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Chapter Text

In the times before movies, the word vampire was enough to cause a village to shut its doors in terror, bold the windows and pray for daylight to save them all. Cures were creative and rarely, if ever worked. Humans lived in fear of the walking dead. When vampires made their way to the movie screen, suddenly they were handsome. They had charisma. They had style. Most of all, they had money and the girls, and over time, some people decided that they wanted to be vampires when they grew up. Living the life of the living dead, a corpse that never rotted, never grew old, never died held an allure to those who, ultimately, feared death. Books, clubs, movies, even t-shirts fed into the mainstream as the lore surrounding vampires expanded and exploded into the light.

From the shadows, vampires watched, amused, as humans got every single fact completely wrong. When vampire cartoons and cereal came on the market, they decided it was safe to venture out into the world again. Hiding in plain sight was one of the things vampires were very good at. It was one reason the scared villagers of old always overlooked them.

One of the most powerful pairings in history traveled to Miami, following a vision of the founder of their bloodline. Fire and Ice arrived first and found work with the Miami-Dade Police Department and, eventually, with their crime lab. Once he was settled, when an opening appeared, he sent for his mate. Wind and Waves arrived and they started to work towards the goal of their bloodline.

Apart they were powerful. Together, they were unstoppable.

Chapter Text

Speed sighed as he walked up the stairs towards Horatio's office. The lieutenant had been in a grouchy mood for the past week, not that anyone at the lab seemed to realize it, and Speed wasn't sure what he was going to find when he got to the top of the stairs. It could be anything from paperwork to a new case to Horatio chatting with friends back in England. He knocked and walked in without waiting for an invitation, the only one at the lab who would dare even try it. "Hey."

"There's word that a man kidnapped a girl in Vegas and is heading our way," Horatio said. "That means a small team from the Vegas crime lab will be here within the next six hours."

"You don't think they'd be that stupid, do you?" Speed asked, sitting down in one of the guest chairs. "They have to know we're here."

"Oh, they know we're here, Speed," Horatio replied. "They know and it seems they don't care. So here's what we're going to do. I want you to go get a haircut and shave. Put on that white polo you keep for hot days and keep as much to the background of the investigation as you possibly can."

"You think they'll pick you out and not me," Speed said. It wasn't a question.

"I think they'll know me before they get here," Horatio said.

"You've heard from England?"

"I have and they've worked out the bloodline we're up against," Horatio said. "It's an upstart clan barely a hundred years old, but their leader is a direct line back to Vlad himself so there is power there. There's no way to know if the small team will have a member of their line in it or not, but it's possible the team there knows more than they're letting on and are spies."

Speed sighed. "What sort of trash throws humans into the fray like this?" he asked.

"The sort of trash we've been tasked with finding and destroying," Horatio replied. "Go get ready for me, Tim. I need to head out with the search team. They believe they've spotted the suspect and are hoping to be able to find the child alive."

"The child doesn't have any family left, does she?" Speed asked.

"Her father is dead, her mother is missing," Horatio said. He smiled at his lover. "I don't have much hope for her, but it's always possible she'll be found alive as well. It's always possible there's family that we don't know about, but if there's not, then I'll find a way to get the child to England."

Speed nodded and left. He hated having to blend into the background, but when Horatio needed him in the shadows, that was where he would always be.
****

Vampire lineage as tricky to sort out. So many people claimed to be from one of the two royal lines, either Constantine or Vlad, and short of tracing back sire by sire it was nearly impossible to be sure if the claim were true or not. However, it was also true that direct line descendants from either vampire kept meticulous notes and their children were known to all in the vampire world. The vampire known as Horatio Caine in Miami was a direct line back to Vlad, while his lover, Tim Speedle, was a direct line back to Constantine. Together they were considered the most unstoppable force in the vampire world, the pair that would be sent to deal with incursions, blood battles between minor lines, and establishing new footholds for their bloodline. When the pair bonded, they created a new bloodline, the most powerful bloodline ever seen. The mix of the royal line had never been tried before, not knowing what the combination of traits would do to a vampire, but in Horatio and Speed, it led to a mix of compassion and brutality not often seen in vampires.

The pair was sent to Miami when a flare of small new-start bloodlines started appearing in America. The heads of the royal lines were worried that the sudden influx of new vampires would catch the attention of the media and expose the vampire world to the humans who believed them to be myths. Fodder for movies, yes, but not real. Lost in the dawns of time, and that was how the heads of the royal lines wanted it to remain. Horatio had his orders and Speed has his, though everyone knew that they would work together and do what they wanted within the bounds of their assignments from their bloodline kings. The group in Vegas was the largest they had encountered since they arrived in the states, and Speed was curious to see exactly what Horatio was planning once the team from Vegas landed. Lesser vampires wouldn't be able to pick either Horatio or Speed out as vampires, but it was always possible that they would have been warned before they started for Miami. The answers would, unfortunately, come with the team from Vegas.
****

It wasn't hard for Horatio to find the missing child. Her heart was pounding and the scent of fear called to him strongly. He sat with her until the teams showed up and stayed close while she was checked over for injuries. Sasha was a strong girl, although Horatio could tell that she missed her mother. He was giving orders to one of the patrol officers when the helicopter arrived and Horatio sighed. Time to see if it was human or vampires who had arrived in his city, or a combination of the two. The blond woman was human and more standoffish than Horatio thought healthy for someone traveling to a strange city to work a crime. It also wasn't something he was going to stand for.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, staring into her eyes. He didn't believe for a minute that she appreciated any consideration he'd given her in the case. Horatio watched her to over to Sasha and turned to the man who'd come along from Vegas. Another human, but he was studying Horatio closely, and Horatio couldn't tell if it was because of his manner or because he was a vampire. "We found her down here."

"Lead the way," Warrick said, following behind Horatio.

Horatio felt a stirring of pleasure when he realized that Catherine, the blond, was having trouble getting answers from Sasha. It seemed the young girl didn't like Catherine any more than Horatio did. She not only answered his questions, but looked to him to see if it was okay to share the prize she'd found. They'd found the girl alive and she trusted Horatio. The day was off to a good start. The next step was to bring in Speed.

Chapter Text

"The feds are keeping secrets again," Horatio commented to Speed as they drove to join up with Delko at one of the canals. "When we get back to the lab, Tim, I want you to do some digging in their computer and see if there's anything we can use."

"Yeah, you got it," Speed said with a sigh. "H, do I look as stupid as I feel?"

"You've lost weight since you wore that outfit last, but you look just perfect for this, love," Horatio said. "Tell me what you think of the pair from Vegas. What did you get from them?"

Speed glanced out the window. "Catherine's clueless," he said. "She's here for the case and only the case. There's not a hint of vampire around her, and if these losers out west are as new as reports say they are, they won't be able to shield their scent from us. Even with all the perfume she's got on. I hate perfume. The chemical scents are probably the worst invention mankind has come up with in the last two hundred years."

"Focus."

"I am," Speed said. "Warrick interests me though. He's human, but I think he's been bitten before, H. I'll need to talk to him some more, but there's something there that's not fully human."

"It's possible he's slowly undergoing the transformation, Tim," Horatio said.

Speed looked back at that. "You think this guy out in Vegas is stupid enough to be doing that?" he asked. "The kings won't be happy if we report that information back."

"I know," Horatio said. "Our initial intel said that the new group in Vegas was comprised of young vampires, but all born of vampire parents so there was no transformation involved. The ban has yet to be lifted, so if this group is creating vampires by blood transfusion then we have a problem, don't we, Speed?"

"Yeah," Speed said. "I don't know how we're going to prove it one way or the other though."

Horatio parked and looked over at his lover with a smirk. "It's easy enough, Tim," he said. "I just have to invite Warrick to dinner. A blood sample would be enough to show if he's being transformed or not. Now, I want you taking notes for me, please. Eric will be in the water and I'm going to watch him, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever you need, H," Speed said. He grabbed his notebook and followed Horatio out into the sunlight just in time to hear Warrick asking how they had found the car in the canal. Eric was explaining things well.

"Okay, anyone covering me?" Eric asked as he walked towards the water.

"I got you," Horatio replied, raising the shot gun.

"Cover for what?" Catherine asked, looking over.

"Alligators," Eric smiled.

"Only way to out swim a gator is to swim faster than the guy with you," Speed commented from his place by the Hummer. Calleigh glanced over at him with a smile as she focused in for her next picture.

Eric laughed. "I used to have a partner," he said.

"Guys," Horatio sighed. His team was his pride in Miami, but there were times when he wondered what he'd done to deserve them.

As Eric got his mask in place, Horatio focused on the canal and opened all his senses to the world around him. Speed was the one who had a closer connection to water, but only sea water for some reason. Eric popped back up and signaled that it was the car they were searching for, but there was a body in it.
****

"I'd hoped for a better end to the case," Warrick sighed, watching Sasha play on the beach where an officer was standing guard over her. They'd located an aunt along with a grandmother back in Vegas and the aunt was flying out to pick Sasha up.

"So had I," Horatio said. "Warrick, join us for dinner. The team is going out and we'd like to take you along with us."

"Thanks man, I'd love to, but Catherine wants us back on a plane to Vegas as soon as possible," Warrick replied with a shrug. "She's already headed out for the airport and I'm supposed to meet her there in an hour."

Horatio glanced over. "Need a lift?" he asked.

"Yeah, if you don't mind," Warrick replied. "Be better than taking a cab. Thanks."

"My pleasure," Horatio smiled, starting towards his Hummer. Fortunately he had the tools he needed in the back.
****

"In the Hummer," Speed said when Horatio came home that night. "You took his blood in the Hummer."

"It was the only chance I had," Horatio replied. "Quite tasty too."

"Only you, Horatio," Speed said. He pushed his lover up against the wall and pushed into his mouth, searching for traces of blood. Horatio moaned and went limp, holding onto Speed's shoulders to stay upright. "You're right," Speed finally said, breaking apart, "tasty."

"With a trace of Vlad though, don't you think?" Horatio asked, panting.

"Yeah, I do. You've got a pure sample to send to England?"

"Two, just to be safe," Horatio said. "I think, Tim, that the leader in Vegas is going to realize that I touched one of his people and he isn't going to be happy about it. I don't think this is going to be our last contact with them."

Speed snorted and started to pull Horatio towards their bedroom. "My guess is that England is going to send in a couple of our stealth investigators and that will be the last we hear of Vegas," he said. "Strip."

"If I'd known this was going to make you so pissy, I would have done it before," Horatio said with a smirk. He draped his suit jacket over the rack and started to undo his shirt. "You know I don't want anyone other than you, Tim."

"I know, but it's not often you let me get the upper hand and I'm going to enjoy it while I have it," Speed said. "Can I let my hair grow back out now?"

"Yes. I like you with longer hair, anyway," Horatio said. He put his slacks over the jacket and settled down on the bed. "I'm yours to ravish, Tim."

"Ravish, nothing, I'm going to remind you why it's a bad idea to feed from strange humans," Speed said. He grabbed the special tube of lube they used and injected some directly into Horatio's body. "Especially when we're supposed to be finding a lost treasure, not antagonizing other vampires."

Horatio moaned as the cold liquid filled him and he angled his hips up, hinting that Speed could go faster if he wanted to. "They asked us to check on Vegas. I checked on Vegas and will send my report to them tomorrow." He broke off with a moan as Speed slid into his body. "Gonna bite me?"

"You have no idea," Speed replied. He bent down and started nipping at Horatio's collar bone and upper chest as he thrust, teasing bites that wouldn't draw any blood or leave marks that could be questioned. "You found proof that Vegas is engaged in illegal activities, but in doing so, turned their leader's attention to us. We're not here to fight other, Horatio. Not this time."

"I don't think it would be much of a fight," Horatio pointed out, dragging his fangs along Speed's neck.

"I might have to concede that point," Speed said. He gasped when Horatio's body squeezed his erection. "Stop that unless you want this over now."

"Been wanting you all day," Horatio said. "Thought about taking you in the Hummer after we found the victim in the canal. About calling you up to my office for a meeting and taking you on my sofa there, with the blinds closed and the door locked so we wouldn't be disturbed."

Speed groaned and ran his fangs over Horatio's neck. "I'm close, H, and you're not helping."

"I'm ready, Tim. Whenever you're ready, do it."

Horatio's fangs slipped into Speed's neck, blood flowing into his mouth with every suck at the wound. Speed groaned and climaxed, his own fangs in Horatio's neck, the dual bite bringing more pleasure to the pair than shared orgasm would. "Tim," Horatio whispered.

"Sleeping here," Speed muttered, watching to make sure the wound on Horatio's neck closed.

"Tim," Horatio said, pushing up against his lover.

"Oh. I thought you came when I bit you." Speed slipped back and reached down for Horatio's erection, taking the head in his mouth, mindful of his fangs. Horatio had once killed a lover for daring to bite his erection.

"Almost did," Horatio moaned, arching up into Speed's mouth. "Wasn't quite as far as I thought I was."

Speed rolled his eyes at his lover and stroked what his mouth wouldn't reach with his fangs out. Horatio's hips made small pushes up, not wanting to press Speed too much until he climaxed with a groan. "Tim."

"We can clean up in the morning," Speed grumbled. "I'm exhausted." He pushed up and kissed Horatio lazily.

"Hmmm, sounds good," Horatio murmured against Speed's mouth. "I have to be up early to send my report to England. Want me to wake you?"

"No."

Chapter Text

Speed woke up to voices in the kitchen and a missing lover. He grumbled and pulled on a pair of jeans along with a t-shirt and stumbled out towards the kitchen searching for coffee. "Delko. Cardoza."

"Good morning, Tim," Horatio said with a fond smile. "Your breakfast is in the fridge."

"What did England have to say?" Speed asked, leaning against the counter while he waited for the blood to warm in the microwave.

"They're sending in a stealth team, which is why Jesse is here this morning," Horatio said. "As much as I hate to lose him from the lab, it's a sound plan."

Jesse grinned at his sire. "It should be, the family in England has had generations of practice planning out things like this," he said. "They want me reporting back to you, though, rather than the household in England. Do you know why that is?"

"Probably because I'm closer than they are, so there won't be a worry about time differences making problems for us," Horatio replied. "I'll be making reports back as frequently as I believe are needed. Eric, on the other hand, is on his way out to dive where they believe the ship went down and was wondering if you wanted to go along with him."

"I'm not diving," Speed said. He drained the blood in three gulps and put the mug in the sink to soak. "I'll go along and keep an eye out for problems, but I'm not getting in the water."

"Hey, I'll take your eyes and your talents on the boat over a buddy in the water with me," Eric grinned. "H, you sure you can spare both of us from the lab for the day?"

Horatio smiled. "I'll make it work. Jesse is going to put in one last day while we await the team from England," he said. "You both be careful while you're out searching for the wreck, okay?"

"Of course," Speed said. "Eric, let me get dressed in something better suited for a day out on the water and I'll be ready to go."

"Take your time, I'll make us lunch," Eric said.

"Make yourself at home why don't you, Delko," Speed grumbled, heading back towards the bedroom.

Eric laughed. "I heard some of the uniforms talking about Speed a couple days ago," he said.

"What were they saying?" Horatio asked, interested in spite of himself. The younger vampire was good at picking up gossip around the department and lab. Eric had always been more at home in the shadows, which always came as a surprise to anyone who thought they knew him. He was a fantastic actor.

"They were wondering how someone so scruffy and sarcastic got to be such a high-ranking CSI," Eric said. "They also got a surprise when I came out of the shadows and asked them if they didn't have better things to be doing."

Jesse smirked. "I bet they weren't happy about that one," he said.

"They weren't," Eric sighed. "I told them I'd talk with Horatio about them if they didn't stop gossiping like hens and get back to work. It was at that hit and run scene, H."

"Such curious officers," Horatio smiled. "I think that, maybe, Jesse and I should pay them a visit today. Maybe they'd like to join us for lunch."
***

Vlad and Constantine hadn't always been allies. Constantine was the older of the two and believed there was a manner in which vampires should live to remain hidden and in control of their children, the members of their court, and those they used as food. When Vlad appeared centuries later, the two vampires battled in the shadows, carefully keeping their wars away from human ears. Vlad was younger, wilder and, in many ways, the opposite of Constantine. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that the pair came to an understanding and decided to work together to keep the vampires in the world safe and hidden.
To do so, they put rules into place that the vampire population, or at least those who came from one of the two bloodlines or a branch of one of the two bloodlines, followed under pain of death. They could not drain a human of blood for any reason at any time. No mass feedings were allowed, and the storing of human blood was regulated. In the years immediately after the Second World War, they placed a ban on transforming humans into vampires by blood transfusion. Both kings wanted to keep the vampire population of the world under control and extremely strict breeding regulations were established. It was possible for a male and female vampire to mate and have a vampire offspring. Those children were then raised in one of the hidden clans around Europe until they came of age and were able to venture out into the world and hide successfully.
Jesse Cardoza was such a child. Before Horatio bonded with Speed, his sire, one of Vlad's children, asked that Horatio mate with one of the higher ranking women in the court and Jesse was the result. Horatio raised his son in a clan in Northern Italy and that was where he met Speed, who was there studying. The pair fell in love and bonded, with the reserved blessings of both Vlad and Constantine.
Eric, on the other hand, was a transformed human, created by Speed before the ban was in place, He usually stuck close to his sire - the term used for both cases - and adored Horatio as much as he did Speed. The group didn't always get assignments to the same place, but as they had all been studying science, forensics and law, when the assignment came for Miami, they were placed there together.
***

"Do you think I'll have trouble out in Vegas?" Jesse asked on the drive in to the lab later in the morning.

"I think you'll have to be careful, Jesse," Horatio replied. "You're one of our best stealth team leaders, but our intel tells us that the leader of the clan out there is direct line to Vlad. That means you share a common ancestor and it's possible he'll be able to pick you out from that, no matter how hard you try and hide it."

Jesse glanced over. "I was thinking about trying to transfer into the lab to get a look around, but I don't know how that would work with the blood connection," he said. "Maybe I'll have to just go out and take a look around. Something is going to jump out at me."

"The lab is not a bad idea," Horatio said. "But only if you're positive the clan leader isn't working there. Otherwise, you need to remain hidden."

"With my orders, I might not be out there long," Jesse said. "Then again, I could be out there years. The kings want to know for sure if the clan in Vegas is using blood transformation on humans again. They'll analyze the blood you sent them, but they want a witness before they order the death of so many vampires."

"Understandable, especially if this clan tries to claim it is outside our ruling families," Horatio said. He pulled into the lab parking lot. "Do you have the names of those officers Eric was telling us about?"

"Yep, I'll make sure they're in place to join us for lunch," Jesse said. "I'm glad that the kings aren't insisting that we live on animal blood, or that synthetic they've been working on for so many years. It turns my stomach."

"As it does for most of us," Horatio said. "That's why there's no ban in place. As long as we're careful not to be seen, the humans won't know we're feeding from them. Warrick was certainly happy enough when I finished with him."

"Did you whammy him?" Jesse asked.

"Of course," Horatio replied. "It's the only way to get that much blood from someone, you know. Ready to get to work?"

"Last day in Miami. I'm going to miss it and I haven't even left yet," Jesse sighed.

"You'll be back soon enough," Horatio said. "We're not going anywhere until we find the wreck, after all."

Chapter Text

The shipwreck was one of Constantine's that had been traveling to the New World when it sank off the coast of Florida. None of the crew survived, the treasure on board was lost to legend as it was impossible to keep news of such a wreck secret within the vampire world. There was only one piece that Constantine was interested in getting back, and that was the cross given him by the House of Caesar before it fell. He didn't know why it was on the ship, he hadn't placed it there, and his investigations over the years showed no one in his house stole it and put it on the ship, but on the ship it had been, and was now lost at the bottom of the ocean.

Two rulers was the reason for the two assignments in Miami. Vlad and Constantine both wanted to know about the expanding small clans in the Americas, and were both worried about the group in Vegas, but Constantine decided to take the opportunity of having some of his family there to search for his lost ship, and the treasure it was carrying. As long as they kept a balance between the assignments, Vlad didn't care if the team searched for his fellow ruler's treasure. It was possible they would find other wealth that the kings could use.
***

"So, anyone have this area registered?" Speed asked as he and Eric sped across the ocean towards the stretch that Eric was going to be searching.

"Not that I was able to find, but that doesn't mean anything," Eric replied. "I dunno, Speed, do you think it's possible that this wreck was found already and we don't know about it."

"Constantine would have known if the cross was back in play," Speed said. "There's a link to it and he says it's still where it's been all these years. I want to know who the hell was stupid enough to steal from his court in the first place."

"You're really turning into a CSI, aren't you?" Eric grinned. "Always wanting answers to questions."

"I'm not old enough to remember the theft, Eric, but Constantine told me about enough when I was growing up that I know the details as if I'd been there myself," Speed said. "The cross was kept in his personal chambers, hanging above his bed, and only four people had access to those rooms. Constantine, his consort, and their personal slaves."

Eric glanced over. "It was that long ago?"

"Mid-1500s," Speed said. "There were guards at both entrances to the chambers and no one saw anything. The cross was there when Constantine went down to dinner and gone when he retired for the night. There was no psychic trace behind, so it wasn't a human who took it, and it wasn't a baby vampire. We're talking someone old and powerful, and there weren't many vampires around then that could fit that description."

"He questioned them all?"

"Several times. He picked up the connection with the cross when it was out in open water and it was too late to go after it," Speed sighed. "He sent another ship to recover it from the New World, but the crew was told the first ship sank before she made port. You know how bad the storms can get in this area. There was just too much wave activity and the ship foundered."

"Just no one knows where and it's possible a storm buried her again," Eric said. He brought the boat they were on to a stop and looked around. "This is it," he said. "Let's drop anchor and you can tell me if there's anything I need to worry about while I get my gear ready."

"I'm not keen on you being in the water alone, Eric," Speed said.

"You could always come in with me."

"You know what I mean," Speed said. He sat down and reached into the water. "There's a few sharks a couple miles off. Don't bleed while you're down there. A pod of dolphins is passing through, and there's enough chemicals to kill a human. I hoped that humans would get smarter, then they discovered Chemistry and that was the end of it. Time to poison the world."

Eric adjusted the straps of his oxygen tank and laughed. "I don't remember you being in this bad a humor in years, Speed. What's going on?"

"I don't know," Speed sighed. "Maybe I'm just getting old."

"Or maybe you're picking up on a problem we're going to have to be dealing with here soon," Eric said. "Mike check?"

"Yeah, hang on." Speed went back to the front of the boat and grabbed the headset that would let him talk with Eric. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. Okay, I'm going in. I'm carrying about an hour's worth of air for a human, so I'll be down a little over two unless something happens," Eric said. He jumped into the water and started to swim down towards the reef about a hundred yards off from where he'd made anchor.

"Mind your blood gas levels," Speed said. He moved to sit on the back of the boat on the running board so he'd be in contact with the water and could watch around himself for problems. "I know we brought blood with us, but I don't want you passing out on me down there."

"I'll be fine," Eric said. "I've been down for four hours without problems before."

"Yeah, but just because you managed it once doesn't mean you can do it again," Speed said. "The warning stands, Eric."

"Okay, okay, I'll be careful," Eric said. "I've got the reef in sight. You'll start getting video in a bit, if everything works right."

Speed turned to look at the monitor situated on the bench in the back of the boat. "Nothing yet, but I'll let you know."

Chapter Text

"So this ended up being a waste of time," Speed said as he pulled the treasure chest up into the boat. "This is Spanish make, Eric."

"There's more down there, want me to go grab some other things?" Eric asked from where he was holding onto the running board. "I think the wooden chests have rotted, but I saw some other metal chests."

Speed sighed. "Yeah, might as well," he said. "We can keep it at the house until Horatio or I can get in touch with the kings and ask them what they want to do with this."

"Makes me wonder what ship this is," Eric said. He got his gear settled and started back to the reef. "You said Spanish make, any clue as to who she might have been?"

"Do you know how many Spanish ships were lost here over the years, Eric?" Speed asked. He opened the rusted chest and looked inside. "Not a bad haul, really. I just wish the cross was here so we could count this part of the mission done."

"You're still worried about Vegas, aren't you?"

"Yeah, especially with Horatio feeding from one of them," Speed said. He started to rinse the gems and coins off in a bucket of fresh water. They'd have to be cleaned when they got back to the house, but a basic wash would get some of the salt off them. "There was a trace of Vlad's blood in Warrick's. You know what that means."

"Yeah, someone's being stupid," Eric said. "Shark."

"How big?" Speed stood up quickly and went to the running board.

"About seven feet, it's a reef shark," Eric said. "I'm not bleeding, just wanted to let you know they're starting to show up. Must be getting late."

"Probably later than we thought it was," Speed sighed. "Bring up what you can and we'll call it a day. If the kings want us to, we can always come back and get more. I doubt they will though, both lines have enough money invested to run the courts for centuries at this point. I have a feeling this is going to go for jewelry and favors."

"Not always a bad thing, especially with how many new clans we're seeing pop up around the states," Eric said. "Okay, I've got two more metal cases, they're both small, and I'm coming up. What's it looking like up there?"

"Same as always. If you're worried about a storm, don't be. We're not going to have one for at least another week, if not longer," Speed said. "You'll be able to dry out before we head back to land."

"We're going to have to hide this stuff in the coolers so no one knows what we have," Eric said. "Last thing we want to do is register this find with the state. Think what would happen then."

Speed snorted. "We'd lose it," he said. "I'd say we've got a good portion of what's still in sealed containers and easy to bring up. Let someone else get lucky and find the loose stuff."

"There was one more large metal trunk that I could see. Want me to grab it too?"

"If you want to," Speed said. He went back to the running board and took the two cases from Eric. "There's sharks in the area, but no whites. Not yet, anyway. If you go quickly you'll be fine."

"Be right back then," Eric said.
***

"Well, this looks interesting," Horatio said, looking at the treasure littering the shower room he and Speed had installed when they moved in. "Not our wreck though, is it?"

"Nope, it's a Spanish ship," Speed said, rubbing a brush over a gold idol of some sort. "I called the kings and they said to take pictures and send them over. If anything looks like it belongs to the church or the Spanish government, we're going to return it. Get some favors that way. They said we can each pick a gem we like if we want to, but the rest of it is for the courts."

Horatio nodded and sat down on one of the benches. "Fair enough," he said. "Eric, how did the new gear work for you?"

"Good," Eric said. "I didn't have any trouble while I was down at all."

"Excellent," Horatio smiled. "Tim, what's that?"

"A piece that should never have left Spain," Speed said. He held it up. "A statue of the Virgin Mary done in silver and gem stones. I've de-salinated her, it's safe to have her out of the fresh water solution, but it was touchy there for a minute. I think the church will be very happy to have her back."

"How are we getting all of this back to the courts?" Horatio asked.

"They're sending a plane and want me to take it back," Speed replied. "Can you spare me for a weekend, H?"

"Of course," Horatio said. "We have a new CSI at the lab, her name is Megan and she'll be able to help pick up slack while you're gone. When will the plane get here?"

"Late tonight," Speed said. "They want you there to meet it as well. Something about a book and some papers coming from Vlad for you."

"Then I'll be there," Horatio said. "Will all of this be ready?"

"Yeah. Here, catch." Speed tossed something to Horatio.

"What's this?"

"Fire opal," Speed said. "Seems appropriate."

Horatio smiled and looked down at the uncut gem in his hand. "Yes it does. Thank you, Tim."

Chapter Text

A few of the papers the plane brought in were for Jesse, information that he might need out in Vegas, and the rest were information Horatio had requested on other known vampires from the courts in the United States. As he'd thought, there weren't many tied directly back to the royal lines, although there were a couple who claimed to be. Horatio didn't like vampires who claimed to be related to the royal line without proof. He knew there were a few out there who were, sires who didn't report their children until much later and, by then, many of the children had children of their own, but there was no possible way every vampire who claimed relation was telling the truth. He also knew that the courts needed the strength of numbers, but if he had his way, he would weed out a few of them. With the way vampire children were both born and made, Horatio had a feeling it would be possible within a few years for them to use DNA testing to work out the members of the royal line and those who claimed to be and weren't. The kings were touchy about new technology, investments aside, and Horatio knew he had a battle on his hands to get them to agree.

There was talk in the courts of declaring a third bloodline, that of the combined royals, even if there were only two vampires alive at the time for that line. Horatio and Speed had talked about siring more children, but wanted to wait until the ban was lifted rather than sleep with other vampires. Bonded vampires could, if they wanted to pass on their line, but even in the eyes of the courts it was borderline to cheating on their spouse. Horatio wouldn't mind turning a member of his team, Calleigh, and one of his detectives, Frank Tripp, but wouldn't without the blessings of the kings. He also wasn't sure how Speed would feel about it and hadn't brought the issue up with his lover.

"Jesse?"

"I'm taking off," Jesse said, shutting the door behind him. "Any last minute suggestions or hints for me, Horatio?"

"Be safe," Horatio said. "I wouldn't want to have to go to Vegas to avenge one of my own. It's possible they know you're coming. I don't know how many of these small upstart clans know how the courts work, but with a direct line back to Vlad in the leader of the Vegas group, it's very possible that he knows we'll send in a stealth squad to investigate them."

"It's also possible that they'll be expecting you and Speed," Jesse said. "I hear it was quite the stir when word got out that you two had arrived from England."

Horatio smiled. "We let it be known that we were arriving by releasing our vampire names," he said. "I would doubt that any vampire not tied directly back to England knows that Speed and I are the legendary vampires here to hunt down the upstarts and wipe them out."

"How can you say that without laughing?" Jesse asked.

"Practice," Horatio replied. "Jesse, I want nightly reports from you, okay? Even if you haven't achieved something that day, call me and let me know that you and your team are still healthy and in one piece. You're older than everyone in Vegas except our unknown and, as you're the same line, he might be able to use mind control on you."

"I've got my pendant," Jesse said.

"You do, but pendants can be taken off," Horatio said. "Don't rely on it to keep you totally safe. I know you're well qualified for this or I wouldn't let you go in. Just be careful for me, please."

Jesse wasn't Horatio's only child, but he was the only one still living. "I will be," he said. "Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Travel safely, Jess."
***

Horatio wasn't sure how long Speed would be gone, but didn't expect to sleep much while his lover was gone. He was too used to sharing a bed and, since they bonded, the kings didn't often separate them for anything. Horatio knew that he and Speed were partially an experiment to both Constantine and Vlad, to see how well the two bloodlines could mix in a couple, but he also knew that the kings were genuinely fond of both of them. Horatio spent some time reviewing the paperwork one last time and then went on the computer to start on the schedule for the next week at the lab. He was just going to assume Speed would be in England for that long and they could always add him in if he came back earlier.

Chapter Text

When vampires in England were mentioned to anyone, for some reason, they automatically thought of Dracula buying Carfax Abbey and hiding there while he tried to get a foothold in the British Empire. No one who lived through that period in time really even know how Stoker came up with the idea for Dracula and mostly just shook their head at the novel and all the movies that resulted from it. Living close to any large group of humans would be dangerous, and fairly stupid. Neither Constantine nor Vlad was either.

The Royal court in England was build on land that Constantine held from his time in that country back before he was emperor. The date of his birth in the history books was the time when he chose to make himself known to the human world. No one was really sure when he was born, only that he was likely the oldest vampire on the planet. Vampires of his line were often scholars or philosophers, choosing to study in disciplines that would take many lifetimes to master. It was true that Constantine fought wars, but time had tempered him and he was more interested in learning than he was in fighting. He left the war strategies to Vlad most of the time, letting the younger king do what he did best.

Speed landed in Manchester and found a car waiting for him with a couple of guards from the court already inside. He handed over the list of everything he'd brought with him and left, knowing that the guards would take care of everything. England wasn't his favorite of the courts, he preferred the one in Turkey, but during the summer months, both kings enjoyed the English countryside. When England grew too cold, they moved to the court in Turkey. Constantine and Vlad each had other homes, but spent most of their time together to make ruling the vampire empire they controlled easier.

As one of Constantine's children, Speed had his own homes in Turkey and Italy. He hated the cold, and found England far too cold no matter what season it was. Speed slept on the drive to the court hidden back in the Mowthorpe Wood. They kept the curious out with fences and posted signs saying it was government land being used for tests and that trespassers would be fined and prosecuted. It wasn't perfect, but it did at least explain the buildings in the middle of what humans would consider nowhere.

The driver woke him when they arrived and Speed took a minute to wake up before he headed inside the main building where the kings would be waiting. It was rare that he didn't have Horatio with him, but Speed wasn't worried about seeing Vlad without his bonded with him. Vlad was fond of both Horatio and Speed and wouldn't do anything to hurt them, as long as both vampires behaved. "Constantine, Vlad, you wanted to see me?"

"Welcome home, Timothy," Constantine said. "Come sit and join us in a meal."

"Thank you," Speed said. "I left the list of recovered treasures with the guards at the airport, but there's some pieces in there that will get you pretty much whatever you want when the church sees them."

"We can always use favor with the church," Vlad said with a smile. "Especially given the rumors humans believe that we cannot enter places of worship. You and your child did well to find the treasure, even if it wasn't the treasure you were sent to find."

"The coast of Florida is almost riddled with sunken treasure ships, if you listen to the rumor," Speed said. He took the offered blood with a nod. "It could take us centuries to check for all of them, Constantine. That's even if your ship was heading there when she foundered. It's possible she's to the south of us, heading for one of the islands."

"I wish I could be more clear on where she rests," Constantine sighed. "I've tried, but I cannot. I just worry that my cross will end up in the hands of another."

Speed snorted. "If you find it's in play again, Horatio and I will get it back for you," he said. "Legally if we can, illegally if we have to, but you guys didn't bring me home to talk about this treasure, or the cross, so what's going on?"

"The group out in Vegas concerns us," Vlad said. "I believe that I've found the name of the one who is leading it, and he should definitely know better than to be transforming humans into vampires. He left my court about twenty years ago now because he believed that I was growing soft in my old age."

"Must have been pretty low ranking in court then," Speed snorted. He took the offered blood with a nod of thanks. "No one who knows you would think you were going soft, Vlad."

"Indeed," Vlad said. "He was of low rank, a child of a child thrice removed. My blood within him would be significantly diluted, and that is why you and Horatio detected only a trace within the human's blood. Our stealth leader, Jesse, will have no worries about meeting another member of my line, Jesse's blood is of a higher concentration with my own, and he has Horatio's as well. No, a confrontation between line brothers is not our concern."

Constantine looked up from the book he was studying. "Our concern lays in the possibility of such an outright show of defiance from one of our court," he said. "We believe it possible that he wishes to establish a court of his own within the New World."

"There's an experiment doomed to fail," Speed snorted. "What do you want H and me to do?"

"Should the reports from Jesse show that the interloper in Vegas is attempting to transform a human, we wish you both to travel there and eliminate the clan," Vlad said. "A message to the rest of the vampire world that we stand by our rules and those who break them will suffer for their arrogance."

"What about the kids in the clan?" Speed asked. "Didn't some of our recent intel show that there were children there?"

"Any below the age of majority shall be spared and brought to our clan to be raised properly," Constantine said. "Those who are adults or of age to be considered adult shall suffer the same fate as their leader."

Speed nodded. "All right," he said. "I'll need to gather up some weapons while I'm here. H and I didn't take many with us when we went because we weren't sure what we'd be doing over there."

"Timothy, Vlad and I have considered what we wish to do with the New World and it's vampire culture," Constantine said. "You have heard the rumors in court of establishing a third line in our ruling families?"

"Yeah, but I thought they were just that," Speed said.

"You and Horatio have both proven yourselves time and again to be loyal to us and our houses," Vlad said. "Constantine and I are of a mind to declare your new bloodline royal and give you the New World to rule over in association with us here in Europe and the East."

"I don't know if Horatio or I want that much responsibility," Speed said. "Do we get to talk it over before you decide?"

"Of course, and we would expect nothing but such a logical question from you," Constantine said. "For now, focus on your tasks in the New World and let us take care of this threat that could be growing before us. But tell Horatio of our offer so you both can think of it when you have the time. The era has come when the New World needs a ruling house, and neither of us wish to establish a third home when our system works so well now."

Speed smiled fondly at his sire. "It's possible there's another solution, you know," he said. "Rather than ruin the whole two courts thing you've got going on now, appoint us guardians of the New World and we'll act under your orders."

"That would work, yes," Constantine said, "but the time would come when you needed to have more power than simply as our eyes and arms. We could start you out that way, we would be happy to, but Vlad and I both believe that ultimately a third line is the best option available to us."

"You know we'll do whatever you want us to," Speed said. "One more question before I fall asleep here. Do you need me to stay while you sort the treasure or can I head back to Miami? It's not that I mind being away from Horatio, but we're pretty busy there in our cover jobs and, while he said he'd make it work, I'd feel better being there to back him up in the field. Someone new showed up just as you called me back and that kinda makes me nervous."

Vlad nodded. "Stay through the morrow and rest," he said. "Help us sort through the treasures and then return to your bonded."

"Thank you, Vlad," Speed said with a smile.

Chapter Text

"Welcome home, Speed," Horatio said when his bonded walked into the trace lab a few days later. "Anything interesting?"

"Yeah, but we'll talk about it later," Speed said. "Where do you need me?"

Horatio turned his head and looked at Speed. "Take the case with Megan and give me a read on her, please," he said. "Both Calleigh and Eric expressed some concerns to me and I want to see what all you can pick up for me, okay?"

"Sure, no problem," Speed said. "Anything I need to know about her?"

"I don't want to bias you," Horatio said with a small smile.

"One of those then?"

"One of those."

Speed sighed. "Why don't I ever get the easy assignments?"
***

"Hey, you're back," Eric said when he caught sight of his sire. "Megan, this is Tim Speedle. How's your dad doing, Speed?"

"He's fine," Speed said. "So, Megan, welcome to the lab. I guess I'm joining you two on your case today. Want to fill me in?"

"Not really, we've got it," Megan said.

Speed and Eric exchanged a look over her head. Speed snorted. "Wow, okay, so I guess some ground rules should be put into play here. Aside from Horatio, I'm the senior CSI in this lab and if I ask for details, you give them to me," he said. "Yeah, most people think it's Calleigh, but it's not. It's me. I just let people think that because it makes my life easier. So, Horatio told me to work this case, I can do it with you, or I can go tell him that you're a bitch and then Eric and I can work it together, so which is it going to be?"

"The case doesn't need three investigators on it," Megan said, looking up.

"Okay, bitch it is then," Speed said. "Eric, I'll be back in a bit."

"Yeah, see you later," Eric said, turning back to the forms he'd been examining.

Speed found Horatio not far off down the hall and shook his head. "Okay, how the hell did she get hired in the first place?" he asked softly. "She's an idiot."

"Yes she is," Horatio said with a small smile. "So the question is, what do you think of her?"

"You're thinking Vegas."

"I am," Horatio said. "I am, and I wonder if I'm over thinking things."

"Based on what I heard while I was gone, I doubt it," Speed said. "The good news is that Jess should be safe."

Horatio nodded. "I hope so," he said. "Losing him would hurt me badly."

"So you want me to dig into her past employment history and see if I can come up with anything concrete we can use," Speed said with a glance back at Megan. "Are you thinking we're going to vanish her?"

"I'm thinking that if she is from the Vegas group, we might not have a choice," Horatio said. "I've contacted England and requested special dispensation to drain an enemy if need be. We have the go-ahead if it becomes absolutely necessary."

"It's all down to research then."

"It is," Horatio said. "Let me know what you find, okay?"

"Yeah, will do. Can I use the computer in your office? It'll be easier to hide the search, and you have higher clearances than I do."

"Go ahead," Horatio said. "I'm going out with Frank to question a witness. Give me a call if you need me or if anything happens."

Speed nodded. "Yeah, you got it, H."

Horatio slipped on his sunglasses with a smile. "Welcome home, Speed," he said.

Chapter Text

"It's good to have you home, Tim," Horatio said later that night when they were home and secure. "What did Vlad and Constantine have to say?"

"You want the good news of the bad news first?"

"The good, I suppose," Horatio said.

"They worked out who the vampire leading the Vegas clan is and he's a baby compared to Jesse," Speed said. "Your boy is going to be safe, Horatio. There's no way this creep out there has enough power to do anything other than try and break the laws."

Horatio felt some tension he didn't know had been in him leave. "What do they know about him?" he asked.

"Vlad's got some people working on it, but the bottom line is this guy is a child four times removed from Vlad and you know what that means."

"He's from Vlad's line, but is a branch on the tree," Horatio said. "Do we have anything that could help Jess out?"

"Yeah, I brought some papers home with me, things that Vlad had worked out and he promises he'll send anything else your way," Speed said. "They guy's name is Jim Brass and he didn't have a bonded last Vlad or the courts heard. Now that could have changed out in Vegas, but they don't think so. He has one child, a Gil Grissom, and he's a transformed child, but just under the deadline."

"Jim Brass," Horatio said. "He's a detective out in Vegas, one who works with the crime lab if what I heard Catherine and Warrick talking about was true. Grissom, on the other hand, runs the night shift at the lab. That alone will probably be enough to keep Jesse from trying to work there. He'll have to find another way in."

"Not necessarily," Speed said. "You're one removed from Vlad and Jesse is a natural child, which means the blood in him is stronger than it would have been if he was a transformed child. He's got his pendant with him, I think it'd be nearly impossible for either of these guys to figure out what Jesse is one of the stealth investigators from the courts."

Horatio sighed. "Is that a risk we really want to take?" he asked. "Jess needs to be close enough to find out if they're transforming humans or not, and the lab is the best way to do that, but it's far and away the riskiest. I don't know that it's the best situation for him."

"Are you thinking as a parent or a warrior there, H?"

"Both."

"Well, what other options are there, at least right now?"

"He could work in the morgue or as scene clean-up," Horatio said. "He could even work out the favorite restaurant and get a job there."

"Wasting his talents at all of those. I still think finding a position with the lab is his best bet."

