Happy holidays!
Catherine
The handful of pills I tossed back with the remainder of my lukewarm coffee were doing nothing to remedy the pounding behind my eyes, the quiet hum of the break room lights wearing steadily at my nerves.
I had spent the better part of the last 20 minutes laying the weight of my frustrations out on Grissom, his tired grey eyes watching me pace through his office, listing off the reasons why I needed Sara here and not at home climbing the walls. He was the one who had forced us together in the first place, I pointed out, and I wasn't about to walk someone new through every detail of the five prior cases involved in this investigation. I hadn't the energy or the patience.
He had more or less ignored my argument, instead making a half-hearted attempt at corralling me out of the lab and into the Tahoe for the three-hour drive to the scene. I had dug my heels in the sand, figuratively speaking, and sent him off with the promise that Sara and I would be close behind.
Ecklie was typically much more difficult to combat, but I was never one to back down from a challenge. The sheriff, alongside the mayor had put him through the ringer before I even stepped foot into his office- the press already swarming the crime scene, demanding answers we didn't have. His pale demeanor seemed to dampen even further at the sight of me storming in, ready for a fight. I barely got half way through my on the spot speech about the insanity of keeping one of the lead CSI's in this investigation cooped up at home instead of adding her invaluable skills to- as of the last 24 hours- the most public case of the year before he warily agreed to cut short her suspension for the time being.
It wasn't that her suspension was entirely unjust- her tendency to take things 15 steps too far was typical and needed to be addressed, but now was not the time. I was running on fumes and while Greg was proving himself to be quite the adept CSI, and Grissom always added an experienced perspective, they were no replacement for Sara here. It had been us from the beginning, processing their abused bodies and speaking to their grieving families. It was us with the weight of their losses on our shoulders, dealing with the excruciating knowledge that they would still be alive if we had managed to nail this guy down sooner.
I sat back, running a hand through my hair tiredly as I glanced impatiently up at the clock. The desire to keep moving was overriding the sheer exhaustion that was tugging at the edges of my composure. If I stopped, the unwarranted but deeply seeded guilt of holding Lindsay up at my sisters house until this case came to a close would begin to wear away at me. The weight of the sixth young girl dumped like trash in the Middle of Nowhere, Nevada would settle its entirety on my conscience. The nagging, undetermined feeling of unease at the knowledge that Sara was involved with Sofia fucking Curtis would force me to dig down to the root of my discomfort, and I was not about to enter those murky waters.
I tapped my white tipped nails against the cluttered table with a sigh, eyes set on the doorway. A few moments passed before I dropped my palm audibly against the cool surface with an exaggerated sigh, glancing back over at the clock.
"Hey" Sara's raspy voice cut into the quiet of the room. I turned to her with a searing look of annoyance, taking in her black ensemble. Fitting, I thought absently.
"It's about time" I snapped, pushing myself swiftly out of the chair. She frowned, but chose to keep quiet as I grabbed my kit from the table, brushing past her out the door.
Her mile long legs had no trouble keeping up with my hurried pace as I headed towards the parking lot.
"Another body was found near Tonopah" I tossed over my shoulder.
Sara wrinkled her nose "Tonopah? That's way out of our jurisdiction"
"The case belongs to Los Vegas PD, and us by extension. We're the ones who have processed the last five scenes- like hell we're leaving this one in anyone else's hands"
I unlocked the Denali with the automatic remote, lifting open the trunk. Sara tossed her kit into the back beside mine, taking a moment to glance over at me, eyes squinting against the harsh afternoon light.
"Are you sure you're up for this, you've barely had a break in days" she asked gently. I sighed, nodding sharply before pulling the hatch down with a heavy thud. As if I could manage any sleep at this point.
A slight redness against Sara's neck caught my eye just before I turned towards the driver's door, squinting slightly as I walked up for a closer look. Her forehead creased with a frown as I leaned close to examine a faded, but still quite violent looking bite mark against the pale skin of her shoulder.
