SquidgeWorld Archive

But For A Chance Encounter
by Wyndewalker

Speed groaned as he looked at the street in front of him. As far as he could tell the next three blocks were closed for some kind of street fair. Normally he wouldn't care; he'd just find a different route to wherever he was going because he didn't do street fairs, the bookstore he needed to get to was smack in the middle of those three blocks. He debated not going but he really wanted to take the book he'd ordered on vacation with him. He sighed and found a parking spot for his bike.

*****

Almost an hour later he'd finally gotten to the store and paid for his book. Walking out of the store, he was paying more attention to the Table of Contents than he was to where he was going so never saw the person he ran into.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered, picking up his book and offering the woman a hand up. She turned toward him and Speed wanted to kick himself, feeling like even more of a jerk. She was blind. "Oh God, I really am sorry. Are you alright?"

He reached down to gently grasp her wrist so she knew where his hand was. She moved her arm so she was grasping his hand.

"It's alright, sugar," she responded with a soft smile in a light Southern accent that reminded him of Alexx though she looked more like a cross between Calleigh and Horatio with her pixie face and wild array of strawberry blonde curls. He carefully helped her to her feet and handed her the lead to her Guide dog, a yellow lab waiting patiently beside her.

"The Fates put us in the places we need to be." She paused, holding his hand for a moment her head cocked to the side as if listening to something. She traced her fingers over his palm before placing her hand unerringly over his heart. She sucked in a breath. "Oh, sugar, you need to wear your vest today when you go to that jewelry store."

"Huh? What jewelry store? I'm not going to any jewelry store."

She smiled and gave him a pat. "Just remember to wear that vest."

She started to walk away but paused and spoke over her shoulder. "Tell Horatio how you feel, Speed. Life is too short to wait, sugar."

"What?" A flash of color at his feet caught Speed's attention. Looking down, he saw she had dropped a silk scarf. He picked it up turning to where she had been but stopped short. She was gone as if she had never been there. He looked around for a minute; stopping when he noticed people giving him odd looks. Sighing, he stuffed it and his new book in his bag. The sudden ringing of his cell phone startled him almost making drop everything again. He pulled it off his belt and groaned. "You do know I'm vacation, right, Eric? I thought you were too."

"Sorry, man, but H needs all of us on this one. We've got a 50 ft yacht that ran into a bridge piling collapsing part of the bridge and sending at least one car into the water. You are still in town, right?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I needed to pick something up before I left. Alright I'll be at the station in twenty minutes."

*****

"We got the jewelry appraised last year," Tawny Williams said handing over the papers she'd retrieved.

"A lot can happen in a year," Horatio commented looking over the papers before handing them to Speed. "Now...who else had access to those jewels?"

"Just me and my husband. We keep them in a vault."

Something was scratching at the back of Speed's thoughts making him uneasy. He felt like she was being honest with them but at the same time like something wasn’t adding up right. That wasn't what made him feel uneasy though. It was something else.

"Did you ever have them cleaned?" Horatio asked unaware of Speed's unease.

"After events, sure," she replied looking at each of them before refocusing on Horatio. "At McCauley Jewelers."

Speed stiffened. 'You need to wear your vest today when you go to that jewelry store.' How had she known?

"McCauley Jewelers, Speed. Thank you." They both nodded to Tawny Williams before heading back out to the Hummer.

Once back on the road Speed glanced quickly at Horatio. "Can we stop at the Lab first? I need to grab something."

Horatio frowned. "It can't wait?"

"No, I need to stop at the Lab first," he insisted, keeping his head turned towards the window.

"Alright. We can stop at the Lab first."

At the Lab Speed jumped out of the Hummer. "I won't be long. I just need to go to my locker."

Horatio nodded, watching him. Speed walked quickly into the building then jogged to the locker room. Luckily it was empty so he stripped off his shirt and strapped on his Kevlar vest. He pulled his shirt back on making sure it hid the vest then headed back out to the Hummer."

"Do you get what you need?"

"Yeah, I got it," Speed replied looking Horatio in the eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment until Horatio finally nodded seemingly satisfied with what he saw.

"Let's go find out what Mr. McCauley has to say."

Pulling up in front of the store, Speed shook his head at the red Rolls Royce convertible parked in front of them. "I bet that Rolls belongs to the owner. Cars are such a bad investment."

“Most people feel that cars are a necessity.”

"I'll take my bike any day over a car," Speed said with a smirk.

Horatio shook his head as they moved up the walk. "Some day you might need something with doors."

"I've got plenty of time for that." Speed's stride faltered for a second as another feeling of unease came over him. He kept moving forward hoping Horatio hadn't noticed.

Inside they were greeted by a guy with a European accent. Definitely not Irish or Scottish like the name McCauley would imply. It sounded more Eastern European. German maybe. Speed listened with only half an ear as he moved further into the store. Something wasn't right here. There were two saleswomen standing behind one of the counters giving him strained smiles. One of them glanced towards the back of the store without moving her head then looked back at Speed. He looked and could see someone crawling underneath one of the work benches in the back room. What the hell was going on here? He pulled his gun, flicking off the safety.

"Speed?"

He heard Horatio call his name but ignored it to focus on the guy moving under the table. A flash of something that looked like a gun had him bringing his own gun up. Almost too late he saw the door to the back open and a second man with a gun emerged.

The man fired.

Speed heard the two women scream. Registered them dropping to the ground behind the counter.

He brought his gun to bear and pulled the trigger.

Click.

His eyes widened. Not again. He pulled the trigger again.

Click. Click.

His eyes dropped to his gun. This couldn't be happening again.

He heard two gun shots. Something slammed into his chest like a freight train, knocking him to the ground. Speed heard more gun shots being fired but was too busy trying to breathe to concentrate on what was going on around him. Suddenly Horatio was looming above him.

