Title: Consequences
Chapter 1 - Nightmares

Summary: Did you really think you could get away with that Horatio? That no one would know what you did? That no one saw? Well I saw. There are eyes everywhere! Now it's time to pay for your actions.

A/N: Okay so the eppy (9.12 'Wheels Up' ) ended with a hinting with Horatio beating up Garth and a secret he might be hiding so Alice just wanted to run with this idea and see where it goes - if anywhere. This is NOT an eppy recap but just uses the ending for this idea. Hope you like it.

"Cuff him!" Was the barking order given, as Horatio was slammed up against the wall of the small enclosed interrogation room, his arms pulled painfully behind his back and his wrists cruelly trapped together under thick coatings of steel.

"Let me…go," Horatio growls in return, his struggling – useless against the strong men holding him firmly against the wall. A firm hand grabs a handful of auburn locks and painfully jerks his head backward.

"Think you can just do what you want in here and get away with it?" The familiar voice hisses in his ear. "That no one would see your actions?"

"I had…"

"Justifiable cause?" A mocking question is heard. "Says who? You?"

"He was an abuser!"

"You know about that kind of man do you?"

"Damn it! Let me…"

"Do you think the shield you carry, is a license to just do what the hell you want and think YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH IT!" The voice shouts in his ear. "You target someone and that's it? You're untouchable? Your God? You don't make those decisions!"

With his head still firmly held in his attackers grasp, Horatio tries to put a knee against the wall and push himself backward.

"Yeah nice try," taunting laughter is heard from behind before a frightful order is given. "Hit him!"

"Wai…" Horatio calls out; only to utter a painful yelp when a police baton connects with the back of the leg Horatio was about to kick out with, causing his body to buckle but not give way completely.

"Bad cop huh," the male voice continues; Horatio's hair still firmly in his grasp. "I can be the bad cop too."

"What the hell…do you…ahhhh," Horatio finishes with another painful gasp as his leg is hit once more and his body falters as his knees start to buckle.

"I am only giving you a taste of your own medicine Lieutenant Caine."

"He was...an abus…" Horatio tries in ragged breaths, his heart racing as his leg is hit again; stopping his speech.

"Are you seriously trying to justify your actions to me Horatio?" The voice mocks as the mans hand finally lets go of his hair and Horatio is turned around to face the man holding him captive in his the small enclosed holding cell.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Horatio demands as he tries to lunge forward. The two large men on either side pull him back, forcing his arms further behind his back and causing Horatio's frame to feel the pain and ease his vain attempts at getting free.

"Me? What am I doing here? I think you know. Holding you accountable."

"I don't ans…" Horatio starts, only to receive a hard blow to his vulnerable chest, forcing his lungs to gasp for air and his body to slightly double forward. He's pushed back up but before he can utter another word in his useless defense, the hard fist connects with his stomach once more; his body now slumping limply in the strong grasp of his two captors.

"Stand him back up. Pathetic Caine, I mean really. You can dish it out…" the man pauses as he hits Horatio again, this time connecting with his jaw and snapping Horatio's head to the left.

"But you sure can't…" another blow sends his face to the right.

"Take it," the last punch busts open his lower lip, his chest heaving, beads of sweat dripping down his face and his heart about to explode; every orifice of his body throbbing.

"I can ex…"

"Explain? Oh I would love to hear this, really I would," the voice mocks. "But you know what…" the man pauses as he hits Horatio again. "I just don't care. Hmmm wonder who I got that from? Any ideas? I'll tell you. YOU!"

Horatio lifts his weary head but before he can answer, a hand is wrapped around his throat, restricting his airway and causing him to struggle for breath.

"Beg me to stop Caine…beg me like that defenseless prisoner begged you to stop."

"I didn't…"

"DON'T LIE TO ME CAINE!"

Horatio tries to swallow, the firm hand around his throat squeezing a bit more, his lungs now burning for air and his throat dry and raw.

"How did you stop him from hitting back?"

The hand pulls back from his throat and lands in his stomach once more, Horatio's eyes watering and his lungs on fire.

"I…didn't…" Horatio coughs hoarsely.

"LIAR!" The man shouts in his face. "Don't lie to me Horatio; me of all people. You know how I feel about lies. Now beg me."

"Go to…hell," Horatio sputters, sending a small smattering of blood and saliva onto the pant leg of the man standing opposite him.

"You really think you can do whatever the hell you want in here and just get away with it?"

"He was…an abuser! He beat…women!"

"And the law? You think you can just offer some lame ass excuse as to your actions professionally and never pay the price personally?"

"You don't…"

"That you can just pretend you are so high and mighty; that your team will back your sordid actions no matter what the consequences? No matter what petty excuse you offer to cover your own personal vendetta!"

"I…" Horatio starts only to have a gun pulled out and shoved into his cheek, the trigger cocked instantly.