"I'll talk to him. He's reporting back every night. I know, I know I'm being over-protective, but after losing Lucy like I did, I can't help myself."

Speed shuddered a little when he thought about Horatio's daughter, and Jesse older sister by another mother. Lucy had been on an assignment for the courts posing as a secretary for the Germans during the War. She was discovered and burned to death before anyone from the courts could get to her. Horatio took his vengeance and several highly placed German part officials vanished in the middle of the night, but the damage was done. "I'll never tell you that you're protecting your child too much, H," he said softly.

"Thank you," Horatio said. He pulled Speed in for a hug. "Vegas aside, what sort of bad news did they have for us?"

"You remember those rumors about making our bloodline royal?" Speed asked.

"Yes."

"Turns out they aren't rumors. Vlad and Constantine want to give us America to rule."

There was silence for a long moment and then Horatio started swearing.

Chapter Text

"Feeling better?" Speed asked later that night when he and Horatio were in bed. Horatio was on his stomach with Speed straddling his back giving him a massage.

"Not really," Horatio replied with a smile.

"That was really creative swearing. I haven't heard some of those words in well over a hundred years," Speed said. "You know as well as I do that there's probably no changing their minds on this one. I tried and they seemed like their minds were made up."

Horatio sighed when Speed hit a knot in his lower back. "If not us, then who?" he asked.

"Neither of them have many direct children left," Speed said. "You know, looking back on everything they've had us do over the years since we bonded, I think we may have been set up from the beginning."

"We both knew that the combining of the bloodlines was an experiment to the courts, and especially our kings," Horatio said. "I'm sure it's happened before, but not with such purity of blood in the vampires involved. At least they're giving us a chance to think about it rather than just dumping rule on us."

"That sounds like something I would say," Speed said. "Turn over, let me work on your front for a bit. What did you do to get so tense while I was gone? You haven't been this bad in years."

"I think it's a combination of concern over Jesse and worry about what we might have to do in Vegas," Horatio said. He used his knee to bump the plug that Speed was wearing. "How much longer are you going to last for me, Tim?"

"Not much longer if you keep that up," Speed said. "You be patient and you'll get a reward, otherwise I'm tying you to the bed and jerking off on your stomach."

Horatio laughed. "I'm at your mercy, Tim," he said, lowering his leg again. "What did you find today?"

"Megan is a transfer in, but from New York, not Vegas," Speed said. "Her husband was a firefighter and fell out of a window when he was working a fire. He was high enough up that he didn't make it and she came south to escape the memories or something like that. I thought that it was possible this was a story planted by the Vegas group to throw us off the scent so I called in a couple of favors with friends up in New York. They knew her and said she's never been very bright and doesn't like strangers."

"She doesn't like strangers," Horatio said.

"Yeah, there's a story there, I just haven't found it yet," Speed said. He leaned down and dragged a fang over Horatio's nipples. "So, for now anyway, I'm going to have to say that there isn't a connection to the Vegas group and she's just stupid."

"It makes me wonder how she got a job with the lab if she's afraid of strangers," Horatio said. "Can I touch you yet?"

"No. Behave." Speed shifted down and started working on Horatio's legs, ignoring the erection that was begging for his attention. "I talked with Danny Messer at the crime lab up in New York and he said she worked there for a while, but never liked being around Mac. It got to be such a problem that they had to let her go."

"You and Mac look a lot alike," Horatio said. "Then again, Eric's got dark hair as well and Megan has no problem working around him."

"Eric's taller than Mac and me," Speed said. He finally gave up the pretense and moved into position over Horatio and pulled out the plug. "Enough talking."

Horatio ran his hands up and steadied Speed as he slid into position, both of them groaning a little. Horatio was surprised his lover had held out as long as he had, especially when they'd been apart for a few days. Speed started to move slowly, teasing Horatio as best he could, knowing that the red head would flip them and take control very quickly.

"Want to come like this, Tim?" Horatio asked, pushing up into his lover as best he could.

"How?"

"Like this." Horatio caught one of Speed's arms and brought the wrist to his mouth, nipping a few times. "It'll be awkward, but intense."

"More intense than a neck bite?" Speed panted, trying to fight grabbing his own erection. He wanted to climax badly.

"Yeah," Horatio said. He braced his feet and pushed up sharply, hitting Speed's prostate dead on. "Want to try?"

In response, Speed grabbed Horatio's free hand and pulled it up until he could reach the vein on the side. He nipped it sharply, pulling a moan from his lover. "You come up with the craziest ideas, Horatio," he murmured.

"I try," Horatio said. "Are you close?"

"Yeah, do it," Speed said. He cried out and came when Horatio's fangs sank into his wrist. He bit down on reflex, feeling both Horatio's blood and climax filling him. His body went limp and he would have fallen over if Horatio hadn't caught and rolled him so they were lying side by side.

"Hey, you okay?" Horatio asked, checking both bite points to make sure they closed.

"Brain fried. Ask again later."

Horatio chuckled and pulled back to get a cloth to clean them up. It wasn't ever day he could get Speed's brain to completely shut down. He counted that as a good day. Now there was just the question of what to do with Megan.

Chapter Text

Horatio was walking to a crime scene down on the beach when his phone rang. "Horatio."

"Hey, it's me, I'm coming back and I've got three vampires seeking asylum," Jesse said. "They worked out who I am, H, and the asked for my help. They're in fear of their lives."

"Asylum?" Horatio asked. "Jess, what happened out there?"

"I think it'll be better if you hear it from them," Jesse replied. "Are you at a point you can meet me or should I take them to my place and hide them away until you're free?"

"I'm at a crime scene, but I'll be free as soon as I figure out what's going on here," Horatio said. "The new CSI who took your place is on borrowed time right now, Jesse. I'll be there in half an hour. Do they know who they're meeting?"

"Yeah, and they're all scared that you're going to kill them on sight," Jesse said.

"Okay, reassure them that I'm not and any vampire can request asylum at any time," Horatio said. "I'll need the truth from them, but if they're truly in danger from the leader out in Vegas, then I think hiding them away is the right decision. Even with the orders from the kings, this changes things."

Jesse sighed. "Sorry for making things so much harder for you, Horatio."

"You did the right thing, Jess. Just like I would expect you to. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"We'll be waiting."

Horatio tucked his phone back into his suit pocket and smiled down at Calleigh. "All right, what have we got?" he asked, trying to ignore Megan at the other side of the scene. He wasn't sure what her story was, but was waiting on Speed to fill him in before he made a final call to kill her. Firing her would be far less messy in the long run.
***

Horatio tapped on Jesse's apartment door in the code they had established back when Jesse was still a boy and hidden away in Italy. Jesse opened the door with a smile. "I'm glad you're here," he said. "There's only so much reassuring I can do before it starts sounding hollow."

"Who have we got, Jess?" Horatio asked.

"Gil Grissom, Nick Stokes, and Greg Sanders," Jesse replied. "Yeah, I know that Grissom is the child of the leader out there, but you need to hear their stories. I believe them, Horatio. I don't get any feeling that this is a trap for us."

"Jess, you were out there two days. Even if they knew who we were sending in, they wouldn't have been able to find you that quickly. Let me talk with Grissom first, okay?" Horatio said. "I'll use the kitchen so they can see that I'm not hurting anyone, but I need to talk to them alone."

"H, you should know that Greg's only about three months old," Jesse said.

"An infant?" Horatio asked. "Who's his sire?"

"A woman named Sophia, who is apparently another child of Brass' that we didn't know about," Jesse said. "The Vegas group is a little inbred for my tastes."

Horatio sighed. "That's because you're a baby of the two courts, Jess," he said. "Okay, Grissom first. You sit with Nick and Greg, make sure they know I'm not asking any hard questions, okay?"

"Yeah," Jesse said. "Hey guys, this is my sire, Horatio Caine. He's the one who can, ultimately, formalize your asylum, but you need to talk to him and tell him what you told me."

Grissom stood up. "Lieutenant Caine, I know you have no reason to trust us, especially knowing who my sire is, but please, if you can't keep me safe, keep Nicky and Greg safe," he said. "Neither of them asked for this and are still trying to adjust to life as a vampire. I didn't ask for this life specifically, but I've had enough time to come to terms with my new life. I just don't want them killed because they were humans and have been transformed."

"I'm not sure what you've been told about us, Dr. Grissom, about the two courts or my bonded, but none of us are in the habit of killing innocent children who have been forced to this life unless they start causing a security risk," Horatio said. "Secrecy is our biggest concern for our personal lives, but I'll be honest. Finding vampires who violate the rules put in place by my kings comes a close second for me. Forcing a human to undergo transformation is a form of rape and the children are the victims. You have asylum for now. My kings will have to formalize it in Europe, but for now, my word will keep you safe. I want to talk with each of you alone, but we won't be going far and never out of eye sight of the group, okay?"

"Thank you," Grissom said. "Anything we know, anything we can do to help you, we will. I'm not strong enough to go against my sire, especially not with my older sibling there with him, but I'm hoping that you are."

Horatio smiled. "I am," he said. "You heard the rumors about the vampires coming to America. You heard the names and know who we are, don't you?"

"I do," Grissom said.

"Then know that Brass is already on our watch list," Horatio said. "And his time is running out."

Chapter Text

Horatio sat down at the kitchen table. "Sit wherever you're most comfortable, Dr. Grissom," he said softly.

"Call me Gil, please," Grissom said, sitting down next to Horatio and facing the three other vampires. "What do you need to know?"

"Tell me how you came to this life," Horatio said. "You said you didn't ask for it specifically, but you've had time to adapt. We know that you were transformed prior to 1946, but only just. What happened?"

"I'm German by birth," Gil started. "I moved to England after the first World War and got a job in London helping others recover from the fighting. I was a trained medical doctor back then and, one night when I was walking home to my flat, I met Jim and Sophia. She was hurt and they'd been coming to the clinic where I was working. I was still trying to make amends for the violence of the war, of my home country, so I offered to treat her at my flat, which wasn't far off."

"Thus giving them both the ability to return," Horatio said. "We don't know why some homes keep us out without an invitation to enter and others don't. It's one of the mysteries the two courts are trying to solve."

Gil sighed. "I didn't realize it at the time, but yes. Jim kept coming back to see me, to talk about medicine and the recovery efforts and slowly started my transformation," he said. "It wasn't something I asked him for. I'd made the same comment so many humans has made before, that I would love to see what happens hundreds of years in the future. Would mankind eliminate war or kill themselves? He took that as permission to turn me into a vampire. It took years, he didn't finish until after the second war because I was gone so often helping out where I could. When I woke up and realized what had happened, I tried to leave him, but he told me about the kings of the two courts and what they do to vampires who aren't associated to them. He used you and your partner to scare me into staying with him and Sophia."

"Where were you raised?" Horatio asked. "The two courts keep strict records of children at the safe courts around Europe, and I don't recall seeing your name listed anywhere."

"He raised me in London," Gil replied. "I don't know when he told the kings about me, or even if he did, but he made me come with him when he moved to America. I started to study science and forensics, knowing that I would have to be able to make a living no matter if I stayed with him or risked going back to the courts to beg for asylum, but when Sophia transformed Nicky, I knew I wouldn't be able to leave."

"Are the two of you bonded?" Horatio asked softly.

"We want to, but Jim won't let us," Gil said. "He says that siblings aren't able to bond, and since my sister is Nick's sire, that makes him my nephew and close enough that we can't bond."

"You can," Horatio said. "You can and you'd be a good match for each other. He hasn't looked away from you the whole time you've been here, Gil. It's pretty obvious that he adores you."

"Why wouldn't they let us bond then?" Gil asked.

"My guess is that they want to control you for as long as they could," Horatio said. "Gil, life is very different in the two courts. You've been hurt so badly by your sire, and that's not right."

"What about Nicky and Greg?" Gil asked.

"You know what, I'll make sure you're all safe," Horatio replied. "Go tell Nick the news about being able to bond, okay? Let me make a couple of phone calls and then we'll talk again."

Gil sighed, tension leaving his body. "Thank you," he said.

"H?" Jesse asked.

"Keep them here and don't let anyone in until I'm back," Horatio said. "I'm just going outside to make a couple of calls."

"What's going on?"

"I think that Vlad and Constantine are going to get their wish, Jess," Horatio sighed. "I just have to talk with Tim first."

Chapter Text

Speed was in Horatio's office at the lab trying to track down more of a background on Megan than they had. He'd called Mac again and asked for any hints on problems in New York. He really liked both Mac and Danny, vampires of an off-shoot line from Constantine back in the middle ages. They were members of the two courts and in America by choice, wanting to work in New York, having spent previous lives there.

"Yeah, Speed," he said, not looking at the display before answering his phone.

"Hey, it's me," Horatio said. "Tim, I've got three vampires who were transformed against their will and are seeking asylum."

"I'm assuming you gave it to them," Speed said.

"I did," Horatio said. "There's a catch though, and I think that one of them might be forfeit should he return to Europe and the courts right now."

Speed sighed. "You've got Gil Grissom there, don't you?" he asked.

"I do, along with a child and an infant vampire," Horatio replied. "It seems that Brass has an older child that we didn't know about and she's not shy about transforming humans. Grissom grabbed them and ran when he realized who Jesse was."

"You want to accept rule for America so you can be sure that Grissom will be safe."

"Can you think of any other way to ensure it?" Horatio asked softly. "Tim, you know what the kings told us."

"Yeah, kill all adults and send them the kids of Vegas is guilty of transformations," Speed said. "Grissom wants asylum, are you sure that he hasn't been involved in any of these transformations?"

"I am," Horatio said.

Speed sighed again. "All right, I can think of worse places to spend the next thousand years of our lives," he said. "We are not building a court up north. It's cold."

Horatio laughed. "Here and, I think, California will work out for us, Tim," he said. "Thank you for trusting me like this."

"I'm getting too old to wander around all the time, might as well think about settling down," Speed said. "Fine, you call the two courts and inform them. I've been on the phone with Mac off and on all day. I'll let them know what's happening."

"You think they'll join us?"

"Even if they don't, we need to let them know that there's a royal bloodline being given rule here in the states," Speed pointed out. "There might well be a mass exodus when people find out who we really are, you know."

"I look forward to it," Horatio said. "Tim, I mean it, thank you. I love you."

"Yeah, I know, love you too. Now call back home. They need to know what's going on too."

"I will. See you tonight."

Horatio closed his phone and leaned against the wall for a minute. "Gil?" he asked.

"I couldn't help but overhear the last part of your conversation," Gil replied. "Jesse said it would be okay to come ask you a question, I didn't realize you were still on the phone. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, the conversation wasn't a secret," Horatio said. "The kings of the two courts have been talking about establishing a third bloodline and court here in America. Now, what did you need?"

"What's going to happen to Warrick?" Gil asked. "He's been given some of Jim's blood without him knowing it. I don't know how far along the transformation he is, but he's not fully human anymore."

"Did he ask for it?" Horatio said.

"Not that I know of," Gil said.

"I'll talk with him," Horatio replied. "It's possible that he doesn't know what's happening to him and, if we can get to him in time, the effects of the blood can be counteracted. I need to make one more quick call and I'll come back in and talk to you all again about your choices, okay?"

Gil nodded. "Thank you. I'm really sorry to have interrupted you."

"It's okay," Horatio said. "See you in a minute." He waited until he was sure he was alone before he opened his phone again and called a phone number that would connect him directly with Vlad. "It's me," he said. "We've decided to take you up on your most generous offer, if it's still on the table."

Chapter Text

"This is a sudden change of heard, Fia," Vlad said, reverting to Horatio's vampire name. "What has changed?"

"I have an adult from Vegas who was transformed against his will and threatened with Speed and myself to keep him with his sire," Horatio said. "I don't want to challenge your ruling on the Vegas group, but I also don't want one forfeit should he come back to Europe or England."

"An honorable reason to accept rule," Vlad said. "No more than we expected from you or, Timothy. We shall speak more on it when you come back to England for a visit, but I will speak with Constantine and see if we can't change our ruling on the Vegas adults. If there are those there who were transformed against their will, and live in fear of the two courts, then we do not want to harm them. Only those who violate our law deserve death."

Horatio sighed in relief. "Thank you, Vlad," he said. "I also have a vampire child and infant, both of whom were transformed against their will. I would keep them here with me, with your permission."

"You would have to establish safe houses for the infants your court will birth," Vlad said. "Keep them for now, they are used to each other and need the support. One of us will call with renewed instructions for you."

"I'll be waiting for the call, Vlad," Horatio said. "Thank you for not ordering their deaths."

"Many years ago, I would have," Vlad said. "When the wars raged and we could not be sure of those who weren't of our lines. Times change, Horatio. They make me feel my years."

"I know," Horatio said. "Tim and I feel them as well. Take care, Vlad."

He tucked his phone away and leaned against the wall with a sigh. Even if he did have to send the trio to Europe, at least until Greg was of age for a vampire, they would be safe. The two courts would accept his word on them. "Jess?"

"Becoming a king, H?"

"Apparently it's something the kings have been planning since Speed and I bonded, Jesse," Horatio said. "Come on, I want to talk with Nick and Greg and find out what their stories are. Then I need you to go back to Vegas and pull Warrick Brown out."

Jesse nodded. "Do you think we can get to him in time?" he asked, following his sire back into the apartment.

"If you leave tonight, I think so," Horatio replied. "Gil, I'm going to be honest with you now. My kings, when they learned of the possibility of transformations being done in Vegas sent my bonded and me here with orders to kill all vampires of age. We were operating on little information and I just got off the phone with my king, Vlad. He's rescinded the order and put in place one where only those guilty of transforming humans will die."

Nick and Greg both paled. Gil put a hand on each of their shoulders. "I've had nothing to do with transforming humans, Horatio," he said. "I hope you can believe me when I say that."

"I do, and my kings take my word on such matters," Horatio said. "For now, you'll stay here in Miami with me and my bonded, Tim. Jesse is going to go and get Warrick for you. Is there anyone else he needs to try and find?"

"No, just Warrick," Gil said. "Catherine's not in danger, Jim and Sophia don't like her, and there's no one else around that I've seen them watching. I think that Jim is planning to bond with Warrick."

"How does Warrick feel about that?" Horatio asked. "Jess, go ahead and get moving. Let's save a life if we can, okay?"

"You guys going to be okay?" Jesse asked gently.

"I'll take care of them," Gil replied. "I can see that the stories Jim told me about the legendary warriors of the two courts were greatly exaggerated."

Horatio smiled softly. "They might have been, but Tim and I are warriors and will fight when we have to," he said. "That will hold true if your sires try to come and find you. I would honestly feel better to have Nick and Greg start getting ready to go to one of the nursery courts in Europe. They're safe and well hidden. Gil, you would be able to be there as well, and you would all get a chance to learn about the two courts and the vampire world."

"Do Jim and Sophia know where they are?" Gil asked.

"I don't believe so," Horatio replied. "You would all be there as members of my bloodline, even if I'm not your sire. That alone would keep you safe."

Jesse paused on his way back through the living room. "They're good places," he said. "I was raised in one. I'm off, H. I'll report in when I get to Vegas."

"Be careful, Jess," Horatio said.

"Horatio, Jesse said you're his sire," Gil said. "He's not a transformed human, is he?"

"No, he's not," Horatio said. "He's a born vampire and he's also my only living child. It's one reason I worry about him so much. Now, Nick and Greg, if you're not too tired, I'd like to hear your stories as well."

Chapter Text

"Go ahead, Nicky," Gil said softly. "I know what you've been told, but I think we're going to have to ignore it all and focus on the evidence in front of us."

"Just, it's the thought of friends being killed for what they are, Gil," Nick said. "It shook me up."

"Nick, listen to me for a minute," Horatio said softly. "Constantine and Vlad put a ruling in place in 1946 stating that no humans could be transformed into vampires because they were concerned about exposure and the possibility of a population explosion. It's stated very clearly that the punishment for violating that ruling is death, to be carried out under the orders of the kings. As a member of the two courts, and no matter what Jim Brass told you, he was a member for a number of years and was well aware of the ruling."

Greg looked up. "Are all vampires members of the two courts?" he asked. "I mean, is it like one big family or something?"

"No, we're not," Horatio said. "I would estimate that around seventy percent of vampires on the planet are members of the two courts. If you're born from one of the royal bloodlines, then you're automatically a member, but we don't force you to stay if you don't want to. However, leaving the courts does not allow you to ignore the rulings. For vampires who aren't from the royal lines, or are just alone in the world, they can apply to join us and undergo a probationary period where they learn the rules and then become members. It's not required and, if a vampire isn't of the courts, we don't force them to follow the rulings, although it it highly encouraged to do so. Now, regardless of membership in the two courts, if a vampire starts calling attention to themselves, showing humans that there are vampires in the world, then they will be killed. None of us want to risk another Dracula problem."

"It seems like there's a lot of contradictions in there," Nick said. "I mean, you don't force people to be members of the court, but you'll kill them if they break the rules. How does that work?"

Horatio smiled. "We only kill them if they break the rule about showing humans there are vampires in the world," he said. "Unless there is a sudden population explosions, such as seems to be happening in Vegas, or we find out the transformations were against the person's will, such as happened to all three of you, the two courts will overlook a human transformation as long as the vampire has never been associated with the courts."

"They track this that closely?" Nick asked.

"We do," Horatio replied. "Nick, my bonded is a direct child from Constantine and has been alive for centuries. When he was born, his name was entered into a book that the courts keep on all children from the royal lines. The same with me, even if I'm a grandson of Vlad's rather than a child. It's how we know that Brass was at the court for a time, and also that he's weaker than myself or Jesse, even though we're from the same bloodline."

Greg groaned. "My head hurts," he said. "How do you keep all this straight?"

"You're an infant in vampire terms, Greg," Horatio said softly. "This shouldn't have happened to you, but in the old days when transformations were still legal, babies and children were hidden away in one of the remote courts to be raised to the age of majority, learning all the rules and histories of the courts. You've all been abused by your sires, and that's unforgivable. We don't have a safe court set up here in the states, yet, where we can hide you away, so you're going to have to just trust us to start teaching you as best we can until there's something set up."

"Why would anyone ask to be a vampire?" Nick asked. "I mean, no offense, but it seems like a crappy way to live."

"None taken," Horatio replied. "People who want to live like this are ones who feel strongly that they can do more good the longer they live. Those that want to see how people evolve and change and help guide them along. Speed, my bonded, and I have both lived so many different lives that it would take me days to tell you about everything we've seen and done. Unfortunately there's no way to reverse the transformation once it's complete, as it is for you. I'm hoping that we've managed to save Warrick and will be able to help him, but it depends on how far he's gone."

"I just don't see how you get used to it," Nick said.

"This is why we hide our children way while they grow," Horatio said. "So they can focus on learning and history without the added distractions of life, of what the old life was like, getting in the way. I am so sorry that all of you have suffered such an attack and, while I can't give your back your old lives, I hope you'll give me a chance to help you all see that you have rich, full lives waiting for you now."

Gil nodded. "We can give you a chance," he said. "You aren't sending us over to Europe, are you?"

"I might," Horatio said. "I'd send Jesse along with you so you would have someone there that you knew. It would be safer, and there's less chance that Brass would be able to find you there. The court I'm thinking of is where I raised Jesse. There are extensive libraries there along with teachers who would understand what happened to you."

"Do you think there's a chance that Brass might come looking for us?" Gil asked.

"There is. He went to such pains to keep you all with him, he has to have a plan of some sort that he needs you for," Horatio replied. "I also don't know if he truly fears Speed and me, or if he's just making up stories about us to try and keep you all under control."

"No one would hurt us if we went, right?" Nick asked.

"No one would hurt you," Horatio said. "I would make sure of that."

Nick looked at Gil. "I think I want to go, Gris," he said. "I mean, I still don't know about any of this, but I don't want to always be looking over my shoulder or worrying about Brass or Sophia finding us."

"Jesse will be back in the morning," Horatio said. "Come stay with Speed and me tonight and we'll keep you safe. The two of us together are not to be underestimated."

Gil looked at the two younger vampires and nodded. "All right, we'll come," he said. "I'd like to hear more about Europe though. The idea of really learning about who we are now, that's appealing. I never knew there were libraries that could tell me more about vampires and our history."

"You are who you were before you were transformed," Horatio said. "None of your personality changed when you did. Don't ever think like that, Gil. The only thing that changed is what sort of food you need and how long you'll live. Becoming a vampire doesn't make you a new person, it only enhances what you already have."

Chapter Text

"So, we have company," Speed said when he walked into the kitchen that night.

"We do," Horatio replied. "Gil, Nick, Greg, this is my bonded, Tim Speedle. Speed, it seems that Gil is a scholar."

"Where are you thinking about sending them?" Speed asked.

Horatio sighed. "I'd wanted to keep them here with us, but Nick is a child and Greg is an infant," he said. "Gil's an adult by age only. Brass didn't really teach him any history or lore. I'm leaning towards Italy. What do you think?"

"Yeah, Italy would be good. Constantine has a higher influence in that court, which means that Gil would feel more at home," Speed said. He noticed the puzzled looks on the younger vampires' faces. "My sire, Constantine, is a scholar and believes in research and fact most of the time guys. However, as he lived through the ages, he took on the idea that philosophy is a topic that can't be discussed in anything under a month. It's a good court and you'd be safe there."

"Safety is the key right now," Horatio said. "Tim, I think we're both going to need to be on guard until we can get them out of the country."

"Easy enough," Speed said. "I'll go get the weapons out of the safe and set the alarm and then we need to talk about what I found out today."

"Are we going to be in the way?" Gil asked.

"No, you're not," Horatio replied. "I'm in charge of the Crime lab, as you know, and we've been having issues with a new hire. Speed has been researching to make sure she is who she says she is. It wouldn't be the first time a vampire not associated with the two courts made an attempt on us."

"Is it true that you both have a mix of the royal bloodlines in you?" Gil asked.

"It is," Horatio smiled. "There are those who believe it makes us the two most powerful vampires in the world. Tim and I don't think so, we've both known vampires with far more power than we have, but we also have our reputations to help us out."

Greg shuddered. "From what little I've heard, your reputations are enough," he said. "Are you really the ones who go in and take out smaller clans for vampires for the kings?"

"We have, in the past," Horatio said. "Although the last one we eliminated was during the Second World War and was a nest of vampire Nazis. Not something we wanted to let loose on the world. We do try and keep the killing to a minimum."

"We fight smarter," Speed commented coming back into the room. He handed Horatio a sword still in a sheath and sat down at the breakfast bar. "You guys mind if we talk shop for a bit?"

"Not if it's not going to be a problem," Gil said.

"Nah, it's nothing sensitive," Speed said. "H, I finally found the breakthrough up in New York with Megan. Turns out that she was only half telling the truth about her husband and the accident."

Horatio sat down next to Speed with a frown. "Half truth?" he asked.

"Mac went back and took a look at the reports for me," Speed replied. "The guy's boots were tampered with so that he'd fall when he was at a fire. It wasn't fire damage, although it could have passed off as it easily enough, and it was just bad luck that he happened to be next to a window when he fell."

"Did Megan do the tampering?" Horatio asked.

"Mac said there wasn't any way to tell for sure, no usable prints because of all the soot and heat and everything, but if it wasn't Megan than he wants to know about it so he can start looking at the crew to see if there's a killer hiding there," Speed said. "So, given that Megan is scared to death of me, I thought it'd be better to have someone else ask her about this."

"How about Calleigh?" Horatio said. "Woman to woman.

Speed nodded. "That'll work," he agreed. "I'll talk with Cal tomorrow and fill her in. I know she's not fond of Megan, but she'll do it for us."

"So accident becomes murder," Horatio said. "I agree with Mac, this needs to be investigated. You'll take care of it, Tim?"

"Yeah," Speed said.

Chapter Text

Speed liked the ballistics lab. It was dark and, when Calleigh wasn't test firing, quiet. "Hey, got a minute?" he asked.

"Hey Speed," Calleigh grinned. "Sure, what's up?"

"H and I were wondering if you could talk to Megan about something for us," Speed said, leaning on the counter. "Turns out that her husband's boots were tampered with the day he fell out the window at a fire and we're wondering if she might have had something to do with it, or if there's a killer still running around loose up in New York."

"Wow, that's a tough one to bring up in casual conversation," Calleigh said. "Is this why she's so touchy around you boys?"

"We don't know," Speed said. "I talked to some friends up there in the crime lab and they said that Megan didn't like working with the lead CSI there, Mac Taylor. Something folks down here don't know, but Mac and I look a lot alike."

"And Megan won't work with you," Calleigh finished. "Sounds to me like she's got a type of man she fears. Wonder if maybe she's been abused in the past? Were you able to find any pictures of her late husband?"

"Nope, not a thing, and Mac never actually saw the man when he was alive. So whoever or whatever Megan is running from, it's a mystery," Speed said.

Calleigh smiled. "Well, maybe I'll ask her out to lunch and see if she wants to talk about anything," she said. "It can't hurt."

"Thanks, Cal."
***

Calleigh managed to convince Megan to go out for a late lunch at a restaurant down on the beach where they would be able to talk without worrying about anyone overhearing their conversation. Calleigh couldn't help but notice that Megan's eyes darted around constantly and she kept one hand in her pocket the whole time. "So, Megan, you seem a little nervous," Calleigh said, once they were tucked away in a booth. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Megan said. "Just fine."

"I just couldn't help but notice that you kept your hand in your pocket the whole time we were walking through the parking lot," Calleigh said. "Like you were holding onto a weapon or something and wanted to make sure you aren't in trouble."

"No, it's a cross," Megan said, pulling out a gold cross. "It was my grandmothers and I had it blessed before I moved down here. I just, I can't Calleigh. You'll think I'm crazy."

"Megan, if you're worried about something, I promise that I won't think you're crazy," Calleigh said. "We've been working cases together since you came to the lab and I'd like to think we're friends. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but I'll listen without judgement if you do."

The other woman took a deep breath. "How would you react if you found out you'd married a monster?" Megan asked.

"I don't know," Calleigh said, blinking a couple of times. "I mean, it's not something you consider when you're dating. I'd like to say that I'd arrest him and bring him down to the department, but I don't know. Love can make people do odd things, can't it?"

"Yeah, it can, but I don't mean like criminal sort of monster," Megan said. "I mean like mythological creature."

"You mean like a vampire or a werewolf?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah, exactly. A vampire," Megan replied.

"Well, I think I'd run right to the church and get blessed along with a cross or something," Calleigh said. "I mean, I've read Dracula and some other books, but I don't know what else could be done."

"Just killing them," Megan said. "Then running before any more of the monsters can track you down."

Calleigh reached over and took Megan's hand. "You're safe here," she said. "Those monsters hate sunlight, right? Where is it sunnier than in Miami?"

"You're not just humoring me, are you, Calleigh?"

"Of course not," Calleigh said. "I know real fear when I see it, Megan. Let's have lunch and then we'll go talk with Horatio. No, listen to me, he will believe you, Megan. He'll believe you and he'll help you stay safe."

"He will?"

"He will. Horatio Caine is the one man who will help the innocent no matter what the cost to himself," Calleigh said. "You just have to trust him."

"I think I'd forgotten what it was to trust," Megan said.

"Let me help you remember how," Calleigh said. "There's strength in you, Megan. I can see it. Use that strength to ask for help."

Megan nodded. "Yeah, okay. I can do that."

Chapter Text

Horatio was in his office at the lab working on reports for the monthly inventory and audits when Calleigh tapped on his door. "Got a minute?" she asked.

"Always," he replied with a smile. "What can I do for you, Calleigh?"

Calleigh walked into the office, followed by Megan, and shut the door behind them. "Horatio, Megan needs help and protection," she said. "It's just that what she has to say is going to sound a little weird."

"What's wrong?" Horatio asked, leaning forward. "Megan, who's trying to hurt you?"

"Monsters," Megan replied softly. "Calleigh said you can help me, but I don't know how to tell anyone about this and not sound crazy. It still seems like a nightmare to me and I lived through it."

Horatio nodded. "I'll listen to whatever you have to tell me without judgement," he said. "Calleigh's right that I can help, but I need to know what sort of help you need, Megan. Start at the beginning."

"I'm not even sure when it began," Megan said. She took a deep breath and looked up. "I met my husband at a crime scene. House fire with a suspect origin and they wanted us to make sure it wasn't arson. He was working overhaul and noticed me when I came up. Showed up at the lab that night and asked me if I wanted to go to dinner. He seemed like a nice enough guy, so I agreed and we started dating. Got married a year and a half later, and that's when I started to notice things."

"What sort of things?" Horatio asked.

"He never ate," Megan replied. "He had always eaten when we were dating, but once we were married, he was never hungry. He'd always had something at the firehouse or grabbed something on the way home. He switched to night shift and seemed to avoid going out in the sun. His juice, he said it was tomato, but it wasn't. It was blood."

It was all Horatio could do not to sigh. A very young vampire who thought they needed to be what people saw in the movies. It really didn't sound like he was a great loss to the world, but now he had a very traumatized woman who believed that vampires were real. He needed to call England and find out what they wanted to do with her. "He thought he was a vampire?" he asked.

"He didn't think he was a vampire, he was a vampire," Megan said. "I started to feel tired and run down all the time and the doctors told me it was low iron. It wasn't, it was my husband drinking my blood."

Maybe Horatio would be able to play it off as a medical problem. "Megan, you're correct that vampires exist," he said. "No, not like you're thinking. Not like Dracula or any of the movie vampires. There's a medical condition that causes health problems and the person suffering from them starts to believe they are a vampire. It's a debated condition, but one I believe is still being studied to see if it's possible that it could explain why some people drink blood."

"Porphyria," Megan said. "I did some internet research when I was trying to work out what was going on. He didn't have any of the symptoms though. I also looked into the vampire subculture to see if maybe he'd fallen into a group there and was starting to believe he was a vampire through some sort of ritual. None of it fit. Then he stopped going to church with me. What else was I supposed to believe?"

"I can see how you came to your conclusions," Horatio said. "What did his coworkers think?"

"They never noticed anything," Megan said. "I didn't dare mention my fears to any of them, but I asked if he was skipping meals, making it sound like I was worried about his health. They said he was fine."

Calleigh leaned forward. "Show Horatio what's in your pocket," she said softly.

"I started wearing this," Megan said, pulling out the cross. "He wouldn't come near me as long as I had it on. After he died, I had it blessed and haven't put it down since. There are other vampires out there and I know they'll want revenge for my husband's death."

"May I?" Horatio asked, holding out a hand. He took the cross and looked at it closely. "This is wonderful craftsmanship. Has it been in your family for a while?"

"My grandmother's," Megan said.

"Truly beautiful," Horatio smiled handing it back. "Megan, I don't think you have to worry about vampires here in Miami. Even with the nightlife we have, it's too sunny and bright for them to come here. Keep your cross close to you, but I think you'll be fine."

"I won't be. They'll find me."

"I'll make some calls and see what I can find out for you," Horatio said. "Stay on guard, okay?"

Megan nodded. "I will. Thank you for believing me," she said.

"Of course," Horatio smiled. "Calleigh, stay with her for the rest of the day?"

"Sure," Calleigh said. "Come on, Megan, let's go finish up our case and then I'll drive you home. Even vampires have to be scared of guns, and I always carry a big one."

"Thank you, Calleigh," Horatio said. He waited until they were gone and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Speed?"

Speed came into the office and shut the door behind him. "Okay, wasn't expecting that," he said.

"Neither was I," Horatio said. "So now, I need you to get in touch with Mac and let him know what happened while I call England. I think that we need to take action, I'm just not sure what course that action should take."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Speed said. "That was a nice touch, taking the cross like you did."

Horatio grinned. "It was, wasn't it?" he asked. "Go call Mac. I'll take care of things in here."

"All right, I'll let you know what they say."

"Thank you, Speed."

Chapter Text

Before he called England, Horatio took a moment to call north and talk with Mac. "So, Mac, first of all thank you for helping Speed so much these past few days," he said. "It turns out that you don't have to worry about a killer in your city."

"Megan did it?" Mac asked.

"She did, but there's a complication," Horatio replied. "Her husband was a vampire."

"You're kidding," Mac said. "Who and how old?"

"No idea," Horatio said. "I would be very surprised to find out if he was more than ten years old, however, based on the behaviors that Megan told me about. I really got the impression that her husband was someone who believed in the image of the movies and was either following them as a role model, or he was a very sick man who needed help."

Mac sighed. "You need us to try and work out which it was, don't you?" he asked.

"If you could, that would be a help," Horatio said. "Speed and I have a lot going on down here, and might be taking out our first nest in sixty years."

"Vegas?"

"You've heard the rumors too?"

"Speed's been filling me in as much as he could," Mac said. "Nothing that would hurt your plans, but enough information that I know to be alert for anyone running from you guys. I don't know why people are always so scared of you. I've seen you fight and I still know that you wouldn't kill someone unless they earned your ire."

Horatio smiled. "Not everyone can see as well as you do, Mac," he said. "Thank you for your help with this. I've got to call England and see if I can catch Vlad before he heads down to one of the other courts for the rest of the year. I'll be in touch."

"Or Speed will," Mac said. "I know how busy you guys are. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help out."

"I will. Thank you, Mac."

"Anytime."

Horatio hung up his phone and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He really didn't want to hurt Megan, and it was possible that her talking about vampires could be written off as the rantings of a woman driven crazy. There was always that small chance that someone would hear her and believe her. It had happened before, back in the mid-1700s. Horatio had been away from the court at the time, working on gathering information for Vlad from an area in western Russia that was showing an unusual increase in vampire activity, but he'd heard about it when he returned. A woman in a town near the court had been courted by a local vampire and not know the truth until after their wedding. When she told the priest of her fears, he dismissed it as hysteria, but one of the alter boys overheard the conversation and offered to take action. The resulting massacre of the town brought Vlad down on the local court, and several vampires were killed for revealing themselves to the humans.

The lesson taken away from the events was that it was always possible that humans who knew the truth could talk, and no one knew who all would be listening.

"H?"

"Jesse. Welcome home. Are you okay?" Horatio asked, standing up.

"Yeah, we're fine," Jesse replied. He led Warrick into the office by the hand and sighed. "He was like this when I got to Vegas, Horatio. I don't know what's wrong, but I grabbed him and ran."

"He's in a blood-induced trance," Horatio said. "I can bring him out of it because I'm stronger than Brass and Sophia combined, but it's lucky I am. Otherwise he'd be like this until his transformation was complete. At least we know, now, how they're giving him blood without his knowledge."

"What do you need me to do?" Jesse asked.

"Head to the store and grab some things for me," Horatio replied. "I'll make you a list. Then take Warrick to my place. The others are there and, while this will scare them, he'll need to go to Italy with you all to heal."

"Home sweet home, huh?"

Horatio nodded. "It's the safest place for all of you," he said. "Although I might need you again, Jess. There's a problem with New York that just came to my attention."

"The dangers of rule, Horatio," Jesse grinned. "Let me get the list and I'll stay at your place until you get home tonight."

"Sounds like a plan, Jesse," Horatio said. "I'm really glad to have you home again. I knew you would be fine, but I couldn't help but worry about you."

"I know," Jesse said softly. "See you at home."

"I'll fill Speed in," Horatio said. "He might be home before me, but he won't be able to help with this. The bloodline is wrong."

"Okay, see you guys later then."

Chapter Text

Mac hung up and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. It wasn't that common for Horatio to ask him for a favor beyond basic help, so he knew that the older vampire had to be having problems. Still, it wouldn't be that hard for Mac to work out the information that Horatio and Speed needed, and was certainly easier than having the pair come up to New York.

"You okay?" Danny asked, leaning in the door.

"I was just going to come find you," Mac replied. "Come on in and shut the door. I just got off the phone with Horatio and Speed and they need our help."

"Sure, what's going on?"

"Remember Megan Donner and her husband?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, Sam, right?"

"I think so," Mac said. "We'd need to look it up to be sure. Anyway, Horatio just talked with Megan and it turns out that her husband was either one of us or thought he was, and she killed him because of it."

Danny groaned. "I hate things like this."

"I know, I do too," Mac said. "So, I think the first thing we need to do is take a look and find as much information on the husband as we can. Then we need to see if he's still in his grave or not."

"Right, because he would have been able to heal from both the fire damage and fall, but it would have taken time," Danny said. "It hasn't been that many years, Mac. It's possible he's still in there getting himself put back together."

"We'll make a trip out to the graveyard tonight," Mac said. "Go pull the case files for me. I'm going to start digging for information on both the husband and Megan and see what I can find. From the sounds of things, Horatio has his hands full between trying to run the crime lab and the problems out in Vegas."

"Are we gonna join their court as well?" Danny asked.

"I'd like to," Mac replied. "I just want to make sure that we can be members of the two courts and members of the new court here."

"I can't imagine we can't," Danny said. "Horatio and Speed are too loyal to the kings to even try and do anything to upset the balance like that."

Mac nodded. "I agree, but it's possible Vlad and Constantine have plans that they haven't told anyone about," he said. "Go get those files for me, Danny. We'll need to wait until full dark to head out and check the grave."

"Okay, see you in a bit then," Danny grinned.
***

Mac was born a vampire in the mid-1300s in a court in Egypt. His sire was a mix of blood from Constantine and a local Egyptian woman. When Mac was of age, he traveled the courts, learning as much as he could about both the human and vampire worlds. He met Danny not long after the Spanish Inquisition completed one of their sweeps through Spain. Danny had come to the courts to hide after his sire was caught and killed by the local church. They traveled together for a time and finally bonded, both pledging to the two courts because they could, ultimately, trace their line back to Constantine.

The pair loved to travel and had been around the world several times in their long lives, always bringing back new information for the two courts and their members. Mac met Horatio at the court in Italy when the older vampire was raising Jesse there, and the pair formed an easy friendship. Mac had heard the rumors of Horatio's powers, amplified after he bonded with Speed of course, and always held Horatio in slight awe.

When word came down that Horatio and Speed were being sent to America, both Mac and Danny realized there were problems in the new world and that they might be called on to help. They just hadn't counted on it happening quite so quickly.
***

"Okay, so I know I'm technically dead and all that, but should graveyards give me the creeps?" Danny asked as he and Mac walked towards the area where their research said Sam Donner was buried.

