Thank you to all who reviewed—they definitely made my day. I'm trying to keep the chapters nice and long for you all. I'm especially happy to hear how you all are taking the crime scene. One thing I noticed with CSI:Miami is how they solve crimes in one day. While I adore the show and characters, I do, however, have to point out the flaw in realism there. Crime takes a long time to solve, as well as the science part of it.

Anyway, long story short, I'm glad you're all enjoying this, just as I enjoy revamping an old love of mine with the story. Standard disclaimer applies-more details for this are in chapter one.

Please enjoy and most of all, review. I'm writing this for your enjoyment and would love to hear your opinions.

Cheers!

Chapter Two:Part One

Breakfast in the Rowe home was bedlam.

Bags went missing on a daily basis, books disappeared into the unknown universe, and keys grew legs and became Houdini. Then, the alarm clock strike.

Somehow, between Jenna and Samantha, neither remembered to set their alarm clock the night before, thanks to the shakeup of their routine. Therefore, with both women tearing the house apart for their belongings and only minutes to go before both were late, the house turned into a bombshell.

Grimacing at the mess in her home, Jenna, with keys now lodged firmly in her hand, turned her back to the housecleaning nightmare and walked out the door, rushing her daughter along with her.

The night before had been incredible, she mused as they got into the elevator. Horatio had left shortly after their kiss, knowing they all had early mornings. However, the kiss goodnight as he departed still had her blushing and tingling all the way down to her toes.

With one arm wrapped around her and his other hand buried in her hair, his kiss set her alight. Clinging to him just as tightly, Jenna moaned against his lips. His passion took her by surprise, especially the intensity, and she loved every minute of it.

She couldn't stop touching him; her hands caressed his shoulders, his chest, his arms; the moment was just…consuming.

Why had she waited so long for this?

They were slow to break the moment, and while they had stopped the kiss, they clung tightly to one another. How she had ever gone so long without being held, she'd never know. Jenna missed the intimacy shared between her and a partner, just to be held with no words necessary.

Horatio's fingers stroked the nape of her neck, seeming to enjoy the moment just as she did. "Thank you," her murmured, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

Looking up quizzically, she silently urged him to explain.

With a soft smile, his hand left her hair and traced her cheek. "For letting me in. I know it was hard for you to open up like this."

Shaking her head, she pushed the memories aside. It wouldn't do well for her to keep remembering her night, especially with her work load piling up. Glancing down, she noticed Samantha rummaging through her bag with a frown. "Sweetheart, everything ok?" She smoothed a hand down her daughter's hair.

Samantha looked up at her with frantic eyes. "My lunch is back in the condo," she wailed. "And my homework!"

Mentally sighing, she pressed the button for her floor, knowing the elevator only had a few floors to go before the garage. Pulling out her phone, she dialled Samantha's school.

"Hello Miss Crasser," she said when the other line answered. "It's Miss Rowe speaking….I'm fine thank you…I just wanted to let you know Samantha is running a little late today, we had an issue with some traffic….ok, thank you. Bye." Hanging up the phone, she gave a sideways glance at her daughter. "Not a word about my white lie, Sam."

"But Mom, didn't you say lying is bad?" The teasing sarcasm had her snorting in laughter.

"Brat. I just have to call work, and then we can get your homework…how many stops till our floor?"

Samantha looked up at the blinking light. "Four."

{line}

Rushing into work from the downpour outside, Jenna leaned against the wall of the elevator to catch her breath. Traffic had been somewhat easy, apart from the short rainfall that occurred as she exited her car. With a ding, she exited the lift and walked up to the reception, smiling at Julie, the morning reception officer.

"Morning Julie," she said lightly, trying to hide her breathlessness.

"Morning…you've still got five minutes before you have to start," Julie smirked, pointing to the clock, "no need to panic."

Letting out a soft laugh, Jenna leaned against the desk. "My clock must be fast, I even managed to get Samantha to school on time. She forgot her lunch and homework and only told me when we were in the garage."

"What happened to Samantha's carer?"

"Day off, every third Thursday, and Friday of a month, she gets a four day weekend." Jenna sighed.

"Must be the most exhausting week for you," Julie stated, pulling up a few messages up and handing them to her.

Jenna nodded and smiled her thanks. "Yeah, Bethany's a great help when she wants to, but like all young women, they all want to go out and party. And that leaves me with a huge rush at work to keep with the school hours."

"Well, have fun, I think Horatio and the team are on the war path today with the case—just a heads up," Julie said with a wink. Groaning playfully, Jenna waved to the other woman and walked further into the homicide lab. The one thing she loved about the new upgrades was how easy it was to find people through the glass walls.

