Previous part of Omne ignotum pro magnifico est.

***

Horatio awoke slowly, rolled over and found gray eyes studying him. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"A few hours a night," Holmes replied. "I spent some time in your office reading your texts on vampires. I am impresses that you managed to locate so many factual books where there are so many published that are nothing more than lies."

"It wasn't easy," Horatio said. "I'll leave them with Calleigh when we, when we leave Miami."

"She'll at least consider the information," Holmes said. "How do you feel this morning?"

"Better. Are we going to the airstrip?"

"After you have eaten something. You need to remain well nourished to get your blood healthy again."

"To keep you well nourished," Horatio grinned. He reached up and pulled the vampire in for a slow kiss, shuddering at the contact. Holmes rolled them until Horatio was on top and deepened the kiss, needle sparks pricking at Horatio's front. He moaned softly and reluctantly pulled back. "I don't think I have the energy for this yet."

Holmes smiled and ran a finger along Horatio's face. "You will," he said. "For this and so much more. But for now, allow me to take care of you." He reached between them and wrapped his long, cool fingers around Horatio's cock. Horatio almost melted down against his lover, relaxing into the knowing electric touch until the tension grew to be too much and he came with a moan.

"I don't want to move," Horatio murmured.

"Go shower and I'll fix breakfast," Holmes said. "The sooner we get this case solved, the sooner you can move forward."
********************

It was strange to be driving around in his personal car rather than one of the Hummers. Horatio couldn't remember the last time he'd been off call and hadn't had a Hummer with him. He parked where the plane had been and got out. Trained blue eyes picked out the signs of both the scene investigation and the clean-up.

Holmes wrapped his arms around Horatio from behind. "Relax, only you can see me," he whispered. "I can smell your blood, Horatio; your blood and your pain."

"Will you be able to smell anything else?" Horatio asked softly. "Or will the smell of my blood overwhelm your senses?"

"That happens anyway," Holmes replied with a nip to Horatio's neck. "Watson believed you were shot from above rather than by someone on equal footing. There aren't that many places here that allow for an elevated shot."

"Only one that I can see," Horatio said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Stay downwind," Holmes replied with a smile. "What are you going to do when you learn the identity of your shooter or shooters?"

"I wish I knew," Horatio sighed. "I really hope my hunch is wrong and the person I'm thinking with involved was miles away from here."

Holmes opened a door to the roof and stepped out. "Remain here," he said softly, "the less distracted I am, the better by investigation will be."

Horatio stayed in the dim stairwell and watched the vampire as he slowly moved across the roof, intense gray eyes fixed upon the ground. He could tell that the investigation his team had been running hadn't made it as far as the roof and Horatio felt disappointed. How could they have missed something as basic as the angle of entry on the bullets? He wondered what key evidence had been lost to the elements in the weeks since his attack. "Anything?"

"A trace of a man," Holmes replied. "However, it is not physical evidence, something you could process for a court. It is only a scent."

"But you'll recognize it again?"

"He tried to take you from me. I could no more forget this scent than I could that of Moriarty. The man who was up here is the man who shot you, Horatio."

"What are the chances of us finding solid physical evidence of that?" Horatio asked.

"It depends on how stupid they were," Holmes said. "Would it be at all possible for me to review the evidence your people collected?"

"It's at the lab," Horatio said. He pulled his lover in and kissed him deeply, moaning softly at the feel of Holmes's tongue against his own and shuddered gently. "I'm still clingy, huh?"

Holmes smiled and kissed Horatio again. "Every bond is different," he said. "If you need my touch for a longer period of time, then I am more than willing to oblige you. This is not a hardship for me I assure you."

"I guess I'm just not used to needing someone like this," Horatio admitted. "Come on, we might as well go to the lab. If you're done here, that is."

"For now," Holmes said. "And I can promise I'll show you exactly how special you are to me once we are at your home once more."

********************

Calleigh walked into the print lab and started coughing. "God, Eric, what the hell did you do, bathe in garlic?" she asked. "Holmes is not going to hurt you."

"He's a creature of the devil, Calleigh," Eric replied. "And you can choose to believe his lies, but I don't."

"So charming," Holmes commented. "How do you feel about Italian for supper this evening, Horatio? The garlic in here makes me hungry."

"It makes me wonder why there's garlic in my fingerprint lab," Horatio said taking off his sunglasses. "Especially as I remember telling you that none of the legends or myths about them were true."

"Way to go, Eric," Calleigh muttered. "You just seriously hurt Horatio."

"Its okay, Calleigh. Would you show Holmes the evidence from my shooting, please? I'll be in my office trying to make a dent in my paperwork."

"Horatio," Eric said softly.

"Too little, Eric. Too little, too late," Horatio replied sadly as he left the print lab.
********************

"Is Mr. Delko always so childish?" Holmes asked as he walked with Calleigh towards the evidence locker. He could tell that she was still nervous around him, but appreciated the support and effort she was putting into looking and acting as normal as possible.

"Only about some things," Calleigh replied. "Look, I'm not stupid. I love Horatio like an older brother and I know he's not going to be able to stay in Miami forever. I just want to be sure he's happy."

"When Horatio was shot, his soul took him back in time to my side, to be sure that he lived," Holmes said. "And I have waited since that time to come to him again. Yes, Miss Duquesne, Horatio will be happy with me. It pains him to think of leaving his family here, but he does so to keep you safe."

"How long do we have?"

"A year, maybe two. The evil one is merely dormant and I am the only one who will be able to kill him for good. Past that, it is only a matter of time."

Calleigh wiped her eyes and took down a box. "I understand," she said softly. "Here's the evidence from Horatio's crime scene."

"Why did you not check the roof of the nearby hanger?" Holmes asked.

"The hanger?"

