Title: Omne Ignotum pro magnifico est
Author: Tiffany F
Pairing: Sherlock/Horatio
Fandoms: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/CSI: Miami
Rating: NC-17
Disclimer: I don't own anyone you recognize and I don't make any money off of these stories.
Warnings: AU, Major character death, ****SPOILERS FOR CSI MIAMI SEASON 6 FINALE****
Notes: 1) This was my first attempt at a vampire piece. Comments, criticism, and feedback are most welcome, but please no flames. I use them to roast marshmallow, but it's too hot to do so in August. Plus it's just not nice.
2) The title, according to http://www.yuni.com/library/latin_5.html means "we have great notions of everything unknown". And alternate translation - provided by David Burke in "The Red-Headed League" is that everything becomes common-place through explaination. Either works.
3) Enjoy. I think you'll like this one. *grin*
Summary: When Horatio Caine is shot he wakes up in another time with strange caretakers. How did he get there, how will he get home. And, most importantly, why is he feeling drawn to one of them.

***

Horatio opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He still wasn't used to the dim, flickering light the candles threw around the bedroom. He froze when his wandering gaze fell on the shadowed form in the doorway. The candlelight danced over strong features – pale skin and stone gray eyes that seemed to glow. While Horatio still wasn't sure how he got where – and when – he was, he knew that every part of him cried out to be with the man in the doorway. The intensity of his feelings scared him a little as he had never laid eyes on the man before this. He had only heard his voice. And felt his presence in the next room.

"You know what I am," said the man softly.

"I do," replied Horatio just as softly.

"And it does not scare you. I wonder why that is."

"I feel drawn to you."

The man sighed and moved silently into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. "I feel it as well," said he. "I've wondered since I was old enough to understand my nature who would be the one. And when I have found you at least, you're not really here."

"Is there enough of me here to do it?" asked Horatio.

"The parts that make you who you are, are here," replied the man. "Your mind and soul and heart are present. Only your physical body is absent. I can feast on your soul rather than your blood, but I have no notion of what that will do to the blood bond. But first tell me what you know so I can fill in the blanks before we go any further."

Horatio shifted on the narrow, hard mattress – sparing a thought as to how anyone could sleep on something so rock-like – and winced as the movement pulled at his stitches. Getting shot wasn't his favorite thing in the world. "Like all things in life there are good and evil," said he, leaning back into the pillows. "The evil ones are the reason for all the myths, legends and problems your kind face. These creatures can only go out at night as their skin is scaled and they are almost reptilian in appearance. However, they can cast a glamour over themselves so all their victims see is a handsome man or woman. And they feed indiscriminately, killing their prey more often than not."

The man smiled. "How do you know all this?"

"We had one of these guys in Miami last year," said Horatio. "He killed four people before we caught him. I did a lot of research to figure out what we were up against and how to stop him."

"There is more to their culture, but you have a good basic knowledge, for a human," said the man. "What about me?"

"The good ones – such as yourself – are able to live among humans and do not feed until the meet the one person their soul calls to," said Horatio. "Until they feed that first time, their skin is pale and will not color except for a faint flush at times. They can eat human food when the mood takes them, but it isn't necessary to keep them alive. Their intelligence is incredible and their senses are extremely sharp. For the most part, the good ones try to blend in with normal human society as much as possible."

"I am amazed and that happens very rarely," said the man. "You must have a quite remarkable library in your time. The only important fact you missed out is that we shun company and rarely like companionship of any kind until we meet our bonded. And even then, it is unlikely that we will like or tolerate company of any other than our bonded."

"So your companion?"

"He knows nothing of my true nature," replied the man. "He believes that I am merely a thinking machine with no heart or emotions, save ego and self-gratification."

"And you let him think this?" asked Horatio.

"It suits my purpose," said the man. "He enjoys helping me on my cases and I find his presence soothing most days."

Horatio shifted again. "So he truly believes I'm really here," said he. "As does your landlady."

"They can touch you, you feel solid to them so naturally you must be here," said the man waving a hand as if to dismiss such foolishness. "Only you and I know the truth, and even then, I'm not sure how this has come to pass."

"I suppose it's possible that after I was shot my soul knew that it had to find you so I could live," said Horatio.

"Fanciful, but I have often remarked that when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," said the man. "And yet I have my doubts that we can complete the blood bond with anything nearing success as long as your physical form remains in your century and across the Atlantic."

"Will you still be alive in 115 years?" asked Horatio. "Will I be able to find you again?"

The man smiled and reached out to touch Horatio's hand. "I will not permanently leave this address until your return," said he as his hand slid through Horatio's. "As you see, I cannot touch you so there is no way for me to feed."

"Is a soul bond that much different?" asked Horatio. He shifted again.

"I do not know and, as we don't know how you got here, there is no way to know how much time I have for research," said the man. "And I am not going to risk you in some sort of an experiment."

"You'll do the research though?"

"It will help me pass the years until your return to me," said the man. "Hurry back to me when you awaken in your own time."

"I will," said Horatio. "No one will be able to keep me away."

"Not even with the name given my kind?" asked the man. "You will be thought quite mad."

Horatio smiled. "The word applies more to the evil ones," said he. "They are the true vampires."

"Not everyone will see it as you do," said the man with a soft sigh. "I will watch over you as you sleep and await your return eagerly. We have much to discuss."

"As soon as I can," promised Horatio.

***

Horatio remembered being at the air strip with a private plane to get Kyle and Julia out of the country and safety. He had just come down the steps of the plane and taken out his phone when he felt the fiery burn that meant he’d been shot. Horatio knew he had dropped his phone and sunglasses, but didn’t know anything else until he’d awoken in the 1890s. At first he hadn’t wanted to believe it, but study of his immediate surroundings, the surgical tools, food and newspaper had finally convinced him of the truth of the matter.

The first time he’d heard the vampire’s voice in the other room, Horatio’s heart sped up and his breathing went so short that the poor doctor thought his patient was about to die. Horatio managed to calm down and convinced the doctor that it was pain that was the cause rather than the presence in the next room. The doctor – who had been rather free with the morphine – gave Horatio a shot that knocked him out and when he woke up the vampire was gone.

Three days of brooding not only on his situation but the wonders of modern medicine – every time he moved the stitches in his stomach and chest pulled and he wondered exactly where he was shot and how large an incision the doctor had needed to retrieve the bullet – brought Horatio no closer to the answers he was seeking. If it wasn’t for the lingering presence of the vampire in the room, Horatio would’ve thought he’d either died at the airport or lost his mind. Time travel was not possible and there was no logical way Horatio could be in Victorian England.

