Disclaimer: I wish I did own them, just like everyone else.

Lieutenant Horatio Caine stood across from Martin Ramirez in a MDPD interrogation room. This particular case bothered him. Of course, plenty of cases bothered the lieutenant but this one was downright eerie. Looking in Mr. Ramirez's personal file, Horatio could've sworn he was looking in his own.

Both men had killed their fathers while trying to protect their mothers. Neither man was formally charged. And both had to look after their younger brothers afterwards.

Horatio thought back to the sight of Emilio Ramirez's dead body. Three gun shots to the chest creating a decent sized blood pool. The man was shot in his own kitchen.

And all the evidence pointed towards Martin, the victim's older brother. Horatio had the what, when, where and how but what he wanted was the why.

That question had been hanging in the air for a while now. Horatio didn't mind. He had all day.

"He didn't deserve them." Martin finally answered.

Horatio turned away from the window he had been staring out of and looked at Mr. Ramirez. Martin's attention was outside the interrogation room. Horatio followed his gaze.

Isabella Ramirez, Emilio's wife, was wiping something from her daughter, Mercedes', face.

"He didn't deserve his wife and child."

Martin shook his head. "Emilio was never there for them." His voice started to rise in anger. "They deserved better than some drug addicted husband and father."

That comment made Horatio feel like someone punched him in the gut. He couldn't help but think about Raymond and…Don't go there.

"He was your brother." Horatio said.

"That's no excuse." Martin said softly. His attention had returned to his sister-in-law.

If ever there was a look Horatio knew, it was the one Martin was giving Isabella. "You love her."

Martin scowled. "You wouldn't understand."

Horatio wanted to laugh, truly, he did. Instead, he half-smiled and sat down.

"I understand." Horatio said nodding. He folded his hands and leaned his elbows on the table. "I understand completely." He didn't really know why he was sharing this. "I know what it's like to watch your brother drown in his own mess, taking everyone else down with him. I know what it's like to watch the woman…" Horatio shook his head a little. "To watch the family you love, suffer from one man's mistakes." He looked Martin in the eyes. "I know exactly….exactly how you felt. But that gives you no right to take your brother's life."

Martin still didn't believe Horatio understood. "He had a son!" he exclaimed. "By some puta, some crack-whore. Emilio came to me asking for money to pay her off so she wouldn't take him to court."

Horatio nodded. He understood the man's rage. Suzie was no crack-whore, though. In truth, when Horatio saw Madison's DNA results he could've killed Raymond if he wasn't already dead.

"They're better off without him." Martin was staring at Isabella again.

Horatio stood slowly. "That, was not for you to decide." He took his sunglasses out of this jacket pocket. "And now with your brother gone and you going to jail, who will fill the void?" He nodded to the officer to escort Mr. Ramirez to booking.

Turning his back to the door, Horatio stared out the window. Fingering his sunglasses out of habit, he let himself get caught up in thoughts of…

"Horatio." Her voice was low, soft…sad.

He looked down at his shoes. "Yelina."

Her footsteps got louder as she neared him. Horatio looked back out the window. Yelina stood next to him, a little too close in his opinion. He could smell her and could only define her scent as 'tasty'.

Tasty?

"So," Yelina said after a moment of silence. "Martin killed is brother to protect his sister-in-law's honor."

Horatio nodded. "Looks that way." He silently prayed she hadn't heard his little confession.

Yelina's voice softened. "I never knew you felt that way."

She heard me.

"Um…" There were several things Horatio could say/do, and of all those potentially blissful options, he chose to play dumb. "Felt like what?"

She turned her head to look at him and they finally made eye contact. Horatio noted that Yelina's usual bright brown eyes were darker.

"I never knew you felt so helpless."

Helpless. That was exactly how Horatio felt when it came to Raymond. All their lives Horatio looked out for his little brother. It's just the way things have always been.

But Raymond's decision to go undercover shook the foundation of his and Horatio's relationship. Usually, when Horatio advised Raymond not to do something, he wouldn't do it. Case closed. Not this time. No, Raymond felt the need to prove himself, not only to Horatio but the entire department. To show everyone he was Raymond Caine and not Horatio Caine's little brother.

They had fought. Hard. Raymond had argued that he was a grown man with a family of his own and was perfectly capable of making his own decisions. Horatio argued that because Raymond did indeed have a family of his own, he had no right to put himself in an environment where he could be taken from them.

In the end, Raymond had given his brother the proverbial 'fuck you' and went undercover. Horatio had felt helpless ever since.

Yelina watched Horatio's features change from neutral to a notch above miserable.

"I'm sorry." He said weakly. "I should have…"

Yelina raised her had to silence him. "We've been through this before, Horatio. Nothing was your fault."

Horatio believed that in his mind, but not in his heart. He had done everything he could to get Raymond out of narcotics short of dragging him out kicking and screaming… something he regretted not doing.

"You're still blaming yourself. Stop." It wasn't a request or a suggestion. It was a command. "There was nothing you could've done or said, so just stop."

Horatio nodded his head slowly. "I tried."

"We both did." Yelina sighed. "But Raymond was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as you." She said with a smile.

Knock Knock

Tim Speedle was outside waving a case file. A nod from Horatio told him to wait.

"Um," Horatio wasn't sure what he was going to say. "Do you think," he paused again, not sure if he should say what his heart wanted to ask. "Maybe I could see Ray Jr. tonight?"

Yelina smiled. She knew that was not what he was originally going to ask. "Sure."

"Okay." Horatio slipped on his sunglasses. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah." She said softly. She left quietly, holding the door open for Speedle.

"Speed." The usual prompt for Tim to start speaking.

"Joann McKent," he gave Horatio the case file. "Killed herself."

Suicides were few and far in between, but they did happen every now and then. "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Tim exhaled. "All the evidence leads right back to her. I even double checked with Alexx. All wounds were self-inflicted."

Alexx, Horatio nodded. "Okay." He needed to talk to Alexx. "Good work. And Speed?"

"Yeah."

"Go home." And with that Horatio made his way to the elevator to get to the morgue. He and Alexx needed to have a heart to heart.