Disclaimer: If I haven't made it clear already, I own nothing.
A/N: Hello again. I had a great birthday, which really inspired me to spread my joy and write this as quickly as possible. Thank you to all who review the last chapter; anonymous, MissyJane, pdhtgal, shondie, cRaZyPiXiE, PITAchic, Charming-Storm and Catherine. You guys are amazing!!! It really made my birthday! :o) Keep them coming. You opinions really help me to write this. Well any way, on with the plot. R&R and ENJOY!!!! - Bex
Warrick quickly glanced at Jenny as she shifted in her seat again in the SVU. He watched with half an eye as she ran a hand through her hair, her reflection in the window wore an anxious face.
"Everything ok?" He asked, breaking the silence.
She turned to face him.
"Yeah. It's just...do you have a mobile with you?"
"No. Mine's been playing up for a while and finally decided to die a little while ago. Grissom knows about it," He responded. "Been meaning to get a new one."
Her sad face fell further and his pity grew for her.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," He reassured.
"I know," She replied. "It's just..."
"You want any news ASAP?" He finished. "I understand."
He turned a corner and mild relief flooded her face as she pointed to a building.
"Laramie Apartments," Warrick read off the sign on the side of the building.
"It means 'tears of love'," She explained. "When me and Ethan were on holiday in France, we found a baby shop called it. After he brought this apartment block he needed a name and well, it just came back to me."
He pulled into the car park which was attached and they got out. Jenny crossed the tarmac over to a side door and unlocked it. He followed her in, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light she'd switched on. Warrick followed her into the lift.
"I didn't want to go to a hotel. Be round people who know what's going on. So instead I came here," She told him. "All the apartment have electricity, water and a phone line. They're ready for people to move in. Ethan was going to start advertising them this week."
They reached the top floor, which was smaller then the others. Jenny led him down a single corridor to a lone door. She opened it and they walked inside.
It was a penthouse apartment. At the moment they were in a gigantic room that had been separated into a living room, dining area and kitchen. Three arches divided each section. The walls were a plain white and pieces of covered furniture were spread around the room. There were boxes scattered around the place and the utensils in the kitchen were brand new and unused.
"Wow. This place is huge," Warrick exclaimed.
"3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a study and this area to be exact," Jenny told him. "Ethan and I were going to do it up and keep it for friends when they came to visit."
"What are you going to do with it now?" Warrick inquired gently.
She sighed, "I don't know. Maybe keep this for myself and sell the rest of the apartment block. I'm not sure. I need my head to stop spinning before I make any decisions."
Warrick nodded. He watched her yawn again. The yawns had become more frequent now. She wondered off into a room and he followed her. It was what, he presumed, would be the master bedroom. Right now it was a large empty space, apart from a pulled out futon and a bedside table, on top of which was the phone. He looked at the books and the notes which covered the duvet on the futon.
"I really need to study, but I can't concentrate," She muttered. "I've got my final exam before I graduate in a few months time."
"I could help you if you want?" He offered.
This produced a small smile; "I might take you up on that."
She yawned compulsively again.
"You need to rest," He insisted.
She gave him a small nod and he helped her clear stuff off the futon so she could sleep. Something fell out of a stack of notes Warrick had picked and he gently picked it up to see what it was. It was a picture of Jenny and Ethan, arms wrapped around each other, both smiling. Something they would never do again. Jenny face fell into sorrow again when she saw it.
"How did you meet?" Warrick asked, curious about the answer.
"I was 19. I used to work as a waitress at Vita é Bella, you know, the overpriced Italian restaurant?" She asked and he nodded. "Anyway, I had a shift one night when Julian was holding a party there. The men who were invited were all the same. All perverts who saw me as nothing more then a toy. After a few hours of tolerating their harassment, I went out for a breather before I said or did something that might have gotten me fired. And Ethan was standing out there having a smoke. I had no idea who he was at that time. He asked me what was wrong and I told him. Then he asked me why I put up with it, and explained why I needed the money. He was the first male that whole evening who seemed interested in me as a person."
She paused for a moment, smiling at the memory.
"We talked for about half an hour, before my boss came out, very pissed off. He was about to have a go at me, but he stopped when he saw Ethan and was very respectful to him. I found out later who Ethan was. He went to join the party and I went back to work. He left me a tip big enough to pay for a term of my course, then turned up at the restaurant a few nights later and asked me out."
