Melissa's Tattoo

Melissa's Tattoo is a curious design written in what appears to be a proto-semetic cuniform on Melissa Weller's upper thigh. It was written in a specialized UV-Reactive ink and undetectable except under a black light. It was discovered during a routine autopsy performed by City Medical Examiner, Joe Kramer. A photograph of the design was given to Chase Quinn.

Reactions
During the course of her investigation, Chase shows the tattoo to a number of people, many of whom react with surprise as to it's meaning. Her initial response to the discovery is one of surprise and confusion, stemming from her long history with Melissa and knowledge that the girl did have or want tattoos.

The following individuals have seen Melissa's Tattoo:
 * James O'Riley: astonished and confused as to it's origin and existence. Was unaware based on his knowledge with the family that she had it. Chase asks him to invesigate the specialized ink used. (SA: Vade Retro)
 * Roland Crisp: Shown to him following her return from the city morgue. He responds by saying "Well, that's different." (SA: Vade Retro)
 * Deborah Weller: Shown to her at Melissa's wake. Deborah seems shocked and caught off guard that her daughter had a tattoo, re-itterating the fact that Melissa ddin't like them. (SA: Vade Retro)
 * Doug McGinnis: Chase shows him a photograph of the tattoo during a routine briefing. When he asks about it she reveals that Linguistics is having difficulty translating it. He believes that the tattoo may have very siginificant meanining to someone other than Melissa. (SA: Sien Souhitent)
 * Alexander Weir: In a deleted scene, during Melissa's wake, he remarks that it appears similar to Hebrew. The scene was cut for time.(SA: Vade Retro)
 * Robin Quick: Makes a point of not looking at it, appearing genuinely uninterested in it. Upon Roland's mention that it is proto-semetic, he suggests they take it to someone who speaks Hebrew. (SA: Hinc Illae Lacrimae)

Origin and Meaning
The origin of the tattoo and it's meaning both within the larger storyline, and to Melissa are currently unknown. Sharp-eyed viewers however have caught that the tattoo is not infact written in anything more exotic than traditional Hebrew. It's origin and meaning are the focus of the season finale.

Trivia

 * Originally written in standard Hebrew, producers have indicated that the tattoo will be slightly re-designed for the upcoming features, as it will play a significant role in the future of the series.
 * The UV effect was achieved in the simplest way possible. The tattoo is merely laundry detergent painted on the actress' thigh, and then covered with a layer of hairspray to blend the non illuminated version with her skin. When a black light is passed over the design, it glows brightly.