Issues by SLynn
Disclaimer: I own only the thoughts in my head and the characters you don't recognize.
Chapter 27: Care Package
Nick's phone was ringing. He vaguely recognized the sound, it seemed so distant. Miles away, but he'd heard it.
Slowly he disentangled himself from Amy, reluctant to leave her but desperate to find the source of the noise. He made his way down the hall to where he'd left the offender, sitting on the counter top in his kitchen.
"Stokes," he mumbled into it as he checked the clock. It was just after two in the afternoon. He'd be lucky if he'd been asleep for three hours now.
"Nick," he heard Grissom on the other end, way too alert for this time of day, "do you know where Amy is?"
"Yeah," he answered. That he definitely knew. "What's wrong?"
"Bring her in. Both of you. There's been a development."
"What's wrong, what's happened?" he asked, feeling more alert now. Awake. It couldn't be good; Grissom would sound different if it was good.
"I'll tell you when you get here," was all he would say as he hung up the phone.
Nick sighed, setting it down again.
He headed back into the bedroom and sat down beside Amy on the bed. Again he found himself brushing the hair out of her face, making him smile despite the bad feeling he was developing over Grissom's call.
"Amy," he said touching her arm gently, "time to wake up."
Amy's eyes opened slowly as she sat up part way.
"No," she said as she lay back down, "it's too early."
"It is, but Griss called. He needs up both in."
"What happened?" she asked, still not moving but opening her eyes a crack.
"Don't know," he answered gently tugging her into a sitting position. "He didn't tell me."
"Fine, but we need to swing by my place. I've got to change. Grissom looks like the type of guy to notice that I'm wearing what I wore last night."
Nick didn't have a problem with it, just hopped into the shower himself and got dressed. Amy was nearly asleep on the couch again in the short time it took, but still ready to go. By the time they'd gotten to her place a steady silence had fallen between them. Amy had been just as quick as Nick had, just in and out of the shower really and into a fresh set of clothes. She paused as she pulled her hair, still wet, into a pony tail and smiled awkwardly at herself in the mirror.
It was so odd.
She was starting to think she'd dreamed it. That she'd fallen asleep and dreamed this morning. Nick certainly hadn't said anything, hadn't acted any different. Maybe that's just how he was. Or maybe, they were already so relaxed around each other that they didn't have to say anything. Still.
It was odd.
Wasting no more time, she hurried out into the living.
"Okay," she said heading towards the door, "you can blame me for making us so late."
"Wait a minute," he said joining her and taking her by the hand.
"I thought we were rushed here?" she asked, feeling herself blush.
"We are," he agreed, "but I'm probably not going to get another chance to do this if I don't now."
"What?" she asked looking up at him with a funny smile. Uncertain.
Instead of answering her, Nick leaned in and kissed her. Amy found herself pulled into his arms quite easily.
"Now we can go," he said after breaking apart from her.
Amy smiled all the way to the lab. For his part, Nick did too. They kissed once more in the garage and then tried to knock the silly grins off their faces before setting off to find Grissom. He wasn't in his office or the break room. It was just after three now and Nick knew they'd taken too long getting there. Finally, they caught up with him. Him and rest of his team, Greg included, in the conference room.
"Sorry," Nick said, ushering in Amy ahead of him.
He wasn't going to offer any type of explanation unless asked. Let them all just think they were late and that would be enough. Except Nick could already tell at least two people there didn't just think that. Warrick and Greg were already suspicious given the looks they'd cast his way.
Sara had been talking about what she and Greg had found. The new victims and the connection at least one of them had to the clinic. Also that Angie Jacobsen might have been there too. Catherine and Warrick, still the technical leads on this, would track down the neighbor today and get some more information. Lucky for them it had only happened five months ago.
Nick was already wondering why this warranted such an early meeting, when Grissom made it all unnecessary. He'd pulled out a box.
"This was in the lobby this morning," Grissom explained. "It's already been processed without any luck."
Grissom began to pull something out of the box, clearly in an evidence bag.
"That's my purse," Amy said before she could stop herself.
"Your ID was inside," Grissom said with a nod.
Amy got up to examine it for herself. Everything in her purse was in individual evidence bags, which normally might have amused her, but not now.
"How'd it get here?" Warrick asked.
"A man came in around nine this morning, dropped it on one of the chairs where it went unnoticed for an hour. The daytime receptionist found it. Brass is reviewing the tapes right now with Archie, trying to get a clear picture of the guy."
