Disclaimer: I do not own any of CSI: Miami, only the situations I put them in.

"Thanks for being nice to Jake," Madison said, coming into the living room and sitting on the couch next to Horatio after Jake had left twenty minutes prior. "I appreciated that."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Horatio said pulling Madison to him and kissing the top of her head. "I liked him; I thought he was really nice."

"See I told you that you would like him," Madison said, snuggling up to Horatio and putting her head on his chest.

"You were right," Horatio said giving her a one armed hug. "You're a woman, get used to being right."

Madison laughed. She and Horatio watched TV for an hour before Madison finally asked, "Uncle Horatio?"

"Hmm," Horatio moaned as he was half asleep.

"Why did you act so funny when I told you Natalie's last name a month ago? Why did you and the whole team go rigid for?"

Horatio's eyes snapped open. He thought for a minute. He could not tell Madison what he knew about Natalie's uncle and the threat he had made towards him. Horatio knew that Madison would fear for Horatio's life, and out of love for him jeopardize her own. Horatio could not have Madison risk her life for his, and until either Natalie or Ralph made a move, there was no need to worry Madison with it. She liked hanging out with Tiffany, JJ, and Natalie. They were her best friends, and Horatio did not want to end a friendship based on a hunch.

Choosing his words carefully Horatio answered, "Her last name just sounded familiar to us, and we checked it to make sure, and it was a dead end. It was nothing major."

"Oh yeah," Madison asked looking up at him. "Then why do I keep running into you and the team where ever I go?"

"Did you ever think it was coincidence," Horatio asked looking down at her with his eyebrows raised.

"I did at first, until I came out of a dressing room and there was Eric," Madison said remembering that day, and how all her friends wanted to know who that was because they thought he was hot.

Horatio laughed. He could just imagine Madison coming out of a dressing room and there was Eric staring at her. Then, a thought came into his head, "He didn't see anything, did he?"

Madison shook her head and lay back down with her head resting on Horatio's chest. Horatio smiled down at her then asked, "Why did you think of that for?"

"What," Madison asked without looking at him.

"About Natalie, what made you ask after all this time?"

Madison thought about that day and some days prior. She thought about how weird Mr. Stuart was towards her, and what he had said today. She thought about how he always watched her, and how she had seen Natalie with him a couple of times staring at her and talking. It made her think something was going on, but like Horatio, she did not like to show that she was not okay.

"No reason," she said trying to be casual. "I was just thinking about it and thought I'd ask."

Madison was so much like Horatio that he recognized the hopefully disguised tone of voice since he had used it many times himself.

"Madison," Horatio asked in a deep voice, "is something wrong?"

"No," Madison answered again still not daring to look him in the eye, fearing that it would give her away.

"Well," Horatio said, knowing a lost cause when he saw one, "let's go to bed."

Madison was all too willing. Tomorrow was only Tuesday, but she felt as though it could be at least Thursday. She went into her bathroom, used the toilet, and brushed her teeth. Horatio was waiting to tuck her in and kiss her goodnight. When she crawled in bed, he pulled the covers over her, kissed her on her forehead, and said, "Goodnight, sweetheart. You were beautiful tonight."

"Goodnight, Uncle Horatio," Madison said leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

He could see how tired she was for when she hit that pillow she fell asleep immediately. He smiled as he crossed the room and turned out her lights. As he made his way to his own bedroom he thought, she is my brave little soldier. She is so brave she may even endanger her life just to make it appear to me that everything is alright.

As Horatio got into his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and got into bed he worried about Madison and just what she was hiding from him.

CSI: Miami

"Are you okay, Maddie," Jake asked her in last period, which was Mr. Stuart's class, when he noticed that she was staring blankly at her notes.

"I'm fine," she whispered, catching sight of Mr. Stuart staring at her. "I'm just thinking about Mr. Stuart and Natalie."

"What about them," Jake asked whispering.

"I'll write it for you, hold on," Madison replied back.

She quietly ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and started writing her message on it. "Don't get this taken away," Madison told Jake as he opened it and started reading it.

I think Natalie and Mr. Stuart are planning something together, but I just don't know what yet.

Yeah, like what do you think?

I'm not sure yet, but I think it involves me somehow.

How do you figure?

Well, they keep staring at me all the time; they keep talking quietly together at passing period while staring at me. Don't you think that's kind of weird?

Well, yeah but that doesn't mean they are planning a conspiracy against you! Have you told Horatio about this?

No, I tried last night to tell him after you had left, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to worry him. Because like when I told him and his CSI team Natalie's last name they freaked! I don't know why they were so worried. What is it about her last name that could make officers go pale?

Maybe it's because she and a child molester they arrested the same day you got here could have something to do with it.

A child molester named Ambers? What are the odds?

I don't know, but I read it in the paper where your Uncle Horatio made the arrest. I think the reporter on the case mentioned that threats were made towards Lieutenant Caine from the prisoner. I think it said that Ambers had threatened to get him back for putting him in prison. Now that I think about it, Natalie acted really sad that day. You don't think…

Yes I do. They're looking to get Horatio somehow and Natalie is related to this Ambers.

Do you think they'll use you?

I don't know.

That was where the note stopped because just then Mr. Stuart was standing beside Madison's desk tapping his foot. "You should know better than this, Miss Caine. I'll take that, please."

"I'd rather you didn't," Madison said clutching the letter to her. If Mr. Stuart knew that Madison knew something, he and Natalie may act on it. Madison was bound and determined to keep that note away from both of them.

"Miss, Caine," Mr. Stuart said starting to sound impatient. "I'll take that note now."

"No," Madison said stubbornly. She did not know what she was doing, but whatever it was, she had to keep the note away from them.

"Now, Madison!"

At that Mr. Stuart reached for it, grabbing Madison's right wrist in the process and twisting it as hard as he could. Madison yelled in pain, and when Jake saw what was happening, he jumped up, grabbed Mr. Stuart by the collar, and said in a dangerous tone, "You had better let go of her for your sake."

Mr. Stuart heard the malice in Jake's voice and let go of Madison's wrist. Jake let go of Mr. Stuart and tended to Madison. Madison was crying and her wrist was swelling rapidly. Without a word, Jake took Madison gently by the arm and led her to the Nurse's office, the not still clutched in her left hand. Five minutes later the bell rang dismissing students to go home.

Mr. Stuart looked around and saw Natalie still sitting at her desk with her arms crossed. "Well, it looks like you blew it, Stuart. Now we're going to have Horatio Caine breathing down our necks. You know Uncle Ralph won't be happy with you. He figured that with your past dealings with Caine you'd be the perfect person to know just how to torture him. What do you want me to tell him? I'm supposed to give him a report right now."

With that she got up and left to visit her Uncle Ralph, leaving Stuart in the classroom fearing for his well being.

CSI: Miami

"She knows, Uncle Ralph," Natalie said into the telephone. "Stuart screwed it all up."

"Are you sure he was the only one," Ralph asked studying Natalie with deep interest. "Are you sure you didn't let something slip too."

"No, Uncle Ralph," Natalie said, her eyes getting wide with fear. "I learned from the best. I don't ever screw up."

"That's my girl," Ralph said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"So what do you want us to do," Natalie asked.

"I think it's time we moved to the next step in our plan," Ralph answered, his eyes turning into slits. "It's time we let Madison bring Horatio Caine to us!"