Gotta love Thanksgiving break. We actually found some time to get together and write a chappie. IT'S A MIRACLE!
Chapter 19:
That evening Bobby, Mia, and David found almost all of them passed out in various poses around the room.
Nick was spread eagle on the floor with Sam using his stomach as a makeshift pillow. Tasha and Jen were curled up in two of the leather conference chairs as if they slept like that all the time.
Elliot slouched at the end of one of the couches while Olivia leaned against his shoulder and Alex took the other end and draped her legs across their laps. Catherine and Warrick had ended up spooning on the loveseat. The three couldn't help but chuckle when they saw that Warrick's long legs stuck out over one end.
On the couch by the ping-pong table, Grissom had taken one end, his chin resting on his chest. Sara was sprawled out on the middle two cushions with her head pillowed on his leg. Grissom had somehow gotten his fingers tangled in her hair in his sleep.
Brass sat awake at the other end watching the Discovery Channel's special, 'The Science of Star Wars' with Archie.
The three voyeurs had the (not) wonderful job of waking up the hung over detectives and criminalists.
Shannon, Sam, Jen, Olivia, and Greg shot for the bathroom as soon as their eyes were open. Catherine blinked blearily at them and went to call Lindsey. Warrick and Nick mumbled sleepily and automatically headed for the PS2. Alex and Elliot grunted and headed upstairs for coffee.
Tasha, on the other hand, perked right up and grinned at everyone who merely grimaced at her bright smile.
"How can you be so…perky this morning? You drank a whole frickin' six-pack last night." Greg groused as he wiped his mouth walking back from the bathroom.
"I'm one of those few weirdos who doesn't get much of a hangover. The alcohol just helps me sleep easier." Tasha replied as she trotted up the stairs for coffee.
Grissom snored gently from where he still slept on the couch and Brass reached over and punched him in the shoulder to wake him. He jerked awake which in turn woke Sara. They stared at each other for a few minutes without saying a word before trying to untangle her curly hair from his stiff fingers.
Olivia, Elliot, Tasha, and Jen's flights weren't until the next morning so everyone sat at the conference table and tried to finish their paperwork and get over their hangovers.
Jen idly gnawed on the earpiece of her sunglasses as she studied the paper in front of her. "Have we figured out who gets Anderson?"
Brass propped his head up with his hand. "I don't know. We all had a hand in it. It's not like we can divide him up between the four precincts."
"Well, we have…" Elliot looked at his watch. "Eight hours till we leave to figure this out."
Shannon looked over at her friend. "So what happens to you after this is all over?"
Alex looked morose. "I get folded back into Witness Protection. I talked to Federal Marshall Hammond and he said I could at least say goodbye this time."
Tasha suddenly stopped twisting her hair and blinked at the ceiling. "Why don't we just hand over Anderson to the Feds? I mean, they're out to get him too. So, why not just hand him over to the government and give everyone else some credit in the deal. Then we won't have to worry about him."
"It's feasible, but the other precincts aren't gonna be happy." Catherine mused.
SVUCSISVUCSISVUCSISVUCSI
A half-hour later everyone was still sitting around the conference table, only now the paperwork was gone and was replaced with a speakerphone. The voices of the sheriffs from the New Jersey, Georgia, Missouri, and Arizona precincts could be heard over the line. And they were not happy.
"This is ridiculous!" The nasally New Jersey sheriff exclaimed.
"Quite right." Added Arizona's sheriff.
"Why should you get all the credit?" Asked the sheriff from Missouri.
"It's not like those madmen didn't do enough damage on their own. Now you have to cut us outta their capture?" The Georgia sheriff practically spat out.
"You had a chance to get in on the action." Catherine replied.
"But…but, we had no idea…" Spluttered Arizona.
"Of course you didn't think we'd capture them after they evaded your…valiant attempts." Grissom monotoned.
"Exactly." Missouri said. "Hey! Wait a minute."
New Jersey jumped in. "Yes. We provided valuable information…"
"And gave you everythin' we had on the cases." Georgia added.
"Documents we already had. Sorry, but too little, too late." Brass said as he hung up on them.
"You know, that was really rude man." Warrick admonished even though he grinned widely.
A smile pulled at the corners of Tasha's mouth. "They did try to help. We should at least give them an honorable mention."