Laws of Motion – Book 3

Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT

Chapter 43

Saturday – November 19, 2005

Desert Palms ER

9:39 pm

"Nurse!" Wendy rushed Sean through the double doors of the ER without bothering to check in at the desk. "We were just here getting my son's eye taken care of and he was injured in the parking lot. He busted his chin and hurt his nose."

"It's my fault," Sean cried. "I didn't want to look stupid holding her hand, but the patch had me off balance and I tripped."

"His wrist hurts too, from trying to break his fall." Wendy held a mound of tissues to her boy's bloody face. "I didn't feel any breaks when I checked it."

"Wait here a sec and I'll see where I can put you."

The Tempest Hotel Ballroom – LVPD Formal

9:42 p.m.

"Where did the Grissoms go?" Becca asked as her husband's award ceremony was about to begin. "I can't believe they left before Tony's big moment."

"They went to get Sara's sweater and didn't have enough time to get all the way up front," Greg assured. "There's lots of people standing in the back."

"Doesn't Tony look positively dashing up there in the spotlight?" Her smile uncontainable, Becca dreamily gazed at her man. "How lucky am I?"

"Considering your history?" Greg snickered next to his pal. "Outrageously lucky. You totally don't deserve him."

"Thanks, Hoj." Becca laughed with the rest of the table. "I can always count on you to keep me grounded in my pathetic reality."

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the Sheriff called the room to order. "We have a very special guest to present the last award this evening."

"Let the PR fest begin," Carrie whispered to Nick.

Taking the portable microphone, the Sheriff stepped across the stage to where the little boy and his mother were waiting next to Vartann. "This is five year old Jamal…"

"Six!" the little boy quickly corrected. "My birthday was yesterday."

The embarrassed mother patted her son's shoulder. "Sorry, he's real excited about bein' six."

"I'm very sorry, young man," the Sheriff hammed it up for the crowd. The next election was now less than a year away and he was hoping to woo votes from the women in the audience tonight. "My mistake. This is six year old Jamal and his mother Tanisha Jones." Squatting next to the boy, he asked, "I was told that when we asked if you would like to say a few words about the man who saved your life, you wrote a story. Is that true?"

"Uh huh." The boy pulled the folded up note out of his pocket just like he had been instructed to do by the nice woman who had given him cookies and milk before coming on stage. "I told Mama to write what I said on the paper. I don't read big words, only letters and my name." He passed the paper to his mother and shielded his eyes from the camera lights. "Mama's gonna read it for me."

Terrified of speaking in front of a huge crowd, Tanisha unfolded the paper with trembling hands. Not the best reader herself, she had practiced the speech dozens of times to get it right in front of the cameras. "My name is Jamal Jones. I'm supposed to stay in the house when my Grandma is watchin' me. My Grandma watches me when I'm not at school and my Mama is workin'. My Mama works a lot, 'cause my Daddy is in prison now and he can't help us none. I'm supposed to stay in the house, but when my Grandma falls asleep, sometimes I sneak out. She falls asleep a lot 'cause she's old." The mother took a breath while the audience chuckled, then sped through the rest of the speech. "My Mama tells me to stay in the house 'cause it's too dangerous to play in our neighborhood because there are bad men there. I don't listen 'cause I like to climb in the dumpsters in the alley down the street to look for treasure. One time I found a bike that almost worked. Another time I found a bag of seashells from the real ocean. One day, I was gettin' ready to climb in a dumpster when the bad men started shootin' their guns all around me. There was lots of screamin' and loud noises and I got real scared. Cops were yelling at me to run, but my feet were stuck in the ground and I couldn't go nowhere. Suddenly, I was flyin' through the air and rollin' on the ground. When I stopped rollin' a man was askin' me 'Are you okay? Are you okay?' I thought a Superhero had saved me, but it was a cop with a really weird name. I didn't like cops, 'cause they took my Daddy away, but I liked Detective Vartann 'cause he saved my life. My Mama told me that I was old enough to know that my Daddy was a bad man with a gun just like the ones who were shootin' all around me and the cops were good and I shouldn't be mad at them for takin' him away. While I was gettin' band-aided in the back of an ambulance, Detective Vartann bought me a Happy Meal and told me not to sneak out of the house no more. I didn't listen to my Mama, but I'm gonna listen to him. He's cool." Tanisha looked up, relieved the speech was over. "Thank you."

"Thank you." The Sheriff reclaimed the mike. "We think Detective Vartann is pretty cool too, Jamal."

Becca couldn't resist yelling, "I do too!"

After a week of depression, Tony embraced every minute of the joy as his wife and the little boy both looked at him with admiration. "Thank you."

The Sheriff knelt next to the young man. "We sent someone from the police department to your house to ask you if you thought Detective Vartann should get a medal. Can you tell everyone exactly what you said?" He moved the mike to the boy's mouth and hoped the kid would remember the cute answer he had said and since been rehearsing.

"I said I think he should get a big medal and a Happy Meal, 'cause he really liked my French Fries when we were talkin' in the ambulance."

While the audience laughed, several of Tony's co-workers commiserated with the boy that he had stolen their fries on numerous occasions.

Standing up, the Sheriff said, "We have two things for Jamal to present to Detective Vartann. A Medal of Honor, and a hundred dollars worth of gift certificates to McDonald's, so he can buy his own fries. I wonder which one he'll value more?"

While his cop buddies yelled 'The Fries', Tony knelt down so Jamal could get the medal over his head. "If it's okay with your mom, I'll swing by a couple of times and bring you Happy Meals when I get my French Fries."

Tanisha nodded, "Any time."

"Cool!" Jamal put the medal around the Detective's neck and gave him a high five. "The bling looks good."

Tony straightened the medal. "It feels pretty good too."

