A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've been crazy busy with school stuff, ugh. This chapter will have some more about Ken's back story, as well as the main plot. Enjoy!

Chp. 5

Ken Duquesne rarely smoked or drank, but he wasn't what you'd call a health nut, even though he'd been in top physical shape since he'd joined the Seals. But today was different and he'd needed the cigarette, badly. He lit it and looked around the park once again. Ken was proud of the fact that he'd been in Miami three months and managed to avoid his father. Shortly after his and Miguel's arrival, Calliegh had told him their father now lived in Miami. Needless to say Ken couldn't believe the bastard lived in the same city, let alone that Calliegh had anything to do with him. Not after what he'd done.

For as long as Kenny could remember, it had just been him and Calliegh. Their parents had divorced when he was ten and she was eighteen. Not wanting to leave her brother with either her alcoholic father or overbearing, bigoted mother, Calleigh fought for and won custody of her brother. Though it was hard, Ken had good memories of his teenage years. He'd gone out of his way to stay out of trouble, mostly because he didn't want he sister to regret her sacrifice. He remembered how Calleigh had always put him first, working two jobs to make sure he didn't want for anything. The one time he and some other boys gone in trouble for tagging a local neighborhood, the disappointment on Calleigh's had been worse than any punishment he could've received, and it was sufficient to keep then fifteen year old Kenwall Duquesne jr., home until he reached age eighteen. Ken remembered that he owed his sister and that was the reason he was here now. He tossed his cigarette on the sidewalk, crushed it and waited for Duke and Calleigh to arrive.

000

Kenwall 'Duke' Duquesne, sr., was nervous. He hadn't seen his only son in almost twenty years. After he'd moved to Miami, he thanked the good lord above that he'd been able to reconnect with his baby girl. But his son was another matter. Kenwall knew that his son looked at Calleigh like a mother and honored her as such. He'd been amazed when his daughter had fought for custody of her brother and won. But he could see now that being with Calleigh was right where Kenny needed to be. He remembered when she told him that he son was not only in the navy, but also a Seal. Kenwall had read a book about the Seals afterward and his heart swelled with pride every time he thought of his son being a part of this elite group. He felt the hummer come to a stop and was jarred back to the present. "We're here." Calleigh said, then saw the look of genuine fear on her father's face. "Calleigh, I appreciate what you're doing, baby, but I don't think this is a good idea."

"Oh, relax, Daddy. I told Kenny to be on his best behavior and that he better not have a weapon on him. So stop worryin' and let's go."

From the bench he was sitting on, Ken watched his father and sister get out of the hummer and then he looked skyward. "Lord, give me strength, in this my hour of need."

000

Jack's cell phone vibrated on his hip, waking him. He sat up and took it off his hip. "lo'?" he said, rubbing his face to wake himself.

"How's the protection detail going?" Horatio asked.

"so-so." Jack said, stretching.

"How's Sam?"

"He's good, I guess. Scared, doesn't know what's happening. Any ideas who his father is?"

"I wanted to ask Alexx if I could interview Sam; see if we could get a lead."

Jack looked at the bed and watched his charges sleep. "I'll ask her when she wakes up. Want me to have her call you?"

"Do that, please. Thanks, Jack."

"Will do, see ya." Jack said, hanging up.

He stood up and looked out the window. The city moved on below him, even as a little boy's world imploded. Or did it, Jack thought.

Jack went to the nurse's station and got a cup of coffee. He grabbed cream and sugar, and filled another cup for Alex. He didn't know if she drank the stuff, but most cops and related personnel that he knew did. After placing the cups on the tray, Jack pulled out his cell phone and dialed Ken's number. It rang five times before his friend picked up. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I need an assist."

"Doing what?"

"V.I.P protection."

"When and where?"

"Mercy General Hospital. Soon as you can."

"Weapons?"

"Close Quarters, heavy stuff."

"Got it. See you soon."

"See ya." Jack said, hanging up and grabbing his now lukewarm coffee.

"Who was that?" a voice asked, and he turned to see Alexx sitting up. Sam was still out cold.

"Ken; I called to ask for an assist on V.I.P detail."

"V.I.P?" Alexx asked, adding cream and sugar to her coffee.

"Very Important Person, in Delta and Seal Six parlance."

"You mean Sam?"

Jack nodded. "And you by extension. Oh, Dad called; he wants to talk to Sam. That ok with you?"

Alexx smiled. The concern was so like Horatio. "Yeah, if it'll help find this S.O.B."

000

Ken flipped his phone shut and walked back to where his father and sister were sitting. He was grateful Jack had called, because he didn't want to be here, period. What his father had done couldn't be fixed in one afternoon. And in Ken's opinion, he wasn't sure he wanted to make amends. After a minute, he approached Calleigh and his father, and spoke.

"Sorry to cut this short, but Jack needs an assist."

Calleigh started to say something, but Duke quickly jumped in. "That's alright, son. Good to see you." He said, extending his hand.

"You too, dad." Ken said, shaking his father's hand. "See you, Cal."

When Ken was out of sight, he pulled out his cell phone and redialed Jack's number. It was answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jack, thanks for calling. I owe you."

"How do you mean?"

"Calleigh wanted me to patch things up with our dad. We were meeting when you called." Ken said. He'd reached his car and opened the glove compartment, retrieving his sidearm, a Sig Sauer P-226 chambered in 9mm. It was the standard Seal handgun and Ken hadn't left home without during his time in the Seals, and he wasn't about to start now.

"How'd it go?" Jack asked, referring to the meeting. He knew about the former Seal's past and understood the standoffishness toward his father. It was the same for Jack where his uncle Raymond was concerned.

"Short and sour, just how I like it. You call Mike?"

Jack let the change in subject go unnoticed. "Yeah, he'll be here in an hour."

"See you then." Ken said, flipping the phone shut. Then he drove a dinner he'd found during his first week in Miami and ordered bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee. Ken spent the meal trying to figure out a way to make it up to Calleigh, but couldn't think of any way to explain what he'd done that he hadn't used already.

000

After he got off the phone with Ken, Jack called Horatio and told him Alex gave the go ahead to interview Sam. He was waiting in the hall when a nurse showed up with Sam's breakfast. Sam stirred and brightened when he saw Alexx. "Hi, baby. Did you sleep well?"

Sam nodded. "Uh huh. I didn't have any scary dreams."

Alexx smiled. "That's good, baby. Are you hungry? You didn't eat anything last night."

Sam looked away. He was hungry, but he was also embarrassed. "I don't…" He started to say that he didn't know how to feed himself, when Alexx sat in front of him, pick up his spoon and some eggs and put them in his mouth. He looked surprised for a minute before he chewed and swallowed. "Was that good?" She asked with a smile. Sam grinned at her. "Yeah. Tank you, Alwexx."

"You're Welcome, honey."

Alexx continued feeding Sam his breakfast and Jack stood guard outside the door, his .45 automatic big and obvious on his hip, daring anyone to say anything about the fact that Sam was four years old and being fed like he was disabled or something.

Breakfast finished, Alexx decided to tell Sam about Horatio visit and if he wasn't comfortable with, then...

"Sam, baby, a friend of mine is coming to visit and he wants to ask you some questions. Would that be ok?" Alexx asked.

Sam thought for a minute before speaking. "Is your fwiend nice?"

"Yes, very. He's Mr. Jack's daddy."

Sam smiled. "Ok, Alwexx. I'll meet him."

"Ok, sweetie."

000

A/N: Ok; sorry for the cliffhanger. I hate them too when I'm reading a really good story. But I promise to have an update by next Friday, Saturday at the latest.