Into Madness

Rating: Teen

Genre: Angst/Drama

Pairing: Horatio/Yelina

Warnings: Violence, Language.

Summary: "It is when we allow ourselves to delve into madness that things become clear..."

Author's Notes: I got the idea while reading from Shining Zephyr's Miami Flowers- 76 Broken. I just thought that there was more to this story, and she agreed and allowed me to use. Thanks, Shiny!

While conscience is our friend, all is at peace; however once it is offended, farewell to a tranquil mind.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

But for Horatio, this wasn't a crime. It was a holocaust. There was no way he was going to be able to become stable during this. He wouldn't be able to keep his cool when arresting the Hilter who did this. And he most certainly couldn't process the crime scene in there, knowing he would more than likely here the shrieks of children who begged for the demon lord to stop his destruction.

Yelina bit her lip as she continued to hold him. Maybe this was the case that would both define and destroy Horatio's career...

From Shining Zephyr's Miami Flowers- Broken

Chapter One

He stood at the precipice once more, the shadows threatening to overwhelm him. Gone were the days of perpetual happiness, now they each came on the whim of darkness, each step he took driving him deeper and deeper into the abyss. It never mattered whether the sun was shining brightly, or the skies were deadened with the oncoming of a cover of gray, Horatio's demeanor never wavered. Not since that fateful day that is. On that day, he lost a bit of himself in the jewelry store, the confidence and the strength waning since the moment Speed had taken his last breath. Where he was supposed to be strong and resilient, he faltered, leaving his partner and colleague to his last sacrifice. It didn't matter that the tests confirmed another reason for the tragedy because despite the malfunction, it would always be his fault, and that guilt was the kind that no one or thing could take away.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped out, automatically slipping on the dark framed glasses that he'd taken to hiding behind now. Under this guise, he could still perpetuate the strength that was needed to carry on, despite the despondency and the doubt, he could , in other's eyes perceive a coolness, a sort of calm that eluded any other emotion. But that perception was altered, because underneath the facade, there was the darkness that threatened. And each day that he strove to protect the streets of his city, that darkness made progress, waiting until the right moment to surface and lay claim.

The ride to the lab was uneventful as it was most days, and the only minutes of peace he had. Some days, he listened to music, others he was accompanied by silence. It was in that silence that he warred with his sensibilities, making great strides to keep the emptiness of the darkness at bay. There were very little fond memories that he could pull to combat this affliction, only the relief that it would be short lived because once he strode through the doors of the lab and donned the next mask in his cache- the unflappable Lieutenant Horatio Caine, there was no more room for the darkness.

On this day, the courageous facade was difficult to attain. He didn't know what was hindering it's arrival, but even as he meandered through the corridors of his lab, he felt something deep within. The disturbance wasn't shouting of the onslaught of trouble, but it was annoyingly making it's presence known. Something was going to happen today, and he couldn't shake the dread that came with the knowledge of that. Even as he looked into the familiar faces of his lab technicians and investigators, he was unsettled. The countless techs that passed his path registered this but said nothing, as it had become par for the norm for him.

The noise became background for him, his mind already a million miles in the direction of his office. With the job came expectations of perfection, and although no one was perfect, there was one who was always putting him to task about his slights. It was the one person he was hoping that he wouldn't see today, the one person he couldn't see today without acting on the deep desires that coursed through him. If he and Rick Stetler crossed paths today, there was no telling how far to the surface his darkness would reach.

"Penny for your thoughts?"came a light voice from behind him. He hadn't realized that he'd stopped at the elevator but had yet to push the button to engage the contraption, lost in his own ponders The sound of the beautiful voice behind him brought about a long dormant smile, crinkling his intense blue eyes as he turned to face her, his heart seemingly palpating to life.

"Not enough of them in the world," he said smoothly, slipping the glasses off of his face. As a rule, he forwent any pretenses with her, knowing that she would see through them all. Years had taught him that Yelina Salas was observant, sometimes to a fault. It was one of the traits that he adored of her, her ability to see what was in front of her no matter disguised or not. Horatio found himself lost in her green eyes, shifting his weight to a more comfortable stance as she pursed her lips and glanced away, shaking her head. He allowed a slight chuckle to escape and relaxed a little more, staring at the floor, "What brings you by this morning, Detective?"

Yelina exhaled and crossed her arms about her chest, her long curly brown tresses threatening to get in her eyes. Horatio fought the desire to reach for a tendril to place it behind her ear and allow his touch to linger, instead meeting her gaze head on. Along with the playfulness, he could see an underlying current. Not giving him berth to inquire she gestured towards the lab, "I came here to give you fair warning, Rick's coming by. He let it slip last night that he was going to drop in before you got here." A hand shot out to stave his questioning, "I have no idea what it's about, but I wanted to give you a heads up."

The smile disappeared at the sound of his name, so familiar on her lips. He never thought he'd see the day that Yelina would give Stetler the time of day , much less allow him into her life, but it had happened, and he was powerless to stop it. He only hoped that Yelina didn't get in too deep with the IAB agent and that she would cease her dealings with him soon. It was one thing to have to deal with Stetler on a professional basis, but an entirely different one to have him impeding on his personal life and those within it.

