Title: Miss You in Miami
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRT
Summary: The day after Speed’s funeral a postcard arrived for Horatio
Horatio Caine hid his pain-filled blue eyes behind his dark sunglasses. They had buried Timothy Speedle yesterday. His friend, colleague, lover. Except no one knew about their love affair. Speed had wanted to keep it a secret. He didn’t want Horatio’s career jeopardized.
Horatio would give it all up just to have him back. Just to hold him again. He would retire to some quiet stretch of beach. Have Speed in his arms as they rocked in a hammock and listened to the ocean waves.
But those dreams were gone. His lover had died in his arms. All because he didn’t clean his gun. Horatio swallowed the anger and pain. He didn’t understand. Why? He thought Speed understood the importance of it. Did he not love Horatio enough? Did Horatio not love him enough?
“Lieutenant Caine.” The receptionist gave him a sad smile. “Mail for you.”
“Thank you Rachel.” He grabbed the mail and headed for his office.
He sat down at his desk and looked through the mail; sighing at the various departmental memos, tossing the sympathy cards from people who didn’t understand or care, and sorting out the invoices. He stopped at the postcard.
He looked at it with confusion on his face. It was a typical tourist postcard. A white beach with a palm tree and the words ‘Miss you in Miami’ written out in the wet sand.
He turned it over. It was blank except for the address to him at the lab, but what shocked him was the handwriting. It was Speed’s. Tears pricked at his eyes, knowing his lover he had sent it as a joke, something to make him laugh. But then something caught his eye. The date. It was mailed the day of Speed’s funeral.
***
Title: Greetings from California
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRT
Summary: Part Two in the Postcard Series: Horatio looked down at his mail – another postcard
Horatio tossed his jacket on to the chair, stripping as he made his way to the bathroom. It had been a long day, week, month, hell an entire year. Everything had been off ever since Speed died six months before. He had been off. Sometimes he didn’t know if he was coming or going.
He had sought comfort in another’s arms, but it hadn’t worked. She didn’t understand that he couldn’t give her his heart it still belonged to Speed.
He dried off and slipped into a pair of comfortable jeans and a t-shirt he had prepared and went off to go work out in the yard. He stopped by his dresser, picking up the postcard. The mystery had not been solved. He still wasn’t sure if the postcard was real. He knew it was his lover’s handwriting, he knew it had come from Speed. But what he didn’t know was when it was sent. He wanted, needed to believe that it meant that his lover was alive.
And after Ray, his heart held a kernel of hope.
Spending time in the yard had always calmed him. Speed would tease him about acting like a child and playing in the mud, but he would always use these moments to organize his thoughts. By the time he finished weeding the backyard he was dirty, sweaty and a bit sore, but calmer.
He grabbed his mail and set it down on the counter.
After another quick shower he fixed himself a light dinner and sat down at the table. Horatio tossed out the junk mail first, then set aside the bills. The last piece of mail stopped him dead his tracks.
A postcard, six months to the date from the last one.
It was a picture of another white sandy beach but this time it had a lifeguard tower on it and the words ‘Greetings From California’ stamped over it. He swallowed and turned the card around.
The redhead gasped, the handwriting was the same; the time stamp showed that it had been mailed on the six month anniversary of the shooting. Tears formed in his eyes. His lover was alive. Speed was alive.
***
Title: Come to Ireland
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRT
Summary: Part Three in the Postcard Series: This time Horatio answered.
He had taken the day off. He didn’t care if anyone connected the date and put two and two together. He needed to be away from the office. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. The two postcards were in his pocket, worn around the edges from hi continuous handling them.
For the past six months he had tried to figure out what had made Speed go into hiding. Why he didn’t confide in him, and wondered where he was. Was he all right? Was the New Yorker eating enough? One thing about Speed, he practically had to be hand fed to be eating properly. Was he getting enough sleep or was his insomnia back. He worried about his lover.
Did Speed still love him?
He sat down next to the tombstone. Even though he knew that Speed wasn’t there, he would come down to the grave and talk to him. He had told him how they had finally taken down Clavo Cruz. Told him about his fears when the doctor had found out that Madison had Leukemia. He had voiced his feelings about the sudden re-appearance of Ray and then subsequent disappearance of his whole family.
The redhead had broken down and told him about his guilt and fears from New York.
“I wish I knew where you were.” Horatio leaned his head back against the headstone. “I wish I knew why.”
“Horatio Caine?”
Horatio looked up at a Fed-Ex delivery man. “Yes.”
“I have a package for you.” He handed him the package then held out his tracker, waiting for Horatio to sign it. “I was a bit surprised on the address, but even more surprised to actually find you here.” He grinned as Horatio signed it and took the package. “Have a nice day.”
“Thank you.” Horatio looked at the package, his heart pounding in his chest.
He opened up the package as his hands were slightly shaking. An envelope and a postcard fell out.
Horatio picked up the postcard and looked at it. Instead of white beaches it had rolling green hills with ‘Come to Ireland’. He turned it over and gasped. In his lovers handwriting were three simple words. ‘I love you’.
Horatio opened the envelope. He had a decision to make.
***
Title: Wish You Were Here
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRT
Summary: Part 4 in the Postcard Series: The team read the postcard with happiness and a sense of loss.
Eric looked at the postcard then handed it back to Calleigh. They both looked over at Alexx. “I still don’t understand.”
Alexx turned and smiled at the small group. “They’re together and happy.”
“You knew?” Calleigh asked.
“It hurt not to tell any of you.” Alexx sighed. “I wanted to, but there was too much at stake.”
Eric looked back at the postcard. It was a picture of a beautiful Caribbean Island with the words ‘Wish You Were Here’. He flipped it over to read the message once again. ‘Everything is as it should be’.
~*~
Horatio smiled at his lover as the two rocked softly in the hammock. “You think they received our postcard?”
Speed sighed, his head resting on the red head’s chest. “They probably have by now.”
“They are going to wonder what happened.” Horatio said.
“Alexx will fill them in.” Speed shifted and looked at his lover. “I hated doing that to you, but I had no choice.”
“I understand,” Horatio cupped one scruffy cheek. “I just wish you told me about your life back in New York.”
“It was something I had wanted to leave there.” He settled back into Horatio’s arms. “I didn’t think it would come back looking for me.”
“You’re safe now.” Horatio held the brunette close.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come,” Speed said.
“Once I saw the ticket I just walked out of the cemetery and went straight to the airport.” Horatio reflected back to the moment. “There was no question in my mind where I belonged.”
“When I saw you walking up the pathway, my heart stopped.” Speed let the tears fall once again.
He had been quietly reading when he had suddenly looked up to see Horatio walking towards him. The book dropped out of his hands as he moved out of his seat and towards his lover. The redhead held his arms out and caught Speed as he fell into them. The two held on to each other, as if afraid they would disappear.
‘I’m home.’ Horatio whispered into his ear.
Speed had pulled him into a deep kiss. Swearing that nothing would separate them again, not even death.
Speed stood up from the hammock, “I love you.”
Horatio followed his lover back into their small cottage home. “I love you, too.”
They were together and that was all that mattered.