Abi did her normal routine after work. She came home, made dinner, read to Elle (most of the time, Elle insisted she could read to her), tucked Elle in, take a shower, yell at twin to remember to go to work, then she usually fell right asleep.

The same happened that night. As she opened the door, she could already hear her daughter jumping up and down screaming "Uncle! Mommy's home!"

Elle raced for the door and leaping into her mother's arms. Abi laughed, and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "And how was your day princess?"

"Good. I drew something for you! Uncle put it on the fridge. I'll get it!" Elle ran into the kitchen.

Abi smiled, then glanced at her brother. He was already suited up for his job working as a security officer at the local nightclub. Abi knew he was trying so hard to get another job, someday he dreamed he would become a real police officer. But for now, he had to concentrate on earning enough money to buy a house and leave his twin to have peace.

But it all worked out. He worked nights, she worked days. She would drop Elle off at school in the morning as her brother got home from work and slept. He'd then wake up and pick his niece up from school. It has been that way ever since their older brother had joined the air-force.

Elle came back with a white sheet of construction picture, with a portrait of Abi holding a flower. It wasn't bad for a five year old; she even drew all the right parts of the face, the eyes, the nose, the lips, in the correct spot, with the correct color crayon.

"This is beautiful Elle-pie! I think I'm going to frame this and stick it in my bedroom."

Elle's pale green eyes sparkled, "Really mommy? Thank you!"

"Your welcome. Now who wants Mac and Cheese?"

The little red-head jumped up and down in joy, "Ohhh, ME!"

Abi smiled, "Of course. I'll make it, let me just talk to Uncle real quick, okay? You are allowed to watch TV, alright?"

"Yes mommy," Elle then left to the other side of the small apartment to watch her favorite show.

Jim looked at his sister and smiled, "So how was your day at work?"

She shrugged, "Peachy."

"Uh-huh. Come on, spill. So let me ask you differently. How was you first day at work?" Jim waited for his sister's reply, just standing there with his arms folded over his uniform.

"Fine," Abi put down her purse on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, "It was great. Everyone that works there is as friendly as ever. I wish I would have requested the transfer ages ago."

"So no one asked questions? I mean come on, your face is not a face one can forget, and someone had to see you work the DNA lab at nights."

Abi laughed, "Of course people asked questions. I saw Calleigh, and Eric too. They remembered me. It's so depressing not seeing Tim though. It's deaths like his that make me want to work overtime."

Jim nodded. Tim and him had been acquaintances, not best friends, but they knew each other's names. "That's too bad. He was a great man. Anyways, I really need to get going," he pointed to the kitchen, "now go and make dinner. Elle has been whining for a hour now."

"Yes mother," Abi saluted Jim, and he rolled his eyes. She waved goodbye to her brother, then went to make dinner.

The night progressed, and after a few whines and pleads, Abi finally convinced her daughter to go to bed.

Abi had been thinking a lot that night. About her new job, about the people there, and about how tomorrow was going to be. She wondered if all the CSIs were in a good mood today, or if they really acted like that on a daily bases.

She crawled into bed and shut the lamp off beside her. Her thoughts whirled around in her head as she attempted to get some sleep.

---

Calleigh smiled thoughtfully at the poor girl. She looked so helpless, so confused. Tears trickled down her pale face as she gazed out the window. It was a beautiful day; the sun shined through the window into the white room, creating a sense of warmth, even to the sad girl.

"Hey there," Calleigh said softly. The girl didn't acknowledge her presence.

"I know you've been through a lot, but do you mind answering some questions? I promise not to bug you for so long."

"What," the girl spat out.

Calleigh frowned. This might be harder than it looks. "Okay, can you remember anything about the man who did this to you?"

The girl sighed, and thought about the question. After a few moments, she nodded, "I remember that he had short black hair. He was also muscular. But that's all. I was drugged." she tried moving her arm, but winced in pain.

"Okay, thank you. Did the nurse already do the exam--"

"Yeah, but sorry I'm no help. The bastard cleaned me up good." The girl's soft green eyes looked up at Calleigh's own, "Please find him. He killed my friend, taking away her precious life. And ruined mine."

The girl started sobbing, and Calleigh put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I am so sorry. We will do everything in our power to catch him, and make sure he never does this to another human being."

She slowly wiped the tears from her eyes, and gave Calleigh a small smile, "Thank you ma'am."

Calleigh slowly walked away as she faded in the distance.

Abi woke up drenched in sweat.

It wasn't the first time she had awoken from a disturbing dream. She rubbed her eyes and surveyed the room. No one was there, not even Elli, who would, on occasion, sleep next to her mother in her queen sized bed.

The sheets next to Abi neatly folded into a triangle indicated that her daughter had woken up and left her room. Abi sat up and shifted toward the outside of the bed, then checking the clock. It read five thirty am. Although Abi didn't need to be at work until eight thirty, she thought it was best to investigate the matter of her daughter.

She opened her door and walked down the small hallway, past Elli's room, which was open. The bed was empty. She past the room into the kitchen, and saw her child sitting in a dining chair, coloring with her crayons. Her small legs swayed back and forth, not touching the floor. Elli, realizing she was being watched, turned to her mother. "Oh, hi mommy."

"Elli," her mother grabbed the chair next to her and sat in it, facing the small child, "why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep. Bad dreams." Elli didn't bother to look at her mother's sad green eyes. She just kept drawing, the crayon was scraping back and forth against the clean sheet of white paper. Her mother glanced at the drawing. It was only of a simple line, which Elli had continually drawn over, which was now causing a hole to appear in the paper.

"Honey, don't do that." She grabbed her daughter's tiny hand. Elli dropped the crayon. Tears started running down her pale cheeks.

"Mommy, I don't like having bad dreams. I don't even remember them. But I remember who was in them," she sniffed, and looked into her mother's eyes.

"Who was in them?"

"Well," she started, sniffing again, "You are there. And sometimes daddy is too."

Abi's eyes widened, "Elli--"

"But I don't have a daddy, so it doesn't make sense. I can't remember, mommy, what happened!" she pounded her fists onto the table, throwing a tantrum, "Why can't I remember?!"

"Elli! Stop!" Abi got up and scooped her now crying daughter into her arms, and walked to the couch. She sat down, as Elli continued to sob into her shoulder. "Shhh," her mother whispered into her ear as she slowly rocked her back and forth.

"Listen to mommy. I can't tell you who your daddy is, and it's not because I don't want to. You don't have a daddy, understood? And maybe you are having bad dreams because you eat too much mac and cheese before sleeping." Abi gently poked Elli's stomach, and she started to giggle. After Abi tickled her daughter to cheer her up, she sat up and wiped her eyes, and smiled.

"Okay mommy, I believe you."

"Good," Abi said, with a grin on her face, "Well, how about I make us breakfast, since we are up so early, huh?"

"I'm not that hungry."

"In that case, I guess I'll just make myself a smoothie--" Abi turned her nose up and walked towards the cubbard containing the blender.

Elli's eyes widened at the word, "Smoothie? Wait, mommy I was just kidding! Wait..."