Summary: A new detective is in town. And a new criminal. Both are interested in the same man; single-father Horatio Caine.

Rating: M (for some sexual content)

AN: This takes place before season one. Megan Donner is not part of this story in any way whatsoever.

-I-

Small feet walked up the stairs, dragging a big teddy bear with one arm on the floor and still with the pajamas on. Finally reaching the second floor, the boy put his little hand on the handle to the first room on the left and opened the door wide. He walked over to the king size bed and poked the arm on sleeping occupant with his finger. The grown man stirred and groaned, before giving a big yawn and finally opening his eyes to see his son smiling at him.

"Good morning, Kyle." Horatio said.

"Morning daddy."

Horatio scooted over to the middle of the bed so Kyle could climb in next to him. The boy made sure his teddy bear, named Tristan, was with him; since he was his best friend. Given to him by Uncle Frank when he was just a baby.

"What time is it daddy?" The boy asked.

He was quite good at speaking, even though he was only four. Horatio yawned again before answering.

"Six in the morning."

Kyle Caine was an early riser just like his father. Had it been during the weekend father and son would have probably gone back to sleep soon, but as it was Monday it was time for daycare and work.

Horatio was a single-father. He had been since Kyle was only four months old. Kyle's mother Julia had been abruptly taken from the world at the hands of a car thief. Kyle had no memory of his beloved mother and it saddened Horatio that his son would never know her. She had been a fantastic woman. They had gotten married just two months before Kyle was born. A small ceremony with only their family and closest friends. Horatio's little brother Raymond had been his best man.

"Did you and Tristan sleep okay?" Horatio asked.

"Yes. Tristan had a bad dream."

"About what?"

Kyle shrugged and Horatio smiled. Without Kyle Horatio wasn't sure if would have been able to handle Julia's sudden death. Kyle was his everything. Horatio lived and breathed for the boy. Sometimes his friends worried that he hadn't really moved on after Julia. If they knew that their worries were correct they would have an intervention and Horatio was not in the mood for that.

"Maybe you can visit me in the lab later today." Horatio said, "Would you like that?"

"Yes! Can I see Uncle Frank?"

"Of course."

"And Auntie Alexx?"

"Absolutely, buddy. All of them." Horatio smiled.

Frank and Alexx were Kyle's godparents. Francis used to take Kyle out for ice cream sometimes; treating the boy as if he was his own. Calleigh was "Aunt Callee" and Speed was Uncle Tim. Eric had only been on the team for five months and Kyle hadn't yet started to refer to the man as "Uncle". Although, they bonded very well.

"You hungry?"

Kyle nodded and then handed his father his teddy bear. Horatio took the bear and frowned.

"What is it, son?"

"Tristan needs a bath."

Horatio smelled the bear; nothing. He didn't have any spots on him either.

"Why?" He asked.

"He spilled milk."

The boy had a sippy cup especially for Tristan the teddy bear. This wasn't the first time Tristan had spilled milk, but it was the first time it required a bath.

"He spilled all over himself?"

"Yes. See?" Kyle pointed at Tristan's chest and Horatio slapped his hand against his forehead.

"Of course! There it is." He said, "Oh well, I'll give him a bath and you pick out your clothes for today."

The boy nodded and climbed out of the bed before going down the stairs. Horatio simply put Tristan on the bed while he got dressed. He put on his suit and then walked into the bathroom with Tristan. He splashed some water in his face and then some on Tristan so Kyle wouldn't think that his father had not washed the bear.

He heard Kyle call for him and he walked downstairs into his son's room. Kyle had picked out some black jeans and a t-shirt with Ice Age figures on them. The boy loved Ice Age more than anything in the world; well, except Tristan. He even had Ice Age underwear picked out and put on him.

"Tristan is clean." Horatio smiled and handed the bear back to Kyle.

The boy inspected his friend closely and then grinned at his father and whispered a silent "thank you". Horatio helped Kyle put on his clothes and then while the boy played with his toys he made breakfast.