"Speed? I need you to hold on, okay?" Horatio grabbed his cell phone. "This is CSI Caine. We have a priority here! I've got a man down, shots fired! Hold on, Speed."

"...breathe," Speed managed to gasp out his hands scrabbling at his chest, trying to undo the buttons of his shirt or even just rip the damn thing open.

Horatio seemed to understand what he wanted and started undoing the buttons. He paused suddenly then ripped open Speed's shirt. He quickly undid the straps holding the vest on.

Finally able to fully expand his lungs, Speed sucked in a lungful of air. He promptly started coughing but at least he could breathe again.

"Just take it easy, Speed. The paramedics are on their way."

Speed nodded, closing his eyes as he drew in one lungful of sweet air after another. He knew Horatio was watching him; could feel the weight of his gaze but Speed didn't want to see the
disappointment he was sure was in the older man's eyes. Instead he just concentrated on breathing; wincing periodically at the pain in his chest from what he was sure was a very large bruise.

"The paramedics are here," Horatio finally said. Speed opened his eyes but Horatio was looking towards the front door of the store. Soon the paramedic was kneeling next to him and Horatio was giving her the rundown. "He took one bullet but was wearing his vest. He had the wind knocked out of him when he fell."

"Did he hit his head? Possible concussion?" She asked already shining a penlight in his eyes. Speed grimaced turning his head away.

"I'm right here you know. I can answer questions and, no, I don't think I hit my head. I'm fine, just bruised." He tried to sit up but the paramedic and Horatio held him down.

"Speed, you will do what the young woman says. Understand?"

Speed winced at the hard tone but nodded. "Yeah, H. I understand."

"Good. I am going to talk to Calleigh and then I have a suspect to interrogate. You will go to the hospital if that's what they require."

"Got it," he sighed.

"Good. Take care of him, ma'am. He's important to a lot of people and he gave us a very bad scare today."

"I will, sir," she replied nodding to Horatio before continuing her examination. She waited until Horatio had walked off before she smirked at Speed. "Something tells me you're in for a spanking
once Dad gets you home."

He stared up at her for a moment before he laughed. It immediately turned into a cough that she helped him ride through.

"I'm more worried about Mom. She's going to kill me when I get back to the Lab. Ouch," he complained when she pressed on a tender spot.

"Was that an 'ouch, I'm bruised' or an 'ouch, that really really hurt'?"

"Ouch, I'm bruised. Nothing feels broken. Just a little sore."

She prodded around his bruise a bit more before shaking her head. "Alright. I'm going to give you a conditional clean bill. If you have any problems, any at all, you head straight for the hospital. Got me?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Good. Let's go give your lieutenant the good news." She just smirked at his groan.

*****

Horatio looked up when the doors to the jewelry store opened. He frowned as Speed walked out followed by the paramedic.

"He goes nowhere," Horatio said to the Patrol officer watching Rudy. He didn't even wait for a nod before joining Speed and the paramedic. "Ma'am. How is he?"

"A bit bruised." she smirked at Speed's rolled eyes. "It doesn't look like he's broken or cracked any ribs. No sign of concussion. I'd say light duty for the next few days though any signs of problems breathing, shortness of breath, blue-tinge to his lips or fingernails take him straight to the hospital. No arguments."

The last was directed at Speed who sighed but nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"You take care of him, Lieutenant."

"I will and thank you."

"Just doing my job." She nodded to both of them heading back to her ambulance.

"Speed..."

"H..."

They both paused. Speed looked down then at Horatio. "I know we need to talk. About a few things but not here. My place after shift, case willing? I'll cook."

Horatio started to say something, paused, then, "You cook?"

"Yeah," Speed snorted, "I cook. So what now? Did Rudy say where the boy is?"

"No. He says he doesn't know anything about the kidnapping. For the moment I'm inclined to believe him so it's back to the Lab and the palm print on the car trunk."

*****

Back at the Lab Horatio headed for Fingerprints while Speed went to the morgue. Standing in front of the doors, he shuddered at the thought of how close he came to being the one on Alexx's table. He debated not going in but knew she'd track him down once she heard he was in the building. The door suddenly swung open revealing Alexx with her hand on her hip.

"Inside now, Timothy."

"Yes, Mom." He slunk into the morgue then into her office. Before he could sit down she pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into her shoulder. She pulled back and smacked his arm then hugged him again.

"Don't you scare me like that again, baby, understand?"

"I know. I am sorry."

Alexx sighed pulling away. "Sit down, sugar, and tell me what happened. When I heard Horatio... When I heard... What happened? Not that I'm not grateful you're not on my table," she paused repeating that to herself.

"I know what you mean," Speed said with a slight smile that faded quickly. "My gun misfired."

"Tim."

"I know. H and I are going to talk after work. It wasn't attempted suicide by criminal."

"Of course not. You wouldn't have been wearing your vest if it was... Why were you wearing your vest?"

"Would you believe someone told me to?" He nodded at her look of disbelief and told her about the woman he'd run into.

When he was done Alexx shook her head. "That is the oddest story I've ever heard, sugar, but I'm glad. You might not be sitting here otherwise. If you ever find out who she is let me know. I want to say thank you. She saved my baby's life."

"Alexx..."

"Off with you now. I have autopsies to do."

Speed shook his head but didn't protest. "I'll talk to you later."

He was almost to the morgue doors when she called out. "Speed?"

"Yeah?"

"When you talk to Horatio tonight you need to tell him how you feel, sugar."

"No. I..."

"Yes, you will. You of all people should know how short and precious the time we have is. Tell him. You might be surprised by his response."

"Alexx..."

"Tell him."

"Fine! I will. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," she responded dryly.

Speed glared at her but left. There wasn't much point in arguing. She was one of those moms who were always right. As he entered the Lab properly he ran into Horatio and Eric on their way out.

"Did we get something?"