"You watched your sire die in one, Danny," Mac replied. "I think I'd be surprised if they didn't. Just because we don't have to worry about ending up on one doesn't take that unease away."

"Yeah, you're right," Danny said. "Okay, I think this is the row we need. How many down was it?"

"Ten."

"Hope they don't mind me walking on 'em," Danny said, starting down the row. "I can't see the names from six feet back."

Mac grinned. "I think it'll be fine, Danny," he said. "We're here trying to solve a murder. They'll understand."

"Hope so," Danny said. "Yep, here it is. Samuel G. Donner. Born May 5, 1968 and died, huh, look at this, Mac. He died exactly one day before his birthday."

"Then it's a miscarving," Mac said. "The reports say that he wasn't dead when he got to the hospital and died on the table. Official time of death was 12:34 in the morning."

"What do you think, is he down there?" Danny asked.

Mac knelt and pressed his hand to the ground. He thought it was because of his Egyptian blood, but he had an affinity for the dead and could tell when there was a body around. He'd learned to be careful whenever he was called to a crime scene. "No, there's no body in this grave," he finally said.

"So where's Sam Donner?" Danny asked.

"And is Megan Donner really scared of vampires, or is she helping them?" Mac asked. "Come on, we need to call Horatio and fill him in."

Chapter Text

When Horatio got home, he found Jesse sitting with the group from Vegas in the living room, and no sign of Speed. "Jess, where's Warrick?" he asked.

"In the guest room with Tim," Jesse replied. "He said he knew what you were going to be doing, so he's setting things up for you. I got in touch with the court in England and they've got a plane on the way for us. It'll be here by the time you're done."

"Well done, Jesse, thank you," Horatio said. "Gentlemen, I know it had to have been hard to see a friend of yours like that. How are you holding up?"

"I think we're okay," Gil said. "What happened to Warrick?"

"He's in a trance brought on because he's had blood from Brass," Horatio replied. He sat down in is chair and leaned forward. "They would have had to sneak him the first drops of blood, as they would have for all of you, but once they had enough of Brass' blood in Warrick, then they were able to put him in a trance state where he would do whatever they told him to. Jesse just happened to get to him when he was in that state and doesn't know how to pull him back."

"So Sophia did the same thing to me and Greg?" Nick asked. "How do we not remember that?"

"It's part of being in the trance," Horatio replied. "You don't remember anything you say or do when you're under. It's a technique that's not taught anymore because of the ban on transformations, but part of it is instinct and we still do have the problem today. Because I'm ranked higher in the bloodline than Brass is, I'll be able to bring Warrick back to himself. We did get to him in time to stop his transformation, but he has a lot of healing to do. He'll be going with you to the court in Italy and the doctors there will look after him."

Gil looked over. "Why won't they kill him?" he asked. "I mean, he's still a human and he knows the truth about vampires. Don't you guys kill people like that?"

"At times, yes," Horatio said. "With Warrick, he has at least fifteen years of healing ahead of him, so he won't be able to leave the court before that. It's possible that he won't ever want to leave, given that he'll be able to help with research in a variety of fields. It'll be up to him. Unfortunately, vampire blood is toxic to humans who get so far and are not transformed. It won't kill him, but it could easily shorten his life. Before you ask, no, we won't transform him."

"How many years?" Nick asked.

"It varies from person to person," Horatio replied. "I wouldn't expect him to live much past seventy at this point. I'll go take care of him now. Are you all ready to travel?"

"We are," Gil said. "I'm worried about Brass or Sophia finding us."

Horatio smiled. "If they come into my city to try and reclaim you, it will be the last thing they ever do, Gil. On that, you have my word." He nodded to everyone and stood, heading down the hall to the guest room. "Tim."

"Figured you were going to reverse the trance," Speed said. "You're all set up and ready to go. What do you need from me?"

"Stay on guard with Jesse, please," Horatio said. "I don't think that Brass is stupid enough to try and come into Miami to reclaim Warrick, but it is possible. Jesse says there is a plane on the way, so we'll have to get them to the airport when I'm finished."

"Ready when you are," Speed said. "No one is getting into our house, H. I'll make sure of that."

Horatio kissed his lover softly. "I know you will, Tim," he whispered. "Once they're away, we have problems in New York and Vegas to deal with. Which city should we do first?"

"We know the threat in Vegas," Speed said. "I think we should take care of them and then start worrying about New York. We've got friends up there who can keep an eye on things, we've got nothing in Vegas."

"A very good point," Horatio said. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Good luck."

Chapter Text

"Anything?" Jesse asked later that night.

Speed was sitting where he could see out the front window but not be seen by anyone outside. "Nope, not even a stray dog running around. It's never this quiet here, Jesse," he said.

"It would make a few things easier if Brass and Sophia died out here," Jesse pointed out. "Yeah, there were other vampires in the group out in Vegas, but none of them struck me as being smart enough to lead, and they definitely weren't smart enough to survive on their own for long."

"So we either have a bunch of idiots running around randomly feeding on humans or they're going to go to the next powerful vampire they can find," Speed said. "I don't know if I like either of those options. You keep flinching, you okay?"

"I can feel what Horatio's doing," Jesse said. "It doesn't hurt, but it kinda surprises me whenever it hits me."

"Must be a bloodline thing then," Speed sighed. "I don't know, Jess. I know it's possible that we could be attacked here at any time, but would Brass really be stupid enough to attack on our ground? Even if he figures that Horatio is going to be busy with Warrick, there's still me to deal with and I know for a fact that most vampires in the world are scared of me."

Jesse grinned. "I've never understood that one," he said. "I mean, yeah, you fight and you're well trained, Speed, but you hate violence and prefer to talk people down rather than kill them whenever you can." Jesse paused for a minute. "Actually, maybe that's why they're scared of you. You'll sarcasm them to death."

"Brat," Speed snorted. "Hey, toss me my phone, will you?"

"Here," Jesse flipped the cell phone to Speed and went back into the kitchen. He was standing guard on the rear of the house.

"Speed."

"It's Mac. Tim, we've got a problem. Sam Donner is not in his grave," Mac said.

Speed swore. "Okay, so either he was never in his coffin in the first place or he was more powerful than we thought," he said. "Because it takes a lot of energy to go into smoke form and not all vampires can do it. Hell, I haven't met one in centuries that could."

"I'm looking into a few things, but it does look like the funeral was closed coffin," Mac said. "So I think it's really very likely that he was never in there and someone helped him set up an escape. I'm curious if it was Megan or if it was someone else."

"Given how scared she is of everything, including shadows, I think she knows he's still around and is expecting him to come after her," Speed said. "Any clue what the dude looks like?"

"Yeah, I finally found some pictures of him," Mac said. "Just like you were expecting, Tim. He looks a lot like we do."

"About what I was thinking, yeah," Speed sighed. "So six foot with dark hair. We don't know what color eyes he had though because yours are light and mine are dark and she's scared of both of us."

"That means the eyes don't matter to her," Mac said. "If I had to guess though I would say dark just because of how genetics usually works out."

"Makes sense," Speed agreed. "So you and Danny are trying to work out what could have happened to him, possible helpers, and where he could be now?"

"Along with if he really is a vampire or not," Mac said. "From what Horatio told me, just before you called, he was either a baby or insane."

"Or an insane baby," Speed said. "Don't rule that one out and be careful doing this. It's possible that he's going to work out you're tracking him and come after you and Danny."

Mac sighed. "I've called the two courts and requested a search on his name. I'm trying to work out his bloodline."

"That's a good idea. I mean, you and Danny are both older vampires and powerful," Speed said. "It's still possible that this Sam dude is older and we just don't know it. Bloodline would help out a lot. Oh, hell."

"What?"

"We've got company," Speed said. "Mac, I'll call back when we take care of this upstart from Vegas."

"You two be careful," Mac said and hung up.

Speed dropped his phone and picked up his sword. "Jesse, get the kids into the room with Warrick and let H know I need him now," he called. Fighting a battle against two stupid vampires from a weak nest was really not how he wanted to spend the evening.

Chapter Text

Horatio stopped Jesse just inside the door. "Warrick's to the point he's going to sleep for a few hours. Stay here and do not let them out for any reason."

"We'll be safe, H," Jesse said. "Get this threat taken care of."

"We will," Horatio said. He picked up his sword and went out to join Speed. "How many are we looking at, Tim?"

"Three. Brass, Sophia and some unknown male," Speed said. "They're just standing out there staring at the house."

"No invitation to come in," Horatio said with a smile. "There's probably more out there, so we should be ready for attacks from the back. Ready to do this, Tim?"

"Yeah, let's get this over with," Speed said. He opened the door and stepped out with Horatio behind him. "Brass, you haven't been taking care of yourself." He grinned at the small start the other vampire gave. "Yeah, I remember you from court," Speed continued. "I'm surprised you're here, honestly, given that you were never brave enough to step up at court."

Brass shifted his weight a little. "You have something of mine and I want it back."

"You mean the human you're transforming against his will?" Speed asked. "Yeah, so not going to happen. You've already violated the rules, probably more times than I can count, and you want us to just hand over an innocent human. Exactly how stupid are you guys anyway?"

Horatio didn't look behind him, stabbing the vampire that was trying to sneak up on them squarely through the heart with his sword. "They decided to challenge us," he said. "I would say extremely stupid."

"Yeah, it's not exactly healthy to ignore our reputation," Speed said, drawing his own sword. "There's a reason we're regarded so highly in the two courts, you know, and it's not because of our mingled bloodline. We can take out every vampire you have with you before you make it four steps towards us. Do they know they're here to die, Brass?"

"They're here to help me get what's mine back," Brass said. "It's not just Warrick. You have three of my people here and I want them back too."

"You mean the three vampires you transformed without their permission?" Speed asked. "The ones that you have lied to for their whole lives to keep them with you rather than letting them grow and explore the vampire world? Those three? Well, okay, one of them is an infant so he wouldn't be able to travel too much right now, but the fact stands. You are in direct violation of the law of the two courts. You are stunting the growth of the vampires with you and, honestly, you transformed an insane woman. That alone is reason enough to kill you."

"Sophia isn't insane," Brass said. "She's just a little different."

Speed snorted. "A little different. I've done some research on her, y'know, now that we know about her and everything and found that you saved her from being burned as a witch back in Poland," he said. "The only problem is that the pair of you killed every person in the village before you left, including the children. Oh, and all the animals too. I'd say that the people in that village had a pretty good read on her and you probably should have paid attention to them. You're one of those who think that humans are beneath our notice, aren't you? Think they're only here for food and sport."

"It's true," Sophia said. "They are only good for food and sport."

"Shall we?" Horatio asked, raising his sword."

"Yeah, I'm getting tired of hearing the justifications for the laws they're breaking," Speed replied. He lifted his own sword and looked directly at Brass. "Somehow I don't think any of them are going to be a huge loss for this planet."

Both Brass and Sophia tensed, ready to dodge the swords and fight back. Neither of them was expecting the bullets that killed them. Horatio took out the unknown male along with two others who were trying to attack and sighed. "They always get so focused on the swords, don't they?" he asked.

"Makes our jobs easier," Speed replied. "Come on, we might as well get this mess cleaned up and everyone to the plane. I heard from New York and you're really not going to like what they have to say."

Chapter Text

"They're away and Jesse will take care of them," Horatio said, watching the private plane vanish into the night sky. "You notified the healers at the court that there was a human coming in who was partially transformed and suffering from blood toxicity?"

"Yeah, they swore a lot," Speed said. "I'm sure that Jesse will be in touch before anything official comes through."

"I can't think of anyone better to be watching them," Horatio said. "Unless we were there personally, and then I think young Nick might die of fear. I'd really like to know exactly what lies Brass was spreading out us, Tim. We're not monsters in the closet to be used to scare young vampires into behaving. Nick and Greg wouldn't even look at me or make eye contact. I wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but that stings."

Speed sighed. "I know it does, H," he said. "I'm sure that between Jesse and the members of the court they'll realize that you're not a monster and they could do worse than have you as a friend. So, now we have to worry about New York."

"I don't like that the grave is empty," Horatio said. He started the Hummer and pulled out, heading for the gate. "I trust Mac's sense, I've never seen him wrong about whether or not there was a body around, but I almost want to have the grave double-checked as subtly as we can. Mac is right that it's entirely possible Megan is working with the vampires and this is all some sort of elaborate plot."

"To what end though?" Speed asked. "We're here, we're legends and face it, vampires are scared of us. That's not bragging, that's plain fact and nothing we saw or do is going to change our reputation in ninety-nine percent of the world. Hell, us becoming kings here in the states is just going to make it worse, not better. We are what we are and we're good at what we do."

"Yes we are," Horatio agreed. "I think, Tim, that one of us should go up to New York and see what we can find out about this Sam Donner and any connections he might have had. I trust Mac and Danny to do a thorough investigation, but they also have to work. If one of us is there, we can dig around and not have to worry about our job as well."

"You want to go, don't you?" Speed asked. "Do you really think that the lab can run without you right now?"

"No, I don't, which is why you're going to have to go," Horatio replied. "I'll see if I can get some more information on Megan from down here. I would like to know more than you found on her."

"That's not going to be easy. It's not like the courts keep track of humans," Speed pointed out. "Humans gossip, but I draw the line at going to visit her old neighbors and sitting through interviews with them. People never want to talk to me."

Horatio smiled fondly. "It's your snark, Tim," he said. "No, if it comes to that, I'll fly up and talk with the neighbors. Or see if I can have Danny do it. People seem to trust him easily."

"I swear it's because he can look so innocent," Speed grumbled. "I'm never going to forget him leaving me in the middle of that bar in London."

"You were able to fight your way out," Horatio said.

"Yeah, and almost killed three humans in the process. Danny could have stayed and helped rather than turning innocent and running out before the fight started," Speed said. "I know his history, I know why he hates violence and fights, but having him there would have diffused the situation a lot better than me beating fifteen humans unconscious."

"Sixteen, you hit the bartender too," Horatio pointed out.

"You're really not helping," Speed said.

"I'm not trying to help," Horatio smiled. "Back to the point, Speed. We need to find out where Sam Donner is before he finds Megan, or before whatever plot they're working on comes to fruition."

"Fine, I'll leave in the morning," Speed sighed. "How are you going to explain it away this time?"

"Evidence gathering for an ongoing case that has linked to New York," Horatio said. "Mac will back me up."

Speed looked over. "Make sure you actually call and ask him rather than leaving him floundering around wondering what the hell is going on," he said. "Don't think I haven't forgotten our investigation down in Egypt."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tim," Horatio said.

"I don't buy that for a second," Speed replied.

Chapter Text

"Hey Speed," Danny said when the older vampire came through security, "welcome back to New York."

"Danny," Speed said. "Please tell me Horatio called and talked to Mac about this."

"Early this morning 'fore we were at the lab," Danny grinned. "Said something 'bout you hurting him if he didn't."

Speed snorted. "If we're going to play this off as an official investigation to justify me up here for a week or so, then Mac needs to know that I'm up here working," he said. "What else were you guys able to find?"

"Not a lot," Danny said. "Come on, I'm parked down this way. One of the researchers for the courts got back to me just as your plane was landing and said they have no record of a Sam Donner on any of their books. That don't mean he's not from one of the two royal lines, but it means he ain't been reported to the courts. We've got a computer at the lab you can use, no one will question you being there."

"Sounds good to me," Speed said. "I'll call the chief archivist for the two courts and make sure that we haven't missed something, but they're good about keeping track of names. I can't imagine we'd miss someone unless their sire was intentionally keeping him from us. Even then, that's a good trick given how sensitive we are to our bloodlines."

"We also thought a name change was possible," Danny said. He pulled out into the almost stalled traffic and sighed. "Without talking to the guy, there's no way to know if Sam Donner is his real name or not."

"What did your records check turn up?" Speed asked.

"Donner was born in Queens, dates all match up, but him being operated on don't," Danny replied. "Death certificate says he died on the table of his injuries. Vampire, even a baby could survive a three floor fall with only minor injuries. Even if he was pretending to be human, why didn't he keep the doctors from cutting on him?"

"Maybe he thought he'd be able to heal the surgery faster than the wounds he sustained from the fall," Speed said. "If he was an infant, he shouldn't have been out loose anyway. They take damage easier than we would, so him getting hurt by the fall makes me think he was, or is, an infant and, for some reason, he's on his own."

Danny risked a quick glance over. "You think his sire abandoned him?"

"I think his sire either abandoned him or died without warning," Speed said. "I mean, it's possible to raise your children away from one of the remote courts, but it's not easy and there's always more risk to you both. I don't remember, do you or Mac have children?"

"No, we never found anyone we wanted to transform and neither of us find women attractive," Danny said. "I know that you and Horatio both have kids though."

"One each, right now," Speed said. "All the others have died. The point I'm trying to make here is that I've always had the courts to go to with my children. Horatio didn't have that choice with one of his because of where he was at the time."

"What happened?"

"He was on a ship sailing to America from Spain," Speed said. "One of the cabin boys was hurt badly during a storm and Horatio transformed him slowly, ending when they were safely on land so none of the sailors would know what happened. It also meant that he was stuck here with no one from the courts to help him."

"Did the child survive?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, he lived for about two hundred years, died in France during one of the uprisings there," Speed replied. "A stray bullet caught him in the head, killed him instantly. No chance to heal anything up. Horatio's told me what it was like to try and keep the child fed while teaching him how to feed and about history and law for the two courts. He said that there were days when he thought they were both going to die from either the strain or he would slip up and someone would catch them."

"And Horatio's almost as old as Vlad, isn't he?"

"About fifty years younger, yeah. Horatio's sire is Vlad's first child," Speed said. "Think about how, if a vampire as powerful as Horatio Caine, one of the most feared vampires in our world, was having trouble raising an infant away from a remote court..."

"Then Sam Donner's sire could have failed and left the infant on his own," Danny finished. "How are we going to find him, Speed?"

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Speed replied. "If nothing else, we'll try and track him down via the bloodline. We've got both of the royal lines here. If that doesn't work, then I'll have to call in a few favors, but I'll make it work. Let me check in with Mac first and then I'll see what I can turn up."

Chapter Text

"Speed off on another trip?" Eric asked when he arrived at a crime scene early the next morning.

"He is," Horatio replied with a smile. "We took care of Vegas last night, mostly, and now we're looking into a few things up in New York."

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, I overheard Megan and Calleigh talking," he said. "Megan freaked when she realized I was there, but I told her I'm Catholic and she let me touch her cross. I'm really almost tempted to tell her she shouldn't rely on the thing that much."

"Not yet," Horatio said. "There are too many questions about New York and her husband's death to chase her away. I can't decide if she's working for the vampire she married or if she's running scared for her life. Nothing I've learned so far makes sense to me, Eric."

"That's why Speed is gone?" Eric asked. "Hey, morning Alexx, how're you doing?"

"Hey baby," Alexx said. "Is Speed's dad sick again?"

"No, he's on a research run up to New York for me, Alexx," Horatio said. "We had a case tie in up there and he's friends with a couple of the CSIs so it made more sense for him to go and find what we needed than requesting the information officially. What are we looking at?"

"Looks like a single gunshot wound to the stomach," Alexx said. "No exit wound, so the bullet is still in him. I'll find it and get it to Calleigh. Our victim didn't put up a fight, there's nothing under his nails or any defensive wounds. I can't see the shirt, but he was probably shot from a distance."

"We'll work it out, thank you," Horatio said. "Eric, you okay to run with this one solo?"

"Sure," Eric said. "I'll let you know if I need any help. You're keeping the girls together?"

Horatio nodded. "I am. Megan seems to work best with Calleigh," he said. "And I have got to meet up with Frank at another crime scene. It looks like it's going to be a busy day people. Let's keep things moving."

Alexx waited until Horatio was gone and looked up. "There's something I've always wondered about Horatio," she said. "And he'll never tell me the truth on it, no matter how many times I ask him."

"Yeah, what's that?" Eric asked as he started to take pictures.

"It's over ninety degrees with at least seventy percent humidity out there," Alexx said. "How the hell does he stand to wear a suit every day?"

Eric couldn't help it, he started laughing.
****

Horatio pulled up to the beach and parked. He could see where his crime scene was, the tape already in place, but something was off about it. He double-checked his gun and got out of the Hummer, all his senses on alert. "What have we got, Frank?"

"Wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it," Frank replied. "Victim was bit by a vampire."

"I'm sorry?" Horatio asked.

"Well hell, Horatio, what else could it be? Hope there's no snake running around that's got fangs that big," Frank said, waving towards the body.

Horatio went over and knelt by the body. There were two puncture marks on the neck and he noticed something that Frank wouldn't have known to look for. He sighed. "Frank, take a step back," he said. "Right now, do it."

"Horatio?"

"Now, Frank." Horatio stood and pulled out his gun. "You can stop pretending and wake up right now."

Frank jerked back when the victim's eyes shot open and he sat up. "How did you know?" he asked.

"You smeared your make-up," Horatio said, smiling. "Hands on your head, now. Right now, unless you want some real blood on you. Do it. Frank, cuff him and let's find out exactly what sort of game he's playing with us."

"Little early in the year for Halloween tricks ain't it, sport?" Frank asked. He secured the cuffs and pulled the man to his feet. "You want to tell me what the hell you're playing at?"

"We got the wrong CSI," the man said.

"You were hoping to get Megan," Horatio said. "I think I see where this is going. Frank, take him and put him in holding. Filing a false report and wasting my time. I'll be along in a minute. Do not let him leave."

"Yeah, you got it, Horatio," Frank said. "Come on, sport, you picked the wrong day to screw around."

Horatio pulled out his phone and called Speed. They needed to run a few more checks for the case they were working because it seemed that someone was looking for Megan, and Horatio doubted it would be pleasant when they caught her.

Chapter Text

"So is guy for real or is he a pawn?" Speed asked. He was in his hotel room working on his laptop because he didn't want to risk anyone at the lab seeing what all he was doing.

"He's real," Horatio replied. "Vlad's line, but weak. Very very weak and I don't know that everyone would be able to sense it on him. Eric's with me and we're going to go talk with him now. I called the courts, I have permission for the kill. The kings don't look kindly on human-baiting."

"Be careful and make sure you get everything you can before you kill him," Speed said. "This screams set-up, but I just don't know who they're trying to set up."

Horatio sighed. "When I told the guy to wake up he commented they got the wrong CSI," he said. "I assumed that they were looking for Megan given her fears about her husband, but what if they were looking for someone else?"

"You mean me, Eric, Jess or Calleigh?"

"Exactly."

"Well, you're the best one to question him," Speed said. "I just wouldn't do it at the station."

"I was planning to put it off as insanity, but now I'm not so sure," Horatio said. "You have a good point, Tim."

"So go find out who he's looking for, get everything he knows and kill him," Speed said. "I'll call you tonight and find out what happened and fill you in on what I'm finding up here."

"What are you finding up there?"

"Mostly dead ends, but I might have a lead. I'll know more tonight."

"All right, all right, I take the hint," Horatio laughed. "Be careful up there, Tim. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

Speed snorted. "Other than jerks who seem to enjoy scaring innocent humans, you mean?"

"Other than that," Horatio said. "Talk to you tonight, Tim." He hung up and looked at Eric. "You followed that?"

"As well as I ever can when you and Speed get into your shorthand," Eric replied. "How do we get this guy out of holding without anyone noticing us? It's not like we can just walk him out of here. He dies and people are going to start asking questions."

"Yes they will, which means we need to set this up properly," Horatio said. "Luckily I think I know exactly how to do that. Ready?"

"I always worry when you get that look in your eye, you know," Eric said, following Horatio out of the office and down the stairs. "You plotting is never a good thing, Horatio."

Horatio grinned. "It can be," he said. "Follow my lead."

"Of course."
****

The suspect looked up with a grin when Horatio and Eric walked into the holding cell. "Oh, reinforcements, you must really be scared of me," he said.

Horatio leaned against the cell and grinned. "Tell me if you've ever heard of the vampire enforcer known as Fire and Ice," he said softly.

"Shit man, everyone know about him and his partner," the guy said. "They're the scariest vampires around."

"Yes they are," Horatio said. "What does Fire and Ice look like?"

The guy looked up at Horatio and turned pale. Eric chuckled. "Yep, you figured it out, bright boy," he said. "You didn't just get the wrong CSI at your attempted kidnapping this morning, you got the one vampire in the world who will be able to kill you without breaking a sweat. Don't you just feel clever right now?"

"This is how it's going to work," Horatio said softly. "The three of us are walking out of here together and we're going to go talk about everything you know. I want to know which CSI you were hoping to grab this morning. I want to know the name of your employer, and I want you to know that I will know if you lie to me. You're going to answer every one of my questions."

"What if I scream?"

"You can't," Horatio said. "We're the same bloodline and you're weaker. You won't be able to say another word until I want you to. Cuff him, Eric, and let's go find out what he knows."

Frank appeared at the door. "You got something, Horatio?" he asked.

"I think so, Frank," Horatio replied. "We're going to take the suspect on a little ride and see if he's telling us the truth. I'll call you if I need some help, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," Frank said. "Be careful with him, I don't think he's sane. Kept ranting about vampires on the way in here."

"The movies and beliefs are a part of our society, no matter how insane it sounds," Horatio sighed. "I think our friend here has watched too many movies lately."

"Probably has," Frank said. "Maybe he's got a thing for guys in tuxedos."

Horatio chuckled. "Possibly," he said. "We'll see you later, Frank."

Chapter Text

Mac was working in his office when Speed walked in and flopped down into one of the chairs. "Make yourself at home," he said.

"Mac, I think the fire company where Donner worked has more than one vampire stationed there," Speed said. "I'm finding things I don't like in their records and I'm wondering what all you know about them."

"Not a lot, honestly," Mac said. "You know how big the fire department is, how spread out they are around the city, and their mortality rate. It's not all that common for us to have fire and rescue at our crime scenes, so I don't spend a lot of time interacting with them. That said, I do know one Captain down there, but I think he's a different shift than Donner was."

"Everything I'm finding points to Donner being an infant or completely insane," Speed sighed. "We need to find him, Mac, if only to be sure he's not going to hurt anyone. I've been searching along the bloodline and I've found some vampires, but I know them all so far."

Mac nodded. "There's about fifty total in the city that I know about, all of them loyal to the two courts," he said. "How many can you sense?"

"Thirty so far. I'm going to go out and ride the subway for a day, hit the different areas of the city and see if I can pick up anyone else," Speed sighed. "The lead I'd hoped for isn't coming through nearly as quickly as I thought it would. Could you put word out among the loyal vampires that we need a check-in and that there's an official court investigation underway in the city? It would help out a lot."

"Sure, not a problem," Mac said. "Danny and I have kind of networked with them. It makes us feel a little more at home knowing we have other court members here with us. It's a big city and it gets lonely."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel the same way about Miami sometimes," Speed sighed. "Horatio's got a weaker vampire in custody for human baiting and he's going to question the guy before he kills him. We're just not sure if it's the same case or not."

"And we won't until Horatio's done with his questioning," Mac said. "Bloodline link?"

"Vlad's; Horatio's more powerful than this idiot he's questioning," Speed said. "Then again, there aren't many in Vlad's like who are more powerful than Horatio. It's helped his reputation over the years."

"I can only imagine," Mac snorted. "Want me to check into this idea there's more vampires in the fire service than we thought?"

"If you could, that would help a lot," Speed said. "I'd like to have something to tell Horatio when he calls me tomorrow. We both knew that the information gathering would be hard, but I didn't think it would be so full of dead ends. It's like this guy appeared and disappeared and, even though numbers match up, I'm having trouble finding school records and other essential background information that the fire department would have looked into before they hired him."

Mac took the folder Speed held out and flipped it open. "I see what you mean," he said. "The names and numbers are all here, but there's no grades reports from any of the schools, just a GPA, and that could easily have been made up. The system also could have been hacked to change information before the fire department checked into it, and then changed back again once the hiring investigation was over. I don't blame you for thinking this is a set-up, Tim."

"I just wish I knew who the set-up was for," Speed sighed. "It all seems too convenient to me."

"Me too. I suppose we'll have to wait for Horatio to finish questioning the vampire down in Miami and see if that gives us any leads up here."

Speed shook his head. "I almost hate to wait that long, Mac," he said. "It all seems too easy."

"I know what you mean," Mac sighed.

Chapter Text

Horatio pulled the Hummer to a stop out in the Glades and looked over at Eric. "This is going to get messy," he said. "You haven't been along when it's just me asking the questions. I don't have the patience that Speed has and I tend to get extreme. There's a reason he snarks so much in confrontations and interrogations. It's to keep attention off me until I'm ready to strike."

"What do you need from me, H?" Eric asked.

"Stand back and don't interfere," Horatio said. "Keep your eyes open. We don't know if this guy is part of a group or if they're able to trace him along the bloodline. It's possible we could end up with more vampires out here than we can handle."

Eric pulled out the swords. "It's a good thing we're ready for them then, isn't it?" he asked.

"Do not get involved unless I tell you to," Horatio said. "Tim would never forgive me if I let something happen to you."

"All right, I've got your back," Eric said.

Horatio took his sword and stepped out of the Hummer. The vampire was tied up in the back and tried to glare at them when Horatio opened the back. "I've seen scarier things than you in monasteries," Horatio said with a smirk. "This is how it works. I ask questions, you answer them truthfully. You lie to me, you get cut. I will let you bleed out, too. I take threats to my people and my home very, very seriously." He grabbed the younger vampire's arm and dragged him out and a couple of yards down the dirt road. "Now then, we just took out the leader of a nest in Vegas, but I doubt you're from there. Those in Vegas have an automatic death sentence on their heads, so tell me the truth, are you a member of Brass' group?"

"No."

"The truth, very good. So are you from New York or associated with a vampire from New York?" Horatio asked.

"Yes."

"I think we've got a bright one here, Eric," Horatio said. "Especially as he thinks I don't feel the call for help going out. Is Megan Donner associated with the vampires in any way?"

"No, she's not. She's marked for death because she knows the truth about us."

Horatio leaned forward. "That's not how it works in my clan," Horatio said. "Yes, we've killed humans who know the truth, but they can be evaluated or their minds can be altered. Besides, only the two kings can mark a human for death."

"We're not members of your weak court."

"Where's Sam Donner?" Horatio asked softly, running the tip of his sword over the vampire's cheek. "Is he brave enough to come to Miami and finish the job for himself, or is he just sending in pathetic vampires like you?"

"He's already here, you just don't know it."

"Already in Miami," Horatio said. He pressed harder and drew blood. "Where is he in Miami? Hiding in the shadows waiting in fear of what's down here?"

"Sam's stronger than you are and he'll find you if you kill me."

Horatio laughed and ran the sword down the vampire's chest. "I think you're going to be very glad that I don't have a lot of time," he said. "I studied with the Spanish Inquisition for several years. I could keep you alive and bleeding for weeks, child, and you would scream so very pretty for me. Now, I'm not going to ask you again, where is Sam Donner?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything else."

"Oh, I think you will," Horatio said. "Eric, this is the point you want to stand back."
****

Two hours later, Eric looked around at the bodies on the ground and sighed. "You really weren't kidding, H," he said. "A call for help, I haven't seen that one in years."

"That's because only weaker vampires do it, Eric, and only when they fear for their lives," Horatio said. "Every one of these vampires is Vlad's line, but weak enough that I can barely pick it up. You know what that means?"

"Yeah, Donner is your line and he's been a busy boy," Eric said. He took the sword Horatio held out and went out into the water to wash it off. "I don't think I knew you learned torture from the Inquisition, H."

"They just honed my skills, Eric. I learned from the Turks when they attempted to take over Vlad's original court," Horatio said. "And later from a couple of Russian interrogators. I hate doing it, life should be spared and treasured, but I will if I have to."

"I think most of us would," Eric said. "So, are you going to tell me how you don't have a drop of blood on you?"

"You have to know where you're standing," Horatio said with a grin. "Those who came running in left themselves open and weren't expecting me to have a gun as well. They never seem to expect guns."

Eric snorted. "You got a towel for the sword?"

"In the back. I think we can just leave them here and if we get a call, we can take care of it then. There are gators close by and they've been trying to get close."

"Let 'em feast," Eric said. "We've got what we need."

"Indeed we do." Horatio got into the Hummer and shut the door behind him. "And address out on Star Island. I think, Eric, that it's time to bring Tim home and then pay Sam Donner a visit. I want to find out what's going on with him."

Chapter Text

Speed wasn't surprised when Horatio met him at the airplane. "I wish you were kidding," he said. "Star Island?"

"Star Island," Horatio said. "I've managed to find an excuse for us to go out there and question the owner of the house, Tim, but it's going to be touch and go. We won't be able to bring our swords in with us, and it's possible there will be a lot of vampires there waiting for us."

"I don't suppose we could just go arrest them all and sort it out later, could we?" Speed asked.

Horatio smiled. "We've taken out worse than this on our own, Tim," he said. "Remember that nest in Spain?"

"Yeah, I still have the scars from that," Speed said. "I know we can't take Frank, but I'd feel better having at least one other experienced fighter there with us. Who do we have in the area we could call in?"

"No one that comes instantly to mind," Horatio said. "We have a day to plan out out attack, Tim. It's possible we could have Eric outside with our swords. He's not a trained fighter, not in the old style, but he does know what he's doing."

Speed shut the door to the Hummer and slumped down in his seat. "I just hate to take him into a battle like this," he said. "Eric's more of a scholar and I've always encouraged that. Yeah, I made sure he could fight, but he's not trained for a mob battle, which is what we might be facing."

"It is indeed," Horatio said. "The courts wouldn't be able to get us anyone by tomorrow, not if we want them in good shape, and I can't think of anyone in the states who is good enough to stand along side us in battle, Tim."

"Yeah, I can't either," Speed said. "Why don't you go out and get into the house and I'll wait outside with the swords. They're going to be expecting both of us, H. I don't think there's any way to get around that, and I don't know that having both of us just walk in there is a good idea."

Horatio nodded. "That's an idea," he said. "As I commented to Eric, they expect us to fight with swords, but they don't seem to expect the guns. I could have two back-up weapons with me when I go in. The vampire who was baiting Megan, and he did admit to that, didn't know who I was until I posed the question of what Fire and Ice looks like. I wonder if they do know we're here, Tim."

"After you killed ten of them in the Glades, I think they will have figured it out," Speed said. "You were having fun, weren't you?"

"I was, actually," Horatio said. "I haven't had a chance to fight a worthy opponent in years. None of them were worthy of my time, but they did try to swarm. It gave me a slight challenge."

"People wonder why Vlad's line is so blood-thirsty, you know," Speed commented.

"It's all down to Vlad, just like it's all down to Constantine," Horatio said. "You know better than most that he can fight when he has to."

Speed smirked. "I love watching their faces when Constantine does battle," he said. "All the newer vampires of his line think he's spent his life buried in libraries and don't realize how much fighting he's done in his life. So, one at a time into the house?"

"I think that will work," Horatio said. "Just promise me you'll be close by. I think we have a vampire that thinks he should be king, Tim. It's time to show him that, not only is he wrong, but America is ours."

Chapter Text

Horatio cleared everything with the two courts, making sure that all of his actions were authorized and sanctioned, before he sat down with Speed to clean and prepare their weapons for the next day. Horatio planned to carry two guns and would have his sword once Speed joined him. Speed was going for knives and his sword because he thought he would be able to creep around the shadows and take out some of the lower ranking vampires before the battle started. Having Horatio go in on official police business meant that there shouldn't be an immediate battle, but it was risky. There was the possibility that Sam Donner, or whatever his name really was, could figure out who Horatio was and order his people to attack. It was never easy to work out battle plans when they were facing nests, but they'd had practice and knew instinct would take over if they needed it to.

The next morning the pair drove out to Star Island mid-morning and were immediately confronted with a guard at a locked gate. "Business?" he asked.

"I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab here to speak with Richard Hunter," Horatio replied. "It's an official investigation so I suggest you call him before I make a mess of your nice gate."

Speed bit his lip to keep from laughing. He didn't want the guard to know he was in the back seat hiding. He did love it when his lover got snarky, it made Speed feel so proud that he was rubbing off on the other vampire.

"Go in, you'll be met at the door," the guard said a couple of minutes later.

"Thank you." Horatio pulled forward and drove slowly towards the house. "I think, Tim, we're dealing with more than a nest here. That guard was Vlad's line, but oh so very weak. None of the vampires I've met so far from this nest have been in the bottom five percentile."

"That's way removed," Speed said. "I'm not picking up anyone from Constantine, but it's possible we have another non-royal line in there. Be careful."

Horatio parked, making sure the Hummer was positioned so Speed could slip out without being seen. "Always," he said. "Listen for the screams, love."

Speed snorted and shifted around, getting ready to slip out once Horatio was in the house. Given the level of security, he'd have to find an open door or window to get in and not trigger an alarm, but that shouldn't be too hard. He was going to maim rather than kill at first, but he wanted to keep his presence hidden for as long as possible.

Horatio followed the butler, another weak vampire, into the house and noted details as he walked. There were about twenty-five or thirty vampires total in the house, all of them weak in the bloodline, but that didn't necessarily mean weak bodies or not able to fight. He and Speed had taken out larger and better armed, at least based on what he was seeing, but neither of them were unscathed by those battles. Somehow he wasn't surprised when he was shown into a large open room with two chairs at the other side. It seemed that he'd been right about the vampires trying to set up their own royal court.

"Lieutenant Caine, what can I do for you today?" Richard Hunter asked from one of the chairs.

Dark hair, dark eyes, build very much like Mac and Speed; if the vampire in front of him wasn't Sam Donner, Horatio would be very surprised. "Mr. Hunter," he said. "I'm investigating a prank yesterday that aimed to hurt one of my people, and it linked back to you."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Hunter said.

"Let me see if I can refresh your memory a little then," Horatio said. He walked over to the book case built into the wall and started to study it. He could feel vampires behind it, but wasn't sure how it opened. "I was called to a crime scene where there was a dead body with every indication that he was killed by a vampire. The make-up on his neck had melted and run enough that I knew it was a prank and called the man on it. He admitted that I was not the CSI he'd been expecting."

"Vampires, Lieutenant, really?" Hunter asked. "It's not even Halloween."

Horatio smiled and shook his head. "No, it's not, is it?" he asked. "However, one of CSIs is deathly afraid of vampires and she was the one they were hoping to have at the crime scene. Prank or not, it was a stunt that could have led to one of my people being hurt badly." He caught sight of Speed outside the window and turned to look at the weaker vampire sitting in front of him. "So now, I'll ask you the same question I asked the man I arrested yesterday. Have you ever heard the stories of the vampire warriors named Fire and Ice and Wind and Waves?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hunter said.

"Yes you do," Horatio said. "Because your eyes just flicked to the bookcase where you have people hiding. Do you know exactly how much trouble you're in?"

Hunter stood up. "No, Lieutenant, you're the one in trouble," he said, picking up a gun. "Because you walked into the middle of my court." He paused when a blade caught his throat.

Speed grinned. "Drop it, Donner," he said. "Or whatever the hell your name is. You we're not killing yet because we have questions for you. The rest of your nest though, it's history."

Horatio caught his sword and took out his gun. "You messed with the wrong vampires, Donner," he said. "Secure him, Speed, and why don't we see what sort of fighters he's chosen to surround himself with. Hopefully they provide a little more sport than the ones yesterday."

Chapter Text

Speed looked around the room and shook his head with a sigh. He hadn't even had to move and was still holding Sam Donner, or whatever the hell his name was, prisoner off to the side. Horatio didn't have a drop of blood on him. "Is it just me, or were those all boys who never saw a hard day's work in their lives?" he asked.

"I think, Speed, that our so-called king here was picking young men who believed in vampires either from video games or movies," Horatio said. He looked at the bodies littering the floor and sighed. "Such a waste."

"We can feed you later," Speed said. "You want to come and cuff our bright boy here? I think it's time got some answers from him."

Horatio put his gun away and walked over to where his lover was standing with Donner. "You do not move," he said softly. "I think you underestimated the rumors in the vampire world, didn't you?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Donner said.

"Well then, we'll just have to start at the beginning, won't we?" Horatio asked. He secured the weaker vampire with the special cuffs they had for vampires in custody and then tied him to the chair as well. "Speed, why don't you go take care of the outside staff so we don't have to worry about them coming in and surprising us?"

"Already done," Speed said. "Unless this idiot trusted a vampire from another line to transform vampires for his court, we've got them all."

"I think that he wouldn't take that risk," Horatio said. "He strikes me as the type who would want total control over everyone he saw as beneath him, which means he would have handled all the transformations himself. Being from Vlad's line though, there should be a record of him at the two courts. I wonder why there isn't?"

"Could be his sire never reported him," Speed said. He sat down in the other chair, sword close by and ready in case he needed it. "I think that it's more than likely his sire realized he was insane and ran as fast as he could in the other direction rather than taking responsibility for his child."

Horatio nodded. "Meaning that his sire is responsible for all of this as well," he said. "We'll have to find him, Speed. Now then, I've heard at least two names for you, so which is your real one? Donner or Hunter?"

"Hunter. I used the name Sam Donner when I was in New York trying to establish myself there. I've never been a member of the weak European court."

"Y'know, I just love how they keep calling the two courts weak," Speed said. "Especially given how old some of us are and how long we've been around. I've got news for you, Hunter. You come from one of the royal lines which means that even if you aren't a member of the two courts, it's likely your sire was, which means that he should have been following the laws and taught you the same. What's your sire's name, or do you even know it?"

"Of course I know who my sire is."

"You're not going to tell us, are you?" Speed asked. "You know, I could turn my partner there loose and let him play with you for a little while. He's been spoiling for a fight ever since he was attacked by your people in the Glades yesterday. My best bet is that he could keep you alive for a month. Want to try it?"