Nevertheless, she was still part of the small few who forgot about the glass and walked smack dab into them.

The five evidence boxes were in her lab/studio, their innocent white packaging illuminated by the table's lights. Mentally sighing, Jenna grabbed her lab coat off the rack by the door and put it on. She knew that it was going to be a big day.

{line}

The skulls, bleached white, gleamed on five stands. Little white buds dotted the bones, offering a muscle reference for Jenna. Pencils had been scattered over the large table in the center of the room, mixed amongst erasers and pencil sharpeners.

Hunched over a sketchbook, Jenna shaded over an image intently, her entire focus solely on the paper. Although preferring to work with third dimensional mediums for increased accuracy, she still understood why crime labs preferred pencil sketches and digital artwork—the cost was less and the time shortened.

A light outline of the skull was always first, outlining where the markers were, followed by a series of documentation photos and notes. The hardest part, for Jenna at least, was muscle definition and soft tissue—if not followed specifically, the facial structure could be turned into someone else, ruining any credibility of identification. It was also the longest part of the process.

The final part, adding in skin and shading, taking away the details underneath was the quickest step. Adding soft detailing to the hair, Jenna stared down at the image of a young teen boy. With a fond touch to the image, Jenna picked up her camera and captured a few pictures; the images downloading themselves immediately onto the computer.

Placing down the heavy, and expensive, piece of equipment, she stretched in her chair. At least the first one was finished, she thought mentally, getting up and walking over towards the small sink in the corner of the room.

"What do you have for me?" a voice asked from the doorway, startling Jenna.

Whirling around to meet the room's new occupant, she came face to face with Calleigh. With a soft smile, Jenna walked over to the desk and pulled the completed sketch towards them. "Hey Cal, this is our first boy," she said fondly. "He's got African descent, by the look of the bones and how the muscles formed while I was drawing; and is about ten to twelve years old."

The Blonde looked over the sketch carefully. "Are all the skulls like this?"

Jenna shook her head, "Two of them are similar to his, maybe siblings, or friends, but the other two are female, and the bone structure is quite different. I won't know for sure until I finish the sketch, but I think they're Caucasian."

"So, where are the other sketches?" Calleigh asked, obviously itching to continue the search.

Jenna shrugged. "Between following procedure and trying to get the muscle tone done, I've only done this little boy's," she rubbed her neck slowly. "If I could just sketch and nothing else, I would have had at least one more for you."

"But you've been here for three hours already," Calleigh protested. "This is our only major lead, without their features; there isn't a lot to go on to catch their killer."

With a steadying breath, Jenna looked at her friend with steely eyes. "Look, I understand that you want to catch this guy, I'm with you there, but you can't rush this. If I get one detail wrong, there is no way we can really identify any of these children. Very rarely do any of us catch the killer within a day of finding the boy, science isn't like that, it takes time. Art is the same. For me to give these poor babies their features back, I need to spend time with them. I have to document every single step of the way—all my notes, my erasing, everything. If I don't account for everything, our case is up in smoke."

With a smile playing at her lips, Calleigh leaned on one side, her head cocked slightly. "Wow, you have some talent for defending your work," she laughed. "I won't rush you again, I promise."

With a blush, Jenna laughed with her. "It would be even longer if I decided to do this in 3D with the clay."

"I think I'd pull my hair out," she replied, her southern drawl soft and comforting. Jenna nodded and walked over to the computer.

"Let me just print out a copy of this little boy's report for you. I'll page when I have the others ready." With a few short clicks of the mouse, the printer whirred to life. "How is the case going, in all honesty?"

She heard Calleigh sigh with frustration. "It's not really," the blonde-haired woman answered. "I wasn't kidding when I said this is probably our only lead for now. The victims were there for a long time, according to the decay, so trace couldn't really pull up much. We had a few fibres and some trace, but they aren't really giving any answers."

"Well, hopefully, with this little boy as the starter, those fibres might be just a few pieces of the puzzle for the end's answer."

"Have you been reading your girl mysteries again?" Calleigh teased. "That sounds awfully like something from a Stephen King novel."

Tossing her friend a wry grin, she nodded. To be frank, scary novels and films freaked Jenna out, however, her daughter, brave as the world, loved the suspense and the thrills. Although not quite old enough to comprehend everything that was in the stories, Samantha managed to understand enough to leave her wanting more.

Jenna just had to shake her head at her daughter.

