A/N: Thanks Shannon, for ALL of your help! I couldn't have done it without
you!! I love you!! Sorry if this chapter's a little confusing. It's going
to switch from Mel's apartment to the Lab and such. And I apologize if
this chapter is a little long. I may post it in 2 parts, one, because I
love cliffhangers! (Aren't I evil?) :o) and two, it would be really long
if I didn't!!!
* * *
Melody groaned as she rolled over in bed. She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock. She was already over two hours late for shift. She briefly wondered why Grissom hadn't called yet before remembering she had changed her phone number and had repeatedly forgotten to give it to him. "Smart move, Harper," she muttered, uncomfortable. She had this strange feeling that was creeping her out. She sighed before realizing someone was watching her. She took a deep breath and started to roll over again. Suddenly she felt something cold and metallic pressed against her back.
"Don't move." Melody inhaled sharply upon hearing the familiar voice, "You must have known you wouldn't get rid of me for long."
"Go to hell!" Melody snapped.
"You are aware that this is a gun, right?" he asked. She felt the barrel of the gun being pressed harder into her soft flesh.
"No, I just though that you were turning into Captain Hook," she retorted.
She heard a familiar snicker, "You wish."
"No, that's a little too kinky for my taste."
"You're not scared. I'm disappointed. I had a nice little visual. You lying there, crying, begging me to spare your life."
"One, I'm not a dog. I don't beg. Two, we both know you aren't going to kill me. At least not yet," she added.
"That's right. I have to torture you first."
* *At the lab* *
"I'm going over there," Grissom said.
"Just wait. I'm sure there's a reasonable reason why she's late," Catherine said. Grissom gave her a blank look over her choice of words.
"Here it is!" Sara suddenly exclaimed. She was sitting at the table, the contents of her purse scattered everywhere. She triumphantly held up a pink scrap of paper.
"I knew she wasn't stupid enough to change her number without giving it to anyone first."
"Gil," Catherine began.
"I'll be in my office." Grissom took the paper and hurried to his office to make the call.
* *At Melody's apartment* *
"Jeff, stop it!" Melody shouted loudly. She looked up, her assailant just smiled at her futile attempts to free herself from his grasp. "You don't care if I yell and attract attention?" she bluffed.
"No, go ahead. You can yell louder, if you like. I kind of enjoy it!" he grinned.
"You know that the walls of an apartment complex like these are thin, don't you?"
"Yeah, but. I know a little secret that your neighbor, Mrs. Johnson decided to share with me. She is in Baltimore visiting her sister," he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Although, if you want, I did bring the duct tape. Though I did have other things in mind for that."
"I'm sure you do," Melody admitted truthfully. "But I-" Melody was cut off by the loud ringing of her phone.
"Don't try anything," he warned. Jeff climbed off of Melody and reached for her phone, without taking his eyes off her. "Hello?"
"Is Melody there?" Grissom asked, clearly agitated.
"Yes, but she's really sick. She won't be able to come in to work tonight."
"Can I talk to her?"
"It's not convenient now. She's really sick."
"I'll wait."
"Just a sec," he covered the mouth piece with his hand and handed it to her. "If you say anything stupid, I'll kill you." Jeff handed her the phone. As soon as she grabbed it, he put the barrel of the gun to her temple.
"Hey, Gil," she said quietly. Grissom sat there for a sec, she had never called him Gil before.
"You okay?"
"No, I'm not feeling well right now."
"What's wrong? Who's with you?"
"I don't know. It must be food poisoning. The mayo in the tuna I had last night must be bad," she muttered.
"Then you would have been sick last night, not now," Grissom said slightly confused.
"I know I'm missing some important paperwork, but I'll do it when I come in tomorrow," she said, emphasizing the 'I know'.
"Is something wrong? Is he there? Did he find you?" Grissom asked, remembering their earlier conversation. He suddenly wished he had forced her to tell him everything.
"Yes, I'll be fine tomorrow," Melody assured him.
"Does he have a gun?" Grissom asked.
"Yes, I will. Lots of fluids, got it," Melody noticed Jeff giving her curious looks, and she hoped he didn't figure out what she was doing.
"Is there anyone with him?"
"No, I don't have a fever."
"Are you okay? Do you want me to come over with Brass or 'O Riley? Did he hurt you?"
"Yes, I'll be in tomorrow. Yes, I'll get lots of sleep, and n-" Jeff grabbed the phone from her.
"Sorry, she had to go to the bathroom. But we'll keep in mind what you said. Bye," he hung up the phone and slapped Melody across the face.
