Tattered and Broken, Stolen
Tattered and Broken, Stolen.
By: iferleigh
Rating: T (for now, just in case.)
Disclaimer: The ones you know aren't mine and the ones you don't know are mine.
Note: Thanks for the awesome reviews! Please forgive me for not updating as fast 'cause my grandfather had a stroke and well, he means a lot more to me than writing. Please understand! He's doing well now so here I am, back again.
Note2: Oh and don't worry, Grissom will be reading the journals. Don't worry and oh! About the Eddie's funeral? I'm making Gil look so bad, I'm sorry! But this is a Grillows fic so you know he'll be good in the end.
Note3: I really love the opinions and feedbacks on Michael Corwin's character. You all really hate him, huh? I really enjoyed reading how you guys are feeling about him. I get a sick kick out of it! Teehee just kidding!
-o0o0o0o-
Chapter Eleven: Gathering
Warrick looked up just in time to see Ecklie come to the doors of the room they were occupying. Nick and Greg looked at the Assistant Director without a word.
"Stokes, Brown, Sanders, put down those evidence, hand them to the Swing and Day shift members. I already called them in," Ecklie barked. "And go to the A/V Lab ASAP."
Nick shook his head, "Sorry, but no can do. You can talk to Griss if you want us off, until then, we're staying right here."
Ecklie rolled his eyes. "Your supervisor called you, he just finished talking to Corwin and yes, he confirmed he has Catherine and isn't demanding anything as of now."
"No ransom?" Greg asked.
Ecklie shook his head," As of now, no."
Warrick stood up. "What? What does he want then? What did he say?"
"Just talk to your supervisor," Ecklie said. "Where's Sidle?"
Greg looked at the other two, "She's doing research on Corwin."
Ecklie nodded, glacing at his beeper when it beeped and vibrated. "The Swing shift on call just came in, hand in your evidence and proceed to the A/V Lab and hurry; we don't have time to waste."
Nick looked at Warrick and Greg then nodded. "We'll be there."
Ecklie nodded. "I'm gonna go get Sidle then."
The Assistant Director left and the three CSI's began to document and fill out their evidence and notes, their minds focused on what could have gone on during the brief meeting.
-o0o-
Sara was pouring through what little record they had of Michael Wilcox-Corwin, son of the late couple, James Edward Corwin and Annette Marie Wilcox. She had read through and took notes of everything for the fourth time in a row. She had run different possible aliases, even names of his father and mother in combinations, but so far she had come up empty.
She was frustrated. This guy was too good to be true.
She leaned back in her seat, glaring at the screen in front of her, Corwin's ID picture looking back at her with his handsome features. She wondered how someone so rich, powerful and good looking would revert to stalking, kidnapping and felony.
Michael Corwin could have been a perfect man for any girl, especially a girl like Catherine. He would have attracted her attention in an instant. Sara wondered why he would do such things just to have her, if that alone was his reason.
She thought maybe he had issues to deal with, obviously he wasn't right in his mind, but at the same time she was sure he might have some insecurity issues too. Suddenly, as much as she was frustrated and annoyed with the man, she was intrigued by him.
"Sidle," Ecklie suddenly said as he appeared by the doorway. "Turn your notes in to the Day shift on call, Ramirez. She'll take over for you, she's on her way. Right now we need you at the A/V Lab."
Sara looked at the screen then back at Ecklie. "What? We're working this case…"
"I know, but Gil talked to Corwin and he wants you all there," Ecklie said. "Hurry and make sure you turn everything in. Be there ASAP, you don't have time to lose."
Sara looked at Ecklie then nodded. "I'll be there."
Ecklie nodded and left.
With one last look at Michael Corwin's picture before standing up, she knew she didn't need her notes. She had gone through his short file enough to have memorized it all down to the last comma and period.
She was sure they had news and it was time to gather up everyone. It was time for another briefing to see where everyone was, to see how close or far they were to finding Catherine.
Sara felt she wasn't' ready, she needed and wanted more time.
But it wasn't about the case she wasn't ready about.
It was him.
It was time to face Grissom again.
She sighed and left the room, her notes held securely in her trembling hands.
-o0o-
Michael sat back in his seat, quite pleased with himself. He wondered if he had done all right on his first run. He shrugged and thought he could do better, but it didn't matter now. He had made his first move and he was content with that for now.
He checked his watch and smiled for the meeting was brief enough and as far as he knew, the lab tech hadn't tracked him down at all. He knew, in due time, based on what Catherine had written on her journals, the lab tech was bound to catch on. She had written enough for him to know the lab tech was brilliant at what he did. He counted on the comforting thought that it could take the young Mr. Archie Johnson a bit longer.
