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Post by lucymalta on Aug 11, 2009 3:21:35 GMT -10
So... Does Dino recognise Mich....?
Lucy
Chapter 24
Arriving at the Barn, Gaby grinned with delight – she was surprised to find out how many horses were there surrounding the house where the MDPD lieutenant lived, but when she saw Mich leading a horse in from the paddock she understood. It seemed that their two red-heads were more alike than they thought.
Following Mich into the stables, Dino dragging behind, Gaby noted how well the whole place was kept – not only were the horses groomed to perfection, but everywhere was clean and tidy – the sure sign of a professional yard.
Making sure that everything was ok, Mich left Nicki and Kate to give the horses their evening feed and quietly led the K&R specialists over to the house. Horatio was relaxing in the lounge area, but stood up when their guests arrived.
“Glad you could make it – I really need your help with the case I told you about yesterday – if you can.”
Dino nodded and took a seat, sensing a little tension in the air. From the look on Gaby’s face, he realized that she could too. “We’ll do our best Horatio, but what’s going on?”
Mich swallowed and sat down on the sofa, her hand searching for Horatio’s. He gave her a soft look and nodded, “We’ll talk about the case in a moment, but there is something we need to know first.”
Gaby spotted the look that passed between the couple on the sofa, recognizing the fear on Mich’s face and the concern on Horatio’s. As the older woman regained her composure Gaby noted that her gaze softened as she looked at Dino and felt her blood turn cold.
“Don’t you recognize me Dino?”
Dino’s eyes narrowed as they had at the lab, “I know your face, but I can’t quite place the where…” His voice tailed off as Mich reached up and took the band from her hair, allowing it to fall slightly over her face. The next moment Gaby and Horatio were stunned as Dino stood and walked across the room and pulled Mich into his arms.
“My God… Heather… I wasn’t sure, but…” he paused, “I always wondered what happened to you after…” Dino fell silent and looked at the two other figures in the room not sure how much Horatio knew, but knowing Gaby knew nothing.
Gaby’s eyes opened wide as she saw the way Dino held Mich – the way he usually held her when she was upset. Horatio sighed and dropped his head, seeing the pain in Dino’s eyes, knowing the experience the two had shared. Quietly he stood and walked out onto the terrace, motioning to Gaby to follow him.
&&
Gaby sat quietly on the bench, not sure where to start. Seeing Dino with Mich had opened up a whole barrel of questions, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answers.
Horatio sighed, he had seen Gaby’s reaction and realized that she had her own nightmares from the look of pain in her eyes. “I bet you have a few questions…”
“Do you know anything?”
“A little… Mich told me quite a story – I don’t think she would mind if I shared part of it with you.” Slowly he began to talk about what had happened to his partner – editing out the more sensitive parts. After a few minutes he was done, looking up, he noticed that Gaby was crying softly.
“No wonder she and Dino have a connection. He hasn’t told me a lot about his Delta work… It upsets him too much. Mich’s story explains a lot… Orso… he was one of Dino’s best friends.”
Regaining her composure, she told Horatio her own story, even hinting at what happened to her at university – something she had never spoken about to anyone – except her father and Dino. “We went through a very bad patch – both of us needed help to see a way through. Then we began to talk, it’s helped so much.”
Horatio gave a soft smile, “But just now you thought you’d lost everything…”
Gaby nodded, “The look on Dino’s face… he’s going to be so worried that I’m upset, we’ll be having a chat ourselves later.” She paused for a moment becoming thoughtful, “I guess he and Mich are quite similar. It must be very difficult for her to talk about what she’s done.”
Horatio sighed, “It was – and I barely scratched the surface. Then last night I realized that I didn’t really want to know about the past, Mich gets all upset about it and then locks herself away. I know what has hurt her the most – what made her the way she is. It’s enough. Now we have to build for the future, I won’t let the past hurt her anymore.”
Gaby stared at H and began to chuckle, “You sound just like Dino. He’s so protective…”
Seeing the wry look on H’s face she began to laugh a little more, “You two are alike and not just in looks, though with Mich being who she is…” She sighed, “It’s not easy for her is it… To trust someone else.”
Horatio shook his head, “No. You, Dino and I have always been part of a team – people we can talk to if necessary. Mich has worked solo for so long, I don’t know what helped her to talk to me.”
