Disclaimer: I do not, and never will (unfortunately) own CSI Miami or any of the characters from that show. I am making no money from this fanfiction, only enjoyment.

A/N: This is set after the end of Season 4 and is AU in one significant regard. While the Natalia/mole storyline did take place, the Marisol storyline never happened. I may later on in the fic introduce Marisol as a character, but she will only come in as Eric's sister, nothing more, and certainly nothing to do with Horatio. Hope you like it, please review! (Don't be too harsh on me please...)

Fresh from the Natalia's betrayal, Horatio was less than willing to accept a federal agent into his lab. The fact that the captain had made it plain he had no choice only made him angrier. Frank Nelson was apparently a well-respected profiler within the Bureau, with an impressive academic background, but he was a fed, and Horatio was, bluntly, a little pissed off. Still, he had gathered his team of CSIs in the conference room in preparation for Nelson's arrival.

Eric and Ryan, understandably, were the most antagonistic. Both had been embarrassingly duped by Natalia, and were vocal in their objections. "H, come on! They can't expect us to work with someone from the FBI after all this!"

"What the hell are they expecting? Perhaps they'd like us to throw a party for him!" Ryan was surprisingly angry. The youngest CSI had been reluctant to share his feelings with his colleagues, and despite the situation they were in, Horatio was pleased that he was at last opening up.

Calleigh suggested that they should perhaps give the guy a chance. Horatio smiled. Calleigh was always such a ray of sunshine in the lab. Thank God she hadn't quit after Hagen's suicide, he mused. Alexx, who shouldn't really have been there, but might be needed to keep the peace, spoke next. "Cal is right. This Frank Nelson might be a nice guy. It's not his fault that he's transferred here now, at this moment. He probably doesn't even know about Boa Vista." Alexx, although usually calm, couldn't bring herself to say Natalia's name.

They were interrupted by a confident woman, about thirty five, who breezed into the room as though she had lived there all her life. Eric and Ryan's jaws dropped. She was only a little taller than Alexx, although Horatio noted that this was probably due to the exceptionally high heels she wore under her tight cut-off jeans. Honey blonde hair was cropped short, spiking up in all directions. The shortness of her hair accented her strong cheekbones, and allowed her clear grey eyes to dominate her face. She looked around with amusement, before holding her hand out to Horatio, smiling broadly.

"Lieutenant Caine, I presume?" Her voice hinted at a New York background.

Horatio took her hand, slightly bemused by the situation. "May I ask who I'm talking to?"

The woman gave an exaggerated sigh, then a laugh. "You can't trust the FBI these days! They didn't tell you I was coming today?" Eric snorted derisively at the mention of the FBI, but shut up at a warning glance from Horatio.

"Uh, no, I don't think they mentioned it," Horatio hedged, hoping nothing had been overlooked at his end.

"I'm Francesca Nelson, the profiler?" She sighed again. "I tell you, one of these days…." She trailed off from whatever she had been about to say. Horatio, although usually in complete control of his emotions, had not managed this time to hide his shock, and neither had anyone else in the room. "What did I miss?"

"Uh, we were expecting Frank Nelson," Horatio stated, looking away from the newcomer to check he had read the report correctly. His gaze returned to her sharply as she snorted in amusement.

"I'd prefer Frankie. Oh, but I'm going to kill someone for this! This is the second time this has happened to me!" She laughed again. "Not quite what you were expecting then?"

Horatio smiled slightly in return. "Not quite."

Frankie turned to the others in the room. "What do you say? Will I do, or do you want a refund?"

Despite swearing that they would hate the profiler because they were from the FBI, both Eric and Ryan were smiling broadly. "Nah, I think you'll do," Eric grinned.