone; he needed to talk to Horatio.

Location: Horatio's Office

Silence was held within the room as Lieutenant Horatio Caine stared at his dear friend in the eye for a long moment. The two men stared at each other, one held a sad look upon their face while the other had one of defeat.

Horatio sighed softly to himself as he titled his head to the side still staring at the younger man, "So soon?"

Speed wanted to act as if nothing wrong was going on around them, wanted to act as if it was just another day at the job, another day between friends – but he just couldn't. He shrugged his shoulders in defeat, "What can I say? People want me." He tried to joke about the situation, hoping to make it easier to accept, but it wasn't working.

Caine had a grim smile upon his lips. Slowly, he lifted a hand placing it upon his friend's shoulder – in a way to convey his own emotions. "I'll miss having you around."

Tim glanced up at Horatio, his soon to be ex-boss. His eyes were shinning with unshed tears as he started to ramble out the feelings he was trying to hold within. "I wish… I wish things were different." He swallowed hard, "I w-wish I didn't agree to join the CIA; I-I wish I didn't have to leave you...or the others..." His voice shook with emotions, "I wish I didn't have to leave her like this."

Horatio, who still had his hand upon Speed's shoulder, squeezed it gently. "I know."

Speed closed his eyes shaking his head, "I love her." He opened his eyes that were stinging from the need to shed tears; he gazed away from Horatio to look at the ground below as his shoulders started to tremble. The wall he had built around himself was falling apart around him, "I don't want to loose her." A silent tear slipped from his eyes, falling to the floors below.

Caine closed his own eyes. His heart was breaking for his dear friend; it hurt to know he was going to say goodbye to him and it hurt him more that it had to be in the fashion it was going to be in, but he had to be strong. His people needed him to be the strong one, the one they can come too in their time of need – and he wasn't going to let them down. Horatio sighed softly, pulling the younger man before him into a tight brotherly hug. "It's okay Speed." He paused for a small moment. "She won't be alone – you're not alone."

Hearing the words from his close friend, the barrier that was around him broke completely as he held onto Horatio as his life depended on it. He emotionally broke down within his friend's arms, grasping and clinging to him as if he was the only life line he had. He was finally letting out all the pain he had been holding in.

Location: Crime Scene

It was a bright sunny day in Miami when Timothy Speedle got shot in the heart.

His dead body was loaded into a white van which would soon deliver it to the Miami-Dade CSI Morgue for an autopsy.

Alexx Wood was about to head towards the van; she wanted to get into the back to be with Speed even if it was with his dead body. To her it was if she had lost a son and she missed him with all heart. Her red puffy eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses she had on; she was trying to be strong – trying to hold it in, until she was alone to cry out her soul, her pain.

As she was on her way to the van, Horatio voice called out to her making her pause in her steps. "Alexx, can I talk to you for a moment?" She turned around to glance back at the man who had called out to her. She noticed that he like her had a sad face, it was a terrible day. She knew he was feeling the same pain she was. Speed was a member of their family and they lost one of their own. She understood he needed a friend, so she nodded as she turned around heading towards him.

She was just about to reach him when the van exploded into a ball of fire.