Chapter Fourteen- Closing Statements
Thanks to D.J. scales, Picard's Angel, fallinidentity, obsessedwithstabler, ACertainJustice, Jacklyn, DrusillaBraun, FoxyWombat, myfairlady, Isabel Juno, and Callisto Insanity's Angel for reviews!
Sergeant…lol…it's only cause there were so many words and you wrote barely a paragraph.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from either of the two shows.
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"How ya feeling?" Grissom asked, slipping into Catherine's room.
She was awake after sleeping for three days. He was so proud of her. She had pulled through despite the odds against her.
"Groggy." She replied rubbing her forehead. Her eyes suddenly snapped up in attention.
"Smith?"
"Dead" Grissom replied, sitting down beside her on the bed.
"Bastard." She muttered. "He deserved worse."
Alex knocked on the door and poked her blonde head in. "Morning, Catherine. How are you feeling?" She asked, sincerely concerned.
"Groggy." Catherine said again with a slight smile.
Olivia entered right behind Alex. Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"I'm guessing this isn't just a friendly visit." She said, starting to sit up.
Olivia grinned. "Of course, but since when do we workaholics not intertwine work with pleasure?"
Catherine chuckled, bringing a smile to Grissom's face. It was good to hear her start becoming more like herself. When he had brought her out of her hellhole, she had been crying, screaming and when she was sleeping she would routinely cry out from nightmares. Grissom desperately hoped that things would be okay now that she knew Smith would never come after her again.
Alex pulled up a chair while Olivia pulled out a notepad.
"We just need to get your statement." Olivia said slowly. "It's okay if you need to take a break or something, because this is just so we can prove to the shooting board that Elliot shooting the gun about five times in the chest was justified."
Catherine's eyes went dark. She didn't want to relive everything all over again. She couldn't. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. Grissom had seen the scars on her. The ones on her legs up to her stomach so he knew the trauma she must have endured. Olivia sat down beside her and took her hand. Her warm brown eyes locking on Catherine's frightened blue ones.
"Cath…I know it hurts. I've been there too. Maybe not as long as you so I can't compare, but this is the only way to get through it. You don't have to go through a trial, this is just so they don't take away Elliot's badge for using excessive force." She explained. "Just describe the ending as best as you can remember it. We don't need the details. In time those wounds will heal."
Catherine slowly nodded. "Okay…" she whispered softly. She glanced at the two women and then at Grissom who gently reached for her hand, clasping it in his own, reassuring her that he would be there to carry her through.
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An hour later, Alex emerged from the room. Olivia had stayed to offer Catherine some comfort. Just as Lindsay rushed in as well. The little girl would probably be the best therapy for the CSI. Alex was not a rape crisis cop…she didn't have the finesse. Nick was waiting for her.
"How is she?" he asked.
Alex sighed. "How do you think she is? Traumatized. If I could I would kill the bastard myself. He practically tortured and raped her for four days straight." Alex said, barely able to contain her growing temper.
He rubbed her shoulders. "Shhhh…" he soothed.
Alex wasn't ready to calm down quite yet. "Olivia's hurting too. I don't think the extent of the damages Smith caused is visible to the naked eye, but I'm her best friend. I can see further. Liv's hurting too, but she won't admit it." Alex said, sounding worn.
Nick spun her so that she looked him in the eye. "Alex, Olivia's strong. Catherine's strong. They'll get over it. Olivia may already be on her way to recovery. I saw the way the she and Elliot communicated. She's tough. She won't anyone especially not Robert Smith break her." he said.
"As for Catherine, she's got Grissom. In more ways than one."
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Elliot was almost asleep on the couch when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find Olivia standing before him.
He moved back to let her in and was surprised when she just threw herself into his arms and cried. He rubbed her back and maneuvered her toward the living room.
"Liv…shhh…what is it?" Elliot asked gently.
I'm not always strong
Sometimes I'm even wrong
But I win when I choose
And I can't stand to lose
Olivia looked him with those chocolate brown eyes and Elliot felt himself melt into a puddle.
"I don't know. I just kept thinking about how it could've gone down with Smith." She said, her thoughts floating in the air. "I keep thinking that what if we hadn't had that connection? What if only one of us made it out alive?"
