Please be nice to me for that mean cliffie. I'm really trying to do this story in the best way possible. As promised, there will be some relief from all of this- at least, as best as I can make it- the implied pairing, and some serious connections. After this, there is only Chapters 11-13. And this story will be completed.
Much love for the reviews lily moonlight, princess moon shadow, CSI Junkie Aly, Jag Lady, daxy, raindropsX, Hope06, cabot007, Carrro, Blue Shadowdancer, PunkPrincess145
10. Nervousness
The rain was coming down harder now, but it didn't really affect the mood of any of the CSIs sitting- or standing, in Ryan's case- outside the warehouse with pained worry in their expressions. It was clear that none of them wanted Horatio to pull this maneuver, and no couple showed this better than Calleigh and Eric, who both sat inside the Hummer. It was impossible to say who was more frightened right now- the diver or the ballistics expert. As the two of them sat together, an eerie sort of quiet hung between them. Neither of them wanted to talk about the day's events, but it seemed almost mandatory.
It was almost as if Alexx was watching from above and waiting for both of them to start talking about how they had lost the dearest person in the whole lab. And she didn't want them to start praising her in all her beauty and glory.
No. She wanted them to simply speak about the day that was going on before them.
Eric's voice sounded choked when he first spoke. "It's beginning to seriously pour out there."
"Yeah," Calleigh agreed. "I wonder if the rain will let up soon." A clap of thunder was heard once again, lightning flashing in front of their eyes.
Silence.
"You know, I miss her, Calleigh. I miss her a lot." Eric didn't have to speak her name aloud.
She sighed and put her head on one hand, a tear slowly trickling down her cheek. "I think we all miss her, Eric. We just have different ways of going around and showing our feelings in a different way. Ryan's more emotional, you're more reasonable, Natalia's caring and worried, I become sarcastic and sour. But Horatio..." She chuckled bitterly. "Horatio's going through something so much worse than we are right now. He lost his son today... and Alexx..."
Eric put his hand on Calleigh's leg. "Nearly lost his son. He'll make it out alive. I know he will."
The ballistics expert gave a sort of weak smile, slipping her hand into his. "You know... you're always so optimistic. Even after everything that happened last year."
He gave a sort of shy grin in return. "Calleigh, if you want to try and get into a relationship with me, don't you think you're going into it a little bit too early? I mean, you've been in one with Elliot, Hagen, now Berkley... I thought you'd lay low for a while or something."
"I don't mean to get into something really personal. I just want the friendship to... open up a bit deeper, if you get what I mean."
He didn't get what she was saying. He didn't understand any of it. But he nodded his head and pulled her into a tight embrace. "When do you want to start this so-called 'deeper friendship?'"
Calleigh gave a small shrug. "I'm not sure. Maybe when this day goes by. When we can celebrate life once again."
She stood on the porch, fingering her cell phone and watching the rains water her front lawn, a sort of fear in her eyes. He had damn near shunned her. Horatio and her were getting more and more distant as the years went on, and Yelina hated it. She wanted to be a part of his life once again, not just a background figurine looking beautiful up on his shelf of women he loved. As she cocked her head in amusement at the squirrel on her grass running in the storm, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand. She flipped it open. "Hello?"
"Yelina," Ryan's voice spoke on the other end, the sound of what sounded to be a waterfall roaring in her ears. "Where are you?"
"At home. Why?"
His voice sounded bitter. "I thought you'd be here at the warehouse waiting for the hostage situation to sort of calm down."
Yelina gave a short laugh. "I would be. But Horatio doesn't understand the meaning of family anymore, apparently. He doesn't seem to want to remember that his own deceased brother had a son, who constantly waits for him to come over some days. He doesn't seem to get that my son misses him and he rarely visits now. He doesn't seem to see me as family right now."
"Kind of hard for him to think real clearly right now," Ryan told her.
"Implying?"
The CSI sighed. "He's confronting Ron Saris alone."
Her heart seemed to beat to a screeching halt. Horatio was confronting Saris alone? Was he insane?! Her fingers ran through her brunette hair, which was growing frizzy due to the humidity. "You're joking. Oh, please say you're joking."
"I'm not. He had to do it- if he didn't, Kyle was going to die."
She collapsed into a rocking chair, the rain now coming down in sheets. "My god..."
Ryan's voice sounded grim. "No one knows what the hell is going on in there, and we won't know until either Kyle comes out or Saris does. It's like a horror movie on pause right before the killer comes out and attacks the main character."
He was stupid right now. Horatio had lost it.
She bit her lip, suddenly mentally beating herself up. "Call me when Kyle or Horatio come out. Please."
"I will." The wind roared in her ears again. "It's getting bad out here, so I'm going to hang up, all right? I'll call when I get some news."
Click.
She stared down at the wheel of the vehicle, laughing slightly to herself. "I can't believe this. Horatio's being as hotheaded as ever."
Stetler leaned forward in his chair, his brow furrowed in confusion. "You act as if you've known him for doing this before."
The rain pounded on the roof of the car. Lightning flashed again.
