L.T. Horatio Caine reclined in his chair as he finally set a small silver flip phone to rest firmly on his desk. He'd been listening, again and again, to the same troubling message from his wife for the past five minutes. Reading into every word, he prepared to face what he finally admitted to himself as what would, no doubt be the last lingering days of his once stable marriage. They had really been in love once, or so he had thought, but she had changed so much over the years he found himself struggling to remember what it was they found in each other, ten years ago. Perhaps he had changed too. More than he'd noticed. His changing wasn't new though, because, unlike her, he was changing back. Back into someone he'd been long before he met her. Some slightly more naive, but far less jaded. He found fleeting contentment in knowing his work day was closing up and at the least he could get away from people a while. If he had any luck there would be some coffee left in the break room to kill the last few minutes of work.
He, apparently, had no luck. The half-sip of this morning's coffee left in the pot mocked Caine's good fortune. Instead he helped himself to a bottle of water to pass the minutes, before grabbing his keys and heading out to the parking lot. The office's large car lot was near entirely vacant, but a familiar voice traveled softly through the empty lot to catch Horatio's attention. A short distance away, Tim Speedle stood aside his car with another man, a stranger to Caine. H was just out of reach to hear exactly what was said and had no intention of intruding, but to Horatio's eyes something was strange about this picture. It took only an instant for the veteran CSI to spot the defensive nature to the way Tim stood; leaning slightly away from the man, with arms ready at his sides. Caine stopped shuffling through his keys to keep an eye on the situation. Tim began to step away, when the man took him roughly by the arm. Instinctively Speed recoiled and the other man's hand moved, gripping the back of Tim's neck to pull him aggressively close. Pocketing his keys Horatio moved quickly across the lot.
"Hey, Speed." He spoke sternly to divert the man's attention, but neither reacted. "Is there a problem here?" In and instant the man had removed his hand from Speed's neck only to strike a sharp backhand across Tim's face. "Hey!" H hollered, "Get back! Get back from him and get your hands where I can see'em! What's your name, pal?"
"Jeff." The man muttered and changed from foot to foot in annoyance of this intrusion. Tim had turned away from both of them and was currently pinching his nose in an effort to slow the bleeding.
"Well, Jeff. That was assault. You alright, Speed? You know this guy?"
"Yah, uh yah, I'm fine. I know him, H. Don't worry about it." Tim's words spluttered as he spoke through the blood he was trying to soak up on his sleeve. Caine turned and looked Jeff over suspiciously.
"I think you oughta leave, Jeff."
"Hey, look, this isn't any of your--"
"Business? I work in law enforcement, Jeff. You just committed a crime here and that's my business, but more importantly you've assaulted a good friend of mine, and I think it's time you left before you do anything else that becomes my business." Devoid of Horatio's notice Tim was watching him as he spoke. Speed loved the way H could be so subtlety intimidating, but had never before known how much he enjoyed hearing it until it was in his own defense. Despite his anger Jeff had now become aware of the serious turn the situation had taken and left after a few frustrated glances.
"How's the nose?" H asked, guiding Speed to a seat against the hood of his car.
"It's fine. I think I have some Kleenex in the glove compartment. Would you..." As Speed's hand motioned in the direction of the passenger door, H was already retrieving some tissue.
"Who was that guy?" Caine handed over the tissues and examined the rest of his friend's battered face.
"Jeff is... Jeff was, um, he's the guy I've been seeing." Speed felt foolish to say it. Especially to H. He wasn't sure if his embarrassment came from never really having spoken to Horatio about things like his sexual preference, or rather because Tim had now been exposed for his association with guys like Jeff.
Boyfriend. That was the answer H was dreading most. He knew Tim well enough to be familiar with the ghosts in his closet; some struggles addiction and trouble with depression, but to his knowledge Tim had cleaned up amazingly and had never been involved in any kind of physical abuse.
"Jeff ever done that before?" H was afraid to ask. Tim sniffed away a trickle of blood, and straightened the Kleenex in his fingers.