Holmes glanced at her. "The location of the shooter," he said. "Horatio and I located it today when we visited the airstrip. My dear friend Watson is the one who tended Horatio's wounds and reported he was shot from above. It was not a hard deduction to make."

"We were told the shots were on the level," Calleigh said, her eyes wide. "We never even thought to look at the roof."

"No physical evidence remains. I was, however, able to detect the scent of the shooter. He will not escape me."
********************

Once Holmes and Horatio had left the lab Calleigh settled in at her desk and thought. She was mad at Eric for his extremely childish attitude and behavior that had hurt Horatio so deeply. It was obvious that Horatio was in love and equally obvious that Holmes loved Horatio. The fact that the Englishman was a vampire just didn't seem nearly as important as it had the previous day, now that Horatio's happiness was put in the balance. And after everything Horatio had been through, he deserved to be happy. Calleigh had seen the look in Horatio's eyes – there was no way he was going to forgive Eric this time around.

Calleigh also needed to decide what to do about the investigation into Horatio's shooting. She was absolutely mortified that they'd missed something so obvious and let all the physical evidence erode with time. She knew that she should just go and explain everything to Horatio and Holmes and let them help her figure out what to do next. But she had also seen the look in the vampire's eyes when he was talking about the scent he'd picked up at the airstrip. At that moment, all her fears had come flooding back and it was all she could do to stay in the same room with him. It was remarkable easy to forget the man was actually a vampire, one who would do anything to avenge Horatio and keep him safe.

Which was ultimately the reason Calleigh was keeping quiet about what she knew. But she had to do something. With a deep sigh she stood and went back to the main part of the lab, looking for the CSI who had ridden to the hospital with Horatio. The one who had collected the bullets and reported on the wound trajectory.

"Ryan, we need to talk."

***

Holmes paused in the parking lot, his gray eyes distant, considering. "Horatio, would you mind heading home on your own?" he asked. "There's one last thing I want to check on before I join you."

"What's wrong?" Horatio asked.

"I'm not sure. It's something that Calleigh said to me. I just want to ask her about it." Holmes smiled quickly. "Why don't you go make a start on supper for us? The faster we eat, the faster we can retire for the evening."

Horatio flushed and ducked his head a little. "Okay, just don't kill anyone in there," he said. "At least not without telling me about it first."

"I won't." Holmes vanished and moved back towards the lab. He didn't want to tell his blood bonded that the reason the shooters were still at large in Miami was because one of his team lied about the evidence.

Holmes didn't like the conclusions he was drawing about the lab. Calleigh seemed to be the only one he could trust. Eric was a nuisance that he might have to convince to stay away from Horatio – not that it would be a difficult thing to do – and he despaired about the others as they had let so simple a thing slip through their fingers. He had been under the impression that the CSIs were trained to analyze the evidence and draw conclusions from it, much as he had always done (much to Lestrade's dislike and misfortune) and yet. And yet. Holmes couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to find half of the team who conspired to take away his Horatio inside the very team Horatio considered his family.

It wasn't hard to find Calleigh again and he could tell that she had just come to a decision. Holmes fell into step behind her as she started walking through the lab, obviously looking for someone. She finally stopped in the garage. "Ryan, we need to talk."

A sandy haired young man looked up from the car he was processing. "Oh, hey Calleigh, what's up?" he asked.

"Why did you tell us that Horatio was shot on the level?" Calleigh asked folding her arms over her chest.

"Because he was," Ryan replied. He put down the ALS and pulled off his gloves.

"No, he wasn't," Calleigh said. "He was shot from the roof of the hanger that was just across the air strip from him. Why would you lie about something like that, Ryan?"

"Calleigh, listen to me," Ryan said moving closer. "Horatio was shot by someone standing at the same height he was. I don't know where you got the idea that he was shot by someone standing on top of the hanger, but he wasn't. How could you even think I'd betray Horatio?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "Ryan, Horatio went to the air strip today with another investigator and they found traces of a suspect on top of the hanger. How do you think I felt when they came in here and asked me why we didn't search up there? The look in Horatio's eyes about killed me."

Ryan stepped closer and slipped his hand into his lab coat. He was right next to Calleigh before he found that he couldn't move. "What the hell?"

"Ryan, what are you doing?" Calleigh asked stepping back.

"It is always unwise to risk the wrath of a woman," Holmes said from behind Ryan. He appeared suddenly, Ryan's hands firmly held in his own. "But doubly so to risk the wrath of a woman so obviously full of fighting spirit as Calleigh. I do hope he didn't hurt you, my dear."

"Holmes, what are you doing here?" Calleigh asked.

"I was curious as to who, exactly, told you the location of Horatio's shooter," Holmes said. He reached carefully into Ryan's pocket and pulled out a syringe. "And I would imagine this would knock you out for several hours, more than enough time for him to escape, or eliminate you as a threat. I suggest you let me take over for now and forget you ever saw me here."

"What are you going to do to him?" Calleigh asked.

Holmes smiled quickly. "Nothing that will harm him, Calleigh," he said. "At least, not yet. If he refuses to give me the name of his partner – the man who actually shot Horatio – then he might find things a little uncomfortable."

"Who are you?" Ryan asked fighting against the iron grip around his arm.

"I am the one who deduced where Horatio was shot from," Holmes replied with a quick smile. "I am also the one who has promised to take care of the shooters so he won't have to. Consider me your last court of appeal."

"Are you going to take him to Horatio?" Calleigh asked.

"That's exactly what I intend," Holmes said. "For now."
********************

Horatio wasn't sure what was going through Holmes's mind, but thought some things through on the drive home. He wanted to set up a trust fund for Kyle and maybe money he received from selling the house could go into that as well. Horatio didn't think that Kyle would want to stay in Miami forever and didn't think that leaving him the house would be such a good idea. His son would be able to use the money to go to college and live while he worked out what he wanted to do with his life. He also wanted to set up a fund of some kind for victims in Miami, something that would be there to help those he was no longer able to. Maybe that could be set up in Speed's name. Everything else he could either pack up and ship to England when the time came, or sell it.

