Title: Maybe I Won't Look Back
Author: NubianGeek
Pairing: Tim/OFC
Luci Valdez had moved to Miami two years earlier to escape her former
life. She thought about how mundane her life had become since 'the knowing'
left her.
Luci first realized that she had 'the knowing' when she was eight. She
remembers that day as if it were yesterday. She had been in the living room
watching television, when she got an overwhelming sensation that her mother was in danger. Seconds after she called her mother into the living room, a car came crashing through their kitchen. Most people thought that it was merely a coincidence that she happened to call her mother into the living room. But, it soon became apparent that this gift was no coincidence. Her first real case working with the police involved a missing child that had walked away from a family campsite. She was able to pinpoint the exact location of the frightened child thus securing for herself a bit of notoriety.
Her family began getting requests from certain law enforcement agencies
to help solve cases. this extent of her life was filled with a mixture of skepticism, as well as gratitude from the people that she helped.
She sat now, in her cozy, little home thinking of these things, when that old feeling returned. She felt the thoughts creeping around the edges of her mind. Then, she felt her body freezing up. The sensation started in her
feet, and the feeling worked it's way up until she was no longer in her
apartment.
She found herself sitting in a car looking out onto a street. She couldn't tell where this street was -- it was just your typical, small town street.
Presently, she saw a little girl skipping down the street. A feeling of utter revulsion came over her as she realized what was going to take place.
She was seeing the entire scene through the eyes of the potential attacker. She felt herself moving toward the little girl, in the air. Somehow, the
attacker was able to lure the little girl into the car.
Tim came in that day thinking about how boring his life had become. He
wasn't dating anyone special, and he was feeling a little lonely. He knew what had triggered this feeling. His friend Josh had just gotten married. There was something to be said for finding that perfect person. He hadn't found his yet.
As soon as he walked in, he noticed the somber mood.
"What's up?" he asked Calleigh as he came into the lab.
"A little girl was found dead. She'd been sexually abused and then strangled."
Tim's spirits were immediately downed when he heard the news. It was
always a somber time anytime a child died.
Tim went through the routine of his day which included processing information from the crime scene.
"There are ligature marks on the front of her neck, suggesting that she
was strangled from the front. She was found barely clothed, and had been
sexually assaulted." Horatio was briefing his staff on the information that they
had. Then, he, Tim and Calleigh went to the scene where the girl was found.
They went over the scene carefully looking for anything that looked out of place. They had already gathered the girl's clothes, and bagged it for evidence. They could find nothing on the scene that gave them any clues.
Near the end of their shift that day, they came back to the lab without finding anything. To their surprise, when they returned, there was someone
there who said that she had seen the whole thing.
As soon as the vision had worn off, Luci began searching the news shows
for any news of a dead girl. She finally found what she was looking for. The
news spot gave no other information, except that the little girl's body had
been found.
She immediately went to the police, and they sent her to the CSI lab.
She sat in the interrogation room waiting for what she knew would come.
Slowly, Horatio and the others filtered into the room. She barely looked up,
but, when she did, she saw one person that caught her eye.
"Uh, Ms. Valdez, I understand that you witnessed the kidnaping of the
little girl. . ."
"Well, I didn't actually witness the kidnaping." Horatio looked impatient. They were used to weirdos coming forward and basically wasting his time. "What exactly did you see?" he asked. Luci didn't like his tone, but
chose to ignore it.
"I was at home, when I 'saw' the kidnaping as well as the murder."
"You mean she was kidnaped right outside your door?" Speed asked, not
picking up, yet, on the psychic overtones. Luci took a deep breath before
continuing.
"I saw the kidnaping in a -- 'vision.'" She stopped and waited for
their reactions.
Tim, in the meantime, was watching Luci very closely. Her exotic, Latin
features were what jumped out at him, at first. Her dark eyes threatened to
pull him inside at any moment. He had to turn away, quickly, to avoid this.
The next thing that he noticed was the reaction of his body to her.
This was totally an involuntary reaction. His cheeks began to color, somewhat,
as he thought of what Horatio of Calleigh might say if they knew. He was snapped back to reality by Luci explaining what she meant by 'vision.'
"I was sitting in my living room when it hit. He was sitting in a car
waiting for the little girl to walk by the car."
Horatio had dealt with psychics before. They were almost always phonies.
They took down the rest of the information, but they were first going to check out Luci Valdez. She could tell that they were only humoring her.
"Thank you for your statement, Ms. Valdez. We'll call you if we need
anything else."
Before she knew it, she was shaking Horatio's hand and was walking out of the lab. She was also in tears. All of those old fears were coming back. She hated the thought of having to prove herself once again.
Tim watched her leave. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that their paths would cross again.
"Speed, check out the history of Ms. Valdez."
He hated having to do this. He didn't want to find out that she was a scam artist.
Speed got on the computer, and began typing. He found out that she was
originally form Wisconsin. It seemed that she had helped out with several
police investigations up there. He took his information to Horatio.
"So, you're telling me that she's legit?" Horatio asked.
"Well, the authorities up there thought she was. She solved a lot of cases there. Then, something happened. All of it stopped." Horatio wondered
what that something was. "She went to live at a place called the Devlin Institute. It's run by a Dr. Devlin. I'll give him a call."
Tim called Dr. Devlin, and found some interesting facts.
"Luci came to us after she suffered a tremendous trauma. One of the
cases that she worked on -- the murderer found out about her, and came after
her. He brutalized her."
Tim winced when he heard this information. He could imagine what Luci must go through each time she had a vision.
"Thank you for your help, doctor."
"You're welcome. Oh, and please tell Luci that I said hello. We all miss her here."
Speed immediately went back to Horatio with this new information.
"So, after her experience, she lost her gift. This whole ordeal must be really painful for her. She wouldn't willingly seek to have the gift back."
Speed nodded. Then, he thought maybe Horatio must have seen something in his reaction.
"Speed, I want you to go over to Valdez's house and question her further. She might remember something that might lead us to the killer."
As he left, time felt a sense of excitement. He couldn't wait to see her again. Since it was now evening, Speed stopped by his house first to shower
and change. He assured himself that this was only because it was the end of
the day.
Maybe I won't Look Back
Stacie Orrico
Maybe I won't look back
On those days I could have said something In those
times when help was needed, I was busy
was it worth it, no, I don't think so
Cause now I see that the moment's gone
Maybe I won't look back
In some way I could have done something
A thoughtful word, a simple smile, but I was selfish
But if I change my heart today
Tomorrow it might be okay
And maybe I won't look back
I woke up from a nightmare
where I was walking down the street
Invisible and no one else could see me
All my chances were gone
I can't get your attention
I've had so many things to say
But never tried, afraid you wouldn't listen
I should have done it all differently
As he knocked on the door, he could hear her crying through the door. He knocked again softly. There were a few minutes of silence, and then Luci opened the door.
It was very obvious that she had been crying. Tim ignored it.
"Ummm, Ms. Valdez, my name is Tim Speedle. I'm from the crime lab." He
handed her his card. She was very surprised to see him.
