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Post by NV Oracle on Aug 6, 2009 21:55:56 GMT -10
Hey, ladies.
Me and my muse were on the bus, going to the grocery store earlier today, or should I say yesterday, and we wrote the last part of this chapter in one short session. You see, I was trying to write it in my way, but also different than the way I had written it earlier (I know it can be boring to read the same thing time after time). Hopefully I have succeeded, without loosing the closeness(sp?) and the emotional connection that Horatio and Calleigh have. This is definitely a DuCaine chapter!
Please read and enjoy. Here we go
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Chapter 93
She walked in to the living room, with two bowls in her hands, and stopped in front of him, listening to him play. After a few moments, he looked up and saw her. Horatio allowed the cord he was playing to dissolve on its own, then set the guitar back into its case.
“You are really good.” Calleigh told him.
Horatio smiled bashfully at her, as he took one of the bowls. “I’m glad you think so. My Dad never thought much about my being able to play the guitar, but Mom loved to hear me play and sometimes, Ray and I would play together.”
Calleigh shrugged. “That was his loss, because you are really talented.”
Horatio smiled. “Thank you.” He patted the seat beside him. “Come on, sit with me.”
Calleigh walked around her coffee table, and sat on the couch, beside him.
They ate in silence for a moment, then Horatio asked.
“This is really good. What brand is it?”
Calleigh grinned. “It isn’t.“ At Horatio’s confused look, she explained. “Several days after I moved to Miami, I was out shopping, and I found this little ice cream machine on sale, so I bought one. I can get cravings for ice cream at the oddest time, and I knew that the little machine wouldn’t just sit there, collecting dust. I later found a store, online, where I could get some additional tubs, for the inside of the machine, as well as some additional recipes for ice cream.”
Horatio nodded. “So, that‘s what‘s missing?” He mumbled, thoughtfully.
Calleigh looked confused. “What‘s missing from where?”
“From store bought ice cream.” He tried to explain. “That ‘home made, with love’ taste.”
Calleigh smiled, and put her empty bowl on the table, then turned to him. “Your are so sweet.“ She leaned in and hugged him.
Horatio wordlessly set his bowl on the table, as he returned her hug.
After a few minutes, sitting like that, Calleigh released him, then grabbed the bowls and took them into the kitchen. She washed them, and set them into the dishwasher, then turned it on.
Calleigh came back to the living room, and held her hands out to him. “Come on you.”
Horatio looked up, confused. “Why? Where are we going?”
She smiled. “I thought I promised someone a massage.“
Horatio returned her smile. “Yes, you did.” He stood up.
Calleigh took his hand in hers, and walked down the hall, to her bedroom. Once inside, she release his hand, and walked toward her dresser “I don‘t have the room in my apartment that you do in your house, so, unless you had an objection, I thought I would do your massage in here.”
Horatio shook his head. “Since the last time you gave me one, I ended up a wet noodle, I don’t have any objection at all to doing it in here.”
Calleigh smiled. “That’s good. I’ll be right back, so just hang out here for a minute.”
“I’m a hanging.“ He told her, with laughter in his voice, as she walked into the bathroom, and closed the door.
Calleigh walked back out, a few minutes later, to find him laying across the bed. He had opened his shirt, and the garment hung off his lean frame. She smiled as she walked up to him. “Hey, Handsome. You still with me?”
Horatio sat up. “Sure. Why? Is something wrong?“
She shook her head. “Nope, nothing‘s wrong. I just wanted to make sure you were still with me, and not off to la la land.”
Horatio smirked. “No chance of that, Sweetheart. I’ve had a long day, and I definitely could go for one of your massages.”
Calleigh smiled. “Ok, go change and do what you need to. I’ll be right here.”
He walked over to his duffel bag, and opened it. “That sounds like a plan to me.” He pulled out his pajamas, and closed the bag.
While he changed clothes, Calleigh went in to the other bathroom, and made up another bottle of massage oil, this time using essential oils that were meant to sooth, and relax the mind, and the body. Just as she came back into the room, he walked out of the bathroom.
Horatio draped his clothes across the chair on his side of the room, then turned to Calleigh. “Ok. Where do you want me?“ He asked, as he held his arms out, away from his body.
She smiled, knowing he hadn’t really heard himself. She gave him the ‘come here‘ signal, as she told him. “Over here, Handsome. Grab that pillow, and lay face down. Oh, yeah, and spread ‘em.”
Horatio smiled. “Yes, ma’am.” He did as she had asked.
Once he was settled, she asked. “You, ok, Handsome?“
He nodded. “I’m fine, Beautiful.”
As she climbed on the bed, Calleigh asked him. “Let me know, if I hurt you.”
His “I will.” came out muffled.
