When Horatio headed down to the lobby to talk with the child Matthew had apprehended,he noticed two things;one,Matthew was sitting in the interrogation room and the child was sitting in the waiting area,and two,the child had his arm in a cast with a sling.

Yelina came up behind him and handed him a folder. ''Why,might I ask,is officer Matthew sitting in the interrogation room?''

''Vincent Valentine,the name of the boy,was injured in the process of Matthew dragging him to the car.''

Horatio opened the folder. Inside was an X-ray of the child's arm. There was a sigh of disapproval,and then he looked up at the injured child.

''Where are his shoes?''he asked as he saw Vincent's bare and scratched feet.

''He doesn't have any. Vincent is saying his family never provided him with any. When he was five,the family threw him out of the house and moved to Chicago.''

''So how does Matthew fit into this?''

''They're blood related. Brothers.''

Horatio didn't need to hear anymore. He just stalked into the interrogation room.

Matthew looked up at Horatio when the redhead didn't speak.

''What do you want?''Matt finally snapped.

''You know my feelings on police brutality.'' Horatio set the x-ray down in front of Matthew.

''Should this mean anything to me?''he asked.

''You are normally quite gentle with children. I was wondering why you would go so far as to break this one's arm.''

''Is it my fault he resisted?''

Horatio glared at him and then dumped a pile of papers down in front of him. Matthew shoved them away instantly,catching Horatio's attention even more.

''What's wrong,afraid to review your family history? Sidearm and badge on the table please.''

Alexx was looking for Horatio when she spotted Vincent sitting alone in the waiting area.

Vincent didn't even look up when she sat down next to him. He just sat perfectly still,afraid to look at her. Women scared him,and that was because of his mother.

His mother never had a kind heart towards him. She was physically and verbally abusive,and always stomping his hopes into the ground.

Alexx reached over and brushed his bangs out of his face. Vincent visibly flinched. ''It's okay. You can trust me.'' Vincent looked up at her,and Alexx was shocked to find herself staring into one blue eye,and one black eye.

Vincent blinked and looked away,having just remembered that his irises were two different colors.

Alexx shook her head quickly to clear her mind and then turned in her chair slightly to face him. Her actions caused him to look at her again,and this time Alexx noticed a scar.

The scar streaked down from just above the eye to the cheek.

''What...happened...?''

''...Mother...she...I was hungry one night and went into the kitchen to ask her for something small,and I guess I was in the way of the knife when she turned...''

''Mommy,I'm hungry.''

''That's nice. Are you done with the floors?''his mother replied,her back turned as she stood at the counter cleaning up from dinner.

''Yeah...Can I have something to eat?'' Vincent hadn't eaten in days.

''No.''

''But I'm hungry!'' Melissa whipped around,and the knife in her hand caught his eye,obliterating it,and eliciting a scream.

Melissa stood and did nothing. Her husband remained in the living room drinking and reading the paper.

Matthew heard the scream,too,but he didn't budge from his video games.

So he took off for the front door. But his mother was close on his heels and she grabbed his arm. ''Where do you think you're going? You have a floor to clean up!''she screamed as she pointed to the massive puddle of blood.

Vincent took his free hand away from his eye and swung it hard,creating a bloody hand print on his mother's face. His hand smeared blood all over her face,and Melissa's eyes widened.

''YOU CLEAN IT!''

Melissa was in too much shock from being slapped by her son to stop him from leaving.

Daniel launched up from his chair and darted for his wife as she mentally froze and dropped to her knees. Matthew ran out of the house,chasing his little brother. Vincent screamed as loud as he could,at the world it seemed,as his brother caught him and began to endlessly swing his fist.

The world blackened around him,and in the distance sirens blared.

''I went to the hospital,and someone there decided to give up half of his eyesight,''Vincent motioned towards his blue eye,''Didn't think it was possible.

Alexx gently squeezed his shoulder and stood. ''Well,you seem okay now.''

Vincent shrugged. ''For now.''

''I must admit that I was hoping you'd be different from the rest of your family when I hired you. I guess I was wrong.''

''The kid doesn't mean a thing to me.''

''I understand that,but that does not give you the right to break his arm.''

Matthew sighed and watched as Horatio opened up a file filled with pictures of his parents as children. They too had suffered abuse. But not to the extent that Vincent had.

''Now,here's what gets me...Your parents and their parents before them suffered abuse. You are born,and they don't lay a finger on you. Why?''

''They promised themselves they wouldn't raise me like they had been raised.''

''Yet Vincent is born and you watched them beat him,which is just as good as being abused yourself. You see mom and dad knocking the little brother around,and you take after them since you want some attention,too.''

Matt launched up and glared. ''THAT IS NOT TRUE!''

Horatio pointed towards the small child in the lobby. Matthew looked at Vincent,and Horatio visibly saw his teeth grind.

''You sure about that? Because judging from what I'm seeing,''Matthew's head whipped around to look at his boss,''You want nothing more than to hit him because I bet that your thinking it's his fault you're in trouble.''

Matt's eyes widened. Horatio had hit the nail on the head.

''Now. Sit.''

''Whatever just give me my damn suspension and let me go.''

Horatio smiled and chuckled lightly as he picked up the badge,''I'm afraid,''he picked up the sidearm,''this mistake just cost you your job. Get out.''

''You can't do that!''

''I can always have security drag you out of here. Your choice.''

Matt's fists tightened until the knuckles were white before he stomped out. He didn't go for the front door like Horatio had hoped. Instead he made a u-turn for his little brother. Alexx stopped him.

''I don't think so.''

Matt went to swing his fist,and that was when Horatio stepped in to help.

''I wouldn't.''

Matt snarled.

''Alexx,get him out of here.'' The brunette grabbed Vincent and rushed him away.

Matthew punched Horatio,and the redhead retaliated,his fist connecting with Matthew's face,knocking him to the floor. Matt's glasses went flying.

''I said get out,and I meant it.'' Matt picked up his glasses and stood,and whipping the blood away from his nose he left.

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