Title: On a Bed of Angels
Author: A. Beautiful. Disaster
Rating: PG.-13 to R
Summary: How can such a cruel thing happen to the most undeserving? A man so sensitive, a man so sweet and gentle How can someone have such a beautiful thing taken from him? A nick piece.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em
Notes: I am so sorry this took so long! I had writers block and I'm still not fully over it yet!
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~
"I hear you're staying with your uncle Nicky." Catherine informed the dark haired girl. Lillian smiled a pain stricken smile and followed the path of a small red ant as it crawled on her uncle's front step.
"Problems at home?" Catherine asked in a soothing voice. Lillian nodded sharply as she sat herself down on her step, never meeting Catherine's eyes.
"Oh yeah." Lily sighed as Cat plopped herself down on the step. She followed Lilly's gaze to the clear desert sky. Lily and Cat sat in silence as the watch a bird, lazily drift on a pocket of warm air.
"Running doesn't help." Catherine told her, when Lily didn't make an attempt to speak. Lilly tore her gaze from the empty sky and squinted in the sun. She glanced over at Catherine, blinking away a strand of hair that fell in her eyes. Cat smiled kindly and brought her gaze down to her feet.
"I was your age and twice as wild." Lily grinned at the older women and waited patiently for her to continue. "One night, my parents caught me smoking. They ripped the cigarette from my hands and threw me in my room. As soon as the door slammed, I started packing my bags." She frowned at the memory. "I was gone for a week and they never came looking for me. My hatred for them grew each day I was gone until finally I gave in and went back home." Catherine kicked at the dust on the steps with her black shoe.
"Turns out they were looking for me the whole time, deathly worried that I would end up dead. But some how, through all the hugs they gave me...I still really though they hated me."
"I know what you mean." Lily frowned and looked Catherine in the eyes. Catherine smiled sympathetically when she found that tears had spilled over, staining the girl's porcelain skin.
"I moved out when I was seventeen and moved in with my asshole of a boyfriend. When I was eighteen I landed in the hospital with three broken ribs. After that I was on my own with no money. I stepped into the wrong ally one night and ran into this nice guy behind a sleazy building. At first I was scared, a young girl, alone in an alley with a man who had charming grin. It spelt trouble. But he had this way about him, even when he got a little to close for my comfort. I never backed way. He told me how beautiful I was, and that I should be one of his girls. The next week I was giving lap dances."
Lily's eyes widen, the tears nearly forgotten as a grin formed on her lips. "You're a stripper?" She asked, amazement etched in her voice. She knew that Uncle Nick had a wide assortment of friends, but she never thought he knew a exotic dancer.
"I *was* one sweetie." Catherine laughed, "The point is I ran from everything in my life and it never helped." Lily's grin fell from her face and she became deathly still.
"I can't go back." She told her with a hushed voice and before Catherine could open her mouth to reply, Nick stuck his head out the door with a grin on his face.
"Lily, supper." He announced as he smiled at Cat and his niece. Silently, Catherine got up from the step, dusted her hands off on her pants, and helped Lily into a standing position.
"I'll see you at work Nick." She called as she started down the steps. She was a few feet away from her Tahoe when Lily yelled after her.
"Ms. Willows, would you like to stay for dinner?"
~
Catherine shook her head sharply and brought herself back to reality. The sound of the front door slamming was still ringing through her ears and she closed her eyes, trying to clear away the fatigue that was blurring her vision.
"Ah." Sara bit her lip in concentration as she dusted the door. "Two prints." She announced as she turned back to her colleges. "I don't know if they'll do much good." She admitted as she balanced her weight on the balls of her feet. Her eyes searched for another clue, another sign as to who had taken Lilly. But no matter what Sara did, she couldn't find anything. There was nothing to go on, but two prints, which probably belonged to Nick himself.
"I got what looks like a denim fiber." Warrick called as he bagged the small, but significant, piece of evidence. He sighed before he stood up from his crouching position on Nick's kitchen floor.
"My bet is that Lily Stokes didn't wear denim to bed." Grissom observed as he snapped a photo of the blood splatter. The flash danced across Catherine's face and she turned slowly, making her way to the empty living room. She felt eyes watching her as she exited the kitchen, but did not care.
The sound of her heels, and the sound of the clock ticking away on the wall, seemed to chip away the friendliness of the living room, leaving it cold and empty. The open folder on the coffee table caught her eye and she advanced towards it. Picking up the familiar folder with her thin hands she fingered through the photographs inside.
