Previous part of Who wrote these orders.

***

"Good afternoon, Frank," Horatio said when the detective came around the house.

"Hey, I overheard Delko bitching about Clint, the mystery man, being back in town, so I figured I'd drop by and say hello," Frank said. "Looks like you been through a war there, Clint. How you doing?"

Barton turned his head towards the voice. "I've been worse, Frank," he said with a smile. "Did I ever introduce you to my partner, Phil Coulson?"

"Nope, don't think I've had the pleasure," Frank said. "Nice to meet you, Agent Coulson."

"Detective Tripp," Coulson said. "I've heard a bit about you from Clint. Please, join us."

"Frank, do I want to know what all Eric was saying?" Horatio asked. "Is it a problem I need to address?"

The larger man sat down at the table with Horatio. "Hell, Horatio, I'm not sure what's going on with him," Frank sighed. "Not a word about your stupid rescue stunt at the toy store yesterday, but talking about Clint and some guy named Tony. Eric's got a problem, but I'm not sure exactly what it is."

"Did I hear someone taking my name in vain?" Tony asked, appearing out of the house. "Agent, you're needed on the phone. Horatio, that's the last speaker installed. Do you mind if we lay out on the beach and take the sun? Birdy here could even go swimming with us."

"Caw caw," Barton said dryly.

"Horatio, do you have that new group, what're they called, the Avengers in your house?" Frank asked.

"Clint's a member of the team and they wanted to come with him," Horatio replied with a fond smile. "Tony has been kind enough to upgrade my security system and the others are watching a movie. To answer your question, Tony, by all means use the beach. Clint, do you want to go swim?"

"Not right now, I'm comfortable," Barton said.

"All right, just let me know," Horatio said. "Frank, as to Eric, he developed a crush on me and I turned him down as gently as I could yesterday before I had to go and deal with the situation in the toy store. I would be surprised if he didn't feel some bitterness and anger towards me right now, but I don't like him talking about Clint and Tony so freely. I'll have to talk with Eric again."

Frank snorted. "You should probably tell him about Grant, you know," he said. "If you guys would just wear the damn rings you exchanged, none of this woulda happened."

"You know how stubborn Pop is, Frank," Barton said. "Phil, just a heads up, the team is going swimming."

"I knew I should have borrowed that force field from Fury," Coulson said as he sat back down. "Horatio, would it be possible for me to get a ride out to the airport later tonight? I need to pick someone up."

"I can make the arrangements," Horatio said. "I don't want to leave Clint here alone."

"We'll stay with him," Steve said, pausing next to the table. "I'll keep Tony in line."

"Like to see you try, Capcicle," Tony called from down by the water.

"Thanks, Steve, that would help," Coulson said. "Clint, that okay with you?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Clint, what the hell did happen to you?" Frank asked.

Barton shrugged. "I had a building come down on top of me when I was on an op," he said. "I'm recovering in the sun, thanks to Pop. Normally they'd have me locked away where I couldn't annoy the nurses and race down the halls in my wheelchair."

"He would, too," Coulson said. "I've seen him do it."

"Pop, why don't you invite Eric over for supper tonight?" Barton asked. "Give him a chance to talk to you and the team can keep him entertained enough that maybe he won't feel so rejected."

"I'll think about it," Horatio replied. "Frank, could I offer you some lunch?"

"Nah, I gotta get back to work. Just wanted to stop in and see Clint," Frank said. "Want me to call if Eric don't calm down, Horatio?"

"Please," Horatio said. "Be safe, Frank."

***

In the end, Horatio called Calleigh and asked both her and Eric to dinner, asking that she drag Eric over if the younger man didn't want to come. He knew it wasn't really fair of him, but the last thing Horatio wanted was a member of his family in danger because they were talking about the wrong person at the wrong time. Horatio also didn't want to risk Clint while his son was blind. He knew that Clint would fight, and hurt himself worse, if the house were to come under attack, and that was the last thing Horatio wanted.

"Are you okay with me telling Eric and Calleigh about our relationship, Clint," Horatio asked once the arrangements for the night were made. Phil and Tony had vanished somewhere together, probably out to the airport, but Horatio wasn't about to ask what that was all about.

"Sure, it doesn't bother me," Barton replied with a grin. "The only reason I don't talk about you around SHIELD is there are too many baddies out there that could use you to try and get to me. I know you're a fighter, Pop, but I don't want to risk you."

