Arya had all but given up on herself when she decided to try and improve. Without help. She had avoided Horatio not wanting to be face to face with his anger again. She sighed and looked up from her over due homework, over at the chair he often inhabited. He didn't meet her eyes. He just kept them on the file he was reading, she looked down trying to focus. Ok... She thought sadly. He HAD given up on her. She knew this day would come. The day Horatio Caine's legendary patience would run out. She closed her eyes working again. Well looks like she'd have to do this by herself. Arya finished one paper and started on another late homework assignment. She had no idea that Horatio didn't know what she was doing, that he thought she was just doodling or writing. He had thought she had completely given up. And he didn't meet her eyes because he didn't want her to see the sadness that was now in his pools of blue. He wanted the old Arya back. But he thought she was completely lost to him now. So he read on in the file, on child psychology, trying to figure out how to make a last attempt at helping her.
Horatio watched her from over the top of his file and sighed softly getting up. "You hungry?" She merely nodded. He winced and made a quick dinner and handed it to her. She never made eye contact. They ate in silence. Both thinking depressing thoughts about the other. She thought he had given up on her. He thought she had given up on herself. Apparently they were alike in that sense. Exactly the same. Arya was the first to finish and she walked out. Leaving Horatio alone and wishing with every fiber of his being that he wasn't.
Arya paced in her room late that night gripping her hair softly. She muttered to herself in vain. She had gotten all her school work done and that aspect was restored. She had wanted to draw again. But... She couldn't bring herself to do it again. But she didn't know how to fix everything else. She needed Horatio now more than ever. But it was late. He was asleep. But risking another yelling match she made her way down to his room. And was surprised that behind the closed door she saw the glow of his bedside lamp. Swallowing her fear she knocked on his door.
He looked up from his book. Unable to sleep he decided to read. He called out. "Come on in sweetheart..." She walked in keeping her eyes on the floor and not him. "Am I interrupting something?" Horatio put his book down and shook his head. "No.. Never. Come sit." She nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked at her and cocked a brow in question. She swallowed hard. Now or never Arya.. She looked at him for a moment. "I... Need your help HC.." Horatio stared at her as his mind sung a hallelujah chorus. Arya looked at him tears forming in her eyes. "I've messed up real bad..." Horatio laid a hand on her shoulder. "Go on.." She grabbed it and held it tight. "Horatio.. I've messed up my life bad... Everything I've done.. I need help fixing it!" Tears were falling down her face now. "I've got my schoolwork in order but... I need you for everything else." She crawled up next to him. "I'm sorry... For everything. P-please.. I need your help HC.. Please help me!" Horatio held her close as she started to cry into his chest. He rocked her, tears falling down his face into her raven hair. "I thought you'd never ask..." She laughed softly between sobs and wrapped her arms around his midsection. Horatio closed his eyes thanking god that his Arya had finally seen the light. "I'll help you.." She sniffed hard. "I thought you had given up on me... Everyone else has.. I thought you had finally-" Horatio cut her off by putting his finger to her lips and tilting her head up to look at him. "I will never, never give up on you Arya... I was just trying to figure out how to help you..." Arya nodded a shining tear falling down her cheek. He smiled and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. "Welcome back sweetheart..." She sniffed and smiled putting her head back down on his chest. "Good to be back..." Horatio relaxed back against his pillows making them both comfortable. "Tomorrow... The work begins.." She nodded relaxing, fully into him and sighed suddenly tired. "Tomorrow HC..."
And tomorrow it was. They assessed what she had to get fixed and decided to put first things first. She needed to patch things up with her friends. And one by one she called them and apologized and explained everything. Not once asking their forgiveness, not once did they turn away. Because she said she didn't deserve their forgiveness but that she hoped that one day they would. And for most of them that day was today. After that was done Horatio helped her break away from the bad friends she had made. Helped her clean her room and fix things she had broken. Sketch by sketch he helped her tack them back onto her walls. Her desk was cleaned and fixed. And all the sketches that she had on the desk were found and put back where they belonged. Her pencils, markers, pens, books and pads were returned. Her light was replaced. Finally the sketch that started it all. The one she drew of Horatio. Well he put it in a frame and hung it where it belonged. She then, after hugging and crying a little bit on Horatio, called the team. And she apologized to them for any harm she had caused them. And them being the people they were. Welcomed her back with open arms. They were just happy to have her back, wanting to better herself. She smiled and hugged and kissed everyone of them. Even Ryan Wolfe. Who, as Tim's replacement got a crash course on how bad Arya had taken his death. Ryan was nothing but nice to her. Only wanting to see for himself the girl his new team talked about. And as of right now, Arya was more than happy to oblige him with a glimpse. But now the real question was if her efforts were worth it. If it was too late to fix everything it would sure as hell be hard to fix it now.
It turned out, that Arya had asked for Horatio's help just in time. Almost instantaneously her life got better. Her grades in school went up. Her friends welcomed her back and helped her with her social problems and bad reputation that she now had. That got fixed. She aced all the right tests. Her ACT score was amazing! She put in for all the right colleges that would further her interest in art. A few nail biting weeks later for her and Horatio and even the team. And in the mail came the acceptance letter for a private branch of Dade U. Just for advanced classes in college. Art courses included.
Horatio checked her car for the fiftieth time and smiled nervously at her. She smiled back equally nervous. "Well sweetheart this is it..." Arya smiled leaning against the car. "Im only going across town." He nodded and hummed looking down. "So? You're still going to college... Living on campus. This is big." Arya blushed at his words. "Come off it HC... Or I might think you've gone soft on me." She and Horatio both laughed. "No.. But I am proud." Arya stilled feeling the sting of tears start. "HC..." He unexpectedly hugged her stroking her hair. "I am so proud of you.. Now you take care. Listen to your teachers.. Make new friends. And come back here every chance you get.. My door will be open and your room will stay put." Arya laughed through her tears and hugged back hearing his voice crack. "Got it..." Horatio kissed her head and pulled away wiping his face. "Now go on before I change my mind." He grinned boyishly and opened her door for her. She smiled wiping her eyes and got in. He shut the door and she started her car and pulled away slowly. She waved out the window as she drove away. He smiled and waved back. Off to college! He thought to himself seeing her car disappear down the road. Off to college.