Title: Decisions
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRM
Disclaimer: I don't own them. They are owned by people who have mean nasty lawyers that can and will eat me for lunch. Not making any money - just borrowing them for a moment or two... or three....I'll return them when I return them.
Claim: I may not own the characters or the series they are from, but I do own the story, original characters and concepts
Summary: Rick had a decision to make.
Beta: Christina (Dino)
Genre: Slash
Series: A Second Can Change the World, Revelations, Playing It Forward, Vacation's Over
Challenge: 12 Stories - Horatio Caine/Timothy Speedle/Rick Stetler
Prompt: #5 - Weeks
Word Count: 1561

~*~

"It's so good to be back out in the field." Speed stretched as he walked up to the crime scene. "But really H, my first case has to be with him?"

Horatio hid his smirk as Speed snarled at Stetler, who returned the look of contempt. "You were the only one available."

"You can hide Delko but I will find you," the CSI muttered under his breath. "What's the situation?"

"Patrol officer, gun down trying to break up a domestic disturbance." Caine looked over to the once quiet home. "Neighbors called it in."

Speed nodded and moved up the walkway, "Hey Alexx."

"Hello, sugar." She smiled up at him then looked back down at the body. "He took one in the back, didn't stand a chance."

Tim kneeled down next to her and looked back up at the house. "Was he heading back to his patrol car?"

"According to witness across the street." Rick stood near by looking at the scene. "Officer Humbles radioed for back-up, the wife ran out of the house he turned to stop her and the husband shot him. Your job is to tell me, if he purposely shot the officer or if he was aiming for the wife and hit Humbles by mistake."

"Does it matter, an officer is dead." Speed stood up and grabbed his kit.

"It will decide whether the DA goes for the death penalty or life without parole." Stetler shrugged.

"Cop killer is a cop killer, doesn't matter how the bullet got there." The CSI grabbed his kit. "The point is the suspect was beating his wife, which caused the neighbors to call the cop, putting him in the situation to get killed. So even if he wasn't aiming for the cop, he killed him." He paused at the door way and grinned. "But really that's just my opinion. I'll send you a report on my findings, once I do a through investigation and collect all the evidence."

Rick smiled slightly as he watched Tim enter the house.

"You keep looking at his ass that way and Caine will put a bullet in your back."

Stetler looked down at the ME. "He wouldn't shoot me in the back. He'll damn well make sure I knew it was him."

Her eyebrow rose. "Who the hell are you and where's the asshole we've so grown to hate?"

"Honestly," Rick looked back up at the house. "Horatio killed him."

Alexx stood up and picked up her kit. "Well, I would tread carefully around my Timmy, or he'll finish it."

~ Lab ~

The throb in his head was starting to take a toll. Speed could barely focus on the report in front of him. The words were starting to blur and if he moved his head too fast a sharp pain shot through his brain. He sat down on his stool and tossed his pen onto the table in frustration. His head buried in his hands he willed the pain to stop. He hated it when a migraine developed. It would take him down for hours, sometimes a full day.

"Tim?" The voice was soft and caring.

"Migraine." Speed simply responded. "The report is finished enough..."

Rick moved closer to him, "The report can wait until tomorrow. Why don't you go home?"

"I can't," Tim looked over at him flinching as the light hit his eyes. "It's bad enough that I can't drive my bike."

"Let's go." Stetler pulled on his arm. "I don't want you screwing up my case, and I'm not dealing with Caine if you crash that machine into a wall."

"Are you forcing me home?" Speed growled half heartedly.

"I can go find Horatio or Alexx." Rick threatened.

Speed muttered about cruel IAB officers, but followed Rick down the hall to the garage. "How come you get to park in here?"

"Because I'm special," Stetler got him situated in the car before moving toward the driver’s side. He slid in and looked over to see Speed eyeing him. "I walked by your lab four times and you didn't notice, or even move. The receptionist said that you looked as if one of your migraines had hit. So I had them move my car, I knew walking across the parking lot wasn't going to help."

"You know I should be contemplating the end of the world, considering we're actually talking civilly and this is very considerate of you." Speed leaned his head back and laid his arm over his eyes. "But my head hurts too much."

"Yeah well...." Rick started the car up and head out of the garage. "Life has a funny way of just fucking with you." Speeds wicked chuckle was his only answer.

A few moments later, Tim was resting comfortable. The problem was Rick had no idea where Speed lived. He shrugged and drove him to the next place he could think of, Horatio's beach house. He couldn't help but glance over and admire the younger man. It was bad enough most woman in the department wanted to mother him, but when he was relaxed the vulnerability showed through. Some time during the drive, his arm slid down and was now resting on his lap; his head was tilted toward Rick, a small frown gracing his face showing the pain he was still in.

He couldn't resist, at the next red light, he reached over and ran a finger across his forehead soothing away the pain. His hand slipped into the dark hair massaging the temple slightly, relishing the softness of the thick locks. Speed moaned softly at the touch and curled into it, Rick was suddenly lost in the feel of soft skin and the emotions that he had been clamping down on for weeks.

A car horn jolted him. He jerked his hand away and continued driving down the road. This line of thinking had to stop. Speed was off limits. Completely and utterly off limits.

~ Horatio's House ~

Speed barely registered the fact he was at Horatio's, as Rick helped him up stairs and into the bed. It took a while to get his boots off, and get him to lie down. Wandering into the bathroom Rick rummaged through the medicine cabinet, he found prescription pain meds for Speed's migraines. It was a bit surreal to be in Horatio's bedroom, taking care of his lover. Sitting down on the bed he nudged the younger man slightly.

"Come on, Speed wake up for a moment and take your pills, then you can sleep."

"Fuck off," was the reply he got.

"Don't make me call Horatio." Rick held out the glass of water and pills.

Speed sat up slowly and downed the pills, "Bastard."

"Well, nothing new there," he shrugged placing the glass on the nightstand. "I'll make sure the curtains are drawn, and then head back to the lab..."

"Don't go." Speed muttered into the pillow.

"Some of us have work to do," Rick half heartedly growled. He couldn't stay; his emotions were too close to the surface. Hell, he wasn't even sure exactly what they were, but he knew if he stayed...

Dark eyes looked up at him, filled with pain. "You can be an asshole from here. I... these migraines do a number on me, and being alone isn't good."

'I'm hiding behind Speed if Horatio comes after me.' Rick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll baby-sit you until Horatio shows up, then you can explain what I'm doing in his bedroom."

Speed chuckled lightly, "Just don't go snooping in the dresser."

Stetler looked over at the dresser, "That was mean, Speedle." He looked over to see the young man asleep. Sighing he moved toward the bedroom door, he might stay but sure as hell wasn't going to stay in their bedroom. He paused at the doorway his eyes drifting toward the dresser, did he want to know?

Rick bit back a moan when a sudden image of Speed laid out on the king size bed on dark silk sheets sensual to the skin, as Horatio teased him with a feather, then slowly fucked....'Okay Rick Stetler stop now! Damn...' A moan pulled him out of his thoughts and it wasn't from him. He looked over to see Speed frowning and trying to burrow into the covers.

Rick looked up to the heavens. "You hate me don't you?" He moved across the room and sat down on the bed, reaching out he soothed back the soft hair. Speed instantly moved into the touch calming. He slipped off his shoes, jacket, and tie before lying next to the younger man. A decision had been made. Now he just had to live with it, and hope Horatio didn't kill him.