Disclaimer: As you know by now I am not the owner of anything CSI related in any way.
Grissom rolled over once and received a major shock in the form of a loud BANG. It was only after he'd hit his carpet that he realized he'd fallen asleep on his couch. Groaning slightly he reached a hand onto the coffee table and braced himself in order to drag his aching body back onto the couch. His head had a dull ache where it had met the floor, but he knew it was nothing to the headache he'd have once he was fully awake.
Grissom didn't lose control, ever. It was something he'd done once at a party in college, one of his only friends had convinced him to get very drunk and he hadn't done it since. Control was an essential part of Grissom's life and when he lost it, he was lost along with it. Needless to say, he was not a person who was used to hangovers.
The bottle of whisky stood mocking Grissom in the middle of the table. The first thing Grissom did was snatch it up by the neck and head straight for his kitchen sink. The contents of the bottle were quickly drained and Grissom felt a small amount of satisfaction as he watched the liquid flow down the pipe. It would be a long time before he let himself lose control again.
As sick as Grissom felt, and he felt incredibly sick as he stumbled into his bathroom, he knew he hadn't gotten nearly drunk enough last night. If he'd gotten as drunk as he'd hoped to before his exhaustion had taken over, he wouldn't still be haunted by the silence of Sara's tears this morning.
He could still hear Sara's choked words, "Gil…how could you?" He knew that they would echo in his head for a long time to come. He knew at last he had ended Sara's feelings towards him. There would be no more jerking her around, this time it was final. She would probably never look at him again. Good he thought at least she won't be hurt later on.
A small part of Grissom began to realize, as he stood staring at his tormented reflection in the mirror above his bathroom sink, that he was being a fool. This portion of his brain was quickly pushed aside. It was impossible for Grissom to analyze his way out of what he'd already done. He was truly alone now, the same way he'd spent most of his life, and he knew there was no turning back.
Sara walked into the lab where Greg was still reeling from their last encounter. She put her cell phone back in her pocket and nudged Greg gently on the shoulder to get his attention. Greg started and pulled an earphone that Sara had failed to notice out of his left ear. Sara started to apologize for startling him but was cut off when the shock of what Greg was listening to hit her. Where she had been expecting a screaming metal or rock band she was instead greeted with the dulcet tones of a classical concierto she'd never heard.
The shock was enough for her to momentarily lose her train of thought in order to question Greg.
"What are you listening to?"
"What?" Greg answered slyly, "You think you know everything about me Sara, I listen to more than System of a Down you know!"
Sara tried not to look as though this was news to her, but she relaxed when she realized Greg was smiling at her.
"Actually, I'm not really enjoying this." Greg continued after only a slight hesitation. "Grissom suggested it to me so I started listening to it…I think I'm done with it though."
And with that Greg removed the earphone from his right ear and laid his i-Pod down on the table in front of him. He turned back to Sara and she could see that he was giving her his full attention so she began to tell him the reason she'd disturbed him in the first place.
"I already called Catherine, she's on her way in. Warrick should be here pretty soon too. I've definitely just cracked the case."
Greg could feel the pride emanating off Sara. She was obviously ecstatic at having finally figured out what was behind these seemingly random attacks on their friend. And she had a right to be; everyone in the lab was dying to figure out what was going on.
It wasn't long before Catherine and Warrick were both in the lab. It was obvious they'd rushed over to find out Sara's 'case-breaking' news. They greeted Sara and Greg in the break room and, after little or no preamble Sara began talking.
"…It was all in the flower!" She eventually finished her long tale, beaming at everyone assembled. The group was looking back at her dumbfounded. No one there could believe they'd missed the evidence so completely. It had all been right in front of them the entire time and only Sara had managed to put all the pieces together. However disappointed each member of the team was with their own performance, as a group they were thrilled that they'd be able to call Nick and inform him that they finally knew who was causing him such turmoil. The warrant would be obtained and this freak would be put behind bars for a very, very long time.
Warrick told the group quickly that he'd dropped Nick off at his townhouse before coming in to work. His friends' immediate reaction was of concern but Warrick quickly explained himself, and, as they had finally caught he person responsible, they decided it couldn't have done any harm. It was Greg who suggested that Sara be the one to call Nick and inform him that they were on their way with some good news.
Still reeling off the high of having solved a particularly difficult case Sara snatched her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Nick's home number. The phone rang twice before she heard Nick's voice, sounding calm but strained on the other end of the line.
Catherine, Warrick and Greg looked up expectantly at her and were horrified when they saw the smile slide off her lips. In the time it took for Warrick to take a swig of the coffee in front of him, Sara's expression changed from one of jubilation to one of horror. The faces of everyone assembled quickly mirrored her own. The suspense was especially intense as they could only hear half of the conversation that was taking place; more than enough to cause them alarm.
"What! … Nick are you okay? … Dead? … We'll be right there!"
