Chapter 15

Finales

"Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were."

--Cherie Carter-Scott

"So let's hear it Mr. Lopez, from beginning to end," Warrick suggested, his voice carrying via speaker into the observation room. Lopez, who had a lawyer with him, stayed silent.

"You might as well tell me, man. Banning and Paolini gave you up and we… compromised. They'll testify in courts along with the bullet used to kill Amanda Bell. You're going for the death penalty but if you co-operate, we can recommend a lighter sentence," Warrick continued.

"Bitch kept my daughter!"

"So you killed her friends? That's not really fair."

"My daughter, my flesh."

"She never asked for support, and up until a couple of months ago, you didn't know Bekki existed." Catherine, Grissom, Sara and Nick watched the anger take root in posture and eyes as Warrick pushed the subject. Suddenly, his posture drooped and the anger drained from his eyes.

"I really loved Amanda," he started and Catherine found herself scoffing at the thought.

"I know it's hard to believe especially since… well, things weren't perfect at home, exactly."

"We know about the domestic violence, all of it pertaining to the case."

"Ah, yes, Jack and Sara," Lopez said, shaking his head. "I was devastated when she left. She didn't leave a note, never called… I was mad at her. Then I found out that she'd been pregnant when she left."

"Ten years later?" Lopez shrugged.

"I was still her father, Bekki's I mean. I still wanted to be part of her life." The observation room's occupants faced Catherine.

"Plausible. Eddie only hit Lindsey once in her ten years and he did care about her, deeply. He never took her when he was drunk," she answered their unasked question.

"That doesn't explain why you killed five women and contributed to the injury of another."

"I wanted to hurt her as much as she hurt me. I didn't know where she was but I knew where her best friends were and I'd seen Sara on the news for some high profile case." Warrick sighed, closing the folder and standing.

"What people will do in the name of love," Catherine murmured.

-

"We recommend life without parole," the spokesperson for the jury stated. The trials had lasted a month, a long month and the grave shift had attended as much of them as possible. Anthony Lopez had just been sentenced to life without parole.

"I talked to child services about Bekki because she doesn't want to go to a foster home," Sara said to Catherine as they stood from the benches.

"And?"

"They said they'd talk to Tony."

"Have they?" They began to stroll out of the courthouse. Sara nodded.

"He wants her to stay with me," she said softly as they stepped into the Vegas sunshine.

"Mommy!" Catherine whirled, in the process of putting her sunglasses on.

"It's the class trip today," Lindsey said. "I thought you'd be at home."

"Just sitting in on a case, sweetheart. Finishing touches on it," Catherine replied as she approached her daughter. Sara followed, her eyes searching for Bekki. Catherine noticed and did the same. She was hidden in the back of the group. The courthouse doors opened again as Bekki made her way to Sara's side. Out came Anthony Lopez, Scott Paolini and Jack Banning. The class had moved on but Catherine, Lindsey, Sara and Bekki stood rooted as the men were led past. Lopez stopped his guard for a moment.

"Sara?" She acknowledged him with a raise of her head.

"Take good care of my little girl for me?" Sara couldn't help the small smile that flitted across her face as her arm tightened around Bekki's shoulder.

"I will Tony. For Amanda." The guards led them to two police cars as Sara and Catherine watched, Grissom, Nick and Warrick at the bottom of the stairs.

"It's over," Catherine whispered as the police cars drove off.

"Yeah, its over." Sara and Catherine led the girls back to their class that had entered the room they had just vacated. Then they turned and walked back into the sun.

-

-

I'M NOT FINISHED YET! It would be no fun if I finished this here, especially since there haven't been proposals and nothing's final with Bekki and Sara!

-

Coming soon…

Months after the case

Bekki's new living arrangements

And…

Blossoming when I get around to it… soon I hope

-

Kavi Leighanna