AN: Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter. Warning: Implied/suggestive adult behavior.
Chapter 10: Telling Kyle
2 weeks later
Horatio and Calleigh walked down the stairs, and Calleigh spoke with a smile as she looked at all of their children in the living room. "Alright you guys, we are out of here, be safe and have fun."
Horatio and Calleigh had dinner plans with the team, Catherine and Warrick, then they were going to go to the movies, while Nicole was going to take the younger siblings over to the Brown residence to spend time with Lindsey, Cassandra, and the newest addition to the family, Rick named after his father, as the guys, Nick, Kyle, and Bryan were going to be here for their guys night.
Anthony turned his attention away from the move and ran to his mom. "Mommy."
Calleigh smiled as she picked up her little guy and gave him a little kiss before speaking. "You be good for Nicole and Lindsey, ok?"
He nodded with a smile. "'uve you."
"Love you too, so much."
Anthony then reached for his father, and after Horatio took him, he kissed his cheek and replied. "I love you too."
"'uve you too, daddy."
After Horatio placed him back on the floor, he ran back to the middle of the living room and continued to watch his movie while Calleigh and Horatio said goodbye to their youngest, who was in Nicole's arms, before walking out of the house, shutting the door behind them.
About 35 minutes after Horatio and Calleigh left, Nicole left with Jenny and Anthony, so while Kyle was changing the DVD from the player and getting the gaming system set up, Nick, who was sitting on the couch, took a breath before speaking. "Kyle, can I talk to you for a minute?"
With his back still toward his brother, he replied. "Of course, what's up?"
Nick took a moment to gather his thoughts before he continued. "What I always liked about our relationship is that we have this trust and honesty between us, so I just want to continue to be honest with you."
Kyle stopped what he was doing, and with a PlayStation 3 controller in his lap, he turns around in his wheelchair. "Well, this conversation just took a serious turn, what do you have to be honest with me about?"
Nick took another deep breath before telling his brother the hardest thing he ever had to tell him. "You got to believe me, I never wanted this to happen, but with you being gone, Nicole going through that hard time so she spent more time alone, and barley seeing Bryan, for a lot of that time it was just me and Lindsey, hanging out one on one, which all the years we've known each other that hardly ever happened, and for the longest time I always saw her more as Nicole's best friend and/or your girlfriend, but..."
Kyle cuts him off, his look turning a little hard. "Wait, this is about Lindsey, and you have to be honest with me about something?" Nick nodded, but before he could speak again, Kyle asked that question while his heart was pounding and his stomach in knots, hoping it wasn't what he was thinking. "Did you two sleep together?"
Nick's eyes got wide as he stood up instantly. "What!? Of course not, how could you even ask that?"
Kyle's response was immediate. "Because that would be a betrayal that I don't think I could ever get past, so if it never got that far, I could learn to forgive what ever happened between you two."
Nick shook his head and walked up to his brother and looked down at him. "It never got that far, I swear."
Kyle saw the honesty in his eyes before he asked while looking down at his hands, still afraid of his brother's answer, but not as bad as he was about his first question. "So what, a few kisses?"
Once again, Nick shook his head. "No, not even close."
Kyle looked back up at his brother. "Then what exactly did happen?"
"I had developed feelings for her, and they were more than the friendly type."
Kyle nodded before asking softly. "And she?"
Nick gave him a smile as he replied. "Are you kidding me? That woman is still so crazy for you, I never had a shot." He took a breath and finished. "And deep down I always knew that, but..."
Kyle cuts him off with a sympathy look. "You sometimes can't help who you develop feelings for."
"Yeah, so if you want to hit me or yell at me, I'll understand."
Kyle started to chuckle as he shook his head. "I'm not going to hit or yell at you for being human."
Feeling a little relieved, Nick asked. "So, you're really not mad at me?"
"No, I'm not mad. In fact, I don't blame you, she is an amazing, smart, beautiful woman, any man would be stupid not to fall for her. It's how you deal with your feelings."
Nick sighed before finishing. "Believe me, I'm trying to get over them, because I would never want to do anything that hurts our relationship or my friendship with her. But, in the meantime, if you want me to stay away from her I..."
Kyle cuts him off while shaking his head. "No, don't do that." He then takes a breath before continuing. "I need our group around me more than ever right now, and without you in it, it won't be the same." He holds out his hand and finishes. "I trust you."
Seeing the acceptance made Nick feel better than he had in a long time, so he took his brother's hand with tears in his eyes. "Thank you."
Kyle nodded as they shook hands, and as they release them, he finished. "And thank you for being honest with me, I can see why that was hard for you."
Nick nodded before clearing his throat and speaking as he headed for the kitchen. "I'll go get the sodas."
When he was about halfway to the kitchen door, Kyle spoke again. "Nick?" And after he turned around to look at him, he continued. "You will find her, your own 'Lindsey'."
Nick looked at him sadly. "I hope you're right, man." Before finally walking in the kitchen, while Kyle sighed, wishing there was something he could do for his brother.
