"innocent eyes" - chapter one
Title: innocent eyes
Author: shannyfish
Summary: Story Five in the "American Family Series". The serial killer who targets children is on the loose still and starts to hit closer to home. Horatio and Calleigh start to worry that they’re targets…Emma and Madison in turn…
Category: CSI: Miami
Genres: Romance
Characters: Calleigh Duquesne, Horatio Caine, Eric Delko
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 1 ~ “Another Body, Another Day”
Author’s Notes: a special post-Thanksgiving present! Please remember about the time jump. This story takes place in the future. Two Lives (2007-2009), Love’s Burden (2009), Life Goes On (2010), Love Heals (2011), and innocent eyes starts early 2011.
*~*~*
Caine Residence
“Are you sure you don’t want to just call out today?” Horatio asked concerned. He’d woken up to the sound of Calleigh throwing up in the bathroom. She’d felt sick all morning. “If you’ve got the flu, then isn’t it best that you rest and take care of yourself?” he asked as she dressed. She was much slower than she normally was in getting ready in the morning. Sheryl was already getting Emma and Madison breakfast and was more than willing to do a bit more than he would normally request with Calleigh sick.
Calleigh wanted to take him up on his offer, but she couldn’t. How could she? There was a serial killer going after law enforcement’s children, if she didn’t help to protect them, then how could she expect her own children to be safe? “I’m supposed to take Sheryl to the shooting range and get her certified today,” she said feeling sick again. She slumped down onto the edge of the bed and let her head fall forward, her hair fell around her face, and she tried to suck in breath to push away the sick feeling.
“Calleigh?” Horatio questioned and rounded the bed. He kneeled down in front of her and reached up with his hand to caress her face. He gently pushed her hair back behind her ears, so that it was out of her face. “Sweetheart, I think that it would be a good idea for you to go to the doctor today,” he told her. “How would you feel about Eric taking Sheryl? I’ll take the girls to the lab.”
“How are you going to watch Madison and Emma at the lab?” Calleigh asked looking down at him.
Horatio smiled, “I promise that I’ll care for them. Alexx and Natalia are both there. If I need to, I’ll have one of them come up and stay with them until I can get back to them. Plus, they’ll be well protected in the lab.”
Calleigh nodded slowly, “That could be a good idea.”
“You’ll feel better I think once you know why you don’t feel well,” Horatio told her. He stood up and kissed her forehead. She didn’t feel hot, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t sick. It just meant that she wasn’t running a fever. He wanted her to feel better, even if a small step of it was just finding out why she felt so miserable.
“I don’t think I’m going to eat this morning,” she told her. She pulled in breath and then let out a sigh. “Will you make sure that you take lunches with you, so that the girls will be fed?”
“You think I’d forget to feed the girls?” Horatio asked with a smirk.
Calleigh looked up at him and smiled, “That’s not what I meant.”
“Taking the girls out would bring a higher probability of them being kidnapped,” Horatio said.
“Yes, and this way they get healthy food that we know that they’ll eat. You know Emma gets picky about what she eats sometimes,” Calleigh reminded him. “Plus, she needs her no-spill cup or else you’ll have juice all over your office.”
“Will you come to the lab after your doctor’s visit if you’re feeling a bit better?” Horatio asked. He wanted to see her after her appointment to make sure that she was okay, and to know what the doctor said. He wanted to go with her, but he knew with their current situation that it wasn’t possible. They needed to keep on their case. They needed to find the serial killer before he kidnapped and killed another child.
“Of course.”
*~*~*
Miami-Dade Crime Lab
Eric had taken Sheryl to the shooting range and had gone over gun safety with her. She was surprisingly good. Sheryl was a quick study and Eric actually found himself quite impressed. Since they were done, he’d brought her to the lab to meet up with Horatio, Calleigh, and the girls. He figured that it was best that they all stay together. “See, soon enough you’ll be here.”
Sheryl smiled, “Well, maybe not in the lab.”
“You’re pretty quick,” Eric commented. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up in the lab. You’re one of those people who can do whatever they put their mind to.”
“Thanks.”
Eric led her through the lab and explained where they were as they walked through. He figured that he might as well give her a tour as they headed for Horatio’s office. Why not, right? They were there, might as well make good use of their time. They headed up to Horatio’s office and Eric smiled when he saw the girls waiting around in Horatio’s office.
“Sheryl!” Emma shouted excitedly.
“Hey Turtle!” Sheryl greeted back and scooped up the toddler once she was close enough.
Eric felt a bit unloved as they entered Horatio’s office and found Natalia behind the desk. He looked at Emma in Sheryl’s arms, “What about Uncle Eric?”
