"Leigh, I'm bored." Carrie walked into my office as I finished the last of my work for the night. I looked at the clock and realized that I had done the impossible in time to get four hours of sleep before having to do it all again; lucky me. The petite ginger sat down, her freckles glowing on her fair skin in office light. She pushed one of her curls back, her blue eyes looking at me delicately. "Can we go get ice cream or something?"

"Well Beenie, I'm tired and broke until I cash my paycheck tomorrow. We'll go get some after Audrey's dinner party tomorrow." I told her, rising from my seat. I turned my lamp off and she followed me to my bedroom. I pulled my dress shirt and skirt off as Carrie sat on my bed, watching me with a level face. I looked back at her, a brow raised. "Yes Carrie?"

"What bra size do you wear?"

"Ah…" I looked at her just as I was about to unclasp the garment, thinking of what to say. Carrie and I changed in front of each other since I could remember and this had just now come up. "Why?"

"Emma Bradley wears a 'B' cup and all the boys at school like her, including Tyler." I took the garment off and pulled a tee-shirt on, leaving my clothes on the floor. I walked over to the bed and sat back down, looking at the girl.

"When I was your age, I was all knees and elbows too. Then when I was sixteen, I started the Blood Claat. You'll get there earlier, I'm sure; and then you'll wish it hadn't come."

Carrie shrugged, playing with the hem of her shorts. It was a shame Madda wasn't here to walk her through this. "When did Mom have hers?"

"Madda had hers in the fifth grade. It's different for everyone, Sista. So be patient." I hugged her as my phone rang. I sighed when I saw the caller I.D. You would think after our breakup Mark would figure out that the rest of the world wasn't on swing like him, but apparently not. I told Carrie to head to bed since it was late and answered the phone, not hiding my mood. "Give me two reasons not to kill you, Bwoy."

"I'm fabulous in bed." I snorted. The only reason I didn't break up with him when it became obvious waiting for his Bus Water was like waiting for rain in a drought was because he and Madda were such good friends. "And because I got a hit on Carrie's father. Get on your laptop."

I walked to my office, passing Carrie's room to make sure she was in bed. She had yet to know about this problem and it wasn't any of her concern for now. I pulled up my e-mail while on the phone with him, seeing the aged face of a man with salt and pepper hair, and my sister's curls and blue eyes. I looked through the file and swore.

"No way, he's a Babylon?" I stated as I scanned it. "Gilbert Grissom, retired CSI level three… why did this take so long to find, Mark? Do you not know how to use your own database?"

"This does qualify as unauthorized investigation, Leigh, so show a little appreciation." He snapped. I sighed, biting my lip and apologizing. "Its fine, Honey, I hate the bastard for what he did to Elena too. He retired last year and was lecturing about Entomology at Sorbonne until he transferred to UNLV a few weeks ago. When your Mama said 'Doctor', I thought she meant a literal doctor, not someone with the credentials for the title that wasted his knowledge on state and university pay. Want me to call him up and handle it?"

"No, I want to do it. This Montel made my Madda's life hell. He's lucky my generation of Rassa isn't open Shotta's."

Danny laughed, his Northern accent level. "I love it when you go Patois on me, Clarke. Do a favor and don't kill him? He did a lot of good work despite how he screwed Elena over, and I don't want this to come back on me."

"I won't lay a finger on the Babylon if he just signs and lets me be. Can you watch Carrie this weekend? I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

"Excuse me, is Grissom in?" The secretary at the desk looked up at me, nodding for me to give her one second. I sighed and turned away, coughing into my Kleenex as I waited. After six months of hunting this man down, I was overjoyed to finding the Montel. I wanted to get this done with. A few seconds later a brunette female walked out, smiling at me with a bucked grin. "Sara Sidle, can I help you?"

"Well," I looked at her, confused. This woman was missing a few years and anatomy parts to be the man complicating my life. "I asked for Grissom"-

"He's my husband. His name is on my paperwork but I still go by my maiden name. Can I help you, Miss..." I stared at the woman, stunned. She was almost as young a sistern as I was.

"Leigh Clarke. I need to see your husband, Mrs. Sidle." I explained smoothly, keeping my composure. "The information I received said he was working for the Clark Country Crime Scene Investigations unit on his own accord."

"He is, independently." Sidle confirmed, sounding suspicious. "I can call him if you can tell me what this matter"-

"Actually, I would be happy if you could give me his contact information. It's a private matter." I changed my tone, realizing I was dealing with a woman who played out her school girl crush and married the bastard. She was in for whatever she received from the Montel. I pulled out my I-Phone and typed in Grissom's name as the CSI rambled off the number for me. "Thanks for your time."

"No problem. Is this legal trouble?" She asked, her eyes demanding information.

"It's nothing that he can't handle himself." Because it was so hard to sign a piece of paper these days!

I turned my heel and walked away from her, leaving her mouth gaping. Let the beenie skettle get a reality check: I don't deal with middle men. I deal with my opponents headfirst and fearless.

I dialed the numbed as I sat in my rental, pulling on my seat belt as someone answered. "Gil Grissom."

"Doctor Grissom, my name is Leigh Clarke. I'm calling on a personal matter in the name of my mother, Elena Launder."

"Elena," It took him a few seconds to register the name. "God, it's been what now, eleven years?"