His first sight of the vampire, his first conversation would also be the last and left Horatio no closer to the answers he was searching for. All it left him with was a deep burning ache and emptiness inside him that he knew would only be filled when he was back with the vampire once again. As he fell asleep under the vampire’s watchful, intense gaze, Horatio knew he was going to awaken in his own era.

A familiar and persistent voice pulled Horatio back to consciousness. “Come on, H, we need you to wake up and help us with this case. Cal and I have searched the entire air field and haven’t been able to find any trace of who shot you. Please wake up, H. I’m not going to survive losing my brother and best friend.”

“Eric,” Horatio whispered.

“H, thank god,” Eric exclaimed. “You’ve been unconscious for three weeks. The doctors told us you were almost brain dead and they wanted to take you off life support. We wouldn’t let them; Alexx was positive you were still in there, somewhere, and would come back to us.”

Horatio slowly opened his eyes and found that he was in the same room Marisol had died in. “Tell them to move me,” he said. “And I need water.”

“I’ve been trying, H,” Eric said. He adjusted the bed and handed Horatio a glass with a straw in it. “They won’t listen to me.”

“Then find me a doctor,” Horatio insisted. “I want to be moved, now.”

Before Eric could move or answer, two doctors and a nurse appeared in the doorway. “Officer Delko, we’ve told you before that if you cause a disturbance again then we were going to ask you to leave.”

“What has disturbed me, doctor,” Horatio said, “is waking up in the same room and bed that my wife died in. And then finding out that you wouldn’t listen to my family’s wishes when I was unconscious.”

“Lieutenant Caine,” the doctor said, looking flustered. “This was the best place for you.”

Horatio blinked a few times and squared his shoulders as best he could. “Well it’s not any longer,” he said. “Move me to a different room. Now.”
********************

“I don’t know how you do it, H,” Eric said when they were finally alone in Horatio’s new, private hospital room. There were fewer machines so it was quieter, and Horatio’s IVs had been reduced down to two. “I’ve been trying to get them to move you every hour since they first let me in to see you.”

“It’s all in the eyes, Eric,” Horatio said between sips of water. “You said I’ve been here for three weeks. What’s been happening?”

“Calleigh has been running the lab, but refused the promotion that they offered her along with it,” Eric smiled. “Me, Cal and Alexx have all been convinced you were going to wake up and have been here constantly. You should’ve seen Alexx when Julia came in and tried to have you taken off life support.”

Horatio frowned. “Why would she even try something like that?” he asked.

“Hell H, she had the doctor convinced that she was your wife,” Eric replied. “Fortunately we were taking turns sitting with you at that point and were able to stop it.” He laughed. “Unfortunately for Julia, it was Alexx’s turn.”

“I can imagine,” Horatio said. “Eric, it doesn’t seem like almost a month. I’m not doubting you, but it seems like only a week.” Almost unbidden, Horatio’s thoughts returned to the vampire. He knew he had to find him again. And soon, Horatio could still feel the painful emptiness in him, and knew it wasn’t from the bullet wound. “I need to get out of here.”

Eric stared at him. “Get out of…Horatio, you only woke you two hours ago after being in a coma for three weeks,” he exclaimed. “You were on life support.”

“And I feel fine,” Horatio said. The pull to get back to the vampire was growing worse.

“You can’t even sit up on your own, let alone walk,” Eric said. “H, after I was shot, would you have let me out of the hospital the day I woke up?”

“You died, Eric,” Horatio said softly. “I watched them bring you back in the emergency room. It almost killed me to think that I was going to lose you too.”

Eric took Horatio’s hand. “I know you miss Marisol…”

“No, Eric, I was thinking about Tim,” Horatio said. “You were both so young and full of life and I got him killed and almost got you killed as well.”

“No you didn’t, H,” Eric insisted. “No you didn’t.”

“I know who shot me, Eric,” Horatio said. He carefully pulled his hand free and rolled onto his side. “And you won’t find any evidence at the scene. I just want to sleep.”

He could feel Eric’s eyes on him and knew that the gaze was concerned and confused. “Just promise me you’ll be here when I get back,” Eric finally said.

“Where would I go, Eric?”

“I don’t know, you’re the one acting all weird and talking about leaving,” Eric replied. “I’m not sure what to think.”

Horatio looked towards the foot of the bed. “Eric, it means a lot that you were the one here when I woke up,” he said. “You, Calleigh and Alexx are my family. Never forget that.”
********************

In London the vampire was sitting alone in his rooms, his companion and landlady both long dead, when he felt something inside him stir and awaken.

“So he’s alive,” he murmured. “And awake. If he feels the pull as I do, he might do something foolish. I should have offered to go to him instead of telling him to come to me. Perhaps I should go. Our completed bond would heal him faster than any modern medicine could possibly hope to accomplish.”

That decided, if only to keep his blood bonded alive and with him sooner rather than later, the vampire rose gracefully, set the violin aside and went to pack.
********************

Horatio glanced down at the handcuff around his left wrist and the bed frame. If anyone other than Alexx had tried something so foolish, Horatio probably would’ve killed them without a second thought. It seemed that when Eric had left Horatio’s room, the younger man went outside and promptly called Alexx. Then Alexx had shown up in a whirlwind with the handcuffs she’d borrowed from Frank Tripp firmly in hand and secured Horatio to the bed.

“I don’t want to hear a word of you getting out of this bed before the doctors tell you that you can, Horatio,” she’d said. “You were really sick and you need to give your body a chance to heal now that you’re awake.”

“Alexx, I feel fine,” Horatio had protested. He had checked and was amazed at how much smaller the bandage was than then one he’d had in the other time. “I just need to eat something resembling real food and I’ll be able to go home.”

“No you won’t,” Alexx insisted. “You’re going to listen to the doctors and do what they tell you.”

Horatio had glared at her. “The same doctors who were going to let Julia, a woman not even mentioned on my paperwork, kill me?” he asked. “What would have happened if you weren’t here, Alexx? I can’t believe you expect me to trust these morons.”

“Not only do I expect it, you’re going to,” Alexx said. She had put her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to hear of you giving them any trouble.”

That was roughly the point where Horatio had given up. He knew it was useless to argue with Alexx, especially when she was in full mother hen mode, and had rolled onto his side to sleep. It amazed him how little the stitches pulled now that he was back in his body, and made him wonder if the material used for sutures was different. Or if the modern day doctors had just done less cutting.