He parked in the garage and walked into the house, remembering that Holmes had asked for Italian for supper. He started searching for the items he'd need and let his mind drift again. Horatio wasn't stupid and he knew that Holmes had a very good reason for going back into the lab and he suspected that it had to do with the shooting. Horatio had been hoping that he was wrong about the man who hired the shooter, that it wasn't a member of his team, but it was starting to look like he was wrong. And that simple fact hurt.

"Horatio?" Holmes called when he walked in, dragging Ryan about half an hour later. "I believe I managed to find the first link in the chain we're following."

The red head walked out into the living room and felt his shoulders slump. "I had hoped I was wrong, Mr. Wolfe," he said softly. "How did you catch him, Holmes?"

"Calleigh was informed that you were shot on the level rather than above, and this is the man who relayed that information to your team," Holmes said. "When I arrived, he was about to attack Calleigh."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine, shaken and has a lot of questions that I do not think we can answer, but fine," Holmes replied. "Is this the man you believed put out a contracted hit on you, my dear Horatio?"

"It is," Horatio said. "But I'm not sure as to why. I did everything I could to help you, Mr. Wolfe, and don't know that I could have done any more."

"You never accepted me on the team," Ryan said. "You have never once called me by my first name. All you see is a replacement for Tim Speedle and I'm sick of it."

"Holmes," Horatio said softly.

"If that is what you wish," Holmes said. "He was marked the moment he made the decision to take you away from me."

"I just don't want to know the details," Horatio said. "I'll finish dinner."

Holmes reached out and cupped Horatio's face, causing a small shiver. "I will find out the other names involved with this, Horatio," he said. "And I will take care of it. You won't have to know any more than you already do."

"Don't make him suffer," Horatio said softly. "For all that he believes I didn't accept or want him on my team, I did consider him family. Let him pay for what he did, but please don't draw it out more than you have to."

"For you," Holmes said. "I'll be back shortly."
********************

Holmes made Ryan drive out to a remote spot and took him a ways away from his car. "This is your last chance to tell me who your partner is," he said softly. "I will find out eventually, and he shall suffer a similar fate to your own."

"I still don't get who you are," Ryan protested.

"Don't you?" Holmes leaned in. "I'm a vampire, one who almost lost the most important person in his life because of you, and I want to take every second Horatio suffered out of your worthless hide. However, because he asked me to, I shall make this very quick. But know that I do it for him and not out of any sympathy for you."

"I'm not telling you anything and my team will find out that you're the one who killed me," Ryan said.

"Calleigh and Horatio already know what's happening out here," Holmes said. He took out a knife and shifted behind Ryan. "Don't you think they would have stopped me if they really cared what happened to you? As for Eric, he's too scared of me to come within a yard of me. No, none shall care what happened to you out here. Tell me the name of the man who shot Horatio."

"You'll just have to figure it out for yourself."

Holmes sighed and quickly slashed Ryan's throat, pushing him down on the ground. He stood there and watched until all the life had drained away. Then he left, leaving not a trace of himself behind. It would almost appear that Ryan Wolfe had killed himself, except for the wound track and lack of a weapon.
********************

The table was set and Horatio was on the back deck when Holmes returned. He turned and burrowed in against the vampire. "Is it over?" he asked.

Holmes wrapped his long arms around his bonded, noticing that the shiver was less pronounced when they were both dressed. "It is, and he did not suffer much," Holmes replied. "He would not tell me the name of your shooter, my dear Horatio. That is something we must work out for ourselves. Where should we start?"

"With dinner and bed," Horatio said. "I have a lot of enemies in this city and hunting them down one by one will take weeks. We need to figure out another plan."

"And we will," Holmes smiled. He kissed his lover gently. "We will find the other man who made you suffer. And then I will repay the favor."

***

When Horatio went to the lab the next morning, Holmes insisted on going with him, promising to remain invisible unless something happened and Horatio needed him. Horatio agreed because he knew they needed to start searching for the man Ryan had hired to try and kill Horatio, but also because he knew that Holmes wanted to protect him. All his life Horatio had been the one protecting others, and he found that he enjoyed being pampered a little by his vampire.

Calleigh had been extremely efficient while she was in charge of the lab, giving Horatio hope that his lab and city would be in good hands once he left. While Calleigh wouldn't have the contacts he did, she'd be able to form her own connections if given the time. What it also meant was that there wasn't a lot of paperwork on Horatio's desk when he walked into his office. He finished up what little there was, handed out case assignments and went to find Calleigh.

"Horatio, what happened yesterday?" she asked when he walked into the ballistics lab.

"What do you mean, Calleigh?"

"Ryan lied to us, you almost died, he tried to do something to me and then Holmes dragged Ryan out of here," Calleigh exclaimed. "I need to know what's going on."

The red head sighed and sat down. He felt his vampire behind him cool hands resting on his shoulders and leaned back a little with a small shiver, trusting Holmes to support him. "Holmes brought Mr. Wolfe over last night," he started. "It seems that Mr. Wolfe is mad that I never accepted him as a full member of the team, that I only saw him as Speed's replacement. So, for some reason, Mr. Wolfe is the one who hired my shooter."

"Did he give you a name?" Calleigh asked.

"No, he held firm on that," Horatio replied. "But Holmes and I are working on it, and I'm sure we'll be able to find my attacker soon enough."

"So that's why Ryan lied about the location of your shooter, he wanted to protect his partner as long as he could," Calleigh said. "Where is Ryan now?"

