Title: Tomorrow Never Comes

Disclaimer: Slash. Major angst and major violence.

POV: Horatio

Chapter Six: Knowing Nothing

I close my eyes and exhale. My office is quiet. I enjoy this rare occurrence while it last; which is merely five minutes. Someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," I invite.

Alexx opens the door and cautiously steps in. Something it bothering her and I can tell she's not sure of herself. Two things that rarely happen. I can't help but notice that this day is a little off and that knowledge actually worries me.

"What can I help you with, Alexx?" I ask.

She looks to the extra chair but doesn't sit. "There's something I want to say. Yet, I don't know if it's my place to say it."

I study her, trying to judge what it is that is on her mind. "You don't want to get anyone in trouble….or….?"

"Kind of like that. It has something to do with a team member."

I perch on my desk. "Alexx, if it's something important, I need to know. If it's something non-life threatening, just forget about it."

"It's Speed."

I twinge of worry creeps into my heart. Speed had just come back to work. His first day on the job and already, something has popped up. "Tell me, Alexx."

Her shoulders relax. "I was walking pass the locker room not too long ago. I noticed Speed inside so I stopped to say hi and welcome him back to work. But when I opened the door he quickly hid something and proceeded to act jumpy while we talked."

"He probably just needs to get used to being back."

"That's what I thought. Until I ran into Delko."

I walk down the hall toward the locker room. I keep telling my mind not to jump to conclusions. I need to hear the truths, hear their voices. Alexx has to be wrong this one time. She just can't be right. I don't want to believe her. I need to see things for myself.

I enter the locker room and find Speed sitting on the bench. A small sheet of white paper holds his attention.

"Speed."

He jumps and looks at me. He quickly hides the paper by crumbling it in his hand. "Hey, H."

"How is your first day back at work?" I ask.

"Fine, just fine. Getting back in-touch with everything. Can't wait to get back out in the field." He smiled.

Alexx was right. Speed was jumpy. He couldn't look me in the eyes. In fact, his eyes didn't focus on one object for long. The twinge of worry grows.

"You know I can't put you in the field for at least a week or two, depending on how things work out," I explain.

"I know." He shrugs absentmindedly. "I…uh…have some work to be getting to, so I'll see you later, H."

He leaves the locker room and takes the mysterious piece of paper with him. I just watch him go. I know now that I need to find Delko. If Alexx was right about Speed than she has to be right about Delko. I check my watch. Delko should be in the Trace Lab. As though holding my breath, I walk toward the lab. Delko is inside busy looking over some clothing from a recent rape attempt.

"How goes the search, Delko?" I ask, entering the room.

His back is to me and I see him jump ever so slightly. "Going good, finding some fibers that might help us out." He doesn't turn to face me.

"Has Speed been handling his first day back well?" I question.

"Hm?"

"Speed, is he okay?"

"As far as I know he is. Haven't really seen him that much today."

I place my hands on my hips. "Delko, look at me."

Slowly, he turns to me. I sigh as I see that Alexx was yet again right. "Is there something that you want to tell me about?"

"No, not really."

"Delko, where did you get the black eye?" I inquire.

"Nowhere in particular. Just typical male stupidity. Lost my temper at a bar last night and got into a scuffle. Nothing more, H. I swear."

I can't tell if he's lying. The trouble with CSI's is that they learn how to lie like a pro. Still, all the lying in the world wouldn't stop me from finding the truth. Speed is acting weird and jumpy, like he's hiding something. And Delko has a black eye that he obviously didn't want me to notice. Something was definitely going on.

He holds up a few evidence bags. "I'm going to run these over to Valera, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, Delko leaves. It's as though he was fleeing from me. I just shake my head. My eye catches the flash of white. Another piece of crumpled white paper. Or the same one?

I pick it up and carefully flatten it out. My eyes follow Delko down the hall. Whatis the note supposed to mean?