"Hit on the trunk palm print," Eric said. "We're headed out with SWAT now to pick up the suspect."

"Where..."

"I'll meet you outside, Eric," Horatio interrupted.

"Yeah, sure, H," Eric agreed looking between them. He gave Speed a friendly slap on the arm as he left. "Good to see you up and around, man."

"You are on light duty, Speed," Horatio said once they were alone. "And Calleigh still has your gun."

"Okay. What do you want me to do then?"

"Go over that mud you found. See if you can trace it somewhere in particular. Our current suspect is one Peter Keller. I want to know everything there is to know about him. Also check with QD. See if we can get anything off the envelope and money from the martial arts instructor. I doubt Keller is working alone. Can you handle that?"

"I'm just bruised, H, not dead."

"No, but you almost were."

Speed winced. "I've got it. I'll have info waiting for you when you get back."

"Good. I'll see you in a bit."

Nodding, Speed started to walk away but stopped and turned back. "You can eat pecans, right?"

"Uhm, yes. Why?"

"Just checking." With a smirk he continued on his way. Back in the Trace lab he setup a comparison test between the mud found on the boat and a sample taken from where they'd found the Grand Prix. They'd already connected the boat and the car but one more link never hurt. While that was running he pulled over a notepad quickly writing out a grocery list of what he'd need for dinner. He still wasn't sure he was going to tell Horatio how he felt about him but a semi-romantic dinner couldn't hurt. Maybe H would even make the first move.

Like he could get that lucky.

Shaking his head at his thoughts, Speed glanced over at the Mass Spec. Still running. He typed in the search query on Peter Keller then grabbed the Evidence envelope that had the payoff envelope in it. Might as well run it to QD while he waited.

Ten minutes later he finally made it to the QD. It seemed like everyone wanted to ask him how he was doing. You’d think no one ever got shot on their job.

"Hey, Cynthia," he said sticking his head around the doorway of the lab.

"Speed!" She smiled at him. "Are you okay? We heard..."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little bruised." He wished everyone would stop making such a fuss but didn't say that out loud. Instead he handed her the evidence envelope. "H wants you to run this. It's the payoff to the martial arts instructor in the kidnapping case."

"Sure. Am I looking for anything in particular?"

"Anything that might tell us who the kidnapper is, accomplices, or where they might've stashed the boy."

"So give it the works. I'm on it. I'll page you as soon as I've got something."

"Great. Thanks."

Walking back to Trace, he paused outside the locker room door. He really was curious to know who that woman had been. Decision made he retrieved the bag with the scarf and continued back to his lab. Putting the bag on the table, he grabbed the report from the Mass Spec.

The mud on the boat and the mud by the car were an exact match in mineral and chemical composition. That gave them a solid link between the two now. A glance at the computer showed it had finished the search on Keller. H and Eric had only been gone fifteen minutes so he left it to work on the scarf.

Laying it out on the table, Speed looked it over. It was a dark kelly green with a black Celtic knotwork pattern printed on it. The material had been looped like a head band with the ends knotted loosely together. Luck was really on his side because he spotted a couple of strands of hair in the knot. They were long, curly and strawberry blonde and, even better, had follicle tags on them. He bagged them so he could drop them off with Valera later. Carefully he folded up the scarf and re-bagged it. If Valera was able to find a match he wanted to send it back to her.

That done he turned his attention to the search on Keller. "Alright, jackass, what other crimes have you committed besides kidnapping and murder? Forgery. Fraud. Embezzlement. Theft. My,  my we are a bad man but those don't lead to kidnapping or murder. Let's see the victims. Huh. Older single rich men. Sorry, Petey, but you are not the gay boytoy type. Let's see known associates."

Speed blinked at the screen then smirked. "Well this is interesting. Better tell Yelina if she's not with H."

He printed out duplicate copies of the current screen and Keller's rap sheet, shoved a set in a folder and grabbed the hairs from the scarf on his way out the door. He reached DNA first knocking on the open door. "Hey, Valera, need you to run something for me."

"Hey! How are you? You okay? I heard..."

Speed held up a hand cutting her off. "I'm fine. Just bruised. Run these hairs please."

"Yeah, sure I can do that."

Mentally wincing at the hurt tone, he gave her a tight smile. "Thanks, Max. Page me with the results."

"Okay."

"Yelina!" He called out spotting the Brazilian detective. "I'll talk to you later, Valera. Yelina, wait up."

"Speed," she turned to smile at him. "How... I'd ask how you are doing but something tells me you are tired of hearing that question."

"Just a little. I'm fine but nobody seems to get that."

"They are your friends, Tim. They're concerned about you. When Horatio's call came in no one knew you were wearing your vest so we all expected the worst. Give them some time. A week and things will be back to normal."

"I hope so."

"It will. Now what can I do for you?"

"H had me run a background on Peter Keller. Look at his previous targets and then look at his known associates."

"This is interesting," she said skimming the pages. "It certainly puts a whole new spin on things."

"I thought so too."

"Good work, Tim. I'll have her brought in for questioning; see what she has to say. I'll page you when she gets here."

"Thanks. I'll be in the lab."

Yelina smiled and walked back towards the Detectives' section of the building. Realizing he hadn't eaten anything that day, Speed headed to the break room rather than his lab. A quick glance at the sandwich dispenser had him turning towards the snack machine. Bag of M&M's in hand he'd just sat down at the table with a forensics journal someone had left behind when Calleigh walked
in.

"Tim! I've been looking for you." She sat down at the table across from him. He didn't look up from the journal. He didn't want to see the pity, disappointment, or worse condemnation in her eyes.

"I'm fine. No injuries, just bruised."

"That's not why I'm here though it's good to know."

"Why are you here then?" He tossed aside the journal and instead concentrated on sorting his M&M's by color. Her hand on his stopped him, finally forcing him to look at her. All he could see was concern in her eyes. "What?"

