~~ Chapter Ten: Unsung ~~
(Inspired by a Vanessa Carlton song)
Author's Note: You didn't think I'd be back, did you? Well, here I am...there's a little of a spoiler in the next couple chapters for 'RiBSC.'
Nick glared angrily at the alarm clock, almost as though he were threatening it not to go off. 5:59...one minute left. He sighed and rolled over hoping he'd, maybe, forgotten to set it. Maybe staring at the opposite wall would help. No, of course not. As soon as his eyes closed again, and he was finally almost back to sleep, the alarm clock blared with the loudest infernal beeping he'd ever heard in his entire life. Goes to show you how far wishing will get you. He told himself as he reached across the bed and smacked the snooze button, then shut the alarm reset off. I suppose going back to sleep would be a bad idea...he told himself, getting up and walking to the bathroom. Maybe Rylea will take a sick day? Yeah right, with her new little discovery? Ha! She'll probably be in early everyday, sucking up to Griss and begging him to let her take over Jenna's life even more!
He looked around his house. Everything reminded him of Jenna. On the bathroom floor, her dirty clothes from the previous week. Normally, if she were still there, this would anger Nick, but in light of recent events, he picked up the shirt and almost started to cry. It was still full of the smell of her perfume. That unmistakable Jenna scent that now was going to be Nick's demise. He decided to keep those clothes in the back of his closet, in case he ever needed a reminder of her, as if his entire house wasn't enough of one. Every step he took, something else Jenna had touched or used. Even in his shower...her body wash sat there, still almost full. She almost lived there for the entire month before she was killed, and Nick relished every second of it. Now, if only he could bring it all back. He would do it so much differently this time.
He would have never let her out of his sight. He would've begged Grissom to put them on all cases together, no matter what they were. They would have spent every night in each other's arms, and every day together. Ok, maybe not that bad...he didn't want to be like one of the guys he was constantly investigating for murder, but, he would at least spend a lot of his time with her. God, that woman was the best thing that ever happened to him, and now she was gone. Were the fates trying to taunt him with this 'reasonable' facsimile? Because if they were, it wasn't working. No way someone who looks, talks and acts like Jenna could ever replace the real thing. Not in Nick's heart, anyway. Nothing would ever come near what he and Jenna had.
~~
Rylea's jaw was practically on the floor. Sara had just told her the story about how Jenna had been killed, and it completely shocked Rylea out of reality. She felt terrible for Nick...her father...everyone, really, and even started to comprehend why Nick hated her like he did. "Oh my God, that's awful!" she covered her mouth. "Poor Nick...no wonder he's being kind of...yeah..."
Sara nodded. "It was tough for all of us, but I think Nick took it the hardest, because he was sitting right there...then, in an instant, she was gone..." she had tears in her eyes when describing the situation to Rylea.
"That's horrible...the poor guy..." Rylea glanced at the wall, trying to imagine Nick and Jenna in that situation. "I feel so bad..."
Gil entered the room, looking over some papers about a case he was investigating. "What are you two talking about?"
"Since when did you become so interested in what I talk about with a colleague?" Sara asked, giving Gil a devious grin.
"Since the colleague was my daughter..." he returned the grin, and sat between the two women in his life.
Rylea laughed, wondering in her head if he'd been like that with Jenna. "So, what's that?" she asked, while peering over her father's shoulder, wondering what case he was investigating.
"D.B. in the desert. I'm actually glad I found you, Rylea, I think I'm gonna put you and Nicky on this one..." he nodded to her.
Rylea looked forebodingly at her father. "No way...if you put us on this together, you're liable to be investigating a whole new case...i.e. mine..." she shook her head profusely. "He hates me, dad..."
Gil grinned at the term 'dad' being used toward him again, but then got a stern tone with Rylea. "You're an adult, right? You can handle it..."
Sara laughed at the father daughter moment, and leaned against Gil's shoulder. "Quite the dad, you are..."
Nick entered the room to see the three of them, cozy on the couch, reading over the case file. "Look at this...future Grissom family photo?" he asked, faking happiness.
Rylea sensed the fakeness, and stared off in the opposite direction. It really hurt to like him, and have him think all these things about her. It was like a crushed high-school crush.
Gil looked up at Nick, and handed him the case file. "You and Rylea are going to go check this out..."
Nick looked at Rylea and rolled his eyes. Figures, I'm stuck with little miss...ugh whatever. He nodded, and looked at Rylea. "You coming?" he asked, with the normal annoyed tone he always got with Rylea. He knew he was being a jerk, and frankly, he didn't care in the least. She's not, he kept repeating in his head, going to take the place of Jenna. Not now, not ever...
"Sure, why not?" she rolled her eyes, and followed Nick out of the room. I would follow you to the ends of the Earth...she thought, pushing the tears to the back of her mind, not wanting to cry in front of anyone.
Sara looked at Gil, who she knew would be pained to see his daughter in such agony. "Gil, are you going to be ok? I mean, he'll come to like her someday..."
"Yeah, but the way she likes him?" he asked her, knowingly. He saw in Rylea's eyes how she felt about Nick, and it really hurt him to see her like that.
"I thought you were confident that he'd come around?" Sara asked, watching through the window as Nick scowled at Rylea.
"Yeah, but look at him...and then look at her, she's about to cry, Sara..." Gil watched the car speed off into the distance. "God, I've been blessed with another chance, Sara...you know how lucky I am?"
Sara nodded. "Very...and, you know what? Rylea is lucky, too..."
Gil smiled. Sara always had a way to make him smile, no matter how torn his heart was. He gently turned her face toward him, and kissed her.
~~
If only I could get into that corner of your head...
Where things finally match and meet the standards that you set,
Oh, how I wish I was the treasure that you were looking for.
I bet I would feel better if only I could find the door.
I am cryin', you aren't tryin', I am melting away
~~ 'Unsung' – Vanessa Carlton ~~