A/N: thanks for all the reviews it means a lot and the traffic I've gotten is amazing! Thanks to everyone :) now, this chapter is kinda gorey in details so be warned
Chapter 2
That Monday morning, Joanna pulled up and parked in front of the Miami Dade Crime Lab, a bundle of nerves. She blew out a breath. "Here we go... First day with my boss that I want..damn." She walked in and stopped when she saw Horatio standing with Frank. "Mornin." Horatio played with his glasses. "You ready we got a call." Joanna instantly straightened, face getting serious. "Yes sir I am." The two men were taken aback. She went from happy to serious as quick as Horatio did. Frank cleared his throat. "The call is a double homicide." Joanna stilled at the word double. Quickly she regained her composure. Calm yourself Joanna. "Ok." Horatio watched Jo closely gauging her reaction. Joanna nodded clenching and unclenching her fists. "Ok let's go." Horatio nodded and walked through the big glass doors of the lab and got in his gold CSI hummer. Joanna got in and didn't look at him. Looking over his glasses for a moment at her, he forced his attention to the road and drove.
She cleared her throat pushing at her silver hair, the silence deafening. "If I get shaken get me out, and fire me if necessary." A dark rumble answered her. "You can do this." Jo looked at the side of his strong face. "When I was six you remember the shape the crime scene was in. And the shape I was in." She closed her steely eyes. Horatio looked through his fiery red hair, it had fallen over his eye, at her. She was a lean bodied beauty. Why he noticed was beyond him. She spoke again. "If it's a father and daughter I'm gonna lose it.." Horatio's warm hand closed over hers. "You'll be fine." She nodded, they pulled into a nice suburb, a White House taped in yellow, law milling about. The hummer parked and Horatio got out, straightening his black suit jacket. Jo followed him into the house and met the big detective Frank. "What do we got Frank?" Horatio asked. Frank turned troubled brown eyes to them. He fiddled with his tie and sighed. "A man and a teen girl. Alex confirmed they are father and daughter." Frank picked at his lip. Clearly the southern man wasn't comfortable. Jo went more still by the second. Horatio's strong hand closed on Jo's shoulder. "Easy Jo.." At that moment, Alex, a regal and cute black woman of mocha complexion, medium height and long black hair passed. The two corpses in tow. Jo swallowed hard. "I'm fine." Jo hid the fact that she was not fine. Flashbacks threatened to surface. She forced them away. The southern man cocked a brow. "Something wrong?" Jo forced a smile. "Don't worry Frank." Horatio looked at the big man, his eyes saying everything. Frank nodded to Horatio's silent order and stepped into the hall, letting Jo and H pass. The acrid smell of blood wafted from living room. Blood smeared the walls and floor. Jo covered her mouth in her sleeve in an attempt to block out the smell. What was once a nice home turned into a massacre. Horatio ran a hand through his red hair and blew out a breath walking to the loving room doorway. Jo walked to meet him. And after one look at the scene before her, she immediately regretted it. Thin rivulets of blood ran down the walls. A once white center rug, stained red almost black. Nice furniture was shredded, bloody, and overturned, evidence of a struggle. Shattered pieces of lamps, glasses, and picture frames littered the floor. Starring at a crime scene that mirrored her memories, Jo turned away.
Flashbacks overwhelmed her. She was six again, unable to move as she watched every detail of the monstrous murder of her family. She closed her eyes against them. Tears welled as her stomach threatened to rebel. Joanna gulped and Horatio had an urge to hold her. She was clearly effected and he didn't like seeing her like that. "Frank." She finally managed. "Any evidence of a second kid?" Frank thought biting his lip softly and shook his head. "No." Jo relaxed a little, and so did Horatio. Joanna turned and walked in, Eric, a man of Cuban descent turned dark brown eyes to her. Jo walked to him. He smiled and stood. "Joanna this is Calleigh Duquesne, our ballistics expert." Calleigh was a taut little blond, emerald eyes, average height. She gave Jo a warm smile and shook her hand. There was a strength there, that most women didn't have, a certain confidence. Jo liked that in her. Calleigh wore linen slacks, country boots that gave her away, and a plain tee. "Nice to meet ya." As Jo expected Calleigh had a southern accent. "Likewise." Eric shrugged and handed Joanna gloves. "Shall we?" With that the trio got to work photographing and collecting evidence. Horatio focused his sapphire eyes and walked around slowly, scanning the room. Suddenly Joanna grabbed Horatio's arm, eyes fixed on the ground. "Stop." Horatio cocked a brow at her. Jo grabbed a pair of tweezers and bent down to the ground by him. "Looks like..." She pulled out a red shiny object embedded in the floor. "A knife tip. He must've broken it off durin' the murder."
Horatio hid a smile. "Mhmm. Good work get that to trace and DNA ASAP." Jo bagged and tagged it. "Yes sir." She smiled and stood. As soon as they finished Jo disappeared. Cocking his head, Horatio followed her out just in time to see her hop in the back of his hummer. Horatio's eyes softened and he crossed the short space to his hummer. His heart ached at the sight of her. He had known this would happen.. He knew and he had hoped she wouldn't have been overcome. The fact that she held on this long alternately saddened him, and thrilled him. She had at least some control. And he was happy for that. Immensely happy. He could count on her now. If she used her emotions the way he hoped she would. But right now her emotions were not helping her, the tears were proof of that. And he had to calm his Jo down.