"I see," was all that he responded with, nodding and directing his attention to his glasses. A brow raised and he then looked up to her, "So, a warning of sorts. I wonder what he has in store for me today?"

"I don't know, Horatio, but you should know that he's still incensed that his request for you to go and see a shrink hasn't been adhered to. He thinks that you should sit and talk to someone about Speedle."

"You can let Rick know, Yelina," he paused before he pressed the button to the elevator and hearing it slide open, " you can let him know that I'll go and talk when I see the need to. Right now, I have work to do, so , if you would excuse me."

Yelina's brow narrowed and her eyes grew in intensity, barely turning to face him, "One day, Horatio you are going to have to let your demons go."

The doors slid shut and her words lingered. The cell at his side buzzed to life as the short ride to his office above the trace lab came to an end. As he reached for the phone, the doors slid open and he came face to face with the dark haired agent, noticing the glint in his eyes. One day he was going to have to let his demons go , but unfortunately, they were going to stay and torment him for just one more day.

Nonchalantly, he strode past the man and asked in an uneffective tone, "What can I do for you , Sergeant? Surely you haven't been waiting for me to arrive just to ruffle my feathers about some departmental policy you dreamt up. And I haven't even had my first cup of coffee yet."

"This isn't a social call, Horatio. There's still the matter of you going in for counseling in regards to Speedle. You've put it off long enough, Lieutenant, now it's time to get to it." He stood beside him as he unlocked his office and leaned in closer , "It doesn't look good that you were investigated for police brutality a few months ago, and not just that one occasion."

"That one occasion, I was exonerated, Rick. And the other occasions, were a matter of self defense," Horatio responded, opening the door. His neglected cell came to life again and he ignored it again, instead, walking over to his desk and throwing his keys down. Hearing the man enter into the office, he continued, "I don't need to sit and talk, but thanks for your concern. Will there be anything else, Rick?"

The anger was apparent and the dark haired agent clenched his fist , then let it go, speaking through clenched teeth, " You need to be stopped, Horatio, before you hurt someone, and even then your lap dogs won't be able to get you off. I'm submitting my recommendation for you to be relieved of duty until you fulfill your session with the departmental psychologist."

"Submit away," Horatio intoned indifferently as he sat and swivelled around to his computer, starting it. When the man didn't budge, he threw him a glance, "I asked, will there be anything else, Rick?"

A deafening silence permeated the air as the darker man stared him down. Seething, he turned to walk towards the door, pausing only to turn and face him, briefly to emphasize his point, "You're a menace, Horatio, and you will be stopped. It's only a matter of time before you lose that last ounce of your cool and I will be there to see it happen."

Horatio watched as Rick left, the door closing with some force behind it and shook his head, turning his attention to the paper on his desk. Letting out a strained tuft of air, he spoke aloud, his voice no louder than it had been before, "Stand in line, Rick. Stand in line."

/ Into Madness/

It was perfect. Everything had fallen into place, from the timing to the sounds of their shrieks and cries as he did his work, their crimson colored blood splattering the walls and windows. He knew that they would be secluded , knowing their schedule a head of time was proving to be advantageous. He was able to take his time to perfect his creation of havoc and death, relishing in the horrified cries of their young voices. Even at his leisurely pace, he had to be careful- he wanted his creation to be revealed, but not before the appointed time and as he set in against another young soul, he smiled greedily, revealing in the strong fear, feeding off of it like an animal. And like an animal, he gave them no mercy, laying claim to each of their lives for his purpose. He would be far away before anyone would even think to come and check on them, but by then, his purpose would be met. They would have seen and they would have reacted. His madness would be put out there for the world to see, with promise of more.

/Into Madness/

"I can't believe I'm late, Mr. Sanderson's gonna kill me," the young boy said as he rushed through the dimly lit science hall. He'd awakened a hour and a half late for quiz bowl tryouts, sweating bullets the entire way to the school. Being on the quiz bowl team was going to make or break his chances to get in good with the science teacher, having been the least likely candidate for the team. With his B minus average in class, and his propensity for mayhem, Riley never thought hat Mr. Sanderson would even dream to call him up for the team, but here he was, hurrying to the try outs acting as if each breath before opening the door would be his last.

Rounding the corner to the classroom, he glanced at his watch again and rolled his eyes, sure that he was going to be dismissed from the team. An errant sound caught his attention and he looked up to see the room door ajar, swinging almost lazily. Something coated the floor and splattered the door and he could feel his hairs standing on end. It didn't help that the sun was barely coming through the doors and windows of the science hall, no sign of the impending school day abound. For the life of him, he never knew why the quiz bowl team met an hour before school, but he never questioned their practices because they were the best in the state, so Mr. Sanderson was doing something right.

Slowing his pace, he narrowed his brow, realizing that there was no noise, not even the slightest hint that anyone occupied the room. His heart began to beat faster as he made his way to the door, hesitating at the last moment. A bead of sweat ran down his temple and he wiped at it unconsciously, his attention solely on the door ahead of him astounded that there was still no sound. A coppery stench hit his nostrils and he recoiled, placing a hand to his mouth. Just as he turned to look into the room, the sound of the bell screeching and the kids entering the building couldn't cover the sounds of his yelling, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. Something bad had happened. Very bad.