He loved mornings like this. When he hadn't been called away early for work. When he could make his son and himself breakfast and prepare for the day. He could hear Kyle talking to Tristan about the importance of a seatbelt as he played with his toy cars. Then, apparently, Tristan needed to rest so Sid (from Ice Age of course) had be enough in the meantime. With Sid in one arm the boy walked into the kitchen.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Sid eat with me?"

"Sure, but he'll have to sit in his own chair." Horatio smiled.

Kyle nodded. When breakfast was done, Horatio put Kyle in his chair. Sid sat next to Kyle on one side and Horatio on the other. Kyle told his father what he had done the day before at the daycare; since Horatio had been home late and hadn't been able to talk with Kyle the night before.

"And then Emma fell!"

"Ouch, she didn't get hurt did she?"

"No, she was okay." Kyle said and then sighed as he finished eating, "I'm full."

"I bet you are."

Horatio helped his son down on the floor (the chair being a bit big for him and Horatio being a bit overprotective as always) and then they both brushed their teeth. It was a windy day so Kyle got to wear his new jacket. While driving to the daycare Kyle talked about how much he wanted to visit the lab. It wasn't unusual for the boy to be there during lunch or the afternoon.

"Can we see Ray?" Kyle asked.

Ray Jr, Horatio's nephew and son of his dead brother, was only a year older than Kyle. The boys got along very well and loved to play with each other. It also gave Horatio a chance to talk with Yelina. She was his sister-in-law and a widow. They needed to be there for each other. Some people thought they were dating, but they weren't.

"Here we are." Horatio said, as he pulled up at the daycare.

By now it was raining and Kyle and his father hurried inside the small building. Kyle hugged his father tight and Horatio kissed his head.

"We'll see each other soon, son." Horatio said, always finding it heartbreaking to have to leave his boy.

"I know."

"Charlie will pick you up."

"Okay." Kyle nodded.

Once he was out of his jacket and shoes, he ran away to the other kids and Horatio left. Charlie, or rather Charlize Hammond, was a friend of Alexx's cousin Marie. She was a young, tough woman, whom loved children. She used to pick Kyle up from the daycare in the afternoon and take him home; usually have dinner with him and, if he could make it, Horatio as well. She also babysat on the rare occasions the redhead actually went out and did something without his son.

Charlie was more like an older sister to Kyle than a nanny. Horatio was so very lucky to have her.

-I-

Work was going slow and Horatio found it difficult to focus on the paperwork. He looked at his wrist watch again and smiled; only an hour left and then Kyle and Charlie would be by. There was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Calleigh and Speed on the other side. Horatio waved them inside and they sat down on the two guest chairs.

"Hey H, I got the trace results from last week's homicide." Speed said, "The blue stuff found on the victim is just colorized sugar."

"Not so strange, the victim was a baker." Horatio said.

"Exactly. However, I found gun powder on his right hand. And get this; cocaine on both his hands."

"Maybe he was baking drug muffins." Calleigh said, reading from her file, "He didn't own a gun and the gun we found don't match the bullet in his wound."

"But for the gunshot residue to still be on him he had to have fired a gun recently." Horatio said.

"Yes. His sister owns a gun that was reported stolen two weeks ago." Calleigh said, "It matches the one found at the scene."

"So he has his sister's gun, he recently fired a gun, but he was shot with another weapon." Speed said, "Is it just me or does still smell like sibling-murder."

"The sister killed the brother with another gun than her own?" Horatio asked, "Maybe if she owns more than two guns and didn't think we would catch on to it."

"The victim probably shot at whoever shot him and that person stole the gun." Speed shrugged.

"To make it look like a suicide." Horatio said, "And then there is the cocaine."

"What is cocaine?" A voice said from the door.

Everyone looked Kyle Caine and then heard a woman calling for him.

"Hey! Don't run away from me, you could get hurt."

The door opened wider and Charlie appeared behind Kyle. The boy grinned and ran to his dad, giving him a hug.

"Hey buddy! You're early." He smiled.

"Yeah, Charlie said we could be." Kyle grinned, "Hi Callee, Hi Tim!"

"Hey kid." Speed said and Calleigh bent over the desk to give the little guy a kiss on the cheek.

