Hope

Storyteller: Isla de Muerta

Rating: T to be sure

Genre: Family/Friendship

Disclaimer: Characters you can recognize aren't mine, Hope is not mine, only the ones who you cannot recognize are mine. All mistakes are mine and similarities between anything/anyone are accidental.

Summary: CJ finds something behind her door. Something she didn't quite expect. Please, R&R. Thanks.

A/N: This is a request of BellaVision. Hope is hers.

Chapter I: Newborn

In the middle of the night, CJ woke up to some noises that seemed to come from behind her door.

"Matt. Matt! Would you go and see what causes that noise?" CJ tried to get Matt up too.

"Come on CJ, go for yourself," Matt just murmured. CJ hit him with her pillow and got up. She went to the door, opened it and had enough time to get a glimpse of a young girl before she disappeared into the night.

"Hey, come back!" CJ yelled after the girl but she had already disappeared from view.

"Who was it CJ?" Matt came to the door.

"I don't know. There was this young girl behind the door but she ran away when I opened it. And she left this here," CJ explained, gesturing towards a small box.

"What is that?" Matt asked, sounding very stupid.

"It's a box, stupid," CJ's anger rose again. Lately, she and Matt had been fighting over even the smallest things.

"Of course I know it's a box, CJ. I was just wondering what's inside of it," Matt snapped back. CJ approached the box and opened it.

"What is inside of it?" Matt asked.

"A baby Matt. I think it's a newborn. That girl I saw, she must've left the baby here," CJ said, lifting a small bundle from the box.

"A baby. Oh man, we have to take it to the police station or some hospital. Come on CJ, get dressed," Matt said, walking towards the door.

"This baby is not "it". This is a little baby girl Matt. And I'm not gonna take her anywhere, not tonight. She's gonna sleep here, CJ decided.

"Great. So now I won't sleep at all tonight," Matt huffed.

"You can go and sleep at the other bedroom if a little crying is so big deal to you," CJ spat angrily, "But this girl is staying here this night," and she marched back in, slamming the door shut, leaving Matt out. He stood there for five minutes and then stormed in.

"You can't do this!" he began to yell when he got to their bedroom.

"You just watch me Matt Brody! Watch me how I can't do this!" CJ yelled back and threw a sheet, blanket and a pillow to Matt," You know where the other bedroom is!"

"So you really are letting her sleep here?" Matt was incredulous.

"Yes and I'm taking her with me tomorrow at the headquarters. Maybe Garner can help me find her mother," CJ said. Matt just walked away to the other bedroom, shaking his head. The baby began to cry.

"Oh, don't cry tiny. Things aren't bad. Well, at least not too bad anyways. I don't have a bed for you but, um… you can sleep in the box. Just this one night, I promise," CJ cooed to the baby and went to get the box inside.

"Aww, you're hungry aren't you? I'm sorry but I only have regular milk and I don't think your little tummy can handle it. Of course I could dilute it with water… hey, wait a minute, what do we have here," CJ had rummaged the insides of the box and found a blanket and milk formula, which can be given to baby if the baby's mother can't produce milk for some reason.

"OK tiny, problem solved," CJ mixed the formula and heated it in a small baby bottle that she'd also found from the box. When the baby was drinking the milk, CJ tried to arrange the box more comfortable with one hand. In that point, she found a piece of paper that she hadn't noticed earlier.

Dear Miss Parker,

I know that you're a lifeguard, that's your job.

You save lives.

Could you save this little life too?

I cannot keep her so I'll trust her to your hands.

You can name her however you want.

But please, put Amy as her middle name.

I'm sorry for everything that I cause you.

But I'll be grateful to you for as long as I'll live.

Rose Amy

The baby had fallen asleep. CJ read the letter second time after she put the baby to her temporary bed.

"Rose Amy. That must be your mothers name," CJ whispered to the sleeping girl and tears started to stream down to her cheeks. Right then, she decided that she'd keep the girl, no matter what.