Unforgotten, Chapter 1:
Stella's POV:
I had just finished taking the last of the crime scene pictures and watched as our medical examiners took the bloody bodies of a 16 year old girl, her mother and her father back to our lab. The walls covered in splattered in blood, an abandoned knife lay on the ground and a rope hung from the ceiling fan.
Throwing my gloves in the garbage can, I made my way over to Mac, who was keeping guard on the family's foster children, our old survivors and only witnesses, 6 year old twin girls. The girls, Brooklyn and Ellizalynn, wore matching PJ pants and black t-shirt over their skinny bodies. Brooklyn's hair pulled up out of her face and Ellizalynn's sticking to her teary face. Both had curly brown hair, almost identical to mine and beautiful green eyes. I felt like when I looked at them, I felt like I knew those eyes.
"Where are they going to go?" I asked, knowing all foster cares where filled with children at the moment and we wouldn't have placements for them at this short notice. "I don't know no one had room in their homes or foster cares on this team." I looked at Mac, he didn't ask me. He read my face and sighed. "Stella, are you sure? You've never dealt with children before." I rolled my eyes. "Children are easy Mac, just let me try. I can clean up a bit, buy some more food's they like and they should be okay. They are 6. I can deal with them." I said, hands on my hips.
After cleaning up my guest room, getting some clothes from the murder home and buying some more foods that I though 6 year old would eat, I arrived back at the CSI lab and walked down the hall. Elliza and Brook sat in an irrigation room, munching on come cookies Lindsey had gotten them. I smiled at them and walked inside, Mac following behind. He sat down next to Brook and put his arm on her shoulder.
"Hello girls, this is Stella, she is going to take you to her house for a bit until we…find a place for you okay?" Both nodded and looked up at me, Brook was looking at me, wide eyes and down at a picture I couldn't make out. On the way out, Elliza wrapped her arm around the back of my shirt and I reached down, picking the child up.
Mac offered to drive us home, which I agreed to. He went to pick up little Brook and she hissed at him, grabbing onto my hand. He chuckled, raising an eyebrow at me. "They already got attached Stella…" He laughed and buckled himself in while I sat with the girls in the back of the cop car.
Setting the girls down in my apartment they both looked around. I smiled at them and went into the kitchen where I dropped my purse and keys. I took the bag of toys from Mac and waved him goodbye. I took the bag to the girls room, where I found them jumping on the bed. Smiling, I set the bag down and told them I was going to make something to eat. Down the hall, I heard one of them stomp after me and grab my hand. I looked down at the little body of Elliza, the smaller twin. She sat at the bar and watched me cook. She watched my every move, acting as if I was a TV she really enjoyed.
Brooklyn was playing quietly in their room when I finished. Elliza seemed to not want to leave my side and helped me set the table and walked with me to get Brook.
The girls picked at the food on their plates, it was simply a soup and crackers, they said they liked it. Brook clenched the picture again, looking up at me and down at it every now and then. After I got them to eat a little, Brook sat on the couch watching TV, looking threw a picture book while again Elliza stayed by my side.
Later on, I had both girls resting in their room while I cleaned up some. I heard a few soft yells and stood outside their closed door and listened.
"Gimme it! We cants tell her!" I heard Elliza's voice say. "Shut up! Yes we can! She's got to know!" Brooke's voice said. I heard the girls arguing until a scream rang threw my ears and I ran in.
Brook lay on the floor, knees to her chest while Elliza stood shocked over top of her, holding that paper. I gasped, picking Brookes shaking body up and placing her on the bed. Ellizalynn looked up at me, a scared look on her face. I grabbed an icepack and put it on Brookes shin. I picked up little Elliza and carried her out to the living room.
I placed her small body in a corner and went back quickly to see Brooke. She would have a nice bruise, but she was fine. I tucked her in bed and went back out to the living room where Elliza sat quietly. "Elliza, why did you kick Brooke?" She turned to face me, throwing the picture at me. "I-I d-didn't mean t-to! B-But s-she w-was g-gunna t-tell you…" I picked up the paper; it was a picture of a young girl with curly hair and dark hair. She held to little girls in her arms who were wrapped in pink blankets.
I remembered that scene, when that picture was taken… Because that was me… 6 years ago…