Calleigh grinned as she straddled his hips. When she opened the oil bottle on the bedside table, his head came off the pillow.
“That’s different.“ He said softly, mostly to himself.
“What?” She asked.
“That massage oil that you’re using. There are different fragrances in this mix.” Horatio told her, knowing he didn’t really need to.
Calleigh nodded, although she knew he couldn’t see her. “That’s right, Handsome. I used different essential oils for this mixture. I only wanted to use oils that I knew would sooth and relax the mind, and body. These will do that. I used Jasmine, Vanilla, Lavender, and Ginger.” She poured some into her hand, and rubbed them together, then moved up to his shoulders.
He chuckled softly to himself. “Again, with the Vanilla?” He asked as he put his head back down on the pillow.
Calleigh smiled, hearing his question. “I thought you liked vanilla?”
“It’s a fragrance that the brain, and the heart, is associating with you, so, yes, I love vanilla.” He replied.
Calleigh stopped long enough to lean down, and laid on top of Horatio, wrapping her arms as far around him, as she could get, as she softly told him. “I love you too, Handsome.”
Calleigh sat up, after a moment, and continued working on his shoulders, or at least trying to. She noticed with a worried frown, that he seemed to be unusually tense, even for what would be normal for him. “You know, you really are wound up tight, tonight. This isn’t all just from your day out with Stevie, is it?”
“None of it is Stevie’s doing, Sweetheart. Just the opposite, actually. Did you see his eyes light up at the basketball game? He was so far up on the top of Cloud Nine……”
Calleigh laughed, and nodded, although she knew that Horatio couldn’t see her nod. “Yes, he was, and that‘s all thanks to you, and Frank, and the boys. Y‘all made his century with that game, today, and the after game celebration.” As Calleigh continued to work down his arms, she noticed that Horatio did, in fact, seem to relax, talking about Stevie. “You know, you and the boys may have created a monster today.”
Horatio chuckled. “How do you figure, Sweetheart?”
Calleigh continued to work, aware of the little noises he made, as she worked from his arms and shoulders, down his back. “Well, when you showed him a way of keeping fit, like he did before the accident, and that it is possible to still do an alternate form of the one thing his loves most in the world, other than his family, he’s going to push until there’s no where else to go, except into space.”
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing, Sweetheart.” Horatio replied, as he felt her move down to his legs. “It’s been my experience that when something like what happened to Stevie, happens to someone, it‘s better to give them an alternate means of defining ‘normal‘, as quickly as possible, otherwise, the anger and frustration begin to build, very quickly.”
Calleigh finished with one leg, and moved to the other, as she picked up the bottle of massage oil. “That‘s true.” She moved to massage his other leg. “When have you been around anybody else who is like Stevie?”
“When I was a teen, there was this guy who lived in our neighborhood who was confined to a wheelchair. The problem was that, that was how he looked at it, like his old life was confined to that chair, instead of relearning to live his new life from it.” Horatio felt her massage down his leg. “I had overheard his adult children talking one day, that if he‘d just learn to live his life from it, instead of having it define his life, then maybe he‘d be a happier person.”
Calleigh finished at his feet and moved to kneel beside him. “Roll over for me, please, Horatio.” Once he had, she resumed her place, straddling his hips. “So, when you heard the stories about Dennis, that was how you knew he was a fraud?”
Horatio nodded. “That was how.”
Calleigh chuckled. “I realize I‘m probably going to undo some of my own work, but if it wasn‘t Stevie that had you so wound up, what was it?” When Horatio didn‘t answer her right away, she told him. “I realize why you‘ve felt that you‘ve had to keep your thoughts to yourself all your life, Horatio, but, you‘re the one who taught me that sometimes it’s ok to talk your thoughts out loud to someone.”
Horatio grinned. He felt her work her way from his neck, and across his shoulders. He stopped her hands there, just as they were about to slide down to his chest. He put his own hands on top of hers. “You do realize that you‘re ruining a lifetime of practice, don‘t you? I‘m very glad that we were able to give Stevie such a good day out. He certainly did deserve it.”
He released her hands, and laid his own on the bed. “What I was thinking about was my and Frank‘s conversation with Dr Fitzgerald. I told him, when I very first met him, that I could put that hospital under the proverbial microscope, and I still may, just because I can. What has my attention, though, is that he was fairly adamant that Miller hadn’t had anything to do with the decisions that had been made for Stevie’s care.”
Calleigh had moved the massage from across his chest, down to his abdomen. “Ok?”
“I prefer to believe that he’s telling me the truth, that he’s not in on the conspiracy, but what if he is, Calleigh? To have to arrest Fitzgerald, then to have to inform Stevie? That will undo everything, including his trust. It’ll destroy him. The pieces won’t be worth trying to salvage.”
