It started out like any other day. Cases were handed out, CSI's rolled. Each CSI headed to their crime scene. No one could have seen what that day would bring. None of them could have guessed that it would change things forever for one of the CSI's. Past indiscretions, and regrets were something that they all hid deep inside not wanting anyone else to find out. Nick and Greg follow Brass into a townhouse where the neighbor reported shots fired. On the first floor of the town house they find the kitchen, living room, dining room, and bathroom to all be clear. They cautiously climb the stairs to the second floor. The enter the room immediately to the right and find a body on the ground next to the bed. Nick checks for a pulse. Brass clears the other two rooms of the upstairs. Greg and Nick just stare at the body of the woman on the floor. She looks eerily familiar to the both of them, but before either of them can convey that thought to the other Brass comes into the room very quietly.
"Guys," he says softly.
"Yeah?"
"I need you two to be very quiet while I go make a phone call."
"Brass what's going on?" Nick questions.
"We have a bit of a situation."
"Meaning?" Greg raises an eye brow.
"Follow me," he tells them.
They follow him to a second bedroom. For some reason Greg reaches for the light switch. Suddenly Brass's hand is on his, "Don't," he whispers.
The follow him to an adjacent wall. He stops in front of a window.
"Why is it so dark in here?" Greg asks.
"There's something over the window," Nick remarks.
"But what?" Greg probes.
"Guys keep your voices down," Brass warns.
"Why?"
Brass flips on his flashlight. The other two men stare at what's in front of them.
"Not a baby. I hate..." Nick shakes his head.
"He's sleeping," Brass points out.
The room falls silent for a moment and they listen to the whistling of the sleeping infant.
"I'm going to go call CPS."
"Ok," Greg nods.
The three of them file out of the room. Brass heads down the stairs, and Greg and Nick return to the bedroom. Greg starts taking pictures.
"Why are you being so quiet Greggo?"
"I was just thinking."
"Just thinking what?"
"This girl..."he stops himself.
"What about her?"
"She looks like a younger version of Catherine."
"You're just saying that because of the hair."
"Oh so you didn't think the same thing?"
"Maybe for a second, but we need to stay focused."
"You're right," Greg nods and continues to take pictures.
They've been at the crime scene twenty five, or thirty minutes when the baby starts crying. Suddenly it stops. Nick and Greg just look at each other. They silently make their way down the hall and find Brass–sans his bulletproof vest–holding a tiny little boy.
The woman from CPS arrives an hour later and retrieves the infant that had been identified as Jacob Kendall. When Nick and Greg finish with the crime scene they return to the lab. They're going through evidence when Catherine joins them.
"So I heard that there was a baby at your scene today."
"Yeah. He was perfectly fine though. He was just sleeping in his crib when we found him," Nick answers her.
"So what do you know about the victim?"
"Her name is Emily Kendall. She has one son, Jacob Kendall, who is twelve days old," Nick informs her.
"Husband or boyfriend?" Catherine asks.
"Husband staff sergeant Bradley Jacob Kendall. Killed in Kuwait a month ago," Greg tells her.
"Autopsy?"
"They're backed up in autopsy," Nick huffs.
Greg's phone rings he flips it open. "Yeah we'll be right down," he tells the party on the other line.
"Autopsy?" Catherine guesses.
"Uh huh, you wanna come with us?" Nick offers.
She nods. When they get to autopsy Al Robbins is waiting on them. They file in around the stainless steel table. Catherine remains silent. Nick breaks the silence.
"So what's the verdict Doc?"
"COD was a gun shot wound to the heart. It was a 22 caliber. Through and through."
"We collected a casing from the scene," Greg adds.
The room fills with silence once again. "What's going on?" Catherine questions.
"What are you talking about?" Greg questions trying to seem oblivious.
"Why are you all being so quiet?" she wonders aloud.
Greg looks at Nick, who instantly casts his gaze to the floor.
"Guys? What's going on. Whatever it is just tell me. If there's a problem let me know, I'm your supervisor, it's my job to..."
"It's just that she looks like you is all...a lot like you," Greg answers not engaging her glance.
"Oh. Ok. So why is that a problem?"
"It's not," Nick answers quickly.
"It's just sort of creepy," Greg boldly admits.
"Oh. Well suck it up. You two have a job to do, and I expect it to get done, no matter who the victim looks like."
"Yes ma'am," Nick agrees.
Nick and Greg have just finished eating lunch when Nick gets a call. "Give me a minute," he tells Greg as he heads to go through the rest of the evidence. Greg is studying crime scene photos when Nick joins him a few moments later.
"I just got a call from Jacob Kendall's case worker."
"About what?"
"She told me that she placed him in emergency foster care."
"And?"
"She was wondering if we could find next of kin."
"There's no next of kin listed," Greg points out.
"I found this box in Emily's closet. It's just labeled personal stuff." Nick reveals.
There is a stack of papers inside the box. They carefully lift it out. They each take approximately half.
"I've got Jacob's birth certificate," Greg tells Nick, "And Bradley Kendall's obituary. It says that he was survived by his wife and son. It also says that he was preceded in death by his parents James and Mary Kendall."
"Listen to this. I have a newspaper article from eight years ago. It's about a car accident that killed six, with only two survivors. It says that Anne and Robert Bennet, and their son Michael were killed in the car crash. Emily Bennet and Jeff Ryan miraculously survived with minor contusions, and a few broken bones,"Nick paraphrases.
"So her parents and brother died in a car accident?"
"Yeah. And her husband's parents are dead too?" Greg questions.
"Yeah."
"Wait I have adoption papers here."
"She had another kid?"
"No she was adopted," Greg answers.
"Does it say who her biological parents are?"
"No it's just an agreement that her adopted parents signed agreeing not to seek contact with the biological mother. It says that, 'the biological mother wishes to remain anonymous, and does not wish to be contacted under any circumstances.' This girl has terrible luck. Her adopted parents died, her husband is dead, her husband's parents are dead, and she had no idea who her birth mother was."
"So her son has no one," Nick comments.
"No."
There is a knock on the door frame. The two CSI's look up.
"How are things going?" Catherine questions.
"Terrible. She didn't shoot herself, and we have no idea who would want her dead," Nick answers.
"Her adopted parents, brother, husband, and his parents are all dead. Which means her son has no family to take him," Greg adds.
"She was adopted?" Catherine asks innocently.
"Yeah. She was surrendered at birth. The birth mother's identity is undisclosed. We really don't have anything to go on here," Nick replies.
"Why would anyone kill a twenty-six year old woman who has had such a traumatic life?" Greg asks.
"She died three weeks before her birthday, and left her son totally alone. I hate cases like this," Nick adds.
"When was her birthday?" Catherine asks.
"May 12th."
"I'll be in my office if you need me. Keep at it, I'm sure that you two will figure it out," Catherine ducks out.
There is a moment of silence. Nick looks at Greg who is waiting expectantly. "What's up with her?" Nick questions.
"What do you mean?"
"Any other time she'd be right here helping us. Something isn't right here."
"Maybe she's just as creeped out as we are," Greg offers.
"No. I don't think so. Catherine doesn't get creeped out."