New Fic: Hell And Beyond I (1/2) Post-Stalker fic
Title: Hell And Beyond I (1/2)
Author: Vanessa Hemrika
E-Mail address: v.hemrika@planet.nl
Rating: PG (possibly R for language in the sequel)
Category: S
Spoilers: Stalker
Summary: What happened after Nigel Crane was arrested at Nick's place?
Disclaimer - CSI and its characters belong to Anthony Zuiker and CBS Broadcasting Company. This story was not written for any type of economical gain, but purely for the joy of it.
Author's note: My thanks go to April Rickey who acted as my beta for this story.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Hell and Beyond I
"How do I want this to end? I want you to be able to remember my name." The words had barely left Nigel Cranes mouth when he placed the barrel of the gun beneath his chin. Nick did not hesitate as he launched himself at the man, his desperate cry echoing off the walls. He got hold of Nigels hands and pulled them away from his face. Tears clouded his eyes as they struggled. "This isn't happening", Nicks tired mind kept screaming at him.
Then his world exploded around him. Twice, in rapid succession, Crane fired the gun he still had in his hands. Nick screamed as the shock of the shots traveled through his hands and into his injured wrist. Some part of him felt faint surprise when he realized that he had not heard the shots, that they had been overshadowed by the sound of a battering ram pounding against the door. The door splintered behind him and shouts filled the room. Two uniformed cops tore Crane from Nick's grasp and threw him to the floor as Nick scrambled back until the wall behind him stopped him. Panting for breath he watched as Crane's hands were cuffed behind his back and he wanted to laugh hysterically. It was over. Hugging himself he bit back the tears threatening to spill.
Jim Brass cautiously approached him, searching his face for Nick knew not what. But apparently he found what he was looking for and moved forward, clasping his hand behind Nick's neck.
"Nick, it's done. Okay?" He said in a gruff voice and Nick nodded through his shock.
"Yeah." He managed.
Brass smiled at him before pulling him into a tight embrace to pat his back in an oddly comforting gesture. Just as quickly he was released and Brass guided him out of the living room into the kitchen where he made Nick sit on a chair. Taking his cell phone from his pocket he hit speed dial as his other hand poured Nick a glass of water. Over the counter he could see the two Policemen as they secured Crane. Then the phone was picked up on the other end of the line.
"Grissom."
"Gil, it's Brass. We got him."
"Oh, thank God! How's Nick?"
"Pretty shaken, but okay as far as I can tell. I'm taking him to the ER to make sure."
"Can I talk to him?"
"If he can hold onto the phone, yes." Brass said with a look at Nick who slumped on the kitchen chair like all his strength had run out. He raised his head when Brass knelt down in front of him and held out the phone to him, "Think you can hold this without dropping it?"
Nick actually managed a shaky smile at the humor in Brass' tone and he nodded.
"Who?"
"Grissom. He wants to talk to you."
"Okay." Nick nodded and he took the cell phone. He placed it against his ear.
"Nick, are you there?" Grissoms voice sounded anxious and it brought a fresh lump to Nick's throat. He had to swallow hard to be able to speak. "Nick, talk to me, please!"
"Yeah, I.I'm here." "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"N.no, he didn't. I'm okay." Nick paused for a moment, "Grissom, he killed the psychic."
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the line and then Grissom was back, his voice his normal self.
"Brass is taking you to the ER for a check up."
"No, I'm fine." Nick protested.
"Nick, that's an order. You're not fine until a doctor says you are. Is that understood?"
"Yeah." Nick answered reluctantly. Suddenly a new thought made itself known, "Gris, my place.It's."
"A crime scene, I know. We're dealing with it ourselves. Is that okay with you, Nick?" Grissom's tone of voice was oddly gentle.
"Yeah, I guess. God, this sucks.!" Nick answered. He could almost hear Grissom's sad smile on the other side.
"I know, Nicky. But you'll make it. You have to believe me."
"I'm trying, man. I'll see you guys later?"
"We're right here waiting for you, Nick."
"Okay."
Nick closed the connection and wordlessly handed the phone back to Brass. He felt himself stiffen involuntarily when over Brass' head he saw the two policemen in his living room push Nigel Crane to the door. For just a moment their eyes met. Nick felt the cold hand of fear around his heart as Crane smiled at him and very slowly and deliberately licked his lips. Then he was gone.
Suddenly cold to the core of his being Nick hugged himself and he could feel himself begin to shake again. Brass saw it too and he squatted down in front of him, lightly placing his hand on Nicks knee.
"Nick, he is gone now. He cannot hurt you anymore." He said gently and Nick managed a nod of his head.
"I know." He said and he ran a wary hand over his face. Between his shock and his exhaustion he found that he couldn't think straight and when Brass spoke again he knew that the policeman had picked up on it too.
"I think it's time we got you out of here. Sound good?"
"Yeah."
He allowed Brass to pull him to his feet and didn't protest when the older man shoved his shoulder underneath Nick's to steady him. Nick very much doubted he could have made it out of the door and to the car on his own, not when his knees were shaking badly enough to render them almost useless. He groaned when the motion of getting into the passenger seat jarred his cracked ribs.
"Sorry." Brass apologized and Nick smiled slightly.
"It's okay." He said. He felt faint surprise when his teeth chattered with cold. Brass left him and returned only moments later with a checkered blanket that he wrapped around Nicks shaking body, before strapping him in. The door was closed and Brass walked around the SUV to get behind the wheel. Starting the engine he pulled away from the curb and Nick found himself looking back at his place with a weird kind of detachment. Come to think of it, he still had a hard time believing that this was all happening to him. It had to be the exhaustion and the Vicodin talking.