“The horses…”
Horatio was confused, “What? I don’t understand.”
Gaby smiled, “When you’re alone, a horse is your best friend – you can talk to them about anything… They don’t suggest or advise, they just listen. I bet there’s a horse in your barn that knows every single thing that Mich has done – and how she feels.”
Horatio stared at Gaby, but her words hit a nerve, “There is one she seems to be around when she’s in a bad mood, she goes off on her own around the farm with him. When she comes back she’s a lot better – and she continues talking to me.”
Gaby nodded, “Being with that horse helps her to collect her thoughts Horatio, it’s a pity you don’t speak ‘Equus’ – he could fill you in…”
Horatio chuckled, “But you’ve just helped me out – now I know when she needs to talk – Zephyr is the key.”
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Post by pinkyster on Aug 11, 2009 3:40:03 GMT -10
Glad to see Gaby was able to help Horatio a bit. Now he knows when Mich needs to talk. One step closer! So Dino does remember Mich, I am sure her secret is safe. Dino strikes me as that type of person... Great Chapter. Glad to see Horatio and Mich moving forward....
Jen
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Post by margaret1234 on Aug 11, 2009 5:26:46 GMT -10
Well, that could have been nasty for Gaby, but good girl after the initial feeling of horror and Horatio sensibly drawing her away she saw the situation in a very good light, and may just have helped Horatio. Will she still be so good about it though when she learns ( if she learns) that MICH & DINO actually slept together. Anyway, peace reigns at the moment.
Great chapter.....nice to see that Horatio and Gaby are getting on well.
Margaret
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Post by Dr. Anna McBreadle on Aug 11, 2009 5:57:40 GMT -10
Dino's and Gaby's talk later will be interesting! so Horatio now knows when Mich needs to talk, at least that will help in the future! great chap! luv sam x
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Post by sanne on Aug 11, 2009 8:30:01 GMT -10
It was long before Gaby and Dino started "dating", so I guess Gaby will be able to leave the "intimate" part of Dino and Mich where it belongs...in the past........And I knew Gaby would understand Mich..... Sandra
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Post by lucymalta on Aug 12, 2009 3:31:53 GMT -10
So, gaby and Horatio seem to be getting on fine - what about Dino and Mich?
Enjoy
Lucy
Chapter 25
Unaware of the conversation going on outside, Dino held on to Mich until she began to relax a little, releasing her slightly he dropped a soft kiss onto her forehead smiling at the glint in her eye. “It’s nice to see you still have your spirit, but I don’t think either of us wants to dip that far into the past…”
Mich chuckled softly before her face became sad, Dino was the only person alive who had seen what she had lived through and the trust that had built between them in that short time was still present. He was quite possibly the only person on the planet she could talk to about Sasha – apart from Horatio. “It’s the only pleasant memory I have of that time, so you’ll excuse me for hanging on to it I hope. If you need to tell Gaby…”
Dino smiled back, “About our night together? I think she’ll understand – we no longer have personal secrets from each other – obviously I couldn’t tell her a lot about my Delta work, but with her late father being SAS, she understands. As for you holding onto the memory, of course I don’t mind, people like us don’t have many happy memories of our work.” Leading Mich to the sofa he sat down. “So what does Horatio know?”
Slowly Mich filled him in, Dino noting that she had never spoken to H about her different missions – just the way it had affected her personally. “You’ve been hard on him Heather… Sorry, Mich.”
“I know, but at the time I couldn’t help it. Then when he left…”
Dino smiled softy, “Gaby did the same to me – for slightly different reasons and I reacted badly too. Someone helped me to see what had happened – and what I needed to do to fix it.”
Mich dropped her head, “That’s going to be a long time coming between me and Horatio… Though he has come back to help me, I cannot see how to fix what went wrong – and it’s all my fault.”
Dino placed an arm gently around Mich’s shoulders. “You are fixing it by talking to him – it will work out though it might take the rest of your life. The more you trust him with who you are now…”
Mich interrupted, “But he needs to know more about the past, to know who I WAS. He just doesn’t want to talk about it any more.”
Dino chuckled softly, “Have you thought that maybe he’s not interested in who you were, but who you are? He’s asking you to move forwards with your life Mich – and he’s offering to be there for you. Leave the past where it is, there will be times when something comes up and you’ll have to discuss it with him.”
