Disclaimer - I do not own Homeland. That pleasure belongs to Showtime. No copyright infringement or money making scheme intended. This is purely for reading enjoyment.

CSI Encyclopedia - a new reader/reviewer. Yay. Thank you...and here you go.

A/N The second chapter. Thank you everyone.

Please be kind. Please read and review...and enjoy


October 15, 2013

So he thinks I'm avoiding him?", Mike asks Jess.

"Yes, she replies.

Mike ran a hand through his hair, sighing, he said, "You told him I wasn't, right?"

"Of course I did but he's worried because he hasn't seen you since the argument and he said he wanted to see you rather than call you", Jess answers.

"Shit...and I have to go or I'll be late, but I don't want to miss him", Mike says.

"Don't worry about it, I'll explain", she reassures him.

Seeing the worried look on his face Jess moves towards him and says, "it will be fine and I want goodbye kiss", she leans in for a kiss.

Lost in the moment with each other, neither of them hear the door opening.

"Ahem", Chris clears his throat.

Jess and Mike jump apart with Jess trying to explain, "Chris, we were..."

Chris thought it was funny, his mum acting like the teenager trying to explain. In order to save her any anxiety, Chris quickly responds, "Mum, I do know what kissing is".

Seeing that Chris isn't upset about them, Jess decides to leave Chris and Mike alone in the kicthen. Turning to Mike, Jess says, "I'll see you when you get back", then gives him another Kiss.

"Ok, just because I know what it is doesn't mean I need to see it again", Chris says to his mum's amusement.

Realising he's alone with Mike, Chris suddenly feels awkward. Knowing what he wants to say, but unsure how to say it, there is a long silence.

"What does mum mean she'll see you when you get back?", Chris asks a bit panicky, having just realised what she had said.

"I'm going away for a couple of weeks. A training exercise for work. I actually need to go just now or I'll be late", Mike explains.

"Oh", Chris says dejectedly.

"Buddy, I am not avoiding you."

"Ye..it's just that...", Chris starts, but trails off.

"What?", Mike asks concerned.

"It's alright. It can wait until you get back", Chris says.

"You sure?", Mike questions.

"Ye", Chris answers, but then adds with sincerity,"Mike, I'm sorry".

Mike puts his hand on Chris's shoulder to try and reassure him, "I know you are and its ok. I promise we'll talk when I get back, ok?"

Chris nods his head.

"Look after your mum...don't let her burn the kitchen down", Mike says as he leaves.

Chris laughed as he heard his mum shout "I heard that".


October 20, 2013

Virgil had to admit even he was getting a bit bored now. The kid seemed to be spending more time inside the house ever since he nabbed that book from the library. When he did go out, it was usually for his run, to the shops or Frank Mathison's and that was it. Virgil scowled. He still hadn't seen the baby. Carrie had fucked off to Istanbul already, even though she wasn't due to start until mid-November.

He needed to do something to take his mind off of it. Max's snoring brought Virgil out of his thoughts and his attention onto his little brother...such an easy target. What juvenille prank could he pull this time?


October 27, 2013

"Hey", Chris said as he walked in to Frank's front room and then almost instantly he felt as if he was going to puke.

"What's that smell?", he asks Frank as he pulls his jumper over his mouth and nose.

"Your little sister deciding her Grandpa needed a wake up call. Her chosen method...a very stinky diaper."

"A wake up call?", Chris says incrediously, before adding "a gas mask more like it".

Frank laughed and said, "I'm sure you served your mum and dad up a few."

Having put his jumper back up over his mouth and nose, Chris settled for shaking his head. No way was he that bad.

"You want something to eat?", Frank asks.

"Chris nodded his head", he'd speak when the air was breathable again.

Frank just laughed at him again before going into the kitchen.

Chris wandered over to Allayna's cot. She was happily lying there and was looking up at him.

"Ye, that's right, stink the place out, then play the cute card", Chris says to her.

Chris laughs as he hears Frank shout from the kitchen, "She gets that from this side of the family. We Mathisons invented cute!"


"I've spoken to Lockhart and cleared it with him. I need to borrow you on the 29th and probably the 30th as well", Adal informs Quinn.

"What about the kid?", Quinn asks.

Adal gives Quinn that look, the one that simultaneously says "I know what you're thinking" and "this isn't up for negotiation", then says "Wilson can manage without you for a day or two."

Adal then walks away without giving Quinn the chance to respond.

