A/N: CAN WE SAY WRITER'S BLOCK? Good god. First of all much thanks to rudaxf who, in the strange twisted way my brain works, gave me the idea for this chapter. I know you told me to have John rape Lily but I just couldn't do that. Second, I'm EXTREMELY sorry it took me this friggin' LONG to update. First I had the PSAT (Yucky) and then my mom almost grounded me from writing (she kinda did for a day or two, but I talked her out of it). Also, I can't really take complete create for the chapter title, which I stole from a shirt that Abby Stucio (Pauley Perrette) was wearing in an episode of NCIS which read "Same nightmare, Different day". Don't ask me why but I LOVE that shirt. Anyways, on with the show, which, unfortunately, is not mine. Sob.
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If there was one thing Lily Rush was not as she curled up in bed with her cats, Patricia Cornwell's Cruel & Unusual and Scottie, it was ill at ease. In a few hours that would change, but right now, she was happy. She looked up from her book, smiling at Scottie. He was reading as well, and she decided she liked the way he looked as he concentrated on his book. She sighed. She knew she should be scared. After all this creep had found her and was apparently waiting for her to make a wrong move, but some how, she wasn't. She settled into Scottie's left arm as he held his book with the other one, and turned back to her book in which Pete Marino was questioning a victim's neighbors (well the wife really). As the wife was telling Marino about the church steeple's lights, which were, according to the neighbor being turned off and on by the victim, who was a witch, Lil noticed that Scottie's book had fallen flat on his stomach and his breathing was the soft, even breaths of someone who was asleep. She smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek, which, to her endearment, caused him to smile in his sleep. Taking his book and setting it with hers on the nightstand, she turned off the light.
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Scottie sighed as he woke up, his head ringing. Then, as he woke up more completely, he realized his head was ringing, the phone on the nightstand was. He groaned softly as he reached over Lil, picking it up. "'ello?" Scottie demanded, too tired to be polite.
"Making yourself at home Valens?" Scottie winced as he recognized Stillman's voice.
"Umm…hold on, I think Lil's still asleep," he explained. Reluctantly, he shook her sleeping form, waking her up. She whined.
"What want?" she demanded. He smiled at her.
"Stillman," he told her, handing her the phone She sighed, nodding.
"Rush," she said taking the phone.
"Hey, sleeping well?" "I'm sure you didn't wake me up at..." There was a pause as she looked at the clock on the nightstand. "2:30 in the morning to comment on my sleep habits," she said with a sigh. Stillman laughed. "Remind me not to wake you up when you can actually reach me." She smiled at Scottie, remembering a time about a week ago when he'd tried to wake her up for whatever reason, and she'd punched him hard in the stomach, causing him to say, more or less what Stillman had said. She caught Scottie's confused expression and she smirked. "Yeah, I'm not much of a morning person," she cleared up for Scottie. He snickered softly, mouthing "Understatement" "So what did you call for?" she demanded, curious despite the early hour. Stillman sighed. "Lil, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but, well… I guess I thought you should know, and I wanted to be the one to tell you. Laura Hilson's dead." "WHAT?" Lil demanded. Scottie frowned at her, but she was focused on whatever Stillman was saying, fully awake now. "Graveyard got it, saw she was the victim in one of our cases, and called me. Her mother found her dead in her bed when she went to say good night. She'd been stabbed multiple times. Still waiting on the rape kit." A look of utter anguish crossed Lil's face, and Scottie, despite not knowing what was going on, wrapped his arms around her, hugging her small form to him. "Oh, god," she whispered, shaking her head a little. Her eyes welled up as she asked, "It was him, wasn't it?" She heard Stillman sigh over the phone line, and Scottie was still silently asking her what was going on. "I don't know Lil, it might not be…" "But…" "but yes, I think it is." Lil closed her eyes, trying to block it out. "Thank you boss" "Listen Lil, I still need you and Scottie hands off. I know it's going to be hard, and I'm sorry, but we don't want to lose this guy on a technicality. I'll keep you in the loop though. Sorry for calling so late, I just wanted you to hear it from me instead of the morning news…" he trailed off, obviously a little embarrassed. "No, not at all. Thank you boss. I…thank you. Boss, do you think you can do me a favor?" she asked. "I'll try, what is it?" "You tell Valens. I can't." Scottie squeezed her shoulder as she handed him the phone. "What's going on boss?" Scottie demanded. Lil watched shock cross his face, followed by his compassion-filled eyes falling on her. "Thanks boss. I gotta go," he mumbled, hanging up the phone as Lil's tears got the better of her. He pulled her to him, gently rubbing her back as she cried. "Shh… it's gonna be okay babe. Shhh…we'll get him…I'm here…" Scottie murmured into Lil's hair, enjoying the scent of her shampoo. After a while she'd calmed down a little bit, and she pulled away to wipe her eyes. "If only we'd been able to get more on this guy, we could've stopped him Scottie. I could have stopped him. She wouldn't have had to die. This is all my fault," she muttered. Her eyes told Scottie that she actually believed what she was saying, and his own eyes widened in shock. "Lil," he whispered. "Lilian Rush. Tell me you don't actually believe that. Please tell me you're not blaming yourself." Her silence spoke volumes. "God damn it Lil, please. Look at me." The amount of pain Lil found in his eyes was staggering. "Lil, yeah, maybe if he'd left us a little more to go on, sure he could have had him locked up where he belongs, and Laura would still be alive. But that's a big if Lil. There is no way to be sure that's what would have happened. He didn't leave the evidence, and he couldn't have detanded him and she's not alive. And beating yourself up like that is not going to change any of that." He gave her a humorless smile, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear before letting his hand travel to her cheek, drying it with his thumb. "Besides," he added, his tone pleading. "I can't stand to see you like that, Lil, I really can't." She gave him a sad little smile, sighing. "I know, and I'm sorry Scottie. But she was only nineteen years old. Her mother found her it her bed, stabbed to death. Do you know how bloody stabbings are Scottie?" The question was a rhetorical one, but Scottie nodded a little, pulling her into another hug. "Yes Lilly, I do," he muttered, kissing the top of her head.LSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLSLS
There. I for one, say good riddance to having to write that chapter. Sorry it's so short. And now, since it's 11:53 at night, and I think I'm coming down with a cold, I'm going to sleep. I'll do responses when I post.
Mellie- Hey, they're in a stressful situation. LOL. Birthday is on FRIDAY! (doing little excited dance).
ewka tal- yeah, unfortunately my mother doesn't agree with the screw learning part so much. LOL.
justawriter-yeah, my friend did that to me (Griss is gonna sleep with Cath). And DUH CAT LOVES WAR.
stwbrryCSI- I didn't like Room Service either. Liked the last one though. And yeah, I have a plan- ish. LOL.
Nix707- Lol. Guilt Trip? not my intention, but hey, if it makes you post faster...:-) How totally cute was that Numb3rs epi. on Friday? LOVED IT! And I'll try and drag it out.
rudaxf-LOL. Don't ask my how your review gave me the idea for this chapter (and to drag this fic out) but it did. big hug
daredevil- can't wait...you just did. LOL sry bout that.
kawwiipeach14- Again with the self critism...bad girl. Thanks for the present. LOL.
ewka tal(again)- Lol. you have no idea how much I cracked up when I read your review cuz you told me not to do exactly what i did. And how's short AND rare work for you? Not at all? Oh, okay.
Banana- Doesn't seem out of chararcter? well it is. LOL.
stargate rules!-Soon enough for you? No? SRY.
CanadianCowgirl- LOVE THE SCREEN NAME! ALOT! Lol. huge inside joke with me and Canada.