How fucking classy
"You've got to be kidding" I snorted, grabbing the collar of her dark, form fitting shirt and tugging it over the offending mark. She absently reached up to feel what I had covered, a rush of crimson spreading across her pale cheeks as she opened her mouth to attempt an explanation.
"Is she a fucking vampire by night?" I asked sarcastically, cutting her off before she could attempt to stumble through an awkward explanation, "Tell your girlfriend to be a little more discreet"
I broke off my searing look with a pivot on my heel towards the driver's door, wavy hair blowing in the heavy wind.
/
After a near silent drive down Interstate 95, through the host of small towns making up the South Eastern edge of Nevada we pulled up onto the scene. It wasn't difficult to find, with a surprising number of news vans and people crowded along the inconspicuous span of desert just outside of the modest town of Tonopah. I sighed, flipping my sunglasses down from their perch on top of my head, glancing over at Sara who was frowning at the mass of people ahead of us.
"Well this is fantastic" Sara deadpanned, glancing over at me. I met her brown-eyed gaze briefly, shrugging as I reached for the door handle.
"This is a high profile case now, you've got to expect the news vultures to be second on the scene" I told her, though I was equally irritated by the mess of camera men and reporters in finely tailored suits seeking out any comments from law enforcement, clearly busy with more important things. I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror, cringing slightly at the stark bruise coloring my cheek, running my tongue over the slowly healing split though my lip. The lipstick that I had applied in a fairly effective attempt at concealing it had worn off hours ago, and I was back to looking like a valiant member of Fight Club.
Grabbing our kits from the back, I led us through the small but aggressive mass of people, confidently side stepping the questions hurdled at me as I ducked under the crime tape that an Esmeralda County officer held up for me. I nodded at him in thanks, glancing around to take in the scene.
I noticed Grissom and Greg knelt down around the body, the soft blonde hair and pale skin of the victim blending in with the desert sand. Based on their closed kits and deeply concentrated examination, I figured that they hadn't beaten us here by much.
A few officers stood by a squad car, one keeping an eye from a distance on the crowd behind us, another older man speaking to Detective Curtis. She was dressed in a similar black get up to Sara's, her LVPD vest snug around her slim form. I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses at her presence- the icing on top of the god damn cake that was this endless shift. Sara managed to detract herself from the masses and catch up with me at the same time Sofia noticed us, the brunette's annoyed glare softening slightly as the detective excused herself from the conversation and headed towards us with her signature swagger, ray bans covering her eyes from the harsh yellows and burning reds of the setting sun, a toothpick jutting out from between her teeth.
"Hey" she greeted, glancing at Sara for a moment in confusion, but ultimately getting straight to business
"A couple of hikers found the vic on their way back into town. A school ID identifies her as Eliza Hayes, 16, resident of Henderson"
"Do you know the TOD?" I asked, the question that had been tugging at my mind since Grissom had passed me the case. She shook her head, pinching the worn toothpick between her fingers as she took it from her mouth, glancing over in the direction of the body where Grissom was still knelt down, nodding towards him.
"Esmeralda County coroner just gave Grissom the run down, they're sending over a car to transport the body back to Doc Robbins" she explained, a mumble of static on her radio stealing her attention.
"I'll catch up with you guys" she said, a statement clearly directed at Sara despite her attempt at seeming impartial, raising the radio to her mouth as she turned to head back in the direction of the squad cars. Sara's eyes lingered on her retreating form for a drawn out moment before she turned towards the body, heading over to touch base with Grissom.
Breaking out of his deep thought process, he glanced up at us briefly- immediately doing a double take, a slightly bemused look on his face as he paused, an evidence bag containing something indiscernible in his grasp.
"You know, the speed limit is not a suggestion" he commented, grey eyes meeting mine steadily for a moment before focusing back on the body.
