A chapter with a fair bit of Horatio in it... not doing any work, as per usual, lol! Anyone else noticed how he doesn't ever seem to do any forensic work these days, he just does the 'cop' work.

Anyhoos, there are still some Nothing to Lose spoilers, although if you have read this far, I guess you know that... but just incase you have forgotten.

After spending a few hours with Madison and Suzie, Horatio headed back to the Crime Lab feeling very weary. He was about to do something he hoped he would never have to, yet knew he someday would. He headed to one of the corridors which he knew would be empty, and waited.

'Hey, it sounded urgent.' Horatio looked up, it was Yelina. 'What's up?'

'Have a seat.' He told her, indicating to the free chairs next to him.

Yelina slowly did as he said. 'That look in your eyes. I've only seen it once before.' She said cautiously, a worried expression on her face.

'Suzie Barnum, Yelina.' He told her simply.

Yelina nodded, 'from the elevator. Yes,' she paused, 'I, um, already told you. You don't have to explain yourself.'

Horatio sighed, 'I mentioned that there are complications with Suzie, and there are.'

'Yes?'

'Madison is not my daughter,' he told her, as simply and slowly as he could.

Yelina shifted her position to a more upright one. 'What do you mean, not your daughter. She looks just like,' she hesitated, 'like,' she paused again, 'Ray,' she finished quietly.

'I'm sorry.' He apologised, 'I'm so sorry, Yelina.' He repeated softly.

'How long have you known?' She asked, taking a deep breath.

'I've known all along.'

'Then why?' She asked, her temper beginning to flare. 'Why tell me now?'

'Madison is sick.' He told her, managing to remain calm. 'She needs a bone marrow transplant. And it turns out that I'm not a match, but she does need a relative as a donor.'

'I'm no relative to that girl!' Yelina told him bitterly,

'I know that.' Horatio told her gently.

'Ray Jr?' Exclaimed Yelina, 'what Ray did, is what Ray did. My son, his son should not have to pay for it. I won't let him.'

'Yelina, the child could die.' Explained Horatio. There was a hint of urgency in his voice now.

'I can't.' She whispered.

'Whether we like it or not, Madison is family.'

Yelina got to her feet. 'Not my family.' She told him, walking off.

Horatio sat on his chair and sadly watched her leave. Now what?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

'Hey, Dan,' greeted Calleigh as she walked back into the AV Lab.

'Hello again, Calleigh,' he returned the greeting, 'what do you have there?' He asked her, indicating to a stack of videos under her arm.

'An idea.'

'Want to share?'

'I do indeed,' she told him, as she placed the videos on the desk and took a seat next to him. 'This here is security footage from the courthouse, from Monday.'

'And this is relevant how?'

'Well, Cheryl met Speedle during the lunch break when she was in court.' She started.

'And like all good couples, they greeted each other with a kiss,' finished Dan.

Calleigh smiled, 'and somewhere on these tapes will be that moment. According to Cheryl, she wore those clothes,' she pointed to the monitor in front of Dan, 'on this day only, so, if the image is fake, then someone will have altered the image of Speedle and Cheryl, to make it Cole and Cheryl.'

'You know, this is the kind of thing a crazed fan would love to be able to do,' said Dan, as he popped the first video into a player hooked up to another computer.

'I don't know if I should be alarmed at the excitement in your voice at that comment,' said Calleigh as she did the same with another tape and another computer.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence, watching the tapes on fast forward. 'Well, this tape is Cheryl getting there in the morning,' said Calleigh, ejecting it and putting in another, 'so this one's no good.'

'I think I've got it,' said Dan, a while later. 'No, wait. It's the wrong angle.'

'I've got it here,' exclaimed Calleigh, pausing the tape.

Dan switched to the middle computer and began pushing some buttons. The image was transferred into a split screen with the image of Cheryl and Cole. 'The Cheryl in both is identical.'

'We've got him,' said Calleigh.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Eric and Tim were sat in one of the interview rooms with John Whilks and his lawyer, and so far all he was saying was 'no comment.' Both CSIs were slowly beginning to lose patience with him.

Eric opened a file and pulled out some pictures. 'This here is a picture of Amber White, who I'm sure you are familiar with. Note the white substance around her nose,' he told him placing the picture in front of him.

'That white substance is cocaine, John,' said Speed, 'but I'm sure you already know that. Don't worry,' he told the lawyer, 'we're not assuming anything.'