“Don’t spoil what you have at the moment – build on it. Let the stories come when they will – don’t force them out into the open – that will create more stress for both of you. When Horatio wants to know he’ll ask and he’ll be more able to deal with it.”
Mich gave a wry smile, “I suppose he is a little overloaded with everything he’s found out so far… Maybe you’re right, he needs time to think about it – to sort things out in his mind. I just hope I can continue to talk about it, it’s been so hard…”
As Mich paused, Dino could see the fear on her face and guessed what she had been about to say and felt he needed to provide a little security for her, “He’s not going to walk away Mich, no matter how terrible your stories are. I don’t think you need to worry about that, Horatio’s the type that keeps his promises. He will help you as much as he can and he’ll be there when you need him. That’s one thing you can be sure of.”
Mich gave him a quick hug before standing up to lead the way out onto the terrace, “It’s nice to hear someone confirm my own feelings, and you’re right of course. Thanks Dino, you’ve really helped me to see things from his perspective.”
As he joined Mich to walk outside Dino chuckled, “Glad I could help… If there’s anything I can do…”
Mich smiled, “I think I might be able to manage a little better from here – with Horatio’s help, though now I know where you are, don’t be surprised if you get a call out of the blue…”
“Anytime, Wolf…”
Mich forced a smile, “Likewise, Dino…”
If Horatio was surprised by the hug Mich gave him when she and Dino walked out onto the terrace, he didn’t show it, but he did send a thankful look in Dino’s direction. Gaby sighed with relief, understanding that her partner had been able to help and that she had nothing to worry about.
As the four of them sat down to a quick meal that Mich and Gaby prepared together while Dino and Horatio discussed Stacy Keaton’s case, they found themselves drawn to each other and knew that the friendship being formed would never go away.
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Post by sanne on Aug 12, 2009 3:39:22 GMT -10
Let's hope Dino is not only able to help them personally, but also on the case at hand...... Sandra
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Post by margaret1234 on Aug 12, 2009 4:09:42 GMT -10
So the lovely Dino was able to help.......he was really sweet and I agree with him when he told Mich she had been hard on Horatio. Well done Dino. So can he now help Horatio with the case.......I should imagine so......These two together would make a formidable team.
Margaret
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Post by Dr. Anna McBreadle on Aug 12, 2009 11:44:26 GMT -10
Horatio and Dino on the same case, hmmm won't that be an amazing team?? feel sorry for anyone who comes up against them!
im glad Dino was able to help Mich, could this be a positive way forward for Horatio and Mich?? lets hope so! great chap! luv sam x
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Post by NV Oracle on Aug 12, 2009 11:45:00 GMT -10
Oh, yes, they would, a very formidable team.
Great couple of chapters, Lucy. I'm finally caught up. I think Dino, and H may be right. Leave the past there, just bring it up if it needs to come up.
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Your friend Oracle
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Post by lucymalta on Aug 13, 2009 3:17:15 GMT -10
So... Have Dino's words helped Mich... or not...?
Enjoy
Lucy
Chapter 26
After Dino and Gaby had left, Mich quietly bade Horatio goodnight and went upstairs, he could hear her moving around, into the bathroom for a short time and then heard her return to the bedroom. For a moment he was torn, should he join her or not? Though she had been quite sociable all evening, something told him that inside Mich was being torn apart, trying to get her thoughts together, the look on her face as she had walked up the stairs…
He took a deep breath and decided to wait for a few minutes, give her time to think things through. When he did finally go upstairs, he was still undecided as to whether to join her for the night, but took a quick glance through the door to make sure Mich was ok. What he saw made him turn cold.
Mich was sitting cross legged on the floor in her room, her back to the door, around her in a semi-circle laid the tools of her trade. In front of her, the rifle she had used to kill the judge, to one side her throwing stars, daggers on the other. Between the daggers and rifle lay her garrotte, for a moment he was confused by the space she had left between the throwing stars and rifle when he realized something was missing – the Katana blades that she had given to Ryan.
As he watched, Mich’s head dropped into her hands and he could hear the quiet sobs coming from her. Closing his eyes he sighed, he had known that helping Mich would be hard, but not how hard. Suddenly he had an idea and smiled softly to himself. Quickly he moved around the house selecting a few items before returning to the bedroom and softly closed the door.
