Finding Family, Finding Love

Chapter 8: You’re my daughter?

“You’re my father.” She said. All I could do was look at her shocked. Rachel never told me she was pregnant.

“Are you sure?” I asked, I felt bad because I saw her face drop at the question.

“She said you were. I trust that my mom would know, ya know.” She replied. I still couldn’t rap my head around it. I had another child. First Kyle, Now Ava. “I know that this may not be what you want but I felt that I had to tell you. I blamed you forever for not being there and it wasn’t even your fault. I felt that I had to meet you. Even if nothing becomes of this I’m glad I did this.”

She stood up and started walking towards the door before I could get an answer to come out of my mouth.

“Wait.” I said standing up as well. She stopped and slowly turned around to look at me. “Lets go get some lunch and talk some more all right.”

“Sure.” She smiled at me and I was beginning to see how we could be related. I would have to tell her about Kyle.

“We need to get to know each other if your going to be living down here.” I grabbed my jacket and held the door open for her. Following her out we ran into Ryan.

“Mr. Wolfe I’m going to take this young lady to lunch if anyone asks for me just have Tracey take a message alright.”

“Sure thing H. Nice to see you again Ava.” Ryan waved as he began to walk away.

“Nice to see you too, Ryan.” she answered with a smile. Great, she likes him, and I’m already being protective.

“So where do you want to go?” I asked.

“Ummm…I have no idea…I’m not really sure what places are around here. I haven’t been here that long like four or five days or something like that. So you pick.”

“Okay follow me.” I said as I walked over to my hummer. I opened her door and she got in. I walked over to the other side and got in myself. Starting the car I looked over at her. She looked so much like her mother.

“So are you married?” She asked. I chuckled.

“No, ma’am.”

“Ok, so do you have any children. I mean you don’t have to be married to do that obviously.” She said. I chuckled again. I guess maybe this would be easier than I thought.

“Yeah, I have a son. Kyle.”

“So I have a brother? How old is he?” She fired a few questions at me.

“Well he’s sixteen and he lives with his mother at the moment. He’s a hard one to keep out of trouble.” She shook her head.

“Yeah well, mom always kept me out of trouble. She’s dated a few times but no one stuck at least not until recently. I didn’t like the others but Mac he’s a good guy.” She said looking over at me.

“Mac? As in Mac Taylor from the crime lab?” I asked looking astonished. She smiled.

“Yeah, Mac Taylor. My mom has been dating him for two years now and she’s happy. He really helps keep me out of trouble. I go to the lab with him quite a bit. He got me into science.” She looked out the window and kept talking as she took in the sights. “Yeah, he let me unofficially help with a case that he was on. I mean I mostly observed but he liked to ask me for my opinion. So now I’m down here finding you and going to school to study forensics. I took a few courses a NYU during the summer so I have most of my general done. Sorry I ramble when I’m nervous.” She looked down at her hands before looking up at me.

I pulled into the little café and helped her out.

“It’s okay you have every right to be nervous. I am too.” I replied trying to make her feel at ease.

“You’re nervous? You certainly don’t seem to be.”

“Well, in this job you learn to guard your emotions more. I guess maybe I’ve had too much practice.” We talked all during lunch. I still couldn’t believe that I had a daughter. After lunch I needed to head back to the lab but I took her home first. I felt better when I found out where she lived. There was virtually no crime in her neighborhood or apartments. I’m sure that Mac checked out all of those angles before letting her come down here.

“Thanks Horatio for lunch. Ummmm…do you want to have breakfast tomorrow?” She asked. “I’m kinda excited about this whole father thing. So I mean if you can’t its cool. Oh, can I put your number in my phone?” I nodded and punched my number into her phone.

“Ok there you go.” I said handing the phone back to her.

“Thanks, so breakfast tomorrow?” she asked once more.

“Absolutely.” I received a huge smile for my response. I drove off after she had gone into the building.

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I caught the elevator and reached my floor in no time. I had just met my father and he was great. Unlocking my door I started getting an uneasy feeling, carefully I opened the door and looked around. Nothing was touched nothing was out of place. Hell even the note I left Brooke was still in the same place.

Wait the note was still in the same place. She wasn’t back yet? I got my phone back out of my pocket and dialed her number. It rang and rang and rang before going to voice mail.

“Hi this is Brooke sorry I missed your call. Leave your name and number and I’ll hit ya back. Love ya. Bye.”

I call three times, but before I began to panic I decided that I would wait another couple of hours and I would try calling again. If she didn’t answer then I would call Horatio. That’s what I would do. I walked back to my room and grabbed one of my Nora Roberts books and took it back to the front room. I laid down on the couch and began to read.

I opened my eyes to darkness. Shit I must have fallen asleep while reading the book. Shit! I turned on the table lamp by the couch. I called out for Brooke.

“Brooke? Brooke are you here?” I got up and checked the kitchen the note was still in the same place. I walked back to her room. It was still untouched. Walking back into the living room I checked the clock 8:30 pm. I slept for a long time… It was really unusual for Brooke not to be back home or least to have called. I checked my phone. No missed calls. I dialed her number again.

“Hi this is Brooke sorry I missed your call…” I hung up before the message finished. I was really worried. I opened my phone again and called the one person that I knew could help me.

My Dad….

I waited for his phone to ring. I was already starting to cry and panic. He picked up on the second ring.

“Caine.”

“Horatio…” Was the only thing I said.

“Ava?”

“Horatio…I need your…help…I can’t find my friend…she never…came…home.” I was trying to keep myself from sobbing on the phone.

“Are you at your apartment?” He asked me.

“Yea.” I said shifting the phone and I looked around.

“Stay there. I’m going to come over but I’m going to send Ryan over first okay. He lives closer. What apartment are you in?” He asked becoming all business.

“Apartment 125. Top Floor.” I replied.

“Okay stay there I’m going to call Ryan. Don’t open the door for anyone but him okay.” I nodded before realizing he couldn’t see me.

“Okay, I promise.” we both hung up our phones. The only thing I could do was sit and wait for Ryan to show up and hope that Brooke was going to be okay.