Question! Before I get on with the sequel to A Different Road does anybody remember in what episode that Eric calls Horatio "H" and Rick Stetler tells Horatio that could be taken as a lack respect for a supervisor. Horatio replied "I'm willing to take that chance."

Note: I like both characters, therefore both Ryan Wolfe and Tim Speedle are in this story.

Delicate

Sequel to a Different Road

Take-offs from this original story A Happy Man and Daddy Daycare had are also posted.

Settled

Life for Horatio Caine was how he never dared to dream it would be. After everything they had gone through with Kyle's biological mother Julia Albery and Rick Stetler, Horatio was amazed and grateful Aimee was had stood by him. And not still with him "for the kids," either. He had the family he had dreamt of for years. No matter what the job threw at him, he woke with a smile on his face every morning. How could he not, with two beautiful children and a wife whom he adored? A wife who put up with erratic hours of his job, often parenting their children like a single mom for days, when the job kept him from home and still welcomed him with open arms at the end of the day without a trace of resentment.

Horatio well knew some women after years of this life thought she "just as well" be a single parent. That was why some cops' marriages failed. As determined as he was that this wouldn't happen to himself and Aimee, he knew there was no guarantee it wouldn't. But to do his part, Horatio made sure when he was home, he was truly home. Not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well, regardless of the cases he was working. And no matter how long he had been gone he knew the children's routines and schedules. How Kyle was doing at school and soccer or T-ball and if Faith had a new tooth come in or if she had taken more steps yet. He knew some officers found this information to be just "noise" after the stress of the job. Horatio felt bad for the spouses and children of such officers. As hard as he tried to be empathetic to said officers, he couldn't help but think he– or she, should think long and hard if they could care about a family properly. If they thought they couldn't and weren't sure, they shouldn't bring a family into the mix. If an officer did have a family, however and were neglecting them, they needed therapy and "kick in the ass" in Horatio's opinion. As the latter went, he often gave a "kick in the ass" to some officers who came to him complaining to him about their families. He would acknowledge to them that while nothing was guaranteed and there was two involved in a marriage, there were things the officer could do and not do to "not fuck things up."

"In the end, it's your call what you do," he would advise the person.

Saying something like "do I look like I care?" when your wife told you that your baby girl did something new or when your son proudly showed you something he made at school was unfathomable to Horatio. When a frustrated officer or detective asked "but what if that's how I feel?"

"Then you have a problem," was Horatio's reply.

Horatio and Aimee had the "perfect set" with their two children but were ninety-nine percent sure they weren't done having children yet. Their close friends and Horatio's colleagues, Eric and Calleigh had become parents for the first time six days ago. Twins Emily and Adam were healthy at thirty-seven weeks. Because Calleigh was able to have a vaginal delivery and the twins were each over six pounds, the three only had to stay in the hospital two days. Typically, Calleigh was already saying this was it for her and Eric in the baby department. Eric seemed disappointed when his wife made that statement but once they were on their own looking after two newborns he agreed with her.

For now.