CHAPTER 2

The woman lying in the bed wasn't beautiful but she was attractive. Horatio stood by the window and watched as she slept restlessly. Rapid eye movement and twitching hands brought Horatio to believe she was having a bad dream. He wanted to go to her and wake her up, tell her she was safe. He wondered if she was reliving the shooting in her dreams. He cast his mind back to the conversation he had over heard between Natalia and Calleigh when they were chatting in the break room. Both speculating as to why Jenna Marshall would want to leave a safe job in England to come and work in their lab for six months. Miami could be fraught with dangers at the best of times and being a police officer doubled the dangers.

'Miss Marshall won't be going out in the field here right away,' Horatio informed both women. 'She may have worked crime scenes alone in the UK but here she isn't qualified. She is here as an observer for now, though she will be involved in crime detection in the field only if there is someone available for her to shadow, and ladies,' Horatio paused, 'It may be you.' he gave a wry smile and went back to his office before making his way over to the hospital.

Horatio watched intently as the woman's breathing changed becoming more frequent and knew she was beginning to wake.

The faint smell of cologne tickled her nostrils as she surfaced from a deep but troubled sleep. Unrecognisable yet somehow familiar, she breathed deeper letting her soul visitor know she was awake. Opening her eyes she tried to focus on the blurred image of a man in a dark suit. The image swam in and out before her eyes fully cleared.

"Ma'am," the voice spoke softly. Jenna's eyes were wide open now and taking in the sight of the most handsome man she had seen to date. His red hair and startling blue eyes were an astonishing combination making Jenna's breath catch in her throat. She thought she must be dreaming, the noise out in the hospital corridor made her realise that she was fully awake. She couldn't believe her eyes. There stood the very man who had invaded her dreams on more than one occasion in the past. Not just since she came to Miami. Long before that, but what was he doing in her room she wondered.

A doctor entered the room then and after giving Jenna the once over he spoke to the man now standing by the door.

"Ask your questions Lieutenant, but try not to tire her too much. Jenna lost a lot of blood in the OR and she needs her rest," He tossed a lazy smile towards Jenna and was rewarded with a blush and a grin. "I'll come by and check on you later Jenna," at that he left the Lieutenant and Jenna alone closing the door as he went out.

"My name is Horatio Caine. I'm with the Miami-Dade Police department," He moved aside his jacket so Jenna could see his badge that was clipped to his belt. "Do you remember what happened a few days ago?" His voice was so soft Jenna almost didn't hear his question. He stood at the foot of her bed turned slightly towards her.

"I remember entering the house after my walk on the beach. Everything after that is a blur. I know I was shot by the man who burgled the condo because the nurses told me. My friends were still sleeping when I left to take a walk along the beach. I had been awake since about three that morning." Jenna answered.

"What woke you?" Horatio asked. Jenna sighed tiredly and explained.

'Nothing sinister Lieutenant, quite the opposite really. I had only arrived her in Miami the day before and, having had a long shift prior to my flight I couldn't stay awake much longer than eight o'clock in the evening. I woke several hours later thinking it must be about six in the morning" she laughed. Horatio smiled and waited patiently for her to finish. She was still very pale and the dark circles under her eyes bore credence to her hectic work life. Her recent arrival in Miami tied in with what the neighbours had said but he allowed Jenna to continue.

"I got up and made a pot of tea and read for a little while. I wanted to go for a walk along the beach as soon as it was light enough. There were one or two joggers already out there so I thought it should be safe. I didn't see anyone near the house though. There was a man sitting on some rocks further up the beach.' She informed him in case it turned out to be important. 'He looked so sad I could almost feel his pain.' she lamented. Jenna had been overwhelmed by his sadness that day. Had still been thinking about him as she entered the house. She understood that to be the reason she hadn't sensed the danger as she stepped on to the porch. She stopped her thoughts when she saw his wry smile.

Horatio wasn't surpised at her ability to notice things around her considering her occupation but was uneasy about her intuiton.

"That was me, I sometimes walk on the beach before a shift to clear my head" he dipped his head tilting it slightly as he spoke to her. It was most endearing Jenna thought, though she never tried to read people without their permission this man was a closed book. At present his sadness permeated the room, she couldn't help feeling an empathy with him but that was as far as she allowed her clairvoyance to link too.

"That is why you were on the scene so quickly Lieutenant" Jenna said unnecessarily to close the link that she had begun to feel stirring. She smiled when he nodded.

"Lucky for me that you did because the gunman may have came back," Jenna shuddered when she thought about it. 'Thank you so much Lieutenant Caine,' she reached out to shake Horatio's hand. As he took her smaller hand in his and electrifying jolt caused her to all but snatch her hand back. Coughing nervously as if she had been caught thinking or doing something wrong she averted her eyes. Horatio wondered about it but said nothing; stepping back he turned towards the window. As he did so he saw her out of the corner of his eye, blow out a silent breath. Horatio couldn't help but wonder why he made her nervous.

