AN: I decided to keep Alexx as an ME, because she will always be my favorite.

It had been raining since early morning until lunch and then the sun had been out for an hour, before the rain had started again. Everyone on the team had been late that morning both because of the traffic and the rain. Stetler had showed up at the lab and argued with Horatio about coming in late. When Horatio had pointed out that Rick himself had been two hours late, the IAB Lt. had left in hurry with a red face.

Now Horatio was sitting in his office, trying to ignore the fact that Valentine's Day was tomorrow. Like so many years earlier he had no one to celebrate it with. Last year Kyle had shyly given both his parents a rose on that day, but this year he was in the military and wouldn't be home. Horatio looked at the photo on his desk, it was of Kyle and himself, taken just before Kyle left for the army. Father and son had come a long way since they've met and they were close now. Julia was taking her medication and actually dating a nice guy that was able to bring her down to earth and make her relax. Horatio and Julia didn't talk very much, but unlike before, when they had to talk it was much easier and nicer now.

"Are you hiding in here?" Alexx asked from the doorway.

"No, what makes you think that?" Horatio smiled.

"You've been here since lunch."

"My paperwork needs to be taken care of."

"Well, I don't see any paperwork on your desk."

"That's because I finished it." Horatio smiled, he knew exactly why Alexx was in his office.

Like the rest of the team, they worried about him. Especially on family holidays or romantic occasions.

"I'm fine Alexx." Horatio sighed.

Alexx sat down on the chair across the desk. It was no secret that Horatio wanted to have a family of his own, a wife and children. He had spent so many special occasions alone. Although, in recent years he had always had dinner with Alexx and her family on holidays like: Christmas or Thanksgiving.

"It hurts a little to see all the happy couples huh?" Alexx asked.

"A bit, yes."

Horatio wanted to be one of those guys that could give a rose to someone he loved and show just how much he loves that person.

"Well, guess what? I know what can take your mind off things for a few hours." Alexx smiled, "All of us are having dinner and Jenny's at six and you better be there mister!"

Horatio chuckled and nodded, "I'll be there. I promise."

"Good." Alexx smiled and then left her friend alone.

Horatio decided to stop hiding after a few minutes and went to check on his lab. He chuckled when Calleigh happily tackled Eric to the ground as he gave her twenty roses.

"Be careful not to hurt each other." Horatio laughed as he passed the happy couple.

They had finally come out officially as a couple and everyone were happy for them.

"How is it going?" Horatio asked as he joined Walter and Ryan in one of the labs.

The boys were processing a shirt for GSR.

"Bad, we got nothing. Not only do we have two unsolved cases at the moment, but I didn't even get a rose for Valentine's Day." Ryan sighed.

"It's not until tomorrow." Walter reminded.

"But everybody else is getting roses today."

"That's because they start early." Walter said, "If you want a rose so badly I'll give one to you."

"Um, no thanks. I can managed without one." Ryan said.

"Scared of getting a rose from a man Wolfe?" Horatio teased.

"Not at all." Ryan said.

"Great! here is one." Jesse said as he entered the lab.

Horatio and Jesse grinned as Ryan took the rose and looked down at his feet.

"Thanks." He mumbled.

"Was that so hard?" Jesse asked.

"It's supposed to come from someone who loves you." Ryan said.

"I love you like a friend or annoying little brother." Jesse smirked, "Here's one for you as well H."

Horatio chuckled and thanked Jesse for the rose. Jesse then continued to give a rose to Walter and then left to see Valera.

"Does he always do that?" Walter asked Horatio, since they had known each other for a long time.

"Every year he gives a rose to those who hasn't gotten one." Horatio nodded, "It's actually a very sweet gesture."

-I-

Horatio muttered to himself as he drove towards Jenny's. It was still raining and he was ten minutes late already. Horatio couldn't see very far ahead of him and needed to drive slow.

"Oh come on, no more red lights." He sighed heavily and watched as the traffic light went red.

