Coldest Degree

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye or CSI: Miami!

Epilogue

Jonathan Weiss was sitting in the interrogation room with a very smug look upon his face. Despite getting caught by the Miami-Dade PD, he had still managed his ultimate goal of destroying the Rippners.

Lisa Rippner was too hysterical to give a coherent statement after she woke up. Her wounds had also required immediate treatment and she was drugged with pain killers. How she had managed to move, let alone fight, was a mystery. According to all of her doctors, Lisa Rippner should not have survived her wounds for as long as she had. Some of the half-healed cuts were from as far back as the day of her kidnapping.

All Horatio Caine had to work with was the suspected killer. The bastard was sitting calmly on the other side of the two-way mirror and smiling.

"You ready, H?" Calleigh inquired. She had just returned from the hospital, where she had gone to collect the evidence from Lisa Rippner. Eric Delko was still at the hospital, waiting on Jackson Rippner's clothes and prognosis.

"Let's end this," was all he said before leading the way into the interrogation room.

Weiss turned to face them, that damn smile still plastered on his face. "Hello," he greeted cordially.

Horatio slammed a case folder in front of him. He flipped it open and pushed the crime scene photographs in Weiss' face.

"What are their names?" Horatio demanded. "Who were they? Why did you pick them long after her? We know that you were trying to kill Lisa Rippner."

"You're wondering how I did it, aren't you? How I picked them, followed them, tortured them. They all begged by the end for their pathetic lives. Only two of them were strong."

"Which ones?"

Weiss pushed two of the photos towards Horatio, who stared at them. One was the body of the first victim. The pregnant woman found in the swamplands. The other photo was of a shocked Lisa Rippner bending over her husband's still and bleeding body.

"I knew Rippner's little bitch would be a fighter, but that Lea McCord, mhmm…"

Calleigh hastily wrote down the name. "How did you find her?" she asked, forcing the killer to abandon pissing Horatio off for a moment.

"She wasn't hard. She had been heading back to her car after dinner. I said that my wife was having some problems and wondered if she might help me. Trusting little whore…she followed me back to my car. I let her take a good look at Lisa Rippner and then I had to chase her through the nearby woods. My shoulder was still hurting from where Rippner's bitch shot me, so it took me a while to catch her, but I always caught them in the end."

Horatio's eyebrow raised in suspicion, he asked, "Lisa Rippner shot you?"

"Rippner must have given her a gun. Shot me in the shoulder. But she paid for it several times." The smug, self-satisfied look was back.

"Tell me about the second woman. Who was she?"

"Lucy Ramin, such a brainless whore. She actually climbed into my car."

"Where was Lisa Rippner while you picked up your victims?"

"In the trunk. She was only allowed in the front after a successful punishment."

"Did you force her to watch you kill these girls?"

"Yep. She knew that she was next, but I never let her know how many kills there would be before she became a dump."

Horatio tried to control his anger. "Did you rape any of the girls?"

With a wide grin, Weiss leaned forward and said, "Just ask Lisa Rippner. She'll tell you all about it."

"Who was the third?" Calleigh said, jumping in before Horatio pressed further about his coy answer.

"Lara Adams. She actually tried to free the bitch. Of course she failed. After I shot down her escape plan, I shot her in the head."

Horatio stormed out of the room before anyone could say another word.

"What a cold person. He didn't have any remorse for what he'd done, did he?" Calleigh asked Horatio.

"No, they never do."

When Lisa Rippner finally came to, after a week spent in a drug induced coma, she was sitting in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and a warm quilt covered her body. She softly stroked the quilt and reflected on the time three years ago when she had woken up in Jackson's home, in his bed.

She glanced around the room and finally saw him. He was slumped in a chair by her bed, his dark hair falling into his eyes as always.

"Jackson," she called softly and he stirred. "Jackson…please…"

Blue eyes shot open and he righted himself. After a moment's pause, he slowly sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hey," he whispered softly, kissing her bandaged forehead. "How you feeling?"

"Pretty out of it."