Calleigh nodded. She had just finished his massage, around his waist, to his sides. She laid on top of him, wrapping her arms as far around him as she could. “Try not to make a mountain out of a mole hill, Handsome. If, by chance, Dr Fitzgerald‘s phone records show proof that he‘s been in contact with Stan, recently, then we‘ll know that he‘s lying, and we‘ll call him on it. I prefer to believe that Stevie would be able to get past it, relatively quickly, and bounce back from it. All you can do, for right now, though, is trust that Fitzgerald is telling the truth, but verify it with his phone records.”
Horatio nodded, thoughtfully, as he quirked a grin up at her. “I know. I’ve already asked Frank, once he comes back from court tomorrow, to get a warrant for all three of his phones, home, cell, and hospital. We should know something definitively, one way or the other with that.” He gently ran his fingers through her hair. “You are amazing, Beautiful. How do you know the right thing to say, and when?”
She returned his grin with one of her own. “I’ve taken lessons from the master.“ She leaned in for a kiss that very quickly turned heated not only from her side, but from his as well.
They both very softly moaned into the kiss, not wanting to lose the contact. Eventually, a need for air forced the issue.
Calleigh leaned her forehead against Horatio’s chest, trying to will herself to calm down.
Horatio wrapped his arms around her. He ran his hands soothingly up and down her back. “You ok, Beautiful?”
She nodded against his chest. “Good lord, Handsome. You are going to be the death of me.”
He chuckled. “Not yet, Calleigh. I have much more planned for you than that.” He reached over for the sheet and blanket. “Come on, Sweetheart, let‘s crawl under the blankets.”
Calleigh rolled over, off him, to lay beside him. As she laid her head on his chest, and draped one leg over one of his, she looked up, into his bottomless blue eyes. “Sleep with the angels, Handsome.”
He softly kissed the crown of her head. “That’s not going to be a problem, with her laying here, beside me.”
Sleep claimed them both very quickly.
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Ok, how did I do?
The next couple of chapters find that Stevie gets his first day back into the pool, and Horatio is forced (albiet accidently) to reveal his secret to the team. How do they handle it? Stay tuned.
Your friend Oracle
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Post by NV Oracle on Sept 4, 2009 12:17:36 GMT -10
Hey, gang, sorry it's taken me a bit of time to post the next chapter. Unfortunately, I wasn't watching what I was doing at home, and my computer has gotten a virus. I called the Customer Service for the company that I bought the computer from, and luckily they were able to send me a 'reboot' disk, but it's going to be several days before I get it in the mail.
The plus side to all of this is you get an extra long chapter today. (Warning for you, Jess)
Also, then next part of this story is pretty much written out, I just have to do some editing.
Anyway, please enjoy. Here we go.
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Chapter 94
The next morning, the alarm pulled both Calleigh and Horatio reluctantly from a deep sleep.
“Good Morning, Handsome.”
“Good Morning, Beautiful.”
She sat up. “Come on. Let’s go see if I can find you something light to eat.”
Horatio chuckled. “Sweetheart, I’ll be fine, until I can get something afterwards. You don’t have to make an extra effort just for me.”
She shook her head. “You know that Stevie and the boys will ask you about it.”
Horatio chuckled. “I know that Stevie will, but I’m not so sure about the boys. Alexx will, for sure, though, I do know that much.” He stood up. “Ok, you win. I‘ll be right there, as soon as I get dressed.”
Calleigh stepped up and wrapped her arms around him. “Stevie’s right, though, only because we care about you.”
Horatio grinned, as he wrapped his arms around her in return. “It’s fine, Sweetheart.” He leaned in for a kiss, which she was more than happy to return.
He came in, moments later, to find her in the kitchen.
She had put out a couple of boxes of cereal, and she was standing with the door of the refrigerator open.
Horatio wrapped his arms around her from behind, as he asked over her shoulder. “What did you find, Babe?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Babe?” She asked incredulously, as she looked over her shoulder at him. “Do I look like a baby pig to you?” She couldn’t miss the twinkle in his eyes. “If you know what‘s good for you, don’t answer that.” She laughed. “As for breakfast, I found some cereal, and I found some fruit. I’ve got some yogurt, and milk. I can make some smoothies, or I found some cottage cheese. You can pretty much have your choice.”
Horatio nodded, as he hugged her. “That’s plenty of choice, Sweetheart.”
They sat down to breakfast. They cleaned up afterwards, then, once they made sure everything was turned off, and secure, they grabbed Horatio’s duffle bag, and suit carrier, and got into the Hummer, and drove off. They picked up Jessica, then drove to the lab, where they caught up with Alexx, Eric, and Ryan.
