IMPORTANT A/N!! If you read chapter 49 prior to Friday night, I removed the original version of the chapter and replaced it with a new 49 that had some scenes cut, new scenes added, and most importantly, a different ending. You will be very confused if you don't read the last scene of the revised 49. Thanks!
Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 50
Thursday – November 24, 2005
Drew Stokes' Guesthouse
9:47 pm
"Those people are crazy, Betsy!" Ed Muller gave up on sleeping and paced the room. "The whole day was surreal, wasn't it? I mean, there's Drew leading a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer praising the Lord, but he's fornicating with our daughter and is bragging about having a lesbian sister. He calls himself a Christian, but he's anything but. He's one of those folks who picks and chooses what he wants from the Bible. Back in Chicago, he was taking his kids to church while having an affair with a stripper girl. It's all a joke to him. God-fearing people like us are a joke to him, and now our little girl is feeling the same way, thanks to him. Marta Jean no longer believes she'll be going to hell for what she's done. He has her believing our beliefs are ridiculous! Believing that certain parts of the Lord's Word can be ignored if it feels right to the flesh!"
"But Drew and Nick, the Blakes…they seem like nice people."
"Corinthians 11:14, Betsy…Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light."
"Ed! For goodness sake! You don't seriously think Drew is Satan in disguise."
"No, no of course not. I just think they're all under his spell. Take Nick's speech for example. Sure, in theory it sounds good. Hell, I even bought into what he was saying."
Conflicted and suffering from another wicked headache, Betsy whimpered, "You mean the part about 'what if Marta was dying, would you still be mad at her for what she's doing with Drew versus being happy she had known love'?"
"My answer should have been, no! No, I wouldn't be happy that she had physical pleasure in this world before she died, if it meant eternal damnation. Do you see what I mean, Betsy?!" Dropping onto the edge of the bed, he anxiously said, "His message was promoting sin, but it was disguised as a message about love. People make 'dying a virgin' seem like the worst fate a girl can suffer, but isn't it unfathomably worse for our baby girl to die a physically gratified sinner and go to hell than to remain pure and ascend into heaven?"
Grabbing her husband's hands, she fretted. "You're right, we were caught up in the moment, and her happiness. We lost sight of the bigger picture, because we so desperately want her to have a life of her own that brings her joy."
"But as parents, we need to be concerned with her salvation, not just her social life on Earth. Now, I have no doubt he and the others are nice in some respects, but they're living impure lives and for us to approve of Marta Jean hanging around them..."
"That Catherine woman was a stripper and a drug addict, which I understand is a thing of the past, but her breasts were spilling out of her blouse in front of impressionable teenage boys! Ryan Blake was gaping at her cleavage the entire day. Her daughter, Lindsay, is mouthy and following in her mother's footsteps wearing sleazy clothing. The child's black bra strap was showing and she wore a ton of makeup."
"I saw that too." Now that his wife was seeing the light, Ed could relax. "And what about Wendy Blake encouraging her teenage son to date a girl at his age?"
"And she wanted him to take Lindsay to one of those Harry Potter witchcraft movies. My goodness, you're absolutely right, Ed. In one breath Wendy was telling me about how she teaches Sunday School at her church and in the next she was excited about her son's love of the occult because to quote her 'he is finally excited about reading'."
"Isn't that exactly what Dobson and everyone have been saying? Parents are falling for that Harry Potter garbage because they're happy the kids are putting down the Nintendo controller to read. If Marta Jean has babies with Drew, our grandkids are gonna be raised thinking witchcraft and premarital sex are A-OK! We can't stand by and let that happen." In a whisper Ed confessed, "Do you know what I heard Carrie Blake whispering to her fiancé as I was coming around the corner earlier? I didn't want to tell you, because it was vile." Outraged, his face turned a deeper red. "Carrie said 'Did you make sure you hid the used condom in the trash?'"
"Good Lord!"
"That's right." His disgust grew. "They snuck off and had relations in the middle of a family Thanksgiving holiday. That's despicable. If our daughter has a baby with Drew, those two will no doubt be our grandchild's Godparents." His eyes filling with tears, he said with a heavy heart, "Our future grandchild's Godparents are nothing but worthless, hedonistic, self-indulgent, narcissists."
Nick and Carrie's
11:10 pm
"I'm real sorry, Carr." Nick walked over to her desk to steal one last kiss. "They're tapped, and now that I heard those details I shared with you, I'm dyin' for the case." A thirteen year old girl attending a family gathering had been raped by her nineteen year old cousin. He had been called in to process the garage, where the girl told her mother the assault occurred, while Sofia went to the hospital to collect the SAE kit and interview the terrified victim. "I still can't believe that she kept quiet for three hours…even sat through the Thanksgiving meal with her rapist across the table from her."
"Three hours. Wow." Carrie smiled at Nick. "I can't wait to meet her and tell her she's my hero. It took me an entire year to say something and my abuser wasn't a family member."
"Thirteen is a whole lot different than eight, Sweetheart." Caressing her cheek, he softly said, "Thanks for helpin' my brother tonight, combin' through his pre-nup and settlement to see if Schultz had anything to work with."