"I gave him 24 hours to get out of Miami," Horatio replied using the story he and Holmes had come up with to protect the vampire.

Calleigh was shocked. "Horatio, he tried to have you killed," she exclaimed. "You should have arrested him on the spot."

"On what evidence, Calleigh?" Horatio asked. "I doubt he was stupid enough to leave a paper trail when he hired the shooter, and there was no physical evidence at the airport to tie him to the shooting in any way. No, it's better this way."

"And Holmes just let him go?"

"Holmes won't do anything that would hurt me, Calleigh. He's not happy about the way events turned out last night, but he listened to my wishes."

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised he's not with you today," Calleigh said. "I'd've thought he'd be glued to your side until this is all over."

"He's searching for clues to lead us to the shooter," Horatio said. "Calleigh, there's something else I need to talk with you about. I'm going to retire in a year or so and want to leave the lab in your hands."

"That soon?" she gasped. "We just got you back, H, how are we going to stand losing you again?"

He sighed again. "I can't stay here forever, Calleigh," Horatio said. "I've stopped aging and I don't want to have to answer awkward questions in a few years."

"What are you going to do?"

"Travel for a couple of years, see the world," Horatio said. "Truthfully I'm concerned Kyle will try and follow me and I don't want that to happen. I'll make sure he'll be well taken care of here and explain things as best I can."

"So you're just going to vanish?"

"Yeah, I have to. I'm going to outlive everyone here and I'll need to cut all ties to Miami."

"Do you know where you'll end up?" Calleigh asked. "Holmes is from England, isn't he?"

"Originally, yes, although he tells me he has homes in several countries now. I imagine we'll settle wherever we're both happy," Horatio said. "We haven't really talked about the future, because we're both working to catch my shooter."

"But Horatio, you're going to be spending the rest of your life with him," Calleigh said, shocked.

"I know I love him and he loves me," Horatio smiled. "That's all I really need to know. I'll be able to stay in touch with you for a few years, until it's just too dangerous, but I won't be able to visit. You'll be fine without me, Calleigh. These past few weeks have proven that. It's not going to be easy on any of us, but this is what we have to do."

She tried to smile. "Okay."
********************

Horatio stayed out of the field, delegating that job to Calleigh, and stayed in his office getting caught up on some older paperwork that needed to be done before he retired. It was strange to think that in a year or so he wouldn't be a policeman or CSI, he wouldn't be in Miami anymore. He'd be with Holmes, but what would he do to keep from getting bored?"

"Your heart rate just increased, my dear Horatio," Holmes murmured. "What happened?"

"I was just wondering what I'll do after I leave Miami," Horatio replied just as softly. "My job has always defined me, this is who I am. Who will I become once I retire?"

"You fear growing bored."

"I guess."

Holmes smiled and ran his hand through his lover's red hair, causing a shiver. "Do not fear, Horatio; I still have contacts that send cases my way from time to time. Then there is research to be done, new things to be learned, travel and time for just the two of us."

"You still work as a detective?"

"Indeed; my mind rebels at stagnation, so I have many ways to pass the time. I promise you shall never grow bored, my dearest one."

Horatio wrinkled his nose. "Holmes, do you smell garlic?" he asked looking around.

"I believe young Mr. Delko is coming to speak with you," Holmes said. "Perhaps his is his new aftershave."

"It's insulting," Horatio murmured. He turned back to the case report in front of him and was reading when Eric walked in along with the reek of garlic. "Throw it away, Eric," Horatio said softly. "I have always treated you and your girlfriends with respect; I would ask that you show me the same courtesy."

"He's not human," Eric protested.

"I never said he was," Horatio said. "I only asked that you show me and my lover the respect we deserve."

"He's got you brainwashed!"

"What did you need, Eric?"

"What?"

"I imagine you have something you want to talk with me about," Horatio said. "And, if you didn't, I suggest you make something up quickly because I'm not going to be happy if you only came into my office to insult Holmes again."

"Ryan never came home last night."

Horatio blinked. "I'm sorry, Ryan didn't what?"

"Wolfe and I have been living together for a year," Eric said. "He didn't come home and he's not answering his cell phone."

"You and Mr. Wolfe were dating?" Horatio asked slowly. He felt Holmes tense behind him. He couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it. Eric wouldn't have wanted him killed. It just wasn't possible.

"Oh, come on H, you're hardly in a position to object to my dating another guy," Eric said.

"It's not, it's not that, Eric," Horatio said. "It's just that I spoke with Mr. Wolfe last night and he confessed to hiring the man who shot me."

"There's no way Ryan would do something like that!" Eric yelled. "He respects you way too much!"

"That may be, Eric, but he was upset that I never accepted him onto the team and wanted revenge," Horatio said. "When he wouldn't give up the name of his partner, I gave him a day to leave Miami, to start over somewhere before I reported what I suspected. I have no firm evidence, other than his confession and a text message to link him to the shooting. I wanted to give him a better chance than he gave me."

"Okay, first of all there's no way Ryan would ever do anything like this," Eric said. "And there's no way he'd just up and leave Miami without telling me anything. What else happened? Where was that monster all night?"

"Last night and you will watch your language, Eric," Horatio snapped. "The last time I saw Mr. Wolfe was when he walked out to his car and drove away."

"You would protect him."

"Do you want to see the bite marks?" Horatio was still getting pleasant tingles from the nips Holmes had left on his inner thighs. "Holmes was with me all night and most of the morning too."

"That's disgusting!"

"Eric," Horatio said soft and deadly.

Holmes appeared in the doorway. "A more important question, Mr. Delko, is did you help your boyfriend set up Horatio's failed assignation?"

"What the hell? Where did you come from?" Eric demanded. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"I believe you'll find that I am always around," Holmes said with a quick smile. "Now answer my question."

