A/N: okay, this idea has been batting around in my head for a bit and I decided to try and give it a run. As the summary said, if you don't approve of May-December relationships, don't read. Otherwise, enjoy. Quick note: I goofed; wasn't sure how many years H. had been with the Crime Lab so I went back and did a bit of revision. Sorry.

Chapter 1

Seven years ago:

He first noticed her when she moved in. Being a cop he failed to miss very little, like the fact that she wore huge sunglasses and a head-scarf that covered quite a bit of her face. Plus the fact that she moved very carefully and deliberately. He deuced her to not be a Miami native because she wore a mock-neck turtleneck, jeans, and a long denim jacket in short-sleeve weather.

He gave her a polite nod, which she returned and watched as she tightened her folded arms across her chest even more. Everything about her fairly screamed that she wanted to be left alone and even though he was curious, he gave her her space. From what little he could see of her face, it looked swollen and sore, with bruising and redness around her jaw and lips. Yes, she obviously had her reasons for wanting her space.

He noticed she was polite to the movers and they left as quickly as they had arrived. A few days later, he spotted a man with a popular alarm company logo leaving the girl's condo, which was two doors down from his. He wondered why she would need an alarm system in a secure building like theirs, but then again, some people had their reasons and the girl obviously had hers.

Over the next few months he would see her sitting outside on her balcony, sunglasses on, either reading or watching the ocean and the view. He noticed the bruising and swelling was gradually going down. He also noticed she had brown hair and a slim build. Her skin was fair, like it hadn't seen much sun, and she was of medium height. Age-wise, he judged her to be in her early-to-mid twenties. She was also always alone.

One morning she spotted him and acknowledged him with a raise of her coffee cup. He did the same. No names were exchanged but he learned from his neighbours that her name was Sandra. No one knew anything else about her, like where she was from or if she had any family. In fact, if it weren't for occasionally passing her in the hallway, elevator, and seeing her on the balcony, he wouldn't even have noticed her.

One day he spotted her trying to make her way her door, trying to juggle a large load of groceries and her keys when she dropped her keys. Deciding this would be a good time to introduce himself, he picked up her keys and grabbed one of the grocery bags before she dropped it.

She gave him a look that he could only describe as a frightened deer and his protective instincts, never that far away, instantly went up a notch. He offered her a friendly, harmless smile. She seemed to relax a bit once she recognized him but he noticed she didn't drop her guard completely.

"Don't worry," he said. "I won't bite. My name is Horatio."

"Sandra. You live two doors down from me, right?" she asked. There was a trace of an accent in her voice. It was faint, very faint, but it was there and he couldn't quite place it, try as he might.

"That's right. I saw you struggling a bit and figured you might need a bit of help," he said.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the keys he handed her.

She managed to get the door unlocked and then disengaged the alarm at the keypad, which was very close to the door. He followed her in and set her groceries on the island counter in her kitchen.

Her condo was a bit smaller than his but nicely furnished. A lot of her furnishings seemed to be from that Swedish store, IKEA. He recognized them from the catalogue his sister-in-law, Yelina Salas, had when he'd been at her place once.

What he did not fail to notice was the lack of any personal photos. He didn't see any photos that looked like family or friends, which seemed kind of odd.

He did spot a couple of framed movie posters, like Masters of the Universe, Lord of the Rings, Lethal Weapon, Sixth Sense, and Universal Soldier: The Return. To his eye, they looked like originals, not from the video covers but from the theatre. He couldn't help but wonder where she'd found such treasures, especially since two of them, Masters of the Universe and Universal Soldier: The Return, looked to be autographed. He had a feeling they were autographed by the stars themselves. Again he wondered.

"Masters of the Universe, hmm?" he commented, trying to make conversation. "Have you seen it?"

"Yes, I have. It's a good movie. The poster was a gift from a friend," she said. "Thank you for your help but I'm afraid I have to get ready to go out again." There was a firm finality in her tone of voice and Horatio acknowledged that as polite and friendly as he may seem, she wasn't quite comfortable around him. He decided to allow her that and nodded.

"No problem," he said, heading towards her door. Just before he shut it he said, "Sandra, if you're ever in trouble, don't hesitate to come and get me." He showed her his badge and said, "I'm a cop."

Her eyebrows shot up and she nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

He nodded and shut the door behind him.

A few days later he went to his door to answer a knock and found Sandra standing there shyly. She held two cups of coffee in her hands, a brand he recognized as being gourmet and very good.

"Hi," she said. "I wanted to apologize for being a bit abrupt when you tried to help me a few days ago."

He smiled warmly and invited her in. She hesitantly stepped inside and he shut the door. He accepted the coffee she handed him and took a sip. Fresh and hot, just the way he liked it.

Now that he was a bit closer to her, he could see she bore some surgical scars on her face. They were thin and fading but they were there and they were recent. He wondered why she'd had facial surgery when she was already pretty to begin with.

When she noticed him studying her, she flushed. He smiled reassuringly. "This is appreciated," he said.

She nodded. "You said you were a cop," she said.

"That's right, Miami-Dade Crime Lab. I've also worked with the Bomb Squad and Homicide," he said.

"Do you know where I might find a good self-defence class?" she asked hesitantly.

He thought about that for a moment and said, "Let me talk to a friend; she may know." She nodded. "Were you attacked?" he asked carefully.

She hesitated, studying her coffee for a long moment. Horatio wondered if she was going to answer him. Then she spoke.

"It's a long story and a difficult one," she admitted. "I'm part of the Witness Protection Program and yes, I was attacked, but I'm alive and that's what matters."

"Or at least that's what you keep telling yourself," he said gently, sensing the pain and confusion underlying her voice.

She chuckled wryly and said, "Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself."

"Have you thought about taking counselling?" he asked.

"Where would I go? I mean, because of the Program, I'm not allowed to talk about what happened."

"I know someone you can talk to," he said. He went to his computer desk and pulled up a card from his Rolodex. Copying down the number on a scrap of paper, he handed it to her and said, "He's a cop counsellor and primarily helps cops but from time to time he will assist victims of crimes that involve discretion. He's good and he can be very tight-lipped." She studied the name and number. "Just tell his secretary Lieutenant Horatio Caine recommended you. I'm sure he'll be happy to help."

She nodded and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you going to be okay?"

"In time, once the nightmares fade. Sometimes I wonder if they ever will."

"Sandra, I can honestly say that your nightmares will fade in time. Trust me, I have a few of my own."

"Bomb squad and Homicide, I guess you would."