No one in the room could quite believe it. First the attack in the parking lot and now the guy had strolled right in and out of the lobby.
"This was inside of it," Grissom continued, holding up a photograph.
Most everyone had crowded round now to get a look, but Grissom didn't show them the picture, just the back. It had one word on it in the same familiar style. 'SOON'
"What's it a picture of," Nick asked.
"It's not important," Grissom responded uncharacteristically.
Everyone looked at him now, confused and startled. It was three words they'd never heard from him before. Catherine caught on the quickest, knowing that it probably was very important but probably equally disturbing.
"Warrick," she said trying to change the topic, "let's get going. We'll try Angie Jacobsen's neighbors again. See if we have some better luck."
Warrick nodded, still looking at Griss odd for a second, before turning to leave.
Amy seemed the least suspicious of them all. She was still looking at the contents of her purse. Greg had joined her, offering himself up as a distraction. Nick and Sara were still staring down Grissom, not that he was going to give any time soon.
"Why were you carrying a yo-yo in your purse?" Greg asked, picking up the evidence bag and looking it over. "It's not even a good one."
"I forgot about that," she said looking now for herself.
Greg saw the other three leave. They weren't going to let up until they knew what that was a picture of. He was curious himself.
"I don't want to know," Amy said at Greg's expression.
"They're not subtle are they?"
"No," she smiled. "I get the feeling it was me Grissom didn't want to see that photo and I'm fine with that. I'd probably never sleep again if I had."
Greg just nodded and out of habit, continued to shift through the evidence.
"This is my private property Greg," Amy said in mock offense at the way he was eyeing it all.
"Sorry," he said putting down the Tic-Tac's he'd picked up. "Habit."
"You're all alike."
Greg smiled at her.
"You look better," she commented.
"I'm feeling better. I hope it's finally passed."
Amy nodded.
"Should we dare it?" she asked, indicating the door.
Greg just headed to the door after putting everything back into the box, certain the worst of it had to be over by now. Nick and Sara had probably already seen the picture, whatever it was, and Grissom was probably already back in his office.
Sara was sitting in the break room when they got there. Nick and Grissom no where in site.
"Hey there," Greg said, getting her attention. It took a minute.
"Ready?" she asked, standing up.
"You okay?"
Sara looked pale. Looked really shaken and it wasn't often that that happened.
"I'm fine," she answered, not looking at either of them.
"Where's Nick?" Amy asked now, growing concerned herself.
"Still talking with Grissom. He'll be out in a minute."
"I'm going to take her home," Greg said to Amy, Sara didn't seem to notice. "You'll be okay?"
"Yeah," Amy assured him taking a seat at the table. "We'll talk later."
Greg smiled at her and left, guiding Sara by placing a hand on the small of her back, she still looked lost in thought.
As Amy took some coffee from the nearby pot she began her wait. At the time, she didn't know how long of a wait it would be.
"What was it of?" Greg asked as they sat in the car.
He'd started it but they hadn't left the garage yet. The anxiety on her face was enough to cause him more then a moments panic.
Sara shook her head, not in a negative. Not that she wouldn't tell him, just trying to get it out of her own.
"It was Amy," she finally said.
"What? When was it taken?"
He'd suspected that maybe it was of her building, or another crime scene. He hadn't expected that.
"Last Friday. It was her, laid out of the ground. In the parking lot."
Sara's voice sounded hollow to her own ears. She knew it must to Greg as well. It had been like glimpsing the future. Amy dead and part of an investigation. It was taunting and cold.
Greg said nothing. He'd never been happier to not have seen something. Naturally curious, he'd almost detoured off to see it for himself back at the lab, concern for Sara had stopped him. Now he never wanted to see it, not if it affected Sara this way. He couldn't imagine what Nick felt.
"Let's go home," he said softly.
Before they got far, Greg began coughing. He had to park the car even, his coughing was that bad. Sara, still distracted, handed him some tissue and asked if he was alright, but otherwise didn't fret they way she had been.
"Yeah," he answered, his voice once more sounding like gravel.
While Sara was looking out the window, thinking the whole case through he imagined, Greg looked down at the tissues she'd handed him. The ones he'd coughed into. They were flecked with red. Not a lot, but enough.
He said nothing, didn't react at all. Just crumpled it into his hand and shoved it down into his own coat pocket. Greg still wasn't ready to deal with it.