The Sheriff cued the PR people to wheel in a bike with a big red ribbon on it. "We have something else that I hope you'll think is pretty cool, Jamal. To thank you for writing such a nice story, The Las Vegas Police Department is giving you a bike that works."

"Awesome!" Jamal rushed over to inspect his prize. "I didn't get one for my birthday!"

"And here's something for you, your mom, and your grandma." The Sheriff handed over an envelope and smiled at the camera. "The Tempest Hotel, our gracious hosts for this evening's event, have donated four days and three nights in one of their luxurious suites with all expenses paid, so you can have a little family vacation. They've even promised to litter their poolside beach with real sea shells, so you can collect them, Jamal."

"Catherine got Daddy Warbucks to kick that in," Nick informed his tablemates. "It was Carrie's idea after she read the letter Jamal wrote."

"How did you see the letter, Carrie?" Tawny asked.

"Tanisha already had financial and legal troubles because of her deadbeat husband when Social Services was all over her about Jamal sneaking out while his grandmother napped. Tony gave her my BPAC card." Carrie waved to the little boy trying out his new bike. "She's a really good mom, but she had Jamal when she was fourteen and his father was a banger. She was used to living off drug money and it's hard to go legit and make minimum wage. She's working two jobs and barely sees him."

"Mrs. Vartann," the Public Information Officer quickly approached. "We need you for the interview in the room next door."

"Coming!" Becca darted out of her chair, thrilled for the opportunity to talk up her man.

"Well, this evening is going much better than I imagined." Greg pecked his wife's cheek. "When the band starts up again, how about another dance?"

"You bet." Tawny stood. "But first I need to powder my nose. Carrie, will you run interference if my mother pounces again?"

"Of course."

"Sanders!" Vega rushed forward. "I need to speak with you and your wife."

Only a couple of yards away, Tawny returned to the table. "What's up?"

"It's your mother," Vega somberly replied, "She fell down steps out front and is on her way to Desert Palms. I'm afraid…well…I'm sorry, it doesn't look good. It'll probably be a DOA."

After a momentary shock, Tawny shrieked. "He had the balls to try and kill her at a cop function!"

"Who?" Vega quizzed, knowing the circumstances of the incident.

"Rodgers!"

En Route to Desert Palms

9:52 pm

"Marlene…" Mike sat in the corner of the ambulance crying. "She's not going to make it, is she?"

"I'm sorry," EMT Jeff Samson quietly offered his condolences. "She's clinging, but…"

"It's okay." Wiping his tears, Mike nodded. "I suspected as much. Thank you for trying."

The Tempest Hotel

9:54 pm

"After trying to push through the crowd, Nick finally got Greg and Tawny outside. "Gris! What the hell happened?!"

"Is my mother going to make it?" Tawny asked, feeling guilty for a tiny part of her wishing the answer was no.

"Uh." Keeping an eye on Sara talking with Jim and Vega, Gil answered, "I'm sorry, I don't have a status on her condition. As for what happened…Sara was waiting at the entrance for me to return with her sweater when Marlene came outside for a smoke. She started harping on Sara, going as far as threatening to push her down the steps, stating it was her job as Mrs. Mike Rodgers to harass her. She specifically said she'd get bonus pay if she caused a miscarriage."

"Oh my God." Tawny's guilt over wishing her mother dead ceased and she actively began hoping the witch was gone for good. "She was conspiring with him to…that's sick." Her hands gravitated to her womb. "So sick."

"Sara tried to walk away, but Marlene stepped in front of her and bumped her. As Sara moved around her, Marlene grabbed her arm."

"I told you she was evil," Tawny stated. "Evil!"

"When Sara shook her off, Marlene must have forgotten where she was, because she took a step back and fell…" Gil's eyes gravitated toward the marble steps, "the entire distance."

Greg shielded his wife from seeing the bloody mess towards the bottom of the steps while he gawked at it.

"That's one heck of a fall," Carrie remarked, clutching Nick's arm a little tighter.

Grissom reluctantly shared the last part of the story, "Rodgers told the cops that he found Sara at the top of the steps when he returned with his wife's drink. He eagerly informed them that Sara had threatened Marlene during the course of the evening, as well as in our neighborhood. He's insisting Sara pushed her, trying to kill her."

"Even in death my mother will cause pain." Tawny's nausea intensified. "I can't believe this."

"Sara really wants to speak with you, Tawny. She feels terrible that this happened." Gil checked his watch. "We'll be here a while though. They've taken Marlene to Desert Palms."

"Tell Sara not to worry and as far as my mother is concerned…I'll send flowers." Tawny huffed, "I'm not cutting our special night short for that witch. Come on, Greg!" She turned to re-enter the building. "Dancing!"

Trinity Christian

9:58 pm

As the last dance of the night ended, Lindsay couldn't believe she had been dancing with Colin for nearly an hour. "Wow. Time flies."

"When you're having fun." The teen smiled at his dance partner. "So…this guy that was supposed to bring you to the dance. Is he your boyfriend?"

"He's someone I see, but we're not like hooked up." Swaying to the soft music she asked, "What about you? Aren't you dating that cheerleader chick, Mimi?"

"Was dating," Colin corrected. "It's totally embarrassing, but…she dumped me for a freshman at Butterfield. She met him during an away game. She said she liked both of us. Then he bought her a Dooney & Burke purse last week for her birthday and now she likes him more. Who wants to date a materialistic snob anyway, right? It doesn't go with my Eagle Scout persona, ya know? I think those purses are frickin' ugly anyway."

"Me too!" Lindsay wholeheartedly agreed while making a mental note to ditch the Dooney & Burke Doodle bag that her grandfather had given her. "I'm tooootally into helping mankind too. I even volunteer at this charity place called BPAC, which stands for Bringing Peace and Comfort. My mom's friends started it."

"That's really cool."

"Yeah, and my parents are CSIs, that stands for Crime Scene Investigators. In my house, we're all about helping those less fortunate."

