Disclaimer: It's a pain in the booty to write these but i must give credit where it's due. once again to Jerry and his team for csi, and the csi cast. i only own the idea for this story, Sadie, Billy Rogers, his brother, and Big Jim's Towing.(i think, if it does exist it's pure co-winky-dink.) Any way, enjoy...............

One Day I'll Fly Away:

Nick attempted to open his eyes but he couldn't. The pain coming from his head provented him from doing anything but wincing. He weaned himself into opening his eyes, even if it were just one, even if it just opened a little. Slowly he opened his eyes, although it wasn't much help. He could feel his eyes opening and closing but everything was pitch black. He felt a cloth tied around his head preventing him for speaking. He struggled to keep his head up as he tried to scan the room. He attempted to free his arms but found that they were tied behind him. His legs were also tied individually to the legs of the chair he was sitting in. There was a noise resembling a door opening and Nick could see a small ray of light coming from behind him. A light was turned on and Nick saw for the first time his surroundings. The walls were cement with no windows that he could see, and only one door behind him. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and began to panic. He tried to free his arms legs, anything that could help him. When he began to move he heard the footsteps quicken. The person set something down on a table slightly behind him and moved around in front of him. Nick saw a girl no more than nineteen. Her clothes consisted of a ratty white t shirt and baggy black sweat pants, neither of which looked like they belonged to her. She moved her sock clad feet closer to him. I could tell by her face that she knew he was frightened. But he didn't know wether or not to be frightened of her. Was she the one holding him against his will?

She hesitated before speaking glancing at the tray she placed on the table. She looked at the gag. "If I take this off are you going to yell?"

Nick thought, of corse I'm going to yell, I'm going to get someone's attention if it kills me. Then Nick thought about the words kill me. It was hard to breath not to mention he was gaging. She didn't look like she could hurt him and if he had to he could probably take her down. He shook his head slowly trying not to increase the pain.

The girl reached around him and loosened the knot before completely removing the gag. Nick swallowed a few times trying to moisten his throat. "Thank you." He said quietly feeling the need to be polite.

The girl walked over and brought the whole table back with her. Nick could see there were bandages and ointments along with a glass of water, pills, and a yogurt. She took the washcloth and moved her hand to his head. He jerked away not knowing what to expect. "I'm not going to hurt you." Whenever she spoke her words came out barely audible. For some unknown reason Nick believed her. She tilted his head and began to wipe away at his forehead. The towel was warm and her touch was gentle. When the cloth came down he could see a small amount of blood. She took her finger and placed a small amount of ointment on it before rubbing it on the place she just washed. She wiped her hand on a clean towel and took the bottle of pills. It was a clear bottle with tiny white pills around the bottom. He watched as she struggled a bit trying to get them open. She was definitely not the one who did this to him, she could barely open a bottle, he though.

She finally opened it and took two out. She put the bottle back down and took the glass of water, holding the straw. She put the pills to his lips but he refused to open them. "Please? It will help with the pain." Nick wasn't sure if it would kill him but the pain in his head was sure enough to get him before the pills would. She sipped from the straw and when the pills went down she took the glass away. "Would you like something to eat?" She offered. Nick's stomach was in knots and the thought of food made him want to vomit. He kept his gaze on her as he shook his head once again. She put the table back where it was and came back to him with the gag.

"No, please." He said begging her not to put it back on.

"I have to." She said avoiding his eyes.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do." She said her eyes getting frightened. "He'll kill me if he found out I took it off."

"You can untie me. Let me go."

She looked down at the ground. "I can't." Nick looked at her seeing the pity she had for him. A door opened in the far distance and the girl scrambled about. She tied the gag around him and hid the tray beneath the stairs. Nick knew something bad was coming. The door at the top of the stairs opened and heavy footsteps came down. He heard a heavy bag drop and the figure stopped.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" He spat at the girl.

"I was just keeping an eye on him like you asked sir." She stammered out. Nick could hear the fear in her voice.

The man came in front of Nick holding the girl roughly by her arm. The man looked him over and then slapped the girl. Nick struggled to free his arms, even though he was in pain his morals were poking through. "You cleaned him up." The man boomed out.

"I just thought you would like a clean face to work on." She struggled out. He slapped her again causing her to scream out in pain. "And he won't be any good to you if he bleeds out before you can finish." She said blocking her face as his hand came up in the air again.

