This (along with another update) was a request from a good friend so… HAPPY BIRTHDAY ENDER! *blows a horn and throws confetti* Hope you like the additions. ^_^ And thanks to the very few that reviewed. It was nice of you guys.
Paint It Black
Chapter 3
Confessions
Catherine watched Brianna move around the body in the coroner's lab, gloved fingers gently poking at a wound now and then.
"What do you think?" Catherine prompted softly.
Brianna gave a soft groan as she straightened, looking at the other woman. "I don't believe I've ever seen stab wounds like this before. They look only vaguely familiar but I'd have to make a call back home and have someone check my files."
Catherine nodded and watched the younger woman stifle a yawn and blink a few times. "Tired?"
"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it…" Brianna grinned sheepishly.
Catherine gave her a small smile, tugging of her own gloves. "Don't worry; our bodies rebel against us from time to time. Lucky for you, shifts over and we can't go any farther on any of these cases so you get to come home with me and sleep."
Brianna suddenly clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. "There is a god…"
Catherine just smirked and led the way out of the room.
Brianna looked out the car window, half asleep, the bright lights of Las Vegas blurring as they drove past them.
She was suddenly aware Catherine had said something and snapped her head up. "What?" She asked dazedly.
Catherine chuckled softly; it reminded Brianna vaguely of her mother. "I said, I have a daughter, I hope you don't mind."
"Oh…" Brianna gave an embarrassed chuckled. "No, I don't mind. Will your husband be home?"
There was a sudden uncomfortable silence before Catherine spoke again. "I'm divorced."
Brianna literally cringed, feeling her face flush even more. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean… I wasn't thinking…"
"It's okay." The tension had obviously bled form her voice. "You didn't know."
Brianna just went back to looking out the window. "I shouldn't have assumed. Assuming is dangerous."
"Haven't I heard that one before…" Catherine's tone made Brianna smile a bit as the older woman shot her a little glance. "You about you? Pretty girl like you has to have a sweetie back home."
Brianna felt her face smooth over, the muscles rearranging into the perfect mask. "No, not really… I don't date that much…"
It Catherine noticed, she said nothing only giving a small nod. "I see… ah, here we are. Home, sweet home."
Brianna just smiled slightly at the cozy looking home, remembering, faintly, of what her own home used to look like.
"Mommy!" Catherine smiled as her daughter ran out to greet her and gave her a big hug.
"Hey, Lindsey! How's my girl?"
"I'm good mommy. I have to go to school soon but I made waffles for you and juice and…" The young girl trailed off seeing Brianna get out of the car as well with her bag. "Momma, who's that?"
Catherine smiled as Brianna walked up. "This is Brianna. She's going to be staying for a little while."
Brianna smiled at the smaller girl, a kindly smile, like big sister to little sister. "Hey Lindsey."
Lindsey obviously liked her immediately. "Hello! Can I call you Bri? Cause my friends names is Brianna but we all call her Bri cause it's easier and…"
"Bri is just fine." Brianna laughed, as the sounds of a bus roared down the road.
"Bye momma! By Bri!" Lindsey yelled as she ran off and Catherine watched her go fondly.
"Sweet girl…" Brianna murmured by her side, shaking the mother out of her reverie.
"Lindsey was the one good thing that came out of me and my husbands marriage…"
"Ouch, that hurts Cath." Catherine resisted the urge to make a face, turning towards Eddie.
"Sorry. Didn't know you bruised so easily. Thanks for watching her. You can leave now."
Her ex-husband jerked his head towards Brianna. "What, you got the hots for the other side now?"
"Eddie…" She warned, but Brianna stepped in smoothly.
"Oh, he's fine." Brianna smiled almost too sweetly at Eddie, warning in her eyes. "I don't know you, but I'm going to say something now: I don't like people like you. And you don't like me. So let's part with a mutual agreement and no one gets bones broken. Okay?"
Catherine resisted the urge to laugh at Eddie's surprised face. "Where the hell did you pick this bitch up? I'm outta here." Eddie gave her one more dirty look then left.
Catherine turned to look at the still smiling Brianna. "Nice…"
The smiled faded a bit. "I've had practice…"
Catherine gave her a curious. Twice now had the girl gotten that strange, far away, pained look. And something told Catherine she needed to probe. "Would… you like to get settled and explain that statement?"
Brianna's look was guarded. "We'll see."
Brianna looked around the spacious (by her standards) house. Catherine had been able to provide her with her own room and she had un-packed everything in a short amount of time. She had practice from traveling so much.
"Hey, you want some waffles?" She turned from placing her last bit of clothes away to look at Catherine, tucking her hair behind an ear.
"No, but coffee sounds good." She answered, moving out into the kitchen.
"Coffee it is…" Catherine said, placing a steaming mug in front of Brianna as she sat down.
Brianna sipped the black brew, just comforting in the normalcy of it all. "Thanks, for all this."
"No problem." Catherine sat next to her, then gave her a serious look. "Now, I don't mean to pry but… you have anything you wanna get off your chest?"