"Hey, Linds!" Warrick approached, anxious to meet the boy who had been monopolizing his daughter's time. "The clean up crew is lookin' for you."

"Right!" She darted off.

"Don't worry, I'll keep your friend here company." Warrick stepped in front of the boy. "I'm Lindsay's Stepdad. Mr. Brown to you."

"Uh…nice to meet you, Mr. Brown." Colin smiled at the authoritative man looming over him. "I really should be helping too."

"Yeah, I just wanted to take a sec to lay some ground rules in case you were thinkin' of hangin' with Lindsay on a regular basis. Don't mess with my daughter's head, heart, happiness and/or her body. You can talk, dance, hold hands and I'm not completely unreasonable, if the mood strikes one day in the future, you can even kiss her on the lips. Do we have an understanding?"

"Y…yes, Sir."

"Good." Warrick shooed the boy. "You can go now."

LVPD Formal

10:04 pm

"Thank you so much for coming," Becca hugged Tanisha while Tony took a few more photos with Jamal and the Sheriff. "Your son is just the cutest thing ever. I hope my baby is just like him." She chuckled, "Well, except for being black of course, because I'd have a lot of explaining to do, right?"

Tanisha laughed along with the wacky woman she had come to know when visiting the BPAC office. "Yeah, you can talk your way around blue eyes when your man's got brown, but skin color not so much."

"If you ever need anything for Jamal, please don't hesitate to call. My father was a loser who walked out of my life, so I know it can be rough on a kid."

"Thanks, you guys are helpin' so much already."

"How's the GED studying coming along?"

"Not too good. I'm so beat when I get home from my second shift I usually fall asleep ten minutes in, but I'm gonna do it, 'cause like Ms. Blake said, I won't get a good job until I have it."

"I think someone's up past their bedtime," Tony stated while walking over with Jamal resting in his arms. "All the excitement probably did him in too. I'll carry him out to your car, and I got a couple of uniforms to bring the bike out there for you."

"You don't hafta carry him. You got this big party."

"I don't mind."

"See how paternal he is!" Becca gushed as they left the room. "Honey, you're going to make the best Daddy!"

The Blakes

10:09 pm

"Oh like you were any better at fathering a son!" Paul blasted his Dad as they stood in the backyard arguing. "Maybe I should try your technique and nearly choke Ryan to death in the living room in front of his mother while she almost strokes out from witnessing the nightmare! You're a frickin' psycho, Dad, with your superhero hitman bullshit and..."

"Would you keep your god damn voice down before someone hears you?!" Ken stepped closer. "You didn't seem to mind the superhero hitman BS when it was going to benefit you."

"Sorry." Gripping his hair, Paul dropped onto a garden bench. "It's just…I really don't know what to do about Ryan. I don't think he means to cause trouble, but he does. It's terrible to say, but…I kind of liked it when he was living with Carrie. There was peace in the house. I would come home from work to peace and quiet. I didn't have Wendy in my face telling me that I had to discipline Ryan or referee a brawl. Sean and the girls get along great. It's Ryan who causes the imbalance. God, I hate myself for feeling that way, but it's true."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Ryan told me earlier today that he preferred living at Nick and Carrie's because he didn't get in trouble nearly as much, and when he did it was for real things, like not taking out the trash." Ken took a seat next to his son "And he was happy eating meat."

"Maybe that's it. Maybe he needs meat in his diet."

"I don't think that's it."

"There really could be something to this, Dad. They put kids with ADHD on special diets, right? Maybe all the carbs Wendy feeds him throws him out of whack? Nick eats a high protein, low carb diet."

"I don't think it was Nick's diet that made the difference, Paul, I think it was the Stokes lifestyle."

"You think Nick's a better parent than me?" Paul asked with a twinge of anger.

"No, I think he has a different parenting style and that style works better for Ryan. He provided an abundance of structure and he kept the boy too busy to get in trouble."

Paul decided against sharing the story of Ryan sneaking in his girlfriend and eavesdropping, figuring his father would only blame him for not supervising the boy properly in the first place.

"According to Carrie, Nick worked Ryan ragged on a few occasions. He was also very good about rewarding him for his effort. Then Ryan comes back here and Wendy starts doing everything for him and leaving him to his own devices…of course he gets in more trouble. He has too much idle time on his hands, and he can't be rewarded when he's not given any opportunities to shine."

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd side with Nick over me."

"Me either," Ken chuckled. "But I have to hand it to him. He's very tactful when it comes to mentoring hapless young men."

The Tempest - Ballroom

10:25 pm

"Greg! What the hell, man? Can't you follow a simple instruction?" Nick reasoned, "You gotta get Tawny out of here. It looks bad to have her cuttin' a rug while her mother is dyin'."

"She's in shock, Nick." Greg watched his wife dancing with strangers and laughing. "I tried, but she won't leave."

"Well, try again, because for appearances sake, she needs to stop partying."

"Hey! Did you guys hear?!" Tawny rushed over to the edge of the dance floor where her husband, Nick, the Vartanns, and Carrie were gaping at her. "I won Best Breasts and MILF! Carrie, you're tied with Tina Marchello for Sexiest! Isn't that great?! Ooh…Becks, I'm very sorry to say you've been shut out of everything except Best New Wife, where you took third. If it's any consolation, I voted for you to win."

"That's it!" Carrie grabbed Tawny's wrist. "Honey, we're going."

"I'm not going to the hospital!" Tawny shrieked. "I don't care if the witch lives or dies! When are all of you going to get that through your thick heads!"

As the crowd around them grew, Carrie pressed on, "You don't have to go to the hospital, Sweetie." Whispering in her ear she reasoned, "It's just not helping Sara look innocent when you're celebrating your mom's potential demise. You know what I mean? If you need to keep your mind occupied, then we can go back to my house and all hang out there, okay? We'll watch a movie or something."

