Disclaimer: While the ideas expressed here are my own, they're based upon the characters and themes of CSI-Miami and its multi-talented team of artists. As far as I know as of this date, 03/03/08, they have no basis in reality and aren't drawn from any known events, whether occurring in the past, currently in progress, or pending investigation and reporting.

Jennifer was hurrying between classes when she saw the weird truck parked just off the quad where she lived. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, so most of the girls avoided it. Unfortunately for Jen, Resden had dated her just long enough to know what sort of ugliness sparked her curiosity. He'd purchased the truck with her in mind and waited behind the wheel for her to come examine it.

He watched in dismay as she swerved to skirt his bumper and fled in the opposite direction. Plainly she'd either seen something that frightened her, or had spotted him behind the wheel. In either case, it was time to execute plan "B" and call in his associates to assure that she came to him, whether she wanted to or not.

He'd been lonely long enough, thanks to a certain Lieutenant in Miami. It was time to help his love see reason, where he was concerned. Unfortunately for Jennifer, his idea of reason often involved force if his target couldn't or wouldn't see things his way.

Resden made a quick call to his hidden army and they immediately swung into action. Jen, however, was very quick on the uptake. She saw her attackers coming for her and swung into a building full of medical students in the middle of their classes, instead of heading towards her dorm as she'd done every day since he'd found her.

When Resden saw the big, black cop car and the spinning cherries, he knew his goose was cooked. Even then he didn't lose hope that his cronies would catch his fleeing sweetheart and bring her to him once they'd bailed him out of jail again. He didn't realize that by blatantly ignoring her latest Permanent Restraining Order, he'd condemned himself and his henchmen to lengthy prison terms.

"Mr. Resden," Sargeant Marcus said sternly, "step out of your vehicle and assume the position. Miss Walsh filed a Permanent Restraining Order on you the moment she moved here to complete her education. Violating that PRO also violates your parole, so we're hauling you in until we've contacted your parole officer (PO). When he's returned our calls, you'll be going away for a very, very long time."

"Ah, my guys'll bail me by the end of the day tomorrow."

"Sir, we take a VERY dim view of kidnapping here. It's now a felony offense in New York State, particularly if a woman can prove she was being stalked by the one who tried to take her." Here Officer Malchior paused to catch his breath and was interrupted by Resden's snide, "Oh, and she's got the evidence of this?"

"Yup, sure does," echoed Detective Elweese. "You forget that she was a cop's daughter, that you murdered her parents, and that she's got a very long memory. She's got roots and connections in this town you haven't a clue about, so you won't see daylight for quite awhile."

"Oh yeah?" He sneered bravely, or brave for Walter at any rate, "who's to say I don't have a few links here, myself?"

"Thanks for the info, stupid," Mac Taylor snickered. "We'll be sure to round up your posse, too. I'm sure they have A LOT to say about your activities in our fair city."

Resden's face clouded with frustration. No matter what he did or said, these guys had an answer for it. Now that they knew about his plans for Ms. Walsh, he'd be lucky to get out of jail at all. And if Lieutenant Caine were told of his incarceration, he'd NEVER see the light of day again.

"Oh, and Mr. Resden," Mac added thoughtfully, "you can forget about Jennifer Walsh forever. She's about as interested in you now as she is in falling under a bus."

"So when Caine told her who I was to her really, she was totally turned off, was she?"

"You could say that. She went to extraordinary lengths to avoid you while she was still in Miami, and then transferred schools back to her old stomping grounds so she's get the protection she needed to get on with her life."

"But I love the girl and want to marry her."

"That's not love, Walter," Detective Elweese replied softly. "True love accepts the truth when your sweetheart doesn't want to see you any more. True love lets go instead of clinging to its object like Saran Wrap TM(remember that? The TM isn't a typo, Saran Wrap is a licensed product of Dow Chemical Corporation.)

Jennifer stood quietly, shaking a bit, as the detectives booked her former boyfriend. There were three things she knew he'd kill to get from her, one of which was her heart. She wasn't about to let the man who'd killed her parents have a shot at her; so she thanked Detective Taylor and his crew and left the area immediately after Resden was safely situated inside the squad car.