"Twelve." I corrected him, keeping myself on track with the conversation. My anger wanted to just take Carrie and move to Kingston with Fada, but God forbid she would want to come back to the states in six years with a warrant on my name. "She's dead, Doctor. She was in a hit-and-run six months ago and she didn't make it."

He sounded stunned. Stupid man hadn't even tried to contact her since he had left her all those years ago. Was this really so shocking? "Oh my God… I'm so sorry for your loss, Miss Clarke. Your mother was an amazing woman"-

"She left mention of you in her will. If you're not busy, could I meet you now and get this cleared up?"

"Ah, sure." The Montel was surprised by the professionalism of my tone. The intimidation factor gave me some sick joy. "How about tomorrow around"-

"I meant now. My flight leaves out in three hours." I wanted this done like clockwork. "It will take five minutes."

"Ah, okay. I'm at my house right now- Have a pen and paper ready?"

The drive to the townhouse was too quick for my liking. But I was so numb that it didn't matter. The plan was simple: have him sign custody of my sister over to me and get out in time to make my flight. I slid out of my rental and walked up to the porch to find a man in a straw hat reading a forensics magazine at a patio table. He looked more like a Port Antonio tourist than a retired cop. A Boxer lay next to him, looking up at me with a happy expression. I bent down and rubbed the dog's head, feeling the hot Vegas sun seeping into my suit jacket.

"Your mother liked animals too." I looked up at the man as he put aside the magazine and gazed at me, his blue eyes burning into me. Carrie's eyes… My blood boil and I rose, my body tensing.

"She was a stable owner, Doctor. We can take this inside if you like?"

"I'm fine out here. It's nice today." Nice? It was ninety-nine degrees and I was sweating like Elvis after wearing he tassels for a three hour gig. The male sat up and I took a seat across from him in the iron chair, fully looking at the Jinnal. He was a man that looked neither intimidating nor easy to back into a corner. I couldn't picture him as some eloquent intellectual that watched ants crawl in a glass box all day. Grissom scratched his beard and looked at me, his face light. I wanted to pound it into his skull. "What can I do for you, Miss Clarke?"

I opened my brief case and pulled a copy of Madda's will out, looking at the man with settle eyes. This piece of filth didn't deserve this formal notice.

"Twelve years ago you went to Minneapolis to work on a case. You met up with my mother, who you had been introduced to on two previous cases. I was with my Dad in Kingston so you had no issues making yourself at home with her." He went red with a blush as I went on steadily. I pulled a picture out of the file and handed it to him. Carrie's first baby picture shinned in the light, her bright eyes wide and her face red in anger as the nurses snapped a shot of her. "Nine months later, my sister was born. "

"Son of a bitch." His words filled the air like oil to my water. His eyes widened and his left hand went to his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he placed the photograph on the table. His wedding ring gleamed in the sunlight, causing my blood rush with adrenalin. "Twelve years… she could have told me anytime"-

"No she couldn't have." I stated simply, taking he picture back and pulling out the paperwork from the file with a pen. I handed it to him and looked him in the eye simply. "Madda was a single mother to two children with different fathers. She did what she had to do until the day Gawd took her away."

Grissom looked at me, taken back. "I understand your anger, but you don't know"-

"It doesn't matter!" I snapped, silencing him. After a few moments my stomach began to turn and I forced myself to continue. "Now I'm doing what I have too. If you sign this waver, you can give custody of Carrie to me."

I pulled out the paperwork and a pen, sliding it to him. He stared at me, Carrie's eyes looking back at me. Grissom's hand moved to the paper and he picked up the pen, just as I thought the Montel would. I looked at my watch and figured I could get a shower at my hotel room before I left just as I saw the paper being pushed back to me, the signature line blank.

"You seriously want me to take all this in and then pass it off in three minutes?"

"My flight leaves in a few hours. Carrie has a softball game and I promised to be back in time for it." I stated coldly, receiving a look of pure shock from him. "Carrie Launder is twelve. She has never lay eyes on you or even heard neither your name, nor you hers until now. The only reason your even in this equation is because Madda didn't leave me as Carrie's legal guardian. By law, that's passed off to you. So save the dramatics and sign the paper. We both know you're going to anyway."

Mark was standing by Carrie's coach and was watching the girls do a pre-game warm up when I walked up, still in my dress suit. He looked over and saw my soured face, shaking his head. I nodded and he followed me to the benches. I looked over and saw the ginger at the pitchers plate, pulling her arm back to throw. I caught her eye and she released the ball, smiling at me with a bright face. She knew I kept my promises.

"I take it the Doctor didn't go along with your plan?" I rolled my eyes to the large shouldered Hispanic. "You talked out of your ass, didn't you?"

"Enough to piss him off." The Babylon had thrown the waiver at me and ordered me to hand Carrie over since Madda left him in the dark for so long. I also cussed Grissom out and threatened to take him to court, which he had fully embraced. "His lawyer is contacting me as soon as they meet on Monday."

Mark pursed his lips, sighing. "You realize that it will probably be in Nevada court then?"

"I plan to prepare and represent myself under their laws." I agreed with him, looking out and winking at my sister as she caught my eyes. All that law school was going to pay off soon. "I'm not losing her, Mark. All we have left is each other."