Horatio went inside the building to see if the Grave Shift Supervisor, Oscar was in the building.
The Hispanic younger man came out of his office, and walked out of the building with Horatio.
“We really do appreciate you and your team being willing to work this bit of overtime, Oscar. You’re really helping us out.”
Oscar chuckled, as he shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Horatio. You and your team have helped us out a time or two with cases, so turn abouts is fair play.”
Horatio grinned. “Still, please be sure to thank your team for us. We do realize that we’re asking a lot. We should be back in about 2 or 3 hours, but not any more than that. Stevie isn’t going to have a lot of stamina, or endurance, so this shouldn’t take too long.”
Oscar nodded. “Like I said, don’t worry about it, H. Get back when you can.” He watched as the team, minus Frank Tripp piled into two of the Hummer’s, and drove out of the lot, headed towards the hospital.
When they got there, they parked in an out of the way place, then Horatio and Calleigh pulled his duffle, and his suit carrier. Eric also carried a duffle bag, and Ryan carried a camera case.
They made their way into the building, and up to Stevie‘s floor, to find him busy typing away on his laptop, already dressed and ready to go.
“Hey, there, Stevie. How are you doing this morning, Son?” Horatio asked.
“Good Morning, gang. I’m raring to go. I can’t wait to get into the pool.” Stevie replied enthusiastically.
“What were you working on just now, Stevie?” Ryan asked, as he pointed to the laptop.
“My story.” Stevie told them.
“How’s that coming, Son?” Horatio asked.
“It’s coming along, H. I’ve got the germ of an idea, that I’m trying to run with. We‘ll see what happens.” Steve replied.
“About how long ago did you have breakfast, Stevie? You know you can‘t go swimming if it‘s been too soon.” Jessica asked her son.
Stevie smiled up at her. “I know, Mom. It’s been a little over an hour since breakfast.”
Horatio nodded. “Ok, Stevie. That’s fine. We just didn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“It’s ok, H. I understand.” Stevie looked around the room. “Where’s my chair? Let‘s get this show on the road.”
Eric passed it to Horatio. “Here it is, Stevie.”
“Your chariot awaits you, sir.” Horatio teased.
“Thank you, kindly.” Stevie replied, as he transferred himself into his chair.
The team made their way down to the hospital’s pool area.
Horatio pointed over into a corner, away from the pool. “Ryan, go ahead and set up the camera over there, away from the pool.”
Ryan nodded and moved towards the corner, when Stevie asked.
“What a minute. What camera?”
Horatio stopped the wheelchair, and knelt down so that he was more or less, eye to eye with the youngster. “Stevie, we thought that you‘d want a recording of how well you do, and how quickly, so that if you get to feeling like you’re not going as far, or as quickly as you thought, then you could look back on your first few lessons, and remember how far you’d actually come. If you don’t want us to record it, then we won’t, but we thought you might want this to record for prosperity’s sake.”
Stevie thought about it for a minute, and looked over at his Mom, and Aunt Calleigh, then he turned back to Horatio, with a slight grin. “No, it’s ok, H. Go ahead and run it, you just sort of caught me by surprise, that’s all.”
Horatio nodded in understanding. “You heard the man, Mr Ryan.”
“Yes, sir.“ Ryan replied briskly, as he moved to set up the camera. That was quickly accomplished, and Ryan called out. “Ok. I’m ready.”
Eric sat his duffle bag aside, and opened it. He retrieved an inflatable ring out of it, then closed the bag again, and walked over to Stevie. He knelt in front of the youngster. “Stevie, this is what I wanted to show you, bud. This is a trick that my swimming coach taught me to help build up my upper body strength.” He held up the tube. “The tube is meant to fit around your ankles, so that you can’t kick your legs, and you have to use just your arms, and shoulders to move you in the water, or even just tread water, in place.”
Eric twisted the tube into a figure 8. “Now, even though we all know you can’t move your legs, because of your accident, this will still work for you, Stevie. Let’s get in the pool, and I’ll show you.”
Without waiting, Eric pulled off his tank top, and dove into the pool, performing a perfect jack knife dive into the pool.
Horatio turned to Stevie, and pointed in Eric’s general direction. “Maybe I have to call him, Mr Showoff. What do you think, Stevie?”
Stevie caught Horatio’s wink, and nodded. “I think you’ve got a good idea, there, H. Come on, let’s get in there, too.” He replied, as he pulled his own t-shirt off over his head.
Horatio nodded. “Yes, sir.” He replied, just as briskly as Ryan had. He moved to pick up Stevie, when the youngster put his hand out in a ‘stop’ sign.
“Wait a minute, H. I think you‘re forgetting something.” Stevie chuckled.
Horatio looked at the boy, confused. “What do you mean, partner?”
