Since I have 3 more chapters if you include this one, I will be adding 2 today and 2 tomorrow….then you'll have to wait until I finish writing the next chapter which would be 15.
"Wait, there's not going to be a trial?" Vanessa was happy but confused as to why she was not going to be testifying.
"Your..." Alex began. She wasn't sure if he was still being referenced as her father.
"He what?" Vanessa ignored the previous confusement.
"He took a plea."
"Is he not going to jail?"
"No he still is going to for the 5 rapes just he isn't for assaulting a police officer and the attempted rape."
"Fine. So how long is he in for?"
"He got 15 to 35 for each rape."
"He can't touch me again right?" Vanessa immediately wanted to take that back. She sounded scared saying that and more like a victim again. It has been a little more than 2 months since she was kidnapped by her father on her first day on the job. Vanessa is finally about to get to work in the field now that her shoulder is almost healed from being shot in her first real case. Things were getting better.
"No he can't." Alex replied with a sincere smile and went back to the D.A.'s office. Vanessa walked back to her desk from the hallway where Alex had just talked to her and sat down.
"What did Alex want?" Jayson asked quizzically.
"There's not gonna be a trial." Vanessa said boldly.
"What case are you talking about?"
"I don't have to testify. He took a plea to help them nab other victims of Donalds."
"Oh. So are you okay?" Jayson knew immediately after hearing Donalds, that she was talking about her case. Her specific case where she wasn't the detective.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm glad I don't have to testify."
"You sure?" Jayson wanted to be rock solid on his partner's condition. She's been seeing a therapist at least once a week now that her symptoms have gone away for the most part. But he knew that she still wasn't as stable as she was before, she may never be.
"I'm positive. Jay, I'm a big girl. I can watch after myself." Vanessa gave him a stern look as he glanced up to see her.
"I know you can. I just got your back."
"Thanks Jay." She smiled at him and went back to working on the paperwork for the case they are finishing.
"Welcome Ness." Jayson went back to work too. A few minutes later Cragen came out of his office.
"Banks, Stone. There's a body found in a garden by Central Park. Go check it out." Cragen addressed. The pair got up and headed to the scene.
"When do you get your license?" Jayson questioned as they were driving.
"Well next month I turn 16 but I'm starting driver's ed tomorrow."
"Good then that means I won't always have to drive everywhere."
"Hey, you think I like being a passenger when you're pissed! You drive like a maniac!" Vanessa joked. "No offense."
"Why would you add no offense like a minute later?"
"'Cause I didn't want you to become pissed and drive like a maniac." Vanessa tried to hide the little smirk on her face by adding a cute pout. She was unsuccessful.
"Stop trying to pout. You suck at hiding that devilish smirk of yours." Jayson pulled up to the scene next to some of the CSU cars.
"I can't be an amazing actress all the time you know! Every star needs a break once in a while!" Vanessa flipped her hair in his face and got out of the car and started strutting like a diva to the scene. Jayson just shook his head at her when she turned around for a reaction. She flashed a grin and waited for Jayson to catch up to her. They walked over to the medicial examiner.
"What do we got?" Jayson asked.
"17 years old. Definitely raped. I found traces of spermicide." Melinda Warner reported.
"How long do you think she's been dead?" Vanessa wondered.
"According to rigor, around 7-8 hours. She's been moved post-mordem. Several stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. I'll let you know what else I find after I get her to the lab." Warner zipped up the body bag the young girl was wrapped in. Jayson and Vanessa started checking out the scene of the dump.
"A digital camera was found a few feet away from our girl. The SD card was missing so who knows what was on it." Vanessa reported to her coworkers."
We still have no idea who this girl is?" Fin questioned.
"Missing persons had a result that we invesigated and we interviewed the mother. Our girl's name is Faith Sawyer. We were going to check her school." Jayson replied.
"Alright, go do that now." Cragen ordered. With that the teens left the precinct and headed to the school.
"What happened to Faith?" The principal questioned.
