By Your Side

Chapter 14

The phone rang just as Tim was walking into his office. The case that they were working on had turned up a lot of evidence and Tim had spent some time in the trace lab to help it along. He dropped the file on the desk and picked up the phone, quickly.

" Speedle."

" Speed, it's Messner. I got your message . What is it that you want me to look into?" Danny asked.

" Danny, I'm glad that you got back with me so fast. I need a favor, can you look into a case for me?"

" Sure. Priority?"

" Yes. A missing person," Tim said quietly. He still hadn't gotten use to the fact that Sam was missing."

" Does this person have a name?" Danny asked. Tim could hear the smirk through the phone.

" It's Sam." Tim returned simply.

" Speed," Danny started slowly, " she's not missing. Her body was found two hours ago. A jogger in Central Park found her in the bushes. I'm sorry."

Tim dropped the phone and sunk into the chair, unable to comprehend. Sam couldn't be dead, they were going to be married in a week. Tears started to fall down his face as he picked up the phone again. He attempted to gather himself as he put the receiver to his ear. His grief choked him and he tried to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape.

" Damn," Tim said as he wiped his tears with his hand as fresh ones started their trek down his face.

He then heard a knock at the door. Looking up quickly, he saw the door open slightly and Sascha as she stepped inside.

"Daddy, I thought that I would,..." Sascha started as she saw her father put up a hand. There was something wrong, she could tell.

"Danny, can you hold off on the autopsy? I'm on the next flight to New York," Tim replied almost too low to hear.

" I'll see what I can do, Tim. I'm sorry man," Danny said as he hung up the phone. Tim placed the phone down and watched Sascha as she moved to the desk. Tim couldn't keep it in much longer and as she stopped in front of her, he looked deep into her eyes and let all of his emotion pour out. Sascha was taken aback at her father's demeanor and fearfully put a comforting hand on his back.

" Daddy, what's wrong? You are scaring me," Sascha said as he sobbed heavily on her shoulder. The effort to hold him up was wearing her down.

Tim stopped crying and gathered himself, noticing the discomfort he was causing his daughter. He straightened himself and let her go, unable to look her in the eyes.

" Sascha, something real bad has happened," Tim said as he continued to look at the floor. How could he tell her that the woman that was going to be her step mother , was dead?

" Dad, c'mon tell me what's going on," Sacha said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

" It's Sam. Sh-she's dead," Tim replied, breaking down once again. Sascha stood there , unable to process what had just been told to her.

" She, can't be dead , dad. You two were going to get married next week. She was supposed to be coming home..."

Tim glanced up to see the large tears that were forming in his daughter's eyes. Sam had been there when they needed someone to love and now they were faced with the numbing reality of her death. Sascha stood for a moment longer before she found a chair to sit down in. It was unreal to her that she would lose both of her stepparents within a two week period.

" I'm going to New York to identify the body and bring her back. I know I said that you could stay at my place this week, but I have to do this."

" I want to go, dad," Sascha said softly.

" Sash, a morgue is no place for you."

" Alexx lets me go down there all the time," Sascha said in her defense.

" This is different, Sash."

"How? People in the morgue are dead here, she'd dead there, I don't see a difference," Sascha said harshly. Tim glared at her for a moment , but realized that she was hurting. He sighed deeply and relented.

" Alright, you can come, but you are not going to the morgue. You can stay in the lab with Stella or Aiden. Got it?"

" Dad..."

" No exceptions, it's this way or you can stay at your mother's until I get back," Tim said sternly.

Sascha knew when she was defeated and also knew that it was impossible to remain stubborn against the man who had perfected it.

" Alright , dad, I'll stay in the lab," Sascha conceded, " but I do want to see Sheldon before we leave."

Tim nodded then went back to the phone. He would make arrangements and go to New York to retrieve his lost love.

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" Calleigh, have you seen Speed?" Eric said as he opened the door to the break room. He had been in the layout room for hours , trying to piece together the evidence from the case, and he needed a break.

" No, I haven't seen him since this morning, why?"

" I just heard from Alexx that he is going back to New York, and I need him to sign off on some things before he leaves."

" Really? Why is he going back to New York?" Calleigh asked as she folded the paper down. She had been at the lab all day, not being able to go home. She felt closer to Horatio when she was here.

" Something to do with Sam. Alexx wouldn't elaborate, but I don't think it's good," Eric said as he went to the table. He pulled the seat out and sat next to Calleigh. " You know those two are like peas in a pod."

" Yeah, and she looks out for him," Calleigh said getting up. " I'll see you later, Eric."

As the door to the break room closed , Eric snickered to himself. Despite their loss, something was telling him that his two best friends were going to be getting together very soon.

The door to the morgue swung open as Alexx was pushing the body from earlier into the cooler that had already been tagged. For many years ,Alexx had seen what horrors people could do to others, but when that horror spilled into her life, she was unable to deal. Two weeks ago, she had to perform an autopsy on her closest friend, now today, she got the news that another had been brutally taken away. Alexx turned to see Calleigh standing there and smiled to herself. She knew that Calleigh would come, just like she knew that one day she and Tim would be together again.

" What can I do for you, Cal?"

" Tim told you why he was going to New York?"

" Yes."

" Well?" Calleigh asked as her accent slipped.

" He had some personal business to take care of. He took Sascha with him too..."

"Eric said that it had something to do with Sam," Calleigh said folding her arms around her, "what has happened, Alexx?"

Alexx hesitated for a moment and spoke softly, " Sam was found dead this morning in Central Park. Tim's going up there to identify and retrieve."

Calleigh unfolded her arms and covered her mouth in surprise. She had thought that Sam had called Tim up for a romantic dinner or something, but never would she had suspected that Sam had been murdered.

" Wh- How did this happen?"

" He doesn't know, she hadn't been in contact with him since she left," Alexx replied sadly.

" Tim. He's got to be devastated," Calleigh stated as tears came to her eyes. She didn't like Sam, but she had provided Tim with so much happiness, and that was what had mattered to Calleigh. Now being faced with this, she knew that Tim would need her support. " I'll give him a call." Calleigh said as she turned to walk out of the morgue.

" Calleigh."

" Yeah, Alexx," Calleigh said as she turned to face the ME.

" Be there for him. He's going to need your support."

" I intend to," Calleigh returned as she walked out.

TBC...