At green he kept on driving. Barely any other cars were on the streets at the moment. When Horatio stopped at another traffic light he was hit on the side by another car. Horatio remembered the lights from the other car and then he blacked out. The driver in the other car however, gasped as she saw the hummer and opened the door. Some passersby called 911 and helped the woman as she tried to wake Horatio up.

"Um, sir, please wake up." The woman said, "Hello?"

"It's Lt. Caine from MDPD." A man said, "He's unconscious."

"Oh shit, um, I didn't mean to hit him."

"Hey now, it's okay. Don't worry, he just bumped his head."

An ambulance soon arrived and took both Horatio and the woman to the hospital. When Horatio was being examined, a nurse called his emergency contact which was Alexx. The team was quickly in the hospital and waiting for any news on their boss.

"How long can it take to find out how a person is doing?" Frank growled at the nurse's station, "We've been here for more than an hour!"

"Frank! stop yelling at the poor nurse." Alexx scolded, "Get over here and sit down."

Frank apologized and sat down next to Alexx. She glared at him and he bowed his head.

"I wonder what H is like when he's injured." Ryan said.

"He's pissed." Jesse, Frank and Alexx said on the same time.

"A long time ago he was pushed down some stairs by a suspect in a case and bumped his head. He managed to scare the nurses and his doctor when he refused to stay in the hospital overnight." Jesse said, "He was growling about stupid suspects and how he hated hospitals and being poked around. You know how he is when he gets really pissed."

"Yeah, he's scary." Eric chuckled.

"Exactly. I don't know how many death glares he gave me when I tried to lighten the mood or how many times he said he'd shoot Frank if he didn't stop laughing at him." Jesse laughed.

"Are you here for Lt. Caine?" A young doctor asked.

"We are." Alexx nodded.

"Lt. Caine is quite alright, but we would like to keep him overnight just in case. He has a concussion, but other than that, he's fine." The doctor said, "He is awake and grumpy, said something about not letting Jesse Cardoza and Frank Tripp inside the room."

Frank and Jesse chuckled, Horatio didn't want what happened 13 years ago to be repeated.

"He's just being silly." Alexx smiled, "Which room is he in?"

"Number 245."

"Thank you." Alexx said and lead the team to the right room.

Frank tried to contain his laughter as he saw Horatio sitting in a hospital gown.

"Isn't this the same room as 13 years ago?" Jesse asked.

"Yes." Horatio sighed, "Frank, what is so funny about seeing me in a hospital gown?"

"It's a gown!" Frank burst out laughing.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really are a grown man." Walter teased.

"I think they reserved this room for you." Jesse teased, "They knew you'd be back."

"Do you know who hit me?" Horatio asked, changing the subject.

"A woman named Jessica Stanley." Ryan said, "She was terrified that she had killed you. She didn't see your car because of the rain or that she had a red light."

"Does she know I'm okay now?" Horatio asked.

"I hope so or she'll never stop worrying." Alexx said.

The team stayed for a few more minutes before they noticed that Horatio was getting tired. Horatio fell asleep and didn't wake up until midnight. He was surprised to see a blonde woman standing by the bedside table with a note in her hands.

"Um, sorry I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just going to leave a note." She said.

"You didn't wake me up. Um, are you Jessica?"

"Yes sir, I'm the one who caused you to end up here." Jessica said sadly and looked down at her feet.

Jessica normally wasn't shy, but something about the man in front of her made her shy and she felt like a little school girl.

"It was an accident." Horatio smiled.

"I still want to apologize, sir." Jessica said, "That's what I wrote on the note."

"You don't need to. And you can call me Horatio."

"Only if you call me Jessica. Well then, um… I should leave." Jessica blushed and turned to leave.

"Wait… um, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I got a cracked rib, but I'm fine." Jessica smiled and left.

Horatio smiled to himself. He liked her. But he would probably never see her again. What neither Jessica nor Horatio knew was that they would see each other again very soon.

AN: Please review!