No Other One, Chapter 47
Title: No Other One, Chapter 47
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yelina Salas, Horatio Caine, the whole Caine family
Author's Note: WARNING: SPOILER FOR SEASON 6.
Summary: Almost two decades ago, Horatio made a decision that would change his family forever. Will they ever forgive him? Will he ever tell Yelina how he feels? This is an alternative to the beginning of season 6. A Horatio and Kyle story; H/Y romance in the future.
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, Chapter 41, Chapter 42, Chapter 43, Chapter 44, Chapter 45, and Chapter 46.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show.
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” - Abraham Lincoln
His fingernails scratched at the back of his hand, Kyle’s mind wandering even though he knew it shouldn’t. Sitting in the principal’s office at the school he would be going to, the teenager understood that this was important. Well, to Horatio anyway if not to Kyle himself.
It wasn’t that the blond couldn’t understand why someone would say that education was a good thing. He could, but the thing was… what good would any of it do him? Kyle wasn’t so self-involved that he couldn’t see the ridiculousness and painful circumstances of his own life. Death, crime, a father popping up randomly - it all only added up to one of two endings. Either he would rise above it all, become a billionaire (in which case, his education probably was needed). Or he would do something stupid and end up in prison in the next two or three years and never stay out for more than a month for the rest of his life.
And given the way things were going…
Kyle knew he would be the second case.
As Horatio and the principal droned on in conversation, the teenager thought it was odd to be able to admit that to himself; people weren’t supposed to think, “You know, I think I’m destined to fail.” But after everything he’d been through… Kyle couldn’t see himself ever rising above all of it.
No matter what, there’d always be something to drag him down.
He wasn’t sure at what point over the weekend he’d decided this. Oh, he’d thought of it many times - that he was destined to screw up and fail. But somehow… the past two days had cemented it in his mind, and Kyle couldn’t find it in himself to deny it any longer.
Maybe it had been the way Horatio and he still failed to connect in any real way. Actually, thinking about it now, the teenager was sure that was exactly what had brought him to this realization. Because… it was one thing for others to see him as a failure, quite another for the person who was his… father to see the same thing.
Horatio hadn’t actually said those words, of course. But Kyle couldn’t help but believe the redhead thought it. Why else would it be so difficult for them to connect? Why else would Horatio spend the majority of his weekend holed up in his study?
There just didn’t seem to be any other reason.
Looking down at the hand he’d been scratching now, Kyle was surprised to see how red he’d made it. And though the temptation to keep digging away with his fingernails was still there, the teenager forced himself not to. The last thing he wanted to do was start bleeding all over the place.
Sighing internally, Kyle turned his attention back to what was happening around him. The principal, a sickly thin man with spiky black hair, had spent the last hour asking them both all sorts of questions, most serving only to amplify the distance between father and son. Social security numbers, schooling, etc. - if Horatio had learned those tidbits to convince Bennett to sign off on custody, he’d obviously forgotten it by now. Or at least gotten slower in remembering, because it seemed like every question resulted in either a mistake or a good amount of time for Horatio to remember the right answer.
And after he’d screwed up for the fourth time, the principal had decided to interrupt. The man straightening his hot pink and orange tie said, “I’m sorry to be rude, but either you have the worst memory I’ve seen in a long time. Or you’re not really Kyle’s father and -”
Of course with an accusation like that, Horatio had had to interrupt and explain the screwed up story that was their branch of the family tree.
And it had been around that point that Kyle had stopped listening. If there was one thing he’d rather not think about anymore, it was everything related to this.
But tuning back in now, Kyle was relieved to hear them talking about something else. Actually, the way they were in deep conversation about the school and the curriculum, the teenager had to wonder just how long they’d been chatting about that. And the thought crossed his mind that perhaps he should have paid attention, but then again, he didn’t really care.
