Disclaimer: Don't own them...
A/N: Thanks to Mel for the beta, and for writing the article for me... Thank you so much!
Alright, I hope you all like this, please review... Really, please! I need to know if you like it, or criticism is welcome too... Anything!
Chapter 5
A few weeks later:
Mel awoke with a grin on her face, it was her birthday today and she would pay David a visit at the lab, as a surprise. He should be the one to surprise her, but she didn't care. As long as she could see him today, she was happy. Still smiling she stood up from the bed, the sheets wrapped around her body, and made her way to the bathroom to get a shower and brush her teeth.
After showering she stood in front of her wardrobe for what seemed like hours, deciding what to wear. Eventually she settled with a dark red tank top and a jeans skirt. She knew David loved that outfit, and she did too. Finding a matching pair of high heels, she got dressed and did her make up. With her hair pinned up and a few strands hanging loose, framing her face, she smiled at her own reflection. She was satisfied.
She got her purse and got into the car, turning on the radio very loud and singing with it, even though she didn't even know the lyrics. It wasn't very busy on the streets, so it only took her a few minutes to get to the lab.
"Dave!" Greg practically ran into the trace lab, causing Hodges to groan out loud.
"What is it Sanders?" He barked.
"Well... I think there's somebody here to see you." He paused. "It's a woman... you feeling okay? I mean, we all thought... well, you know."
"Who is it Greg?"
"Mel, from the club," he said with a grin. "She's so in to me, I'm sure she has been using you to get closer to me."
Hodges snorted. "Yeah, right, in your dreams." And after that, he quickly made his way in the direction of the front desk. From a far he could see her dark hair and her dark red top, he loved that top.
"Mel?" He asked when he was only a few feet away from her.
She turned around and smiled at him. Closing the last distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. "Hey baby."
"Congratulations," he whispered into her ear as he held her to him. Placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head he pulled back, looking around when he heard voices.
"Mel, I would like you to meet my co-workers, Nick Stokes, Warrick Brown, Catherine Willows, Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom." He politely smiled at the team. "Guys, this is my girlfriend, Mel Pearson."
The guys had their mouth hanging open and so did Sara. Catherine and Grissom just smiled back politely and shook hands. "Pleasure to meet you."
Catherine poked Warrick in the side. "Close your mouth," she whispered and poked Nick too, telling him the same. Sara had already come to her senses, and shook hands with Mel.
"We've heard so much about you," she told Mel, who smiled shyly.
Hodges raised his eyebrow at her. "Come on, why don't I show you around somewhat," he told Mel and took her arm and lead her away from the group.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he guided her through the hallways and into the trace lab. He explained all the things he worked with and showed her some nice samples under the microscope.
"This is awesome baby," she told him. And with a sigh she added: "I wish I was smart enough to do something like this, instead of being a writer for a stupid magazine."
Hodges turned to look at her. "It's not a stupid magazine..."
She looked sadly at him, having expected he would say something else. "Really?"
He grinned. "And... most important, you are smart. Don't ever doubt that Mel."
In his break Hodges had decided to give Mel a ride home. They were sitting in the car and she was looking out of the window. He sighed. "Mel?"
"Hmmm?"
"I promise I'll come by after shift, okay? I promise I won't be late," he said and placed his hand on her leg. "You shouldn't be alone on your birthday, why haven't you asked family over?"
She looked at him and smiled softly. "My idea of a perfect birthday is spending the whole day alone with you."
At this Hodges turned fully red and had almost caused a car accident if Mel hadn't yelled: "Watch that car!"
Stopping the car in front of Mel's apartment a few minutes later Hodges turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. Looking at Mel he smiled at her puzzled expression. "I've got something for you," he said softly, pulling something out of his pocket.
He gave her the jeweler's box and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. "Happy birthday Mel."
When she opened it, she squealed out loud. "Oh my God, Davey Poo… Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.
"Davey Poo?" He cocked his eyebrow.
She smiled with tears in her eyes. "Yeah, I think that sounds kinda cute… But this necklace, it's really amazing baby. Really, you shouldn't have wasted so much money."
"It's no waste honey, never." He smiled at her.
"Thank you," she said again as she wiped the last tears away.
In the jewelers box was a silver necklace with an open heart. From out of the heart was a small chain, which was connected to one of the ends of necklace. On that small chain hung a beautiful pearl. It was simple but beautiful, just like her. That was why he had bought it, because the necklace reminded him of her.