Now Stevie is the one who is confused. His brow furrowed. “Don‘t you want to take off your t-shirt, H? It‘s going to get wet.”
Horatio didn’t dare to look over at Calleigh or Alexx, knowing what their expressions would be. He shook his head to the youngster. “No, I’m fine with it on, Stevie. I’ll still be able to swim. It won’t get in the way.”
“Only if you insist.” Stevie replied softly, under his breath, as he held out his arms, for the older man to pick him up. He knew something wasn’t right with what Horatio said, but he thought it was because of the cleansing, and not what might have caused the cleansing.
Ryan and Eric both heard how Horatio had answered the boy, and they both also thought it sounded strange as well, but didn’t think too far past why it sounded so odd.
Calleigh, and Alexx looked at each other, anxiously. They both knew what Horatio was trying to hide, especially from Stevie, but from both of the younger men, as well.
Jessica knew too, but not to the degree that Calleigh and Alexx knew.
All of these thoughts went past as quickly as it took for Horatio to walk to the end of the pool, where the ladder into the water was.
He slowly walked down the ladder, into the pool, and away from the shallow end, closer towards the deep end of the pool. He looked at Stevie, a time or two. “You ok, Stevie?”
Stevie nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine, H. It’s just that I can feel the water, now, past my threshold. I guess I’d forgotten what swimming pool water felt like.”
Horatio smiled. “It does feel differently from a shower, or a tub, doesn’t it, Stevie.”
Stevie nodded. “Yeah, a pool is colder than a shower would be, and I just haven’t been in one in a very long time.”
Horatio nodded. “I understand. Do you need a break?”
Stevie quickly shook his head. “No. I’m fine, H. Let’s keep going.”
Horatio grinned. “Yes, sir.” He continued to walk towards the deep end, where Eric was.
Eric went to the side of the pool. “Jessica, there’s three masks, and one more of those tubes in my bag, could you get them for me, please?”
Jessica nodded, as she got the items out of his bag, and brought them to the edge of the pool. “Here you are, Eric.”
“Thank you, ma‘am.” Eric took two of the masks, and gave one to Stevie, and Horatio, then he held up the tube. “Ok, Stevie. I’m going to put this on my own feet so I can show you. I want you and H to look under the water, and you’ll see.”
So, while Eric put the tube around his feet, Stevie and Horatio put the swim masks on.
“Ok, Stevie you and H look under the water. You’ll see that I’m just sitting here treading water, but you’ll also see that I’m only using my hands, arms, and shoulders. Ok?” At Stevie’s and Horatio’s nod, Eric nodded. “Ok, now.”
Stevie plugged his nose, as he and Horatio dove under the surface. They weren’t gone but just a few seconds, when Stevie and H popped back up.
“I see what you mean, now, Mr Eric. The hands, arms, and shoulders were doing the work that normally, the legs, and feet did. What happens when you‘re horizontal?”
“The same thing, Stevie.” Horatio told him. “It’s just that the hands, arms, and shoulders are doing more of the same, they’re doing not only their own work, but also the work that the legs and feet had been doing. You understand, Son?”
Stevie nodded. “I think so, H. Let me try it one time.”
“Ok. Let’s get these off, Stevie.” Horatio suggested. He pulled off both of the masks, and set them on the deck of the pool, as Eric swam up to them.
Eric took off the tube, and held it out to Stevie “Ok, Stevie. Even though we know you can‘t use your legs, do you still want to try this?”
Stevie nodded. “Yes, please, Mr Eric. For right now, let’s just go with appearances. I may not want to use it later, but it might still help out, now, with the reminder.”
Eric nodded. “That sounds like a plan to me, Stevie.” Eric reached under the water, and grabbed for Stevie’s feet. He tied them up in the tube, and let them sink back under the water. “Ok, Stevie, now, you try to tread water. Just remember that the tube isn‘t going to alter how you float, so you need to try to stay vertical, ok?”
Stevie nodded. “Just be sure to be able to come grab me, if this fails.”
Horatio chuckled. “No worries, Partner. We‘ve got you.” He held on to the youngster by both hands, but held the boy out at arm’s length. “You tell me when you’re ready and I’ll let go, but we’ll be ready to come get you if you start sinking like a rock.”
Stevie nodded. “Ok, H. Let me go, now, please.“ The instant Horatio let go, Stevie started moving his arms, under the water, alternatingly back and forth, left to right, and up and down.
After a few seconds, Eric dove under the water, then came up again an additional few seconds later.
At first, Horatio started to grab for the boy, but Stevie shook his head.
“No, H, don’t. I‘m ok. I’ve got it.” He heard Eric come up for air. “What do you think, Mr Eric? Am I doing it right?”
