Horatio just looked at Eric. Not sure he had heard the right words. Begging Eric with his eyes to take back what he had just said. He didn't want to believe his own ear. This was just some sort of sick joke. It wasn't a funny joke, but it had to be joke.

Please, don't tell me you just broke my heart, Horatio thought.

"I'm sorry H. I didn't know what I was thinking back then." Eric said, looking at the floor.

He couldn't stand the sadness in Horatio's eyes. The denial of what he had just said. Some people would probably think that since it was a year ago that Eric cheated; it wasn't such a big deal. However, it was a very big deal for someone whose heart had constantly been broken in his entire life. It was a big deal to Horatio. And Eric knew that if it had been the opposite, he would have been just as sad as Horatio was now. Though by now Eric would have hit Horatio in the face, if it had been the other way around. Horatio, however, just looked at Eric. He didn't speak or move.

"I didn't plan it. I wasn't even very drunk, but drunk enough to hear a little voice in the back of my mind telling me to not follow that girl home. I ignored that little voice and… I, made the biggest mistake of my life." Eric said.

Tears ran down his cheeks. He was surprised to not see Horatio crying. He had expected it. Eric reached his hand out over the table towards Horatio. Horatio just looked at the hand. The he stood up and left the house. He was in shock, Eric knew it. Once the shock was over, Eric would have to face Horatio's anger and sadness. He had let him down in one of the worst ways possible. Horatio had been cheated on before; he had told Eric about it. And Eric had sworn never to become on of those men. He had sworn to both himself and Horatio, never to cheat. Eric loved only one person on this earth. Only one made his heart melt. Horatio. Now he might loose him forever. However, Eric wouldn't loose him without a fight. He would do everything he could to keep Horatio with him. No matter how long it took. Eric stood up and went after Horatio. Horatio's hummer was gone, but Eric's was still there. Eric sighed and got into the hummer. He knew that Horatio wouldn't have left for the lab. He needed somewhere to think. Alone. The beach was usually the place were the read head would think, but since his favorite beach was right outside his and Eric's house. He wouldn't go there now. Eric called Alexx for some help.

"Woods." Alexx answered her phone.

"Alexx, I need to find Horatio. I told him and he left." Eric said.

"Didn't he say anything?"

"No, he just left. Dammit, I'm such an idiot!"

"Eric baby, calm down. He won't be at the lab. But you need to give him some time. He probably wants to be alone."

"Yeah, you're right." Eric said and hung up.

He didn't care if Horatio wanted to be alone right now. Eric wanted to be with him, he wanted to hold and to kiss him. He wanted to make things right. And without a doubt his secret would be out now. Everybody would know what he had done. He just hoped that they would understand how sorry he was.

-I-

12:30

"This house belongs to Catherine Bells." Frank told Ryan and Nat.

They had a new crime scene. Catherine Bells house had burnt down, only this time the victim was alive. Catherine was on her way to the hospital, with 3rd degrees burn injuries. A photo of Catherine was among the photos that Erica Sykes had given the team.

"What's her child's name?" Ryan asked.

"That's the problem. She has now children." Frank said, "Her sister is her neighbor, and I talked to her for a short while before she went to the hospital. Catherine couldn't have children."

"Why is that?" Natalia asked.

"Because she wasn't born as Catherine. She was born as Cameron." Frank sighed, "She had a sex change ten years ago."

"Alright, so the question is why our arsonist burned down this house." Ryan said, "Let's process."

Ryan and Natalia walked towards what was left of the house. Which wasn't very much. They didn't expect to find anything. Frank stayed behind and tried calling Horatio, who wouldn't pick up the phone. He was worried. He knew he had been on lunch with Eric, but neither Eric nor Horatio would ignore a new crime scene. Frank had already called Eric four times, but he didn't pick up. Frank sighed and followed Ryan and Nat.

"Have you reached H or Delko?" Ryan asked.

"No, Eric won't pick up and Horatio's cell is turned off." Frank sighed.

"That's weird." Nat said, "Anyway… I found a bowl of gasoline here."

Natalia showed the guys a big bowl of gasoline, there was still some of it left at the bottom.

"So the fire probably started at the back porch." Ryan said, "Our arsonist is getting careless. The bowl doesn't look too badly burnt."

"Exactly. It doesn't have any burn marks at all." Frank said, "It must have been thrown in here after the fire was put out."

"But… that's impossible." Natalia said.

"No, not if you're a fire fighter." Ryan said, "I know we said our arsonist is a female. But that doesn't mean that she's working alone."

"Well, this is the first and only proof that she could have a partner. So far anyway." Natalia said, "I'll take it back to the lab."