Julia gave Stetler a sort of weary smile before turning back to the dashboard. "I was, uh, engaged to him for some time before we left each other a couple of years ago. He sort of left me after a little bit of work, and I decided to break off my relationship with him." She fingered a ring on her finger. "I had Kyle after a while, and then we met up some fifteen years later. Kyle was still a bit of a convict in jail for a crime he didn't commit, and well..."
The man nodded his head slowly. "You don't have to tell me anything more than that."
Both people sat in silence after this, listening to the rain fall some more and contemplating their own thoughts. After a while, Stetler spoke again.
"You're worried about him."
It wasn't an open ended question.
Julia shrugged. "I'm worried about Kyle. There's something about all of this that's unsettling to me right now, and I just want him and Horatio to make it out of there alive."
"You can rest assured that he will get out of there alive, Julia."
She turned to the Internal Affairs sergeant, a look of surprise etched in her features.
"Horatio is doing what he believes he must do. I don't know what he can do to save any of us from that son of a bitch, but I do know that as long as there is a single breath in his body, he will not give up. And neither can we." His tone was of utmost seriousness, total respect for the redhead inside the warehouse. "We must continue to believe, or he may actually fail in his task." Stetler glanced out the window. "And I know he will succeed."
Julia swallowed. When she last saw the IAB agent, he didn't have many kind words for her ex-husband. Now he was practically cheering for him.
And another thing.
He had really, really gorgeous eyes. They were so green and dreamy to look at...
And she shook her head, forcing herself to look away from him. She wouldn't allow herself to get involved with another man she knew might leave her.
The shaking finger on his neck and the pleading voice did it. Kyle blinked once again, shaking his head ever so slightly and watching his father's face come into full view.
Wait. His father's face.
Horatio.
His eyes suddenly focused on the anxious male's features, which leaned back from his face and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. His eyes shone with both anger and happiness... and were those tears? Kyle blinked, feeling the salty liquid come down his own face. "Dad?" he managed to rasp out, coughing and struggling to sit up. "Dad, is it really you?"
Horatio embraced the teenager as best as he could, his own voice cracking. "Oh, my god. Kyle. I thought I'd lost you." He took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. "What did he do to you, son?"
Kyle pushed himself away from his father and turned away slightly, and for a fleeting moment, Caine thought he was looking at his own reflection. But the image was quickly pushed aside as he stroked the teenager's cheek, receiving a wince in return. His voice was soft, dangerous. "What did he use to do this?"
"He used..." Kyle nearly broke down right there. "He used a knife, Dad. He slashed me across the face and then punched me in the same spot. Dad, it hurts like shit right now. We've gotta get out of here. He said he'd kill you and mom before my eyes and..."
Horatio's mind and heart with in synchronized harmony- racing against time and against the wave of hatred that would crash onto the shore. He placed his hands on Kyle's shoulders, a fire in his eyes... one that Kyle had never seen before. "He's never going to hurt you again, Kyle. Do you understand me?"
"I wouldn't be so sure."
The lieutenant closed his eyes and made sure not to turn around and sock the man behind him right in the jaw. "Ron Saris."
The killer was sitting in his usual hair and grinning lazily at the reunited father and son. He shrugged his shoulders as Horatio turned to his direction. "Looks like I was wrong, Kyle. Your dad really did come and save you." He snickered. "And it looks as if he's his usual nonemotional self." He scratched his back slightly. "I didn't really think you'd come for the kid- thought you'd believe Jules was trying to pull some stunt on ya."
Horatio helped Kyle up and stood in front of him slightly. "And what do you believe killing my medical examiner and taking my son would accomplish?"
"My retribution against you, Horatio. You had Julia for so many years... I thought I'd take away a piece of your life since you took away a piece of mine." He stood up from the chair, smirking. "A perfect day to do it, too. A thunderstorm in the distance, a desperate Julia in need to get away from the house, and an innocent looking kid. Gotta say, I'm pretty satisfied with how I did all of this."
Kyle growled softly. Horatio squeezed his hand tightly.
Ron walked over to the two redheads. "But now it's almost over. All I gotta do to make my day perfect is to kill the two of you."
He brought his fist back, ready to go behind Horatio and get Kyle right in the face. But he didn't have the chance.
Horatio suddenly made a dive for Ron, tackling him to the floor and pinning him on the concrete. Kyle stood there, horrified at the sight of the two men struggling until Horatio suddenly screamed out desperately, "Kyle! RUN!"
The teenager didn't need to be told twice. With a sprint towards the door as fast as his legs could carry him, Kyle bolted to the door and opened it, racing outside and slamming it behind him, suddenly finding himself in the pouring rain.
Horatio was still inside.
-laughs- IN YOUR FACES! I did a cliffie, a long chapter, and a cliffie! -laughs and runs-
If any of you find the reference quote in here from a certain movie, I will be very impressed. I tweaked it to fit the story, and if you find it, I will give you a cookie or a one-shot or something...
I would LOVE reviews for this chapter. Thanks for reading!