Title: Ten Minutes
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: MA
Summary: “Please, all I need is ten minutes.”
***
Horatio held Speed in his arms, trying to soothe the wounded man. He wiped the blood gently away from Speed’s mouth, ordering him to keep breathing.
“I can’t feel anything,” Speed’s voice was fading; his eyes were filled with fear.
“Speed, hold on,” Horatio pleaded. He pulled Speed closer to him, locking blue eyes with brown, willing him to hold on.
Speed tried to focus on Horatio, his eyes apologizing for being careless, for dying, for putting Horatio through this pain. Horatio watched helplessly as the life slipped out of the once expressive brown eyes. His hands felt Speed’s breathing become labored and slowed.
“Speed!” Horatio pulled Speed‘s head towards him, demanding him to hold on.
“Speed,” A tremor echoed in his voice. He leaned his head down, placing his cheek against Speed’s chest listening for a heartbeat. His eyes closed as tears threatened to fall. All he could feel was Speed’s warm blood against his cheek.
‘No, God, please don’t take him like you took Ray.’ Horatio pleaded as Speed’s blood spilled onto the ground. ‘Don’t let this happen. Just ten minutes, that’s all I need, ten minutes. Let me save him. Tell him that he’s wanted, needed, loved. Please, all I need is ten minutes.’
Time stood still.
Sound became muted.
Winds shifted and reversed.
Horatio paused mid-step; he looked around in a slight panic, the sound of gunshots still echoed in his ears. He lifted a hand up to his cheek to wipe away the blood, only to pull it back clean. He wasn’t inside holding a dying Speed, but instead outside standing next to the Hummer.
“I‘ve got plenty of time for that,” Speed’s voiced filtered to his ears.
His head snapped up, eyes locked onto Speed as he walked by a red Rolls Royce and head towards the jewelry store’s front doors, “Speed wait!”
Speed stopped, and turned towards Horatio, “H?”
“Get behind me and stay behind me, I’ve got a bad feeling about this place.” Horatio stepped forward grabbing Speed’s arm and pulled him back.
“Horatio, it’s a jewelry store. What could possibly go wrong?” Speed asked, but complied as he stepped back and got behind Horatio. He was concerned with Horatio’s actions, but trusted the redhead’s instinct.
“I don’t want to know.” Horatio entered the store, eyes tracking every movement.
“Hello, gentlemen welcome to McCauley Jewelers, I‘m Rudy, how may I help you?” A tall young man stepped forward, smiling brightly at the two CSI’s.
“Miami-Dade PD,“ Horatio flashed his badge at Rudy. “And, you can start by telling your guards to put their weapons down and step into the room,” Horatio informed Rudy, eyes flashing with suppressed emotion.
Speed looked at Horatio eyes wide with surprise, “H?”
Horatio put himself between the backroom and Speed, his hand on his gun, “Now!”
The young man, glanced behind him, then back at Horatio, “They are only here for protection, to guard the jewels.”
“Then they have no reason to hide now, do they?” Horatio glanced at Rudy, then towards the backroom.
A man stepped from behind the backroom door, setting his gun down on one of the workstations. A second climbed out from under a workstation and placed his gun next to the others. Both men stepped quietly into the lobby, placing themselves between the backroom and the CSI’s.
The feeling of dread eased a bit, as Horatio watched the two men lay their guns down and step away from them. He called for back up, and then turned back towards Rudy. “Besides guarding jewelry, do they take care of your dirty work? Are they the one’s that kidnapped the William’s boy?” Horatio asked his eyes locked on Rudy.
“Boy? What boy? I just clean jewelry.” He looked between the redhead and the guards.
“What about Mrs. William’s jewelry?” Speed asked his eyes flickered between Horatio and Rudy.
“I have cleaned her jewelry in the past, has something happened to her?” He asked, concern entering his voice.
“Clean them or clean them out, switched the real ones with fakes?” Speed stepped towards Rudy, eyes scanning the workstations. Horatio hand stopped him, forcing him back away from Rudy and his guards. Speed wasn’t sure what was up with Horatio, but he once again complied and stepped back.
Horatio stepped up to the man. “Tell us where the boy is, Rudy.”
“I don’t know anything about any boy,” The man snapped. “We just clean jewelry.”
“Then why the guards?” Speed asked, his eyes flashed towards the two men.
He looked between Horatio and Speed, “I told you, protection.”
“You will have plenty of protection now,” Horatio commented as uniformed officers entered the building. “Officers put these men under arrest, suspicion of fraud, theft and kidnapping.” He turned towards Rudy, “Last chance Rudy, where’s the boy?” Horatio stepped up into his face.
“I don’t know anything about the boy,” He glanced around as officers took his guards away. “We just switched out the jewels for fakes.” He exclaimed, as a uniformed officer cuffed him from behind, leading him outside reading his rights.