"Keep me in the loop, Mac, as to when Mr. Resden's cronies bail him out of here, please," she said tiredly. "I'll need advance warning if I'm to elude him once he's out of here."

"I've got your pager number, Jen," Danny said soothingly, "I'll 911 you when he's out so you can scram."

"Oh, I'm not about to go anywhere, Danny. I'm done running away from odious men and their evil machinations. I've purchased a firearm and learned to use it. He'd be better off staying away from me, instead of the other way around."

Mac wasn't surprised to hear this, as he'd been one of the Walsh's closest friends; along with Horatio and his friends at Precinct 91 in the Bronx. She'd been a scrapper as a young kid, and now had a couple of decades to add to that. He knew she'd be okay, but wasn't so sure Resden understood the danger HE was in.

He remembered fondly how she'd handled an incident just after her eighth birthday. Apparently some bully chick, her words not his, got it into her rather dense skull to steal her favorite CD by force. Jen had decked the lunatic before she'd even gotten close enough to touch her, been sent to the principal's office, and sent home for three days for fighting at school.

Required to apologize to the bully, Jen had made sure BOTH sets of parents were present when she did it. She'd sincerely apologized to the oaf, who'd then proven her point by saying, "Yeah, but I'll still get the CD from ya, so just hand it over now and I won't hit ya too hard."

Upon hearing that confession, the bully's parents had sought out the principal, withdrawn their daughter from the school, and vanished from the neighborhood. Apparently, no one liked tangling with the Walshes over ANYTHING, much less a treasured possession.

Together both divisions had kept a close eye on the girl as she matured into the beautiful woman she now was. She'd flowered into a warm, sensitive, and intelligent young lady in spite of losing her parents so early in life. That she'd acquired an attitude along the way was now apparent.

Not that he blamed the lady. She'd been through a hell of a lot just in the past three years. She'd bid adieu to her cherished condo in Miami, taken on a full class load at NYU, and was an intern with the Criminal Profiling Unit. He'd spoken with her mentor there and learned that she was outpacing her teachers, which again didn't surprise Mac. She was a dedicated rookie who couldn't stand to see a single tear on a child's face, because she'd suffered as a child, herself.

He knew that she'd inherited a lot of her empathy from her own situation after Resden had murdered her parents to get at Horatio. He knew he'd have to speak with his pal from Miami and discover what had driven him out of Manhattan if they were to trust each other as they needed to in the future. He'd seen the driven look on Horatio's face when he'd learned that Jen was missing and had last been seen near Resden's beat up old truck.

The man was positively haunted by what had occurred between his partner and Mrs.Walsh; that affair had sparked all sorts of rumors about H's possibly being another of her men on a string; and that he'd taken her death far harder than he should have done. Mac suspected that his conscience drove him far harder than anything else in his life. Was guilt a factor in his demeanor and over-protectiveness towards his late partner's daughter?

No one he'd worked with here since moving south had ever sensed anything other than a paternal bond with the young woman. Could it be that HE was the girl's father? He'd heard the Walshes fighting about Arlene's pregnancy many times, and the paternity issue had always seemed to spark the arguments. If he was the father, did he even know it? This train of thought disturbed him, creating a frown across Mac's normally placid features.

Horatio noticed the frown and arched a questioning brow in Mac's direction, to which he responded with his own arch and a quick tilt towards his office. The redhead shrugged his broad shoulders and sauntered in that direction, but Mac well knew that his relaxed gait belied an agitated mind. Not all was well with his friend and this worried him.

They walked into Mac's office and shut the door. Mac offered coffee, which Horatio declined in favor of bottled water and a glass of ice. Again, that questioning brow lifted in a red question mark over an ice blue eye. Plainly the man knew something was afoot with his long-time colleague and friend, something that he couldn't quite put into words.

"Why the long face, Mac?"

"I've got some uncomfortable questions for you and I'm not quite sure where to start."