Because it wasn’t like he was gonna become a doctor or a lawyer or anything else that mattered, he thought sadly. After all, the most natural thing a person could be was a son or daughter to their parents, and… he couldn’t even do that.
“We’re a public school, but we expect a lot from our students,” the principal explained. “We have a community service requirement. Before he graduates, Kyle will have to complete a hundred hours of -”
“That… will not be a problem,” Horatio drawled out in his annoying way. Was it really so hard to just say it all in one breath? Seriously, Kyle thought. Why not just spit it out and say, “My delinquent son will be doing that anyway, so no problem.”
Shifting in his chair, the teenager listened some more. “Good,” the principal said with a nod. “We also realize the need for our students to be multi-lingual in this day and age. Every student is required to learn two foreign languages. Given that this is Miami, one, of course, will be Spanish.”
Though he didn’t let on, Kyle could not have been more displeased with that. Words… weren’t his thing. In any and all languages. He didn’t know the difference between “then” and “than,” and spelling punctuation was a difficult task alone; there was no way he was gonna be able to know what the hell to do with a semi-colon. And if his English, despite being his first language, was bad, that was nothing compared to the way the teenager butchered his Spanish.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He could curse in Spanish and probably ask someone if their sister was eighteen, but that didn’t exactly make him fluent.
And though Horatio simply nodded his head in agreement, Kyle couldn’t help but think that he was screwed. This school was clearly not for him - not when it had all these crazy requirements; there was just no way the teenager could maintain the GPA stipulated his deal.
But... maybe that was the point?
The teenager didn’t even want to think it, but it was too hard not to. The idea running through his mind seemed more and more right the more he pondered it. Horatio and he had been avoiding one another all weekend, unable to connect or talk or deal with one another. And maybe the redhead had just had enough.
Maybe Horatio had changed his mind.
And if he’d done that, then this was the perfect way to get rid of him. By sending him to this school, Horatio would ensure Kyle would fail and be sent to prison. And best of all, all of the blame would fall on the teen’s shoulders, not Horatio’s.
By the end of next week, Kyle could be in jail, and the redhead could come out looking like the hero, the father who had tried to save his son but ultimately failed.
Even to himself, it sounded a little insane, but… he didn’t doubt it to be true. Because it was exactly the kind of plan a man like Horatio would go for. For the redhead, there was no way to lose here; just as the man liked neatness and order in his home furnishings, so too did he like it in every other aspect of his life. And no matter what happened with this, everything would end up in its proper place.
So… when Kyle screwed up, Horatio could be relieved, much in the same way he probably was when he organized his mail. And if, by some giant miracle, the teen were to do okay, Horatio could take all the credit. And on a lesser note, it would mean Kyle was meant to live with him.
But there was no real chance of that happening, the teenager knew. He just… couldn’t rise above this. Which meant he was screwed once more, and now it was just a matter of time.
The thought plagued his mind until the principal’s voice cut across once more. “Your records indicate that your son is two years behind in his formal education.”
“That’s right,” Horatio said, nodding his head.
“Normally, we keep children where they have been placed, unless a parent or guardian requests us to offer a placement exam.” The principal paused, maybe to let Horatio make such a request (at least Kyle could only assume this was what was going on). But obviously, he thought bitterly, that wasn’t gonna happen. So the principal continued, “Given Kyle’s… circumstances, we could make such an accommodation. He has no learning disabilities, and if he did well on the test, he’d probably be able to keep up with the course work. Although it would require extra studying, he could -”
“You know,” Horatio interrupted. “I… don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Well, screw you, Kyle thought angrily.
The two men kept talking, but he didn’t listen - no longer cared what they were saying. If he’d been in doubt over how much Horatio didn’t like him, this left no doubt.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole, Kyle yelled in his mind, his eyes glaring at Horatio.
And though other, very real words filled the room, all the teenager could hear was that he’d never be good enough or smart enough to be Horatio’s son.
He just wasn’t ever gonna be enough.
