fanfic by Draco_lizard


Chapter 1
She glanced around nerviously, wondering how much longer she would have to wait wearing these restraints.
She knew that someone from the Miami-Dade crime lab was comming to pick her up soon but the exact time
was not known. She had just endured a hour flight with a load of gawking passengers. But this was nothing
new, she had learned to ignore their peircing gazes and muffled whispers. Now seated in the security room
of the Miami International airport she only had a guard to listen to. He was singing along to some golden
oldie song watching the security cameras, checking over his sholder fequenty to see if she was still there.
During his inattention a man entered the room, he had golden-red hair and the purest blue eyes she had
ever seen.

"Excuse me, i'm LT.Horatio Caine from the MDPD crime lab. I'm here to pick up Daku."He inturupeted the
guard.

"Ah yes sir....thats her there. I just need you to sign this and she's all yours." He was startled and a
bit embarresed. He handed over the forms which were proptly signed and returned.

"Would you follow me to the car?" Horatio asked. His voice was deep and entrancing,she stood there for a
minute. Then

His 'car' turned out to be a silver hummer, he opened the back door and waited for me to get in. It was
humid and hot outside in the sun but the airconditioned interior was cool and confortable. The drive was
short being that it was still early in the morning so there was little traffic. We arrived infront of a modern
designed building, it had a curved front and large palms. Apon approching the building he grasped her
restraints and led her inside, officers and people parted to eachside of the hallway to the elevator. A
blonde-haird woman approched showing no fear unlike the others.

"Good morning Mrs.Duquesne." He greeted her as they entered the elevator.

"Good morning to you too handsome." She smiled back at him. "Is this her?"

"Yes, it took me awhile to find out where they had her at, but at least she was on a morning flight
otherwise we might have not made it out of the airport." He glanced her way when the doors slid open.

"Everyone is in the layout room right now, Ryan and Eric are probably at eachothers throats by
now."She laughed.

"Well we better hurry if we want something to get done without having to listen to them bicker for the
rest of the day."He sighed.

He walked out with Calleigh towards the layout room glancing back to see tha Daku was following close
behind scanning her surroundings. The amount of glass made it impossable to go unnoticed, heads jerked
out around the corners then back at the site of their boss. They entered the room to find that
Calleighs predictions were correct and as they had inturupted a heated arguement.

"Okay thats enough. Where is Alexx?"He asked.

Natalia closed her phone."She's...."

"I'm right behind you baby." She snuck in behind them."Had one with more gun shot wounds than I could
count. So she must be what all the fuss is about today."

Daku's stance swayed slightly, Tired from the flight and the lack of sleep due to paperwork the past night.
She sat down on the floor for fear that if she didn't, she would fall down.

"H, I think she would feel better if we take those off." Ryan said pointing to the restraints.

"Why don't you do it, or are you afraid Wolfe?" Delco replied mockingly.

"I will do it." Horatio said unsure what the results would be of his actions.

Chapter 2

Horatio made his movements slow not to prevoke any reprocussions. He carefully undid the clips and
removed the muzzle that restrained her. Daku shook her hear approvingly to be released from the
uncomfertable device. Relived that nothing dramatic had occured every let out a long suppressed sigh
of relief.

Daku sat there observing each one of there actions toward her and eachother. Horatio seemed to be the
one in charge of the rest, his stance suggested authority but very friendly, cociderateand sad at the same
time. Alexx was was very like a mother figure to them all. Ryan was a jokster, possably to try to prove he
was good enough, yet very nervious and caustious. Eric seemed to be somewhat mad at the world, like too
much had been taken away from from him. Natalia always seemed to want to help, butholds something
back. Calleigh was the gossip girl, always knowing the latest news in the lab.

"So who's the Miami Dragon?" Frank questioned entering the room. He was already sizing her up, deciding
how much of a threat she was.