Speed noticed the first glimmer of fear in the dark eyes staring back at him. He snorted. "There's a reason the two of us are the most feared vampires in the world, you know. Most of the time Horatio there is the calmest, most in-control vampire you could meet," he said. "Every so often though, something upsets him enough that his blood gets hot and he wants to fight. You wouldn't understand that though, being so far removed from the father of your line."

"I think I'd enjoy making this one scream, Speed," Horatio said with a grin. "Now that I have the time to play."

"If he doesn't tell us what we want to know, Horatio, then I think he's all yours," Speed said.

Chapter Text

Speed looked at his watch with a sigh. Horatio was having far too much fun questioning the younger vampire and they were going to have to make some calls pretty soon because they still didn't have all the answers they needed. "Hey Horatio," he said. "It's getting late. What do you think about leaving him here overnight on ice and coming back tomorrow to ask him some more questions. Maybe he'll get smarter overnight and start giving us the answers we need."

"I'd worry about him escaping us again," Horatio said. "I'd be happy to play with him through the night, Speed. I think if you give me a few more hours, I'll be able to make him start talking about the important things."

"All right, I'll go get dinner and come back," Speed said. "Hunter, you'd really be doing yourself a favor if you started talking about yourself and exactly what all you did up in New York. Really though, we just need the name of your sire. You give us that and I'll call Horatio off."

"I'm not going to betray him," Hunter managed.

"Suit yourself," Speed said. "You're an idiot though. Horatio, keep your ears open. I don't like leaving you alone in the middle of a nest like this, but I'm really hungry."

"I smell a human out in the back garden," Horatio said. "You could go see who it is and feed at the same time."

"Yeah, good idea," Speed said. He left his lover in the room where they'd found a place to suspend Hunter from the ceiling and headed out towards the back garden. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find, but one of his co-workers certainly wasn't it. "Megan, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"They told me that my husband is here," Megan said. "That he's hunted me down and has been trying to kill me because I know the truth about him."

Speed sighed. "Megan, you're husband is dead," he said. "Dead and buried up in New York. I don't know who told you to come out here, but they were lying to you. Look, I know you've been having problems, but everything is under control. Just go home and stay inside, okay?"

"No, it's not okay. I'm tired of you all lying to me. He's here and I want to see him so I know I'm not crazy."

"Not a good idea," Speed said. He grabbed her arm when she started past him. "Megan, I'm telling you right now that if you walk into that house, you're going to die, okay? You need to turn around and leave. You're a smart woman and your death would be a shame."

"Are you threatening me?" she demanded.

"Yeah, I am, because I know what's in there and you don't need to see it," Speed said. "Go home now, Megan."

"I can't believe that you'd threaten me. I knew you hated me, but that's beyond anything I could have imagined," she said, breaking away.

"Well, damn," Speed sighed, following her into the house. He hurried behind her, but wasn't in time to stop her from seeing exactly what Horatio was doing in the room just off the so-called throne room. "I tried, Horatio."

Horatio lowered the knife he was working with and sighed. "So we all did, Speed," he said. "What's she doing here?"

"Said she was told to come because her husband was here," Speed said. He caught Megan's hands and cuffed her before she could run off again. "I warned her that she'd die if she came in here."

"Such a waste," Horatio sighed. "Find out who sent her first, Speed."

"I will," Speed said.

Chapter Text

"That was a long night," Speed commented, locking the door to the Star Island house behind them. "I wonder how long it'll take before the body parts are found."

Horatio grinned. "Years if not longer," he said. "I'm out of practice. It shouldn't have taken me fourteen hours to get a name out of that weak vampire."

"I think it's less you're out of practice and more that he was insane," Speed said with a stretch. "So, now we've got two more people to track down and Constantine just sent me the location of another ship he wants Eric and me to check out. What do you think, wait a day and then go after our new targets?"

"That sounds like a plan," Horatio said with a smile. "I am sorry that Megan ended up dead like that. It should have been an easier death than she got."

"Yeah, seeing your work and then my fangs, I think she was out cold before I touched her the first time," Speed said. He shut the Hummer door and leaned back in his seat. "I had to dunk her in that damn pool to wake her up to find out who sent her."

"I'm not happy about that one, Tim," Horatio said. "Someone is messing in our business and they're not of either royal line. If I have the chance, I might take care of her today, but we'll see if she's stupid enough to show up at the lab."

Speed glanced over. "It's been years since I've met anyone without a trace of the two courts in them. It makes me wonder how many generations back her line finally lost the traces, if they even had them to start with."

"Constantine thought there were two other vampire lines that were close in age to his, didn't he?" Horatio asked.

"That's what his research showed him, but they weren't as prolific as the two courts are," Speed replied. "One of them was from up in what's now Russia, so that's not a surprise. The other we're not sure where it popped up originally, but Constantine first found vampires from it in Egypt on one of his trips down there. With how the line weakens for every transformation, it's possible that this bitch screwing with us is from one of the royal lines and it's just too dilute now to tell."

"We'll have to take a blood sample to find out, won't we?" Horatio asked with a smile. "You and Eric go out and check the wreck site. If we can find the cross for Constantine, then I'll feel a lot happier, even if we don't know who took it all those years ago. Not to mention it will make him happy, which can only mean he'll get back to his books and life will get back to normal in the two courts."

"As normal as it ever does," he said. "You sure you're okay without us for the day? It'll be just you and Calleigh."

"We can manage," Horatio said. "Anyone wants to ask questions, they can find out exactly how little sleep I've had in the past week."

"I have to miss you being broody and hot to go sit out on a boat in the middle of nowhere?" Speed asked. "How is this my life?"

Horatio glanced over with a smile. "If you're good, Tim, I'll make it very worth your while when you get home."
****

"Hey Horatio, have you seen Megan today?" Calleigh asked as she came into the trace lab. "Not to mention Speed and Eric?"

"Speed and Eric are working on a special project today and won't be in," Horatio said. "I haven't heard from Megan. Is she okay?"

Calleigh leaned against the table with a sigh. "I don't know. I mean, she's scared to death of vampires and always had her cross with her and wouldn't go out in the dark," she said. "But she took off running out of here last night as the sun was setting and I haven't heard from her. I don't know what to think."

"Do you think it's possible she's suffered a break from reality and we need to have patrol on the watch for her?" Horatio asked.

"Horatio, did you really believe her when she said her husband was a vampire?" Calleigh asked in reply.

"I think she believed it, Calleigh, and who am I to say that she is wrong?" Horatio said. "It's entirely possible her husband was drinking blood. Now does that make him a vampire like Megan seemed to believe he was, or was he a sick man who needed help? I don't know, and wouldn't want to guess without talking with him. I do believe that Megan was scared for her life when she came to talk with me, and working with you seems to have calmed her down a little."

"I'm just worried about her. I didn't like her at first, but I've been working with her so closely that I've started to warm up to her," Calleigh said. "I'll go and ask patrol to keep their eyes open for her. I hope she's okay."

Horatio nodded. "I do too, Calleigh," he said. He wondered how long it would be before someone found Megan's body. He and Speed had hidden it pretty well and it would have been hard to explain so much missing blood, except for they'd cut her neck post-mortem to allow the blood to pool under her. It also hid the fang marks. Horatio wished he could regret Megan's death, but she was a risk to his family and that wasn't something he could allow.

Chapter Text

"Okay, so what happened last night?" Eric asked as he piloted the boat out to the location they'd been sent. "I haven't seen you or Horatio that pissed off in years."

"Well, we found Sam Donner for one," Speed replied. "Turns out he was an insane bastard whose sire ran rather than raise him right, so we have another bastard to hunt down and question. Megan showed up when Horatio was questioning Donner, or Hunter as it turned out, and saw him slicing off one of Hunter's fingers so we had to kill her too. Someone sent her out to the house, Eric. They wanted her to see what was happening and that really doesn't make me too happy."

"I'm guessing you guys have a name, or a pair of names," Eric said. "Here we go, this is it."

Speed went and looked over the edge. "It's deeper here than you've been diving in. Is that going to be a problem for you?"

"Nah, I'll be fine, just can't stay down as long," Eric grinned. "I'll take a net down with me this time and load it with anything I find and we can see if this is at least the right country this time around. How many Spanish ships have we checked now?"

"Ten, so hopefully Constantine is right this time around," Speed said. "I still think we're going to be searching for this wreck for the next hundred years or so."

"Give me a read on what's down there?" Eric asked.

"Like I'd let you dive without checking first," Speed replied. He went over and stuck his hand in the water. "You've got some sharks down there, reef I think. Maybe a tiger or two." He sighed. "You need a spotter on this dive, Eric."

"Seriously?"

"I'm showering as soon as I get home," Speed said. "Come on, let's get this over with."
****

Horatio found Speed and Eric in the large wash room when he got home from the lab that night. "Well, this looks promising," he said. "Tim, why is your skin pink?"

"He went in with me," Eric said. "Even with the dive suit, he spent an hour in the shower with a brush and some soap."

"Tim," Horatio said fondly.

"I'm not going to feel clean for weeks, but there were tiger sharks near the wreck. I wasn't going to let Eric go down there alone," Speed said. He held up a large cross. "The good news is, this is it. Constantine is coming over personally to recover it, and he's going to bring the paperwork appointing us kings of the Americas, Horatio."

"It'll be good to see him again," Horatio said. "We'll need to talk a few points out, like the fact that you and I remain loyal to them even with our own rule."

Speed nodded. "And that we'll remain their hunters if they want us to," he said. "We have the reputation to hunt nests safely. I don't want kids dying because we stopped doing that."

"Then we're on the same page," Horatio said. "Tim, I also got an answer to our question about the possible mystery bloodline today."

"Yeah, what?"

"She's human."

"You're kidding me," Speed said.

"I'm not. She, somehow, is involved in our business and is fully human," Horatio said. "I've got a date with her tomorrow night. Little does she know, it will be her last night alive."

Eric looked between them. "I think I'm glad I don't know," he said. "Speed, how long until Constantine gets here?"

"Day after tomorrow probably just in time for supper," Speed said. "We'll all go out clubbing and then come back here to work on the papers."

"Sweet, I haven't been to the clubs in a while," Eric grinned. "Let me know which one so I'll know how to dress."

Chapter Text

"So, do I want to know how you got this date in the first place?" Speed asked when Horatio was out of the show the next night. "Hell, do I even want to know where you're taking her?"

"Getting the date was the easy part, although I think that she believes she has the upper hand on me at the moment," Horatio replied. He pulled on a pair of silk boxers and went to the closet to pick out a suit. "Don't growl at me, Tim, these are for you when I get home. I'm taking her to that nice little place down on the beach if you want to conveniently be at one of the other tables. We'll be able to take her out into the Glades easily enough, and no one will miss her for at least a day."

Speed sighed. "How many people know you're going on this date, H?" he asked. "She dies or vanishes, you know the spotlight is going to be right on you."

"Which is why you are going to call me from the restaurant, I'll put her in a taxi in full view and we'll take her from her home," Horatio said. "I don't like being played with, Tim, and I want to know who is giving her information. It feels like there's another player in the game, one that is pulling all the strings and we don't have any idea where they are."

"Which would also explain why the two courts is so on edge right now," Speed said. "All right, I think you're crazy, but we'll do it. You want me to save you from having to eat?"

"That would be a help," Horatio said. "See you later, Speed."
****

"I suppose it's foolish of me, Horatio, but I'd hoped that you wouldn't be in a suit for this," Rebecca Nevins said when Horatio picked her up at her office. "Do you even own a pair of jeans?"

"I do, somewhere," Horatio said. "However, the schedule was redone a little because we've lost one of our team, and I'm on-call tonight. They know I'm out on a date so they won't call unless they really need me for something."

Rebecca nodded. "Who did you lose? I thought you were up to full strength at the lab."

"Megan Donner has vanished," Horatio said, "and I'm worried about her because she was being stalked by someone from New York." He held the door to the Hummer open for her and picked the conversation back up when he was in the driver's seat. "I've spoken with some people up there and they say that it's been quiet at the stalker's house, so I think that maybe he's here and he's made his move."

"Oh no, that's horrible," Rebecca said. "I hope she's okay. Were there any clues at her place?"

"Nothing that we've been able to find," Horatio said. "Patrol is alerted and we have bolos out for the whole state. I just hope we can find her before she's hurt."

"Megan worked for the lab up in New York, didn't she? Is this related to one of her cases do you think?"

"I'm not sure what to think," Horatio said. "It's possible that the stalker is someone she investigated in the course of her work, but it's equally possible it's someone she dated who didn't know how to take no for an answer. I do know that Megan was married at one point in time and suffered a tragic loss. The stalker could be someone related to the death of her husband. We won't know until we're able to find him and ask him."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed that you find them soon and Megan's okay," Rebecca said. "Where are we going?"

Horatio smiled. "There's a small restaurant on one of the beaches that I thought you might enjoy. I hear their steak is divine."

Chapter Text

No matter how many times he saw it over the years, Speed was always amazed at how charming Horatio could be when he put his mind to it. Speed settled in at a table across the sand from Horatio and Rebecca, behind her so he and Horatio could see each other. Of all the stupid plots to get the woman that would likely have the clue to lead them to their next step in the puzzle. Speed would have just stood her up, let her complain about him the next day, and then taken her from her home that next night. It would have been an easier plan, one where they wouldn't have to worry so much about their co-workers getting involved.

He waited until the food order was taken and then sent Horatio a text. "How raw did you get your steak"

Across the patio, if it really could be considered that, Horatio smiled and said something to Rebecca before pulling out his phone. He read the text and shook his head. Speed could tell, watching the body language, that Rebecca wasn't happy that Horatio was being contacted. "Yeah?"

"What's going on, Speed?" Horatio asked.

"Don't want you getting sick on me, I have plans for you in those silk boxers you put on," Speed replied softly.

"Two victims," Horatio said. "Who else is with you?"

"Time to put phase two into action, H."

"Your detective with the ME on the way," Horatio said, playing his part perfectly. "I'll be there as soon as I can, Speed."

Speed hung up, tucked his phone away, left some money on the table and vanished into the darkness. He knew that Horatio would put Rebecca in a taxi, get the information, and join him in the Hummer. It was time to hunt.
****

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I'm needed at a double homicide," Horatio said as he tucked his phone back into his jacket pocket. "Will you be all right in a taxi to get home?"

"That's fine, Horatio, I understand how work can be," Rebecca said. "I think I'll stay and have dinner though, if that's okay."

"Of course, here." Horatio slipped some money under his water glass. "I'll give you a call in a day or two, okay?"

"Sounds good, I'll talk to you then," Rebecca said. "Do you want me to have them wrap up your dinner? I could bring it to you at the lab tomorrow."

Horatio smiled. "That would be wonderful, thank you." He kissed the back of her hand and left, stopping to talk with the head waiter on his way out. Horatio made his way to the Hummer and slipped inside. "Tim."

"Seriously, how raw did you order your steak?" Speed asked as they pulled out. "Where's Rebecca anyway?"

"She wanted to finish her dinner, so we'll have to watch for her to leave," Horatio replied. "It's possible she won't go straight home, Tim. This could be a long night."

"We really stand out in this thing," Speed pointed out. "I know why you had to bring it, but it's not that great for hunting."

Horatio nodded. "Which is why I brought one of our cars over earlier in the day," he said. "Eric helped me set it up while you were working in the trace lab. So now we have the advantage, Tim."

"You don't think people will notice the Hummer back here?" Speed asked.

"I don't, because Eric is waiting to take it back to the house for me," Horatio said. "Move our weapons over, Tim. It's time to go and get into position for what is hopefully going to be a fruitful hunt."

Speed grinned. "I can't wait," he said.

Chapter Text

"I've been thinking about there being another player involved," Horatio said once they were in position down the street from the restaurant in a place they would be able to see Rebecca from. "I've been trying to work out if it's someone we know or have encountered in the past."

"Whoever it is, they'd have to be powerful," Speed said. "Taking on the two courts isn't for the weak, as we've proven so many times over the years. Whoever this is, they're either after the courts or they're after us, and I don't like either one of those options. We're not as powerful as Constantine and Vlad, but we're not weak and we know how to fight. If this is a challenge, H, then they're either really stupid or they're in a position of power that'll be enough to counter us."

Horatio nodded. "How many vampires do we know who could have worked into such a position?" he asked.

"Not many, at least not here in the states," Speed replied. "I can think of maybe ten off the top of my head, no, eight. We killed two of them with that nest of Nazis during the War. I'm getting old, H."

"No you're not, and I'll prove it to you when we're home again," Horatio said. "So, eight that could have worked into a position of power. Four of those, however, are at court with Vlad and Constantine, and if they have managed such a plot under the kings' noses, then we have more problems than just a possible attack. The other four I don't know their location off the top of my head, but we could find out easily enough."

"There's always a chance this is an unknown, non-court affiliated vampire," Speed pointed out. "Someone we don't know a damn thing about, so we're at the disadvantage."

"Gathering power like this, to make a play against the two courts, or against us, would attract attention if they weren't," Horatio said. "I agree that it's unlikely someone at the courts, but we have four vampires we both can agree would be powerful enough to do this. I think we need to get in touch with England and see if we can't track them down."

Speed looked over. "Do you want to do that before we kidnap Rebecca?" he asked. "She's a link in, yes, but right now she thinks she has the upper hand. It's possible if we try to take her from her place, we're walking right into a trap."

"That's true. So why don't we let her live for now, drive by her place and see what there is to see, and then head home and plan," Horatio said.

"I think that's the smarter move," Speed said. "I'd feel better going into this with a little more information then we have right now. It's possible we're overthinking this, but I don't think we are."

"Then we have a plan," Horatio said. "I would like things taken care of by the time Constantine lands on American soil though. I know he'll have his usual escorts with him, but I still worry."

"Trust me, you're not the only one," Speed said.
****

Horatio was in the home office on the computer when Speed joined him. "So, it turns out that one of our four is here in the states," he said. "The courts have been tracking him, but lost track about four years ago when he vanished out in California."

"California," Horatio said. "Neither of us has spent much time out there, but it is where we were thinking about building one of our courts if we need a second. They're sending us the information they have?"

"It'll be here in an hour," Speed said. "Fortunately they were doing most of their tracking on computer, so there's no books and no paperwork to scan. They did say that he's known to use humans as shields and to be ready for traps if we do go searching for him."

"Like the one we almost walked into tonight," Horatio said.

"Yeah, although I think we would have noticed that one before we were actually in it," Speed said. "It wasn't that original."

"It does tell us that Rebecca isn't living at her apartment," Horatio said. "It makes me wonder if anyone is."

Speed snorted. "Just one more thing to find out. This is why I didn't want rule, Horatio," he said. "Too much crap to deal with."

Horatio smiled up at his lover. "You will be wonderful at ruling, Tim," he said. "If Eric is to be believed, you're already the king of snark."

"Don't try and cheer me up," Speed said, fighting a smile.

"Too late," Horatio said.

Chapter Text

"So it seems to me, I was promised silk boxers," Speed said. "You are planning to stay in here all night and work, are you?"

Horatio looked up from the computer with a smile. "Normally I would say business before pleasure, but we can work on this tomorrow," he said. "It is interesting that this vampire out in California has been able to consolidate power around him without us noticing it before this."

"He picked almost the perfect spot for it," Speed said. He pushed Horatio back from the desk and climbed into his lap. "If we hadn't been sent here like we were, I think he might have been able to take over America before the two courts were in a position to move."

"Which was part of his plan," Horatio said, sliding his hands up under Speed's shirt. "He's making a play for a war, Tim, and if he isn't stopped, then he will succeed. This is more than the two of us can take on. We are going to need help."

"Constantine and Vlad will give us whatever we need," Speed said. He nipped at Horatio's neck. "I think sending in the stealth guard is too risky. This is a vampire that knows the courts, knows what we do when we're threatened, and I think he'll be watching for spies. He's also surrounded by humans. We have to take that into consideration."

"I think that Vlad's fighting forces will be a better choice for this," Horatio said. "Feels good, Tim. I'll call him in the morning and see what he can give us."

Speed ground down against Horatio with a growl. "You need a bigger chair," he said.

"I thought you wanted silk boxers," Horatio said.

"I've had to see you in battle mode twice in the past week," Speed said. "You're lucky I didn't throw you down in that pool of blood out on Star Island and take you right there."

"You should have," Horatio said. He wrapped his arms around his lover and stood. "Where?"

"Right here, right now," Speed said.

"Not on the desk," Horatio smiled. "Stand up and strip for me, Tim."

"I miss the days when we could get away with wearing togas," Speed grumbled. He found his feet and started to strip off his clothes. "I wonder how the Vegas guys are finding that dress code. It's something you forgot to mention."

Horatio chuckled. "I'm sure that they're enjoying it as much as we did," he said. "Nick seemed like he would really have the legs for a toga."

"Are you looking at other guys?" Speed growled.

"Looking only," Horatio said. "There's no one else I would rather touch, Tim." To prove his point, he grabbed his lover and pulled him in, hand sliding down and teasing.

"Where's the lube?" Speed managed. "You, in me, now, Horatio."

"I wonder which one of us is more excited from the battles this week," Horatio said. He dug in a drawer of the desk and pulled out the lube. "How ready are you for me, Tim?"

"Very."

"I think I should check."

"If you start teasing me, Horatio, I will not be responsible for my actions," Speed said. He pushed his lover down on the floor and straddled his hips. "You think I've been good while you've been off in battle? We have those toys for a reason you know."

Horatio hissed as the cold lube was spread over his erection. "You could have warmed it up," he said.

"You could have been less of a tease." Speed steadied Horatio and sank down slowly. "Yes."

"Are you okay?" Horatio asked, holding onto Speed's hips.

"Yeah, nothing I can't handle," Speed replied. "Move."

"Wrist again?" Horatio asked, catching one of Speed's arms. "You seemed to like that one last time."

Speed moaned. He wanted to draw things out, but the battle lust was still too hot in both of them. He caught Horatio's hand with his and brought it up to his lips. "How did I not know about this one?" he asked.

"I don't know," Horatio replied, sucking on the pulse point in Speed's wrist, pulling a moan from his lover. "You feel so good around me, Tim."

"It shouldn't be possible to get this close this quick," Speed managed.

"We've been in battle, Tim. I think we've forgotten what it's like," Horatio said, hips snapping up sharply. "I'm close."

"Do it," Speed said, biting down on Horatio's wrist.

The pair climaxed with shared moans. Speed slumped down on Horatio, panting. "Intense," he gasped.

"Love you, Tim," Horatio murmured.

Chapter Text

Horatio was on his cell phone the next morning talking with Vlad when Calleigh dashed past him, almost knocking him over. "Hang on a minute, please, Sir," Horatio said. "Calleigh, what's wrong?"

"The report just came in, someone found what's left of Megan's body," she replied. "Out in a house on Star Island and it's a blood bath."

"Who else is out there?" Horatio asked.

"Frank and Eric," Calleigh replied.

"Wait one minute, Calleigh," Horatio said. "Vlad, could I call you back? I've got a crime scene I need to go to."

"We will assemble the warriors and send you the best, Horatio," Vlad said. "They will go directly to Nevada, eliminate anyone left in the nest there and then meet you in California. Constantine is delaying his visit until this is finished. Call me in two days and we will finalize our details."

"I'll do that," Horatio said. He tucked his phone away and looked back at Calleigh. "Sorry about that, how did I not hear about this crime scene, Calleigh?"

"I don't know," she said. "You want to drive?"

"I'll follow you," he said with a small smile.
****

"I think we have a new gang in town, Horatio," Frank said. The pair was standing just outside what was probably meant to be a ballroom, letting the team process the interior. "I heard a report come in about some mangled bodies out in the Glades. It got filed as gator attacks, but with this on top of it, I don't like it."

"It does seem a little too coincidental, doesn't it?" Horatio asked. "What do you know about the other victim?"

Frank snorted. "It took them a while to find his head, but he's been ID'd as the house owner, Richard Hunter," he said. "Whoever was in here with him really did a number on both him and Megan. I know she had a stalker, you think that's linked in here?"

"I don't know, Frank," Horatio said. "I'm curious why Megan's here at all. Calleigh said that Megan has been showing fear of the dark and nighttime, but went running out of the lab as the sun was setting last night. Something happened to bring her out here, and I want to find out what it was."

Speed glanced back. He'd caught a ride with Eric, planning to call Horatio in if there was evidence that needed to vanish. "I'm not seeing a purse, bag or cell phone in here," he said. "Megan's cross is missing too, Horatio."

"Her cross?" Frank asked.

"She carried a family heirloom cross in her pocket at all times," Horatio replied. "It's a lovely piece of work, Italian I think, and old."

"Well hell, it's probably been pawned and someone's enjoying the money," Frank said.

"I wonder where her bag is though," Horatio said. "Speed, let's go take a look out back and see what we can find."

"Yeah, beats being in here," Speed said. He whispered something to Eric and exited out into the hall. "It really reeks of blood in there."

"Both bodies almost completely drained," Horatio said. "That means something too. Frank, we'll be back."

"You two be careful out there."

"We will."

The pair walked slowly out into the garden, looking around them for evidence. "We're alone," Speed said. "H, she didn't have the cross with her last night when she got here."

"So the question comes, Tim, where is it," Horatio said. "Let's sweep through the yard. It's possible we're missing something here."

"Great, just what we need. More mystery," Speed sighed.

Chapter Text

"Can I come in?"

Horatio looked up at the tap on his door and saw Rebecca standing there with a plastic bag in her hand. "Of course, Rebecca, shut the door behind you," he said with a warm smile. "What can I do for you today?"

"I wanted to bring you your dinner from last night," she said. She set the bag down on his desk and sat down in one of the chairs. "Did your crime scene last night link into the one out on Star Island today?"

"We're not sure," Horatio said. "There's three different sets of bodies all killed in very similar ways. I'm waiting for a couple of calls from my informants before I make the call that these cases are all connected."

"Poor Megan though," Rebecca said. She shifted in her seat and Horatio caught a glimpse of metal under her shirt. "Was it her stalker that got her, do you think?"

Horatio mentally called for Speed, something he hadn't done in years. He needed his partner in the office to decide their next step. "I don't know," he said aloud. "There was a man dead in the Star Island home that we found New York identification for, so it's possible that he was Megan's stalker, but with him dead as well, it's hard to say one way or the other."

"I'd hate to think that her stalker was working with someone and that someone turned on both of them," Rebecca said.

"You mean like your boss out in California, bitch?" Speed commented from just inside the still closed door.

"What the hell? Where did he come from?" Rebecca demanded, jumping up.

"You never know where Speed is going to pop up," Horatio said with a small smirk. "Sit down, Rebecca. We know who you're working for. Take off Megan's necklace and put it on my desk. Slowly. You are in over your head and you haven't heard half of what we're able to do."

She reached up and unclasp the cross chain. "I found it," she said.

"I'm sure you did," Horatio said. He picked it up and sighed. "Megan put her faith in something that could never have saved her. There was no way to warn her of the true dangers, but I had hoped that maybe her fear would help keep her safe."

"Also the last innocent to die in this war of domination your stupid boss wants to start," Speed said. "Did he promise you eternal life, youth and beauty, Rebecca? I only ask because that would take a miracle and isn't something anyone would be able to do unless you have about ten grand lying around somewhere."

"Tim," Horatio muttered with a fond smile.

"There's no way you'll be able to get me out of here," Rebecca said. "I'm protected by forces you don't understand."

"Bet your life?" Horatio asked with a smile.
****

"Horatio, do you think we should worry about how easy it was for us to get her out of the lab like we did?" Speed asked later that night. They were out on the boat where no one would be able to find the body. "I mean, we did whammy her, but someone should have noticed."

"I think word got out that I asked her out on a date," Horatio said. He smiled as the first shark appeared near the boat. "How many did you call in?"

"As many as I could reach," Speed said. "Shame to waste the blood like we did, but I'm still pretty full from last night. Not to mention we did need the information."

"Yes we did," Horatio said. He picked up Rebecca's body and threw her overboard. "Enjoy the meal, my friends."

Speed sighed. "So now we just have to go out to California and eliminate this would-be king that thinks he's taking America from the two courts," he said. "From us and our families."

"We'll have to verify the information Rebecca gave us, but it does give us a slight edge," Horatio said. "Life will never settle down again, Tim, but maybe we can keep things to a dull roar for a few years here. It will have to beat the problems we're facing now."

"Yeah, I don't think things are going to be that easy," Speed sighed.

Chapter Text

"So, I heard from Constantine," Speed said, leaning in the door to Horatio's home office. "He wants to pull Jesse to come and lead one of the stealth forces to help us retake California, but there's been a snag."

"Jesse is close to wanting to bond with Greg and won't leave him alone around all the other vampires living there."

"You've talked to Jesse?"

Horatio smiled. "Two days ago. He said that Gil and Nick bonded and are both happier than they probably ever have been. That library has something to do with it, I'm sure," he said. "Greg's still feeling really out of place, but is slowly learning that's normal for baby vampires and the healers there are treating him like something very special. Which is good to hear, otherwise they would find one very pissed off warrior talking to them."

Speed moved into the room and sank down in his favorite chair. "Yeah, it's got to be hard for all three of them being transformed vampires in a world where there haven't been any for close onto sixty years now," he said. "I'm just glad to hear that no one is treating them like freaks or mistakes. That was my main worry sending them off like we did."

"Until we can get remote courts established here in the states, I think we're going to have to rely on our friends and networks in Europe for problems like this," Horatio said. "The two courts is going to put out word that we're forming a third court here and will welcome vampires that want to come to the states, work hard, and ultimately keep their loyalty to Constantine and Vlad."

"Sounds like a problem waiting to happen," Speed sighed. "Still, we'll need to get at least one remote court set up for babies and children to be taught in. Where are you thinking is the best place for that?"

"I thought out in the mountains in Colorado," Horatio said, leaning back in his chair. "Remote enough that we won't have to worry about people constantly stumbling over it and food stocks would be easy enough to maintain for everyone living there. The only dangers we would really have to worry about would be fire and snow."

"Which we can protect against," Speed said. "As long as I never have to go live there during the winter, I'll agree, but it's possible we'll need more than one."

"I've got feelers out for possible locations," Horatio said. "I'd never make you live there, Tim, so get that look off your face. We're basing here, although I would like to set up a second court on the west coast. I've got a couple of old friends in mind to live there and take care of the day to day affairs for us while we're not in residence."

Speed sighed. "You would put them there, wouldn't you," he said. "You're right that they'll be perfect for it, even if it does mean putting up with them complaining about it for the first ten years the court is in operation."

"It'll be good for them," Horatio said with a smirk. "I've already cleared it with the two courts. Once we get this so-called king out, we can have his lands if we want them."

"Is he up north or down south?" Speed asked.

"San Francisco."

"We might as well take it over. I don't want to risk wild fires and it's not like we have to be there in the winter," Speed said. "If anything, it could be a break from the sweltering humidity we have to deal with down here in the summertime."

"You, Tim, can gripe about anything," Horatio said fondly.

"Yeah, that's why you love me so much."

"One reason among many, Tim," Horatio said. "One reason among many."

Chapter Text

"Horatio, can I talk with you for a minute?"

"What can I do for you this morning, Rick?" Horatio asked, not turning around.

Stetler came up next to him. "Rebecca Nivens is missing and the last time anyone saw her was when you and Speedle walked out of the building with her," he said. "Care to explain?"

"She was helping us with Megan Donner's murder," Horatio replied. "I dropped her off at her apartment before supper last night."

"Can anyone confirm that besides Tim Speedle?"

"It's possible one of her neighbors saw the Hummer," Horatio said. "You'd have to ask them. I'm sorry she's missing, do you want me to send a team over to check her place?"

"I'll send night shift. Your people are too loyal to you," Stetler said.

"Now then, Rick, that's not fair," Horatio said. "We're all loyal to justice. If there's nothing else, I was on my way to a crime scene."

"That's all for now."

"Until later then," Horatio said. He walked over to his Hummer and got in. "That's a complication we didn't see coming."

Speed snorted. "Good thing we were able to whammy a couple of her neighbors then, isn't it?" he said. "It does make me wonder who the hell called in and reported her missing."

"Our enemy out in California would be my first pick," Horatio said. He pulled out into traffic with a sigh. "This stops both of us from joining the fight out there, Tim. Stetler would raise a fit if we left town right now."

"I'll call Vlad and let him know," Speed said. "You're going to need to be on the ground for this one. Kid was snatched from the middle of a kiddie play area and killed in the restroom. The mother is in the hospital being treated for shock."

Horatio growled. "When we find this guy, he doesn't see the inside of a jail, Tim," he said. "He's mine."

"I was expecting that," Speed said. "So we need to be sure we're the ones to find him."

"The others already there?"

"Waiting for you. Patrol locked the place down, we've got some really angry people in there," Speed said.

Horatio glanced over with a grim look. "Then they're about to get a lecture on what it means to be a decent human being, Tim."

"Looking forward to that."

Chapter Text

Frank looked down at the body and sighed. "I'd hoped to get a chance at this bastard," he said. "Tried to run?"

"He grabbed a young woman as a hostage," Horatio replied. "She's being treated for shock by the EMTs. I was lucky to be able to get the shot. I wasn't expecting him to look around the girl's head to tell me something."

"Well, can't say he's a great loss to the world," Frank said. "Probably better not to put the victim's mom through a trial anyway. That'd just tear her up even more."

"Yes it would," Horatio said. "I was wondering when our friendly IAB officer would show up. Seeing him twice in two days is two times too many."

"Stetler getting on you 'bout something?"

"He thinks I murdered Rebecca Nivens and dumped her body somewhere," Horatio said.

"Idiot. Don't he know you wouldn't kill one of ours?" Frank asked.

"Apparently not. Rick."

Stetler paused and looked around. "We spoke with Rebecca's neighbors, Horatio," he said. "I'm hearing two different things from them. Several say you did drop her off, but some say you didn't."

"Maybe they didn't see us then," Horatio said.

"Or maybe you're lying to me."

"I'm going to go get the witness' statement," Frank said. "Calleigh have your gun, Horatio?"

"She does and she'll make the final report. Thank you, Frank," Horatio said. "Rick, do you think I would be able to, somehow, get only some of Rebecca's neighbors to say that I dropped her off and would be stupid enough not to do the same to all of them?"

"I don't know what to think," Stetler said.

"I think that the ones that told you they saw the Hummer did see us and the ones that say they didn't, did not," Horatio said. "It's certainly the most logical answer, and one that I would accept on any case. You know as well as I do that human beings are fallible and that's why we rely on science and evidence rather than solely on eye-witness testimony."

Stetler sighed. "I'm not sure how you're doing this, Horatio, but I know you have something to do with Rebecca's disappearance."

"I wish I could say that I was," Horatio said, "if only to tell you where she is. I'm sorry she's missing, but I don't know where she is or what happened to her. Now, if that's all, Rick, I have a dead child molester and murderer to deal with."

"This isn't over, Horatio."

"Until later then, Rick," Horatio said.
****

"He's going to be a problem," Speed commented after hearing about the whole exchange. "Vlad called, but the way. They're on the ground in Nevada and taking care of the remains of the nest there. He thinks they'll be in California in three more days."

"Moving quickly then," Horatio said. "I'll keep an eye on Rick Stetler. We can't make him vanish, no matter how much we might want to, because that would draw too much attention to us, and that's something I want to avoid as much as we possibly can. I'm just not sure what we can do about him."

Speed snorted. "I suppose we could hit him over the head and then whammy him," he said.

Horatio chuckled. "He's got a hard head, Tim, it wouldn't work," he said. "But we'll keep it in mind for a back-up plan."

"Too bad we can't give him a bite."

"He'd be sour."

"I'm the one that's supposed to be sarcastic, you know," Speed pointed out.

"I know, Tim, but I couldn't resist that one," Horatio said with a smile. "We'll work something out. It'll just take some time."

Chapter Text

"So when are you planning to talk with your friends about managing our new estate for us?" Speed asked the next day when the pair was driving to the lab.

"I thought that I would wait until we knew we had the estate before talking with them," Horatio replied. "You know that it'll take them time to decide if they want to do it or not. I think they will, and be happier doing that than they are, but I don't want to force or trick them into anything. I've also got feelers out for an estate in the upper part of the Rocky Mountains, somewhere we can make the retreat for the children and infants."

"So we've got all of that to worry about on top of Stetler sniffing around," Speed said. "Great, our day is off to a fantastic start and we haven't even had our coffee yet. I don't know if I even want to look at the assignment board. I just know what something bad is waiting for us. Hell, with the way everything has been going lately, I'm willing to bet that I'm going to end up in the water before much longer. You know how much I hate swimming."

Horatio glanced over while they were stopped at a red light. "I know how much you claim to hate swimming, Tim. I also remember how often I had to pull you out of the water when we were in Greece for several years after the Second World War," he said. "I thought you were trying to become a fish."

"Yeah, like that can happen," Speed said. "I hate what humans are doing to the planet, Horatio. I hate watching the news and seeing reports of global warming, pollution, chemical spills, and animals dying because humans can make money off them. I hate that the home I've helped protect for generations is dying because of the very people I've helped to protect."

"You are in a mood this morning, Tim. What's going on?"

"I'm sick of idiots," Speed said, slumping down in his seat. "Especially that one."

Rick Stetler was standing on the steps to the lab, staring directly at them. Horatio sighed. "Now there, Tim, I have to admit we're in complete agreement. I wonder what he wants on this fine morning."

"Only one way to find out."

"Two, but only one that I want to use," Horatio said, parking in his usual spot. "Although if he keeps harassing me, option two might start to look more attractive. I'll see you inside."

"Yeah, I'm taking the backdoor," Speed said, slipping out of the Hummer.

Horatio smiled fondly, got out, retrieved his briefcase from the backseat and headed in towards the lab. "Good morning, Rick," he said.

"Horatio, some new information has come to my attention about Rebecca and I want to talk with you about it," Stetler said.

"Certainly," Horatio said.

"In your office," Stetler said.

"If you want." Horatio headed into the lab and up to his office, unlocking the door. "What did you want to talk with me about, Rick?"

"When did you buy a boat, Horatio?" Stetler asked.

"Several years ago, when I had more free time," Horatio replied. "I keep debating selling it, but Eric borrows it on weekends to go diving, so I just haven't got around to anything with it. Why?"

"Because someone told me that you took Rebecca on your boat the day she vanished and you came back without her," Stetler said. "You never mentioned this to me, so I want to know if you just forgot or if you were hiding something from me?"

"I never mentioned it because I haven't taken the boat out in weeks," Horatio said. "I'm not sure who is lying to you, Rick, but it sounds to me like someone is trying to get more money out of you by fabricating evidence."

"I had night shift check your boat for blood, Horatio, and they found some."

Horatio took the piece of paper Stetler held out and looked it over carefully. "Fish blood, Rick," he finally said. "Not human so I'm not sure why you're even mentioning this. Unless it is your intention to harass me. If it is, I'm going to take steps to report this, Sergeant."

Stetler flushed. "This isn't over, Horatio. I know you're lying to me about Rebecca and I'm going to find out what happened to her."

"You do that," Horatio said. He folded the copy of the report in half and placed it on his desk before going around the front and retrieving the small bug Stetler thought he'd planted. Horatio grinned and looked around his office. He loved hide and seek.

Chapter Text

Speed looked at the bag Horatio placed on the desk next to him in the trace lab and made a face. "Seriously?"

"It would seem that someone is hoping I'm stupid, Speed," Horatio said. "I've deactivated every one of them, but I think that it's time for us to look a little more closely at this mystery informant Stetler has. It would seem someone had the boat out the other night and I didn't know about it. So, now, I want to know who it is that's trying to frame me for murder."

"You've got a lot of enemies," Speed pointed out. His eyes flicked to the side for a moment and then focused back on Horatio. "The boat isn't common knowledge though, especially with how rarely you're out on it. I think Delko and I had it last, didn't we?"

"Possibly the time before last," Horatio said. "Did you do any fishing while Eric was diving, Speed? Apparently there was fish blood found."

"Nope, I just sat in the cabin and read, keeping an eye on his camera while he was down, just like always," Speed said. "Eric didn't bring anything back up with him this time around. Just empty reefs, well, empty of anything interesting."

Horatio nodded and picked up the bag. "I think, Speed, that I want to go and take a look at my boat. Grab your gear and meet me in the Hummer, please. I want a second pair of eyes on things," he said.

"Sure."

"Thank you." Horatio headed into the shadows near the rear door to the trace lab and held out the bag. "I believe that these are yours, Rick," he said softly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"If I find out you are lying to me, Sergeant, then I will go and speak with the Chief," Horatio said just as softly. "Planting bugs without a warrant is illegal, and I would not want to have to report that IAB is using illegal means in an attempt to trap the officers of this department." He caught Stetler's eyes with his own, trapping the other man with his gaze. "Do I make myself clear?"

Stetler took the bag and stalked off, not saying a word. Horatio shook his head. "Eric."

"How long's he been acting like a spoiled bitch?" Eric asked softly.

"Such language. Since Rebecca vanished," Horatio replied. "It would seem that Stetler believes I had something to do with it all."

"Must have hit his head harder than usual or something," Eric said. "What can I do to help?"

"Let Calleigh know that IAB is sniffing around more than usual and keep your eyes open for bugs planted in the labs," Horatio said. "I found five in my office that were placed overnight. It would seem that someone is out to get me, Eric."

"Too bad he's being so stupid about it," Eric said.

Horatio nodded thoughtfully. "Stupid, yes, but possibly on purpose. We don't have all the facts here, so let's all be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, you got it, H."

"Thank you. Speed and I are going to check my boat. It would seem that someone borrowed it without permission, and I want to know who."

"I'll let Cal know."

"We'll call when we're on our way back," Horatio said. "Thank you, Eric."

He headed back to his office to grab his kit and then went out into the parking lot, finding Speed at the Hummer. "How many?"

"Four so far," Speed said, holding up the small electronics. "I think you should check your house when you get home tonight, Horatio. This is really getting out of hand, and there's no way to know if he's broken in there or not."

"I think it might be time to speak with my lawyer," Horatio said. "This is quickly becoming harassment, Speed."

"Yeah, no kidding."