Eric smiled as he nodded. “I’m going to start calling you ’Tadpole’, Stevie. You’re doing it perfectly.”
“Yeaaaahhhhh!!” Stevie started to celebrate. “Look at me, Mom. I knew I could do it, just like before.“
Jessica nodded, as called out to her son. “I see you, Stevie. You’re doing good, son, just be careful.”
Horatio watched Stevie, and grabbed him just as he got tired. “You’re ok, Son. I‘ve got you.”
Stevie nodded. “Thanks a lot, H.”
Eric also nodded. “Let’s give you a minute to rest, Stevie.”
After a few minutes, Horatio looked over at Eric. “Start with the Standard, overhand stroke, Eric. That‘s the easiest, most basic stroke on the list.”
Eric agreed. “I was going to, H, for just that reason.” He looked over at the youngster. “You ok, Stevie? You ready to start the next part of your lesson for today?”
Stevie grinned, and nodded. “I’m fine, Mr Eric. What do you have for me?”
All of the adults grinned at both phrases, even Horatio, knowing where the youngster had gotten them from.
“Ok, Stevie. You know how to do a standard overhand stroke right?” At the youngster’s nod, Eric continued. “Ok. In order for it to compensate for the legs not moving, you’ll have to press just a bit harder into the water, on the ’down and back’ part of the stroke, but there‘s not anything major that you’ll have to do differently.”
“Ok, Mr Eric. Back up just a bit, and we’ll see what happens.” Stevie told him.
Horatio and Eric put about 2 to 3 feet’s space between them.
“When you’re ready, Stevie, let me know, and I’ll let go.” Horatio told him.
“Let go now, H. I’m ok. I’ve got it.”
The instant Horatio let the boy go, Stevie was off like a rocket, as he swum toward Eric.
Eric caught the youngster easily. “I’ve got you, Stevie. Good job. You’ve got it, buddy.”
Stevie wiped the hair out of his eyes, as he looked around. “Mom? Did you see?”
Jessica grinned, as she nodded to her son. “I knew you could do it, Stevie.” She called to him.
“Ok, Mr Tadpole, you want to try it again?” Eric asked.
Stevie nodded. “Back up just a little bit, please, H?”
Horatio’s eyebrows climbed into his hair, as he traded a quick look with Eric. Eric thought about it for a quick second, then nodded, so Horatio back pedaled for a couple of short strokes.
“Ok, H. That’s far enough.“ Stevie told him.
“Ok, Tadpole, let me know when you’re ready.” Eric told the youngster.
“I’m ready, Mr Eric.” The instant Eric let go, Stevie was off. He felt Horatio’s strong hands bring him in. As he wiped the hair out of his eyes, he celebrated. “Yeeeaaaahhhhh!!”
Horatio chuckled. “Ok, Tadpole, you ready for a break yet?”
Stevie shook his head. “I’m ok, H. Really.” He looked over at Eric. “Back up just a little bit further, please, Mr Eric?”
Before anyone can say anything, Alexx called out. “I think that’s far enough, Stevie. We don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Stevie shook his head. “Except I’m fine, Dr Alexx. Really. I’m not tired.”
“This is the last time, though, Stevie. That’s as far as you aught to try to travel for this lesson, ok?” Horatio told him.
Stevie nodded, quickly. “I know, H. It was going to be last time. Once there, and back, I promise.”
Horatio looked up at Alexx. When she nodded, Horatio turned back to the boy. “Ok, Partner. Let me know when.” He turned the youngster around.
“Now, please, H?” There again, the instant Horatio released him, Stevie was off like a shot. Eric caught the slippery little eel at the end of the race.
“I’ve got you, Tadpole.” Eric told the youngster with a teasing note to his voice, as he turned the youngster around. “Last time. Let me know when.”
Stevie rested for just a quick minute, then told Eric. “Ok, I’m ready, Mr Eric. You can let go, now.” Stevie wasn’t off quite as quickly, this time, and he didn’t reach the end of the line, quite as quickly this time either. He ran out of juice, just as he reached the safety of Horatio’s strong hands.
“Whoa!” Horatio’s voice also teased. “I think that’s about it, for you, Tadpole.” He swam with Stevie, over to Eric. “You really did very well, today, Stevie. I’m proud of you, Son.”
“Yes, you did, Stevie. Very well.” Eric agreed, as he took off the tube from around the youngster‘s feet, then swam over to the edge of the pool. “We are very proud of you.”
Horatio grinned down at the youngster, when Stevie wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck, as he put his head on Horatio’s shoulder. Horatio retraced his path towards the shallow end of the pool, and up the stairs.
As they were coming out of the pool, Horatio turned and put Stevie in his wheelchair. As the red head turned away from Stevie, to bring Ryan closer to the group, Stevie asked.