"Yes, I remember you. Please, come in."
He followed her into the small living room, and showed him to the couch
where he sat down.
"Are you hungry? I was just going to have some dinner."
She was trying to be hospitable. He wouldn't insult her by turning down her invitation.
"Sure, that would be nice." Tim then got up and followed her into the
kitchen. He watched her as she prepared the plates. When she turned with
them, he took them from her and went in to place them on the table. She brought
in silverware, and the drinks. They didn't talk until both were seated comfortably in front of their plates.
"So, you've had me checked out, and now you believe me."
He looked up from the extremely good food which was a sort of beef stew
with generous chunks of beef and lots of vegetables. There was wonderful,
warm bread as well.
"How did you know that we checked you out?" he asked as he took a big,
healthy mouthful of stew.
"They always do. You didn't believe me?" Those eyes were watching him
closely now. He remembered that he had stew in mouth and swallowed.
"Well, you have to admit, it is a bit unusual." She did have to admit that.
"And, you're still not sure." He didn't answer, but kept eating.
"I'm sorry. I'm a little defensive about it." He understood.
"I talked to Dr. Devlin," he said quietly. She stopped mid-chew. So, he knew. She could tell by the look on his face that he knew.
"He said that you lost your visions after -- that?" Luci nodded slowly.
He could see her lip trembling, and she was threatening to cry again at any
moment. Tim immediately got up and moved over to her. He didn't know what
made him do it. This was something that he normally wouldn't do. He touched
her face softly and slowly wiped away the now falling tears.
Luci suddenly realized that this gorgeous man had his hand on her face.
She was suddenly embarrassed.
"I'm not really a crier," she said quickly, breaking the connection.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he wasn't convinced. She looked into his
beautiful eyes. He couldn't hide the feelings that he had for her.
She was looking at him intensely now, as she took his face in her hands
and began kissing him. He hadn't seen it coming, but now that it was happening, he welcomed it.
He deepened the kiss as his passion was about to boil over. She stopped as suddenly as she started, as if she had hit a wall.
"I'm sorry, I can't. . ." she stood abruptly. Tim didn't understand what was going on.
"Please, I'd like you to leave now." Tim's heart was still racing from that kiss, but he got up to leave.
On his way home, he was trying to figure out what had happened. Then,
it dawned on him.
"How could I have been so stupid," he said to himself as he hit the steering wheel. He tried to figure out why she stopped, after all, she was the one that started it. He should have been more aware of her feelings, but,
whenever he was near her, he lost all common sense. He had to see her again.
As Luci got ready for bed, she thought about the kiss between she and
Tim. She smiled as a delicious warmth flooded her body.
All of a sudden, Luci felt herself being pulled. She began looking for Tim's card in her pocket, and attempted to push the buttons on the phone. Her arm felt like lead. It took such effort for her to even raise her arms. She also threatened to black out at any moment.
"I have to make this call before I 'go' completely," she said to no one in particular. She barely managed to finish the number.
"Tim -- it's happening again."
He didn't know how many traffic laws he broke getting to Luci's house.
Once there, he rang the bell and started banging on the door. His mind was
racing. Would she be able to hear him in her trance? He decided to kick the
door in.
"Luci, where are you?" he called as he entered the foyer. He heard a
whimper coming from upstairs, and took the stairs two at a time. He quickly
located Luci in the bedroom.
Luci was sitting on the edge of the bed. Tim barely noticed the fact
that she was only wearing a tank top and panties. He didn't have time for the
reaction that his body was giving.
Her vacant expression worried him. She was definitely not 'there.' She
was shaking slightly, and her fists were clenched. He felt her skin, which
was cool and he could see the goose bumps. He took the bedspread from the bed and put it around her shoulders.
He tried several times to rouse her, but to no avail. He finally decided that he'd better not, in case it had the same affect as trying to rouse a
sleepwalker. He decided to just wait it out.
He looked around the room, trying to decide where it would be better to
crash. There was no doubt in his mind, now, that he was going to stay the
night. One big reason was the fact that there was now no latch on the front
door. His only concern at the moment was where he would sleep. He thought of the couch downstairs, but dismissed it because he wanted to be near her in case she came 'back' during the night and was frightened.
He began removing items of clothing until he was just in his underwear.
He climbed into bed. He briefly put a hand on her back hoping that, somehow,
it would comfort her. He left the light on so that she wouldn't be disoriented when she came out of the vision. Tim went to sleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Tim awoke abruptly. The reason
for this was that Luci was now in bed with him and was snuggling against him.
His body became acutely aware of her. The light was now off, and Luci seemed
to be sound asleep. Tim had to keep telling himself that this was not thetime. So, he simply held her and tried not to pay attention to his raging
hormones.
As the first streaks of dawn spread across the sky, Tim began to awaken.
The first thing he did was to check Luci. She was still asleep. She looked
so vulnerable. His heart wrenched as he thought about all that she had gone
through. He wanted to be there for her -- to take care of her. So fragile
-- the slight movement of her chest as she drew each breath to the soft flutter
of her lashes as she dreamt, went straight to his heart. He enfolded her in
his arms and stroked her beautiful hair softly.
He felt her stir. She heaved a sigh that signaled that she had awakened. He didn't want to scare her. She was like a doe discovered in the forest -- the hushed tones -- he held his breath not wanting to make a sound.
He saw the fear in her eyes, and then, the blank stare -- like a deer in the
headlights. He shook her shoulders gently to try to bring her back. Her eyes
suddenly focused.
"Tim. . ." he could tell that she didn't understand why he was there.
"You called me last night." he said softly. She vaguely remembered
doing this.
"You -- spent the night?" she asked timidly glancing over at the bed. He again saw the look of fear. Tim did what he could to reassure her.
"Yes, but nothing happened." he looked directly into her eyes. He
wanted her to trust him. She leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Are you still sleepy?" Tim. asked.
"Yes, but right now I need a shower." Tim shifted in the bed to allow
her to get up. She got up too fast and began to sway threatening to collapse.
Tim swiftly got up and was by her side.
"I'm okay, I just got a little dizzy."
He watched as she grabbed her robe from the back of the bathroom door
and went inside, closing the door behind her.
He rose from the bed and began dressing. Every few seconds he stopped
and listened for any sounds of distress from the bathroom. A few minutes
later, Luci emerged from the bathroom.
Her beautiful hair was now wet and hanging down past her shoulders. She
still looked a little drained.
"How about you getting dressed, while I go and fix breakfast." Luci nodded.
Luci let her mind wander as she dressed. She smiled as she thoughtabout sleeping in the same bed with Tim. She blushed slightly as she thought
about what could have happened.
"Hey, you about ready up there. Breakfast is ready."
She was embarrassed, as if Tim could somehow read her mind. She
finished dressing quickly, and headed downstairs.
In that short time, Tim. had whipped up two jumbo omelets with cheese and
mushrooms, toast and coffee.
"Wow, you did all of this?" she asked. Tim. looked pretty proud of himself.
"Well, you better save your admiration until after you 've tasted it."
This light moment was overshadowed by what had occurred the night before.