"No." He stated, regretfully knowing it wasn't the truth. He feared lying to Horatio, knowing the man had a remarkable bullshit detector and it was no doubt sounding all alarms. It was true, H wasn't entirely convinced by the response, but none the less accepted it, for the time being. Gently tilting Tim's head with a light touch to his chin, Speedle saw the meek wince cross his Lieutenant's face.
"You've got a bad cut above you eye here. He must've had a ring on." He dabbed the blood from abrasion softly, and squinted, "Doesn't look like it'll need stitches though. You gonna be alright?" As much as Horatio didn't want to leave Tim like this, or chance Jeff's return, he knew it wasn't his place to butt in any further.
"I'll be alright. He won't come back. And he doesn't have a key to my place or anything." Tim looked up to find H with his head cocked slightly to one side, in that charming way he does when he's trying to make you look him in the eye. If Horatio had one potentially deadly weapon against Tim, it was those icy blue eyes. They could be fixed just so, that when unleashed upon him, Tim could feel the shiver creep down his spine as he was exposed for everything he was, and there wasn't a thing he could do to hide it. Speed couldn't tell if H knew the full power he wielded with that look, but that he must have been mildly aware of its potential, because he knew to turn it loose when he needed a complete and unadulterated truth. As luck would have it Caine broke his gaze, before Tim cracked, to scribble on a business card with a pen he took from his pocket.
"You've got my cell number, but take this. That's my number. My home number. Call if you need me. Doesn't matter what time. Just call." Those eyes of his became beautifully serious again, and Tim was unsure if he'd just swallowed his own tongue, after hearing that offer. He wondered if H had any idea how Tim much might 'need him'.
"Thanks...Thank you." He choked.
"You're always welcome, Tim. You take care." The mention of his first name was not lost on Tim. H almost never called him that. Unless of course he was being perfectly sincere. Getting in his car, Speed waited 'til H had driven from sight and he examined the small paper card.
Call me ANYTIME
555-8252
The brief note brought Tim a smile, but that precious thought was slowly strangled as the reality of his situation sunk in again. He wasn't in love with Jeff. In fact he didn't even like him all that much, but at least he wasn't alone. At least he had someone to come home to and wake up to and that was all it took to make him feel right these days. Being with anyone was so much better than being alone. As of now, he was on his own again, and there was little else that Tim was more afraid of.
He, apparently, had no luck. The half-sip of this morning's coffee left in the pot mocked Caine's good fortune. Instead he helped himself to a bottle of water to pass the minutes, before grabbing his keys and heading out to the parking lot. The office's large car lot was near entirely vacant, but a familiar voice traveled softly through the empty lot to catch Horatio's attention. A short distance away, Tim Speedle stood aside his car with another man, a stranger to Caine. H was just out of reach to hear exactly what was said and had no intention of intruding, but to Horatio's eyes something was strange about this picture. It took only an instant for the veteran CSI to spot the defensive nature to the way Tim stood; leaning slightly away from the man, with arms ready at his sides. Caine stopped shuffling through his keys to keep an eye on the situation. Tim began to step away, when the man took him roughly by the arm. Instinctively Speed recoiled and the other man's hand moved, gripping the back of Tim's neck to pull him aggressively close. Pocketing his keys Horatio moved quickly across the lot.
"Hey, Speed." He spoke sternly to divert the man's attention, but neither reacted. "Is there a problem here?" In and instant the man had removed his hand from Speed's neck only to strike a sharp backhand across Tim's face. "Hey!" H hollered, "Get back! Get back from him and get your hands where I can see'em! What's your name, pal?"
"Jeff." The man muttered and changed from foot to foot in annoyance of this intrusion. Tim had turned away from both of them and was currently pinching his nose in an effort to slow the bleeding.
"Well, Jeff. That was assault. You alright, Speed? You know this guy?"
"Yah, uh yah, I'm fine. I know him, H. Don't worry about it." Tim's words spluttered as he spoke through the blood he was trying to soak up on his sleeve. Caine turned and looked Jeff over suspiciously.