"I know," Horatio said. "I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to be telling things you didn't want told."

"Nope, it's all fine with me," Barton said. "Maybe don't mention that I'm temporarily blind. I can fake it well enough, and I don't want strangers knowing I'm compromised right now. I know they're your family, but it just makes me nervous."

"Easy enough," Horatio said with a nod. "I'll leave it up to you for what you want to talk about for your injuries. There's a Hummer, that's probably them. They're early."

Barton grinned. "I'm sure that Eric's just chomping at the bit to get over here," he said.

"I don't remember you being nearly this sarcastic growing up," Horatio said fondly. "Hello Calleigh, Eric, thanks for coming over."

"Thanks for inviting us," Calleigh said. "Hey Clint, looks like you've been through a war zone. How're you doing?"

"I'm holding my own, Calleigh," Barton replied with a grin. "How have you been?"

Calleigh laughed and sat down at the table next to Horatio. "I've been good," she said. "So I'm guessing you're here for more than a couple of days this time around. When you're feeling better, would you be willing to talk with me about the bow? We had two other cases come up where that was the weapon involved and my research didn't cover nearly as much as I thought it should."

"Sure," Barton said. "Hey Eric, how are you doing?"

"Fine," Eric said. He sat down on the other bench. "What's going on, Horatio?"

"I found out that there's some potentially dangerous conversations happening at the lab and I wanted to make sure that they stop before anyone is hurt," Horatio said. "Clint, Tony and the others who are here are all part of a group known as the Avengers and there are a lot of insane people who want to hurt them, or anyone who is seen to have a link to them. I don't want anyone at the lab talking about them because it's impossible to know who is listening. I don't want my family hurt, guys. I'm not there to keep an eye on things right now, so you have to be extra careful for me, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Eric said. "Does this mean we get to find out who Clint is?"

Barton grinned. "I'm just a guy who is good with his eyes and a bow," he said.

"You're a sniper?" Calleigh asked, putting it together.

"Yep, one of the best in the world. Bow is just my preferred weapon, I can shoot any gun you put in my hands if you give me ten minutes to break it down and learn the quirks," Barton replied. "It's why Pop had me come in on that case with the bow shooting. I know bows better than anyone in his circle."

"Pop?" Calleigh asked.

Horatio ducked his head. "You're too smart for me, Calleigh," he said with a grin. "Clint lived with me from the time when he was fifteen until you were, what, twenty?"

"Sounds about right. SHIELD wouldn't take me until I was twenty-one, but Nick let me into basic because my birthday would be close on to when I finished that up," Barton said. "Pop showed me what a nice, normal household was like, helped me get my GED and get back on track to do good in the world. It's always been secret because of the work I do."

"Frank knows because we were working together during that time, but he's the only one at the lab that does," Horatio said. "When Clint was injured in the field, his boss called me because they didn't know if he would wake up again. He also wanted some outside help in tracking down a problem in his bureau, which is where I vanished to so suddenly. There was no way I would leave my son in the hospital alone for any reason."

"Coulson's back," Natasha commented, coming out of the house.

"Which means dinner as well," Horatio said. "Eric, Calleigh, I'm sorry I didn't tell you any of this before, but there are things that are classified at the highest level and I wasn't sure exactly what I could talk about."

"Oh, it's fine, Horatio," Calleigh said with a fond smile. "We trust you. Horatio, are you okay?"

Horatio's face had gone pale and he stood up quickly enough to knock the bench back a little. "Grant?" he whispered. "How?"

"Agent Coulson made me an offer, Horatio," Grant replied. "No more deploys."

Eric and Calleigh looked at each other and back at the man in the doorway. He was slightly taller than Horatio, blond hair going gray at the temples, and blue eyes. He was tan and dressed in desert camouflage. Horatio ignored everyone else, almost running across the deck to pull Grant into a tight hug. "No more deploys?" he whispered.

"No more," Grant said. He rested his chin on Horatio's shoulder and held him tightly. "I'm home for good, Horatio."

***


"Nice one," Barton said softly when Coulson sat down next to him. "He's one of ours now?"

"Fury's office is making the final arrangements," Coulson replied.

Horatio pulled back enough to look up into Grant's eyes. "How are you home early?" he asked. "You have another eight months on your tour. I don't understand how this happened."

