Secrets of the Past

David ran down the beach excitedly. He looked back to see mommy and Adam walking behind him, talking. His mommy was smiling, something he rarely ever saw her do when she wasn't talking to him.

His mom glanced at him. "Davey, stay where I can see you," she called and he waved at her as he smiled.

Then he noticed something shiny in the distance and ran over to it. He dug around the small object and found a pretty little trinket sticking out. He picked it up and hurriedly ran to his mother excitedly.

"Mommy, mommy, look what I found," he called as he stopped in front of them. She bent down to look at his new treasure.

"Looks like a Saw-Tooth Pen Shell, Pinnidae family if I'm not mistaken," Adam said and David cocked his head to the side confused.

"Adam, you're confusing David," his mommy said laughing.

"Sorry buddy," Adam said getting down on his knees in front of him. He liked that about Adam. He always tried to get on his level instead of looking down on him like Jesse and his daycare teachers did. "This shell use to be home to a small shrimp or crab. It used this shell as its home and probably spent most of its adult life in here till moved into a new home."

David nodded, understanding, kinda. "How do we know the crab or shrimp didn't just go out for a walk?"

He saw his mom smile that smile and knew he'd said something silly.

"Because, when a crab or shrimp lives in their shell they carry it with them on their back," Adam said and David got that contemplative look on his face that all kids got.

"Oh, so they take home with them everywhere," he said and Adam nodded. David shrugged and held onto the shell. "Can I keep it?"

"Sure, sweetie, you can keep it," his mommy said and David smiled broadly.

He began jogging again as he held onto his little shell.

"David, food," he heard his mom call and he turned to see his mom and Adam unfolding a picnic blanket Adam had packed. David ran back as Adam pulled out the food he'd picked up for their dinner.

"So, have you had a good day?" Adam asked as he handed David a plate.

"Yeah, I liked the movie earlier, oh, and I liked that place we ate at. The food was nummy," David giggled and Adam smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it," Adam said as he handed a plate to his mommy.

"Thank you. What do you say, David?" His mommy asked.

"Thank you Adam," David said as he giggled.

"You are both welcome," Adam said and they began eating. David looked out at the water and saw the light reflecting off of it.

--

David sat there looking at the sunset and Adam couldn't help but smile. That little speil he had earlier, most kids wouldn't have understood a single word of it but David had, seemed to at least, understand what was said.

"Hello," Kenzie muttered as she waved a hand in front of his face. He heard David giggle.

"Yeah, sorry, I was thinking," Adam mumbled embarrassed.

"I could tell. I asked you why you were spending so much time with me and David since I know you've probably got friends you'd like to visit," Kenzie asked and Adam turned to look at her.

"Not really. I'm more of a loner when I'm not in work. Though I do have my neighborhood. Which reminds me. I've got a game tomorrow, you want to come watch?" he asked and she cocked her head to the side.

"You play a sport?" she asked and he laughed.

"Hardly, just Street hockey. I'm usually goalie but I made a promise to a couple of the neighbors that the next time I had a day off I'd play a game against them," Adam said shrugging.

"Can we mommy, please. I want to see," David said bouncing, having been listening in.

"Sure, what time, and where do you live?" Kenzie asked and Adam looked down and wrote the address down on a piece of paper for her. She took it and looked at it. He noticed she was stiff with her movements. "You live in a suburb?"

He shrugged. No one knew that about him, no one. The closest anyone on the team had been to his house was the time that van blew up at one of the street games. It had been aiming at the house that they'd blown up. No one had ever realized that he lived two blocks from the crime scene.

"So, I live in a suburb, you live in an apartment building. Not much difference besides your neighbors are a lot closer than mine," Adam said shrugging.

"Suburbs are the homes of married couples, kids, and a dog, not a single Crime Scene Investigator such as yourself," she said jokingly.

"Oh-well, I guess I break the mold then," he said shrugging. He was surprised by their banter. It was so easy to be himself around her.

"Mommy, I don't like that," David said and both Adam and Kenzie looked to David as he pointed at the coleslaw.

"Of course you don't," he heard Kenzie sigh. "You don't have to eat it but you still have to eat everything else."

"Yes mommy," David said as Adam took a bite of his own coleslaw. He and Kenzie talked about nothing in particular while David listened. Adam did notice that David watched Adam and copied everything, including what he ate. This meant that David ate everything on his plate.

When they got done Adam picked up everything and they headed back to his vehicle. Adam noticed as he crawled in and fasted David in the carseat that Kenzie had that look. He sighed. She was thinking about work, again.

--

Stella stood in the lab. It was getting late but they still had a perp out there who needed to be brought to justice and there was evidence that needed to be brought in.

She sighed, wishing Adam was there. Adam was good at his job and everyone knew it. He would have found something by now.

They couldn't find the accelerant used since it seemed to be a homemade mix of things, they had no name for the body since the house had been repossessed and there were signs of forced entry. They were getting no where quickly and it was driving Stella nuts.

As if on cue one of the machines went off and she turned around to check out the results. What she found was stunning.

"Nah," she muttered as she reran the test, three times. Still, the test results came out the same each time.

Stella printed out the results and hurried through the lab. She went to Mac's door and knocked.

"What is it?" Mac called.

"I have something interesting you'd most likely want to see," Stella said as she crossed his office to his desk and sat the file she'd printed down.

Mac took the folder from his desk and opened it. She watched as his face changed from his determined one he almost always wore to one of shock she rarely ever saw.

"Is this correct, did you check the results," he asked and she nodded slowly.

"I ran the test four times and each one came out with that same result," Stella said as she watched her boss stand up and begin to pace around his office.

"Do you think she knows?" Mac asked and Stella shook her head.

"No, I don't think she knows. How could she?" Stella asked. Looking at her boss she felt sorry for him. The look on his face was one of sorrow, like he'd been punched in the gut a couple times.

"God, now it all makes sense. How could I have been so blind," Mac muttered and she knew the tone.

"You can't beat yourself up. How were you to know," Stella comforted. She felt weird comforting her usually stoic boss.

"I should tell her," Mac said grabbing for his phone. Then he stopped. "Maybe I could convince Adam to tell her, after all, those two do seem close."

"Don't go getting all protective now, she's a grown woman. She can take care of herself," Stella said recognizing the look.

"How do I deal with this?" Mac asked before sitting down.

"Truthfully, I don't know," Stella said glancing at the file. "I don't know."

--

[Well another chapter done. Can anyone guess what they were Stella and Mac were talking about? Okay, had to ask. Thank you for reading my latest update and please review. Thanks again. TVGirl 09]