"Is there something you are not telling me Ma'am? Horatio asked lightly. Jenna looked shock and shook her head.

"Why on earth would I do that Lieutenant? She faulted. 'One of my house mates is dead the other, is in a terrible state of shock and I'm recovering a bullet wound. What could I be hiding? She said evenly. "Believe me if I remember anything about the incident you will be the first to know" she stated flatly.

"I would hope so Ma'am. I'll be in touch," was all Horatio said as he turned and walked out of the door. Jenna was visibly shaking by the time the door shut behind him. It had been very hard to keep the physical barriers in place while the Lieutenant had been in the room. He was a man with so much hurt and loss in his life. How on earth did he deal with death and destruction on a daily basis and still be able to keep it together. He was a saint in the making and no mistake. They would have met even if the shooting hadn't happened. Jenna knew it was only a matter of time. It was meant to be. There was no indication of the type of relationship she would have with the Lieutenant. All she did know was that she was here in Miami for reasons yet to be known.

Four days later Jenna was discharged to the care of her friend Karla Petersen who was also her house mate. Karla had brought Jenna a change of night wear as soon as she was out of surgery but, strangely enough had not been back to visit until today. Shrugging off her questions Karla said she had been busy with work and looking for a place of her own as the sharing was getting to be a bore. Complaining that she was tired of sharing a bathroom. Jenna knew that there had been two other women before her that shared the accommodation on the beach front. Karla had said so on the phone a month or so before Jenna's offer of the exchange had been finalised with Miami-Dade crime lab.

"No offence to you Jenna since you only just arrived, but the last girl we had sharing with us was really untidy and very lazy" she half apologised, heaving Jenna holdall off the newly made bed. Not even looking to see if Jenna was following her she left the hospital room and marched off. Jenna was beginning to wonder if she shouldn't just book into a hotel until she found somewhere more permanent. Saying her goodbye's to the nurses Jenna followed Karla.

"Karla! Jenna called. But Karla was still walking towards the exit. Jenna caught up with her.

"Why didn't you say something before I came? I could have gone to a hotel you know" she informed Karla flatly.

"Jen…I", she sighed and stopped. She cast an eye back to the door they had just exited. "Oh never mind,' Karla huffed as they made their way to Karla's car. A lone figure stood on the hospital steps and watched them. The hair on Jenna's neck bristled, casting a quick eye to her surroundings she saw that Lieutenant Caine stood on the top step beside the exit door, it seemed, that he was looking in their direction but she couldn't tell because he was wearing sunglasses. Jenna wondered if he had come to ask her more questions.

"Just a minute Karla, she told her friend. "I think Lieutenant Caine is here to see me" Jenna tuned back towards the hospital entrance and would have gone back to speak with him if Karla hadn't grabbed her arm.

"Jen…for heavens sake the man is probably here about someone else. If he wants to speak to you he will come to the house. Let's just get you home so you can soak up some of this glorious sun" she said testily with a smile. Jenna had no choice but to oblige though she did begin to suspect Karla had something to hide. As they drove past the Lieutenant standing on the steps holding his sun glasses in his hand, he tilted his head in that almost cocky way, put his sun glasses back on and walked back to his car. Jenna knew then that he had wanted to speak to her because she had felt his annoyance.

Lieutenant Caine came later that afternoon while Karla was at work. Jenna saw him walking down the beach with a decisive step. She watched him through the dark lenses of her sun glasses. He also wore dark glasses so neither could see the others eyes. The Lieutenant stopped and waited for her to acknowledge him. Taking off the glasses he stood with his head slightly dipped and waited still. She sat up and tilted her head also, almost mocking him, he stepped on to the porch.

" Lieutenant" she greeted moving the book from the only other chair on the deck motioning him to sit. 'Can I get you a cold drink,' she asked politely. He smiled and dipped his head so she couldn't see his eyes.

"That would be nice thanks." he accepted. Jenna poured juice into an extra glass from jug on the table and handed it too him. The ice in it was almost melted but it was still cold and refreshing. Horatio took the glass from her and as their hands contacted Jenna was again overwhelmed with his sadness. It pained her to know that he had accepted the losses in his life as part of living but no-one should have to endure so much hurt in a life time never mind the past few month that this man had.

Horatio felt her flinch and looked directly into her dark brown eyes and saw that her compassion ran deep. He took a drink from the frosted glass and allowed the ice cold liquid to ease the dryness of his throat. The silence stretched between them as they both looked out over the ocean. Watching the wind surfer's and jet skiers on the shimmering water. Minutes passed before either took their eyes from the ocean and looked at each other.

"Were you at the hospital to see me Lieutenant? Jenna asked airily.

"Yes. Is Miss Petersen home also? Horatio enquired. Jenna shook her head.

