Chapter Five: How to Tell a Lie Even You'll Believe

"I still don't understand, Caine," Thompson said as he sat at his desk.

"I'm telling you the truth," Horatio sniped at him. "I opened my front door this morning and there was a package. I opened it and found my glock inside."

"Then why didn't you bring in the packaging?" Thompson asked.

"Because I have an old habit I've been trying to get rid of," Horatio said. "I tore the paper off and threw it in the fire place. It burned rather quickly."

"You had a fire going in your house? In Miami, in the middle of July?"

"My air conditioning was on the fritz," Horatio quickly retorted. "Just please tell me you're going to take me off probation already. I'm sick of sitting at that damn desk doing nothing."

Thompson glared at him, the gears obviously turning in his head.

"Fine," he quietly said, "You're off probation, but you're only permitted lab work. I can't have a one armed agent out in the field."

"Thank you, Agent Thompson," Horatio said with a nod. He turned and left the room.

Horatio walled quickly through the maze of desks and ducked into the stairwell. Someone pushed him against the wall and pressed their lips to his.

"Hello handsome," Lisa said in a seductive voice as she ran her tongue along his cheek.

Horatio squirmed away from her, rather disgusted by her terrible breath.

"Not at work, Lisa," he said as a quick excuse.

"Oh come on, Horatio," Lisa said, advancing towards him. She pushed him back against the wall by his shoulders.

Horatio yelped in pain and grabbed at his arm that was still in the sling. He pulled away from her and tried to act as if his arm still hurt.

"Lisa, you can't do that, it still hurts," Horatio lied.

Lisa scoffed and paced the stairwell.

"Horatio, you've been in that damn sling for two weeks. When are the doctors going to take it off?"

"I don't know," Horatio lied again. He looked at her angry and disappointed face. "But you'll be the first to know," he gently said, walking towards her. He softly kissed her forehead, trying not to recoil in disgust from the taste of her excessive make up.

She smiled up at him, gently placing her hands on his chest.

"Ok, I guess I can wait a little longer to bone your hot body," she smirked.

Horatio fayed a happy expression. "Oh boy," he quietly said.

"Only if you shower first, smelly," he thought to himself.

"Come on," Lisa said, stepping back from him, "Thompson said there's a new agent he wants us to meet."

"Funny," Horatio commented as they walked back into the main office area, "He didn't mention anything just now when I was with him."

They found Thompson talking to several agents from the IT department in the break room, a young woman with short dark hair standing next to him.

"Ah, Stevenson, Caine, glad to see you got the memo," he said.

"Actually, I didn't get the memo, Robert," Horatio replied. "I only just found out when Lisa told me."

Thompson shot him an angry look.

"Are you trying to tell me something, Caine?" he asked, trying to maintain a professional manner.

"Yes, when sending out a memo, include those of us you deem not worthy. Now, who's your new friend?"

Thompson smiled, trying to not snap Horatio's face off.

"I'd like to introduce everyone to our newest agent, Jane Smith."

The young woman looked at Horatio. His heart stopped and his jaw dropped. She smiled at her new coworkers, greeting each of them. She looked at Horatio, her eyes bright with life. She extended her hand, but Horatio was unable to move. She glanced at his hand, prompting him to act naturally. He slowly reached out and grasped her hand. It felt the same as it always had.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Caine," she said in her melodic voice.

"Like wise," was all Horatio could manage.

"What department do you work for?" she continued on.

"Forensics," Horatio answered, "Explosives and Weaponry Specialist."

"Oh, Explosives and Weaponry Specialist," she smirked. "Sounds sexy."

Lisa shot the woman an angry look, but quickly maintained her control.

"What about you?" Horatio managed to ask.

"Internal Intelligence," she answered, "I'll be working mostly with terrorist plots and ploys. You know, trying to prevent them from happening."

"I see," Horatio quietly said.

"What happened to your arm?" she inquired.

"I was shot while working in the field. The suspect got the upper hand and shot me with my own weapon and then stole it. Returned it to my personal address two weeks later, though."

"Ouch," she said with a pained expression, "That must have hurt."

"Hit below the belt, too," Horatio added. "I think my pride sustained a worse injury."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she quietly said.