"Of course not! Horatio is like a big brother to me," Eric snapped. "That's one reason I want to get him as far away from you as possible."

"In that you shall never succeed," Holmes said. "My dear Horatio, I won't be able to say conclusively whether Mr. Delko was involved until he's had a shower."

"The garlic?"

"Quite."

Horatio stood up. "You heard the man, Eric," he said. "Let's go."

"Go where?"

"For you to shower," Horatio said. "And then, if you're not involved in this, I suggest you take the rest of the day off."

***

Holmes walked with Horatio and Eric to the locker room, invisible to everyone but his blood bonded, and waited on the far side of the room while Horatio pushed Eric into the showers. "Until the threat to you is resolved, my dearest, I don't want you alone away from our home."

"Do you have any other ideas about how to go about tracking down the one who actually shot me?" Horatio asked. "I was almost positive about Ryan, but I don't know who he would have gone to for the actual assination part of it."

"And a scent is far from good evidence to go on," Holmes said. "I would suggest that we go and search Mr. Delko's shared apartment for clues."

"He won't agree to that," Horatio said. "And as much as he's hurt me, I really don't want to invade his privacy for what could be a hunch. Besides, do we even know that Ryan would have kept things there where it's possible that Eric would be able to find and question them?"

"You do have a point," Holmes conceded. "Do we have other avenues for investigating his movements prior to him leaving Miami last night?"

Horatio was silent for a moment. Eric came back into the room and looked over at him. "H?"

"I can still smell it," Holmes murmured softly.

"Shower again, Eric," Horatio said. "I can still smell garlic on you."

Eric sighed and walked back into the showers, his shoulders slumped. Horatio leaned against the wall next to Holmes and closed his eyes. "I wish I could forgive him, Holmes," he said softly. "I do, but all he's shown since I woke up is that he doesn't trust me anymore. Right now the only ones I regret leaving behind are Calleigh, Kyle and Alexx."

"There is someone coming," Holmes said.

Horatio looked over just as the door opened and had to smile. "Why Rick, what brings you to this part of the lab?" he asked the man in the blue suit and pink shirt.

"Why does the whole lab smell like garlic?" Stetler asked in reply.

"Eric had an experiment go wrong," Horatio replied. "He's in the shower trying to get the smell off of him and we've got the fans going in the lab. It's one of the hazards of working with chemicals and unknowns. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Patrol just called me," Stetler said. "They found the body of one of your CSIs out in the glades. They say it looks like he's been murdered, but they don't see traces of anyone else around."

Horatio sighed. "I'll be right there, Rick," he said. "Did you let Alexx know?"

"Of course, and I want to talk to you when you get back, Horatio," Stetler said. "I've got a couple of questions for you that I want answers to."

"I'll do my best, Rick, but if one of my people has been murdered, I might be busy for a while," Horatio said with a lethal look. "Especially as whoever killed one CSI might not be willing to stop there."
************************

Holmes rode in the Hummer with Horatio towards the place where he had left both Ryan and Ryan's car. "How shall you explain this one away?" he asked. "Your people worked a vampiric crime recently and they shall know the signs of one, even if young Wolfe was killed with a knife rather than drained of his blood."

"That's going to be the point I'll focus on, that and the fact that you were with me all night," Horatio said. "When it comes right down to it, the only one who will question that fact is Eric and the others will focus on wanting to find the killer rather than questioning you."

"So we shall go off of impressions rather than evidence this time?" Holmes asked.

"I'm only going out for the sake of appearances," Horatio replied. "Because everyone in Miami knows that my team is my family and the lab is the most important thing in my life. Or, it was until I met you. Truthfully, I really just want to stay in the lab and let Calleigh run this case, which is probably what I will do once I have a look around. She is going to need the experience that cases like this can bring, and I really should distance myself, especially once I have to report that Ryan hired the man who shot me. That will only raise questions about my involvement in the case."

"You realize that Eric will tell people that you are dating, and corrupted by, a vampire," Holmes pointed out.

"If we have to, Holmes, if we have to, we can leave," Horatio said. "I'll take out all my money and give it to Kyle and tell him the house is his. If he has it in writing as well, then he can do what he wishes with it, and we can just vanish."

Holmes smiled softly. "Flee before a modern version of Stokers doctor," he said. "We shall do as you wish, as long as you shall be safe. Tell me what you need me to do."

"Watch my back while I'm at the crime scene," Horatio said. "I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen, but there are always a lot of people around and I don't want to risk another bullet."

"Too many people corrupt the scene. Have they learned nothing since my age?"

"I had thought that the system we have now works well, but as Ryan proved, it can be corrupted easily and, without a check of any kind, evidence can be lost and cases unsolved," Horatio said. He parked and bit back a sigh. "Here we go."

Holmes nodded and slipped out of the Hummer unseen. He followed Horatio closely, watching everyone around them at the crime scene and had to bite back a sigh more than once. The sheer number of officials at the scene was enough to obscure evidence from the eye of the trained investigator in a normal investigation. The fact that there was no evidence to obscure in this crime scene was a moot point. He froze as a scent reached his nose, the one scent in Miami that would catch his attention. The man who had shot Horatio was in the crowd of officials wandering around the crime scene, and Holmes was damned if the man would escape him for much longer.

Horatio moved carefully over to Alexx, where she was examining Ryan's body. "Alexx?"

"What are you doing back at work, Horatio Caine?" Alexx asked softly. "You should be at home resting."

"As I said when I woke up, I feel fine," Horatio replied. "What happened to Ryan?"

"Poor baby had his throat cut from behind," Alexx said. "From the look of the wound track he was killed by a left-handed man, but Calleigh says she can't find a weapon and this far out she wasn't sure if you'd want divers or not."