And that he had all the time he needed.
But he had reached his first easy goal, there were more to go.
Right now, he had a guest to attend to.
Grabbing the pile next to him, Michael stood up and made his way to the room next to the one he was currently in.
-o0o-
Lindsey Willows at sixteen knew something wasn't right almost every time things weren't right. When she was a child, as she sat on a fake bed on stage, she knew something wasn't right when she heard her angry father's voice echo around the auditorium. Later, she knew something was not right too when daddy suddenly came in the car, hurting from a stomach ache. A few minutes after that, she knew something wasn't right when water was coming in the car and she was all alone, pink haired lady was gone and daddy didn't come back.
All her life she had been unintentionally trained to notice when something wasn't right.
And now she and grandmother, who was suddenly back from her cruise, sat in a patrol car with the sirens on and their own car was right behind, being towed to the place where her mother worked for more than two decades now.
The fact that Lily didn't blabber on about her cruise as Lindsey expected her to didn't help at all.
And Lindsey had asked questions of why, but her grandmother only told her something came up at her mother's job and they had to be called in. She had asked again and again, why after why after being pulled out of camp, but was surprised when her usually calm grandmother screeched at her that she was not going to answer her and that she just had to wait until they got to the CSI Lab to see her mother's friend.
So Lindsey sat back, seething as her grandmother sat stoically beside her, muttering about ruining her vacation and thinking about what she was going to say to her mother when she saw her. She was angry now, even as she sat with two police officers out front.
Lindsey was prepared to start another one-girl mutiny against her mother.
And this time she wasn't going to back down easy.
Even if she threatened her about being grounded; what else was new?
With her anger and ever growing mutinous thoughts, Lindsey suddenly forgot that something wasn't right and that maybe she might not be seeing her mother tonight.
In the back of her mind, those thoughts grew, but Lindsey was too angry to take notice.
She had more important thoughts to tend to.
-o0o-
Lily sat next to her granddaughter, her hands wringing her handkerchief nervously. She hadn't had it in her to tell her grandchild that her mother may have been abducted. She wondered how she was supposed to tell that to a child who had already lost a father and recently, her grandfather. She was relieved to leave the telling to the people who knew—knows, she corrected herself harshly—her daughter better than she did. For now, she would sit next to Lindsey and her anger plus her I-hate-the-world drama, and prepared herself for the onslaught that awaited them.
She wished Sam could be there, knowing he would know what to do and he would take care of everything. And she wouldn't have to be the strong one for he would do that and deal with Lindsey for he was perfect at that.
She realized how selfish that had seemed, but she brushed it off as the tears tried to come once more. The memory of her late Sam and the peril that his only daughter was in didn't make her continuous mourning easy.
Lily looked outside the window of the patrol car where she sat and recalled what had Sam told her once: "be strong, but be stronger when you remember I'm here no matter what and I love you forever."
In the back of her mind she remembered what he had said to her one strange night, "Remember me, but don't cry. When I'm gone, take a cruise and soak up the sun. Smile for both of us."
And so, even without the sun and after the cruise, Lily did as she was told: she smiled.
-o0o
Brass met Sophia by the doors of the Las Vegas Crime Lab. He gave her a grim smile, "Going in?" he held the door open for her.
She shook her head. "Not yet, Gil told me to go to the A/V Lab, but he mentioned Lindsey was on her way here in a patrol car with Lily. I told him I'd wait, they need someone right now."
"Has Lindsey been told about Catherine's abduction?" Brass asked carefully.
"I don't know yet, Lily might have told her," Sophia smiled. "I decided to wait for her, it's the least I could do for Catherine."
Brass nodded. "I'll wait with you then, Lindsey's a good kid."
"Yeah, Catherine told me about her, she seemed like a good kid," Sophia said, nodding. "Better let Gil know you're here. I think they're all counting heads."
Brass nodded. "I know," he said as he took out his phone to inform his CSI supervisor friend of his arrival. He knew the blonde detective was right, it was the least they could do for now.
-o0o-
Grissom sat, his mind running as his thoughts were muddled together in his mind. He wondered just how smart Corwin was, he wondered how long this game was about to go on, he wondered how Catherine was, he wondered what he was going to do now and most of all, he wondered about Lindsey.
He had forgotten the last time he saw the teenager. He wasn't aware of how she was or what she was doing. The last he had heard of her was the kidnapping and how Warrick and Catherine had found her duck taped onto a chair.
