I Do Not Own CSI

"I can do this, I can do this" I think as I knock on the front door of this really nice house. Hearing footsteps I brace myself for seeing the one person I turned my back on.

"Hello" A woman answers the door. Older, I would say she's in her sixties, tall, long brown hair.

"Can I help you," she says, snapping me out of my trance.

"I think I have the wrong address. I was told this is where my Dad lives."

"Well, maybe I can help you. Who's your Dad?"

"Jim Brass"

"You must be Ellie," the woman says to me.

"Yeah, and you are?"

"Laura, come on in. Jim had to make a run to the store but he'll be back in a few minutes."

"I can wait outside, I don't want to intrude on his home."

"It's our home, Honey, and trust me, you're not intruding. Come on in and sit down" Laura said, ushering Ellie inside the house.

"You live here with my Dad?"

"I do. We met a few years ago and moved in together about six months later. Been together ever since."

"I never thought my Dad would ever find someone. He deserves to be happy," Ellie stated quietly.

"And he is happy. And there's no doubt in my heart that once he sees you here today he'll be even happier."

"I doubt that."

"Why?"

"Because I haven't talked to him in over six years, I've been too caught up in my own drama. I'm sure my Dad told you about all my problems."

"He's told me a lot but I don't judge. I have no right to," Laura said, handing Ellie a glass of juice and sitting across from her.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here."

"I am, but you don't have to tell me," Laura said, hearing a car door close.

"That's probably your Dad. I'm going to go tell him you're here."

"Thank you"

"No thanks necessary."

"Hey, I got sugar, butter and more flour. You know if you keep making those cupcakes I'm going to gain a whole lot of weight."

"Not if you kept your fingers out of them."

"How exactly am I supposed to not eat them," Jim said with a raised eyebrow.

"Jim"

"Yeah"

"Ellie's here," Laura said, making Jim look at her with shock.

"Where"

"In the living room. Wait, before you go in there," she said pulling his arm back.

"She wants to talk. She needs help and I think she's willing to let someone in. Just listen to her."

"Ok"

"I'm going to keep myself busy in the kitchen, if you need me just call," she said, leaving Jim to face his daughter on his own.

"Ellie"

"Daddy," she said, standing with tears in her eyes.

"I'm ready, I want to come home."

"You've always had one with me," Jim said, embracing his daughter who was openly sobbing in his shirt.

"Hey, hey, what's with all the crying? This is a good thing."

"I'm just so tired; I think I finally hit the bottom, Dad."

"I know what that feels like. But you have me. I'll be here to help you no matter what as long as you're willing to try."

"I've been off drugs for a month, haven't touched them since…"

"Since?"

"Can we talk about that later? I don't think I can tell you yet."

"Then why don't we start with where have you been staying."

Sniffling and breaking apart from the hold she shared with her dad, Ellie sat back down.

"I'd been staying at a friends place out in LA for awhile. But, ahh, after, I decided to get clean I moved. Found a shelter and have been staying there until I finally managed to scrounge up enough money to get a bus ticket out here. I looked you up in the phonebook and found your address and came here right from the bus station."

"When was the last time you slept, Ellie?"

"I slept a little on the bus."

"So you're telling me you haven't slept, really slept in a day or so."

"Basically, but I can find somewhere to.."

"You can stay here. I have a shower and a bed."

"Are you sure? You're not worried about me stealing or getting high or anything?"

"I trust you. And if you're here seeking out my help then I know you won't do anything stupid."

"Thank you"

"All I want for you is to get better, Ellie. That's what I've always wanted and that's why I've always left the offer open."

"She's nice." Ellie said changing the subject

"Laura?"

"Yeah, she didn't even hesitate to open your door to me, made me sit and wait until you got here."

"She's got a pretty big heart. She's been through a lot in her life and she suffered the consequences of every mistake she made. But for the past twenty five years or so she's taken it upon herself make her life better. She won't judge you and she's a pretty good listener."

"You sound like you're in love, Dad. I never heard you talk that way about anyone before, not even Mom."

"Your Mom and I left on bad terms and we never got past our own issues to forgive one another. But Laura, she accepts me faults and all, I do love her."

"That's good, Dad."

"So you've been clean for the last month. Can you share with me now what made you quit," he asked, grabbing Ellie's hand as she took a deep breath and looked at her lap.

"I don't remember a whole lot but I had just done a lot of coke with a couple friends. Decided to go out and party. Ended up meeting this guy, we danced all night. He pulled me outside before I could even stop him and pinned me up against the back wall. When I wouldn't put out he beat the hell out of me, that's the reason I have this brace on my wrist," she said, pulling up her sleeve.

