Avery 14 years old

Grissom stopped outside of the interview room and took a few calming breaths. He had gotten home from work and Avery had been gone. She wasn't one to wonder far from the apartment and her bookbag was there meaning she had made it home from school. So he called and reported her missing.

An Officer Brass had found her hitchhiking down the highway. Grissom walked inside and fixed Avery with a look.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she stared at the table.

"What were you thinking?"

Avery didn't answer. She kept staring at the table.

"Avery."

The teen pulled her duffle up onto the table and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She tossed it onto the table, still not even looking at Grissom. "That was on the door when I got home from school."

- You think you're safe? You were always told that if you spoke to the police that you would be dead. Julia has spent five years in jail because of your lies. I know where you are, Avery. You'll watch while I kill your "father" before the same is done to you. -

"I couldn't let them hurt you," she said softly. "If I was gone they would leave you alone."

"Who wrote this?"

Avery shrugged. "My mother had a lot of 'friends.'"

Grissom sighed and sat at the table opposite her. "You can't do this, Avery. I know you're scared and you worry about something happening to me because of your past. Nothing is going to happen to me. It's not your job to protect me."

"You can't promise that nothing will happen to you, dad." Her voice was filled with distress.

"No, I can't. But hopefully if something like that does happen, it's a long time away." They sat in silence for a few moments before Grissom spoke again his voice echoing the fear he felt. "I was terrified, Ave. Completely terrified when I couldn't find you."

Avery got up from her chair and went around the table, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry."

They stayed like that for a long time until Grissom finally told her it was time to go back home. The letter temporarily forgotten.

Avoiding your family and friends for an entire week was hard. It was even harder when you worked together. Avery had spoken to Ecklie and had been working swing shifts instead of graveyard so she wouldn't have to talk to anyone.

After Grissom had dropped the bomb about her mother being up for parole she had made him leave. She was still so angry that he had told Sara things about her past that had purposely been kept secret. Since Greg had just been in the other room, he had also heard.

Greg had tried to talk to Avery that night about it all but she kicked him out also. She couldn't deal with so many emotions going through her. Anger at Grissom, humiliation that the people she loved would now pity her. So instead of dealing with things as an adult she avoided them all.

Avery looked up from the picture she had been studying to see that it was almost time for grave to start. She carefully started to pack up the papers and pictures so she could give the file back to Ecklie. No one could figure the bombing out. They had exhausted all avenues and probably wouldn't be able to figure out what happened unless there was a major break.

She handed Judy the file as she was walking out. Avery was digging in her purse for her car keys and didnt notice the person standing by her car until she was almost on top of them.

The dark hair, green eyes, high dramatic cheekbones suddenly turned Avery back into that terrified nine year old.

"Mom," she whispered as she quickly took a step back. "Ho-how did you find me?"

"Grissom isn't an unheard name in this city."

There was no love in her eyes, there never had been, just disdain and loathing towards the kid she got stuck with.

"Why don't you come and give mommy a hug?" Her mom asked condescendingly.

Avery was frozen in her spot. Her eyes never left her mother's face but her mind was working a million thoughts a minute on how to get away from her.

"Please go."

"Sorry, my love, what was that?"

"Leave," Avery said a little louder.

Her mom rolled her eyes. "Always the drama queen. 'oh, my mom does drugs.' 'oh she made me have sex with this guy so that she could pay the bills and get groceries.' 'oh, poor me, boo fucking hoo.'"

"You mean when you sold me to pay for your drugs? Cause there sure as hell wasn't groceries or new clothes or toys or anything that I actually needed!"

Before Avery could react her mother's hand came down across her face. The unexpected action made Avery fall to the ground.

"I did everything for you, you little bitch! And what kind of thanks do I get?! You put me in jail for trying to take care of you."

"Get away from her!" Grissom stepped protectively in front of his daughter. "I can have police out here in seconds if you do not leave right now."

Hands grabbed Avery's arms and pulled her to her feet. She instinctively relaxed into Sara's side as Grissom faced off with her mom.

"Sara, take Avery inside." Grissom wasn't backing down but then neither was her mother.

"She's over 18. You have no legal grounds to keep me from seeing my daughter."

By now people had started to hear the raised voices and come to investigate.

"Leave. Or I will have you arrested." Grissom turned and started to walk inside with Sara and Avery.

"I will see or do whatever I want with my own daughter."

"She's not your daughter," Grissom bit out turning towards the woman again. "She is MY daughter. I have been here for her everyday while you sat in jail for hurting her. You're not a mother, you're nothing. We will have a restraining order by the end of today. Don't you dare come near my daughter again."

Grissom turned his back to the woman and went inside to find Avery and Sara. They were sitting in the break room and Sara was placing a bag of ice against Avery's red cheek trying to stop any bruising.

"Avery."

Avery looked up at Grissom, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Dad."

Grissom wanted to kill Avery's mother as he heard his daughter's voice crack. He moved swiftly around the table and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay," he soothed. "We're going to get a restraining order. It's all okay, Ave."

Sara met Grissom's eyes over Avery's shoulders. She was feeling the pain just as bad as he was. Avery was her best friend and she hadn't been there to protect her either.

"I'm sorry I was so mad at you. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing." Grissom pulled back a little so he could inspect Avery's face. "She'll be arrested on sight if she comes back here Brass will make sure of it."

"I want to go home," Avery spoke tiredly.

"Okay, I can take you to your apartment. Or Sara can."

"The townhouse. Not my apartment."

Grissom nodded. "Okay, we can do that too. Sara, find Ecklie and explain everything tell him you and I are going to stay at home with Avery tonight."

Sara nodded as she went to go and do what Grissom had asked.

Grissom kissed the side of Avery's head. "Come now, darling, let's go home."