-------------------------------
The cigarette soft and velvety, like old newspaper pages, between his fingers smoldered as Ray Junior explained, “Look, man, I couldn’t come over.”
“Yeah,” his friend, Todd, said irritably. “Well, I’m sorry your mom is a bitch, but you had the game. How are we gonna win this damn contest if you get sidetracked every five minutes by your family?” Angrily, the boy snatched the cigarette, not caring that the ash fell and burned Ray. Taking a long pull, he glared at Ray, waiting for an answer.
And in all honesty, Ray Junior wanted to tell his best friend that that wasn’t true. Really, nobody wanted to think his family was normal more than he did. But… seeing as how this was neither the first make out session, nor the first smoke break to be interrupted with this topic, he couldn’t. In fact, part of him completely agreed.
Sighing, he conceded. “All right. I’m sorry. Happy?” he asked with a sigh. Throwing his hands in the air, Ray told Todd, “Next time, I’ll handle it like any other maladjusted teen would. I’ll -”
“Dismember your mother in the bathtub and get back to work instead of whining like a little bitch?” the other boy snapped seriously.
Ray Junior’s eyes darkened, narrowing on his friend. He hated when they fought like this, because somehow… it always meant he had to defend his own mother. And he really didn’t want to do that.
True, by now he should have accepted that his mother and Todd didn’t like one another. Actually, they completely hated one another, and he should have just learned to stay out of it and let his friend fight his own battle.
And yet… just as he was about to tell Todd not to say stuff like that, the teenager remembered how annoying his mom had been all weekend long. Convinced that he was up to something, despite having no proof, she’d watched him like a hawk. And the worst about that was… no amount of laying low had made her less suspicious. Nothing he’d tried or avoided doing had made any difference, and it sucked.
The fact that he really was up to something… was completely and totally beside the point. Being a parent meant you were supposed to like… give your kid the benefit of the doubt or something. Whatever happened to things like “unconditional love” and “innocent until proven guilt” and all that junk?
That question still in mind, Ray nodded his head. “Exactly.” Glancing down at his watch, he noticed then that five minutes had passed. And that meant, according to the lame ass school policy, a student would be sent in to bring them back to class. “Hey,” he said loudly. “We should go before they send in the SWAT team.”
Todd nodded his head, flushing the cigarette in a nearby urinal. As they got ready to leave, the teen asked suddenly, “Ya think they ever walked in on someone taking a giant dump?” He opened the door and continued talking, “Cause five minutes… that’s gotta be cutting it close if you ate the school’s fish sticks.”
Ray was about to mutter his agreement when his eye caught sight of something to his right. He blinked, making sure that he wasn’t imagining it. But upon a second look, he knew it was them.
Well, maybe it wasn’t Kyle, but there was no doubt that the man walking down the hallway in the opposite direction with the blond teenager was Horatio. That stupid red hair was bright enough and freakish enough to be spotted anywhere.
And Ray doubted his uncle was on a case; the man was dressed too casual (well, casual for Horatio) for that.
“Ray?” Todd asked in confusion.
The brunet shushed him into silence. Watching his uncle and… cousin was too important to let the moment be ruined by his friend’s giant mouth. And looking at them, he couldn’t help but want to soak up each and every nanosecond so he could scour them for clues later. His eyes starting at them intently, Ray couldn’t stop himself.
He didn’t want to miss class - well, he did, but he didn’t want to get in trouble. But a detention was okay by him, cause this was way more important. His brown irises coming to rest on a folder in Horatio’s hands, it looked like the same orientation info his mother had gotten (but which Ray had never read… obviously).
And the reality hit him hard and quickly: Kyle was going to go to school here.
Part of him was absolutely furious at the development.
This was his school and his family, and there wasn’t room for anyone else!
But through his anger, another part of him saw this new prospect for what it was: an opportunity.
He smiled then and for the rest of the day. His plan was ready - foolproof even. All he needed now… was to get Kyle alone.