"It's too dangerous," Horatio said. And, as if to prove his point, a gator slipped by in the water, watching them. "We should be able to learn something from the wound track when you have him cleaned up. What else, Alexx?"

"It's odd, but I don't think Ryan struggled," Alexx said. "There's nothing under his nails, no bruises or any other marks on him. It's almost as if he just stood still and let his attacker kill him."

Horatio looked at Alexx closely. "What exactly are you saying, Alexx?" he asked.

"Calleigh told me we have another vampire in Miami," she replied. "How do we know he didn't put some kind of spell on Ryan and then kill him?"

"Because vampires don't kill with knives," Horatio said. "It's a waste of food for them. And based on what I can see just looking around, Mr. Wolfe was alive when his throat was cut. No vampire would waste food like this, Alexx. If it had been a vampire, Mr. Wolfe would look more like he had been attacked by a wild animal. No, a human did this for some reason. We'll find them, Alexx. We'll find them."
***********************

Holmes had moved slowly through the crowd of officers and lab personnel at the scene, searching for the scent that was slowly driving him mad. It called to him, reached across the crime scene, obscuring the scent of blood with the call to vengeance. He was almost frantic with the need to hunt, to track down and eliminate the one who tried to take Horatio away from him. Only what remained of his logical mind held him back. If he took the one that was marked for death from such a large crowd, it would only show that he had, in fact, killed Ryan Wolfe and make problems for Horatio that neither of them needed. Holmes would have to be patient, he would have to wait for the right moment to snatch his prey and kill him. It would even be possible to do it without Horatio knowing that another of his colleagues had betrayed him. He marked his target and he waited.

***

As he had planed, when they got back to the lab, Horatio turned the case over to Calleigh and went back to his paperwork. He wasn't surprised to find Eric waiting in his office.

"Where's the blood-sucker?" Eric asked looking around.

Holmes has trailed in silently behind Horatio and held a finger to his lips. Horatio sighed. "Eric, I am really not in the mood to deal with you right now," he said. "Holmes went home to take care of something. What do you need?"

"Where's Ryan?" Eric asked. "I heard what Stetler said. I know I can't work the case, but I want to know where he is. What happened to him."

"Eric, you need to take a step back and look at this from the lab's standpoint," Horatio said. "Right now, Ryan's body is evidence in a case. When everything is done, you can go see him. But you need to let Alexx and Calleigh do their jobs so we can catch the person who was stupid enough to attack one of our own."

"Yeah, you just don't want to admit that it was that creature you have living with you," Eric snorted.

Horatio took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Holmes may not be a human, Eric, but he has feelings, as do I," he said. "How would you feel if I called Ryan an inhumane killer who was fixated on revenge?"

"I'd hate it because you'd be lying."

"Ryan hired the man who shot me, Eric. He admitted it to me last night. Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Why would you let a leech latch onto you?"

"Get out, Eric," Horatio said. "I have tried to be patient, but you have pushed me beyond my limits. Leave this office now and do not let me see you again."

Eric looked at him for a moment and then stood and stormed out off the office. Horatio leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He didn't open them when cool hands landed on his shoulders. "I wish things were different," Holmes said softly. "What shall you do now?"

"I have to go and talk with Stetler," Horatio sighed. "He's not the one who shot me, is he?"

Holmes smiled softly. "No, my dearest one, he is not," he said. "I would have killed him on the spot had he been. You shall be safe talking with him alone."

"Alone?"

"I have some business to attend to," Holmes said. "Shall I meet you at home?"

Horatio opened his eyes and looked up at the vampire. "You found him, didn't you?" he asked. "The one who shot me. You don't want to tell me who it is."

"An investigator after my own heart," Holmes replied. "I did find him. And I want to handle this my way. I promise that there will be evidence for his death before I kill him. I will find out the answers that you want to know, Horatio. Will you trust me to do this for you?"

"I just want an end to the pain," Horatio said.

"Then start to put your affairs in order," Holmes said. "And we shall leave this place as soon as the final threat to you is ended. I can return alone in a year to eliminate the evil one who waits in this soil."

Horatio nodded. "Then I'll see you at home," he said. "Be careful."

"I will, my dear Horatio, as long as you promise to do the same."
***********************

Stetler was in his office reading through files when Horatio shut the door behind him and sat down in one of the guest chairs. "Rick, we have a couple of things we need to talk about," he said softly.

"What do you want to start with then, Horatio?"

"I'm turning the lab over to Calleigh and retiring."

Horatio had to work not to smile when he saw how stunned Stetler was by the news. "I'm sorry?"

"The shooting did more damage than they thought, Rick," Horatio said. "I'm not going to be able to work much longer. I'm only here to tie up my paperwork and make sure that Calleigh knows what she's doing before I leave for good."

"Why didn't the doctors tell us about this?" Stetler asked.

"Those doctors are idiots who almost let me be taken off life support by a woman who isn't even listed in my file," Horatio replied. "I've since seen another doctor for an opinion. He said that as long as I'm careful I'll be okay, but that working is out of the question, even in a lab setting. I think I'm going to travel and see some of the world, Rick. And I wanted to tell you before I sent in my paperwork because I knew that you would understand."

Stetler seemed stunned. "I didn't think you would ever leave the lab, Horatio," he finally said. "And you're going to have quite a fight with the chief about it. I know that you know how many people rely on you here."

"I do, and I don't make this decision lightly," Horatio said. "In fact, if Mr. Wolfe had not conspired with a still unknown man to have me shot, I wouldn't be in this position."

"Ryan Wolfe did what?"

"You heard me the first time, Rick," Horatio said softly. "I can only assume that he was meeting with my shooter last night when he was killed, probably to make sure that the shooter's name never came out."

"How do you know all of this?" Stetler demanded.