His thoughts get interrupted a second later when his cell phone makes a pinging sound, indicating he had a text message, so he pulls his phone out of his pocket and read a text from Lindsey.
'love u :).'
He smiled while he types. 'love u 2, babe.'
As he sent the message, there was a knock on the door, so he places his phone back in his pocket and rolls over to the front door, and after opening it, he shares a smile with Bryan as he moved to the side to let the other man in, which he did with a smile and carrying a paper bag that had chips and dip inside it, and once Nick came out of the kitchen, they were ready for a guys night that they hadn't had in a very long time and were looking forward to it.
After dinner with the group, Horatio and Calleigh went off on their own to have ice cream before they went to go see a movie, and once the movie was over, they walked along the part of the beach that was away from the house.
When they arrived home and walked inside the house, they heard laughing coming from the back deck, so they walked fully into the living room before looking out the window from the dinning room and smiled while seeing the group of five they watched grow into these amazing young men and women.
Lindsey was sitting on Kyle's lap with her arms around his neck, while Nicole was sitting on Bryan's lap with her arms around his neck as he held her gentle, and Nick was sitting in a comfy chair between the couples.
A few seconds later the grouped laughed again, making Calleigh and Horatio smile a little wider as he wrapped his arms around her from behind while she spoke softly. "I think their group is stronger than ever."
He kissed her temple with a nod. "Yeah, I would have to agree."
A moment later they hear Nicole say she was going to check on the kids before they see her get from Bryan's lap after they share a sweet peck, and when her attention went towards the back door and she saw them, she smiled as she said. "There's mom and dad."
The group's attention went to them before they all smiled, waved and said at the same time. "Hi mom, dad."
Horatio and Calleigh chuckled, finding it sweet that Lindsey and Bryan called them mom and dad too, as they waved back.
The back door opened and Calleigh spoke. "We'll check on the kids, you are officially relieved of duty."
Nicole nodded with a smile as she handed the baby monitors to them. "Thank you."
They each took one while Calleigh replied. "No, thank you."
She waved it off before walking back outside so she could claim her spot back on Bryan's lap, and after a few more moments of watching them, Horatio and Calleigh turned and headed for the stairs before going up them, so they could check on their two youngest and get ready for bed.
After checking on Anthony and Jenny, they headed towards their room, and once they were in there, Horatio closed the door as he watched his wife slip her shoes off and jacket with a sigh before walking to the dresser and stopping in front of the mirror, speaking as she took off her jewelry. "Tonight was a good night, it was nice that the whole group could be there."
Not only did Catherine and Warrick did in fact show up, but Alexx and her husband also showed. Since Alexx left the lab two years ago, they don't get to see her as much these days.
Horatio, who was now right behind her, just nodded, leaned down and kissed her softly on the ear before whispering. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?"
She nodded with a smile, then started to close her eyes as she felt her husband's lips on her neck, while trying to reply in a shaky tone. "Uh, yes, handsome you did." Her breath hitched a little as his fingers went to the zipper of her dress, and as he lowered it down, she cleared her throat and replied softly. "Horatio, the kids are downstairs."
He smiled against her collarbone. "They are capable enough to tend to themselves, they are also old enough to understand." He started to move the thin strap of her dress to the side as he continued to kiss her skin before speaking again. "Besides, you know how long it has been for us? Do you really want me to stop?"
It wasn't like they were at each other every time they were alone, but he was right, with him being gone a month and while trying to juggle between taking care of the youngest kids, work, and helping Kyle out with his physical therapy, they've either been too tried or busy to find the time.
She closed her eyes again as he lowered the zipper as far as it would go before he continued to slip the straps of her dress down before trailing his lips along her collarbone again.
When she finally couldn't take it anymore, she turned around, making him lift his head a little, and with passionate eyes, she smiled as she ran her hands up his chest, slipping her hands inside his coat until they were up to his shoulders and slid it off before whispering softly. "You win."
He smiled in return, cupped her cheek and brought her closer to him as his jacket landed on the floor before they crushed their lips together, pouring every feeling they had for one another, particularly passion, and before they knew it, he was laying her down on the bed while only in their undergarments.
Not long after, she surprised him by swapping positions so she was now on top of him, and she pulled back a little after a bit, then as she looked down at her man, she smiled while cupping his cheek and running her thumb up and down it, whispering with emotion. "I love you so much, thank you for giving me this life, I can't be anymore blessed."
He smiled looking up at her with a smile as he cupped her cheek before whispering with emotion. "I should be thanking you, but you're welcome, sweetheart."
After a long loving look, she moved down so she was kissing him again, slowly at first until the fire was ignited so hot that they couldn't hold back any longer, losing themselves in every passionate kiss and tender touch, happy that after five years they were still as madly in love with one another as they were when they got married, possibly even more so.
AN: Two more chapters left in the story and series, unless anybody is interested in one more. Let me know. Thanks for reading and please review.