"I finished examining your gun. The firing pin snapped causing it to misfire."

"So it wasn't my fault?"

"That's what my report will say but, Tim... I thought you were going to talk to Horatio after Dispo Day?"

"I did," Speed said defensively. "He even gave me a gun cleaning kit."

"And have you used it?"

"Yes. Sort of," he mumbled.

Calleigh sat back and looked at him for a long moment. Speed stared at the M&M's in front of him before looking back at her. "I'm talking with H again tonight."

"Good," she said gently. "Have him show you how to use that kit properly. You may have bent the pin by accident if you weren't cleaning it right. I'll reissue you a new gun on your next shift." She stood up but paused. "Even though my report will say it was a faulty firing pin you still have a history of poor gun maintenance. Standard procedure says that you will be subject to random gun checks by your supervisor for no less than six months possibly up to a year."

Speed clenched his jaw but nodded. None of this was her fault. She could get in trouble as it was for not reporting the full condition of his gun. "Thanks, Calleigh."

"Thank me by learning how to use that kit and use it often. If Horatio doesn't show you let me know and I will. You're my friend, Tim. I don't want to lose you to something like this that can be avoided." She squeezed his shoulder then left the room. Once she was gone he tried to read the forensic journal but couldn't concentrate on the article. Thoughts of what Calleigh had and hadn't said; what he was going to say to Horatio tonight ran through his head until he finally tossed down the journal in frustration. Scooping up the rest of his M&M's, he started back towards his lab. He was just walking in the door when his phone went off. It was a page from Kerry at reception letting him know Horatio and Eric were back with the suspect.

He grabbed the duplicate copy of Keller and Tawny Williams' files and headed towards interrogation. He caught up with Horatio outside of one of the rooms.

"H! I ran that background check you wanted. Guess who came up under known associates?"

"Tawny Williams."

"Yeah, only she was going by Sissy Huber then. Let me guess, he's claiming she masterminded it?" Speed handed over the file.

"Something like that. Sissy Huber - Tampa, Tallahassee. Fraud, theft, and embezzlement."

"All their vics were rich men in their fifties and sixties."

"Broke their hearts then broke their bank accounts, didn't she? Let's bring her in."

"Yelina's already on it."

"That was fast."

"This kid is counting on us to find him. I didn't see a reason not to go to Yelina with what I'd found."

"No, you did the right thing. Joey Williams is our priority right now. Has QD gotten back to us on the envelope?"

"Not yet," Speed said double-checking his phone for any missed messages. "Cynthia said she'd page me as soon as she found something."

"Good."

"So I'm thinking this went down one of two ways."

"Oh?"

"One, she was in on the kidnapping but had no idea about the jewels being switched so was actually shocked when she heard Keller killed Williams and the whole thing has spiraled out of
control. Or she fell for their mark which pissed off Keller and this whole thing is Keller's revenge against Tawny...Sissy, whatever the hell her name is."

"Either one of those scenarios is a very real possibility but it still leaves us with a very important question."

"Where is Joey Williams."

"Exactly. Hopefully Mrs. Williams can shed some light on it."

Speed followed Horatio's line of sight to see Yelina approaching with Tawny Williams.

"Lieutenant, I mean, really. Shouldn’t I be home in case someone calls?" She demanded as they entered the interrogation room together.

"Someone like Pete Keller?" Horatio asked, looking at her sideways. Tawny sank into her seat. Speed leaned back against the two-way mirror letting H and Yelina take the lead.

"Your boyfriend…is in custody for kidnapping," Yelina told her sounding just a bit smug as she looked out towards the Detectives' area.

Tawny looked in time to see Keller walk past in handcuffs being escorted by two officers. She stared back at them in disbelief. "Pete did this? I haven't seen Pete in years."

Horatio's gaze and tone hardened. "He murders your husband, he kidnaps your stepson and I’m to believe that you haven’t seen him in years…Sissy? This is a list of known associates and it appears," he tossed down the folder Speed had given him, "that you and Pete have been separating people from their money for quite awhile."

"Usually older, rich men," Yelina added.

"I ripped off rich guys. Okay? I admit it. We picked them out of the Society page in the Herald."

"Is that how you found your husband?" Yelina asked.

"Yeah, he…Reed had just been widowed. He was like a prime target. Only this time, it was different. I fell in love with him. Okay? I fell in love with his son. You said I’d been hiding something. That’s it. My past. I’ve been trying to make some changes in my life. People do change. Please find him."

"How long have you been married to Reed Williams?" Speed asked suddenly.

"What?" She asked bewildered by the sudden change in questions. "Two years. August 10th was our two year anniversary," She paused, a hand to her mouth, fighting back tears. "Reed and Joey asked me to formally adopt Joey as an anniversary present. The...the paperwork is still in the process. Please find my son," she begged.

"That's what we're going to do, ma'am," Horatio assured her.

Out in the hallway Speed, Horatio and Yelina traded looks.

"She didn't have anything to do with the kidnapping," Speed said.

"No, she didn't," Horatio agreed. "I think it's time to speak with Peter Keller again. He knows where Joey is."

"He's in room 4," Yelina gestured down the hallway.

"Let's go talk to him then."

Speed started to follow but his cell phone went off. Pulling it off his belt, he saw that it was Valera.

"Cynthia?" Horatio asked.

"No. Valera. I had her running something for me. I'll catch up with you."

He nodded to both of them before heading back to the lab.

"You rang," he said as he walked into DNA.

"Hey. You said this was related to the kidnapping case, right?"

"Indirectly, yeah. What did you find?"

"You're going to have a problem if she's a suspect or even a potential witness," she said handing him a file from her desk.

"What kind of problem?"

"Take a look."

Speed flipped open the folder and paused staring back up at her.

"I know. Read the next page."