"My daughter's nuts," was all she said in reply.

With a laugh, Calleigh waved the file as a farewell and left Jenna in the room alone. Moving her neck side to side in an effort for strain relief, she sat back down in her chair and pulled another sketchbook towards her.

"Well, honey, looks like it's your turn for possibly identification," she murmured to the next bleached skull.

{line}

"I can't believe you were late to pick me up; I looked like the biggest loser in school!" Samantha raged as they entered the apartment. With a huff, she dropped her school bag in the hall and stalked up towards her room.

With a few deep breaths, and still not able to calm herself, Jenna picked up her daughter's bag and placed it next to the breakfast bench, pulling out the lunch box and what looked to be the school's newsletter and her daughter's student diary.

The afternoon had been more than a little difficult with her being swept up with her sketches. It wasn't until the school called asking where she was, did Jenna realise that she was late for the pickup.

Samantha, in a dirty sports uniform, sat on the curb, her intense displeasure clearly written on her expression. Although Jenna had tried to apologise, she had been treated with ignoring then, when they were in the elevator, intense raging. It was so hard to keep her daughter happy, especially when she was so close on the cusp of puberty.

Leaving the notes and diary on the bench, Jenna wandered over to the sink to clean out the lunch box. However, upon opening it, she was confronted with a still full container. Frowning, she called for her daughter, listening out for the stomping footsteps on the stairs. Fastening a suspicious look on her daughter, she held up the lunchbox for inspection.

"Why is your entire lunch still here?" Jenna said with exasperation.

Scuffing her feet on the tile, Samantha, still in her dirty uniform; dishevelled and sweaty, shrugged, and not saying a word.

"What did you eat at lunch today?" she questioned again. Samantha repeated her action, still not looking at her mother.

"Samantha, if you don't answer, I'm going to cut your internet time and ground you. Now, why is your lunchbox still as full as it was this morning?"

The girl's jaw clenched, reminding Jenna of Isaac so much that her throat started to tighten. It was strange that the two females could look so similar to one another, that the few expressions that Samantha had of her father had Jenna trembling. After so long without him, the little reminders still brought a strange bitterness throughout the years.

"I didn't want it," Samantha said mulishly, her tone giving away the lie.

Flicking her hair out of her eyes, Jenna crouched down to eye level. "Samantha, I don't like you lying to me. Tell the truth now."

With a huff, Samantha glared at her mother. "I didn't want it—Mel bought pizza and we shared it."

Surprised, and a little concerned since she knew the school and a healthy food policy, she continued with her questions. "How did you friend buy pizza at school when I know they don't sell any there?"

Shrugging, Samantha looked away, "Mel called for pizza delivery."

Letting out an almost muffled groan, Jenna leaned against the counter. "Alright, here's some new rules, you eat only what I give you or what you buy at the school caferteria. If I hear that any more take out deliveries are at the school, I'm going to notify your teachers. There aren't meant to be strangers there during school hours," she paused for a moment, knowing that Samantha would be even madder when she heard the next few words. "No internet for two days, whatever you need researched for your homework, you come to me, and I'll go through the pages with you. Moreover, no phone usage. The cordless phone stays with me tonight."

Treated with an affronted look, Jenna waited for the explosion. "You're only treating me like this because you got a new boyfriend!" Samantha yelled, her face scrunched up and an ugly shade of red. Whirling around, she raced back up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door, leaving a shocked mother behind her.

Groaning, Jenna turned and reached for the kettle, not bothering to do any tidying. Filling it up and turning it on, she stared absently out towards the window. She hated how her daughter brought up random acts to throw in her face when things weren't going Samantha's way. Should she call Mel's mother to let her know what was happening?

She'd appear overly protective, she knew. What mother got angry over a pizza? It was one of the few times Jenna cursed working for the Crime Lab. There were nothing but horror stories on how easy it was to overdose on drugs, usually with the most innocent of things. Jenna worked in a place where it was always the extreme end, and eventually, it had made her so paranoid it was hard to trust anyone.

Packed lunches were usually made for that very reason. It was hard to drug something that she knew she had made herself. But school kids were notorious for swapping food and selling it as well. Trying not to think any further, Jenna made herself a cup of coffee and walked out to her balcony.

The first few sips were nothing but heaven. She treasured the moments alone on the balcony as a chance to recharge her batteries and deal with the things she had seen and heard. At that moment, she tried to push away the idea of being a bad mother, too overprotective and too paranoid.

A chirping sounded from her hip. With a frown, she answered her phone. "Hello, Rowe speaking?"