"Are you ready to talk about it yet?" Tim. asked. She knew that she
would have to talk about it, eventually.
"Did you see another murder?" Luci took a deep breath.
"I saw the next little girl, but I don't know where she is."
Tim held up a finger and took out his cell phone. He called the main
dispatcher.
"Uh, yeah, this is Tim Speedle with the crime lab. Can you tell me if
there have been any calls about a little girl being found dead last night?" He
waited and listened to the dispatch operator. He, then, hung up.
"There hasn't been anything reported yet." she nodded.
"It's the waiting that's the worst." she started. Tim. waited for her
to continue.
"You see, Dr. Devlin never really figured out if what I have is
precognition, remote viewing, or some other type of clairvoyance." Tim. was
aware of all of the terms --one meaning, seeing things before they happen, while the other, seeing things as they happen.
"The precognition is the one that really scares me. To think that the
murder hasn't occurred yet, and we can't find the victim. . ." she didn't
finish.
Tim had to admit that was a very frightening thing.
"Try to remember, is there anything else from the dream that could tell
the location?" Luci seemed to pull within herself. She closed her eyes and
seemed to be concentrating very hard.
"Cypress." she said softly. Tim could barely hear her.
"What?" Tim asked. Luci slowly opened her eyes.
"Cypress. I saw the word Cypress."
"Is that like a city, or an address?" Tim asked excitedly. Luci looked frustrated. "I don't know--I can't tell."
"It's okay. I know you're doing the best you can." He got up and stood behind her squeezing her shoulders and then kissing her on the forehead.
"We'll figure out something." Tim went around and faced her.
"I have to go to work. Will you be alright?"
Luci looked a little scared, but she summoned up the courage.
"I'll be alright. I have a deadline. The work will keep me busy." Tim
came over and kissed her deeply before he left.
Luci was extremely happy as she settled herself into work. She tried
not to think of the inevitable. She knew that eventually she would have to tell
her story to non-believers again. She sighed heavily as she wondered if she
would have the courage. She suddenly realized that she could do just about
anything with Tim by her side.
When Tim arrived that morning, Horatio came looking for him.
"Did you get anymore information?" he asked, as if he knew something
had happened.
"Luci had another vision." Horatio didn't react, although the fact that
the killer had escalated was of great concern.
"Did you see anything that could give us a clue?" Horatio asked.
"Yeah, she saw the word 'Cypress'" Horatio rubbed the back of his neck.
"Do you know how many addresses in Miami have the word 'Cypress' in it?"
"No."
"Hi, what ya working on?" Calleigh asked.
Tim explained what had been happening. Calleigh had heard the rumor
'through the grapevine' that Tim was involved with the psychic. She could tell
now that his mind was not totally on the job.
"Is she for real?" Calleigh asked.
Tim was, at first, surprised that Calleigh knew about their relationship.
"I saw what it does to her--what she goes through. Yeah, she's real."
Tim had never really talked about relationships except to joke around with Eric. Tim was definitely not joking around now.
"Is it serious?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah, I think I'm in love with her."
They had discovered that there were several places and addresses
containing the word Cypress . There was no way of knowing where to look for the next victim.
Tim wanted to monitor the missing persons reports, but he also had to
focus on his current cases. About noon, he stopped and phoned Luci. There was no answer. His first reaction was panic, but then he thought maybe she was asleep. He would give it another hour or two, and then he would try again.
It became even harder for him to concentrate. The waiting was hell for
him. He imagined that it was that way for Luci when she waited to hear news of what she 'saw'.
He was worried again. He picked up the phone and dialed. Still no
answer.
"Hey, you worried about her?" Horatio asked as he observed the look on
Tim's face.
"Go and see if she's okay." Tim didn't need to be told twice.
Tim had thought to call and have Luci's door replaced where he had kicked it in. He also thought to get a key for himself. When he opened the
door, he was greeted by an eerie silence.
"Luci. . ." he called. There was no answer. He bolted up the stairs. He
was having a bad case of deja vu. He found Luci sitting at her desk with her
back to him.
"Hon, why didn't you answer? Didn't you hear me?" There was no answer.
He went around and found the same blank stare he had seen before.
There was no way to tell how long she had been like this.
"Luci, can you hear me?" he shook her gently. She became limp in his
arms and her eyes were rolling back in her head. She was really scaring him now.
He carried her into the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed. He noticed
that she was shivering again, so he sat behind and held her, and whispered
words of love and encouragement in her ear, hoping that they would bring her
back.
He thought about what he had told Calleigh. Yes, he did love her. Heknew that now.
Suddenly, Luci's eyes went wide, and she began gasping for air.
"Luci, can you hear me?" Luci's eyes began to focus, and Tim could see
that she was coming back now.
"Tim. . . "
"It's all right, I'm here."
He held her, and for a moment, they both seemed to forget what had just
occurred. They were just two people in love. Then the reality of their
situation came crashing back.
"So, what did you see? Was it another murder?"
Luci seemed to be trying to remember; like trying to remember a dream
when you wake up.
"I saw him." Luci realized, and she was scared.
"You saw him? How?"
"I see everything through the killer's eyes, and he looked in the
mirror." Luci was remembering now and she got more and more afraid.
"It's okay. I know you're scared, but we have to a picture circulated."
He took Luci down to the CSI lab, and within minutes, the artist had
drawn a composite of their alleged killer.
"Get this picture circulated as quickly as possible." Horatio ordered.
Tim was comforting Luci as Horatio turned to them.
"You realize things are going to get worse from here?" Horatio asked.
Tim knew he was right. Luci would have to come out and say that she was a
psychic.
"No way. You're not using Luci as bait." Tim knew what Horatio was
thinking.
"It's okay Tim. I have to do this." She looked into his eyes to reassure
him that she was doing the right thing.
Horatio stood at the podium in front of the numerous media people. He
hated what they had to do, which was to put Luci Valdez in danger. But, as she
had said, they had to do this.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a drawing of the alleged kidnapper/murderer." The sketch was passed out as hands began to shoot up.
Horatio recognized Emily Bradshaw from WKRX. "Sir, how did you get this drawing? Is there a witness?" Right on cue
Luci walked up to the podium.
"This is Luci Valdez. She's a psychic. "Luci could feel all of their eyes on her. She remembered those old feelings. She remembered how they would
stare and whisper, and laugh. She felt the tears coming--she couldn't stop
them. She ran from the podium.
Tim was watching her every move. He saw how upset she was, and was
immediately by her side. He took her into his arms and cradled her as if she
were a small child.
"I thought I could do it, Tim. I thought I was strong enough."
"It's okay, babe. You did fine. It's okay now."
The reporters were chomping at the bit. They all wanted to interview
her, but Tim whisked her away. They had accomplished what they had wanted.
Hopefully, the killer had seen his picture, and he had seen her.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was his picture right on
the screen. But how? Then, they introduced the psychic. So, that's how they
got a picture of him. Luci Valdez. Hmmmmm.
"We've put an officer at your house. In the meantime, you can bunk with
me?" Tim had a big grin on his face. He's enjoying this way too much, Luci
thought. But, she had packed a bag and rode with him to his house anyway.
