(A/N: I know, I know it's been awhile but between writer's block and life, it took awhile for this chapter to be written. I rewrote it like 6 times. Although this chapter is shorter then past chapters I felt where I ended was the stopping point. I am thinking there is one or two chapters left. I'm hoping to have the next chapter in less time than I took on this one. I want to thank all of the reviewers for encouraging me to continue even though I was stuck. I hope you enjoy!)
Bring Her Home
Chapter 7
The Family Man
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
Mad World by Gary Jules
The gloom of watching a funeral seemed to hit Nick hard as he listened to another speech. The words seemed to blend into each other. As tears streaked down his face, he thought of another funeral – James and Lily Potter. He had only been at the crime lab for a year at the time but everyone from the lab came and attended the funeral with him. To have the silent support of his colleagues/friends gave Nick the strength he needed to get through that day and weeks after.
When he had been planning the funeral, he had their friends helping with the planning and dealing with the pain. Afterwards he seemed to fall into a black hole. It had taken him a long time to come out of it. Nick allowed a faint smile as he thought of who had kicked him out of his depression – Greg Sanders. The smile vanished as the small casket was lowered into the ground. The quiet ceremony did not fit Adaline. She would have wanted something lively, beautiful. Instead of white roses, she would have asked for lilies to be placed on her casket. He closed his eyes as he thought of the horrors the young child had to have gone through before he or she had passed. With a sigh, Nick continued through the graveyard to the graves he had come to visit – James and Lily Potter. Nick kneeled down and placed the lilies against the headstone.
"I did it," Nick told them. "I found Adaline. She's been through a lot." Nick paused as he gathered himself. "She went through brain surgery a few days ago. It was hard on her but she is a trooper. Everyone at the lab has been helpful throughout it all. If I cannot be there with her, someone takes over. Greg has kept his promise and he has been by me every step of the way. He is at the hospital with Adaline right now. He normally comes with me. Adaline wanted me to bring lilies – said that you would appreciate them Lily. I hope you can see how amazing she is and that you have a TV dialed in on her all the time."
-0-*-0-
Before he even reached her room, he could hear Adaline's laughter.
"60 cards!" he heard Greg exclaim. "I have to draw 60 cards!" Adaline's helpless laughter drew a grin out of Nick as he walked into the room.
"Is she trouncing you in UNO, G?" Nick asked as he grabbed a seat and placed it next to Greg. Greg looked over at him. He was pouting because he was being beat by a 9 year old.
"Yeah she is," Greg admitted with a sigh. He finished drawing the cards and waited for Adaline to take her turn.
"I'm out," she declared with a flourish as she placed her card down. Greg groaned as he dropped his stack of cards onto the food tray. Nick snickered. Greg gathered the cards together and began to shuffle them. He looked over at Nick.
"You want to join in?" Greg asked. The words that automatically came to him seemed to die in his throat. Greg's words had a heavier weight then Nick had originally realized, he noticed. The sparkle in Greg's eyes as a smirk played across his face told Nick a story that he had not realized he had already read. Nick cleared his throat and replied.
"Yeah, I'm all in," Nick said.
-0-*-0-
As Catherine navigated the halls of the hospital, she thought back to the past few days. When Greg had relayed the news that Adaline was going into brain surgery to Conrad Ecklie, no one could have foreseen the changes that the man would go through. He was kinder to those in the night shift and was flexible with Nick and Greg's schedules so that they could take turns being with Adaline in the hospital. The look on Grissom's face when he informed him of these changes had Catherine giggling like a little girl in her head for a moment. After the surgery, Catherine had gone home exhausted to find her daughter waiting for her. Practice for her play had been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts for the auditorium. She had made dinner for them and had the table already set.
"Mom is everything okay?" Lindsey had asked. Catherine had been waring with herself since she had heard the news. Should she tell Lindsey about what happened to Adaline and the circumstances that led to her going into surgery? Catherine already knew that Lindsey was aware of Adaline as she had stopped by to bring by food for Nick, Greg, and Adaline a number of times so that that they wouldn't starve while they adjusted to Adaline being home. Nick would have been too exhausted to make anything, and well Greg – he really could not make anything edible without supervision, close supervision. Catherine decided to tell her. Afterwards Lindsey was quiet. She ate with little conversation and Catherine regretted telling her. When Catherine stood up to clear the dishes from dinner, Lindsey spoke.
"Could we go visit her?" Lindsey asked. "I'd like to bring a few things for her to do while she's there." Catherine smiled. It took a lot of maneuvering in their schedules but finally Lindsey and Catherine found an appropriate time for the two of them to go visit Adaline.