Charlie slumped down on the couch and sighed. Kyle kept her on her feet very much and he was always in motion. He was much like his father when it came to appearing and disappearing all the time; not to mention moving quiet as a mouse.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"What is cocaine?"

"Something very, very bad." Horatio said, "Did you listen to our whole conversation?"

Horatio worried that Kyle would start talking about all the things daddy talked about at work. He wasn't sure how the daycare teachers would like to hear a four-year-old talk about homicides, suicides and all details it included.

"Can I get a dog?" Kyle asked.

"Why do you want one?"

"Tim has one."

"Yes he does." Horatio said.

"Huh?" Speed asked, "Oh yeah, right. The little thing that keeps biting my furniture ever since my girlfriend moved in with me."

Speed had had a relationship with a woman since a year back and she loved little dogs. Speed hated them and they usually hated him back.

"A dog is no good, son. He might take Tristan." Horatio said.

"Who the hell is that?" Speed asked and got a look from the other adults, "Sorry, who is that?"

"My bear." Kyle said.

"You don't remember Tristan?" Charlie asked, "The teddy bear he drags with him all the time at home."

"Oh that one!" Speed exclaimed, "Yeah, I remember now. Well kid, it was fun meeting you again, but I have things to do."

"Bye Tim!"

Speed ruffled the boy's hair and then left the room. Calleigh talked some more with Horatio, before leaving too. Charlie went with the redhead and his son to the break room for some coffee and pizza. Kyle was delighted when he heard that it seemed like his father would be able to get off work in time to have dinner with him and Charlie. It wasn't too uncommon that Horatio didn't have dinner with them, as he sometimes got home in the middle off a case, spent an hour with Kyle and then went back to work.

How the man managed to do both was beyond most people's understanding.

"I heard someone was visiting."

"Alexx!" Kyle exclaimed happily and jumped off his chair.

He ran into the arms of the waiting medical examiner and hugged her. Alexx picked him up and kissed his cheek. She sat down by the table and Charlie handed her a slice of pizza. Kyle happily told Alexx about what had happened since they had last met; only four days ago.

"And today Charlie lemme lissen to her i..." Kyle trailed off and looked at Charlie for help.

"Ipod, sweetie." Charlie grinned.

"Ipod." Kyle smiled.

"Oh, what kind of music was on it?" Alexx asked.

Kyle shrugged. He didn't listen much to music, except when his father played the piano at home. That was something he had not gotten from Horatio, his lack of interested in music. He was, however, very much interested in drawing; like his mother.

"Okay little man, we got to get home. I promised you to practice on swimming didn't I?" Charlie said, once lunch was over.

Kyle smiled and gave his father a long hug, before taking Charlie's hand and leaving. Horatio had a pool in the backyard and Kyle loved it; it was also where Charlie was teaching him how to swim. Alexx gave Horatio a cup of coffee and then took one for herself.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" She asked.

Horatio smiled; Alexx was surely a mother hen. She probably asked Horatio how he was doing ten times a day. He appreciated that she cared though. She was a dear friend.

"I'm good."

Alexx raised her eyebrows as if saying "try again". Horatio sighed and looked down at the cup of coffee in his hands.

"I'm fine, really." He said.

"Sweetheart, Frank told me you still have Julia's clothes in the closet." Alexx said.

Nobody wanted to rush Horatio with moving on. They knew Julia would always be the love of his life. But after four years, it concerned them that he had yet to take her clothes away. It was part of moving on. They weren't sure exactly how little Horatio had managed to move on though.

"He talked to me about it. And Yelina too." Horatio sighed.

Alexx knew the tone of his voice; he didn't want to talk about it. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it is hard sweetie, but you have to try." Alexx said, "For Kyle's sake too."

"I know." Horatio whispered.

Alexx patted his shoulder and Horatio smiled at her. She suddenly remembered the time and knew she was late for an autopsy. She rushed out of the room after giving Horatio a goodbye kiss on the cheek. Horatio stayed alone in the break room for a while.

"I miss you Julia." He whispered.

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