A/N: thanks to all those who reviewed Chapter 1; greatly appreciated! Sorry Chapter 2 has been a while in the making but that's what happens when I'm trying to work on two stories at once (see CSI: NY Whispers of the Heart). Also, I had to try and figure out precisely where I was going to go with this story; that was not fun.

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I wish to own, any of the characters of CSI: Miami. I just play with 'em once in a while.

Chapter 2

Horatio's couch was a lot more comfortable than it had originally looked and Savannah quickly dozed off. She woke up only when Horatio gently nudged her awake.

"Good evening," he said, smiling warmly. He was crouched next to the couch and had removed his jacket.

"It's evening already?" she asked, glancing at her watch, which confirmed the time.

"Yes, it is. You slept pretty soundly." Savannah nodded, mentally re-grouping herself. "Do you feel up to doing something for me?" he asked.

"Depends," she replied warily as she sat up and ran her fingers through her short hair. At one point, roughly forty-eight hours ago actually, she'd had breast-length strawberry blonde hair but as part of her plan to hide from her father and boyfriend, a girlfriend of hers had taken a pair of scissors and the palest blonde hair dye they could find and had helped her radically change her hair style. She still wasn't used to the shortness of her hair.

"I would like my medical examiner, Dr. Alexx Woods, to check you over. She is a super nice lady and I would feel a lot better if she had a look at you," Horatio said.

A female doctor? That was okay, Savannah thought. Maybe she could also recommend a good gynecologist; she was on birth control medication and wanted to keep it that way. Savannah nodded in agreement to Horatio's suggestion.

"Also, if you will consent to it, I would like to have some photographs taken of your injuries for documentary purposes," Horatio said.

"I don't understand," she said hesitantly.

"The photos will be kept strictly confidential but they are for the purpose of should you decide to press charges of assault against either your father or your boyfriend," Horatio calmly explained. While Savannah had been sleeping, he had spoken to the precinct psychiatrist about what to expect from a victim of abuse and what he could do to help. The good doctor had made a couple of suggestions, including documenting Savannah's injuries. She had also suggested counseling and taking a self-defense class to help build self-confidence. She had also warned Horatio that it was going to take time on Savannah's part to heal, especially if the abuse has been long-term. Things would get easier for her but the scars would never totally go away.

Horatio's suggestion made sense to her, although the chances of her ever charging either Papa or Andrew were pretty much non-existent but if it made him happy, then she'd do it.

"If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can have one of my female CSI's take the photos," he offered. She nodded; it would help. "Good. You can leave your bag in my office and when we're done, we'll retrieve it and head for home. We'll also make sure you get something to eat. How does that sound?"

Savannah nodded in agreement again. She really was hungry; her last meal had been some kind of Cuban meal a vendor had been selling. It had been a bit spicy but had tasted as good as it smelled, which is why she had tried it in the first place.

She followed Horatio through the labs, her eyes wide with curiosity. After a moment he noticed this and smiled in amusement.

"I take it you've never been inside a crime lab before?" he asked.

"No, sir. I've visited the sheriff's office on a couple of occasions to get Papa out of jail after being arrested for drunken behavior at the local pub, but this place is fancy compared to that," Savannah admitted.

"Well, we do have a very good lab, one of the best in the state," he said proudly. "See how things go and, if you're interested, I'll arrange for a tour for you. How does that sound?"

"Only if you're sure I won't get in the way; I don't want to be a bother," she said hesitantly.

"You're not a bother, Savannah, I promise," he reassured gently.

She nodded. They were approaching the elevators when an unfamiliar man in a tan suit with brown hair joined them. He eyed Savannah suspiciously, making her uncomfortable. She instinctively moved closer to Horatio as he pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Taking to robbing cradles now, Horatio?" the newcomer snarked. "Isn't she a bit young for you?"

Savannah's eyebrows shot up at that comment but Horatio just smiled politely. "No, Rick, this is Savannah, a friend who hails from Alabama. She just got in to town this morning and will be staying with me for a few days until she gets back on her feet," he replied easily.

Rick just snorted in disbelief. "You sure make friends in the oddest places," he said.

"Well now, you are one ornery critter, ain't 'cha, mister," Savannah quipped without thinking. Rick glared at her but at Horatio's small smile, she pushed on. "Luckily for me, I know how to deal with critters like you."

"By being nice?" Rick asked.

Just then, the elevator doors opened and Savannah and Horatio stepped inside the car. Horatio punched a button, just as she replied, "Nope, never works. A rifle and a load ah' buckshot up the backside works better!"

The doors closed but not before Savannah spotted a lab technician choking on a cup of coffee as she heard Horatio chuckle.

