2.

"Now there's a fashion disaster if ever I saw one." The woman said from her position on a huge curving balcony in the new civic center's main reception room. There were literally hundreds of people milling about, the noise level was up considerably, and the smartly dressed serving staff were expertly negotiating their way through the crowds with their platters of drinks, etc. It was a major function; all the men dressed in different styles of tuxedos and the women in various elegant gowns. It was, for a follower of fashion, an extravaganza for the eyes.

"Oh, I knew that was coming…" the man standing next to the woman murmured with a knowing smile.

Alexx Woods turned and looked at her husband with an arched brow. "Don't tell me, sugar, that you don't enjoy this as much as I do."

"Never…" he replied, his lips curling in a puckish grin. "Which one were you looking at? There's a woman over in the old money crowd wearing a Gucci with a Wal-Mart handbag, a gent in the Mayor's crowd wearing a Hilfiger tux and I swear a pair of Pay-Less shoes or that one gal over in the finance clique with the truly hideous hairstyle that clashes with her Versace gown…"

Alexx, looking drop-dead gorgeous in a pale green evening gown, laughed at her husband. "Oh baby! You are worse then Joan Rivers…"

He bent forward and murmured in her ear, "I learned from a pro…" he smirked as she laughed at him and continued watching the crowd.

"And for your information, I was looking at the university crowd… I don't know about you, sugar, but white tuxedos with red cummerbunds and ties went out with the disco days." She replied.

"Please!" he joked back, "Don't remind me…"

"That kinda combo is something only a professor would wear." Alexx replied. Her husband chuckled, his gaze scanning the crowds below.

"Ooh, baby, your claws are out tonight." he joked.

"They are, and with good reason. I wanted to attend this like I wanted a hole in my head. My only night off in the last ten days and I have to go this thing. Why Miami built another civic centersee above note) is beyond me."

"It's worse when your husband gets invited, too," he said with mirth.

"Yeah, you were my backup excuse to not go." Alexx smiled and heaved a sigh, turning to gaze at the man next to her looking handsome in his tuxedo. "At least I get to spend the evening with you," she smiled.

"And that is a good enough reason for me to avoid the medical crowd," he replied.

"But I am sure Chief Burton will be looking for me sooner or later… He heavily implied that Horatio and I were required to be at this thing." Alexx said.

Her husband smiled knowingly and peered around at the different crowds below. "Speaking of the law enforcement clique…"

"You are as bad as I am…" Alexx laughed, patting his chest.

"And since you mentioned Horatio, where is he, anyway?" he asked. Alexx turned and looked down at the crowds below.

"Late, no doubt," she said. "Why Burton insisted he attend is beyond me. Poor dear has barely gotten his head above ground from that Turner fiasco."

"He was cleared of that, wasn't he?"

"Oh, yeah, but that damn fool Ratner let the real killer loose." Alexx said with disgust.

"Judge Ratner?" her husband asked. "That same guy standing down there with the Mayor's group?"

"Uh huh… and you don't want me getting started on him."

"No, I don't…" her husband replied, smiling at her and sensing the serious turn in their conversation, he was determined to switch it back to their lighter banter. He peered out over the crowd.

"Well, now, would you look at that?"

"At what?" Alexx said, knowing what her husband was doing and smiling appreciatively.

"Your favourite news reporter just showed up on the arm of the station owner."

She turned and spotted a leggy blonde in a ravishingly revealing white gown linked arm and arm with a distinguished looking middle-aged man. Alexx pursed her lips in disgust.

"Erika Sikes…" she said with an underlying tone of venom in her voice. "That woman has no morals and no respect. I'd call her a spider woman, but even spiders don't deserve that." Her husband chuckled at her before she suddenly perked up.

"Now there's a fine specimen of the male species for you." She said, nodding at the main foyer where the guests were arriving. "I think that's one of the University of Miami's star centers for the basketball team, isn't he?"

"Could be, could be…" Her husband murmured behind her. "But take a look at what is walking in behind him."

Alexx flicked her gaze to where her husband indicated, blinked and looked again.

"That gal is not older than thirty-five." He purred in her ear.

Alexx smiled, nodding her head. "That, sugar, is a walking million-to-one shot."

"Prematurely grey?" he asked.

She nodded. "Hair that white on a thirty year old? And female? Had to have gone grey in her teen years. That's a rarity."

"Nice taste in gowns, too…" he commented.

"Oh, really?" Alexx asked and twisted around as he put his arms around her.

"Not half as nice as yours, though," he added, smiling impishly at his wife. Alexx began to wave a long-nailed finger at him when she caught sight of someone approaching them from behind her husband.

"Will you look at that," she said and chuckled as her husband released her and looked around. "Only Horatio Caine can wear an Armani tuxedo to a formal event and get away without wearing the bow tie!"

He quickly spotted the tall redhead working his way up the last of the stairs as he came towards where they stood. They both couldn't help but notice the looks from some of the women as he passed them by.

"'Bout time you showed up, sugar!" Alexx greeted him as he approached, holding his sunglasses in his hands.

"Alexx," Horatio smiled, then shook her husband's hand. "Doc."

