Unexpected Twist

Chapter 1

Roughly 10 weeks later, Zoë jolted awake early Friday morning in a cold sweat. Horatio woke feeling her jolt in the bed and looked over to her as she looked up at the ceiling as she rubbed her eyes, not realising she had woken Horatio.

"Everything okay beautiful?" Horatio questioned as he looked over at her.

"Yeah, sorry for waking you Horatio" she said as she looked over to him, running a hand through her hair. She quickly sat up and climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He sat, watching her walk into the bathroom.

'Another bad dream, when will she have the peace she deserves?' He thought to himself as he kicked the duvet off and placed his feet on the cream carpet. He exhaled as he got up and slowly walked through to the bathroom. He walked in and saw Zoë splashing her face with cold water.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Horatio questioned as he walked over to her and placed his hand on her lower back.

"No Horatio, it was just a bad dream. Thank you though." She said looking at him with a sweet smile. She went and picked up a towel and walked back in to the bathroom as Horatio looked at her tenderly.

"Sorry handsome, good morning." She said with a small smile as she walked over to him and placed a tender kiss on his lips.

"Good morning beautiful." He said as he kissed her back and threaded a hand through her hair. She backed off and gave him a sweet smile.

"I'll see you in a moment." Horatio said with a smile as he walked out. She smiled as she watched him walk out and her eyes dropped to his ass. She grinned as she got in the shower. She was quickly out and getting dressed. Horatio walked in with the towel around his waist and got changed as she began to do her hair.

"I'll see you downstairs in a minute." Horatio said as he walked over to her, sorting his sleeves out.

"I'll see you in a moment." She said as they gave each other a quick kiss.

She smiled to herself as she straightened her hair. She picked up her straighteners when the familiar wave of dizziness and light headedness returned. She put the straighteners back down and sat on the edge of the bed with her head between her legs, controlling her breathing. She stood after feeling better and carried on with her routine, pushing the problem to the back of her mind.

They were quickly off to work, Horatio a little before Zoë. Zoë arrived just after Eric and saw him in the locker room.

"Hey, have you seen the hummer?" She questioned as she turned around to look at him.

"Yeah, I've already called it in and the tyres are going to be changed soon." Eric said looking at her sweetly.

"Does Horatio know?" She questioned as she sorted her shirt out.

"Yes, I mentioned it to him when I got in." Eric said as he looked back into his locker.

"Who'd slash the hummer's tyres? They're quite thick, it must have taken some force." She said as she closed her locker.

"Someone who doesn't like us too much" Eric said with a small chuckle as he turned around to look at her with a grin.

"Well, that narrows it down to about half of Miami." She said with a grin.

"You want to ride with me today as the hummer is out of action?" She asked casually as she leant against the locker.

"Sure, it's either that or Wolfe." Eric smiled.

"Well, I could think of worse things. But I think Walter is riding with Wolfe." She said with a small smile.

"Ahh, in that case, I'm with you." Eric said with a small smile and then looked down at the floor.

"What is with you two? You don't seem to get along too well. Why is that?" She questioned, referring to the relationship between Eric and Walter.

"I don't know, I just get the feeling that he doesn't like me too much. I don't have a clue why." Eric said looking back up at her.

"You sound like a teenage girl. Suck it up." She said with a cheeky grin.

"Thank you for your kind words." Eric grinned back at her. Zoë chuckled a little, they then walked out to be greeted by Horatio as he walked over to them.

"Zoë, Eric, do you know where Wolfe is?" Horatio questioned, looking around.

"No sorry H, he shouldn't be too long though." Eric said and then they heard the lift doors open.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Zoë grinned as she looked back to Horatio.

"We've got a call out, I take it you've heard of the hummer situation?" Horatio questioned.

"Yes, I have. Eric is riding with me." She said with a smile. Horatio nodded and looked down.

"We'll see you there H." Eric said, looking at him.

Horatio nodded and walked out after giving Zoë a quick smile.

