Okay guys, it's the last chapter :( Thank you so much for the wonderful response you've given me, I will most definitely post another story soon :) Thank you for reading and especially reviewing!

Haylz :) x

Horatio struggled to stand, face contorting in pain as he put pressure on his injured leg.

"Dad!" Kyle gasped, quickly grabbing and steadying Horatio as he wobbled.

"Help me stand," Horatio said through gritted teeth.

"Are you crazy?" Kyle asked incredulously, making no move to help him do that whatsoever. But Horatio had took advantage of his son's support and pushed himself up straight with his good leg, leaning against the hummer for balance. He raised his hands in a gesture of peace, taking in the trembling form of the armed man across the street.

"Ryan, call for backup," Horatio commanded quietly, lips barely moving. But that was all it took for him to lose his concentration and his balance. His shaking leg, muscles weak from disuse, gave way and he felt his body cave in on itself.

Kyle reacted quickly and again slipped under Horatio's arm, slinging it across his shoulders and gripping it strongly, while also wrapping a firm arm around Horatio's waist in support. His dad grunted at the sudden impact, but after getting over the shock he smiled at Kyle in silent thanks. With backup now on their way, Ryan also stood, pointing his gun across the bonnet at Dean in a silent warning.

"Back off!" Dean shouted. "Or I'll shoot!"

Horatio felt Kyle stiffen, and suddenly felt very exposed, realising that he needed to talk Dean down and quick, because there would be nothing he could do if the man wanted to take a shot. He motioned for Ryan to lower his firearm.

"Dean," Horatio began. "I know what happened to you. But this is not going to make things better." He squashed down the fear that threatened to consume him as he focused on Dean's violently shaking hand, a quivering finger poised dangerously over the trigger. Ignoring the gun's presence, he looked his shooter straight in the face, hoping to connect with him. "Don't do this. Don't make the same mistake your father did."

"You know nothing about my father!" he yelled vehemently. "No one understands anything about me!"

"Dean, listen to me, I can help you –" Horatio tried.

"No! You have no idea!" He bit back angry tears as his emotions engulfed him. "All I want is for someone to understand." He took a deep breath and raised the gun, aiming it at Horatio's chest. "That's all I want."

"No!" Kyle shouted back, moving in front of Horatio and stepping into Dean's line of fire. "You can't!"

Ryan began to discreetly raise his weapon, prepared to take a split second shot.

"Dean, listen!" Horatio commanded, his voice clear and authoritative. "I know exactly how you feel."

"No you don't!" he cried.

"Yes I do!" He let the emotion seep into his voice. "At one point, I had lost everything. I lost my friends, my family, my wife – everything that was important to me."

Kyle looked up at Horatio in shock, who had tears in his eyes. He squeezed his father's hand as Horatio took a deep breath to steady himself before he continued.

"But then I found out I was a father." He smiled warmly at Kyle. "And my work colleagues became like a second family to me – they are my family." He nodded towards Ryan who responded in kind.

"Dean, I'm begging you. Don't take that away from me. Don't do what your father did."

The uncertain man dropped his gaze in unease and indecision. Kyle held his breath, hoping that Horatio's words had gotten through to him. He couldn't lose his father. He tensed as Dean suddenly looked up, eyes ablaze.

A tear fell from Dean's eye. "I'm sorry," he lamented brokenly. "I'm really sorry." Then he raised his gun.

"NO!" Horatio yelled.

BANG.

Dean's body collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his head.

Horatio dropped his head in defeat, sighing heavily. Kyle watched his father's face crumple helplessly, before lowering him to the ground to relieve the pressure on his legs. Unsure of what to do, he wrapped a comforting arm around Horatio's shoulders, allowing the man to sag against him as Ryan left to inform backup of the situation.

"You did all you could, Dad," Kyle consoled.

Horatio smiled half-heartedly. "I know, Son. I know."

Life had begun to regain some normality since then. Horatio was recuperating at home under doctor's orders while Kyle had returned to school, but it had been difficult to sway the heavy cloud of melancholy that had oppressed them since Dean had shot himself.

Returning from school, Kyle let himself in with his keys. He'd had a large amount of responsibility thrust upon him since Horatio had been injured. His dad still couldn't walk, and so Kyle had kept the fridge stocked, cooked their meals and cycled everywhere, instead of relying on Horatio for lifts in the hummer. He'd also helped to redress Horatio's wounds every evening.

It wasn't easy for either of them – Horatio wasn't coping very well with not being able to oversee the crime lab. He hated that he was uninvolved in their current cases, despite the fact that the department was running smoothly under Calleigh and Eric's leadership. Kyle did his best to keep his dad's spirits high and make sure that everything at home was taken care of. He'd never really appreciated the sacrifices Horatio had made for him until he'd had to do the laundry.

"Dad?" Kyle called out as he entered Horatio's room. "Dad!" he exclaimed as he saw what his father was doing.

Horatio was standing – but leaning heavily against a chest of drawers, gripping the edges tightly to stop himself from slipping to the ground. His legs were trembling violently, their weak muscles unable to support his weight, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead with the strain.

Kyle lunged forward and wound an arm around Horatio's waist, taking his father's weight. Making sure he had a secure hold, he steadied his dad and walked him slowly over to the bed, watching with a worried frown as Horatio's eyes slid closed and his tense frame relaxed against the supporting pillows.

"What were you thinking?" Kyle reprimanded harshly, though he was pleased to see the tremors running through his father were dying down. "Do you want to go back to hospital?"

Horatio opened his eyes. "I was just trying to walk a few steps," he protested.

Kyle sighed. "You can't exert yourself, Dad. You could tear your stitches or something."

"I know."

"Then why did you try to walk?"

Horatio looked up at Kyle. "I just really want to go back to work, Son. I can't just lie here and do nothing any more – I have no idea what's happening at the lab!"

Kyle's face softened. "Dad, you're not useless. And I know you're frustrated, and you probably feel like you have to repay some huge debt because of what happened to Dean, but please – just take it easy!" He reached out and placed a hand on Horatio's arm. "You gave us all a scare, and what happened to Dean is not your fault, so just rest and give your body a chance to heal. And then maybe we can start learning to walk again," he grinned.

Horatio smiled ruefully. "When did you become so wise?"

"You have to be born with it," Kyle replied haughtily, sticking out his chin.

Horatio chuckled. "So I see. Can you spare the time to help a crippled man through to his living room?"

Kyle laughed before sliding his dad's arm over his shoulders. He paused at the doorway, knowing they both couldn't fit through at the same time.

"Ladies first," Horatio offered.

Kyle spluttered, narrowing his eyes at his father. "Age before beauty," he shot back, sweeping his free arm out towards the door.

Horatio laughed out loud before shuffling into the hallway. Kyle quickly slipped out afterwards and helped his dad walk the rest of the way to the living room.

They'd be okay.