"Just dive in and ask, old man," his friend said calmly. "I may not like them, but I'll answer them as best I can. I made a few promises to Jedediah before he died that I won't keep if it means endangering his daughter."

"You've always been sharper than a laser, Horatio," Mac said nervously. "I need a few answers about how close you and Amanda Walsh were the night they died."

"I'm deeply ashamed of my conduct then, Mac; but Amanda and I were involved for a short time just before she learned she was pregnant with Jen. I've never been sure that we didn't share more than a mattress, if you understand me."

"You mean to tell me that Amanda just let the three men she was with assume he was the father of her child?"

"No, Mac, it wasn't ever that simple. Jedediah was sterile, but desperately wanted children. He begged Amanda to find a good man who at least vaguely resembled him to help her make a baby. He was thrilled when she chose Luke, since he was Jed's spitting image; less thrilled when her passions turned from Luke to me, as we didn't look at all alike. That one change in her behavior started their arguments, continued fueling them, and definitely got them killed."

Mac saw the pain on Horatio's face and knew then that he was still haunted by his brief, disastrous affair with Jed's wife. He probably blamed himself for their murder, since Resden claimed he'd killed them to expose the affairs between Amanda and two of her husband's best friends. He also knew that his old friend still wasn't sure whether Jen was his or Luke's daughter, and wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Pal," Mac said reassuringly, "you're a far different guy than you were 22 years ago. I'm sure that Jen would forgive you your slip up with her mother, just as Jed did the day he died."

"You spoke with him?"

"Yes, and he nothing but good to say about you, even after learning of your brief affair with his beloved wife. He knew she'd twined you around her little finger, like every guy before you, so he couldn't blame you for succumbing to her charms. He did, however, blame her for what occurred between you."

Horatio was stunned by this piece of news, for he still hadn't forgiven himself that slip up with his best friend's wife. And now Mac was intimating that Jen might well be his daughter into the bargain. The shock to his nervous system almost undid him then and there.

The sound of feminine laughter wafted down the hall like music at a concert hall. Everyone who heard it smiled automatically in response. Mac and Horatio couldn't place the source of the sound, but both men were overjoyed to hear Jennifer laughing for the first time in awhile. That she was responding to Danny's flirting with her came as just as pleasant a surprise.

They watched the pair walk towards the exit and checked their watches. It was lunch time, and Dan was thrilled that Jen wanted to share his break with him. They heard him chuckle appreciatively at something Jennifer said and knew their two friends were meant to be together; for how long only God knew, but at least they'd be happy with each other for awhile.

Resden, hearing the warm words passing between them inserted skeptically, "Yeah, like THAT's gonna last!" To which he received dead silence as his response, for the young couple had already passed out of the range of his acid tones. He gnashed his teeth in frustration and fell into an unhappy silence that lasted until the happy pair returned from lunch.

"So, the lovebirds have deigned to return so soon?" He questioned coldly when they entered the main lobby. "I'd have thought you'd be snuggled away somewhere billing and cooing."

"And what business is my life of yours now, Mr. Resden?" Jennifer returned with dulcet tones. "We're no longer an item, as some say, so whom I date and what we do when out together is NONE of your damned business. You're neither my father, nor husband, so you've got no say in the matter."

Resden heard Jennifer's angry voice denying their love and began a slow burn of his own. How dare she deny their feelings in front of everyone? How could she threaten the man she loved in front of them, when she'd never hurt him if he got the drop on her first? She needed to be taught a lesson about who was really in control here, which wasn't her.

His financial resources were dwindling fast, so it was time to contact Detective Stetler in Miami for another exchange of information and payoff. How he'd manage that under the watchful eyes of his jailers was a puzzle, but somehow he'd manage it. He was determined to make Jen love him again, despite their history; and whether the young lady was willing to return down that road or not. He hadn't reckoned on her strength of purpose, nor had he realized just how stubborn the girl could be once she'd made up her mind. Clearly, it'd take a lot more than a couple of hours to convince her to let him back into her life.

