A/N: Time for a disclaimer? Okay - well Foxie, Hannah, Marcus, Kade, Jess, Caroline, Alex and... (did I miss anyone?) Dr. Martinson belong to US! You can't have them! (well you can... but thats NTP.) All other characters are property of... well I dunno, but not us. Hence the point of fanfiction!
This chapter belongs to Celine!
Chapter 16: You Belong To Me
"Foxie…"
The redhead had locked herself into the morgue's toilets. If someone could watch through the door, they would not only see that she had red hair, but that her eyes were red too… And she didn't respond to Hannah's call.
"Foxie I know you're in there, remaining silent won't make me leave."
Silence.
"Foxie…" Hannah said in exasperation. "You know, Jess is right, we're a team. And if you think you weren't part of it, why don't you start being with us now? We're here for you."
"I don't deserve it."
Finally, an answer.
"Sure you don't. But somehow I think about you as a friend, and I'm not leaving you here."
Foxie unlocked the door and Hannah saw she had cried. "I can't have weaknesses, not now. I don't wanna fear for the lives of people I care…"
Hannah interrupted her. "Wait, I'm a… weakness?" Foxie looked away. "I'll take that as a yes, but since you almost said you cared for me, I'll pass through that detail."
"I have enough fear for my family now." She paused, not knowing how to continue. "I… I stopped living when I started to go after Alex. He's destroying everything I have and I don't want to offer him more targets."
"Foxie…"
"He's going to strike where it hurts the most and you have a big weakness."
"I…" Hannah was about to protest but instead she began to ponder. "He's not my weakness, he's my strength. I wanna fight for him, for us."
She made the agent thinking. When was the last time she had wanted to fight for someone? Probably for Marcus. She couldn't say it loud and was afraid to show it but she deeply cared for him.
"Anyway," Hannah continued, "it's a bit late for those considerations, he already hates all of us. You weren't close to Kade and she wasn't very fond of you either, that didn't prevent Alex from shooting her."
"But it doesn't prevent me to feel the fear. And I AM concerned by Kade's health."
"Okay, be concerned. But stop blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault."
There was a long silence between the two women.
"Shouldn't you be seeing him tonight?"
Hannah looked at Foxie. "You know?"
"Yeah, you've been talking about it for three days."
"Did I?" She blushed, and then looked at her watch. "I can stay with you, I still have time."
"No, go. I'll be fine."
"Alone?" She gave Foxie a look. "You won't be fine alone."
"Look, I'm going home, take a shower and sleep a bit. So, yes, I'll be fine alone to do this."
"Okay. I drive you back."
"I can get a cab."
"I drive you back!" She thought about Jess' comment, powerful orders and no one would disobey. "Besides, your flat is on the way to mine."
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"Are you ready?"
"Soon… Just a minute, please." A voice answered from the back of the apartment. A few seconds later Hannah came back from the room carrying a plant. "Let me just take my coat."
"Are you bringing it with us at the theatre?" Bug asked, pointing at the plant she still had in her hands.
"No, it's for Kade. 'Cause chlorophyll speeds up for recovery." She paused and looked at him with her brown eyes. "You don't mind stopping at the hospital a few minutes, do you?"
"Of course not." How could he say 'no' to those eyes?
"Thanks." She kissed him on the cheek and walked down the stairs.
"Didn't you bring flowers earlier today too?"
"They were from everyone. These are only from me. You coming? Or we'll be too late to the theatre."
They went into Bug's car and drove through Kade's hospital.
You're my weakness, Hannah thought as she looked at Bug. But I do want to fight for you. She smiled.
"What?" Bug asked her as he caught her facial expression.
"I was just thinking…"
"And?"
"You should really get a new car, you know." She said, laughing.
"Why? This one works just fine."
"Just fine?" She gave him a look. "Do you hear it?" Before he could say anything she changed her tack. "No, I mean, do you hear me talking with all the noise?"
Bug shrugged with a smile.
"Just fine." And seeing she wasn't convinced he added, "I brought it for oil changing last month and the mechanic said it could make it for at least 5 years."
"He meant the oil, not the car."