"A friend of mine from England caught Mr. Wolfe as he was about to attack Calleigh and stopped him," Horatio said. "When my friend brought Mr. Wolfe to me, he confessed to hiring my shooter and lying about the angle of entry on my bullet to allow the evidence to be destroyed while I was in the hospital. I know I should have brought him back in, but I gave Mr. Wolfe the night to leave the city if he so chose. If you check my desk, you'll find the report I wrote first thing this morning when I arrived at the lab."

"Ignoring, for the moment, that you broke the law and the rules, how do we know that you didn't kill Ryan Wolfe or have your friend do it?" Stetler asked.

Horatio looked directly at Stetler. "Both my friend and I are right-handed," he said. "Mr. Wolfe was killed by a left-handed attacker," he said. "And I believe you will agree that it is unlikely that we would be able to use our non-dominate hand without a great deal of practice and, as I had no idea who attacked me prior to last night, wouldn't have such practice."

"You're right," Stetler said. "But I trust that your friend and you are staying away from the investigation?"

"Calleigh is leading it," Horatio said. "Rick, I don't know of any way to find out who shot me and who, very likely, killed Mr. Wolfe. I've been back to the scene of my shooting and there is no evidence there. The weather and sun have done their damage, just as Mr. Wolfe hoped they would."

"A cop shooter loose in the city," Stetler said. "We can't just ignore him, Horatio."

"We won't Rick. I know that Calleigh and Eric, along with the lab, will do everything in their power to figure out who it was, even if it takes years to do," Horatio said. "But I don't think that he will shoot another one of our officers. Not without the proper motivation and, with Mr. Wolfe gone, that isn't likely to appear any time soon. I cannot promise it, but I don't think it's likely to happen."

"This isn't like you, Horatio."

"I'm tired, Rick. I probably shouldn't have come back at all, but I had to make sure my paperwork was finished up correctly. I couldn't just leave everything hanging."

"Not everyone would do something like that," Stetler said with a small smile. "I know we haven't always gotten along, Horatio, but the lab really won't be the same place without you here."

"I've trained them well," Horatio said. "And my people will do the best they can to keep the city safe. Help them out as much as you can, Rick."

Stetler nodded and stood. "I should probably go talk with Calleigh about the investigation," he said. "Are you going home?"

"I have some business to take care of first, but yes, I will be," Horatio said. "And I don't need a guard, Rick. But thank you. I think we've shown that I do not die easily."
*************************

The house was still empty when Horatio got home from talking with a real estate agent that he'd been friends with for a couple of years, and also his bank. He was making arrangements to close out as many of his accounts as he could and put the house on the market. He knew that he would still have to talk with Kyle about what was going on, but Horatio knew that he would be able to set up the accounts so that Julia wouldn't be able to touch any of the money that he left Kyle. He wanted his son to know that the money was for him to go to school and get set up in a job, not to squander, although Horatio also had a feeling that because Kyle had been without money for so many years of his life, he'd do what he wanted, but Horatio had to at least try. Once he was overseas with Holmes, he wouldn't monitor what Kyle did with his money. It was going to be hard to cut ties with his friends and family, especially his son, but Horatio understood why he had to do it.

He thought about cooking some dinner, but found that he really was tired and decided to just take a shower and lie down for an hour. Horatio would eat when Holmes got home. It was hard to think about, but in a week, Horatio would no longer be in Miami. He would be leaving his adopted city behind for good.

***

It wasn't hard for Holmes to track down the man he had targeted. He stood in a corner and watched, thinking about the best way to get the man alone. He wasn't sure how many people Eric would have talked to about him and his new relationship with Horatio, or who Calleigh might have mentioned his true nature to, and the last thing Holmes wanted to do was risk his prey learning of his true nature before they had a chance to be alone for the night. Holmes was a logical vampire, had been and would always be dependent on facts to guide his actions and cases. Holmes realized that the best thing for him to do would be to stand and study his target, learn as much as he could about the other man until he finally had a chance to get him alone. He had some questions, important questions that beat in his brain that had to be asked, but he also realized that the very act of asking questions would bring others to mind and that his Horatio would likely be alone for the night.

When the man stood to leave for the evening, Holmes followed silently out into the parking lot and marked which car the man was angling towards. It was the only one on that part of the parking lot and Holmes was just starting to wonder how he would get into it without being noticed when the man was called back by a co-worker. Fearing a trap, Holmes nonetheless got into the car as silently as he could and waited. He knew it wasn't possible that anyone could have seen him, invisible as he was, but it was also possible that Eric or Calleigh had mentioned to his prey that the newest vampire in town could turn invisible and move around without anyone seeing him.

The drive was not a comfortable one for Holmes, crushed in the back of the small car as he was, but he endured and took note of the turns they were making. It was a part of Miami that he was unfamiliar with, and needed to make sure that he knew how to get back to Horatio. That was more important to him than anything, the need to be with his blood-bonded. He smiled softly when he thought of Horatio, but the smile faded when he realized that the pain of betrayal by two that Horatio had thought friends would be with them for a long time. Having suffered that same betrayal once himself, Holmes knew that time would ease the pain greatly, but it would always lurk in the heart for as long as they were alive.

He looked around closely when the car stopped and took note of the neighborhood. It wasn't as nice as the one that Horatio lived in. There was a feel in the air that there was more to the houses than it appeared and Holmes had always trusted to that feeling. He was in a territory where things could get dangerous quickly if he was not careful. He would have to move carefully and with thought as the night progressed.

Holmes followed his prey into the house, shadowing so closely that they could have touched if Holmes had wanted to reveal his presence earlier than he planned. He slid into the house like a ghost and moved on silent feet to explore and make sure they were alone. It wasn't hard, the house was open and there were few hiding places. They were alone, and the prey was finally in his hands. Just how he wanted it. Holmes smiled softly and moved.

