Dr. Smith

Horatio stretched his arms above his head as he climbed from his bed. He scratched his head and slowly shuffled towards the bathroom. After a quick shower and shave he wandered back into his bedroom and got dressed. He shuffled down the stairs and into his kitchen, finding the pot of coffee waiting for him on the counter. He poured himself a cup as he picked his cell phone off the counter where he had left it charging overnight. As he drank his coffee he noticed he had a voicemail. He dialed the number for his voicemail box and listened to the automatic voice as the message began to play.

"Lieutenant Caine, this is Sara Sidle from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. I need to you call me back as soon as possible. We have evidence that your daughter may be in Las Vegas."

Horatio felt his heart stop and restart with a thud. He quickly replayed the message and listened to it again. He jotted down the number the woman recited at the end and felt his pulse pound. He looked at the number before he made his decision. He dialed the number saved in his phone and listened to it ring.

"Willows," the female voice on the other end stated.

"Catherine, its Horatio Caine," Horatio said, "Did your CSI really find my daughter?"

Catherine was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Yes, CSI Sidle found evidence that your daughter has been in Las Vegas for a very long time."

"How long?" Horatio inquired as he climbed the stairs to the second floor.

"Almost five months," Catherine nearly whispered.

"Do you know what she's been doing?" Horatio asked as he pulled his suitcase from the hall closet.

Catherine was silent again. Horatio could detect her uneasiness as she thought out her words. "She's been working as a CSI for the grave shift for the Las Vegas Crime Lab," she quietly said.

Horatio stopped dead in his tracks as he opened the suitcase on top of his mattress. "But I thought you said she wasn't in Las Vegas."

"Well here's the thing," Catherine began, "Dr. Jessica Caine wasn't in Las Vegas. However, Dr. Holly Smith has been working hard as my newest CSI."

Ryan practically threw his suitcase into the back of Horatio's car and climbed into the front seat. "Jessica's really in Vegas?" Ryan asked him.

Horatio's face tightened as frustration played across his features. His grip constricted around the wheel. "Apparently," he whispered in a harsh tone, "She's been living under an assumed name, Dr. Holly Smith, working for the crime lab for almost five months."

Ryan sighed and stared out the window. "I can't believe this," he whispered. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He stopped when he got to the name he had been thinking of.

'What the hell, Greg? Why didn't you tell me Jessica was in Vegas?'

Ryan hit the send button and stared at the screen intensely. Sure enough a new message appeared and Ryan tapped the screen to open it.

'She said she was hiding from someone and didn't want anyone to know.'

'Well telling me would have been a good thing. ):'

'Why? So you could reveal her to the world and put her in more danger?'

Ryan grunted in frustration and threw the phone to the ground.

"Don't break that phone, Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said. "I know for a fact it's not in your budget to buy a new one and your contract isn't up for another year."

Ryan and Horatio were escorted into the Las Vegas Crime Lab by Catherine Willows. They walked down the hall towards Catherine's office as she spewed apology after apology.

"I'm really sorry about this, Horatio," she said again. "Had I'd known I would have called you. It's just that your daughter doesn't look a thing like you and it never crossed my mind that she wasn't really who she said she was. She had all the credentials and the diplomas and every piece of identification was authentic."

"Jessica's a master computer hacker," Horatio explained as Catherine handed them each a cup of coffee. "Everything she gave you would have passed as being authentic. And she doesn't look like me because she's adopted."

"Well that explains a lot," Catherine sighed. "But how does she have your eyes?"

"Kidney transplant when she was fourteen," Horatio said, "Her eyes changed from green to blue."

"Interesting," Catherine commented, "I've heard of that happening."

"Hey Greg," a man's voice sounded from the hall, "I thought you were helping with DNA today, not drinking coffee in Catherine's office."

Someone grabbed Ryan's shoulder and he turned to look at a rather nerdy looking man. He was about Ryan's height with graying hair that was comb to the left. He looked at Ryan confused with gray eyes.

"I'm sorry," he quietly said, "You're not who I thought you were."

Ryan looked at him with a perplexed expression. "Hodges, you thought he was me?" another male voice sounded. Greg walked into Catherine's office, staring at the man. His eyes lit up at the sight of Ryan and Horatio. "Ryan Wolfe, Lieutenant Caine," he quietly said nervously.

"Greg Sanders," Ryan said in a cold voice.

Hodges looked from Greg to Ryan and back again. "I'm going to," he stuttered, "I have trace evidence I need to process." He ducked out of Catherine's office and down the hall without looking back.