Danny watched Walter's face closely and didn't like what he saw there. The furrowed brows and hot eyes worried him. As if the guy that had murdered his Jen's parents had ANY rights at all to her heart! How dare he evem THINK he did. He had a quiet aside with the security detail for Jennifer's house and beefed it up for the duration of Resden's stay in New York. He didn't trust the man and knew he'd continue his evil quest once he was released on bail.

Jennifer, seeing Dan's worried gaze returning time and again to Resden's resolute figure, hazarded a rapid glance of her own. She too distrusted what she read on the man's face. He was scheming again, and she didn't like being the object of those plans. He'd treated her respectfully as his girlfriend, but couldn't get it through his thick head that she'd never be able to forgive him his crimes against her; so their once flaming passion didn't stand a rat's chance in hell of taking root again.

She knew how he treated those he despised and understood that she was now in that category of people, just from the searing daggers the man was hurling at her with his eyes. She signalled to Danny that she needed a quiet aside with him, preferably out of Mr. Resden's direct vision and hearing. He caught that look and immediately tilted his head towards the inner sanctum, which stood well out of Resden's line of sight. Her relieved acknowledgement warmed him to his toes, which boded well for his plans for them. She followed him into his crowded cubicle and asked,

"Will I ever be totally free of this monster? I've filed permanent restraining orders in three states to keep him away, but he doesn't seem to care."

"He doesn't but we do," Danny said softly from his chair, "every attempt to contact you is a violation, and this latest qualifies as aggravated stalking; which in turn makes Mr. Resden eligible for the death penalty in New York."

"Where do I go to prosecute him? Whom do I speak with to assure he's locked away forever and can't bother me any more?"

"He's not going anywhere any time soon, I can guarantee that much at least. He's not just wanted for stalking you, Jennifer, but for murdering three young men at Sag Harbor last month. We've called your old friend, Horatio in to help us with that, since he's so familiar with the man's MO. We're still waiting for a call from JFK to send a radio car for him."

"Leave that to me, Jennifer," Horatio said from his position in the foyer. "I swore to you when you were nine that I'd protect you from the man until you no longer needed me. I'll keep that promise, or die trying."

"Hello, Detective Caine," Mac said warmly, "we were expecting you hours ago."

"I was delayed by a persistent fog bank over the city, Mac. Any longer a delay and I'd have paracuted in to reassure Miss Walsh of her personal safety."

The entire squadroom erupted into gales of laughter in response to Horatio's laconic tale. Jennifer noted Walter's cloudy features with concern, but joined the officers in their laughter. It had been a very long time since she'd last laughed as hard and it felt wonderful. Everyone laughing with her also liked seeing the pixie grin and slight flush that lightened her features. One detective in particular was magnetized to that face.

Danny watched with dawning hope and joy as the object of his affections laughed. Her face shone and her eyes gleamed with mirth, turning an average-looking girl into a real beauty. He'd been working up his courage to ask her out, but wasn't sure he should. He didn't know how long she'd stay in Manhattan, whether she'd return to Miami once she'd finished college, or even if she liked cops as potential boyfriends, particularly if they issued from her dad's old precinct. He had to start somewhere, so he took his heart in his hands and cleared his throat to ask her to the latest rendition of "Cats" at Marcie's Cabaret.

But Jennifer cut him off without meaning to, asking,


Danny groaned in frustration, which sound didn't pass unregarded by his peers. It earned him several knowing glances, but was past caring what the others would think of his asking her out. She'd agreed to lunch this afternoon, so he liked his odds and was going to go for it.

"Jennifer," he cleared his throat nervously, earning an interested look from Horatio, "I've been meaning to ask you for a couple of days. Would you go with me to 'Cats' at Marcie's on Saturday night?" He got his answer with a gentle nudge from the young lady he was sworn to guard until Resden's trial ended. He looked questioningly at her and she just smiled and winked sweetly. He wasn't the only one who noticed, either.

There were many wry chuckles in the room, including one issuing from a certain Chief Investigator and a red headed detective from Miami! Horatio amd Mac were glad to see that her past history with men hadn't totally soured Jen on romance. They'd known Danny for years and Mac suspected he'd felt this way for her for some time, just from the ways he'd invent to bring her name into a conversation.

