Catherine gulped in a breath of air as she stood outside staring over the city lights. Closing her eyes, she tried to escape the conjured images of the destruction caused possibly by a boy who, for some reason, hated her entire being.
"Hey," Warrick spoke behind her, causing her to jump visibly. She refused to turn around and face him, refused to let him see how scared she was.
"Why Warrick?" she whispered. "Why does this kid hate me enough making him want to hurt everyone I care about?"
"I don't know," he sighed, stepping closer to embrace her from behind. "I really don't know, but right now, Brass is preparing to get a search warrant for the kids' foster home."
Catherine's eyes welled up with tears, "Sara almost died trying to save my daughter because I made her feel useless and unworthy. I blamed her for things that she had no control over."
"Sara knows you didn't mean it Cath," he told her, pulling her in tighter.
"I'm no better than that damn kid."
"Hey," he told her as he moved away to turn her around so she was facing him. "Don't say that. Don't even pretend to think things like that." When she started to turn her head away, he shook her slightly causing her to once again face him. "Sara thought enough of you AND your daughter to put her life on the line. SHE was prepared to die because she wanted Lindsey to be safe." As he spoke, tears formed in his eyes, " You didn't see her. She was amazing Cath, she saved your daughters life by willingly sacrificing her own. So don't you dare turn all of this back round making it all about you."
"I…Warrick," she started, the shock of his tirade evident in her eyes.
"This kid has chosen to take whatever anger he has for you out on all of us, so that makes this case ours. Not yours, not Brass' but ours."
"I'm sorry," she whispered tearfully, closing the distance between them to hold him tightly against her. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he soothed, his arms automatically coming up to wrap around her. "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have said those things."
"I needed to hear them," she whispered. "This isn't all about me and what he's trying to do. This is about people I care about and that's what makes me so mad."
"I know," he sighed, pulling away from her slightly. "Come on, let's find Brass and nail this bastard."
Brass was waiting for them when they arrived back inside the building. Holding up a piece of paper, he waved it before them. "I have it."
"What? Already?" Catherine gasped as she tried to comprehend how he could obtain a warrant so quickly.
"Already had it," he nodded, "this new information is a bonus. Come on."
Watching him walk passed them, Warrick turned to Catherine and shook his head incredulously. "Remind me to thank him later."
"Yeah," she mused, "later."
Nick forced his eyes open in the darkness as he tried to escape from the nightmares surrounding him. His heart pumped wildly in his chest and he fought to control his breathing. The night terror was the same as before, its overwhelming power over him pulling him deeper. Dark claws of torrid dreams tugged at his eyes, trying to force him back into slumber where the darkness could once again consume him.
"Sar," he called out, his heart racing wildly as he fought to find a way out of the pitch black void that surrounded him. "Sara," he wailed.
The nurse came into his room, clicking on the light as she stepped closer towards him. "Are you all right Mr. Stokes?"
"Sara," he whimpered, his voice quiet like a frightened child. "I need to see Sara."
"Hang on a second," she smiled, "let me see what I can do, okay?"
Nick watched her as she left the room, his heart leaping inside his chest. He hated this, waking up in a cold sweat unable to separate reality from the land of his demons. How many times had he called Sara in the middle of the day? How many times had she answered her phone half asleep yet still managed to calm his dreams?
"You're in luck," the nurse smiled as she came into the room wheeling the hospital phone in beside his bed. "Sara is awake, seems she has had trouble sleeping too since her husband went home."
"Huh?" he asked confused, his fuzzy mind trying to make sense of what she had just said, "Husband?"
"Oh, sorry, your friend corrected me earlier. They just seem very close so naturally I assumed.."
"Who?" he asked again, "You sure you got my Sara, right? Brunette, pretty?"
"Yes, Sara Sidle," she smiled.
"Oh, yeah, that's her," he nodded. "Guess she's had our boss attached to her side huh?"
"I thought he was going to become a permanent fixture eventually," she grinned. Lifting the phone cord to plug it into the socket in the wall, she offered him a warm smile. "Here you go, she's waiting for you." Handing him the receiver, she pressed a button on the number pad, and then turned to leave.
"Uh thanks," he grinned as he placed the phone to his ear.
"Sar," he whispered hesitantly, his voice faltering when he heard silence on the other end of the line.
"Oh Nick," she sighed happily, "it's so good to hear your voice."
"You too," laying back into the pillows he smiled into the phone. "How are you feeling? Everyone is so proud of you."
"Proud of me?" she gasped, "What the hell for?"
"You saved Lindsey's life. Honey that is something to be proud of."
"I did what I had to do," she told him. "She's okay thank God."
"How about you?"
"Been better," she chuckled, "I feel like I've been shoved through a barbed wire fence and left to die, but apart from that I'm fine."
"Do you remember what happened?" he asked tiredly, "I don't remember anything apart from a huge bang and then everything shooting to hell."
"Me neither," she whispered. "The door from the bathroom flew off of its hinges and the wall crumbled. I don't remember much, but I…" she took a breath, "I had to protect Lindsey. I didn't care about my life, I needed to keep her safe for Catherine."
"Well I care about your life honey, and I know everyone else does too." His voice broke as he wiped a tear away from his eyes, "I wish I could see you."
"I know," she sighed, "me too. I miss you."
"Sara," he whispered shakily as he fought to control the raging emotions capturing his body. "I.."
"Bad dreams?" she asked softly, "I know sweetie, it's okay, I'm here."
"I'm sorry," he shuddered, "you're hurt worse than I am, I shouldn't be bothering you with this."
"Nick, how many times have you been calling me when you've had a bad dream?" she kept her voice firm but soft, "I promised you that I would always be here for you no matter what, remember?"
"I remember," he sniffed.
"Close your eyes now baby" she whispered softly into the phone, "everything's gonna be all right now."
Feeling a new sense of peace wash over him, he did as she asked. Closing his eyes, he drifted into sleep, listening to the sound of her voice.
Two police cars, followed closely by Brass and Warrick and Catherine's Tahoe, came to a screeching halt outside the quiet suburban house. Everything was in total darkness until the sound of the sirens alerted the neighbourhood, as light after light snapped on inside every home.
Ambling out of his car, Brass walked calmly to the door he wanted and banged hard on the solid wood. When no sound came, he thumped hard again, banging his fist down. "Police," he called, "open up."
Slowly the light came on and the lock clicked open to reveal a woman in her thirties hurriedly pulling her robe together. "Police?" she asked worriedly, "what on earth for?"
"Ma'am, this is the foster home of Robert James?"
"Robbie?" she asked, "Yes, it is, but what's he done?"
"Excuse me," Brass muttered, barging passed her in the doorway while shoving the warrant into her hand.
Catherine and Warrick came up the path, following Brass into the house. As they passed the foster mother, she stopped them "What has Robbie done this time?"
Before they could reply, Brass and two police officers pushed a struggling boy into the hallway. His eyes met Catherine's and a sudden recognition flashed in his eyes. "Bitch," he spat.
Flinching, Catherine took a step away from him as sudden fear clasped at her heart. "Why?" she asked in a ragged whisper, "Why'd you do it?"
"Why?" he grinned evilly, "You killed my father."
Before Catherine could respond, Brass yanked him away and out of the house, leaving Catherine and Warrick reeling from his shocking words.
TBC………