Horatio wanted nothing more than to get out of the hospital and on the first plane he could find to London. He wanted, needed, to be with the vampire. He was amazed that neither of them had felt this pull before he was shot and it made him wonder if the injury had something to do with it. Horatio rolled over carefully and tucked a hand under his pillow. For some reason he could feel the pull lessening and hoped that it didn’t mean that the vampire had found another or didn’t want him any more.
********************

When the vampire arrived in Miami he used the pull of the bond to find the hospital where his blood bonded was being treated. He hated hospitals, more so now than he ever did in his birth age. With a small sigh, he wrapped his jacket around him and – to everyone’s eye – vanished. He walked through the halls, being careful not to bump into anyone, to a third floor room. The vampire paused in the door and studied the man in the bed. His blood bond’s hair was messier than it had been all those long years ago and his face was whiter. But otherwise he looked the same and the vampire wanted to see his blue eyes open again.

As if the vampire had spoken his desire aloud, Horatio stirred and rolled onto his back. Blue eyes met gray and Horatio smiled. “You do still want me,” he said softly.

“Why would I not?” the vampire asked.

“I don’t know, I felt the pull to be with you easing and thought that maybe you had found someone else or just didn’t want me anymore,” he replied.

“Your books lack some vital information, no surprise if they were written by a human,” the vampire said. “Once we, the good ones, fix onto a blood bond, even if it’s not completed, we desire no other. And if you die, it is unlikely I’d take another. You’re intelligent enough to interest me as well as fulfill the desire to be near you. I doubt I could find anyone else with so redeeming a mind.”

Horatio smiled. “I thought that once the blood bond was completed, I couldn’t die.”

“One of the evil ones could kill you, but you won’t age or die otherwise,” the vampire said. He glanced down at the handcuffs. “Why are these here?”

“My family didn’t want me sneaking out of the hospital,” Horatio admitted. “All I could think about was the desire to see you.”

“I am here, but we should get you to your own home,” the vampire said. “If for no other reason than I don’t wish to complete our bond here where anyone could see you.”

“I’m ready if you are,” Horatio said.

When Eric and Calleigh showed up an hour later, they found the room empty and the mangled handcuffs lying in the middle of the bed.

***

Horatio looked around the large hotel room the vampire had taken for them. “I thought we were going to my place,” he said as he was taken over to the bed.

“We were, my dear Horatio, but then I realized it was the first place your friends will look for you,” the vampire said. “And I do not wish to be disturbed for any reason.”

“They’ll check hotels too,” Horatio said.

“They will not find us,” the vampire said. He sat down on the bed and reached out to run a long finger along Horatio’s cheek. “You do know what bonding with me means and what will happen.”

“I do,” Horatio said. “When you bite me the venom in your fangs will enter my bloodstream and slow both my heart and respirations. I won’t become a vampire, but I won’t die either.”

The vampire looked serious. “You’ll never die as long as I feed from you at least once a week,” he said. “Otherwise your heart will burst, killing you instantly. And once my venom is in your system no other can feed from you. Their venom would be as a poison to you.”

“Why would my heart burst?” Horatio asked.

“When your heart slows your body will produce more blood to compensate and keep you alive,” the vampire said. “My feeding from you frequently will help remove some of this excess blood and keep you healthy. However, if I am killed, the blood will flood your system and the pressure will be too much for your heart. It will kill you.”

“What could kill you?”

The vampire sighed. “You know who I am?” he asked in reply.

“Your companion let your name slip,” Horatio smiled.

“He always was proud of me,” the vampire said. “And liked to be sure people knew who I was.”

Horatio’s smile widened. “I can see why,” he said. “You are a legend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.”

“A legend as a fictional creation,” Holmes said waving his hand. “Why did you not question him further on the matter?”

“I was 115 years in the past without my body,” Horatio said. “Learning that I was at 221 B Baker Street in London, England under the care of Dr. John Watson didn’t throw me in the least.”

Holmes laughed. “I feel fortunate to have a blood bond who is intelligent and yet still has a sense of humor, for I fear my black moods are depressing enough for us both,” he said. Then he grew serious. “If you know who I am, then you know I have a mortal enemy.

“Professor Moriarty,” Horatio said.

“He is one of the evil ones,” Holmes said. “The only thing that can kill a vampire is another vampire. And even then it is difficult.”

“Is that why Moriarty isn’t seen in the books until the Final Problem?” Horatio asked. “Because he’s an evil one?”

“It is,” Holmes said. “Of late he’s been in France working with a criminal group there. I haven’t been able to find any proof that I could present to the authorities, and we vampires aren’t exactly recognized by the government.”

Horatio blinked a few times. “Wait a minute, the evil one I found before. I thought I killed him.”

“No, no, no – he’s only in a coma,” Holmes said. “He’ll return in another year, more deadly than before. But I’ll be with you and will end his life for good.”

“You’d leave London for me?”

“Not for an extended period of time,” Holmes said. “But I have observed how attached you are to your Miami. And I would be remiss if I did not deal with the threat that lingers here.”

“But we will leave some day?” Horatio asked.

“We have to, you will not age after tonight,” Holmes replied. “But we’ll have time to talk about all of this. Do you feel strong enough to shower?”

“No, but I can take a bath,” Horatio said. “They refused to feed me until tomorrow morning to give my system time to adjust. I’m sure if I could just eat I’d be fine.”

“Modern medicine,” Holmes growled. “They think they know everything even when they do more harm than good.”

Horatio laughed. “There’s very little a good meal won’t cure,” he said. “If you help me in and out of the tub, I’ll get cleaned up.”
********************

“There’s no way he could just vanish,” Alexx said. “The heart monitor would have alarmed, for one; he was cuffed to the bed, for two; and someone would have seen him leaving.”

“And none of that mattered,” Eric insisted. He held up the twisted cuffs. “These were on the bed when Calleigh and I got here, the heart monitor was turned off and no one saw or heard anything.”

“Eric, sweetie, that’s impossible,” Alexx said. “How could Horatio just vanish?”

“I’ve seen something like that before,” Calleigh said pointing to the cuffs. “I think Horatio has been taken by a vampire.”

“Vampire?” Eric asked. “You mean like that serial killer he killed last year?”

Calleigh sighed. “Just like that,” she said. “It would explain everything; the lack of evidence and Horatio just vanishing like he did.”

“Then we need to find him before this demon makes Horatio his dinner,” Eric exclaimed. “We just got him back, Cal, we can’t lose him again.”

Alexx looked at the pair. “Where do we start?”

“At Horatio’s house,” Eric said. “Maybe there’s a clued there that can help us.”

