LINGER

Characters are not mine… this fic has been sitting in my closet for several months, I can't seem to get anywhere on Collide, Alone, a Tale of two friends, or well… anything for that matter, so I figured I'd type this up. Enjoy!


Chapter 6:

"I can't tell," she replied, clinging to his shirt.

He looked up at Sara who looked just as concerned as he did. "You can tell us, Elicia." Sara said, kneeling beside them.

"I'm not allowed to tell!" Elicia told them.

Greg held her in his arms. "I won't let them hurt you again, Elicia, but you have to tell us who hurt your neck."

She shook her head. "I don't want him to hurt you, daddy. He said he'd kill you if I told."

"Who did, sweetie?" Greg asked.

She frowned, "I can't tell," she repeated.

Sara spoke up again. "We can send him away. Your daddy works with the police, we can send him to jail, he won't be able to hurt you again." She assured her, hoping it would work.

Elicia nodded.

"Tell us who it was, Elicia." Greg asked again.

"Shane." She said, and collapsed into her fathers arms in tears.

Greg rocked her in his arms. "It's okay, baby. I won't let anyone hurt you again." He promised.

Sara stood up, pulling out her phone to call Brass to identify this 'Shane'.


After several hours Brass had identified Shane as Elicia's foster parent before she'd been returned to Greg. Shane Radcliffe was his name and he was now sitting across from Sara and Brass in the interrogation room.

"Elicia Sanders." Sara said. "Do tell us why we found bruises on the back of her neck, will you?"

He glared at her. "How should I know?"

Brass stepped in. "She lived with you for three years!"

"Oh," he sighed. "You mean the brat… she's a trouble maker…"

Sara and Brass were both glaring at him, if looks could kill this guy would be dead and buried.

"I saw that little girl. She's no problem child." Sara defended.

He rolled his eyes. "Then maybe it was her dead beat dad, ever think of that?"

Sara got in the guys face. "I know her father, he'd never hurt her…" she was cut off before she could continue.

"That girl was a brat." He stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Before anyone could say anything else the door flew open, a very steamed Greg walked in, glaring at Shane. "The 'brat' you are referring to is my daughter. I would highly suggest answering the nice detective's questions honestly." Greg said, staring the guy straight in the eye.

"Greg," Sara said, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him from doing anything stupid.

"Fine…" Shane huffed. "I did it," he leaned forward. "What are you gonna do about it?" He locked eyes with Greg, watching his reaction.

Sara answered before Greg could. "Send you to jail," she replied, pulling Greg out of the room with her.

"Don't let him get to you Greg," she said.

He stared at her. "He beat up my baby and you expect me not to want to use my knowledge of forensics and the fact that I know how to hide a body to my advantage?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, trust me; I'd want him gone too. But that wouldn't solve anything except taking you away from Elicia. You have to be strong for her."

"I know you're right," he said, nodding. "I can't go of what he did to her though. She was there for three years, imagine the hell she went through…" he said.

Sara did something neither she or Greg expected and pulled him into a hug.


Okay…. That seems like a good place to stop, and no, this is not the end of Shane, oh ho no… REVIEW!