"Karla went back to work after she saw me settled here. She will be back later,' Jenna answered. 'Did you need to speak her too Lieutenant?" Jenna asked

Horatio nodded his head and took a long gulp of his drink before putting the half empty glass on the table. He stood then and moved to stand near the steps his arms akimbo. He watched Jenna closely, saw also that she had her teeth clamped hard on her bottom lip.

"Don't do that" he begged softly moving forward,reached out and touched her mouth gently with his forefinger. "Look you're bleeding," he muttered showing her his blood covered finger and reached into his pocket for his handkerchief. Blotting her mouth and spoke quietly as he did so.

'I thought you might have been hiding something from me the other day. Something that you remembered but were too afraid to tell me about. I heard from your friend that you would not have known what had transpired in the house because the assailant turned the gun on you almost as soon as you entered. The bullet that killed your friend Shauna was from a gun connected with an unsolved murder case in California four years ago. It seems strange that it should turn out to be the weapon that was used in a house burglary,' Horatio explained while Jenna listened attentively.

"Do you believe that Karla might have told me something Lieutenant'? Jenna questioned lightly.

'No,' was Horatio's simple reply. 'However, Miss Petersen had connections with the man who shot you. Jenna was shocked at his revelation. 'He was her informant in California when she was a beat cop. 'My main priority in this instance is to find the connection between the informant, the gun and a four year old unsolved murder.' He informed Jenna and, while he had been telling her, he waited for a reaction to his story. Horatio didn't know what to expect so continued.

"I know you took this six month sabbatical because of a work related problem in England' he studied her closely. Jenna bent her head for a moment then raised angry eyes to his.

'My reason for leaving England were not for something nefarious Lieutenant, but you know that already. You wouldn't be doing your job properly if you didn't carry out a background check on me now would you" she accused lightly. 'I'm sure you know by now that I left after a case I was working on was compromised. That any evidence, collected by my colleagues and I was considered inadmissible in court,'she paused waiting for his reaction. Horatio said he was giving her the benefit of the doubt but she should tell him any way.

'That is not for me to say Lieutenant, I can not discuss a still open case with you, what ever your rank. And, to be honest it has no baring on the incident that happened here. I only knew Karla and Shauna via a work colleague who was looking for a replacement when she couldn't take the offer of work exchange with Miami-Dade police Department,' she seethed inwardly. Her anger was beginning to break down the barrier she strived so hard to erect against the Lieutenants dark secrets when they had threatened to overwhelm her.

'The position here was for a police officer not a forensics officer. When Barbara told me she needed someone to come to Miami in her place if the swap could be arranged, I never thought for one minute about the dangers of guns. I knew that the crime rate here in Miami was high but never did I think for one minute that I, would become a victim,' she admitted to Horatio grimly. Horatio remained quiet, head tilted slightly as if waiting for her to continue, when she didn't, he asked her why she personally wanted the exchange.

'A fresh start,' she sighed, her anger was dissipating some and she suddenly felt very fatigued. The day had started to take its toll on her. 'I need to go lie down Lieutenant' she said wearily moving towards the door. Opening it she slipped inside and went to her room. It was cool and dark in there and she could meditate and heal. Battling with her emotions as well as the Lieutenants had drained her to the point of exhaustion. Jenna fell into a deep exhausted sleep seconds after her head touched the pillow. The cool blackness as welcome as a soft blanket.

Jenna Marshal still had secrets and Horation swore to himself that he was going to get to the bottom of it. The crime lab could do without the bad publicity of yet another officer in the lab being in trouble. He wouldn't be dong his job if he let her explanations be the end of his enquiries into the incident in which she was seriously injured. Putting on his sunglasses Horatio left the porch and wandered back to his hummer.

Karla Petersen stood watching the Lieutenant from her vantage point on her neighbours porch as he climbed into the hummer, and drove away. The man was as tenacious as a bad tempered bull dog and wouldn't stop his enquires into the burglary until he was completely satisfied and, all suspects, including herself were cleared or convicted. All hell was going to break loose and she needed to get the hell out of dodge before the heat came down on her head. Martinelli would have to do his own dirty work from now on. Karla called out to her friend that she needed to check on Jenna and left.

She wondered if Jenna would decide to go back to England and not take the job in the crime lab. Hopefully, if Jenna had any sense she'd pack her belongings and be on the next available flight out of Miami back to the safety of England. As she walked up the beach Karla happened to glance to the causeway and saw that the Lieutenant had stopped his vehicle. He now stood watching her as she crossed the beach to the condo he had just come from. He saluted her mockingly, turned and got back in the hummer, continuing on his way. That left Karla with a big weight on her shoulders, one she wouldn't be able to shift any time soon if the Lieutenant had his way. This called for the operation to be brought forward before it was to late.

To be continued:

If you enjoyed it or if you didn't enjoy it please send reviews. This is my first ever fanfic and I want to be able to catch and hold everyone's attention. Keeping you in suspense as well as in awe.