"She was murdered last night." Vanessa responded quietly.
"Oh god." She fell into her chair at her desk. "Who did this?"
"That's what we're trying to find out. You seem very affected by this, how well did you know Faith?"
"Very well. She was the perfect student. She was going to be valedictorian."
"Is there anyone that would have a grudge against her?" Vanessa asked.
"Well, there is Cody. Always coming right up behind her in everything. But there is no way he would do something like this. He isn't one for physical violence." The principal shook her head.
"What his last name and the class he's in now? We need to speak to him." Jayson looked at Vanessa who was the one writing the information.
"Cody Hetfield. He should be in history right now. Room 147."
"Thank you Mrs. Mannis. We'll let you know if we need you for anything else." Vanessa closed her notebook and the two walked out of the office and headed to talk to Cody. "Do you think it could be him?"
"Maybe. We can't rule him out just yet. He's the only one who personally had a grudge against her." Jayson replied.
"That we know of so far." Vanessa finished. They approached the room. Jayson knocked on the door.
"Can I help you?" The teacher asked.
"Yes, may we speak to Cody Hetfield for a few minutes please?" Jayson responded.
"Who the hell are you?" Cody snapped before getting up. Jayson held up his badge.
"NYPD. That's who." Jayson smirked at all the oohing that arose from the class.
"Alright, settle down!" The teacher calmed his class as Cody left the room followed by Jayson. Cody looked at Vanessa.
"Who's the shrimp?" Cody laughed. Vanessa pulled out her own badge and held it in his face.
"His partner. Where were you last night?" Vanessa retorted.
"I was home studying. Why?" He looked at the detectives.
"Can anyone support that?"
"I was alone. Why?"
"Your good friend Faith was raped and murdered last night." Jayson answered.
"What?" Cody's eyes grew wide. "Why are you questioning me?"
"Mrs. Mannis said you didn't like her." Vanessa hinted.
"I didn't hate her enough to kill her! It was a good old friendly squabble."
"We're gonna need a DNA swab." Jayson stated.
"What for?" Cody asked.
"To clear you of the crime. Since your alibi can't be supported we need to check with DNA. It doesn't lie." Vanessa responded.
"I'll have to consent with my lawyer first. Now if you'll excuse me. I have a class to be in." Cody turned and strided back into the classroom.
"Damn, he has to make us do this the hard way, isn't he?" Vanessa sighed and they walked side by side through the halls.
"Yep. Well he seems to be our only suspect. No father in the picture since she was 4 and she had no boyfriends so we don't have any enraged ex to go off of." Jayson stated information they had previously collected from their earlier interview with the girl's mother.
"We'll get him. It has to be Cody!" Vanessa opened the door to the car.
"You're mad that he called you a shrimp, aren't you?" Jayson chuckled.
"No! I could care less! Besides I like being small. It makes me even more cute and adorable!" Vanessa gave a cute look and batted her eyes.
"Sure it does." Jayson remarked.
"Oh shut up and get in the car!" Vanessa laughed. They drove back to the precinct. Vanessa had turned on the radio and they fought over a station until they found a song they both knew. Jayson tried to sing along but Vanessa was laughing her head off.
"You're not singing the right words!" Vanessa laughed.
"I don't know all the words!" Jayson rebutted. Vanessa instead started to sing the song herself.
"Do you know how incredible your voice is?" Jayson asked.
"I know I'm good but I wouldn't say incredible." Vanessa denied as they pulled up to the station.
"Well I would." Jayson replied. Vanessa turned her head and they were looking into each other's eyes. Jayson started to lean in. Just as he was about to kiss her, Vanessa got out of the car and went into the building. What were they just about to do? They both are dating someone. They can't do that. Vanessa walked right past Olivia.
"Hey!" Olivia grabbed Vanessa's arm. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." Vanessa went to her desk and started working on paperwork. Elliot came up behind Olivia.
"What's wrong with Vanessa?"
