Monday, December 24th
Another kick in her belly. Sofia groaned. Pain. Again. There seems to be no mercy for her today. Like yesterday and the day before yesterday. Furious kicks all over her belly, like she was the ball in the Superbowl final. Angry and ambitious feet kicking fast to hit her, make her fly. Just that she - unlike the ball - didn't fly in the air but gasped for air. And there weren't a hundred thousand people around cheering or swearing, depending on which direction she turned. It was only her, swearing, in pain, unable to find a position, that was comfortable and not this painful.
"Oh fuck."
"What's wrong?" Not one hundred thousand people, only one person was around her. The one, she loved and needed most, her fiancé, the love of her life, Sara. The brunette was by her side like a caring coach, just that she wasn't there to urged Sofia on continuing and make her win, but to comfort her and try to take away as much pain as possible. Unfortunately little was possible as the blonde was on her own. Just like the players on the field. They heard the support, but they were on their own.
"I get kicked like a football in the Superbowl final, it's not the way I want to wake up in the morning. In no fairytale it says the princess is woken up by a vicious kick in her abdomen."
"Anything I can do?" Sara's arms slipped around the blonde's body, pulled her in and kissed her neck. In a lot of fairytales the princess gets kissed awake in the morning by her…in Sofia's case, princess. A helpless princess. Since their baby could kick, it seems to be very happy about this talent and used it frequently, not knowing in how much pain it got Sofia.
"We will have a football player."
"Fourteen more weeks." The brunette smiled. In fourteen weeks their child would be born, their were mothers and…it seemed like a dream come true. Mother of their baby, mothers of two wonderful kids. After all, their fourteen year old son was not too far away, in his room, asleep. He was the only one, who could sleep without being interrupted.
"I start counting like the first two weeks, just this time I want our baby not to stay in. Does it make me a bad mom? It will never be closer to me than now, we're one, I should appreciate it, enjoy the time and not count the days."
"Most people don't like pain, our baby gives you pain."
"Jules was right, first you're anxious to be pregnant, have the baby inside you, make sure it stays there, then it decides to stay, makes itself comfortable, grows and you want it out because you feel like you can't offer enough space while it wants a bedroom, a bathroom, a huge playground and you can only offer space for a small tiny bed."
"What you mean is, you want our baby out because you want to hold it in your arms and kiss it." Sara smiled.
"No, I want her out! Just out!" Her. Yes, they would have a baby girl. A little daughter, a little sister for Stephen, who was over the moon when they told him about the new member of their family. He looked forward to the baby as much as they did and as soon as they had the adoption papers, he officially would become a new big brother.
"You're a bad host."
"Next time you're the pregnant one and when you're twenty six weeks pregnant, you tell me, it's fine to have a kicking football player inside you, waking you up all the time, giving you pain and…the happiest smile on my face since this gorgeous woman I love, kissed me for the first time on the beach, meant the kiss the way I wanted her to mean it." Sofia sighed happily, thinking about the moment on the beach, when she realized, Sara kissed her because she loved her. At this moment the world stood still and nothing seemed to happen instead of the kiss. The kiss, that changed their lives.
"There won't be a next time. I got us a child, a cheeky, smart ass teenager boy, who likes to be with us a lot and thinks we're the coolest moms in the world. No pregnancy, no kicks, no putting on weight, nothing, only a wonderful boy for us."
"You mean the one, who made a mess out of our kitchen in order to make cookies yesterday? Who managed to get more dough on himself, the kitchenette and his face than in the oven?"
"Yes, the one who brought you fresh cookies to the couch, hot chocolate and the remote so you didn't have to get up."
"Wonderful kid." Sofia grinned.
"He is. Soon we'll have two wonderful kids."
"Until then, I get kicked. And out of bed. Time for a shower, breakfast and work. Not everybody has the holidays off like you do."
"Well, that was part of the deal Shane and me make. He promised to work all Christmas days when I take care of Stephen. I did, do, and now he works while I'm home with your parents and the boy, prepare everything for you to come home."
"Any special planes?"