"He broke it. Afterwards, he just left me in the ally. I was scared and hurt. Someone saw me from the front of the club and called an ambulance and got me to the hospital. I had a concussion and a black eye. I tried calling my friends the next day to come and get me but they wouldn't answer their phones. I made my way back to the house myself. I found them all there half passed out, stoned off there asses and that's when I realized, that's me. That is who I was becoming and that realization scared the shock out of me. I didn't want
that," Ellie said with tears leaking out of her eyes. Jim pulled her close, embracing his daughter for the first time in a real long time

"We'll get you through this Ellie, I promise you we will!"

"Are you two ok in here," Laura said, coming in with a tray of cupcakes.

"Wow, you're like Betty Crocker all you need is the apron," Ellie said.

"Oh God, I didn't mean that as an insult or anything! You just came in here with a tray of cupcakes and…"

"No offense taken. I have this tendency to bake things on a pretty regular basis, it's like my therapy," Laura said, placing the cupcakes on the coffee table and sitting across from the duo on the couch.

"Well, go ahead and have one before you drool all over the couch, Jim." Jim eagerly grabbed a cake, handing one to Ellie at the same time.

"She makes the best cupcakes ever! Ohh butterscotch, my favourite!"

"Oh my God, these are really good! You made these from scratch," Ellie asked, taking another bite.

"Yeah, my mother and grandmother taught me how to bake. That's the one thing I'm glad I passed onto my daughter. She can cook, she's not a great cook, but she gets by but give her a cake recipe or anything that has to do with baking she can make the most mouth watering confections as well."

"That's because Sara is a scientist. As you said, baking is a science, things have to be precise to make it work. Cooking is different, it's not a science."

"You have a daughter?"

"I do. I'm very proud of her, too. She just lives around the block, actually. She took the chance and reconnected with me after a long time of us not talking. She was the one who actually introduced Jim and me."

"You remember Gil Grissom, Ellie?"

"Yeah, we had a brief conversation when you got shot. I was there at the hospital but I was too messed up to stay. He talked to me about you, tried to get me to stick around."

"He told me. Anyways his wife is Sara Sidle, I'm not sure if you two ever actually met. They got married about four years ago and now they have a whack of kids, grandkids for Laura and me."

"A lot has changed since we last talked. I want to change that. I want to know my Dad again if you're willing to get to know me again."

"That's been one of my biggest wishes, Ellie. Something I hoped for but I feared I would never get the chance."

Hours later, after another long conversation about everything that has happened and what everyone wants for the future, Jim had to leave, criminals don't stop just because your daughter comes home.

"I'll be home in the morning. We can go out for breakfast," Jim said, putting on his shoes.

"Be safe and I'll have breakfast waiting for you when you come home. You don't need any more greasy food from Franks!"

"You're as bad as Sara, you know that," Jim said, giving Laura a peck on the cheek and then doing the same to Ellie.

"Well, she is my daughter. Be safe and we'll see you in the morning."

"Bye, Dad."

"Bye, ladies."

"So" Ellie said, looking at Laura.

"So," Laura replied.

"You're good for him you know that."

"We're good for each other," Laura said with a smile.

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"You can ask me anything you want. I'll tell you if I can't answer," Laura said, making herself comfortable on the couch, Ellie doing the same thing.

"Dad implied before that you had been in trouble, something about paying for every one of your mistakes."

"I did. What I did tore my family apart and I'm not proud of what I did. I lost my daughter for a long time."

"What happened?"

"My husband at the time was not the nicest man. If he wasn't drunk he was high and he was always mean. If dinner wasn't ready on time he became abusive, if Sara or her brother's grade weren't the best, beatings came. Just about anything set my husband off and the trips to the hospital were ongoing. After my son died n a car accident the beatings and abuse got worse and I never had the strength to get away. One night I came home and
couldn't find my husband or Sara but I could see the light in Sara's bedroom. In that
moment I knew what was happening. I grabbed the closest thing I could, which was a knife, and ran into Sara's room. In that moment I had so much rage. It was one thing for my husband to take me, force himself on me, rape is what it was, but it was another story when he tried to rape Sara. I got there before he really touched her but it was already too late. I killed him that night, stabbed him a dozen times until there was no life in him and I got punished for it. The courts took Sara away, put her in foster care and group homes and I went to a mental and state prison for a long time. I got out about ten years later. I tried to find Sara but was too chicken to do anything about it.
Then five years ago she came to me and we reconnected. I have my daughter back."

"I told Dad I was attacked outside the bar that night."

"I overheard. He did more then attack you, though, didn't he?"

"I couldn't tell him I was raped, not yet. I just couldn't say that to him." Ellie stated, her sobs coming back to the surface.

"Oh, Honey, come here," Laura said, embracing her.

"I can help you. I've been there. I know what you're going through but I need to know that you want my help."

"I want your help."

Ellie is back!

There will be a storyline involved around Ellie so stay tuned!

Please leave a review, thanks

Katie