“We’ve been through there twice,” Calleigh commented. “What could we possibly have missed?” She had been the one to search the bedroom and now knew more about her boss then she had ever wanted to.

“I don’t know, Cal, but we have to start somewhere,” Eric said. “We’ll switch rooms this time. Fresh eyes are always good.”

“No, Eric, that’s not a good idea,” Calleigh said quickly. She knew if Eric saw some of the things Horatio had hidden in his room, the younger man would have some problems with his boss and they had enough problems as it was. “In fact, why don’t you start here and then go to his office. If we split up we can get more done and find Horatio that much faster.”

He looked at her like she was crazy. “Okay,” Eric finally said. “Let’s get started.”
********************

The smell of grilled steak roused Horatio from the light doze the warmth of the bath had caused. He found the washcloth and soap to finish washing. He’d never realized how little good a sponge bath would do or how good it felt to be clean again.

“Holmes?” he called.

“Are you ready to get out?” Holmes asked as he walked into the bathroom. “I decided to order us some supper. You need your strength for tonight, although our bond will heal your wounds soon enough. I worry about your blood pressure though.”

Horatio shifted to his knees and took the offered hand before climbing carefully to his feet. “That’s what woke me up,” he admitted with a wry smile.

“Sit before you fall.” Holmes placed a towel on the closed toilet seat and picked up another one. “I want you to think hard and ask any last questions you might have while we eat.”

“Why don’t I feel empty inside?” Horatio asked. He put the smaller towel he’d been using to dry around his stitches down and picked up a new bandage.

“Because I’m here with you,” Holmes said. “The blood bond awakened when you heard my voice and felt my presence for the first time in Baker Street. Yes, even though I had yet to bite you. When you awoke here it came alive again. In you it was a painful hollowness, one that would worsen until we were together again. For me it was more of a pull to guide me to your side. As long as we remain together until I bite you, you will not feel it. And I have no plans to leave you.”

Horatio lifted his foot and slowly put on a pair of black sleep pants he didn’t recognize. “After we bond will I still be able to be hurt?” he asked. He shivered a little when Holmes wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him in close.

“Are you cold?”

“No.”

Holmes regarded him for a moment, stopped and shifted so he was in front of Horatio, gazing down at him. As it said in the stories, Holmes was six foot two, but thin which only made him appear that much taller. “Soon,” he whispered. “Soon nothing will be able to separate us.”

Horatio slid his hands up the vampire’s arms and pulled Holmes’s head in for a kiss. They both moaned at the first press of lip on lip before Holmes tilted his head a little further and deepened the kiss, tongue thrusting into Horatio’s mouth to taste him.

“You need to eat,” Holmes whispered, catching Horatio’s weight easily before he could fall to the ground.

“If I must,” Horatio said. He gazed up into the steely gray eyes. “But now I can’t wait for desert.”

***

“There is something I’m curious about,” Horatio said once they were seated at the table.

“What is that?” Holmes asked. “Eat slowly for I do not want you to get sick.”

“In the early stories Watson makes mention of morphine and cocaine use,” Horatio replied. He cut a small piece off his steak, put it in his mouth and moaned at how good it tasted.

Holmes’s keen gray eyes were fixed on Horatio’s face. “Waiting may be harder than I imagined,” he finally said.

Horatio smiled. “Only another hour,” he said. “The drugs?”

“They were not,” Holmes said. “It was a solution to keep what little blood that was in my system flowing properly.”

“And allowing you to pass as a human,” Horatio said. “So why say it was a drug?”

“Because, in a way, it was,” Holmes replied. “I did not care to inform Watson of my true nature and, as I had to take the injections thrice daily it was easier to allow him to believe it was some form of stimulant.”

“I have to admit that I’m very relieved.”

“You have a close relative who uses drugs?”

“I did, he’s dead now. My younger brother, Raymond, was undercover for narcotics and got in over his head,” Horatio said. “They faked his death and he left not only his family but an illegitimate child behind. When I learned he was alive, I helped him flee his persecutors, only to find out he went right back into the drug world. He was killed in Brazil.”

Holmes studied his soon to be blood bonded closely. “Family means everything to you and nothing to him,” he said. “Will you be able to leave them behind, Horatio?”

“It will be hard, probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Horatio said with a small sigh. “But to be with you is all I want. Will you be able to give me time to be sure everyone is well cared for?”

“We have at least a year,” Holmes replied. “And we can visit, for a time, until it’s too obvious that you are no longer aging. Then we must disappear.”

“Where will we go?”

“My family home in England or, if you wish, we can travel for a time,” Holmes said. “We will never want for money. If you so wish you can set up accounts for your family before we leave.”

“I will,” Horatio agreed. “And travel might be the best option. My son, Kyle, won’t take me leaving well and might try to follow me.”

“Were you married?”

“No, Julia is an old girlfriend. I was serious and she wasn’t. I didn’t even know Kyle was alive until he was sixteen and a suspect in a kidnapping.” Horatio sighed and took another bite of his steak.

“You do not have a good relationship,” Holmes observed. “Does he blame you?”

“For some things,” Horatio said. “The other thing we have to do is take care of the person who shot me and the person who ordered the hit.”

Holmes smiled. “We can start that tomorrow,” he said. “Even though so much time has passed, I should be able to pick up some trail of who attempted to deprive me of my companion.”

“Technically, if I hadn’t been shot we wouldn’t be sitting here now,” Horatio said. He leaned back in his chair with a small groan.

“You are in pain,” Holmes said. He stood and gathered Horatio up as if he was a child. “Come, let’s get you to bed and I’ll see what I can do to ease your suffering.”

“How much good vampire lore is there in the popular myth?” Horatio nuzzled Holmes’s neck. “And now much evil?”

“Later,” Holmes said. He put one knee on the bed and carefully deposited Horatio in the middle of the soft king-sized mattress. “For now I need you as relaxed as possible so I do not hurt you.”

“Could you?”

“Tonight, if I am not careful, yes,” Holmes replied. He dropped his shirt on the floor and started to undo his belt. “But I promise you that I’ll be very careful.”

“Because of this?” Horatio put a hand carefully over his white bandage.

“That is most of it, but there is always an element of danger when the bond between vampire and bonded is being formed,” Holmes said. “However, I do not anticipate any problems for us.”

Horatio looked over his vampire as the pale skin was revealed and suddenly missed the flickering light from the candles back in Baker Street. He knew that once Holmes had fresh blood in him, his skin would warm a little and he would appear more human. Horatio wanted to memorize what Holmes looked like at that moment.

