Issues by SLynn
Disclaimer: I own only the thoughts in my head and the characters you don't recognize.
Notes: Oh my goodness, this chapter has so kicked my ass. It was painful, literally painful to write. I joked that chapter 20 started eighteen different ways, but I still have three drafts of this one to prove it. Ugh! But finally it is done. Sorry, this is the ONLY chapter for tonight. Tomorrow I should fare better.
Thanks to all the reviewers:
GottaGetGreg – hope you're not disappointed that I only got this one chapter out today! I don't know if it's inspiration or obsession. I'll let the viewers decide.
Miss-Andromache – thank you, I'm flattered. I've actually only seen the end of the strip strangler case. I'm not sure mine is going to be as good. As if you haven't guessed, I'm obviously putting Nick with Amy. : ) And yes, that's my favorite line too!
A Bloom – Your name keeps changing, so I hope you don't mind if I still go by this! Rest assured, I'd never kill Amy!
BeyondMyStar – Again, no way I'm killing off Amy. She's my only solid original character. Ever. Okay, not ever. I've got a fairly vicious creation lurking in my Buffy fics, but that's it.
white rose01 – I didn't know Amy was this popular. And again, I'm well below my quota for the night. Only one chapter. What's wrong with me?
fading-lights – Glad your enjoying the story and the characterization I've come up with. I'm never certain how close I am, but typically it's my interpretation of how I see them. That makes no sense, forgive me it's late.
Em – Glad you got to finally read all of 'Happy Enough' I had a great time writing it. Obviously, because this is just a continuation of it really! I'll give you that he's suspicious, but no more. : ) Hopefully it wont be too long of a wait for anyone to find out.
Chapter 22: Warning
That night Nick stood in the AV room looking at the pictures.
He'd seen the real thing up close not hours ago, but somehow seeing it projected, actually a part of an investigation, made it that much worse.
"Don't do this to yourself," he heard a voice say from behind him. Nick didn't have to turn around to know that it was Warrick.
"I'm just trying to help catch this asshole."
"No," Warrick countered, now standing at his side, "you're trying to get yourself fired. Grissom told you to stay away from this. Just like the rest of us. Swing shift's got it."
Nick shook his head. Not so much at Warrick's statement, he knew that they weren't covering the case, but at the pictures themselves.
Catherine had taken them last night. Had documented all of Amy's bruises for the record. It was shocking; not only could you see the bastard's fingertips on her forearm; you could almost make out the entire hand wrapped round her neck.
"This just isn't right," Nick muttered.
"Of course it isn't. Things like this shouldn't happen at all."
"Well that," Nick agreed, "but I meant the hand. He could have killed her. Easily. His hand is bigger then her neck. You've seen the tapes, he had the time."
Warrick was now really giving the photo his attention. He saw what Nick was getting at. It was as if the guy hadn't wanted to kill her, just prove he could. Like he was mocking them.
"You can strangle a person on accident," Nick continued after a moment, "this guy had to have known he wasn't going to kill her. He knew what he was doing."
Warrick nodded in agreement.
"Don't ask me to make sense of it," he finally said, "I mean, he took her purse and left her keys. What sense does that make? He may have just been a crack head for all we know now."
"Crack heads don't wear gloves."
"True," Warrick contended.
"Wait," Nick stopped, "what do you mean he left her keys?"
"You read her statement right? Heard her yourself, she put them in her purse. Our guy took her purse, but her keys were there. Right where Bobby found her."
Nick finally stopped staring at the photo and turned his full attention to Warrick. Something was defiantly wrong.
"I think we need to talk to Griss."
Greg and Sara had meant to stay that night with Amy at her place, but it hadn't panned out. Greg, whose headache from the other day had never really subsided, was now officially sick. He'd claimed it was just a little bit of the flu but no one was buying it. Sara, unable to get him to go to the doctor or even call in sick, wasn't happy. He'd come home from work completely worn out that day and instead of them heading to Amy's house, Sara had gone and brought her to them.
Amy had been reluctant to come at all.
She felt at times, especially around just Greg and Sara, that she was a bit of a third wheel. However, still shaken from the attack, she'd agreed. Third wheel or not, she hadn't wanted to be alone yet. Nick had spent the entire day with her on Saturday and had even stopped by Greg and Sara's place to check on her before he'd gone to work.
Work for her, was at this point, out of the question. At least it was according to Grissom. He'd put her on paid leave until at least Monday night, longer if she wanted it. She wasn't sure yet.
Amy had slept that night on their couch.
As she'd drifted off she briefly wondered if this was how she was going to spend the rest of her life, being watched over by others or sleeping just outside their doors. Was she ever going to feel safe being alone again? She didn't know.
At just after three she heard a phone ring.
Greg or Sara, maybe both of them were awake now, talking quietly in the next room. They'd talked for at least twenty minutes, occasionally one of their voices carrying into the living room but no distinct words could be made out. Soon enough Sara came out of the bedroom and left. Amy sat up as she'd gone; wondering if there was some type of emergency, almost hoping she'd get called herself. It would feel good to not feel so useless.
"Aren't you sleeping?" she heard Greg ask. She hadn't seen him in the doorway.
