1A/N: Okay I accidentally deleted the story so I reloaded... its not two different stories lol.
-S/C-
Tim leaned against doorframe of Nicky's room, watching him sleep. Again, for the fifth time in two weeks, Tim was not home to fulfil one of his promises to his son.
"This has got to stop Tim." Calleigh said, coming out of Katie's room. He nodded.
"What am I supposed to do though? It was a tough case."
"Tim, that isn't an excuse. I came home on time to see his game.. You've done this before. You get hooked to a case and then don't come home for days at a time."
"That's not true."
"You don't think so but it is." Calleigh said. Tim pushed her into their bedroom, seeing Nicky stir. "Its always been like this. Its bad enough you weren't there for him for the first five years, why do you have to get so attached to work and do this?"
She slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she said.
"Tim..."
"No. You're right." he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be telling me this. Tell Nicky." Calleigh said. There was an awkward silence between them. "Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."
Tim nodded.
"I don't care Cal." he muttered. She knew it did though. Even though it had been a year and a half since the whole deal with Tony Marques and them getting kidnapped, it still hurt.
"What time are you picking Rachel up from the airport tomorrow?"
"Eleven."
-S/C-
"Tim!"
He turned around and grinned at his sister. He grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Jesus. You act like you haven't seen me in twenty years!" Rachel laughed.
"What can I say? I miss having you around." Tim smiled.
"Yeah like I believe that."
"Well you should. Come on."
They got Rachel's luggage and walked out to the car.
"So?"
"So what?" Tim asked.
"Something's bugging you." Rachel replied. "And don't you dare say there isn't Tim!"
He laughed shortly and shook his head.
"There really isn't."
Rachel slapped his arm lightly.
"I know there is."
"Its nothing."
"Well it has to be something." Rachel said.
"Calleigh and I got into sort of a fight and some things were said..."
"Oh did she hurt your feelings?"
Tim gave her a look.
"Wow. It takes a lot to hurt Tim Speedle. What'd she say?"
"I worked late again and I missed Nicky's baseball game."
"Wow." Rachel grinned sarcastically.
"Then she blamed me of negligence and said you weren't there for the first five years why are you still neglecting him."
Rachel clamped her mouth shut. She knew that was a hard subject for her brother.
"Oh. She was just mad. She doesn't mean it."
"That's why I said it's nothing." Tim said.
"Oh sorry for caring."
"I'm sorry. But it just pisses me off! I wasted five years of my life, Calleigh's life, and Nicky's life because I had to piss some criminal off. Did not make one single difference, still came after us."
Tim pulled onto his street and into his driveway. He grabbed Rachel's bags out of the trunk and she followed him into the house. Tim set the bags down in the living room and then went into the kitchen, kissing Calleigh on his way to his chair. Rachel followed his lead after hugging her sister-in-law.
"Dad?" Nicky wandered into the kitchen. "Hi Aunt Rachel."
"Hey Nicky." she smiled, going back to her conversation with Calleigh.
"What's up Nick?" Tim asked.
"You said we'd go today." he replied. "To the store and get the stuff for baseball."
"I did and we will."
"Yeah, right." Nicky muttered, walking out of the kitchen. Calleigh gave her husband a look and he stood up and followed his son out of the kitchen.
"Nicky, come on."
"Its okay."
"No. I want to go."
"No you don't."
"Yes I do." Tim insisted. "Let's go."
"Why? So we get to the car and you get called off to work?" Nicky snapped. "Its all you do!"
"Nick, that's not true."
"Then why weren't you there yesterday? Mom was there." he muttered. "I don't want to go."
"Well what do you want to do cause I took the morning off so I spend some time with you. I have to go to work at one."
"I want to do everything that you promised!" Nicky exclaimed. "I want to go to the batting cages, I want to go get a dog, and I want you to be at a game for once!"
He ran upstairs before Tim could reply. Tim sighed and climbed the stairs two at a time, and tried to open Nicky's door.
