Title: Last Chance - Chapter 17
Disclaimer: Yes I own them. I'm also the Easter bunny. So please leave the front door unlocked for me so I can come lay some colorful eggs in random places around your home and you can rush to find them before they go bad and your house reeks until Christmas. Ok so maybe I don't. Don't sue me.
Authors Note: Ok well, this is kind of a back track in the story. Just rewind about ohhh a few hours from the end of the last chapter . . . after they fell asleep . . . before he woke up. And hey! It's long! Ok then. Please read and review because I love feedback!
Sara's first thought when she woke up as that she wasn't tired anymore. Given that she had just woken up, that wasn't what was odd. What was odd that she felt rested. Totally relaxed. Her second thought was that Grissom was still there. Asleep beside her.
She smiled as she realized he was snoring. Not loud, just lightly when he inhaled. She turned over as gently as she could so she wouldn't wake him. God, he was adorable. His hair was sticking up in little tufts like a child's. She reached over and gently touched his face with one hand before easing herself out of the bed.
She left the bedroom without turning on a light and making as little noise as she could when she went in search of clothing to wear. She went into the bathroom and started the water in the bathtub, wincing as the pipes squeaked to life. She didn't want to wake him up. He'd had just as long of day as she had. She stepped under the water and quickly showered.
After she finished and gotten dressed, she stuck her head back into the bedroom, and found Grissom still sound asleep. She almost wished he would wake up, so she could talk to him before she left. So he could come with her. But she didn't want to get him up any sooner then he wanted to. After yesterday, he deserved to sleep.
She went to the kitchen and made a cup of tea and got the coffee pot ready. She didn't drink coffee much, but as strange as it was, sometimes she would brew a pot just to fill her apartment with the strong aroma. She did enjoy the smell. It reminded her of the good days before . . . sitting at the table with her mother at breakfast. She knew Grissom would want coffee, so she set the auto-drip feature to start in an hour.
Grabbing a yogurt from the refrigerator, she sat down at the table and left him a note. Then she called a cab to come get her to take her to her car. She knew they'd be releasing Maddie from the hospital sometime this morning and wanted to get there before she was gone.
She grabbed her spare key from the drawer and wrote an 'S' on it, so he'd know which one was hers. She tiptoed into the bedroom and slipped it on his key ring. Then she walked the edge of the bed, leaned over, and gently kissed his forehead. He mumbled something incoherent and she quickly left before she woke him, grabbing something off the chair next to the closet.
Ten minutes she was in the back of a cab on her way to the storage compartments. Crime scene tape was blocking off the actual unit and two police cruisers were sitting outside yet. As the cab drove away she flashed her badge at one officer as he strode over to her. "Good Morning - just came to collect my car." She explained when he got close enough.
"Yes, Miss Sidle, is it? Captain Brass said you'd be coming."
Sara smiled. "Yeah, I left in kind of a hurry last night."
"I was also supposed to tell you to give him and . . . " he checked his notes. "Warrick Brown, a call when you arrived."
"Ok. Great. Thanks." Sara waved as she got into her car and started the engine. The first call she made was to Warrick.
"Hey, Sara." Warrick answered his phone.
"Hey Warrick . . . how'd you know it was me?"
"Caller ID Sara . . . Ain't technology wonderful?" she heard the amusement in his voice.
She herself almost laughed outloud. God her brain forgot weird things sometimes. "Whatcha need Rick?"
"Just wanted to let you know we got Ampress for sure. Even if that confession you got doesn't hold up in court."
"Good . . . "
"We've found a positive match on the shoe treads from the hall. The moron was wearing them!"
"Check the last place first . . . "
"Well, we checked last. After we got him down to booking. Found a positive match to the blood at the scene. Which matches the blood from the bodies of the dogs, the dogs we have witness to Ampress picking up at the kennel, we found at the storage container. Not to mention we got the DNA comparison back from the hairs found on the victims. Matches Ampress without a doubt. The powder Griss found in Ampress' home was cyanide. Perfect match to the chemical composition to the cyanide we found in the vics. And the bottle of sleeping pills matched the ones we found in the ketchup on Maddie's plate."
"Wow, you guys were busy while we were sleeping . . . " Sara realized the 'we' in that sentence a little late.
"We?"
"I meant I . . . Thanks Warrick."
"Oh girl, that ain't all . . . the storage container, rented in name Dominick Garmen . . . but paid from with Mr. Ampress' credit card. And that's it. For now."
"It's good enough. We got him"
"Yeah we did good this time. It's not often one of us gets to be the hero."
"Not a hero Warrick . . . just doing a good job."
"Well, whatever you say Sar . . . oh by the way, Ecklie's been looking for you."
Sara groaned. "Tell him I'll be in this afternoon."
"Will do, have a good one Sara . . . oh, and make sure you pass this information along to Grissom will you?"
Sara flushed. "Bye Warrick."
She had just hung up the phone and pulled out of the lot when her phone rang again. "Sidle . . . "
"Hey Sara, it's Brass. Have you talked to Warrick yet?"