He feigned a fascination with psychology, even studying the subject so he could have intelligent conversations with her about her passion. He was usually nearby when she came into the precinct to pursue her internship as a forensic psychologist, ala Dr. Haley Whipseed of Las Vegas PD, but didn't try to force himself on her. She, in turn, had done everything possible to gently encourage him to pursue her.

It was plain that sometimes flirtation was inherited from your parents, for Jen had her mother's arts down pat. Her shyness with Danny made it equally apparent to all, including the object of her fascination, that she'd not been with a man yet.

"Hey, Dan," Horatio said with a paternal gleam in his eye, may I have a few words with you?"

"Sure, Horatio," the man responded, flushing slightly because he was interested in the man's surrogate daughter. "I know you're concerned about my intentions towards Jen. I assure you they're entirely honorable. She's a sweet girl who deserves some joy in her life, especially now."

"I'm glad you see it that way. I know I shouldn't be butting in now, since she's already a young woman, but I can't help it. She's the daughter I never had and I want to make sure she'll be safe always."

Mac was worried now. He'd been looking closely at Jen and she had Horatio's eyes and chin, along with his pugnaciousness. If the DNA tests he'd submitted last week confirmed his suspicions, his old pal was in for one hell of a shock!

"I'd like to take some of that weight off of your shoulders, buddy, but only if you'll let me."

"Ahem, gentlemen," Jennifer inserted quietly and firmly, "I deeply appreciate your concerns, but I AM an adult now and am quite able to choose for myself. Horatio, you've been a wonderful guardian, but it's time to let go and move on with your life. I've seen you around town with a certain blonde detective and it's high time you did something about your feelings for her. I'll keep in touch periodically just so you know I'm okay, but it's past time we went our separate ways."

Horatio sighed a little at these words. Even knowing how true they were they still hurt. He'd grown quite fond of his late partner's daughter over the years, so letting go wouldn't be easy; but he knew the time had come to take that step. It was also time to face his burgeoning feelings for Ms. DuQuesne; just her name had the power to stir him in ways few others had done.

"All right, young lady," he grinned over a breaking heart, "you'll have your wish for independence. I, too, will keep in touch as required by convention and court dates. I know your dad and mom would be very proud of how well you turned out in spite of losing them so young."

Jennifer was so excited to be meeting Danny for their theater date that she skipped joyfully down the street to Marcie's. She neither saw nor heard the dark van that screeched from the alley next to the bistro where they were supposed to meet for a quick snack before going to 'Cats'. She was tackled, shackled, and tossed into the back of this vehicle like a rather large sheep. Fortunately, the idiots inside the van hadn't thought to gag her mouth.

First, she took a large, deep bite of her captor's hand, and then she let out the loudest scream heard since the Beatle's 1964 concert at Shea Stadium. Danny, hearing her terrified bellow, called for backup and gave chase in his personal car so he wouldn't lose them. As he followed them, he gave Mac a thorough description of the vehicle, including it's license plate and the fact that it had no rear taillights and expired tags.

He muttered a quick, heart-felt prayer for his beloved's safety, because the man who'd just kidnapped her plainly didn't know how to drive such a vehicle and equall obviously didn't care. Dan gasped as the drive took a narrow corner on two wheels, almost flipping the van in the process. This guy had to be stopped and now!

Resden was totally relentless! The guy had to be stopped, this time permanently. Now Danny knew exactly how Horatio had felt every time Riaz had killed a family member, from this he also knew that she meant far more to him than just a girlfriend. "One step at a time old man," he chided himself, "you need to rescue the girl in once piece before pelting her with declarations about your undying love for her."

"Mac," Danny said into his radio, "call off the chase cars and send up a chopper instead. I know it's night time, but our ground pursuit is making this guy do some mighty dangerous things to elude us. I think an Apache using FLIR (forward-looking infrared) would be a better choice."

