Six Years Ago...
Elisa had been called out to help with the homicide team. She mostly worked businesses, breaking and enterings and undercover work. Working homicide was not something she normally did, but she was willing to help wherever she was needed.
She had gotten to the scene, a boarded up building in a known drug trafficking area, and helped examine the situation. It was an unfortunate case of overdosage, a young woman with a long history of arrests for drug related issues.
They were packing up to leave the scene to the coroner's team, but Elisa caught a small sound that no one else had seemed to hear.
"Quiet," she barked out.
In the sudden silence, the sound came again. Even with no noise in the room, if she hadn't been straining to hear whatever had made the sound, she would have missed it.
"Is that a cat?" one of the officers asked.
"I don't know," Elisa said. She couldn't identify the sound, but something about it just wasn't sitting right. "You guys go ahead. I'm going to see what that was."
They guys didn't argue, wandering out with mutterings about females and lost animals.
"That wasn't a cat," Elisa muttered to herself.
While the coroner and his assistants did their work, Elisa made a slow walk through of the house. It was freezing cold, due to there being no power on at the house. The woman had obviously been more concerned about her next "fix" than having lights and heat.
Elisa had almost given up, when she caught sight of a small coat closet just inside the door. She hadn't heard the sound in a while, and had almost convinced herself that she had imagined the sound at all.
Not expecting anything, Elisa opened the closet door and found the small wrapped bundle. Curious, she bent down to see what it was when the bundle shifted and a weak cry emitted from the blankets.
"Oh, god," Elisa said. She scooped up the bundle and ran for her car.
She started her car, turning the heater on to full blast. She unwrapped the small baby boy, and tucked him inside of her coat. Using her own body heat to warm the child, she called for assistance. Next she called her partner, Matt, and made arrangements for him to come and pick her car for her.
Once the ambulance pulled up, Elisa bailed out of her car and into the open doors. She sat with the small frame, holding him closely and feeling relief as his cries got stronger on the drive.
A couple of hours later, he had been seen by the doctors and given fluids. He was bathed and put into a clean bassinet in the pediatric unit.
He was slightly malnourished, dehydrated and had a hell of a diaper rash, but luckily that was the only thing wrong with him, other than just being cold from sleeping in an unheated room. In a closet. On a floor.
Elisa was so disgusted over the whole situation. How anyone could create something so precious and not treat it as the miracle it was.
"So, doc, what happens now?" Elisa asked.
"Well," The pediatric doctor rubbed the back of her neck. "First, we call Child Protective Services. They will come and get him and find him a foster home."
Elisa frowned. "When will that be?"
The doctor shrugged. "Who knows. They are busy now that the "safe drop" law has gone into effect, and places that will take in babies aren't as easy to find anymore because they're all getting full."
Elisa nodded, sadly. The "safe drop" law was put into effect to give people a safe place to leave their children, in an effort to stop child abandonment by people who couldn't care for the child. The unforeseen problem was that any homes that were able and ready to care for infants were suddenly full.
Elisa was not happy with the situation, but accepted that it was all that she could do for the time being.
On the way out of the hospital, she glanced at the gift store window and her eye caught on a onesie that looked like it might fit the boy. On a whim, Elisa walked into the shop and bought the little blue and brown striped footed pajamas. Turning, she marched back upstairs with the bag under one arm as she dug in her pocket for her cell phone.
"Maza," Captain Chavez's voice came through loud and clear. "Aren't you off the clock?"
"Crap," Elisa said, noticing the time. "Sorry, Cap."
"I heard about the baby," She said. "Good work."
"Yeah," Elisa said, still asking herself if she was about to do the right thing. "That's kind of what I want to talk to you about."
"What?"
Elisa sighed, and spilled her thoughts out onto her family friend.
"Well," Maria said softly. "Is this something you really want to do?"
"I have the next two days off, Maria." Elisa reminded her. "If it will take the CPS that long anyway, wouldn't it be better for the baby to be in a home with some extra attention than laying in the hospital?"
"Alright," Maria said. "I'll call the CPS Liaison at the hospital. She owes me one, anyway."
Elisa smiled. "Thanks, Cap."
True to her word, Maria had dropped everything and called the hospital's social worker. Within an hour, Elisa was leaving the hospital with an un-named baby that the doctors estimated was around four months old. Matt had picked her car up and after a quick stop at a store, he had driven it to the hospital.
"Elisa," He said in greeting. "I thought I had misunderstood the captain when she told me to pick up an infant car seat. Now…" He drifted off, seeing the tiny bundle in her arms.
"Nope," Elisa said. "You heard correctly."
