Shatter Me

🏖🐚 I Prefer The Beach When It's Private Just You and Me And The Sea🌊⛵

Tim's funeral was one of the saddest moments in Zariah's life but at least she had Horatio by her side for it as well as two of her siblings and all three pups Horatio squeezes her hand gently every time she flinched when the guns went off for the gun salute and when the funeral was over Horatio watched Zariah walk away from him and head further into the graveyard they were now standing in he looks at her curiously for a few seconds then follows her he stares in surprise when she stops in front of a concrete angel tombstone that had far too many names of too many children engraved in its wings and two names written under the angels feet "this is why I stopped doing what they wanted me to do.... it took me forever to be able to afford this but I wasn't going to let the children they killed be degraded anymore than we already were!.... at least the children I was old enough to do anything about the ones I was too young to help names are written in the wings.... there's no case file because there was never a case their murder was never known by anyone but me and the parents! I have never failed anyone more than I have failed them!.... I had moved out the day they committed the crime that I knew I could do nothing about not only because people didn't care but I didn't have the "proper" evidence their evil was second nature to them they loved their power over us too much!.... I may have left the home but I couldn't just leave the children I had to let them know that there was someone who was on their side! someone who was just like them and lived through it SURVIVED it!! I hoped it would give them hope that someday they would be free of it!.... I got the jobs, I took care of the kids I loved them in the only way I knew how and it might not have been the right kind or the right amount but I did what I could or at least that's what I told myself! I let MY experiences determine how they would handle theirs but in truth I probably could have gotten them out sooner! then again I had to build up the reputation needed to get what I wanted done done I had to befriend people I HATED!! people I believed cared almost as much as the parents did.... which isn't at all!.... they may have wanted kids but they were terrible parents! two of the many who never should have been able to have them in any which way but they made friends in all the right places!.... my birth father was a cop but the Precinct he worked in were in such a hurry to close the case they arrested a man who was in prison the day of my birth parents murder just because he already had a record and it was easy to place the blame on a somewhat innocent man.... my father was a good cop but they were all just far too lazy to do their jobs properly using the power of the badge and gun to overrule everything and everyone!.... I hated telling their family I failed them it was the worst feeling in the world to tell those that might have cared for them!.... if I had only been a little faster! if I had been there I could have stopped them!.... and probably died in the process since I had no self defense training....!"  Zariah starts she stops when she feels Horatio slide his arm around her waist and hug her to his side and she hides her head in his chest she didn't cry she didn't think she could cry but she felt Horatio cry silent tears for her and them and she hugs him as tightly as she dared without hurting him they stand there in silence for a little while longer then he coaxes her to their vehicle and drives them home for he made sure his team was able to take a few days off of work so they could cope with the loss they had just suffered though she believed none of them would follow through on that time off for they would all need a distraction from their pain not time to wallow in their sorrows as a matter of fact she was probably the only one who actually took a full week off of work for going to Tim's funeral had reminded her of a day she wanted to forget the day she lost two of her siblings by the hand of the parents who took their "lessons" a bit too far she spent a lot of time sitting by the water of a very private beach for it was just her and Caine during the times she was there though she would on occasion take Aaron Jessop with her to watch over her on the really tough days when she couldn't bare to be alone but didn't want to pull Horatio away from his what Olivia and Henry would call it "superhero" status.... "well.... it looks like we're headed back to work AJ"  Zariah says as she walks over to the patrol officer with Caine at her heels after she got a call from Horatio asking for Caine's assistance with his victims son Aaron smiles at her "and if you call me ma'am so help me young man....!"  she playfully scolds shaking her finger at him making him chuckle.... a few minutes later Zariah and Caine walk into the Miami-Dade Police Department and see Horatio sitting next to a cute chocolate skinned boy "ok I've changed my mind take me back to the beach there is way too much cuteness happening in that room I'm not sure I can handle it!"  she teases Aaron chuckles with a smile Caine on the other hand bounds over to the door of the Interrogation Room and gently paws it.... hearing the light scratches on the glass door of the Interrogation Room Horatio looks up and sees Caine sitting in front of it he smiles then stands up walks over to the door and lets the dog inside he looks over at Zariah who was chatting with Aaron and smiles seeing him look over at her Zariah smiles and waves at him and he nods in reply then walks back into the room where Stevie was already giving the lovable dog some lovin Horatio smiles at the sight before him then goes back to his seat and sits down then a little while later he walks out of the room leaving Stevie in the care of his new friend and walks over to where Zariah stands.... "hi!"  Zariah hears Horatio say softly she turns to look at him and waves goodbye to Aaron who walked away so he could go back to his official duties "hi!"  she replies softly "he's a very brave boy and quite handsome too!.... you might have a little competition when it comes to gaining my attention this time around!"  she says ending with a tease he chuckles with a smile then says "yes he is and I think I can handle it!"  she chuckles then says "I'll go watch over him if you got other things you need to do"  he replies with a smile "I'd appreciate it"  she kisses his cheek then walks towards and inside the Interrogation Room and Horatio watches her with a smile on his face....