"Yep, actually just got off the phone with him."
"So he told you we got the bastard?"
"Yep."
"Did he also tell you about Penelope Ampress?"
"No . . . is she ok?"
"The Fina's lawyer is going to be here at three this afternoon. You should come down. This should be good - oh and Sara? Just to rest your mind, she's fine. For now."
"Ok Brass. I'll see you at three. Right now there's another little girl I promised I would go see."
"Ok. And Sara?" Sara heard the smile in his voice. "Make sure you bring Gil with you . . . "
"What?"
"Well, he told me not to have your car taken to the hospital. Said he'd take you back to get it when you were done at the hospital. But I got there this morning and it was still sitting where you left it. I just figured . . . " he trailed off.
"As far as I know, Jim, he's fast asleep. But I'll make sure to let him know if I see him this morning."
"Sure - ok- bye"
Sara hung up and couldn't help but wonder if maybe everyone was onto them . . . well except them. Did they assume . . . nah. It was just her paranoid personality showing again. Probably.
She pulled into the parking structure of the hospital and shut off her cell phone. That was another thing she was paranoid about, giving someone another heart attack because she had her phone on. She also shut it off before even setting foot in an airport - less she brought down an airplane by messing up their controls. She knew the latter was ridiculous . . . unless she was actually on the plane, her phone was of no danger to them. But even her rational mind wasn't going to risk it.
Locking her car door she grabbed her purse and a ragged old bear off the seat. She shut the door behind her and walked in the hospital where she was directed to room 207.
She knocked before she opened the door. "Come in . . . " Maddie's small voice wafted through the door.
Sara pushed the door open, holding the bear behind her back. "Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"
"Miss Sara! I knew you'd come!"
"I promised didn't I?"
"Well, yeah, but sometimes grownups forget promises . . . 'cause they forget."
"Well honey, sometimes they do, but I'd never forget about you." Sara moved in and sat in the chair next to the bed. The girl looked better now, she'd bathed and her hair was down around her shoulders.
"What're you hiding?"
"I've forgotten how hard it was to hide something from a five-year-old."
"I'm five-and-a-half. Is it for me?"
Sara suddenly felt very silly for the beat up old bear she was holding behind her back. "When my daddy died . . . someone gave this teddy bear to me." She pulled him out. "He's been through a lot with me, but he's taken really good care of my heart." She reached out and tapped Maddie's chest. "And I wanted to give him to you. To take care of your's. And to make sure you're never alone. Ok? The smile that broke out on Maddie's face was all the answer Sara needed.
She handed him over and Maddie hugged him close to her. "Thank you Miss Sara . . . I promise promise promise to take really good care of him."
Sara smiled softly. "I know sweetheart, I know."
Two cartoons and one game of Candyland later, a knock came at the door. When the door opened a woman from Social Services walked in, to collect Maddie.
The little girl cried then. "But I wanna stay with Miss Sara . . . "
Sara tried the best she could to explain that they were going to take her to a nice house with other kids and really nice grownups. But Maddie would have none of it.
Sara silently screamed at herself for getting so attached. It wasn't fair to her or to the little girl. "Honey, you have to go . . . I can't take care of you." Sometimes can't even take care of me . . .
Maddie wiped at her cheeks. "Why not?"
Sara's heart broke. How could she explain to a child that her life revolved too much around work? She didn't try. She handed Maddie a slip of paper. "Do you know your numbers?"
"Yes . . . my mommy teached me them."
"Good . . . and do you know how to use a phone?"
"Yes, my mommy teached me that too, so I could talk to her whenever I wanted to."
"Good . . . see these numbers? These are my phone numbers. So you can call me anytime you need me ok?"
"I don't wanna talk to you, Miss Sara! I wanna SEE you!" The child flung herself around Sara's neck.
"I know baby, I know . . . but I'll see you again ok? But for today you need to go with this nice lady . . . she'll take really good care of you."
Maddie looked up at her with a tear streaked face. "Promise you'll come see me again?"
Now Sara wanted to cry. "Promise Promise Promise . . . three times, so it counts."
"And you won't forget?"
"Never."
Maddie looked over at the Social Worker standing silently by the door. "Ok . . . lets go . . . I think I'm ready." She picked up the bear from the bed and wrapped herself around Sara again. "I love you Miss Sara."
Tears threatened to fall now. "I love you too"
The girl patted Sara on one cheek and planted a kiss on the other. "Bye Miss Sara . . . "
"Bye honey . . . " Maddie walked from the room and the Social Worker followed.
Sara stood there for a couple minutes regaining her composure and waiting for them to clear the hallway before she left.
She got to the car, turned her phone on, and checked the time. She had twenty minutes before she was to meet Grissom.
She drove to the diner where they were meeting and sat in her car. Her phone chirped a few minutes later.
'I'll be there in 5. Missed you this morning. G.'
Sara smiled - today was a good day. A day to look forward to.
To Be Continued . . .