He shivered as Holmes joined him on the bed. “Will I always have that reaction to being close to you?”

“I hope so. Stay still.” He carefully pulled off Horatio’s sleep pants and tossed them onto the floor.

“Tell me what I have to do.”

The most important thing is to be relaxed when I bite you,” Holmes said. He knelt on the bed and started to carefully remove the bandage. “It will hurt, but I need to be able to see this as my venom should heal your wounds.”

“Are you going to take out the stitches?”

“I am, it appears healed enough to stay closed until the bond between us is complete. Stay very still for this.” Holmes picked up a pair of small scissors from the bedside table and leaned in. “I will kill the one who did this to you. I never want you to be in pain again.”

“Leaving Miami will hurt,” Horatio said. He hissed softly. “But it’s something I can work through.”

Holmes bent down and kissed the wound. “I am sorry,” he said. “But these won’t dissolve as the wound heals. I do not want you to scar if you don’t have to.”

Horatio caught Holmes’s free hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it. Holmes dropped the scissors as a hard shiver ran through his entire form. The red head grinned and drew one of the long fingers into his mouth and sucked softly.

“It’s dangerous to tease a vampire,” Holmes whispered as his fangs appeared. “Let me finish.”

“Hurry,” Horatio said.
********************

Calleigh – for obvious reasons – saved Horatio’s bedroom for last. She went through his office, again surprised at the number of books on vampire lore, his files and desk. The living room, kitchen, bath and spare room were all nicely furnished and held no clues to indicate where Horatio might be.

Finally she couldn’t put it off any longer and made her way into the master bedroom. Calleigh put her kit down and picked up a silver picture frame that was on the bedside table. “Hey Tim,” she said, looking at the dark brown eyes. “I really wish you were here to help out with this. You knew Horatio better than anyone and you’d probably know where he is too.”

Tim Speedle’s smiling face looked back at her. Calleigh hadn’t know that Horatio and Speed were lovers – still didn’t know for sure, but she couldn’t think of another reason for Horatio to have the other man’s picture in his bedroom. Well, that along with the rather large collection of sex toys and videos labeled H and S with dates gave her some fairly hard evidence. And she mentally smacked herself for laughing at that sentence.

“Miss you, Speed,” Calleigh said. She put the picture down carefully and looked around the room. Deep down she knew that even if the vampire had been in Horatio’s house he (or she) was unlikely to leave any sort of trace behind. She really just wanted to keep Eric busy until one of two things happened; they found Horatio’s body or he showed up again.

It just showed – again – that life wasn’t fair and life as a CSI or cop in Miami was dangerous. First they had lost Speed, then Eric had been shot and still wasn’t whole. Calleigh had been kidnapped and through it all Horatio had been there as the anchor for the team. Calleigh wiped her eyes and picked up her kit. They couldn’t lose Horatio too – the team wouldn’t survive a blow like that. A world without Horatio Caine in it wasn’t one she wanted to even think about.

***

Horatio waited patiently as the rest of his stitches were removed, shivering as every touch of Holmes’s long, cool fingers sent shockwaves through him. As soon as the small scissors were put down, he grabbed Holmes’s hand and started sucking on his finger again. Horatio almost couldn’t understand it and, if he hadn’t read so much about vampires when hunting the evil one, he’d have been scared at the intensity of the feelings shooting through him. He was desperate to have Holmes touching him, to have some part of the vampire in his body, even if it was just a finger in his mouth. Horatio had never felt such a depth of feeling and desire before, and it scared him only in the small part of his mind still capable of rational thought. The rest of his mind had shut down, given itself over to the sensations Holmes was creating as the long, thin fingers of his free hand roamed over Horatio’s skin.

“Release me,” Holmes commanded softly. His fangs were still visible although mostly hidden by his thin lips.

In response Horatio started sucking harder, his eyes closing in bliss. Holmes growled deep in his throat, sounding almost like an animal and ripped his hand free. Before Horatio could react, Holmes was on him, hands pinning his wrists to the bed and his mouth taken in a deep kiss. Horatio pushed up for more contact causing Holmes to shift and straddle him, never breaking the kiss. As Horatio started to push in and explore Holmes’s mouth, he nicked his tongue on a fang and the copper tang of blood flooded his mouth.

Holmes pulled back, his gray eyes wild. He slowly licked his lips as he stared down at Horatio. “Are you so intent on having me claim you without any preparation?” he asked softly. “I do not want to hurt you, Horatio.”

“Please, don’t tease,” Horatio replied. He struggled to get his hands free so he could touch Holmes. “I need more. I need you inside me.”

“Be still,” Holmes ordered and was relieved when the weaker human stopped moving. “You’re still injured, my dead Horatio. I need you to stay absolutely motionless for me. Do not move.”

“Hurry,” Horatio said. He whimpered when the vampire left the bed and crossed to his bag. But he didn’t move except to turn his head and watch as Holmes bent down and dug around in his black bag. “Will I ever be inside you?”

“Do you so wish it?” Holmes asked.

“Yes.”

“Then you shall.”

“Soon?”

Holmes looked back and smiled. “Are you always this eager?” he asked. “Ah, here it is.” He stood up with something in his hand and returned to the bed. “How many lovers have you been so wanton for?”

“Just you,” Horatio said with complete honesty. And it was true, not once in either of his previous serious relationships had he ever felt or behaved in such a manner. He spread his legs open when Holmes climbed back onto the bed.

“How long has it been?” Holmes asked as he started to slick his fingers.

“With another person, almost four years,” Horatio replied.

“You have toys,” Holmes said as his finger slid into Horatio’s body. “I see that you do, this won’t take nearly as long as I feared.” His head snapped up and he glared at Horatio. “I told you not to move.”

“I need to touch you,” Horatio panted as the fingers opening his body started to thrust. He wasn’t sure what felt better, another man’s hands on and in him or the bond waiting to be finished.

“Soon,” Holmes said.

Horatio’s back arched and he cried out as the thrusting fingers ran over his prostate. Holmes grinned down at him and leaned in, taking Horatio’s erection in his mouth. The sensation of fangs sliding along such sensitive skin coupled with the increasing thrusts into his body pushed Horatio over the edge.

Holmes carefully pulled his fingers out and wiped them on
a cloth as he kept sucking on Horatio. The red head finally stirred when the sucking sensation turned painful. Holmes pulled back immediately and, before Horatio could move or react, was sheathed inside him.