He moved the next page to the front and started reading it. He was about halfway down when he stopped again. "You're sure about this?"

"Uh-huh. I ran samples from all of the hairs you gave me. All of them were from the same donor and I ran the DNA makeup through CODIS three times. I'm sure that information is correct. Are you going to tell me how this relates to the case now?"

"I'm not sure how it relates now," Speed answered distractedly walking out of her lab. He called over his shoulder, "thanks, Max."

"You're welcome," she muttered.

******

Speed sat in his lab contemplating the contents of the folder in front of him. He wanted to deny what was in front of him but he knew Valera wouldn't make that kind of mistake. It certainly put a
whole new spin on his encounter that morning. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to believe it. Horatio walking by the lab drew him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, H," Speed called and he hurried out to meet him. "Did we get anything from Keller?"

"Nothing useful. Did you get what you needed from Valera?"

"Nothing useful," Speed replied with a shrug. "QD?"

"QD."

*******

"Have we processed the envelope with the hundreds from Ken Timmons, the martial arts guy?" Horatio asked as they walked into the QD lab.

"Hey, I was just about to page you, Speed. Cash wasn’t helpful, but the envelope was," she gestured to the image on the wall monitor.

"Translation, please."

"It’s a bill." Cynthia and Speed responded at the same time. They shared a slight smile.

"It is a bill, for karate lessons." Horatio agreed, hands on his hips as he stared at the monitor.

"The payoff envelope didn’t come from Pete Keller."

"No, it came from inside the dojo. Which means Timmons and Keller are partners." Horatio stated grimly. "Timmons lied."

"So back to the dojo?" Speed asked. Horatio looked at him and Speed sighed. "Fine. Light duty. No gun. I'll be in my lab if anyone needs me."

*******

Almost two hours later Speed was going over one of his cold cases when Eric rushed in. "I've got something for you. H thinks it'll lead us to where they stashed the kid."

"Well, hand it over," Speed demanded already clearing his microscope. He took the sample container Eric held out and held it up to the light for a second. "Tree sap. I've seen this before. Where?"

It only took a few seconds to prepare a sample for the Mass Spectrometer another minute for it to run. Quickly reading the results Speed swore.

"What?" Eric asked as Speed yanked off his lab coat. "Where are you going?"

"I know where Joey Williams is," he called over his shoulder.

"But H said to call him with the results," Eric said following after him.

"And we will once we're in the hummer."

"But..."

Speed rounded on Eric causing him to stumble back. "That sap is from a Manchineel tree. Where do you find Manchineels?"

"Oh hell."
 
"Exactly. Joey Williams is in Hell's Bay which means sharks and gators. You know H. As soon as he knows where that boy is do you think he's going to wait for backup or do you think he's going to throw himself in the path of danger to save him?"

"He's not going to wait."

"No, he isn't." Speed turned back around continuing out to the hummers. He headed straight for the one he usually used when he wasn't riding with Horatio and pulled open the back door. A few seconds of rummaging around produced the tranquilizer rifle case. He tossed to Eric before getting in the driver seat. Eric scrambled to get into the passenger seat.

"You're not supposed to leave the lab. You don't have a gun."

"I don't need a gun," Speed replied as they tore out of the parking lot, lights flashing. "I'll have the rifle. Now call H and then call for backup."

"He's going to be really pissed that you left the lab," Eric pointed out.

"As long as he's alive I don't care if he's pissed. But if he gets himself eaten by a shark or gator I'm going to kill him.” Speed ignored the look Eric was giving him. “Don’t you have a phone call to make?”

“Huh? Yeah. Right.” Eric dialed his cell phone. “H, he’s got him in Hell’s Bay.”

“He can’t bring himself to kill the boy, Eric. He’s going to let the sharks do it. Now, there’s one way in. Meet me there.”

“We’re on our way.” Eric snapped his phone shut looking over at Speed. “I’m hiding when he starts yelling.”

“Coward,” Speed smirked. “Besides he’s not going to yell. He’s going to get that intense look on his face and his voice will be all quiet and stern.”

“Uh-huh. You nearly died today, Speed. H is gonna yell.”

“Whatever.”

“It’s your funeral, man.” Eric winced as soon as he said it.

“It didn’t happen.”

“Yeah, but it was damn close and only because you were wearing your vest,” Eric snapped. “Stop acting like it was nothing!”

“You think I’m acting like almost dying was nothing?”

“Yes!”

“Then how do you think I’m supposed to act? Because I sure as hell don’t think almost dying was nothing.”

“Could have fooled me! And I don’t know. But not all business as usual like you are. Do you even know what went wrong with your gun?”

“Yes, actually, I do. Calleigh showed me her report. H and I are talking about it after shift.”

“Like you talked after Dispo Day?”

"Eric, you're my friend but there things about me you don't know. Things I'm not ready for you to know..."

"Like you're gay?"

"What?!" Speed choked on his own saliva in surprise.

"Dude, you turned down a porn star. Straight guys don't do that. *Married* straight guys don't do that. I'm cool with it though. Sure it weirded me out a little at first but then I realized I'm not your type."

"Really. You are a good-looking guy," Speed replied wondering when the conversation had entered the Twilight Zone.

"Well, yeah," Eric grinned, "but you go for the more intellectual types. Like H."

Speed nearly swerved off the road in surprise. When he got the Hummer back under control he glared at the smirking Cuban. "Eric."

"Chill, man," Eric actually laughed at Speed's growl. "I'm not going to say anything. I promise."

"You better not."

Twenty minutes later they pulled up to the only road access to Hell's Bay.

"There's the Hummer," Eric pointed. "I don't see H."

"I do. Son of a bitch," Speed swore bringing the Hummer to a sliding stop. He practically ripped the rifle from Eric's hands. "He's in the water!"

