A/N: those you know belong to those you know. I own the rest, including the dead bodies. This is AU, but with what ever I want from Season 4 and previous seasons. I mention events from Lost Son and 10-7 in here. This is your warning. Please R&R. Thanks.

Thank you to those who've reviewed. Okay. I was a little heavy in the last chapter. I'll try to dig Annabel out of the pit I dropped her in. Bear with me please. This chapter isn't really happy either, but it'll get better I promise.


Annabel sat at her desk flipping through papers, but not really reading them. She stopped reading and rubbed her temples. Horatio came up behind her and stopped. Annabel tensed as she heard the approaching footsteps.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. Horatio remained where he was. Annabel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Please stop staring at me, Lieutenant."

"Then turn around and talk to me, Detective."

Annabel turned around. She grimaced at Horatio. "I knew it was you. Everyone else is smart enough to leave me alone." Horatio stood there quietly, watching her. Annabel restrained the urge to either scream at the top of her lungs or throw something at him. She closed her eyes counted to ten and opened them again. Horatio hadn't moved. "Can I help you with something, Lieutenant? I sent my report already."

"I got it."

"Okay. Then what do you need?" She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, opened them again and shot him a chilling look. "I'm guessing someone told you about my parents. Are you here for the gory details?"

Horatio shook his head. "No."

Annabel spun around and picked a couple pieces of paper off her desk and shoved them at Horatio. "Go ahead. I've just been re-reading them. I might as well share."

Horatio took the papers from her. It was a police report. Horatio raised his eyebrows. "You have a copy of the police report?"

"I had Ottawa County fax it over. It's not the first time I've read it though." Horatio looked at the top sheet again. The date jumped out at him. Today. Twenty-four years earlier. He reached past Annabel and set the papers face down on her desk.

"You need to go home, Annabel."

"You're not my boss. I'm fine."

"No, you need to go home."

"I am fine," she drew each word out trying to emphasize her point.

"Annabel, your shift is over. You need to go home." Annabel crossed her arms over her chest, planted her feet firmly and leaned back in her chair. Horatio shook his head. "You need to leave here."

"You wanna go home, Horatio? Go ahead."

Horatio ducked his head. He looked back at Annabel. "If you don't want to go home, then let's get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I am. And I don't want to eat alone."

"I don't need watch dogging."

"Annabel, consider it humoring a lonely, old man."

Annabel shook her head. "Except you're not old and I find it hard to believe you're lonely."

Horatio smiled a little at her comment. He looked through his lashes at her. "Consider it a challenge then. I'm challenging you to step outside your comfort zone."

Annabel shook her head again. "Nice try. I think I did that already with you this morning. Or did you miss my guts spread on the sidewalk?" She tilted her chin up. "And if you missed that didn't you catch me trying not to puke them up at the crime scene this afternoon?"

"Annabel, come out for dinner with me."

Annabel sighed. "You aren't going to leave me alone, are you? Fine. But I'll drive myself, and I'll pay for my own meal."

"You won't drive."

Annabel dug her keys out and slammed them on the desk. "Fine. You can drive. My car. I won't ride in the Hummer. Not today."

"Do you like Bar-b-q?"

"Yes."

"Then let's head out."

"Fine."

---------

The ride to the restaurant was silent. Horatio glanced over at Annabel a couple of times. Her eyes were closed and her head rested on her hand. She looked tired and very tense. Horatio pulled into the parking lot. Annabel opened her eyes and looked to see where they were.

"Shorty's. You're talking good bar-b-q."

Horatio smiled. "Only the best." Annabel gave him a weak smile in return and got out of the car.

---------

The waitress took their order and walked away. The restaurant was crowded and a little loud, but they had gotten a quieter spot in a corner. Annabel spun the ice in her water glass.

"Horatio..." she started.

"Annabel, you don't have anything to explain to me. This is just dinner."