-I-

13:15

Raquel grinned as she sat by the table in the visitors stall. Horatio sat across from her. And he didn't look happy.

"Lt. What brings you here?" Raquel asked, "Did you get my letter?"

"You mean the one where you asked to talk to talk me?"

"No, the other one."

"Oh, well, I have only received one." Horatio said, "But I'm guessing that you wrote something about Eric in it."

"Something you already know, I assume." Raquel smirked. Her plan was working. She had called Janet only a few minutes after their meeting. And asked her to stalk Horatio. Janet would know when the time was right to give Raquel her vengeance.

"Why are you doing this?" Horatio asked, "Because Eric is gay?"

"You made him gay. Last year he slept with a woman. Why do you think he is interested in you? Huh? He only lives with you because he is fond of you. It is not love. Its only admiration that he is mistaking for love." Raquel snapped, "He liked women. Otherwise he wouldn't have slept with one, when he cheated on you."

"What do you know about love? Is trying to kill Joseph a sign of love for you?!" Horatio snapped.

"No, that was a warning." Raquel smirked, "Watch you back Lt. I've got my eyes on you."

"Leave me alone! Leave my family alone!"

"What family? You got no one!" Raquel growled, "Without your team and your lab, you are nothing."

Horatio gave Raquel a death glare and then left the visitors stall. He couldn't stand that woman. However, it didn't matter how many times he went there to break her, she would never change. He walked out of the prison. His thought only on Eric. He felt so betrayed, so hurt. Yet he knew he loved Eric. He just didn't see him the same way he used to. Suddenly Eric felt like a stranger. Someone Horatio didn't know anymore. He knew long before he got romantically involved with Eric, that he wasn't the kind of guy to have long relationships. Yet like most people, Horatio had thought that he could change that. That the two of them would be together forever without problems. Right now, they were facing their biggest problem ever. Horatio didn't want Eric to touch him or talk to him. One of his worst fears had come true. Once again, he had been cheated one. Like so many times before. He never thought that would happen with Eric. But it had. And now Horatio didn't now what to do. He felt lost.

As he walked towards his car, he did not see the woman standing by his hood.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Lt. Caine." The woman said.

Horatio looked surprised at the woman in front of him. He didn't recognize her.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

"Oh my name is Janet. I'm sorry. How rude of me not to introduce myself." Janet smiled.

"No problem." Horatio said.

"I didn't think I'd see you here." Janet said, "I waited to meet you for a long time now."

"Why is that?" Horatio asked. Something felt wrong about the situation and he held his hand steady over his gun.

Before Horatio would react, Janet pointed a gun at his face.

"I'm on a mission." Janet smirked, "Payback is a bitch."

"How much is Raquel paying you for this?" Horatio asked.

"Shut up and get in the car." Janet said.

Before Horatio got inside Janet's car, Janet took his gun out of the holster and threw in a ditch. Horatio sat in the backseat, and Janet was driving. There was one thing she had forgotten and that was to make sure Horatio couldn't move. Janet drove towards the Everglades. Horatio saw his chance when she took here eyes of the rear-view mirror. He bolted forward and grabbed her hands. Janet dropped her gun, and it fell down under the brake.

"You idiot!" Janet growled and tried to get control over the wheel.

Horatio tried to pry her hands of the fell. Janet bit his hand and Horatio have back by slapping her face. They were to busy fighting over the wheel that they didn't notice how the car drove towards the water. But before it went into the water it drove down in a small ditch, the car started to volt around and then finally ended up in the water. Upside down.

-I-

"Where have you been?" Ryan asked Eric as he joined him and Natalia in the lab.

"Where is H?" Eric asked, ignoring Ryan's question.

"We don't know. Isn't he with you?" Natalia asked, and Eric shook his head.

"Well, his cell phone is turned off." Ryan sighed, "Anyway we got a new crime scene."

"Tell me about it." Eric said.

"Catherine Bells house burned down, she's alive. Has no children and was born as Cameron Bells." Ryan said, "We think she might be working with our arsonist."

"Because she has no children?" Eric asked, "Her photo was among all the other pictures that Erica gave us."

"Yes, but we also found a bowl of gasoline in her house. It had no burn marks on it, so it was left there after the fire."

"Only a firefighter can do that." Eric said, "Fingerprints?"

"Coming up, right now." Natalia said and turned the screen towards Eric.

"No match." Eric sighed, "This is just getting weirder and weirder."

Ryan and Natalia nodded in agreement.

TBC…

AN: Don't forget to review, lol! And don't forget to vote on my poll!