“Hi,” Emma said and then laid her head on Sheryl’s shoulder.
He laughed, “Hi Sweetie.” He looked over at Natalia with a smile, “Babysitting?”
“She’s just watching us,” Madison said.
“I’m actually working while I’m keeping an eye on them,” Natalia informed them. “Horatio just stepped out to talk to Frank.”
“New case?” Eric asked.
“There’s another body,” Madison said as she colored on the floor.
“I didn’t say anything about a body,” Natalia said shocked at what Madison had just said.
Sheryl frowned, “She’s been eavesdropping. Horatio isn’t going to be happy about that,” she said aiming her last remark towards Madison.
“What? It’s not my fault they talk loud,” Madison said with a shrug. “I have ears and I know what they’re saying.”
“How bad is it?” Eric asked Natalia.
“D.A.,” Natalia informed him.
“Do we know him or her?” he asked trying to keep the information just between them and not into Madison’s ears. She didn’t need to know about all the death and all the murder that surrounded her on a daily basis. She also didn’t need to know how much danger she was currently in.
“No,” Natalia said with a frown. “Different county.”
“Oh,” Eric said quietly and frowned as well. Any loss was still a loss, especially something as horrific as an unnecessary and unexpected loss of a child. He was a firm believer in parents never out living their children, even though he didn’t have any children of his own, he could only imagine how horrible living on past the death of a child was like. He’d seen the pain in the faces, he could imagine. This just reinforced the fact that Sheryl needed to be able to protect the girls with more than just keeping them locked in the Caine home.
Horatio returned and smiled when he saw that Sheryl and Eric were present as well. “How did it go?” he asked quietly. He didn’t want to make a big deal about it, though he knew it was probably exciting for Sheryl.
“She’s a natural,” Eric commented.
Sheryl shrugged, “It takes some getting used to.”
“Natural at what?” Natalia asked curiously.
“I took Sheryl to the range,” Eric explained.
“I thought Calleigh was going to do that.”
Horatio frowned, “She hasn’t been feeling well. So, she went to the doctor this morning. She thinks she might have the flu.”
“She should drink tea,” Natalia said. “That always makes me feel better.”
“I’ll pass that along,” Horatio said with a small smile. He had hoped that Calleigh would have made an appearance at the lab by now, but he was starting to worry that she was feeling really sick.
*~*~*
Caine Residence
Calleigh Caine was beyond exhausted when she returned home. She was going to call Horatio, but she hadn’t gotten around to doing it just yet. Her mind was racing and her body wasn’t cooperating with not feeling miserable. All she had wanted from the doctor was a miracle pill, one that would allow her to feel better after taking it. She wanted to be able to function fully and not feel sick at a crime scene. But she knew what was wrong with her.
She’d never felt sick like she had at a crime scene, even when they’d dealt with the most awful, horrific, and violent murders…and even when it had involved children in the past. No, the reason wasn’t because she was a mother first or that she was becoming soft and losing her touch. The real reason was biology. She was a woman and with her body came hormones and the ability to create. Inside of her was growing a tiny child, an little unborn baby that was reeking havoc on her body.
Pregnant, it had been something that she’d wanted for months now, but it didn’t seem like the right time and Calleigh knew that it was a horrible thing to think. But right now she felt like her place was out in the field and simultaneously at home in order to protect her girls. She couldn’t stay locked up at home trying to keep them safe, she was too afraid she’d become paranoid. At the same time, being pregnant with another child was something that she and Horatio had hoped for. She had wanted Horatio to be able to experience being a father through every stage, like he hadn’t been able to do with Emma. Of course, Emma wasn’t adversely affected by it, but Calleigh liked to think that Emma would be more clingy with Horatio if she’d had him since birth or even before…
Bonding with a child was something that was truly unique and something that she couldn’t quite describe. She knew that Horatio and Emma had bonded, but not as much as she and Emma had to one another. Emma was truly a momma’s girl. But what else could they expect? Calleigh had raised Emma and cared for her single handedly for the first two years of her life because of her captivity.
She was only a few weeks along, she wasn’t sure if she should even bring it up quite yet. Calleigh liked the idea of waiting until they had caught the serial killer, but at the same time she hated to keep something so vital from Horatio. He should know, she knew that, but she didn’t want him to worry more over her than he was already doing.
Calleigh took the quiet time at home to lie in bed for a while. She knew that she wasn’t going to sleep, how could she? There was far too much to think about…to worry about…to contemplate… But it was rest just the same. It was something that she needed to start to instill in her daily life, especially since she was pregnant. It was something that needed to become mandatory for her.
