Title: Lost Butterflies
Summary: The CSI team deal with the loss of one of their own.
Disclaimer: CSI doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer.
Spoilers: Set after Butterflied
Rating: R
A/N: Indicate a flash back
Chapter 3
Nick sat on the roof of the crime lab and hugged the bottle of bourbon he had bought after leaving the morgue. He held the report David had given him in the other and let the tears roam free from his eyes.
He leaned slightly over the edge and contemplated taking his own life. He'd finished off most of the liquor and it wouldn't be hard to just slip off the edge and never wake up.
That's when the fire exit opened and Catherine sat beside him. She noticed the bottle and tried to take it away. "C'mon Nicky, that's not good." He snatched it back and downed what was left. "It's...my...fault!" He shouted through his sobs. "I knew she was being stalked...that bastard...he...he" "I know." She soothed and placed her arm over his shoulder. "Grissom told us. He didn't mean what he said. He was just upset..." "Like hell he is." The drunken Texan argued. "He never noticed her when she was alive, but I did, Cath! She was special to me. Like a sister."
She wiped tears from her eyes and nodded. "She was special, but she wouldn't want you to drink yourself to death..." "I'm not." He muttered and then went to lean forward. Catherine caught him and pulled him off the ledge and safely on to the concrete roof. "Nick!" She screamed as her tears and grief over flooded her. "We've already lost one of the family, don't make it two."
She sat with him crying in her arms for over an hour before he'd calmed down enough to make his way off the roof and down into Grissom's office. Catherine was calling a doctor and Nick was avoiding Grissom's gaze.
"It's not your fault." He finally said. "I know how persuasive Sara could be. I don't blame you Nick..." "So I can work the case?" He pleaded desperately. Grissom shook his head.
"Not in this state. The doctor's coming to give you a sedative, but maybe tomorrow we can let you do some work at the lab."
The doctor arrived a few minutes later, but Nick didn't need a sedative the alcohol had knocked him out and Catherine took him home and stayed with him so he didn't choke in his sleep.
Grissom stayed at the lab all night with Warrick and investigated the evidence they'd taken from Sara' place. He left Warrick with the evidence and took the case folder Sara had assembled at home on her stalking. She'd done all the work for the. She had details on the Mercedes, on the break in and she'd even made a list of suspects with their motives.
He smiled weakly. She 'd always been devoted to the job, but he doubted she expected that Grissom would use the case to find her murderer. He swore he would find out the truth though.
As he checked the list of suspects he paused at a familiar name. He slammed his fist off the desk and swore. If it were the man Sara had listed as the prime suspect then Grissom would kill him. He'd already gotten away once.
When the phone rang he composed himself and answered. "Gill Grissom."
"Mr. Grissom, this is David. Do you want a copy of the report that Nick asked for?" "What report?" He asked. "He's not on the case."
"Oh...well..."
"David?" "I guess you haven't seen it. Sara was...she was raped." He hung up before David could say anything more and shook violently as he went to find Brass. He needed a search warrant for a certain Doctor. No one touched his Sara.
Chapter 3
Nick sat on the roof of the crime lab and hugged the bottle of bourbon he had bought after leaving the morgue. He held the report David had given him in the other and let the tears roam free from his eyes.
He leaned slightly over the edge and contemplated taking his own life. He'd finished off most of the liquor and it wouldn't be hard to just slip off the edge and never wake up.
That's when the fire exit opened and Catherine sat beside him. She noticed the bottle and tried to take it away. "C'mon Nicky, that's not good." He snatched it back and downed what was left. "It's...my...fault!" He shouted through his sobs. "I knew she was being stalked...that bastard...he...he" "I know." She soothed and placed her arm over his shoulder. "Grissom told us. He didn't mean what he said. He was just upset..." "Like hell he is." The drunken Texan argued. "He never noticed her when she was alive, but I did, Cath! She was special to me. Like a sister."
She wiped tears from her eyes and nodded. "She was special, but she wouldn't want you to drink yourself to death..." "I'm not." He muttered and then went to lean forward. Catherine caught him and pulled him off the ledge and safely on to the concrete roof. "Nick!" She screamed as her tears and grief over flooded her. "We've already lost one of the family, don't make it two."
She sat with him crying in her arms for over an hour before he'd calmed down enough to make his way off the roof and down into Grissom's office. Catherine was calling a doctor and Nick was avoiding Grissom's gaze.
"It's not your fault." He finally said. "I know how persuasive Sara could be. I don't blame you Nick..." "So I can work the case?" He pleaded desperately. Grissom shook his head.
"Not in this state. The doctor's coming to give you a sedative, but maybe tomorrow we can let you do some work at the lab."
The doctor arrived a few minutes later, but Nick didn't need a sedative the alcohol had knocked him out and Catherine took him home and stayed with him so he didn't choke in his sleep.
Grissom stayed at the lab all night with Warrick and investigated the evidence they'd taken from Sara' place. He left Warrick with the evidence and took the case folder Sara had assembled at home on her stalking. She'd done all the work for the. She had details on the Mercedes, on the break in and she'd even made a list of suspects with their motives.
He smiled weakly. She 'd always been devoted to the job, but he doubted she expected that Grissom would use the case to find her murderer. He swore he would find out the truth though.
As he checked the list of suspects he paused at a familiar name. He slammed his fist off the desk and swore. If it were the man Sara had listed as the prime suspect then Grissom would kill him. He'd already gotten away once.
When the phone rang he composed himself and answered. "Gill Grissom."
"Mr. Grissom, this is David. Do you want a copy of the report that Nick asked for?" "What report?" He asked. "He's not on the case."
"Oh...well..."
"David?" "I guess you haven't seen it. Sara was...she was raped." He hung up before David could say anything more and shook violently as he went to find Brass. He needed a search warrant for a certain Doctor. No one touched his Sara.