She growled at the remark bareing her teeth, causing everyone to tence at the sudden aggression. Horatio
was haveing second thought about his decision to intagrate the 10 foot long creature into there team.
Police departments around the US were starting to use them, many have shown promising results but there
were also the cases of them mauling the handelers. But if they couldn't trust her in a calm enviroment how
would they deal with it during a stressed time at a scene? They had displayed extream intellangance, close
to that of humans. Their sence of smell could even surpass that of a blood hound, able to detect small
traces of blood or buried bodies. But he also noticed that unlike the ones that he had seen, she was much
larger and was almost silver. A tall, stiff dedp red mane ran from her head to half way down her tail. The
others were a green-brown and only around 6 feet but they had shown less intrest in their lab inviroment.
He had asked for one with a little more eagerness and intrest but not one that was as long as a car.
Horatio left them all to there cases making his way to his office, Daku following close behind.

"So what is she the new PD K-9?" Tripp laughed after Horatio and Daku left.

"Yeah, shes taking your yob." Eric remarked causing everyone to smirk. "H thought she might help us
prosess cases faster, to make sure we don't miss anything the first time."

"Just wait until IAB gets wind of this." Tripp said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horatio entered his office to find Stetler sitting behind his desk. Daku could tell that this man was not
liked, she didn't like him even. She wasn't sure why but something was not right with him, she stood
just inside of the doorway. Rick got up and took the seat at the front of the desk, allowing Horatio
to take his chair.

"So why do I have the honor of you presance, Rick?" Horatio questioned coldly.

"That is the reason." Rick remarked pointing at Daku. "Who's paying for its houseing and food. Not the
department, I suggest you get rid of it soon before it causes problems."

"The only problem Rick, is you and don't worry about where she is staying. So if you don't mind, leave,
I have files to review." Horatio commented hopeing Rick would get his point.

Stetler made his way to the door stopping infront of her. "This isn't over Horatio."

"No Rick, it has only just begun." Horatio watched as Daku's gaze followed Rick down the hall. "It would
be best if you avoided him entirly."

She snorted in aggeement, he would be a problem. The couch looked so inviting and she was so tired,
she layed down and curled up into a ball. This place seemed safe unlike many of her previous homes.
For once she was able to let her guard down and sleep.

After about a hour of paperwork Horatio got a call that he was needed in the field. He was about to
wake her but decided against it. He sent Alexx a text stateing that he had to go and he was leaving
her to rest in his office and asked if she would check on her if he wasn't back in an hour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His hour turned out to be three, and now he was rushing back to the lab, only to find that she was
gone. His first thought was Stetler but decided not to get ahead of himself. He found her in the mourge
with Alexx perched on top of a stool observing an artopsy. She was far more alert and inquisitive now
than when they first met. She jumped down and ran up to him chirping a greeting and walked beside
him closely as he approched Alexx.

"Seems like she has taken to you Horatio."

"That it does. Sorry it took so long." Horatio said smiling down on Daku.

"No problem baby, she was no trouble. Heard that you had a run in with Stetler."

"Yeah, he's going to try to make things difficult."

"When is he not difficult honey. Well i'd love to chat I have to finish this one up and get home." She
laughed as she put in the last stich.

"Thanks alot. Have a good night." He waved to her as he walked out, Daku followed.

They walked back yo his office were he had to sign a few files. Daku stood patiencly by the door and
chirped at Alexx as she made her way out the lab.

"See you tomarrow." She said as she walked past.

Horatio signed the last file tossing it in his out-box. He sighed for tomarrow before his shift his in-box
would be full. He graped his jacket of the back of his chair and the made there way to his hummer.

They entered his condo and she stood in the middle of the living room looking around. It was simple as
she expected, the basics, a tv, sound system, and a plush couch. She imediatly went towards the couch
but stoped short. Perhaps he would get mad if she just made herself at home, She laid on the floor as he
made is way to his room to change. He returned in a pair of sweats and a tee shirt, and sat down.

"You don't have to sit on the floor. Come on up here."