"She was convinced you were going to ditch this shindig," he grinned.

"Wish I could have, but Burton insisted. You look stunning, Alexx." Horatio said and smiled softly.

"You ain't looking too bad, yourself."

"I'm just chopped liver." Doc replied dryly.

Horatio tucked his chin in, smiling to himself, and looked about the place. "So, what's the tally?" he asked, looking at his sunglasses.

Alexx grinned. "Two for two in fashion disasters. Even split between the ladies and the gents, but the night is still young…" She purred, with a deliciously wicked smile on her lips.

Horatio snorted softly in amusement.

"And from the same old crowds too… Old money, new money, boomers, university, mayor's office, media, medical, law enforcement… I think the only thing separating them is the folks who don't want to be here, and the wait staff." Doc replied.

"Speaking of Burton, I think he's spotted you. He's making signals." Alexx said.

Horatio glanced out towards where the Mayor's crowd mingled and noticed his chief looking their direction. He sighed.

"Time to mingle, then." he said quietly. He looked at Alexx again, "I'll be back when I can break away."

"We'll be here," she replied looking worriedly at him. He nodded and began working his way back down the stairs.

"What is it, dear?" Doc asked as Horatio left them; he looked at his wife.

"That is one unhappy man," Alexx said softly, watching as Horatio maneuvered his way out and around to the back of the crowds and circled his way towards the Mayor's party. "I know that 'liaison to the Mayor's office' is down there, too, I just hope he keeps a civil tongue in his head."

"And that would be?" Doc asked.

"That tall brunette standing to the left of Chief Burton. Rick Stetler, the human snake."

"Ooo, you don't like him either, do you?" her husband commented.

"I'd prefer the snake."

"Now that's going some; you hate snakes," Doc replied, then he brightened. "How 'bout we have Horatio over for dinner one of these nights?" Doc asked.

"That would be lovely…" Alexx replied, spotting him where he was circling around the back of the crowds. "But I think he still needs a little time, sugar. He cared about Rachel, and to have that monster Dresden kill her and do what he did to Horatio?" she sighed, turning to look at her husband, running her fingers up his lapel. She gazed at his face. "And that damn Ratner letting him loose is like adding salt to the wounds. Ratner should be disbarred."

"He does look a bit tired." Doc commented.

"That boy is running on sheer stubbornness." Alexx replied. "and I'm worried about him."

"You worry about all of them." Doc smiled at her. Alexx nodded, running her hand up the lapel of his jacket again.

"Him more then the others. I am just glad this thing with Rachel Turner's case stayed in the department. I'd hate to have seen what would have happened if that Sikes woman had gotten a hold of this for the evening news."

"Now that would have been ugly." Doc replied and looked out over the crowd, "And speaking of ugly…" his lips curled in a grin. "Take a look at what just joined the boomer crowd!"

Chief Burton, sensing someone approaching him from behind, turned and spotted Horatio as he joined the group. "Ahh Horatio," he greeted, holding out his hand. "Glad you could join us."

The party of mostly men, turned to greet the newcomer. Ratner, seeing who it was, gave him a sour smile, nodded once, took his attending wife by the arm and in a carefully calculated show of incivility he turned his back on Horatio and walked away.

Horatio pursed his lips, watched him go, hid his threatening smirk, then greeted his immediate superior. "Chief," he said, shaking his hand. His eyes were dark, and very carefully shrouded, revealing few, if any, emotions.

At the sound of his voice, the State Attorney turned and smiled, also offering his hand. "Horatio! Nice night huh?"

Horatio, with the faintest of bemused smirks on his face, lifted his chin slightly and shook the man's hand. "Don, good to see you, here," he greeted.

"You've met the Mayor?" Don asked.

"I have," Horatio said and offered his hand. "Good evening, sir."

"Lieutenant," The Mayor smiled and shook the offered hand. "I think you know my liaison?"

"Rick," Horatio nodded at the brunette.

"Horatio," he responded with a lift of his chin.

The two promptly fell to studiously ignoring one another as the political small talk --which Horatio found to be boring-- wound its endlessly mundane way in and around their conversations.

Horatio noted it, paying attention to the surface details, but shutting off the rest of himself to everyone around him. He played his part, he noted sourly to himself, wishing he was anywhere, but here. He blended into the background, letting his Chief, the State Attorney and whoever else felt like hob-nobbing with the mayor and his crowd, take the fore. He didn't fail, however, to catch a few surreptitious glances his way from Stetler. He knew Stetler was still prying into his past, despite not having been the one to deliver the Wilson file from New York to the Crime lab. He knew, now, that it had been Dresden.

Horatio sighed, looking off over the heads of people in the crowd and trying not to think of all the horrors that had happened to him the past month or so. So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't hear his cell phone go off right away until someone said his name. He blinked, snapping back to the present, as he reached inside his tux and honestly hoped it was a call out to crime scene.

"Caine," he said stepping away from the people he was with so as not to annoy them with his call.

"You had that faraway look on your face there, Horatio." A gruff male voice drawled in his ear. "Thought maybe you'd appreciate a rescue call seeings as you're standing too damn close to that Internal Affairs ass."