"Sorry, I only have one bedroom." She was well aware that they hadn't made love yet. She was also aware that she had only known him a couple of
days. She was suddenly feeling very nervous about the whole thing.
"Uh, I can sleep on the couch." Luci said as she dropped her bag on the
couch. Tim didn't understand.
"What's wrong?" Tim asked as he came over and took her face in his
hands. She didn't know why, but suddenly she was very angry.
"Is that all you wanted? I mean, when you first saw me, were you
thinking, Hey, I'd like to get her in bed." Tim couldn't hide his feelings. He
did want her, but it was more than that. He didn't know how to relate that to her.
"Luci, it's not like that. I want you -- I do but, . . . " he was trying to sort out what his feelings were.
"Luci, I think I'm in love with you." He waited to see what her reaction
might be. She looked at him now to see if he was actually telling the truth.
She reached up and touched his face. Somehow, she did trust him. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. It was so innocent, so trusting. He
knew now that he did really love her. He began kissing her deeply, and he was soon out of control.
They began grabbing helplessly at one another -- undressing themselves and each other. He loved the taste and the feel of her. She was so soft and smelled of hyacinth. The heady perfume sent his mind reeling.
They moved to the couch where their passion seemed to burst into flame.
Their lovemaking was very fast and steamy. They would have time later to
explore one another more thoroughly, but for now, they made love as if their
very lives depended on it. They were both exhausted when it was over.
"Are you all right?" Tim asked slowly. He was absently stroking her
beautiful skin. He was ready to make love to her again, but he was considerate
of her feelings. Luci looked at him, her eyes had turned a dark, smokey color
which seemed to turn him on even more.
Luci began to dress without a word. Tim followed suit. Tim felt as if
maybe making love had been a mistake. She sat on the couch staring off into
space. She wasn't in her trance, she was simply staring off into space.
"Did you hear me? Are you all right?" she looked at him again.
"Tim, do you really love me?" So, that's what was bothering her.
"Luci, I really you. I've never felt this way before. . ." she could
see the emotion on his face. Luci reached up and kissed him voraciously. Tim
was losing control again. He picked her up and carried her toward the bedroom.
After a couple of hours of sleep, the two of them were ravenous --for
food. They realized they hadn't eaten for hours.
One of your wonderful omelets would taste really good about now." Luci
hinted. Tim smiled. He had never felt such happiness.
"Omelets coming right up."
They seemed so relaxed together with him cooking her watching. They
talked of other things such as favorite movies and music. Tim asked her more
about her writing, while she asked more about his work. After the meal was
prepared, they ate in comfort and silence. When they were finished, Luci
volunteered to clean up while Tim checked in.
They had a name now to connect with the picture. His name was Eddie
Franklin, and he was an accountant. He had not shown up for work that day. They had checked out his place, but soon realized that he was on the run. "He could be headed for the 'fake' Luci's house. Why don't I don't do a
quick drive by. It's not too far from here." Horatio approved it, and Tim
left, but not before he had kissed Luci thoroughly.
Tim analyzed his feelings for Luci. He realized that until that morning, he
hadn't even known what she did for a living. He tried to determine whether this
was important or not. Was the connection that he felt to her more important
than actually knowing who she was? He didn't know.
Tim had decided that he would simply drive down the street and see if
their suspect might be watching the house. Tim. knew it was a longshot, after
all, their boy would have to know that it was a trap.
He slowly drove down the street with a map in his hand to make it look as if he were looking for an address. He didn't see anyone that looked like their man, but, someone saw him.
Eddie Franklin followed the car that he knew had been sent to find him.
he had already figured out that the woman in the house was not Luci Valdez.
He had been very angry when he found this out, until a car had driven slowly
down the street. He had recognized the guy from the press conference. The guy probably didn't realize it, but the camera had followed Luci Valdez off the podium and into the arms of this guy. Eddie decided to follow him.
After another night of wonderful lovemaking, Tim was getting ready to go
to work. Things had been unusually quiet.
"Tim., do you think that little girl is still alive?" Luci asked cautiously. Even though he knew that she was upset, he told her the truth.
"After the first twenty four hours, a kidnaping usually turns into a murder. There's been no ransom demand, so that makes it even worse." Luci
suddenly wished that she could see more, but she knew that it didn't work that
way.
After Tim left, she tried to keep herself busy. First she washed the
breakfast dishes, and then she tried to write. The words did not come easily.
She had to admit, she was a little distracted. It was then that she heard the
crash.
"Tim, I need to show you something." Eric sounded concerned. He brought
Tim over to the television set and pushed play on the VCR. Tim recognized the scene from the press conference.
"I was watching this again to see if our guy might have been in the
crowd, when I saw this."
They could clearly see that the cameras had kept rolling after Luci left
the podium. It showed Luci in Tim's arms.
"Oh my God. . . " he stammered. he knew what this meant.
"I've got to get home." he said frantically as he hurried to leave.
"Wait a minute man, what's up?"
"Don't you see? If he watched this newscast and saw me, he might know
where she is." Eric understood, and gathered the team to offer backup, just in case Speed was right.
Tim was even more frightened now than the night he drove to Luci's. For
now, whatever this madman had done was going to happen to Luci. He knew that he was telling Luci the truth when he said that he was in love with her. There was no denying it now. The tears streamed down his face as he realized that he actually might lose her.
He pulled up in front of his house and literally leapt from the car. He
had to slow down -- he had to think. If Franklin was inside, he couldn't come
blasting in like a bull in a China shop. It wouldn't help Luci if he were dead.
He walked slowly around the house until he noticed the broken window.
"No. . . " his worst fears were being realized. He pulled out his gun. He
looked through the windows to try to locate which room they were in. He saw
them. Franklin had Luci backed into a corner. Tim couldn't see what kind of
weapon Franklin had because his back was to him. He tried not to focus on how scared Luci looked; right now, he had to think like a cop. He went back around
to the back door, and used his key to get in. He quietly shut the door behind
him, and tiptoed toward the door that led to the living room. He looked in to
make sure that Franklin's back was still to him.
He quietly approached until he was just inches from them.
"Drop it." he demanded. Franklin froze, and a smile spread across his
face. He turned slowly to reveal a large hunting knife.
"O, I think maybe you'll drop it." Franklin laughed maniacally as he brought the knife close to Luci's throat. Luci's eyes connected with Tim's. She
could tell that he was going to drop his gun. Luci could stand it no longer.
She closed her eyes and brought her knee up to the man's crotch. Franklin
immediately dropped the knife and began writhing on the floor in pain. This gave
Tim just the distraction needed to take Franklin down.
Tim made sure that he put the cuffs on Franklin before he relaxed. He,
then, ran straight to Luci. She had been brave only seconds before, but now she collapsed against Tim, grateful for his strength and support.
"I love you, Tim."
Epilogue
"We found the little girl. She's alive." Tim told a relieved Luci.
"How did you. . . how did you find her?"
"We found her in an abandoned warehouse -- at 2511 Cypress Road."
