Chapter 7 - Amiss

Chapter 7 - Amiss

Paul Addison sat in the holding cell replaying what had happened that night. He thought for sure that small, perky brunette was Tessa. He had gone up to her, grabbed her by the arm and swung her around, but once she spoke he knew he had made a terrible mistake.

"Get OFF of me!" The young woman was irate, and rightfully so. She was just accosted by a complete stranger, who was still hanging on to her arm, his bloodshot eyes full of bleary confusion.

In his inebriated state, instead of being apologetic, he got angry. "Hey! It's just a mistake. It's just…I thought you were another person. Calm down already!"

"Then LET GO!" She wrenched herself from his grasp and stormed out.

He looked around to see people whispering over cocktails and gambling chips. He needed to get out. He needed to go back to his hotel room. He needed to lie down.

He didn't remember getting into his car. And he didn't remember being pulled over. The next couple of hours were a blur of words and blue and red lights and some cop in his face and a q-tip in his mouth. As he sat in his cell, he wondered what had happened since holding on to the arm of an aggravated brunette and being held in a police station. He just wanted to have a few drinks in the casino. He just never knew when a few turned into too many.

The DNA pulled from the victim's sleeve matched the DNA taken from Paul Addison's mouth, but this only proved that he had interacted with her. Without evidence linking him to the crime, they had nothing to hold him there.

Brass would have to release him, but not without a warning to stay close. He didn't know that Paul Addison had every intention of sticking around; he still hadn't found what he was looking for.

XXXXX

Tessa woke up the next morning nestled in Greg's arms. She opened her eyes lazily to look at him, drinking in the sight of his mussed brown hair, the soft curve of his shoulder peeking out from underneath the layers of blankets, his lashes as they fluttered with restful sleep. She felt lucky even as she fought with the unsettled feelings that gnawed her. Something didn't feel right, and she wasn't sure what. Furrowing her brows as she continued to watch him, Greg opened his eyes, a smile blossoming on his face.

"Morning, sunshine." He leaned in to kiss her forehead. The sun was beginning to descend into early dusk, the clouds outside rolling by in pink and orange hues. The golden rays streaming through the window danced through the scarlet rivulets that shrouded Tessa's back. She offered him a quick smile before leaning in to steal a kiss, draping her leg over him to snuggle in close before having to get up and start the day, an upside-down world for those whose shifts extended into the midnight hours.

Her smile turned to consternation as she propped herself up on her hand. "I don't like the days I have to go to work without you." She gave him a mock pout that he seized quickly with a kiss.

"Me either. But this means that when you come home, breakfast will already be waiting for you."

The smile once again graced her features as she rested her head on Greg's chest. She mustered up the energy to propel herself from the comfy sheets and Greg's warm embrace. Throwing on one of Greg's t-shirts, she stole one more kiss before heading off to shower, leaving him to watch her as her tiny feet padded against the carpet, her small form enveloped by the extra fabric of his shirt. So small, yet so resilient, he thought to himself. How anyone could hurt someone like her was beyond him, but it made being with her all the more wonderful. Every time he looked into her eyes and saw the mixture of surprise and adoration that shone in them, it made him fall a little harder.

He made a decision as he listened to the sounds of water splashing in the shower that he would stop by today to bring her something to eat, just to see her, to show her that there were nice guys out there.

She padded back into the room just as softly, her long locks spun up in a towel, another towel wrapped around her tiny frame. The skin not covered was dewy with the remnants of her shower, and Greg sighed at the idea of having to let her leave. He clutched his pillow to his chest to keep him from jumping up and grabbing her towel to entice her back in to be with him, finding himself oddly content with notion of watching the mundane task of someone getting ready for work.

"Come on, let's have some food before I head in to work."

After eating, Greg kissed Tessa goodbye, then planted a small kiss on her forehead as he told her to have a good day. As she looked back up at him with huge brown eyes, he smiled as he saw all the adoration they held; he was entirely convinced her eyes were so large in order to hold all the emotion that she possessed in her heart. With a quick last kiss, she was gone, and standing alone in his apartment, Greg had time to process everything that happened over the past day.