Ryan stared Greg down, anger evident in his eyes. Greg looked at him with his hands shoved in the pockets of jeans, shoulder hunched forward, staring at his feet nervously.

"I see I'm not the only one pissed at you, Greg," Catherine said. She looked at Horatio and then at Ryan's angry expression. "So you're Ryan," she said, leaning against her desk. "Holly- well rather Jessica's told us quite a bit about you."

Ryan looked at her hard, trying his best to soften his expression. "Jess told you about me?"

"Yes, but she never used last names, come to think of it she never even mentioned her father had a first name." Catherine rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe I fell for her tricks."

"She wasn't trying to trick anyone, Catherine," Greg suddenly interjected.

"Shut your mouth, Greg," Catherine snapped back at him. "I don't want to hear a word from you; harvesting a fugitive, more or less, for five months. I should have you arrested for obstruction of justice but I don't think being stupid is a crime."

"Jessica's not a fugitive," Ryan snapped at her. He calmed himself down and tried to relax. "She's just missing, that's all."

"A missing person of interest," Catherine read from the paper in her hand. "It says here she's wanted because she's the only witness in a murder investigation." She looked at Horatio. "What murder did she witness?"

Horatio sighed and looked at the cup of coffee in his hand before he brought his eyes up to Catherine's. "Her own," he whispered.

Horatio and Ryan followed Catherine downstairs to the holding cells in the LVPD building.

"Is there a reason my daughter's being held in a cell like some kind of criminal?" Horatio inquired.

"Well we've kind of realized that Jessica's a flight risk," Catherine explained as she signed a form with the officer on duty. "From what I hear she fled Miami, Germany, Washington DC, and Philadelphia without a trace. We didn't want to take any chances so we had her placed in a private cell with an officer guarding her. I promise no handcuffs though."

They walked down the stony gray hall until they reached the last cell. Catherine's jaw dropped when she saw the young uniform lying on the ground unconscious with her hands cuffed around one of the bars. "I need a medic in here!" Catherine yelled. "Mitch, open this cell now!"

The African-American uniform that had been walking with them unlocked the cell and he and Catherine rushed in.

"Becka!" Mitch yelled, shaking the uniform's shoulders, "Becka wake up!"

Horatio stepped in and knelt to the ground. He grasped the young woman's shoulder and squeezed. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around bewildered.

"What happened?" she asked as she pulled at the handcuffs around the metal pole.

"We were hoping you would tell us," Catherine said, watching Mitch un-cuff Becka.

She rubbed her wrists and looked around the room. "I was watching that woman like you said when she said she needed to use the bathroom." Becka explained, "I came in to escort her out and the next thing I know you're all here and she's gone." She looked at Mitch as fear spread across her features. "Oh god, I let her get away, didn't I?"

"Becka, are you alright?" Catherine asked as a medic walked into the cell.

"I think so," Becka said as the medic began examining her. "I just feel like I passed out or something."

"Pressure points," Horatio said as he stood, "Jessica made you pass out."

"Oh god," the young uniform said again as she covered her face in embarrassment.

Greg came running down the hall and nearly stumbled when he tried to stop.

"Catherine!" he exclaimed, "I just got word that Jessica was sighted leaving the locker room ten minutes ago!"

Catherine jumped to her feet and dashed towards him. "Where do you think she's gone, Greg?"

"I don't know," Greg gasped as they started running back down the hall. "I thought she was still down here."

"So did we," Catherine said as she jabbed the button on the elevator.

When the doors opened again they rushed into the crime lab. "Greg, you take Officer Wolfe and check the west wing and Lieutenant Caine and I will check the east! If we don't find her be back in ten minutes!"

They ran through the entire floor, looking in behind every door and in every corner. The group reconvened fifteen minutes later outside the trace lab.

"Nothing," Catherine exasperatedly said, "I can't believe she got away."

"Oh, Greg," Hodges said as he walked out into the hall, carrying his bag, ready to leave. "I just saw Holly twenty minutes ago and she asked me to give you a message."

Greg stared at him in shock. "Well?" he snapped.

"Well someone's grumpy," Hodges scoffed. "Anyways she wanted me to tell you thanks for letting her stay in your apartment and for being such a great friend, but she's terribly sorry about the grand theft auto."

Greg looked at him confused. "I know," Hodges said skeptically, "I thought it was a curious message also." Hodges's eyes suddenly widened at the sight of Horatio. "Oh my god, you're Horatio Caine," he nearly whispered.

"Hodges!" Greg snapped, "The message!"