"I've accepted a transfer into SHIELD," Grant said. "They pulled me out, my team was on guard duty, nothing dangerous or I wouldn't have left them there, flew me home and I'll be doing the paperwork in a couple of days. Station is here in Miami with no away postings."

"I feel like I'm dreaming," Horatio said. He moved back in and hugged Grant again. "I just can't believe you're home safely."

"I'm here and I'm not leaving again," Grant said. "Clint, they filled me in, son. How are you holding up?"

Barton looked over with a smile. "I've been worse, Sir," he said. "For having a building come down on top of me like it did, I'm in good shape. Phil's taking care of me when Pop can't."

"Come on, let's sit down, Horatio," Grant said. The pair broke apart and moved back to the table, hands laced together. "A building came down on you, Clint? It sounds to me like you were in a place you shouldn't have been. How high is the classification on this one?"

"Extreme," Coulson said. "There's a lot of issues with this op, none of which we can talk about away from our base. I'm sure you understand that."

"Sure do. So, this must be Calleigh," Grant said, turning his attention to the others at the table. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Horatio's spoken very highly of you and your skills."

Calleigh flushed a little. "I do my best," she said. "I'm sorry, but Horatio's never mentioned you before."

"You know how closely I guard my private life," Horatio said. "Eric, Calleigh, this is Colonel Grant Zachary of the US Army. We've been together for thirty-three years now. He helped raise Clint and has been posted over in Iraq for the past sixteen months."

"How did we not know about this, H?" Eric asked.

"Until recently, it was dangerous for Grant to be known to be gay while he was on active duty," Horatio said. "We're not ashamed of our relationship, we love each other, but we had to weigh danger against exposure, and danger won out. Now that he's home and with SHIELD though, maybe things can change a little."

Grant grinned. "Agent Coulson was telling me that SHIELD doesn't care who their operatives sleep with, just as long as they're human or proper protection is taken in case of aliens," he said. "I wish I could tell if he was joking."

"He's not," Barton said. "I'll have to find out your clearance level and then tell you some appropriate stories. Do I smell dinner?"

"You do," Tony said, appearing out of the house. "Steve's bringing it out. Eric, Calleigh, what can we get you to drink?"

"Coke is fine for me," Calleigh said with a smile. "You know, Tony, the cameras just don't do you justice."

"I know, it's something I've been working on," Tony replied. "No, seriously, thank you, Calleigh. That's very sweet of you to say. Coke it is. Eric, do you need something stronger? You're looking sort of pale."

Eric pushed back. "I'm going for a walk," he said.

"Something we said?" Tony asked.

"Horatio?" Grant said softly.

"Eric is probably feeling very embarrassed and hurt right now," Horatio said. "Let me go talk with him. I want to make sure he's going to be okay."

***

"Eric?" Horatio asked softly, coming up behind the younger man.

"You could have just told me," Eric replied. "You didn't have to lie to me and say that I'm not your type or that it wouldn't work out between us, Horatio. I was thinking that there was something wrong with me, and the whole time it's because you're already seeing someone."

Horatio sighed and looked out at the ocean. "Eric, I couldn't have told you the truth because Grant was still over in a war zone and I couldn't risk him," he said. "You know how many enemies I have here in Miami. I never know if there's someone spying on me or not when I'm out in public, and talking about Grant there could have signed his death warrant. I didn't lie, Eric. I just tried to do the best I could, and if it wasn't enough, then I'm sorry. I had no clue that Phil was working to bring Grant home, that he would arrive tonight. I wanted to have you over so you could meet Clint officially and I could tell you who he is to me."

"It seems like there's a lot that you're not telling us, Horatio," Eric exclaimed. "How many other secrets do you have buried?"

"More than you would think," Horatio said. "My personal life is my concern, Eric. Nothing you've learned here tonight has any impact on our work, or what we're doing at the lab. I didn't have to tell you the truth about Clint, but I wanted to because you're my friend. Nothing I'm keeping secret will cause you harm, Eric. Bringing it into the daylight would only hurt me."

"Friends help each other, Horatio. Isn't that what you're always telling us at the lab? To help and trust each other because it will make our work a little easier to bear?" Eric asked. "It seems to me that you're not taking your own advice and that makes me wonder if you really believe what you're telling us."

"Eric, how would you feel if something you held close to your chest, a secret so precious to you that letting anyone else know about it would cause you physical pain, how would you feel if it came to light?" Horatio asked. "To suddenly have everyone know that secret? How would that make you feel?"