"Oh come on! You don't like it?"
"Uhm… No."
"But I do."
"Don't try to bring me out with this during five years or I'll just keep my door closed."
"You'll have to open it just to see who's coming since you don't have any hole at your door." Bug said with an intriguing voice.
Hannah laughed. "I can recognize your car's noise from miles around."
"So… what do I do to bring you out?"
"Uhm… new car… big… red… powerful engine…" She made big signs with her arms while talking and Bug couldn't help but laugh.
"Kinda noisy too."
"But with better shock absorbers." My weakness… I won't afford to lose you… "Here. There's a free spot."
Bug parked his car. They both reminded silent for a while before Bug leaned to her. "Hannah… je t'aime." He then started to kiss her. If she answered at first, she soon backed off.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that, not now." She opened the door and left quickly.
"Ha… Hannah? He tried to call her back but she was already far. "You forgot your plant." He said, more to himself than anyone.
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"Woody!" Jordan yelled at Woody but he was already gone. Jess, Nigel, Garret and Jordan went out, only to see Woody jumping in a taxi and two seconds later the taxi turning at the next corner.
"What the hell was that?" Nigel asked, as his mind hadn't registered yet all that had happened.
"Don't know, but it involved Kade." Jess told him, not really knowing what to think.
"Maybe we should go to the hospital too." Jordan suggested.
"My car isn't far," Garret added, "and…"
But before he could end his sentence, another voice came from behind the group.
"Wow wow wow, what do we have here?" All heads turned to face the man in training suit.
"Marcus? Hey!" Jordan kissed his cheek. "What are you doing here so late?"
"Doctor Martinson thinks doing a little sport can only help me to recover faster, so I'm jogging. And tomorrow I go back to work, paperwork for one week or two and then I'm all ready for the big cases. How about you? There was a meeting and you didn't invite me?" But seeing the concern on their faces, he knew something was wrong.
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Damn it, Foxie! Why did you have to talk about that? A silent tear came from Hannah's eyes as she thought of what had happened earlier. That's not fair, I've waited so long to find him again and now I can't even have him because of Alex! Damn him too. She was going up the hospital's entrance stairs when someone ran into her. They both almost fell. Then she realized who it was: Alex!
"Damn it!" They both talked at the same time but Alex reacted first and ran away. It didn't take long to Hannah to go after him and at the other extremity of the street; Bug couldn't do anything but watch the scene. When he finally reached the hospital they were long gone. Then a taxi stopped brutally next to him and the man going out of it did not fail to jostle him.
"Woody?" but he didn't respond and rushed into the hospital. "Is it the full moon for everybody being crazy tonight?"
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"Come on little girl! You can't leave like that!" Nathalie was practicing the cardiac massage but she was starting to loose her hopes. "Kade, stay with us!"
"Doctor! She's gone!"
"No! Load the defibrillator."
"The cousin's behind the window."
"Load it, it's an order."
"He shouldn't see this."
"He should see all of us doing the best and not letting her down. Give me the defibrillator. Clear!" Nothing. Damn! "One more."
"DOCTOR MARTINSON!"
"Clear!"
"Doctor!" A second nurse started to talk. "The heart's beat is back!"
Nathalie let a relief sigh coming from her mouth. "Good." She looked at the first nurse who was looking at the floor, ashamed, and she talked to the other nurse. "Can you check if everything's okay?" She nodded. "I'll talk to the cousin."
"Doctor, wait!" The nurse called her back. "She's moving!"
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Bug stayed in front of the hospital door, hoping to see Hannah coming back and trying to make sense of all this rush. After a minute or two, a car stopped next to the hospital's entrance and 5 persons came quickly out of it. Garret, Jordan, Nigel, Jess and Marcus ran to him.
"Would anyone explain me what's going on? First Hannah running after some guy, then Woody rushing in the hospital, and now all of you…?"
"Woody had a call from the hospital concerning Kade and he left us so we followed him." Nigel told him.
"Let's get inside and check what's going on, we'll talk later." Jess commanded.
"What a girl! I love that." Nigel murmured to Bug.