She picked up her cell phone, which had been resting on the side table and looked at the time. The girls would be returning home soon. She knew that she needed to talk to Horatio, face to face. Calleigh used her phone to text Horatio to let him know that she was going to come into the lab. She didn’t want to miss him because he was returning home with the girls and Sheryl in order to see her. It didn’t take long for him to respond. Eric was bringing the girls and Sheryl home. He wanted her to ride back with Eric. She knew his reasoning. It would be one less thing for her to do…she could relax.
Getting up from her bed, she started to change. She had left in more casual clothes, jeans and a blouse, but with her going into the lab, she decided that she needed to change into more work wear. She sighed as she looked at her closet, she was going to have to buy new clothes soon enough, she wouldn’t be able to fit into her clothes when her belly started to show. Calleigh felt a sad tinge hit her when she thought about it, she remembered when she had returned back to Miami for the first time in two years and she’d insisted to Horatio that all the old clothes that she kept didn’t fit anymore…it had. She would be able to revert to her standard size, but maternity clothes came with the territory of being pregnant, it was just something she’d have to learn to cope with.
She could do it.
Though pregnancy, she feared, would bring back bad memories of her captivity as Abigail Lewis, she knew that she would be safe and cared for this time. She had Horatio and she had so many others. She had access to health care and a hospital unlike the last time. Those both were major pluses. She exhaled as she pulled on her jacket and stared at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. Calleigh knew that from looking at her, no one would realize that she was pregnant…not yet. She ran her hand down the center of her stomach and finally let it rest on her abdomen where she knew that over the next several months it would swell in order to accommodate the child growing inside of her.
She could do it.
Calleigh smiled down at her hand and then heard the front door and let it drop to her side. She tried to think positively. She knew that it wouldn’t push the morning sickness down, but it could make her feel a bit brighter about things. After all, she wasn’t dying. No, this was a miracle…a hope…a wish that had finally come true for her and Horatio. Why dread it? Why deny the happiness that should come with being pregnant? With bringing new life forth… Happiness should really be the only thing on her mind, she decided. Would it be a girl? Another perfect little girl or a boy? A son for Horatio? She knew that though he loved their girls, they both did, a boy would just be the perfect addition to their family.
They would come looking for her; she knew and opened the bedroom door when she heard the footfalls heading in her direction. She picked up her purse and slid her phone inside. She was ready to face the day and the next several months with a new outlook on her situation. A happy one… She smiled down at Emma as she approached her.
“Hi Mama,” Emma said in her high pitched voice. She stood on her tip toes and held out her hand. When her mother took it, she started to lead her towards the kitchen. “Uncle Eric here.”
Calleigh smiled, “Did you have fun with Daddy at work today?”
“Yep,” Emma enthused with a bright smile.
When they entered the kitchen, she immediately noticed that Eric’s face brightened after a moment. He looked suspicious, but that was most likely because Horatio had told him that she was utterly and horrifically sick…and she had been…hours ago…even minutes ago…but now, she was fine.
“Feeling better?” Madison asked concerned. “Natalia said that maybe tea would make you feel better.”
“She did say that,” Eric agreed.
Of course, tea wasn’t going to cure pregnancy, but it wasn’t something that needed to be cured. She smiled politely, “I’m feeling a bit better, and tea would probably be nice, but not at the moment.”
“You’re going to work?” Madison asked with a frown as she took in Calleigh’s clothes. They were definitely work clothes.
“Yes, I need to go see Horatio for a little while and then I’ll be home,” Calleigh promised. “Eric’s going to even drive me there, so you know I can’t take long at the store or anything on the way home.”
“Well, don’t worry about stopping for anything for dinner,” Sheryl said. “I think Madison and Emma can help me make something for dinner.”
“Cookies!” Emma voted.
There was a unison of laughter in the kitchen for a moment before Eric spoke up again, “We should go.”
Calleigh nodded and then leaned down to kiss the top of Madison’s head before crouching down to hug Emma and kiss her cheek. “I’ll be back in a while, okay?”
“A while is a long time,” Madison complained.
“Too long,” Emma added with a pout.
“I know, but I really need to go in or else you know I’d love to stay here all day with both of you and do nothing, but make cookies and watch movies,” Calleigh told them sincerely. Sometimes being someone in law enforcement sucked, it was much harder to call in sick, especially when your husband was technically your boss. Of course, Horatio would have no problem with letting her have a mental vacation, but it never seemed like he was able to have one, so she didn’t see why she could be the only one afforded such a luxury.
“Okay.”