Annabel looked up at Horatio. She flashed him a little, crooked smile. "Oh, I know. Talking is good though, right? Bottling things up is what's bad. Do you know I was a psych major?" Annabel smiled. "Of course not. Double major with sociology. Spanish minor. Trying to trick my grandparents, my mom's folks. They didn't want me to be 'just a cop.' They understood why I was interested in psychology." Annabel sipped her water. "I have to admit, there are some days I try to work myself into exhaustion. Not that it worked today. Sounds really healthy, right?" Annabel took a long drink of her water. "And before you ask, I have been in therapy. Both personal and job mandated."

"I wasn't going to ask."

"Yea, I know. But I don't like therapists."

Horatio choked a little on his beer. "Interesting statement coming from a psych/soc major."

Annabel nodded and gave him a wry smile. "Threw you with that one did I? Just because I like to study human behavior, doesn't mean I like to be studied. Actually, I hate it. I hate being analyzed. Speculated on. This day has been total hell. That's the part that really bothers me. The whispering. I can handle the other stuff. Really. I've been handling that for years. Mostly without incident. Occasionally with." The waitress brought cole slaw to the table. Annabel ordered a beer. She picked at her cole slaw and stared into space. Horatio just sat watching her. Her beer arrived. Annabel sat drinking it for a bit. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I hit you with a lot of stuff today. Garbage you weren't expecting. Garbage you didn't ask for." She looked at Horatio. "I shouldn't be dropping my garbage on your doorstep." Annabel shook her head. "Please just ignore the crazy lady folks."

"You're not crazy, Annabel. And I told you that wasn't a problem. We all have baggage." Annabel nodded, took a sip of beer. She focused an intensely speculative gaze on Horatio.

"And what would your baggage be, Horatio Caine?" Horatio started to open his mouth. Annabel held up her hand. "Never mind. I have heard a few things. But not really my business. Just because I flashed mine in spectacular fashion does not mean that you have to show me yours." The waitress brought their dinners, stopping conversation. Horatio watched Annabel pick at her food. He set down his fork.

"My mother was murdered when I was seventeen," he said.

Annabel looked up quickly. "I told you you really didn't need to share."

Horatio gave her a small smile. "Talking is good, right?"

Annabel bit her lip and shook her head. "Not fair using my own reasoning against me." She set her fork down and watched him.

"My mother raised my brother, Raymond, and me alone. Her death is part of what made me decide to join the force. My brother followed me because...," Horatio shrugged. "Because he did." Horatio took a bite of his bar-b-q, chewed and swallowed. "About 18 months ago, Tim Speedle, one of my CSIs...and a good friend was killed during an investigation."

"I've heard about that. You were there."

Horatio met Annabel's eyes. "Yes. I was. I couldn't..." he trailed off. Annabel reached out and lightly touched his hand.

"It's the ones we don't save; we can't help that are the worst."

"Philosophy, as well as psychology?"

Annabel pulled her hand away and shrugged. "What can I say? It may sound cheesy, it's the truth, isn't it?"

"Yelina and Ray Jr. left about 5 months ago." The conversation trailed off. They both sat picking at their food for a bit, Horatio making better progress than Annabel. Annabel set down her fork.

"I think I'm gonna get a box. This is really very good, but maybe I'll want it more later."

"I'll get the check."

"We'll split the check. This isn't a date."

"I twisted your arm to get you to come here."

"So what? We'll split the check."

When the waitress brought the bill, Horatio slipped his credit card into the slot and handed it back to her. Annabel crossed her arms and glared at him.

"We had agreed to split the bill."

Horatio smiled at her. "You can settle with me some other time. You must be feeling a little better. You're arguing with me again."

"Not terrific, but better, yes. I'm just don't like the way you seem to be managing me today."

"How so?"

Annabel held up her hand and ticked off fingers. "First, you bring me a cup of coffee. At work. Second, you bully me into coming here. Third, you took care of the bill when we agreed to split it. And..."

"You don't like being...managed."

"No, I don't."

Horatio held up his hand and ticked off on his fingers. "However, did you dislike the cup of coffee?" Annabel shook her head. "Was dinner bad?"