"Yeah, I figured it out." Bug replied.
They went to Kade's stair and found Woody in front of Kade's room, eating his nails.
"Woody!" Jordan came to him and put her arms around him. "You okay? What happened?"
But he couldn't answer, staring anxiously at the window.
Then Nathalie walked out and went to Woody. "She scared us, but she will be fine. Her heart stopped beating but we brought the beat back…"
"Her… what? But..!"
"Hey!" The doctor interrupted her. "I know you wish this wasn't a hospital, but it is, and there are other patients who need to rest, so don't shout! Let me talk, and later we'll go downstairs and I'll answer to your question and allow you to make noise, but for now, keep silent and listen." The tone couldn't tolerate a 'no' as an answer so Woody just nodded. "Some guy came into her room and…"
"A guy? Wh…"
"Shhh!" Nathalie put a finger on her lips. "When he left, Kade stopped breathing. Her morphine was cut, she has a needle mark on her arm and it looks like the guy injected poison into her veins." During all her talk, she had to put her hands up and down to dissuade Woody to interrupt her and make more noise. "But luckily we were able to bring her back, we injected her with an antidote and… with the shock she woke up. Don't!" Woody tried to say something but he stopped immediately. "You can see her, but she's still very weak so she might not be able to answer. Stay calm, do not harass her with questions, and please, don't shout. You have 5 minutes." She showed him her watch. "I'm counting."
"Thanks." Woody went to the rooms without any other thoughts.
"You too can see her," Nathalie said to the rest of them, "but not long." They followed Woody, except Marcus.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Sure."
"It's about that man you aw in Kade's room…"
"Detective, I thought I ordered you to not work."
"Come on, I'll take the job back tomorrow and do paperwork, I can take a deposition. Let's just say that…" He looked at his watch. "That I start just 9 hours earlier than what you said."
"Okay… he was… quite tall… and…"
"Wait." Marcus took an identikit of Alex from his pocket. "Is this him?"
"Yes." Nathalie took the picture. "He said he was Dick Livingstone, an old friend from Wisconsin. When I asked to check his identity, he ran away."
They kept talking for way much longer than the five minutes the doctor had allowed to Woody until someone came into the corridor. Bleeding.
"Hannah?" Marcus and Nathalie came to her.
"Damn it!" The French girl looked frustrated. "I almost had him and he got me like a newbie."
"What happened?" Marcus asked.
"How's Kade?" she countered.
"She's okay." Nathalie informed her.
"I went to bring a plant to Kade and Alex ran into me, so I chased him."
Marcus looked at her dress and heels. "Not really a getup to run after someone."
She sighed. "I almost reached him and he jostled me against garbage cans. I cut myself when I fell but it knocked me pretty much. It was in an alley near Pearl Street.
"Pearl Street? Do you think he went to Jordan's apartment?"
"No, we were running in the other direction. Then a neighbour heard something and found me. He brought me here." She squeezed her shoulder in pain.
"I'll disinfect the wound." Nathalie looked at Hannah's cut.
"I should have stayed in that car." She whispered, looking away.
"Hannah?" Marcus looked worried at her.
"I'm fine." But she couldn't prevent a painful expression when the doctor palpated the wound.
"But you'll be even finer in I clean it." They heard noises coming from Kade's room. "Mmh, no, the nurse here will do it. I have some butts to kick out."
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"Hey, Kade." Woody sat near her and took her hand. She moved her head and looked at him. She would have try to talk but the tube in her throat made it too painful. The nurse explained to Woody that it was a precaution and they would take it away in a few hours if everything was okay.
"You had us so worried..."
Oh please Woodrow… you are not going to cry here, are you? If I make boys cry, how do you want me to go to paradise? Kade thought and smiled. A weak smile, but still, it was a real one. The people in the room started to talk about what happened during her coma, how much she missed her and so on. When she finally gathered enough strength she tried to raise so she could see all of them. Woody, Jordan, Garret, Jess, Nigel and Bug, all looked happy to see her alive. But then her look stopped on what Bug was carrying: a plant. Plants? Her smile faded and they all followed her look.