Author: NubianGeek
Pairing: Tim/OFC
Luci Valdez had moved to Miami two years earlier to escape her former
life. She thought about how mundane her life had become since 'the knowing'
left her.
Luci first realized that she had 'the knowing' when she was eight. She
remembers that day as if it were yesterday. She had been in the living room
watching television, when she got an overwhelming sensation that her mother was in danger. Seconds after she called her mother into the living room, a car came crashing through their kitchen. Most people thought that it was merely a coincidence that she happened to call her mother into the living room. But, it soon became apparent that this gift was no coincidence. Her first real case working with the police involved a missing child that had walked away from a family campsite. She was able to pinpoint the exact location of the frightened child thus securing for herself a bit of notoriety.
Her family began getting requests from certain law enforcement agencies
to help solve cases. this extent of her life was filled with a mixture of skepticism, as well as gratitude from the people that she helped.
She sat now, in her cozy, little home thinking of these things, when that old feeling returned. She felt the thoughts creeping around the edges of her mind. Then, she felt her body freezing up. The sensation started in her
feet, and the feeling worked it's way up until she was no longer in her
apartment.
She found herself sitting in a car looking out onto a street. She couldn't tell where this street was -- it was just your typical, small town street.
Presently, she saw a little girl skipping down the street. A feeling of utter revulsion came over her as she realized what was going to take place.
She was seeing the entire scene through the eyes of the potential attacker. She felt herself moving toward the little girl, in the air. Somehow, the
attacker was able to lure the little girl into the car.
Tim came in that day thinking about how boring his life had become. He
wasn't dating anyone special, and he was feeling a little lonely. He knew what had triggered this feeling. His friend Josh had just gotten married. There was something to be said for finding that perfect person. He hadn't found his yet.
As soon as he walked in, he noticed the somber mood.
"What's up?" he asked Calleigh as he came into the lab.
"A little girl was found dead. She'd been sexually abused and then strangled."
Tim's spirits were immediately downed when he heard the news. It was
always a somber time anytime a child died.
Tim went through the routine of his day which included processing information from the crime scene.
"There are ligature marks on the front of her neck, suggesting that she
was strangled from the front. She was found barely clothed, and had been
sexually assaulted." Horatio was briefing his staff on the information that they
had. Then, he, Tim and Calleigh went to the scene where the girl was found.
They went over the scene carefully looking for anything that looked out of place. They had already gathered the girl's clothes, and bagged it for evidence. They could find nothing on the scene that gave them any clues.
Near the end of their shift that day, they came back to the lab without finding anything. To their surprise, when they returned, there was someone
there who said that she had seen the whole thing.
As soon as the vision had worn off, Luci began searching the news shows
for any news of a dead girl. She finally found what she was looking for. The
news spot gave no other information, except that the little girl's body had
been found.
She immediately went to the police, and they sent her to the CSI lab.
She sat in the interrogation room waiting for what she knew would come.
Slowly, Horatio and the others filtered into the room. She barely looked up,
but, when she did, she saw one person that caught her eye.
"Uh, Ms. Valdez, I understand that you witnessed the kidnaping of the
little girl. . ."
"Well, I didn't actually witness the kidnaping." Horatio looked impatient. They were used to weirdos coming forward and basically wasting his time. "What exactly did you see?" he asked. Luci didn't like his tone, but
chose to ignore it.
"I was at home, when I 'saw' the kidnaping as well as the murder."
"You mean she was kidnaped right outside your door?" Speed asked, not
picking up, yet, on the psychic overtones. Luci took a deep breath before
continuing.
"I saw the kidnaping in a -- 'vision.'" She stopped and waited for
their reactions.
Tim, in the meantime, was watching Luci very closely. Her exotic, Latin
features were what jumped out at him, at first. Her dark eyes threatened to
pull him inside at any moment. He had to turn away, quickly, to avoid this.
The next thing that he noticed was the reaction of his body to her.
This was totally an involuntary reaction. His cheeks began to color, somewhat,
as he thought of what Horatio of Calleigh might say if they knew. He was snapped back to reality by Luci explaining what she meant by 'vision.'
"I was sitting in my living room when it hit. He was sitting in a car
waiting for the little girl to walk by the car."
Horatio had dealt with psychics before. They were almost always phonies.
They took down the rest of the information, but they were first going to check out Luci Valdez. She could tell that they were only humoring her.
"Thank you for your statement, Ms. Valdez. We'll call you if we need
anything else."
Before she knew it, she was shaking Horatio's hand and was walking out of the lab. She was also in tears. All of those old fears were coming back. She hated the thought of having to prove herself once again.
Tim watched her leave. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that their paths would cross again.
"Speed, check out the history of Ms. Valdez."
He hated having to do this. He didn't want to find out that she was a scam artist.
Speed got on the computer, and began typing. He found out that she was
originally form Wisconsin. It seemed that she had helped out with several
police investigations up there. He took his information to Horatio.
"So, you're telling me that she's legit?" Horatio asked.
"Well, the authorities up there thought she was. She solved a lot of cases there. Then, something happened. All of it stopped." Horatio wondered
what that something was. "She went to live at a place called the Devlin Institute. It's run by a Dr. Devlin. I'll give him a call."
Tim called Dr. Devlin, and found some interesting facts.
"Luci came to us after she suffered a tremendous trauma. One of the
cases that she worked on -- the murderer found out about her, and came after
her. He brutalized her."
Tim winced when he heard this information. He could imagine what Luci must go through each time she had a vision.
"Thank you for your help, doctor."
"You're welcome. Oh, and please tell Luci that I said hello. We all miss her here."
Speed immediately went back to Horatio with this new information.
"So, after her experience, she lost her gift. This whole ordeal must be really painful for her. She wouldn't willingly seek to have the gift back."
Speed nodded. Then, he thought maybe Horatio must have seen something in his reaction.
"Speed, I want you to go over to Valdez's house and question her further. She might remember something that might lead us to the killer."
As he left, time felt a sense of excitement. He couldn't wait to see her again. Since it was now evening, Speed stopped by his house first to shower
and change. He assured himself that this was only because it was the end of
the day.
Maybe I won't Look Back
Stacie Orrico
Maybe I won't look back
On those days I could have said something In those
times when help was needed, I was busy
was it worth it, no, I don't think so
Cause now I see that the moment's gone
Maybe I won't look back
In some way I could have done something
A thoughtful word, a simple smile, but I was selfish
But if I change my heart today
Tomorrow it might be okay
And maybe I won't look back
I woke up from a nightmare
where I was walking down the street
Invisible and no one else could see me
All my chances were gone
I can't get your attention
I've had so many things to say
But never tried, afraid you wouldn't listen
I should have done it all differently
As he knocked on the door, he could hear her crying through the door. He knocked again softly. There were a few minutes of silence, and then Luci opened the door.
It was very obvious that she had been crying. Tim ignored it.
"Ummm, Ms. Valdez, my name is Tim Speedle. I'm from the crime lab." He
handed her his card. She was very surprised to see him.
"Yes, I remember you. Please, come in."