Placing the items in a similar semi-circle, he sat down behind Mich wrapping himself around her, saying nothing, just holding her for a moment. At first nothing happened, then he could feel her leaning back into him, hear the crying stop.
“What’s wrong? I thought a few words with Dino seemed to help you?”
“They did.” Horatio was confused, but said nothing, Mich’s tone of voice indicated that she was trying to sort out her emotions. “He made me realize that part of my problem is that…”
Her voice tailed off and she remained quiet. He was just about to say something when a quiet whisper reached his ear, “Who am I Horatio?”
“Who do you think you are?”
Horatio’s voice was equally quiet, Mich needed to sort this out for herself but if he could make her see… Her hand reached out and indicated the items around her. “This is who I am…”
The helplessness in her voice made Horatio hug her tightly for a moment, but he smiled to himself. “Which is your favourite?”
Surprised by the question, Mich answered. “The rifle, but after I’d trained, I loved the Katana blades too.” The tears began again, “How can I move on with this so much a part of me?”
“You already have Mich… Look again…”
Mich stared around her trying to work out what Horatio was getting at, “I don’t understand…”
Horatio chuckled softly, “You’ve already given your blades away…” He moved to face her, seeing her eyes widen in comprehension, “You see – if you hadn’t seriously wanted to move on, the blades would still be in their place.”
The myriad of emotions on Mich’s face gave Horatio more hope, “Turn around.”
Slowly Mich did as she was told, a gasp coming from her mouth when she saw what he had done. Next to the daggers were her ribbons from the state championships… Opposite them, next to the throwing stars was a small Bonsai tree – something that she had become interested in more recently.
Next to the Bonsai and the ribbons was Amber’s favourite Teddy Bear and Kyra’s most recent photograph. Horatio felt Mich become still in his hands, as if turned to stone. Taking a deep breath, he dropped a soft kiss to her shoulder, felt Mich lean back into him.
“There’s something missing…” Mich was staring at the space directly opposite the rifle.
“Not quite.”
Standing up, Horatio walked across the room and picked up a small wooden box from her dressing table. As he placed it in the semi circle, he saw the tears sliding down Mich’s face once more, though the face was now happier indicating that she was striving to understand what he was trying to express.
Holding out his hand Horatio helped Mich to her feet and gently pulled her out of the circle. “This is who you are Mich…”
“Your past is leaving… The present… You are a coach and trainer, respected for your ability as a rider, to me the Bonsai shows that that you wish to replace death with life… A mother…” Horatio’s voice caught in his throat a little, “The mother of my daughter…”
He indicated the small box – inside was Mich’s favourite jewellery – a gift he had given her shortly after Amber was born. “This is the woman I love.”
Horatio’s voice was so quiet Mich could barely hear him, her tears stopped, but she could not say anything for a moment.
“Let me in Mich… Let me protect you from what scares you the most… The one thing that you cannot protect yourself against.” Slowly Horatio drew away from her and stood in the centre of the circle, in the palm of his hand rested his Glock, offered to her.
Hesitantly Mich reached out, took the gun out of his hand and rested it in her own staring at it for a few moments. Horatio remained silent, but she knew he was watching her intently, waiting to see what she would do.
Mich dropped to her knees, the Glock sliding from her hand, coming to rest between the box and Kyra’s picture. “Help me Horatio… I don’t want to be the Wolf anymore… but I’m scared…”
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Post by margaret1234 on Aug 13, 2009 3:27:32 GMT -10
Come on Mich....look what a wonderful man you have wanting to protect you......let him help you to move forward.
Great chapter Lucy.
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Post by sanne on Aug 13, 2009 7:20:36 GMT -10
Everyone has 4 sides: who we were in the past, who we are now, who we will be in the future and who we desire/aspire to be in our heart..........Seems Mich is no exception to that...... Sandra
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Post by NV Oracle on Aug 13, 2009 10:51:00 GMT -10
Taking that step is always the hard part, Mich. Into the unknown. You wouldn't be doing it alone, though. Horatio and the girls would be right there with you.
Great chapter, Lucy.
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Your friend Oracle
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Post by lucymalta on Aug 14, 2009 3:39:40 GMT -10
So... It seems that Mich is finally going to let Horatio in... but how much control will she let H have.....