He paused before he slapped her again, thinking about what she said. "Get up stairs." She said to her dropping her down from his grip. She took one last look at Nick and he could tell that she was sorry for what was about to happen to him. She ran up the stairs and closed the door. "Good afternoon Mr. Stokes. I was beginning to think I hit you to hard." He said walking away to retrieve the bag. He threw the bag at Nicks feet and squatted down in front of him. He unzipped the bag and pulled out brass knuckles, a stun gun, and a nine millimeter, which looked a lot like Nicks. "Let's have a little fun shall we." He said sliding the brass knuckles on his right hand. He removed Nicks gag and tossed it aside. "I'd rather hear your pain." He said and swiped Nick in the jaw. "Do you know why you're here? Did that bitch tell you?" Nick shook his head his jaw throbbing, he was surprised it wasn't broken. "You killed my brother. An eye for an eye, aye Nicky?"

"I've never killed anyone." He said hoping he had the wrong person.

"Not personally." He swiped at Nick again. "God I love these." He said looking at the brass knuckles. "He was given the death penalty because of you. And by all means you are going to remember the name Billy Rogers for the rest of your life."

Nick searched his brain for Billy Rogers. Then he remembered, he was a convicted murderer you raped his victims before he slit his throat. "He killed young girls after violating them." He tried to reason with him.

"He made a mistake. I told him not to kill that Menter girl." He shook his head. Britney Menter had rich parents that wouldn't rest until their daughters killer was found and punished.

Nick remembered more. The girls were all between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. "What if it had been that girl upstairs?"

The man smiled evilly. "Sadie? He was her first, he just didn't want to kill his niece, besides she would never tell anyone." Nicks eyes got wide. How could he do that to her. She was so fragile, and now he knew why. The man in front of him was about to strike again when his pager went off. "Goddamn." He swore. It wasn't until then that he noticed the embroidery on the mans blue coveralls. Big Jim Towing. "We'll finish this when I get back." He said tapping Nick's cheek with his open palm. He went up the stairs and slammed the door, but Nick heard a muffled yell. He was calling for his daughter. There was more muffled sounds that he couldn't make out, and then the door opened, something was thrown down the stairs, and the door was closed. Nothing moved as Nick sat in the dark once again and heard a car start up and roll away.

A few minutes later he heard a soft groan and shuffling before the light came on again.

Sadie stood up leaning on the stair railing. When she found herself able to move she walked behind the stairs and turned on the water in the sink. She rinsed the wash cloth she had used earlier and made sure it was warm. She took a bucket that was under the sink and put a little bit of water on the bottom. She turned the water off and walked to Nick. She didn't know anything that had gone on down here. She was instructed to clean him off and that is what she would do.

Nick saw Sadie come into view and his heart broke. This poor girl was abused constantly and no one helped her. Well that's going to change, he thought.

She gasped at the shape his face was in. Blood was coming from his lips and cheek, and she could see the bruising starting to form. She swallowed back her tears and began to wipe his face once again. She help the bucket to his face. "If you need to spit."

"I was told not to spit in front of a lady." He said swallowing the copper tasting liquid.

"I'm not one to be proper in front of." She said without even a smile or a blush.

Nick held his head away from the bucket, he wanted to spit, to throw up, but he wasn't going to. "Thank you Sadie." He said as she cleaned him. She stayed silent as she continued to clean him. "What about your mom?" Nick asked, trying to see if there was anyone she could go to.

"She died when I was young." She missed her mom everyday and wished that she could be with her.

"What was her name?" He asked.

"Ana Thomas. I changed my last name to keep her around." She said not caring if it was important or not.

"Please untie me." He said softly, making another attempt.

"I can't, please stop." She couldn't control herself. If he asked one more time she would let him go, but then her father would do to her what he was going to do to Nick.

Nick looked at the girl. She had light brown, almost blonde, hair that was matted and covered her face but she had green eyes that peeked through. He imagined that once upon a time they would shine bright looking out at the world, but now they were as dull as could be. "Why do you let him treat you like this?" Nick asked.

She paused in mid wipe. "There's no other way."

"Of corse there is." Nick said.

"No there isn't. He's all I have." She said cleaning off the last of the blood.

"You deserve better than him and his bastard of a brother."

Sadie's eyes got real big. "How did you know?" She was ready to cry at any second.

"He told me." He looked at her. "Untie me, and you and I will both leave. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Sadie looked in his eyes. He had kind eyes, promising eyes, but ever since her uncle forced himself on her three years ago she had been afraid of men.

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt me, and now I promise you. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you again. You just have to trust me." He said.

Sadie thought for a moment. If she let him go and he killed her she would be better off. If she let him go and he left her, she would only have to stand one more beating before she died. But if this man was true to his word she would be able to get away from here. She looked back into his eyes. Whichever path she chose would only involve a little more pain before freedom. She walked back to her position behind the stairs.