“Wait a minute. H, what’s that on your back?”
Horatio quickly realized that the t-shirt that he had been wearing in the pool had ridden up and had exposed part of his back. His eyes closed slowly and he tried to move to pull his shirt down, but Stevie’s words stopped him.
“Aunt Calleigh, Dr Alexx. Grab him, he’s going to try to deflect it.”
The two women made a grab for the red head’s forearms as the youngster moved around him.
Horatio looked first at Calleigh, then at Alexx. “I guess he knows me too well?”
Both women chuckled at him. “Just a little.” Alexx agreed. “Are you ok, Honey.”
Horatio also chuckled. “Yeah, I’m fine, Alexx. It’s just that somehow, this wasn’t quite how I pictured I was going to have this discussion, but you’re right. It needs to happen. It might as well be now.”
In the meantime, Stevie had moved around behind Horatio to get a better look at what he saw. His young eyes went wide. “Mister Eric, Mister Ryan, come take a look at this.” His little voice was tight. “This is why he wouldn’t take off his shirt to get in the pool.”
Eric and Ryan joined the boy behind the red head. When Ryan lifted the hem of the wet cloth, Stevie reached up and touched one of the longer scars on Horatio‘s back. All three of them noticed that, even now, the red head flinched from the touch. Ryan and Eric both traded wide eyed looks. This certainly would explain a lot. Both younger men think to themselves.
“H?” Eric asked as he pulled the hem of the garment down to the man‘s waist.
“I’m alright Eric.” Horatio looked down at the floor for a moment, attempting to gather his courage. He knew that Alexx was right and that he really should tell the team the truth about himself, but he also knew that he couldn’t keep the fear at bay. ‘What if …… this happened or what if…….that happened?’ He thought he knew the team well enough that he didn’t think it would matter, but what if he was wrong? What if he didn’t know them as well as he thought? After all, wasn’t his dad always telling him that he wasn’t nearly as smart as he thought he was. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Stevie had moved back to stand next to his mother, the confusion still more than easy to read on the expressive 12 yr old face. “It’s ok, Stevie. I’m alright, partner.” He looked over at the boy.
Stevie didn’t look all that convinced. “You sure, H?”
He quirked a grin. “I’m positive.” Horatio looked first at Alexx, then at Calleigh. “You can let me go, now, ladies.”
Both ladies released him with a smile.
Horatio returned their smiles and walked over to the boy. He knelt down so that he was eye to eye with the youngster. “Stevie, you and your Dad were best friends, right?”
The boy’s smile lit up his little face. “Oh, yeah! Dad and I did a lot of things together and he even sometimes took me to his work, showed me what they did and stuff.”
Horatio smiled at the boy. “That’s good.” He replied softly, then continued. “It’s very important that you remember those times, Stevie. You were very lucky that you had that time with your Dad and that you were that close.” Horatio’s head hung from his shoulders.
When Horatio hadn’t continued for several minutes, Stevie started a look among those listening, first looking over at Eric and Ryan. The look passed from person to person, even though Calleigh and Alexx both knew what the red head was trying to say. Stevie looked back down at the man and ran his little hand through the red hair. “H?” He tried to coax the man to look back up.
After an additional moment, or two, Horatio finally looked back up. “You and your Dad weren’t that close?” The boy asked, his eyes showing how concerned he was about the man.
Horatio shook his head. “No, Stevie. We weren’t.” Horatio took another additional minute to collect his thoughts, remembering that he also had an audience behind him. “You see, Stevie. My father wasn’t very happy with his life. He kept trying to get ahead in his job, but his plans always kept failing. He’d come home mad about work, and if my brother or I got into trouble, or if I couldn’t keep my brother from getting into trouble, or if my Mom did something wrong, and I couldn’t help her fix it, then he would get mad at me.”
The adults were getting the picture of where this story was going, but even for all of his intelligence, Stevie wasn’t getting it quite as fast. “How did you get those scars on your back if he just yelled at you?”
“He didn’t just yell at me, partner.” Horatio admitted softly, sadly, his voice catching in the back of his throat. After another minute, he cleared his throat and tried again. “When I say that he would get mad at me, Stevie, I mean that he would….hit me….with his belt.” Horatio’s voice again caught in his throat.
Horatio briefly looked back over his shoulder. Eric’s and Ryan’s expressions mirror that of the 12 yr old in front of him. Stevie’s eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open in shock. He briefly looked up at his mother. When she nodded, Stevie looked back at Horatio.
“Did he ever go to jail, H?” Stevie’s own voice quivered slightly.
Now Horatio looked confused.
