Tim woke up the next morning, slouched against a bunch of stuffed animals and Calleigh was pulled tightly against him. For a second, Tim forgot where he was. Then he realized and waited for Anna to come rushing in but she didn't.

"Baby, I can't breathe." Calleigh mumbled.

"Sorry."

"S'okay." Calleigh sat up and ran a hand through her hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Same as yesterday. I just want her back Calleigh."

"I know baby. I want her back too."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"You were just trying to help." Tim muttered, rubbing his eyes. "At least we don't have court today."

"Mhmm. I'll go start breakfast." Calleigh said, standing up.

"I'm gonna take a shower. How long is it gonna be, till the food's ready?"

"I dunno. Depends on what I make."

----------S/C---------

"No!" Wayans shook his head. "No one is to know where she is."

"Mark..." Horatio started.

"Why do you want to know? So you can go blab it back to your CSI Horatio? He's. Not. Allowed. Anywhere. Near. Her!"

"No..." Horatio said slowly. "I'm working the case. I need to know everything from her. If I could just see her for about an hour..."

"Fine! Now get out of my office!" Wayans yelled. Horatio was on his way to the door and turned around.

"Mark, you got kids right?" he asked.

"Yeah. So what?"

"Take into consideration of how you'd feel if they were taken away from you."

"I'm not giving Speedle any redemptions right now so don't think that because he is your favorite that I'm gonna cut him some slack."

"I was just saying, think of how you'd feel if they were taken away." Horatio said and left the judge's chambers. He quickly headed back to CSI and paged Speed to meet him up in his office. The younger man grudgingly dragged himself up to his boss's office and sat down.

"What?"

"I'm going to speak with Anna," Horatio began but Tim cut him off.

"Can I come?"

"No. You're not allowed."

"But, it'd be as work..."

"It doesn't matter Speed. Under no circumstance are you, Calleigh, Michelle, or Jack to see her. I'm just letting you know that I'm going and I'm going to try and straighten this out so that she's back with you sooner."

Tim nodded and walked out.

-------S/C--------

Horatio was about to enter the elevator when he heard his name being shouted. He turned around and saw Tim quickly coming towards him.

"Speed, I told you no."

"I know." Tim said, thrusting an envelope into Horatio's hand. "C-Can you um..."

"Give it to her?"

"It wouldn't be going against the judge." Tim said weakly. Horatio smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll see that it gets to her."

"Thanks H."

---------S/C--------

Anna felt her heart begin to race as a CSI Hummer pulled up outside the house. She flopped down on her bed and grinned. She was out of here.

"Anna, come down here!" Laurie called. Anna quickly raced down the stairs.

"Dad—Horatio?" she felt tears well up in her eyes as disappointment flooded her body.

"Hey Anna." Horatio smiled slightly. "Mrs. Wells is there anywhere I can speak to Anna alone?"

"You can take her into the backyard." Laurie said, pointing towards the patio door.

"Thank you. Anna, come on." Horatio walked out into the backyard and Anna hopped onto a swing. Horatio frowned, seeing how upset the girl looked. He sat down beside her and cleared his throat. "Do you like it here?"

"No. Horatio, I wanna go home."

"I know you do. That's why I'm here."

"You're taking me to Daddy?" Anna asked hopefully, but deep down she knew the answer was no. Horatio felt bad but shook his head.

"No. Not yet. I need you to tell me everything."

"Mommy never hit me, she only yelled at me. Jack hit me a lot. Sometimes they were acting funny."

"Okay. I remember you said that at court. When were they acting funny?"

"Um... they had friends over. A party and they told me to stay in my room. I was hungry so I went downstairs and they called me into the living room."

"Alright. Can you remember anything that was in the living room?"

"Couch, TV, coffee table, sugar."

"Sugar?"

"There was a bag of sugar between them and they were all happy and well hyper."

Horatio thought this over. Anna saw sugar, hyper, acting funny... Horatio bowed his head and sighed.

"Okay. What else happened?"

"Jack hit me then. That was the first time. After Daddy brought me back from Disney. Mommy yelled at me for going. She yelled a lot of things." Anna mumbled, swinging slowly. "After that Jack kept hitting me for the stupidest reasons. He said that Mommy wouldn't do it so someone should."

Horatio cell phone went off and he answered it.

"Caine."

"It's Tripp. We got a lead on the brother. He's at a motel."

"Okay. I'm in the middle of something."

"Horatio, we need you here."

"I'm on my way." he snapped his phone shut and looked at Anna. "I have to go."

"Take me with you."

"I wish I could Anna but I can't. Not now at least. But with what you've told me I think you'll be out of here quicker than we think. Tomorrow, your dad has to go to court agian, all of us do."

"So I'll see Daddy?"

"No. You don't have to come anymore."

"I don't have to talk? But what about what I just told you?"

"I will pass this conversation on to everybody." Horatio reached into his jacket pocket and Anna heard something click. "A recorder. So no one thinks I made this conversation up."

"Oh."

"I have something for you." Horatio pulled out the envelope Tim had handed him before. "From your dad."

Anna's eyes lit up and she hugged Horatio tightly.

"Will you tell him I said hi?"

"I will. He misses you a lot Anna. So does Calleigh and Alexx and Eric and Valera. I do too. You certainly bring a smile to all of our faces." Horatio said. "I have to go now but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon enough."

"Thanks Horatio."

"No problem sweetheart." he walked back into the house and Anna opened the envelope and pulled out a letter.

Anna,

Baby, I'm so sorry that this is happening. I'm not gonna write much because I need to get this to Horatio before he leaves but I do want to tell you a few things. Calleigh and I love you Anna, so much. I promise that we'll get you back soon. I don't want you upset so try and have fun wherever you are. Please, do that for me. When you get back, we'll do all those things that you wanted to do.

"Like get that dog." Anna read aloud. "Maybe go back to Disney or go someplace else."

Anna, this thing, you being with the nice other people, may be for a while. I can't help how long it goes on. I hope you're not mad at me, or any of us. Knowing you, you're probably upset. I'm upset too. I miss you so much. Alright, I have to go because Calleigh is bugging me to do something for her. Please be good until I have you again. I don't want to hear that you were being bad because that's not like you at all. I'm sorry about all of this Anna.

I love you,

Daddy

Anna was surprised to see the paper wet, then realized she was crying again.