"I don't know. I've never had a secret like that before."

"Then you are very lucky," Horatio said. "Eric, I'm sorry for causing you so much pain, but there was no other way for any of this to happen. Come back to the deck when you're ready to talk, okay?"

Horatio made his way back along the beach, not even flinching when Natasha appeared. "You okay?" she asked softly.

"I wish there was something I could do to help him," Horatio replied just as softly.

"I'll talk with him," Natasha said. "I've read his file, he's part-Russian, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Then we can talk and no one but Clint and Coulson would understand," she said.

"Thank you," Horatio said. He climbed back up the stairs and onto the deck. Dinner from one of the better restaurants in Miami was spread out on the table. He smiled, knowing that was Tony's doing, and went to sit next to Grant at the table. "Quite the welcome home feast."

Grant looked over. "Eric going to be okay?"

"I don't know. I'll fill you in tonight."

"Okay," Grant said. "We're just going to enjoy having our friends and family around us tonight, then?"

"That sounds like a plan," Horatio said with a smile.

***

"Fill me in," Grant said when he and Horatio were finally alone that night. Barton and Coulson had gone to bed about an hour before, and the rest of the Avengers, Calleigh and Eric had all headed out to let Barton rest. "What's going on?"

"Too much," Horatio sighed. "Eric has developed feelings for me and I didn't notice until Clint pointed it out to me. For some reason, probably because of how Clint and I interact, Eric fixed on the idea that we were dating and that led to him disliking Clint without even talking with him. I tried to let Eric down gently, but because I didn't tell him the truth about you, I probably did more harm."

Grant wrapped an arm around Horatio's shoulder. "From what you've told me in the past, Eric always dates women," he said. "Any idea what caused the shift over to you?"

"No, and that's something I've been wondering about," Horatio admitted. "Even if I didn't have you in my life, Grant, nothing would happen with Eric. I see him as a younger brother and there has never been any sort of romantic feelings there. I just wish I hadn't hurt him."

"I saw him talking with Natasha out on the beach. Any idea what was said?"

"No, but Clint wouldn't have let it happen if Natasha was going to hurt Eric. I think she might have been the best one to talk with him, actually. They have a shared cultural history and, for all she doesn't talk a lot, she means every word she says," Horatio said. "I know we can't help how we feel, but I want to help Eric find someone to love so he can move on, but I don't know how to even bring the idea up."

"I think letting the girls handle this is probably your best plan. I can't imagine what all Eric is feeling right now, because I've never been there personally, but there's been a couple of men in my unit who have," Grant said. "They found it easier to talk with female friends than male friends, for some reason. Eric's got support, he'll be okay in the long run. It might take a while, but he'll move forward again."

Horatio sighed and leaned in closer. "Everything just sort of piled up on me," he admitted. "I knew that Eric didn't like Clint, but didn't know why. I should have asked once the case was over and Clint was back up in New York. Maybe things wouldn't have been so bad if I'd done that much."

"What is it Sally said in Peanuts, you can ask someone why they hate you, but not why they like you?"

"Something like that, yeah," Horatio said. "I'll admit I didn't think about the lab or any of my people when Nick called me with the news that Clint was in medical. I just left. That probably didn't help matters too much either, especially as I was working the case with Eric."

"You did what any good father would do, and I would have done the same," Grant said. "I remember when you brought Clint home, how thin and sick he was. I knew, looking at that boy, he had so much potential hidden behind all the anger he was showing the world. Getting to be a father was something I never expected, but it's a treasure, Horatio. If you hadn't gone immediately, it's possible Clint, even unconscious, might have thought something else was going on, that you'd forgotten him. He hides it well, but there's still that vein of uncertainty that runs through his every decision."

"Phil and I did some checking a few years ago," Horatio said. "You were overseas at the time, and I don't think I mentioned it to you. We wanted to make sure that Clint's biological family was truly dead. Them turning up suddenly would have hurt him so badly and I didn't want to risk it."

"I'm guessing they were all dead?" Grant asked.

"Long dead, although tracking his brother was a bit harder than we anticipated," Horatio replied. "The boy enlisted but didn't survive boot camp. No one knows what happened, but he was found hanging from the rope climb early one morning. It was ruled a suicide, but both Phil and I have doubts."