He followed her into the small living room, and showed him to the couch
where he sat down.
"Are you hungry? I was just going to have some dinner."
She was trying to be hospitable. He wouldn't insult her by turning down her invitation.
"Sure, that would be nice." Tim then got up and followed her into the
kitchen. He watched her as she prepared the plates. When she turned with
them, he took them from her and went in to place them on the table. She brought
in silverware, and the drinks. They didn't talk until both were seated comfortably in front of their plates.
"So, you've had me checked out, and now you believe me."
He looked up from the extremely good food which was a sort of beef stew
with generous chunks of beef and lots of vegetables. There was wonderful,
warm bread as well.
"How did you know that we checked you out?" he asked as he took a big,
healthy mouthful of stew.
"They always do. You didn't believe me?" Those eyes were watching him
closely now. He remembered that he had stew in mouth and swallowed.
"Well, you have to admit, it is a bit unusual." She did have to admit that.
"And, you're still not sure." He didn't answer, but kept eating.
"I'm sorry. I'm a little defensive about it." He understood.
"I talked to Dr. Devlin," he said quietly. She stopped mid-chew. So, he knew. She could tell by the look on his face that he knew.
"He said that you lost your visions after -- that?" Luci nodded slowly.
He could see her lip trembling, and she was threatening to cry again at any
moment. Tim immediately got up and moved over to her. He didn't know what
made him do it. This was something that he normally wouldn't do. He touched
her face softly and slowly wiped away the now falling tears.
Luci suddenly realized that this gorgeous man had his hand on her face.
She was suddenly embarrassed.
"I'm not really a crier," she said quickly, breaking the connection.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he wasn't convinced. She looked into his
beautiful eyes. He couldn't hide the feelings that he had for her.
She was looking at him intensely now, as she took his face in her hands
and began kissing him. He hadn't seen it coming, but now that it was happening, he welcomed it.
He deepened the kiss as his passion was about to boil over. She stopped as suddenly as she started, as if she had hit a wall.
"I'm sorry, I can't. . ." she stood abruptly. Tim didn't understand what was going on.
"Please, I'd like you to leave now." Tim's heart was still racing from that kiss, but he got up to leave.
On his way home, he was trying to figure out what had happened. Then,
it dawned on him.
"How could I have been so stupid," he said to himself as he hit the steering wheel. He tried to figure out why she stopped, after all, she was the one that started it. He should have been more aware of her feelings, but,
whenever he was near her, he lost all common sense. He had to see her again.
As Luci got ready for bed, she thought about the kiss between she and
Tim. She smiled as a delicious warmth flooded her body.
All of a sudden, Luci felt herself being pulled. She began looking for Tim's card in her pocket, and attempted to push the buttons on the phone. Her arm felt like lead. It took such effort for her to even raise her arms. She also threatened to black out at any moment.
"I have to make this call before I 'go' completely," she said to no one in particular. She barely managed to finish the number.
"Tim -- it's happening again."
He didn't know how many traffic laws he broke getting to Luci's house.
Once there, he rang the bell and started banging on the door. His mind was
racing. Would she be able to hear him in her trance? He decided to kick the
door in.
"Luci, where are you?" he called as he entered the foyer. He heard a
whimper coming from upstairs, and took the stairs two at a time. He quickly
located Luci in the bedroom.
Luci was sitting on the edge of the bed. Tim barely noticed the fact
that she was only wearing a tank top and panties. He didn't have time for the
reaction that his body was giving.
Her vacant expression worried him. She was definitely not 'there.' She
was shaking slightly, and her fists were clenched. He felt her skin, which
was cool and he could see the goose bumps. He took the bedspread from the bed and put it around her shoulders.
He tried several times to rouse her, but to no avail. He finally decided that he'd better not, in case it had the same affect as trying to rouse a
sleepwalker. He decided to just wait it out.
He looked around the room, trying to decide where it would be better to
crash. There was no doubt in his mind, now, that he was going to stay the
night. One big reason was the fact that there was now no latch on the front
door. His only concern at the moment was where he would sleep. He thought of the couch downstairs, but dismissed it because he wanted to be near her in case she came 'back' during the night and was frightened.
He began removing items of clothing until he was just in his underwear.
He climbed into bed. He briefly put a hand on her back hoping that, somehow,
it would comfort her. He left the light on so that she wouldn't be disoriented when she came out of the vision. Tim went to sleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Tim awoke abruptly. The reason
for this was that Luci was now in bed with him and was snuggling against him.
His body became acutely aware of her. The light was now off, and Luci seemed
to be sound asleep. Tim had to keep telling himself that this was not thetime. So, he simply held her and tried not to pay attention to his raging
hormones.
As the first streaks of dawn spread across the sky, Tim began to awaken.
The first thing he did was to check Luci. She was still asleep. She looked
so vulnerable. His heart wrenched as he thought about all that she had gone
through. He wanted to be there for her -- to take care of her. So fragile
-- the slight movement of her chest as she drew each breath to the soft flutter
of her lashes as she dreamt, went straight to his heart. He enfolded her in
his arms and stroked her beautiful hair softly.
He felt her stir. She heaved a sigh that signaled that she had awakened. He didn't want to scare her. She was like a doe discovered in the forest -- the hushed tones -- he held his breath not wanting to make a sound.
He saw the fear in her eyes, and then, the blank stare -- like a deer in the
headlights. He shook her shoulders gently to try to bring her back. Her eyes
suddenly focused.
"Tim. . ." he could tell that she didn't understand why he was there.
"You called me last night." he said softly. She vaguely remembered
doing this.
"You -- spent the night?" she asked timidly glancing over at the bed. He again saw the look of fear. Tim did what he could to reassure her.
"Yes, but nothing happened." he looked directly into her eyes. He
wanted her to trust him. She leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Are you still sleepy?" Tim. asked.
"Yes, but right now I need a shower." Tim shifted in the bed to allow
her to get up. She got up too fast and began to sway threatening to collapse.
Tim swiftly got up and was by her side.
"I'm okay, I just got a little dizzy."
He watched as she grabbed her robe from the back of the bathroom door
and went inside, closing the door behind her.
He rose from the bed and began dressing. Every few seconds he stopped
and listened for any sounds of distress from the bathroom. A few minutes
later, Luci emerged from the bathroom.
Her beautiful hair was now wet and hanging down past her shoulders. She
still looked a little drained.
"How about you getting dressed, while I go and fix breakfast." Luci nodded.
Luci let her mind wander as she dressed. She smiled as she thoughtabout sleeping in the same bed with Tim. She blushed slightly as she thought
about what could have happened.
"Hey, you about ready up there. Breakfast is ready."
She was embarrassed, as if Tim could somehow read her mind. She
finished dressing quickly, and headed downstairs.
In that short time, Tim. had whipped up two jumbo omelets with cheese and
mushrooms, toast and coffee.
"Wow, you did all of this?" she asked. Tim. looked pretty proud of himself.
"Well, you better save your admiration until after you 've tasted it."
This light moment was overshadowed by what had occurred the night before.