Horatio looked back towards the department and a slow smile spread across his face. The lawyer was a vampire that came to the country in the middle of the 1800s from the courts. She loved a good argument, and it seemed that Horatio would soon have the perfect one just for her.

Chapter Text

Horatio stepped out into the sun after spending several hours talking over various options available to them to deal with Rick Stetler. None of them were fast, but both vampires wanted to keep their activities as shadowed as possible until they chose to strike. He had just pulled his phone out of his pocket to call Speed with an update when it rang. "Horatio," he said, heading towards the Hummer quickly.

"H, it's me. I need you."

"Aaron?" Horatio paused, stepping to the side, out of the sun. He'd never heard the younger vampire sound so upset. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I've been set up," Aaron replied. "I've been set up to fall, and I took an innocent with me. Please help me, H. I don't know who else I can call."

He started for the Hummer again. "Hang on for me, Aaron," Horatio said. "Stay there and do not move no matter what. Keep everyone out except for me. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, and I will. Just hurry."

"Fast as the plane can get me there. Text me an address."

"Okay."

Horatio ended the call, even though he hated to leave his younger brother alone when he was so obviously distressed about something bad. He called the airport to get the plane ready, and then called Speed. "It's me."

"What's wrong?"

"Aaron just called. He's in trouble and needs my help. I'm going up there, Tim."

"You know Stetler is going to jump on this the second he gets wind of you leaving town," Speed said. "It's not like you can really write this off as a family emergency. Even if that's what it is."

Horatio sighed. "I'll deal with Stetler when I get back," he said. "I'm not sure what else I can do right now. Vlad's people are hunting groups that should be ours by rights. It's possible that Rick might have to disappear, Tim."

"I'll get in touch with our helpers in Italy and see if they're available," Speed said. "So much for slow and legal, H."

"Slow and legal will still work if he does not push me when I get back," Horatio said, pulling up to the private hanger. "I'm at the plane. I'll call when I know more."

"You taking your sword with you?"

"Of course," Horatio grinned. "Aaron sounded as if he were almost broken, Tim. I'm going to find out who was stupid enough to hurt my baby brother and then I'll take care of the problem."

It was Speed's turn to sigh. "Be careful. I don't like that I can't come up to watch your back. This could easily be a trap, Horatio."

"Tim, I'm counting on it."
*~*

Horatio took a taxi from the airport to the address Aaron sent him. His senses were on high alert as he walked from the street into the building, and up to the apartment where Aaron was awaiting his arrival. He knocked in sequence on the door and stepped back to wait. The door opened and Horatio almost swore when he saw his younger brother. Aaron Hotchner was red-eyed and pale, as if he hadn't fed in several weeks. The younger vampire was wearing a white t-shirt, probably his undershirt, and black slacks. "H."

"I'm here," Horatio said softly, moving into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. "Are we alone?"

"Just Spencer, and he's, well, he's...."

"Hey, it's okay," Horatio said. He put his sword down by the door and pulled Aaron into a tight hug. "I'm here and I'm not leaving until we work this out, Aaron. Come on, let's sit down and you can tell me the whole story from the beginning."

Aaron Hotchner was Horatio's sire's fourth child, and the only other one still living. He'd adored Horatio when he was growing up and tried his hardest to be just like his older brother, but Aaron was not a fighter. So he turned his attention to studying the humans that he lived amongst, and was one of the founding fathers of Criminal Profiling. He curled up in Horatio's lap so many times as a child and when he was growing up, and did the same when he and Horatio sat down on the sofa to talk. "I don't know where to start," he muttered, face hidden against Horatio's neck.

"Start with who owns this apartment," Horatio said softly, rubbing Aaron's back.

"Spencer Reid, one of the agents on my team," Aaron said. "If transformations were still allowed, I would have already done it to Spencer, Horatio. He's an amazing young man that could bring so much to our lives as vampires. I thought I'd managed to hide my interest in him, but Gideon noticed and called me on it."

"Your team leader, right? Jason Gideon?"

"Yeah, that's him. About two months ago, Spencer started coming to work with dark circles under his eyes, bruises, and what looked like handcuff bruises on his wrists," Aaron said. "I wanted to ask him about it, make sure he was okay, but Spencer is closer to Gideon than anyone else on the team, so I left it to him. Gideon called me into his office to let me know that Spencer was dabbling in sexual kink and he was concerned that Spencer was going to be hurt. I didn't want to believe it. There were no signs at all that Spencer would be into the scene, and I thought there was another reason for the bruises, but Gideon insisted that Spencer confessed to him about his activities."

Horatio rubbed Aaron's back. "What happened next?" he asked softly.

"Gideon and I went to one of the rougher clubs, and there was Spencer, sitting at a man's feet, hands securely cuffed behind him with metal cuffs," Aaron replied just as softly. "They looked like the same sort of cuffs my team carries, and Spencer was fighting them. I thought that he didn't want to be there and that was why he was fighting against the cuffs. Gideon said that Spencer was still being trained and that he would be punished for moving like he was. The punishments for that particular club were whipping and group sex. I had to leave, Horatio. I couldn't watch any of that happen to Spencer. Not with how much I'd come to love him. When he came to work the next morning, he was limping and couldn't sit down. My heart broke because I knew the signs. He hadn't been whipped."

"Then what happened?"

"I watched him grow thinner and more pale, and then Gideon came and told me that Spencer left the club scene because it wasn't what he was looking for," Aaron said. "He handed me an envelope and said that Spencer asked him to bring that to me because it wouldn't look right for him to give it to me himself, and he didn't want to cause trouble for me at work. I waited until I was alone and then read it. The letter was a confession, H. It was Spencer's handwriting and, in the letter, claimed that he'd been trying to find something to ground him. Something to help him with his focus, but nothing he'd found worked for him. He was too focused on me and it was impacting his work. Spencer wanted to know if I would come over for dinner and stay the night. I didn't reply immediately because I wasn't sure what to think of the whole thing, but Spencer kept looking at me with these eyes, puppy eyes, H, and I just couldn't say no. So we agreed to last night."

Horatio reached down and pulled Aaron's head up so he could look into his younger brother's eyes. "You were set up," he said softly.

"I raped him," Aaron almost wailed. "He'd never been penetrated before and there was so much damage, H."

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes. I nicked my finger and spread my blood inside him to help the damage heal, but that was all," Aaron said. "There wouldn't be enough blood there to cause him any lasting harm, but he's gone, H. I can't reach him."

"Aaron, listen to me for a second," Horatio said softly. "I think that there's another vampire on your team, one you didn't know about because he's a different bloodline than one you've ever encountered before, and he's been using Spencer Reid in an effort to get to you. Let me up and I'll go check Spencer for you."

"What am I going to do, H?" Aaron asked, sliding over onto the sofa. "How do I live with myself?"

"You were a pawn, Aaron. You are as much a victim in this as Spencer, and I'll help you both, okay?" Horatio said. "Let me go take a look at the young man and then I'll take care of the rest of it."

"How?"

Horatio grinned. "No one messes with my family and survives to tell others about their deeds," he said. "Wait here, Aaron, and I'll be right back, okay?"

Chapter Text

Horatio walked down the hallway towards the bedroom, mind turning through all the information Aaron gave him. If Jason Gideon were a vampire, it was possible that young Spencer had been in a trance whenever he was at the club, when he wrote the letter to Aaron, and at other times. Horatio hoped that the young man wasn't, that there was some other influence involved, because there was no way he would be able to finish the transformation of the young man, and it was possible that Spencer would remain in a trance for the rest of his life because, unless his so-called vampiric master chose to reverse the trance, there was nothing Horatio would be able to do. It was one of the limitations of the bloodline. With a small sigh, he pushed the door open and went inside.

Spencer was lying in the middle of the bed, eyes open and staring up at the ceiling. He was breathing, but there was no other movement from the bed. Horatio moved over and looked into the young man's eyes. They were vacant, but that could be because Spencer was hiding deeply within his own mind rather than because of a blood-induced trance. His pulse was steady and there were no obvious signs of bleeding. Horatio sat down on the bed next to Spencer and tilted his head to the side, searching for any traces of bite marks that weren't fresh. As best he remembered, Aaron tended to bite his partners a lot, especially when he grew close to climax. There wasn't anything that would be able to help him.

"Can you hear me, Spencer?" he asked, taking the young man's hand in his own. "My name is Horatio and I'm here to help you. Squeeze my hand for me if you can hear me." He sighed. "All right. I'm going to have to go and have a little chat with your mentor, Spencer. There are questions that I need answers to that you aren't able to give me. If you're hiding, you need to come back. The pain should be gone by now, and you're safe. No one is going to hurt you again, Spencer. I promise you that."

He pushed up off the bed and headed back down the hall to the living room. "I can't tell, Aaron," he said. "It's possible he's in a trance and it's possible that he's hiding. Without a bloodline link, there's nothing I can do for him right now. I want you to stay here and stay on guard while I go and talk with Gideon."

"What are you going to do, H?"

"I'm going to find out the truth, Aaron." Horatio picked up his sword. "I'm already in a bad mood because of idiots keeping me from my duties to my kings. If Gideon won't tell me what I want to know, then I'll make him. Stay here and don't leave for any reason until I'm back. Call in sick to work if it ends up taking me more than tonight to get answers, okay?"

Aaron sighed. "Yeah. Okay. There's no vampire in the area linked to Constantine, is there?"

"No, but we can always take Spencer to Miami and have Tim look at him if it turns out to be his bloodline," Horatio said. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Aaron. Stay strong for Spencer. He needs you to guard him right now."

"I'll do my best," Aaron said.
*~*

Jason Gideon lived in an apartment not far from Spencer Reid, but the difference in neighborhood was remarkable. Horatio walked around the building a couple of times, looking for secondary entrances and exits. He couldn't sense a vampire around, but that just meant there wasn't anyone of his bloodline in the area. Finally he slipped inside and headed for the elevator. Horatio went up two floors below Gideon's, and took the stairs the last two floors. He wasn't sure if this was a trap for him or revenge against Aaron, but he wasn't going to walk into anything blindly. He finally tapped on the door to Gideon's apartment and stepped back, sword hidden under his jacket. "Are you Jason Gideon?" he asked, when the door opened.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Horatio, I'm Aaron Hotchner's older brother," he said. "Would it be possible to talk to you for a minute tonight? Aaron's been hurt badly and I'm afraid he's not going to be at work for several days."

"Come in, please," Gideon said, stepping back and to the side. "What happened to Aaron?"

"He was in an accident and is alive," Horatio said, looking around the front room. "I'm afraid he may never be the same again."

Gideon moved in towards the kitchen. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked.

"Water would be fine, thank you," Horatio replied, sitting down in the one chair that would not leave his back exposed. "I'm sorry for just turning up like this, but my cell phone battery died on the way here and I don't have my car charger with me."

"That's fine, it's not a problem." Gideon came back into the living room and handed Horatio a glass of water. "Was it a car accident?"

Horatio bit back a small smile when he noticed the other man wasn't breathing. "No, it wasn't," he said, setting the glass to the side. "I'm afraid that he was set up by someone close to him to do something so opposite his nature that Aaron has suffered lasting trauma from events. It's possible that he will have to leave his job forever because of what happened tonight."

"I'm afraid I don't understand. What exactly happened to Aaron?" Gideon asked.

"He attacked and raped someone that he loves," Horatio replied softly. He stood up and crossed to the other man. "Someone that he treasures more than anything else in the world, and he was greatly misinformed. Tell me something, Agent Gideon. Do you believe in vampires?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Right now, everything, because the one that Aaron attacked is in a trance," Horatio said. He looked into the other man's eyes and smiled. "A trance you placed him in, Agent Gideon."

Gideon broke and started laughing. "When did you figure it out?" he asked.

"You forgot to breathe," Horatio replied. He pulled out his sword and let it rest in his hand. "You, my friend, have messed with the wrong vampire."

"You're not a threat. No one in the Two Courts is," Gideon said. "You're led by scholars and weaklings."

Horatio grinned when five other vampires came into the room, all armed with short swords and daggers. "Gideon, let me ask you one question before you order your helpers here to attack," he said. "How old are you?"

"Two hundred years," Gideon said. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Just curious," Horatio said. He moved forward, sword glittering in the light as he cut down all five vampires before one of them could make a move against him, ending up behind Gideon with his sword held against the other vampire's neck. "I'm over six hundred years old and have been fighting for most of those. I do not know where people keep getting the idea that the Two Courts are weak because our leaders have turned to study after many centuries of warfare, but we are not weak. We are strong, and now, my friend, I have permission to kill you. I think that it is time for you to talk, and you do not want to lie to me. I will torture you to get the truth, and no one will ever find your body."
*~*

The sun was up when Horatio arrived back at Reid's apartment. He let himself in and, when he saw the living room was empty, headed down the hallway to the bedroom. Aaron was lying curled up next to Spencer, but not touching him, blocking him from anyone that came in the door. Horatio smiled and squatted down next to the bed, running his hand through Aaron's hair. "Hey."

"You're back," Aaron said, eyes opening. "What happened?"

"Gideon was a vampire from the clan that formed in Russia, but his blood was weak because he's far removed from the founder of the clan," Horatio replied. "I need you and Spencer to come to Miami with me. I've been in touch with Greece and they're going to send a healer over to work with Spencer. This is a blood-induced trance, and Gideon refused to remove it."

"You killed him, didn't you?"

"I had to," Horatio said. "Aaron, listen to me for a minute, okay? Spencer doesn't remember anything from the past six months. He's one blood infusion away from becoming a vampire, and you know what that means."

Aaron nodded. "There's no bringing him back out of the trance," he said softly. "He either stays like this for the rest of his life, risking death if anyone forgets to tell him to do something, or he has to be transformed. But there's a ban, Horatio. The kings won't allow us to do that."

"I spoke with them," Horatio said. "In detail and they both have agreed to talk about the situation. It's possible that they'll make a medical exception for the healer from Greece to transform Spencer. We can't do it, Aaron, but it's possible the kings will allow the healer to do it."

"They've stood firm for almost seventy years, Horatio. 1946 was when the decision went into place. Why would they revoke it now?"

"They're not revoking it. They're thinking about adding a subclause to their ruling that in emergency situations, when someone has been brought to the brink without asking for it, that a healer can evaluate the situation and, if they believe it better for the person in question, with approval from the two kings, finish the transformation," Horatio said. "Sort of a medical emergency situation. Can you get away to come down to Miami with us, Aaron?"

"I'll quit if they won't give me the time," Aaron said. "Spencer is more important than my job at the FBI. I can work from the shadows again if I have to."

"All right. Then let's get Spencer ready to travel and we'll be in Miami by lunch. Tim's waiting for us, and I'm sure he'll have something ready for us, if not someone."

Chapter Text

Once the plane was in the air, Horatio settled Spencer as best he could and then took Aaron forward. "You have to be prepared for the simple fact that Spencer may not listen to orders from us because we're not of his bloodline," he said. "I've seen this before, Aaron, and it's not pretty."

"He's not going to die before the healer can reach us, is he?"

"No. No, he'll be fine for several days before he goes into a decline," Horatio said. "Spencer's trance is not unlike a coma, Aaron, and the healer will treat it as such until the final ruling comes from our kings."

Aaron groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "What are the chances they'll agree, Horatio? You know them both better than anyone. What are the odds Spencer is battling?"

"I'll be honest with you, Aaron, I don't know. We just eliminated a pair that was transforming humans against their will, and Vlad extended protection to the babies," Horatio said. "On the other hand, as you pointed out, the ruling has been in place since 1946 and has never been violated by a member of the Courts who then lived. I hope that they'll agree because Spencer is a remarkable man that would be able to do so much good in the long term. There's nothing I can do to influence their decision any."

"So what do we do now?"

"Let's see if he'll listen to either of us," Horatio said. "The most important thing to remember is to think before you give an instruction because the human in the trance is not thinking for themselves."

"I've never done this before."

"I'd be worried if you had." Horatio dug out a bottle of water, opened it, and moved back to the row of seats where Spencer was lying. "Spencer, can you sit up, please?"

Aaron exhaled sharply when Spencer sat up suddenly. "Thank you," he whispered to no one in particular.

Horatio held out the water. "Spencer, I want you to take the bottle of water from me and slowly drink it," he said. "Sip the water, pausing to swallow and then breathe between each sip until the water is gone. Then put the bottle down on the floor next to you and lie back down. You need to sleep, Spencer."

"What about food?"

"Not while we're in the air. Fluids are the most important right now," Horatio said. "Tim will have some soft foods ready for him when we get home. Aaron, I need to tell you that I'm having trouble with one of the IAB officers. He's become fixated on the idea that I killed a woman and disposed of her body."

"Did you?"

"Of course, but she was a spy sent from a rival vampire that's attempting to assume control of America," Horatio said. "She was also indirectly responsible for the death of an innocent."

"No great loss then," Aaron said with a shrug. "How much trouble are you having?"

"Enough that I'm expecting him to be waiting at the airport for us when we land," Horatio said.

Aaron grinned. "I think I'll be able to help out with that," he said.
********

Horatio gave Spencer detailed instructions as the plane was landing in Miami, and asked that Aaron wait in the plane until he was certain it was safe for him to come out. The plane taxied into the hanger and Horatio deplaned as soon as the pilot shut off the engine near the door. He wasn't disappointed. "Hello, Rick."

"Where did you run off to so fast, Horatio?" Stetler asked. "I thought you'd skipped town to avoid prosecution for murder."

"I was called north by a friend at the FBI that needed help with something, Rick," Horatio replied. "And I urge you to reconsider any attempt to charge me with murder before all the evidence has been evaluated by a neutral third party at another lab. Now, if you do not mind, I have had a long couple of days and I need to get home."

"You're not going anywhere but to jail, Horatio," Rick said.

"When did IAB start making assumptions?" Aaron asked from the top of the stairs. "It seems to me that the very charter for IAB cites neutrality and stability for their officers, and you, Sergeant, are about as far from neutral as it is possible to be."

"Who the hell are you?" Stetler demanded.

"My name is Aaron Hotchner," Aaron said, starting down the stairs to stand next to his brother. "Supervisory Special Agent with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. Lieutenant Caine has been helping me with a small matter the past couple of days and I am perfectly happy to get involved in whatever matter it is you seem so determined to frame him for."

Stetler took a step back, but his glare didn't lessen any. "This isn't over, Horatio," he snapped.

"I believe it is, Rick," Horatio said. "My lawyer will be in touch."

"You'd really bring Hetty into this?" Aaron asked, glancing over at Horatio with a small smile.

"She already is," Horatio replied. "Go get Spencer, Aaron, and let's go home. I have a feeling that this problem with Rick is only just starting."

Chapter Text

Hetty was sitting at the dining room table with Tim when Horatio and the others walked into the house. Horatio looked back at Spencer. “I want you to go to the chair to the left of the table and sit down, Spencer,” he said. “Sit quietly for me, okay?”

“What’s happened to the boy, Horatio?” Hetty asked. She was a tiny vampire from Vlad’s line that had been practicing law in one form or another for the past three hundred years. A lot of people looked at her and saw a small woman and immediately assumed she was a target. Those people usually didn’t last long. Hetty was a scholar, but she was also from Vlad’s line, and that meant she could fight well.

“He’s in a blood trance, and the vampire refused to lift it,” Horatio said. “It’s the Russian clan, so there’s nothing any of us can do until the healer is here from Greece. Aaron, sit down, please. You’re not going to do any of us any good if you pass out before we can feed you.”

Speed put Aaron into a chair and went to join Horatio over in the kitchen. “I’ve got some blood in the fridge,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I like to be prepared. Stetler was back sniffing around at work, Horatio. Delko and I watched him as best we could, but we couldn’t really tell if he was doing anything or not.”

“He met the plane at the hanger, so that means someone tipped him off when I was coming home,” Horatio said. “I think, Tim, that we need to take some time and question everyone that’s working around us. Human and vampire both. I don’t like how easily Stetler is getting information on me.”

“I can put in some complaints for you, Horatio, but I don’t think they’ll do you any good,” Hetty said. “I still think his death is the best option we have.”

“I want to save that for a last option, especially since we don’t know where all of his information is coming from,” Horatio said. He sat down next to Reid and put a bowl of chicken broth in front of the young man. “Spencer, pick up the spoon, dip it in the broth, do not overload the bowl of the spoon, bring it to your mouth and sip it slowly into your mouth. Swallow, breathe, and keep doing the same until the soup is gone.” He rubbed his face and sighed.

“Here,” Speed said, handing him a mug of blood. “Eat. The pup isn’t the only one that needs food. Aaron, you too.”

“Thanks, Tim,” Hotch said with a small smile. “Hetty, I might need your help with something too, once you’re done helping Horatio clear up the mess down here.”

“I can manage to pin everything on Gideon, so don’t worry about any of that,” Horatio said. “You focus on healing, Aaron, and let me worry about the rest of it. If you and Spencer do have to vanish, then I’ll take care of that too.”

“As king of America, you’ll be able to do that,” Hetty said. “I’ve been approached by JAG to head out to Los Angeles and head up the local NCIS office out there. It would be a change, and I’m tempted to accept it.”

Horatio smiled. “Having you on the west coast would be a help to a few plans Tim and I have in place, Hetty,” he said. “We’re going to set up one of our courts there. North, but it would still be good to have you close.”

“I’m glad my plans have folded in so neatly with yours, Horatio,” she said with a smile. “Who is going to govern the court while you’re not there?”

“I was thinking about Arthur and Merlin,” Horatio said. “The pair of them are still in hiding in the Court in England, and I think they might enjoy getting out after a few hundred years.”

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to pull Merlin out of England with a pair of swords, let alone words,” Tim said. “The man has always linked to the magical powers of that land to do his own work. Not to mention Arthur is still rumored to return some day and sit upon the throne again. No, I think that Tony is a better bet for admin out there.”

Hotch shook his head. “Tony won’t leave without his partner, and you know that you’re not going to convince him to go anywhere and run a court for you.”

“I wouldn’t ask him to run the court,” Horatio said with a smile. “If we’re going with Tony and his partner, then I think that weapon’s master would be a good job title, don’t you?”

“That might get Jethro’s attention, yeah,” Speed agreed. “I guess we do need to figure out exactly who we want to have running that court for us while we’re here in Miami.”

“As soon as we have word that we have the court, we can start talking about that,” Horatio said. “For now, we have dual problems; young Spencer here, and Rick Stetler.”

Hetty grinned. “If you’ll leave Stetler to me, Horatio, I believe that I can make him back off without traumatizing him too badly. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know, okay?”

“That would be wonderful, Hetty, thank you,” Horatio said. “The healer from Greece should be here late tonight or early tomorrow morning. I’m holding onto hope that the Kings will agree to let the healer transform Spencer, but I don’t know if that’s false hope or not.”

“I don’t think it is,” Tim said.

“Why not?” Aaron asked, looking over at the older vampire.

“Both Vlad and Constantine are aware that the world is changing, no matter how much we all might want to hold onto the past we so fondly remember,” Speed said. “So, that being said, they’re reevaluating a rule they put into play after a horrible war. It’s possible that they’re going to be making some changes to everything, and we just have to wait for the official proclamations.”

“I think someone has been talking to his sire again,” Horatio said. He looked over and saw that Reid had finished the soup. “Good boy, Spencer. Well done. Now, pick up the glass of water and sip it slowly. Breathe between each swallow for me.”

Speed shook his head. “I’d forgotten how detailed you have to be with someone in a trance,” he said. “I hate thinking out that many steps in advance. Horatio’s always been better at it than I have.”

“I think it comes from being a better fighter, honestly,” Horatio said. “Think about a sword fight. You can anticipate up to five moves in advance, more if you’re a good fighter. That talent bleeds into other parts of a fighter’s life, oftentimes without anyone noticing it.”

“Then he says something like that and I’m reminded how much crap he talks,” Speed said.

Horatio grinned. “I love you too, you big grinch.”

Chapter Text

Horatio was in the back of the house helping get Reid settled for the night when he heard the doorbell ring. His keen ears picked up conversation, so either Speed or Aaron answered the door, so he focused back on the young man in his care.

“Hello, Fia,” a soft female voice said from the doorway.

“Helena,” Horatio said, turning with a smile. “The kings sent you for the evaluation?”

Constantine’s daughter was one of the most powerful healers in the Greek court, and it was rare for her to venture outside of its walls for any reason. She smiled and walked up to give Horatio a hug. “I requested it when I heard the story,” she said. “Tell me of the young man.”

“His name is Spencer Reid and he’s a genius in many senses of the word,” Horatio said, turning back to the still form on the bed. “By human standards he is young. By ours, a baby. One of his supervisors was a vampire from the small and relatively unknown Russian line and placed him in a trance many times without anyone realizing it. This is the final trance, Helena. Either he is transformed or he dies.”

“Wrongly, I might add,” Speed commented from the door. “This kid didn’t ask for a damn thing beyond acceptance and he was used in a power play. Tell me how that’s different from what Brass was doing out in Vegas.”

“It’s not and you’re quite right,” Helena said, looking back at her younger brother. “Let me look into his mind and see what he would become before I make my decision.”

Horatio nodded and bowed. “We’re in your hands, Helena,” he said. “Come on, Tim. Let’s go see how Aaron is holding up.”

“Badly, I’m sure,” Speed said. He bowed to his sister before following Horatio out and back down the hall. “Okay, she’s like the last person I expected to see here. There’s more going on than we think, Horatio.”

“When isn’t there when it comes to our kings?” Horatio asked with a small sigh. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough, probably right before there’s either fighting or a war starting up.”

“I’m supposed to be the sarcastic one,” Speed pointed out.

“I think you’re rubbing off on me, Tim,” Horatio said fondly.

Hotch, who had been out on the deck, stuck his fingers in his ears. “I don’t want to hear about it,” he said.

“Someone’s mind isn’t where it should be,” Speed said. He sat down next to Hotch and grabbed one of his arms. “The healer is here and is in with Spencer.”

“Who is it? Anyone I know?”

“My older sister, Helena,” Speed said. “Before you ask, no, I don’t know why the hell she’s here, and I’m pretty sure we’re not going to find out until she wants to tell us about it.”

“I don’t want Spencer to end up as a piece in a power play,” Hotch said.

“We won’t let him,” Horatio said softly. “It’s okay, Aaron. I know you’re worried and scared right now, but Helena is a powerful healer, one of the most powerful I know, and if anyone can help Spencer, it will be her.”

“What happens if she won’t transform him? What do we do then?”

Horatio sighed. “I think that the best thing for Spencer would be to let him be taken to one of the medical houses in Europe where he can be cared for properly,” he said. “I would make sure you were able to go along, if you wanted to, Aaron.”

“A week ago I knew where I wanted my life to go,” Hotch said with a sigh. “I was even reasonably happy with the way things were starting to work out in the BAU. Seeing the fruits of so many years’ work finally coming together and starting to do some good. Now I don’t know what to do.”

“Trust that the kings know what they’re doing,” Tim said. He leaned forward on the table with a sigh. “I suppose that’s going to include us one of these days, isn’t it, H? How the hell are we supposed to rule?”

“I think that you should allow Fia to rule and you keep him grounded, brother,” Helena said from the doorway to the house. “I will transform him.”

“What’s the catch?” Speed asked.

“For once, there isn’t one,” Helena replied. “Father and Vlad are still rethinking the ban, but they gave me blanket permission to act as I best see fit in cases such as this starting today and moving forward. I think they realize that too many lives have been cut short unfairly and wish to remedy this.”

Horatio nodded. “I wonder if the case in Vegas didn’t have something to do with it,” he said. “So, the question now is if you are going to transform him here or take him back with you to one of the remote courts.”

“I will take him to Europe,” Helena said. “You well know, Fia, the dangers of attempting to raise a fledgling in society. They have grown only more so as humans have developed around us.”

“Will you take Aaron with you, please?” Horatio asked. “He needs a chance to heal as well, and he loves Spencer.”

“Of course, should he wish it,” Helena said. “It would be a hundred years, if not longer, in the same court. Is that something you wish, Aaron?”

“I’ve always been more a scholar than fighter, even if I am from Vlad’s line,” Hotch said with a wry grin. “Yes, I’ll be fine in a remote court as long as there’s a library and a garden.”

She smiled. “There is both there,” Helena said. “What of your life here?”

“I’ll take care of things for you, Aaron,” Horatio said. “Actually, Tim, what do you think about this? We get temporary help running the court in California and when Spencer is okay to travel again, he and Hotch run the court for us there?”

“That could work,” Speed agreed. “What do you think, Hotch?”

“I’d have to see what Spencer wanted to do, but don’t count us out,” Hotch said. He stood and hugged his brother tightly. “I’m going to miss you, H.”

“I’ll come visit when I have the time,” Horatio said, hugging his brother just as tightly. “Keep me updated on how you both are doing, okay?”

“I will,” Hotch said. “Tim, thanks for the temporary home. I really appreciate it. Both of you let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with Stetler.”

Horatio grinned. “I will,” he said. He focused in on Helena. “Take care of them both for me, Helena. Thank you for all your help.”

“They will be fine, Fia,” Helena said. “You focus on the coming battles you have here.”

“Better words of caution have never been spoken,” Horatio said. “Our enemies here are numerous, but they underestimate one thing.”

“What’s that?” Hotch asked.

“The courts. They seem to think we all have grown weak over the long years,” Horatio said with a grin. “I think they’re going to find out quickly that they’re very, very wrong.”

Chapter Text

“So what do you think Hetty is going to do to Stetler?” Speed asked that night, once they were alone in the house. “And do you think it’s anything we need to be worried about?”

“I think that she’s going to put in a report for harassment with the department, along with a warning that should it not stop immediately then she will take legal action on my behalf,” Horatio replied. “No one wants to see Hetty take legal action, Tim. Remember what happened in Paris.”

Speed snorted. “That family was never the same again, were they?”

“No they weren’t, and I think to this day they teach their children to stay on the correct side of the law at all costs,” Horatio said with a grin. He stepped up behind his lover and slid his hands up under the pair of t-shirts Speed had on. “I also think that we should take advantage of having the house to ourselves again, Tim. What do you think about that?”

“Only if you move us away from the damn window,” Speed grumbled.

Horatio chuckled and started walking, moving Speed in front of him, sucking on his neck softly. “Does that mean you don’t want to go outside on the back deck then?” he asked.

“Do you want me to kill you now?” Speed asked. He lifted his arms up and let the shirt be pushed off. “Because that’s still an option.”

“I think that I could keep you distracted enough that you wouldn’t know where we were, Tim,” Horatio said.

“Distracted or not, I am not spending the night outside, Horatio. I don’t care if this is Florida, we have too many enemies around again to take that kind of risk,” Speed said. “I am not fighting anyone naked.”

“I like fighting naked enemies,” Horatio said. “They have nowhere to hide weapons and they’re much easier to kill.”

“You know what I meant,” Speed said. He turned and captured Horatio’s mouth with his. Horatio moaned softly and opened to his lover, being careful of the fangs that had dropped down.

“I think, once we’re in power and have our enemies eliminated, that I’m going to take you out onto the beach and make love to you there,” Horatio said. He nipped at Speed’s neck carefully. “Out where anyone could see us in the moonlight, making you scream for me over and over again before letting you fall apart into an intense climax.”

Speed looked up from undoing Horatio’s jeans. “I think that if you think I’m going near sand naked then you have another thing coming,” he said. “It took a week to get all the sand out of me last time.”

“I remember,” Horatio said. “You grumbled at me for the whole week.”

“Sex on the beach is not sexy, Horatio,” Speed said. He pushed his lover down onto their bed and went to get the lube. “Sex on the beach is abrasive and messy.”

“For the one on the bottom anyway,” Horatio said. He grabbed Speed and pulled him down onto the bed, rolling so he was on top of his lover. “For the one here, it’s fun.”

“Still not happening,” Speed said. “Anywhere in the house is fine with me, but we are not going outside for any reason. I don’t care how lightly you sleep, someone could still get in a fatal wound before you woke up.”

Horatio pushed back when the lube hit him in the head, taking the hint. He slicked two of his fingers and reached down to start spreading the lube around. Speed really didn’t need too much prep after several hundred years together. “That could happen in here too, Tim,” he pointed out.

“Not with the alarm systems we have in the house,” Speed said, pushing back against Horatio’s fingers. “Feels good, H.”

“You want another one?”

“No, just you,” Speed said.

“Where do you want to bite tonight?” Horatio asked, spreading lube over his erection. “Neck or wrist, Tim?”

“Wrist,” Speed said.

“You’ll have to do all the work then,” Horatio said, shifting off his lover to lie on his back. “There’s no way for me not to crush you if I’m on top and we do a wrist bite.”

Speed straddled Horatio and moved, taking his lover’s erection inside him slowly. Horatio’s hand went to Speed’s hips to help him balance until he found the exact position he wanted to be in. He also raised his legs a little so he’d be able to thrust once Speed started moving. “Needed this more than anything else,” Speed said, starting to move slightly. “Need to make more time for this, H.”

“Yes we do,” Horatio said. “Always going to need you, Tim.”

Speed leaned down to kiss Horatio before he started to lift up and slide back down, setting the rhythm he wanted for the night. He needed to be careful not to become addicted to the sensations of the wrist bite, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Speed knew that Horatio would always humor him, let him choose whatever position he wanted for sex when they had the time, but Speed also knew there was something in the warrior that enjoyed holding him down and almost using his body for release that he had to be careful to let have time every so often. Horatio was such a tender lover most of the time, careful to hide the warrior in the more modern society, that Speed was the only one that would be able to encourage him to come out and play. And he had to admit that it was really hot when Horatio lost control and was rougher than normal. Speed would have to remember to suggest that one for next time.

“Close, Tim,” Horatio said, hips pushing up as Speed came down, letting him slide that much further into his lover’s body. “Very, very close.”

“Almost,” Speed said. He hadn’t found the angle that would light up his body, but he knew the bite would help him over the edge. There was something about Horatio’s fangs sliding into his wrist that took him higher on pleasure than anything they ever did together.

Horatio caught Speed’s left hand and started to mouth at his wrist, letting his fangs slide over the exposed veins. Speed shivered and started to move faster, catching Horatio’s wrist in his hands. “Now,” he managed, biting Horatio.

The red head’s fangs slipped into the veins in Speed’s wrist and Speed flew apart, climax shuddering through him, causing his body to shake as he drank from his lover’s wrist. Distantly he felt Horatio’s climax inside him and he finally slumped down to the side, eyes fluttering closed.

“You okay, Tim?” Horatio asked, checking both their wrists to be sure the wounds closed.

“Very,” Speed managed, cuddling up next to Horatio.

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed were on their way to the lab the next morning when dispatch called and redirected them to a crime scene not far from the university campus. Alexx and Calleigh were already there when the pair arrived.

“Okay, I haven’t seen anything that brutal since the Inquisition,” Speed muttered as he and Horatio approached the scene. There was a body hanging from a large tree, and even at a distance, it was obvious he’d been tortured before he was hanged. The question was, did he die from his wounds or the noose around his neck.

“Don’t forget Scotland,” Horatio said softly.

“Oh yeah,” Speed agreed. He moved to start taking pictures while Horatio went to speak with the ladies.

“Alexx, what do we have?” Horatio asked.

“He’s a professor here at the university,” Calleigh replied instead of Alexx. “The students that found him are with patrol answering questions. I was trying to work out the best way to get him down without damaging evidence when you got here.”

Horatio nodded. “Okay, thank you,” he said. “Calleigh, will you go on over to the school and find out who the immediate supervisor is, please? I’ve got a few questions for them.”

“Will do,” Calleigh said.

“Alexx, what do you think we’ll lose if we cut him down?” Horatio asked.

“Nothing, if we do this right,” Alexx said. She held up a package. “I’ve got a large tarp here ready to go, if you boys have some cutting gear.”

“We don’t, but I know where we can get some,” Horatio said with a smile.
*~*

“Who teaches hate?” Speed asked later that day. They were on their way to the classroom to get reference samples from the students in the professor’s class. “I mean that seriously? Who needs to teach hate? That’s the one thing I think no one ever needs to teach because humans manage hate so well on their own. History is full of examples of it.”

“Which would be an interesting class, if the man didn’t start believing in what he taught,” Horatio said. “It’s one thing to study hate in history through the lens of science or academics, but it’s another to degrade students whose only mistake was signing up for the class.”

Speed snorted. “The school seems to be trying to cover up that they knew full well what the man did in class,” he said. He pushed the door open and found twenty pairs of eyes staring at him.

Horatio moved around his lover and headed towards the table at the front of the room. “Good morning, class,” he said. “My name is Lieutenant Horatio Caine and I will be your guest speaker this morning.” He put his kit on the table and opened it up. “Lesson one will be how to correctly take a DNA sample. Who would like to be first?”
*~*

Calleigh was working in one of the labs when Horatio and Speed got back from the university. “Horatio, can you help me for a second?” she called.

“Speed, go ahead and take our samples on over to DNA,” Horatio said, handing off the envelope. “Let’s find out which students touched that rope. Calleigh, what do you need?”

“All these weapons you guys found are wrong for the torture devices,” Calleigh said. “Alexx made as many molds as she could for me, and nothing is matching.”

“Let me see,” Horatio said, pulling on a pair of gloves.

“Here are the molds and pictures,” Calleigh said, handing them over. “God damn it, why is he back again?”

“Who?”

“Stetler. He’s been haunting the lab all morning and it’s really freaking me out,” Calleigh said.

“Just ignore him,” Horatio said. “I see what you mean about these marks, Calleigh. They were made by weapons, or items, smaller than anything our teacher had in his cabinet. What else did Alexx find?”

“He was alive when he went up into the tree,” Calleigh said. “None of the wounds were even close to fatal, even when totaled up. There’s a lot of trauma to his body, yes, but nothing that would have killed him. What do you want, Stetler?”

“I need to speak with Horatio alone,” Stetler said.

“Calleigh, go back and talk with Alexx again for me, please,” Horatio said. “See if she’s found anything else with autopsy on our victim, please. Rick, what can I do for you?”

Stetler gritted his teeth. “I apologize for harassing you,” he managed. “It won’t happen again.”

Horatio grinned. “You’re right that it won’t, Rick,” he said. “Because, if it does, you will be in more trouble than you can ever imagine. Now, that said, the lab has not turned up any new evidence in Rebecca’s disappearance, but we’re keeping an eye on a few things. I’ll make sure you’re notified should any new evidence come to light.”

“Thank you.” Stetler turned and stalked out of the room.

“Looks like he had lemons for breakfast this morning,” Speed commented, joining Horatio in the room. “I wonder exactly what Hetty said to the Chief on our behalf.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever know, Tim, but I am glad that Stetler has backed down, at least for the day,” Horatio said. “I do think that we need to stay on the alert for more problems from him. Stetler doesn’t strike me as a man that will back down without a fight, no matter what he’s threatened with.”

“You’re right enough about that,” Speed grumbled. “No luck with weapons?”

“Not yet, but I think that we should go and take a look at his house, don’t you?”

“It beats standing around here waiting for test results,” Speed said.

“It certainly does,” Horatio agreed.

Chapter Text

“I smell blood, Tim,” Horatio said softly.

“I smell scared human,” Speed said just as softly. “I’m going around to the back, H. Whoever is in there is the one that killed our professor, and we don’t want them to escape.”

Horatio grinned. “Just toy with them a little first,” he said. “Two minutes, Tim, and then I’m going in.”

“Two minutes.” Speed nodded and headed off around towards the back of the house. Horatio stayed where he was, counting slowly in his mind. When he reached a hundred and twenty, he pushed the door open and walked in.

“Well, hello again,” he said, looking at the small woman sitting at the desk running papers into a shredder. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a key,” she said. “We all do. The professor welcomed us any time we wanted to come over.”

“That’s not what I asked you,” Horatio said. He leaned against the wall and put his hands into his pocket. “I’m certain you remember who I am, so you know why I’m here. Why don’t you put the papers down and tell me why you killed your professor?”

“I didn’t kill him!”

“Didn’t you?” Horatio asked softly. “Then why are you destroying all of his papers? I think that he was using you for something, maybe sex, maybe fame, but whatever it was, you found out about it too late and after you killed him.”

She threw the stapler at his head. Horatio caught it easily and grinned. “One of the many weapons you used to kill him,” he said softly. “I can smell the blood on here. You attacked him here, in this room, using anything that came to hand after you rendered him helpless, and you took him out to the place where he used rituals to teach hate, and you murdered him.”

“What do you mean you can smell his blood?” she asked staring at him.

“There are worse monsters around than the ones that wear human skin,” Horatio said, not moving from against the wall. “It just happens that I’m one that wears a human skin. So is my partner.”

Speed leaned around the girl, fangs visible, and grinned. “Boo.”
*~*

“Teaching hate and using students as a study without their permission,” Horatio said, looking over all of the paperwork they’d brought back from the professor’s house. “Somehow, Tim, I don’t think the world will be a worse place with this man gone from it.”

“I think that poor girl lost her mind before she killed him,” Speed said. “I can’t believe she tried to attack us when we told her she was under arrest.”

Horatio nodded. “The hospital will help her as best they can,” he said. “It’s possible that she’s too far gone for anyone to bring her back again.”

“It’s sad that she fell into his web so easily,” Speed said with a sigh. “Tell me the school is going to be in trouble for all of this.”

“They will, and I believe several people have already lost their jobs and been brought up on charges,” Horatio said with a small grin. “I do know that teachers there will be watched far more closely than they have been in the past to be certain that there’s no one else that thinks teaching ideas like these are a good idea.”

Speed sighed. “Wish we’d been able to catch this one sooner,” he said.

“So do I, Tim,” Horatio said softly. “If only because that man would have made good sport. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to play with him before he died.”

“I think we need to find you a hunt or let you loose in bed tonight,” Speed said, looking over at his lover. “Because the warrior is trying to come out again, Horatio, and we don’t need that with Stetler still lurking around.”

“It’s only a shame we can’t make sport out of him,” Horatio said. “Come take a walk with me, Tim. I heard from Vegas. Vlad and his people have eliminated the nest there and are moving on to California and their target there. I’d like to go and join them.”