"You're thinking that the Apache's flight path would intersect these creeps on silent mode to prevent them knowing we're still pursuing them, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and Detective Walsh still has friends on the force who'd be thrilled to save his daughter from his killer. They'll be even more relentless than he would have been."

Reluctantly, Mac called off Danny's backup units, reassigning them to side streets instead of a direct chase. He agreed with the man's assessment of their fleeing felon's driving skills. He didn't care that he was jeopardizing the life of the very woman he'd sworn he loved, and his crazed driving proved as much.

Walter sighed in relief when the cars backed off the chase. Now he had the time to find a new hideout, take his girl there, and convince her to fall back in love with him. He hadn't a clue that he was far too late catching her, and that she'd falled for a certain young detective with the Homicide Unit at NYPD; or that once this lady made up her mind, little changed it or reversed her choices.

He headed for his mom's place at Point Pleasant, boy what a misnomer THAT title was, but was blocked by a long line of cars parked at a construction pace truck area. He tried to circle the snaking vehicles, but was forcibly prevented from doing so by a large, muscular gentleman with rather large hands. Again his teeth ground against each other as he was forced to wait for those in fromt of him to go first. He knew that the longer he was delayed here, the likelier hed be caught and again imprisoned.

That option was no option, so Resden had to find a hidden place immediately. More at issue, now, though was securing a second vehicle that the cops wouldn't recognize as belonging to him. He didn't want to carjack someone, just get his mitts on a running car that blended into the local scenery. He spotted what appeared to be an abandoned car jost over the turnpike, but realized that it wasn't large enough to accommodate him, his crew, and the struggling chick in the back of the van.

"He boss," his oldest teen associate said snidely, "there's your perfect auto. It's got a flat, tho. Think you could drive it that way to the hideout?"

"What hideout, you numbskull?" Resden shrieked. "In case it's escaped that drug addled mind of ours, Dopey, we aren't in Florida any more."

"Better watch that mouth, mister. I'm not as dopey as I look or act. While you were laying back in the hoosegow, I found us a little place that's perfect for what you got in mind. Oh, and can we help with that? She's really pretty and we could use a little R & R after all this work."

"In a word, Silas, no." Walter said testily. "You've had ample time to secure that sort of entertainment while you've been here. I'll not share this woman with ANYONE, as she's my fiance and we'll soon be married."

If Jennifer hadn't been so angry, sne'd have fainted from the shock of Walter's bold announcement. Not only had he kidnapped her, apparently he'd also secured the services of a minister to marry them. She'd have burst out laughing if she hadn't realized the act would likely cost her her life.

"And how are you planning to secure my consent, you dolt?" Jen asked coldly. "I'll not marry you willingly, and you know it!"

"Willingly or not, my dear, you'll be mine before the week's over with. I'm tired of your ever-present father mucking things up for me just when I've got everything all arranged."

Walter stopped speaking when he saw the shock on his victim's face. He'd forgotten that she didn't know ... best not to complete THAT particular thought until she was safely wed to him. That way the small fortune she'd inherited would be his and so would she.

Danny watched the van being swallowed in the rush hour traffic on the Jersey turnpike and groaned in frustration. By the time they got a car out there, the guy'd be long gone. He heard the drone of an Apache and almost swallowed his tongue in relief. At last, help had arrived, in the nick of time as always.

Mac and Horatio, closely on Danny's heels, saw him sweating out the wait like a husband waiting for the birth of his first child and grinned like schoolboys. Had either man doubted their colleague's feelings for Ms. Walsh, they were in the open now for ALL to see, including the lady herself. Mac cast a quick, discerning glance over his longtime friend and realized that he was as worried about Jen as Danny was, maybe more so, and wondered why that was.

Horatio glanced over, saw the concern in Mac's expression and just smiled tiredly. When Mac's gaze deepened from curiosity to concern, he said, "Mac, I've known that Jennifer was my child for a couple of months now. I received a worried call from the dean of her college the last time she vanished and was informed of my status then. I've had a little time to come to terms with the news, but it's still a shock to me."