Hodges snapped back to reality and looked at Greg. "I already told you the message; that was it." He looked back at Horatio with a starry eyed look. "I can't believe it, you're Lieutenant Caine."

Horatio looked at him in confusion and a little creeped out. "Yes, that's me."

"Oh gosh, sir, it's such an honor." Hodges stepped towards Horatio with his hand extended. "I can't believe I'm meeting the real Lieutenant Horatio Caine. Sir, your daughter's book was so inspiring!"

"Book?" Horatio skeptically said as Hodges shook his hand.

"Yes, Dr. Caine's book, the one she released in Germany," Hodges explained as he dug through his messenger style bag. He pulled a book from it and smiled as he handed it to Horatio. "Verschwindene Taten, I thought it was so inspiring! I mean her story of going from a gang banger to a cop is just incredible!"

Horatio looked at the book. He read 'Vanishing Acts' across the top with Jessica's name printed beneath it. On the cover was a picture of a face split in two. One half was Izzy's, the other Jessica's. "You said it was released in Germany?" Horatio inquired.

"Yes, I was visiting family when it was released." Hodges explained, "They said they were going to a book release premiere and invited me to come along. Her story is so incredible!"

"But if it was released in Germany, shouldn't it be in German?" Ryan asked, looking over Horatio's shoulder.

"It is," Hodges said, "I had a little trouble but once I translated the whole thing I read it cover to cover three times!"

"Hodges," Greg said, "This is in English."

"What? No it isn't," Hodges said, taking the book back. He looked at the cover and his eyes grew twice in size. "What? How is this possible? It was in German when I read it on my lunch break." He began to flip through it back and forth. He stopped when he got to the inside cover page and read the message scribed in purple ink. "Hodges- Thanks for all the fun times being lab rat partners! I was so honored to hear you loved my book! I wanted you to own the first English edition released in America. I hope you enjoy it, even without the challenge of having to translate it. Love Always, Dr. Jessica Caine. PS- Your German copy is in your locker. Sorry!"

Hodges head snapped up and he looked at Horatio. "Your daughter's here?"

"Somewhere," Horatio muttered.

"She has been for quite awhile," Greg quietly said.

"What do you mean, G?" Hodges asked confused.

Greg sighed and looked at Hodges. "Holly Smith is Dr. Jessica Caine."

Hodges face flushed and he suddenly looked faint. "Oh my god! You mean all these months I've been working with Dr. Caine!"

Greg slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, that was Jessica."

"Oh my god," Hodges muttered, "I've been working with one of the greatest forensic minds ever." He looked at Horatio and then at Ryan. "Are you Ryan Wolfe?"

Ryan hesitantly nodded his head. "Am I in the book, too?"

"Yeah, there's a whole chapter dedicated just to you and how you changed Dr. Caine's life." Hodges flipped through the pages when suddenly a small envelope fell from the book jacket and to the floor. He reached down and picked it up. He read the outside and held it out to Horatio. "It's for you," he quietly said.

Horatio ripped the envelope open and pulled out a yellow piece of paper from a legal pad. "Dad- Sorry to ditch you again but like I said I'm not ready to come home." Horatio sighed and looked at the scrap of fabric with the word 'Stone' embroider on it. He shook his head and clenched his fist. "Damn it, Jessica," he muttered, "She got away again."

"Damn it!" Greg exclaimed, digging through his pockets, "Where are my car keys?"

Ryan's head turned and he looked at Horatio with an intense expression.

"Greg," Horatio said, "What kind of car do you drive?"

"A black Jeep Grand Cherokee, why?" Greg answered moments before realization washed over him.

"That's the same kind of car that passed us on the way in," Ryan said to Horatio.

"Grand theft auto," Hodges muttered. He chuckled and smiled. "I get it now."

"Catherine, can you put a BOLO out on Greg's car?" Horatio asked.

"I'm on it!" Catherine exclaimed as she pulled out her cell phone.

Ryan sighed as he looked through Greg's empty Grand Cherokee in the airport parking lot. He ran his hands across the driver seat and deep into the seam where the back met the seat. He pulled out a plastic card and looked at Jessica's picture printed on it with the name "Holly Smith" next to her head. It was a Tennessee state driver's license. Though to the naked eye it would seem authentic, but, to Ryan, he could see clear as day Jessica had made it herself.

"Yeah, she was here," Ryan said as he stepped away from the car. He shook his head and clenched the card in his hand. "I can't believe it, she tricked us again. When will this end?"

Horatio shook his head and watched as a plane rolled off the runway. "I wish I knew," he whispered.