*~*~*
En Route to the Miami-Dade Crime Lab
CSI Hummer
“So, are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” Eric asked as they drove along.
“I feel much better, Eric,” Calleigh insisted. “I appreciate the fuss, but I’m fine.”
Eric laughed, “This isn’t me fussing, I’m just concerned about you.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m fine…really.”
“Alright,” he said after a moment. He stopped at a light and the radio came alive with information on a CSI being needed at a location. He looked up at the street signs, they were close. He had his kit in the vehicle; they were most likely the closest responders. He had told Horatio that he’d bring Calleigh to the lab, and he didn’t think that bringing Calleigh to a crime scene would be good…he didn’t know if she was really feeling better or if it was just a façade that she’d put on.
“That’s close by,” Calleigh said noticing their location.
The light was still red. “I told H I’d bring you to the lab.”
“So, Horatio will just meet us there. We’re close, Eric,” Calleigh said. “I feel fine, I promise. You can’t just stop doing your job because you told Horatio you’d take me to the lab. He’ll most likely be called out to the scene anyway, so technically you’re saving me time in a vehicle.”
“You’re sure?”
Calleigh nodded, “Positive.”
“Alright,” Eric agreed and picked up the radio and told the operator that he was en route to the crime scene. He knew that Horatio would hear and if he didn’t call in, he’d meet them there, just to check on Calleigh. He set the radio back and changed his direction. Maneuvering wasn’t as hard as he thought and soon they were off in a different direction.
They arrived at the crime scene five minutes later. Eric got out and immediately went to the back to retrieve his kit from the trunk space. Calleigh joined him at the passenger’s door. She figured that even though she didn’t have her kit, an extra pair of eyes and a different point of view was always helpful. She decided that she’d be there in more of an observational role, rather than her normal hands on role. It would be a nice change of pace until Horatio arrived and insisted that she could go home after asking her what the doctor said. She knew that he probably really hated the idea of her being out in the field when she wasn’t doing so well.
They walked up and approached the officer standing outside. He was new, it was clear to both of them. “What happened?” Eric asked.
“There was a call put into dispatch about a gunshot,” the officer explained. “When I arrived here, the door was open and the victim could be seen from the doorway.”
“Did you examine inside?” Calleigh asked quickly. There were two things running through her mind, one he could have compromised evidence and two the shooter could still be in the house or in the immediate vicinity. It could be considered a dangerous crime scene. Of course with such a new officer there, she figured it was probably best that he hadn’t swept the residence.
“No, Ma’am,” he reported. “Should I have?”
“Not this time,” Eric spoke up. He understood why Calleigh had asked. He unholstered his gun and watched as she did the same. “I can do it, Cal.”
“I’m not letting you go in there alone,” Calleigh told him. “I’ll watch your back,” she said with a smile. She knew that he wouldn’t just let her go into a building when someone could be gunning for anyone who walked in alone just because he had a cold. She wasn’t going to let him do anything like it either.
They both entered the home and immediately saw the body on the floor in the front room. The victim was a woman in her mid to late forties. She had been shot by a single gun shot to her chest. Eric took the lead as he swept the immediate area before stepping farther inside. He carefully entered deeper into the home, his protective footwear feeling a bit awkward as they always did. The booties that they wore over their shoes in order to protect a crime scene tended to make their jobs a bit harder when they were the ones scanning the house. It was what they had to do though to keep their evidence intact and from being compromised by their presence.
As they checked the last room, they came upon something that meant that they weren’t quite done. A staircase. Of course they knew that the house was a two story, but that just meant that they needed to continue their search on another floor. It would have to start all over again. Eric took the lead once again and slowly walked up the stairs with his gun kept up and at the ready.
Calleigh walked up the stairs behind Eric and then up onto the second floor. There were two rooms and what looked like a bathroom on that floor. They went room by room, but as Eric went to the second room, Calleigh saw a flash of something moving inside. She instinctively started to back up, since the blur was coming towards the door and them. “Eric!” she shouted to alert him that someone was indeed inside.
He backed up a bit and tensed with his gun up as the door swung open. “Miami-Dade Police Department!” he yelled, but it didn’t stop the man. Though the man came at them fast, Eric immediately recognized the gun in his hand. “Put the gun down!” he shouted, but was quickly rushed and pushed into a nearby wall. Eric’s gun went off, but hit a neighboring wall, which injured no one in the process.
“Put the gun down!” Calleigh repeated as he headed towards her in a flash. She fired and she hit him twice, but he didn’t fall until he collided with her and they both tumbled down the stairs in a heap.
“Calleigh!”
*~*~*
TBC…