-1On with the next chapter… I need you all to let me know if I am messing up or anything…
Nick and Warrick found their way to Melissa's apartment by looking on the background check Catherine had done. It wasn't very far from the crime lab so Nick and Warrick didn't talk much. Just your normal sighs and small gestures. When they arrived and knocked on the door, no one answered.
"Melissa," Nick called as he Warrick tried the door knob, and to their surprise, it was open.
"Hello." Warrick's voice echoed through the apartment.
It was almost empty, except for a couch, a few chairs, a table and a TV. She didn't have much, but that was normal for someone who just moved into a new apartment… wasn't it? An arm was hanging over the side of the couch and Nick rushed to assist the possibly injured woman. Her eyes were closed and it appeared as if she was listening to a cd player.
She must have sensed someone was there because her eyes shot open and she screamed, bounced off the couch and ran into the next room.
"Melissa, it's okay, it's only me and Nicky." Warrick said as they heard her rummaging for something.
"Get the hell out of my place Myk-," She stopped, came out and saw Nick and Warrick standing in her living room. "What are you two doing here and how did you get in?"
"What happened to you?" Nick placed his gun back in his holster.
"Huh…" She rubbed her neck and then the side of her face, "Oh… I… uhh… fell in the shower."
"Don't lie." Warrick was stern.
"I'm not ly-" She stopped short and hung her head.
"What happened?" Nick walked her back to the couch.
"I don't want to talk about it… I only want to ignore it and hope it goes away." She said as she hugged a pillow.
"If you tell us what happened…" Warrick took a seat in a chair across from them.
"Well… Damn it!" She yelled, "What is it with you guys… All of you just make me want to open up!"
"Huh, that is unusual… We usually have the opposite reaction on people." Warrick laughed and then his cell went off. "Hello… Hey… Yeah… Okay… I'm on my way…" And he hung up, "Look man, the Missus wants me home. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Yeah, I'll call if I need anything." He answered.
Warrick left and Melissa grew extremely silent. The apartment was unfurnished and it didn't have a warm homey feeling.
"Where are all of the things you had back in college?"
She laughed, got up, and went to the kitchen area, "You want anything?"
Nick was silent.
"My… my… aren't you a pusher?"
"It was only a question…"
"Parents gave it to my sister, then cut me off from everything… assholes."
"What? I never thought of your parents to act that way."
"Yours would too if they accused you of doing drugs… Then claimed you were pregnant… Oh, and then said you shot yourself because you were to afraid to get an abortion."
Nick winced. He hated the thought that any woman would even consider an abortion. They may not have wanted the baby at first, but they kinda grow on you. "So what was the truth?"
She looked at him, "What do you think?" She handed him a glass of water and sat down next to him.
"I know the truth… They weren't thinking were they?"
"Nope, and Erin didn't even care to stop them… She called me all the time though and got me money from them if I needed it."
"Your sister wanted you to know that she was okay…"
"I figured as much…"
Nick cleared his throat, "You going to tell me what happened or do I have to drive you to the hospital?" He gestured towards the bruise next to her eye and the choke marks on her neck.
She sighed, "Okay… I came home, threw my keys down on the table."
-------
"Sanchez, Sanchez… I'm a little disappointed in myself." Mykle was standing in her living room.
"Mykle, what are you doing here?"
"What? Don't you miss me?" He walked closer to her, "I missed you."
"Get out…"
He ran the side of his hand down her cheek, "I'll teach you to never under estimate me again."
"Don't… I won't tell any one you're here."
-------
"Then he hit me, and started choking me, and then I heard a car horn honk outside… That's when he left." She looked at the door. "I took a shower and then relaxed on the couch… You want to know something?"
"What?"
"I was thinking about calling you…"
He was silent.
"I know, crazy."
"No, no it's not. You should have called me."
"Didn't want to worry you."
"Well… now I am and you can't stay here."
"And what do you suggest I do Nicky? Run again? No, I won't, not now. Not when I am finally near people I know." She said as she stood up and walk to the bedroom.
He followed, "Then stay at my place, you can sleep in the bed… I'll take the couch."
"Won't your girlfriend or wife care?" She came back out with a bag.
"Don't have one… err… either one… never mind. I don't have a wife or a girlfriend." He stood up, "So then we won't have a problem."
"You aren't going to tell the others about this are you?" She closed the door behind them and locked it.
"I can't exactly keep it from them… I'm not a make up artist, are you?"
"Do I look like one to you?"
"Man… Warrick took the car."
"That's ok, I have my car." She threw him the keys.
"Your going to let me drive?"
"Why? Can't I trust you?"
Meanwhile…
"Yeah, Grissom, we tried to get her to say something about it while I was there… No, I don't know if she told him yet… My wife called and wanted me home… In the car… On my way home… I'll call him later and ask… You too…" Warrick hung up the cell and pulled into his driveway.
Meanwhile…
"Home Sweet Apartment…" Nick presented his home as he opened the door.
"Wow, this is a lot better then my place," She placed her bag next to the couch.
"Not much, but it's mine-"
"I like it…" She plopped down on the couch and stretched out, "I don't want to take your bed from you. I have already intruded on your life as it is."
"You haven't intruded… I asked you to come here. And if you insist on sleeping on the couch-"
"I insist on it…"
"Then don't go telling people I didn't offer…"
They talked for a while and Melissa eventually fell asleep. Nick turned off all the lights and went into his room.
"I swear Mykle. Come around when I am with her and we will see if you lay a hand on anyone…" And with that he switched off his night stand light. He lay there for a while and heard Melissa cough a few times.
Ok… This one was a little weird for me to write… I don't know why. I was watching TV at the same time again… I'll try not to do that next time I write… Lots of Love…