Quinn doubted very much Wilson would manage. Quinn called Virgil and getting his voicemail left a message, "Virgil, hi, I need a favour. Adal is taking me off surveillance on the 29th and maybe the 30th. Can we swap shifts? I don't want Wilson left there overnight by himself. Thanks."

Quinn had an uneasy feeling. There was nothing worse than someone who thought they were above the job they were doing.


October 30, 2013

Bored, he was absolutely bored and they were already late.

Picking up his phone, he called Virgil, "where the fuck are you two?", Wilson asked when Virgil answered.

"Got held up at Langley. We'll only be about 10 minutes more", Virgil responds.

"Better only be 10 minutes", Wilson says to Virgil before hanging up.

Turning to look at Max who was driving, Virgil says, "that guy is an asshole!".

"Yes, he is", Max agrees.


After double checking he had everything in his bag he needed, Chris sat down for a moment. He just wanted to get to Mike's now. He had felt better this morning knowing he would be speaking to him later. Now he was a bundle of nerves and doubt. Mike might not want to know. Pushing those thoughts away before he talked himself out of going to Mike's, Chris went to say cheerio to his mum.

"Mum, I'm going out for a while", Chris says to her, walking into the sitting room.

"Ok, where are you...", Jess starts.

"That's right. Run off to your new family. Don't mind me", Dana pipes up.

Chris ignores the jibe and says to Dana, "I hadn't even realised you were here."

"Of course you didn't. You're still going out though aren't you?", she demands.

"There's something I have to do", Chris answers.

"Ha, as if. You're running off to them, not giving a thought as to how this affects me and mum. Not caring how we feel", Dana retorts angrily.

Chris is seeing red. She wants to lecture him on other people's feelings.

"Dana, look it's ok, I actually went..."Jess tries to explain.

"NO, it's not ok mum. He's chosing them over us", turning from Jess to look at Chris, Dana continues with her rant, "You're supposed to be part of this family, act like it!"

"Act like it, act like it?", Chris shouts, his anger finally bursting its boundaries, "maybe try treating me like it. Always you and mum or you and dad, with me left on the outside looking in. You want to forget dad. Fine, but I don't and..."

Dana interrupts Chris, shouting, "I never want to see him again and neither should you!"

Chris can feel the rage bubbling away inside of him and every word spoken soflty with barely contained rage, says, "well as usual what Dana wants, Dana gets", and with that he picks his bag up, turns and runs out the door.

"You didn't need to do that Dana. You were completely out of order", Jess admonishes her daughter.

"Me? He's the one..."

"I don't want to hear it", Jess responds putting on her jacket.


Only ten minutes his ass. 15 minutes later and completely agitated, Wilson was still waiting on those two useless tech guys showing up. Before he can call them again, however, Virgil is calling him, "About time", he snaps at Virgil as he answers.

"We're just coming into the street now, Virgil says.

Looking up and seeing them, he says, "Right, I'm out of here then."

"You're supposed to wait and do a proper handover", Virgil says.

"Fuck that, I'll tell Quinn", he says to Virgil and hangs up.

"Dickhead! A complete and utter dickhead", Virgil says shaking his head. Turning to Max he says, "Thank goodness this is over tomorrow and we don't have to work with him anymore."

Max pulls in to park and as he does so, sees the kid running, "Look", he points out to Virgil. Max makes to pull out and follow the kid. That's when they both see it and there's nothing either of them can do.

"Jesus fucking Christ!", Virgil shouts.


Tired of the fighting, Jess goes after Chris. As she comes down her front path she sees him ahead of her, running. That's when it happens, a car pulls out of nowhere, but Chris hasn't seen it and then it's as though everything is in slow motion, she's frozen for a minute, her voice won't work as she watches the car hit him, the driver doesn't stop.

Seconds, it can only have been seconds, but it feels like forever, "Chris, Chris, CHRIS", suddenly she's running faster than she knew she could, the sound of her feet pounding on the ground echoing in the otherwise silent street.

She gets to him and he's a mess, panic rises in her.

"Jess, let me get him", Ted, one of her neighbours who had come out to investigate the comotion says, pulling her away from him.

"Marge is calling 911, he tells her, as he attends to Chris. He's cool and calm, as he talks to him "C'mon Chris, son", eyes open, keep your eyes open for me.

Jess can see him losing that fight, sees a strange smile on his face as he looks past Ted and mumbles "hiiaa, daa", and drifts into uconsciousness.