"Better to let ghosts lie though."

"Which is why we only did DNA checks to verify," Horatio said. "Phil never told Clint about it, he doesn't handle news of his blood family well, but I think he knows they're all dead. He's got such good instincts."

"That he does," Grant agreed. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm about to fall asleep on the sofa. Why don't we go to bed?"

Horatio grinned. "I need to restock the bedroom," he admitted.

"You have the time because I'm too tired to even think straight right now. Sleep now, messy sex when we're both more awake," Grant said. "Although I have to admit I'm really looking forward to it."

"Me too," Horatio said softly.

***


"Grant's out on the deck," Coulson said softly the next morning. "Want me to take you out so you can talk to him?"

"Sounds great," Barton replied with a grin. "I can't wait to get my eyes back, Phil. You're good, but it's still scary."

"I know, Clint, I know," Coulson said. "Good morning, Grant, did you sleep well?"

Grant looked around and smiled. "Better than I have in over a year," he replied. "Morning Clint, how do you feel today?"

"Sore, Sir, but that's to be expected," Barton said. "How much did Phil tell you yesterday?"

"Everything. I know about your eyes, son. You'll get better, I know you will," Grant said.

"Can I get you some more coffee, Grant?" Coulson asked. "I was going to make breakfast for Clint and myself. Would you like to join us?"

"I'd love to," Grant said. "Anything I can do to help out?"

"Keep Clint occupied while I'm cooking," Coulson said with a fond smile.

Grant laughed while Barton tried to pout. "I cleaned up the mess," Barton pointed out.

"Yes, you did, but there wasn't a reason for us to have chocolate chips and honey all over the kitchen," Coulson said. "I'll be back in a bit. Clint, call if you need anything."

"Chocolate chips and honey?" Grant asked.

"I dropped the containers," Barton replied. "I was carrying too much stuff restocking the kitchen after an op and those were both in glass bottles. I did clean it all up, even if it took most of the night and all I really wanted to be doing was sleeping. Honey isn't easy to get off slate."

"Probably not, no," Grant said. "Serious time, Clint. How bad are you?"

Barton sighed and looked down at his hands, wishing he could see them in his lap instead of picturing them. "Bad, Sir. I was on a seven story building and it blew up while I was on the roof," he said. "I don't know how much rubble they dug me out of, but I was in a coma for almost a month. The doctors tell me that some of my lesser injuries healed up while I was unconscious, but there's still a lot of bones knitting back together. Plus my eyes."

"Coulson tells me that's not going to be forever, just going to seem like it," Grant said. "We could've lost you, Clint, and that would have devastated a lot of people."

"You probably saw the news about the battle in New York against the aliens," Barton said.

"Yeah, we watched it as best we could on the computer."

"There were some incidents leading up to that battle, and in one of them, we lost SHIELD agents," Barton said. "I was compromised and on the wrong side, and a lot of people blame me for those deaths. Including the pair that set me up to die in the field."

"They've been caught, right?"

"I helped find them," Horatio said, coming out onto the deck. "Good morning, boys. This is something I've missed seeing."

"Morning, Pop," Barton said.

Horatio handed Grant the coffee mug he'd grabbed from Coulson and put one down near Barton. "Coffee is on the table six inches back from the edge, Clint," he said. "Grant, we found the pair that wanted Clint dead and they've already been sentenced. Our task now is to help him heal and get back in the field."

"Or at least teaching," Barton said. "I'm going to go stir crazy if they try to keep me down more than six months, no matter what."

"You could finish your paperwork," Coulson called from the kitchen.

"I am caught up," Barton said. "Grant, I'm facing about half a year of physical therapy before they'll even think about clearing me for desk work. I think my reassess is set for middle of next month, when my eyes are better."

"It sounds to me like SHIELD is taking care of you," Grant said.

"Incoming," Coulson warned from the kitchen.

Tony and the other Avengers came out onto the porch in a group. "Good morning, everyone," Tony said with a smile. "Hawkeye, today we're getting you down onto the sand with us, no question. We're spending the day on the beach as a team, which means you and Agent both have to join us. Horatio, you and Grant are both welcome to join in too."

"I think we'll watch from the deck, Tony, but thank you," Horatio said with a smile.

***

Horatio was watching some sort of a sand castle building competition from the deck when JARVIS broke in. "Lieutenant Caine, Sir, Director Fury is at the door."