"Ah Bug, you brought flowers?" Woody asked.
"Actually they're from Hannah. I'll put them with the other." Bug put the plant next to the other. "Wait…" When he stood up, he was carrying what Alex let there earlier.
"What?" All heads turned to him as they heard his consternated voice.
"A message."
Roses, Roses the time has come
Tonight, when midnight's bells will toll their 12 tears
In the dark, one rose will be faded
I've never had your lives so much under my control
You're my dolls and we are going to play
You're doing everything I want
Roses, Roses, belong to me.
Woody began to loose his cool as Jordan repeated the message while Nigel was saying that it should have been Alex who tried to poison Kade earlier, Jess saying how the guy was a coward, attacking Kade when she can't defend herself and Garret tried to bring the silence back when a very angry doctor Martinson opened the door.
"What did I say? All of you go out, now let the poor girl rest, and by the same occasion, all the other patients too. So please get your asses out of here before I get very irascible and do the irreparable. You!" She pointed to Woody. "You can stay but I don't want to hear a single sound coming from this room, unless it's Kade. Do you un-der-stand?" Woody nodded, Kade laughed so hard that the doctor had to remove the tube and the other left the room in silence.
"Okay, let's go back to the morgue to try to figure that out."
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When the gang arrived at the morgue, they were surprised to hear noise coming from Trace.
"Caroline? What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to have the day off?" Garret didn't expect to see the girl here that late.
"Well, it's already the night. And I got a call to bring a body here, since none of you could be reached."
"We were at the hospital…"
"Anyway, this crime is signed 'Alex'." Caroline said, showing the body.
"What?" All heads turned to her.
"Stab wound to the chest, a rose on the body and a message saying 'I still have the control'."
"We have a message too. He tried to kill Kade." Marcus informed her.
"What?" Caroline was surprised. "She wasn't a danger for him, why did he try that? Is she okay?"
"Cause he's a psycho. But Kade will be fine. And Woody stayed with her." Jess answered.
"What's your message?"
Roses, Roses, the time has come
Tonight, when midnight's bells will toll their 12 tears
In the dark, one rose will be faded
I've never had your lives so much under my control
You're my dolls and we are going to play
You're doing everything I want
Roses, Roses, belong to me.
While Jess was reciting the message, Hannah felt Bug's look. She couldn't face him so she looked away and her eyes met the body. "The rose will be faded…" She said, worried.
"That was Kade, but since the doctors suspected him and he met you…" Marcus started the sentence.
"He wasn't sure Kade would die so he killed that man to 'keep the control'." Jordan ended Marcus' thoughts.
Then everyone tried to explain their theories at the same time so no one understood anything.
"Okay, people, keep focus!" Garret tried to get the calm back. "Jordan, Bug, Nigel, get out to the crime scene and see what you can find. If this murder wasn't planned, he may have screwed up." The three of them nodded and left. "Hannah, can you get in touch with Foxie?"
"Sure." The detective took her phone and went in the corridor.
"Caroline, go to Autopsy 1, I'll meet you there later. Jess, can you find Lily and ask her to do some research on the deceased. Then you can help Caroline."
"Ok Chief." She did the salute and left the room too.
"What about me?" Marcus was the only one who didn't have something to do.
"You, go rest, you're not supposed to work."
"No."
"Marcus…" It was the tone that wouldn't tolerate a negative answer.
"Okay… But I'll stop at the hospital and update Hoyt." Marcus left the room and Hannah came back.
"Did you talk to Foxie?"
She shook her head.
"Her phone is off."
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Kade had fallen asleep but Woody refused to leave the room. So Dr. Martinson had to explain him all what happened in the room. Maybe it wasn't a so bad idea because he didn't shout as he was afraid to wake Kade up. But when the explanations were done, she tried to convince him to go back home.
"I'm staying here."
"Come on, go home, eat something, sleep and come back after. Kade will need your energy, she doesn't need to find you here asleep when she'll open her eyes."
"I won't be able to sleep if I leave, so it doesn't change much wherever I stay."