She looked at him unsure, he seemed somewhat to enjoy having her around. She joined him on the couch,
curling up at the other end and drifted off, for once in a long time she felt wanted.

Chapter 3

She awoke to find him sleeping on the couch, the tv was on but the volume was turned down low. She
got up slowly not to wake him and turned the tv off, she slowly crept to the kitchen and retreaved a
glass from the cabnet. The refrigarator was pretty much empty, so she settled for water. She started
searching for something to eat, she could tell he didn't spend much time at home, all there was to eat
was the bare neccessities. Ah this would be fun nothing to eat but peanut butter, mayo, old bread,
and ......gold. She quickly confiscated the candy bar and devoured it. Staisfied she returned to the couch,
it was only 3am and she was still tired, so she decided to take a chance. She curled up close to Horatio
resting her head gently on on his lap.

Despite her atempts Horatio awoke when she was getting a glass but let her get it on her own. It had been
so long since there was someone else with him, he had been alone so long. He had to have some sort
of background noise to sleep anymore. He reached for the remote instinctivly, then put it back down. He
listened as she purred softly in her sleep and stroked her mane.There were long liner scars across her
back, apperantly from being abused and beaten. He wan't alone anymore, no one else was going to hurt
her and he too drifted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daku awoke only seconds before Horatio's alarm on his phone went off. He quickly silenced the annoing
device and sat there. She sat up and looked at him, and he saw what to be a smile.
She yawned revealing a row of sharply-pointed teeth, how could such a creature be so gentle. She
stood streaching her cramped muscles and went for another glass of water. He followed shortly after
and started his coffee. He left her atanding at the sliding watching the sunrise and jumped into the shower.

He returned in his work attire grabed his cup of coffee and sipped at it while examing his bare frig.

"I guess were grabbing breakfast on the was in." He grabbed the keys and locked the door behind them.
Suddenly he felt a pang of guilt, she didn't eat anything yesterday which he found to be true after
consuming four breakfast wraps. "I defantly have to go shopping if we want to eat."

He retreived an envelope from the front desk and continued on his route around the lab. After saying
good morning to every member of his team he went to his office. His in-box was already half full, he
hoped for once he would be wrong.

"H." Eric came bursting in the room."I got a lead, Aa Aaron Lawter. Found the guys house address."

He gave Horatio the address and ran out to the hummer.

"Oh I almost forgot."Horatio reached for the envelope and reveiled a badge on a lanyard placing it around
Daku's neck."Let's go to work."

Traffic was light so the trip only took around a half hour. Horatio removed his sunglasses and tucked
them away. The house was on a cliffside, the rear of it on stilts. From the front door the sweet, matallic
smell was almost overwhelming, blood.

"MDPD open the door!" Eric yelled as he nocked. When there was no answer and movment was heard he
kicked down the door.

Daku entered first followed by the others with their weapons drawn. In one of the bedrooms was a dead
body causing the overpowering presents of blood, stabbed multiple times. She cleared the rooms one by
one comming to the last door. It was cracked open, she nudged it open expecting to find no one inside.
But thats the opposite of what was there, she saw the gun only moments after the suspect fired off a
round. It caught her in the shoulder and she let out a loud yelp, but instead of fleeing she charged. She
caught a second in the side. She hit him at full force sending him spralling to the floor, the gun thrown
from his had. He laid their with his hands in the air pleading for her not to kill him. Horatio and Eric rushed
in thinking they would find her dead but realized that there suspect was at greater risk. She was bleeding
from her wounds but that didn't stop her, she had backed him into a corner causing him to be more than
happy to be put in the back of the squad car that arrived shorly after the inncident occured.

The medical unit showed up moments before Ryan and Alexx who rushed over to inspect her wound. Her
side was only grazed but the other was imbeded deep. She was starting to get lightheaded and dizzy.

"Not a good way to start of you day baby.They will take care of you, I'll be back to check on you." Alexx
reassured.

"Mr.Wolfe will you look after her while I help Alexx?"

