Disclaimer: I don't own anything CSI Miami :( I do however own Vanessa Pedrosa and any others you don't recognise.

A/N - Apologies for the delay but here enjoy...


It was just after 2am on a dreary, drizzling night in downtown Miami – the moon was hidden behind fat grey clouds threatening rain but not yet deciding on whether or not to release their wet load. Winds were picking up blowing in cool ocean breezes – a pleasant change from the humidity of the last few days. Far off in the distance a lightning storm surged and stirred up the ocean turning it black and turbid - angry waves crashing on the Miami shorefront. The introspective lieutenant turned away from the wondrous display of mother natures fury and focused his attention on the reason he'd been called out of the sanctuary of his apartment at this late hour.

"What have we got detective?"

Horatio asked quietly his blue eyes surveying the scene before him. A young woman lay in a pool of congealed blood her lifeless hazel eyes staring heavenward her skin was grey, her clothing appeared damp her hair stringy.

"Young woman is Davalee Ross, 22 she's a student from U of M. We found her id in the purse beside her. First glance looks like a small caliber bullet to the torso – obviously we need to wait for the post mortem but I'm guessing the bullet entered her lung deflating it, causing a haemopneumothorax. It's possible that the bullet nicked her aorta she bleed out quickly."

"But there isn't enough blood here to suggest that she was shot right here is there."

"No there isn't but there is a blood trail heading down the alley. I pushed the cordon back to preserve the scene."

Horatio treated Vanessa to a rare smile and nodded at her before calling out for Eric.

"Eric, blood trail – photograph and collect samples for Valera in DNA please."

"You got it H." Eric nodded at his boss giving Vanessa a quick squeeze on the arm as he moved past her.

"What else can you tell me about the scene?" Horatio asked Vanessa.

"She's been here in the alley for sometime, a few hours at least."

"What makes you say that?" Horatio prompted his eyebrow raised in question.

"Her hair and clothing are wet which means she was here during the short burst of rain that hit this area an hour ago. But she'd been here before that, the edges of her blood pool are congealed, some of it washed away but not enough to fully compromise the scene." Horatio nodded proudly. Vanessa knew he was slowly grooming her to think like a CSI not just a detective. If she ever decided to jump to his side of the street he'd have no hesitation recommending her for a position at CSI.

"I don't suppose there were any witnesses?" Horatio asked sarcastically.

"Not in this neighborhood. If anyone would admit that they heard the gunshot you can bet your bottom dollar no one was looking out their window when it happened."

Horatio chuckled wryly it was entirely true – there was no way anyone who backed onto this alley would admit to hearing or seeing anything untoward. These people lived hard lives scrimping out a meager living and trying to keep their kids out of the gangs long enough to make something of themselves and escape the neighborhood for good. It was a sad cycle, no one would speak out because of the fear of retribution from the local thugs and yet they blamed those same thugs constantly for the state of their miserable lives. If only they would join together and speak out against the local gangs maybe Horatio and his team could actually help them rise above their current stations but until then his hands were tied. They would follow the evidence as far as they could and pray that it was enough to lead to the conviction of a least one of the local trouble makers – if not the community had no one to blame but themselves.

"Yo H, you should see this!" Eric called out Horatio nodded moving towards him swiftly.

"What have you got Eric?"

Vanessa watched from afar as the two crime scene analysts began dissecting the physical evidence. The throb from the bass of too loud Spanish rap music ebbed through Vanessa's body, she could make out the hum of the traffic, a domestic argument coming from one of the apartments that backed onto the alley and something else – something she couldn't quite place but that drew her further up the alley away from Horatio and the deceased girl. She looked around the dark alley, felt the lightest sheen of rain begin to fall against her skin, her breathing came faster as it dawned on her that she was far into an alley at a crime scene with no back up, she hadn't told the patrol officer what she was doing, hadn't told anyone.

Her hand slid to her holster unclipping the leather strap which kept her Glock securely inside; her fingers looped lightly around the steel handle, it's cool touch reassuring her. Again she heard the noise. It sounded like a cat mewling but not quite – it was shrill and breathy – what ever it was it made her heart pound in her throat. Pulling out her flash light she swept it in long slow streaks across the scene noticing the rear entrance to a church off to her left and a train of dumpsters to her right. She was in the dead centre of the alley now, she stopped, head cocked, straining to hear the noise again. This cat had better be grateful! She thought to herself as the noise came again – the dumpster. it was definitely either in or next to the dumpster she decided moving closer. The rain was slick on her skin, her hair beginning to grow heavier as the rain weighed it down. Reaching the dumpster she shone her flashlight around the base, movement in a cardboard box facing the church caught her eye – she trained the flashlight there and drew a shaky breath.

"I need a medic here!" she screamed down the alley not believing what she was seeing.


Horatio's head snapped up, he could have sworn he'd heard someone call out but couldn't tell who or where.

"Eric did you hear that?" he asked standing slowly looking around the scene his blue eyes focused, piercing the darkness.

"Hear what? What is it H?" Eric asked joining his mentor.