"They tried to keep you out of the worst pain. Everyone said you should have died. But you're a fighter, Leese, that's why you're still here."

"I knew you'd find me."

He went to hug her and she stiffened in his arms. "Relax," he murmured, stroking her back in circular motions. "I won't hurt you."

"I can't," she whispered, biting her lip.

"What did he do to you, Leese? Did he--?"

"No, he never got that far. He did it to one of those poor girls though. I watched him—"

"You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again," he promised.

"He killed all of them because of me, Jackson. He said that it was my fault."

"Weiss was insane. The cops got him. He'll be getting what he deserves."

"What about you? He said you went crazy—he said you killed someone, Jackson. Are they going to take you away?"

Jackson looked at her pained face and gently pulled her onto his lap. "No one is going to take me away from you."

"But the police—"

"Lieutenant Caine and I have already spoken. Due to certain extenuating circumstances, I'll be free. But I also have to help them out. They want me to help them solve crimes involved with company-type guys."

"No more phone calls?"

"No more phone calls," he said with a smile. "No more travel either."

"You're on the no-fly list, aren't you?" Lisa inquired cheekily.

"Well, there's that and…"

"And what? What are you trying to hide from me, Jackson Rippner?"

He swallowed. "Apparently, there's some sort of parasite growing in you that requires an insane amount of attention…"

"Am I—?"

"We are," Jackson said proudly and Lisa squealed with delight before throwing her arms around Jackson. She shuddered at first, trying to pull away, but Jackson's firm grip kept her in place.

"A baby."

"Yes. Somehow it survived. It's a survivor, just like you, Leese."

"Jackson! We can't call it an 'it'."

"Why not? My parents called me an 'it' all the time. Plus 'little bastard'—"

"Your parents weren't going to win any awards for parent of the year. We have to be the best parents possible."

"Yeah, yeah…" Jackson said, rolling his crystalline eyes.

"Actually, on second thought, the last thing this world needs is another Rippner…"

"Now that's offensive!"

Five months after the Redhead Murders, Jonathan Weiss was being tried for three counts of murder one, two counts of assault, two counts of attempted murder, and one kidnapping. Lisa and Jackson Rippner were both present.

When Lisa tearfully recounted her story on the witness stand, her hands protectively covered her growing stomach. Jackson had always been there to hold her tightly and reassure her after she shakily stumbled back towards their seats in the audience. When the reporters became too pushy, Jackson flung a few choice words in their direction and herded Lisa through the mess safely.

Horatio Caine and members of his CSI team testified at the trial, helping to secure Weiss' place in prison. Jackson had testified as well, explaining how he knew Weiss and his violent temper, as well as the murders that he knew Weiss had been involved in. Of course, he had nearly been tossed out of the courtroom after Weiss turned back to smirk at Lisa. Jackson had exploded and nearly strangled the killer.

After a lengthy trial, the jury came back with a unanimous verdict: GUILTY.

Jonathan Weiss was sentenced to the death penalty. A year later, before he could be killed by lethal injection, he was found dead in his cell. Jackson had cursed the company when he learned the news.

But it did not matter to Lisa. Jonathan Weiss was dead. She had a newborn infant, which she named Lea after the first woman. Lea McCord had been pregnant as well and Lisa felt that she owed the strong-willed woman that much. The two women had bonded as much as they could. Weiss had taken a long time to kill Lea and they had both nearly escaped when she was murdered.

Nothing could change the fact that three women were dead because they fit a profile that was reminiscent of her. Nothing could change the fact that she had been hurt both physically and emotionally.

But with Jackson at her side and baby Lea in her arms, Lisa knew that she would recover. Her father was also an active part of her life once more and she knew that time would heal all wounds.

After all, Lisa Rippner was a survivor.

Author's Notes:

Finally, it's finished! It only took me a month to write the entire story! That's a pretty good record seeing as all the research that it required. I hope that this wraps everything up. I'm hoping that everything was realistic towards the end. Thanks for reading/reviewing!