"I heard the phone," she said. "Feel better?"
"A little," he said dully, sitting down in the nearest chair. "How about you?"
The light from the street was just bright enough for her to make out his silhouette. He'd looked bad that night, shaky even. Now she couldn't tell.
"Me, I'm great."
"Wow, I thought I was a bad liar."
Amy laughed. It had been a horrible attempt.
"I've been better," she admitted.
"Nightmares?" he asked, really concerned for her.
"Not bad. Not yet anyway."
Greg nodded his head in understanding.
"Was Sara called in about the Sanchez case?" she asked, trying to shift the attention away from herself. "Did they find anything new?"
"Why?" he asked his voice taking on an odd tone.
"No reason. It's her night off, it's a big case. I thought that would be the only reason they'd ask her to go in, if it was that important."
"Oh, yeah. That. They just wanted her in to go over something. I don't know what. She didn't really tell me."
Amy gave a nervous laugh.
"Wow," she said "you really are a bad liar."
Greg just looked down at his hands, saying nothing in return.
"Greg," she said, her voice starting to fill with worry, "What is it? Was it about…"
She didn't have to finish. He'd looked up at her and she thought she knew. Despite the lighting being so dim, she could see the worry in his eyes.
"They're not sure, not yet."
"Not sure of what?"
"They think," Greg started but couldn't finish. It was enough to think about, still so fresh in his head. Saying it, how was he supposed to say it?
"What do they think?" Amy asked, fearing the absolute worse. She'd been unconscious, but for how long? What had happened to her and why wouldn't anyone say?
"Grissom thinks," Greg started again, "that what happened to you was a warning."
"I don't understand."
"From whoever killed Dr. Sanchez. He thinks he was the one that attacked you."
"But, that doesn't make sense," Amy said, feeling the panic in her voice rise, "I'm not connected, I don't know… It's not how he's done it before. I'm still…"
"Amy," Greg said, getting up and sitting beside her now, "please, it's going to be okay."
"How? How does he get from mugging to attempted murder? He took my purse is all. That's all."
"He left your keys."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Greg shook his head. He'd had the same argument with Sara not fifteen minutes ago. But she'd made him see reason; he'd have to do the same for Amy.
"Amy, they were in your purse. You said it yourself. You put them there; he took them out and left them beside you. Where they'd be found so you could go home."
"Maybe he was just looking through it? There was a time lapse, right? From when I was unconscious."
Greg gave her a moment. He needed it himself. His headache was coming back to him again, making him nauseous.
"There's more isn't there?" she finally asked.
Greg just nodded, not sure he could do this. It scared him to think about it, he couldn't imagine how terrified Amy was going to be.
"What? Just tell me."
"Bobby found you laid out on the ground."
"I don't understand."
Greg stopped and licked his lips. His throat felt raw and he really didn't want to continue, but felt he owed it to her.
"Posed Amy. Like the others."
Greg saw it sinking in. Saw it fill her eyes. The realization dawning, like it had with him when Sara had finally relayed everything Nick and Warrick had found out that night. It was cold. It just felt cold.
Nick and Sara left work and arrived at roughly the same time as each other back to Greg's apartment.
It had been a long night.
Amy was in the shower and Greg was already dressed for work. He'd phoned in and told them he'd be late. He hadn't wanted to leave Amy alone. Not after last night.
Quickly he filled them both in. He'd told Amy everything. After they'd talked neither of them had gotten any sleep. Greg looked the worse for it, but only because Amy was still so bruised it was hard to tell.
Before Greg left Amy had come back into the living room. She'd put on a brave front. Insisted she was fine. That she could handle it. She thanked Greg and Sara for letting her stay but wanted, if he could, for Nick to drive her home.
They'd all protested it, but she was determined.
This time the drive to her place was completely silent. Nick knew his way now and had no other reason to speak. Amy was grateful for it. She needed the quiet. Needed the time to pull herself together.
When they arrived, this time without wondering if an invitation was coming or not, Nick went up with Amy to her door.
She hadn't needed his help opening it. Her hands were steady now. Amy felt steady now, but she wasn't.
Once in side it really struck her.
"He wanted me here, didn't he?"
Nick touched her gently on the shoulder but she shrugged him off. Moved further into the room, back to him, arms crossed protectively in front of her.
"He wanted me here. To come home. That's how he does this. That's why he left my keys for me."
Nick didn't know what to say. It's what they'd all been thinking, discussing for more then half the night.
"Maybe he did this to them all. Warned them. Let them know it was coming."
"Amy, just come stay with me for today."
"No," she said, her voice was choked with tears, "I'm not going to be ran off. This is my home still."
"We don't know anything yet," he tried to reassure. "It's all guess work without any solid evidence Amy."
"Greg said that too," she said with a bit of a smile, turning to him finally.
"Nothing's going to happen to you," he said stepping closer, running his hands up and down her arms, "I'm promising you, I'm not going to let it."
Amy found she was laughing and crying all at once, leaning in to him as he wrapped his arms around her.
"What," he asked, "did Greg say that too?"
"No," she said pulling away a bit to look up at him, "but he said you would."