"Time of death was approximately 48 hours ago" he stated, sensing my first question.
Sara glanced over at me, "That means O'Riley would have had time to kill her, dump the body, and end up at the bar with us on Saturday night"
The expression on her face matched the burning feeling at the back of my throat- the taste of bile overwhelming. I had expected a sense of relief at this news, as losing our primary suspect would have been a major blow, but I just felt sick. The thought of his hands on Sara mere hours after murdering Eliza Hayes was almost too much to stomach.
I raised a hand to my head as I glanced at the surrounding desert, knowing that the actual radius of the scene was impossible to judge. Based on the previous scenes he hadn't left any trace behind aside from the body itself, but god willing, he was bound to mess up eventually.
"Greg is working the perimeter- Sara, go talk to the responding officer, get his run down on the scene" Grissom ordered with ease as I bent down onto one knee next to him, grabbing the pair of gloves he was offering, taking my first real look at the body. I could sense Sara eyeing me warily, hesitating for a moment before turning towards the squad cars.
The girl looked eerily similar to the other victims, though that was to be expected. She was naked, with ligature marks around her wrists obviously from being bound. A single, fading Arnica Mollis was placed carefully between her cracked lips. I avoided looking directly into her vacant, milky blue stare as I brushed back her long hair gently, observing what appeared to be faint ligature marks around her pale neck.
"This is new- the other victims didn't have ligature marks anywhere aside from their wrists"
"Maybe she put up more of a fight" he suggested, the words simply adding to my growing nausea.
The mantra I had adopted for scenes like this, some version of don't compare her to Lindsay, was only serving to focus my thoughts on the young blonde. There were times when my well-developed tactics fell short, and the desire I had now to break away from the scene just to hear her voice was so powerful I almost considered it. Instead, I unlatched my kit, settling into a more comfortable position, ignoring Grissom's heavy gaze.
He either knew better than to ask if I was okay or was unsure how to broach the subject, but regardless I could feel his concern like a comforting embrace.
We managed to collect a few fibers from the body, along with trace of an unknown substance around the marks on her left wrist. Fingernail scrapings appeared promising based on the amount we were able to gather, and I managed to sift through a good portion of sand once the coroner had removed the body, coming up with a few bags of possibly relevant items for Greg to go through back at the lab.
The guys left shortly after the body, followed closely by Brass and Sofia and the majority of officers on scene. The few reporters that had stuck tirelessly around until that point had decided to call it quits, leaving Sara and I doing a final scour of the desert with our flashlights, a single squad car left with us. It was a thick drop of cold rain against my nose that told me it was time to call it a night, heading towards the brunette who was kneeling on the ground, observing something beneath the glow of her light.
I placed a hand on her shoulder, partially to attract her attention, partially to help keep my balance in the particularly sandy stretch of the scene that the heels that I insisted on wearing dug awkwardly into.
"Find something?" I asked, getting a headshake in response, her long fingers dropping the piece of dried out wood back onto the ground with a sigh before glancing up at me.
She looked young in her current position, brown eyes soft and heavy lidded. I almost reached down to brush a stubborn lock of hair away from her face when another raindrop jolted me back to reality, glancing wearily up at the dark, starless sky.
"I think we're done here"
She pushed back onto her feet, a gust of wind from the west, more powerful than the heavy breeze that had been blowing steadily throughout the day swept over us, Saras unruly waves whipping to the side as she squinted, shielding her eyes from the sudden uprise of blowing sand. She glanced up at the sky for a moment before nodding in agreement, reaching down to grab the kit stationed near her feet.
We managed to get the Denali packed up and safely inside the confines of it before the rain really started to fall. I had relinquished ownership of the keys to Sara, ever insistent when it came to driving. She flicked the wipers on to max speed as we pulled out of the now deserted space, heading back onto the road towards home.