Lucy
Chapter 27
Horatio sighed with relief; he had taken a chance that could have ended differently. Mich could have rejected his suggestion, wanted to continue fighting alone – with him just a supportive bystander. Instead she had reached out to him, giving him hope that they could move on together.
Kneeling next to Mich, he gently placed his hand on her cheek, causing her to look at him. He could see the fear of the unknown, but along with it a quiet determination. “Don’t be scared sweetheart, I’ll be with you, I promise.”
Softly he kissed her forehead, happy to see the shy smile that returned. Helping her to her feet, he gave her a smile, “Don’t know about you but I’m a little tired. I don’t think I can make it to the guest room, might fall asleep in the hallway.”
“What are you saying Lieutenant?”
Horatio chuckled at Mich’s comment, hearing the playful tone in her voice, glad that his teasing had had a positive effect. “Mind if I stay the night?”
Shyly Mich nodded, before her emotions took over again. Seeing the conflict and fear, Horatio held her tightly, head tucked under his chin. Slowly Mich began to relax and he softened his grip, giving her a kiss on the top of the head as he did so.
Mich returned the kiss with one to his cheek, a little hesitantly. Horatio took advantage, placing a soft kiss on Mich’s lips, wondering whether she would react. The night before she had pulled away – would she now let him in – let him help as he had offered? Trust him with her feelings completely?
Mich remained still in his arms, trying to control her feelings, sensing what Horatio was offering but scared to let go. A gentle caress across her shoulders from his fingertips confirmed her thoughts and she was stunned that he could hold himself back, wait for her to choose. Her mind flashed back to the night before – the offer had been made then too, during the storm, but she had been too wound up to notice.
As Mich didn’t move, Horatio chanced a little reaching up with one hand and sliding his fingers through the lock of hair that had escaped from the band that she had replaced during her discussion with Dino, before resting it on the side of her face. As she closed her eyes, he felt her lean into the hand slightly, biting her lip at the same time. Still she made no further move.
Softly he caressed her cheek with his thumb and felt her hand move from her side and come to rest on his chest, though she wasn’t pushing him away. Horatio took a deep breath, realising then what was happening. For the first time Mich was following his lead – not asking to share, not teasing him, not fighting him or trying to control him. For a moment he hesitated, unsure how to move forward as she allowed him to take total control. Another movement, another response.
He kept things slow and soft, caresses to the shoulders and back resulted in similar responses, though each was more hesitant than his own. Gently he kissed a cheek, rewarded with a soft smile as Mich opened her eyes. He was stunned for a moment when he noticed that they were completely clear… In the past they had always shown that Mich had secrets…
“It’s getting late. Early start tomorrow.”
Mich nodded and turned for her nightshirt, but Horatio caught her arm. Slowly he caught the shirt she was wearing and began to undo the buttons, each accompanied by a soft kiss. To the forehead, then either cheek… The bridge of her nose… As he undid the last button his lips moved to the line of her jaw, just under her ear.
Mich sighed as the trail of soft kisses did not stop, down her neck, following the line of her shoulder as Horatio pushed the shirt away. As the cloth fell to the floor he stepped behind her, moved the kisses across her shoulder blades to her spine.
Slowly the trail moved upwards until they reached the hairline, pausing only to remove the band in Mich’s hair. He smiled, reminded of their first intimate night together. Once again he reached for the hairbrush and chuckled when he saw the soft smile appear on Mich’s face in the reflection of the dressing table mirror.
Leaning forward slightly he whispered in her ear, “Nice memories?”
“The best…”
Taking his time, he brushed the knots out of Mich’s hair before turning her to face him. “Better?” Mich nodded, suddenly shy of his scrutiny. As she dropped her head, he caught it with his hands and lifted it gently delivering a soft kiss to her lips.
“Can you do me a favour?”
Mich’s face became curious, “I’ll try.”
“Undo my shirt… My hands seem otherwise engaged…”
Mich began to chuckle, her eyes bright with humour, “Oh?”
Horatio moved his right hand to the small of her back, pulling her close, the other hand sliding round to the back of her head to hold her for the kiss to follow. Just before their lips met he heard the murmur of her voice. “I see what you mean…”
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