"Are you ready to talk about it yet?" Tim. asked. She knew that she
would have to talk about it, eventually.
"Did you see another murder?" Luci took a deep breath.
"I saw the next little girl, but I don't know where she is."
Tim held up a finger and took out his cell phone. He called the main
dispatcher.
"Uh, yeah, this is Tim Speedle with the crime lab. Can you tell me if
there have been any calls about a little girl being found dead last night?" He
waited and listened to the dispatch operator. He, then, hung up.
"There hasn't been anything reported yet." she nodded.
"It's the waiting that's the worst." she started. Tim. waited for her
to continue.
"You see, Dr. Devlin never really figured out if what I have is
precognition, remote viewing, or some other type of clairvoyance." Tim. was
aware of all of the terms --one meaning, seeing things before they happen, while the other, seeing things as they happen.
"The precognition is the one that really scares me. To think that the
murder hasn't occurred yet, and we can't find the victim. . ." she didn't
finish.
Tim had to admit that was a very frightening thing.
"Try to remember, is there anything else from the dream that could tell
the location?" Luci seemed to pull within herself. She closed her eyes and
seemed to be concentrating very hard.
"Cypress." she said softly. Tim could barely hear her.
"What?" Tim asked. Luci slowly opened her eyes.
"Cypress. I saw the word Cypress."
"Is that like a city, or an address?" Tim asked excitedly. Luci looked frustrated. "I don't know--I can't tell."
"It's okay. I know you're doing the best you can." He got up and stood behind her squeezing her shoulders and then kissing her on the forehead.
"We'll figure out something." Tim went around and faced her.
"I have to go to work. Will you be alright?"
Luci looked a little scared, but she summoned up the courage.
"I'll be alright. I have a deadline. The work will keep me busy." Tim
came over and kissed her deeply before he left.
Luci was extremely happy as she settled herself into work. She tried
not to think of the inevitable. She knew that eventually she would have to tell
her story to non-believers again. She sighed heavily as she wondered if she
would have the courage. She suddenly realized that she could do just about
anything with Tim by her side.
When Tim arrived that morning, Horatio came looking for him.
"Did you get anymore information?" he asked, as if he knew something
had happened.
"Luci had another vision." Horatio didn't react, although the fact that
the killer had escalated was of great concern.
"Did you see anything that could give us a clue?" Horatio asked.
"Yeah, she saw the word 'Cypress'" Horatio rubbed the back of his neck.
"Do you know how many addresses in Miami have the word 'Cypress' in it?"
"No."
"Hi, what ya working on?" Calleigh asked.
Tim explained what had been happening. Calleigh had heard the rumor
'through the grapevine' that Tim was involved with the psychic. She could tell
now that his mind was not totally on the job.
"Is she for real?" Calleigh asked.
Tim was, at first, surprised that Calleigh knew about their relationship.
"I saw what it does to her--what she goes through. Yeah, she's real."
Tim had never really talked about relationships except to joke around with Eric. Tim was definitely not joking around now.
"Is it serious?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah, I think I'm in love with her."
They had discovered that there were several places and addresses
containing the word Cypress . There was no way of knowing where to look for the next victim.
Tim wanted to monitor the missing persons reports, but he also had to
focus on his current cases. About noon, he stopped and phoned Luci. There was no answer. His first reaction was panic, but then he thought maybe she was asleep. He would give it another hour or two, and then he would try again.
It became even harder for him to concentrate. The waiting was hell for
him. He imagined that it was that way for Luci when she waited to hear news of what she 'saw'.
He was worried again. He picked up the phone and dialed. Still no
answer.
"Hey, you worried about her?" Horatio asked as he observed the look on
Tim's face.
"Go and see if she's okay." Tim didn't need to be told twice.
Tim had thought to call and have Luci's door replaced where he had kicked it in. He also thought to get a key for himself. When he opened the
door, he was greeted by an eerie silence.
"Luci. . ." he called. There was no answer. He bolted up the stairs. He
was having a bad case of deja vu. He found Luci sitting at her desk with her
back to him.
"Hon, why didn't you answer? Didn't you hear me?" There was no answer.
He went around and found the same blank stare he had seen before.
There was no way to tell how long she had been like this.
"Luci, can you hear me?" he shook her gently. She became limp in his
arms and her eyes were rolling back in her head. She was really scaring him now.
He carried her into the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed. He noticed
that she was shivering again, so he sat behind and held her, and whispered
words of love and encouragement in her ear, hoping that they would bring her
back.
He thought about what he had told Calleigh. Yes, he did love her. Heknew that now.
Suddenly, Luci's eyes went wide, and she began gasping for air.
"Luci, can you hear me?" Luci's eyes began to focus, and Tim could see
that she was coming back now.
"Tim. . . "
"It's all right, I'm here."
He held her, and for a moment, they both seemed to forget what had just
occurred. They were just two people in love. Then the reality of their
situation came crashing back.
"So, what did you see? Was it another murder?"
Luci seemed to be trying to remember; like trying to remember a dream
when you wake up.
"I saw him." Luci realized, and she was scared.
"You saw him? How?"
"I see everything through the killer's eyes, and he looked in the
mirror." Luci was remembering now and she got more and more afraid.
"It's okay. I know you're scared, but we have to a picture circulated."
He took Luci down to the CSI lab, and within minutes, the artist had
drawn a composite of their alleged killer.
"Get this picture circulated as quickly as possible." Horatio ordered.
Tim was comforting Luci as Horatio turned to them.
"You realize things are going to get worse from here?" Horatio asked.
Tim knew he was right. Luci would have to come out and say that she was a
psychic.
"No way. You're not using Luci as bait." Tim knew what Horatio was
thinking.
"It's okay Tim. I have to do this." She looked into his eyes to reassure
him that she was doing the right thing.
Horatio stood at the podium in front of the numerous media people. He
hated what they had to do, which was to put Luci Valdez in danger. But, as she
had said, they had to do this.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a drawing of the alleged kidnapper/murderer." The sketch was passed out as hands began to shoot up.
Horatio recognized Emily Bradshaw from WKRX. "Sir, how did you get this drawing? Is there a witness?" Right on cue
Luci walked up to the podium.
"This is Luci Valdez. She's a psychic. "Luci could feel all of their eyes on her. She remembered those old feelings. She remembered how they would
stare and whisper, and laugh. She felt the tears coming--she couldn't stop
them. She ran from the podium.
Tim was watching her every move. He saw how upset she was, and was
immediately by her side. He took her into his arms and cradled her as if she
were a small child.
"I thought I could do it, Tim. I thought I was strong enough."
"It's okay, babe. You did fine. It's okay now."
The reporters were chomping at the bit. They all wanted to interview
her, but Tim whisked her away. They had accomplished what they had wanted.
Hopefully, the killer had seen his picture, and he had seen her.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was his picture right on
the screen. But how? Then, they introduced the psychic. So, that's how they
got a picture of him. Luci Valdez. Hmmmmm.
"We've put an officer at your house. In the meantime, you can bunk with
me?" Tim had a big grin on his face. He's enjoying this way too much, Luci
thought. But, she had packed a bag and rode with him to his house anyway.