“How are you going to get the both of us out to California by tomorrow night without raising questions in the department?” Speed asked.

“There’s a conference in San Francisco that I signed us up for at the last minute,” Horatio said. “Mac and Danny are going as well, so we’ll be able to catch up with them a bit more than we have over the phones.”

“And what will happen when the lab finds out that we weren’t at the conference at all?” Speed asked, glancing over at his lover. “Any major deaths out there are going to catch attention in the media, and Stetler is already looking for reasons to get us fired.”

Horatio grinned. “I think, Tim, that we’ll be able to do both,” he said. “Although it will take a bit of coordination and work with Vlad and his stealth forces.”

“You want to send two of them to the conference as us while we join the group to fight,” Speed said. He sighed. “I guess that’s not the craziest plan you’ve ever come up with.”

“No, the craziest plan I ever came up with was Germany just before the first of the world wars broke out,” Horatio said. “Remember?”

“I try not to,” Speed said. “All right, so I guess we’re going to California. Have you told Calleigh that she’s going to be in charge of the lab yet?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay with us going first,” Horatio said. “When we get back to the lab, I’ll talk with Calleigh about the next week or so while we’re out in California.”

Speed sighed again. “I guess this is easier than finding you some sort of a rapist to let the warrior out on,” he said.

Chapter Text

The hotel where the convention was being held was large and spread out over a full city block. Horatio and Speed were able to get one of the last rooms available on-site, and were just settling in when Vlad and the captain of his stealth force arrived.

"Vlad," Speed said, bowing.

"Grandfather," Horatio said, also bowing before being swept up in a hug.

"I understand there is an obstacle to you joining us upon our hunt, Fia," Vlad said, sitting in one of the chairs. "I wish for you to join us for the sport, and so those in this fake nest will understand what true kings are."

Horatio grinned. "There is a human where I work causing issues for me, so I have to be seen to be in a class when the killings begin," he said. "If you can spare two of your team, Arlen, then Tim and I will be able to join our king upon the hunt."

"You wish the stealth team to wear your face as a blind while you hunt," Arlen said. "I have two within my force who match your builds closely enough that casting the illusion will be no issue. My liege, does this plan suit your desires?"

"It does," Vlad agreed. "Fia, will you be able to cast illusions to allow you and Tim to leave once the stealth team is in place?"

"With no problems," Horatio said. "I want this vampire's head, Vlad. He has caused no end of trouble within this country and should have been stopped many years ago. That we did not sense his plans sooner troubles me."

"He was far enough away from the two courts for us to be blind to his actions," Vlad said. "This, among other reasons, is the reason Constantine and I wish to create you both kings and gift you this land. The time has come for the two courts to cede control to a new court."

"A branch of the two courts, Grandfather," Horatio said. "Tim and I will rule, and we will rule fairly, but all within our courts shall know that we still hold loyalty to you and Constantine. Our court shall stand in support of yours."

Vlad smiled. "We expected no less from you both," he said. "The combination of bloodlines will be interesting in the years to come."

"Do you plan to allow creation once more?" Tim asked.

"It is something we are open to discussing in certain cases," Vlad said. "Such as your brother's young man, Horatio. We have received regular reports and he is slowly coming to terms with what happened to him, and how his new life will be. In time, I believe he will be a fine addition to our courts, even if he's not of our blood."

"He will become half, once he and Aaron bond," Horatio said. "We had hoped, should you allow such a thing, for Aaron and Spencer to come and manage the secondary court here once Spencer comes of age."

"I see no reason why we cannot allow it," Vlad said. "You and your brother have always remained close, despite the difference in your ages. If you wish his aid with your courts, then I shall speak in your favor when the time comes."

Everyone paused when there was a knock on the door. Arlen went over and opened it, allowing two of his stealth team into the room. "These are the two who will become you for the time you're with our liege."

"Then let us set the illusions and depart," Vlad said, standing. "I wish for us to strike in the night, when they are less likely to be expecting us. The time comes now to plan."

Chapter Text

The compound in question was set back up in the mountain about an hour and a half out of the city. The vampires appeared back from the fence that encircled the land and gathered for final instructions. Vlad's personal guard and fighting squad were some of the best in their world, and Horatio enjoyed any chance he could get to stand and fight with them. Speed was less thrilled about the fight, but knew he would be able to get some sport on his own while his lover enjoyed fighting everyone that came near him. They really needed to find a way for Horatio to get sport more frequently to try and keep his bloodlusts to a minimum, but it wasn't easy in the middle of a city like Miami, and especially not in the more modern times. It was too easy for forensics to figure out how someone died, and the wounds Horatio tended to leave always left questions to be answered.

"It is your fight, Grandfather, but would you allow Tim and me to take point?" Horatio asked.

"Find me the leader of this clan and bring him before me," Vlad replied. "My team will eliminate the others in the compound, you two find me the leader and we will talk with him for a time before we kill him."

"Understood," Horatio said with a smirk. "Tim, are you ready?"

"I really hope none of them try to swarm," Speed grumbled, pulling out his sword. "I guess we're not taking the guns this time?"

"Only if we need them," Horatio said.

"Great."

Vlad's team opened the front gate and quickly killed the three vampires standing guard there. Horatio and Speed led the way through the gate and started towards the main house with a small team of Vlad's best behind them. They could sense vampires throughout the area and Speed glanced over. "H, I've got bloodline connection. There are some of Constantine's blood here and we weren't expecting that."

"Arlan?"

"Understood," the vampire said, stepping back. He would go and report to Vlad and rejoin them as he could.

"We know the leader here is a traitor to the two courts, Tim, it's probably something we should have expected when we learned who was here." Horatio took out a vampire running at them with one swing of his sword and barely broke his stride. "We need to be alert to the possibility of the other, less known, bloodlines sneaking up on us while we're occupied."

"They don't know us very well, do they?" Speed said. He took off one vampire's head and skidded to a stop. "Swarm."

Horatio spun around and brought his sword up. "Good."

Speed grumbled under his breath the whole time while he killed anyone that came near him, leaving most of the sport to his lover. Horatio was in his element, battling close to fifteen young vampires that seemed to not have studied swordcraft for more than ten years. He finally lowered his sword and shook his head. "Are you done playing with them yet, H? We've got a traitor to find."

"Almost," Horatio said, cutting down two vampires with two slashes of his blade. "These pups don't know what they're doing. Gray wouldn't let them out of the training room for another half century."

"You might as well have your fun, it's obvious they know we're here," Speed said. He absently killed another vampire that was trying to sneak up on him and looked around. "I wonder what their strength is here?"

"Not fighting," Horatio said, killing the rest of the swarm.

"Will you focus for one minute, please?" Speed asked. "And you've got blood on your face."

"Tasty," Horatio replied with a smirk. "Okay, okay, I'll behave, Tim. What were you saying?"

"I was wondering how many vampires they have here," Speed said as they started towards the main building again. He grabbed Horatio and pulled him in, licking the blood off his face. "Sour. Must be their evil deeds leaking into their blood. This seems a little too easy."

"It does. I'm expecting the real battle to be in their throne room when we finally get there," Horatio said, wiping down his sword. "If this imposter has any sort of training from the two courts, he'll have his main forces standing guard over him and the weaker ones out in the compound. He's studying us as much as we're attempting to study him. That's why I was toying with the kids, of course. But you know all of this, Tim, so what's wrong?"

"It just all bothers me when it's so easy to get somewhere we're not supposed to be," Speed grumbled. "I know the real fight will be ahead of us, but these kids are being used as fodder to find a way to destroy us."

"They're forfeit as soon as they joined the traitor," Horatio pointed out. "There would be no trusting them, no matter how we plead with the kings."

"I'd rather not have traitors at my back no matter what," Speed agreed, killing the vampire that tried to sneak up on them. "There's the main door. What do you think, should we be obvious and just walk in?"

Horatio grinned. "Where's the fun in that?" he asked.

Chapter Text

The team spread out where they would be able to see all the doors and windows into the main house, including a pair at the front door. Horatio and Speed decided to take a quick look around to see if there was a better way in that might be less guarded than they knew the front and rear doors would be. "I smell human, Tim, it looks like reports were correct. Do you think they're here of their own free will or do we risk finding them in trances?"

"I know we won't know until we're in and able to look at them, but I'm leaning towards a mix," Speed said. "Here, Horatio, this looks promising."

"If they're innocent, I'm tempted to ask Vlad to spare them and allow them return to their lives if there's no risk to them," Horatio said. He looked over the window and pointed. "Alarm."

Speed smirked. "So what happens if we set this one off and went in a different window?" he asked. "Like that one down there that has curtains on it."

"I like how you think," Horatio said. He waved and one of the fighters appeared next to him. "We're going to set off the alarm and then enter through another place. Spread the word through the teams. The alarm will go off in two minutes."

"Understood."

"You're enjoying this," Speed said.

"Of course I am. Battle, enemies, and all the killing I could want," Horatio said. "I miss these things down in Miami, Tim. I know I shouldn't, but I do."

"That's the warrior talking," Speed said. "Thirty seconds."

Horatio stepped back and picked up a large stone that was in the small garden away from the house. "This will work well enough for our purposes tonight," he said. "I try to keep the warrior back as much as I can, Tim, but it's not always easy."

"In a fair world you wouldn't have to, but I understand what you're talking about," Speed said. "Go."

The red head threw the rock as hard as he could and started moving before the alarm sounded. While they both knew it was a weak ploy, it would hopefully distract a few of the vampires inside until they could break in through the other window. They both were expecting at least a squad waiting for them wherever they finally went into the house. Speed watched their backs while Horatio broke the window and stepped through. "Berkeley," Horatio snarled.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Jake Berkeley said with a smirk. "How's dear Calleigh?"

"Fine, not that you really care," Horatio said, stepping forward. "What are you doing here? Our last report had you working in France on a matter for the government."

"Well, here's one of the last snakes I expected to find here," Speed said, joining Horatio. "Looking a little worse for wear there, Jakie-boy, the blood in France not agree with you?"

"Where one goes the other follows," Berkeley said. "What's the lap dogs for the two courts doing here? We thought it was an attack."

Horatio stepped into form and raised his sword. "This isn't an attack, this is spring cleaning."

"Wrong time of year," Speed sighed. "So who else decided to betray the two courts there, Jakie-boy? I'm not too surprised by you, now that I think about it, but I'm a little disappointed. You turned your back on the two courts when they saved you. I always did wonder if you were able to feel anything other than self-preservation. Guess I got my answer there. He's not worth the sport, Horatio. He failed every class Gray put him through."

"Which is why I have guns instead of swords," Berkeley said.

"Please," Speed said. "Those are worthless against us, which you would have known if you actually paid attention to your history lessons at the two courts."

"You can't move faster than bullets," Berkeley said.

Horatio dodged to the right while Speed went to the left and they both ended up behind the vampire with swords at his throat. Horatio spun around to let Speed handle the kill when he caught the scent of humans approaching. "End it," he said.

"With pleasure," Speed said. "Shame to waste the blood, but we've got plenty of meals walking." Speed turned away as the body fell and focused on the humans spilling into the room. "Huh, guess that answers the question here. They're awake and aware."

"Planning to overthrow some government, I'm sure," Horatio said. "I'll take the left half."

"Meet you in the middle," Speed agreed.

The pair waited until all the humans were in the room and took a brief account of what they were facing. Young men, muscled, armed, and ready for a fight; just not for a fight against two ancient vampire warriors that knew how to move as a team. Horatio and Speed cut through them quickly and wound up facing each other across the doorway. "I really would like some sport before this is over with, Tim."

"Hopefully in the throne room," Speed said. "Figures they aren't polite enough to have directional signs up for visitors. What do you think, left or right?"

"Left is the front door," Horatio pointed out. "Unless the throne room is centered, right seems the better option. Wonder who else we're going to meet here?"

"With hope, someone that knows how to fight so you get some sport."

Horatio grinned. "If I get good sport, Tim, I'll throw you into the blood and ravish you before we go back to the hotel."

"Tease."

Chapter Text

The halls of the main house were suspiciously empty. Of everything. "Guess they've been too busy to hire interior decorators," Speed said as they made their way along. "Wonder where they got the curtains? Maybe they just put up some bed sheets and called it good. They certainly don't seem to care for their house. I see potential in it though. Knock out a few walls here, a couple of windows there, and it could really be a good summer home."

"And people wonder why enemies don't like to fight you," Horatio said with a fond smile.

"Please, I can critique their fighting while they're fighting me," Speed said. "It's all in the eyes. Besides, if they can't take criticism, they shouldn't have picked up a sword against me to begin with. I don't know, H, I think the ancient arts are dying."

"Fortunately not in the two courts, but I'll agree with these upstarts," Horatio said. "Tim, do you see gold doors down that hallway?"

"Tacky," Speed said. "Bet that's paint."

"Why do I think that's the throne room?"

"Because we know this creep has no taste and no style, and seems to want to set the world back about four centuries," Speed said. He hit the door with his sword, staying to the side. "Yep, paint. Cheap paint, to boot."

Horatio handed over one of the cloths they used to clean their swords. "So, we know who has set this court up, we know he has all the morals of a snake, and we know he has a fondness for surrounding himself with humans," he said. "Though we've never worked out of they're for food, entertainment, or sport. How do we want to do this?"

"With as much blood being shed as possible," Horatio said, looking at the doors. "I think, however, we are facing the possibility of a lot of guns and other not so legal weapons in that room. What do you sense?"

"About a hundred bodies, mostly vampire, but humans spread throughout," Speed said. "Not impossible for us, but we're going to have a bit of work ahead of us."

"Arlen."

The vampire appeared next to Horatio. "Fia."

"Have your squad on stand-by, please," Horatio said. "Tim and I can handle the number in there, but it will be good know we have back-up if we need it, and your people are the only ones that can fight alongside us without worry for their safety."

"Understood."

"Open the door for us, please, Arlen," Speed said, moving into position. "H, fast and hard?"

"My favorite words," Horatio said with a smirk.

Arlen just shook his head at the pair and moved some of his people into position to open the doors. Horatio and Speed each took a deep breath, eyes closed for a second, centering themselves for the battle ahead. It had been about eighty years since they last killed a nest with humans in the mix, but they knew that as long as there was no swarm to begin with, they would be fine. Horatio's eyes were almost glowing when he opened them and nodded at Arlen.

The door opened to a large room, probably meant to be a ballroom or meeting room, that had no furniture visible from the door, what looked like a raised platform at the other end with a throne, and a couple of large tapestries. The room was full of people, all of them facing the door. Most had guns in their hands, though some had swords, and Horatio thought he saw at least three axes. He brought his sword up and stepped into the doorway, Speed next to him. The older vampire looked around. "Seriously, where is the decoration?" he asked. "What are you all, mindless drones or something?"

Horatio smirked at the confused faces as the men started looking at each other and rushed into the room, cutting to the right as Speed moved to the left, both killing the first man they encountered. The scent of blood seemed to bring the enemy back to what was actually happening, but by that time, the ancient vampires were in position to fight and kill without mercy. Vampires and humans fell where they stood as the pair moved through them quickly, cutting down the enemy with ease. "This isn't a battle," Speed grumbled, taking off a man's head, "this is an embarrassment. What the hell have you all been doing for the past decade, sleeping? You can't even use the guns reliably, and they don't take brains to work. I think that humanity has fallen farther than we thought, Horatio."

"We really need to find some sport, Tim," Horatio said. He glanced up and found John Hagen staring at him. "Well, this is unpleasant. Tim, got an old friend of yours here."

"Hagen. They really are scraping the bottom of the barrel here, aren't they? First Jakie and now you. Do they have every embarrassment from the two courts here?"

"You two talk so big and never back it up," Hagen snarled, bringing up his sword.

Both Horatio and Speed looked behind them at the trail of bodies and then back at the younger vampire in front of them. "I don't know if his mental problems have been addressed or not," Speed said. He cut down three humans that tried to grab him and walked over towards Horatio. "I also see Ratner and Resden. Why don't you leave this sick puppy to me and go have some fun with them?"

"It's not good sport, but it'll do," Horatio said, turning towards the two that thought they were sneaking up on the pair. "Two men that wanted to be evil and ended up as pathetic. I wish I could say I was surprised to see you both here, but I would be lying."

"Caine," Resden said. "You can't fight both of us at once."

"I don't plan to fight either of you," Horatio said, moving his sword a little. "I saw your training sessions, you're both pathetic and refuse to listen to improve."

The men pulled out guns and fired, but Horatio was already moving. He took down Ratner in two moves and caught Resden from behind with the sword behind his neck. "As I thought, pathetic," he said, cutting Resden's throat. He turned back to fight the remaining crowd while Speed took care of Hagen. The man had been insane before he was turned into a vampire in the 1700s, and fled the two courts when they tried to help him. The insane, however, were the more dangerous to fight, so he kept one eye on Speed as he finished cutting down the rest of the interloper's minions.

"If you had been smart, Hagen, you would have stayed with us and let the healers help you," Speed said, slowly circling the other vampire. "Instead you turn up at an insurrection and have forfeit your life, if you ever had a life. I somehow doubt it, despite the gift you were given by your sire. I just wonder how your side didn't realize how sick you were before she turned you."

"I never asked for any of this," Hagen snarled, lunging forward.

Speed stepped to the side and thrust, catching Hagen cleanly through the ribs. "Then that's all the more reason to end it," he said, letting the body fall behind him. He looked around and found Horatio had eliminated the rest of the group while he was occupied. "Having fun, H?"

"Give me another hundred and we'll talk," Horatio said. "Now, where is our interloper? Do you smell him, Speed?"

"No, so I wonder where he's hiding now," Speed said. "Arlen."

"That was a moment of beauty," Arlen said, appearing next to them. "My team will search the house and see if there are any hidden panels or secret rooms. There should only be one or two vampires here, the teams outside are reporting all killed and no one hiding."

Horatio nodded. "So now we need to find the man who tried to be king," he said, eyes bright with the thought of a battle to come.

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed met up with Vlad and Arlen by the front of the large house. "He fled," Horatio snarled. "Like the rat he is."

"We will track him as best we can, but he knows how the two courts and our stealth teams operate," Vlad said. "Do you like this land?"

"It has possibilities," Speed said, looking around. "We would need guards from the two courts and a construction team to come in and fix it up, but it's possible. What do you wish of us now, Vlad?"

"Normally I would ask you remain and oversee the transition of the land, but with the problems you face in Miami I know that is not possible. Hetty has arrived on this shore. I will ask her to come up and work with our teams to remake this compound into one you can use as a summer home should you wish it," Vlad said. "We will manage the transfer of deeds as well, though our interloper will see not a cent of the money."

"We will need to be alert until he is dead," Horatio said. "He will continue to work with Stetler to cause problems for us in Miami, and killing Stetler is not an option for us now, no matter how we may wish it to be. I suspect he has fled to Los Angeles, Grandfather; he has humans there that think he is their great uncle. We will coordinate with the stealth teams to find and destroy him."

Vlad looked over the compound with a smile. "This is a good message that the two courts, and our new kings, are not weak," he said. "While I wish we could burn it to the ground, that would be a waste of materials, and possibly hurt the forest."

"As good as a nice bonfire is, this time I don't think it wise," Horatio said. He sighed, "I was so hopeful of some good sport."

"I'll let you turn the warrior loose on me in bed tonight," Speed said. "Vlad, we do need to get back to the hotel. It's going to be tricky to change out with the two holding our places, and darkness will only help."

"You have done us a great favor by being here," Vlad said. "We will be in touch once we have the land secure and everything in order for you to assume control of the compound. Travel well."

"Thank you, Grandfather," Horatio said.

*~*

They were able to sneak back into the hotel and up to their room without anyone seeing them, though it was easier than it probably should have been for a hotel full of crime scene investigators and police officers. Speed shut the door behind them and looked at Horatio. "Where do you think Vogel really is?" he asked. "It's not like him to run from a fight."

"If he's not in LA then he's in another large city where he can hide from our teams," Horatio said. "He's scared of me, and word that I was coming would have been enough to send him fleeing for his life."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. The duel in the 1700s when he thought you stole the woman he wanted to marry," Speed said. "I need a shower, H, you coming?"

"It'll be quicker," Horatio agreed. "Vogel thought he could challenge me to full combat over that bitch. I had no interest in her, but she enjoyed lying to try and get his blood up so sex would be better. It's a sad commentary on his techniques, Tim."

Speed shuddered. "Didn't need that mental image," he said. "She died, right?"

"Took the death blow for him, not that he deserved to be saved," Horatio said, stepping into the tub with his partner. "I would have killed him too, but he ran before I could bring my sword back around. Vlad banished him that evening and he's been nothing but trouble ever since. Here, let me."

"Thanks." Speed groaned as Horatio took the soap and started to wash his back. "Still, I had thought he would have made sure at least some of his minions were able to fight properly. What were those idiots doing with axes? That's one of the worst weapons to have in any sort of a swarm or mob battle."

"They certainly didn't know how to use them," Horatio said. "Here, wash your front. That was a good exercise in not allowing anyone to get close to us, but far from a decent fight. I think that we need to either give our services to the two courts more or start training the next generation. I really feel like I need a good battle."

"We could look into starting the old custom of the fairs," Speed said, turning to start washing Horatio's back. "With combat and prizes and the whole honor system in play. It wouldn't be a good battle, but you could at least be guaranteed some work to get a win."

Horatio smirked. "There is no one in the two courts that will stand against me," he said. "Grandfather might be willing to do a mock combat, but there is no one else. It's ironic those calling us weak are the ones that truly are weak and so easy to cut down."

"Hmmm, I think that perhaps our reputation has suffered in the last sixty or so years because there hasn't been a nest that needed extermination," Horatio said. "So they think that we've gone weak because there is no good gossip about us in the underground."

"Come on, let's get you a little more calm and we can talk about what we want to do next," Speed said, turning off the water. "You want to cuff me to the bed?"

"The headboard is fixed to the wall, there's nowhere to secure the cuffs," Horatio said. He pushed Speed up against the wall and caught his mouth, tongue forcing its way in. Speed moaned and went limp, letting the wall take his weight and Horatio to be in charge of the encounter. Horatio picked Speed up and carried him to the bed, tossing him into the middle before climbing in after him. Speed stayed relaxed, knowing the time to fight back was coming, but Horatio needed a bit of time to find the mindset where he wouldn't maim Speed. Fortunately Speed had tucked lube under the pillows before they left the room, just in case there wasn't any good sport for Horatio at the compound. The few times without lube taught him to always be ready for anything.

Horatio prowled up the bed, leaving small nips to Speed's legs before he straddled his hips and leaned in again for another kiss. Speed opened his mouth, mindful of his fangs, and caught Horatio's tongue between his teeth. Horatio growled and reached up, catching Speed's jaw in his hand and forcing it to open. He plunged inside and rubbed the roof of Speed's mouth with his tongue, pulling a moan from his partner. Speed brought his hands up and pried Horatio's loose, trying to roll him onto his back. That was when the fight for control of the encounter started. Their lips stayed connected while their hands and legs pushed and pulled, both trying to get on the top. When it ended, both vampires had scratches on their arms, backs, and chests. Horatio finally managed to pin Speed's hands to the bed and bent down to lick up some of the blood.

"Lube," Speed said.

"Where?"

"Pillow."

Horatio reached under the pillow and pulled out the tube. He coated his erection with it, not wanting to tear his partner, and thrust home in one move. Speed's head thumped on the pillow a couple of times at the sudden stretch and burn, but Horatio started moving before Speed could get his breath back. He brought his legs up and tried to pull the other vampire deeper. Horatio snarled and pulled out, flipping Speed onto his stomach. Speed had enough time to brace against the headboard before Horatio was back inside him, thrusting sharply, hitting his prostate on every move. The older vampire knew that the first time that night was going to be over quickly and did his best to rub against the sheets while Horatio moved. He felt Horatio stiffen just before the heat flooded his body. Speed grumbled a little because he hadn't been close, but rolled with Horatio onto their sides, Horatio still buried inside him. "H."

"Shhh," Horatio said. He extended his arm under Speed's neck and reached down with his other arm to start to stroke Speed's erection. Speed shuddered at the feel of fangs on his neck and pulled Horatio's arm up to his mouth. Horatio managed a couple of small thrusts and bit down, pushing Speed into his own climax. Speed bit down on Horatio's wrist, sucking in blood to try and help the ache he knew he'd feel in the morning.

"How many times?" he asked, once the wounds were closed.

"Not yet," Horatio replied, nuzzling his partner's neck.

Speed sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

Eric was waiting for the pair when they arrived at the lab two days after the battle at the compound. "So you guys had fun," he said softly. "Stetler's been sniffing around again."

"Our target fled," Horatio said, heading into the lab proper. "We managed to eliminate the threat he left behind, but all that is going to do is call information to the area. Vlad's forces are in play to handle everything, but word will get back to Stetler because we weren't able to eliminate Vogel with his pathetic attempt at a court."

"Pathetic is too good a word for it," Speed grumbled, limping along behind them.

"You okay?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, peachy," Speed said. "Someone didn't get good sport so we had to handle it another way. Don't ever try sex more than three times in one night, Eric, it's a literal pain in the ass."

"You loved it and you know it," Horatio said, leaning in with a smile. "What else has been going on, Eric?"

Eric decided against laughing at the pair, at least until he was alone. "We've had a rash of carjackings that's confusing the hell out of both Cal and me," he said. "It seems to be mainly tourists that are getting hit, but we can't figure out how anyone knows they're tourists. There was also a call-in about a problem at one of the crematoriums and a dead body at a private home."

"We'll work in teams until something else comes in," Horatio said. "You can Calleigh handle the crematorium, please. Speed and I will look into the death. Call me if you need help, okay?"

"Meeting tonight?" Eric asked softly.

"Yeah, unless something changes," Horatio replied. "Go on, let's get to work. Tim, are you going to be okay to take pictures?"

"Doesn't matter if I say no, you're going to make me do it anyway," Speed said. "I'll grab my kit, camera, and meet you outside. You want to talk to sunny-boy there?"

Horatio looked down the hall and saw Rick Stetler walking towards them. "Five minutes is all I ask, Tim," he said softly. "Go on, meet you outside. Rick, how are you this morning?"

"I'm fine, Horatio, how was the conference?" Stetler asked.

"It was fun, we were fortunate to be able to sit in on one of the counterfeiting classes," Horatio replied with a smile. "I'm going to speak with the director about the possibility of buying one of the newer machines for the lab, given how much money we have in Miami, it would be good to have. There was also a remarkable class on new photography techniques that we were able to sneak into."

"And the sight-seeing?"

"Unfortunately we didn't have time for any of that," Horatio said. "The next time I'm there, though, I think I might tour Alcatraz. I have a possible homicide waiting for me, Stetler. Was there anything else you needed, or are you just here to tempt me to contact my lawyer again?"

"Just wanted to see how the conference was," Stetler said. "Have a good day."

"You too," Horatio said, watching the man walk off down the hallway. He would have to see if there was a way to search the man's phone records without anyone knowing about it. Vogel would have been in touch, and it sounded like he was still trying to get Horatio in trouble with the department. He smiled and headed out towards the parking lot, when he finally found Vogel, he would repay him all the trouble.

***

"Fancy house," Speed said, looking around as they walked in. "Doubt anyone broke in here, there's a pretty nasty looking alarm system on the wall over there. Who's our detective, do you know?"

"Hey guys."

"Frank," Horatio said with a smile, "what have we got?"

"Guy found naked and tied to the bed," Frank said, heading towards the back of the house. "Lot's of empty drawers, theft is my guess. Plenty of blood too, assault probably, but no sign of any weapons."

Horatio stopped and looked around slowly. "So we work on the theory the deceased knew his attacker and let him or her into the house," he said. "The question then becomes if the assault was the main purpose of the visit or if it was robbery and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"See for yourself," Frank said.

The victim was lying face down on a large bed, black ribbons that might be silk tied his hands to the headboard, and there was blood pooled under his groin. Horatio looked over at Speed who shook his head. He nodded and moved to crouch down next to the bed. "Whoever tied him up doesn't have much experience in kinky sex," he said.

Frank choked and sputtered. "How do you know that?" he finally managed.

"I'll have to take you out some night, Frank," Horatio said with a smile. "These are knots that cannot come undone unless they are cut, or if someone has about an hour to spend trying to get them untied. You never tie anything like this for sex, it's too much of a risk to the bottom. So, we're looking for someone that is either ignorant or didn't tie this man up for sex."

Speed moved over next to Horatio, but had to lean over rather than crouch down. "That's also not a good material to use, too silky," he said. "I'm surprised the man's hands aren't purple. I think this was revenge, H. We need to run his prints and see if he has a history of sexual assault."

"You two are scary sometimes," Frank said, shaking his head. "I'm going to talk with the neighbors, don't have much hope they heard anything, but we might get lucky. You guys okay alone?"

"We'll be fine, thank you, Frank," Horatio said with a smile.

Chapter Text

"So, do you think we have a dead predator in there, Tim?" Horatio asked while they were searching outside the house.

"Yeah, and I think he attacked someone that couldn't get hard for a return assault, though he let the douche in there think that's where it was going," Speed replied. "Unless Alexx tells us different on the post, I think a guy did this. That guy is built and wouldn't willingly be tied up. I didn't see any other injury on him, the anal tearing is obvious, so it's a question of how he was convinced to be tied up."

"If he normally tops in his relationships, that could be another question, why would he willingly go into such a position?" Horatio said. "Footprint and possibly a fingerprint, do you have the casting materials?"

"In the Hummer, be right back."

Frank joined Horatio, shaking his head. "I really don't want to know how you know so much about kinky sex, Horatio, but you're kinda scaring me here," he said.

"I've never liked women sexually, Frank, and I've always been willing to try anything once," Horatio said softly. "Especially when it would bring pleasure to my partner. The man in that room is, by all appearances, an alpha that wouldn't willingly go into such a position as he was found in. I also expect the anal trauma to have been caused by some sort of material that should never be used sexually." He tried not to grin when he smelled the start of arousal coming from Frank. "We've got a few possible traces here that might be able to point us to our suspect. Would you like me to take you out one night, Frank? Show you a bit more about the culture?"

"Never really thought about it," Frank said.

"Just let me know," Horatio said softly. The clubs were also a good place for a meal if Horatio got hungry. "I'm able to go out most nights right now."

"Won't be in a few months though," Speed said, joining them. "I found a metal pipe in the bushes near the gate, H. Guess what it's got all over it."

"Blood," Horatio said.

"Bet it matches the creep inside," Speed said. "Stetler was also there, Horatio, and he said the chief is looking for us."

Horatio sighed. "Why do I feel like I'll be talking with my attorney before the day is out," he said.

"You got trouble with Stetler?" Frank asked.

"Usually," Horatio replied with a smile. "He had it in his head that I killed Rebecca Nievens and am covering up her murder. Why do I think that he's been stupid enough to get the chief involved in all of this, Tim?"

"Because he's an idiot," Speed said.

*****

When Horatio and Speed got back to the lab, they logged all their evidence at the locker, sent a few pieces out for tests that needed to be completed quickly, and headed for the chief's office. Horatio called Hetty to give her a heads-up about what was happening, and she promised to stay close to her phone until she heard from them a second time.

"You wanted to see us, Chief?" Horatio asked, tapping on the door.

"Come in, shut the door," the chief said. "I understand the pair of you went to a conference out in San Francisco this past weekend."

"We did, yes," Horatio said. He sat down and sat back, right ankle on left knee. "In fact, I have a meeting with the board of directors to talk about the possibility of purchasing a couple new pieces of equipment we were able to work with while we were there. I think they would benefit the lab, and help increase our solve rate."

"What about the side trip you took into the mountains?"

"Side trip?" Horatio asked, tilting his head to one side. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Chief. We were at the hotel for the duration of the conference, including two evening sessions."

The Chief turned on the monitor to the right of his desk and pushed play on his computer. Video of the throne room popped up, showing both Horatio and Speed killing the upstart vampires and humans surrounding them. "So this isn't you?" he asked.

"I've never held a sword before, let alone been in a fight with one," Horatio replied. "I suspect this to be very good video editing, Chief. Would you allow night shift to take a look at it?"

"So you're denying that you butchered innocent people in their own home."

"I am."

"Here." The Chief picked up a sword and threw it at Horatio. The red head batted it out of the air and listened to it clang onto the floor. "Well, go ahead."

Horatio slowly stood up and picked up the sword, handing it to Speed. "I may not know about swords and how to use one, Chief, but I know better than to throw any sort of weapon at another person," he said softly. "Rick Stetler and a friend of his, Vogel, have had it in for me for the past year and I have already had my attorney involved once. I don't know why you're deciding to side with them over the evidence, but I am going to take that sword with me so you do not throw it at someone that has bad reflexes and you end up killing them. I will then call my attorney and my union representative. I do not want to see Rick Stetler before I have a chance to speak with both of them. If you are lucky, you will still have a job at the end of this."

Speed stood up and hit the desk with the sword, being clumsy in his handling, but still slicing into the wood. "Yep, sharp," he said. "Could've stabbed Horatio in the hand if he wasn't so alert to everything around him. I think I'm going to join Horatio in this, Chief, because it's pretty obvious you don't give a damn."

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed made their way to a storeroom buried in the depths of the lab that only they had the key to, where they would be able to talk about sensitive matters safely without anyone being able to overhear them. "What the hell was that?" Horatio snarled, locking the door behind them.

"I think that Vogel is making a play to get us out of Miami as best he can," Speed said. He headed for one of the chairs they kept in the back of the room, along with a strong light. "We ousted him, now he's going to try and make Miami too hot for us to stay. Not that he has long to wait, it's already hitting 95 on the heat index out there. I don't mind the city, but the humidity is murder when you can't swim safely."

"We have a choice to make here, Tim," Horatio said, following along, but opting to pace to try and get rid of the energy spike from the sword being flung at him. "We can eliminate the three of them ourselves, take payment from their worthless hides while they scream, or we can go the legal route and worry about them coming back for revenge."

"Or we can start with the legal route, they vanish en route to a facility, and they die screaming after we have some fun with them," Speed said. "This is from the two courts, Horatio. Gray's stamp is on the guard."

Horatio took the sword and looked at it closely. "It must have come from Vogel. I didn't smell him in the chief's office, Tim," he said. "So that means the chief got the sword from somewhere else. I'm willing to bet that Rick Stetler has met with Vogel at least once. I wonder how long I can keep Stetler alive once he's in my power?"

"I think he'd die out of spite," Speed said. "So, we need to see about getting eyes on the ground here looking for Vogel, and I think that Stetler is the best one to lead us to him. What do you think, let one of the stealth teams do the legwork for us?"

"As much as I hate to give the task to anyone else, yes," Horatio said. "We've got to be seen in public when the men vanish, so no suspicion falls on us. The chief goes too, Tim. I do not want that man in charge any longer than he has to be."

"I'll take a look at his bank account and see if there's been any unusual activity in the past few days," Speed said. "Come over here, Horatio."

"What?"

Speed grabbed Horatio's hip and pulled him forward, nudging at his cock through his black trousers. "Mouth?" he asked.

"Please."

Horatio moaned as Speed unzipped his trousers and pulled his thickening erection into the cool air. Speed leaned in and took the length carefully in his mouth, focusing to keep his fangs retracted. Horatio's hands went to Speed's shoulders as he was worked quickly, the older vampire trying to pull some of the nervous energy out along with Horatio's climax. "Tim."

"Better?"

"I wanted to kill him in the office for daring to throw a sword," Horatio said. He pulled Speed up and kissed him roughly. "Make him scream as I bled him dry."

"You'll get your chance," Speed said. "If you're feeling better, we need to go see what Alexx has for us on our dead possible monster."

"That reminds me, Frank started getting hard when I was talking to him about sexual kink and what I had tried," Horatio said, putting himself back together. "I think that we need to try and convince him to join us for a night at the clubs, Tim. That we could feed would just be a bonus."

Speed snorted. "I don't see Frank as the type to want to go to our kind of club, H," he said. "No matter what happened when you guys were talking. Leave the sword here?"

"Do, we'll have to see who it was issued to," Horatio said. "We know it'll be safe enough here. I just think it would be interesting to see Frank's reactions if we were able to show him exactly what we were talking about. If I didn't have you, I might even be tempted."

"I think we need to get you a rapist to hunt because you're getting too hot-blooded for me to help you with," Speed said. "I always know to worry when you start talking so seriously about sex. I don't know if my ass can take much more, no matter what's going on."

Horatio chuckled. "I think finding prey would be too easy in this city, Tim," he said. "Come on, let's go talk with Alexx, and then I'm going to call Hetty and ask for her legal opinion on matters. I think we're to a point where we need outside help."

Chapter Text

Horatio called Hetty as soon as he and Speed were secured in his office. "We need your advice, please, Hetty," Horatio said, sitting down on the sofa. "Vogel has managed to get altered video footage to the department showing both Tim and myself slaughtering people in their own home. The chief has refused to allow the lab to analyze the video and he thought it would be a good idea to throw a sword at me."

"Do you think he has your office bugged again, Horatio?" Hetty asked.

"Most likely, though we've not had a chance to sweep for it," Speed replied. "I think that you need to look at filing a few charges for us, starting with harassment and ending with attempted stupidity."

"And how to you plan to prove such a thing as attempted stupidity?" Horatio asked, looking over at his partner.

"Truthfully, we just need to put them in front of a jury and allow them to talk, they'd prove stupidity better than anything we could file, but that's not likely to happen," Speed said. "The point stands, Hetty, that they're harassing both of us and it needs to end. We've got a nasty homicide that we should be working and instead we're dealing with this crap."

"Talk with Arlen and see if he can bring us the paperwork," Horatio said. "Once we have that in hand, we'll be able to move forward better than we can now."

"Understood, and he's flying back tomorrow," Hetty said. "I'll get him the paperwork and ask him to come see you. Is there anything else you need my help on?"

"Make an attempt to get the video footage to be looked at by an outside lab. I suspect editing, but cannot prove anything unless we have a chance to actually examine the video in question," Horatio said. "Tim's right, we've got what looks like kinky sex gone wrong, but there's any number of clues that makes me believe it's set up to look like that on purpose when nothing actually happened."

Both vampires looked over at the knock on the door. Speed nodded and got up to unlock it. "Calleigh?"

"I'm sorry, but Horatio needs to see this," Calleigh said. "There's something really wrong at the crematorium and he needs to know about it."

"Hetty, I'll call you if I have any more information," Horatio said. "Please let me know when Arlen is en route with the papers."

"Of course, Horatio, good luck with your cases," Hetty said, hanging up.

"Calleigh?"

"It's horrible, Horatio," Calleigh said. She handed over a folder. "They're all just piled up in the back."

Horatio opened the folder and sucked in a breath. "Tim."

"Where's the owner?" Speed asked, looking over Horatio's shoulder.

"We don't know, the man operating the ovens was burned alive," Calleigh said. "We're still trying to work out how that happened, but then we found this. Can we change cases, please, Horatio? I can't work this one."

"Where's Eric?"

"Bathroom."

"Go check on him, Tim," Horatio said. He knew that Eric had seen some bad things in his longer life, but both he and Speed made an effort to keep Eric away from anything truly horrible. "Cal, we can switch, but know that our case involves a possible revenge rape of a sexual predator. We're still waiting on some evidence to come back to tell us what really happened."

"Thank you," Calleigh said, taking a deep breath. "I'll manage with the revenge rape, I just can't go back there and see the bodies again. They're all just there and stacked up like no one cares about them. This isn't what they deserved."

Horatio stood up and pulled her into a hug. "Come here," he said. "You don't have to go back, Cal, we'll trade. Promise me you won't go out drinking tonight to try and forget what you saw. That's not the way to deal with a case like this."

"Never, not with my father. I'd never drink away a case," Calleigh said, holding onto Horatio.

Speed came back in with Eric. "Cal, can you give us one minute and then I'll send Eric to meet up with you," he said.

"Go on, you're strong enough, Cal," Horatio whispered. "Eric, you okay?"

"I think so, but how does someone do something like that?" Eric asked, shutting the door behind Calleigh. "Have either of you seen anything like that before?"

"Only once, and it's not something you forget," Horatio said softly. "Tim and I are going to take your case, you'll join Calleigh on the one we were working. The files are in the locker. Go ahead and take a look and let me know if you need any help with anything you're seeing."

"Eric, let me know if you need to talk," Speed said. "Let's go out after work, hit up a couple of clubs."

"Yeah, sounds good," Eric said with a small smile. He knew they were going to eat, not to dance, but it wasn't something they would be able to say anywhere at the lab. "I'll call if we need you."

"Go on," Horatio said with a smile. "Tim, I think that we need to go and take a closer look at this operation, especially if someone could be burned alive."

Speed sighed. "Well, it's not a rapist, but I think it'll do."

Chapter Text

When Horatio and Speed arrived at the crematorium they found Alexx had called in help from the county to deal with all of the bodies. They could tell by looking in her eyes that she was ready to kill whoever was disrespectful enough to dump the deceased in the backyard instead of showing them the proper respect of either cremation or burial. Speed went inside to see what the situation was there while Horatio went to join Alexx. "How many?" he asked softly.

"Over a hundred, and some of them have been here for a while," Alexx replied. "I'm going to have to check each of them as we move them to be sure no one took it into their head to dump a murder victim here with the newly dead. What happened to Calleigh and Eric?"

"We switched cases, Cal was justifiably upset with the situation," Horatio said. "Speed and I need to find the facility's owner and find out exactly how long the ovens have been broken and how one of his employees could be burned alive."

"I'm going to guess a month, Horatio, but the recent heatwave we've had will have accelerated decay," Alexx said. "This is going to take me the rest of the day and well into tonight to get sorted. I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Thank you, Alexx," Horatio said with a small smile. He stood and just looked at the bodies for a long minute. The last time he saw anything so horrible was back during the second World War when the Germans were working their so-called final solution. The men that thought such indiscriminate killing didn't last long once Horatio and Speed got a hold of them. He thought the same fate would work well in the modern day as it did back in the forties. He finally turned away and headed into the building where the ovens were kept. "Tim?"