"I can see that. Are you sure you're up to this?"
Elisa sent him a withering look. "I have younger siblings. I have been around babies before."
He threw up his hands in surrender. "Hey, no offense meant."
"I know," Elisa said. "Sorry. It's been a crappy night, and this little guy has had the worst of it."
He nodded. "I heard about that over the scanner. Good catch, by the way. The cap is having a little 'talk' with the other officers who were there with you and didn't find the little guy themselves."
Elisa strapped the sleeping baby into the rear facing seat. "I hope she doesn't give them too much static. I almost didn't find him either."
"But you looked," Matt emphasized. "You followed your instincts, and saved a life in the process."
Elisa shut the door and grabbed the keys that matt tossed in her direction. "So, what's the plan?"
"First stop," Elisa said with a smile, "is to a store. I need some things."
Matt chuckled. "Mind if I tag along? This could be entertaining."
"Sure."
It ended up being an exercise in patience more than entertainment.
Matt had stopped at every item and quizzed her about what they were for. Everything from formula to teething rings. Elisa was about to do him bodily harm.
"Matt," Elisa said, praying for patience. "I need formula, diaper rash ointment, a couple of onesies, pajamas and diapers. A couple of small toys, perhaps, but that's it."
Matt looked surprised. "But there is all of this cool stuff."
"I'm only keeping him for a couple of days," She reminded him.
Matt nodded. "Sorry. I got carried away."
Elisa smiled. "I understand. Go pick out a toy or two for me."
He took another half an hour, debating the merits of squeaky rubber animals versus a stuffed toy.
Settling on a teddy bear that was almost as big as the baby, Matt insisted that it be a gift from him and paid for it out of his own pocket.
Elisa finally got home in time for the baby boy to announce that it was feeding time. With the practice that had come from helping with two younger siblings, she mixed up a bottle and sat on the sofa while the baby made happy slurping noises.
After a bath and a diaper change, he was happy, full and warm. Elisa placed rolled up towels under her comforter around him so that he couldn't roll off and laid him down to sleep on her bed.
With a sigh, Elisa stood and stretched. As quietly as possible, she undressed and got into her favorite pair of sweatpants and oversized Columbia tee. Gently, she crawled under the covers and slept.
She was awoken a couple of times that morning for feedings and changings, but she didn't mind, knowing that she didn't have to work that night. Besides, he really was overdue for a little extra attention.
Around noon, she called her mother and explained what had happened. Her mother understood the situation, and agreed that Elisa did the right thing by taking him home.
"Poor baby," Her mother said in sympathy. "What is his name?"
"We don't know," Elisa admitted. "We don't have an i.d. On the mother yet, so we haven't been able to find his birth records. We don't have a name or birthdate yet."
"What can I help with?" Diane asked without hesitation.
"Do you still have any of our old baby furniture?" Elisa asked.
"No, sorry honey," Diane said. "But I do have a neighbor who was just talking about selling the crib that they had bought for when their grandchildren came up to visit. I'm sure they won't mind lending it to you for a few days."
"That would be wonderful," Elisa admitted. "I'm half afraid I'm going to roll over onto him."
"I will head your way as soon as I can."
"Thanks mom."
Two hours later, Elisa met her parents at the door with the dark wood crib. "Wow," Elisa said in surprise. "This looks brand new."
Diane shrugged. "The grandchild in question only came to visit twice, so it was barely used."
"Thank them for me when you get the chance." Elisa said, marvelling at her luck.
"I will," Diane said. "Do I get to meet this young man?"
Elisa grinned. "Sure."
Between the three of them, they were able to put the crib together in the living room with a minimum amount of swearing . The whole time, they switched out as to who was holding the baby.
Much cuddling and cooing followed from everyone… Even Elisa's hard as nails ex-cop father.
"What are we going to call him?" Peter Maza asked. "We can't just keep calling him 'The Boy'. It is weird."
"It's only for a few days, dad. I think it should be up to the new parents what his name will be." Elisa said.
Peter shrugged. "Just a thought."
"Uh, huh," Elisa and Diane chimed in together, laughing.
Her parents left just before 5:00 that evening, with promises to come and visit again soon.
The baby was worn out from all of the attention, and Elisa was tired herself from the lack of sleep. Elisa laid him down in his new bed, covered in his new blanket, and curled up in a corner of the couch with a blanket of her own.
She had no intention of actually going to sleep, though. Sunset was only about an hour away, and she was in the habit of being outside to greet Goliath when he woke for the day. Elisa turned on a cheerful comedy show, and tucked her feet under herself.
Within moments, she was asleep herself.