"Could you send him around the side of the house, JARVIS?" Horatio asked.

"Of course, Sir."

Grant looked over from the book he was reading. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to having an AI for a butler in the house, Horatio."

"I can't think of a better security system for the house though," Horatio said with a smile. "Nick, good to see you. What brings you down to Miami?"

Fury climbed up onto the deck and put a stack of papers down on the table. "My office finished up all the paperwork for my newest asset and I wanted a chance to meet him," Fury said. "I'm also checking to make sure the Avengers haven't destroyed the city yet."

"We've been good," Tony called. He yelped when Natasha poured a bucket of water over his head, but didn't move. "Mostly."

"The sun is being good for them, Director," Coulson said, appearing out of the house. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet your plane. If you had notified me you were coming down, I could have made the proper arrangements."

"Which is exactly why I didn't," Fury said. He sat down at the table and looked out towards the Avengers, all of them playing in the sand, even Barton. The archer had teamed up with Natasha and they were building something no one could figure out. "I didn't want anyone hiding from me, but I won't name any names. Horatio, I also wanted to talk to you."

"Whatever you need, Nick," Horatio said.

Coulson bit back a sigh. "Director Nick Fury, this is Grant Zachary, formerly of the US Army and now a member of SHIELD," he said. "Grant, Director Fury."

Grant stood and saluted. "Pleasure to meet you officially, Sir," he said. "Thank you for giving me the chance to come home to be with my family. I appreciate it."

"At ease," Fury said with a small smile. "You can give all the folders to Coulson and he'll get them routed back to their proper places. I just wanted to meet you and see for myself exactly who is going to be our eyes in South Florida. Also, unofficially, I wanted to meet Barton's other father."

"We did our best with him," Grant said. He sat down next to Horatio with a fond smile. "Skinny as a nail when Horatio brought him home, soaked to the bone and needed a haircut. Clint turned into one of the best men I know."

"You helped with that process, Sir," Barton called from the sand.

"I think you chose well, Phil," Fury said. "Now then, Horatio. I know how busy you are and that you have a lab to run, but this most recent problem in SHIELD has led me to believe that I need a team of CSIs to investigate cases. I was hoping I might convince you to leave the lab and spearhead the new department. You wouldn't have to leave Miami, I'm not even going to try that, but I need someone I can trust to do this, and you're a good pick."

Horatio blinked a few times. "Nick, I don't know what to say," he finally managed.

"At least say you'll think about it," Fury said.

"Of course, how could I not?" Horatio asked. "Can I let you know in a week?"

"That will work. Talk things over with Coulson, he and I have been planning this together," Fury replied. "Now then, I don't know about everyone else, but I'm hungry. How about I spring for lunch?"

***

"Horatio, do you want to take a short walk?" Coulson asked later in the day. The Avengers were back to their sand castles, or whatever they were working on, and Fury was talking with Grant about a few things. "We could talk."

"I'd like that, Phil," Horatio said. "I'll be back in a bit, guys."

"I'll hold down the fort," Grant said with a smile.

The pair made their way down onto the sand and headed away from the house. "I'll admit that this has taken me completely by surprise," Horatio said softly. "I had no idea that Nick was thinking about asking me to come and work for SHIELD. Is it a full-time position, or would it be as a consultant until the department is up and running?"

"Full-time, we need to know that the agent running the department is experienced and can also handle politics," Coulson said. "Truthfully, Horatio, I can't think of a better man to come and run a department at SHIELD. I know you have your lab and your family there, but there would be time for you to consult for them if needed. We're not trying to take you away from your life here. We're asking you to come help keep the world as safe as you keep Miami."

Horatio sighed. "If I could keep Miami safe, Phil, people wouldn't be dying on the streets and in their homes every day," he said. "I do my best, but it seems like the criminals are always a few steps ahead of us."

"You're not unrealistic in your goals either," Coulson pointed out. "This is something that Nick only just decided we need to add in, so there's a number of details that still need to be worked out. Having you on board would help a lot, Horatio. I'm not trying to pressure you into saying yes, but I'll admit I'm hoping you do."

"I want to," Horatio admitted. "The chance to set up and run a new department, it's a challenge I would welcome. I'd be able to train people to my standard, which isn't always how I get them from the universities, and I would get to work more closely with Grant. To keep the world safe, Phil. It's a daunting thought."