It took two counts of light hydroplaning on the highway that was beginning to resemble a river, my white knuckled grip on the door handle, and a threat against Sara's life if we somehow managed to make it home alive to convince her that we needed to stop. There was no way we were going to make it the 200 miles back home in this downpour, and I had no interest in pulling into one of the many ghost towns we drove through out of necessity 50 miles down the road, and spending the rest of the night crammed in the confines of the car.
She shot me an amused glance as she pulled sharply into a turn out, redirecting us back towards Tonopah, "I never took you for the type to be afraid of ghost towns". I snorted, crossing my arms in some sort of defiance against that accusation. The truth was, I had no interest in anything paranormal- horror movies were not my cup of tea and the thought of being near anything considered haunted made my skin crawl. But I wasn't about to admit that to anyone, least of all Sara.
"Not wanting to spend the night in one doesn't make me afraid, it makes me sensible. Now, it says there's a Holiday Inn near the outskirts of town"
To my incredible dismay, all 140 of the rooms were booked. I wasn't sure how such an obscure place could have an entire hotel booked solid on a Monday night, but it was fitting with the sort of day I was having. Christmas time, Sara pointed out softly in response to my bewilderment, grabbing her phone to search for another option. After a few tries she managed to find one, throwing her phone into the center console, offering me a weary smile as she shifted the Denali back into drive.
I didn't bother to ask where we were going, fully aware that I was not going to like the answer. The half illuminated sign indicating that we were arriving at the 'ECONO INN' confirmed my suspicions, letting out a heavy sigh as I shot a glare over at Sara, entirely unjustified, but I needed somewhere to place my blame for the moment.
"This looks like the place where I worked my last 415" I commented bitterly, her brown eyes flicking over at me briefly in annoyance as she pulled up in front of the faded yellow building, paint peeling off of the ancient siding.
"You wanted to stop so here we are" she said, voice laced with irritation as she jerked the key out of the ignition. I must have really looked rough, I thought as her dark eyes softened the moment they landed on me, taking in my tired form.
"It's just for a few hours and then we'll be back on the road" she assured me, offering a half smile before grasping the door handle and taking a deep breath before throwing the door open and jumping out into the pouring rain.
I followed suit, unable to contain a loud shriek at the sensation of cold rain pelting my skin like bullets, bouncing off of my entirely non-weatherproof jacket. Sara shouted in surprise as one of her long strides landed her in an unseen puddle, splashing water up to soak into the leg of her pants. I couldn't hold back a laugh, diving in through the door that she yanked open, both of us thoroughly soaked.
Deeming me unfit to interact with the general public, Sara dealt with the entirely unenthused young motel clerk whose name- Delilah, her nametag read- was about as starkly contrasting to her personality as this weather was to sunny Eastern Nevada. She passed us two keys with a pale hand, nails painted the color of midnight, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the room.
I pushed open the door, flicking on the lights, a scowl settling onto my face as I took in the room. Two double beds with bedspreads that looked older than me sat in front of us, the dizzying pattern of faint pink roses on the walls clashed with the large painting of the Grand Canyon displayed proudly over one bed, another painting, this one of a waterfall hung over the other. I settled my weight onto one hip, raising my hand to rest on it out of habit as I cursed every factor that had contributed to landing me here.
I felt hot breath against my ear, the feel of Sara's form coming to stand directly behind me causing a shiver to run down my spine- a reaction entirely unrelated to the chill encompassing me.
"Second guessing a night in the Denali?" she asked quietly in amusement, her lips almost brushing my wild hair. I was sure the act was unconscious, but it propelled me into the room anyway, moving to stand beside the farthest bed.
"The lab will love this" I commented- at 50 bucks a night, I'm surprised they hadn't made this chain our specified emergency accommodation. I knew full well that Ecklie was unimpressed with my expensive taste in hotels- an indulgence I took advantage of at the labs expense whenever I was in the position.