His thoughts turned back to the brunette at the Bellagio. He had wanted to tell Tessa of what he had seen, but was afraid that saying the words would somehow make it real, make it some kind of danger for her. He also knew that there was no need to frighten her, given some of the violence in her past. Telling her to make himself feel better seemed selfish, and she deserved better than that.

But his curious nature wouldn't let the issue drop. It was too much of an eerie coincidence. He began to feel slightly unsettled at the idea that someone with an abusive past moves to Vegas only to have someone looking just like her turn up murdered? The panic began to spread through his chest as the worry became an obsession. The thought was now pulsing through his body, and he was overwhelmed with the urge to make sure she was okay. Waiting for his original plan of stopping by with food seemed too far away. Grabbing his keys, he headed out, not really sure what he would do or say upon getting there. He was well aware that this may make him seem overly neurotic and paranoid, or worse, completely possessive, neither of which he felt towards her. But something was nagging him, and he wouldn't feel better until he saw her. It was the same feeling of urgency after seeing the lifeless brunette. It was a feeling he hadn't been able to shake.

XXXXX

Tessa rummaged through her bag looking for her badge to go into work, cursing herself yet again for being such a scatterbrain. Times like this she wished everything she needed could be attached to her always, since losing things had become one of her greatest skills. As the laminated plastic came into view, a relieved smile spread across her face, not noticing as she almost collided with someone coming out of the building. She was about to apologize but as she looked up, her features fell, and panic spread through her body like wildfire.

"Paul," her voice was barely a whisper as it jammed in her throat like a shard of glass. Her head spun as everything inside her liquefied with terror. She had all she could do to maintain her stance and not collapse to the ground.

"Well, now here's a sight for sore eyes," Paul cooed as he went to put his hand on Tessa's trembling shoulder. The drunkenness faded, he knew he hadn't made a mistake this time.

As she went to jerk herself away from his grip, he latched on harder, large fingers digging in to her delicate form. Tessa cringed, but refused to let him see how much his touch affected her, instead trying to look stoic in the face of the ache now spreading through her collarbone.

"Is everything alright here?"

Paul let go as Tessa spun around to see the dark frame of Warrick Brown come into view. Tears were welling in her eyes, a mixture of pain and gratitude sending out a silent S.O.S to her fellow coworker. Trained to notice body language, Warrick knew everything about this situation was amiss.

Paul quickly turned nonchalant, but his shoulders tensed, giving away that his intentions were far from pure. "I was just…" he began, before Warrick cut him off.

"Leaving? Yeah, that's a good idea." He got up close enough to stare down the unwelcome visitor, his pale eyes slicing through him, causing the other man's determined brow to arch slightly in apprehension.

"Yeah. Yes." Paul stammered, shooting Tessa a fiery look before treading off into the shadows.

Hidden behind Warrick's massive frame, the tears slipped down Tessa's cheeks, her eyes fluttering shut in a combination of ebbing panic and relief. Warrick gingerly placed his hand on Tessa's shoulder, causing her to crumble from the onslaught of so many emotions. He wrapped his arm around her, coaxing her inside as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure the offending party had left the premise.

When Tessa regained control, she looked up at Warrick, heaving a discomfited sigh at breaking down in front someone she still didn't know all that well. She bit her lip and crossed her arms as if trying to keep warm before managing to find her voice.

"Thank you, Warrick." She brought her gaze up to his, still feeling slightly uncomfortable but wanting to convey her appreciation. The look in his eyes made her relax a little, but releasing the tenseness of her shoulders caused her to wince.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" His voice was low and soothing, but Tessa wasn't ready to confide in anyone what had just transpired. As she had done many times before, she conjured up just enough explanation to placate the worried glances.

"I was just…I think he thought he knew me…I got startled." She brushed off her intense reaction, denied the man from her past, and donned an apologetic smirk as if it was just some silly coincidence.

Warrick looked at her skeptically, but decided not to press the issue. "You gonna be okay, kiddo?"

"Fine. I'll be fine. Thanks again." And with that she twirled around and headed towards the lab, leaving Warrick to mull over his doubts. He decided he'd keep an eye on her, as the angst in her eyes belied her reassuring words. He was an investigator after all, and this man had just come out of their building. No doubt he'd be able to find out who he was, and what impact he had on the young lab tech.