"It is, and I know exactly how you feel," Coulson said. "Nick and I have been working towards that goal for more years than I want to count. We're close, but we're still learning because there are so many different types of threats out there. I don't know if we'll ever be able to completely manage it."

"Complete and total safety would mean the elimination of the human race as we know it," Horatio pointed out. He sat down on the sand and looked out towards the water. "As long as we have humans, we will have violence. Adding in the more super beings and aliens, that's a new variable that can't be calculated, no matter how hard we try."

"You already sound like a SHIELD agent," Coulson said with a smile. He sat down next to Horatio. "Look, talk with Grant. See if this meets what you both want from life right now. I know he took his posting without checking with you, but it was bringing him home so he didn't think you would mind. The danger level for you both is low. The CSI group is more for internal investigations and low-level crime scene investigation. You won't be going into combat situations. Not if Nick and I have anything to say about it."

Horatio nodded. "Grant and I have always agreed that doing what's best for us has to come first," he said. "It's why I supported his choice to go into the military and serve our country. I think that being able to work together to keep people safe, it wouldn't put a strain on our relationship. I'll talk with him, but I think I know what he's going to say."

"It's because the two of you are so alike," Coulson said.

"We are, aren't we?" Horatio asked with a small smile. "There are days I wonder if Clint takes more after me or Grant."

"I'd say it's a mix, but he definitely was able to find a huge heart to care for people," Coulson said. "It's a big decision, Horatio, and one you don't have to make right now. Take the night, hell, take the week and think about it. Nick's not going to look for someone else until you tell him no, so you have some time. Talk with your family and see what they have to say."

"I'll do that," Horatio said. "I'm glad you guys were able to come down for a while, Phil. I wish it was under better circumstances, but I'm glad you're all here."

"We are too, Horatio. I think the Avengers are going to be closer than ever by the time we all head home again. Thanks for opening your home to us all. We really do appreciate it."

Horatio smiled. "It's my pleasure," he said.

***

"Where's Horatio?" Natasha asked, appearing on the deck later in the week. The group had taken to hanging out and keeping Barton busy so he wouldn't have time to mope about his eyes. "For that matter, where's Coulson?"

"They're at the lab talking with the Chief and directors," Grant replied. "Given the nature of the meeting, it could take all day."

"So he's joining us then?" Natasha sat down at the table, putting the large paper cup she'd been carrying down in front of Barton. "Chocolate milkshake with cherry sauce six inches in, Clint. Spoon is in and the lid is off."

Barton grinned. "Thanks, Tasha, I'm just not hungry today," he said. "This is about all I think I can stomach."

"Do we need to take you back to medical?" Natasha asked.

"Nah, I'm fine, just a little off today," Barton replied. "You know I'd tell Pop or Grant if I wasn't feeling good."

"I'm curious, Clint, why do you call Horatio Pop and Grant by his first name?" Tony asked, flopping down into one of the chairs. "I mean, they're both fathers for you."

"I just never did with Grant and he wouldn't force me to," Barton said. "You'll notice I call him Sir quite a bit. That's about as close as I ever came."

Grant looked over from the binder he was reading in. "Horatio and Clint have a closer relationship," he said. "I helped raise him, yes, but I was working in the local recruiting office at the time and it forced me to keep long hours, longer than I needed to be working with a teenager in the house, honestly."

"At least you weren't deployed, Sir," Barton said. "I hear Pop."

"It's good to know your ears haven't been injured, Birdman," Tony said with a grin.

"Welcome home guys," Grant said. He kissed Horatio when the red head sat down next to him. "How'd it go?"

"Better than I was hoping it would," Horatio sighed. "They're not happy about me leaving, even for a step like this, but they agreed to let me use the lab to train my new agents until we can get something set up locally. Something about the prestige of the government contract won them over."

Coulson snorted. "Truthfully, were we farther north, we'd be in the FBI labs," he said. "Your labs are good, Horatio, but they have some tech that hasn't been released to state and city crime labs."

"Then I sense a lot of training for myself as well," Horatio said. "Tony, I wanted to ask you if you would come down to the lab tomorrow and look at things with me. I know how creative you can be with technology. I'd like to adapt some existing machines to detect the more super elements we'll be working with."

"Sure, absolutely, field trip," Tony said. "I'm always up for a new challenge, Horatio. I'd be happy to work with you on these machines. Maybe I can even get a patent or two out of it and put them into other labs."