He realized he hadn't even talked to Catherine about that other than when she reported to him about it. He hadn't also come to see the teenager who once was the same little strawberry blonde time bomb who always called him 'Uncle Gil'.
He wondered if she still remembered him.
Grissom was anxious to see her again. The little girl was so into his bugs up to the point she begged her mother to allow her to take one home only to have Catherine, being a bug-hater (as she and Grissom had secretly referred to her) that she is, outright refused to allow one of those "things" to even come near her home. Lindsey had pouted and Grissom had smirked at Catherine's silliness with her fear of spiders.
He wondered now just how much Catherine's daughter had changed and how she was coping after years of losing her father and recently losing the grandfather she barely knew, but oh so wanted to know, evidently when Catherine had confided in him after having her daughter picked up for thumbing rides at Fremont Street. After that thumb ride incident, Grissom knew then things had gone awry between mother and daughter just after losing her father.
He wondered if they managed to fix things between them and how their relationship was now.
He knew he had been away for far too long, no longer visiting the young girl and no longer spending time with her mother. No longer calling to say hello or Merry Christmas, no more gifts, no more letters, no more news or special days dedicated to bug hunting at Lake Mead. And most of all, no more days when 'Uncle Gil' and his little butterfly would gang up on her mommy and 'bug' her to death.
Right then Grissom knew he was anxious not because he was curious as to how she was and how she had grown. He knew he was anxious to see her because of guilt.
He had been away too long.
-o0o-
She opened her eyes at the sound of the door opening and her hope rose once more. She sat up and tried to see the silhouette. She hadn't known when they had untied her, but once she woke up she realized she was unbound, but her mouth and nose were covered by some leather material that was tied to the back of her head. She guessed it was a muzzle of some sort and she had tried to get it off to no avail.
And she still didn't have her clothes.
But that didn't matter now.
Help had come and she was saved! They would give her something to cover up with and they'll take her home. Yes, it was all over. Someone had come to save her.
But the burning hope stopped cold when the man by the door didn't move or say anything. Suddenly she realized she wasn't about to be saved.
He was back.
And all hope was dead once more.
-o0o-
Lindsey watched sullenly as the patrol car stopped in front of the doors of the CSI Lab and she saw the man she remembered as 'Uncle Jim standing with a beautiful blonde detective she guessed to be Sophia Curtis. She turned to question her grandmother, but Lily had already slipped out her side of the car. Lindsey scowled and glared after her grandmother.
She was surprised when her 'Uncle Jim' walked over to the door and opened it with a smile while the woman talked to her grandmother. "Hello, Lindsey. Remember me? Uncle Jim."
Lindsey was compelled to say something sarcastic, but held herself back. Her mother deserved her anger, not some old Uncle she had almost forgotten about. So she nodded and stepped out.
"Let's go this way," Uncle Jim said as he led her past her grandmother who turned away so her back was to Lindsey, pretending look out the parking lot. He led her into the building and the cool air touched Lindsey with a soft caress.
She shivered as the feeling that something wasn't right came through her once more and getting angry at her mother wasn't so important now.
For the first time in a long time, though she would never admit it, Lindsey did wish she could see her mother. She had forgotten the last time she got a hug from her mother. She would die rather than admit it, but she missed her mother. Especially now when she felt like her world was about to get fucked up. She shivered.
It felt like the same day her father died.
She shivered again.
-o0o-
Sophia tried not to indicate that there was something wrong when Lindsey and Brass passed, but Lily had suddenly turned away. She waited before the teenager and her colleague were in the building before going on further. "Ms. Flynn, I am sorry about what happened, but…"
"I couldn't tell her," Lily said softly, wringing her handkerchief. "I couldn't…"
Sophia nodded. "I understand and I'm sorry this has happened to your family after just dealing with your tragic loss with…"
"Sam," Lily said softly, looking down on her feet. "He would have known what to do," she turned to the younger woman with a sad, tearful smile. "He would know what to do and he would be doing something about it right now. He loved Catherine more than anything and if he knew something like this happened…oh, he would have been so angry."
She knew what the older woman meant, but she had never felt it. To lose someone you love so much was something Sophia Curtis did not want to experience. She could only stare at the woman who, in her opinion, was dealing with too much so late in life—losing the man she loved, having her granddaughter kidnapped and now, her daughter taken away. She felt her own heart break for the woman.
"But I know what he'd want me to do," Lily said, looking at Sophia with the same sad smile. "He would tell me to be strong and find out daughter for Lindsey. Yes, he would tell me to do just that."
Sophia managed a small smile, "I understand, Ms. Flynn."