"No problem H." He helped her outside of the house to the ambalance. She sat in the grass trying not to
pass out.

The EMT wasn't sure what to do but treated it as a human case. She sat there calmly as he removed the
bullet from her left shoulder. He carfuly stiched the wounds and bandaged them, afraid she might turn on
him if he inflected any more pain. If she wasn't sore from sleeping on the couch she was now. The
excitement had masked the pain but now the dull throb was starting to grow. She returned to the hummer,
opened the door and climbed in the very back, all she wanted to do at that moment was hide. She was
regreating eating such a large meal at once, hoping she could keep it down.

"Where is she?"Horatio questioned Ryan as he came to examin the crime scene.

"In the back of your hummer, her adrenalin is starting to subside so she's starting to fell that bullet now."

"Not a plesant feeling I can say that much." Eric replied recalling that day in the parking lot when he was
shot."I think we can finish up here H."

"Okay let me know when you get back to the lab what you found." He slipped on his sunglasses as he walked
back to his hummer and opened the back hatch.

He found her curled up in a tight ball shivering behind the seats, a reaction obviously from shock. He put
down his kit and grabed the spare blanket and covered her. He had already failed to protect her, she
could have been killed. Alexx came to meet him, looking her over from a distance.

"She will be okay Horatio, she's just a little shaken." She saw that his mind was elsewhere, probably
recalling Speed's death, his brother or Marisol. "Horatio?"

"Yeah, okay. Um... do you want a ride back to the lab?" His tone was hushed. Today's events had shaken
him also.

He circled to the passenger side and opened the door for Alexx, then seated himself in the drivers side. He
stared off down the road for a moment before starting the vehicle. Alexx said nothing knowing exactly what
he was thinking, he was blaming himself for what happened.

Horatio opened the door for Alexx then went to the back for Daku. He picked her up and asked Alexx to
shut the back and grab the door to the lab for him. He took her back to his office and placed her on the couch.

"Will you be okay by yourself for a while?" He asked her, he had to question Lawter.

She nodded then covered her head with the blanket. The darkness was comferting and consuming. Horatio
closed the blinds and left her to rest. His phone rang, he could guess who it was.

"What have you got Eric?"

("We IDed the DB as Stephanie Taylor, but the murder weapon was not found.")

"Okay thank you Eric." He snapped his phone shut as he entered the interrigation room where Lawter was
sitting.

"Mr.Lawter where is the knife that was used to kill Stephanie?" Horatio stood looking out the honeycomb
grated window.

"I didn't kill my girlfriend."

"Well who did Mr.Lawter?" Horatio set down his sunglasses on the table and stood behind the suspect.

"I don't know. I came home and found her on the floor dead." He fidgeted nerviously.

"Why where you in the back with the gun?"Horatio walked over to the oppisite side of the table and looked
him in the eye.

"I thought that maybe they had come back. I didn't do anything wrong." He blurted out, unable to make
eye contact with that cold stare.

"You shot one of my officers, that is attempted murder my friend." He grabbed his sunglasses as he walked
out. "Book him." He told Frank as he walked towards the elevator.

Chapter 4

Daku walked down the hallway, people steering clear of her. She came upon the locker room and entered.
Most were reconizable; Caine, Delco, Duquesne, Boa Vista, Woods, Speedle and Wolfe. "Wait, who is
Speedle?" she thought, she never meet him. Inside was his vest, lab coat and a few pictures. But there
was something else, a news paper clipping. 'MDPD CSI Timmothy Speedle killed in action' it read, she
scanned through the text. He must have been a great loss, he had died three years ago and they still keep
his things in there place. She was startled when she turned to find Horatio standing there watching her.

Horatio was looking around the lab after he found her gone once again. He was suprised where her found her,
he almost stopped her when she reached into Speed's locker but waited to see what she would do. She had retrived the clipping and appeared to be reading it. 'That's nuts, she can''t read' he told himself. She jumped
when she saw him which she regreted. A shooting pain ran up her injured side. Horatio just stood there and
smiled at her as she replaced the paper where it was and closed the door. She saw guilt in Horatio's face,
why? Turning back, she looked again to the name ' Does he blame himself for this persons death?'