Brianna looked down into the coffee, her reflection staring back at her. She was silent for a very long time, contemplating. "If I tell you… " she started, "You must promise to tell no one else without asking first."
"I promise."
Brianna gave a small smile as she started. She had no idea why she was telling Catherine this but she was just so like a mother… "In college… I was a bookworm. Studied all the time, never went out. I mean my roommate, who was my best friend, got me to go out a couple times but… I didn't go out. So when one of the cutest, brightest guys came up to me one day and asked me out, of course I said yes."
She just stared in her drink, pictures floating in front of her vision. "Michael Moray. Sweet, cute, funny, bright… I loved him. My friend were wary but since it was my first boyfriend, ever, they let it go." A bitter smile twisted her lips. "I should have listened. We had been dating for about… six months? And had gone no farther then feeling each other up. Because I wasn't doing anything till I got married."
She wasn't even telling Catherine anymore; she was just speaking, desperate for someone to listen. "He had come over that day, to my dorm, while my roommate was out. I asked him to get me some water while I put on another shirt. When I came back, he smiled, gave me the water… I drank it… and not… not five minutes later.. I couldn't talk. I could barely move. He took me… he took me into my room and he…"
Her voice was breaking and she finally remembered Catherine, looking up at the stunned woman. Her voice was hoarse. "Never mind. Forget it… it's just…" She gave a sad smile, her vision blurring. "I never told my mom. I couldn't bare to and you act so much like her…"
Catherine was stunned it seemed, mouth open slightly. "Didn't you… the cops… I mean…"
"My roommate came in halfway through. And because she threatened him with a knife, and they found no evidence of drugs in my system I lost the case." She shrugged, not knowing how to explain it. "I have a restraining order…"
Brianna was surprised as she was suddenly pulled into Catherine's arms and rocked, the older murmuring. "No one should have to go through that… no one…"
It was then that eight years of pent of fear and shame coursed down Brianna's pale cheeks in salty tears.
She didn't have to suffer alone anymore.
Catherine woke with a start to the phone ringing; she had fallen asleep on the couch after Brianna had gone back to her room to sleep as well.
Grabbing for the phone Catherine sighed, remember Brianna's haunted look. At least she didn't have to hold in all in now…
"Hello…?" She answered the phone, still half sleep.
"Um…. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
"Yes, you did… and who is this?"
"I'm sorry…" The voice on the other end was obviously embarrassed. "My name's Brian Judkowski. Um… I was told Brianna was staying here…"
"Brianna? Why do you want to talk to Brianna?" Catherine was instantly wary.
"… Personal reasons?"
Catherine stared at the phone then spoke slowly. "One minute…." Staggering up, she grabbed the cordless phone and wandered into Brianna's room.
The younger woman was sprawled across the bed, clothes from earlier still on. Instantly, the girl was awake, turning towards the sound of Catherine's feet. "What?" She asked, relaxing at the sight of the woman holding the phone.
"Call for you… a Brian Judkowski?"
Catherine was surprised to see the girl instantly awake and reach for the phone. Smirking, she held the phone back. "Uh uh… not until I find out who this person is."
Brianna bounced a bit, obviously uncomfortable. "Brian? He's… he's… he's my boyfriend that I'm not sure is my boyfriends. Gimme!"
Acting like a child Brianna snatched the phone and Catherine's smirk grew as she thought out Brianna's words. "Well, that's a new one?"
"Hello?" Back in Chicago, Brian could not help but smile a bit at the soft alto that spoke over the phone.
"Hi." Her answered back, his own tenor soft. "I just felt like making sure you got to Vegas fine… You just left so fast…"
"Yeah… I'm sorry… but how did you know where I was?"
The bleach blond man smiled a bit. "Who else but Tarshen who got it out of Damian."
"Sneaky little bastard…"
"What, you don't want to talk to me?" Came the mock hurt reply as aqua eyes glanced out a window.
"You know what I mean…" Came the exasperated voice.
Brian smiled a bit more. Brianna was, honestly and truly special to him. He knew how jumpy she was and just giving her time had been important to him. So they had only kissed once, mainly just held hands and went out. "I know. I'm just joking… we'd be going to Starbucks about now."
"Yes… I miss my overpriced but insanely good coffee… I miss my tanned, blond, boyfriend that we're not sure is my boyfriend too…"
"Miss you to. If I can, if… umm… whoever's house your staying at?"
He heard her laugh over the phone. "Her name is Catherine Willows. And I'm sure she won't mind. She… you can trust her."
Brian was confused for a minute. Brianna never trusted someone so quickly… unless… "Oh. Okay then. Ack!" He glanced at the clock and swallowed back a curse. "I gotta go. Business meetings call. Love you and be safe… promise me."
More laughter. "I promise. Don't let the power hungry CEO's take advantage of you."
"I won't."
"Love you too Brian. Bye."
Disclaimer: I don't own Starbucks (sadly) or anything from CSI.