Each angle of the murdered girl revealed a different horror. Twisted limps. Blank eyes. Bruises and blood. Raped and murdered. Dumped with out a care by the side of the highway. A beautiful life taken away. The last photograph didn't bare any resemblance to Christina Brookes, the dead girl. A beautiful teen with sparkling brown eyes, short dark hair that fell around her chin and a bright grin was starring back at Catherine. It was the photo Christina's parents showed the world, hoping someone out there had seen their daughter.
"You okay?" She jumped slightly, startled by the familiar voice, eerily loud in the empty room. She snapped the folder and placed it back on the coffee table. Sighing, she tried to steady her breathing before she spoke.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She managed to choke out, as she turned to face Warrick. He eyed her suspiciously. Her voice at cracked and was not as strong as she would have liked it to be. He dropped his gaze to the floor, and tested his voice, hoping it would not faultier
"It's strange isn't it. I mean, it's Nick's niece." He shook his head and cursed his tongue. He couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, spit the words out. Catherine nodded knowing exactly what he meant. It was Nick's niece, someone so close to one of their own. They were all having trouble keeping their emotions in check.
"I spoke with the girl only a few hours ago." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, trying to chase away the headache that was forming. Dull pain echoed through her body and she flexed her shoulders trying to rid them of stiffness.
"I met her this morning." Warrick reviled as he walked over to Catherine, who had her eyes focused on her feet. She glanced up at him and smiled sadly before her gaze traveled to the door. She wondered what would have happened if she would have accepted Lily's offer and stayed for dinner. She knew they were foolish thoughts for nothing would be different. Nick and her would have went to work. Lily would be left alone and in the end would have been taken. They were all powerless. It would end the same way every time. It was fate.
"I can't imagine what Nick must be going through." Warrick shook his head as he leaned his weight against the wall. Catherine swallowed loudly, images of Lily being attacked filled her mind. Waking up alone in a darkened house, noises she couldn't explain, nor wanted too. The fear of the sudden realization that someone was inside the house. The pain. The struggle. Catherine closed her eyes. Nick must be crumbling apart.
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I love reviews *bats eyes.*
Author: A. Beautiful. Disaster
Rating: PG.-13 to R
Summary: How can such a cruel thing happen to the most undeserving? A man so sensitive, a man so sweet and gentle How can someone have such a beautiful thing taken from him? A nick piece.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em
Notes: I am so sorry this took so long! I had writers block and I'm still not fully over it yet!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
~
"I hear you're staying with your uncle Nicky." Catherine informed the dark haired girl. Lillian smiled a pain stricken smile and followed the path of a small red ant as it crawled on her uncle's front step.
"Problems at home?" Catherine asked in a soothing voice. Lillian nodded sharply as she sat herself down on her step, never meeting Catherine's eyes.
"Oh yeah." Lily sighed as Cat plopped herself down on the step. She followed Lilly's gaze to the clear desert sky. Lily and Cat sat in silence as the watch a bird, lazily drift on a pocket of warm air.
"Running doesn't help." Catherine told her, when Lily didn't make an attempt to speak. Lilly tore her gaze from the empty sky and squinted in the sun. She glanced over at Catherine, blinking away a strand of hair that fell in her eyes. Cat smiled kindly and brought her gaze down to her feet.
"I was your age and twice as wild." Lily grinned at the older women and waited patiently for her to continue. "One night, my parents caught me smoking. They ripped the cigarette from my hands and threw me in my room. As soon as the door slammed, I started packing my bags." She frowned at the memory. "I was gone for a week and they never came looking for me. My hatred for them grew each day I was gone until finally I gave in and went back home." Catherine kicked at the dust on the steps with her black shoe.
"Turns out they were looking for me the whole time, deathly worried that I would end up dead. But some how, through all the hugs they gave me...I still really though they hated me."
"I know what you mean." Lily frowned and looked Catherine in the eyes. Catherine smiled sympathetically when she found that tears had spilled over, staining the girl's porcelain skin.
"I moved out when I was seventeen and moved in with my asshole of a boyfriend. When I was eighteen I landed in the hospital with three broken ribs. After that I was on my own with no money. I stepped into the wrong ally one night and ran into this nice guy behind a sleazy building. At first I was scared, a young girl, alone in an alley with a man who had charming grin. It spelt trouble. But he had this way about him, even when he got a little to close for my comfort. I never backed way. He told me how beautiful I was, and that I should be one of his girls. The next week I was giving lap dances."