"Sorry, I only have one bedroom." She was well aware that they hadn't made love yet. She was also aware that she had only known him a couple of
days. She was suddenly feeling very nervous about the whole thing.
"Uh, I can sleep on the couch." Luci said as she dropped her bag on the
couch. Tim didn't understand.
"What's wrong?" Tim asked as he came over and took her face in his
hands. She didn't know why, but suddenly she was very angry.
"Is that all you wanted? I mean, when you first saw me, were you
thinking, Hey, I'd like to get her in bed." Tim couldn't hide his feelings. He
did want her, but it was more than that. He didn't know how to relate that to her.
"Luci, it's not like that. I want you -- I do but, . . . " he was trying to sort out what his feelings were.
"Luci, I think I'm in love with you." He waited to see what her reaction
might be. She looked at him now to see if he was actually telling the truth.
She reached up and touched his face. Somehow, she did trust him. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. It was so innocent, so trusting. He
knew now that he did really love her. He began kissing her deeply, and he was soon out of control.
They began grabbing helplessly at one another -- undressing themselves and each other. He loved the taste and the feel of her. She was so soft and smelled of hyacinth. The heady perfume sent his mind reeling.
They moved to the couch where their passion seemed to burst into flame.
Their lovemaking was very fast and steamy. They would have time later to
explore one another more thoroughly, but for now, they made love as if their
very lives depended on it. They were both exhausted when it was over.
"Are you all right?" Tim asked slowly. He was absently stroking her
beautiful skin. He was ready to make love to her again, but he was considerate
of her feelings. Luci looked at him, her eyes had turned a dark, smokey color
which seemed to turn him on even more.
Luci began to dress without a word. Tim followed suit. Tim felt as if
maybe making love had been a mistake. She sat on the couch staring off into
space. She wasn't in her trance, she was simply staring off into space.
"Did you hear me? Are you all right?" she looked at him again.
"Tim, do you really love me?" So, that's what was bothering her.
"Luci, I really you. I've never felt this way before. . ." she could
see the emotion on his face. Luci reached up and kissed him voraciously. Tim
was losing control again. He picked her up and carried her toward the bedroom.
After a couple of hours of sleep, the two of them were ravenous --for
food. They realized they hadn't eaten for hours.
One of your wonderful omelets would taste really good about now." Luci
hinted. Tim smiled. He had never felt such happiness.
"Omelets coming right up."
They seemed so relaxed together with him cooking her watching. They
talked of other things such as favorite movies and music. Tim asked her more
about her writing, while she asked more about his work. After the meal was
prepared, they ate in comfort and silence. When they were finished, Luci
volunteered to clean up while Tim checked in.
They had a name now to connect with the picture. His name was Eddie
Franklin, and he was an accountant. He had not shown up for work that day. They had checked out his place, but soon realized that he was on the run. "He could be headed for the 'fake' Luci's house. Why don't I don't do a
quick drive by. It's not too far from here." Horatio approved it, and Tim
left, but not before he had kissed Luci thoroughly.
Tim analyzed his feelings for Luci. He realized that until that morning, he
hadn't even known what she did for a living. He tried to determine whether this
was important or not. Was the connection that he felt to her more important
than actually knowing who she was? He didn't know.
Tim had decided that he would simply drive down the street and see if
their suspect might be watching the house. Tim. knew it was a longshot, after
all, their boy would have to know that it was a trap.
He slowly drove down the street with a map in his hand to make it look as if he were looking for an address. He didn't see anyone that looked like their man, but, someone saw him.
Eddie Franklin followed the car that he knew had been sent to find him.
he had already figured out that the woman in the house was not Luci Valdez.
He had been very angry when he found this out, until a car had driven slowly
down the street. He had recognized the guy from the press conference. The guy probably didn't realize it, but the camera had followed Luci Valdez off the podium and into the arms of this guy. Eddie decided to follow him.
After another night of wonderful lovemaking, Tim was getting ready to go
to work. Things had been unusually quiet.
"Tim., do you think that little girl is still alive?" Luci asked cautiously. Even though he knew that she was upset, he told her the truth.
"After the first twenty four hours, a kidnaping usually turns into a murder. There's been no ransom demand, so that makes it even worse." Luci
suddenly wished that she could see more, but she knew that it didn't work that
way.
After Tim left, she tried to keep herself busy. First she washed the
breakfast dishes, and then she tried to write. The words did not come easily.
She had to admit, she was a little distracted. It was then that she heard the
crash.
"Tim, I need to show you something." Eric sounded concerned. He brought
Tim over to the television set and pushed play on the VCR. Tim recognized the scene from the press conference.
"I was watching this again to see if our guy might have been in the
crowd, when I saw this."
They could clearly see that the cameras had kept rolling after Luci left
the podium. It showed Luci in Tim's arms.
"Oh my God. . . " he stammered. he knew what this meant.
"I've got to get home." he said frantically as he hurried to leave.
"Wait a minute man, what's up?"
"Don't you see? If he watched this newscast and saw me, he might know
where she is." Eric understood, and gathered the team to offer backup, just in case Speed was right.
Tim was even more frightened now than the night he drove to Luci's. For
now, whatever this madman had done was going to happen to Luci. He knew that he was telling Luci the truth when he said that he was in love with her. There was no denying it now. The tears streamed down his face as he realized that he actually might lose her.
He pulled up in front of his house and literally leapt from the car. He
had to slow down -- he had to think. If Franklin was inside, he couldn't come
blasting in like a bull in a China shop. It wouldn't help Luci if he were dead.
He walked slowly around the house until he noticed the broken window.
"No. . . " his worst fears were being realized. He pulled out his gun. He
looked through the windows to try to locate which room they were in. He saw
them. Franklin had Luci backed into a corner. Tim couldn't see what kind of
weapon Franklin had because his back was to him. He tried not to focus on how scared Luci looked; right now, he had to think like a cop. He went back around
to the back door, and used his key to get in. He quietly shut the door behind
him, and tiptoed toward the door that led to the living room. He looked in to
make sure that Franklin's back was still to him.
He quietly approached until he was just inches from them.
"Drop it." he demanded. Franklin froze, and a smile spread across his
face. He turned slowly to reveal a large hunting knife.
"O, I think maybe you'll drop it." Franklin laughed maniacally as he brought the knife close to Luci's throat. Luci's eyes connected with Tim's. She
could tell that he was going to drop his gun. Luci could stand it no longer.
She closed her eyes and brought her knee up to the man's crotch. Franklin
immediately dropped the knife and began writhing on the floor in pain. This gave
Tim just the distraction needed to take Franklin down.
Tim made sure that he put the cuffs on Franklin before he relaxed. He,
then, ran straight to Luci. She had been brave only seconds before, but now she collapsed against Tim, grateful for his strength and support.
"I love you, Tim."
Epilogue
"We found the little girl. She's alive." Tim told a relieved Luci.
"How did you. . . how did you find her?"
"We found her in an abandoned warehouse -- at 2511 Cypress Road."