"Jenna," came the smooth sound of Horatio. And just like that, her stress melted from her shoulders.

"Horatio," she replied with a tender voice and a soft grin. "How are you?"

"Good, sweetheart, good. We, uh, found the identity of the first boy you sketched." Blinking at the phone, Jenna slowly sat down on one of the deck chairs.

"Wow, Horatio that was fast. I haven't even turned on the TV, so I haven't even seen any alerts out."

"Yeah, uh, he was identified on the internet—his parents had a Missing Person's report for the past year. His mother still checks the sites to see if he came up."

Jenna tried to hide a flinch. Imaging Samantha missing like that had an ache shooting through her. She doubted she could ever handle not having her daughter close. Sympathising with the mother, she knew that she would have done the exact same thing, always needing an answer for the disappearance, always needing closure.

No parent should ever be torn away from their child like that. "What was his name?"

"Liam Thorton," came the reply. There were some muffled movements and paper crinkling before he continued. "He was eleven when he was missing."

Frowning, her gaze was caught by a flying seagull. "The decay wasn't bad for a year gone, Horatio," she said softly, "Unless where he was found was very cold."

"I'll keep you updated with anything that we find," Horatio replied. "I saw you racing to leave earlier, is everything alright?"

Letting out another smile, Jenna took a sip of her coffee and leaned back into her chair. "Yeah, today was one of those days where I was late for everything, including picking up my daughter from school. I forgot that today I had to pick her up, rather than her carer."

"I take it Samantha wasn't too happy?"

Sighing, Jenna continued, "Not at all. At the moment, I'm the lowest person on earth. I found out that she didn't eat her lunch today, instead a friend of hers had a delivery of pizza taken to the school. Long story short, with tempers as short as they are, my chewing her out on taking unknown food let loose her own temper back on me."

"Sweetheart…"

His endearment and warm tone sent tingles down her spine. Curling up on the outdoor chair, Jenna let out a small sound of contentment. "Your call has been my bright note for today," she replied contently. "Last night was wonderful."

His low chuckle was like music to her ears. "I want to see you again, as soon as possible," he murmured, the sounds of a door closing had her blushing slightly. The only time a door was closed in an office was when there was a very private conversation in place. It flattered her that he considered her important enough to want privacy from the office.

Feeling a little like a teenager, she glanced inside to see if her daughter was in hearing range before looking back at the ocean. "You could come around tonight, after work?"

"I've got a bit of a load here, sweetheart," he replied, his voice filled with disappointment, "The paperwork is going to keep me here until nine, at least."

Biting her lip, Jenna huffed a little, her gaze towards the deepening skyline. "Damn. I know that I said I wanted to take things slow, but I really wanted to see you," she said huskily. "I didn't even get a glance of you at work today either." A knock at the window caught her attention. Samantha, still unhappy and with a hand on her hip, waved to her impatiently.

"I could stop by after—I might be able to get this work finished sooner."

Holding a finger up to her daughter, she turned her attention back to Horatio. "Samantha will be in bed by then, so, uh, give my cell a buzz when you're at the door, rather than ring the bell." Jenna felt giddy. It was a guilty moment of pleasure, knowing that she was almost sneaking him in. nevertheless, Alexx's words sounded loudly in her head. She was a woman, a beautiful woman, and she did deserve to have fun with someone that she knew cared about her just as she cared about him.

"It's a date," he whispered to her.

"I look forward to it," she replied just as husky. "I've got to go, Samantha needs me. But, uh, I'll see you tonight."

"Tonight."

{line}

"hi," she whispered as she opened the door. Horatio ducked his head slightly, before offering her a boyish grin.

"Hi," he returned, leaning in to kiss her gently, "I have to admit, I feel a bit like a teenager sneaking into a house."

Letting out a chuckle, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her home, closing the door softly behind her. His hands were immediately on her waist, turning her around to him. For a moment he just looked at her, studying her every feature, before leaning in to kiss her properly.

With a sigh, she melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck, with one hand massaging the nape of his neck. God, she had wanted to experience his kiss the whole day. A hand caressed her cheek, the skin coarse from his callouses. His other hand held her tight against him. For once, she was glad that she wasn't short or petite. While not as tall as Horatio, Jenna didn't have to stand on tip toe to kiss him. To her, she was just at the right height to enjoy it all.

Slowly breaking away from the kiss, Horatio studied her once more, his eyes warm and tender. "I was supposed to take you out for our first date before I got the chance to kiss you again," he teased. Jenna let out a low laugh before bussing the corner of his mouth.