They walked together to the bullistics lab when they were stopped by Stetler.

"Horatio I need to talk to you, alone."

Daku looked to Horatio, he nodded to her to continue on without him.

"What is it Rick?" Horatio was not looking forward to another debate.

"I think you should do a little backgroung check on your new pet." He handed Horatio a manila folder and
walked away.

Horatio flipped open the folder to see what Rick had on her. Nothing stood out:Daku DOB May 1987. What is
this, she was found and abrehended after assulting an officer. He diled Yelina's number.

"Yelina I need a favor, can you find me information on a rapter named Daku. Okay thank you." He placed his
phone back in his pocket and went on his way to the bullistics lab.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horatio entered to find Calleigh laughing at something Daku quit doing just as he walked in.

"Did I miss something funny?"

"No Horatio nothing at all." She was still trying to supress her giggles.

"What did you get on the bullet?"

"Well Lawter's gun isn't his, it's registered to a Joshua Chase."

"Let's bring Mr.Chase in, you and Eric question him."

"Don't you want to do it?"

"No i'm leaving early today I have plans."

"A date with a girl?" She was suprised, Horatio never left early or called in sick.

"Um you could say that I guess." He gave her a grin.

They returned to his office where he threw the file in the trash and took something from his desk. He had
the muzzle in his hand and steped towards her. She backed away not wanting that thing on her. He held
out his hand which caused her to cower, she had been beaten.

"I'm not going to hurt you, you know that you can trust me. But you have to have this on to be outside
when were not on a case."

She knew that he wouldn't hurt her but something told her otherwise. All those people that said those same
words and hurt her so badly. She had learned not to trust people anymore. He was different, she could
count on him. She stepped forward placing her snout in his hand, he slowly slid on the muzzle and secured
it then clipped on the leash. Does he really think a muzzle would stop her if she wanted to harm someone.
Come on, she was a ten foot raptor with claws and teeth. He didn't know that she knew how to remove
the thing from her but left it, he would get in trouble if she did that and she had caused enough trouble
just being here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Horatio tried to ignore the stares he was getting but found it very difficult. He decided to take them to a
small secluded spot that he went to when he needed to get away from ot all. It took about an hour to get
to but it was well worth it, right in the egde of the glades with no one living close by. He was intregued at
her reactions to their surrounding,alert yet relaxed after he removed that damned muzzle.

A small pond was teaming with frogs and fish, a tempting buffet. She found a falled tree that overhung the
water and perched upon it waiting for a chance to grab a tasty morsal. Her first few failed attempts were
followed by laughter from Horatio. She turned to him giving him a cruel smirk and dove into the water.
She surfaced a few minutes later with a large fish that was almost two feet long. She climbed back on
her tree and started to eat the fish then stopped. She carried it over to him and offered it to him.

"I will wait for the next one." He found that he was somewhat hungery now and there was nothing
really at home to eat.

She ran back and dove back in and returned with another smaller fish. Placing it at his feet she cocked
her head to the side waiting. He got some dead wood and started a small fire in the shade and placed
the fish on a fashoned skwer and cooked it. He found amusing how she followed his actions and cooked
her's as well. She quickly devoured her fish and and basked in the sun's warmth.

"Let's get going, we have been here for three hours, try at least to get home before dark."

Chapter 5

Horatio awoke to the smell of fresh coffee. He was happy it was a saturday and he wasn't expected at
the lab.There was bound to be talk around the lab about him leaving early yesterday but he really didn't
care right now. He looked over to his clock next to the bed, 'Oh shit its noon.' He junped out of the bed
knowing half of the day was gone not that he really had anywhere to be. The week passed but very
uneventful after that shooting at Lawter's house. Lawter confessed a few days later to his girlfriends murder.
Daku had located the knife that was hidden under a floorboard the next day with the victim's and suspect's
blood on it.