"Sorry." Tawny relented, walking off the floor. "I didn't think about that angle." Staring at Greg she droned, "You know what, no…let's go to the hospital. It'll look good for all parties involved, and the sooner I know the bitch is gone, the better I'll breathe."

The Tempest – Front Steps

10:41 pm

"Take a deep breath, Honey," Gil encouraged his wife. "The stress isn't good for the baby."

"I'm fine." It was the truth. Sara stood at the top of the steps feeling more relaxed than she had in weeks. "Really, please don't worry. The security tapes will corroborate my story and then we'll be free to go."

"Hey!" Catherine walked over holding her kit. "Can't you people stay out of trouble for one night?"

"You need to check the security tapes," Sara instructed. "They'll match my statement. As much as I hated Marlene, I wasn't trying to kill her."

"Let's hope not, because…" Catherine sighed, checking her latest message. "Ding Dong." She held up the phone, displaying the text. "The witch is dead."

Desert Palms Hospital

10:52 pm

"Now the police have what they need, feel free to take all the time you need with your wife, Mr. Rodgers." The nurse quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Taking a seat on the edge of his dead wife's bed, Mike grumbled, "I told you not to wear those friggin' idiotic shoes, you stupid bitch. I had plans, and my plans required a wife. But noooo, you couldn't stay alive. I woulda killed you eventually, but you couldn't wait." Falling silent, he contemplated the twist of fate until he came up with some bright spots. "This means a delay in plans, but I really shouldn't complain. The extra cash will definitely help matters. With the new house and cars…your wardrobe and cosmetic procedures…" He shook his head. "I was down to a mil of my dearly departed's estate. Thank Christ I insured you to the max. I just made two million thanks to your stupidity." He caressed her blood streaked cheek. "For that, Sweetheart…I'll always love you."

When he heard the door opening, he grabbed Marlene's hand and fired up the water works. "We just started our life together and now…"

"Ugh!" Tawny immediately turned to bolt, but Greg stopped her.

"You're here to get closure, remember?"

"Fine." She plodded into the room. "Soooooooo…she's a goner, eh?"

Mike stood, clearing his throat for effect. "I know you had very good reasons to loathe your mother, but please…some respect for the dead."

With a profound lack of sadness, Tawny bounded over to the hospital bed. "At least it was quick for her, and relatively painless, right?" She nodded at Greg. "I can honestly say that I'm glad she didn't suffer."

"Very nice," Greg replied, supporting his wife's forced efforts.

"My condolences to the grieving husband as well." Tawny decided to go for an Oscar. "Mike, I know you really cared about her, so this must be hurting you terribly."

"Yes, yes it is."

"Good!"

"If you're only here to be nasty, then go."

"Okay, bye!" Tawny waved and marched for the door.

"Tawny!" Mike called. "Sorry, just one thing. There's something your mother was going to confess to you. I'd like to do it on her behalf."

"Don't you dare tell her that her father really wasn't her father," Greg snapped, "or some other bullshit story you've concocted just to upset her."

"Stop. It's nothing like that. Honestly, I think it will bring her relief." With his hands in his pockets, Mike approached. "Marlene was a bitch and she did some truly terrible things over the years. That said, even when I tried to show her the power of forgiveness, she showed little remorse. For instance, to this day she insisted you tried to steal her boyfriend and that he didn't molest you. I've seen the guy's rap sheet, and even though I wasn't there, I sided with you, Tawny. The guy was a pervert and you were very beautiful at sixteen, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. In any case, that's not what I wanted to share. During our conversations, there was only one thing Marlene expressed any genuine regret about in regards to you. Something that she was certain would cause her to burn in hell if she didn't ask you for forgiveness. I really think she would have gone through with asking too." Glancing over at his dead wife's body, he sighed, "Tragically she won't have the chance now."

"Just tell me already!" Tawny insisted, the anxiety killing her.

"It's in regard to the day your father passed. The reason you didn't get to the hospital in time was that Marlene waited until your father died to call you. He was hanging on, desperate to see his little girl one more time before passing, but she was so jealous of your relationship, she chose to deny both of you the opportunity to say goodbye. Your father died whispering your name while your mother stood there pretending she didn't know what was taking you so long to get there. I can understand if you're skeptical, but she has it all written down in this forgiveness journal I gave her. We use the same journal in prison to…"

"This if the first time I don't have a problem believing you," Tawny rasped on the way to her mother's bedside. "How could you? How could you do that to him?! To a dying man, a man who loved you even though you didn't deserve it. I'm glad you're dead!" she blared. "Do you hear me?! Good riddance!"

When Greg stepped forward, Mike said, "It's probably best to let her get everything out, don't you think?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right." Greg stood by and let her purge.

"You'll burn in Hell for everything you've done!" Tawny cried for her father's suffering while screaming at her mother's dead body. "And when you're in Hell, I hope you can see what's going on up here, because I'm going to show up to your funeral in a bright red dress and dance the jig around your grave! I hate you! And I'm glad you died knowing how much I hated you!"

When Mike saw Tawny spit and start hitting her mother's body with her rhinestone handbag, he prompted Greg, "That's probably enough closure for now. The stress isn't good for the babies and…"

"Right!" Snapping out of his daze, Greg latched both arms around Tawny. "Stop! Please stop! This stress isn't good for the babies."

"She kept me from saying goodbye." Tears poured out of her eyes as she turned to bawl into Greg's chest. "I could have hugged him and told him one last time."

"But he knew you loved him. He knew."

"Greg's right, your father knew how much you loved him," Mike affirmed. "That's why Marlene was so bitter towards you. You know your parents had to get married because your mom trapped your father by getting pregnant, right?"

"No, I didn't know that."

"Oh," Mike cringed. "Sorry to be the one to tell you, but yeah. He cared for Marlene, but he never really loved her…but he loved you."