"You told him!"
"I didn't tell him anything!" Melody hissed, "But he's going to be suspicious now!"
"Then I guess we won't have as much time together as I had hoped," he said menacingly.
* * *
Melody groaned as she rolled over in bed. She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock. She was already over two hours late for shift. She briefly wondered why Grissom hadn't called yet before remembering she had changed her phone number and had repeatedly forgotten to give it to him. "Smart move, Harper," she muttered, uncomfortable. She had this strange feeling that was creeping her out. She sighed before realizing someone was watching her. She took a deep breath and started to roll over again. Suddenly she felt something cold and metallic pressed against her back.
"Don't move." Melody inhaled sharply upon hearing the familiar voice, "You must have known you wouldn't get rid of me for long."
"Go to hell!" Melody snapped.
"You are aware that this is a gun, right?" he asked. She felt the barrel of the gun being pressed harder into her soft flesh.
"No, I just though that you were turning into Captain Hook," she retorted.
She heard a familiar snicker, "You wish."
"No, that's a little too kinky for my taste."
"You're not scared. I'm disappointed. I had a nice little visual. You lying there, crying, begging me to spare your life."
"One, I'm not a dog. I don't beg. Two, we both know you aren't going to kill me. At least not yet," she added.
"That's right. I have to torture you first."
* *At the lab* *
"I'm going over there," Grissom said.
"Just wait. I'm sure there's a reasonable reason why she's late," Catherine said. Grissom gave her a blank look over her choice of words.
"Here it is!" Sara suddenly exclaimed. She was sitting at the table, the contents of her purse scattered everywhere. She triumphantly held up a pink scrap of paper.
"I knew she wasn't stupid enough to change her number without giving it to anyone first."
"Gil," Catherine began.
"I'll be in my office." Grissom took the paper and hurried to his office to make the call.
* *At Melody's apartment* *
"Jeff, stop it!" Melody shouted loudly. She looked up, her assailant just smiled at her futile attempts to free herself from his grasp. "You don't care if I yell and attract attention?" she bluffed.
"No, go ahead. You can yell louder, if you like. I kind of enjoy it!" he grinned.
"You know that the walls of an apartment complex like these are thin, don't you?"
"Yeah, but. I know a little secret that your neighbor, Mrs. Johnson decided to share with me. She is in Baltimore visiting her sister," he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Although, if you want, I did bring the duct tape. Though I did have other things in mind for that."
"I'm sure you do," Melody admitted truthfully. "But I-" Melody was cut off by the loud ringing of her phone.
"Don't try anything," he warned. Jeff climbed off of Melody and reached for her phone, without taking his eyes off her. "Hello?"
"Is Melody there?" Grissom asked, clearly agitated.
"Yes, but she's really sick. She won't be able to come in to work tonight."
"Can I talk to her?"
"It's not convenient now. She's really sick."
"I'll wait."
"Just a sec," he covered the mouth piece with his hand and handed it to her. "If you say anything stupid, I'll kill you." Jeff handed her the phone. As soon as she grabbed it, he put the barrel of the gun to her temple.
"Hey, Gil," she said quietly. Grissom sat there for a sec, she had never called him Gil before.
"You okay?"
"No, I'm not feeling well right now."
"What's wrong? Who's with you?"
"I don't know. It must be food poisoning. The mayo in the tuna I had last night must be bad," she muttered.
"Then you would have been sick last night, not now," Grissom said slightly confused.
"I know I'm missing some important paperwork, but I'll do it when I come in tomorrow," she said, emphasizing the 'I know'.
"Is something wrong? Is he there? Did he find you?" Grissom asked, remembering their earlier conversation. He suddenly wished he had forced her to tell him everything.
"Yes, I'll be fine tomorrow," Melody assured him.
"Does he have a gun?" Grissom asked.
"Yes, I will. Lots of fluids, got it," Melody noticed Jeff giving her curious looks, and she hoped he didn't figure out what she was doing.
"Is there anyone with him?"
"No, I don't have a fever."
"Are you okay? Do you want me to come over with Brass or 'O Riley? Did he hurt you?"
"Yes, I'll be in tomorrow. Yes, I'll get lots of sleep, and n-" Jeff grabbed the phone from her.
"Sorry, she had to go to the bathroom. But we'll keep in mind what you said. Bye," he hung up the phone and slapped Melody across the face.
"You told him!"
"I didn't tell him anything!" Melody hissed, "But he's going to be suspicious now!"
"Then I guess we won't have as much time together as I had hoped," he said menacingly.