Disclaimer: I own nothing CSI related

Disclaimer: I own nothing CSI related. As much as I wish I did, I just don't.

A/N: I am feeling friendly today so I thought I would update two Chapters. Don't think this gets you off the hook. You better review. My muse will not take it lightly. Enjoy. Anyone missing Katie yet?

Chapter 29

Gut feeling

Jessica was sitting at her desk looking over her files and schedule for the day. She had four surprise visits and six scheduled visits to make. Sometimes visits ended up with children being ripped from the arms of their parent. She hated that part of the job; the kids didn't always know she was doing it for their own good.

Jessica collected her files and headed out of the office waving to Karen as she walked by, "Doing visits today, see you in the morning."

"Bye." Karen glanced up from her computer.

Jessica checked her first file again. Nikki Giavoni had two small boys, a three month old infant and a four year old toddler, and she had a drug problem. Nikki had only had her children back for three weeks; she had gone through detox and rehab. She met all the requirements needed for her to get the boys back, but something in Jessica's gut was tugging at her.

She knocked twice when a small dark headed woman opened the door. "Nikki, I'm here to do the visit."

Nikki nodded and pulled the door opened. Jessica walked past her. She looked at the small apartment; it wasn't much a one bedroom with a small kitchen and living area. There were a few baby bottles scattered, but was fairly clean. Jessica sat on the couch.

"How have you been doing?" Jessica touched her arm lightly.

Nikki nodded. "Okay, it's just hard."

"I know; having a baby is hard." Jessica's eyes showed all the compassion she had. "You just need to use your support system. Where are the boys?" Jessica looked around.

"Carmine and Tony are sleeping in the other room." Nikki pointed at the bedroom.

Jessica stood up, "I'm going to take a peek, okay?" At Nikki's nod she opened the door.

Jessica stood and watched the two small boy's chests rise and fall as they slept. She turned and looked at Nikki.

"Okay, I'll be back next week. If you need me, call no matter what time." Jessica handed Nikki a card. Nikki nodded and walked Jessica to the door.

"I mean it Nikki, anything." Jessica stared at the woman's eyes.

"Okay, I will, I will." Nikki shut the door.

Jessica climbed back into her black Ford Fusion. She still had that feeling tugging in her gut. Something just didn't feel right. She pushed the feeling aside and headed off to her next stop. After making her last stop she got back into her car. She sighed deeply and decided to go back and check on Nikki. She pulled back up to the apartment, the door was open. Jessica quickly got out of the car and ran into the door.

"Nikki! Nikki!" Jessica shouted over and over searching the small apartment. She walked into the bedroom and screamed.

She ran to the bed and felt for a pulse. Carmine and Tony were both covered in blood and she could barely find a pulse. She grabbed the phone sitting beside the bed and called 911.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"They are bleeding. There is so much blood." Panic was filling her body.

"Ma'am, calm down. Paramedics are on their way."

"There is so much blood." Tears were running down her face as she tried to cover the holes in the baby's body.

She heard the sirens but never looked up. The EMT touched her and she jumped.

"Ma'am, I need you to move so I can help them." His eyes were emerald green and penetrated her. She let go and stepped back.

"What happened here?" an officer was now standing in front of her asked.

Jessica just keep blinking, "Ma'am, Ma'am, what happened?"

"I don't know." Jessica was staring through the man, tears flowing out of her eyes uncontrollably.

"Ma'am, what is your name? Are these your children?"

Jessica just shook her head, "No. My name is Jessica Johnston. Their mother's name is Nikki Giavoni. I'm their case worker."

"Look, let's go sit on the porch." The man gently touched her arm and walked her to the porch. She sat on the step. "A detective will be here in a minute to take your statement. Stay right here."

Jessica froze, her mind running what had happened over and over. The paramedics rushed by with the boys on stretchers. She looked up and found the green eyed man running past her.

"Are they ok?" she spoke quickly and deliberately.

"We will do what we can," was all he said as he got in the ambulance and they drove off.

The officer sat beside her, "We just have to wait." He glanced up as an SUV pulled up. "Ah, there they are."

Jessica did not even look up; she just sat with her head in her hands.

"Jess, is that you?" At Don's voice, she looked up. Tears filled her eyes again.

"Oh Don. It was horrible, all that blood," Jessica sobbed again laying her head back into her hands.

Don approached the patrol cop to get his statement of events. As he turned around to talk to Jessica, Danny was running up to the porch. "Jessica, oh God, are you hurt?" There was blood everywhere as Jessica looked up.

"No, it's not mine," Jessica said somberly as Mac walked up.

"Danny, start processing the scene." As Danny turned to protest Mac glared in a Don't Argue way. Danny looked at Jessica indecision clearly written on his face. "She'll be fine. I'm going to talk to her." Mac looked in Jessica's direction and Danny walked off.