She gingerly took the photo from Warrick and placed it away in the draw in the bedside table. She fought back the tears and ran a hand through her hair.
"I think I'll have a shower before I go to sleep. I must look hideous," She mumbled.
"I doubt that's possible," Warrick commented before he could stop himself.
She looked away, uncomfortable and an awkward silence filled the room. Warrick inwardly kicked himself, and decided to save the situation by steering the conversation back onto safe grounds.
"You hungry?" He asked.
She shrugged, still avoiding his eye; "I guess. But I don't have anything here."
"I thought I saw a shop down the road."
"Yes there's one," She confirmed, uneasy about something.
"What?" Warrick pressed.
"It's nothing. I'm being stupid. It's just...I don't really want to be left alone. I don't feel safe...I've just got this feeling," She sheepishly tried to explain. "I guess I'm just being paranoid."
He nodded understandingly and took his gun out of his holster.
"I could leave it with you if it'll make you feel better?" He offered.
Jenny gave him a tiny nod and he placed the gun safely in the draw. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll be back soon," He promised. "You'll be fine."
She gave him a weak smile in return. He turned to leave, but she called him back.
"Warrick?"
He turned around and she chucked the set of keys at him, which he caught perfectly.
"You'll be needing those."
"Thanks," He replied.
They exchanged a one more brief smile, then he left.
15 minutes later, Warrick was walking back with a box of donuts, one regular coffee and one de-caf in his hands. He wondered how Jenny was and if Gris had phoned yet. He wondered if she finally was getting the sleep she needed.
He crossed the car park and headed towards the side door of Laramie Apartments. His head snapped round as he heard something. It sounded like footsteps. He scanned the car park, which was empty apart from the SVU.
'Calm down Warrick,' He told himself. 'No one's here.'
He shook away his paranoia and took out the keys to get in. He balanced the load he was carrying carefully, as he slid the keys into the lock.
That was when he felt the sharp pain serge through his body, as a hard object smacked the back of his head. It was the last thing he remembered before he fell into darkness.
~*~*~*~*~
She felt as if tiny part of her load had been lifted from her. The shower had left Jenny refreshed and now she walked into the bedroom. She'd changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants, but kept her black tank top. Her hair curled slightly and clung to her face in damp bundles.
She listened for a moment. The apartment was dead quiet. She looked at her watch. It had been 20 minutes since Warrick had left, and he should have been back by now.
"Warrick?" She called into the apartment, only to be answered by the stillness.
She jumped slightly as the phone shattered the silence. Jenny picked it up. A feeling had taken over her. A gut feeling that she wasn't alone.
"Hello?"
"Jenny, it's Grissom," came the reply from the other end of the phone.
"Hey. Has Warrick called you?" She asked trying to settle her nerves.
"No. Isn't he there with you?" Gris asked, confusion and worry in his voice.
"He went out 20 minutes ago to get some food and he hasn't come back yet. Gil, why are you ringing?"
"We have the results back. We know what brand of cigarette left the ash in the tray," He announced and she unintentionally held her breath. "They were Silk Cuts."
Her eyes widened and she forgot to breath. Her panic was on over load. The silence on the other end of the phone worried Grissom.
"Jenny? Jenny are you ok?"
"I know who's cigarettes they were. Gil, I know who smokes that brand," She whispered urgently. "It's..."
The phone line suddenly went dead before she could finish.
'No, no, no,' She thought hopelessly as she listen to the still line.
"Gil? Grissom?" She called into the phone desperately, as if she was trying to will a reply.
She spun around as she thought she heard the apartment door click open. She concentrated hard on the silence. Was that footsteps she heard?
"Warrick?" She called, fear drenching her voice.
Nothing.
Her heart began to accelerate as her fear rose. The useless phone slide from her grasp and she grabbed for her mobile. She franticly searched for Grissom's number, then began to dial his number as quickly as possible.
She had just finished and was about to hit call, when a voice behind her made her blood run cold.
"Hello Jenny."
A/N: Dun dun da!! Who is it? Do you want to know? Are you sure? Then hit that button, cos that's the only way I'm giving it to you. :o)
P.S. About the cigarette brand: I don't smoke, so I just chose a random brand name off the shelf at a newsagent.