“Speed lets go,” Horatio walked out of the store, Speed was two steps behind him.
It wasn’t until they got into the Hummer that Horatio felt the uneasiness completely drain from his body. He glanced at Speed, who was looked back at him, with concerned filled eyes. “Horatio?”
“Not now Speed, we have a lost son to find,” Horatio smiled at the very much alive young man.
Speed smiled back.
***
Speed sat at his kitchen table; his gun in pieces in front of him. He methodically worked through each piece, cleaning and oiling the weapon. His thoughts were chaotic, disorganized. He wasn’t sure what to feel. They had solved the case, the lost son returned to his family, minus a father. When they returned the boy to his mom, he had felt the sudden urge to call his own mother.
They were just sitting down to dinner when he had called. He had talked longer than expected, surprising himself and his mother. He just needed to hear her voice, tell her that he was doing well. He smiled when she asked if he had found love yet, he said he hadn’t. He was about to tell her that he had time, but a sudden sense of dread chocked his words. Instead he told her that he loved her, and would call back in a few days.
He tossed the phone onto the couch and walked out onto the balcony. There hadn’t been a moment to talk with Horatio about what happened at the jewelry store. His mind flashed through the incident, it had been just ten minutes of his life. Leaning against the railing, a thought trailed through his mind. His gun hadn’t been cleaned in the past two months. The thought took his breath away, if those guards had come out shooting he wouldn’t have been able to back Horatio up, he could have been killed.
He had quickly walked back into his living room and pulled out the gun cleaning kit, and setting it on the kitchen table. He had taken apart his gun, methodically cleaning it.
His wandering thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He set down the gun and rag; stretched his tired sore muscles as he stood up. He glanced over at the clock a bit shocked to see two hours had gone by.
He wasn’t surprised to see Horatio standing on the other side of the door, “Horatio.”
“Tim,” Horatio gave him a half smile. “May I come in?”
Speed opened the door and motioned for him to enter. Horatio walked by, eyes scanned the room, focusing on the open kit and gun on the table.
“Can I get you something?” Speed asked as he closed the door and turned towards the kitchen. “Coffee, beer, water?”
“Coffee would be good,” Horatio stepped up towards the table, fingering the oiled gun.
“It wasn’t supposed to go down the way it did,” Speed stated from the kitchen. “I wasn’t supposed to live through that day, was I?”
Horatio startled at Speed’s comment, turned quickly towards the young man. “Why do you say that?”
“My gun wasn’t clean.” Speed commented, as he turned from the coffee pot. “If you hadn’t known about those guards and if there was a shootout, it would have jammed.”
Horatio locked eyes with the dark haired man, “Ten minutes.”
“What happened Horatio?” Speed stepped forward, watching the conflicting emotions run across the redhead’s face.
“I saw it or lived it. I don’t know. I begged for ten minutes.” Horatio stepped closer to Speed.
“I’m sorry,” Speed apologized, his eyes showing his sorrow for putting Horatio through that pain.
“I asked for ten minutes, so I could tell you…” Horatio paused, his voice suddenly soft and full of emotion.
Speed took the final step into Horatio’s space. He reached out cupping the redheads chin in his hand, lifting it so he could look him in the eyes. “Tell me what?”
“That you were wanted, needed, loved… by me.” Horatio’s eyes were filled with pain with fear for what could have been, with love.
His hand clasped the back of Speed’s head and pulled the man into a fiery kiss. Speed slipped his arms around the redhead’s waist and pulled him closer, flush against his body. He opened his mouth to Horatio’s assault, sucking his tongue in, tasting Horatio on every level.
Speed pulled back, his hand came up to wipe away the tears. He pulled the redhead into his arms, resting Horatio’s head on his shoulder. Whispering over and over again how sorry he was, and that he was alive, thanks to him, everything will be okay. Speed closed his eyes, as he felt a pair of soft lips caress his neck. They slowly nipped and licked their way up his neck and jaw line to his eagerly awaiting mouth. He moaned as Horatio claimed his mouth, soft and sensual. Nipping and licking at his lips, just tasting and feeling. Speed’s own tears mingled with Horatio’s as the two sensually explored each other’s faces.
“Speed,” Horatio’s pulled back looking into brown eyes, wet from tears, raw with emotion. “Why?”
Speed blinked the tears away, took a deep breath, and stepped back. “I don’t understand it.”
“I’m not following,” Horatio grabbed his hand and pulled the young man into the living room, making him sit on the couch.
“I don’t like guns I don’t understand Calleigh’s fascination with them. I see almost every day what they could do to a human being, yet I carry one.” Speed paused, looked over at Horatio, who sat down next to him. “If I could get away with it, I wouldn’t carry one. It’s not a tool in my book I forget it’s there half the time. It‘s just an accessory, like my badge. Am I making any sense?” Speed asked as he slumped into the couch, head resting on the back.