"Shopping. I do the Christmas shopping, the rest your father needs for his creations, some additions for our snacks and they have a wine on special, I think we can give your parents. When I remember correctly, it's their favorite wine."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I put the advertisement away so they don't know about it, get a carton and we surprise them with it tomorrow. Or better, I get two cartons, one for tomorrow, one for the day they move into their new home." Marie and Mark bought a little house four streets away from Sofia and Sara's place. The family, who lived in there, would move out on the first of January and after the renovation, which shouldn't take longer than three or four days as the house was in a good condition, Sofia's parents would move in. A few things were already around, taken here by Marie and Mark when they came over the last time and the last free room upstairs was already their room.
"No wonder they love you."
"Like I love them. It's great to have them here, have enough time to talk to them, learn all about you…your past…the nice stories, you never mention."
"You're not popular right now."
"Not? What do you think, baby?" Sara kissed Sofia's belly. "You can hear me, tell me your opinion. Do you love me?"
"She loves you, but she's not pleased with you."
"Like her mother. Okay Jamie, lets get you and your beautiful mommy ready for work. We don't want her in late and you make sure she takes breaks and gives herself and you a rest. Christmas Eve is a busy day in the CSI lab, like all the other Christmas days, but nevertheless, you two need to rest."
"Her father will make sure we do and so will uncle Greggo. Plus I expect you to call at least once."
"Maybe twice and if you have the time, I might even come along for some lunch. Would you like that?"
"I'd love it."
"And so would Jamie."
"We need to rename her. Tomorrow." The blonde hugged her lover. They decided to name their daughter on Christmas Day. Their child was special, so they needed a special occasion to name her.
"Something with 'S', like…"
"Sssh." Sofia kissed Sara. "No ideas until tomorrow. We're allowed to think about it, but we won't say it. You write your favorite names down, we check if we both like the same name and that's it." She pulled Sara out of the bed. Time for her to get started and when the brunette had a few days off, it didn't mean she could stay in bed and not have breakfast with her.
When Sofia came into the lab, there were already cases on her desk. Break and enter, assaults, stolen cars, stolen wallets, a supermarket was robbed and a body found in an alley. So much for Christmas, the time of the year when everybody was friendly, loved their neighbor and looked out for them.
"Pick one." William said when he came into the room.
"Pick one? Why?" Usually he assigned the cases to them, didn't let them choose.
"Because you're pregnant and shouldn't work hard cases like the body in the alley. You're in no condition to climb into dumpsters."
"Thanks, I don't feel like a dumpster dive. Can I have Greg and the supermarket?"
"You can have the supermarket, but not Greg. You all get your own case."
"I thought so. Okay, I take the supermarket. Which one is it?"
"The little one on Silver Lake Boulevard, not too far away from your home."
"At the dog's park?"
"Yes."
"Oh." She went there a lot when she took the dogs for a walk and wanted some water or a little snack. "I know Min, the owner, he's a nice guy. Is he injured? Or any of his guests?"
"Not that I know of. Go and help the nice guy."
"I will. Thanks." She took the folder and went to get her kit. A case close to her own home. Of course she was aware of the fact crime happened everywhere and her area wasn't a safe haven without any crimes, but when it hit a place she knew, she went to frequently, it made it more obvious, that there weren't any safe places. Meant, when she went shopping in Silver Lake to get a bottle of water, she was as safe as anywhere else in the city. Bad people had cars, they could drive to different places and bad people also lived hidden between good people. She would have an update on her home security, make sure it was the newest and best around. Especially for Jamie. When her daughter was born, she wanted her as safe as the gold under the banks in Manhattan.
Knowing with a robbery she wouldn't meet Don at the crime scene, she wondered who was there. No bodies, no homicide. Well, she preferred it this way than having one or two bodies in the supermarket and Don with her. It was Christmas Eve, nobody was supposed to die today; especially not because of a gun or a knife.
For a second she thought about calling Sara when she got out of her car in front of the supermarket. Let her lover know she was close to home. But what for? Sara couldn't help her, or more, she wasn't allowed to help her. And her lover deserved a Christmas without crime, soon enough she'd hear about the incident.
Smiling at the officer, who lifted the crime scene tape for her, she went to the supermarket. Right in the middle of Silver Lake, on Silver Lake Boulevard. Shops and restaurants across the road, the basketball field and dog park only a hundred yards or so away. She walked pass this shop once a day, it's on her route around the reservoir.
"CSI Curtis."