"You can take me out on the weekend, if you're free. My dad is taking my daughter on a weekend road trip, and, barring any phone calls from work, I'm completely free." Grinning at him, she broke the embrace reluctantly and walked into the kitchen. "I was going to make a cup of tea just before, do you want anything?"

Horatio followed her, pausing only to take off his jacket and hang in on one of the spare pegs in the hallway. "Coffee would be nice, thanks," he replied, leaning against the counter. "When does your father come to pick up Samantha?" he asked curiously.

"Tomorrow, after school. He's got a bed and breakfast he likes to take her to for the night before they take the coastal road," she said over her shoulder as she pulled two cups out from a high cabinet. "Milk, sugar?"

"Neither, thank you," he replied, stepping up behind her and nuzzling her neck. "I can't keep my hands off of you," Horatio said in wonderment, his fingers tracing the skin just above her lounge pants' waist line.

Pausing her movements, Jenna enjoyed the embrace, despite her mind going a mile a minute. It was strange, she supposed, going from a few flirty comments and heated eyes, to this, so suddenly. The speed did scare her a little. Going from no partner to having someone in her home two nights in a row was terrifying, despite how much she knew she could trust him.

That was it, she thought. It was the whole crux of the matter. She did trust him; he was someone that she knew she could let in and not have her heart torn in a million pieces. Horatio was the kind of man that was honourable. He was a protector, defender and someone who held trust and respect very close. They wouldn't go any further than she was comfortable. He was waiting for her to set the pace, for her to give the signals for the go-ahead.

The thought humbled her.

Pressing her cheek against his, she closed her eyes and sighed. "I thought men like you existed only in stories, you know," she said absently. "I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I want you to know that I'm glad I took the chance to let you in."

While he never said a word, his touch grew tender and loving, his hand caressing her clavicle, while his other thumb continued to stroke her hip.

He moved away then, giving her some space. Taking a moment, Jenna busied herself making their drinks. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she spoke up again. "Make yourself at home, Horatio, I'll bring these over when they're done."

Stirring the coffee and hot water together, she watched as Horatio wandered into the lounge room, his fingers trailing along some shelves with photographs, lingering on some that caught his attention. Finishing the drinks, she placed them on a tray and grabbed two savoury muffins from the fridge. Horatio had probably skipped dinner and Jenna had always been fond of nibbling something with her tea.

As she walked into the open area, Horatio had claimed a spot on the two seater, draping the small lap blanket that she had been using over the armrest. With a small smile, she placed the two pottery mugs on coasters and the muffins near him. "I figured you missed out on dinner," Jenna said in way of explanation

"Thanks, darling," he replied, leaning forward and grabbing his cup. Sitting next to him, she curled against the corner of the chair and pulled up her feet, her hands wrapped around the warm mug. An amused, but loving expression graced her features as she watched him enjoy the coffee. "I haven't had anything like this," he stated, taking another full mouthful.

"Dad brought it down from New York. He had a club meeting up there somewhere and found this little coffee house that didn't care about a person's appearance."

"Appearance?" he asked quizzically, his fingers capturing her ankle and pulling her foot over his lap. Stretching slightly, she placed her other foot there as well. The intimacy was enjoyable and new.

"Yeah, do you remember when I told you that Dad was a bit of a biker?" at his nod, she continued. "Well, he's rocking a pretty cliché look, shaved head, beard—the leather and denim look as well. I love it, to be honest. I always appreciate someone being so true to themselves that they don't care about other people's opinions. He was a damned good cop who's enjoying his retirement the way he wants to."

"The only issue with biker clubs is how they gain the funds," Horatio said lightly. "There is always a large group, mainly the older population, who are in it for the bikes, the youngers are in it for an excuse to go over to the dark side of the law."

Jenna let out a little giggle. "The dark side?" she tried to hide a snort, "Sorry, it just reminds me of the Star Wars movies I've watched with Samantha. However, I do agree with you; some clubs have a really bad reputation. My father, though, was always a cop in his beliefs. He'd never do anything that would compromise his morals. I still think he's a bit of a cowboy though—he's always treated women like ladies and is intensely protective," she looked at him considering, "Now I think on it, I do believe you two would get on like a house on fire, despite outer appearances."

With large fingers gently rubbing circles on her ankle, Jenna found it hard to concentrate on anything else. It must have been obvious to Horatio, she mused at the grin playing on his lips.

"I'd like to meet him one day," he replied. "But, for now, how about you come close to me honey, and we'll cuddle for a bit?"

To be continued...