"Why don't you ride with H? I can take the hummer." Eric said, feeling slightly bad. He didn't know that Zoë and Horatio were together again. He knew Horatio wanted Zoë to ride with him, he saw it in his eyes but didn't want to say anything more in case he stepped too far.

"Because we've already discussed it and I'm sure he's already there. I swear he hides a teleport machine somewhere." Zoë said as they turned around and began to walk out as Ryan rushed out of the locker room looking flushed.

"Hey, you okay?" Eric asked as they stopped and looked over at Ryan.

"Yes, I'm good. Just a busy morning, that's it." Ryan said as he smiled at Zoë.

"Wake up in someone else's bed?" She questioned cheekily.

"No, I woke up in my own bed thank you very much." Ryan said with a grin, knowing she was messing with him.

"Where's Walter?" Ryan questioned as he looked away from Zoë.

"I think he's in there talking to Valera." Eric said softly.

"We'll see you there pretty boy." She said with a smile.

"Are you two riding together?" He questioned.

"Yes." Zoë said sweetly looking at him; she didn't pick up on the slight jealousy in his voice and expression.

"The tyres were slashed on the hummer I usually take." Eric added, picking up on his jealousy. Ryan nodded.

"See you there." She said with a smile as they turned around and walked out while Ryan collected Walter. They quickly headed out and to the scene.

Zoë and Eric hopped out of the hummer and into the apartment. They were immediately greeted by the distinct smell of rotting flesh.

"What a lovely way to start the morning." Zoë said as she grinned at Eric.

"Tell me about it." Eric said with a smile.

They walked through to the living room to find Horatio stood by Alexx looking down at the body.

"What have we got, H?" Eric asked as he walked over to Horatio. Zoë stopped and looked around.

Horatio glanced back at her and she gave him a small smile as she slowly approached.

She looked down at the body and swallowed. 'Good God, that's putrid. How do neighbours not notice?' She thought to herself as she pressed her lips into a hard line, feeling slightly nauseous. 'I don't usually feel sick at the sight of that… then again, I don't really tend to bloaters…' Zoë thought to herself as she studied the enlarged body.

"We have a bloater, been here a few days with the heating on full." Alexx said looking up at Eric.

Alexx looked over at Zoë, wondering if Horatio had managed to talk with her yet. Zoë turned around and walked out to look through the house.

Alexx looked up at Horatio and gave him a slightly concerned look. 'She didn't even say a word, that's definitely not right.' Alexx thought to herself.

"Let me know if you find anything Alexx. Eric, you take care of this room." Horatio said as he flicked his jacket back and dropped his hands from his hips as he walked out to find Zoë.

"Sweetheart, is everything okay?" Horatio questioned as he walked into the utility room where Zoë had gone to look.

"Sweetheart?" Horatio asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder, not getting any response from her. Zoë turned round and looked at him with a sweet smile. 'You need to remember to make sure she looks at you, how can I keep forgetting this? How can she still be suffering from the after effects of the coma and poison?' Horatio thought to himself.

"Everything okay?" He questioned.

"Yes, everything's good." She said with a smile and then saw a used condom on the top of the washing machine. Horatio looked round to it as she raised an eyebrow.

"Ryan can deal with that. Why on Earth is that in here?" She questioned as she photographed it.

"My guess is that someone was experimenting. I hear the washing machine is a good place to enjoy each other's company…" Horatio said huskily, looking back round to her, giving her a boyish grin and a wink, hoping to get a laugh from her, he knew that if she laughed, she was okay, if she didn't he'd know something was up.

She looked at him as a wide grin appeared across her face and she tried to stifle a laugh.

"That's naughty." She said with a grin as she began to walk out with Horatio following closely with a grin of his own.

Ryan walked over to Zoë and Horatio as they both had the guiltiest grins plastered across their faces. He looked at them both peculiarly. 'I'm not sure I even want to know what they're grinning about.' He thought to himself as he raised his eyebrows.

"There's something in there for you pretty boy, I've already photographed it." She said as she walked passed him and brushed her hand across his shoulder as she walked past him. Horatio looked down at the floor and grinned as he played with his sunglasses. He quickly moved off as Ryan laid his eyes on him.

