Chapter 2

After 3 hours of questioning Alden was released pending further inquiries, he walked out of the station with Art and he looked like he was a broken man, he also looked like he'd been crying. Straight away Beanie pulled her first born into her arms and held him as he started crying, Vaughn placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, he was never good with emotions.

"How's it looking?" Vaughn asked his friend who pulled him to one side to tell him it didn't look good, a lot of it hinged on the remainder of the evidence as well as the DNA.

"I'm going to take Alden home." Beanie announced walking over to her husband and lawyer, she thanked Art and told her husband she'd see him later, she was surprised however when he came after her and followed her to the car park.

"No, we're taking Alden home." Vaughn said opening the door to allow Alden to get into the back. "Do you trust your team and the evidence?" Vaughn asked once Alden was in the car with the doors shut.

"I have to trust that the evidence will prove him innocent because people will be out there to get him all because of his name, I know for a fact that several of the CSI's will be out there against him because of who he is." Beanie admitted thinking of Danny in particular and how vocal he was with his thoughts of how she got her job.

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All the way home Alden sobbed that he didn't do anything, Vaughn had his hand on his wife's knee as she drove with tears streaming down her face. When they got home Alden went to his room where he continued to cry with his mother sat on the edge of his bed stroking his head like she used to when she was a little boy.

"A rumours going around that Alden was arrested for murder." Thirteen year old Belton announced walking in from school and spotting his father sat on the bottom of the stairs, it was unusual for Vaughn to be home that early.

"No he's upstairs in bed, he's not well." Vaughn replied deciding to shield Belton from the truth, he just hoped that the younger 3 children hadn't heard anything. The girls arrived home from school a little while later blissfully unaware but surprised that both of their parents were home at 4pm on a school day; his parents had heard something by the time they brought Carsen home at 4.30. Vaughn walked into the study with his father and told him what was going on, straight away Preston asked how much it would cost for him to fix things and make it go away. "Beanie said that she trusts the evidence, and I trust her judgement."

"Do you think he did it?" Preston asked. Vaughn shrugged his shoulders in response saying that Beanie was adamant he was innocent and again he trusted his wife and how well she knew their kids. "What about your opinion?" Preston pressed.

"I don't know, I honestly don't know." Vaughn replied sitting down and placing his head in his hands.

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Mac was sat waiting for the DNA results; Danny was hanging around to find out what they were. Mac noticed Danny shooting a glare at Beanie as she walked into the lab.

"They through yet?" Beanie asked walking up to Mac; he noticed that she looked very tired. He told her that they weren't but were expected any moment.

"You shouldn't be here." Danny stated walking into the room.

"I run the lab," She responded as the DNA processor died with a beep and hiss.

"She must have done something." Danny accused looking at the machine which Mac was now examining. "Or paid someone to do it."

"Detective I'm warning you now, I've had enough of your attitude and sarcastic comments, and now you're accusing me of tampering with machinery that will prove my son's innocence." Beanie warned with a dark expression on her face.

"Your money won't buy his innocence." Danny spat, Mac went to intervene but Beanie got in there first.

"Go home Detective Messer," Beanie ordered, Danny went to protest but Mac stopped him with his own order telling him to go home and not to come in again until he'd calmed down. Once Danny had gone he also advised Beanie to go home and look after her son, he'd send the samples out to the FBI lab for processing and they'd have the results in the morning.

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"Where the hell have you been?" Vaughn demanded when his wife walked into the house 4 hours later, she looked at the half empty bottle of scotch in front of him and knew he'd be suffering in the morning.

"To the lab," She responded walking past the study and into the kitchen, before she'd gone to the lab she'd ensured everyone had eaten but she couldn't face food. She'd been feeling sick since Mac had walked into her office that afternoon.

"Tampering with evidence?" Vaughn asked following her into the room carrying his full glass with him. "Or have you been trying to work out how we can brush this under the carpet like Dad?" He stumbled over nothing and leaned against the wall for support.

"I'm not talking to you when you're like this." Beanie replied closing the refrigerator door and going to put the kettle on. He simply stood there and watched before saying they could make it all go away, they could pay someone to take the blame. She simply glared at him and walked out of the room telling him he could sleep in the spare room that night.

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Lindsey was furious at Danny for getting himself in trouble with both the director and Mac. He came home and told her what had happened; she didn't understand how he could be so stupid. He was adamant that he'd done nothing wrong and he was right about both the mother and son.

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