Frank Tripp froze as hands, pressure, appeared on his neck and pressed. He tried to fight back, but he couldn't see an attacker and he was helpless. Everything went black.
**************************

When Frank woke up, he was secured to one of his kitchen chairs in such a way that, no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break out of. But he wasn't sure how he was secured because he couldn't feel anything around his wrists or body holding him in place.

"You are a prisoner of my powers," a cold voice said from behind him. "It wouldn't do to let anyone know that you were held captive and questioned before your death. This has to look as natural as possible to avoid awkward questions."

"Who the hell are you?" Frank demanded trying to twist around and look at his attacker. "What are you doing here?"

"The what is more important than the who, I feel," Holmes said. He stayed where he was leaning on the counter. "You see, I have learned a secret about you, one that it is likely you believed none knew other than one Ryan Wolfe, who, as you know, died last night."

"Did you kill him?"

"Let us say his actions killed him, as he was stupid enough to arrange for his supervisor to be shot and left for dead," Holmes said. "And then lied about several points of the investigation to protect the one who shot Horatio Caine. No evidence remained that a court of law would understand, but I am a rather unique court of law. And I was able to determine the identity of Horatio Caine's shooter and decided to do as I pleased with him as there would be no other trials."

Frank tried to twist around again. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"No, no, it won't do, inspector," Holmes said softly. "I know that you are the one Ryan Wolfe went to when he wanted to have his supervisor eliminated for his own rather twisted reasons. What I do not know is why you did it. From what I understand, you and Horatio Caine have long been friends."

"We have," Frank said. "But Ryan gave me an offer that I just couldn't refuse."

"You shot to kill," Holmes said. "You did not shoot to warn or scare off, you shot to take the life of a man who calls you friend. What sort of offer would it take to make you do such a horrible thing?"

Frank was quiet. Holmes sighed and moved around into his view. He held up a small tape recorder. "I borrowed this from Horatio before coming to visit you," he said. "I suppose I should have warned you that it is running and your comments are being taped, but didn't think it truly mattered in the long run."

"You killed Ryan," Frank said.

"So you would like to believe," Holmes said. "However, I am right-handed and from what I understand, Ryan Wolfe was killed by one who is left-handed. We had thought that you were the one who killed your partner to keep him from talking, but you are right-handed as well."

"I wouldn't have killed Ryan."

"But you would have killed Horatio."

"Hell yeah I would have," Frank said. "And would have too, if the pilot hadn't been so quick to call for help. You would have shot him too, if you could have seen how he treated Ryan. Horatio didn't give a damn for the kid, just saw him as a replacement for Tim Speedle. It wasn't fair to Ryan."

Holmes sighed and opened the tape recorder. "You were in love with Ryan Wolfe," he said. He took out a tape and slipped it into his pocket and inserted another one. "Did you know that he was living with another?"

"Yeah, Delko," Frank said. "But that was just a cover for us. Ryan didn't care nothing for Delko."

"Or so he told you," Holmes said. "So we have established the why and how you assaulted Horatio Caine. There only remains one thing left for you to do. And that is to record your last words before you take your life."

"I'm not gonna do anything of the kind," Frank said.

Holmes looked up and a small smile flittered over his features. "Oh, I think you shall," he said. "After all, I am a vampire and there are things that you will do for me that you would never do if you were not under my control."
*************************

Holmes found Horatio curled up in bed when he finally arrived home. Things with the man who had attempted to kill his blood-bonded had taken longer than he had been expecting, but in the end, Frank Tripp was dead and it looked like a suicide. Down to the taped confession and note that had been left on the dinning room table before he had used his service piece to kill himself.

He was concerned to see that the kitchen was clean and the house did not smell of dinner. He could tell that Horatio hadn't eaten that night and wondered what was wrong. Holmes was tempted to wake Horatio and talk with his beloved about what was bothering him, but a look at Horatio's face told Holmes that the other man needed sleep more than he needed anything else. It was possible that there had just been too many blows to a man who was fragile already and Holmes needed to take his blood-bonded out of the city as quickly as possible. He undressed and slipped into the bed, smiling when Horatio rolled over in his sleep and curled up around him. Holmes would do whatever he had to, to protect his beloved. They could talk in the morning about what they wanted to do next.

***

Horatio woke up the next morning and felt warm, but not rested. He cuddled up against the warm form next to him and sighed. "When will it end, Holmes?" he asked softly.

"It is over, my dearest one," Holmes replied. "I killed your shooter last night before I returned home."

"I don't want to know who it was," Horatio said. "I don't want to know who else betrayed me."

"Then let us leave," Holmes said. "Come to London with me, Horatio, and heal there. Your home will be safe enough until I can arrange for my people to come and pack everything and transport it to a safe location."

"That sound wonderful," Horatio smiled. He looked up into the gray eyes that were studying him. "Do you need to feed before we leave?"

"Feeding now, Horatio, would harm you more than it would help me. We still have a day or so before you enter the danger zone and I should like to see you more rested before I take blood from you. And this is the first morning we have spent together when your body has not desired me upon awakening."

Horatio sighed. "I didn't realize I was so tired," he said.

"You have taken numerous hits since your shooting and revival in the hospital," Holmes said. "It is only natural that you should be more than physically exhausted. If you do not improve in a few days, my brother knows of doctors who shall be able to help you."

"I trust you, Holmes," Horatio said. "Let me pack a few things before we leave?"

Holmes rolled over and picked up the picture of Tim Speedle and handed it to Horatio. "I believe this is the first and most important thing you need to take with you."

"Thank you, Holmes," Horatio smiled. He kissed the vampire softly.

"We have forever, Horatio," Holmes said. "There is no need to rush anymore. And I shall always take care of you and those you hold dear."

***