Horatio was almost dizzy with the needle-prick sensations that were spiking in him wherever naked skin was pressed together. The feeling of Holmes’s cock in his ass was indescribable, incendiary, incandescent and Horatio wanted it never to end. He pulled his legs up and wrapped them around Holmes, allowing the vampire to slip that much further into his body and nudge his prostate as well.

The vampire could feel Horatio growing hard again between them and started pressing kisses along Horatio’s jaw and down to his neck. He unerringly found the vein that would carry his venom back to Horatio’s heart and seal them together for an eternity. Horatio tilted his head to the right, exposing more skin to the nuzzling lips that were sending sparks of desire directly to his cock. He shuddered when he felt the scrape of fangs followed by a soft tongue lapping the trail left behind. The cycle repeated several times until Horatio was nothing more than a shivering, pleading bundle of nerves begging for the next tough.

Holmes thrust forward sharply at the same instant he bit down – Horatio’s cry in his ears, blood flooding his mouth and semen pumping between them as he climaxed for a second time. Holmes drank almost leisurely as he kept thrusting into his new bonded’s body, relishing the taste and sensation of the rich, warm blood on his tongue.

As he felt Horatio’s heart slowing, Holmes pulled back and licked the wound on Horatio’s neck, watching to be sure it closed. The he sealed his lips to Horatio’s as he started thrusting faster, seeking his own release. Horatio’s hips were pushing back weakly and Holmes realized that, somehow, Horatio was hard again. He bit down on Horatio’s lower lip as he came, the flash of pain sending Horatio over as well.

“It seems you have a few hidden kinks,” Holmes whispered as he caught his breath.

“Never been like that before,” Horatio murmured. He whimpered as Holmes pulled out of his body and left the bed.

“Shhh, I’m just going to clean us up and then you need to sleep to let your body heal,” Holmes soothed. “We need to get you back to your team before they work themselves into a frenzy.”

“They’ll be okay,” Horatio said sleepily. He shivered any time one of Holmes’s fingers touch his skin. “Just want to stay with you.”

Holmes smiled as he got his new bonded under the covers and joined him. “The fuzziness will be gone by tomorrow,” he said. “And the desire to be with me should also lessen enough to allow you to function normally.”

“Always going to need you,” Horatio whispered as he fell asleep.

“I shall always need you too, my dear Horatio,” Holmes said as he watched the other man sleep.

Holmes knew at some level his new blood bonded was speaking the truth. The team Horatio considered his family would be fine in the long run, however, at another level Holmes was equally sure that the team needed their red-haired leader and would not surrender him easily. He only hoped the humans would give Horatio a chance to explain the situation and what had happened rather than just shooting Holmes on the spot. The bullet would not kill him, but it would take longer than a week to heal and the result would be fatal to Horatio.

The problem, ultimately, was that people only knew about the evil ones, the vampires who killed indiscriminately in order to stay alive. Only those who studied vampiric culture, ones like Horatio, knew that there were also good vampires in the world. Holmes knew that Horatio’s team wouldn’t be stupid – there was no way his intelligent blood bond would settle for anything less than a matching intellect for his team – and the team would make the connection between the evil one they faced the previous year and the small clues Holmes had been forced to leave behind. It was more than probably they believed their team leader dead at the hands of a monster.

With a small sigh, Holmes settled in for a long night of watching Horatio sleep. He rarely slept more than a few hours a night anyway and he needed to keep watch for any signs of an allergic reaction to the venom that was now in Horatio’s system. It was rare, but it had happened before – killing the human.

And then the hunt for the one who had attempted to kill Horatio would begin. Holmes had an idea that there were two of them in on the plot and he wasn’t going to play favorites. They were both dead men as soon as he found them.

Holmes had some very creative ideas in mind for the both of them. He smiled and kissed Horatio’s forehead softly. He wouldn’t let his new blood bond watch. There was no reason to force Horatio to suffer a second time for their betrayal.

***

When Horatio awoke the next morning he felt good, far better than he had in a long time, and realized all the aches were gone. Not just the pain from being shot, but all the little aches that had developed with age were missing too. He opened his eyes slowly and found intense gray eyes studying him. “Good morning.”

“I was beginning to think you would never awake,” Holmes replied.

“I guess I had a lot of healing to do,” Horatio said. “I feel just fine.”

Holmes smiled. “Sit up and tell me that. Your blood pressure will have changed and I need to be sure you’re not going to faint.”

“So all you’re going to do to me this morning is give me a physical?”

“It’s almost time to checkout and I want to see your home. We can continue our activities from last night once we’re there,” Holmes said.

“Holmes, will you bite me every time we’re together?” Horatio asked. He pushed himself up into a sitting position slowly. “I mean, is there some connection between your climax and feeding?”

“No,” Holmes replied. “Come, let’s get you cleaned up. I only need to feed once a week, although I can feed more frequently, it would make you sick.”

“So does that mean we’ll only make love once a week?” Horatio asked.

“Are you still so eager for my touch?” Holmes steadied Horatio as he stepped into shower.

“It’s not that, it’s just that sometimes when I’ve had a bad day at work or am feeling stressed by something, I find that sex is a good way to relax,” Horatio admitted.

“Feeding and sex are not linked for me,” Holmes said. “Nor do I find the act repulsive. It is my job to care for you and see that you get everything you need. But I need a promise from you. Until I learn to read your moods, you need to tell me what you need and when you need it.”

Horatio nodded and shivered at the same time. “Will my perception of temperature be altered now?” he asked turning up the hot water.

“They will, my apologies,” Holmes said. “Wash quickly. You have less blood in your body at the moment so you will a chill more readily. As time passes things should settle as your body will be producing extra blood. But you will still feel the cold more easily as your circulation will be slowed.”

“Can we go to the airstrip today?”

“So eager to return to work.” Holmes handed Horatio a towel. “Yes, we can go today and see what I can pick up. How much confirmation do you need?”

Horatio sighed and met the vampire’s eyes in the mirror. “Just the shooter,” he said. “I believe I know who paid him to try and kill me.”

“Do you not need evidence that will stand up to the scrutiny or a judge and jury?”

“They’re not going to live that long, so why pretend?” Horatio asked. “I only need the evidence to prove they were involved.”

“Don’t jump to rash conclusions,” Holmes cautioned. He cupped the back of Horatio’s head and tilted it up until they made eye contact. “When you turn the guilty party or parties in, or over to me, you need to know without a doubt that it was them. It would kill you if you harmed an innocent.”

“Believe me, if it’s who I think it is, the pain is already there,” Horatio sighed. He leaned in and kissed his lover. “I guess I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.”