"Mom we're here," Lindsey said drawing her out of her thoughts. Catherine nodded and lightly knocked on the door. Nick and Greg looked towards the door. Adaline was frowning at her cards and her face was scrunched up in thought.
"Come on in Catherine," Nick greeted. A simple smile spread when he noticed Lindsey behind her. "You too Lindsey." Adaline looked up when she heard the older girls' name. Although she had yet to meet Lindsey, she had heard a lot about her. She had been bugging Nick to go see Lindsey on the opening night of her play.
"Hey Adaline, it's good to finally meet you," Lindsey said as she approached the girl. Adaline nodded shyly. Lindsey opened up her backpack. "I know being in the hospital can get a bit boring so I brought a few things I thought you might like." Adaline watched as Lindsey pulled out several different things. Each item had one thing in common – art. "I heard that you like art stuff so I thought you might like a few more things to work with." Adaline smiled and thanked her. Nick, Greg, and Catherine watched in fascination as Adaline slowly came out of her shell. Lindsey and Adaline worked on a "mutual masterpiece". They were working on the final part when someone else knocked on the door – Conrad Ecklie.
"I hope it is okay that I'm here," Conrad said awkwardly. The group exchanged looks. Since Adaline's arrival, Conrad had changed and they were not quite sure if the other shoe was going to drop soon.
"Nah man, come in on," Nick said as he was waved the man in. Now that Conrad was closer, he could see that he had his hands full with several things. Everyone watched in amazement as he placed a bouquet of flowers on the bedside table and handed Adaline a bag full of art things and a stuffed stag.
"I discovered that your dad's nickname was Prongs among his group of friends," Conrad awkwardly related to Adaline. "I thought a stag might be an appropriate representation because of that." Adaline smiled at Conrad and hugged him.
"Thank you," Adaline said sweetly. She turned her attention back to her art project with Lindsey. Nick tilted his head and indicated that he and Ecklie should talk outside the room. Conrad nodded and the two went into the hall. Once they were far enough away for privacy, Nick crossed his arms and stared at Conrad.
"Okay I feel awkward even saying this but you are acting strange Ecklie," Nick said with a raised eyebrow. "You barely know Adaline and yet you are treating her like she is basically your daughter. You are always around. You have been bending over backward to make sure that either I or someone else is with her, not that I mind that. But, seriously, what is going on with you?" Conrad sighed and looked around as he shifted around uncomfortably.
"I have a daughter," Conrad admitted. At Nick's stunned look, he gestured him over to nearby seats. "Her mother and I, we divorced when she was younger. It has been years since I have heard from her or even seen her. We somewhat just drifted apart. Adaline is her age. She is the age that Morgan was when, in a way, I lost her." Conrad nervously played with his hands. "I guess seeing Adaline I am trying to make up my mistakes with Morgan to Adaline. I want to succeed where I failed with her." The two sat silently while Nick processed what Conrad had told him.
"Have you tried reaching out to her?" Nick asked. Conrad shook his head.
"No, she doesn't want anything to do with me," Conrad told him. "She took her step fathers last name. She does not even really see me as a father. If anything I'm an estranged uncle that no one will talk about." The sympathetic look on Nick's face had Conrad internally cringing. "I think she thinks I have forgotten about her. I remember about a year after her mother and I divorced, I called their house and she picked up. She was so young then. I told her it was Daddy and asked if I could speak to her mom. She told me that her Dad was already home and then hung up. The next time I spoke to her, she told me she did not want anything to do with me. A true dad would put their family above work." Conrad paused for a moment to clear his throat and to wipe away the tears that had gathered on his face.
"It hurt to hear that from her," Conrad admitted. "I tried to talk to her about it but she refused and hung up the phone. After that, the amount of contact I had with her was birthdays, Christmas, and holidays. Even then, it was only cards and gifts. She refused to come and visit with me. I did not want to force her. She already hated me without me forcing the issue so I tried to keep my distance but over time, we just drifted from each other."
"Do you know where she is now?" Nick asked. Conrad nodded. "Do you have a way to contact her?" Conrad nodded again. "Call her; write a letter – whatever you need to do. Reach out to her and tell her what you have realized, what you told me. Talk about what you have been doing here, about Adaline. Do something before you don't have a choice anymore." Conrad stared at the man stunned.
"I'm going to head back to Adaline," Nick told him. "Come back whenever you are ready." Conrad nodded. He watched Nick leave and took a moment to gather himself. Clearing his throat, Conrad pulled out his cellphone and pulled up his contacts list. After several minutes of debating with himself, he finally pulled up her contact and pushed call before he could back out again. With shaking hands, he put his cell phone next to his ear and listened as it rang. Each ring seemed to twist his stomach even further. Then a voice cut through.
"Hello?" Morgan said.