At the word "dead" the blood drained from Catherine's face. Her heart froze for several beats and her breath caught in her chest. Her mind took over after a moment of panic and forced her to think logically. Obviously Nick was all right, he's answered the phone hadn't he? But what if it wasn't Nick on the phone? What if Nick was already dead and they were too late? She wasn't forced to wonder long. Sara's discussion with however spoke from the other line didn't last more than a few seconds.
"Nick…?" Catherine only managed to get out her friend's name but Sara understood completely.
"He's okay," Sara assured them all as soon as she'd closed her phone. "I didn't get too much out of him but we definitely need to get over there."
"I'll drive." Warrick interjected immediately.
Within two minutes the four of them were piled into Warrick's SUV and speeding to Nick's house with the emergency lights flashing. Catherine dialed Brass's number as they drove and informed him of the 419 awaiting them at Nick's house.
Nick stared down at the blank eyes of the woman that had caused him such turmoil in the past couple of days. He realized immediately that he hadn't ever wanted her dead. Even in the midst of everything he knew she'd done, he couldn't wish death on her. Looking down at her lifeless form spread across his kitchen floor, he couldn't help but wonder what had driven her to do something as drastic as suicide. She was a murderer, and now there was no way for him to feel the closure he'd always tried to find in the conclusion of a case. There would be no answers for him. There was only a corpse spread across his kitchen floor.
Calmly Nick stood up from the chair he'd sat in while trying to manage his initial shock. He stepped over the body blocking the way to the living room and turned down the hall to enter the bathroom. There was still a hint of steam in the air and a trace of condensation on his bathroom mirror. Nick realized he hadn't turned on his bathroom fan while he's taken his hot shower and quickly rectified the error. He then lifted the lid and toilet seat to expose the bowl of his toilet, half full of clear cold water. Nick knelt carefully on the rug and insured his face was completely covered before violently vomiting into the bowl.
Once he'd upturned the entire contents of his stomach, the retching stopped and Nick was able to stand up. He flushed the toilet and moved towards the sink in order to brush his teeth. When he opened the cabinet behind the mirror in order to retrieve his toothbrush and toothpaste, Nick saw the many bottles before him filled with the medicine he now needed to keep control.
Methodically, Nick began removing the bottles from the cabinet one by one. He slowly undid the lid of each bottle and poured the contents down his sink. He finally knew he wouldn't need them anymore. He had found the control he'd been missing since his burial.
It was while Nick was in the bathroom, putting the empty pill containers in the garbage, that he heard the phone begin to ring. Nick hurried back down the hall and towards the phone. As he ran to pick it up he noticed for the first time that his front door was wide open. He stopped himself from closing it, reminding himself that he could inadvertently wipe off important trace, and instead glanced at his caller ID. It was Sara.
Instead of hello Nick decided he would get right to the point.
"The suspect is here Sara."
What?
"She came to my house."
Nick are you okay?
"I'm fine, but she'd dead."
Dead?
"Yes she killed herself."
Nick we'll be right there.
Nick hung up the phone and sighed. He took comfort in the fact that his friends were on their way. He didn't have to deal with anything anymore. As much as he didn't like the outcome, or would have preferred another, it was over. He could start putting the whole ordeal behind him. He sat on his front step, without touching anything, and waited for his friends to arrive.
Warrick was driving quickly but the trip seemed to take an eternity to everyone in the vehicle. It seemed hours later when they finally pulled up in front of Nick's town house. Brass seemed to have arrived before them, but only barely. He was just getting out of his car as they pulled in. All four of the CSI's quickly met up with him and together they approached Nick who seemed to be calmly sitting on his steps.
As anxious as everyone was to put the lid on this case once and for all, they realized too that it was imperative that they take their time processing the scene that had become of Nick's home. Each of the CSI's entered carefully and began processing the scene except for Catherine who took a seat next to Nick instead.
"Are you okay?" She asked carefully. Brass was standing nearby listening intently.
"Ya," Nick was able to answer with a slight smile. "I really think I am."
Catherine looked up at Brass and confirmed that he too was surprised at the words coming out of Nick's mouth; not only the words but their tone as well. It was hard not to believe what Nick was telling them. Catherine hadn't expected this at all, in fact she'd been terrified during this entire case that the proceedings would set Nick back in his recovery. She never would have though it possible that it would have the completely opposite in fact. It seemed to have cured him of the anxiety he'd struggled so hard with over the past weeks.
"I believe you Nick." Catherine said finally. Nick smiled in response.
"So what the hell happened here?" Brass broke the silence.
"Actually Sara's the one that figured it out. She was the only one that could have, well her or you I guess." She nodded towards Brass, who looked surprised at the information. Catherine continued to relay what Sara had informed the team of earlier. "Only the two of you could of figured it out because you were the only ones interrogating Kelly Gordon."
"Kelly Gordon?" Brass interjected, "So she was behind – "
"No." Nick cut across him. "She isn't the one in there." He added glancing back towards his house.