"Nick, open the door."
"No."
"Open the door Nicky."
He heard the lock click and he opened the door enough to slip into the room.
"Listen to me. Okay?" Tim said. Nicky nodded. "I know that I've had to work a lot these past few weeks and we haven't gotten to do what we've wanted to do."
"You promised."
"I know and I'm sorry."
"If it was Katie you'd do it."
"What? That's not true." Tim said.
"Yes it is. If she starts crying you and Mom run to her."
"Well... Nick she's a baby. She can't come walking up to us and tell us what's wrong like you can. Is this what this is about?"
Tim was shocked. Nicky had never been jealous of his little sister.
"Its not fair." he muttered.
"What's not?"
"We don't spend any time together."
"Yes we do."
"No we don't. We never spent time together until a few years ago and then we only spent a year together then Katie came along."
'Why do they all throw up the, 'You-weren't-around-for-five-years?' Tim thought.
"Nick, listen." he started, sitting next to him. "Those first few years that it was just you and Mom, I was busy."
"With work?"
"No. I was um.. Its hard to explain. I was in a place that no one knew about and I really wanted to be with you and Mom but I couldn't. Some people wouldn't let me."
"Cara?" Nicky asked suddenly. Tim stared at him. "Did Cara have something to do with it? And those other two guys?"
"Yeah, they did." Tim admitted. "But now I'm here. At a time, everyone thought that I wouldn't be here at all."
"Why?"
"Okay... you're old enough."
'Eight isn't old enough to realize that your dad pisses off the Italian mob.' Tim thought but, who the hell cares. If it meant gaining his son's trust back then he'd try to explain it the best he could.
"Long... and I mean a long time ago, about thirteen years ago I started working with Mom." Tim started.
"Whoa hold on. What does this have to do with anything?" Nicky asked.
"A lot."
"Mom?"
"Not much but its just how long ago this started. Just listen."
Nicky nodded and let his father go on.
"I was working a case, involving this group of people, called the Donatellis. They were really bad people. So I finally got them all in jail and you know after I finish a case I have to go to court. Well as I was talking in court this guy, the head of the Donatellis told me that I better watch myself." Tim said, remembering that day.
"Dad no offense but is this going to be boring." Nicky said. Tim smiled.
"Uh... I don't know. So this guy threatens me and I ignored him. He was in jail, what could he do? The years went by and then I got shot."
"You got shot?"
"Mhmm. On the job."
"How come you're not dead."
"How come you ask so many questions?" Tim teased. "I had a Kevlar vest on. After I got shot Horatio thought the Donatellis had something to do with it but turns out they didn't."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"A lot! This is where your mom comes into the picture."
"What does Mom have to do with it?"
"Will you let me finish!" Tim exclaimed. "God you're just as bad as she is. Going on... she realized she was in love with me."
"That has nothing to do with it!" Nicky exclaimed incredulously.
"It does because I didn't want to be with her because I didn't want to get hurt. But she quickly changed my mind."
Nicky stared at Tim, who had a pensive look on his face.
"Dad?"
"Huh? Oh! So anyway another few years went on and I got a few letters in the mail saying they were going to come after me. We faked me getting killed and then I went into Witness Protection. That's when the FBI gets involved in your life and makes you hide so the bad people don't come after you. While I was in this program you were born. Then I came back and here I am."
"Yeah but... now all you do is be with Katie. Sometimes I think you love her more."
"Nick you have no idea how much I love you. But yes Katie is now part of our family, she has been for the past ten months, and of course I love her too. I love your mom too. You don't get jealous over Mom do you?"
"No but that's different."
"No its not. Trust me, I've got a lot of love to go around so you don't have to worry about not being loved. Come on. We're going to the batting cages."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. Let's go." Tim said, standing up. Nicky followed his lead.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
Nicky wrapped his arms around his waist and Tim smiled down at the top of his head, putting an arm around his shoulders.
"I love you too."