I dropped down onto the bed, watching as Sara busied herself with peeling back the comforter that we both know would light up like Christmas beneath a black light between two pinched fingers; throwing the excess of pillows onto the far side of the bed. I shrugged off my soaking wet jacket, tossing it onto the grotesquely upholstered chair beside the door, aware that there was no way it would dry by morning.
Sara disappeared into the bathroom and I lay back against the surprisingly comfortable bed- made softer I'm sure by the fact that I had been on my feet for the better part of the past 48 hours. I glanced over at the bedside clock- 11:45. I sighed, kicking my low-heeled shoes off over the edge of the bed, running a hand through my tangled waves, cursing the fact that I didn't have a brush to tame them.
It was too late to call Lindsay I noted with a pang of despair. I was desperate for some time with my daughter and there was not a spare moment to give her. Not that she needed to see me like this anyway I thought, reaching up to touch the tender flesh of my cheek.
Sara emerged from the bathroom, nothing more than a black sports bra that concealed the light swell of her breasts and modest underwear covering her form. On their own accord, my eyes travelled slowly over her body, examining the expanse of her olive skin, littered in dark freckles and a few faded scars. There was a particularly visible one stretched across the length of her hip, the muscles of her toned stomach rippling slightly as she leaned forward to pull back the sheets, dark hair brushing over her shoulders.
She was beautiful. It was a strange revelation that I hadn't come to in the 7 years we had known each other. I was aware that she was attractive, with half the lab having fallen under her easy, unusual charm. Her smile may even have thrown me off guard a time or two, but I had never looked at her as anything more than the stubborn, workaholic that had a tendency to get under my skin. Her hair was almost curly from the rain, the muscles in her arms flexing ever so slightly as she pressed them onto the bed, crawling onto the mattress. I felt a familiar tension beginning in my lower stomach, radiating downwards as I watched her, frowning lightly at my bodies response. I chalked it up to the exhaustion clearly wearing at my sanity; the bad porno type scenario we were currently in; the six months that I had gone with nothing more than a painfully awkward date with a defense lawyer that my sister had set up against my will. I had allowed him to press me up against my car for a few long minutes at the end of the evening out of some desperate hope that it would spark some interest, but ultimately slipped away at the first opportunity.
My eyes finally reached hers and she offered me a crooked smile, climbing beneath the covers.
"Sorry- I'd put on pajamas if I had any" she offered, clearly mistaking my arousal for discomfort. I chuckled, shaking my head lightly.
"I've seen a lot of women in a lot less- it'll take a bit more than your sports bra to offend me"
She smiled, flashing a glimpse of the slight gap between her teeth before leaning across the bed, setting her phone on the bedside table. My eyes widened slightly as I noticed faint nail marks trailing from her shoulder downwards over her ribs, disappearing beneath the cover of the sheets.
"Seems like things are going well with Sofia" I noted, humour lacing my voice. Bite marks and nail scratches deep enough to last- clearly she was doing something right. I ignored the sensation that thought elicited, watching her roll towards me with a questioning glance.
"Your back", I elaborated.
She sat up slightly, attempting to look over her shoulder before reaching around to feel her skin, eyes widening as they found the source of my amusement.
"Oh my god" she mumbled, a blush coloring her cheeks as she lay back against her pillow, eyes trained on the ceiling, "You have witnessed way too much of my personal life today"
I laughed, rolling over to fully face her "I like this side of you". I may not have been keen on the knowledge that Sofia was the one sharing Sara's bed, but it was nice to see the lighter side of the brunette for a change. "I never would have taken you for such a pro between the sheets"
She frowned up at the ceiling, cheeks turning a deeper shade of crimson, clearly wondering whether to be offended or embarrassed.
"Thanks" she shot at me sarcastically, though punctuated it with a soft smile.
Her dark hair was growing out longer than I was used to seeing it, the protrusion of her collar bone more prominent than it should be, telling me that the stress of this week- hell, this year- was getting to her. Her typical diet of coffee and cigarettes was concerning to say the least, but I was really in no position to judge.