“Come on, H. I may only be 12, but even I know that Moms and Dads can’t do that to their kids.” Stevie told the man. “Unless, of course, it wasn’t abuse when you were a boy, but it shouldn’t have been that long ago. You’re not that old.”
Horatio chuckled under his breath, as he let that statement hang. After another moment, Horatio nodded slowly, then looked up at the boy. “No, he didn’t go to jail. I, uh, actually, I…..killed him, after he…..had pushed Mom and…..made her hit her…..head….on the…..coffee table….I was scared he was…..going to kill me too….He was so mad at me……I was just….trying to protect us…..my Mom, my brother and me…..Our mom didn’t live….for very long…..After I killed my father…..I went to check her….and she was still alive…..but she wouldn‘t be for very long……I knew that. She……uh, she made me promise…….to take care of my brother and me…….When I did…..she died.” Even telling that abbreviated version of the story took everything the red head had. He hung his head and walked away from the group, wondering what they would think of him after this.
Each of them mulled the story over in their own mind.
Stevie looked up at his Mom for just a minute, then turned back to Horatio. “Maybe it’s a good thing that Mr Caine is dead.” He observed.
From the other corner of his eye, Horatio noticed that both Eric and Ryan nodded their agreement to that. Horatio turned to look back at the boy. “Mr Caine?” He repeated.
Stevie nodded. “Yeah. After what he did, he didn’t deserve to be called ‘Dad‘.” Stevie explained.
Horatio quirked a grin at him as he knelt in front of Stevie. “Why is it a good thing that he’s dead, Stevie?”
Stevie didn’t answer the question right away. He thought about a couple of things for a minute, then looked back at Horatio. Instead of answering the man’s question, he asked one of his own. “That’s how and why you were able to get my mind off of how bad I was feeling the night of the robbery, wasn’t it?” He asked the man. “Because you knew how scary it was and that it would have been necessary to keep me ‘distracted’, so that the paramedics could do their thing.”
Horatio nodded wordlessly. He realized that Stevie had done what he normally did when he didn’t want to have to think about his feelings, by answering his question with one of his own.
“Mom also said that when you talked to her just before the two of you came into my hospital room that first night, that you were asking questions about the van, and telling her not to worry, and that it seemed so effortless, and that it seemed like you knew what needed to be asked when, especially about the van, so that you could get it back for us, and that you knew how difficult it could be for some people to work with the police department, when they’re victims of something bad happening, like the robbery.”
Horatio tried to duck his head, embarrassed by the youngsters recollections of those first few days of the investigation.
Stevie quirked his own grin at the man’s embarrassment, having learned some of Horatio’s tell tale mannerisms. “H, look back up here a minute please?” When he did, Stevie ran his little hand over the man’s shoulder. “What I think I’m trying to say is that, on the one hand, I’m very sorry that your father thought he had to treat you that way. He was a bully, and a meanie, and he shouldn‘t have wanted to be so mean to you. On the other hand, though, it helps you know what right to say and when, so that those of us that have bad things happen, and we need to talk to the police so that the bad people are caught, we can do that, and you make it seem not so scary. Someone who could be a big brother, best friend, Uncle, and just in general someone to talk to when things get scary, and that’s always a good thing. If I could only be half the man you are when I get older, I’m going to be doing pretty good.” Stevie admitted.
“Out of the mouths of babes.” Alexx commented softly, under her breath, as she looked over at Calleigh, who also nodded.
Good boy, Stevie. He had to hear it from you. She thought to herself, as she watched as Horatio picked the boy up from his wheelchair, and wrapped his arms around the youngster’s torso, as he buried his head in the youngster’s shoulder.
As Stevie ran first one hand, then the other from the back of Horatio’s head, down the back of his neck, then across both shoulders, as the youngster hugged the older man in return, Eric and Ryan shared a look, then turned back to Horatio and Stevie, as Horatio put the youngster back in his wheelchair.
“I’ll second that thought, H.” Eric told him.
“And I’ll third it, H.” Ryan added his two cents worth.
“I ummm…” When his voice continued to quiver ever so slightly, Horatio cleared his throat, then tried it again. “I appreciate the sentiment, gentlemen.” He turned to Stevie, and told the youngster. “You’re doing just fine, Stevie. I know that your Mom is very proud of you, and I know that your Dad would be too, if he were here.” Before anyone could say anything else about him, Horatio added. “Now, before we get into too much trouble with Dr Fitz, I just happened to spy a Smoothie stand over by the Cafeteria. What do you say, we go see what they’ve got?”
That got the youngster’s mind diverted very quickly. “Yeah! Let’s go.”
************
Ok. Please let me know how I did.
Just as a preview, the next few chapters deal with some of the fall-out. The team also gets a more 'adult' version of the story, then they really get to deal with all of the ramifications.
Your friend Oracle
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