Horatio looked over at the constantly unshaven face, “Have you taken the academy courses?”
“The mandatory one,” He answered, head still back. “But, that was when I first started.”
Horatio looked shocked, “Speed, it’s mandatory that every officer takes a refresher course every two years.”
Speed looked over at Horatio, “Really? No one told me that.” He paused as he tried to collect his thoughts, “Remember when you gave me that kit?” He nodded towards the one sitting on the table. “I had told Calleigh that I didn’t know how to clean my gun. I had to go buy a gun maintenance book to figure out how to use the kit.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Horatio sat back against the couch matching the young man’s position.
“You were disappointed in me. My pride kept me from telling you that I had no clue what the hell to do with a gun, let alone clean one.” Speed smirked, “All I knew was how to aim and pull the trigger.”
He quickly sat up and looked at Horatio. “I didn’t understand until that day. It wasn’t that I could have been killed, it was more of the fact you could have been killed. That gun,” He pointed to the table. “It’s not there just to protect myself, but to protect my partner. Once I realized that, I began to understand. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t get Calleigh’s fascination with them, but I now understand the point of carrying one.”
“Promise me,” Horatio reached out and grabbed Speed’s arm.
“I promise I won’t let it get that way again. I’ll take a refresher course on gun safety and training.” Speed smiled his eyes portraying his sincerity.
Horatio pulled Speed into his lap, devouring his mouth. Speed grounded his hips into Horatio’s, taking delight from the deep groan pulled from Horatio’s throat. Speed’s hands went into Horatio’s hair, clasping onto the red strands and taking control of the kiss, deepening it and tasting every inch of his mouth. He felt Horatio’s hands go under his shirt and work their way up his sides. Agile fingers caressed and touched making his skin shiver; he grounded his hips further into Horatio’s moaning into his mouth. Horatio’s nails raked over hardening nipples, causing Speed to gasp from the sensation as he threw his head back. Horatio took advantage and ripped open the shirt exposing Speed’s chest to his sight. His mouth attacked a nipple, a smile formed at the sounds Speed was making. Speed pulled back on the red hair, his eyes now black with lust. As his mouth devoured Horatio’s once again, his hands worked on the tie and shirt. Mimicking Horatio’s movements he ripped open the dress shirt, smirking at Horatio’s surprised exclamation.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Speed muttered as his hands moved down the smooth chest. He slipped off Horatio’s lap as his mouth followed the path of his hands. Horatio’s head fell back onto the couch, low moans coming from his mouth. Speed grinned as his hands quickly undid Horatio’s belt and pants. His hands slipped inside and squeezed the hardening member. Horatio’s head snapped forward, blue eyes meeting darkened brown. His hand grabbed Speed’s, pulling the man back into his lap. He brought Speed’s swollen lips back to his, kissing him tenderly and slowly.
“Let’s take this somewhere else,” Horatio whispered between soft kisses.
Speed nodded as he climbed off Horatio’s lap. He held out his hand and waited. Horatio took his hand and was pulled off the couch, into the young man’s arms. Speed led him down the hallway into his bedroom. He let the ripped shirt slide off his arms and onto the floor, his eyes never leaving Horatio’s. Horatio pulled off his tie, slipped off his coat and shirt, and gave a predatorily grin towards Speed, and then pounced. Speed laughed as they hit the bed, he smiled up at Horatio, happy to be alive.
***
Eric watched as Speed walked slowly down the hallway to the trace lab. He was getting a lot of attention from the lab techs and personnel; it wasn’t because he seemed to be walking carefully it was more to do with the smile that graced the man’s face.
“Okay, what’s up?” Eric walked into the lab demanding an explanation.
“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” Speed glanced at the Cuban. “I was going over the material found on the Vic; he was covered with some type of wax. I’m thinking surfer…”
“Speed?” Eric interrupted him, getting right up in his personal space.
“What, Delko?” Speed asked agitated.
“What’s with the smile? Not that it’s a bad thing.” Eric asked, a smile gracing his features. “You look, I don’t know, happy.”
Speed sighed, gave Eric a quick smile, “I’m alive.”
***
Speed walked into the ballistic lab, he watched as Calleigh cooed over the latest gun they found at a crime scene. “You look like a kid in a candy store.”
“Depends on the candy,” She smiled at him. “What brings you down here?”
He walked up to her, his eyes growing serious. He pulled his gun and set it in front of her. “Help me understand.”
Horatio stood in the hallway and watched as Calleigh smiled through tears as she pulled Speed into a hug. Speed was in good hands, so he stepped away and headed down the hallway to his office. The world looked bright, and it was all because one Timothy ‘Speed’ Speedle was still in it.