"No it wasn't Kelly," Catherine confirmed, "but she did tell you about the actual person during the interview. A convict by the name of Patricia Reynich."
In a flash Brass recalled sitting across the table from a disturbed blonde in her late twenties. A pale palm was extended towards him and on it was the image of a small white flower, carved crudely into her skin. "My cellmate, Trish, gave it to me for Valentine's Day…" He instantly understood.
"The cellmate."
"Yes." Catherine explained that Sara had recalled the same image when she'd been checking over the evidence and seen the flower again. She'd immediately called Catherine and informed her of her suspicion. The team had run a check into the whereabouts of Kelly's lover and found that she had in fact been released on bail just two weeks ago.
While listening to Catherine's explanation Nick began piecing together the bits of the puzzle that had eluded him; the impassioned speech from the woman as she stood with the gun on him. She had really been in love with her cellmate. Nick had read the report of his case. He knew that Kelly had been terrorized by her cellmate for the years she'd been in prison, but he'd never guessed that, Patricia Kelly had never been some 'hood rat's lesbian love slave'. She truly had loved her, and must have blamed Nick for Kelly's lack of return of the affection towards her. Finally the answers were coming. Nick was able to understand why the things that had happened to him had happened at all.
Brass stood outside with Nick as Catherine joined the rest of her team on yet another investigation of Nick's house. There really was little to be done. Nick's story explained exactly what had happened from the moment he'd realized he wasn't alone in the house. The only question that still needed answering was that of the woman's entry. How had she managed to get in in the first place?
"Hey Nick, you didn't touch anything did you?" Warrick came out onto the step with a concerned look on his face. He was looking at the front door with a crease between his eyebrows.
"No man," Nick answered, "I just came out here."
"Then you didn't leave your key in the door?"
"What?" Nick spun around to face his front door, which still stood ajar, and noticed for the first time a small metal key protruding from the lock. It was not his own. It wasn't on a key chain and besides, considering his past experiences, Nick was very careful about where he left his keys lately. "She had a key?"
"She must've," Warrick continued. "I don't think there's any other way she could've gotten in. She was walking through the front door the whole time. I'll bag it and dust for prints anyways but I think this is how she was managing it Nick."
Nick thought back as far as he could. How could she have gotten a key? Upon closer examination it came screaming to his attention that he hadn't always been as careful with his locks as he was now. He used to be a very trusting person. All the ex-girlfriends who'd been given access to his home, any time he'd ever lost a set on the way to or from work… It was by no means impossible that Patricia had managed to get a hold of a key. Exactly how it came into her possession Nick guessed he would never know. I guess he really didn't need to.
As Nick and Brass had been talking, Brass doing most of the talking, a full-blown crime scene had unfolded around them. David had been called and had already given them the okay to remove the body. It was as Nick was watching the paramedics wheel a gurney loaded with a heavy black bag that he finally was able to accept the repercussions of what had happened to him that night. It was over… finally, truly over, and now he had a chance to rest.
Catherine, Sara, Greg, and Warrick left Nick's house after their investigation was complete. It hadn't taken them long considering they'd had Nick's story to inform them of exactly what had happened, they had all they needed to corroborate it. They all stood looking at Nick and soon conversation managed to break out. Each member of the team had to admit that Nick looked better than they'd seen him in a long time, the realization made it possible for them to smile and laugh again as they talked with their friend. It wasn't until Nick asked a completely innocent question that each of their faces fell, though each for a completely different reason.
"Hey you guys." Nick broke in halfway through their conversation outside his townhouse. "Where's Grissom anyway?"
Okay I AM SO SORRY! I know it's been such a long time since I last updated but I don't believe how busy school's been going. I mean I've only been in for a few weeks and the homework load is obscene! So much for the 12th grade being the year to relax lol. Oh well. Again I am sorry. This is the second last chapter, which means this story is actually coming to a close and I think I'm gonna miss it a lot! Ah well I guess all good things must come to pass. I absolutely love reading your reviews PLZ PLZ review.
Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter:
sokerfreek922: I'm sorry the update took so long but I hope you're loving this story! Thanks so much.
GoofyGoofySanders: Wow (major blush when I read your review) lol but I'm thrilled you're enjoying the story. I'm not so sure this fic is good enough to be the first episode of season 6 lol but I am completely estatic that it is coming so soon SEPTEMBER 22 BABY YA!
everybetty: Wow way to guess it lol…and this was totally the plan all along. I guess you're just way too smart to fool! Sorry you didn't get your answers about Grissom (I'm sure you've guessed that that is what's coming up in the next chapter). Thanks a ton for the review.
Mma63: I know you didn't mean to put 'only a girl' lmao…Just kidding. But yes it was in fact a mere female that was causing all this mess. It may surprise you but there you go! Thanks so much for the review.
Nix707: Haha, Hope the clothes shopping wasn't too much of a drag! I know this chapter leaves a lot less suspense but there is only one more coming so what can you do! Hope you're having an easier time with your classes than I am lol. Thanks for the review!