Honestly Horatio wasn't quite sure, it could have been someone from one of the surrounding buildings calling out, it might have even been from the next alley. But he doubted it, his skin prickled as he stood trying to piece together what he was hearing. He looked around at the personnel manning the crime scene – the patrol officer was still standing in the same place he'd been since Horatio had arrived, the coroners transport people and the coroner were with the body. The only person he couldn't see was Detective Pedrosa. He looked over at her police issue sedan expecting to see her against it filling in paperwork – she wasn't there. Horatio and Eric turned to each other reaching the same conclusion at the same moment.

"Where's Vanessa?" Eric asked panic threatening to rise up in his throat when once again they heard the voice call out.

"I need a medic!" Definitely female, it had to be Vanessa.

Horatio turned and ran toward the centre of the alley, towards the voice ; calling for an ambulance on his cell as he ran. He stopped in his tracks a few feet away from Vanessa relieved to see she seemed to be okay. It took a moment longer to realize that cradled in her arms was a small infant, crying shrewdly, both of them soggy from the heavier rain now beginning to fall. Horatio just looked at her horrified for a moment before coming to his senses. He eased off his suit jacket, holding it above Vanessa's head he guided her back to his hummer, opening the back door assisting her to sit down the baby cradled against her chest.

"I need a towel; I need to keep the baby warm." She murmured as she began removing the baby's wet clothing placing them into a clear evidence bag Horatio presented her with. Eric appeared beside her his jaw dropping open at the sight of the baby in her arms.

"Eric, a towel if you would please." Horatio instructed quietly.

Eric quickly removed a couple of new towels from the trunk and handed them across to Horatio who laid one across Vanessa's lap. She placed the baby on top, swiftly wrapping it around the baby's small shaking body securely.

"Shhh sweetheart, you're safe now…lets get you warm little one." Vanessa allowed Horatio to drape a towel around her shoulders before handing him the infant.

What she did next neither man was prepared for – Vanessa reached for the hem of her blouse tugging the wet fabric quickly over her head to expose her lacy yellow bra and bare skin she used the towel to dry herself off and gestured for Horatio to hand her back the infant which he did immediately; a pinkish blush tinting his pale Irish skin at the sight of his colleague sitting about in her underwear. Vanessa partially unwrapped the towel and held the baby tightly against her chest so that they were pressed skin to skin – it was the fastest way to keep the baby warm until the paramedics arrived.

Horatio marveled as the baby quieted down almost immediately; Vanessa's hand smoothing soft circles along the tiny bundle's back. She was pale and visibly shaken; Eric could only imagine the tattoo her heart was beating against her ribcage as her body came down from its adrenaline high. Eric gently draped a silver emergency blanket around the pair rubbing his hands along Vanessa's arms trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

"I took photos on my cell phone – it was the only camera I had. The box is still in the alley, there might be trace evidence on it." Vanessa informed them not taking her eyes off the tiny, precious bundle in her arms. Eric nodded accepting the cell and moving back up the alley to retrieve the evidence.

"He was in the garbage Horatio…they threw him away as though he was trash. Who could do that to a baby?" she asked him her blue eyes full of confusion.

Horatio leant closer to her peering down at their small victim. His blood boiled at the thought of someone purposely placing this beautiful new life in the garbage. Every person deserved the right to a beginning, the right to grow and be nourished – in a perfect world this child would never have ended up in this situation. However as Horatio knew all too well this world was anything but perfect and this wasn't the only baby any of them would come across dumped along with the garbage. At least this little one is still alive. Horatio sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever divine being had seen to that.

"How could anyone throw you away?" Vanessa wondered aloud caressing the baby's soft cheek tenderly.

"I don't know Detective but when we find them – they won't get away with this Vanessa, I promise you that."

By the time the paramedics arrived just moments later, the baby was asleep against Vanessa and her shaking had somewhat subsided – the medics insisted on taking her to get checked out despite her protests that she was fine she was still pale and her heart rate and BP were a little high. Horatio told her to go ahead he'd follow in the hummer as soon as Eric returned with their evidence. He closed the ambulance doors thumping solidly to signal the driver that all was secure before they drove off to the closest emergency department.

Horatio looked across at the haulers loading the young woman's corpse into the rear of the ME's van it crossed his mind that perhaps she was the baby's mother – however something about that just didn't sit right. She was found closer to the south end of the alley moving in towards the centre whereas the baby was found closer to the northern end of the alley. Unless she had already abandoned the baby and was heading out when she'd been attacked. But then why would she go back towards the center of the alley, away from the street where she might have found someone to help her? Was she attempting to protect the child? Or had seen simply been disoriented and fighting for her life, not sure which direction to go in and had just kept going until she'd collapsed and died? Horatio knew he'd have to wait until the evidence was in but so far his gut was telling him that this child's mother was in trouble elsewhere.

He cast a final piercing gaze at the crime scene before him ensuring that he had covered every angle, that all of their evidence had been collected before heading over to the hummer. He was soaked through but the fire in his blood kept him from feeling the chill – he had the mystery of one dead young woman and an abandoned infant to solve. As Eric drove them towards the hospital Horatio decided that as soon as he'd checked in with Vanessa he would call in the rest of the team. They wouldn't rest until he had answers, until he could ensure that this abandoned child was safe and secure. As far as he was concerned his was the only case in Miami tonight.


A/N As always you know how I love reviews, I'm sure I've mentioned that before :P ... so please feel free to indulge me. Criticisms, questions, outbursts, suggestions, love - I'll accept it all. Stay tuned for the next installment...