"I always wondered what he saw in her. I wish that bitch had lived to tell me about not calling me to come to the hospital," Tawny squeaked in Greg's loving embrace. "That way I could look her in the eye and kill her myself after she told me."

"She got her comeuppance," Mike stated, actually feeling sorry for the girl. "They say death is the great equalizer, but I beg to differ. It's only when a person is dying that they realize how different they are. If Greg had died in that basement at Tucker Mifflin's hand, he would have passed with his friends and family caring about him, knowing he was loved by you, believing that his life had made a difference through his work. Same for Nick, if I hadn't pulled him from that fire. But Marlene died alone, without making her peace with God, without making an imprint on this world beyond birthing a beautiful daughter. She died knowing that she was unloved and unwanted by most, especially her own flesh and blood. Greg would have been mourned and missed, just like your father was. You would have kept him alive in your thoughts, just like you do your father, but Marlene's demise won't result in sadness. Hell, you and your friends will be celebrating it. Honestly, I'll probably be the only person who has her in their thoughts after a few days." With his eyes locked on Tawny's Mike softly asked, "Does knowing she got what she deserved bring you peace?"

"Yes," she hypnotically replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Unlike some of your friends, you remember to say thank you when someone is trying to help." Mike headed for the door. "I'll let you finish up in here while I make arrangements."

As soon as they were alone, Greg shook his wife out of Mike's Svengali trance. "You're scaring me. The way you were looking at Rodgers just now has me freaked too."

"Sorry, I hate to admit it, but what he said made me feel so much better." Tawny faced her mother's corpse once more. "I can't be angry at someone who was just served a steaming platter of karma. I'm looking at her now and all I feel is pity. Marlene Cooper was a pathetic excuse of a human being and no one is going to miss her. That's enough punishment." She took a step closer. "Thank you for bringing me into this world, Mother, even if I was just one of your lies and manipulations. I forgive you for every horrible thing you've ever done to me. In death, may you finally find some peace. Goodbye."

Greg watched a serene smile flourish on Tawny's face. "Uh…are you sure you're okay?"

"Terrific!" She wiped her tear stained cheeks. "And really, really hungry. Let's get something to eat."

Desert Palms – Cafeteria

11:08 pm

"Just a coffee, thanks." Carrie released Nick's hand so she could browse the gift shop around the corner. "I love you, Tex," she whispered, catching the edge of his ear lobe. "I'm gonna mosey down the hall a bit, okay?"

"I'll meet you in a sec." Nick grinned, glad his fiancée had drunk like a fish all night, because normally she would have been much more stressed by the evening's bizarre happenings. "I don't think the store is open this late, Darlin'!"

"I'm window shopping!" Carrie continued on her way, but much to her surprise she saw her sister-in-law hurrying down the empty hallway. "Wendy?!" What are you doing here? Is someone sick?"

"Sean, but it's not serious," Wendy replied, wanting to allay any fears. "Wait…why are you here? Is Nick…"

"No, it's Tawny's mother." Sadly, Carrie shared, "She fell down the marble steps in front of The Tempest and was DOA."

"You mean Mrs. Mike Rodgers Number Two?" Wendy scoffed, "I doubt she fell. I'm sure her dear husband pushed her so he could collect insurance money and…"

"Wen…"

"Unbelievable!" Wendy's outrage grew. "That animal is bold enough now that he kills while at a police function!"

Staring at Mike, who had just turned the corner, Carrie pleaded, "Sis, you really…"

"Did they arrest him?!" Excitement flooded Wendy's voice. "Is he…"

"No," Mike answered from behind Wendy. "He's right here, free as a bird."

"Get away from me!"

"Nicky!" Carrie called for backup.

"Oh shit." Nick tossed a five at the cafeteria clerk. "Two coffees, keep the change!"

"They didn't arrest me because I didn't push her. My wife fell during a conversation with your pal Sara Grissom. See how that happens, Wendy?" Mike's anger flashed, "Sometimes two people are having a heated discussion and one of them forgets where they are and accidentally takes a step off a cliff!"

"Back off, Rodgers." Nick handed the coffee to Carrie. "There's already been enough drama for one night, doncha think?"

"My sister didn't take an accidental step!" Wendy raged her reply as Nick restrained her. "You pushed her! The evidence showed you did, and you'd still be rotting in Ely if you hadn't resorted to blackmail to get your ass out from behind bars!"

"Do you want me to really tell you what happened that day?!" Ignoring Nick, Mike got in his accuser's face.

"Only if it's the truth," Wendy cried, her anger morphing to tears. "But we all know the truth will never come out of your mouth."

"You're right, I have been lying all these years." Mike gulped air and backed off. "I even lied on the witness stand. Did you hear that, Attorney Blake? Here's your chance to get me for perjury, so take notes to share with your buddies in the DA's office." With all eyes on him, he said, "I took Samantha on the climb, while I cleared my head about what happened the night before."

"What happened the night before?" Wendy's outrage echoed in the hall. "You mean when you violently raped me?!"

"Give it up already," Mike countered through gritted teeth. "We slept together. It was mutual, and you loved every minute of it. Afterwards you said you couldn't wait to rub it in your goody two shoes sister's face the next morning. I begged you not to tell her, but you were pissed that I didn't want to leave her and were counting the seconds until you could break us up and break her heart."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"How high were you that night, party girl!?" Mike yelled in the near empty hallway. "Be…honest. How high?! Tell them how you were always the life of the party. How you enjoyed being passed around between frat brothers. Remember Tim Mellenfield's Mardi Gras party, Wendy? Tell your uptight sister-in-law about your performance on the pool table and how you were riding one frat boy while you had his…"

"Shut up!"

