A month had passed since Lauren had started her job as a Miami-Dade CSI. She was started becoming more and more comfortable with her new surroundings and co-workers. Having Speed to talk to helped Lauren tremendously. It seemed like they were hanging out at each other's place every night. Natalia seemed to retreat after a couple weeks after Lauren told her about Derek. Lauren barely talked to her anymore.

The day was like any normal Miami day, hot and muggy. For Lauren though, it was different. During this time of year she would be bundled up in a winter jacket, and shoveling snow. "Oh my god it's like a ridiculously hot inferno out there," Lauren shouted as she walked into the break room after collecting evidence for a case. "I quit wearing any kind of makeup here." She said wiping her face with a paper towel. She looked at it and scrunched up her nose. "I've re-applied my makeup like three times today."

Calleigh, Eric, Horatio, Ryan, Alexx, and Frank looked at Lauren while Speed walked over to her.

"Welcome to Miami," Frank causally said.

Speed grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to Lauren. "Here drink this." Lauren gladly took it.

Lauren took a swig and then set the water bottle on the counter. She lifted up her shirt, just a little, exposing some of her newly tanned skin. She would do anything to cool off. "I don't know how you guys can take this hot muggy weather all year round."

Eric chuckled. "It doesn't bother me. I was born here."

"Well aren't you lucky then." Lauren said patting him on the top of his head, before taking a seat in one of the empty chairs; Speed sat down in the one next to her.

"So, Lauren…" Eric hesitated. He wanted to learn more about his new co-worker, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Calleigh had told him to let Lauren tell them. Calleigh could sense there was more to Lauren than they all knew.

"Yes?" Lauren said as she put her long dark brown hair up in a high messy bun.

Eric looked at Calleigh, and she gave him a look. "Nothing. Never mind. It's not important."

Lauren half laughed. "Eric, what is it?" She leaned back into the chair, looked at Speed, and smiled. He smiled back.

"It's nothing important… really." Eric met her piercing gaze. "All right… it's just that you've been here a month, and we barely know anything about you. I mean the only thing we know is you're from Michigan, and you know what you're doing when it comes to your job."

Lauren half laughed again. "Well, aren't you a nosey person. What do you want to know?"

Eric thought a moment then said, "Anything I guess."

"Well, I love Michigan, and it will always be my home. I'm in love with hockey and baseball. Photography is my passion. I absolutely love what I do for a living. I like to go for morning runs. I own a 1967 Pontiac GTO. Um, what else..." Lauren trailed off not really wanted to say anything else. Revealing her past wasn't something she was ready to do just yet.

"That's cool. So what made you come down to Miami if you love Michigan so much?"

"I guess just a change of scenery. Things were changing where I worked, and I was offered this job here so I decided to take it," Lauren said shifting her body into a more comfortable position.

Speed could tell Lauren was starting to get uncomfortable. He decided a change in subject was needed, but he didn't get to. Rick Stetler had made his way into the break room. He was holding a red file folder in is hands.

"Ms. O'Connor, why don't you stop lying, and tell Mr. Delko, and everyone else the real reason you left Michigan," Rick said reading the file he had in his hands. It was a file on Lauren.

"Excuse me?" Lauren snapped back. Her mood had completely changed; she became defensive.

"You heard me, Ms. O'Connor." Eric, Calleigh, Ryan, Alexx, and Frank looked at each other confused. Horatio and Speed quickly made eye contact with one another, and knew the situation was not a good one. Lauren got up from her seat. Speed and Horatio did as well. They were ready to step in if need be.

"Who the hell are you to come in here, and tell me my reasons for coming down to Miami aren't true?"

Rick looked at Lauren. "That's not what it says in your file," Rick said flatly.

"My file? What file?" Lauren asked confused.

"A file I've got on you, Ms. O'Connor."

Lauren was about to speak, but Horatio interfered. He didn't want the situation getting out hand. "Rick, this is not a wise course of action. I suggest you leave… right now."

"No, I think everyone needs to know about their new team member, don't you, Horatio?"

"Rick, let it go and walk away… now."

Rick ignored Horatio's warnings and continued on. Lauren's heart started to race. 'What is he going to say about me? I don't want them finding out this way. I don't want them to think I'm a horrible person,' Lauren said to herself. 'No, stop it. It doesn't matter. I know what's real and what's not. So does Horatio and so does Speed. They aren't going to believe Rick over me.' Lauren felt a hand gently touch the side of her arm, it was Speed's.

