I've never been to NYC before too, so forgive me for any discrepancies. And of course the task force goes, just stay out of sight.
Luna nice icon of Jack Sparrow.
The cold hit Yelina as they exited the airport. The wind picked up her hair and swung it in one direction across her face. She tucked her hair back behind her ear and pulled her coat tighter round herself. She felt Horatio's arm snake round her waist, pulling her close to him.
"Cold?" Horatio asked.
"A little." She took in the busy street outside the airport. It bustled with activity and traffic. "Nice place."
"If we have time, I'll show you round Central Park, it's nice this time of year." Horatio smiled.
It had been a long time since he had returned, he hoped things didn't change that much. He had always wanted to take his family back to New York but never got round to it. Now he was here with his wife, although not for the holiday he would have liked it to be. He held her tightly to him, and he felt the comfort he needed with her by his side. The future seemed clouded with uncertainty for him.
Horatio hailed a cab and loaded their luggage into the trunk.
"The hearing's tomorrow. I have to go to my attorney's office first, before we go to the hotel."
"I know." She said looking out the window of the cab. Horatio had told her on the plane, but he still felt the need to explain their actions for the day.
They pulled up to one of the many tall buildings in the city and rode the elevator up to the lawyer's office. He turned out to be a heavyset, slightly balding, bespectacled man. Horatio introduced the man.
"This is Tony Michaels. He's a defense attorney, defended many of the suspects I arrested back in the day. Of course, now he's my defense attorney." Horatio said with a slight smile. "This is my wife Yelina."
"Pleasure to meet you," Tony shook her hand in a firm handshake.
They sat down on opposite ends of the table, Tony on one end and Horatio and Yelina at the other. The secretary brought in coffee.
"I hope you guys had a good flight." Tony said.
"We did, thank you." Yelina smiled.
"Back then Horatio was so driven, only had his job on his mind, I'm surprised he's settled down with wife and kids." Tony teased.
"He hasn't changed much since then." she replied.
Horatio's mood was still clouded, and he leaned forward in his chair. "So tell me, Tony, what am I up against?"
Tony set his coffee mug down, and grew serious. "I'm not gona mince my words, the prosecuting DA, Brandon Libermann, he's fought and won many high profile cases these couple of years. He wants to rise the ranks, you're someone who can help him get there."
"I thought the case against Horatio was never filed back then." Yelina asked.
"You're right, it wasn't. Cops ruled self-defense, there was no sense charging a sixteen-year old boy for stabbing his father who had killed his mother and had a log history of abuse."
"The forensic evidence was inconclusive." Horatio said.
"Yup, couldn't prove anything. The most reliable account is from you yourself." Tony said, pointing a finger at Horatio. "You were the only eye witness."
"A long time has passed since then, maybe if we looked at the evidence again?" Yelina suggested.
"The poilce only kept the knife used in the stabbing, crime scne photos, we have to prove that your father attacked you first."
"He did." Horatio said, "But we have no way of proving that. Still, I'd like a copy of those photos, I can't look at them myself, but I'll get my lab to do it."
"I'll email the photos to your lab," Tony said, nodding to his computer on the desk.
"Thank you." Horatio said. "So what are my chances?"
"It's hard to say. You'll go before the judge tomorrow, he'll hear you out, he'll decide if there's a need to go to trial. You've always been in law enforcement, you've got a great record, so he's likely to believe what you say. But... this happened a long time ago, before you joined the academy."
"I understand." Horatio said.
"Why don't you guys go get some dinner and rest. If you can't remember where the good food is..."
"I rememeber, thanks Tony." They stood, exchnaging handshakes.
----------------------
Horatio and Yelina settled into their hotel room, and he took her to a restaurant nearby for dinner. They kept the mood light, not talking about the hearing to come but enjoying watching the people hurry pass them outside the window. Yelina could tell things still weighed heavy on Horatio's mind.
Back at their hotel room, she tried to ease his mind. He was staring out their window looking into the city lights. She came up behind him, wrapping her arms round his waist. He turned to face her.
"You ready for tomorrow?" She asked.
"Yeah. I can see the image in my mind... like it happened yesterday." He sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"I'll be right there with you."
"I know... if things don't work out..."
"They will. Whatever happened to my husband the optimist? We always work things out remember?" Yelina hugged him tightly.
"Yeah," he replied unconvincingly.
She turned her head, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Things will be ok."
He smiled. "I should be the one telling you that."
"You've always been strong for me, for us, let me be the one this time." She leaned in to kiss him.
"Why don't I run us a bath? That'll soothe your nerves.... maybe after that, we can find some way for you to release all that tension in you." She smiled suggestivley at him, resting her hands on his butt and giving a playful squeeze.
Horatio's eyes still looked distant. "Why don't you go ahead without me?" He nodded to the bathroom.
Yelina was slightly disappointed. "Ok." She turned and Horatio grabbed her hand as she started to walk away, spinning her round to face him again. He leaned and kissed her deeply on the lips.
"It's not you, it's not that I don't want you ..." He lowered his head, "... there'a alot on my mind... I don't think I can..."
"I understand." She hugged him for a long while. "You should get some rest."
"I will." He watched as she entered the bathroom, then lay on the bed, waiting for the sleep that he knew wouldn't come that night.