Bad Mixes

Horatio groaned as the Miami sunlight hit his face the next morning.

Partying with friends, booze then making love to your wife and early mornings didn't mix. Thankfully Lacy was still to look after the children. Neither he or Aimee had got completely drunk the previous night but they were certainly "feeling good."

Despite Horatio's warning that crashing on the sofa was a bad idea that he should take the other spare room, being their six-year-old was often awake early than they were and played in the living room or watched early morning cartoons, and anyone who was on the sofa was usually awaken up to play with him,

Kyle poked the man on the couch. He was asleep and smelled funny. Speed was confused when he first woke up. Then he realized where he was. He had drank much more than Horatio or Aimee. That was why he smelled of booze.

"You're on the remote," Kyle bluntly stated.

"Huh? Wha—" Tim said, his brain in a foggy state, he forget where he was and where the boy talking to him had come from. Then it registered. He had fallen asleep on the sofa at Horatio Caine's house after a party there the night before.

A party where he drank a bit too much.

"The remote," Kyle said again pointed under Speed's body.

"Oh. Here you go," he said handing the device to the boy.

"Thank you," the boy said. "You stink, by the way," he told Tim before going to the other couch and turning on the tv. He didn't pester Tim to stay awake. He just wanted to watch Scooby Doo.

Tim knew that kids were brutally honest and said what on their minds, not minding to hurt anyone's feelings.

"Thanks, kid," He replied.

Kyle wasn't bothering Tim, but the sounds from the television were like nails on a chalkboard to his pounding head.

"I'm gonna go and sleep in the spare room, okay, Kyle?" He said.

"'Kay," the boy said, not looking away from the tv.

Two Advil each and Aimee and Horatio were up an hour later. They had heard their guest come upstairs and enter the guestroom. Lacy were still there but was going to go home once the parents were up.

Horatio snickered.

"I bet he's sorry he passed out on the couch when Kyle went down."

"For sure," Aimee laughed.

The light on on the baby monitor flickered and sound came through it letting the two the baby girl was awake. They had just finished getting dressed.

"I got her," Horatio smiled.

After changing his daughter's diaper he carried her into the hallway.

"Let's go and fill your belly, huh?" He said to her. "I wonder where your big brother is?"

Speed was just walking out of the spare room.

"Hey H. Where do you keep your Aspirin?"

"Medicine cabinet in the bathroom." Horatio couldn't help but chuckle at his friend.

"Good morning, daddy!" Kyle said when he saw his dad and sister come into the living room.

"Hi bud. Want some breakfast?"

"I was waiting for you and mom."

"She'll be down in a minute. How about pancakes for breakfast?"

"Yeah!" Kyle replied.

Children are nothing if not honest. During breakfast Kyle asked his parents that "uncle Speed smelled weird" that morning. And he didn't look very good.

"You guys had a party last night. Does Uncle Speed have a hangover?"

Aimee had to hold back laughter.

"What's a hangover, sweetie?"

Duh. She knew what it was. She had her first one at an age she hoped Kyle would never find out But she wanted to know how Kyle got this knowledge.

"That happens after you drink too much beer." the boy pointed to the large amount of empty beer cases in the porch. "Poppy told me. He said people get a headache and feel sick in the morning."

"He does, buddy," Horatio said.

Evidently Speed's hangover was bad. As the family finished breakfast he came out of the spare room and said he was going to take a cab back to his hotel room. The parents smiled to themselves. The normal amount of noise in the family home wasn't going over well with his head.

Headache or not, Speed thought his friend was a very lucky man.