Disclaimer: I don't own aything CSI Miami however Vanessa Pedrosa is my own creation.

Vanessa sat at the steel desk inside the glass encase interview room at the Miami-Dade Crime lab calmly flicking through the file in front of her. She didn't make a sound, didn't acknowledge the presence of the man sitting across the table from her as she continued to peruse the file she already knew inside out. "Are we just going to sit here?" The man demanded angrily. "Lieutenant Caine is on his way." Vanessa stated still refusing to look up from her file. She could tell the man on the side of the table was uncomfortable; he fidgeted in his chair, straightened his tie and ran his hand across his closely cropped thin hair.

They had been sitting there for the last 20 minutes and it was at least another 5 minutes before Lieutenant Caine entered the room. He looked directly at Vanessa. "Detective?" he inquired not voicing his question, it wasn't necessary Vanessa knew what he was asking and shook her head in reply. "What the hell is going on? Why am I here?" Their suspect erupted shoving his chair back and standing over them palms flat against the table top. "Lucia Bataldo." Horatio replied calmly his hands on his slim hips as he stared intensely at their suspect. Their suspect let all but deflated before their eyes – gone was his arrogant, aggressive demeanor as he sank back down into his seat. "I see the name rings a bell Mr Dandridge." Dandridge said nothing he merely looked down at his hands in his lap, Vanessa could see him struggling to gain his composure.

"We know what you did Aaron, I've got a whole file of forensic evidence here that proves you killed Lucia Bataldo."

"No you can't…Why are you doing this to me?"

"You've done it to yourself Aaron." Vanessa told him as she began to slide photographs across the table. "This is the Vero Amore, Mateo Bataldo's luxury yacht. Inside the yacht we found your fingerprints every where. Your semen all over that king sized bed. Your foot prints at the deck railing."

"Yes I was on the yacht. I borrowed it from Bataldo! He's a friend."

"You borrowed his boat then killed his wife? I don't think you understand the concept of friendship." Horatio quipped.

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Let me lay it out for you Dandridge. Five days ago you borrowed the Bataldo's yacht, you took Michelle Kirkland as your companion. Perhaps it was supposed to be a romantic getaway but that didn't go to plan did it? You and Michelle fought, she slapped you, slip you lip open." Vanessa began painting the picture for him. "On Thursday afternoon you left your squash game early arriving home to find your girlfriend Michelle Kirkland had attempted suicide in you living room. You rushed her to the ER, you saved her life."

"But something snapped didn't it Aaron, when you saw your girlfriend dying, wanting to take her own life. You called Lucia at 7:45pm, insisted she meet with you straight away. I don't know how you convinced her to but she did. She met you at your office; you took her in your car to the yacht." Horatio paused waiting for a response from his suspect but there was nothing. "Once you were on the yacht you confronted Lucia about Michelle and Mateo – an argument ensued."

"You became physically aggressive, she scratched and clawed at you to let her go. It would have been at this point that you grabbed the statuette and struck her the first time." Still no reply from the suspect but Vanessa could tell the scene was replaying in his mind.

"They are playing us both! They haven't ended it – Michelle admitted it to me!"

"No Aaron, it's over. Mateo wants nothing to do with that tramp – we've reconciled, we're trying for a baby! Nothing is going to come between us again." He saw the look in her eyes as she said it – it was the exact same starry eyed look that Michelle got whenever she talked about Mateo. It drove him to the brink; his blood boiled, there was no way to contain his rage. He grabbed her, his strong hands like a vice on her soft upper arms. "She's not a tramp! Take it back!" He screamed in her face, spittle flying in all directions.

Lucia began to struggle twisting her body, attempting to escape his grasp. "She seduced my husband! She almost ruined my marriage!" Lucia had squealed in his face as she clawed at him desperately trying to break free.

"Your husband ruined her! She tried to take her own life!"

"I hope she succeeded!" Lucia screamed as she finally broke free.

She didn't see Aaron swinging the statuette until it was too late to move, she was frozen in place as the heavy pewter figurine came crashing into her skull. Everything went black for a brief moment as she struggled to keep her footing – she began to run blindly her vision clouded. Cool breeze caressed her heated skin, she'd reached the deck. Lucia knew that she had to get off the boat, she had to get help. Even as that thought crossed her mind Aaron caught up with her and brought the figurine crashing into her skull with obscene force. Aaron stood above her, breathing raggedly as he watched her twitch and fit as a crimson puddle blossomed beneath Lucia's skull. It was long minutes later before he realized exactly what he'd done.