By the time he made it to the edge of the channel, rifle at the ready, Horatio was halfway back with the boy. Speed swallowed at the sight of the bloody shirt in the water; undoubtedly all that was left of Ken Timmons. His anger hit a new high at the realization of the risk the older man had taken.

"Dammit, Horatio!" He yelled. "What happened to waiting for backup?"

Joey leaned closer to Horatio and whispered loudly, "He sounds like Mommy when Daddy does something that scared her."

"I see," Horatio smiled conspiratorially as they left the water. "And what does your daddy usually say to your mommy when she's upset like that?"

"He says, I'm sorry, honey. I promise I won't do it again. And Mommy sighs and says, no, you'll find a new way to turn my hair grey early. He laughs and says, but you love me anyway. She laughs too and says yeah. Then they do the sucky face thing. It's kinda gross to watch."

Speed rolled his eyes at Horatio who had that amused smile on his face. Eric was attempting, unsuccessfully, to muffle his snickers. "Your mom's lucky, kid. Horatio never makes those kinds of
promises."

Before Horatio could respond the paramedics arrived. "Joey, the paramedics are going to give you a check-up over by the ambulance to make sure you're not hurt anywhere, okay? Eric," he pointed to the Cuban who waved cheerfully, "is going to go with you. He won't leave you by yourself, okay?"

"Why aren't you coming with me?"

"I'll be there in just a minute, okay? I need to talk to Speed first."

"Are you guys going to make sucky faces?" Joey asked in resignation. Eric burst out laughing earning twin glares from the older men.

"I'm going to hurt you, Delko," Speed growled.

"No, Joey. Speed and I aren't going to make sucky faces." Horatio put him down on his feet.

"Uh-huh," Joey muttered in clear disbelief but took the hand Eric offered and walked with him to the ambulance. Once they were out of earshot Horatio turned to Speed, hands on his hips. The look Speed wore was half-glare, half-petulant pout.

"I seem to recall that you are not supposed to leave the Lab."

"Oops," was the unrepentant reply.

"Speed."

"No. Don't Speed me. I know you, Horatio. I know how focused you get on saving a victim or drawing out a killer that you completely disregard your own safety. *You* could have been killed today," he snarled.

"Speed."

"You're always telling us to wait for backup in dangerous situations, H. You need to start listening to your own advice. Those are frigging shark and alligator infested waters. Timmons was obviously killed after dropping off Joey. What do you think it would have done to that poor kid to see you killed as well? Or what would have happened if you'd been attacked on the way back? Jesus Christ, Horatio, you could have gotten both of you killed!"

Silence reigned between them for a long moment. Finally Horatio took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, Speed."

Speed opened his mouth, closed it, sighed and shook his head. "Just please think before you rush into these situations, H. If you can wait for backup, do it. Stop risking your life needlessly. Despite popular opinion your suits do not make you invulnerable."

"I don't..." Horatio paused at Speed's glare. "I'll try."

"Good," Speed replied though he clearly didn't believe him. "I'll see you back at the Lab." he didn't wait for a response before heading back to the Hummer. Eric could catch a ride with H or one of the patrol cars.

By the time he made it back to the Lab he was shaking so hard he couldn't get out of the Hummer. The passenger side door opened nearly making him jump out of his skin. He stared at Calleigh as she climbed in and closed the door behind her.

"Long day, huh?"

Speed let out a short bark of laughter that bordered on hysteria.

"Okay. Stating the obvious. I'll give you that," she said with a light laugh. "What were your plans for your vacation anyway?"

"I have a timeshare down in the Keys."

"Well that sounds nice. I think that after you talk to Horatio tonight you should continue with your plans. You still have four days left and if anyone deserves a vacation it's you. Maybe, if your talk goes well, Horatio could go down with you for a couple of days?"

"Does everyone know how I feel about Horatio?" He demanded.

"We are CSI's," she said with a grin. Speed just banged his head on the steering wheel making her laugh. "If it helps I don't think Horatio has figured it out yet."

"No, it doesn't help," he muttered.

"Come on. Let's head back into the lab and finish shift before Alexx decides she needs to come out here to comfort her baby boy." That earned her another glare but it did finally get him out of the Hummer.

Luckily, he supposed, they weren't intercepted by anyone as Calleigh walked with him to Trace before heading back to Ballistics. He spent some time finishing up his report for the Williams case. Six o'clock finally rolled around. He was just finishing cleaning up when Horatio walked in.

"Speed?"

"Here's my report for the William's case." He handed over the folder and shrugged out of his lab coat.

"Thank you. Are we still on for tonight?"

Speed paused then nodded. "Yeah. Seven-thirty good? I need to hit the grocery store for a couple of things first."

"Seven-thirty is good for me. I have a few things to finish up here myself."

"Okay. That works. I'll see you then."

They stood awkwardly for a moment before Speed nodded again and left the lab heading for the locker room. He could feel Horatio's eyes on him as he walked.

********

Parking the Ducati in front of his loft condo, Speed briefly panicked wondering at how clean the place was. When was the last time he'd changed his sheets?

He rolled his eyes at that. He was going to be lucky if he didn't get fired never mind getting 'lucky'. Speed pushed those thoughts aside looking at his watch as he unlocked the door. He had forty-five minutes until Horatio got there. It was only a thirty-minute recipe so he'd do the prep-work now, clean, and then toss it in the oven when Horatio got there.

Forty minutes later he'd just finished wiping down the upstairs bathroom when the doorbell rang. Jogging down the stairs, he double-checked the apartment. It wasn't as clean as he'd like but at least it was neatened up and not the disaster area it had been. He really did need to setup another bookcase in the guest room. Maybe he'd move the biographies into there. Free up some space in his library/office. There were a few new books on micro-biology and Trace Forensics he wanted to pick-up plus that new mystery novel was coming out at the end of the month. The doorbell rang again just as he reached it.