“Then get dressed and we’ll depart,” Holmes said.
********************

The house was, Holmes thought, very much what he expected from Horatio. Simple, elegant, and very much a home. But there was another influence in the home, another presence. “Who else has lived here?”

“My lover, Tim,” Horatio replied. “We were only together four years when he was killed in the line of duty. I watched him die.”

“And would’ve done anything to save him.”

“Part of me died with him, a part that’s never come back.”

Holmes nodded. “As I said to Watson after the death of his wife, work is the best antidote for sorrow,” he said. He reached out and cupped Horatio’s cheek gently. “Looking at you I begin to believe that is not the case. For looking into your eyes, I see the truth.”

“What is it?” Horatio asked leaning into the touch.

“Time is the only true way to heal,” Holmes replied. His breath caught as Horatio’s hand covered his. “And even then some wounds never truly heal.”

The pair was interrupted by a knock at the door. Holmes hissed softly. “It’s a young male,” he said. “Do you want me to wait in the back?”

“If it’s who I think it is then that would probably be a good idea,” Horatio replied. “You’ll know when to join me.”

Holmes nodded and vanished down the hall. He knew that Horatio would be able to see him no matter what, but the young man wouldn’t. He would wait until Horatio was settled in the living room with his guest and then join them.

“Eric,” Horatio said as he opened the front door.

“H!” Eric pulled the red head into a tight hug. “When Calleigh and I found you missing I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“Why is that?” Horatio asked. He hugged Erick back and moved them into the house. “I told you I was fine and ready to leave, Eric. Come on, let’s sit down. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Horatio, you almost died,” Eric protested. “There was no way you could’ve been ready to leave. Alexx said that you’d have to be in the hospital for another two weeks at the least. What are you covering up?”

“I’m not hiding anything,” Horatio said. He settled into Tim’s old chair with a sigh. “Remaining in that place would have done me more harm than good. Those doctors were all idiots who didn’t have my best interests in mind.”

Eric rubbed his eyes. “So where did you go, H?” he asked. “You weren’t here. Calleigh came and checked. She wouldn’t let me near the house for some reason.”

Horatio thought about the pictures of Speed, videos they had made together, and the sex toy collection in his bedroom and mentally thanked Calleigh. That was one less thing he would have to worry about Eric finding out. “I went to the beach with a friend, Eric,” he finally said. Horatio felt bad lying to the young man he considered family, but he certainly wasn’t going to tell him how the night was really spent. “We went out to dinner, as the hospital wouldn’t feed me solid food, and then came back here. I only just woke up about an hour ago and was about to call you when you knocked.”

“What about these, H?” Eric held up a bag with the twisted handcuffs. “You didn’t do this on your own and there are no marks on your wrists. Calleigh said that a vampire did this. Where is he, H? Where is the monster that took you?”

“Eric, he’s not a monster,” Horatio said. “Listen to me; there are two types of vampires in the world. The one we dealt with last year was what’s known as an evil one. But there are also good vampires, ones who won’t hurt anyone else.”

“That’s not entirely true, my dear Horatio,” Holmes said as he appeared next to the chair Horatio was in. “For I fully intend to kill the ones who tried to take you from me.”

At the strange man’s sudden appearance, Eric jumped up and pulled his gun. “Who the hell are you and what have you done to Horatio?”

Horatio stood and stepped in front of the vampire. “You’re not ready to hear this, Eric,” he said softly. “This is the man who saved my life when I was shot, and removed me from the hospital to help me heal. Yes he is a vampire, but he means me no harm and that’s all you need to know.”

“How do you know that?” Eric demanded. “All they want is blood. Let me see your neck, H.”

“You are misinformed,” Holmes said calmly. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Horatio, who shivered at the contact. “The evil ones thirst constantly for human blood and kill to obtain it. But, as Horatio says, there are also good vampires who can live without blood, as I have done for over 100 years. We wish nothing more than to be left alone to our studies and books. However, as we are the only ones who can kill the evil ones, we occasionally interact with others.”

“All vampires are liars,” Eric said. He reluctantly put his gun away, if only because he didn’t want to shoot his boss.

“And if I say we’re not it would only fall prey to your twisted logic,” Holmes said. “Yet I have spent the last day with Horatio and you can see that he is fine. I would do nothing that would cause harm to Horatio, you or the rest of your team. I only want what’s best for Horatio.”

Horatio leaned back against Holmes. “Eric is Catholic, Holmes,” he said softly. “He’s been raised with certain beliefs and it’s not for us to say they’re wrong.”

“Even if they are?” Holmes asked. He sighed and stepped back. “Very well, Horatio. I’ll leave you alone to speak with him, but I do not believe it will cause you anything but pain.”

Eric’s eyes widened as the vampire vanished. “What the hell is going on here, Horatio?”

“This is going to take a while,” Horatio sighed. “Holmes, can I drink alcohol?”

“In moderation,” replied a disembodied voice.

“Thank you. Eric, would you like a drink? I’ll do my best to explain,” Horatio said. “But I need to know that you’re willing to listen and trust me. Because if you’re not, this will be a complete waste of time.”

***

Holmes was in the kitchen when Horatio walked in. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered.

“Yes I do,” Horatio replied. “Eric is a member of my family and he deserves to hear the truth. And, even if he doesn’t really believe it, he’ll have heard it and can process the information.”

“You know I’ll be close.”

“I do, and I still want to go to the airstrip before dark.”

“You shouldn’t over work yourself today,” Holmes cautioned, looking into Horatio’s eyes. “We can go early tomorrow just as easily and there will be no harm in the delay.”

Horatio smiled, cupped the back of the vampire’s head and pulled him down for a kiss. “We’ll see how I feel after dealing with Eric.”

“Tell him the truth, starting with history,” Holmes said. “I’ll fill in any blanks you have.”

“Here we go then.” Horatio took the beers and walked back into the living room, pausing for a moment when he suddenly felt light-headed.

“H, are you okay?” Eric asked.

“I’m fine,” Horatio replied. Holmes steadied him as he walked back to Speed’s chair – the vampire invisible to Eric. “I guess I’m still just tired.”

“That’s why you should still be in the hospital,” Eric said as he took one of the bottles.

“I’m not going back, Eric.”

“Why, because they’ll keep you away from that blood-sucker? What kind of spell does he have on you, H?”

“Eric, you’re a CSI and trained to look at the evidence without a personal bias. I know how hard that can be at times, how much you want to let religious beliefs or some other personal filter color your interpretation,” Horatio said. “There is a cultural history here, another world, to which most people are ignorant.”