"Tell them how trashed you were when you found me alone and threw yourself at me the night before your sister died. Not that I'm innocent, because I took what you were offering…and yeah, I wasn't gentle about it. You came to me like a whore, so that's how I treated you, and the only time I heard the word no come out of your mouth, was when I told you to go because I regretted what happened."

Knowing she had been partying for hours before the rape, Wendy fell silent. The details were a blur, they always had been, except for the words 'stop' and 'no', which she could still hear herself screaming. But standing there, listening to Mike tell the story, she suddenly realized she couldn't recall in what context they were cried. Terror raced through her along with each burning question. Could it have been rough sex, not rape? Could the cries of no and stop have been in response to rejection?

Waiting for Wendy's reply, Carrie thought back to the motel in Flagstaff where Nick had let her wake up alone after her first night of boozing. She remembered how disorientated she was and the horror of not being able to recall who she had been with or what transpired.

"Silence means guilt," Mike huffed.

"No!" Wendy jumped to the present. "I just refuse to dignify your bullshit with commentary."

Catching Nick's eyes, Mike confessed, "That day on the trail…I told Samantha that I slept with her sister. I wanted her to hear it from me, because I was sure Wendy was going to be a bitch about it. Understandably, Samantha was devastated. She flipped out. That blood of mine that you found on her jacket was from the gash on the side of my head that I got from the rock she slammed into my skull when I tried to pull her back from the edge." His voice quivering, he said, "I was stunned by the blow. I could feel the blood dripping down my neck onto my back. Then, just as I looked up…she screamed 'I hate both of you' and then…she jumped."

Wendy broke into laughter. "Why didn't you think of that story before your trial, genius? It's a hell of a lot better than the one you used."

"For the same reasons I didn't tell the truth back then," Mike vacantly replied. "I felt guilty, and I didn't want to taint Samantha's name or memory. It would have destroyed your parents to know she killed herself because we slept together. They would have believed she was burning in hell for taking her own life, and selfishly…your father was the only father I ever knew…" He broke down, noting that Nick looked quite convinced by his theatrics. "I didn't want him to hate me, not when he treated me like the son he never had. It was one night, one moment of weakness…if you hadn't said you were going to tell her, I wouldn't have confessed and she…never would have known. You're just as responsible for your sister's death as me, Wendy." Sliding down the wall, he opened the flood gates. "Maybe this is why I'm cursed to lose every woman I love. Maybe it's Samantha reaching from beyond the grave. Then you people are all over me…watching my every move…misinterpreting every fucking thing I do! I save your fucking life, Stokes and you still look at me like I'm out to get you!" He broke down, feeling the public display made him look quite sincere. "Marlene got me…" he squeaked. "She appreciated me. She was a royal bitch, but I was helping her and she was changing…slowly, maybe imperceptibly to most…but she was…"

Carrie's tears betrayed her and soon they were streaming down her cheeks for the man who saved her fiancée's life. "If you and Don Shultz go to the DA with the circumstances for the perjury…"

"I don't care what happens," Mike whimpered into his palms as he sat on the floor.

"You're trying to help him?!" Wendy snarled. "I don't believe you!"

"Sorry, I…I was returning a favor to get out of debt," Carrie replied, trying to justify the momentary lapse. "He saved Nicky's life, remember?"

"I need to get back to Sean." Extracting herself from Nick's arms, Wendy huffed, "If you can pull yourself away from caring about that lying bastard long enough to see your injured nephew, we're in ER Twelve."

"Come on." Too confused to come to any conclusions, Nick took Carrie's hand. "Let's go see Sean."

"Nick…" Mike glanced up, freely showing his soaked face. "Call Brass and tell him I take back what I said about Sara. I don't think she pushed Marlene…that was anger talking. You know the Sheriff is going all out because he's afraid of Shultz. Actually, I better call myself. If Sara lost the baby over the stress, I'd feel terrible." There was no point in sticking to the 'she pushed her' story anyway, since there was a good chance that the security cameras had captured the whole thing. In the off chance Sara really had pushed her, then the cameras would prove it and he'd be able to act surprised and get a heap of sympathy.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

"You know, if your story is true," Nick started, "and I'm not sayin' I buy it, I'm not sayin' that at all. But if it was true, and the gash on your head was that bad, you'd still have a scar on your scalp."

"I'll shave my head and show you tomorrow, how about that?"

"We'll be able to tell if it's fresh scar."

"Duh." Mike remarked with a hefty dose of irritation. "And here I was all ready to grab a scalpel from the supply closet and give myself a new one. Get out of my face, Stokes. Go enjoy the life you have thanks to me." With that he returned his wet face to his palms…to hide his smile. Just like old times, the cowboy, who couldn't stomach injustice, was falling for his bullshit.

Suddenly wondering if he had hallucinated Rodgers threatening to throw a lit match in the ambulance, Nick felt obligated to show some kindness, "Sorry about your wife. No matter what we thought of her, she was your…"

"Go!" Pretending he was crying, Mike sniffled. "I need some time alone, so stop pushing!"

The Tempest Hotel

11:19 pm

"Sara didn't push Marlene," Catherine informed the Sheriff, who had just joined her along with the DA, Brass and Vega. "Cue the tape," she told the security manager. "A picture is worth a thousands words, gentleman. See for yourself."

"Thank Christ for surveillance cameras," the Sheriff muttered.

"Marlene grabbed Sara, and from the looks of it, she's threatening her. When we take this back to the lab, our tech can enhance it enough to probably read her lips."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Brass said, "It's crystal clear that Sidle is pulling away out of fear. She's sixteen weeks pregnant and at the edge of the steps in a psycho's grasp."

"And look at those shoes the decedent has on," Catherine pointed to the screen. "Witnesses state she was boasting that she bought them just for tonight. She wasn't used to them. It takes talent not to fall over when wearing four inch heels, gentleman. I know from experience. Marlene was heavily intoxicated to boot. I'm sure Tox will back that up." Clicking off the video she said, "Accidental death brought on by her own stupidity…high heels, booze and a heap of bad karma courtesy of her bad ass attitude. Any questions?"

