Note: You guys are definitely getting my interested peaked in writing more for this story.

Chapter Twenty-four: Poster Girl

This time the case was an all hands on deck situation. Delko opted to ride with Ryan leaving Speed to go along with Calleigh. Both Horatio and Jake were already on the scene. On the ride to the scene Calleigh talked almost non-stop about things that didn't really have any relevance. She could sense that there was something bothering Speed but knew that it wasn't something he wanted to talk about. So she tried to dispel the funk he was in by constantly chattering away. Her mother used to tell her that she talked too much when she was younger but really, it was something that she did when she was nervous. By now everyone in the lab was aware that something was going on between Speed and Delko. The rumors and theories were the talk of breaks and lunchtime. She hated knowing that only she and Horatio were aware of the true reasons behind the growing anxiety between the two male detectives. What she didn't know was the true reason why Speed was reluctant to give his heart away.

They pulled up at the scene, neither one of them really aware of what was going on, only that this was an important crime scene. She prayed that it didn't have anything to do with the death of Hagen. Though she was currently dating Jake once again there remained within her feelings for the damaged detective. She wanted to see him returned safely, in one piece. Though she was willing to settle for alive, even if it meant he had to spend a few months in the hospital. If he died…

Alexx was standing in the front yard with an unreadable expression on her face. Calleigh find that slightly disturbing because the medical examiner very rarely let her job get to her. She would talk to the dead in an attempt to keep them alive but aside from that she kept her emotions in check. The only other time Calleigh could recall seeing such a look on Alexx's face was when Speed got shot. There had been that fear that Speed would end up on her autopsy table. Now more than ever she prayed that the scene had nothing to do with Hagen but there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. To her complete surprise Speed reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She offered him a thankful smile. That was when she realized that even though they were all dealing with their own dilemmas they had each other. Maybe when they got back to the lab she would have a word with Speed and see if she could be of any help in the situation between him and Delko. She didn't like seeing the two of them so torn apart.

"How bad is it, Alexx?" Speed asked. The tone of his voice brought Calleigh back to a time when he'd been more himself, back before the shooting. "It isn't…?"

The medical examiner quickly shook her head. "No, it's not Hagen. Bless his heart, may he never have to go through what that poor girl did."

"That bad?" Calleigh heard a slight tremor in her voice.

"I only hope that you guys can catch the bastard that did this to her," Alexx said with a fire in her voice, one that only she could muster up.

The two forensic scientists headed for the small house, their minds each thinking of the worst case scenario. Something had clearly shaken up Alexx and that was never a good sign. She dealt with dead people for a living, they all did. Over the years they'd seen some pretty cruel acts of murder and torture, hatred that went to the extreme. Though the feeling of remorse and disgust never went away it did dull with each passing day, with each heinous crime scene that the processed.

There was a low murmur of voices and the two of them followed them. Calleigh made sure that she was in front of Speed even though she felt weak in the knees. She wanted to see the scene before him so that she could block his way if it turned out to be necessary. Though if it had been one of their own chances are that Horatio would have excluded Speed. They walked into what turned out to be a screened in porch of some sort. The scene caught her by surprise and she stopped dead in her tracks, Speed bumping into her.

There was blood everywhere. The room reeked of it. Furniture had been knocked over, papers had been scattered. The body of a young looking woman lay amongst the chaos. It was hard to make out her features through the multiple wounds, her clothing almost completely shredded. She managed to keep her breakfast down but just barely.

"Meet Heather Graham," Horatio said somewhat sadly.

Speed stepped around Calleigh almost like nothing was wrong. She wondered how he could be so lost one moment and stronger than the rest of them the next moment. "Heather Graham? You mean the girl in the commercials and on all the posters? That Heather Graham?"

"One and the same," Horatio said. The conversation Delko and Ryan were having outside drifted in through an open window.

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" Calleigh finally managed to ask.

"Because she was like one of our own," explained Horatio. "She became the poster child for law enforcement. She went to schools and talked to kids of all ages, told them how they should always ask to see an officer's badge to make sure that it's real. She knew the mayor. She hosted charity benefits for local law enforcement all the time. Because of her we were able to afford a lot of that new equipment in the lab."

Speed settled his kit on the floor in a spot that didn't look to contain any evidence. "Do you think this has something to do with that threat on the lab? Just one more message to us?"

"It looks that way but let's wait until the evidence can say one way or the other," their boss said, looking out toward the backyard where Delko and Ryan were busy looking for clues. "This is one of our top priorities. I want to get this group before anyone else gets hurt."

"What about Hagen?" Calleigh asked as she walked further into the room, having regained most of her composure.

"I sent Jake and Tripp out on a tip," he told them. "If they find anything they'll let us know."