"Jessica, I need you to tell me and Don what happened," Mac said to Jessica with tenderness.

Jessica sat up and smiled grimly. "Nikki Giavoni, she is a single mother of two boys. She was into drugs and had her boys taken away. Carmine is three months old and Tony is four. She got her boys back after rehab and some parenting classes. I came by earlier to do my weekly visit. The boys were asleep, and nothing looked out of place." Jessica paused, shaking her head. "Nikki seemed a little frazzled so after I finished my other visits I came back by. The front door was open, so I went in and yelled for Nikki. That's when I saw them. They were lying on the bed. There was so much blood, Mac." Jessica started to sob again. "I called 911 and started pressing on the wounds I could see. There was so much blood. I should have stayed earlier. I just had so many visits today. I felt something was off, but I could put my finger on it." Mac sat on the steps next to her as Don answered his phone.

"Jessica, I'm going to need your finger prints, DNA, and the clothes you are wearing. I have to eliminate you." Mac looked at her with a sympathy in his eyes. "Don't blame yourself. It is not your fault."

"Mac," Don looked over and Mac stood up and walked over to Don. "The baby didn't make it."

Jessica heard Don say that and she started sobbing again. Mac walked back over to Jessica. "Why don't you ride with me back to the lab? Danny can take your car." Jessica stood slowly.

"Danny," Mac called as he walked to the door. Danny came out of the bedroom, "I'm taking Jessica back to the lab. I need her clothes and elimination prints. Can you drive her car back?"

"Yah," Danny took Jessica's keys, "Mac, there's a pair of sweats in my locker she can wear. I'm almost done here." Danny turned to Jessica and kissed her forehead, "Take care of her."

"I will," Mac stated walking Jessica towards the SUV.

An hour later, Jessica walked out of the locker room, wet hair laying down her back and sporting Danny's sweats. She handed the bag of her clothes to Mac.

"Here ya go." Jessica's eyes were still red from crying.

"Thanks, let's go to the lab and get your prints and DNA swab." Mac led Jessica down the hall. She looked through the glass and saw Lindsay talking to Adam, and Stella standing over a microscope. Lindsay caught Jessica's eye and waved smiling. She got up from the table and headed to the hall.

"Hey Jess, what are you doing…" Lindsay stopped as she caught the red splotches on Jessica's face and Mac's stern look. "Mac, anything I could do?"

"Lindsay, take Jessica to the lab and get her prints and DNA swab. Then take her to the break room and get her a cup of coffee. Danny and Don will be here soon." Lindsay nodded and Mac walked off.

Lindsay guided Jessica into a lab and got what she needed. "I'm just going to get your prints. Just relax, it is a lot easier if you don't help okay?"

Jessica nodded but never said a word, for fear that she would cry again. After Lindsay got her prints, she asked Jessica to open her mouth and ran a swab across the inside of her cheek.

"Okay, all done. Let me give this to Adam to put in the computer and we will go get some coffee." Lindsay eyes were friendly and full of compassion as she lead Jessica to the break room. Lindsay poured two cups of coffee as she heard Danny in the hall talking.

"Mac, where is Jessica? Is she okay?" Danny was running to Mac as he dropped his evidence off in the lab to be logged by a tech.

"She's fine," Lindsay said as she stepped out of the break room. "She's in here."

Danny looked at Mac, who nodded letting Danny know it was okay for him to take care of Jessica. Danny walked into the break room and Jessica jumped into his arms.

"Oh Danny, I was so scared. There was so much blood." Jessica was sobbing again. "It's all my fault. I knew something was up, I could feel it. I left anyway. I should have been there." Jessica buried her head in Danny's shoulder.

Mac walked into the break room. "Danny, take her home. Lindsay will start processing the evidence you brought in. I'll call if we need you. Just go take care of her. I'll see you first thing in the morning."

Danny nodded and walked Jessica out of the lab. When they were in the car, Danny looked at Jessica. "I called Katie. She's keeping Jordan tonight. We'll go home and I will run you a hot bath. You need to relax."

"Danny, I should have stayed. I should have listened to my gut." Jessica was shaking her head.

"There was nothing you could do. Jess, you left because there was no visible sign of trouble. You couldn't have known something would happen. We don't even know what happened," Danny reassured her as he touched her arm.

"I knew she was using again. I could see it in her eyes. I should have gone with my gut. She gets irritable. She used to beat Tony when she would get high. A neighbor called it in and that is why she lost her kids in the first place. She looked so frazzled when I got there. I could tell the baby had been crying a lot. If she was high…" Jessica trailed off as she thought of the possibilities.

"Jessica, let the lab look at the evidence. Don't go jumpin' to conclusions. This is in no way is your fault. You did everything you could for those boys." Danny squeezed her arm gently as they reached the apartment. "Come on let's get you in the bath."

Jessica nodded, but she still knew this was all her fault.