"Thank you CSI Willows." The Sheriff's smile returned. "You saved the night and I've yet to thank you for that great deal you got us here at The Tempest for tonight's festivities."

"A raise would be nice. I'll go tell Sara she's free to enjoy the party again." Catherine strutted out of the room, anxious to share the good news.

Desert Palms Hospital – ER 12

11:23 pm

"Nothing's broken, Sean," Doctor Jackson happily reported. "Now promise me you'll hold your Mom's hand on the way to the car this time."

"I promise."

"Where is your Mom anyway?"

"She went to get me a snack because my stomach was growling."

"Okay." He patted the boy's shoulder. "The nurse will give her all the discharge information and how to care for your stitches."

"My mom's a nurse," Sean reminded him. "She'll take good care of me."

"Great." The doctor headed for the curtain. "Remember…be careful."

Desert Palms Hospital – ER Waiting Area

11:27 pm

"No, I have to be careful!" Becca fretted as she paced in front of her husband and Greg. "Don't you understand? I cursed Marlene and she died!"

"Honey…" Tony held out his hand, hoping she'd take it this time. Since they arrived at the hospital and found out that Marlene had passed, Becca had been frantic.

"What if I accidentally cast a spell that hurts someone I don't want to hurt?!" Panic flooding her voice she said, "What if I accidentally curse you, Tony? Like say we're fooling around and I say something that ends up causing you harm?! We better not role play anything funky from here on out, huh?"

Tony looked to Greg for sympathy. "In hindsight, this really wasn't a good week to taper off Zoloft."

"Honestly, I don't think there is a good week, Dude." Watching his friend pace and mutter, Greg sighed, "She needs the meds. I know you're worried about the baby, but you gotta back off the controls, Buddy."

"Hey! It's not me making her stop." Seeing her fret, Tony's voice softened, "You know…she's worried the baby will come out with three eyes. I keep reminding her that Dr. M said it's okay, but..."

"Hoj!" Becca plopped in the chair beside her pal. "Can you test my DNA for this kind of thing?"

"Sorry, a Curse Chromosome hasn't been pinpointed yet."

"Maybe you can discover it in me and get famous! You could write another paper and get it published."

When Becca took off again, Greg shot Tony a look. "Multiple tangents…rapid cycling…irrational anxiety."

"Honey…please." Tony grabbed her hand, pulling her on his lap. "Let's take a breath and really think about this okay?"

"Evidence doesn't lie! I cursed Marlene twice and it worked both times."

"Hey! Maybe your power was limited to Marlene," Greg posited, trying to help. "And now that she's dead, you're powerless."

"Noooooo, because I also envisioned Amy's death before it happened. Right down to Cupid killing her!"

"Wait, you didn't tell me that," Tony said in surprise while taking his wife's pulse at the wrist. "What are you talking about?"

"I forgot about it until now." Becca's anxiety grew. "It was the morning of my first workout. I remember it perfectly. I dreamt Amy showed up in the bedroom and she was getting on my nerves. I pushed her away and she fell backwards, right into Cupid's arrow. Remember, when I made you move the statue from the dresser? That's why!"

"That's not cursing, though," Greg pointed out, "that's ESP."

"Not if I cursed her by dreaming her death." Becca nodded. "Uh huh, you didn't consider that, Genius. Maybe what I dream extends into the real world."

"That would be really creepy," Greg replied, forgetting for a moment that he was trying to help. "Because you can't control what you dream. They tried that in Nightmare on Elm Street, remember?"

"Sanders!" Tony shoved him. "You're throwing logs on the fire." Shaking his head, he lamented, "This is why you two were bad for each other."

"He's right, Honey." Becca's tears returned. "I can't control what I dream. What if…"

"Sweetheart." Tony snuggled her close and began rhythmically stroking her hair. "Please calm down."

"Listen to your husband, Becks." Greg checked his watch, anxious to beat it home. "Hey, here's a test. If you really have powers, tell me why Tawny is taking so long in the bathroom."

"She's talking to Carrie."

"Hey." Nick walked over sipping coffee. After checking on Sean and apologizing to Wendy, they had gone looking for Tawny. "Carrie's in the Ladies Room with Tawny and…"

"See!" Becca leapt off her husband's lap.

"I'm gonna smack the crap out of you, Sanders," Tony roared. "Stop trying to help. You suck at it."

"I so have magic powers!" Becca returned to pacing the rug. "Maybe that's why I like to wear black? I do look good in a cloak."

Accustomed to Mrs. Vartann's wackiness, Nick didn't bat an eye. "Hey, Greggo, I need to talk to Wendy alone for a sec, so when Carrie comes out here, would you tell her I'll be back in a few?"

"Sure thing," Greg answered as his pal walked off. Wanting a minute alone with Tony, he asked, "Becks, could you head to the Ladies Room and make sure Tawny is okay for me?"

"She is." Becca pointed to her head. "I can see her in my mind's eye, but I'll check anyway, because I know you're skeptical of my powers." Cupping Tony's face, she snatched a kiss. "Be right back, Honey!"

"You gotta keep her on the meds, Dude. Call Dr. M and get her working on her too." Greg pointed to Becca, who was skipping off to the restroom. "Right now she's Cute Mental, but a few weeks off meds and she'll be Mental Mental. Think about it. When you met her, she was already on Zoloft for over a week and taking Xanax…and she wasn't all that stable, right? You don't know Becca sans chemicals. Medicated Becca is sweet and snuggly. Unmedicated Becca had someone give me GHB, so she could rape me with my fiancée in the other room. Unmedicated Becca drove her brand new Porsche into her ex-boyfriend's Benz five times in the parking lot, because the guy had the audacity to bring a blonde to the club after dumping her. And those examples are mild, because I don't want to totally freak you out about the woman carrying your child."