"Well if you'll excuse us," Thompson interjected, "I need to take Agent Smith to the International Intelligence Department still. As you were."

Horatio watched them walk away, a certain longing in his heart. She turned her head back and looked at him with her warm brown eyes. Then she disappeared around the corner.

"I don't like her," Lisa said as they made their way back to the forensic department.

"You're just saying that because she used the exact same line you did the day you met me," Horatio retorted.

"Or maybe I didn't like some bitch marching into my territory and trying to steal my tabby cat," Lisa sassed.

Horatio stopped and looked at her.

"Tabby cat? Really?" he said. "You're calling me your house cat?"

"Of course I am, little puss hound," she said, wrapping both her arms around his free one.

"Shut up and let go of my arm, Lisa," Horatio grumbled as the elevator doors closed on them.

Horatio was examining tool marks on parts from a pipe bomb when he heard someone walk in and close the door. He looked up at her. She was just standing there. He sighed and looked back into the microscope.

"I'm sorry, Horatio," she quietly said, stepping towards him.

"You owe me more than just an apology," Horatio said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "You owe me four years of grieving, over two hundred confessional sessions, thousands of hours spent crying and mourning, not to mention my career at the Miami Dade Crime Lab."

"Horatio, I don't know what to say."

"Then why don't you just start talking, Marisol," he said, finally straightening up from the microscope. "Just start rambling on with some stupid story about faking your death so you could go work for the FBI, fighting crime right under my damn nose. Just tell me how you still love me and you want us to get back together, rekindle our marriage that you forcibly destroyed. Just tell me whatever lie you want, Mari, because I'm not going to believe a word of it."

Marisol stood there, just staring at him. She nervously picked at her nails, chipping the clear nail polish off.

"I don't know what to say," she quietly said. "I have nothing to say. Because like you said, you won't believe it anyways. I wish there was something I could do to make it up to you after all these years, Horatio, but there's nothing."

She turned and walked back to the door. She grasped the doorknob but turned back to face him.

"For what it's worth, you're right," she quietly said. "I do still love you."

"I'm telling you, there's something off about that new girl," Lisa said as she angrily cut into her steak.

Horatio sighed and shook his head. He pushed the salad on his plate around with his fork, not really hungry.

"I think you're just being paranoid, Lisa," he said.

"No, I'm serious, Horatio," she retorted, biting into the blackened piece of meat on her fork. "There's something about her that's just not right. I can feel it in my bones."

Horatio looked back down at his plate, not wanting to watch her barbarian ways of eating.

"I thought you said we shouldn't have dinner together in public," Horatio said, trying to change the topic.

"What, we're just a couple of colleagues having dinner. What's weird about that?"

"Oh nothing, I suppose," Horatio quietly muttered. He looked up and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Ryan, Eric, Calleigh, and Natalia all walking in together. "Great," he mumbled, looking away. He hoped none of them would notice him, but knew that would be difficult with his familiar red hair.

"Oh great," Lisa said through a mouthful of steak, "those Miami Dade wannabes are here."

Horatio shot her an angry look.

"Excuse me, but those Miami Dade wannabes are my friends," he retorted.

"Really? Do you often tell your friends to leave crime scenes and suck your dick?"

Horatio felt his face flush from anger and embarrassment. He glared down at his salad, wanting nothing more then for Lisa to spontaneously combust.

"Excuse me," he muttered as he stood from the table.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lisa snapped, gripping her steak knife like a vice.

"To the restroom," Horatio retorted as he walked away. "Unless you want me to piss on your shoes."

He walked through the restaurant towards the restroom in the back. His shoulder collided with someone else's and he turned to look at them.

"Sorry," Ryan quickly said. He looked at Horatio as realization hit him. "H," he said in a soft voice, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions.

"Lieutenant Wolfe," Horatio responded. "Having dinner with your team?"

"Yeah, we just caught the Miami Beach serial killer we've been after for two years," Ryan explained. "We came out to celebrate."

Horatio looked at him as a proud smile began to creep across his face.

"You caught him?" he quietly said.

A smile suddenly played across Ryan's face as his eyes brightened with pride.