"My daughter has worked here for most of her life and she's drummed it into my mind how things worked here, but," she looked helpless for a moment. "Could you please just tell me something? I know you shouldn't say anything now while things are being in-investigated, but…"
Sophia nodded. "No, it's quite all right, Ms. Flynn. Why don't we step inside? Mr. Grissom—"
"Gil? Catherine's friend Gil?" Lily said softly, her eyes drifting away as she remembered who the man was. "The man who likes bugs?"
Sophia smiled, "Yes, Gil, he's waiting and he'll explain—"
"It's been a long time since he came by," Lily said wistfully and looked at Sophia. "You know, I always thought he and my daughter would end up together, but Sam didn't approve, said the man was too weird." She smiled. "But I think he just didn't like the thought of another man winning his daughter's heart. But when Mr. Grissom was around Catherine was happy and Lindsey too. He was such a good man, always looking out for my daughter. I wondered why he stopped coming." She sighed. "But Catherine, stubborn as a mule, wouldn't tell me anything. She said he was too busy and he had someone else…er, what was her name?"
Sophia smiled, relieved to see that for a while the woman was taken away from her conflicted thoughts and complicated world if not for just a moment. Plus, she was getting a glimpse into the relationship of her colleagues that had always been taboo. She would let the woman escape for now for she needed it. And also she wondered who Grissom was seeing if not Catherine.
"What was her name, dear?" Lily asked with her brows furrowed. "Oh! Oh! Yes, I think it was a Sara with…a family name that sounded I think, Jewish?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, "Sara Sidle? She's not Jewish though."
Lily smiled, "Oh, yes, the other girl Catherine worked with. Yes, her with the dark hair. I knew it wasn't you dear, Catherine did mention about you and said you were a blonde so I remembered Sara with her hair."
Sophia was tempted to ask the woman more, but thought better of it. She couldn't believe Grissom was seeing Sara. She thought that sounded too wrong. She always thought it was Catherine. She wondered how right Lily was.
Then suddenly an alarmed look came over Lily's face. "Oh! I'm just awful! I should be thinking about Catherine, not bothering you with her relationships." She sighed. "I'm just terrible, Sam would laugh at me or maybe get upset." She straightened herself and looked at Sophia. "Dear, you were saying?"
Sophia decided she liked Catherine's mother who reminded her of her own mother, "Yes, Ms. Flynn—" she smiled as Lily cut her off once more.
"It's Lily, please," she said sheepishly. "Continue."
"I think it's best if Gil explained it to you," Sophia said as she began to lead her inside. "He's waiting inside for everyone, they're all expecting us, I'm sure."
Lily began to follow, but stopped and held Sophia by the arm. "Could you tell me one thing?"
"Anything, Ms.—Lily."
"Is Lindsey ever going to see her mother again?" Lily asked softly. "Will I ever see my daughter again, Detective Curtis?"
Sophia hated and dreaded these types of questions in cases like this. "We're working on that, Lily. Catherine is a very much loved and treasured colleague here and we've all put her case on top priority, we will not stop until we get her back. Be assured of that. We have the best working on this case, her team."
Lily looked into the eyes of Detective Sophia Curtis and knew she could trust the woman. She smiled softly and said, "Thank you."
That was Lily Flynn's relief that night and she was comforted so she let Sophia lead her further into the CSI Crime Lab.
Sophia hoped they would be able to stay true to her word.
-o0o-
Grissom sat in the A/V Lab with his team and Ecklie. Brass had just paged him he was coming in with Lindsey and Sophia with Lily Flynn. He looked around at everyone in the room as they waited. He could see in the far corner was Sara.
He looked away from her and his eyes drifted to the largest screen in the A/V Lab beside him where the neon digital clock was displayed, counting down the time when Michael Corwin was due to make another appearance. Under that screen, Archie was still working furiously since the clock was still connected to Corwin's line. He had insisted on continuing his work in trying to trace a location.
Grissom looked at his team: Warrick and Greg sat next to each other in two chairs, both somber and quiet yet deep in thought, Nick was perched on a table not too far from the two, but alone and Sara remained in the far corner where she seemed to have resigned herself to. Ecklie was by the doors, talking to the Sheriff Rory Atwater who was always more understanding when it came to Grissom and the lab than the other politicians like Undersheriff Mobley and the Mayor.
He looked out the glass panes of the A/V Lab, looking out for any sign of Brass or Sophia's approaching. He wasn't sure who he wanted to see first—Lindsey or Lily.
