Friends and Family: Reconciliation Part One
Title: Reconciliation Part One
Author: Aeon Cole
Rating: FRT
Warning: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Horatio/Speed
Prompt: #2 Surprise
Summary: Tim gets a phone call that changes his outlook on life and gives him the chance to reconcile with his father.
Disclaimer: Arya and Michael Speedle belong to me. The rest do not.
Author’s Note: For the 20 Established Relationships challenge on LiveJournal.
The house phone was ringing. Tim just stared at it. Over the past few days someone had been calling the house. Each time he or Horatio answered the phone they were met with silence. Horatio was ready to have a trace put on the line but Tim had convinced him that it was probably just one of the neighborhood kids messing with them. He let it ring and went about his business.
Twenty minutes later the ringing began again. Tim walked out of the laundry room and into the hallway. Once again he stared at the phone. He didn’t know who was playing this little game but it was becoming annoying. This time he decided to answer it.
He picked up the cordless receiver and said, “Hello.”
Again he was met with silence but there were some sounds in the background and he strained to hear them.
“Hello,” he said again. When no one answered he sighed and said, “Look, what ever this little game is that you are playing, it’s not funny.”
“Tim?” The voice was quiet and a bit hoarse but unmistakable to Tim’s ears.
He looked at the phone for a moment before asking, “Dad? Is that you?”
There was silence for a moment then, “Um, yeah.”
Tim said nothing at first. He wasn’t sure what to say to the person who had basically disowned him so many years ago. “Why are you calling here?” he asked. He winced slightly after. It had come out harsher than he’d intended.
There was silence at the other end of the line again for a moment then, “This was a mistake. Sorry I bothered you.”
But before his father could hang up, Tim quickly said, “No. Don’t hang up. That didn’t come out the way I intended.” He didn’t hear the line go dead so he continued. “I, um, I do want to talk to you.” It had been so long since he’d heard his father’s voice that, just as when he’d seen his mother several months before, he had a sudden longing to talk with him.
“I was looking for your mother,” his father said somewhat hesitantly. “She doesn’t answer her cell. I’ve left several messages but she’s hasn’t called me back.”
“She’s not here right now,” Tim informed him. “She and Horatio went out shopping.”
“Horatio?” his father asked. “He’s your…”
“Yeah,” Tim answered.
“Your mother told me about him.” Again Tim wasn’t sure how to answer and his silence got his father’s attention. “Look, Tim, I didn’t call to give you any problems,” he said. “Your mother likes your… I don’t know what to call him.”
In the end Tim couldn’t resist the banter and answered, “Husband.” When his father didn’t respond he said, “Partner is fine.”
“Your mother likes your partner and says you’re happy,” his father said continuing his previous thought.
“She’s right. I am happy.” Again there was silence for a moment. “When did you talk to mom last?”
“Right after your latest little accident.”
Tim rolled his eyes. “She told you about that?”
He could hear the amusement in his father’s voice as he asked, “How many bones does that make now?”
“Okay, ya know what, I don’t need that from you too,” he replied as he wandered into the living room and sat on the sofa. He heard his father start laughing then the laugh turned into a cough. His coughing fit lasted for almost a minute. “Dad? Are you okay?”
The coughing subsided and his father said, “I need to talk to your mother.”
‘Dad, what’s going on? If this has to do with the divorce it should go through the lawyers.”
“It’s not about the divorce.”
“What then?” Tim asked.
His father sighed. “I have to go in for surgery and she is technically still my next of kin.”
“Surgery? What for?”
“Look, I really didn’t want to drag you into this,” his father said.
“Dad! What’s going on?” Tim’s frustration was beginning to show.
His father finally gave in. “I have lung cancer. They have to remove part of one lung to get rid of the worst of the tumors.”
Tim was stunned into silence. Several things ran through his mind all at once. Not the least of which was that lung cancer advanced enough to require surgery was almost always fatal. He thought back realizing that he never remembered seeing his father without a cigarette in his mouth.
Finally Tim found his voice. “Does mom know?” he asked.
“About the cancer, yes. About the surgery, no. That’s why I need to talk to her.”
“If she knew, why didn’t she tell me?”