Title: Hell And Beyond I (1/2)
Author: Vanessa Hemrika
E-Mail address: v.hemrika@planet.nl
Rating: PG (possibly R for language in the sequel)
Category: S
Spoilers: Stalker
Summary: What happened after Nigel Crane was arrested at Nick's place?
Disclaimer - CSI and its characters belong to Anthony Zuiker and CBS Broadcasting Company. This story was not written for any type of economical gain, but purely for the joy of it.
Author's note: My thanks go to April Rickey who acted as my beta for this story.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Hell and Beyond I
"How do I want this to end? I want you to be able to remember my name." The words had barely left Nigel Cranes mouth when he placed the barrel of the gun beneath his chin. Nick did not hesitate as he launched himself at the man, his desperate cry echoing off the walls. He got hold of Nigels hands and pulled them away from his face. Tears clouded his eyes as they struggled. "This isn't happening", Nicks tired mind kept screaming at him.
Then his world exploded around him. Twice, in rapid succession, Crane fired the gun he still had in his hands. Nick screamed as the shock of the shots traveled through his hands and into his injured wrist. Some part of him felt faint surprise when he realized that he had not heard the shots, that they had been overshadowed by the sound of a battering ram pounding against the door. The door splintered behind him and shouts filled the room. Two uniformed cops tore Crane from Nick's grasp and threw him to the floor as Nick scrambled back until the wall behind him stopped him. Panting for breath he watched as Crane's hands were cuffed behind his back and he wanted to laugh hysterically. It was over. Hugging himself he bit back the tears threatening to spill.
Jim Brass cautiously approached him, searching his face for Nick knew not what. But apparently he found what he was looking for and moved forward, clasping his hand behind Nick's neck.
"Nick, it's done. Okay?" He said in a gruff voice and Nick nodded through his shock.
"Yeah." He managed.
Brass smiled at him before pulling him into a tight embrace to pat his back in an oddly comforting gesture. Just as quickly he was released and Brass guided him out of the living room into the kitchen where he made Nick sit on a chair. Taking his cell phone from his pocket he hit speed dial as his other hand poured Nick a glass of water. Over the counter he could see the two Policemen as they secured Crane. Then the phone was picked up on the other end of the line.
"Grissom."
"Gil, it's Brass. We got him."
"Oh, thank God! How's Nick?"
"Pretty shaken, but okay as far as I can tell. I'm taking him to the ER to make sure."
"Can I talk to him?"
"If he can hold onto the phone, yes." Brass said with a look at Nick who slumped on the kitchen chair like all his strength had run out. He raised his head when Brass knelt down in front of him and held out the phone to him, "Think you can hold this without dropping it?"
Nick actually managed a shaky smile at the humor in Brass' tone and he nodded.
"Who?"
"Grissom. He wants to talk to you."
"Okay." Nick nodded and he took the cell phone. He placed it against his ear.
"Nick, are you there?" Grissoms voice sounded anxious and it brought a fresh lump to Nick's throat. He had to swallow hard to be able to speak. "Nick, talk to me, please!"
"Yeah, I.I'm here." "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"N.no, he didn't. I'm okay." Nick paused for a moment, "Grissom, he killed the psychic."
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the line and then Grissom was back, his voice his normal self.
"Brass is taking you to the ER for a check up."
"No, I'm fine." Nick protested.
"Nick, that's an order. You're not fine until a doctor says you are. Is that understood?"
"Yeah." Nick answered reluctantly. Suddenly a new thought made itself known, "Gris, my place.It's."
"A crime scene, I know. We're dealing with it ourselves. Is that okay with you, Nick?" Grissom's tone of voice was oddly gentle.
"Yeah, I guess. God, this sucks.!" Nick answered. He could almost hear Grissom's sad smile on the other side.
"I know, Nicky. But you'll make it. You have to believe me."
"I'm trying, man. I'll see you guys later?"
"We're right here waiting for you, Nick."
"Okay."
Nick closed the connection and wordlessly handed the phone back to Brass. He felt himself stiffen involuntarily when over Brass' head he saw the two policemen in his living room push Nigel Crane to the door. For just a moment their eyes met. Nick felt the cold hand of fear around his heart as Crane smiled at him and very slowly and deliberately licked his lips. Then he was gone.
Suddenly cold to the core of his being Nick hugged himself and he could feel himself begin to shake again. Brass saw it too and he squatted down in front of him, lightly placing his hand on Nicks knee.
"Nick, he is gone now. He cannot hurt you anymore." He said gently and Nick managed a nod of his head.
"I know." He said and he ran a wary hand over his face. Between his shock and his exhaustion he found that he couldn't think straight and when Brass spoke again he knew that the policeman had picked up on it too.
"I think it's time we got you out of here. Sound good?"
"Yeah."
He allowed Brass to pull him to his feet and didn't protest when the older man shoved his shoulder underneath Nick's to steady him. Nick very much doubted he could have made it out of the door and to the car on his own, not when his knees were shaking badly enough to render them almost useless. He groaned when the motion of getting into the passenger seat jarred his cracked ribs.
"Sorry." Brass apologized and Nick smiled slightly.
"It's okay." He said. He felt faint surprise when his teeth chattered with cold. Brass left him and returned only moments later with a checkered blanket that he wrapped around Nicks shaking body, before strapping him in. The door was closed and Brass walked around the SUV to get behind the wheel. Starting the engine he pulled away from the curb and Nick found himself looking back at his place with a weird kind of detachment. Come to think of it, he still had a hard time believing that this was all happening to him. It had to be the exhaustion and the Vicodin talking.
