Say something

_Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'll be the one, if you want me to  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you  
_  
Horatio watched her, from a distance. She sat alone, bag open at her feet. He knew her eyes would be closed as she felt the wind brushed her hair off her face. He knew because he had always done it himself. It gave him the strength, to keep working through the dark, pushed him to keep going when it seemed impossible. He slowly approached her, not wanting to interrupt her reflections, and sat beside her. "Hi" he whispered to her. She turned and gave a small smile "Hi"  
"How we doing?" He asked her softly. She looked away for a moment, and he knew, for the strength she showed her brother, she wasn't coping. "Come here" He whispered, pulling her close. A small sob echoed through her body as he held her and she shattered.

_And I am feeling so small  
It was over my head  
I know nothing at all  
_

**Maddison stood in the lobby of the MDPD's Crime Lab, her foot tapping. Ray Jr. placed his hand on her shoulder, and whispered something in her ear. Maddison's head jerked up when she heard the ding of the elevator. She raced over when she saw Horatio step out. "Uncle H" she called out, "Wait a sec."  
Horatio looked surprised to see his niece and nephew, but that look was quickly replaced with worry "Maddison, Ray, is everything ok?"  
Maddison looked at Ray for a second, who nodded, and she turned back to Horatio "Mum's been arrested"  
"Why?"  
"Why do you think?" Maddison spat, pulling the sleeves of her jacket "Meth"  
The worry on Horatio's face quickly turned to rage. "How long has she been back on it?"  
Maddison shrugged "I never saw her do it. I knew she was high thought"  
"And you didn't tell me?"  
Ray stepped in between his half-sister and uncle "Uncle H, she didn't think you needed another thing to worry about. When she figured it out, you'd just come back from Rio" the meaning behind those words caused Horatio to close his eyes for a moment, and Maddison knew he was thinking of the pretty Latino girl who had stolen his heart then been stolen from him. She wondered at times, if he had known Marisol had found out she was pregnant a few days before she'd died. Maddison had been at the doctor when Marisol had found out, and knew she'd been planning to tell Horatio when they had time to enjoy the news, "I'm sorry thought" Maddison muttered "I was going to tell you honest"  
"Where is she now?" Horatio asked, his voice softening  
"In lock-up" She looked into his eyes and for a moment, they just looked at each other. "Can you call social services? I don't really want to stay there anymore"  
"Mads you can stay with me" Ray stepped forward looking close at her  
"and remind your mother of her dead husbands' betrayal 24 hours a day" Maddison snorted "No thank you, and before you start" she stated turning to Horatio "you work all day and night, especially with a case on, so they're not likely to let me stay with you anyhow." Maddy sighed, closed her eyes for a few seconds then nodded "no, the best place for me is in care" she laughed bitterly "kind of ironic."**

_And I will stumble and fall  
I'm still learning to love  
Just starting to crawl_

As the sobbing subsided slowly, he gently pushed her face up, to face him. "Feel better?"  
She shook her head "Not really"  
"Mads, it will be ok"  
"I know, eventually it will be. But the idea that I'm never seeing her again, it's not easy to live with"  
"No, losing a parent isn't easy" Horatio agreed "especially like this" Madison sighed at this statement and moved away slightly to rub her eyes. "Yeah" she agreed. "It's not"

_Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you  
_**  
Suzie looked up and winced when she noticed her daughter's uncle storm into the room "What. Were. You. Thinking?" Horatio asked dangerously "and trust me Suzie, this better be good"  
"I wasn't" she said truthfully, "It's just with Maddison's terminal prognoses I fell back into bad habits"  
Horatio looked confused for a moment before the mask fell back into place "Maddy's terminal?"  
Suzie nodded "She didn't tell you?"  
"No she forgot to mention that" He answered, looking away for a moment "I can't save you this time Suzie"  
"I know. I did wrong, I'll pay my due" she looked up at him her eyes searching "watch her"  
"I will"**

_And I will swallow my pride  
You're the one that I love  
And I'm saying goodbye  
__**  
**_"How long?" Horatio asked  
"The doc's think a few months, at least. They said they've had cases that were in worse states then me that lived for years though, so I'm optimistic"  
"Does your brother know?"  
"Ray? No, I really don't want to tell him just yet"  
"you know will need to soon"  
"yeah, but I'm enjoying him treating me normal." Madison picked up a fistful of sand slowly letting it trickle through her hands. "I don't want to die uncle Horatio" she whispered  
"Maddy" he whispered back, not knowing what to say in reply

_Say something, I'm giving up on you  
And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you  
And anywhere I would've followed you (Oh-oh-oh-oh)  
Say something, I'm giving up on you  
_

"I guess, I guess I should head home" Maddy sighed, slowly beginning to stand  
"want to ride?" Horatio asked  
"No its ok, Greg and Leonie live about 10 minutes away, so it's not a bad walk" she smiled pulling her bag over her shoulder.  
"Do they know?" Horatio asked suddenly curious  
"yeah, had to tell them when I came with a few truckfuls of medication, didn't I" Maddison shook her head "you think, that since I'm dying they'd take some away, but no the docs want to drug me up so I'm 'comfortable'" She answered sarcastically. Taking a look at her watch made her sigh "speaking of witch I'm due for some so I really got to go" She smiled up at her uncle. "Thanks"  
"you need me you call"  
She nodded "I will"  
"OK."  
"OK" She grinned, and turned and walked up the beach. Horatio watched her until she was out of sight. "Bye, Maddison" He said quietly

_Say something, I'm giving up on you  
Say something... _


End file.
