Thanks to eveyone who reviewed. As usual, please R+R!

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They had been sitting in the park for nearly half an hour, and Gabrielle's mommy was looking at her watch. Finally, she came over to where Lily and Gabrielle were playing in the sandpit and bent down.

"When is your mother coming, dear? Only Gabrielle has a ballet lesson to get to, we can't stay much longer,"

"It's ok. My mom'll be back soon. I'll stay,"

"I couldn't possibly let you stay here on your own…"

But the lady was already looking distracted.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Gabrielle has a very important rehearsal, you see, or I'd stay here with you in a second,"

"It's ok, really. Mom'll be back soon," Lily smiled up at the lady, who smiled weakly back.

"Well, if you're sure… Come on, darling,"

Gabrielle and her mom left. Lily sat in the sandpit for a bit longer, allowing the grains to trickle through her fingers. She checked all of her stuff was still in her bag, then pulled out a dollar and headed into the store. She had spent so long lying to the lady about her Mommy being in here she half-believed it herself, and peeked around the door hoping to catch a glimpse of the one person she wanted to see most in the world. But there was only a shopkeeper standing behind the counter. Lily walked down one aisle and up another, looking for food that she could eat now. Big cartons of milk, frozen meat… Candy!

Lily picked out a couple of chocolate bars and went up to the man at the counter. She silently passed them to him. He grinned at her.

"This all you're getting, sweetie? My little girl loves candy too. That'll be eighty-nine cents,"

Lily handed him her dollar. There was a little room behind the counter, with a sign on it written in big letters. Lily couldn't read the words, but the smell coming from the room was wonderful. She heard her stomach growl, and blushed.

"You hungry, sweetie? Tell you what, I'll throw in one of the burgers I've got cooking in the back. That okay?"

Lily nodded, smiling. She'd have some proper food after all! Then, before the man went into the back room, he asked the inevitable question.

"Where's your mommy then?"

"She's outside," Luckily, he was either a lot less suspicious or much more gullible than Gabrielle's mommy, and believed her.

"Ok, one burger coming up!"

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BANG.

Christine screamed. Alex smirked. Then, in slow motion, the expression on his face changed to shock, and the colour drained out as if someone had pulled a plug at his neck. He slowly raised his hand and touched his shoulder, staring at the blood on his fingers in disbelief.

"However, I am interested to know exactly how much the police have found out thanks to the incompetence of my sons," said John, as if nothing had happened. Alex was whimpering quietly.

"Y-you shot me. Dad, you SHOT ME!"

John raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I know I did. You were extremely stupid in bringing this man here, and you possibly endangered the lives of your siblings and me,"

"You shot me,"

"Get out of my sight. I never want to see you again, you understand? You failed for the last time. I have only one son,"

"I'll tell them. I'll tell the police where you are and what you're doing. I'll tell them everything,"

"No, you won't. You don't know where we are. Do you?"

It was very obvious that if Alex didn't agree he wasn't going to be alive much longer. Christine stared at her father. How could a man be so cold?

She risked a glance out of the corner of her eye at Horatio. He was watching the scene with a kind of indifference, but she could see the gears working inside his head. What's going to happen, and how can I get out of here?

"I-," Alex tailed off. John had the gun out again.

"Goodbye,"

Alex staggered out. A moment later they heard the van's engine rev up. John smiled at them.

"Now that little unpleasantness is over with, we can address the other important matters,"

Christine shivered.

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"Crime lab,"

"Really?"

"Great, we'll be right there…"

Calleigh, who always seemed to get stuck answering the phone, almost ran out of the room for the second time that day. She grabbed Eric's sleeve on the way, and they were in the car park before she started explaining it to him.

"A nurse just called from the hospital. A man came in a few minutes ago with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, shouting about a lady named Christine and a ginger cop,"

In a second they were in the car and driving as fast as possible to the hospital.

After coming very close to breaking the land speed record, Eric and Calleigh were ushered into a cubicle containing a man lying on a bed with one arm in a sling, a pair of handcuffs connecting said man to bed, and a uniformed officer.

"Mr. Alex Garroway, am I right?"

"I want a deal,"

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll tell you where Mar- Christine and the cop is if you let me go,"

"Fine,"

"Fine?" Alex eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine, we'll let you go. So, where are they?"

"Old warehouse down near the dock. Let me go,"

The officer looked at Eric, who nodded. The other man leant over and unlocked the cuffs. Alex stared at his hand for a moment in disbelief, the lurched off the bed. He made about two steps before collapsing in pain.

"Ok, we've let you go. No we've caught you again. Officer, re-arrest this man,"

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Lily sat in the play park again, chewing her burger. It was much better than the ones at McDonalds, and she wasn't hungry any more. She had put the candy in her bag for later.

The gate clacked again. Lily didn't look up at first; she concentrated on chewing the enormous mouthful she had just taken. A shadow fell across her. She looked up.

Shaven head, tattoos, icy blue eyes. He smiled slightly.

"You've led me a chase, sweetie. But I've got you now,"