"Sadie, wait." Nick pleaded. She came back with a knife in her hands, but somehow Nick knew not to be afraid. She cut the rope around his ankles and then the one around his wrists. He twisted his wrists a bit, stretching them and then reached for his gun in the bag. "C'mon." He said holding his hand out for her. He saw a small twinkle of hope in her eyes as she took his hand. He cocked the gun and slowly opened the door. He led with his gun in one hand and held Sadie's hand in the other. Nick recognized his surroundings, they were just a few towns over from the lab. When they hit the sidewalk he tucked the gun in the waistband of his pants, so as not to draw attention. They walked hand in hand to the next town. Nicks head was throbbing but he pushed it aside and willed himself to get to the lab.

The rounded the corner and Nick could see the familiar stairs three blocks away. The stairs he climbed almost everyday. He had never in his life been so happy to see a set of stairs.

Something was willing Sadie to turn around and so she slowly turned her head as she and Nick walked steadily along.

Nick felt a tug on his arm and turned to see that Sadie stopped moving and she was looking behind her. He looked in that direction and saw a blue tow truck with the words Big Jim Towing on the hood. "Run." Nick said loudly as he tugged her arm.

The two took off running and the truck sped up. Nick watched the stairs get closer. Two blocks. He sped up, Sadie by his side keeping up the pace. One block. They were almost there.

Sadie knew he was running to the stairs. She knew when she reached them she would be safe. A few more feet and she would be free. No one would hurt her anymore. The truck stopped when they were two feet from the bottom step. The door closed and her father got out. Bottom step. He came toward them gun aimed. Half way there. Sadie knew this was it. She took the gun from Nicks waist, the left where she was, and stopped on the middle step. Before Nick knew it, he felt his gun being pulled from his waist and two shots rang off. He turned and saw Sadie standing with her back to him, gun aimed at her father, who was now lying on the ground, blood beginning to pour from him. Nick put a hand on Sadie's shoulder but reacted quickly when she began to fall. He caught her and unable to support her in his weakened state he laid her down supporting her head and shoulders.

The gun fell from her hands and made a clanging sound when it hit the steps. He saw the blood pool forming on her shirt and shook his head. "No." She smiled up at him and put her hand to his cheek. "I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"And now no one can." She said softly. Her soft tone had been from fear before, but now it was soothing, as if she were trying to make him feel better. "You kept your word. You freed me." She said. The twinkle in her eyes had returned and Nick saw the brightest pair of emerald green eyes.

He could here the sirens of an ambulance in the distance. Someone had called for help. "You just have to hang on a little longer."

"It's my time Nick." She wiped on of his tears away with her thumb.

He knew she was almost gone. "You save me a place, ok?" He smiled through his tears.

"Right next to me." She brought her hand down and with one last breath she closed her eyes, making sure he was the last thing she saw, and let go.

Nick cried when he felt her go limp in his arms. He wanted to save this child, make her better, but he figured that he had. Like she said, he freed her and now noone would ever hurt her again. The paramedics came and tried to revive her but the couldn't, Nick knew she was in a better place. Grissom and Brass had finally made there way through and saw two dead bodies and Nick.

"Nick thank God." Grissom sighed. The entire team had been looking for him for three days.

He sat there looking at Sadie as she was wheeled away, a white sheet covering her body. The officer who had responded to the call approached him. "Did you know either of the deceased?" He asked. Nick didn't respond as he watched the body disappear, tear stains left on his cheeks. "Mr. Stokes?"

"You can talk to him later." Brass spoke up. "He needs to be checked out."

The detective stepped aside and Nick moved unconsciously to the paramedic as Grissom followed. While the paramedic was finishing by wrapping Nicks arm Nick spoke up, still looking at the ground in front of him. "I need to know where she's going." He said to Grissom.

"Why?"

"For the burial."

"I'll contact the family." Grissom said leaning against the truck.

"She doesn't have any. I'm doing it." He said not breaking his stare with the pavement.

"She's not your responsibility Nick." He said.

Nick looked angrily at Grissom. "This girl was abused her entire life, I'm giving her a proper burial. She deserves that much."

Grissom knew there was no arguing with him so he let it by.

Eight years later

Nick stood in the familiar graveyard. Sadie Thomas, October 24, 1983 May 05 2002. Freedom was granted for a loving girl.

He carefully lay the flowers down on the grass and placed a hand on the stone. "Happy Birthday." He said.

"Ready daddy?" A little girl said, looking up at him.

"Ready Sadie." He said taking his daughters hand and walking to their car.