Title: Just a Girl

Author: Zooey

Rating: R – Deals with rape/violence against women. Also f/f : if that isn't your thing don't read on. I may use some long words.

Summary: This is fanfic world so expect a suitable plot to create angst, put one or more characters in danger and have character make dramatic realisations about themselves and others. Dum dum dum.

Disclaimer: The powers that be own these characters. I am just playing. (But if I did own them I wouldn't be firing 40% of the best ensemble cast on TV at the moment.)

This is my first fanfic so please don't be mean. If you are going to be mean, could you word it in such a way that I might misconstrue it as a compliment? Thank you. Also I'm English so if the Americanisms are not right you have my deepest apologies.

Z xoxo

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The damp night air carried the smell of blood. It smelt like rust. Sara surveyed the scene. Blood everywhere: at least two pints, maybe more. In the darkness of the alley it was hard to tell exactly.

"Jesus" Sara muttered in no particular direction. "And she survived this?"

"That remains to be seen" Catherine looked up from where she was crouched. "She's still in theatre. Apparently it's touch and go."

Sara grimaced as she looked up and down the alley. Behind the tape across the street a crowd had gathered. 'Ghouls' Sara thought. "Man, haven't they got anything better to do?" The onlookers really got to Sara in cases like these. It was as though the violation of the victim was perpetuated somehow by having people crowded at the scene just to say they'd seen the CSI's at work. "Probably frickin tourists, what a way to spend your vacation," Sara sighed as she crouched down to open her kit.

Catherine followed Sara's gaze. "Ignore them. Brass is going to let us know when she's ready to see us but from what junior here said," Catherine motioned to a rather green looking policeman standing a few feet away, "I don't think that is going to be tonight."

Sara considered the new boy. He looked a little weedy to be cop. Perhaps LVPD had lowered their fitness standards.

"Do we have an ID?"

"Sorry, the assailant took her clothes and she was too beaten to talk when the EMTs arrived. Young girl, dark hair, in her 20's probably a student." The young man blushed as he spoke to Sara but she dismissed it as him being new on the job.

Sarah glanced at Catherine. By the looks of things she'd only arrived a few minutes before her.

"Well no body so... hey you're the primary you call the shots," the two women were finally beginning to get along again so Sara wasn't about to step on toes where it wasn't necessary.

"Walk through, one to ones and collection. We'd better work fast though looks like rain and I don't want anything lost. I want to nail this asshole."

"Dam right" Sara muttered as she began to scrutinise the scene.

An hour, 62 samples and 256 photos later the two women reconvened at the entrance to the alley.

"Do want to call it?"

Sara looked at Catherine with some uncertainty. It wasn't like Catherine to be so, well, easy to work with. She searched the older woman's face for clues but if there were any Catherine certainly wasn't giving anything away.

"Sure." She looked at Catherine quizzically again before beginning. "Young woman, mid twenties, alone, walking either past or down the alley. She is grabbed from behind and smashed against the wall here." Sara points to the wall.

Catherine chipped in "We know it has to be the first blow. It's the least blood. How do you know she's grabbed from behind?"

"I don't, not yet, but that looks like lipstick to me so she's smashed face forward into the wall. Hopefully Grego can confirm for me"

"Nice."

Sara beamed; it was nice to get a compliment however muted. Catherine motioned for her to continue.

"Sorry, yeah, so she's thrown against the wall several more times. By this point she's bleeding heavily, nose, lips and head are particularly vascular. She's probably also semi-conscious by this point."

"And scared out of her mind"

Sara felt a pressure in her chest as she imagined how the girl must of felt. "Anyway she was hit hard lots of splatter." She motions to the far- reaching spray and continues, "The assailant then knocks her to the floor. There is some pooling where she bled out. He assaults her..."

"Rapes her; come on Sara lets call a spade a spade"

"...and leaves her for dead" Sara shuddered at that word. Of all the crimes it was the sexually motivated ones that would get to her the most. "Unfortunately for him she is a fighter and drags herself to the entrance of the alley, hence the smearing, where she is spotted by, um, well whoever called it in."

"Robin Morgan, 23, Brass is doing the background. Seems as though she was walking home and spotted our victim; she called 911 from her cell."

"Bet she's had better days. Let's get to the ER and collect any evidence that hasn't been wrecked. Hopefully someone had the presence of mind to bag her hands and do a rape kit." Sara grinned. "Your ride or mine?" Sara knew full well Catherine hated her driving. It wasn't that she drove recklessly it was just that she didn't see the point in hanging around. She stooped to pick up her kit and shot a smirk in Catherine's direction.

Catherine looked green. "It's going to have to be yours; Warrick dropped me off." Catherine took a few slow steps towards the Tahoe Sara drove. "Just remember we're not in the Indie500."

Sarah grinned.

"Excuse the mess, I buy the newspapers having every intention of reading them but they just seem to pile up. I was hoping to drop them off at a recycling point when I got the call" Sara explained as she shifted a pile of papers from the passenger seat.

"At least you buy them. What with work and Lindsey a few minutes of rolling news is all I seem to manage."

Sara smiled at Catherine. "I think you do pretty well." Their eyes met and the eye contact lasted a little too long to be comfortable. Sara blushed and looked at the ignition. As she turned the key the dulcet tones of a women and a guitar emanated from the speakers.

"Who's this? I know this song from somewhere."

"Aimee Mann, she did the Magnolia soundtrack"

"Ah, that would be it."

"If you like it you can borrow it." Sara said a little too hastily, she was feeling unusually eager to please. Catherine in a good mood had put her in a good mood.