"They will under no circumstance have JARVIS installed in them Stark," Coulson said.

"Agent, you wound me," Tony said.

Barton started laughing. "The truth hurts, Iron Man," he said. "Get used to it."

"All right, just for that, I'm not taking you swimming like we planned, Clint," Tony said. "I'm going to go and start working on specs for the new gear for Horatio."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll drag you out for supper," Barton said.

Horatio tried not to smile, but he couldn't help it. The more time he spent around the Avengers team, the more he could see how close they were as a family. He was also getting very good at reading beneath the masks they all wore, and he could tell that Tony was acting put upon, but he was enjoying the banter. If he had some ideas for lab equipment, all the better. Trying to run a CSI department in SHIELD was going to be an interesting challenge, Horatio could already tell.

***

Eric was walking from DNA towards trace when he caught sight of a familiar red head in the trace lab. "Hey H, I didn't think you'd be back so soon," he said. "What's going on?"

"Tony and I are discussing some possible equipment," Horatio replied absently. "Tony, I don't think the GCMS can be adapted to check for super elements."

"Never say can't," Tony said. "JARVIS, order one of these and have it delivered to the Tower for me. I want to see what the inside looks like and I can't take this one apart. The microscopes are easy, Horatio, we just have to allow for greater magnification for certain things and you'll be set there. DNA is going to be the hard one. I don't know what we can do about that just now, but I'll think about it."

"I'm less worried about DNA at this point than I am trace materials," Horatio said. "For instance, the slime creature you told me about last night. What sort of trace does it leave behind?"

"Slime, Sir," JARVIS said.

Eric jumped and looked around. "Okay, who was that?"

"On the table, Sir," JARVIS said. "How may I be of assistance today?"

"JARVIS is an AI, Eric," Horatio said. "What sort of slime did it leave, JARVIS? Corrosive? Inflammable? I want to be sure that I can answer questions like this, especially if I'm having to face Nick about something."

"You have a good point, Lieutenant," JARVIS said. "I shall see about the possibility of compiling an index of mutant slime for you."

Horatio looked over at Tony. "You didn't program in sarcasm, did you?" he asked.

"Nope, J learned that one all on his own," Tony replied. "Eric, you might want to close your mouth there. I don't think there's anything flying around in here, but if there is, it'll probably aim for your mouth.

"Sir, Agent Coulson is calling to assemble on the beach," JARVIS interjected. "There is a sea monster attacking."

"Sea monster is new," Tony said. "See you later, Horatio."

"Be safe," Horatio said. "Eric, what's wrong?"

"I'm just not sure how to handle everything I've found out," Eric said. "First Clint, then Grant, now Tony and an AI? What the hell are you mixed up in, Horatio?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Horatio said. "Eric, I appreciate the concern, but you will notice that I didn't go running out of here after Tony. They're the experts on monsters, aliens, and super-beings. I just want to keep people as safe as we can."

"Calleigh says you're leaving us."

"I am, in a way. I've been picked by the government to lead a new type of CSI department," Horatio said. "JARVIS, here's the spec readout on the microscopes. Eric, I'll still be working with the lab, but I'm no longer going to be an employee here."

Eric moved and leaned over the table. "So you can't even look at me now?" he demanded. "You're just going to run away and never talk to me again?"

"I'm trying to find a spec binder," Horatio said. "There's a lot to do to set this project up, Eric. I wasn't going to run, I planned to talk with you later in the week when I have more time available so I can give you the attention you deserve from me."

"Will Grant and the others be there again?"

"I hadn't planned on it, no," Horatio said. "If you feel better with others around though, you just have to ask. You're family, Eric, but right now isn't, found it, isn't really a good time for me to talk."

"I guess this is the other side of Horatio Caine," Eric said. "The one that no one knows about. The side that doesn't care who he hurts as long as he gets the job done."

Horatio stood up and put a binder on the table. "You're out of line, Eric," he said softly. "You leave now and no more will ever be said about this."

"If I don't?"

"Then all those years will be wasted," Horatio said. "JARVIS, here's the GCMS basic spec binder. The supplier number is in here so we can get one for Tony. There have been many days I've wished for that sort of money."

"It comes at cost, Sir," JARVIS said.

"Yeah, I imagine it does," Horatio said softly, watching Eric storm away.

***

Next part of Who wrote these orders.