PAIRING: Speed/Eric
TIMEFRAME: Somewhere in Season 2, as no Megan and I'm denying 'Lost Son'.
WARNINGS: Violence, language, graphic injury, dark themes.
DISCLAIMER: CSI: Miami belongs to other people. Speed is usually claimed by Neen, but her model isn't chasing Eric. Guess this one's mine then.
NOTES: It was all a dream, I swear! Methinks this will not stay my eventual execution. I love my boys really. It's just that sometimes hurting them leads to good situations. Really, I only do it to better their lives.
An apology for lab layout, as it's not something I'm particularly clued up about. My knowledge is purely based on the CBS website, which wasn't particularly helpful, though it did help me with character background.
Thanks to Cascade Hospital, for being such a great fandom medical resource, and to eMedicine for being so very thorough in their descriptions. A special mention for my father, who sweetly asked if this was for my biology homework – thank goodness he'll never find out why I was so curious. :)
"I'm looking for Eric Delko."
The receptionist looked up and smiled, before picking up a pen.
"Of course, sir. And what is your business?"
"I'm Agent Douglas, FBI."
A quick flick of a badge, and the woman's eyes were saucer-round. She glanced over her shoulder, as if to check for surveillance.
"Are you sure you don't want Horatio Caine, sir? He normally deals with the FBI."
He didn't have time for this. He had wasted far too much time already. Carefully unclenching his fists, he smiled at the receptionist and shrugged.
"My business is with Mr Delko, but I'll happily see his supervisor."
Yes, Horatio, why not? All roads lead to Rome, and what was a little more time? He had all the time in the world. Didn't he? He smiled to himself, and the receptionist took it as a compliment, blushing prettily. Cute, he thought, if he didn't have things to do.
He allowed his mind to wander as he was led down the hallway. It was a pleasant enough place, he decided, had a certain cutting-edge design that he admired. They surrounded themselves with all their tools of justice, and yet, here he was. Amazing really, how one could be so consumed by a belief and yet be so utterly wrong.
His guide stopped for a moment to talk to some lab technicians, presumably to work out the location of Mr Caine. He had no great desire to see the Justice Carrot, that much was certain, but he wouldn't object. It was just another step to take.
Absently, he pulled his coat tighter, smoothing down the material with care. The receptionist apologised for the delay, before leading him on to a small laboratory. She left him a few feet from the door, and he thanked her sincerely. Yes, she had been a great help.
Through the door he could see Horatio Caine, standing beside a microscope and talking quietly. A dark-haired man was looking at a sample and giving a verdict on what he saw, a smile on his lips. A short blonde woman held some photographs in her hands, and was laying them neatly on the desk, laughing about something that had been said. And finally, leaning over the microscope from the other side, as if he could somehow divine the image, was Eric Delko, smiling as he studied the dark-haired man intently.
Quite the family, he thought. Such a tragedy, really, to lose a member of the family.
Such tragedy.
"I'm telling you, H, the rag isn't important."
"Evidence is evidence, Eric. And we need everything we can get, don't we?"
"He may have a point, H. I can't find anything remarkable about this at all."
Speed looked up from his microscope, and turned to Horatio, shrugging. He wasn't sure why Horatio felt the need to put Eric down all the time – they all had faults, but it seemed to always be Eric who received the sharp edge of the investigator's tongue.
"Well, any evidence in vicinity of the gun is important, Tim. Look, this cloth was caught right in the trigger. It must have relevance."
Calleigh shook back her hair, and Speed watched one golden strand fly loose from her hair and settle on the floor, taunting him. Perfect evidence, but this was just a scrap of material. Red cotton, nothing special.
Speed looked up at Delko then, at the white vest he wore as if he was building sandcastles on the beach. He stared, and wondered what that would tell him about Eric, if that fabric tore. It would tell him that Eric liked clothes that wore well, that painted a history with marks as all white cloth will, that his scent was honey and musk with a touch of sea salt when he'd been by the shore…
Scent. Yes, that was it.
"I could run this through the mass spec, see if it can pick up any residue. Might link the killer to a place."
Horatio turned to him with a quirked eyebrow, as if challenging him to confess he was wrong, but they were interrupted before he found words. Speed barely restrained a sigh.
"Excuse me? Horatio, Eric."
Speed didn't recognise the man, but he saw Eric's face drain of colour, and wished there wasn't a microscope in the way. He wanted to move closer, to steady his friend, reassure.
The man walked in casually, past Calleigh with an appreciative eye-flicker, and then in front of Eric, smiling. He casually placed his hands in his pockets, waiting.
"Mr Sanchez," Eric said, voice cracking, "I thought you were…"
The gun was whipped out in a matter of seconds, levelled at Eric's head. Horatio pulled back Calleigh, and Speed froze for a second, mind not fully prepared to believe what he saw.
Eric's eyes were wide, his whole body shaking, and Speed thought quickly, remembered the panic button in the corner. He dashed away from Horatio, and stumbled just as a shot echoed in his ears. He fell to the floor, with Eric's cry of "Speed!" piercing the buzz from his abused ears.
"Now, why would your friend be so stupid, Eric? Almost got himself killed just then, not good for either of you. Go now, help him up – move slowly, nothing sudden."
