Second Servings, Second Chances
Chapter Nine: Drowning
Disclaimer:I neither own nor profit from any of the CSI Miami franchise or any of its relations. Any characters you do not recognise are my only property featured in this story.
Previously on CSI Miami:
Continuing down the corridor, Horatio steadied himself. Mentally preparing to dig to the very beginning of Dan's now ended life, to know all his secrets.
To know all of Dan Cooper's enemies.
Horatio stood in his office in the same position from the meeting moments ago, his eyes unfocused behind his shades.
Dan, Tim, Ray...Mari...
Horatio swallowed the lump forming in his throat deeply, brow furrowed as he continued to look without seeing out the window.
I failed you all...
The grief struck his heart and unleashed ten-fold. A days' worth of masking his emotions was causing an overload within the Lieutenant. The already present cracks breaking further through his meeting with his team, his eagerness to be alone showing towards the end.
Your all gone...
The click of the door opening pulled Horatio from the depths of his despair, the thoughts and faces of his past-on loved ones fading into the darkness of forgotten.
I'm sorry...
The Lieutenant noted to honour his fallen family later as Frank Tripp approached his desk.
"Frank, what did you find?"
Frank huffed, tossing a closed file on Horatio's desk. He seemed slightly annoyed, his mouth remaining open as he thought of how to tell of his lack of findings.
"Other than a lack of social life that kid was squeaky clean. Why'd somebody do this to him Horatio?"
The silence was thick, too heavy or strong to cut with descriptions. Frank waited, stuck in a dumbfounded expression as, for once; Horatio didn't seem to have a plan, have an answer. The Lieutenant seemed as lost as the rest of the lab.
With a sharp intake, Horatio broke the never-ending silence.
"That Frank...is what I'm going to find out."
Passing Frank with a nod, Horatio decided to check in with AV and the progress of the cell phone chip. It seemed to be the only lead they had and by God did he hope it would get them closer to catching Dan's killer.
If not, Horatio wouldn't wallow in his despair, the Lieutenant was sure he would drown in it.
"You said-"
"No you were meant to-"
"Hey don't you try putting this on me!"
"But it was your fault!"
Ryan stepped forward and was literally toe-to-toe with Aaron, inches shorter than the younger man. His glare travelled up past the newbie's barred teeth and locked jaw to hazel pools of intensity and anger.
Ryan was sure his own eyes portrayed the same.
Un-creaking his jaw, Aaron whispered lowly, harsh words only reaching Ryan's ears.
"You're jealous, I get it."
Ryan suckered a breath, coughing a laugh. "Jealous? Of what?"
Aaron's eyebrows raised then lowered darkly, "Oh, I think you know."
Ryan glanced around him; his fellow workers had vanished back to their departments or to stare at the smoke-clearing AV lab be filled with security.
Feet down the corridor, it was just Ryan and this stuck-up, annoying, cowardly newbie that was asking for a whooping.
Don't do it Wolfe, not worth it.
"In all fairness, you got a reason to be jealous-"
With that said, Ryan didn't care anymore; he was going to teach this kid a lesson.
Grabbing Aaron by the front of his shirt, Ryan forcefully pushed him against the wall. Aaron instantly reacted, mimicking Ryan and seizing him by the collar. The intensity increased.
Ryan shot his elbow forward, trying to release himself from Aaron's grip. He jumped slightly when he felt his bone connect with skin but remained where he was.
An anxious moment passed with nothing said, then, a new voice broke through the heavy edge suddenly present in the lab.
"Ryan! Aaron!"
Natalia didn't know what to make of the scene before her, but her subconscious reaction was to break it up. When the two didn't separate, she reached out, placing both hands on Ryan's chest and, with effort, pushed him back.
When Aaron made to move forward, she raised a hand out, putting herself between the two slightly panting men.
"What is going on?"
Both remained silent, shame creeping up on one whilst smugness formed within the other. After an eternity of stillness, Aaron moved his hand to his lip and gingerly touched the blood oozing.
Natalia noticed and gasped lowly.
"Aaron, are you okay?"
"Fine."
Ryan twitched a smile at the pain hissing through Aaron's voice, though it was accidental, he was glad to make this mistake.
But the look Natalia gave him made him wish he could take it all back.
Turning back to face Aaron, her expression softened as the blood continued to flow down his split lip. "Aaron come on, we need to get you cleaned up."
As Aaron fell into step with her,his cupped hand drowning with blood; Natalia looked over her shoulder at Ryan. He chanced a look back and was surprised no anger or hurt was portrayed within them, but a simple message he could hear as though she had spoken it.
We'll talk later.
Horatio Caine stood alone after stepping out of the elevator, eyes slightly wide behind his shades.
His lab seemed to be in chaos.
Employees seemed to walk through with shocked, appalled or frightened expressions; all whispering and looking over their shoulders into the deeper labs. As he continued up the lab halls, he noticed many missing workers; he couldn't spot any of his team in their departments.
The Lieutenant was relieved to find some of the CSIs standing outside of AV.
Eric looked up at his approach but said nothing, eyes darting between his brother-in-law and the smoke-free AV lab. Calleigh stood by his side, a crest-fallen frown etched on her face.
Following their gaze, Horatio noticed the tape blocking the AV glass door. His brow furrowed, turning his shielded eyes onto his CSIs, looking for an explanation.
"Eric?"
"Wolfe left the evidence alone and it fried; fire marshal's saying it was a wiring fault."
Horatio looked back to the pile of melted evidence, silver glints of the chip remains melted into the cables and docking station. His heart seemed to be a stone in his chest, hard, heavy and cold.
He could barely breathe through the fallen hope; he was drowning.
Oh, H is really starting to lose hope! That's defiantly not a good sign!
And Ryan seems to be sinking deeper into a dark spot, will the clouds ever lift or will there continue to be a RaiNless storm?
And what will happen in the locker room? ;)
Stay tuned to find out guys n gals ;)
Mel out ; D