He started up the yacht, heading away from the marina – he knew he had to dispose of the body. He knew exactly where to go to ensure that she was found swiftly. Once Lucia was off the yacht he returned to the deck scrubbing away her blood before returning to the stateroom. He had showered, changed his clothes and cleaned down the statuette, ensuring that the room was exactly the way he'd found it before returning to the marina. He drove his own car back to the office then drove Lucia's car some miles away where he pocketed the keys and made it look like the car had been stolen. From there he'd walked for an hour in the dark before calling a cab to return him to the hospital.

"Mr Dandridge?" Vanessa spoke his name for the third time watching as he came back to the present. "I killed her." He spoke softly looking across at the detectives sadly. "He already has everything – a beautiful wife, a two million dollar yacht, success, fortune, fame and he wanted Michelle as well. No he can't have her, he has enough already!"

"So you killed his wife?"

"What did you expect me to do!" he cried.

"Be the bigger man, walk away." Horatio recommended.

"I couldn't let him have Michelle too…I need her, I'm nothing without her." Aaron whimpered as tear trailed down his round cheeks.

"Well Mr Dandridge I guess you really are nothing now. Michelle Kirkland died an hour ago." Vanessa broke the news as gently as she could manage. Dandridge's face crumpled his head fell into his hands as he sobbed heavily, his body trembling with every forced breath. Vanessa and Horatio left the room as two uniformed officers entered and placed Aaron Dandridge under arrest for the murder of Lucia Bataldo.

Vanessa walked out across the brightly lit car park, trying to remember where she'd parked her car more than 24 hours earlier. She scanned the lot for a full minute before realizing she hadn't actually driven her car to the lab…she'd taken a cab to the crime scene and caught a lift back to the lab with Delko. She blew out an exasperated sigh glancing around trying to figure out what to do next. Catching another cab at this late hour didn't appeal to her but short of going back inside and asking a uniformed officer to drop her home it was her only option.

"Need a lift?" Vanessa jumped slightly, startled by the familiar deep voice calling to her.

"Are you driving? Because I'd like to get home alive you know." She teased him grinning and watching as he stretched out against his vehicle, his long legs crossed at the ankles, his eyes watching her intently as she walked towards him.

"What are you still doing here?" Vanessa asked stopping just short of him.

"There is this knockout detective who works here occasionally; I was hoping to get a few minutes alone with her."

"Oh yeah, why's that?"

"Well you see we tried to be a normal couple and go out on a date but that plan didn't really work for us, we got interrupted by a crime scene. I thought I might try make it up to her."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Vanessa asked coyly.

"First I'll give her a lift home." He said, standing up and wrapping his arms gently around her waist.

"Mm hmm. Then what?"

"Maybe a glass of wine and a long hot shower before we fall into bed." Vanessa felt his strong hands let her go only to tenderly brush her hair back and cup her face gently - his intense eyes still never leaving hers.

"What makes you think that she's just going to fall in bed with you?" Vanessa challenged.

"Because I know you can't resist me." He grinned cheekily. Leaning in and kissing her hotly – she gave no resistance, melting into him instantly as their mouths danced a brisk tango.

"I hate it when you're right." She whispered as he pulled away, her lips instantly missing the warmth of his.

"Come on Nessie, I'll get you home in one piece."

Vanessa frowned, "You know if I ride that thing home, not only am I going to freeze to death but my dress is going to turn into a scarf before we get a mile down the road." She gestured at her rather inappropriate clothing for his choice of transport.

"Here, put this on." He told her, slipping his jacket around her slim shoulders and zipping it up.

"You'll just have to stay close to me." Vanessa shot him an incredulous look.

"Hey I have your best interests at heart babe." He reassured her smirking as he threw his leg over the frame of his hot yellow Ducati motorcycle and started up its throaty engine.

Vanessa looked at him hesitantly for a moment longer, this really was madness. "Come on Nessie, get on the bike." He prompted, reaching his hand out to her to help her get onto the bike. Vanessa caught his grin as she threw her leg over the wide frame she knew he'd been able to see up her skirt in the wing mirror.

"Timothy Speedle, don't make me hurt you!" She threatened. Tim half twisted around on the bike and pressed another kiss to her already swollen lips.

"How do you know I won't like it?" Speed teased over the roar of the engine. He took off suddenly causing Vanessa to let out a little high pitched squeal and cling tighter to his body. God he loved taking her for a ride…

A/N - Okay so what did you think? Please read & review, every author needs a little reader LOVE! Stay tune folks this won't be the last you hear from me I have BIG plans for Vanessa... xOx Reluctant Flame xOx

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