ginndaddy | *chews fingernails in her nervousness*

So I decided to bite the bullet and post this here... I'd already posted this to Sylum so those of you who think this is new...it's not...but I may have the next chapter out soon... I hope...

Title: Missing Mommy 1/?
Author: Ashling Darcy
Email: predictable3105@yahoo.com
Fandom(s): CSI: Miami
Genre (general, hetero or slash): Gen for now, will be slash
Pairing/Characters: Horatio/Speed eventually, strong team friendship
Rating: will probably hit R
Summary: What if Susie had started using again? What if it all went bad
before Horatio could help? What if Horatio ended up with custody of a five
year old Madison? Warnings: Ummmm, slash? Is that still a warning at this
point? There is some swearing and they may even be smut…I make no promises.
*evil grin*
Notes: This is what happens when I re-watch my season two DVDs…the bunnies
bite. Hard. *rubs arm and walks off to work on next chapter.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Sarah/Horatio for talking me into writing it when
I had my doubts…and thanks to Dru/Tsuzuki Asato for the beta of course

Horatio looked down at the sleeping five year old in his arms and then over
at the social worker and officer standing about two feet away. He sighed and
tuned out the rest of the officer's words. He'd heard it all before, after
all he'd given the "I'm sorry to have to tell you this" speech himself too
many times. He turned back to the people in his front room and excused
himself to go put Maddie down somewhere to sleep. She'd need the rest. He
fought back tears, calmly walked back to the officer and Ms. Lenard, and
addressed the issue at hand.

"Of course I'll take her. I agree she should be with family." He took a deep
breath, "What paperwork do you need from me and where do I go to make
arrangements for the funeral?"

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

"Uncle 'Ratio…can I go play in the backyard?" Little Madison looked up with
trusting blue eyes at H, still trying to figure out her place in her new
life. In the three days since her mother's funeral Madison had been
hesitantly asking her uncle for different things, testing boundaries,
looking at everything from all the angles. Not unlike the uncle she
presently questioned.

"Sure, baby-girl. We can go outside in just a minute if you let me finish
this conversation." Horatio gestured to the phone he held in his hand.

"Kay." She skipped her way back to her favorite spot. Entirely too close to
the front of the television for her uncle's comfort.

Horatio put the phone back to his ear, keeping one eye on the too quiet five
year old in his living room. "Yes, sorry, Alexx. You were saying?" He
continued his conversation with the M.E. and resident mother hen. He assured
her he was fine and so was "that darling little girl" and that he was in no
way corrupting his niece. He fought back a small smile at Alexx's tone.
"I'll be back in the office in a week, Alexx; I don't think the lab will go
to hell in a hand basket without me for a few more days. I need to be here
for now. You could, however, help me out. Do you know any good
baby-sitters?" He ignored her laughter, smiling himself at the question. He
wrote down her answer and the phone number she provided. "Thanks, Alexx. I
appreciate it." He hung up the phone and walked back to the living room. He
crouched down to Maddie's eye level, "Well, baby-girl. What do you want to
do for the rest of today? Hmm? Anything you want."

She looked up at him, wide-eyed, "Anything I want? Really, uncle 'Ratio?"
The wonder and awe in her tone was heart-breaking. Anyone listening could
tell she was used to being kept in the background, silent and out of the
way. Out of sight and out of mind. Horatio shook the dark thoughts out of
his head and turned his attention back to the little angel in front of him.

"Can we go to the park?" Her careful pronunciation of each word was unusual
for a girl her age. The child psychologists the social worker insisted
Madison see said that it was just a defense. A way for her to be out of the
way. If there's nothing to correct you usually can ignore someone speaking
to you. Horatio fought back a growl at the thought of a girl her age having
to develop any kind of defense, when she should have been making up
imaginary friends. He sighed and held out a hand to Madison.

"Of course we can go to the park. But. How about I do you one better? Yeah?
We can go to the park with the blue swings. Would you like that?" Horatio
had to smile at her enthusiastic nod. Blue was her current favorite color
and the neighborhood Horatio's house was in had two parks. One with green
and yellow play equipment and one with red and blue. He stood and pulled
Maddie to her feet as well. "Go get your shoes and socks and I'll show you
one more time how to tie them up." She grinned and raced off down the hall
to find her light blue sneakers, the ones Horatio had just bought her the
day before.

Horatio's cell rang, startling him out of his thoughts. "Caine." He
answered, in a brisk no-nonsense tone.

"H? I heard you had a family emergency and were taking off for a few days.
But then I noticed Yelina was here and I got worried."

Horatio smiled and answered his favorite CSI, "Speed. Well, it is a family
emergency. I don't believe it's common knowledge around the lab yet, but.
Ray had an affair. And a child was the result. Well, her mother died, and it
seems other than Ray Jr. I'm her only living family. I can't expect Yelina
to take her. And," he trailed off, realizing he'd probably shared too much
information. Speed just seemed to have that effect on him though. He closed
his eyes briefly.

"And she's family. I understand, H." Speed replied softly. And Horatio knew
he meant it. That was what made him want to tell the CSI everything. He
listened. And he understood. When he didn't understand, he listened until he
did.

"Thank you, Speed." Horatio's voice was full of emotion. The stress of the
past few days seeping in. "That means a lot to me at the moment."

"Whatever you need, H. You'll let me know? I'd hope at this point we're
friends." Speed said, laughter teasing the edges of his tone.

Horatio smiled again, "Yes, I'll do that." He finished the conversation,
hung up, and turned to find Madison standing quietly next to him. She looked
up at him her little face was blank, but her eyes were wary. Watchful. "Did
you find everything, Maddie?"

"Yes, Uncle 'Ratio, will you show me how to tie them?" She held up the
sparkly blue sneakers and a pair of white ruffled socks. She gave him a
small smile when he took them from her and lead the way to the bench sitting
next to his front door. She calmly sat down and held up her left foot.
Horatio leaned down and slipped one ruffled sock on and then slid her foot
into the shoe. She let that foot drop and held up her right one. He repeated
the process and then crouched down.

He made to 'bunny ears' and explained, "The bunny goes around the tree and
into the burrow. See?" He untied it and slowly re-did it, listening to her
repeat the words back to him as he tied her left sneaker. She pulled her
right foot up on the bench with her. She reached down, with a frown of
concentration, and tied her right shoe messily but well enough it would do.
She grinned, proud of herself. She looked up at Horatio and waited for his
reaction.

"Very good, Maddie. You're a pro. Are you sure you don't know how to tie
your shoes? You wouldn't lie to me now would you, little miss?" Horatio
teased, reaching down and tickling her a little.

She giggled, "No! I wouldn't. Never, ever. Promise." She gasped in between
laughs.

Horatio let her go and held out his hand for her to grab. "Shall we?" He
reached for the door and lead her to his off-duty car.

"We shall." She gave him a little smile and followed him out holding tight
to his pinky finger.

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