"Are you going to tell me about you two?" I asked quietly after a few long moments of silence. She held her gaze on the ceiling for a drawn out minute before rolling over to look at me.
"No"
I frowned lightly and she sighed, eyes trailing over my features before caving in. The charming purple-black coloring to the right side of my face had a way of swaying people in my favor I was quickly coming to realize.
"There's nothing to tell, Cat. Not really. We have a… connection. We connected. I hope we keep… connecting"
I snorted, shaking my head lightly at the younger woman. Such a romantic.
"When did this start?"
She hesitated for a moment, "August"
I felt my eyes widen, leaning towards her slightly "In AUGUST?"
She looked both surprised and amused by my outburst, readjusting herself beneath the covers. How the hell had they been together for five months without my knowledge? I prided myself on knowing what was going on around the lab, especially the things people thought they were keeping quiet, but this had slipped completely below my radar.
"I mean, we kissed in August, and then danced around the subject for four months, and now we're… I don't know. Connecting"
I nodded softly, trying to keep the mix of frustration and amusement off my features. I was glad that her and Sofia were doing so much 'connecting', because my attempts to make a connection of any sort with her were like pulling teeth.
"You can talk to me about these things, you know"
She smiled softly, "There's really not much to say. She's smart, magnetic, tough... crazy beautiful", her eyes averted towards the wall for a moment, losing herself in thought before finding mine once again, fingertips playing with the edge of a crisp sheet. "I don't know what we're doing. But whatever it is, it's the only thing that has been keeping me sane these past few weeks, and I don't want to jinx it"
She smiled at me sheepishly and I refused to acknowledge the tightness in my chest at her words; at the way her eyes softened while she spoke of her.
"I'm happy for you"
Her brown eyes searched mine for what felt like an eternity before it became too much and I broke away, glancing down at my damp clothes. I rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling my shirt off in one swift motion. My hair cascaded over my shoulders and I once again cursed the absence of a brush in this room, wondering as I unbuttoned my pants whether I had stashed a hat anywhere in the Denali.
Sara's slight deer-in-the-headlights look caught my attention, her eyes trailing down my neck, settling on my chest for a few moments before continuing downwards. I couldn't hold back a smirk, glancing down at the deep maroon bra I was wearing, showing off my ample cleavage, a sharp contrast against my alabaster skin. I may have been running on no sleep and sporting a busted up face, but at least I had this. It made me feel just the slightest bit better, which is why in that moment I decided to casually push it a step further.
I stood up, pulling down the zipper slowly to reveal a glimpse of my matching maroon underwear. Her eyes were transfixed on my hands and I made a show of pushing the material down my soft, milky legs, bending down to remove them entirely, putting my chest at eye level to her. I watched her unconsciously bite down on her lower lip as I stood back up, arching my back slightly into a soft stretch.
Her eyes were dark, trailing up over my body, eventually coming to meet mine with an intensity that shifted the power balance sharply as an entirely unexpected wave of desire sparked up and travelled through me like wildfire. She held my gaze steadily, the timid shock that had began this replaced by something else entirely.
I felt the hint of a smirk tugging at my lips- unable to decide between the arousal, confusion, amusement, or fear that were vying for my full attention. There was no mistaking the tension that had fallen between us in the eternity that was the ten seconds of this exchange.
I was acutely aware that I was the one to break the moment, turning to pull back the covers and crawl beneath them silently. It was out of character of me to back away from a moment like this, but I wasn't entirely sure that this wasn't some form of delirium beginning to settle in. Sleep was the wisest thing I could do at that point I told myself.
You can't make monumentally bad decisions if you're unconscious.
Sara cleared her throat, rolling over to face the wall. I reached out to flip the switch on the small lamp between us, plunging us into darkness, but kept my eyes on her dimly lit form lying across from me until I couldn't hold them open any longer.