But then the approaching figure of Jim Brass and Lindsey Willows didn't give him much of a choice. He was amazed by how much Lindsey had grown and how she resembled Catherine that Eddie Willows' features were almost discernable. She walked with her eyes wandering around, taking in the changes since she was last there. Her hair, a much darker shade of red than her mother, was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she wore a gray hoodie and tight jeans.
Even from afar, she looked and acted like her mother and Grissom was proud to see that.
He saw the confusion in her father's hazel eyes and knew she hadn't been told of the situation yet. He almost hated Brass for not doing it himself. Grissom was clueless on children, especially now since he was supposed to know Catherine's child.
How do you tell your goddaughter her mother has been taken away by a lunatic?
Grissom's eyes drifted to Warrick who followed his gaze then and saw Lindsey. Immediately he stood up, looking back at Grissom and approached him. "You go ahead and I'll follow, she hasn't seen you in a long time. You need to reconnect yourself with her," Warrick said in a low voice.
"I think it'll be better if you explain this to her," Grissom said quietly.
Warrick shook his head. "No, this is yours to deal, Griss. She's your goddaughter, man."
Grissom sighed then nodded, his eyes trailing back to Lindsey who stood outside now with her back to the A/V Lab. Seeing Ecklie was still too busy to bother with Lindsey, Grissom stood up and made his way out to see the girl whom he used to call his little butterfly.
-o0o-
"Where's my mom?" Lindsey asked as Brass led her to the doors of the A/V Lab. Her eyes wandered around, taking in the place and seeing as how much of it had changed.
In her mind she smirked and thought they had to change it because her mother had "accidentally" blown up the lab, almost taking the cute lab tech Greg who used to baby sit her. Her mother had said she had decided to have a vacation, but Lindsey didn't buy it. She had found out the truth on the second night when her mother was having a small argument with her grandmother.
Brass looked into the lab and saw Grissom approaching. "Someone's coming out to explain some things to you."
Lindsey rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin even with the old cop who was supposed to be her Uncle and really wasn't. She turned to face the lab full of compters behind her and was rooted to the ground instantly when she saw a familiar face approaching from within.
The man comming out, who looked older than the last time she saw him, was indeed him in the flesh, real and actually in the same vicinity as her. To her, it seemed like another lifetime ago, but still there he was approaching her with a small smile on his face.
Then the memories came coming back in a rush. It was time when everything was different—daddy was still alive, but living in a different place because he and mommy always fought, mommy seemed happier to have a new house with just her and Lindsey and this man came coming back, cooking breakfast sometimes, making mommy laugh and them drinking their "grown up" orange juice that Lindsey always wanted to taste but her mom wouldn't let her even when she begged and pouted.
The man approaching her was the same man who called her his little butterfly, who took her out bug hunting and helped her make mommy scream with his spiders and his cute bugs.
"Mommy!" Lindsey cried, tugging on her mother's shirt, the only part of her she could reach as of the moment. "Can I tell it to him now? Can I? Can I please? Pretty please?"
Her mother laughed, throwing her beautiful reddish hair back. "Yes, you can, Linds baby."
Excited, Lindsey turned from her mother and turned to the man kneeling in front of her with an expectant smile. "Uncle Gil!" she said happily, throwing her arms around his neck. "Uncle Gil, why did the fly fly?"
Her Uncle Gil thought for a moment, screwing his eyes together the way it always made her giggle. "I don't know, my little butterfly? Why?"
"Because the spider spied her!" she said happily, giggling happily at her clever riddle.
Uncle Gil smiled and hugged her with a chuckle. "That's very clever, my little butterfly, now why don't we make mommy fly fly with my spider?"
"Oh Gilbert Arthur Grissom don't you dare! I swear if you get one of those things near me you'll be sorry!" her mother had shrieked and she and her Uncle Gil laughed.
Lindsey remembered him all too well and now all she wanted was to get away. She turned to Brass, "Can't we go wait in my mom's office of something?"
Brass was about to answer when the doors opened.
"Hello, Lindsey."
Lindsey turned and saw her old Uncle Gil standing in front of her, not as big as she remembered him to be, but still taller than her. She looked at him, but didn't say anything.
She just stared.
-o0o0o0o-
Eek, I really did not know who the current mayor is! I forgot! Believe me, I'm a CSI freak but there are just too many politicians to keep track of when it's really just Ecklie the idiot politician that played a slightly bigger role than normal. Cavallo? Atwater? Mobley? McKeen? Ugh! Did I even spell those right?!
Sorry about that!
Teehee, but I hope you like this one! Please don't hate me if you hate it! Let me know what you think! Would love to know more about what you guys think about Michael or whoever else. Teehee. Thank you so much for the awesome reviews!