It was Mac's turn to blanch, since his results hadn't returned from the lab yet, so he hadn't known whether it was true or not. He marveled at Horatio's ability to remain calm enough to help his daughter, when he was still acknowledging her as his child. He'd always been a tad on the aloof side, even in his younger days; but this side of him took aloofness to a whole new level.

"Mac, I'll fall apart when she's safely back where she belongs. I can't afford to lose it now, since Resden's so pigheadedly decided to enforce his wishes upon Jennifer. I know she's giving him hell right this second, she doesn't know any other way. I just hope that Walter isn't aware that she's mine, or he'll do to her what he's tried doing to the other young people in my life."

"Earth to Mac, earth to Mac," Danny squawked over the radio, "Resden's stolen a car and fled the immediate area. I lost him in this mess, but Stewie and March are following in the Apache. Apparently, Resden's not too fond of his accomplices and he's equally sure they won't crack under pressure, because he's left them to their own devices in the middle of the turnpike."


"Roger that, Dan," Horatio replied, "luckily for us, we're on top of an exit ramp, so we'll take the pursuit from here. You can rejoin us whenever it's possible for you to do so safely."

"Gotcha, Horatio, I'll take the next exit on foot if I have to just to make sure she's okay. I'm in love with her; but I suspect you already figured that out. I'll ask for her hand when she's ready to accept a proposal from me, if she ever is."

Both Horatio and Mac heard the crack in Danny's voice and were amazed at the depths of the feelings he had for Jen on such short acquaintance. They redoubled their efforts to catch the fleeing felon and free his unwilling hostage before he did her any further harm. They didn't want one obsessed idiot's lunacy to scar her emerging feelings for their young friend.

Both of them knew how hard it was to gain a woman's complete trust when she'd been abused by anyone in her life; when that abuse had come from men she should have been able to trust with her life, the task was almost impossible. But Jennifer had shown a remarkable resilience and tenacity that surprised everyone who knew her. She steadfastly refused to hold one man's sins against another that stunned everyone as well.

"Um, H," Eric's voice hesitated on his cell phone, "we have a situation here in Miami that you need to know about. Resden's henchmen are making repeated attempts to kidnap Calleigh, and we aren't sure why."

"They've probably figured out how I fell about her, Eric. It seems that Resden has always had an uncanny knack for this and has passed it on to one or two of his most trusted associates. Try to get our Miss C to take precautions to prevent her abduction, if you can. Otherwise, keep a close eye on her while she's on duty, to assure that she doesn't get in over her head."

"Yeah, like that's gonna work! The lady's nuts and thinks she's invulnerable," Ryan said skeptically. "The last time we tried to put a detail on her, H, she bit our heads off."

"Speak with Frank, gentlemen, and have him put his most discreet detectives on detail. I'm sure the guys could use the overtime. If Stetler fumes, let him. This is a legitimate use of Dade County time to protect one of its own officers from harm while off duty. I'll have someone's hide if any harm comes to her while I'm gone."

Jennifer awoke from the hideous cocktail that Resden had forced her to swallow. She had a raging heaache and felt horribly dehydrated. The only thing she could contemplate at this point was escaping his clutches. What fiance in his right mind would do what he'd done to her in the past few hours?

"Ah, so Sleeping Beauty has chosen to rejoin the world of the living," he sneered. "I was debating the wisdsom of injecting the antidote. I'm glad that won't be necessary. Oh, and don't bother with thoughts of escape, my dear. You'll discover we're quite distant from any help."

"And how is this lamentable attempt at changing my feelings for you supposed to work, exactly?" She retorted with equal acid in her voice. "If indeed I'd been idiotic enough to forgive your murdering my folks just to get at Horatio, your more recent attempts at courtship would've knocked the sense into me by now."

"It's my guess that you don't know our Lieutenant's dirtiest little secret. I'll gladly tell you if you want to know."

"What's in his past stays there, as far as I'm concerned. He's entitled to his mistakes like everyone else."

"It might interest you to know that you're one of those mistakes, my dear. He's so protective of you because you're his daughter, not just some partner's kid he's guarding from harm to ease a guilty conscience."