"Mel, I really have to go now, my break is over. The boss man will kill me if he sees I'm late." He grinned widely at her.
'Yeah, he will.' She thought to herself, thinking about how negative her father had been talking about him when she'd last called with him. "Okay, I'll see you later then."
When he was back in the lab, after taking way too much time for his break, he was greeted by the sight of Greg Sanders sitting on one of the chairs in the trace lab, his feet resting on another chair. He was reading a magazine, judging by the cover it was the magazine Mel was writing for: 'Night Angel'.
"Greg?" Hodges exclaimed from the doorway. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a case to work on?"
"Wow Dave, you sound pretty annoyed. But mesa came here to warn you."
"Warn me?"
Greg stood up from his chair and placed it back to where it belonged. Then he walked over to Hodges and patted him friendly on his shoulder. He pushed the magazine in his arms and left the room, with the sentence: "I'm sorry man."
After Greg had left Hodges sat down in the chair and opened the magazine. He screened the table of contents and saw Mel's article was one page thirty-five. He leafed to the right page and started reading.
The life of an exotic dancer in a nutshell
Have you ever wondered if things happen for a reason? A series of random events, slide into place to create one magical moment, one magical moment that changes your entire life. Is it possible, that while you're in this moment, time stand still, while the rest of the world moves in fast forward?
Moving back to Vegas, taking the job at 'Night Angel', and doing this undercover piece, brought me more than I could imagine. Not only did I meet some incredibly women, it showed me my magical moment.
First I should give a bit a background on myself. My parent's names are Conrad and Megan. When I was twelve they split up, no that's not really true. My mother and father had issues, and one day she pulled me out of school and we left. My father never came for me, he sent checks, and I would come back to Vegas to visit him a couple weeks in the summer, but that's it.
I grew up thinking he didn't love me. Those weeks, which I did visit him, he would be working. Never understanding what pushed him away, I went against all his wishes. Everything I've done has been in spite of him. I allowed my last name to be changed from his to my mother's new husbands. Studying Journalism instead of Science, made him angry. He thought when I moved back to Vegas he could take care of me. Try to mold me into the daughter he wished I was. When he found out his little girl wasn't so innocent, he got angry.
He didn't know how deep I was into this undercover job, until that night, which my magical moment happened. I was dancing that night when I spotted him at the bar. He never told me how he found me, but he did. Pulling me outside, he was furious that I could do this.
By this I mean my first major assignment as a reporter. No matter where in Vegas you are, there are strip clubs on every corner. Others have done reports on the other women, or costumers, and sometimes even on how the strip clubs work. Going in trying to dig up all the bad, and show everything in a bad light.
Sure there are the guys that can't keep their hands off the women. For example, I met this guy, who was out with his friend. He seemed like a really nice guy, I still see him around every once in awhile. Every time he touched me my skin crawls off my body. He has a hint of anger in his voice, and it scares me, but that is only one guy out of so many.
It was after that last paragraph that Hodges stopped reading. He couldn't bring himself to finish the article. It was just so unfair... 'So everything was unreal? She thinks I'm a creep?' He closed the magazine and threw it across the room, and of course just at the moment Ecklie walked in.
"Hodges! What's going on in here?" He barked.
'Not him again' He thought with a deep sigh. He stood up from the chair and grabbed the magazine. He pushed it into the hands of his boss and left the room. "I'm working."
When he finally entered the trace lab he saw Mel had forgotten her purse. He put it aside and figured he would drop it off at her apartment after shift. Looking at his watch he noticed he still had two and a half hours to go. With a sigh he started on his samples.
While driving to Mel's apartment after shift he couldn't stop thinking about what she had said in the article. He felt used... 'Every time he touched me my skin crawls off my body.' He gripped the steering wheel tightly. 'Why did I deserve this?'
When he got to her apartment, he got out of the car and walked to the door. It took a few minutes before the door opened. She was wearing her rope, and it seemed as if he had woken her. But he didn't care. "You forgot something," he said when he handed her the purse.
She smiled softly and reached forward to caress his cheeks. He took a step back. "Doesn't it make your skin crawl to touch me?"
She kept silent before answering. "What are you talking about? I –"
"I know what you wrote Mel, I know I scare you," he said with a hint of anger in his voice.
She looked at him. "I think we need to talk about this... You better come inside for a moment."
He hesitated. Honestly he didn't really feel like talking about it. 'It's clear to me.' But looking at her concerned face he decided it couldn't hurt that much. 'Can't break a broken heart...'
TBC
