EDDIE chapter 12

summary: Catherine leaves Eddie, but he won't let her go. As the

cycle of abuse continues, Lindsey's safety is threatened and

Catherine is faced with a tough decision, when her best friend

threatens to take her daughter away...

Catherine and Lindsey sat in the basement waiting for the enemy to return.

"Mommy?" Lindsey snuggled up close to her mother "are you okay now?" she whispered. Catherine sat with her head rested against the basement wall. "Yeah baby" she put her arm around Lindsey " I'm okay now, are you al right?" Catherine paused as she took Lindsey's face in her hands "Let me see that nasty bruise."

Lindsey pulled away " No, mommy I am okay. Don't worry about me. We have to get out of the basement I don't like it down here." Lindsey stood up and began walking around. Catherine followed slowly behind her. "I think that we should stay put until daddy comes to get us."

Lindsey turned to her mother and made a face "I don't want daddy to come down here and get us, daddy just wants to hurt you all the time I hate him." Lindsey began to cry, " I wish we were still with Uncle Gil. Uncle Gil would never hurt you or me and he loves us. I just want to go back to Uncle' Gil's house."

Catherine grabbed Lindsey and hugged the crying child. " Lindsey you and I are going to be okay, we just need to be strong. Daddy is going to let us out and when I go to work you can come with me and we never have to come back here again."

Lindsey pulled away " Where are we going to hide, he found us already."

Catherine sat back against the wall " I don't know baby" she whispered, " I just know that we have to get out."

Tired of waiting in the basement Catherine searched for a hammer or a screw driver . After finding them she began to remove the hinges on the basement door hoping the whole time Eddie was still out or that he had passed out and was not able to hear the noise she was making.

After being successful Lindsey and Catherine walked cautiously out of the basement only to hear the loud snores of a man who had either been a deep sleeper or a passed out drunk.

Catherine let out a sigh of relief when they made it into Catherine's bedroom. And locked the door behind them.

Catherine quickly grabbed a bag from her closet and began filling it with clothing.

After being satisfied with the amount of things he had packed she turned to Lindsey " I am going to your room, I want you to lock the door behind me and wait for me to come back."

Lindsey shook her head " Be careful mommy" she whispered as she watched her mom leave the room.

Catherine crept into Lindsey's room and began packing things in the same manner and quickly returned to her bedroom.

Back safe in her bedroom Catherine opened her jewelry box and removed the middle compartment revealing a large wad of money. She stuck the money into the bag and grabbed a set of keys off the dresser and her gun from inside her drawer. Catherine paused for a moment thinking that everything could end now, she headed toward the bedroom door thinking that Eddie would never know what had hit him, But she turned back to her daughter, knowing very well, that she would end up in jail for shooting a sleeping man no matter what he had put her through and she couldn't do it with Lindsey in the next room.

"Ready to go?" she turned and motioned to Lindsey as she opened the window and threw their bags out. Catherine climbed out first and then helped Lindsey. Their hearts were racing the whole time until they reach the safety of her Tahoe.

Catherine let out the breath she had been holding and smiled at Lindsey as they turned the corner and drove away from him.

Catherine then picked up her cell phone and called Gil but got no answer.

Gil raced into the lab with Lindsey's bag in hand hoping that the first thing he would see was Catherine waiting for him. He by passed the break room and headed right for his office when he heard a voice from the break room.

"She's not here yet" Warrick called when he saw him sprint down the hall " What the hell happened to you?"

Gil sighed " I think she would be mad at me for telling you this so I don't want anyone to confront her about it." Gil sat down

" Catherine and Lindsey stayed at my place last night and this morning Eddie brought two cops to my door and demanded his family back, their was a big fight, they handcuffed me and they dragged Catherine and Lindsey out."

Warrick, Nick and Sara listened and watched Gil in shock. " Are they okay?" Sara asked concerned.