Alexx Woods turned out to be a pretty black woman in surgical scrubs who instantly began fussing over Savannah. She gently booted Horatio from the morgue and had Savannah remove her shirt. "Oh, you poor baby," the doctor clucked, carefully examining Savannah.

There was a knock on the doors and a woman with long blonde hair stuck her head in.

"Oh, hi Calleigh," Alexx said, recognizing the woman, who smiled and came in, bearing a camera.

"Hi, you must be Savannah," Calleigh said, offering her hand, which Savannah shook. "I'm Calleigh Duquesne, CSI. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Savannah replied, noting the woman also had a Southern accent but she couldn't quite place it. The accent wasn't quite as heavy as hers.

Calleigh quickly explained what she was going to do; she was going to take a series of photos of Savannah. One set would show the bruises that were visible under normal lighting, the second set would show the bruises that were only visible under a UV filter. Calleigh was quick and efficient, making the whole process that much more easier. After she was done, Savannah put her shirt back on and Horatio was called back in.

"I would recommend the usual treatment for such bruises," Alexx said, "which is basically going easy on yourself and allowing your body time to heal."

Both Savannah and Horatio nodded. "How did you get the lash on your back, Savannah?" he asked.

Savannah shrugged. "Andrew, my ex-boyfriend, is a bit, well, a lot, possessive of me. He thought I was making eyes at a guy in the restaurant where I used to work and I didn't duck his belt fast enough," she replied. "I would've had more if my boss hadn't stepped in and threatened to have Andrew arrested."

"Why wasn't Andrew arrested?" Calleigh asked.

"'Cause I left for Phoenix City that night, and arresting him would've only made him madder, mad enough to come after me," Savannah replied. "I didn't want the hassle of filing a report and all that; I just wanted to go and not look behind."

"How does your mother feel about all this?" Alexx asked.

Savannah smiled sadly. "I don't know, ma'am; Mama hasn't said a word in four years. She's been staying at a mental institution in Phoenix City and when I visited her, just before I left to catch my plane, she still hadn't said a work. Doctors seriously doubt she ever will."

"Oh sugar," Alexx said sympathetically.

"She may not be sayin' much, but I know she's being looked after. Her brother, my Uncle Todd, is well-off and he made sure she was getting the best medical care possible," Savannah explained. "So I don't feel so bad about leaving. Besides, I think Mama would've understood. After all, it was Papa's cruelty to her that snapped her mind. I'm just gonna try and start over."

"That's commendable," Calleigh said, smiling. Savannah smiled back.

"Shall we see about getting us something to eat?" Horatio suggested gently.

Everyone nodded and Savannah bid Calleigh and Alexx good night. Then she followed Horatio back the way they had come. After retrieving her bag, Horatio took her to a nice little restaurant where he encouraged her to eat as much as possible. While they ate, they discussed the future.

"I'm gonna try and find a job right away," Savannah said. "I'm not comfortable staying at your place and not paying my way."

"I can understand that, but I would suggest that you explore Miami first. I can appreciate your desire not to impose on anyone but, in my opinion, you are long over-due for a vacation," Horatio said. "After you've had a chance to settle in a bit and see the sights, then by all means, go job-hunting. If it makes you feel better, you can pitch in with the groceries, which would make things a bit easier for me. However, don't worry about the bills; I will take care of those."

"I can live with that," Savannah said. "I admit, I would like a chance to explore Miami a bit."

"I can recommend a few good places to check out," he said.

"Sure, if you can tell me how to get there," she replied, curious.

"I can do that. Also, may I suggest that you take a self-defense course and some counseling to help you deal with your abuse? I think both would help you tremendously and it would make me feel safer knowing you could defend yourself," Horatio said.

Again Savannah nodded in agreement. "Can you recommend anyone?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I can. I know a retired cop who teaches self-defense to women and I've heard nothing but praise for him," he replied. "We can pay him a visit on the weekend. As for the counseling, if you would like, I will look in to that."

"I would appreciate that. I know what Papa and Andrew did was wrong, but I got a bad feeling I've got quite the road to travel before I try and mess with the guys again," she admitted, her face darkening at the memories.

Horatio smiled gently at her. "Savannah, things will be okay. It may seem like you've got a long road ahead of you and it may seem hard to believe, but you will be okay. You took a major step by walking away from all that, a step that was very important. That took a lot of guts on your part and I'm very proud of you," he said. She blushed under his praise.

Horatio's home turned out to be a nice, two-bedroom condo on the second floor with a secured door. He knew that if Savannah was going to stay with him for a while, she was going to need keys. He suggested that she stop by the crime lab in the afternoon and they would take care of that particular problem. Then he showed her to the spare bedroom, which was simple but nice and would be her room for the duration of her stay. After finding out what time he would be up and moving in the morning, Savannah bid him good night and quickly did her usual bedtime routine. Despite having slept earlier that day, she was asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.