Chapter 1: "Transfer from New York"

"You sure do travel light for someone who's just moved to Miami after living in New York for the last five years," Claire offered as she helped Gina lift her two suitcases from the cab's trunk. "I bet you're starved. I know they don't serve much on airplanes nowadays. I've got some sandwich makings and some homemade chili inside."

Gina smiled at Claire's kindness. She hoped she wouldn't be a burden on her sister while she looked for an apartment here in Miami. She had the whole weekend before she started her new job in the Miami-Dade County CSI office on Monday. She would be reporting to a Detective Horatio Caine. She was glad that Mac recommended her transfer with flying colors from New York. She would miss Mac. She had worked under him for five years, and he had considered her an excellent CSI. It pained her to not fully explain the reason she had to leave. But she had to get out of New York for many reasons. As the primary reason sprang to her mind, with a shudder she brushed it aside as she unpacked her things in her sister's guest room.

Monday morning came too fast for Gina. She found an apartment, and a nice one at that, but she wouldn't be able to move in until the beginning of April, which was still two weeks away. Her sister Claire generously offered to let her stay with her until then. OK, so her first step in her "new" life was complete…she was out of New York…away from HIM. 'Take a deep breath, Gina…just breathe,' she thought. 'Stop thinking about it! It's time to move on to your next challenge…your new job!'

It was almost 9am, as Horatio looked at his watch. He had a new CSI starting today that would be here any minute. He trusted the word of Mac Taylor regarding bringing down one of his CSI's as a transfer to replace Ryan after he was let go. His goal was to get Ryan back, but in the meantime he needed a replacement. His ultimate goal was to prove to the district that he did needed another CSI on staff, especially if this new girl, Gina worked out.

"Detective Caine?"

'Right on time,' he thought as he turned to see a pretty woman in a nice pantsuit. She had slightly curly shoulder-length dark hair…she halfway reminded him of Marisol, "Ms. Spencer…"

He offered his hand and she smiled as she took it, "It's nice to be here. I thank you for allowing me to transfer to your staff. I have heard stellar things about your CSI crew here in Miami."

"Thank you Ms. Spencer."

"And please, call me Gina."

"And everyone calls me Horatio," he returned. "Come with me…I'll show you around and introduce you to my 'stellar' staff."

They both smiled. He then gave Gina a tour of the different departments and introduced her around to all of the team.

It had been four months and Gina had settled in nicely to her new apartment and her new position. She loved the other CSI's…Eric and Calleigh and Alexx were great. And even Frank was pretty cool, most of the time. She had worked very hard to prove herself to Horatio. She was meticulous, noting every detail possible…just like Mac taught her. Horatio was very pleased with how she was fitting in with his team, and especially her job performance. She was every bit as good as the rest of his team. Mac had taught her well…he'd give her that.

She was put on a new case with Calleigh and Horatio. It was a case about a child kidnapper and killer. The subject disturbed her, yet at the same time made her more determined than any other previous case she had worked that she WOULD find this monster! She treated every crime scene like a land mine field with potential incriminating land mines buried under any given step. Horatio watched her closely, noting her passion and care and emotion. There were times he thought of pulling her from the case for her own well-being, had it not been for the fact that he knew it would crush her, not to mention how valuable she had proved thus far on the case.

They had a suspect thanks to Gina's careful attention to possible hidden clues. They brought him for interrogation. He had three prior charges…however, none of them were kidnapping. They did, however, have his DNA on file from a prior charge of rape…a charge that unfortunately had been dismissed for 'lack of evidence'. While the suspect was being questioned by Calleigh, Gina watched him through the glass window. His movements, his mannerisms were too much like those of a haunting memory for Gina…too much like a psychopath, which she was convinced he was if he indeed killed those little girls. It was his nervous habit…he picked at his fingers, making his cuticles dry and cracked. It was quite unattractive…a very unhealthy habit as it were.

"Gina?"

"Oh!" She jumped out of her almost trance-like observations of the suspect to find Horatio standing next to her with a concerned look, "Are you alright?"

"Yes…I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. I just want to be sure that you aren't getting too involved in this case. I don't think it's healthy…"
She could see where he was going with this, and her eyes shone a fear, "Oh no…please Horatio, you have to let me finish this case….please! I'm alright…really. I know we are on the brink of an arrest and conviction…I just know it!"

He smiled, "Alright, but I want you to take it easy, OK? Be sure you are getting some sleep. You're no use to this case as a zombie, OK?"

She nodded. He touched her arm and smiled as he walked on. Her thoughts lingered to her feelings for Horatio. She really appreciated him as a boss so much…perhaps almost too much. Thank goodness for the distraction of this case, she thought…in that she felt like for a while there she was getting too wrapped up in how she could prove herself or impress Horatio in some way. It was almost getting to the point that she wasn't really doing for the job anymore, but more just for her…but why? What did she really feel for Horatio? True, he was very handsome and such a gentleman…probably the most 'gentlemanly' of anyone she had ever met. So many times she had seen him sacrifice for his team or for the case. He even came to her rescue when once again Rick Stetler was hitting on her, and she just didn't quite know how to tell him 'no'. Horatio seemed to read her mind and come to her rescue with some excuse that he needed her in the lab. Then he confessed that he thought she looked like she could use a rescue, from what he saw and what he had seen before with she and Rick. That Stetler just didn't know how to take a hint! She broke from her thoughts of Horatio when Calleigh escorted the suspect out of the questioning area and excused him.

Gina turned to Calleigh, "Wait, you're not letting him go?"

"Yes…I'm afraid he has an alibi that checks out…for now."

"Then they are lying! He is the one! I know he is!"

"Gina…" Horatio returned after the suspect was released, "It's OK…can we go and talk for a minute?"

He and Gina went to a break room away from the crowd of the hallway.

He began softly, "We'll get him in due time. The evidence is there…we just need to bring it to light."

Tears escaped her eyes. She wiped at them hastily, annoyed that they were there.

Horatio wiped a tear from her cheek, "You have to trust yourself to find the evidence that will convict him." He then took her hands in his, "I trust you…so should you."

She nodded as she looked down at her hands in his.

"I think you should go home and get some sleep."
"OK…but first, I just want to take one more look at the car…the one that they found the little girl's body in the trunk. I know we can place him in that car…I just want one more look."

He smiled, "OK."

She didn't even notice the time till she looked at the clock on the wall of the lab…6:00am. "Horatio is going to KILL me! Maybe he would believe I left and came back? Nah…" She knew he was smarter than that…that he would see through any fib she might tell. And yet, she would never want to lie to Horatio, anyway. She had just been carried away. When the idea hit her, she couldn't let it go…she couldn't shake the image in her mind of the suspect's nervous habit. He picked his cuticles…so much a sign of a psychopath in her experience. She had to follow up on it. She tape lifted the entire car for epithelial cells all the way from front seat to the trunk. Then she had spent all night in the DNA lab running anything she could find against the DNA from the suspect. It had to be here, the evidence to convict this monster…it just had to be here…