"Hurled in anger, your comments don't surprise me at all, Walter," Jennifer replied sleepily. "You'll do ANYTHING to discredit him in my eyes. If what you say is true, sir, I'll bet he was as in the dark about it as I was until you told me today."

"The man's hidden everything from his closest associates, so why do you think this bit of info would be any different?"

"He hasn't hidden his past, but wisely chosen not to reveal it. He resolved the worst of his problems before he moved to Miami, the problems he knew about at any rate. Mom wasn't the most faithful of women, Walter, and by my ninth birthday even I doubted that I was my dad's biological child."

"So you're defending the man who had an affair wit your mother, but you won't forgive me for my crimes? That's pretty biased, isn't it?"

"Walter, while Horatio slept with my mother, he didn't kill her. Instead, he left her alive to raise me and remain my father's wife for as long as he could stand it. I caught her with two other officers from our precinct, once when I'd just turned seven, and again when I was eight. If Lieutenant Caine is indeed my biological dad, I'm honored to be his child."

Resden snorted in disgust and wandered into the kitchen to start their meager supper. He hadn't been able to shop properly while on the run, so the pickings were lean. He opened a can of refried beans, another of tuna, and a third containing an awful smelling substance, which he referred to as spices. He lit the camping stove and mixed the mess together into a meal that Jennifer wisely refused to touch, suspecting that the third jar contained another sedative.

"Eat up, sweetie," he chided softly, "you've got to keep up your strength. The minister should arrive any second now, and I'm looking forward to our wedding night."

Danny frantically searched the more remote outcroppings of rock along the Jersey shore to find the cave where Resden had hidden his sweetheart. Never mind that they hadn't had time to discuss it, he knew that she returned his feelings, because she always had a warm smile and loved flirting with him when they shared a duty day. She'd even told him as much before being so rudely kidnapped the previous Friday.

He knew how much she loved the theater and had laid out a month's salary on those tickets to "Cats". He just couldn't understand why her ex-boyfriend couldn't take "No" for an answer...

A bright flash caught his eye and he looked through his binoculars towards its source. His heart lifted in elation when he saw Jen using her compact mirror to signal her location to the swad cars below her. He tried her cell number and she picked up on the first ring. Resden must be out securing supplies, or she wouldn't be awake to summon help. The sheerness of the cliff below her made a rescue from below nearly impossible, but there was a gentler slope a few hundred yards from there, so he told his love where to go to make her rescue easier.

His heart lifted when she obeyed his instructions, carefully picking her way to the helipad and waiting impatiently for her knight to rescue her. He was too far away, but ... Wait a second, that was NO cop car and it was headed straight for her!

"Jen," Danny screamed in panic, "quick jump into that pool beside you. There's a lunatic heading straight at you in a beat up old Monte Carlo."

Jennifer, an excellent swimmer, did him one better, diving cleanly off of the lower lying cliff face and straight into the sea. She'd been watching the tides and knew this one was incoming, leading to a quiet cove just below the house where she'd just been standing. Danny watched her slicing cleanly through the choppy surf and marveled at her prowess in the water. Was there nothing she couldn't do?

"Hey, detective, get your head out of the clouds and go to your damsel's aid," Horatio gibed gently over the radio. "She's a great water nymph, but even they get tired after so much physical exertion."

If Horatio had been in the car with his young colleague and friend, he'd have seen the deep red blush covering his face and body, so Danny was thankful for small favors. He went to the back of his unit, opened the trunk, and pulled out his rescue gear. Among his provi-sions was a 4-man rescue raft, complete with a self-filling valve, which he now activated.

No one he worked with knew that the poor guy was hydrophobic after a near drowning as a child. It was long overdue that he face this demon and defeat it, lest he be denied an upcoming promotion to Captain. If Jennifer accepted him, he'd need the extra money pronto to fund a wedding and a new apartment for them. He knew she was also working, but wanted to be able to offer her the option of resigning and finishing her education, so she could become the best child psychologist in the universe.