Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle (sigh), but hey, a girl can dream can't she?

Rating: We'll start out with PG-13 for now.

Pairings: Speed/OC (Jennifer), Horatio/Calleigh, and maybe we'll give Eric a little love this time!

Summary: Speed's wife is kidnapped and all the clues lead to a case Speed and John Hagen worked on early in their careers.

Author's Note - I almost feel like I'm making Speed cheat between two women right now! However, my brain hurts and I desperately need a break from the serial killer in Love Lost Returned. This story has been in my head for a few days now, and if I don't get fingers to keyboard - I'll forget it all!

Chapter 3

"The car was empty when patrol found it." Eric answered his best friend's unspoken question as he stepped out of the H2.

Tim nodded. "Anything missing?"

Eric shook his head. "Nothing, her purse, both cell phones, her gun, everything's there. The back of the Jeep is wrecked, though."

Tim surveyed the mangled back of the vehicle. "She must have been stopped at the light when she was hit." He looked around - his son's school was two blocks up the street. He could see the top of the red-tiled roof and swallowed hard. He glanced at his watch - 10:03. Ben was probably at recess right now, oblivious to the fact that his father was now officially investigating his mother's disappearance.

Tim had called Julie, John and Jennifer's mother, on the drive over. Julie was devastated by the news, and desperately wanted to get Ben from school. Tim had argued that Ben was so excited about his last day of kindergarten; he'd be really upset if he were taken out early. Julie finally relented, agreeing to pick Ben up after school, as planned.

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, turning his attention back to the vehicle. Tim examined Jennifer's bumper, using a small knife to scrape away the red paint now flecking the white. "Maybe we'll get something off this," he said, placing the paint chips into a small container.

"No tire treads," Eric waved his hand over the street. "Guy didn't even try to stop before he hit her."

"Patrol tried all the houses right around the intersection," Calleigh reported. "Nobody was home."

"All the families in this neighborhood are young, like us," Tim told her. "Two parents who both work, couple of kids."

Eric knelt on the street. "Gotta a couple of pretty well-defined footprints here, Speed." He walked over to his kit and pulled out some lifters. "Looks like motor oil or something."

"You sure you want to be here, Tim?" Calleigh asked, placing an encouraging hand on his arm. "Eric and I can take care of this."

"I'm positive Cal, thanks." He patted her hand with his own and strode over to Delko.

"Those look good and ripe," he mentioned, studying the footprints.

Eric looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah." He knew that his best friend's composure was extremely fragile at the moment and he didn't quite know what else to say.

"Horatio's with John," Calleigh explained. "They're pouring over recent parolees from all of your cases, John's cases and Jennifer's cases."

Tim nodded. "I'm going to dust the Jeep for prints," he told her, heading with his kit over to the SUV. He climbed inside, resting his head on the back of the seat. He closed his eyes, inhaling the delicate scent of Jennifer's perfume. When he opened his eyes, they focused on the dash, on a picture of the three of them. He gently pulled the picture away from the dash, tracing his gloved finger over his wife's face.

"Tim?" Tears had welled up in Calleigh's eyes. "How are you doing?"

He stared at her, unsure of a reply. "I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Why don't you go home, Tim, you shouldn't be here," her deep concern for him cracked her voice as she spoke.

He shook his head, reaching into his kit for the fingerprint dust. "I can't just sit at home, Calleigh. You know me better than that."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What's your name?" Jennifer asked her captor when he returned with the ibuprofen.

"Travis," he answered, handing her two tablets.

She accepted the pills gratefully, washing them down with a gulp of water. "What's your last name?"

Travis shook his head. "That's not really important right now, Jennifer."

"Okay, try this one. What do you think my husband and brother did to you?"

He laughed bitterly and shook his head, indicating his refusal to tell her.

"Not a talker, huh?" Jennifer lay back down on the bed, praying for the ibuprofen to stop the pounding in her head. Her hand still throbbed too. "Travis, I need a favor."

"Sure," he answered agreeably.

"This ring," she said, tugging at it again. "It's way too small and it's cutting off my circulation. Do you think when you go out again you might have it sized up to actually fit me?"

"I can't do that, Jennifer. I'm sorry," he told her, his voice hinting at the regret she thought he truly might feel.

"What size is it anyway?"

"A five," he answered.

"How in the hell did you get this thing on me?" she asked. "I'm a six and a half."

A smile tugged at Travis' lips. "Well, it wasn't easy."

Jennifer glanced down at the ring. She ran her finger over the channel set stones. "It's beautiful. You must have loved her very much."

Anger pierced Travis' eyes, his lip twisted with hatred and he slapped Jennifer hard, grabbing her by the hair and bringing her face up to within millimeters of his. "We won't ever talk about her again, Jennifer, is that understood?" he spat out.

Tears spilled from Jennifer's eyes, her cheek stinging from the slap. She nodded as much as his grip on her hair would allow, whimpering as he finally released her, shoving her roughly back onto the bed.

"Get some sleep," he growled, reaching for the door. "Maybe your headache will get better."

He slammed the door, leaving Jennifer in blackened silence once again, her sobs the only sound echoing in her ears.