A/N: Okay, so I just realized I suck and haven't updated in a while, and for that I apologize. I've also been really busy, though, with school and everything. So, without further ado... I still don't own CSI:NY, CSI:Miami, CBS, or any other known entity. I hope you enjoy, and please review. :)

Chapter 9

I wake up with Danny sitting in the chair next to my bed, dozing off. I smirk to myself before hearing him groan softly. "Don't say it," he says quietly. I continue to smirk, shaking my head.

"I'm not saying anything," I reply as he stands.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he jokes. I shrug softly.

"But it makes life fun," I banter back.

"No, it doesn't. I love you too much to lose you, Hailey."

"I love you too."

"C'mere," he says, sitting on the bed and wrapping his arms around me. I hug onto him tightly as he kisses me on the top of the head. He rests his chin on top of my head, content to just be sitting there with me.

After what happened, this is all we really want.

Mac walks in, smiling softly. I'm assuming that's because I'm okay, but whatever. "Hey," he says softly. "How're you feeling?"

"Not bad, right now," I tell him. "Good pain meds."

"I bet," Danny says softly. I smile softly at him, and Mac cleared his throat gently.

"What happened, Hailey?" he asked softly.

As I tell them the story, Danny hugs me closer, more out of protectiveness than anything else. As I finish up, I sigh. "Wait, where's Tim?" I ask quickly, worried that he wasn't okay.

"He's in the next room over," Mac tells me. I smile softly.

"Good, good. Is he okay?"

"He's going to be fine. He's been asking about you."

"Okay, okay. Time to go visit, then."

"Sit still," Danny says.

"No, dammit," I say. "I thought he was dead. I'll be damned if I'm just gonna sit around here." I start to get up before realizing the drugs are a little stronger than I think and I lose my balance. Danny catches me before I fall and I look over at him, smiling. "Good catch."

"Yeah, yeah. Now, why don't we sit down?"

"Why don't we not and say we did? I want to go see my brother."

"I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"

"Nope." Danny looks over at Mac, who smirks slightly. "Come on." Danny shakes his head, grabbing my arm gently and helping me walk next door to my brother's room while Mac follows behind us. We walk in, finding Horatio standing in the corner of the room with his hands on his hips and his eyes trained out the window. Tim is laying in bed, eyes closed. I frown. "Is he asleep?" I ask. Horatio turns his head.

"No, he's not," Tim replies, opening his eyes. I smile, sitting on the bed.

"How're you feeling?"

"I'm okay. You?"

"I'm good." I rest my hand on his shoulder, and he smiles. "I'm glad you're okay," I tell him.

"Thanks, Mom," he jokes. I stick my tongue out at him. "I'm glad you're okay too, sis."

"Yeah, no thanks to you, asshole."

"Ha-ha. I tried my best. I'm sorry I had a fucking broken foot and had been beaten and shit for weeks."

"What'd they do to you, Tim?" I ask softly, moving my hand to hold onto his. He shakes his head.

"I don't want to talk about it," he replies. I look at Horatio, who is looking out the window once again.

"But you will, right? At some point?" Tim doesn't respond, and I watch him. "I'll take that as a maybe if I'm drunk enough." Tim snorts softly, and I know that means I'm right. I bite my lip quietly, thinking.

"You can't make me," he whispers softly. I look down at him.

"I wasn't about to," I reply, matching his tone. He nodded quietly, and I chuckle softly, smirking.

"What?"

"You sounded like a little kid." He shakes his head.

"Maybe," he mutters, looking out the window. I frown softly, rubbing his hand with mine before leaning closer to him.

"I'm sorry, Timmy," I whisper. He looks at me.

"For what?"

"Everything. I'm sorry for what Neil did to you, and I'm sorry that this had to go down this way. I'm sorry no one ever made peace with Neil, even though he didn't deserve it. And most of all, I'm sorry for what they did to you. What's always been done to you."

"None of that's your fault, Hailey, and you know it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make me feel better."

"None of this was something you did to me. Something you did to Neil. No one made him become a criminal." I sit up, turning away from Tim.

"Something made him snap," I tell him softly.

"And whatever it was, was in the past," Tim replies. I look around the room to realize that everyone's left us alone to talk. "Neil had the chance to move on, Hailey, and he chose to move on in that way."

"For Christ's sake, Tim, you don't know what it was!"

"Oh, and I suppose you do?"

"Maybe," I say, conceding a little while turning back to look at him.

"What?" he said softly, his anger subsiding for the moment.

"I… It…" I look down at the bed, sighing. "I'll tell you some other time."

"Why not now? He was my twin brother, Hailey! I think I have the right to know what messed him up so bad that he became the person he did." He sighs, and I continue to look at the bed, not saying anything. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I have the feeling this is something you saw and never told anyone," he says softly.

"You're not a CSI for nothing," I reply with a casual shrug. He sighs.

"How'd it end up like this, Hailey? With all of us damaged this way?" He sighs again, turning his head out the window while I continue to stare at the bed.

Both of us know I don't need to answer.