Speed started to push himself up, mentally checking to make sure he was all there. He felt trembling hands grasp his shoulders, supporting him as he stood. Speed reached out in return, fingers splayed across his back in comfort, unwilling to let go. He pushed himself ahead of Eric, trying to shield him from the gun pointed his way, but he knew Eric would never allow it. Stubborn man.
"You're really not very smart, are you? I can shoot you easy enough, and Eric will still be here for my gun. And Horatio? I can still see you, my friend; I don't think the door is the right way at all. Perhaps it's time to up the stakes, Eric, hmm?"
Sanchez continued to level the gun at Speed, as he undid the one fastener on his coat. It fell open easily, revealing the set of explosives carefully strapped to the man's torso. Eric gasped, and Speed closed his eyes, mind unwillingly calculating how much of the building that would take out.
/The whole wing/
And no way to warn, no route of escape. Speed moved closer still to Eric, smelling fear and death in the room. His eyes met those of Sanchez, and he saw only satisfaction, accomplishment. He felt sick.
"But as you know, Eric, I'm a generous man. I don't want to hurt your friends here – I just want to talk to you. Yes, Eric, let's talk, let's think about what you did to me, to my wife's memory."
"You beat Carla to death with a baseball bat, and dumped her body in the river."
Sanchez laughed, and the cold sound cut through Speed like a knife. Yet all he could think about was how flat Eric's voice was, as if he was preparing himself, as if was ready to, ready for…
"Why isn't this animal behind bars?"
He didn't realise he'd spoken until the words were hanging in the air, and Sanchez was still laughing, though the uneven edges were becoming more pronounced and his dark eyes festered like storm clouds.
"Oh, I was in jail. Three years of the best my country could offer and look, now I'm here. Carla's a memory, and soon, Eric, soon you will be too. But I'm still here."
Speed's mind was reeling, but his eyes remained fixed on the gun. Sanchez caught his gaze and seemed to remember himself, fishing out what appeared to be a detonator, and cradling it to his chest.
"Enough of this, my friend, enough. You – the one guarding Eric so nobly, step aside. And you Horatio, with your lady, come around where I can see you. Nothing sudden, nothing stupid. I'd hate to be startled and press this button here."
He waved the detonator carelessly, as Horatio and Calleigh moved around the back of the desk, Horatio constantly whispering. Speed saw now that Calleigh was also shaking, and her eyes were wider than he'd ever seen. There would be therapy after this, he could tell. /After this – if we make it to 'after this'/
Sanchez stared at Speed, waiting for him to move. He stood perfectly still, meeting his eyes with anger – he wouldn't let this man hurt Eric, not while he lived. He wasn't stupid, but he knew that if he moved away, Eric would die, and that wasn't an option.
"I thought I told you to move."
"I won't let you hurt him."
With mirth in his eyes, Sanchez swung the gun towards Calleigh. "What about her? Mind if I shoot her?" He moved the weapon onto Horatio, still looking at Speed. "Or what about your boss here, can I kill him? What would you do then?"
Speed was drowning – he couldn't win, he couldn't reason, he couldn't do anything. The whole situation was spiralling out of control, and he realised he was probably making it worse for them. For Eric.
"Tim, please," Eric's hand was on his arm, steadier now, "it's me he wants."
"I'm not letting you do this," Speed said, against all reason, not looking at Eric but at Sanchez.
"I won't let everyone die for me!" It was a shout, and Speed winced; then, a feather whisper: "Especially not you."
He was frozen again, and Eric moved away in that second, hands raised. Away from his protection, from his idiocy – and stood in front of Sanchez, clenched jaw and scared eyes.
"Now let them go. You want me, they don't need to be here."
Speed's eyes were now fixed on Eric, and he heard Horatio and Calleigh move closer to him, everyone holding their breath. Sanchez was silent now, just smiling at Eric, looking at him as if he were some stain on the street. That look scared Speed more than anything.
"No, Eric, I don't think I will. I think they want to be here, don't you? And you won't risk them, no, family ties are strong. I should know."
Speed met Eric's eyes frantically, feeling so damn useless – again – and wishing he hadn't come to work today. Had taken Eric away last night, told him…told him everything.
"Come with me, Eric, over here. We need to have a private talk."
Sanchez shoved Eric roughly over to the other side of the room, sending him straight into the counter. Eric grasped it, turning himself around slowly. Speed saw him glance his way, before facing Sanchez again, swallowing hard.
"What do you want?"
A harsh laugh, and then the gun was waved close to him, the detonator still cradled close to his chest.
"Why, Eric, I want some justice. My wife's dead, my children in care, and here I am. You took everything from me – now, now I'll take everything from you."
Speed instantly jerked forward, but Horatio held him back. "Not now, Speed. We need to wait…"
"You – you killed Carla! I saw your kids, bones and bruises. They're safe now."
Sanchez pounced, pinning Eric to the counter and holding the gun to his temple.
"I loved my wife, my kids," he grated out, voice shaking, "I would never hurt them."
He backed away slowly, then levelled the gun at the centre of Eric's chest, eyes gleaming behind the unshed tears. "I won't let you hurt another man like me. You deserve everything you get."
Speed realised too late what was happening, escaping Horatio's grip just as a shot rang through the lab.
"ERIC!"