End (48/??)
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yelina Salas, Horatio Caine, the whole Caine family
Author's Note: WARNING: SPOILER FOR SEASON 6.
Summary: Almost two decades ago, Horatio made a decision that would change his family forever. Will they ever forgive him? Will he ever tell Yelina how he feels? This is an alternative to the beginning of season 6. A Horatio and Kyle story; H/Y romance in the future.
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, Chapter 41, Chapter 42, Chapter 43, Chapter 44, Chapter 45, and Chapter 46.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show.
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” - Abraham Lincoln
His fingernails scratched at the back of his hand, Kyle’s mind wandering even though he knew it shouldn’t. Sitting in the principal’s office at the school he would be going to, the teenager understood that this was important. Well, to Horatio anyway if not to Kyle himself.
It wasn’t that the blond couldn’t understand why someone would say that education was a good thing. He could, but the thing was… what good would any of it do him? Kyle wasn’t so self-involved that he couldn’t see the ridiculousness and painful circumstances of his own life. Death, crime, a father popping up randomly - it all only added up to one of two endings. Either he would rise above it all, become a billionaire (in which case, his education probably was needed). Or he would do something stupid and end up in prison in the next two or three years and never stay out for more than a month for the rest of his life.
And given the way things were going…
Kyle knew he would be the second case.
As Horatio and the principal droned on in conversation, the teenager thought it was odd to be able to admit that to himself; people weren’t supposed to think, “You know, I think I’m destined to fail.” But after everything he’d been through… Kyle couldn’t see himself ever rising above all of it.
No matter what, there’d always be something to drag him down.
He wasn’t sure at what point over the weekend he’d decided this. Oh, he’d thought of it many times - that he was destined to screw up and fail. But somehow… the past two days had cemented it in his mind, and Kyle couldn’t find it in himself to deny it any longer.
Maybe it had been the way Horatio and he still failed to connect in any real way. Actually, thinking about it now, the teenager was sure that was exactly what had brought him to this realization. Because… it was one thing for others to see him as a failure, quite another for the person who was his… father to see the same thing.
Horatio hadn’t actually said those words, of course. But Kyle couldn’t help but believe the redhead thought it. Why else would it be so difficult for them to connect? Why else would Horatio spend the majority of his weekend holed up in his study?
There just didn’t seem to be any other reason.
Looking down at the hand he’d been scratching now, Kyle was surprised to see how red he’d made it. And though the temptation to keep digging away with his fingernails was still there, the teenager forced himself not to. The last thing he wanted to do was start bleeding all over the place.
Sighing internally, Kyle turned his attention back to what was happening around him. The principal, a sickly thin man with spiky black hair, had spent the last hour asking them both all sorts of questions, most serving only to amplify the distance between father and son. Social security numbers, schooling, etc. - if Horatio had learned those tidbits to convince Bennett to sign off on custody, he’d obviously forgotten it by now. Or at least gotten slower in remembering, because it seemed like every question resulted in either a mistake or a good amount of time for Horatio to remember the right answer.
And after he’d screwed up for the fourth time, the principal had decided to interrupt. The man straightening his hot pink and orange tie said, “I’m sorry to be rude, but either you have the worst memory I’ve seen in a long time. Or you’re not really Kyle’s father and -”
Of course with an accusation like that, Horatio had had to interrupt and explain the screwed up story that was their branch of the family tree.
And it had been around that point that Kyle had stopped listening. If there was one thing he’d rather not think about anymore, it was everything related to this.
But tuning back in now, Kyle was relieved to hear them talking about something else. Actually, the way they were in deep conversation about the school and the curriculum, the teenager had to wonder just how long they’d been chatting about that. And the thought crossed his mind that perhaps he should have paid attention, but then again, he didn’t really care.
Because it wasn’t like he was gonna become a doctor or a lawyer or anything else that mattered, he thought sadly. After all, the most natural thing a person could be was a son or daughter to their parents, and… he couldn’t even do that.