"I think you oughta leave, Jeff."
"Hey, look, this isn't any of your--"
"Business? I work in law enforcement, Jeff. You just committed a crime here and that's my business, but more importantly you've assaulted a good friend of mine, and I think it's time you left before you do anything else that becomes my business." Devoid of Horatio's notice Tim was watching him as he spoke. Speed loved the way H could be so subtlety intimidating, but had never before known how much he enjoyed hearing it until it was in his own defense. Despite his anger Jeff had now become aware of the serious turn the situation had taken and left after a few frustrated glances.
"How's the nose?" H asked, guiding Speed to a seat against the hood of his car.
"It's fine. I think I have some Kleenex in the glove compartment. Would you..." As Speed's hand motioned in the direction of the passenger door, H was already retrieving some tissue.
"Who was that guy?" Caine handed over the tissues and examined the rest of his friend's battered face.
"Jeff is... Jeff was, um, he's the guy I've been seeing." Speed felt foolish to say it. Especially to H. He wasn't sure if his embarrassment came from never really having spoken to Horatio about things like his sexual preference, or rather because Tim had now been exposed for his association with guys like Jeff.
Boyfriend. That was the answer H was dreading most. He knew Tim well enough to be familiar with the ghosts in his closet; some struggles addiction and trouble with depression, but to his knowledge Tim had cleaned up amazingly and had never been involved in any kind of physical abuse.
"Jeff ever done that before?" H was afraid to ask. Tim sniffed away a trickle of blood, and straightened the Kleenex in his fingers.
"No." He stated, regretfully knowing it wasn't the truth. He feared lying to Horatio, knowing the man had a remarkable bullshit detector and it was no doubt sounding all alarms. It was true, H wasn't entirely convinced by the response, but none the less accepted it, for the time being. Gently tilting Tim's head with a light touch to his chin, Speedle saw the meek wince cross his Lieutenant's face.
"You've got a bad cut above you eye here. He must've had a ring on." He dabbed the blood from abrasion softly, and squinted, "Doesn't look like it'll need stitches though. You gonna be alright?" As much as Horatio didn't want to leave Tim like this, or chance Jeff's return, he knew it wasn't his place to butt in any further.
"I'll be alright. He won't come back. And he doesn't have a key to my place or anything." Tim looked up to find H with his head cocked slightly to one side, in that charming way he does when he's trying to make you look him in the eye. If Horatio had one potentially deadly weapon against Tim, it was those icy blue eyes. They could be fixed just so, that when unleashed upon him, Tim could feel the shiver creep down his spine as he was exposed for everything he was, and there wasn't a thing he could do to hide it. Speed couldn't tell if H knew the full power he wielded with that look, but that he must have been mildly aware of its potential, because he knew to turn it loose when he needed a complete and unadulterated truth. As luck would have it Caine broke his gaze, before Tim cracked, to scribble on a business card with a pen he took from his pocket.
"You've got my cell number, but take this. That's my number. My home number. Call if you need me. Doesn't matter what time. Just call." Those eyes of his became beautifully serious again, and Tim was unsure if he'd just swallowed his own tongue, after hearing that offer. He wondered if H had any idea how Tim much might 'need him'.
"Thanks...Thank you." He choked.
"You're always welcome, Tim. You take care." The mention of his first name was not lost on Tim. H almost never called him that. Unless of course he was being perfectly sincere. Getting in his car, Speed waited 'til H had driven from sight and he examined the small paper card.
Call me ANYTIME
555-8252
The brief note brought Tim a smile, but that precious thought was slowly strangled as the reality of his situation sunk in again. He wasn't in love with Jeff. In fact he didn't even like him all that much, but at least he wasn't alone. At least he had someone to come home to and wake up to and that was all it took to make him feel right these days. Being with anyone was so much better than being alone. As of now, he was on his own again, and there was little else that Tim was more afraid of.