I am great at finding inspiration and writing down moments / pieces of a story that come together in my mind. I am not so good at writing the connecting, in-between parts. This story came from a few middle chapters that I wrote first, so bear with me as I try to cohesively get there. Your thoughts are always much appreciated. Thanks for reading!
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Sara
I saw a flash of blonde out of the corner of my eye, glancing up from the microscope I had been hovering over for the past hour to scan the length of the hallway through the wide glass windows of the lab.
I hadn't seen Sofia in days.
This wasn't unusual for us, but the sound of her voice was becoming something of a drug; the sway of her curved hips as she walked, demanding everything and nothing at all. I frowned lightly as my eyes caught the cerulean gaze of Hodges in the lab across from me.
It didn't quite garner the same affect.
I focused my attention back on the task at hand, the sound of a soft knock keeping me from delving back in. Glacial eyes greeted me, a bemused look on her face. I felt a flutter in my stomach. Get a grip on yourself.
I offered her a smile, followed by a questioning look
She opened her mouth to speak with a heavy inhalation, pausing for a moment before shutting it again, bemused look returning as she met my eyes.
"Yes?" I asked in amusement, leaning forward against the table.
"I just interviewed Ronald Talbot" she finally spoke, wandering over to rest against the table next to me. I laughed gently- I could only imagine what that interrogation must have looked like.
"Went well I'm assuming?" I asked, not bothering to hide the amusement in my voice
"That depends on your definition of well"
The faint lines next to her eyes crinkled as she smiled. It took me a few moments too many to tear my focus away from the subtle details of her- the constellation of almost imperceptible freckles that trailed from just below her jawline to the crook of her neck- any more disappearing under the dark material of her blouse. The soft curve of high cheekbones. The galaxies in her eyes. Jesus Christ, stop.
"He didn't do it" I gathered, more of a statement than a question
"No, I have no doubt that he's not our guy. He's far too busy working on recording a debut album in his basement to bother with something as trivial as serial killing. But I would like to thank you for having me drag him down here and question him again. It's been a fun afternoon"
I pursed my lips into a smile, leaning back in my chair.
"Full disclosure, he asked me out"
I raised my eyebrows, grin widening. The image of the rail thin, long haired 19 year old with an unnervingly robotic voice and self proclaimed 'swagger' asking out the gorgeous, impatient woman next to me was too good.
"Amazing, when is the big date?"
"Tonight. He tells me he only has time for the classiest women though, so I'm a little nervous"
"You should be" I shot, her hand colliding with my shoulder roughly, shooting me a light hearted glare.
"You getting anywhere with those fibers?" she asked as she came to stand behind me, directing my focus back to the task at hand.
"Well, I can tell you that they're beige carpet fibers. But with nothing to compare them to, they're pretty much useless for now"
She hummed in understanding, leaning in to look at the case documents spread in front of me. I felt her warm hand grip the arm of the chair, pressing against the bare skin of my forearm. The smell of vanilla and leather invaded my senses, blonde hair brushing my collarbones lightly.
"Tough case" I felt her hot breath against my ear, her voice barely a whisper. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, a flush of heat spreading through my body. It was impressive how quickly she could alter the entire feel of our exchange. I straightened up slightly in attempt to regain control of myself, fighting the urge to lean back in search of more contact.
"Get a drink with me after shift?"
Her husky voice was intoxicating. I let out a light exhale, about to answer when someone cleared their throat from the doorway. I jumped lightly in my seat, eye's flying up to the door. Sofia simply glanced up, leaning away from me casually, disturbingly good at feigning innocence.
Warrick's arms were crossed, the raise of an eyebrow almost imperceptible.
"Evening ladies" he greeted us casually, amusement clear in his bright eyes.
"Hey" I smiled, though my eyes held his heavily, daring him to even think it.
"I just wanted to see if you need any extra hands on the serial case, I finished up early and I imagine you must be swamped"
Sofia pushed off my chair, glancing down at me with gentle eyes
"I've got to go document that interview, can I take that as a yes?" I felt a light blush creeping onto my cheeks, nodding once
"Yep, yes" I answered awkwardly, a smile tugging at her lips as she turned to go, giving Warrick a nod on her way out.
"We actually have hit about a dozen dead ends- we have got absolutely nothing to go on right now" I told him tiredly, the weight of this case resuming it's place on my shoulders. He nodded, coming in to lean against the desk across from me. "Sometimes it just takes a little patience" he offered with a reassuring smile.
He allowed a few moments of silence to pass before meeting my eyes again, quirking an eyebrow.