Horatio followed her through to the dining room where Walter was crouching on the floor.

Ryan walked into the utility room and looked around before his eyes fell to the condom on the washing machine. He sighed and raised his eyebrows as a small smile appeared across his face. 'Zoë…' He said in his head as he began to shake his head. 'Nope, this is a job for Walter.' Ryan said as he quickly walked back out and into the dining room.

"Walter, are you free?" Ryan questioned as he leant against the doorframe and Zoë looked up at him with a grin.

"Yes, why?" Walter asked, standing up and turning around to him.

"Can you process the utility room please? I'm swamped in the living room…" Ryan said with a small smile as Zoë let out a small involuntary laugh. She quickly turned around and acted like she was doing something else as Horatio's grin grew, hearing her laugh again.

"Erm, sure?" Walter said, unsure of what he was getting himself into.

"Thanks." Ryan said with a smile as he walked into the dining room as Walter walked out with his kit.

"That was nasty." Zoë said as she turned around.

"I was only passing the job on, like you did." Ryan grinned.

"Wolfe!" They all heard Walter call unenthusiastically.

"You're not busy at all, are you?" Walter called loudly. Zoë couldn't help but laugh again. Horatio quickly walked out and into the living room, knowing that he was letting his feelings for her get in the way of the job as he found himself losing himself in her laugh.

"Well, I am. But I thought you'd suit the job better." Ryan said as Zoë collected some more evidence with a smile.

"Thanks." Walter called as Zoë stood up with a smile and looked over to Ryan. Ryan turned around to look at her wide grin.

"You got this room?" He questioned.

"Yep" she said with a smile, Ryan then walked out after giving her a smile. He walked through to the study and began to collect anything that needed it there.

Alexx quickly got the body out and not long after, Horatio went through to the dining room to Zoë.

"I'll see you later beautiful." He said quietly as he gave her a smile.

"I'll see you later." She said as she gave him a sweet smile. They quickly kissed and Horatio walked out with a smile as Zoë carried on processing.

Sometime later she went to find Eric.

"Hey, are you ready to leave?" She questioned as she smiled at him.

"Yep, give me one second." He said as he placed a few things in his kit. He got up and turned to her with a smile.

"See you later pretty boy." She said to Ryan with a smile as they walked past the study.

"See you later." He replied looking round to them.

"Bye Walter." She said with a smile as she walked past him too.

"See ya'" Walter replied as she looked up at them and then his eyes dropped to her ass as Eric and Zoë walked out. He smiled to himself and then got back to what he was doing.

Zoë and Eric got in the hummer and drove off back to the lab.

Ryan and Walter finished processing soon after and got into the hummer and began to drive back.

They saw a silver hummer at the side of the road.

"That's Zoë's hummer isn't it?" Walter questioned, knowing the number plate. Ryan pulled his phone and dialled for Horatio.

"H?"

"Yes Mr Wolfe." Horatio replied, hearing Ryan's concerned voice.

"Have Zoë and Delko returned?" Ryan asked as he began to slow down.

"No, aren't they back at the scene still?" Horatio questioned.

"They left around 35 minutes ago, we're on our way back and we've just found the hummer on the side of the road." Ryan said as he parked up behind it and quickly got out.

"Are they in the hummer?" Horatio asked as he walked out of his office.

"Hold on." Ryan said as Walter got out and both rushed round to the front doors.

"No, they're gone and Eric's gun is on the seat." Ryan said with his voice breaking.

"I'm on my way."

"Wait, H… there's a tranquiliser dart here?" Ryan said picking it up to look at it.

"Don't move from the scene, I'm on my way there now." Horatio said as he hung up and ran out to his hummer. His heart was already racing with all manner of things running through his head.

He pulled out his phone as he drove and dialled for Zoë but it went straight to answerphone. He then tried Eric.

"Eric?" Horatio questioned.

"No, it's Walter. We found Eric's phone tossed in the grass." Walter said as Horatio wildly drove.

"I'm nearly there." He said as he hung up.