“We’re a public school, but we expect a lot from our students,” the principal explained. “We have a community service requirement. Before he graduates, Kyle will have to complete a hundred hours of -”
“That… will not be a problem,” Horatio drawled out in his annoying way. Was it really so hard to just say it all in one breath? Seriously, Kyle thought. Why not just spit it out and say, “My delinquent son will be doing that anyway, so no problem.”
Shifting in his chair, the teenager listened some more. “Good,” the principal said with a nod. “We also realize the need for our students to be multi-lingual in this day and age. Every student is required to learn two foreign languages. Given that this is Miami, one, of course, will be Spanish.”
Though he didn’t let on, Kyle could not have been more displeased with that. Words… weren’t his thing. In any and all languages. He didn’t know the difference between “then” and “than,” and spelling punctuation was a difficult task alone; there was no way he was gonna be able to know what the hell to do with a semi-colon. And if his English, despite being his first language, was bad, that was nothing compared to the way the teenager butchered his Spanish.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He could curse in Spanish and probably ask someone if their sister was eighteen, but that didn’t exactly make him fluent.
And though Horatio simply nodded his head in agreement, Kyle couldn’t help but think that he was screwed. This school was clearly not for him - not when it had all these crazy requirements; there was just no way the teenager could maintain the GPA stipulated his deal.
But... maybe that was the point?
The teenager didn’t even want to think it, but it was too hard not to. The idea running through his mind seemed more and more right the more he pondered it. Horatio and he had been avoiding one another all weekend, unable to connect or talk or deal with one another. And maybe the redhead had just had enough.
Maybe Horatio had changed his mind.
And if he’d done that, then this was the perfect way to get rid of him. By sending him to this school, Horatio would ensure Kyle would fail and be sent to prison. And best of all, all of the blame would fall on the teen’s shoulders, not Horatio’s.
By the end of next week, Kyle could be in jail, and the redhead could come out looking like the hero, the father who had tried to save his son but ultimately failed.
Even to himself, it sounded a little insane, but… he didn’t doubt it to be true. Because it was exactly the kind of plan a man like Horatio would go for. For the redhead, there was no way to lose here; just as the man liked neatness and order in his home furnishings, so too did he like it in every other aspect of his life. And no matter what happened with this, everything would end up in its proper place.
So… when Kyle screwed up, Horatio could be relieved, much in the same way he probably was when he organized his mail. And if, by some giant miracle, the teen were to do okay, Horatio could take all the credit. And on a lesser note, it would mean Kyle was meant to live with him.
But there was no real chance of that happening, the teenager knew. He just… couldn’t rise above this. Which meant he was screwed once more, and now it was just a matter of time.
The thought plagued his mind until the principal’s voice cut across once more. “Your records indicate that your son is two years behind in his formal education.”
“That’s right,” Horatio said, nodding his head.
“Normally, we keep children where they have been placed, unless a parent or guardian requests us to offer a placement exam.” The principal paused, maybe to let Horatio make such a request (at least Kyle could only assume this was what was going on). But obviously, he thought bitterly, that wasn’t gonna happen. So the principal continued, “Given Kyle’s… circumstances, we could make such an accommodation. He has no learning disabilities, and if he did well on the test, he’d probably be able to keep up with the course work. Although it would require extra studying, he could -”
“You know,” Horatio interrupted. “I… don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Well, screw you, Kyle thought angrily.
The two men kept talking, but he didn’t listen - no longer cared what they were saying. If he’d been in doubt over how much Horatio didn’t like him, this left no doubt.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole, Kyle yelled in his mind, his eyes glaring at Horatio.
And though other, very real words filled the room, all the teenager could hear was that he’d never be good enough or smart enough to be Horatio’s son.
He just wasn’t ever gonna be enough.