"No. The food was really good, even if I wasn't hungry. I just don't like to feel like I'm being maneuvered into doing something."

"You like to feel like you're in control."

"Now, you're pulling out the psychology." Annabel sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, I like to feel in control. Very much so. Don't most people? Don't you?" Annabel looked into Horatio eyes. She propped her elbow on the table and leaned her chin on her hand. "Tell me, Horatio. Honestly. Don't you like to be in control? Look at your job. Aren't you trying to impose order and control on the world?"

Horatio grinned at Annabel. "More psychology? Or are you philosophizing?"

Annabel sat back in her chair and grinned back at Horatio. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Horatio gave a low chuckle and shook his head. "And you quote Shakespeare."

Annabel shrugged. "I've been saving it up. Come on, I can't be the first person to quote Hamlet to you."

"No, you aren't. And he was talking about ghosts."

"So were we." Annabel looked around. The restaurant was still busy. "I hate to bring this...this interesting conversation to an end, but we really shouldn't keep cluttering up the table." She stood up. Horatio nodded. The waitress had slipped the bill back on the table. Horatio signed the credit slip and stood up. Annabel walked ahead of him out of the restaurant. Even though she had slipped her sunglasses on before exiting, the late day sun still blinded her. She felt Horatio's hand on her elbow. She blinked a couple of times and the world refocused.

"I'll drive you back to pick your car."

"I can drive," he responded.

Annabel held out her hand. "Give me back my keys. I will drive." Horatio handed her the keys. Annabel headed towards her car. "And we're putting the top down."

---------

Annabel pulled into the lot next to Horatio's Hummer. She got out and leaned against the door of her car. Horatio came over and stood in front of her. He looked at her and shook his head. Annabel smiled a little.

"It's the car isn't it? Not what one would think I drove." Annabel ran her hand over the door. "It was my splurge. When I decided to come to Florida, I decided I wanted a cool car. I always wanted a convertible." She paused a minute. "My dad would have hated this car." Annabel ran her hand one more time over the door wistfully. She looked up through her lashes at Horatio. Horatio fought a sudden urge to reach out to Annabel and wipe away the frown lines that had appeared on her forehead. "Thank you for a very nice dinner, Horatio."

"You're welcome, Annabel."

"You do understand that I owe you now."

"You don't owe me anything."

Annabel nodded stubbornly. "Yes, I do. We were supposed to split the check, so now I owe you dinner sometime."

"I'll have to get back to you on that then." Horatio opened the door to the roadster. "See you

tomorrow, Annabel." Annabel got in and Horatio shut the door. "Annabel, are you sure you're alright?"

Annabel gave him a slight smile, nodded her head and her smile deepened. "Actually, I really do feel better. Not that I plan to burst into song or anything."

Horatio chuckled. "I didn't expect you to. Call me when you get home."

"You don't need to keep track of me."

"No, I don't. And yet I insist you call me."

"And if I don't?" asked Annabel defiantly.

"Do you really want me to have to track you down?" Horatio looked down and then back at Annabel. "Humor me please."

Annabel rolled her eyes. "You would hunt me down, wouldn't you? Fine. I'll call when I get back to my apartment."

"Thank you."

"You know, Horatio, I'm not some damsel in need of rescuing. Despite everything today and what you may think of it, I am quite capable of fending for myself."

"I never meant to imply you weren't."

Annabel started her car. "I'll call you when I get home. Not because..."

"You have any need of rescuing."

"Correct. Just because you seem to need some sort of reassurance. See you, Horatio."

"Take care, Annabel." Horatio stepped back and Annabel pulled out of the parking lot.

------

Annabel shut the door to her apartment and slipped off her shoes. She flipped on the lights and dropped down on the couch. Annabel pulled out her cell phone, scrolled through the contacts and dialed Horatio's number.

"Hi, I'm home, sitting on my couch."

"Good. Now was that so hard?"

"Like I'd admit it to you either way."

Horatio chuckled. "Good night, Annabel."

"Night, Horatio."

---------