"The office has been cleared out," Speed said, looking away from the oven. "All the books and records are gone and it doesn't look like anyone has been in there in a while. This is the oven they found the operator in, or what was left on him. I thought this was interesting, take a look."

Horatio squatted down and turned on his flashlight. "It looks like a token of some sort, maybe from a necklace?" he said.

"That's what I'm thinking. We might have a club token on our hands, H."

"Well, we wanted to go out tonight, Tim," Horatio said with a smile. "We'll have to see if we can find out exactly what that thing is and, if it does link to a club, pay them a visit." He paused. "Tim."

"Yeah, he's here," Speed agreed.

"Arlen."

The vampire appeared behind them and bowed. "Hetty said you had need of my aid?" he asked.

"We need a team to track one of the men working with Vogel," Horatio said with a small smile. "We think that our target is here in Miami and is trying to run us out of our city. I know you need to stay with Grandfather, but would you be able to spare a couple of teams for us?"

"It would be my pleasure," Arlen said. "I can have the teams here by nightfall if you can have pictures of the targets and possible addresses ready for us."

"Of course, tell them they can come to us wherever we are. Tim and I plan to go out tonight and I'm not sure of our schedule just yet," Horatio said. "They will be able to feed before they begin their hunt, should they wish."

"What of the events here?" Arlen asked. "Do you need our aid in this matter as well?"

Horatio smiled. "The one here will find out exactly how angry I am, Arlen," he said softly. "He will find out exactly how angry I am and then will die attempting to escape arrest. No one does anything like this in my city and lives to tell of their actions."

"Now I just have to find him a rapist and he'll be back to normal," Speed said.

Chapter Text

Eric joined Speed and Horatio at their house that evening before they went out clubbing. "Cal's pissed, but we found our killer," he said, shutting the door behind him. "Turns out our victim is a serial rapist that changed his MO and raped a man for the first, and last, time. That guy decided to get revenge and ended up killing the scumbag in the process."

"And the victim didn't feel like he could talk with anyone because of how society sees rape, especially male rape," Horatio sighed. "Do you know how he managed to kill his rapist?"

"That metal pipe did serious internal damage, guy bled out internally," Eric said. "It's a shame we didn't know about him before this, he would have made a good hunt."

"Take a deep breath and come drink some blood," Speed called from the kitchen. "You don't need to be thinking about hunting rapists at your age."

Horatio bit back a smile and followed Eric into the kitchen. "You have to let him grow up sometime, Tim," he said. "And rapists are always a good hunt, especially when you can scare them out of their few wits before you start."

"I'll let him start hunting prey like that in another fifty years or so," Speed said. "You want to help us finish up our case, Eric?"

"What'd you guys find? I couldn't get past the pile of bodies in the backyard to focus on anything," Eric said. "That shouldn't be allowed to happen, I don't care what else is going on, that was just wrong on so many different levels. The dead might not realize what happened to them, but their families are going to suffer a second time because of whoever didn't care enough to take care of their loved ones properly."

"We found a club token to one of the new, more exclusive clubs, in Miami," Horatio said. "We're planning to pay them a visit and, if the owners don't want to play nice, have a long talk about decency and exactly how pissed off I am."

"He won't attack anyone innocent, but you might want to stay behind me for most of it," Speed said. "The last time I saw H this pissed off was in Italy, and it wasn't a good battle."

"That wasn't a battle," Horatio said, "they attempted to hack me to death with axes and didn't seem to care who they hit in the process. It's easy to battle enemies that hack each other to death in their attempts to get to you."

"I'll stay back," Eric said with a snort. He had heard most of their stories, but the pair still managed to surprise him with some of their activities when he wasn't with them. "I've seen Horatio fight enough to know now to get within a hundred feet when he's pissed off."

"You missed him almost attacking the chief today," Speed said. "That idiot decided it would be a good idea to throw a sword at Horatio, and it's only his reflexes that kept him from being stabbed through the hand."

Horatio's eyes flashed. "He's mine when we finally have them within our power, Tim," he said. "I'll show him exactly why it's a bad idea to throw weapons around."

"Sure, leave Stetler for me," Speed said. "I think, Horatio, that we'll chain the three of them up out in the glades at that little hut we have and kill them slowly. Then the gators can feed and we don't have to worry about anyone finding their bodies."

"I can't wait to make them all scream, Tim," Horatio said. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, do we know when Arlen's team is going to find us?"

"No, but it'll be before morning. You've got the pictures and paperwork ready for them?"

"Not that it was hard to do," Speed said. "I think life will be easier without these three hanging around trying to run us out of Miami."

"Then let's go and see what we can learn tonight," Horatio said. "Feeding is open on anyone that takes your fancy."

**

The new club was crowded with people in swimsuits. Speed and Eric went out onto the floor to see what they could learn, and to find someone for dinner, while Horatio stayed up top and spoke with the owners. It wasn't a surprise when they refused to let him see their roster although they admitted the token was one of theirs. Their claims they didn't know who it belonged to fell flat and Horatio was ready to take them both to the office and see what he could learn from them when he caught scent of Arlen's people. With a warning that he would be back with a warrant, Horatio headed for the door.

"Kyle."

"Fia."

"Have your people fed?" Horatio asked softly, looking around.

"They're on the floor now, the blood is hot here," Kyle said with a small smile. "You have the information for us?"

"It's in the car, I didn't want to risk carrying it around," Horatio said. "Your main target is a vampire named Vogel. He was banished from the two courts a few centuries ago and has decided that, since he cannot create his own worthless court, he will drive us from our city." He opened the car and pulled out the folder Speed put together. "Your other targets are associating, and possibly aiding, Vogel. They are both police employees, and Tim and I cannot be seen to be involved in their disappearance."

"Where are we taking them once they are in our power?" Kyle asked.

"There's a map included in the folder, we own land out in the glades," Horatio replied. "You can take and secure them there with no concerns about anyone finding them. Come inform us when it is done and we will handle their interrogation and elimination."

Kyle nodded. "We will report in when they are all in our power," he said. "Our king bids us tell you the land in California is yours and he will send help to prepare it for our occupation when the matters here are concluded."

"Thank you, I'll call Vlad in a day or two and make the final arrangements," Horatio said with a smile. "Speed."

"Thought I smelled the teams in there," Speed said. "Kyle, how many do you have with you?"

"Three teams of three, plus myself," Kyle replied. "Fia was giving me instructions."

"Be safe and be alert, we don't know how much information Vogel will have shared with his patsies," Speed said. "I'm starting to feel stressed and need a good outlet, H, what about the club owners?"

"They know nothing and will share nothing because they've done nothing wrong," Horatio said. "I'm torn between obtaining a warrant and taking payment in blood."

"Let's talk with the crematorium owner before we start bleeding the club owners," Speed said. "Eric's found a girl he wants to spend the night with, so we can go whenever you're ready."

"Kyle, we will see you when your hunt is complete," Horatio said. "I think, Tim, that we should take a small trip to the other coast."

Speed blinked a few times. "That's random. What's in Naples?"

"A cop raping children," Horatio said. "I only just got word."

"I'll drive," Speed said. "You get the knives ready."

Chapter Text

Speed sighed and looked around. Giving the pedophile cop a chance to run wasn't a surprise, but he was a bit surprised when the man opted not to take a car and ran off on foot. Like that would save him. Fortunately for the vampires, the scumbag lived out in the Estates so there weren't a lot of neighbors near his home. "Left of right, H?" he asked.

"Left," Horatio replied. "He's trying to hide in the small lean-to just inside the treeline. This isn't much of a hunt, Tim, but I'm going to enjoy making him scream before the night is over."

"We'll have to be alert to possible patrols, but you should be safe," Speed said. The pair jogged towards the small wooden structure, splitting to go around either side. "Hello again, it looks like you can't manage without GPS, child. You know why we're here?"

"I'm not a kid," the man said, trying to stand up at his full height. "I don't know who you are or what you want."

Horatio held up a picture of the man with a ten-year-old boy. "I suppose you're going to tell me this is faked," he said, moving in.

"It's photoshop," the man said.

"I checked it for manipulation before I decided to come over and talk with you," Horatio said with a grin, letting his fangs show. "There's nothing. This picture is exactly what it looks like. You raping a child. That's one crime I will never excuse."

"What are you?"

"The ones that are going to keep you from seeing the inside of a courtroom," Speed said, walking up. "Your victims will get the help they need, we'll make sure of that, but they're not going to be revictimized by the courts and the press. They'll find you, eventually, but even I don't know how many pieces you'll be in by that time. My partner is creative, trained by some of the best when it comes to keeping a victim alive and in pain for weeks. The more you scream, the more he's going to enjoy it."

"You can't do this! It's illegal!"

"Raping children isn't?" Horatio asked. He licked his lips and pulled out his sword. "I can make you bleed out so slowly you won't know how much time has passed in agony before death finally claims you. Would you enjoy that? All the reports I saw seem to indicate you enjoy inflicting pain. How well do you handle the same?"

"You're not human!"

Speed smirked, fangs visible. "No, we're not," he said. "We're ancient creatures that have killed more evil in this world than you can imagine. Well, as an intelligent human can imagine, I doubt you've got much between the ears there, child. Normally I let my partner have all the fun, his bloodline is pure warrior, but when I find out children have been harmed, I join him in the torture. No one touches children on my watch and lives to tell about it."

"I think we should start with one of the toys," Horatio said. "Strip him naked and shove it so far up his ass that he can taste it. Let him feel the same pain his victims had to endure before we start cutting pieces off him. I'm willing to bet I can keep him alive until dawn."

"I'm sure you can, but we don't have that much time," Speed said. His eyes took on a faint glow. "We have to get home and find our next target. Fia, do you actually have the toys with you?"

"Of course I do, I brought the full kit for rapists and pedophiles," Horatio said. "I'm going to start with that and then I'll move to his feet. Then his knees. Then his hands, arms, and finally his neck. When do you think he'll start screaming?"

"As soon as you touch him," Speed said. "The wimps always do. Get his trousers, I'll get his shirt."

**

The pair was back in Miami just before sunrise. "It's a shame he died as quickly as he did, I would have enjoyed the chance to make him break his vocal chords," Horatio said. "I wonder when he'll be found?"

"Probably sooner than we think, given that Vogel is trying to make trouble for us both," Speed said. "Are you going to be okay if the chief calls us back into his office over this one?"

"As long as he doesn't throw another sword at me, I can keep my temper in check," Horatio said. "We should see about getting someone we trust into his office, Tim. It would make life easier on us if we knew we had a friend that would back us up should we need it."

"You want to start hunting for the two courts again, don't you?" Speed asked.

"As they need us, yes," Horatio replied. "I enjoyed last night, Tim. I'd forgotten how freeing it is to hunt with you. I know we can't do it full-time because of our new commitments here, but I'd like to tell the kings they have us should they require us."

Speed nodded. "Yeah, go ahead, I think that they'll need us anyway because we've got the experience to do what some of the kids can't," he said. "What do you think about starting to help teach some of the next hunters and stealth teams coming through the two courts?"

"That's a good idea, I'll ask Vlad about that one," Horatio said. He pulled into their driveway. "Now we've got to try and stay awake through our shifts and find the crematorium owner. I've got several questions I want to ask him, starting with what the hell he thinks he's doing and finish up with his death."

"Normally I'd argue, but that was too disturbing to not end in death," Speed said. "We could add him to our bounty out in the Glades, Horatio."

"That sounds like a good idea," Horatio said with a smile.

Chapter Text

Horatio was working in one of the trace labs, studying some documents found at the crematorium when he caught scent of Stetler. With a low growl, he put everything away and turned just as the man walked in. "How can I help you today, Stetler?" he asked.

"I was wondering where you and Speedle were last night," Stetler replied. "All reports show that you left Miami and came back just before sunrise."

The only reason there wasn't a trail for anyone to follow as because of how well both Horatio and Speed knew the roads between the east and west coasts. They were able to avoid all traffic cameras, toll booths, and even towns as they went to and from their hunt. "We went out to one of the new clubs to talk with the owners about why one of their tokens was found at our crime scene," Horatio said. "Where a man was burned to death in the oven he was trained to operate. After we were done there, we both went home and reported for work this morning. I think, Stetler, that you are moving beyond IAB boundaries and into stalker category. Do I need to talk with a judge about a restraining order?"

"You can try, but I've got evidence that you're killing innocent people," Stetler said. "I think that any judge would be very interested in that."

"Unverified evidence is inadmissible in court," Horatio said. "Especially now with technology. So, I think, that I will speak not only with my lawyer, but a judge as well to see about a restraining order. Then I will take everything to the chief and make him aware of the issue. Until that time, Sergeant, I suggest that you stay away from me."

"What's that all about?" Speed asked, coming in as Stetler left.

"He wanted to know where we were last night," Horatio replied. "Someone has managed to convince him that we left Miami last night and only just got back a few hours ago. I'm going to call Hetty and then a judge about a restraining order, because he is really starting to scare me with how fixated on me he has become."

Speed looked around and smirked. "Kyle's in the hallway," he said softly. "We might have our marks sooner than we expected."

"Good, then we can focus on our suspect," Horatio said. "This was found folded up between the ovens, Tim. I'm surprised it didn't combust from the radiant heat, but look at this. It's a log kept of who came to visit the ovens, and there's one name that's almost daily and doesn't match anyone else we've seen so far. i think we should find an address for him and go ask him a few questions."

"Starting with why he's at the ovens almost daily," Speed agreed.

**

Their suspect had an office not far out of downtown in one of the towers. Horatio managed to scare the secretary badly enough that she let them in without question, and then ran out with her purse. Speed just sighed and followed his lover down the short hallway to the only other door. They took up positions on either side of the door and listened for a minute before Horatio pushed it open without knocking. "Samuel Brown," he said, "owner of a crematorium that was going broke because of theft. You are a difficult man to find."

"Who the hell are you?" Brown demanded, standing up.

"We were able to find the deed of ownership once we had your name," Speed said, strolling in behind Horatio. "Those ovens aren't cheap to keep running, and suspected theft certainly didn't help matters any, but the rather large pile of dead bodies in the backyard just throws you right over the edge of the boundary from crook to disgusting, and I seriously doubt we can consider you human much longer."

"I'm calling the cops," Brown said, reaching for the phone, only to find Horatio was at the edge of his desk. "You can't come in here like this."

"I think you'll find that we can," Horatio said, unplugging the phone. "Normally we would arrest you and take you to the department for questioning, but the disrespect shown to the deceased at your facility has changed things a little. We're still going to arrest you, but you're going to vanish on your way to processing and I seriously doubt anyone is going to mourn your disappearance."

"i don't know what you're talking about," Brown said. "I haven't been to the crematorium in weeks."

Horatio held up the log sheet. "You missed when you threw this into the fire," he said with a grin. "You might have managed to burn all the other documents, but the one that put you at the crime scene survived. Now, I fully expect you to blame your late oven operator for the deceased in the back of your facility, and I also fully expect you to blame him for the ovens breaking, but we were also able to turn up your maintenance logs, Brown."

"What maintenance logs?" Brown asked. "Stay away from me."

"That is exactly the point, there are no logs for the past three years," Speed replied, moving in from the other side. "Which means there was no one working on the ovens on a regular basis. That much heat, adding in the ambient weather, they would need weekly, if not daily, checks, and you decided to save money. We haven't managed to get into your bank records, yet, but it's only a matter of time. Now, there's two ways we can do this; you can come with us peacefully and without another question, or you can take the fast route to the street."

"What's the fast route?" Brown asked. "The stairs?"

Horatio leaned over with a smirk. "The window," he whispered.

**

The pair turned Brown over to Kyle to take out into the Glades and put down escape from custody on their final report, with a request for all officers to be on the watch for their suspect. Horatio had just put the files away when his phone rang. Speed glanced up and raised an eyebrow. "The chief wants to see us," Horatio said.

Chapter Text

"You wanted to see us, Chief?" Horatio asked, shutting the door behind them. Neither he nor Speed moved to sit down, wanting to keep some distance between themselves and the desk.

"Sit."

"No, thank you," Horatio said. "After you threw a bladed weapon at me the last time I was in your office, I think I'll stand for my safety."

"Why were you both in Naples last night?"

Horatio and Speed glanced at each other. "We weren't," Speed said. "We went with another CSI out to that new club, Shades, to see if the owners were willing to talk with us about the reason one of their executive tokens was found at one of our crime scenes. They were jerks about it, which wasn't a surprise, so we left and went home for the night because we had to be at work early this morning."

"Together?"

"No," Horatio said.

"So you're not sleeping together?" the chief asked.

"I believe that, even if we were, it's none of your business," Horatio replied. "Stetler has already attempted this line of questioning, Chief, and I told him that I was concerned that he was becoming a stalker with how closely he's watching me right now. I will tell you the same thing I told him, neither Speed nor I left Miami last night."

"Can anyone verify that?"

"I slept alone," Horatio said. "Tim?"

"Same."

"So you can't prove you didn't leave Miami?"

"Can you prove that we did?" Horatio asked. He held up a hand, "without resorting to video that likely was created on the computer that you refuse to allow to be checked over by an independent lab?"

The chief sighed. "I don't know why you two seem to think that you can lie to me about everything," he said. "I have evidence you were in Naples last night and I want to know why you were there."

Horatio's eyes narrowed and he looked towards the closet off to the left of the door where he was standing. Speed caught the movement and shifted a little. "I can smell your evidence, Chief," Horatio growled. "Tim, he's in the closet."

"And us without a way to hold him," Speed said. "Kyle!"

Kyle and his team appeared by the desk. "They are here?" he asked.

"That one," Speed said, pointing at the chief. "Just make sure you don't take him while we're in here. Too many people saw us come in. I might not be able to hold H back, be ready."

Two of the team secured the chief to his chair with a gag in his mouth so he couldn't scream. Horatio was focused on the closet and took out his gun as he approached. "He'll try and flee," he said, reaching out for the knob.

"Ready," Speed said. He took the sword Kyle held out. "He won't get out of here, H."

"I plan on it." Horatio opened the door and leveled his gun at the man hiding inside. "Vogel. Finally at my mercy and no bitch in love with you to block the kill strike. I think that I'll enjoy making you scream for me. Walk out of there and do not attempt to fight, not that you ever learned how. Now, kneel."

"I remember this one," Kyle said, moving to secure the other vampire. "Our king banished him when he fled ritual combat. Once a rat, always a rat."

"Yes, he is, and he'll make a nice bounty in our plans," Horatio said, licking his lips. "Kyle, whammy the chief for a few hours and keep the squad with him. Tim and I need to be seen in the office, and the chief needs to be seen by someone else before he is taken. There can be no link to us. Secure them with Stetler and let us know when it is done. I'll call Grandfather and update him."

Kyle bowed. "It will be done," he said.

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed went to Horatio's office, where they would be visible when the chief left his office for the last time, and called England. "My apologies for not calling sooner, Grandfather, we had issues here to handle that only just resolved," Horatio said. "We have found our traitor and he is in custody, and will finally die at my hand just as soon as it is safe for both Tim and me to be away from the lab."

"Constantine and I knew you would finish the mission, Fia, and have no problems with allowing you to finish your business with Vogel," Vlad said. "Will you both be able to honor your commitments to us should you continue to work at the lab as you are now?"

"It is something we need to discuss," Horatio said, looking over at Speed. "We both wish to reoffer our skills as hunters to the two courts, and also offer to help train new hunters once Grey has decided they are capable of such tasks."

"We accept both offers," Constantine said. "Send me a day it will be safe for me to come and I will come to both recover my property from you, and give you your official papers declaring you rulers of your own court in the Americas."

"This next weekend should be safe," Speed said. "There's no rumbles of any large problems, nothing that will cause us problems, and certainly nothing your guards, Horatio, and I cannot handle if it comes to it."

"Then we will send you information as we schedule here," Constantine said. "We also have news of the innocents you send to the remote court, should you be interested."

"Very," Horatio said. "Though I do know that Jesse and Greg are preparing to bond. They will be a good pairing."

"They will, and they have our blessings for the bonding," Vlad said. "I don't think that Greg will become a warrior, he's too gentle a soul, but he balances Jesse well, and that's what your child needs, Fia."

Horatio laughed. "It is, and I'm glad he found someone he wants to be with," he said. "Once they have bonded, I believe Jesse will be willing to come back and resume leading his team should you have need of him. What of Warrick and Spencer, and Aaron?"

"Your brother and his young man have bonded," Vlad said. "Spencer, according to reports, has buried himself in the library and shows no signs of leaving any time soon. Aaron is staying close to him, and it seems like they're working on something that might tie back to their work before Spencer was so badly attacked in a place he should have been safe. Warrick has come to terms with what happened to him and has been accepted in the nursery working with the children."

"Good, I'm glad that everyone is treating them as the treasures they are," Horatio said. "I planned to come over and speak with anyone that had issues with them, and I really didn't want to have to scar any of our courts that badly."

"The members of the two courts have never forgotten how formidable a fighter you are, Fia," Vlad said. "What of your plans now?"

"We will talk tonight and inform Constantine when he arrives for his visit," Horatio said. "Both Tim and I enjoy our work, Grandfather, and do not want to leave if we are able to balance everything properly."

"Though, if it comes down to it, we will," Speed said. "The two courts are, and remain, our priority."

"As we know," Constantine said. "I will see you both soon."

Horatio leaned back in his chair and looked at Speed. "I hope we can balance work and the court business, Tim, because I really do like the work we do now," he said.

"If we can manage to get people into IAB and the chief's office, then I think we'll have an easier time leaving for court business than we do now," Speed said. "It'll be tricky to do, yeah, but it's certainly not impossible. So, if Constantine is coming to visit, we're going to have to wait until next week to start our revenge on our trio out in the Glades."

"Kyle's team can keep an eye on them, keep them fed, until we can get out there," Horatio said. "I think we need to both plan for a couple of days off so we don't have to drive back and forth, and risk being followed. There's no way to know if any of them left instructions for if they vanished."

"The break between them vanishing and us being able to pay them a visit will help us figure out if they did," Speed said. "What do you think about hitting the clubs for dinner tonight? I'm hungry."

"Sounds like a plan to me, do you have a preference for which one?"

"Surprise me."

Chapter Text

A week later, after both Horatio and Speed re-pledged their loyalty to the two courts, received the paperwork declaring them rulers of the Americas, the deeds to the land in California, and other information the two courts felt they needed, they took a week off to deal with the men that had tried to run them out of Miami, plus the idiot that led to the dead being disrespected so severely that it traumatized everyone that worked the case. They both figured he would be the fastest to die, but hoped he would last long enough to give them some good sport.

They owned land well-out in the Glades, where no one would be able to find them. There was a rough house, a place to park the car so it was hidden from view, and an out-house that Horatio used for those times he needed to truly take time with people. The four were being held in the out-house, chained to the wall, though fed and watered by Kyle and his teams. None of the vampires wanted their prey to die before they had a chance to show exactly why they were so mad.

"You have no right to hold us," the chief said as soon as he caught sight of Horatio. "Let us go and we'll talk about how long you're going to be in jail."

Horatio grinned, allowing his fangs to show. "I think, Chief, you didn't understand exactly who you were throwing your lot in with, and now you're in so far over your head that you truly don't understand how serious this is," he said. "There are elements to society that you don't know about, because you had no need, at least until Vogel came into your life. He was disgraced and disowned by our kings several hundred years ago now, and his death has long been mine to claim. It's a shame you and Stetler were stupid enough to join him, but maybe you wanted both me and Tim gone and saw this as your chance."

"Not realizing that both Horatio and I are older, smarter, faster, and better looking than you could ever hope to be," Speed said, sitting down in the chair they kept for him to use while Horatio worked. "You should have realized that maybe something was up when Horatio managed to knock that sword to the side without thinking. He's over six hundred years old, and has been handling swords for most of that. Vogel, you were an idiot to even try to challenge him the first time, like he had any interest in that bitch you had on your arm. She was brainless. If you had any sense, you would have let Horatio kill you at the end of that duel and then you wouldn't be remembered as mud."

"What are you talking about?" Stetler demanded.

Speed smiled, fangs down. "To put it into plain English for the morons in the room, we're vampires," he said. "Yeah, we're real. Not that humanity knows we're still around. We're too good at hiding now for them to detect us, even through crime scene investigation. So, talking time, while Horatio gets his knifes sharp, Brown, you're here because you're the scum of the earth that decided taking a page from the Nazi books would be a good idea. Horatio and I both saw what happened in the death camps, the disregard for humanity, the abuse the living endured before they died, and then how the abuse continued after their death. It's sickening and no one should ever have to suffer anything close to that again. You would have received a fine and community service should this case have gone to court, and that's not punishment enough for what you did. Horatio learned from the best over two different eras, you will scream for him, break your vocal chords before you die, and those screams will appease the dead. They'll meet you on the other side, but your punishment there is for them to decide."

"You can't do this," Stetler said.

"Yeah, we can, because no one knows where you are, no one will find you, and everyone will write you off," Speed said. "Horatio and I act under orders from our kings, and part of those orders is to ensure decency in any law enforcement agency we encounter. Now, it's too bad you didn't pry a bit more when Rebecca died, Stetler; you would have died faster, but you were right. That bitch was working for Vogel here, which you probably knew, but she led to a number of deaths that shouldn't have happened, especially Megan Donner. She was an innocent hiding from monsters chasing her in her mind."

"Well, and on the street," Horatio said. He put down the knife he'd been sharpening and stepped forward. "I think that I'll start with the chief, Tim. I was going to start with Brown, but I want him to see what is on the table for him when I finally turn my attention to him."

"Works for me, but give me a minute," Speed said. "Chief, you're here because you attacked us, and you're an idiot. Normally we don't kill for being an idiot, but attacking Horatio is inexcusable. There's no excuse for throwing any sort of weapon at another human. If Horatio isn't who he is, you would have crippled him. You also tried to get involved in our business, twice, and that's not something we need. He's all yours, Horatio; make him scream."

Horatio licked his lips and stepped forward, reaching for the man, who shrank back. Speed laughed. "You won't be able to stop him," he said. "Horatio's from the warrior line, direct descendant, only one removed from our king there. Even I can't stop him when his blood gets hot, and he's been anxious to get you on his table."

"Speedle, this is torture," Stetler snapped, twisting against his cuffs.

"Yeah, it is," Speed agreed. He licked his lips with a smirk. "Horatio learned from the Turks when they invaded Vlad's court, and again from the Spanish Inquisition. He doesn't let this side out often, but when someone deserves it, then he lets loose. Like in California, and Naples."

"You realize you're admitting to crimes that could have you killed," Stetler said, watching as his boss was strapped to a wide table.

"Not like you're going to be able to tell anyone," Speed said. "You're in the middle of nowhere, no one knows you're here, and we've got guards on the fringes keeping an eye on everything for us. You aren't getting it, Stetler; both Horatio and I are royal and have worked as hunters and enforcers for the two courts for centuries. We have fought and killed more evil than you can imagine, well, as most people can imagine. Vogel has long been marked for death by the two courts, so he's been hiding here in the Americas so we couldn't find him easily. We were happy enough to leave him alone right up until he decided to try and set up a court of his own. That's an idea we object to on any number of counts, so Horatio and I were sent in with some of the court's best fighters. Vogel fled like that rat he is, leaving behind his wanna-be court for slaughter."

Everyone but Speed looked over when the chief started screaming. Horatio was slowly cutting his clothes off. "The more you scream, Chief, the more I'll enjoy it," Horatio said with a smirk.

"Then Vogel decided to run us out of Miami, which is stupid on so many levels, but shows how little he understands planning," Speed continued. "That he had two idiots here already watching us played right into our hands. We would have left you both alone if you hadn't so obviously been his patsies. Both Horatio and I have learned that you never leave loose ends behind whenever you eliminate a nest of any kind. Now we have you at our mercy, he gets to play for a bit, and then we'll decide how best to kill you. We have a week to play with you all, and I think you'll understand exactly how much trouble you're in before too much longer."

Chapter Text

"Speedle, you need to stop this," Stetler said, twisting against the cuffs holding him, "this is torture and illegal."

"Yeah, and?" Speed asked, watching Horatio cut lines along each of the chief's fingers.

"I'll see you both hang for this."

Speed grinned. "Okay, first of all, Florida doesn't use hanging as the death penalty," he said, "and, second, seriously? You were all thoroughly searched before you were brought out here by a squad of vampire elite that know how to move without being seen or followed. Horatio's son is one of them, and help trained the best. No one knows where you are, Stetler, as I have had to say way too many times in this conversation. I know shock can erase information or make it so you can't retain anything, but seriously? Are you like completely ignoring everything I'm saying to you just to try and piss me off? I'm not going to kill you any faster, especially because Horatio would sulk. I can't stand it when Horatio sulks, it makes me feel guilty even if I'm not the cause of it. The man has the saddest eyes ever, it's not fair."

Horatio looked up, blood on his lips. "I love you too, Tim."

"Share," Speed said, standing up. He moved over to the table and pulled Horatio in for a kiss. "Sour."

"I'm sure that neither of the others will be any better," Horatio said, licking the chief's hand again. "I wasn't expecting him to pass out as quickly as he did, Tim. Do you want to wake him up?"

Speed took the knife and moved down to the foot of the table. "Decisions, decisions," he said, drawing the knife along. "I think this nerve, here."

The chief screamed and tried to pull away, but the chains held him in place. Horatio took the knife back with a grin. "That's a good one, Tim," he said. "I think I might have to play with that nerve for a while."

"Make him break, Horatio," Speed said, heading back to his chair.

Stetler looked over and saw that Brown was unconscious, but Vogel was staring at the scene in front of them in horror. Speed saw him looking and laughed. "I'm surprised you're not screaming, Vogel. You know that Horatio's going to leave you for last, don't you? You get to watch your patsies get filleted in front of you, hear their screams as they die by inches, slowly cut to pieces that will go to the animals, and know that you brought them here. Then you get to feel several hundred years worth of suffering before we let you die. You should have let Horatio kill you after the duel you challenged to him, instead of running like the coward you are. How pathetic are you to be led around by a woman that lies to you about other men wanting her just so she can find pleasure in your touch. How much of a wet noodle are you in bed?"

"What are you talking about, Speedle?" Stetler demanded, trying not to watch as his boss was tortured.

"He didn't tell you why he has the disdain of the two courts, the hatred of more vampires than he can count, and why he's been hiding like a rat in America for the past few hundred years?" Speed asked, sitting down again. "Vogel had a girlfriend that lied to him about what men in the two courts were doing to her to make him angry. Guess she thought it made him a better bed partner or something. Horatio can make me scream just with one bite, Vogel, as a note. You should have studied the sex manuals rather than challenging Horatio to an honor duel. Because, seriously, there's only two vampires better than Horatio in the entirety of the two courts, and those are our kings. Then again, maybe you wanted to be rid of the bitch and thought dying was the better option. To answer your questions, Stetler, this idiot challenged Horatio to a duel to the death. Horatio disarmed him in three moves and was about to kill him when the bitch in question flung herself under Horatio's sword and took the death blow. Vogel fled like the rat he is before Horatio could get his sword around. Vogel was then disowned and Horatio's been waiting for the change to finish the duel. He won, and it's Vogel's death that will finally end it."

Speed didn't flinch when Kyle appeared in the doorway. "Report?"

"There are animals beginning to circle," Kyle said, kneeling down. "No humans near enough to hear the pathetic whining the human is managing."

"Good, remain on guard," Speed said. "Allow the animals to approach, they will feed as Horatio works."

"It will be done."

"Who was that?" Stetler asked. He swallowed hard as he saw Horatio throw something bloody out the window.

"The head of our guards here," Speed replied. "Hey Horatio, do you think Jess will want to come and lead one of our teams? That's going to be something we have to have as kings now."

Horatio looked up from the arm he was working with. "We'll have to ask permission to ask him, but it would be nice to have him closer," he said. "Once Greg is old enough to leave the remote court, of course. I'm not going to take Jess away from his bonded like that."

"That's a point, and something we need to consider," Speed said. "No one ever told me it would be so much paperwork to set up a court. Why did we agree to this again?"

"Because it's what we needed to do," Horatio said. He tossed another bloody piece out the window. "I can hear the animals getting closer. I think that I'm going to end this one and move on, Tim. Who do you want to see go next?"

"Take Brown because Stetler is amusing me right now," Speed said with a grin. He licked his lips. "I'm getting hungry."

"Why not? It'll be a while before I get to him, and the blood will have time to replenish," Horatio said. He sliced the chief's throat and unchained him. He carried the body to the door and threw it outside for the animals to find.

"Good," Speed said. He stood up and walked towards Stetler. "There's no sense fighting it, Stetler, you're going to be my dinner. I'm not going to kill you, just drink your blood, even though I suspect you'll taste like lemon."

"Stay away from me," Stetler said, twisting.

Speed caught him and pushed back until Stetler was pinned against he wall. "Not a chance."

Chapter Text

Horatio grinned when Stetler screamed and licked his lips, knowing the man was able to see him. He watched Speed drink for a moment and then went over to where Brown was hanging limp in his chains. He frowned and searched for a pulse. "Tim, he's dead," he said.

"What?" Speed asked, pulling back from Stetler's neck.

"Pathetic," Horatio said. "Died from fright."

Speed leaned in and licked the wound on Stetler's neck closed, relishing the shudders the action produced. "Do you like people paying attention to your neck, Stetler?" he asked. "You wouldn't be the first one to climax from my bite, but it makes me feel a bit sick."

"No," Stetler managed.

"I don't know why you keep trying to lie to me," Speed said. He let Stetler go and walked over to Brown. "No pulse at all, H?"

"Nothing," Horatio said. "Help me get him on the table and I'll make some cuts to encourage the animals to come and feed. I wanted to make him suffer for what he did to those people, Tim."

"Yeah, he definitely deserved it," Speed agreed. They carried the dead weight to the table, dropping it down. "Well, they'll have something to say when he finally shows up on the other side, H. I don't think his spirit is going to rest peacefully for a long, long time."

Horatio nodded and started making cuts that would bring blood out even without the heart pumping. He hadn't seen anyone die of fright in a couple of centuries, but it did happen. Generally when the person knew exactly how guilty they were and were afraid of punishment for their actions. Then he dumped the body out on a different side of the building for the animals to come and feast on. "So, decisions, decisions," he said, turning back to the room. "What do you think, Tim? Should we let Vogel live a bit longer while we both take our ire out on Stetler, or should we let Stetler live a bit longer while I take care of the pathetic rat?"

"That's not an easy one, because we've both been planning their deaths for months now," Speed said. "I suppose we could ask them, but I don't think either of them will volunteer to go first, no matter what we offer them. I think that we should play with Stetler for a bit before we start killing him. He seemed to like it when I bit him."

"I'd rather not have to taste his blood if I don't have to," Horatio said, moving towards Stetler.

"It was pretty sour," Speed commented, moving in from the other side. "I suppose we could explain why we went over to Naples like we did, while making small cuts starting on his face and moving all the way down to his toes."

"He doesn't seem to me like the type to care about a pedophile's death," Horatio said. "How about it, Rick, do you want to hear about the man we killed and left scattered all across the forest for the animals to find and feed? Just because he was a cop, he thought he could do whatever he wanted, and the younger the child the better. Believe me when I say he is no great loss to this world."

"You can't just kill people because you don't approve of their actions," Stetler said, trying to shrink back against the wall behind him. "That's why we have a legal system in place. Those that are guilty are punished legally."

Horatio grinned, fangs visible. "The legal system also revictimizes the victim, especially in cases of rape, while protecting the accused," he whispered, leaning in close. "Tim and I had firm proof of this man's actions and I will never let a child suffer should I be able to prevent it. The man admitted his crimes just before I castrated him, Rick. I spent the whole night showing him exactly why he was filth that did not deserve to live another day."

"You're insane," Rick managed.

"No, I'm not," Horatio said. He reached up and started to undo the chains. "My bloodline is warrior, Rick, which means I grew up knowing how to fight. My grandfather's court was invaded by the Turks and they attempted to torture both him and my sire. They managed to kill my sire and two of his brothers, before Grandfather was able to stop them. I learned much from the Turks while they were in Grandfather's court, and have honed my skills over the centuries. The Spanish Inquisition just put the fine touch on my abilities. I'm able to keep this part of me buried, for the most part, but every so often, he comes to the surface when someone pushes me beyond all reason. Just like you, the chief, and Vogel have managed to do. The vampiric world is different than the human world, Rick, but there are rules that cross over between them. You never, ever, touch children. Be glad Grandfather isn't here, Rick; he would skin you alive and you would live two days without dying, because he learned more from the Turks than I ever did."

Both Horatio and Speed sighed when Stetler passed out.

Chapter Text

"The problem with people today is that they don't spend enough time contemplating torture and death," Horatio said, leaving Stetler where he was. "I know the world has moved on, Tim, but it really is depressing when people pass out so quickly at the thought of the old tortures."

"We'll leave him be for now, though it would be fun to wake him up with a couple of well-placed bites," Speed said with a grin. "So, Vogel, do you want us to tell you how epic a failure you made of a court out in California while we wait for this coward to wake up? I wonder when you fled from your court? How scared did you become when you learned that not only was Horatio coming to find you, but one of our Kings was with him? Vlad and Horatio together could have eliminated the entirety of your court without breaking a sweat, and without most of them realizing they were there. It wasn't even a good fight, you must have been training them yourself, because I seem to remember you barely passing out of Grey's classes when you were younger."

"You trespassed on my land and killed my family," Vogel said. "I could have called the police and had you both arrested."

Horatio snorted and went over to pick up a small knife. "Instead you ran, left the so-called family members behind you with no warning of what was coming towards them," he said. "You ran like the rat you are and left them to die."

"We might have considered leaving them alive if they hadn't all attacked us the second they saw us," Speed said, watching Horatio trace Vogel's face with the blunt side of the knife. "It has been bugging me though, why the hell did you give some of them axes to use in battle? That's one of the hardest weapons to master, let alone use in a small room, without decades of training. Four of them killed the person standing next to them instead of Horatio and me."

"They were strong enough to use them," Vogel said.

"Doesn't make it a good idea, no matter how strong they were," Speed said with a smirk. "Horatio and I have battled against axes before. There's actually not too many weapons we haven't battled against, you just have to be able to read your opponent to know how best to survive. I think you're suffering from delusions of adequacy and that's managed to twist your brain even more. You definitely won't be a loss to the world, when Horatio finally turns that knife around."

Horatio smirked and pushed in just enough to draw blood along Vogel's jaw. "I'm going to keep you alive for a week, Vogel," he whispered. "Until you have suffered for every life you corrupted with your touch, and until your victims have some peace in the next world."

Speed chuckled and went back to his chair. "I'm willing to come play with Stetler, H, but Vogel is all yours," he said. "Are you going to start with him while we're waiting for Stetler to wake up again?"

"I don't see why not," Horatio said. "Though I'm going to leave him dressed for a while yet, and start with him here, against the wall." His head snapped up. "Kyle."

"There's a vehicle coming along the road," Kyle reported. "The teams are ready to move should you have need of us."

Horatio put the knife down and wiped his hands on a cloth. "Leave one team here to guard the prisoners," he said. "Ensure they do not escape. The two dead victims are out of the view of the road, do not worry about them. Do we know who is in the car?"

"No one in Miami knows about this place, H," Speed said, picking up his sword.

"It's possible someone stumbled across our buildings and decided that they were abandoned," Horatio said. He wiped down his sword and grabbed his gun as well. "We might have someone coming to do something illegal on our land, Tim."

"Dinner," Speed said with a grin.

The pair waited in the treeline, out of sight of the driveway, until the car was in and parked. Two men got out and went to open the trunk. When they pulled two bound women out, Horatio and Speed moved, cutting down one of the men in two moves, and forced the other to his knees by the car. "And just what were you planning to do with these two children?" Horatio asked softly.

"Nothing," the man said.

"I doubt that," Speed said with a grin. He left Horatio holding the man on his knees and went around so he could see their prisoner's eyes. "I think that you've brought them out here to either rape them, drug them, or sell them to someone that will do both of the former. How old are they?"

"Nineteen."

Speed backhanded the man, causing Horatio's sword to draw blood. "Don't lie to me," he said. "Try again."

"Fourteen," the man gasped. "They're fourteen."

"Now tell me what you planned to do with them," Speed said, leaning in. "If you lie to me again, I will pin you onto my partner's sword like a butterfly, but you'll still be alive and will feel every cut as I slowly remove your fingers, toes, legs, and then genitals."

"They're going to be picked up tonight by a guy that will take them to South America," the man said. "He pays us for every girl we can bring him. We found this place and it's never used so we've been using it for the handovers."

"What happens to them once they're in South America?" Horatio asked.

"Who knows? We just supply the girls," the man replied.

Horatio moved his sword so he could lean in a little. "Then I think we'll spend some time explaining to you exactly what happens to young girls trafficked out of Miami," he said. "Tim, get the kit out of the car. Our plans for the evening just changed."

Chapter Text

Stetler came back to consciousness with a jerk that banged his head against the wall when a loud scream ripped through the building they were in. He looked around to see if it was Vogel and found the man still chained to the wall next to him. Then he saw both Caine and Speedle around the table where he could barely see blood legs trying to flail in pain. "What the hell are you doing?" he managed.

Horatio looked over with a grin. "Back among the living, Rick?" he asked. "Just in time to watch us remove this man's genitals."

"You can't do this, it's torture," Stetler said, pulling on this chains.

"In this case, he deserves it, and more," Speed said, moving a little so Stetler could see the body on the table. The man was chained down, with his hands over his head, and so much blood visible that Stetler couldn't tell where it was all coming from. "We started at his feet, well, after we shoved a large plug into his body hard enough that it's stuck. That's our punishment for anyone that abuses children, Rick. That way they can feel all the pain they inflicted on the innocent. As you can see, he is now missing all of his toes and part of his feet. That was Horatio there, he learned how to carve from the Turks, they loved knives back in the day, and used them so delicately that it's nearly impossible to replicate now. Horatio's blade-work is an art all its own, but no one seems to appreciate it. Then he lost part of his legs and several parts of his arms, but he really seems to object to Horatio touching him."