Nathalie sighed. "If your 'special friend' had stayed, the one you aren't in a relationship with, I'm sure she would have found the arguments to bring you home. Me, I give up. Good night"
"Bye Doc." And the doctor left the room.
After a moment of being alone and when he was sure no one would come in the room, he finally dared to take it out of his pocket. The night Kade was shot, he had it in his hand, wrapped into a snake skin. He knew it was Alex, but he didn't dare looking at the object, afraid of what its signification could be and mostly to not be reminded of that night. He finally had it in his fingers and examined it closer. It was a locket with a rose engraved. No initials, no words, only the rose and a little lock. He wondered what was in it and where the key could be. He was lost in his reflections when the door opened and Marcus came in the room. Woody was so surprised that he didn't hide the locket.
"Hey. I just came to update you because we found…" His eyes stopped on what was still in Woody's hand. His smile vanished. "Where did you get that?"
"What? That? Oh well, I… it's not important."
But Marcus was faster and caught the object before Woody could put it in a safe place.
"Oh my God!" Marcus recognised the locket.
"What?"
"It's Foxie's. She got it from her aunt. It means a lot to her, why would she give it to you?" His tone was now angry. Woody understood what involved the fact that he had it in his possession. His eyes showed his fear and he finally managed to articulate something.
"She didn't give it to me. He did."
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Foxie walked into her apartment and locked the door behind her. She felt so tired, like if she didn't sleep for weeks. Well, truth is, she hadn't sleep much these days. She let her keys, her phone and her gun on the table and hesitantly she dared to take a look at the mirror. If she hadn't known it was her picture reflecting into the mirror, she wouldn't have recognized herself. She had visible signs of tiredness, she looked… emptied. And she felt it too. She stayed a while like that, looking at her picture and meditated upon all the hurt Alex had done to her. Then she thought about the people she was 'working with'. Maybe… maybe she needed to work as a team, just for once. Maybe… maybe she needed someone to care about, someone she would want to fight for. But she was sure these people didn't deserve all the hurt she was carrying inside her. Once Alex will be behind bars, she would breathe again, and maybe get attached to people again. Sure it was hard to stay alone, but at least she didn't hurt anyone and no one could blame her. She was kind of safe. Safe, but alone. But now that Alex was hurting the others, it hurt her even more. Alone or not, that didn't make much difference now, so maybe it was time to trust people again. She extracted herself from her thought and turned the radio on. She couldn't face the silence now. After a couple of songs she went into the shower. She let the hot water run down her body, trying desperately to wash all the pain and shame she had inside her. The redhead didn't know how long she stayed under the shower but it was long enough to have her hands completely wrinkled. She wrapped her body into a towel and headed herself to her room to get clothes. But when she was in the living room, she felt like something was different.
"Hello Charlotte."
The voice scared Foxie, who turned back quickly.
"Alex?" She couldn't believe her eyes. How the hell did he get there? "How…?"
"Oh, dear Charlotte, is it a way to receive a close friend? The first thing to say is 'Hi'."
Receive? I didn't invite you. And close friend? You bastard. Her gun wasn't too far… she could catch it if she moved fast… No, she would have more chances if she reached it slowly. She tried to not look at the gun, so Alex wouldn't guess what she wanted to do. She slowly walked around the table, staying as far as possible from Alex. "Get out of here!"
"It's been so long, my dear…"
"Get. Out. Of. Here." Her target was close now. The radio was still playing.
"Dean Martin's "You Belong To Me"…Good choice of music. So appropriate…" He insisted on the 'so'. "You know, I would have come earlier, but I had to hide in the hospital and then your friend… Hannah… she retarded me."
Hannah? What the hell did you do to her? No Foxie, stay concentrated, he's just trying to destabilize you.
"Oh, and Kade died too."
What do you mean, 'too'? You sick bastard. A few more seconds. One more… she pounced on the gun and aimed at Alex.
"Come on, darling, you just can't kill me."
"Oh you think? Try me." And she pulled the trigger.
"Hahahahahaha. No, no, I'm smarter than that. There's no bullet in it. See? You can't kill me."
Foxie was beginning to lose her calm and she felt the panic growing in her. "What do you want?"
"I want you…"