“And you know all about it,” Eric said, looking around the room.

Holmes sighed. “A cross and holy water will not work on me,” his disembodied voice said. “Nor will sunlight, garlic, silver or any other of the mythological attacks. So I suggest you sit and listen to what your boss has to tell you or I will remove you from this house.”

“He said he was going to leave us alone,” Eric exclaimed.

Horatio rubbed his eyes. “Eric, you’re obviously not ready to hear this,” he said. “And I need to rest. Go let the team know I’m home and I’m fine, please.”

“I’m not leaving you alone with that monster,” Eric said.

“Even if he was an evil one, how would you save me?” Horatio asked. “No one can kill a vampire. I promise you the last thing he wants to do is hurt me.”

“You’re under his spell,” Eric said. “You’re not thinking rationally, so I’m staying.”

“Then make yourself useful and start the grill,” Holmes said as he appeared in the doorway. “Horatio, do you have any steak or red meat in the house?”

“No,” Horatio said.

Holmes growled softly and ran a finger along Horatio’s cheek, causing Horatio to shudder. “I should have been more prepared for this,” he said. “I’m going to the store, my dear Horatio. I want you to go to bed and sleep while I’m gone.”

“I’m fine,” Horatio protested sleepily.

“I know, but humor me,” Holmes said with a quick smile. “You need to rest, Horatio, and allow your body time to adjust.”

“You did bite him!” Eric jumped up and pulled his gun again. Holmes reacted faster than either human could follow and pinned the younger man to the wall.

“Listen to me,” Holmes hissed. “At the risk of sounding clichéd, you will kill Horatio if you shoot me. You are involved in something you cannot possibly understand because you are blinded by your biases. The only thing this will accomplish is hurting Horatio and that is something I will not allow. Until you are willing to come into this house with an open mind to listen to my history, you are not welcome here. I suggest you leave.”

“Horatio,” Eric said as he struggled to get loose.

“He’s right, Eric,” Horatio replied. “My life changed the moment I was shot and I need my family to listen, understand and support me in this. Holmes, please let him go.”

“You don’t know what you need, H,” Eric said as he slid to the floor.

Holmes plucked up the gun. “I believe I shall keep this for now,” he said. “As I do not wish to be shot upon my return. Bed, my dear Horatio. I shall return soon.”
********************

Horatio awoke to concerned green eyes staring down at him. “Calleigh?” he asked sitting up on the sofa. “Where’s Holmes?” He was a little disoriented; the last thing Horatio remembered was Holmes ordering him to go to bed.

“If you mean your British friend, he’s out on the back porch grilling your dinner,” Calleigh replied. She sat down in Speed’s chair. “Horatio, Eric called and told me you were here. He’s ready to shoot your friend and then get a priest to bless you and the house. What were you thinking?”

“I wanted Eric to know the truth and I thought he could handle it,” Horatio sighed. “I guess I hoped that he trusted me enough to listen with an open mind.”

“Maybe I can reach him,” Calleigh sighed. “Is your friend really a vampire?”

“Sherlock Holmes, at your service, madam,” Holmes said as he entered the living room. He had two plates, each with a steak and rice, in his hands. “You need to eat, Horatio, to replace the blood you lost.”

“Yes, Calleigh, he is a vampire,” Horatio said. He took the plate and grinned. “You didn’t have to cut up my food for me, Holmes.”

The vampire flushed. “I thought it would be easier for you to eat in here,” he said. “Focus on the steak first and then the rice, you need protein and iron to get well.”

“Horatio, you have some explaining to do, starting with how you met a vampire,” Calleigh said. “And then how could you let him bite you?”

“You’ll need to know a lot of history before my answers make any sense,” Horatio replied. “Holmes, should I start taking an iron supplement so I don’t get so run down every week?”

“Not yet,” Holmes replied. “You should be fine once the initial adjustment period is over. This is why I cautioned you against going out again today.”

“So you’re saying that because you’ll be taking excess blood next time, I won’t suffer these side effects?” Horatio asked.

“I believe so. Plus it is possible that the bond is still forming and that is making you tired as well,” Holmes said. “Eat, and we can retire.”

Calleigh was looking back and forth between the pair. “Okay, now I’m really confused,” she said. “I thought all vampires were evil.”

“That is part of the history you still must learn,” Holmes said with a quick smile. “I promise you that I only want what’s best for Horatio.”

“I’ve got some books you can read, Calleigh,” Horatio added. “Maybe you can help me convince Eric and Alexx this is a good thing.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but Eric might be a lost cause,” Calleigh sighed. “Horatio, I did do everything I could to keep him out of your room so he wouldn’t find out about you and Tim. I didn’t think Eric would understand.”

“Thank you,” Horatio said. “I still guard my time and relationship with Tim very closely. You’re the only one at the lab who knows about us.”

“Not even Alexx?” Calleigh asked, surprised.

Horatio chuckled and took another bite of his steak. “Not even Alexx,” he said after he swallowed. “Tim and I were very careful at the lab.”

“So all the videos you have?” Calleigh asked.

“Were primarily made for when one of us had to be out of town,” Horatio smiled. “Although I doubt Tim knew how much comfort they would be to me once he was gone. I can watch them and not only hear his voice, but remember him as he was, not how he died.”

Holmes wrapped an arm around Horatio’s shoulders. “If you’re not too embarrassed, I’d like to see these videos,” he said. “I’d like to see and learn about Tim, if you’ll share him.”

“I’d love to,” Horatio smiled. “Thank you for not being jealous about this.”

“Jealousy about a past love who still holds a place in your heart would be pointless,” Holmes said. “And now, Calleigh, if you’ll excuse us. I believe I should get Horatio to bed, he needs his sleep.”

“I’ll do my best to keep the team at bay,” Calleigh said. “I can’t say I’m exactly comfortable with the fact that you’re a vampire, but I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt for now. But it will be another matter if you hurt Horatio.”
********************

“Is this Tim?” Holmes asked.

Horatio rolled onto his side and looked at the picture Holmes was holding. “That’s him; Tim Speedle, nicknamed Speed for both his skills in the trace lab and the motorcycle he loved to ride. I did and do love him, Holmes.”

“That love is a part of you and I would never try to remove it,” Holmes said. “I did not expect you to be pure when we bonded. That would have been unfair to us both.”

“Thank you,” Horatio said sleepily. “Are you coming to bed?”

“In a while. I want to clean up first,” Holmes said. “Sleep, Horatio. Tomorrow we start the hunt for you shooters.”

***

Next part of Omne Ignotum pro magnifico est.