"I don't know." Olivia sighed. Jayson walked in and immediately went up to the cribs. "Something happen with the case?"
"I'll talk to Jayson. Bring Vanessa to the roof. You know that's where Fin brings her when you aren't around." Elliot pushed Olivia in the direction of the desks while he headed up the stairs to the cribs. He saw Jayson laying on a bed. "Hey man, what's up?"
"Nothing okay." Jayson retorted.
"You know it's not nothing. You and Vanessa both coming in separately and both seem to be upset about something. You wanna tell me what happened?"
"No I don't." Jayson flipped on his side, facing away from Elliot.
"Does it involve the case?"Jayson didn't answer. "Something happened between you two?"
"Everything's fine." Jayson stood up and went back to his desk, leaving Elliot to wonder what was wrong.
"Vanessa?" Olivia stood next to Vanessa's desk.
"I already told you it's nothing." Vanessa huffed and tried to stay calm.
"Come with me to the roof. You'll feel better." Olivia encouraged. Vanessa looked up at her. Reluctantly she stood up and followed Olivia to the roof. "You sure you don't want to tell me?" Olivia prodded after a few minutes.
"You may be my mom now but I don't need to tell you everything." Vanessa didn't even turn to look at her now. They had completed the adoption two weeks ago. Olivia officially is Vanessa's mother now.
"This will be the first thing you haven't told me about. I know everything about your relationship with Austin, all the drama with your friends, and everything going on with your partnership."
"No not everything about that." Vanessa breathed.
"About what part?"
"Can we not talk about this please?" Vanessa whined.
"Okay we don't have to talk about it." Olivia wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulder.
"You're just gonna find out later like you always do when it involves work. Let me guess Elliot is talking to Jay right now right?"
"Yeah he is."
"Jay and I almost kissed!" Vanessa blurted and ran to the other side of the roof.
"What? Nessie, how did that happen?" Olivia followed behind.
"We were just laughing and having fun on the way back here and we pulled up and looked at each other and Jayson started to lean in and I just ran out of the car and inside." Vanessa's eyes started to blur with tears. 'Why am I crying about this?' Vanessa thought to herself.
"Are you okay sweetie?" Olivia rubbed Vanessa's back.
"I don't know. I mean we're partners and we both are dating someone but instead we almost kissed. I just don't know how to react right now. I have way too many things in my mind." Vanessa tried to keep her tears in. A few escaped and Olivia wiped them away as she turned Vanessa around.
"Maybe after this case you and Jayson can take a break from each other." Olivia hugged her.
"Cragen won't care?"
"He was a teenager once so I think he will understand the hormones going on."
"If he remembers, it was a while ago." Vanessa smirked.
"You gonna be alright?" Olivia had so much concern for this girl. She didn't know how she has been able to come out so strong from every situation she faces. To be honest, Olivia never thought she wouldn't be able to if she were Vanessa and she dealt with a lot of issues at that age.
"I'll be okay. I always turn out fine."
"Come on, I'll go talk to Cragen for you." Olivia lead her off of the roof.
"Yeah, while I try to finish this case as quick as possible."
"It'll be okay."
"I know. When are you ever wrong?"
"That would be a very slim amount of time." They laughed. Vanessa took a seat at her desk. Jayson was already sitting at his. Neither looked at each other. Olivia went over and knocked on the captain's door.
"Come in." Cragen called.
"I need to talk to you." Olivia sat down.
"What's wrong?" Cragen noticed the sadness in her expression.
"I think you should spilt Jayson and Vanessa up for a few weeks." Cragen just looked stunned. What happened between his teens that they needed to be spilt?
"Tell me what happened." Cragen sighed and sat down at his desk to hear the situation at hand.
Stupid me didn't realize until last night that I don't have a gift for that party I'm going to tonight….I'm gonna have to brainstorm all day….the party starts at 5 so I pretty much need an idea by 4.…in case you didn't know, I suck at gift ideas! This is gonna be fun.
Don't forget to please review!