"Hey, H," he said opening the door. "I got distracted mentally rearranging my bookshelves. Come in."

"Thank you." Horatio held out a bottle of red wine as he took off his sunglasses. "I hope cabernet is alright. I didn't think you were a white wine drinker."

"This is fine, thanks, and not really no. Though I do occasionally like a good mead. An old...friend turned me onto it. Anyway, can I take your jacket?"

Speed carefully hung the suit jacket in the hall closet then led Horatio into the kitchen/dining room/living room area. The condo had a very open design and a great view of the ocean that suited him. Horatio raised an eyebrow at the very well-appointed kitchen.

"You really enjoy cooking," Horatio commented. He walked over to examine the series of framed diplomas that hung on the wall.

"It's a hobby," Speed shrugged putting the wine in the fridge to chill. He gestured to the bar stools at the kitchen island. "Have a seat. It'll just take a minute while I put dinner together."

"This is more than a hobby, Speed." Horatio had expected the degree from Columbia. Had even expected the two Masters degrees from the University of Miami but not the other two. "You have degrees from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and Le Cordon Bleu Institute here in Miami. Should I be worried about losing you to some five star hotel restaurant one day?"

"Not likely," Speed snorted. "I like to cook, yeah, but the stress of working in a restaurant is so not worth it."

"Being a CSI isn't exactly a low-stress job."

"No, it isn't but at the end of the day knowing I put a murderer behind bars and maybe saved another life is way more satisfying than having cooked a good meal that some critic is going to tear apart because he can't boil water. I cook because I enjoy it and it relaxes me."

"I understand," Horatio said softly. "What culinary masterpiece are you making for us tonight?"

"Hardly a masterpiece," Speed replied with a crooked smile accepting the peace offering for what it was. "It's Bourbon Pecan Chicken with a rice side dish and should be ready in about ten minutes." He paused fiddling with a pot holder. "H, I..."

"Why were you wearing your vest today? You had me stop back at the Lab to get it, didn't you? How did you know?"

"You're not going to believe me. I'm not sure I believe me."

"Try me. We see some strange things on this job."

"Not like this. Fine. I'd planned on leaving for the Keys first thing this morning but my regular bookstore called last night to let me know a book I'd ordered had come in. You might find it interesting, it's..."

"Speed."

"Sorry. So I went to pick it up first thing only there was some sort of street fair going on. Took longer than I planned to get there. As I was coming out I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and knocked into this woman. Turned out she was blind. I helped her to her feet and got the harness for her guide dog back into her hand. It didn't get strange until she touched my chest. Not like that," he grumbled at Horatio's quirked eyebrow. Horatio just smiled in amusement gesturing for him to continue.

"It was more a motherly gesture, even if she did look younger than me. Anyway when she touched me it was like a jolt of electricity had gone through her. Then she tells me that I needed to wear  my vest when I went to the jewelry store today. I thought she was some kind of crackpot because I had absolutely no plans on going to a jewelry store. I'd completely forgotten about it until Mrs. Williams told us about McCauley's. I still didn't really believe it but just in case..."

"I, for one, am glad you decided to listen to her. Why didn't you think I'd believe you?"

"Well, after she told me that she started to walk away. I noticed she'd dropped her hair scarf and picked it up. When I turned back around she was gone. Blind people with guide dogs and bright curly red hair do not just disappear into crowds. I kept the scarf. Didn't know why at the time but after...after the shooting I checked it for any hairs. Figured I might be able to get some DNA. Identify her. Er, Alexx wanted to thank her."

"I'm sure she does. Were you able to identify your mystery woman?"

Speed gave him a mild glare before going into the living room and picking up a case folder. He handed it to Horatio. "Yeah. Valera got an ID for me. That's the really weird part."

Horatio flipped it open and raised an eyebrow. "This is an autopsy report."

"I know."

"From five years ago."

"Yeah. A hit and run. She died on the same street that my bookstore is on. Read the description of the victim."

"Female. Twenty-eight years old. Caucasian. Long curly red hair. Green eyes. Blind from birth. She had a seeing eye dog, a yellow lab that was found injured at the scene. Her name was Melinda O'Carrollan. She was a second grade teacher."

"Who's been dead for five years. I checked the autopsy photo and it's the woman I bumped into but it's impossible. Dead people do not just wander around handing out live-saving advice!"

"Perhaps not but guardian angels do." He half-smiled at the look Speed gave him. "When there is no possible explanation one must look at the impossible. Either way someone was looking out for you, Speed, and I am very grateful. The thought of losing you is not one that I like to contemplate."

"Because I'm a member of your team," Speed commented off-handedly as he moved to flip the chicken breasts. Horatio waited until they were facing each other again to answer.

"Yes. You are also a good friend. I care a great deal about you."

"As just a friend," Speed pressed, watching Horatio carefully. If he hadn't he might not have noticed the faint blush that appeared on his cheeks or the way he wouldn't quite meet Speed's eyes.

"What do you think?"

"I think I don't want to play guessing games. I know how I want you to feel but I can accept it if you don't. It would just be nice to know one way or the other."

"I see. So if I said I would be interested in pursuing a relationship with you?"

Speed moved around the island so that he was standing next to Horatio. "I'd say I was interested in the same thing."

"That's...good to know."

Clear blue eyes searched dark brown ones for a moment before Horatio moved into Speed's personal space. They moved at the same time into the kiss. Soft and gentle quickly became raw and hungry.

Were it not for the oven timer going off things would have progressed much farther then either intended. Horatio reluctantly slid his hands from beneath Speed's t-shirt while Speed let go of the button he'd been undoing on Horatio's dress shirt. Another quick kiss then Speed went to get their dinner from the oven before it burned. Straightening out his shirt, Horatio retrieved the wine from the refrigerator. He pulled the cork and poured them each a glass while Speed put a portion of chicken and rice on their plates.

