Miami

Natalia was sitting in Horatio's office with him, both working on paperwork, him behind his desk, her legs curled underneath her on the couch, when Lina knocked on the open door. Horatio looked up and gave his daughter a smile.

"Hey Lina, what can I do for you?"

"Dad...can we talk?"

Natalia heard the word 'dad', something Lina only called him in the lab when she was upset, when they needed privacy. "Game's at six. Dinner after." She offered Horatio a reassuring smile as she quickly left the two alone, shutting the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" Horatio's attention immediately shifted to his daughter and he started to worry. "What happened?"

"I have a patient. Had. I referred him to another doctor. I thought...I thought I could help him. Maybe I just made things worse. I don't know." She sat down in the spot Natalia had just vacated.

"Why did you refer him? Why do you think you made things worse?"

"For awhile now, every time I go outside, I felt like someone was watching me. Tailing me on my way to and from places. I know you always taught me to be more careful, but I just shrugged it off. I mean, this is Miami, there are people everywhere. Except he started saying things in his sessions, things that made me uncomfortable. So I said it was probably best if he saw another doctor."

"You did the right thing honey. Do you want me to look into it?"

"There's....There's more, Dad." She paused. "You know that cop a few months ago, the one that died in her home, the cameras everywhere, the one that's still on the books?"

"Yes, what about her?"

"They worked together for a little while, while her partner was on medical leave. Dad, I think he killed her."

She thought for a moment. "I'm almost sure of it."

"What's his name?"

She was torn between telling him, protecting herself, feeling safe, and protecting her patient. She finally gave him the name.

"I'll deal with him, but I want you to be safe. I'm going to put one of my CSIs on protection detail."

"How will you deal with him?" She asked skeptically, knowing his 'protective' nature when it came to those he cared about, his family especially. It didn't bother her that one of the CSIs would be assigned to her; they were all her family.

A grin spread across Horatio's face. "I won't hurt him, I promise."

She wasn't sure she trusted him, but nodded. "So who's the CSI?"

"Ryan Wolfe."

She nodded, keeping a straight poker face. "Guess this means I can't go to Kaya's game tonight, right?"

"You can still go to Kaya's game, but take Ryan with you."

"Do you want me to send him in?" She asked, standing.

"Yes please."

She kissed his red head and whispered 'thank you' before walking out. Horatio watched his daughter walk out, then gave Ryan his full attention.

"Ryan, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, H," he said, meaning it.

"Thanks. I need you to protect Lina so I can sort something out."

Ryan almost choked, but recovered quickly. Horatio wasn't the type to play games; if he knew what was going on, he'd come right out and say so. That fear being dealt with, he moved to the next one. "Protect her from what?"

"Right now, just in case."

He nodded, not quite sure he understood. "Starting now?"

"Yes please. She'll probably want to go home to change before Kaya's game, so here is her address." Horatio handed a slip of paper to Ryan.

Ryan took it, made a guise of looking at it, and then pocketed it. "But she can still go to the game." He wouldnt put it past Lina to try to push the limits of her protective detail, especially if Horatio put her under house arrest.

"Yes. I'm not stopping her from doing what she wants, but I want her safe." Horatio knew about his daughter and Ryan, but he wanted to keep his mouth shut until they told him.

"I'll make sure she is." He would have done that anyway. "See you at the game."

"Okay, thanks again Ryan."

"Sure thing." Ryan disappeared, signing out and then leaving the lab, heading to Lina's.
****
Two huge ex-fighting rescue dogs, one a pit bull/boxer mix, one a Staffordshire/lab, met Ryan at the vehicle.

"Hey boys," said Ryan, patting the two excited dogs.

"My big strong protectors," Lina said from the porch, trying to hide a laugh.

"Hi there, I'm here to protect you," Ryan said from the car, laughing.

"Who else did you think I was talking about?" She teased him, looking a little more relaxed than the past few days.

"I don't know...." Ryan walked over to Lina. "But I'm glad its me." He kissed her.

She held him a little closer than normal, her head on his chest.

"Why am I protecting you?"

She made room for him to sit next to her.

"Lina?"

"I think one of my patients is stalking me."

"WHAT!? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't sure...until today."

"Okay, well, I won't let anything happen, I promise."

"I know." Still she got as close as possible to him.

Ryan hugged her, trying to comfort her. The tank she was wearing slipped down enough to reveal a mark on her throat, near the collar bone.

"What happened Lina?"

"I haven't been sleeping lately." She knew he knew that. "So when I had a patient cancel today, I took a nap on the couch. When I woke up, he was there." She grew quiet again.

"What did he do to you?"