"We had a plan. We weren't supposed to try for a baby for another six months. That would have given her more time to stabilize and…" Tony dropped his head in his hands. "You probably think I'm nuts for encouraging her to have kids in the first place."

"I told you, when she was pregnant in college she was incredibly happy. I think she'll be a great mom, really. As long as she's kept in check." Greg gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. "It's hardly a unique situation. Women with mental problems have kids all the time. Take my mom for example, she's certifiable, but look how great I turned out."

"Jesus Christ, I thought you were trying to convince me everything would be okay?" Tony stood to capture his pacing wife. "You're hardly normal."

The Grissom Limo

11:47 pm

"Normal's overrated," Sara growled in her husband's ear while she stripped him of his jacket. "Besides, who really knows what the 'normal' reaction is when someone has an altercation with a bitchy woman whom everyone hates and then that woman dies? If you conducted a study, you might find that euphoria is the normal reaction. Or maybe my good mood has nothing to do with Marlene's death and my hormones are coincidentally fluctuating."

Worried about his wife, Gil felt compelled to pry, "I just think that we should probably talk about what…"

In one bold move, Sara shucked her dress. "We can talk about Marlene's death, or…we can have the hottest sex ever. You choose."

Absolutely certain the correct answer was 'talk', Gil tackled his wife against the limo's leather and blanketed her with his sex-starved body.

"So, you want to talk, eh?" Sara snickered while working open her husband's pants. "Let's see what we have to discuss."

Desert Palms Hospital

11:50 pm

"Check it out," Mike called to Nick, who he found standing against an ER hallway.

When Nick tracked the voice, he saw Rodgers on approach, sporting a new hair style.

"I decided to lose the hair and prove it to you tonight." He turned his head and pointed to the jagged scar. "Just as I said."

Stepping close, the CSI studied the faded wound. "It proves you have a scar on your head. It doesn't prove your story's true."

Mike held up both hands. "Gil asserted that the blood drops on Samantha's jacket were there from when I cut myself, bashing her head in with a rock." He turned his hands front to back and front again. "No scar on the hands though." Dropping his arms, he said, "Wake up, Stokes. Think back to Sara's mental state before she went to Tahoe. She gave herself the GHB, man. She was unstable. She had been for years. I think she still is."

The Grissoms Limo

11:59 pm

"So…good," Gil declared in bursts as he collapsed against the limo's leather. "That…was…so good."

"You chose well." Sara picked her dress off the floor. "Talking's vastly overrated."

"Did you?" he panted.

"Yes." She tugged on the dress. "So, your work is done."

Gil reached for his untouched glass of brandy. "Surprisingly I don't feel guilty for caving into desire at an inappropriate time."

"Maybe the Catholic Guilt programming is finally wearing off." Grabbing a water bottle, Sara twisted the cap off and her lips into a smile. "Being cleared of murder is such a rush." She reclined against the leather. "I'm not condoning murder of course, but it's easier to understand why Mike enjoys getting away with it so much. You have this person who's in your way of a happy life and in an instant you can make that person disappear. What really stops people from taking that step?"

"Fear of burning in hell or getting caught…or both." Gil snapped into Scientist mode. "But sometimes, the fear is outweighed by the pain of the person remaining alive."

Catching her husband's eyes, Sara softly replied, "My mother believed that. It's crazy, but…after tonight with Marlene, I can understand what she was thinking when she raised that blade. Marlene wanted to hurt me, just like my father wanted to hurt my mother. It was justifiable, preservation of species."

"Sara…"

"Am I scaring you?" she challenged, expecting a diatribe.

"No." Gil smiled, "I was just going to ask you to pass my boxers because I'm sticking to the seat."

"And just like that I'm reminded of why I'm a germphobe." Tossing the shorts, Sara smiled, "Thank you for not running in fear of me."

"I love you."

"It feels good to be back."

Taking her hand, Gil pleaded from the heart, "Please stay."

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Desert Palms Hospital

12:02 am

"Did you tell Wendy where you're going?" Carrie heatedly whispered as she rushed out of the building with Nick. "What you're doing?"

"No."

"Do you think there's a chance he really might be innocent?"

"I don't know what I think, Carr! That's why I'm headin' to the lab to check the files from Samantha's case."

"Nicky!" Her red dress billowing in the breeze, Carrie shivered, "Leave me your jacket. I'm chilly."

Nick checked the sky. "It smells like rain."

"As if things weren't ominous enough."

"Don't tell anyone what I'm doin'," he said while tenderly tucking the jacket around her. "I just need to for peace of mind."

"Call me." She caressed his cheek. "I won't be sleeping."

"You wanna come with me instead of hitchin' a ride with Wendy?" His lips brushed against hers. "Come with me for the ride."

"The ride in the limo or were you speaking metaphorically?"

"Both."

As the first drops fell, Carrie took her fiancé's hand. "I'm with you, Stokes."

"For the ride in the limo or were you speaking metaphorically?"

"Both." A smile crested on her lips. "Let's go."

Author's Notes:

I hope you enjoyed the rest of the LVPD formal, and the end of Marlene's story. I know some readers were hoping for a second chance for her, but sadly it wasn't meant to be. Marlene had plenty of chances, but she didn't take them.

There is a method to Mike's madness in this chapter. He's playing a game with a specific goal in mind, but Nick has reasons of his own. The hunt for the truth continues in the next chapter! There's also more levity in between the angst in the next one.

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy New Year's Eve! Here's to a great year for all! Except Mike LOL

Thanks to KJT for dropping her suitcases and editing! And thanks to El Gringo and Maura for reviewing, I appreciate it :)

Next Chapter Posting: Sunday, January 7th

Thanks for reading and your comments,
Maggs