"Not that it matters," Horatio said, using the flat of his knife to trace over the area he planned to cut next. "He's admitted to raping the young teen girls he brings out here to sell to runners taking them down into South America, Rick. The world won't miss him."

"You aren't a court of law," Stetler said. "You can't just sentence someone to death because you don't like what they're doing." He flinched back when Horatio was suddenly in front of him, the same knife against his throat. "It's the truth."

"The last person I killed without a court of law, Rick, was a cop using his position to rape children. The person before that was trying to overthrow our government," Horatio said softly, pushing in with the knife. "I do not need an infant like you to lecture me on morals. I will arrest and convict where I can, because that is the right thing to do, but there are times when sending the criminal to court will hurt more people than my taking the time to eliminate them for good. These children need to be able to heal, and they will never manage that if they are dragged through the court system with adults blaming them for everything that happened. Do not even attempt to deny that is what happens, because we both know you would be lying. Now, are you hungry?"

"No," Stetler said.

"Shame, I could make you choke on him before I throw it to the gators," Horatio said with a smirk.

"You're sick," Stetler managed.

"I'm tired of men in power abusing those that have none," Horatio said. He cut a line down Stetler's neck and licked up the blood as it went. "You're right, Tim, bitter. I'm tired of watching the justifications for abuse, rape, homicide, trafficking, all of it. I work within the law because I believe it is possible to make a difference in this world, but the more I see of the darkness lying in wait beneath the so-called good society, I think it might be better to return to being a hunter working with the stealth teams."

Speed looked over. "I've finally managed to get everything together over here, Horatio; do you want to come cut before I lose my grip because he's so tiny?" he asked.

"My pleasure," Horatio said with a smirk. "Just remember, Rick, that you will be next. Well, once we eliminate the men he's working with, too."

Stetler watched as Horatio went back over to the table and cut off the man's genitals, throwing both out the window. He wanted to look away from the blood, from what he knew was torture, but he couldn't. There was a certain fascination in what the pair was doing, though it was obvious that Horatio really was the better of the pair with a knife. There were two times when he thought the man had died, but a single prod from a knife made him start screaming again, and Stetler wasn't certain how he could still be alive with so many wounds over his body, including one that seemed to take out a good portion of his chest.

When one of the men appeared in the doorway, it was all Stetler could do not to jump. Speed looked over. "Kyle?"

"Three men approach on foot," Kyle reported. "My teams watch, but will not engage without your permission."

Horatio grinned. "Take them alive and bring them here," he said. "Tim, let's end this one, and get ready for the rest of the group to arrive. Maybe we'll be lucky and we can get names we can send teams after."

"That's another thing we can do as kings," Speed agreed. "I don't think anyone will miss human traffickers."

"Good," Horatio said with a smile.

Chapter Text

Stetler watched with growing horror as Horatio and Speed hung three men up in the middle of the room by their hands. The three were screaming in Spanish and didn't seem to even understand what was happening to them. The sword at their throats, and Stetler had no clue where the sword had even come from, got all three to go silent and stare at the men in front of them. Somehow it wasn't a surprise when both Horatio and Speed started talking to the men in Spanish, seeming to be explaining what they were and what was going to happen to the men now that they were captured. Stetler's Spanish was rusty so he wasn't able to follow along with anything that was happening in front of him. He finally looked over at Vogel. "You could have mentioned all of this when you started asking me for help," he hissed.

"I didn't think they'd ever catch us," Vogel replied. "The two courts have grown weak over the decades and should be prime to break and invade."

"Yeah, this is really weak," Stetler pointed out. "I wouldn't have gone near this if you had told me the truth."

Horatio glanced over with a smirk. "Yes you would have, Rick, because you were blinded by your need to have me gone from the lab so you could have the lieutenant position and the respect that goes with it," he said. He lowered the sword and walked over to the wall. "What you never seemed to understand is that respect is earned, and when you give others respect, they respond with the same. I can think of no one in the department that likes or respects you because of your vendetta against everything around you. Now, before you you see three men hung like pieces of meat. How would you like to watch me turn them into mince before your eyes?"

"I keep telling you that you can't do this," Stetler spat. "You are breaking the very laws you've sworn to uphold."

"But Rick, you only know the human laws I've sworn to uphold," Horatio all but purred, running the sword along Stetler's leg. "You have no clue as to the vampiric, ancient, and honorable laws that hold far more power than the weak human laws you seem to embrace for everything." He paused and looked towards the door. "Arlen?"

Speed turned just in time to see Arlen appear in the doorway. "Forgive the interruption, Fia, but our King wishes to speak with you," Arlen said.

"Our phones don't work out here," Speed said, putting down his knife.

"I didn't know Vlad was going to be back in-country any time soon," Horatio said. He moved to put his sword down on a table where it would be safe and then went to stand next to Speed. They both bowed when Vlad appeared in the doorway. "Grandfather."

Vlad looked around the room with a smirk. "It would seem you have fun tonight, Fia," he said. "I am glad to see your talents with the knife have not waned through disuse over the years."

Stetler glanced at Vogel and saw that the other man was pushed back against the wall hard enough that the wood was creaking behind him. He didn't know who the stranger was, but anyone that both Horatio and Speed bowed to wasn't someone that Stetler wanted to meet. Horatio glanced at the men and grinned. "I'm rusty on a few techniques, Grandfather, but the muscle memory is still there. What did you need us for so urgently that you came personally?"

"We have word that an ancient enemy is attempting to pull together an army," Vlad said. "They form in pockets across the world and we need to prepare while we have the advantage."

"Who?" Speed asked.

"Isis," Vlad replied.

"Well, damn, I thought we managed to eliminate him in the attack in 1577," Speed said. "Didn't you take his head, Horatio?"

"I thought I had, yes," Horatio replied. "He must have had a double in place in case of attack from the two courts. Where do you need us to be, Grandfather?"

Vlad picked up one of the knifes and looked at the men hanging from the ceiling. "We are recalling all our fighters over the next two weeks," he said. "I know you wish to remain here and work, the both of you, but we need your hunting skills far more than we need you here with your new court."

"We go where you command, Vlad, as we always will," Speed said. "Do you want to help us finish up here?"

"What are their crimes?"

"These three are kidnapping young teenagers and taking them to other countries to be sold as slaves," Horatio said. "The two on the wall are known to you, Grandfather, as the problems we have been attempting to eliminate."

"Vogel," Vlad hissed, focusing on the man. "Be glad my grandchild has rights to your death. I would have you suspended by your feet for a week while I skinned you slowly."

Stetler started shaking when Vogel passed out. The strange man was far scarier than watching Horatio carve men up like so much meat. Horatio saw the look on his face and grinned. "Remember when I commented that my grandfather was far better at torture than I am?" he asked. "You're going to be one of the rare ones to actually find out how much better he is, Rick."

Speed sighed when Stetler fainted.

Chapter Text

Together the three vampires carefully, but quickly, tortured the remaining victims until they bled to death. Vlad ordered Kyle's teams to tend to the clean-up while he went with Horatio and Speed back to their house to continue their conversation. "I hate to leave the lab, but this is far more important," Horatio said. "I think that Calleigh will be able to run things well enough, at least until I'm able to think about possibly coming back."

"What about a leave of absence?" Speed asked. "I mean, it happens, and there's only an interim chief right now. We could file the paperwork before someone knew is positioned and have everything wrapped up the way we want it before we leave."

"There's no way to know how long this possible battle against Isis and his people is going to last," Horatio said. "I think it'll be easier to sever our ties cleanly, Tim, and then we can return here to rule our new court without human matters interfering with our work for our kings."

"Probably for the best, no matter how much it sucks," Speed agreed. "So we keep the houses, sell the cars, ask Calleigh and Eric to keep an eye on the main house for us, and head back over to wherever it is Vlad is calling in the fighters."

Horatio nodded. "I don't want to take Eric with us into this mess, Tim," he said. "It'll be best if he stays here, yes?"

"I'd kill anyone that tried to pull him in, he's not a fighter," Speed said. "He'll be more use here in the long-term. Hell, if he's comfortable with it, he could move into the house while we're gone and cut down on his bills. I know I'd feel better knowing there was someone in the house all the time, so no one takes it into their heads to go in and rob the place. We're not going to be able to take our weapons with us and there's several things there that no one else should be touching."

"Let's ask him, and I think he'll agree," Horatio said with a fond smile. He pulled into their driveway and turned the car off. "I hate that we had to rush at the end, Tim, especially with Stetler so horrified by our actions."

"This will hold you until you can get back into the field for the two courts," Speed sighed. "Come on, blood-thirsty vampire, let's get you some actual blood and see if you can't hide the warrior again for a bit."

"Have I been horrible, Tim?" Horatio asked, following his partner into the house.

"No more than usual when the warrior starts poking his head out," Speed replied. "I just wonder what's going to happen when word comes that we're no longer in the states. There's still a few small pockets that I've been worrying about."

"We will leave watchers in place for you," Vlad said from the kitchen. "Do you have a plan in place for leaving?"

"We will quit our jobs, Grandfather, leave Eric to watch our house and other belongings here, and travel to wherever you have need of us," Horatio said. "Once this threat is eliminated, we will return here and begin to build our court, with your permission."

Vlad grinned. "You have our permission and our blessing to build your court," he said. "We need a strong pair in the states, and could find no better than you, no matter how long we looked. The pair of you together are far stronger than any other hunter pair we have in the courts. Rulership is the next logical step for us to grant you."

"We don't want it," Speed grumbled, "but we know why we have to accept it and make it our own, Vlad. Now, what details can you share with us?"

"Word has begun to leak from Egypt that Isis is still alive and is gathering power to make a try to dominate the world again," Vlad said with a small sigh. "Constantine and I decided to recall all our hunters and fighters before Isis has a chance to strike at the two courts. We have hope we will be able to eliminate him once and for all, and eliminate the threat he poses to the planet. It will not be a clean battle, and it could take far longer than we expect it to, but we will find a way to come out the winners in the end."

"Then we will need our swords, both long and short, knives, and our guns," Horatio said, "though the guns are the hardest part to bring into a battle these days. Tim, can you think of anything else we would need to carry with us for these battles?"

"No, but you know Grey will open the court armory to us should we ask him," Speed pointed out.

"Then we will need two days to prepare to leave here, Grandfather, and we will be at your service once more," Horatio said.

Chapter Text

"So you're leaving?" Eric asked the next day.

"We are, our kings have recalled us to try and stop a hidden war before it begins," Horatio replied, looking over the weapons collection in his office. "We want you to move into the house, Eric, for both your safety and to keep an eye on things we can't take with us."

"Yeah, no problem," Eric said. "I'm used to things changing quickly on us. What can you tell me?"

"Ancient enemy coming out of Eqypt, knows how to fight, likes stealth attacks, and has an army at his beck and call," Speed said, walking into the room. "Horatio and I have faced him twice, and honestly thought that Horatio finally managed to kill him. This is going to be messy and complicated, but not overly dangerous. We decided to leave the lab, Eric, but that doesn't mean you have to. If you want to, and only if you want to, you can leave once we're back and stay in the court. There's enough money you don't have to work if you don't want to."

"I'll stay for a while, I like what I'm doing," Eric said. "And I wouldn't mind getting Calleigh as a girlfriend, but she's focused on a couple of detectives. One of you should mention that sex in the backseat is okay for teens, but when your feet are sticking out of the sunroof because of how hard you're getting pounded, it's a bit obvious what's going on."

Horatio and Speed both snorted. "I wouldn't have thought it of her," Horatio said. "I think that, maybe, we'll leave that one to the side. Eric, if it's meant to be, she'll come to you, but she's also skittish about something in her past. It might take a while."

"Yeah, I know, and I'm willing to wait," Eric said. "Not like I can bring her over anyway, so it's a moot point."

"You'll find someone to spend years with, Eric," Speed said. "Remember that Horatio and I didn't find each other for several hundred years, and then had to ask permission to bond because of our bloodlines. Just stay open to the possibilities and you'll find them."

"Yeah," Eric agreed. "It just gets lonely sometimes."

"We're not giving you a new sibling, so you can take that thought out of your head," Horatio said, glancing over. "Tim, do you think I should take the two short swords, or just my single?"

Speed ignored Eric's sputtering and walked over to their collection. "Bring the single and then the curved double," he said. "I think we're going to be doing some close fighting with these bastards, and those curved doubles aren't expected."

Horatio grinned and pulled the nasty looking swords out of the cabinet. "I haven't had a chance to use this in close to a century," he said. "I think I need to clean and sharpen them before we go, Tim."

***

"I hate to go off and leave Eric all alone like we are," Speed said that night. "I know he's got Mac and Danny, and a few others up north, but there's not many court members here that he knows. I know he'll be okay, but it still bothers me."

"As it should," Horatio agreed. He grabbed the lube and held it up. "Yes?"

"I'm still too sore," Speed said.

"Then come and take me," Horatio said, rolling onto his back. "You always seem to enjoy that whenever I let you get the upper hand, Tim."

Speed grabbed the lube and almost fell between Horatio's legs. "Are you kidding, as much as I love you inside me, H, it's nice to be inside you every so often," he said. "I didn't think you had the warrior tucked that firmly away. This is the usual indication that he's gone back to sleep."

"He's still there lurking, because we're heading into a war, Tim, but I know that this is something you like," Horatio said. He moaned as Speed's erection slid into him. "I don't know when we'll have a chance for slow and gentle again because of what we're facing, but always remember how much I love you."

"I know, H, and I love you too," Speed said as he started to thrust. "You're tighter than you've been in a while. I think I might have to fight for the upper hand more often."

"If you think you can manage to get it," Horatio said, pushing back against his partner. Speed groaned and started moving faster. They fell silent as they moved, Speed trying to keep his thrusts as firm and even as he could with Horatio moving back against him. He shuddered when he finally felt fangs scrape against his neck.

"H."

"Not yet, Tim," Horatio said, reaching between them as best he could.

Speed nipped at Horatio's neck, trying to send his lover higher because he could feel everything starting to tighten and knew that he was close to his climax. "H, bite me," he said. "I can't hold on for you. Please."

Fangs sank into his neck, sending him flying into his climax. He bit down on Horatio's neck in reflex, sucking as he came down. When Speed was able to focus a little more, he could feel Horatio hard between them. He pulled back as gently as he could and moved down to suck Horatio into his mouth. Horatio moaned as the fangs scraped down his erection, the hint of pain throwing him over into his climax. "Tim."

"We definitely need to make more time for us," Speed grumbled as he licked Horatio clean.

"We do, but probably not until the war is over," Horatio pointed out. He just grinned when Speed smacked him.

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed both quit the department with little warning, siting family emergencies, and flew to the muster point, a small private city in Italy, not far from the remote court where the young were raised, and where Horatio's family was healing. He wanted to ask Vlad for a chance to go and see his son, see how Jesse and Greg were getting on newly bonded, and check on Aaron, but he knew the upcoming battles were more important than anything personal.

Their first stop, once they were in the city, was the small house they owned that overlooked an equally small beach, and the water. "We need to get someone to come in and clean more frequently," Speed grumbled as he swept up sand in the kitchen. "Either that, or we need to come and visit more frequently and clean when we're here."

"We can ask Marta about assigning someone to our house once a month," Horatio said with a smile. He took the last shutter down and opened the window. "I wonder how long they'll hold us here before we start fighting?"

"I'm sure that Grey is going to go over any number of things with all of us before we're allowed to even consider battle," Speed said. "I also wouldn't be surprised if our kings don't have us teach some of the younger pups some techniques before they're allowed to consider battle."

"Depending on where we end up fighting, Tim, it's possible that the pups might be able to handle a larger battle," Horatio said, coming back into the house. He picked up a cloth and started to wipe down the shelves. "I wouldn't want to take them into any sort of building or close battle, but on a field with someone to watch their back, they should be safe enough."

"The only problem with that sort of battle is that it will attract the human's attention, and that's the last thing we want to do," Speed pointed out. "Our kings will have scouts out already, and we should be getting information in the next few days. We need to go and report in tonight, let them know we're in residence, and ready to do whatever they need us to do to bring this to a swift conclusion."

"Still worried about the small pockets in the States?"

"I know I shouldn't be, but I can't help it," Speed said. "We're going to have to research them and decide if we want to eliminate them, or try and form some sort of treaty with them once we know everything about them. I'm also worried about Eric, and feel like we should have brought him along. He would have been able to go to the remote court easily enough, and been both busy and safe while we're doing battle."

Horatio nodded. "I understand that concern more than you realize, Tim," he said. "But I also know Eric is smart, well trained, and will run if he feels that he is danger. I suspect he would come here rather than New York with Mac and Danny. You raised him well, and that's what you need to remember."

"Yeah, I know, but it's just in my gut and won't let go," Speed said. He put the broom away and stretched. "I'm going to go make the bed, you going to clean the office?"

"As soon as I'm done here," Horatio said with a smile.

He watched Speed as his partner left and sighed. It wasn't the first time Eric had been on his own, but all the previous times had been with someone from the courts closer than Mac and Danny were. Having his childe across the ocean was going to bother Speed until they were able to be back in Miami, and Horatio knew that was the bare truth of the matter. Speed would be able to put his focus completely on the upcoming battles with no ill effect to his fighting, but there would always be that niggling concern in the back of his mind. There was no cell service in the town, no way for Horatio to reach out to his grandfather before they went to the castle that night, but it would probably ease Speed's mind a little if they were able to request a stealth squad be posted in Miami to keep an eye on everything in their absence.

It was strange to be back in an area populated only by vampires and their immediate kin. Horatio knew there was no way to do the same in the States, the people there were too nosy for their own good, but it was also a bit of a relief to not have to try and hide what they were. Not that humans frequently noticed they were around the undead, but it was the principle of the matter. Horatio loved their small, unnamed, town and was happy to be back, even if it meant having to clean sand out of every nook and cranny in the house.

"We definitely need to have someone come in more frequently," Speed said, walking past, carrying a snake. "I found this in our bed."

"We'll make arrangements tonight when we're at court," Horatio said with a smile. "Was he alone?"

"I haven't checked yet," Speed said, putting the snake outside. "Come help."

"Of course," Horatio agreed.

Chapter Text

When they went to the castle that evening, the pair split up with Speed going to check in with their kings, while Horatio went to check in with Grey. The ancient vampire had been overseeing the combat training program for the two courts since their formation, and for Vlad's people for centuries before that. He started training Horatio as soon as the young vampire left the remote court and found a willing student that wanted to know everything he could about swords, knives, other weapons, and battle.

"Grey."

Fia, welcome," Grey said with a smile. He put down the sword he was sharpening and crossed to hug the younger vampire, "our kings told me you and your partner were coming to aid us in the upcoming battles. You'll be able to keep the younger pups alive while we're fighting Isis again."

"I don't know how he got past me, Grey, and that's the honest truth," Horatio said, sitting down at the table and picking up a long, thin dagger. "Planning subtle murder, are you?"

"There's a young vampire in her fourth year of training with me that I believe will become a master of that style, and am planning to introduce her to it next week," Grey said. "It seems to me that you enjoyed those daggers when I let you work with them, but then again, you enjoy any bladed weapon I put into your hands."

"Oh, yes, speaking of, I brought a sword with me that has your mark, but we don't know who it belongs to," Horatio said. "It's at home, I'll bring it with me tomorrow when we come officially for our meetings, but Vogel was involved."

Grey swore for a couple of minutes, in a mix of languages. "That rat was never issued one of my swords, and I kept him away from my workshop," he finally said. "It won't be his, so I wonder where he got it from."

"He gave it to an ignorant human that decided throwing it at me would be a good idea," Horatio said. "That human paid dearly for his arrogance, as did Vogel when I finally had my hands on him. Tim and I were going to offer our services for teaching, or honing, skills before the battles start, should you wish it."

"I've got a couple of students that I think would benefit from working with the pair of you," Grey said, "should our kings allow it. They want to eliminate the threat from Isis before he spreads too far out into the human world and begins enslaving them again. That would risk too much attention being directed at our world, even if the humans truly don't believe in us."

Horatio nodded. "Grandfather knows that I'm offering to help, so we'll have to schedule a time to work with them," he said. "Our kings know that I can only sit through so many meetings before I start getting restless. Tim will likely be in the most meetings, and I'll only be called into the most important ones, with our kings trusting Tim to tell me what i need to know. I wouldn't be surprised to find Grandfather doing the same after a while."

"Our bloodline is more of a fighting line than people realize, especially because we're all so good at hiding the warrior these days," Grey said with a grin. "Now, tell me what weapons you brought with you."

"I have sword, short sword, and my two curved blades," Horatio said. "Tim and I talked about it, and we agreed the curved blades aren't expected and would be good for certain battles."

"Those curved blades are an art in and of themselves," Grey said. "I expect you to carry at least your sword with them, because they're not meant for swarms, and you know you'll be facing at least one of those, if not more, as we try to get near Isis."

"How many followers has he managed to amass this time?" Horatio asked. "The last time I faced him, he had close to three thousand willing to die surrounding him, and the floor ran in rivers of blood before I took his head, or took the head off his double."

"And there is the trick to the matter, we have to be certain we have him this time," Grey said. "Our kings are working on a way to be certain, but it might come down to you bringing him in alive for us to check."

Horatio sighed. "That would be harder than killing him twice," he said. "But if those are our orders, I'll see what I can do. He really only needs his head still attached to live."

Speed, who had just come into the room, just sighed and went to join his partner. He really didn't want to know what conversation had led to that particular statement.

Chapter Text

Over the next two weeks, Speed spent most of his days in council with their kings, planning the best assault against Isis, while Horatio worked with Grey on picking those best suited for the upcoming battle, and helping determine what their best weapon was. Speed finally came to the fighting yards at the end of the two weeks, and found Horatio fighting thirty young pups with Grey overseeing the mock battle, and shouting tips and corrections as they went. Speed just shook his head, drew his sword, and joined the fight.

"And now you see why this pair is the best of our elite," Grey said, once the thirty young vampires were lying, gasping, on the ground around the pair. "Timothy, we did not expect you today. Are the councils over?"

Speed nodded and caught the cloth to wipe down his sword. "Our kings will be calling a general meeting in two days to instruct our forces, but they're going to send H and me out with two stealth teams in the morning," he said. "Are any of these pups going to be allowed in battle, Grey?"

"A few of them will be allowed to go with the general fighting teams, but none are ready for stealth, or to fight at your side, as you see," Grey said. "Vlad tells me that you've offered to come and help train on a more regular basis now that you have been made royal, and are no longer working in the human world. I think we can keep more of our people alive with your help."

Horatio grinned. "A few of the pups have potential for the stealth teams, Grey, in about a hundred years of learning," he said. "These four lasted the longest against me, and that is no easy feat."

"No easy feat, that is true, but you were also going easy on them," Grey said. "Which I am certain they appreciate, Fia. You two will come and see me before you leave in the morning, I want a final look at your weapons before you go into battle."

"We'll be here," Speed said. "Come on, H, let's go eat and then head home for the night. Our kings have said we can have the evening to spend however we want, we just have to be back here before first light tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow, Grey," Horatio said with a grin.

The pair made their way to the dining hall to get some blood before they walked down to the beach to slowly walk back to their house. "I could be happy here for a few decades, Tim," Horatio said, as the water washed over his bare feet. "I know we have to go back to America, and I know why, but it's nice to be able to be ourselves and let our guard down a little."

"I'm still not having sex on the beach with you, no matter how safe we may be here," Speed said. "We're heading into an underground compound in the desert, H. What intel our kings have managed to get shows narrow corridors with low ceilings and blind corners. It's not going to be easy to take it over and even harder to hold."

"I say we smoke them out, Tim," Horatio said. "Do we know where the backdoors into the place are?"

"They think so, yeah," Speed said. He could see where his lover was going with his idea. "You're thinking that special smoke bomb that makes vampires choke and cry. It'll kill any humans down there."

"Any humans in with Isis are forefeit before we even get to them," Horatio said. "They've chosen their side, Tim. We drop the smoke bombs in the front door and kill the rats as they flood out the back. If we do it right, we should be able to take over the compound without any danger to our people, and the numbers would be reduced before they breached the surface. Is Isis himself in the compound?"

"We don't think so, but there's no way to be certain until we're there," Speed said. He tossed his shoes towards the stairs up to their house and sat down on the sand. "Our kings are still trying to find Isis's exact location, and it sounds like Vlad and his team will be joining us for that battle."

Horatio grinned. "The two of us, and Grandfather, would be enough to capture Isis without breaking a sweat," he said, sitting down next to his lover. "What do you think of it all, Tim?"

"We're going to lose people, there's no way around that, but we can try and keep the loss to a minimum," Speed said. He shifted and leaned up against Horatio. "They're going to let some of the newer fighters come and try their skills in the upcoming battles, H, and I don't think all of the pups will survive."

"They never do," Horatio said, wrapping an arm around Speed's shoulders. "But they know what it means to go into battle for our kings, for the two courts, and it is still what they choose. Are you thinking about Eric?"

"Yeah, I know he's okay, but I'm still nervous having him on his own like he is," Speed said. "I'll be glad when we're able to get back to the states, Horatio. Even if that's when all of our problems really will start up, at least we'll be back with our more immediate family."

"I miss him, too," Horatio said. He shifted a little until he could catch Speed's mouth with his own. He did his best to keep his lover distracted until he had them both lying in the sand, Speed beneath him, and started thrusting.

"Still not having sex out here, H," Speed grumbled. "Too much sand."

"It's a beach, Tim," Horatio said. "All right, come on, let's go on up to bed, because I want you badly."

Chapter Text

The pair checked in with Grey the following morning before first light. Horatio had his sword on his hip and his curved blades in their sling on his other hip. If the compound they were heading into really did have low ceilings, his sword would become a liability, and the curved blades were better for close work. Speed his his sword, three knives, a short needle blade, and his gun. There was also a surprise waiting for them.

"Jesse?"

"Hey, our kings requested I come lead my team for this assault," Jesse said, hugging both Horatio and Speed tightly. "I didn't want to leave Greg alone, but Aaron's there and said he'd keep an eye on him for me."

"I wasn't expecting to see you," Horatio said. "Have you been briefed?"

"Yep, my team is acting for your support, so we'll be shadowing you pretty much the whole time," Jesse said. "I think Vlad knows what you would do if he tried to make my team the point. So what can you tell me about Isis?"

"He's king of using shadows, lives in them and controls them both," Speed said, leaning against the table. "I've seen him use the shadows to kill before, Jess, so tell both your team and the point team to stay out of and away from shadows unless there is no other choice in the matter and, then, move as fast as you can to get away from them. Intel doesn't show that he's learned to travel through the shadows, but he might be holding that as a surprise for us. H and I have a plan to empty the compound a little before we attempt to engage anyone inside."

Horatio hefted a bag of smoke bombs. "We're going to smoke them out, Jess," he said with a grin. "These are the ones that kill humans and effect us, so tell your team to be alert when we're lobbing and, especially, once the smoke starts coming out of the vents."

"Got it," Jesse said. "Like I said, we're glued to you until the mission is over, but I'll let Marcos know. He's the leader for the other team."

"One of Constantine's specials," Speed commented. "We're in good company today, H. Let's head to final briefing and get this show moving."

Horatio grinned and licked his lips. "Hopefully some of them are still able to fight."

***

The two stealth teams, plus Horatio and Speed, flew on one of the court planes into the desert and what looked like the middle of nowhere. They landed a distance away from where their intel told them the compound was buried beneath the sand, and hiked in. It was a chilly night, but nothing they couldn't work with, plus the darkness allowed them to see farther than they could in the daylight. "I see people," Horatio said softly, motioning for his group to stop.

"Marcos should be in place to take out any sentries we find," Speed said, crouching down next to his lover. "Everything our kings had showed no one living in this section of the desert, so we can probably default to enemy for anyone we meet out here."

"The question is if they are vampire or human," Horatio said.

The stealth team on point appeared and took down the four men quickly. Horatio waited for the signal before he moved his group forward. They were alert as they went, not wanting to give the enemy any more warning than they had to. "Report," Speed said softly.

"Mixed group, two each," Marcos said. "We killed the humans and kept the vampires alive for questioning."

"Well done," Speed said. "What else have you found?"

"The doors to the compound are just over that next hill," Marcos said. "We haven't located the backdoor yet, but with your permission, we'll go now and station part of my team there."

Horatio and Speed glanced at each other, and Horatio nodded. "Go and remain with your team once it is located," he said. "My partner and I will come join you once we've dropped the bombs in this end. Jesse, take these two back to the plane. Be alert to anyone trying to trap you. Call when you're secured."

"Understood," Jesse said. "Be careful, you two, and I'll see you back at the plane."

"Jess, be safe," Horatio said.

"Marcos, we'll give you all the time you need to find the backdoors," Speed said. "Signal once you're in position and we'll drop the bombs in."

"It will be done," Marcos said.

Speed looked around once the two stealth teams were gone. "Well, guess we'll find out how many people are here soon," he said. "How many side doors do you think they have?"

"At least one, but Grandfather had a plan for them," Horatio said. "I've got a nice chain and padlock for this door once we have the bombs in play, so they'll have to come out into one of our traps. It's not good sport, but it's sensible."

"We'll find you sport, Horatio," Speed said. "This war won't be over quickly."

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed waited just out of sight of the main entrance, not wanting to give the game away too quickly. They both knew it was likely whoever, or whatever, was in the tunnel system below them knew they were there, and was just waiting for their first move. Both of them were surprised when the hatch opened and a head popped out, looking around, before vanishing again beneath the sand.

"Idiot," Speed breathed.

"Soon to be dead," Horatio whispered, licking his lips. "There's our signal."

The pair stopped breathing for the time while they handled the smoke bombs. It was safer than any sort of mask, those could be knocked off, and vampires technically didn't need to breathe as much as they did when in human company. They crept back up to the hatch and got into position behind it, so they would have a bit of cover if there was a team waiting for them. Speed opened the hatch with a code stolen from one of their captives and Horatio started dropping the bombs down as quickly as he could strike them. Then they slammed the hatch back into place, and Horatio chained it shut. "Let's move," Speed said, drawing his sword.

Horatio grinned and did the same. "Now to see how many hide beneath this sand," he said, starting towards where the signal originated.

There was no movement around them, no hidden hatches buried in the sand, as they moved quickly towards their target. "Could they really be stupid enough to only have two doors into this place?" Speed asked, looking around. "Intel says it's long, not wide."

"Maybe they don't know all the tricks the two courts have at our disposal," Horatio replied. "The back hatch is open."

"Looks like some possible sport waiting for you," Speed said.

"Good."

The back hatch to the compound was open with smoke coming out it in waves. There were a couple of bodies on the ground, not moving, and around ten people standing just outside of the fumes from the smoke. They barely had time to react before Horatio was on them, maiming rather than killing because the kings needed their information, but Horatio made sure none of them would be able to get back up once they fell. Speed and the stealth team just watched while Horatio worked.

"The real question is how long will it take for the smoke to completely blow out of the compound," Speed said. He sliced the back of a vampire's leg as he tried to crawl away. "We need to find out what's down there, and this stuff will knock us out for a couple of hours, minimum."

"Once the compound is ours, we have oxygen bottles to wear while we clear it for our kings to enter," Marcos said. "I haven't had a chance to watch Fia in decades, he's remarkable."

"He's toying with them," Speed said. "I've been trying to find him good sport for over a month and a half and haven't managed it yet. This was just the easiest way to take this place with next to no deaths."

"I saw the diagrams, it would not have been easy to battle down there," Marcos agreed. He winced at one of the cuts Horatio made. "That's going to hurt for a long time."

"Never forget he was trained by those that studied torture," Speed said. "He hides it well, especially in these more modern times, but once the warrior is fully out, I'm really the only one that has a chance of controlling him. Knock it off, Horatio, we need them alive."

"Shame," Horatio said, smirking down at the wounded vampires, "I'd love a chance to make them all scream."

"Ask your grandfather, maybe he'll let you play," Speed said. "Do we really think that a dozen vampires are all that Isis left here?"

"We probably won't know until we can take count below," Marcos said. "What of these here?"

Speed held up a bag. "Restrained and left for collection," he said with a grin. "Vlad and Constantine really aren't happy about any of this, and want answers as quickly as we can. Their transport will be here in half an hour."

Chapter Text

Horatio and Speed joined Vlad and his stealth team when he ventured down into the bunker. It had been cleared by Marcos's people, but the vampires were still all on the alert. The human bodies had been left where they fell, and there were a couple of vampires mixed in as well. "Weak," Horatio said, slicing their necks to be certain they were dead and not playing.

"Recently turned more likely," Speed pointed out. "I expected more vampires here, Vlad. This is only a dozen or so. Could Isis be using vampires as overlords of some sort and humans to do all his dirty work this time around?"

"It is possible, though our intel didn't indicate anything of the sort," Vlad said. "Our hackers come to work upon the computers here. We hope to find information about Isis's location. To end this quickly, we need to eliminate him, then his network will fall to our people."

"He's probably in the desert in Egypt again," Horatio said. "Have our people located any information that might indicate he's returned to his old compound, Grandfather?"

"Nothing we've seen, no, but anything is possible," Vlad said. He looked into another room. "More humans, and one that thinks to fool us."

Horatio stepped in quickly and threw the vampire onto the floor, standing on his shoulder. "Old enough to know how to hold his breath," he said, running the flat of his sword over the vampire's cheek. "I think that I'd enjoy making him scream for you, Grandfather, should you but give me the word."

"Restrain him for now, and I will mark him for you, Fia," Vlad said. "I know that you have been searching for good sport, and have yet to find any."

"It's possible there are none left that are able to stand against me," Horatio said. He took the ties Speed held out and had the vampire trussed up quickly. "Should that be the case, I will have to turn my talents to torture and interrogation for the courts, Grandfather."

Vlad smirked. "Together we could drown them in blood, Fia," he said. "Arlen, get this creature out of here and to the transport. Make it known he is Fia's to question."

"As you will, Sire," Arlen said. He grinned at Horatio and left with the prisoner.

"This is a far smaller bunker than we were led to believe by our intelligence groups," Vlad said, when they came to the front hatch. "We expected both stealth teams to be needed to help you contain the number of enemies in here."

Horatio and Speed spun around at a click, and they both drew their weapons. Horatio had his two curved blades, and Speed a shorter sword, to allow for the ceiling. Vlad just grinned when a hidden panel opened up, revealing heavily-armed vampires. "Sport, Fia," he said.

"Thank you, Grandfather," Horatio said, licking his lips. He closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and ran into the middle of the group, swinging his blades quickly. Speed just shook his head and followed, covering his lover's back, and enjoying a bit of sport of his own. Between them, they took down thirty vampires in three minutes, and weren't even breathing heavily at the end of it.

"Are any of them still alive?" Vlad asked. He hadn't even had to draw his sword.

"One or two," Horatio said. He licked his lips. "That was fun, Tim."

"I guess we need to search this place a little more closely," Speed said. He took out a cloth and wiped down his sword. "There might be more vampires hiding in other areas."

Horatio grinned. "I hope there is," he said.

Chapter Text

By the time the underground compound was fully searched, another hundred vampires were located, and most killed. Horatio and Speed kept a couple alive from each group that was hiding for the interrogators at the two courts to question, and finally joined the kings back up on the surface. "The stealth teams should make one last sweep before we send our computer experts in, but the area is cleared," Horatio said. "We have plenty of vampires to question, Grandfather."

"Good, we need information, and we need it quickly," Vlad said with a smile. "Arlen, take the teams and ensure the compound is empty of all threat. We've set up a small camp just over the dunes where the prisoners can be questioned. Are you both okay to battle again should we have need of you?"

"We're good," Speed said. "No one down there was much of a challenge, plus they all tried to stay in their group, which really doesn't work well for any sort of battle."

"I agree, just give us the word, and we'll be at your service," Horatio said with a grin. "Some of them were almost good sport, but not quite."

Speed sighed. "I just hope we find either someone that can fight you at a level you're expecting, or a swarm of about two hundred for you to decimate, because I'm really starting to doubt there's any good sport left for you, H," he said. "The bad guys just don't seem to be training their minions to the same levels they used to back in the day."

"I never thought I'd miss the Turks, but I do," Horatio said with a small sigh of his own. "They knew not only how to fight, but how to think, and how to use their weapons. They were masters of their art, and it's all been downhill since then."

Vlad laughed. "Yet we learned much from them, did we not?" he asked. "Come, let us return to camp and see what we can learn from those we have taken prisoner."

"We did, and it's lessons that I'll never forget," Horatio replied. "They did truly understand weapons and battle, Grandfather. Something that seems to have died away as guns have become the main weapon around the world. There's no art to picking up a hunk of metal and shooting someone with a bullet. There's no style."

"I worry when you get into this type of mood," Speed said, walking along beside his partner. "Vlad, we've ensured no shadows around camp to be certain Isis can't come visiting while we're working?"

"We have, and it's something all our people know to be alert for," Vlad said. "We believe, though it has not been tested, that he can only use the shadows of inanimate objects, so those thrown by our people will not be a danger."

"It would make sense, or as much sense as his power over the shadows ever makes," Speed said. "I don't think it's going to be easy to find and stop him this time around. He has to know that we're going to come looking for him, that we're going to try and stop him again. Why were we able to find out that he's back? That's the part that doesn't make any sense to me. He's a master of the shadows, logically he should have been working from their safety until he had an army built and trained, and then unleashed them upon the planet. That would have taken us by surprise, and put us at a disadvantage, no matter how we train our people. Instead we're able to find out where his people are and start eliminating them without him doing anything. I don't like it."

"You make much the same points our experts did when first this information came to our attention," Vlad said. "And we still have no answer for any of it. He would not have grown careless in the centuries he lived, hidden, so we do not understand what his first move means. It's almost as if he wishes to have us come battle him."

"Maybe he does," Horatio said. "We didn't believe him sane during our last two battles against him, it is possible he has completely lost his mental facilities and is hunting world domination without thinking his plans through fully first. It's possible that he's going to fight us while still trying to take over the world, because that's all he has left in his mind. Dominate the humans and vampires, no matter the personal cost."

"Should that be true, then he truly is a dangerous enemy this time," Vlad said. "Tim, your Sire wishes to talk with you as soon as you can make time. Fia, let us go and see what we can get from the prisoners."

Chapter Text

Horatio and Vlad stood and watched as the interrogators for the two courts set up to work on the vampires left alive from the underground compound. "Grandfather, I had a thought," Horatio said, "what if this isn't actually Isis we're facing?"

"What do you mean, Fia?"

"Tim and I were both positive that I took Isis's head in our last confrontation," Horatio said. "What if this is someone that Isis allowed close to him, someone that we didn't know about, that has had the time to study and think about what Isis was attempting to do, and has decided to finish Isis's grand work? That would explain why so much has changed around this whole affair, why we were able to find this area and attack without troubles. Why we can't seem to actually find where Isis is. What if we're facing an unknown that's decided to try and become Isis without having any of his powers?"

Vlad looked off into the distance, thinking. His childe was sharp, intelligent, and a grand fighter. All traits he passed to his childe, Fia. While Vlad would dearly love to have his son back, to be able to fight at his side one more time, he still had Fia, and he treasured that. While the warrior chose a different name to his more hidden vampire name, Vlad would always think of him only as Fia, and hold their connection close to his heart. "You may well have a point we should consider," he finally said. "There is no indication that we do not face Isis directly. Think back to your last fight against him, Fia. What do you recall?"

"That was a true battle, those he had around him were driven insane in their lust for everything he promised them," Horatio said. "Tim and I were able to cut our way through, but it was close a few times, which neither of us care to admit, no matter how true it is. Tim held the line while I faced Isis himself. He had a mask on, which is why Tim and I both immediately thought double when you came to us in Florida, but it's possible that we're wrong. The body immediately collapsed into dust, and in that era there was no way to test to be certain I truly killed Isis. We truly do not know who we face this time, Vlad."

"Mayhap one of the weaklings we took from the compound will be able to enlighten us," Vlad said. "You have the one marked for you, Fia. Join our interrogators and learn what you can from the vampires we took alive. I will go speak with the others and see if there is a way we can confirm who it is we face. Join us when you have finished."

Horatio grinned and picked up a thin, ice pick blade. "I will ensure i bring you only the truth, Grandfather."

**

Speed was with Constantine, talking about the logistics of upcoming confrontation and other problems when Vlad joined them. "Horatio works with the interrogators to find us information to help us plan our next move," he said, sitting down at the table on the plane. "He also brought up a point we need to consider before we engage with this enemy again. Do we truly face Isis, or is this a former follower insane enough to continue Isis's work?"

"That's a thought," Speed said, leaning back in his chair. "It would explain quite a bit, honestly, but I don't see an easy way to figure out if he's right or not. Not right up until we're actually in the compound getting ready to cross blades with him again."

"What do you recall of the last battle against him, Tim?" Vlad asked.

"They tried to swarm a couple of times, and it was a battle to cut through them," Speed replied. "Horatio was in his element, the warrior was fully out, and I was trying to keep his back safe while we made our way to the throne. When we got there, Horatio jumped up and started fighting the man in the gold mask while I finished up against the followers. Once Horatio took the man's head, he went dust and we killed everyone there on principle before we left to return to the two courts to report."

"So we have more questions than we have answers at this point," Constantine said. He sighed and looked over towards where the interrogators worked. "We need more information before we attempt to battle against the vampire leading this new movement. Did any of the vampires in the compound here have guns, Tim?"

"One or two, but none drew them," Speed said. "H and I are aware there will likely be guns in the nest when we're finally turned loose to capture and kill Isis, or whoever is playing at being him."

Vlad nodded slowly. "I think we need to better consider modern weapons in this hidden compound before we allow our best hunters into the fray," he said. "Go join your partner, Tim. See what information you can bring us before the sun sets on these traitors."