"What else did you threaten him with Caine? Hmm? A gun perhaps?"

"I don't answer to…"

"Yes you answer to me and to your team."

"I don't answer…to you."

"I am the public Horatio, you answer to me for your actions."

"I…"

"Right, well up until now you haven't had to. That changes – starting right now."

"Listen to me. If you think…" Horatio starts only to have the man before him nod to the one standing beside him; the one that had earlier hit him with the baton. The other man pulls out a roll of heavy tape, rips off a strip and then pushes it down over Horatio's lips, instantly cutting off any forthcoming pleas.

"I think I like you better like this. Did you also do this to your prisoner Lieutenant Caine?" The man pats Horatio's cheek in a mocking way before slapping him hard. "How did you silence his cries in your head?"

Horatio tries to kick outward at his cruel captor but only gets another bout of laughter in return before he's hit once more in the stomach.

"And then you let him go right? Well let's do the same to you. Ready to face your team like this, in this condition, your last poor victim had to face his? Let's see you try to explain a lie to them to make yourself sound not as pathetic as you look. Think you'll be able to do that? Think you'll be able to look in the mirror and not see the monster looking back?" The threat ends with all four men laughing at the captive Lieutenant. "And if so how long can you keep it up before it slowly eats away at you inside!"

Horatio furiously shakes his head no, as his struggling body is dragged toward the door of the holding cell; his arms still securely trapped behind his back. He pulls in vain, his body on fire, sweat drenching his hair, face, neck and back but his mind refusing to give up.

Can't let the team see me like this…this his not happening…can't be happening…no one knew…no one…

The door is pulled open and he stares in horror at the faces looking back at their now captive leader.

"What is going on?" Horatio looks at Calleigh as she demands an explanation of the man holding him in his grasp.

"Lieutenant Caine wanted to a good sport and show you all just what he did to the last man in his presence. Isn't that right Horatio? You know…Jake McGrath." The voice hisses in his ear, the man's face inches from his; his breath hot on his face, searing the beads of sweat as they trickled past.

"See he thought he could just do whatever he wants and get away with it; telling you bunch of pansies just what you want to hear and sadly laughing as you all believe him."

Horatio's frantic eyes look at each member of his team, the tape across his lips preventing him from offering anything in his own defense. He figured that someone would demand he be let go; one of them would call the man holding him captive to account. Someone would be there to help him. But much to his shock and horror, one by one they all shook their heads and turned to leave; Calleigh being last.

"Can't believe you'd do that Horatio…" were the sad words she offers in torment before she turns her back and leaves.

NO! Horatio shouts in misery, his words muffled behind the tape.

"Consequences Horatio," the man whispers into his ear once more. "You really need to think about them more. Just remember, I'm always here…watching you…someone always knows. It's just a matter of time before you are called to account for your actions. Before you finally cave."

Horatio shakes his head as he tries to pull free.

"Well…it's been fun Horatio but it's time for me to leave now. Time for you to figure a way out of this on your own. Or maybe like Jake you can just…wait for your lawyer?"

Much to Horatio's horror, he's wrestled to the floor, and his feet finally bound with tape; the four men now looming over him, mocking his pitiful and captive state. He receives one kick to his already painful stomach before the four men turn to leave, heading toward the elevator with snickers emanating from their mouths; echoing in the hallway and ringing in his ears. Horatio blinks away angry tears and looks up just as the elevator doors start to close; a mocking smile burned into his vision by an old nemesis reincarnated in his current tormentors form.

"See you later Horatio…"

"RICK!"

Horatio shouts as he bolts upright in bed, his heart racing and his whole body several degrees warmer. "Oh god…" he huffs as he doesn't turn on the light, only hurries for the bathroom. He turns on the cold water and starts to splash cold water onto his face, his lungs still heaving and his face flushed.

"Horatio?" Calleigh's soft voice is heard with a frantic tone; her delicate hand landing on his sweat soaked back. "You are soaked and burning up. What's going on?"

"I'm…fine," Horatio lightly pants as he finishes with his cold water assault and then reaches for a towel; his body slightly stiffening under her touch. He pats his face dry and then turns to her with a heavy frown. "I'm sorry for waking you," he says quietly.

"Must have been some nightmare for you to be in this condition," she tenderly comments.

"One of the worst…in a while," Horatio huffs as he finally puts the towel down.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Calleigh it was nothing," he tries to bluff, his eyes not meeting hers for a few seconds; a sure indicator that he wasn't offering the truth.

"Horatio you have a small fever," Calleigh notes in concern as her hand rests on his burning skin. "It wasn't nothing."

"Just a passing memory."

"You said Rick's name."

"Well he is a nightmare," Horatio answers offhandedly with a slight smirk.

"Does this have anything to do with the case we closed earlier tonight?"

