AN: I know I've told anyone that's asked that I would update this for Wednesday but I wasn't doing anything today so here is the next chapter. I forgot to mention in the last chapter that I'm English so if I make any mistakes could you please tell me so I can correct them. Thanks to all those who reviewed: mirdaishan, Lotuslita, Cirinde Palantir and elislin, your reviews meant a lot to me.
Morgan POV:
When we arrived at the scene Brass strode up to us, "You took your time, body of Mrs York is inside and Mr York is on the door step. According to neighbors they also have a daughter but she hasn't been seen for months, we have put a broadcast on her."
"Thanks Brass" Greg said politely. "So Morgan, do you want Mr or Mrs?" He said still smiling. (His face must be beginning to hurt by now.)
"…I'll take Mrs York." I replied
"Okay, I'll process inside when I'm done, I think COD is obvious and I don't think there is very much evidence to collect." He said.
I went to the boot of my Denali and retrieved both of our kits. I passed Greg his "Thanks M."
"M?! Nobody can call me M." I said trying and failing to glare at him without smiling.
Greg feigned a look of hurt before saying "Ecklie calls you M."
"Ecklie is my dad; he has called me M since I was a baby." I replied rolling my eyes at him
"Aww, little baby M." Greg said in a mock baby voice, grinning.
I punched his arm halfheartedly as I started to walk past him. I looked back to see him clutching his arm, even though I knew it couldn't really hurt, and giving me a look that clearly said 'you'll pay for that'. I just grinned back before carefully stepping around the body of Mr York.
As I entered the house the smell of blood became almost unbearable. It was almost pitch black so I got out my torch to locate the body. I turned on my torch and had barely lifted it when I saw the body.
She looked late-twenties and would have been quite pretty if she hadn't been filthy and covered in blood and bruises. She was lying on her back in a pool of her own crimson blood. She was wearing a dirty and ripped skirt and blouse. I lifted up my camera and took photos of her. It looked like the beatings hadn't been a onetime thing and had been going on for a long time by the look of all the scars.
I saw a red fiber in her mouth and reached for my tweezers to collects it, I placed it in a bindle before seeing some red material sticking out from the door under the stairs. I took a photo of it and slowly opened the door…
As it creaked open a blood curdling scream echoed around the house and I glimpsed a small girl hiding behind a red dress. "Please I didn't do anything! Please don't hurt me, I did as you asked, I stayed out of the way. Please, please don't lock me up again!" She obviously thought I saw her father, or mother, as she sobbed.
When I had recovered from my near heart attack Greg, Brass and his men had come through the door looking concerned with their guns raised, pointing at me. (Well apart from Greg, he has never believed in guns.) "Morgan what was that, who else is here?" Brass asked looking around.
"It's okay Brass, I've found the daughter. She looks terrified though." I replied as calmly as I could.
"Okay, well I guess I should call child services." Brass said looking relived and pointing his men outside.
Greg still stood in the doorway looking at me. "Greg could you go outside for a second so I can get her out" I said softly gesturing at the sobbing child.
"Yeah…yeah sure I'll be outside." He replied slightly distracted as he back out leaving me alone with her.
She had pushed herself as far as she could away from the noise curled up in the fetal position sobbing dryly. I slowly took out the red dress and the few coats that were in the cupboard. Then I gingerly edged myself into the cupboard with her placing a hand on her back. She flinched and looked up at me "Shh, shh their gone now, they can never hurt you again."
Her sobbing subsided somewhat as she said "Who are you, where's my mom?"
"I'm Morgan; I work for the crime lab." My words stuck in my throat, what was I going to tell her "Ummm… your mom has gone to live with god and the angels." I found myself saying, even though I wasn't even slightly religious.
"You" sob "you mean" sob "she's dead?!" She cried her sobbing intensifying.
"Shhhh, yes, I'm so sorry. Come here." I found myself hugging her, and she surprisingly she hugged back. After a while her sobbing turned into hiccups and she yawned.
"Come on" I said softly and with no effort I carried her out of the cupboard, nearly hitting my head. I deliberately blocked the view of her mom while lifting her onto my hip. She didn't attempt to see her however. She just clung onto my top, looking straight ahead.
I looked at her, the poor kid. She could only be about three or four and she was skin and bones. Wearing clothes that were mismatched, too big, ripped and filthy. She also had scars and bruises like her mom. She hadn't had a proper start in life; she was facing dangers that most adults never have to deal with.
Like her clothes she was dirty, her hair could have been any color the amount of caked in dirt, dust and what looked like blood.
As I walked out of the front door she clung even tighter to me, burying her face into my side. I carried her over to Brass and a woman who was obviously from child services.
"Hello, I'm Amy." She said stepping forwards and announcing herself to me but before I had time to reply she carried on "I'm afraid that at this time we don't have any foster parents willing to take her on." She said gesturing at the small girl. "She will have to stay at the hospital….. Unless you take her for a few days." She said looking intently at me "Do you have any experience with children?"
"Uhh…. I used to babysit small children, but that was a long time ago." I replied knowing where this conversation was heading.
She nodded at me "Well what do you say will you look after her for a while?" she asked
"Okay, sure, I can book some time off work." I replied wondering what I had gotten myself into.
"Great, you will need to get her checked out; I believe there is a paramedic here." She said looking over my head. "Well if that's settled I need to go." She stated looking at me and Brass quickly before getting into her car and driving away.
"You have no idea what you have got yourself into." Brass said smiling at me.
I ignored this and asked "Why is there a paramedic here?"
"They haven't left from when Mr York shot himself, he didn't die straight away."
I nodded before turning to see the ambulance. I walked towards it when someone grasped my shoulder. I jumped and looked around and for the second time today Greg had made me jump.
"Sorry" he said sheepishly "I didn't mean to make you jump again."
"It's fine. I just need to get her checked by the paramedics" I replied hoisting the small girl a little higher on my hip.
He nodded "I heard you agreed to look after her, do you know how to care for a small child?" He asked skeptically
"Sort of, I did use to babysit. Anyway I couldn't let her go to a complete stranger." I said turning to face him as he was still behind me.
He was stood closer than I thought and I found my face inches away from his. My breath caught and my heart started thumping.
"How very noble of you M." he said softly "As I have a lot of vacation time stored up I can help you. If you want a hand" he said even softer. His eyes pierced mine searching for something. He smiled and I felt my heart stop. I subconsciously felt my eyes drift down to his lips. His hand on my shoulder tightened as he began to pull me closer. I felt my breathing quicken as my heart started literally throwing itself against my ribs. He was so close I could feel our breath mingling. I felt my eyes flutter closed.
"Hey did you want me to check the kid?" A paramedic asked as he walked over towards me. Greg and I jumped apart and I felt color infuse my cheeks.
I looked away from Greg and towards the paramedic, who looked curiously back at me "Yeah, could you?" I asked gently placing the child down, which she made difficult by refusing to let go of my top.
I bent down to her height and whispered "Do you think you could let go of my top?" She shook her head at me, her soft emerald eyes meeting mine. "If you let go of my top you can hold my hand. Would that work?" I asked her, she slowly nodded as I offered her my hand. She took it and I led her to the ambulance.