He found her in her usual place, gazing out across the turquoise waters of Miami. She had a cup of coffee in
her hands sipping at it once and a while, something he didn't think that her kind would like. A discovery she
had made after being restricted to the lab and no field work, hours of roaming the halls she had stumbled
upon it in the break room. She went to the table and sat down, placing her cup down she retrived her
notebook from a stack of files and a pen. She loved to draw, anything really but it was animals she seemed
to enjoy the most. Horatio was going to have to get her a sketch book for there were few clean sheets left
in the note book. Many Miami shore birds filled the pages but there were some that were not native to florida
and he had no books so she must be drawing them from memory. She looked to him scenceing something.

Horatio was annoied to hear his phone go off, he found it in his coat hoping that the weekend shift could
handle things on their own. It was Yelina who was calling.

"Good morning, well afternoon Yelina."

("Just wake up Horatio?")

"You caught me, whats going on?"

("It's your day off your allowed. I have that information you requested, took me awhile to really find anything
but its very interesting. You want me to drop it by while im in the area?")

"Sure if you would, see you later then."

Yelina was there in ten minutes with a file that was a half inch thick. She jumped when Daku opened the door.

"Horatio?" She called unsure if she would be allowed to enter by this thing.

"Yelina come in she won't hurt you.Daku let her in please."

Daku closed the door and returned to the drawing she was working on. She returned and went to the printer
to get a sheet of paper for a new picture.

"Is that who the files are about?" Yelina watched as she went back in the other room.

"The one and the same. What did you find?"

"A lot." She handed him the hefty file."I can't stay so I will see you later."

He walked her to the door before returning to the couch. He opend the file and read it to himself. She had
been sold to a company shortly after birth to a research company then there was no trace of her for a few
years. She has had eight different people have her in the past five years, the last was charged with illigal
fighting of animals but it wasn't just dogs and chickens. She was on that list of seized animals, she had
been forced to fight to eat, to sleep, to even live. No wonder she feared that muzzle, they had probably
put it on her, restrained her and beat her if she lost. Made him feel all the better that she wasn't going to
have to wear that thing much longer, he had ordered her a custom kevlar vest and harness that should
arrive on monday. He saw that she was not very trusting of people but now he understood why. He
wondered if she trusted him or if she regarded him as another person that was going to use her for their
own personal gain.

The rest of the day draged on uneventful, they watched a few movies and Horatio attemped to cook dinner.
It was a little overdone but she didn't care or complain. She was grateful to have a good home and someone
that cared about her. She had returned to her drawing, this one was unlike the others. It was of a red and
orange firebird flying with a silver dragon, the dragon oddly closely resembled her. She had falled asleep at
the table with a pen in hand. He put her things away before comming back for her. He went to pick her
up causeing her to recoil to his touch, then relaxed knowing it was him. He placed her in his bed, she never
slept where he left her. If he put her on the couch and hour later he would find her on the floor next to
his bed. Nights he took the couch she would be there on the floor below him, she didn't want to be alone
it seemed. She never really slept either, three hours at the most, she was awake most nights keeping watch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He awoke the next morning, it was sunday just like anyother to the smell of coffee. She had been up for
some time, if not all night. Drawings scattered on the table, all of that same firebird. He picked one up and
looked at it closely, it surpassed his drawing abilitys not that he really had any. But exceded what he would
have thought, every feather was painstakingly detailed, but what was interesting was the bird had clear
blue eyes, strange for a fire entity. Then it hit him, she was drawing him, he was that firebird to her. He
laughed at the thought until she snuck up behind him and poked him in the back with her snout. She handed
him his cup then sat in her place and started on a new project, the silver dragon again. She stopped mid-line
and got up returning with his cell phone. Seconds after she set it ont the table it rang, he had a text
message that a package had come in the day before to him.