"Calleigh…"

"Horatio the team is fine, in fact they told me they were even going out to the roller derby to do some skating and just unwind after all that."

"I'm glad they were able to," Horatio answers with a lessening frown.

"But when I was doing my paperwork to finish up this case, where did you get off to? I know you didn't join them."

Horatio's mind instantly flashes to his own image closing the door to the small, enclosed interrogation room with the newly subdued prisoner and himself still inside. His mind coming back to reality just as the first of many screams was heard.

"I had something to attend to."

"Frank said you were last with Jake McGrath," Calleigh inquires.

"Jake and I…we talked."

"Talked?" Calleigh arches a brow.

"You like to hit women Jake?" Horatio's mind recalls him asking the suspect in his apartment.

"I'll make bail in a couple of hours."

"It's all I'm gonna need Jake."

He hated abusers, all his life; started with his father when he was a young boy and was carried on into adulthood; even as the mental scars his father's beatings still remained burned into his very soul. Every fiber of his being was on edge the moment Jake McGrath entered the picture. He had lost it in that small room, but had told himself as he left Jake's throbbing and threatened frame in that small room that it was one time – and one time only. He was still in control. He would not cave in.

"Horatio? What is it?" Calleigh's soft words pull him back to reality. "Talk to me."

"Calleigh it was a nightmare and nothing more."

"You know we talked about honesty Horatio."

"Trust me Calleigh this was nothing. Just a few images from…it was nothing. Nothing you need to worry about."

"You lost it man…"

Calleigh gives him a small nod and then pulls him into her grasp, her hand tenderly stroking his drying back. Horatio looks at his tormented reflection in the mirror, cringing for a split second when the reflection offers a twisted smile and wink in return; forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut and praying for the image to disappear. Calleigh feels his body tense once more in her grasp and pulls back to look at him in concern.

"Just a chill," he utters in haste; giving her only a half truth.

"I just better not find out you were keeping anything from me."

"Calleigh, sweetheart, there is nothing to keep. Everything is going to be fine."

"Okay," she resigns with some hesitation; her mind however racing with the words she knows he offered with some untruth to them. What secret are you hiding from me Horatio? What really happened today?

"I assure you I'm fine and nothing more is going to happen," Horatio promises as he leans in and kisses the top of her forehead. "Come on lets get back to bed; we have an early day tomorrow."

"Horatio…"

"Calleigh I would never do anything to break your trust," he tries to explain, telling himself his earlier actions with the prisoner was a one off and that it wouldn't happen again. "Today was just another day on the job and tonight was just a nightmare; nothing more. I promise."

Calleigh gives him a nod and both of them slowly head back to his large bed and then slowly climb in, Calleigh's head resting on his chest and her ears picking up the sound of his heart still racing. She gives him another squeeze and is delighted with his body finally eases a bit more in her grasp.

"Goodnight Horatio," she whispers before she tilts her head upward, plants a kiss on the bottom part of his cheek and then closes her eyes; her dreams sweet and pleasant.

"Goodnight…Calleigh," Horatio whispers in return, kissing the top of her head but his eyes remaining open; his mind still in turmoil. It was a one off…Horatio tries to insist to himself. However, he knows that inside his core a fire was starting to burn; a fire that if given the right circumstances and fuel might well rage out of control; forcing upon him consequences that not only spell disaster for him and Calleigh but possibly alter his very future existence. A fire that he now fears he might not be able to extinguish.

"You lost it man," Jake had told him correctly. Those words slamming into him; tormenting his brain further, haunting his sleepless state.

It won't happen again…can never happen again…

Horatio tells himself over and over, his mind this time trying to erase the small pleas from the helpless prisoner begging for him to stop his unprovoked attack. His eyes stay open until he's unable to hold his eyelids upright any longer and soon they close, his mind once again whisked away into a tormented realm where he would be held responsible for the consequences of his own actions – actions that he was not able to justify. For in reality, he was wrong and he knows inside that if he was found out that he used unjustifiable force to send his own personal message, it would lead to his own personal demise.

But it was only a matter of time before he would be called to account for his actions; only a matter of time before he would be called to face those consequences. But by who? And in what capacity? And when would time finally run out?

And those are the few tormented sentiments that snap Horatio's eyes open in the darkness; a small twisted smirk fighting to take over; the battle for the very sanity of Horatio Caine having started. Was there anyone that could come to his rescue? And who else in his path would pay the price? What would be the ultimate consquence?

Oh god…what have I done?

A/N: Okay so hope you found it entertaining and not to dark or angsty but please leave me a review before you go, especially if you want even another small follow up to this; if you don't want more that's okay also and i'll mark complete, but hope you enjoyed this a little. Thanks in advance! :D

PS: Alice and I will now go back to writing 'Something Unexpected' for you all but again thank you for reading this detour.