"Detective Oberman." Richard Oberman was in his late fifties, she worked several cases with him while she was a lieutenant and a CSI. He was a solid man, old school, with good instincts and sometimes a not so good personality. At least when it came to private beliefs.
"Looks like you could have saved yourself the trip to the lab today, the scene isn't too far away from your home."
"Yeah, if I had taken the Boulevard towards Sunset, I had seen the scene, but I took the northern way. Can you fill me in?"
"Around seven in the morning a man with a skiing mask came into the supermarket. He had a gun and forced the owner, Mister Park, to open the check and hand the money over. He also demanded cigarettes. There were two more people in the supermarket, they were also held at gunpoint and the robber took their wallets. With the money and a bag of cigarettes he fled the scene down Silver Lake Boulevard towards Sunset."
"Anybody hurt?"
"A shock, no physical harm."
"Mister Park has a video camera in his shop, do we have the robber on camera?"
"We do. Pulled a photo off already and sent it the department."
"Good." That would help them to catch the man. "How much did he take?"
"Around a hundred dollar from the two customers and three hundred from the shop. Early in the morning isn't the time with a lot of money, our man must be desperate for money, that he didn't wait until later."
"Yeah. Did he flee on foot?"
"So far we don't have a car in the story, but I will go around, see what the other shop and restaurant owner saw, as far as they have been around. And the neighbors. A lot of dog walker are around too."
"Tell me about it, it's my favorite route too. I have a look inside and work the scene, see if I get some DNA or prints."
"No prints, he wore gloves."
"You know as good as I do, sometimes they have the thin ones and we get a print. It's always worth a shot."
"True. Good luck. I come back after I talked to the people."
Sofia went to the shop entrance and saw Oberman was right. All three witnesses looked fine, one had a paramedic next to her, but she could sit on the little step in front of the entrance and looked only very pale. You don't have a gun in your face every day.
"Sofia!" A Korean decent man smiled when he saw her.
"Hello Min, are you all right?" She knew the man since she moved to Silver Lake. As a regular customer, they had talked a few times and he always had a friendly word for all his customers. He reminded her of a big teddy bear with his friendly face and brown eyes.
"Nothing happened to me nor the customers. But we are shocked."
"Of course you are. Can you tell me what happened?"
"I opened at seven, these two waited for me to get their breakfast. When I was behind the counter, preparing everything for the day, a man came in. He had a gun, ordered my customers to go to the counter, held the gun to their heads, told them to give him their wallets and me to hand over the money from the check. It was over in a minute. Can you find him?"
"I do my best. Can you describe him?" She asked all the questions, she had asked as a cop. It was in her blood, she couldn't help it.
"Around six foot, solid build, he wore a skiing mask, so I can't tell you anything about his hair. His eyes were blue or gray, I'm not quite sure, but not dark. He had no accent and the way he moved I'd put him in his late teens, early twenties. He wore a blue washed out jeans, a black sweater with a hood, black gloves and black shoes…Nike."
"That's a pretty good description."
"Thanks, the officer said the same. When you watch people the whole in your shop, you are good in remembering these details and pay attention to them. As soon as a customer gets into the supermarket you have to know, if you need an eye on him or can continue your work. Otherwise people steal too many things."
"True. Where exactly stood the man?"
"Right in front of the counter. Between the Snickers and the Chewing gums."
"Did he touch anything?"
"Only the front door and the things he took."
"Was he under the influence of something?"
"Not that I noticed. He didn't seem to be very nervous, spoke clearly and seemed to be in control of the situation, which I thought was good. The nervous ones are more dangerous, have a lose trigger finger."
"You're right on this. The money you gave him, detective Oberman said it was around three hundred dollar. In small bills?"
"Yes."
"And the cigarettes? Was he after a special brand?"
"No, just everything."
"Okay, I talk to the other two witnesses and then I'll have a closer look at your supermarket."
"Can you work?" He asked carefully. "I mean, you're pregnant, is it okay for you to work?"
"As long as I take my breaks and don't use any chemicals that might endanger my child, I can work and find the man, who did this to you and your shop. Don't worry." She smiled. A small crime scene, good descriptions, a video of the crime, this should be an easier scene. At least from the evidence part, the catch the robber part was more difficult as he wore the skiing mask.