A/N: Hello again. I had a great birthday, which really inspired me to spread my joy and write this as quickly as possible. Thank you to all who review the last chapter; anonymous, MissyJane, pdhtgal, shondie, cRaZyPiXiE, PITAchic, Charming-Storm and Catherine. You guys are amazing!!! It really made my birthday! :o) Keep them coming. You opinions really help me to write this. Well any way, on with the plot. R&R and ENJOY!!!! - Bex
Warrick quickly glanced at Jenny as she shifted in her seat again in the SVU. He watched with half an eye as she ran a hand through her hair, her reflection in the window wore an anxious face.
"Everything ok?" He asked, breaking the silence.
She turned to face him.
"Yeah. It's just...do you have a mobile with you?"
"No. Mine's been playing up for a while and finally decided to die a little while ago. Grissom knows about it," He responded. "Been meaning to get a new one."
Her sad face fell further and his pity grew for her.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," He reassured.
"I know," She replied. "It's just..."
"You want any news ASAP?" He finished. "I understand."
He turned a corner and mild relief flooded her face as she pointed to a building.
"Laramie Apartments," Warrick read off the sign on the side of the building.
"It means 'tears of love'," She explained. "When me and Ethan were on holiday in France, we found a baby shop called it. After he brought this apartment block he needed a name and well, it just came back to me."
He pulled into the car park which was attached and they got out. Jenny crossed the tarmac over to a side door and unlocked it. He followed her in, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light she'd switched on. Warrick followed her into the lift.
"I didn't want to go to a hotel. Be round people who know what's going on. So instead I came here," She told him. "All the apartment have electricity, water and a phone line. They're ready for people to move in. Ethan was going to start advertising them this week."
They reached the top floor, which was smaller then the others. Jenny led him down a single corridor to a lone door. She opened it and they walked inside.
It was a penthouse apartment. At the moment they were in a gigantic room that had been separated into a living room, dining area and kitchen. Three arches divided each section. The walls were a plain white and pieces of covered furniture were spread around the room. There were boxes scattered around the place and the utensils in the kitchen were brand new and unused.
"Wow. This place is huge," Warrick exclaimed.
"3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a study and this area to be exact," Jenny told him. "Ethan and I were going to do it up and keep it for friends when they came to visit."
"What are you going to do with it now?" Warrick inquired gently.
She sighed, "I don't know. Maybe keep this for myself and sell the rest of the apartment block. I'm not sure. I need my head to stop spinning before I make any decisions."
Warrick nodded. He watched her yawn again. The yawns had become more frequent now. She wondered off into a room and he followed her. It was what, he presumed, would be the master bedroom. Right now it was a large empty space, apart from a pulled out futon and a bedside table, on top of which was the phone. He looked at the books and the notes which covered the duvet on the futon.
"I really need to study, but I can't concentrate," She muttered. "I've got my final exam before I graduate in a few months time."
"I could help you if you want?" He offered.
This produced a small smile; "I might take you up on that."
She yawned compulsively again.
"You need to rest," He insisted.
She gave him a small nod and he helped her clear stuff off the futon so she could sleep. Something fell out of a stack of notes Warrick had picked and he gently picked it up to see what it was. It was a picture of Jenny and Ethan, arms wrapped around each other, both smiling. Something they would never do again. Jenny face fell into sorrow again when she saw it.
"How did you meet?" Warrick asked, curious about the answer.
"I was 19. I used to work as a waitress at Vita é Bella, you know, the overpriced Italian restaurant?" She asked and he nodded. "Anyway, I had a shift one night when Julian was holding a party there. The men who were invited were all the same. All perverts who saw me as nothing more then a toy. After a few hours of tolerating their harassment, I went out for a breather before I said or did something that might have gotten me fired. And Ethan was standing out there having a smoke. I had no idea who he was at that time. He asked me what was wrong and I told him. Then he asked me why I put up with it, and explained why I needed the money. He was the first male that whole evening who seemed interested in me as a person."
She paused for a moment, smiling at the memory.
"We talked for about half an hour, before my boss came out, very pissed off. He was about to have a go at me, but he stopped when he saw Ethan and was very respectful to him. I found out later who Ethan was. He went to join the party and I went back to work. He left me a tip big enough to pay for a term of my course, then turned up at the restaurant a few nights later and asked me out."