Horatio instantly dropped his chin, turned his back to Stetler, and held his other hand up to his ear to block out the noise of the people.

"Timely, Frank, timely," he commented and looked around through the crowds until he spotted Frank Tripp standing amongst others from the law enforcement circles. Frank smirked at him from clear across the room, cell phone to his ear. He stood a good three to four inches taller than most of the men around him and he looked as if he had to be stuffed into his tuxedo. He was expertly wielding a tooth pick with his lips as he looked away from Horatio, trying to keep a straight face.

"I bet the conversation's a whole lot better over here then it is over there; come on over and join us."

"I will, Frank. Be there in a moment." Horatio said and promptly hung up. He thoughtfully shut off his phone before slipping it away into his tux jacket. Then he turned to the group he was with.

"I thought you weren't on call tonight?" Burton asked.

"I'm not," Horatio smiled politely, but refused to divulge the call. Burton raised a curious eyebrow and left it at that before returning to the current conversation. Several minutes later, he went to ask him a question and to his surprise discovered Horatio was no longer amongst them. He looked at Stetler, who was busy talking to one of the Mayor's aides, then he sighed, grateful at least that Horatio had showed up at all.

Weaving his way through the crowds, he caught Frank's eye and joined several of his colleagues, all while trying to ignore the smirk on Frank's face.

"'Bout time you showed up!" Frank drawled.

"So everyone keeps telling me." Horatio replied dryly. He spent several minutes greeting folks he knew and trading some light shop talk, before he eventually fell to the back of the crowd, letting their conversations wash over him as he drifted with his thoughts.

This went for a large portion of the evening, he'd drift from one group to another, greeting folks he knew, doing the civil rounds and about as closed off as a person could get without being offensive. Before too long, he ended back up on the balcony with Alexx and her husband.

"You two have managed to avoid everyone tonight," he said with a smile as he joined them.

"Yeah… who wants to hang around a happily married couple?" Doc replied.

"Well I don't know about you but…" Alexx started but just grinned, seeing the smile it put on Horatio's face. "How are you doing, sugar?" She asked softly.

"I'm all right, Alexx." he said, glancing at her.

"You sure about that?"

He nodded, looking down at the crowd below. "So where is your tally now?" he asked, resting his forearms on the railing and knitting his fingers together.

Alexx looked at him, knowing he was deliberately changing the subject and that he knew she knew it. She smiled to herself.

"Five to seven, woman over the men, and the worst still coming from the old money crowd, you'd think that with all that money they'd get a little sense to dress better, but hey, that's just my opinion." She cast a mischievous glance at him as he smirked, tucking his chin in.

"Sense and money often don't go together," he commented.

Alexx laughed, "You got that right."

"You tell him about our genetic anomaly yet?" Doc asked. Horatio raised an eyebrow, looking at Alexx's husband.

"Anomaly?" he asked with mild curiosity, before his lips twitched in a slight smirk. "I'm not the only redhead in here you know."

"That's true, but with your colouring I'd argue that point," she said, waving a long-nailed finger at him and smiling, "however, this gal will do you one better." Alexx said turning to look down at the crowds below. "Spotted her coming in a few hours ago, part of the university crowd I think."

"She's right there, looks like she's heading for the outside balcony." Doc said, pointing towards an exit. "Not everyday you see hair that white on someone under 35."

Neither Alexx or her husband could see Horatio's face as he searched the crowd near the outdoor balcony exit. Doc's words were just registering with him when he spotted the white-haired woman in a deep blue evening gown slowly making her way towards the door.

"If I didn't know any better?" Alexx was saying, "I'd lay money that that girl is not used to wearing high heels and that her feet are killing her…"

They didn't notice Horatio standing up straight, his hands gripping the railing.

"I wonder what the odds really are for a girl going that grey at that age?" Doc was saying when Alexx glanced at Horatio.

"Horatio?" she asked and the tone of concern in her voice caught her husband's attention.

Horatio was staring down on the floor with a stunned expression on his face, his eyes wide with shock.

"H?" Doc asked. "What is it?"

"Um…" Horatio suddenly stammered, breaking his gaze to reach up and run a hand over his face. "Excuse me," he said, and abruptly turned away from them, moving as fast as discretion could allow in the crowds.

"Horatio?" Alexx called out and looked at her husband in surprise. He looked back at her with a puzzled expression.

"What the…?"

"Sugar, the last time I saw that look on his face, I was pulling Rachel Turner's sleeve back to reveal her birthmark when they took her from the river and he identified the body. If I didn't know any better, he knows that girl!"

Doc looked at his wife speculatively and promptly asked. "What are the odds of that happening?"

Down amongst the crowd surrounding the Mayor, Rick Stetler looked towards the balcony stairs in time to see Horatio abruptly leave his position on the rail and with a grim determination began making his way quickly past people. Stetler frowned, watching the other man moving quickly through the crowds. Something was obviously going on and he watched as Horatio abruptly left through a side door. Pausing briefly to make an excuse to leave the people he was with, Stetler began weaving his way towards the exit Horatio had taken which led to the outdoors observation deck. Whatever had caught Horatio's attention, he was determined to find out about it…