"Horatio, I think your team needs to know the real reason Ms. O'Connor made the move to Miami." Eric, Calleigh, Ryan, Frank, and Alexx all stood up from their seats.

"If she doesn't want to tell us right now she doesn't have to, Rick. That's her business not ours. All that matters is she's great at her job," Eric said coming to Lauren's defense. He was starting to feel guilty for asking Lauren why she came to Miami. If he hadn't asked her then Rick wouldn't have heard their conversation, and he wouldn't have started this conversation.

"Delko, what happened-"

"Shut the hell up, Rick," Lauren said defensively. "You have no business revealing what's happened in my personal life. It doesn't affect my work or how I do my job. So you can take your file, and get the hell out of here, because it is none of yours or anyone else's damn business!"

Rick snickered. "I think your ex-husband, Derek… was that his name? I think he would say differently." It took every fiber in Lauren's body not to strangle the Internal Affairs officer. "You claimed he raped you for the last couple years of your marriage, am I right?"

The rage inside of Lauren continued to build. "Claimed he raped me?" she said softly. Eric, Calleigh, Ryan, Alexx, and Frank stared at her, partly in shock, partly in horror. Was this true?

"That's right. There's no official record," Rick said.

"There's no goddamn record because he fucking made sure there wasn't. Derek is a high-powered attorney. He knows people, and he's got the money to make whatever he doesn't want the public to know go away. I didn't make it up, Rick! What that bastard did to me would make a person's skin crawl, and where the hell did you get your information from?"

Ignoring Lauren, Rick continued, "It also says here that you had IVF treatments, but then shortly after you found out you were pregnant you had an abortion. Why is that?" This time Lauren's eyes began to fill with tears. The abortion was still fresh in her mind. She could remember everything that happened in great detail. Lauren felt she should've tried harder to save her child.

"I got that treatment because I wasn't getting pregnant fast enough for him. I was excited when I found out I was pregnant. Being a mother was something I had dreamt about my entire life. When I told Derek about the baby he suddenly changed. He didn't want the baby anymore. He forced me to get that abortion. In fact he made sure I got one! After that our relationship changed. All he wanted was sex, sex, and more sex. He wanted to control me. If I didn't give him what he wanted then he'd beat the shit out of me until I gave it to him!" Lauren said shouting.

"Ms. O'Connor, you don't need to shout," Rick said calmly.

"Lauren, stop it. You don't have to do this," Speed said. "It doesn't matter what he says. We know what the real truth is."

Lauren ignored Speed. "I don't need to shout? You came in here, and started spewing out false information about me to the people I work with. I'm not going to sit back and let that happen! Especially since that information is completely false. My ex-husband was a piece of shit. He treated me like a piece of shit." Lauren felt like she and Rick were the only two people in the room. "He raped me almost every day for two years! He beat me! He left scars on my body! He held a gun to my head, and told me if I didn't do what he wanted he would blow my fucking brains out! So don't tell me I don't need to shout. He ruined my life!"

"Oh my god!" both Alexx and Calleigh cried out.

Rick started walking up to Lauren, but Speed and Horatio jumped in between the two. "That's enough Rick," Horatio said.

Lauren closed her eyes, and leaned into Speed's back as she tried to make sense of everything that was going on. When she did open her eyes she saw Yelina walking toward the break room. Her right eye was black and blue, again. That bruise didn't come from a doorknob. "You sonofabitch!" Lauren said infuriated.

Everyone's eyes fell on Lauren.

"Excuse me," Rick said as he arched his eyebrow.

Lauren walked up to Rick, and stopped just a couple inches from his face. "After what Derek did to me I made a vow to put away every man and woman, who abused his or her significant other, child, or friend."

"How does that pertain to me, Ms. O'Connor?"

Lauren snickered. "Yelina Salas. Remember her? The woman you're seeing. I know what you're doing to her. I can smell people like you a mile away, and you know what?" Rick and Yelina had started seeing each other just a couple weeks ago.

"What?" Rick asked calmly.

"I will take you down, and I will put your piece of shit ass in jail by New Years."

"Is that a threat, Ms. O'Connor?"

"No Rick, it isn't a threat. It is a fucking promise." Lauren went to leave the break room, but Rick grabbed her arm. "Don't touch me," Lauren said yanking her arm out of his grasp and left the room just as Yelina walked in.

Horatio stepped forward. "You have crossed the line Rick… even for you," Horatio said disgusted. He knew Rick was conniving, but this was a new low. "You have an issue with me… take it up with me, but don't you ever and I mean ever take it out on my team." Rick was still bitter about Horatio getting the job he had wanted.