"H-H-Hey its D-D-Conrad," Conrad said. He silently cursed himself for being so indecisive and self-conscious. He hoped that Morgan had not noticed.
"Hi," Morgan said. "Why are you calling?"
"Do you remember me telling you about Nick Stokes?" Conrad asked.
"Yeah," Morgan confirmed, confused. "Why?"
"A few days ago a case came from another CSI's desk – Greg Sanders," Conrad told her. "A child abuse case. It turned out that the little girl from his case is Nick's goddaughter. She has been missing for 8 years. She was taken the same night that her parents were murdered. They died trying to protect her."
"Oh wow," Morgan gasped. "Is she okay?"
"She will be," Conrad, told her. "She had brain surgery last week but she seems to be recovering well."
"Brain surgery," Morgan repeated as thousands of possibilities ran through her head. "Why would she need brain surgery?"
"There was some damage to her brain," Conrad told her. "They operated and it seems like she is not having any adverse effects from it all. However there is a point in me telling you this."
"Which is?" Morgan asked succinctly.
"I messed up," Conrad admitted. "With you and your mother. I buried myself in my work because I was not sure how to be a husband and father. I was scared and I let that color everything I did. I cannot excuse what I did then and I am not trying to but I would like to apologize to you. I am sorry Morgan that I was not a father to you. I am sorry that I allowed us to drift apart. I am sorry I was not there for you throughout your life. I am so sorry." Conrad waited as he listened to her breathing.
"I'm not sure if I can forgive you," Morgan admitted. Conrad's jaw dropped and he felt tears fall from his face as more came down faster than before. As he tried to clear his vision, Conrad realized that he had walked back to Adaline's room on automatic. Nick, Greg, and Adaline were staring at him as he stood in the doorway.
"Morgan," Conrad pleaded.
"I don't know how I can," Morgan went on. She was crying too. "You basically abandoned me." Nick rushed forward and barely managed to get a chair under the man before he crumpled into it. Conrad barely noticed when Adaline tapped his arm.
'Yes?' he mouthed. Adaline pointed to the phone and then to herself. Conrad understood. He handed her the phone.
"Hello?" Adaline spoke into the phone. Everyone in the room could hear the pause as Morgan realized she was no longer talking to her father. Cautiously Morgan decided to talk to whoever it was.
"Who is this?" Morgan wondered. She used her sleeve to dry her tears.
"My name is Adaline," she cheerfully said. "You are Mr. Ecklie's daughter right?"
"Yes that is me," Morgan hesitantly admitted wondering where the young girl was going with it all.
"Has Mr. Ecklie told you what happened to me and my parents?" Adaline asked solemnly. The quick change startled Morgan but she pushed forward and answered anyway.
"Yes he did," Morgan said.
"Great," Adaline said. "Then you will know understand why I am saying this." Adaline cleared her throat and continued. "For years all I knew was abuse, darkness, and pain. I could not understand what was happening and why it was happening to me. During that time, I had nightmares. Nightmares of so much red and white eyes; it was about my parents. I would dream and wish every possible moment that my parents or some savior would come and take me away from it all.
"I had hopes that I would be happy again. I could remember being happy but not much else. I know it was with my parents. I wish I knew them. Because of some bad people, I will never know them. However, you do have that chance, that choice. Just like Mr. Nick, your dad is human and human make mistakes. We are not perfect. Perfection is boring. Mr. Ecklie is trying. He wants to try to fix things. I know it will not happen overnight but at least give it a chance before you stomp all over it."
Morgan sat stunned. She had been just chastised by a nine year old. What stunned her even more was that she was right. If she did not let him at least try, she would be a hypocrite. She had lost count of the amount of times she had told friends and people she had met to give someone they knew another chance.
"Could you hand the phone back to my dad?" Morgan softly asked the young girl. Adaline smiled.
"Of course," she said. She handed Conrad the phone. Wearily Conrad lifted the phone back up to his ear. He eyed the grinning nine year old.
"I suppose you heard everything she just said to me?" Morgan wondered, stated.
"Yeah I did," Conrad confirmed. Morgan sighed.
"As much as I hate to admit this, she is right," Morgan told him. "I'll be in Vegas for the conference next week. We could meet up for lunch while I'm there if you'd like." Conrad grinned.
"I would love that," Conrad told her. "Just let me know when and where and I'll be there." Morgan smiled at the response. She took a moment to swallow around what seemed to be a ball in her throat.
"So what do you say to a new start?" Morgan asked. "You know a clean slate?"
"That'd be great," Conrad told her. "I know it is going to take some time before we are truly okay. I am willing to work on this. You are my daughter and I want to be in your life. I want to get to know you."
"Good," Morgan said with a smile. She paused. "I'll see you next week. Bye Dad."