She gingerly took the photo from Warrick and placed it away in the draw in the bedside table. She fought back the tears and ran a hand through her hair.
"I think I'll have a shower before I go to sleep. I must look hideous," She mumbled.
"I doubt that's possible," Warrick commented before he could stop himself.
She looked away, uncomfortable and an awkward silence filled the room. Warrick inwardly kicked himself, and decided to save the situation by steering the conversation back onto safe grounds.
"You hungry?" He asked.
She shrugged, still avoiding his eye; "I guess. But I don't have anything here."
"I thought I saw a shop down the road."
"Yes there's one," She confirmed, uneasy about something.
"What?" Warrick pressed.
"It's nothing. I'm being stupid. It's just...I don't really want to be left alone. I don't feel safe...I've just got this feeling," She sheepishly tried to explain. "I guess I'm just being paranoid."
He nodded understandingly and took his gun out of his holster.
"I could leave it with you if it'll make you feel better?" He offered.
Jenny gave him a tiny nod and he placed the gun safely in the draw. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll be back soon," He promised. "You'll be fine."
She gave him a weak smile in return. He turned to leave, but she called him back.
"Warrick?"
He turned around and she chucked the set of keys at him, which he caught perfectly.
"You'll be needing those."
"Thanks," He replied.
They exchanged a one more brief smile, then he left.
15 minutes later, Warrick was walking back with a box of donuts, one regular coffee and one de-caf in his hands. He wondered how Jenny was and if Gris had phoned yet. He wondered if she finally was getting the sleep she needed.
He crossed the car park and headed towards the side door of Laramie Apartments. His head snapped round as he heard something. It sounded like footsteps. He scanned the car park, which was empty apart from the SVU.
'Calm down Warrick,' He told himself. 'No one's here.'
He shook away his paranoia and took out the keys to get in. He balanced the load he was carrying carefully, as he slid the keys into the lock.
That was when he felt the sharp pain serge through his body, as a hard object smacked the back of his head. It was the last thing he remembered before he fell into darkness.
~*~*~*~*~
She felt as if tiny part of her load had been lifted from her. The shower had left Jenny refreshed and now she walked into the bedroom. She'd changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants, but kept her black tank top. Her hair curled slightly and clung to her face in damp bundles.
She listened for a moment. The apartment was dead quiet. She looked at her watch. It had been 20 minutes since Warrick had left, and he should have been back by now.
"Warrick?" She called into the apartment, only to be answered by the stillness.
She jumped slightly as the phone shattered the silence. Jenny picked it up. A feeling had taken over her. A gut feeling that she wasn't alone.
"Hello?"
"Jenny, it's Grissom," came the reply from the other end of the phone.
"Hey. Has Warrick called you?" She asked trying to settle her nerves.
"No. Isn't he there with you?" Gris asked, confusion and worry in his voice.
"He went out 20 minutes ago to get some food and he hasn't come back yet. Gil, why are you ringing?"
"We have the results back. We know what brand of cigarette left the ash in the tray," He announced and she unintentionally held her breath. "They were Silk Cuts."
Her eyes widened and she forgot to breath. Her panic was on over load. The silence on the other end of the phone worried Grissom.
"Jenny? Jenny are you ok?"
"I know who's cigarettes they were. Gil, I know who smokes that brand," She whispered urgently. "It's..."
The phone line suddenly went dead before she could finish.
'No, no, no,' She thought hopelessly as she listen to the still line.
"Gil? Grissom?" She called into the phone desperately, as if she was trying to will a reply.
She spun around as she thought she heard the apartment door click open. She concentrated hard on the silence. Was that footsteps she heard?
"Warrick?" She called, fear drenching her voice.
Nothing.
Her heart began to accelerate as her fear rose. The useless phone slide from her grasp and she grabbed for her mobile. She franticly searched for Grissom's number, then began to dial his number as quickly as possible.
She had just finished and was about to hit call, when a voice behind her made her blood run cold.
"Hello Jenny."
A/N: Dun dun da!! Who is it? Do you want to know? Are you sure? Then hit that button, cos that's the only way I'm giving it to you. :o)
P.S. About the cigarette brand: I don't smoke, so I just chose a random brand name off the shelf at a newsagent.