“I asked her not to, son. I didn’t want this to be the reason we started talking again.”
“Well, I guess in a way you got your wish,” Tim said. “Should I come to New York?”
“Not now,” his father answered. “Maybe after the surgery, when I’ve recovered.” They lapsed into silence again for a moment before his father said, “Tell me about yourself. Your mother says you’re a police officer.”
Happy for the distraction, Tim began telling his father about his life over the past seventeen years. They were still chatting when Horatio and Arya returned from the store. They heard Tim laughing in the other room and both poked their heads into the living room. Tim turned and saw them.
“She just got home,” he said into the phone. Arya raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, it was good talking to you again too. Take care of yourself.” Tim handed the phone over to his mother. “It’s dad. He needs to talk to you. It’s important.”
Arya took the phone from him. “Michael,” she said into the receiver.
Tim walked out of the room and into the kitchen followed closely by Horatio. He sat down in one of the chairs and stared off thinking about what his father had told him. Horatio took a seat next to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He knew Tim hadn’t talked to his father in years.
Tim nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad I had a chance to talk to him.” He stood up and paced over to the counter. He started pulling items out of the grocery bag that Horatio had placed there.
Horatio could tell something was bothering Tim so he got up and walked over to the counter. He took hold of Tim’s arm. “What’s wrong?”
Tim’s head fell forward. “He’s got cancer.”
Horatio let go of his arm and placed his hand on his shoulder. “How bad?”
“Bad,” Tim answered. “He’s been a heavy smoker all of his life. They have to remove part of his lung.”
Horatio pulled Tim into his arms. “Does your mother know?”
Tim laid his head on Horatio’s shoulder. “About the cancer, not the surgery. If he’s reached the point of needing surgery then…” Horatio tightened his hug. “I’m gonna want to go to New York. He told me to wait until he was out of the hospital.”
Horatio was rubbing his hand over Tim’s back. “Just let me know when and I’ll arrange for some time off, for both of us.” Tim pulled back and looked Horatio in the eye. “Well, I’m certainly not going to let you do this alone.”
Tim smiled at him. “Thanks,” he said and gave Horatio a kiss.
Part 2
Author: Aeon Cole
Rating: FRT
Warning: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Horatio/Speed
Prompt: #2 Surprise
Summary: Tim gets a phone call that changes his outlook on life and gives him the chance to reconcile with his father.
Disclaimer: Arya and Michael Speedle belong to me. The rest do not.
Author’s Note: For the 20 Established Relationships challenge on LiveJournal.
The house phone was ringing. Tim just stared at it. Over the past few days someone had been calling the house. Each time he or Horatio answered the phone they were met with silence. Horatio was ready to have a trace put on the line but Tim had convinced him that it was probably just one of the neighborhood kids messing with them. He let it ring and went about his business.
Twenty minutes later the ringing began again. Tim walked out of the laundry room and into the hallway. Once again he stared at the phone. He didn’t know who was playing this little game but it was becoming annoying. This time he decided to answer it.
He picked up the cordless receiver and said, “Hello.”
Again he was met with silence but there were some sounds in the background and he strained to hear them.
“Hello,” he said again. When no one answered he sighed and said, “Look, what ever this little game is that you are playing, it’s not funny.”
“Tim?” The voice was quiet and a bit hoarse but unmistakable to Tim’s ears.
He looked at the phone for a moment before asking, “Dad? Is that you?”
There was silence for a moment then, “Um, yeah.”
Tim said nothing at first. He wasn’t sure what to say to the person who had basically disowned him so many years ago. “Why are you calling here?” he asked. He winced slightly after. It had come out harsher than he’d intended.
There was silence at the other end of the line again for a moment then, “This was a mistake. Sorry I bothered you.”
But before his father could hang up, Tim quickly said, “No. Don’t hang up. That didn’t come out the way I intended.” He didn’t hear the line go dead so he continued. “I, um, I do want to talk to you.” It had been so long since he’d heard his father’s voice that, just as when he’d seen his mother several months before, he had a sudden longing to talk with him.
“I was looking for your mother,” his father said somewhat hesitantly. “She doesn’t answer her cell. I’ve left several messages but she’s hasn’t called me back.”
