Chapter 5:

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami… I really wish I did… XD

"Auntie Valera!" The little squeal was heard as the older woman was pummeled from behind into the table she was working at. "Are you feeling better? Mommy and Daddy said that Unkie Wolfie said that you were sick. Are you better? Can I have some chocolate? Please?"

"What?" Too much information, way too fast. Maxine Valera looked from the small girl clinging to her leg to Eric Delko, who was shaking his head in confusion. Wait Wolfie? As in Ryan Wolfe? No way. That's just too funny. He's never gonna hear the end of this. Who's this kid's parents? Hey, wait…I'm not sick…

Eric cleared his throat, "Uhm, Valera, this is Ella." He didn't mention the fact that the little girl thought that he was her father. Whoever said Valera was sick?

"Daddy, I think Auntie Valera already knows that!" Delko groaned inwardly. All thoughts of keeping this clear misunderstanding silent were lost all in that instant. Valera's eyes bugged out. Whoa! She does look kind of like him. Who'd he sleep with? "Auntie Valera, do you have chocolate?"

"Of course, I do," said Valera absentmindedly, "but no one's supposed to know about my secret stash. Well, except for Ryan, but that's it."

She looked at Ella with wonder. The small child skipped over to where she knew Valera hid her 'secret' stash; the whole time singing softly, "Valera and Wolfie sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then ------ YAY! REESE'S FASTBREAK! Ooh! Daddy, there's a Snickers bar for you! You want one Auntie Valera?"

A bewildered look passed between Valera and Eric. The situation, the moment, was just too random. Valera was completely shocked. What is she implying about me and Ryan? The guy's insane, way TOO clean and neat. Hmph. He's the LAST person I'd fall in love with, let alone MARRY!

Eric, on the other hand, as confused as he was, gratefully accepted the Snickers Bar. "Thanks." How'd she know…I guess it's common…everybody loves Snickers?

"Your glekom," said Ella with a mouthful of Reese's Fast Break, "Gauntie Balera?"

"Oh, no…uhm," Valera looked from Ella to Delko, "I actually need run these DNA results by Wolfe." Heh…there are no results, but Must. Leave. Craziness. NOW. Even though, hanging out with Ryan will definitely NOT de-stress… clean freak…heh-heh…Wolfie…

He nodded in compliance. He felt a little bit calmer. Chocolate does do wonders. Ella was bouncing off the walls. "Daddy, daddy, can I play with your gun?"

A peanut found its way into Delko's windpipe. He choked for a second, which momentarily freaked out Ella, and then was able to cough it up and put it in its rightful place, the garbage. Evil peanut. "My gun? No, maybe when you're older." He was a little shocked that she would even ask something like that. Probably thinks it's a toy or something. She should know that accidents happen with guns, misfires especially.

"But daddy," whined Ella, "you always say that. I'm never gonna be old enough!" She walked the around the table a couple of times before she found what it was she desired. She threw out her candy wrapper into the garbage.

Eric laughed at how silly the girl was acting. "One day, you will be."

"I wanna be old NOW!" Her brow wrinkled in frustration as she stomped her foot down. The frown then smoothed, as she was distracted by a thought. "Daddy, I gotta go pee." She ran over to her father's side and tugged his pant leg, while attempting to hold it all in.

The CSI's eyes widened. Valera had to leave now? What am I supposed to do? I am NOT traumatizing her by bringing her to the men's bathroom and having her use a urinal. This is just ridiculous. He ran a hand through his two-inch long black-brown hair. "Okay…uhm, let's find Calleigh, Alexx…or Natalia." Anybody. He mentioned the names of the women in the crime lab that came first to his mind. Women should stick with women… right?

"Yay! Auntie Calleigh and Auntie Alexx! I wanna see them, but we gotta hurry. I really, really, really gotta go!"

"Okay, c'mon then, and hold it in." He paced quickly over to the exit and waited to Ella to follow, but she didn't. She was still standing in the same spot. "Ella, are you okay?" He was getting concerned not just about the girl, but about the overall situation.

"Uh-oh."

"What? What do you mean, 'uh-oh'?" Eric didn't understand what was going on and just observed how awkwardly Ella was standing. Uh-oh?...That's bad, right?

"I don't need to go potty anymore."

"What? Why not?" Then something in his brain clicked. "Oh. OH." What am I gonna do? She obviously doesn't have an extra pair of little kid clothes. Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, Valera or Calleigh or someone has spare clothes because all I have is a spare t-shirt. And she's going to need to be washed. How am I supposed to do that? Hopefully, I won't need to…

He picked her up and kept her a distance away from him. Don't need her to pee on me and she really stinks. "Let's find Calleigh or someone to clean you up."

Ella was red with both shame and embarrassment and looked about ready to cry. Eric was comforting, though. "Ella you're going to be fine, okay? I need you to remain calm. I'm going to find someone for you to clean you up and it would be great if they have a pair of spare clean clothes."

"Yay! This is fun!" Eric looked at the child with wonder. She goes through emotions faster than a person talks on helium. Seriously.

Since CSI Calleigh Duquesne could not be found fast enough, the person they visited first was the medical examiner, Alexx Woods. Delko double checked before entering the morgue to make sure she was not examining any dead bodies. Alexx Woods looked up from a file she was studying. She raised an eyebrow at how Eric was handling the child.

"Don't ask, it's too complicated…two things. Do you mind washing her and do you happen to have a spare change of clothes for a girl? She kind of-She just went." Eric placed Ella on the table that the dead bodies usually lay on top of.

"Eric, I don't usually plan ahead for children who urinate in the lab, but I can wash her. What's you name sweetie?"

"How come nobody remembers who I am?" Ella pouted as she looked at Alexx.

Eric, to save everyone the trouble, told Alexx, "This little rascal is Ella. I'm going to head over to the locker room really quick and grab my spare shirt."

Ella giggled at being called a rascal and the whole room smiled with her.

"No more trouble." Eric gave Ella a warning look, but it faltered as he looked upon Ella's cherubic face with its bright innocent smile.

When he had left the room, Alexx looked at Ella. "Okay, sugar, let's get you cleaned up before Eric comes back."

"Who's Eric?" Ella asked with wide-eyed look.

"Sweetie, he was the CSI that just brought you in; you don't know him?" She became a little worried. Why wouldn't Eric tell her his name?

"Oh, that's not Eric," said Ella much to Alexx's amusement, "That's daddy!" It was Alexx's turn to wear a wide-eyed expression. "Everybody's acting so silly today!"

"Well, honey, let's get you washed up." Alexx had no idea what was going on, but Delko had told her to clean the girl, so she turned on the hose. He better have some sort of plausible explanation.