"It smells wonderful, Speed."

"It's nothing," he shrugged. "The whole thing takes about thirty minutes to prepare and cook."

"It still smells good and I'm sure it will taste delicious."

Speed blushed but didn't argue as they sat down to eat. For several minutes the only sounds were of them eating and Horatio complimenting him once again. Once they were just picking at the remains Speed cleared his throat.

"Did Calleigh give you her report?"

"She did. She said that the firing pin snapped."

"Did she say why?"

"Is there something you need to tell me?"

Speed didn't answer. Instead he got up from the table and retrieved the gun cleaning kit. He put it down between them. Horatio looked at it then at Speed.

"I'm glad to see you've been using my gift."

"I'm a scientist, H. A book geek. I carry a gun because the job makes me, not because I want to." Speed sighed. "I don't know *how* to clean my gun. Yeah, they taught us when I had to go through the special courses at the Academy but that was close to ten years ago. I've tried to but I know I haven't done very well. Calleigh said I may have accidentally bent the firing pin if I wasn't cleaning my gun properly." Speed fidgeted with his napkin not meeting Horatio's eyes.

"Speed. Tim," Horatio stilled Speed's hands with his own, "why didn't you tell me? I would have been happy to teach you. I am happy to teach you."

"Thanks. It was mostly pride, I guess. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me."

"I'm only disappointed that you didn't think you could come to me with this. Has Calleigh given you back your gun?"

"She said I'll be reissued one the next shift I'm in. I do technically still have five days of vacation."

"That is true. Alright. I'll show you how using mine tonight. Then we can go over it again when you get your gun." Horatio paused looking at their hands for a moment before tilting his head to look at Speed. "I clean my gun every Sunday evening. You're welcome to join me. We could make it a standing date?"

"I'd like that," Speed replied suddenly feeling shy. He cleared his throat, rising to his feet to clear the table. "So dessert and then you can show me how to clean your weapon."

Speed smirked at the way Horatio's eyes widened for a second before he responded with his own wicked smirk.

"Dessert would be good," Horatio followed Speed to the sink with their empty glasses. He pressed up against him speaking into Speed's ear and making him shiver. "I think you're going to need some stamina for your...lesson."

"We could, oh God," Speed moaned as Horatio began to kiss and nibble on his neck. "We could...do dessert aft-after my lesson."

"Whatever you want, Speed," Horatio murmured slipping one hand beneath the waist band of Speed's jeans caressing his abdomen while the other slid underneath Speed's t-shirt to pinch and roll his nipples into hard nubs. Speed flexed his hands on the rim of the sink trying to pull his scattered thoughts into some semblance of order. He finally narrowed it down to one simple thought. He wanted Horatio. Now.

With great effort of will he managed to push them both back from the counter. Before Horatio could say anything he grabbed him by the wrist and practically dragged the redhead up the stairs to his bedroom. Speed's last coherent thought for awhile was, Thank God I changed my sheets.

*******

Epilogue

*******

It was a month since the day Speed had almost been fatally shot. He would have come sooner but it was the first day Horatio and Alexx had off at the same time as him. As the three of them walked among the gravestones he couldn't help a small shiver. It could have so easily been him buried here. He'd almost lost everything he cared about that day. Alexx gave his hand a squeeze as if she'd sensed his discomfort. She probably had with her 'mom' senses. He gave her a slight smile. Horatio glanced over giving Speed a smile of his own. Another couple of minutes and they found the grave they were looking for.

The gravestone, made of pale grey granite, was a standard sized rectangle with a Celtic cross rising from the top. Her name was done in a light script with a spray of lilies in bas-relief beneath it. Underneath that was her date of birth and her date of death, then the inscription - Beloved Wife, Daughter, Sister, and Teacher. A bright and shining life taken too soon from this world.

Alexx was the first to move giving Speed's hand another squeeze before she knelt down. She laid the bouquet of white roses she held at the base of the stone. "Thank you so very much, Melinda, for looking after my boy. I don't know what we would do without him."

"Alexx..."

"Hush, Speedy. You're my baby whether you like it or not. You see what I'm dealing with, Melinda?" Alexx sighed but smiled. She kissed her hand and touched it to the headstone. "Be at peace, honey."

She got back to her feet and stepped away. Speed hesitated so Horatio stepped forward, kneeling down to place his own small bouquet of roses next to Alexx's.

"Thank you, Melinda, for saving Speed. Had Speed...had he...died things would have been very different so...thank you." He bowed his head for a moment then rose to his feet.

"Uhm, can I have a second?" Speed asked. Alexx and Horatio exchanged a quick look before they nodded.

"Sure, honey. We'll be right over there."

Once they were out of hearing range Speed squatted down a bouquet of lilies in his hand. He  stared at the stone for a long moment, not sure of what to say. Finally he sighed. "I feel kinda stupid doing this, talking out loud like this, but thank you for warning me and saving my life. I don't know why you did it. There has to be people out there far more worthy of having their lives saved but thank you." He bit his lip. "So, yeah, thank you. Oh, here." He put down the bouquet of flowers and opened the paper bag he'd been carrying. From out of it came the scarf. Speed gently placed it around the cross and tied it in place. "Thanks for the hint to find you. Not sure why you did it, did any of it, but thanks." He glanced over at Horatio. "I told him like you said though you probably know that already. I'm happy. We're happy." Standing back up, Speed turned to go but stopped and turned back. "If you happen to run into a guy named Lucas Cochrane tell him I still love him and that I'm happy."

Satisfied, he joined Alexx and Horatio. He gave Horatio a lopsided smile who returned it before he put a hand on the back of Speed's neck drawing him in for a short, sweet kiss. They pulled back from each other though Horatio did keep his arm around Speed's shoulders. Alexx smiled at them both threading her arm through Speed's. Together, a family of choice, they walked away from what could have been to what could be.

The End.