'This here is a photograph of the table in the hotel room,' said Eric, laying another photograph in front of their suspect. 'Note the white substance there, too.'

'The white substance there is also cocaine,' explained Speed, 'but again, I'm sure you knew that.'

Eric pulled out another picture of the table, this time a close up of the cocaine. 'As you can see in this picture, there is some trace of a yellow substance in it.'

'And this yellow substance is pollen.' Speed said, placing a trace report in front of the PA, 'lily pollen.'

'This here, is the yellow substance we took a sample of from your shirt sleeve,' Eric placed a photo of the yellow stain on the shirt in front of him.

'Again, lily pollen.' Speed added.

'And this here is a bunch of flowers on display on your tour bus,' said Eric, placing a final photo in front of the suspect.

'Lilies.' Said Speed. 'A nice bouquet, too.' He leant forward, 'but here's the thing, John. Plant's, like animals, have DNA, and DNA is unique in everything. Even in plants, no two plants share the same DNA. And the pollen from this bouquet, the pollen from your shirt, and the pollen in this cocaine,' he pointed to the respective pictures, 'all match.'

'And that means, John, you not only like lilies, you also supplied Cole and the two girls with some cocaine.'

'And that also means,' added Speed, 'a jail sentence.'

'That's right,' snarled John, 'but with good behaviour, I'll be out in a few years.'

'Ah, but John, that's where you're wrong.' Eric sat back in his chair, 'by supplying the Cocaine, we have you for dealing, and manslaughter. And that's a little longer than a few years, especially with your record.'

'Oh,' said Speed as Whilks leant across and started whispering with his lawyer, 'we also have you as an accessory to murder, as well as trying to cover two up.'

Whilks sat back, 'I don't know what you mean.'

'Of course you do,' Speed said as he placed a final photograph in front of him. 'Does that look familiar?'

'It should,' said Eric, 'because that there, is the air conditioning thermostat, and on it, as you can see, we found your fingerprints.'

'You turned up the temperature in that room, to alter the two victim's time of death.'

Whilks just glared at them.

'And who says prison doesn't teach you anything,' Eric said to Speed as he gathered the photographs up.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Horatio was back at the hospital with Madison, sat next to her bed, watching her lie there. He was honestly feeling at the point of desperation right now. He was both surprised and not to find Yelina was unwilling to help the child. 'How is she feeling?' He asked Suzie, as he leant over and stroked Madison's hair. He had stopped by a while ago to inform her of the situation with Yelina.

'I don't know.' Suzie replied. She sounded exhausted and had probably not slept for a few days now. She certainly looked it. 'I mean, she's my daughter, so she's tough, right?'

Horatio smiled over at her. 'You both are.'

As if to prove a point about the fatigue, Suzie rubbed fiercely at her eyes. Or perhaps she was just trying to wipe away the tears before Horatio could spot them, 'chemo's wearing her out.'

Horatio leant back in his chair and sighed heavily. In all honesty, he was just as exhausted. Along with this with Madison, there was the situation with Cheryl, and the situation with Yelina. Not having his own family, he would do anything for his extended family, and his team. He always had their backs, even if it risked his. Having said that, he would have been the same, even if he had a wife and child. 'Yeah, well, that's normal.'

'We're out of options, aren't we?' She had a look in her eyes. Not one of upset, but one which was worse. One of acceptance.

'Suzie, we tried something, it didn't work. It doesn't mean we're out of options.' Horatio told her.

'So, what now?' Again, there was no bitterness there, although was the glimmer of a hope that Horatio could do something to save the day, like he always did.

'Well, there's the national board of donors.' Horatio said, both to reassure her and himself. 'There are other countries.' He continued, reeling of anything he could think of. 'But it's important we keep looking and that we do no give up hope.' He stopped at the sound of footsteps at the door. He looked over to find Yelina and Ray Jr. standing in the doorway.

Horatio go to his feet, his heart skipping a beat. Of course there was the possibility that Ray Jr. wouldn't be a match, but it was the fact that Yelina had come. He couldn't hide the joy from his face as he looked over at the waking child and then over to his nephew and his mother.

'You ready?' Yelina whispered to her son as she gently urged herself and him to enter the room.

Things wouldn't be fine with him and Yelina for a little while, but that was something that they could deal with afterwards.

Well, just a note to say thank you for reading -you're all mad, I tell you, mad! It's is much appreciated. I hope I'm keeping the characters... in character. But, yeah, thanks for reading!