"Yeah, we did," he said.

Horatio smiled as he grasped Ryan's shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you," he nearly whispered.

"Thanks, H. We had a good lead, though. The last Lieutenant was ruthless with catching this guy."

Horatio chuckled and squeezed Ryan's shoulder. Ryan looked at the sling on Horatio's arm, noticing it for the first time.

"Horatio, what happened?" he quietly asked.

"The warehouse bomber shot me with my glock," Horatio explained.

"Warehouse bomber?" Ryan repeated confused. "I haven't heard about him in like a month."

"That's because it happened three weeks ago," Horatio quietly admitted.

"Wow, he must have done some major damage to put you out that long."

"Weeeeeeell…" Horatio said, trying to figure out what to say. "I can't lie to you, Ryan. I may be faking it a little."

"You? Horatio Caine, faking an injury?" Ryan said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, the longer I wear the sling the longer I have to put off having sex with Lisa again," Horatio whispered.

"Lisa? Who's Lisa?"

"Agent Stevenson," Horatio answered.

"Ohhhhh," Ryan said with a sly look. "You got yourself a little bed buddy from the CIA."

"I wish I didn't," Horatio whispered.

"Dude, Ryan, you get lost on the way to the John?" Eric asked as he walked up. The smile on his face quickly faded away when he saw Horatio. "Agent Caine," he said in a dry tone.

"Officer Delko," Horatio responded, not wanting to push his luck.

"Oh my god, Eric," Ryan said, still laughing a little, "You're never going to believe this. Horatio's faking his shoulder injury to avoid getting laid!"

Eric glared at Ryan before he brought his gaze back to Horatio.

"Whatever," he muttered, "Still doesn't change what he's become."

Shots suddenly rang out in the restaurant. People screamed as they ducked to the floor. Horatio drew his weapon and began scanning.

"Where is he?" a man's voice yelled out. "Where's the Lieutenant?"

A deranged looking man rounded the corner. His eyes locked on Ryan and he raised his gun.

"You son of a bitch!" he screamed. "How could you lock up my brother like that?"

Ryan froze with fear as the man clicked the safety off on his gun.

Horatio's arm tore the material of the sling from around his neck as he shielded Ryan with his body. Pain ripped through his left shoulder. He raised his glock and fired at the man. He suddenly dropped to the ground, gasping for air as blood poured from his mouth and chest. Within seconds his body went limp.

Lisa came rushing around the corner, her glock held protectively in both her hands. Patrons gathered and restaurant staff rushed in. Horatio pulled his leather wallet from his pocket, opening it to display his badge and credentials.

"Federal Agents," he announced, gasping for air as the pain became more intense.

Lisa ordered for people to back away as she pulled out her cell phone to call for backup.

Horatio turned and looked at where Ryan was still pressed flat against the wall, his entire body shaking. His large eyes darted to Horatio as he tried to form words. Eric suddenly stepped in between them. He looked at Horatio with a soft expression as his lips trembled.

"You protected him," he whispered.

Horatio nodded his head as he pressed his handkerchief to his bleeding shoulder.

"Even though we're been doing nothing but talking crap about you for the last year, you still threw yourself in front of a bullet to save Ryan," Eric quietly said.

"Yes Eric," Horatio quietly responded, trying to keep calm as the pain became more intense, "Because that's my job. No matter the badge I wear, I vowed to protect the citizens of Miami."

Eric suddenly wrapped his arms around Horatio, holding him close as his emotions became too much for him.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

Horatio smiled and hugged him back.

"You're welcome, Eric," he whispered in response.

Eric and Ryan waited with Horatio as an EMT bandaged his wounded shoulder.

"Well it looks like you have a new excuse for the next three weeks to not bang your new friend," Ryan said with a mischievous smirk.

"Yeah, and a damn good one," Horatio chuckled lightly. He looked at the two younger men and smiled. "So what kind of crap have you guys been saying about me since I left?"

Eric and Ryan's faces both flushed a deep shade of red. They stood together awkwardly, looking at their feet. Horatio laughed and clapped each of them on the shoulder.

"It's alright," he said with a smile, "It's been happening to me a lot longer then you'd think."