"He grabbed my wrists, got on top of me, and...I couldn't believe he thought he was going to rape me in the middle of a lab full of CSIs and lab techs. He bit me and I kicked him. He ran off, if you can call that running."

"Are you okay?" Ryan felt anger welling up inside him.

"I'm fine. Alexx checked me out and talked me into finally telling Dad. I didn't tell him about today though."

"I'm so sorry sweetheart."

"You can't tell Dad, okay? One of these days he's going to go off on someone and he'll lose everything, the job, Nat and Kaya, everything."

"I won't say anything, but he deserves to know."

"I'm worried enough. I hope talking to Natalia will calm him down some. He's been more managable now that they're together."

"Are you sure you want to keep him in the dark?"

She nodded. "Until, unless, I have to change that."

"Okay, whatever you want to do honey. Are you going to change for the game?"

She nodded. "I...I didn't want to go in there alone." She couldn't explain it.

"I'll come with you."

She nodded, walking close to him. "I'm being silly, right? I mean, the boys would never let anyone in here that didn't belong." She referred to her four-legged protectors.

"They wouldn't, but I can still check for you."

She wasn't sure what would be worse, being watched or knowing she'd been watched.

"If I find something, I won't tell you," said Ryan, guessing her thoughts.

"Thanks." She smiled for him, kissing his cheek. She went to her room to change into jeans and a loose white shirt.
*****
Natalia stood braiding her daughter's hair so that it would stay out of her way. She already had her soccer uniform on and looked cute, even if Natalia's opinion was a little prejudiced. "He'll do his best to be here, sweetie. Even if he's not, he's still cheering for you. You know that, right?" Natalia tried to prepare Kaya for the possibility that Horatio could have gotten caught at work at the last minute.

"I know mummy. Is Aunt Lina coming?" asked Kaya.

"They're supposed to be here. They'll try their best, baby, okay? Aunt Cal and Uncle Eric are already here with Mari." She knew that Kaya just didn't consider it the same.

"Okay. Can I go now?"

"Done." She kissed her head. "Good luck. We'll cheer really loud, okay?" She let her go, hoping for a miracle, that both Lina and Horatio would make it in time.

A knock on the front door stopped Kaya. She ran to the door, and as soon as she saw Horatio, she opened it and jumped into his arms.

"Is Aunt Lina here?" asked Kaya.

"Hello to you too, sweetheart. Ryan's bringing her, but she should be here. I know she really wanted to," Horatio told her, trying to hide a smile, but it was obvious that Horatio loved his family, especially the two females he was with at the moment.

"YAY!!!! Can we go play?"

"Sweetie, you have your game. But you, Mom, and I can go out to dinner after. We can even ask the others if they want to come."

"Just us for dinner, and maybe Aunt Lina and Uncle Ryan."

"Okay, sweetheart." Horatio said gently. "Whatever you want." Natalia could see he was worried about something and, whatever it was, he was trying desperately to keep it from Kaya.

"Kaya, can you go and find Mari please?" asked Natalia. She watched her daughter run off. "What's wrong H?"

He filled her in quickly on what Lina had told him after she'd left.

"Oh my god! Is she alright?"

"She's scared, but she says she's okay. Wanted to come to the game, so Ryan's bringing her."

"Okay. Maybe we can do something for her? To keep her safe?"

"He's supposed to be with her whenever I can't be."

"Okay."

"It'll be okay, sweetheart. I'm just...worried." He tried to smile for her.

"That's obvious."

"Funny, funny lady," he whispered, holding her for a moment, kissing her dark hair. "C'mon, we'll miss the game."

"Not if Kaya has anything to do with it." She watched as her daughter raced over and started chattering about how they were going to be late.
*****
Ryan and Lina were already there, the men sitting together, the women fussing over Mari. Lina grinned when she saw her baby sister come out, waving at her, forgetting her troubles for the moment.

"Aunt Lina!"

"Kaya!"

"Are you staying to watch?"

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it."

"Yay. I'm gonna win with the moves you taught me."

Lina hugged her. "Go get 'em, sweetheart."

Kaya gave her a hug and then ran off to join her team. Horatio sat between his daughter and Natalia, managing a smile as Mari crawled over to sit in his lap, her arms outstretched for him.

"Hi sweetie. Is Kaya going to win?" asked Natalia.

"Aya!" The little girl clapped her hands, having her mom's energy and personality.

Natalia smiled. Mari was gorgeous. She was so happy that Calleigh had asked her to be Mari's godmother. Mari cheered as loud as her family although she wasn't exactly sure why and fell asleep not long before the game was over.

Natalia gave her daughter a giant smile and a hug after the game was over. "Well done baby."