Elliot sucked in a breath. He knew this was coming. Olivia was strong and probably wise too, but every now and then, she needed him to be the rock for her to lean on.
But I can't always be
The rock that you see
When the nights get too long
And I just can't go on
He held her close and said quietly. "Liv, we have that connection for a reason. Not just as partner, but as friends." He leaned in and kissed her. "Now something more. No matter what happens we will always have that connection. You and me Olivia because love goes further than words and touches, it goes down to the very center of both of us. That's why we can communicate telepathically. That's why when there's a dangerous situation in front of us, we always get out of it together."
The woman in me
Needs you to be
The man in the my arms
To hold tenderly
Cause I'm a woman in love
And it's you I run to
Yeah the woman in me
Needs the man in you
They stayed like that all night. Tangled in each other. Sharing stories, touches, kisses, all the things that they thought they would never share. Olivia's fears were forgotten, while Elliot's previous heartbreaks were left behind. All that matter was closing the distance between them.
When the world wants too much
And it feels cold and out of touch
Oh it's a beautiful place
When you kiss my face
Olivia finally found the one she was meant to be with. After one disastrous date after another, she finally found her resting place, her welcome shore. He had always been in front of her, why did it take her so long? She smiled to herself. What you're looking for is always in the last place you look.
The woman in me
Needs you to be
The man in my arms
To hold tenderly
Cause I'm a woman in love
And it's you I run to
Yeah the woman in me
Needs the man in you
Elliot was suddenly grateful for his divorce. It had been messy, but it had opened the gate for him to run after one woman he had always wanted. Now she was in his arms and he could not ask for more.
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"Hey Casey!" Greg said, flying into her office.
The redhead looked up. "I ought to kill you myself." She teased. "Trying to give Olivia a shot."
He chuckled. "Now Casey would that be very lawyer like?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Greg what do you want, or are you just here to hassle me?"
"How about a little bit of both." He said with a grin plastered on his face.
He looked so ridiculous, Casey had to laugh. "Gregory Saunders, you are something else."
"I've been told so." He retorted.
She shook her head in amusement. Wondering how such an immature scientist could make her laugh with jokes that weren't even funny. I think I'm high. She thought to herself.
Greg was now watching her with intent interest.
"See something you like?" she teased and immediately turned pink.
Casey what is wrong with you…oh wait lots of things I'm talking to myself. She pushed the demon and the angel of her shoulders.
Greg was beaming.
Oh shit I don't wanna know what he's thinking.
Yes you do, you like him.
No I don't…Oh my God I am insane. I'm arguing with myself.
Casey ran her fingers through her hair. He stood up.
"What did you want Greg?" she asked, trying very hard to divert his attention from her moment of flirty relapses.
"Dinner." He said. "Dinner with a pretty red headed lawyer."
Casey opened her mouth.
"Don't even think about refusing or else I will be back every day. You will never get any work done."
She shut it.
He grinned. "Seven it is." He said "I'll pick you up.
As soon as he was out of her office, Casey went and banged her head against her desk.
Casey you are complete moron.
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Sara and Munch would not shut up. They were arguing like two kids in a sandbox and then would completely turn the other direction and flirt before turning back to arguing.
"This is better than tv." Melinda said with a grin.
Warrick smirked. "All that it's missing is the popcorn."
"And the drinks."
"And the cozy setting of a movie theater." Warrick said.
He surveyed Melinda. He knew this case had brought her marriage to a divorce. He wondered how she was holding up.
"You okay?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"I mean the job and your marriage."
She made a face. "Someone has to do it and maybe I was unconsciously ready for him to leave."
Warrick nodded understandingly. "Same with my marriage. Went down the drain. Too busy."
Melinda sighed. "Us and our jobs." She said.
Warrick was something interesting alright. He was only a little younger than her and she knew he got along with kids.
Melinda put on those brakes because it is way too early for you to be thinking about a second father for Natasha.
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I'm gonna quickly post the last chappy..it'll be the epilogue. Yeah it feels like it's not done…but I feel like doing one of those things where I skip a couple years down the road.