Title: Unconditional Love

Author: innocent choir girl shannyfish (From Out of the Lab)

Summary: The Las Vegas Police Department and Crime Lab are pulled into a case that just seems like a disturbance, but turns up that the truth had been hidden for years…

Category: CSI General

Genres: Angst, Drama, Hurt Comfort,

Characters: Jim Brass, Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Sara Sidle, Nick Stokes, Greg Sanders

Warnings: none

Rating: PG-13

Chapter: 2 "Hello There"

Author's Notes: So, I just realized that on it kills my dividers between scenes…which is just plain evil because all I use are tildas and asterisks. It shouldn't delete those… So, it probably makes it way more confusing! Hopefully this new scene break will cooperate…or else…I might have to go all crazy on shakes head

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After thirty minutes of waiting outside of the Lemming Residence, the CSIs' patience was finally rewarded when Captain Brass and his men marched out with who was obviously Terry Lemming. Terry Lemming was around six feet tall with dark features, which were currently highlighted by the splatter of crimson blood around his face.

Brass joined the CSIs, letting his men take Lemming to one of the cars and take him down to the station. "There's a child's room inside… Looks like a little girl's room. There's…different…kinds of evidence that I didn't want to disturb…" he said slowly wanting to explain everything for the CSIs. "There's clear signs that the child…we didn't see her…but I'm sure she's in there somewhere…that's she's been abused over the years… I want you guys to get documentation of that…"

"You couldn't see the child?" Grissom questioned wanting to know more before his team went in.

"The child could be dead…but I don't think there's enough blood," Brass responded. As they made their way into the house, Brass looked back at the team. He made a mental note that it was probably better that Catherine wasn't there. Because what he had seen would have made her only think as an angry mother… Sometimes having Catherine on a case that involved a child was good for the case…in this situation he thought otherwise…

"Did he say anything?" Nick asked as they entered the house and then followed Brass down a hall.

"He said he doesn't have a child," Brass answered. "I even asked if he knew her by her name."

Sara blinked, "Wait. How do you know her name?"

Grissom looked over waiting for a response as well. He hadn't expected his friend to have gotten so much information when he hadn't even found a child or entered the room. "Yes...how?"

"Psychic abilities?" Greg asked.

Brass stopped at an open doorway and pointed into it, "No. Big fluffy pink and green letters on the wall spelling out Paige," he responded. Everything was where he had left it. Nothing seemed undisturbed.

Looking around the room, Grissom took it all in. The room was painted a pale pink that only seemed to seem more of a grey because of the window being boarded up. But a corner of that wood looked like it had been pulled away from the window. A twin bed against one wall, white wood with engraved hearts in the headboard, and bedding that looked like it had never been washed. Grissom could only imagine that it once matched the rest of the room. The puffy fabric letters that spelled out the child's name were above the window was the only thing that seemed to be the original color. The white dresser against the other wall next to the small toy box had both been torn apart. There was a small potty training toilet to one side of the dresser. But the carpet was soiled everywhere…

There weren't many places that the child could hide, Grissom thought. "You sure there's a child in here?" he asked looking over at Brass. "There aren't many places a child could hide…even a small one…"

"Take pictures and then enter," Brass told them. "Maybe have Sara go in…"

"Wouldn't Catherine be a better fit?" Sara asked wondering why everyone automatically assumed she was good with children just because she was a woman. Sure, over the years, she had done well with children who had been part of cases…they had clung to her…but that didn't make her good with children. Catherine was a mother and better suited to deal with children.

Nick had pictures snapping figuring that it would keep him from being nominated into going into the room. He had to admit that if he had to vote that he'd agree with Brass. Sara would be the least scary of the five of them. Plus, the odor the room was giving off was hard enough when you were standing in the hall. He didn't know how Terry Lemming or the neighbors could ignore the smell. The man didn't even keep scented candles or anything in the house to try to cover the odor.

Greg stood there crouching down trying to see if he could locate the child anywhere in the room while Brass, Grissom, and Sara argued. He figured he'd stay out of it and hang back until he was needed. The scene in front of him was all a bit too creepy for him. Maybe it was the possibly live victim and the fact that she was seemingly so young. He wasn't sure… But it was disturbing.

"Okay," Nick spoke up.

"Why is it that I need to go in?" Sara asked again looking between Grissom and Brass wanting a better answer to her question.

Grissom shrugged, "You're not what she's been possibly fearing for who knows how long. There's no female presence in this house…"

"Her mother died of cancer three years ago," Brass spoke up. "That much I got out of Mr. Lemming…"

Sighing, she looked over at them, "Maybe you scary guys should stand away from the doorway, so maybe the little girl won't be so freaked out," she suggested before carefully stepping into the bedroom.

"Paige," Grissom said before stepping to one side of the doorway, pulling Greg and Nick along with him so that all four men were on one side of the doorway. That way, in case Sara got the girl out…they could process the room after the girl was out.

Sara nodded as she stopped and looked around taking in the room. The toy box lid was off, and she could see mostly into it. If the girl was in there she would have been able to see her. No girl. Looking around more she knew that the only place the child could be would be under the bed. That meant she had to get down on the carpet. Suddenly she was happy that she was wearing gloves. The smell was bad enough, at least whatever could now be forming on the soiled carpet. Getting down though, she flattened herself against the soiled carpet remembering to breathe through her mouth. Against the wall, she saw a curled up form. Bright eyes stared back at her. "Hi Paige," she whispered quietly.

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