Lily's eyes widen, the tears nearly forgotten as a grin formed on her lips. "You're a stripper?" She asked, amazement etched in her voice. She knew that Uncle Nick had a wide assortment of friends, but she never thought he knew a exotic dancer.
"I *was* one sweetie." Catherine laughed, "The point is I ran from everything in my life and it never helped." Lily's grin fell from her face and she became deathly still.
"I can't go back." She told her with a hushed voice and before Catherine could open her mouth to reply, Nick stuck his head out the door with a grin on his face.
"Lily, supper." He announced as he smiled at Cat and his niece. Silently, Catherine got up from the step, dusted her hands off on her pants, and helped Lily into a standing position.
"I'll see you at work Nick." She called as she started down the steps. She was a few feet away from her Tahoe when Lily yelled after her.
"Ms. Willows, would you like to stay for dinner?"
~
Catherine shook her head sharply and brought herself back to reality. The sound of the front door slamming was still ringing through her ears and she closed her eyes, trying to clear away the fatigue that was blurring her vision.
"Ah." Sara bit her lip in concentration as she dusted the door. "Two prints." She announced as she turned back to her colleges. "I don't know if they'll do much good." She admitted as she balanced her weight on the balls of her feet. Her eyes searched for another clue, another sign as to who had taken Lilly. But no matter what Sara did, she couldn't find anything. There was nothing to go on, but two prints, which probably belonged to Nick himself.
"I got what looks like a denim fiber." Warrick called as he bagged the small, but significant, piece of evidence. He sighed before he stood up from his crouching position on Nick's kitchen floor.
"My bet is that Lily Stokes didn't wear denim to bed." Grissom observed as he snapped a photo of the blood splatter. The flash danced across Catherine's face and she turned slowly, making her way to the empty living room. She felt eyes watching her as she exited the kitchen, but did not care.
The sound of her heels, and the sound of the clock ticking away on the wall, seemed to chip away the friendliness of the living room, leaving it cold and empty. The open folder on the coffee table caught her eye and she advanced towards it. Picking up the familiar folder with her thin hands she fingered through the photographs inside.
Each angle of the murdered girl revealed a different horror. Twisted limps. Blank eyes. Bruises and blood. Raped and murdered. Dumped with out a care by the side of the highway. A beautiful life taken away. The last photograph didn't bare any resemblance to Christina Brookes, the dead girl. A beautiful teen with sparkling brown eyes, short dark hair that fell around her chin and a bright grin was starring back at Catherine. It was the photo Christina's parents showed the world, hoping someone out there had seen their daughter.
"You okay?" She jumped slightly, startled by the familiar voice, eerily loud in the empty room. She snapped the folder and placed it back on the coffee table. Sighing, she tried to steady her breathing before she spoke.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She managed to choke out, as she turned to face Warrick. He eyed her suspiciously. Her voice at cracked and was not as strong as she would have liked it to be. He dropped his gaze to the floor, and tested his voice, hoping it would not faultier
"It's strange isn't it. I mean, it's Nick's niece." He shook his head and cursed his tongue. He couldn't, no matter how hard he tried, spit the words out. Catherine nodded knowing exactly what he meant. It was Nick's niece, someone so close to one of their own. They were all having trouble keeping their emotions in check.
"I spoke with the girl only a few hours ago." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, trying to chase away the headache that was forming. Dull pain echoed through her body and she flexed her shoulders trying to rid them of stiffness.
"I met her this morning." Warrick reviled as he walked over to Catherine, who had her eyes focused on her feet. She glanced up at him and smiled sadly before her gaze traveled to the door. She wondered what would have happened if she would have accepted Lily's offer and stayed for dinner. She knew they were foolish thoughts for nothing would be different. Nick and her would have went to work. Lily would be left alone and in the end would have been taken. They were all powerless. It would end the same way every time. It was fate.
"I can't imagine what Nick must be going through." Warrick shook his head as he leaned his weight against the wall. Catherine swallowed loudly, images of Lily being attacked filled her mind. Waking up alone in a darkened house, noises she couldn't explain, nor wanted too. The fear of the sudden realization that someone was inside the house. The pain. The struggle. Catherine closed her eyes. Nick must be crumbling apart.
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I love reviews *bats eyes.*