"Don't" I warned, shaking my head lightly. He chuckled, pushing off the desk
"Mmhmm" he hummed knowingly, shooting me one more glance on his way out. "Good for you man"
I groaned, leaning back in my chair. So much for discretion.
/
His name was Liev Erikson- 6'0, dark hair, darker eyes. He couldn't have been more than 40, charming smile revealing a set of perfect teeth. I hated him instantly.
Brass had flagged me down me in the hall to introduce us- I figured he was the new district attorney doing his obligatory rounds, or perhaps a new judge getting acquainted with the CSI's as they rarely, but occasionally did, not paying much attention to the way he held my hand for a lingering moment after offering a customary handshake, pearly whites gleaming.
"Liev will be taking over as day shift supervisor, effective tomorrow" Brass explained casually. I felt my chest tighten, smile faltering. Fuck.
"It's nice to meet you Sara, I look forward to working alongside you and your team"
"You too" I replied, forcing a smile that fell away the moment him and Brass continued their journey down the hall. I had been certain that Catherine had that job in the bag, Ecklie had been priming her for it. I hesitated in place for a long moment, debating whether I should steer clear of the situation entirely or seek the red head out to see how she was handling the news. The first option was by far the most appealing, but I found myself altering course anyway, heading towards the break room.
It was by chance that I caught sight of her, a flash of red appearing through a crack in the blinds of Ecklie's office. As someone who had been on the receiving end of Catherine's wrath one too many times, I could say that I didn't envy him one bit. I watched as her form paced passed again, hands gesturing wildly.
"I hope he's okay in there" Grissom commented, joining me in observing the scene. I glanced over at him with a frown
"I don't. She deserved that promotion Griss"
He sighed lightly, giving me a soft nod
"I know, I did everything I could. Unfortunately it's ultimately not up to me"
I sighed, knowing that the rest of this week was going to be a nightmare.
"Who even is that guy, Erikson?" I asked, not bothering to keep the distain out of my voice.
"Transferred in from Los Angeles I believe. Supposedly he's very good"
We watched as another flash of red hair appeared, followed by her muffled voice through the wall. Grissom eyed the window warily, probably wondering whether he should intervene or not, apparently deciding against it as he shifted his full attention to me.
"I was just coming to find you- you have a fifth body- out 40 miles past Henderson" he informed me with a sympathetic look. I felt my stomach drop, a mix of anger and discouragement taking over. I glanced back into Ecklie's office at my partner's rigid form
"Do you want to tell her or should I?" He asked, passing me the case file with a lightly raised eyebrow.
/
I predictably drew the short straw in that deliberation, giving her a few minutes to calm down before following her path into the locker room quietly. Her hands were balled into fists, focusing on the contents of her locker with an indiscernible stare. I expected a lot of things out of the next few hours of my life, but nothing prepared me for the silence that followed.
She let me drive to the scene without argument. I told her all about the documentary I had watched about women serial killer's in a far-fetched attempt to distract her from her thoughts. I even brought up the awkward, singular date I had gone on with one of the well-known officers earlier in the year, hoping to peak her interest. She simply glanced over at me with another unreadable look before focusing back on the barren desert passing by.
It was unnerving to say the least.
It was morning by the time we had finished processing the scene, heading back to the lab with slightly more to go off of than what we had found at any of the previous dump sites. Hopeful wasn't the word for what I was feeling- determined maybe. Fuelled by rage, definitely.
Another girl, barely 16 was dead, dumped naked, bruised and battered 40 miles from anything. There was a weight in my chest that had only been growing since the first body we found, the contrasting feelings of determination and deep seeded exhaustion a difficult combination.
Catherine was leaning against the side window as I drove us back towards Vegas, bright eyes staring absently at the road ahead. I opened my mouth to speak, before slowly shutting it, knowing that any words I could find wouldn't be the right ones. I glanced over at her again, fighting the urge once again to ask her if she was okay.
"You can stop looking at me like that, I'm fine Sara" she finally spoke, as though she could read my mind- the first words unrelated to the case she had uttered to me all day. Her eyes remained on the road and I sighed as we pulled up to the first set of lights entering town, focusing my eyes back on her.
"You deserved that promotion Catherine"
She chuckled lightly, shaking her head
"It doesn't matter. Ecklie has his own fucked up political agenda and being deserving doesn't play much of a role in getting anywhere around here" she told me tiredly, turning her gaze back to the window "I just wanted to have more time for Lindsay... it doesn't matter"
"Things are going to be okay" I told her after a long, drawn out silence. As soon as the words left my mouth I realized I was saying them to myself as much as to her.
Moments later I felt her soft hand reach over to rest gently on my arm, eyes still focused out the window.
Things are going to be okay.