Gil shook his head " I don't know yet, Eddie was pissed when he found her and I can just imagine what he did to her when they got home. She came to me all brusied and battered, I just don't know how much more she can take,it keeps getting worse and it's everyday.I just need to see her tonight to make sure she is okay, not knowing is killing me."

Nick stood up and refilled his coffee " Cath is strong she will be fine."

At that moment Lindsey came racing into the break room. "Uncle Gil, Uncle Gil mommy is hurt! She kept saying she was fine, but I knew she was lying." Gil raced out to the parking lot with

Lindsey and toward Catherine's Tahoe. Catherine was sitting in the drivers seat clutching her abdomen.

"Catherine?" Gil called trying not to startle her. Catherine turned her head and tried to speak but instead of words the only thing that came out was a cough, flowed by another and then blood, Catherine began to choke.

"Warrick who had followed as well grabbed his cell phone and called an ambulance. Gil pulled Catherine slowly out of the Tahoe and laid her on her side. "Breath Catherine, you have to calm your self down."

The ambulance arrived and moved Gil quickly away from Catherine.

After loading her into the vehicle Gil stopped one of the paramedics " Can I ride with her?" The ambulance driver shook his head " I'm sorry sir you will have to follow we need to get her their immediately, we don't have much time!" with that they jumped in and were gone within minutes.

Gil sprinted toward the hospital reception desk to find out the latest information on Catherine.

"HI, my name is Gil Grissom I am with the Las Vegas crime lab and I need an update on a patient that would have been brought in in the past half hour." The nurse behind the desk smiled and pointed in the direction behind him.

"You are looking for a Catherine Willows she is asking for you. She suffered from four cracked ribs, and some internal bleeding from a fall possible down stairs. They should be bringing her out anytime now and she will be in room 311 if you want to wait for her."

Gil smiled " Thank you ma'am I appreciate It." and ran down the hall. Gil was already in the room when hey brought Catherine in.

She was still under from the anaesthetic. Gil sat down beside her and grasped her hand. " Everything is okay now," he whispered softly to her.

After waiting with her awhile Gil went to find a doctor to brief him on her current condition.

Gil made his way back to the receptionist. " Can I speak with someone about her condition?" The same nurse pulled out her chart " It says here that the surgery was a success and that she will be able to go home in two day's or so." the nurse paused when she noticed a worried look on Gil's face " Don't worry she is going to be just fine."

Gil walked back to her room " Everything won't be fine" he whispered to himself " Not as long as Eddie is still around." Gil walked back into her room and noticed that she was stirring in her bed. He ran to her side and watched patiently as her eyes slowly opened.

"Hey" he smiled and stood over her at the side of her bed "I know it's seems like a dumb question but how are you doing?"

Catherine tried to sit up in her bed but failed " I'm okay" she whispered

" I got Lindsey out of that house and I am out so everything is great considering." she paused " How is Lindsey?"

Gil sat down.

" She had a nasty bruise but other then that she keeps telling everyone back at the lab that she is fine."

Gil shook his head "This is all my fault. I .." he turned to her and looked her in the eyes " I lied." he whispered " I never talked to a lawyer, I never saw or spoke to anyone from social services, the school called me about Lindsey's eye because they couldn't get a hold of you, I went to the school to get her and then I made up a lie, I only did it because she was scared and hurting and so where you, I printed the letter on my computer at the lab, and I had Sopiha from day shift go to the house and get lindsey's things." he paused " I'm sorry."

Catherine shook her head " I can't...I..."

"I had to , Eddie was escalating, he.."

"Get out! Catherine whispered " I don't want you around me, I want you to leave, get out."

"Cath I.." he tried to explain

"NO!" she screamed " JUST GO!"

Gil nodded " Okay," he got up and walked out of the room, not only feeling guilty but he left the room with an agenda. Eddie would never lay a hand on Catherine or Lindsey again and tonight he was going to make sure of that.