“She’s not here right now,” Tim informed him. “She and Horatio went out shopping.”
“Horatio?” his father asked. “He’s your…”
“Yeah,” Tim answered.
“Your mother told me about him.” Again Tim wasn’t sure how to answer and his silence got his father’s attention. “Look, Tim, I didn’t call to give you any problems,” he said. “Your mother likes your… I don’t know what to call him.”
In the end Tim couldn’t resist the banter and answered, “Husband.” When his father didn’t respond he said, “Partner is fine.”
“Your mother likes your partner and says you’re happy,” his father said continuing his previous thought.
“She’s right. I am happy.” Again there was silence for a moment. “When did you talk to mom last?”
“Right after your latest little accident.”
Tim rolled his eyes. “She told you about that?”
He could hear the amusement in his father’s voice as he asked, “How many bones does that make now?”
“Okay, ya know what, I don’t need that from you too,” he replied as he wandered into the living room and sat on the sofa. He heard his father start laughing then the laugh turned into a cough. His coughing fit lasted for almost a minute. “Dad? Are you okay?”
The coughing subsided and his father said, “I need to talk to your mother.”
‘Dad, what’s going on? If this has to do with the divorce it should go through the lawyers.”
“It’s not about the divorce.”
“What then?” Tim asked.
His father sighed. “I have to go in for surgery and she is technically still my next of kin.”
“Surgery? What for?”
“Look, I really didn’t want to drag you into this,” his father said.
“Dad! What’s going on?” Tim’s frustration was beginning to show.
His father finally gave in. “I have lung cancer. They have to remove part of one lung to get rid of the worst of the tumors.”
Tim was stunned into silence. Several things ran through his mind all at once. Not the least of which was that lung cancer advanced enough to require surgery was almost always fatal. He thought back realizing that he never remembered seeing his father without a cigarette in his mouth.
Finally Tim found his voice. “Does mom know?” he asked.
“About the cancer, yes. About the surgery, no. That’s why I need to talk to her.”
“If she knew, why didn’t she tell me?”
“I asked her not to, son. I didn’t want this to be the reason we started talking again.”
“Well, I guess in a way you got your wish,” Tim said. “Should I come to New York?”
“Not now,” his father answered. “Maybe after the surgery, when I’ve recovered.” They lapsed into silence again for a moment before his father said, “Tell me about yourself. Your mother says you’re a police officer.”
Happy for the distraction, Tim began telling his father about his life over the past seventeen years. They were still chatting when Horatio and Arya returned from the store. They heard Tim laughing in the other room and both poked their heads into the living room. Tim turned and saw them.
“She just got home,” he said into the phone. Arya raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, it was good talking to you again too. Take care of yourself.” Tim handed the phone over to his mother. “It’s dad. He needs to talk to you. It’s important.”
Arya took the phone from him. “Michael,” she said into the receiver.
Tim walked out of the room and into the kitchen followed closely by Horatio. He sat down in one of the chairs and stared off thinking about what his father had told him. Horatio took a seat next to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He knew Tim hadn’t talked to his father in years.
Tim nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad I had a chance to talk to him.” He stood up and paced over to the counter. He started pulling items out of the grocery bag that Horatio had placed there.
Horatio could tell something was bothering Tim so he got up and walked over to the counter. He took hold of Tim’s arm. “What’s wrong?”
Tim’s head fell forward. “He’s got cancer.”
Horatio let go of his arm and placed his hand on his shoulder. “How bad?”
“Bad,” Tim answered. “He’s been a heavy smoker all of his life. They have to remove part of his lung.”
Horatio pulled Tim into his arms. “Does your mother know?”
Tim laid his head on Horatio’s shoulder. “About the cancer, not the surgery. If he’s reached the point of needing surgery then…” Horatio tightened his hug. “I’m gonna want to go to New York. He told me to wait until he was out of the hospital.”
Horatio was rubbing his hand over Tim’s back. “Just let me know when and I’ll arrange for some time off, for both of us.” Tim pulled back and looked Horatio in the eye. “Well, I’m certainly not going to let you do this alone.”
Tim smiled at him. “Thanks,” he said and gave Horatio a kiss.
Part 2