-------------------------------
The cigarette soft and velvety, like old newspaper pages, between his fingers smoldered as Ray Junior explained, “Look, man, I couldn’t come over.”
“Yeah,” his friend, Todd, said irritably. “Well, I’m sorry your mom is a bitch, but you had the game. How are we gonna win this damn contest if you get sidetracked every five minutes by your family?” Angrily, the boy snatched the cigarette, not caring that the ash fell and burned Ray. Taking a long pull, he glared at Ray, waiting for an answer.
And in all honesty, Ray Junior wanted to tell his best friend that that wasn’t true. Really, nobody wanted to think his family was normal more than he did. But… seeing as how this was neither the first make out session, nor the first smoke break to be interrupted with this topic, he couldn’t. In fact, part of him completely agreed.
Sighing, he conceded. “All right. I’m sorry. Happy?” he asked with a sigh. Throwing his hands in the air, Ray told Todd, “Next time, I’ll handle it like any other maladjusted teen would. I’ll -”
“Dismember your mother in the bathtub and get back to work instead of whining like a little bitch?” the other boy snapped seriously.
Ray Junior’s eyes darkened, narrowing on his friend. He hated when they fought like this, because somehow… it always meant he had to defend his own mother. And he really didn’t want to do that.
True, by now he should have accepted that his mother and Todd didn’t like one another. Actually, they completely hated one another, and he should have just learned to stay out of it and let his friend fight his own battle.
And yet… just as he was about to tell Todd not to say stuff like that, the teenager remembered how annoying his mom had been all weekend long. Convinced that he was up to something, despite having no proof, she’d watched him like a hawk. And the worst about that was… no amount of laying low had made her less suspicious. Nothing he’d tried or avoided doing had made any difference, and it sucked.
The fact that he really was up to something… was completely and totally beside the point. Being a parent meant you were supposed to like… give your kid the benefit of the doubt or something. Whatever happened to things like “unconditional love” and “innocent until proven guilt” and all that junk?
That question still in mind, Ray nodded his head. “Exactly.” Glancing down at his watch, he noticed then that five minutes had passed. And that meant, according to the lame ass school policy, a student would be sent in to bring them back to class. “Hey,” he said loudly. “We should go before they send in the SWAT team.”
Todd nodded his head, flushing the cigarette in a nearby urinal. As they got ready to leave, the teen asked suddenly, “Ya think they ever walked in on someone taking a giant dump?” He opened the door and continued talking, “Cause five minutes… that’s gotta be cutting it close if you ate the school’s fish sticks.”
Ray was about to mutter his agreement when his eye caught sight of something to his right. He blinked, making sure that he wasn’t imagining it. But upon a second look, he knew it was them.
Well, maybe it wasn’t Kyle, but there was no doubt that the man walking down the hallway in the opposite direction with the blond teenager was Horatio. That stupid red hair was bright enough and freakish enough to be spotted anywhere.
And Ray doubted his uncle was on a case; the man was dressed too casual (well, casual for Horatio) for that.
“Ray?” Todd asked in confusion.
The brunet shushed him into silence. Watching his uncle and… cousin was too important to let the moment be ruined by his friend’s giant mouth. And looking at them, he couldn’t help but want to soak up each and every nanosecond so he could scour them for clues later. His eyes starting at them intently, Ray couldn’t stop himself.
He didn’t want to miss class - well, he did, but he didn’t want to get in trouble. But a detention was okay by him, cause this was way more important. His brown irises coming to rest on a folder in Horatio’s hands, it looked like the same orientation info his mother had gotten (but which Ray had never read… obviously).
And the reality hit him hard and quickly: Kyle was going to go to school here.
Part of him was absolutely furious at the development.
This was his school and his family, and there wasn’t room for anyone else!
But through his anger, another part of him saw this new prospect for what it was: an opportunity.
He smiled then and for the rest of the day. His plan was ready - foolproof even. All he needed now… was to get Kyle alone.
End (48/??)