"Too bad I couldn't say Schultz didn't have a leg to stand on." Unfortunately she saw a couple of points that were exploitable. "Drew and Marta will be having a sleepless night, I'm sure." She winked. "Just like us. Since I'm wired, I'm going to start reviewing the molestation case that Catherine's team worked last week, the one with the preschool aide. Hillary, the new prosecutor I was telling you about, she's been begging for her first big case, so I'm going to let her have this one…with me at arm's length."
"In other words, I won't be seein' you for a while. I knew that would happen, that's why I had to squeeze in all that quality lovin' today."
"There's always Christmas to look forward to."
"Hey!" He pointed at her. "You're not workin' on your birthday. Remember, you promised me, and I have the whole day planned."
"I intend to keep that promise." Rubbing her hands together, she said, "Trust me, I'm way too excited to see this big surprise you have for me. Plus, I've never had a guy around to spoil me on my birthday, and I'm really looking forward to it."
"I'll do my best to make it wonderful." Leaning in he pleaded, "Now give me one more kiss."
"Mmm." When their lips parted, she winked, "Okay, CSI Stokes, go do a flawless job processing that scene, because you don't want the ADA giving you crap when the case arrives on her desk."
"Binda!" Nick scooped up the puppy when it came running from the plaid doggie bed in the corner of the office. "You keep Mommy company while I'm gone, okay?" After scratching the dog's head, he headed for the door. "I'll call ya."
Marjorie Demcak's Residence
11:17 pm
"I'll call you tomorrow to get your shopping list, Jori," Walking to the door, Ken Blake smiled at the woman who had graciously offered her unborn grandson to Carrie. "I'm really sorry you had to miss Thanksgiving dinner because of your rheumatoid arthritis flare up. It was a nice day."
"Thank you for offering to go to the store for me, and for bringing all those delicious leftovers when Carrie got caught up helping her brother-in-law." The lonely woman was grateful for the company more than the food. "It was a nice opportunity to get to know you beyond our quick exchanges at church the past few weeks. I really enjoyed our chat, I can't believe how long I've bended your ear. I'm sure Carrie's told you my husband and I had resolved to file for divorce when we were in Vancouver…the night before we got the call about Kyle being murdered." Her voice saturated with sadness. "It's been a long time, years actually, since I've had a man listen to my thoughts and I hate to keep burdening your daughter with my grief and problems. Thank you for your patience."
Starving for companionship himself, Ken shook his head, "Believe me, I needed the conversation as much as you. It will be ten years this January that I lost my wife and I'm afraid the loneliness has taken a toll. I've turned into an old grump."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Just ask my kids, they'll agree." Sighing, he explained, "I've been on a few dates over the years, all arranged by well meaning friends, but every one of them was a miserable couple of hours filled with forced conversation and tortuous periods of awkward silence. You, on the other hand, are so easy to talk to." He chuckled, "Maybe because this wasn't a date, so I didn't feel pressure…or feel like I was cheating on my wife's memory." He shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever the reason, I hope we can do it again."
"I'd like that very much." She bit her tongue not to ask for a hug from the man with sympathy and empathy in his eyes.
"I'll pick up some Starbucks after grocery shopping. We can talk over expensive trendy coffee like the youngsters do."
"Sounds perfect." Chuckling, she waved. "Good night, Ken."
"Tomorrow then." He waved as she slowly shut the door with a girlish grin on her face. "Good night."
The Blakes
11:23 pm
On the worst night of his life, Sean lay in bed staring at the ceiling wondering how he would go to Trinity on Monday and pretend his heart wasn't aching. He couldn't imagine how he'd cope upon seeing Lindsay holding hands with her new boyfriend. A guy, according to Ryan, who was a jock who could out run him in PE.
"Bro!" Ryan called from beyond the bedroom door. "You awake?"
"Yeah," Sean squeaked, immediately wishing he had lied.
"Can I come in?"
"Uh…" Sean raced to his dresser mirror to see if his eyes were still puffy and red. "Okay, you can come in."
"Check it out." From under his sweatshirt, Ryan produced two brownies. "They're Marta's triple chocolate brownies made with real sugar, not Mom's all-natural apple and carob brownies. I swiped before we left the castle." After he found out from Nick, about what happened between his brother and Lindsay, he decided to be a supportive instead of jerk. "I thought you might need a pick me up and since I knew you wouldn't booze with me, I was pretty sure I could get you to go to hell with me eating evil sugar."
"Thanks, Ryan." Sean was moved by the gesture.
After handing over one of the brownies, he reached behind his back for the book stuck in his waistband. "I couldn't find any porn, but to secure our spot in the eternal hellfire, I brought Harry Potter."
Surprised to find himself laughing, Sean said, "How thoughtful of you to damn me."
"Can you believe that guy?" Ryan plopped onto his brother's bed. "Do you think he seriously believes we're like gonna read the book and try to become wizards? Not that I wouldn't if I could, but duh…there's no such thing. But dude…if I had magic powers, I'd be next door turning Lindsay into a warthog for what she did to you. I told you that girl is a bitch."
Drew's House
11:52 pm
"I could kill that bitch for comin' here and shakin' up Cassie." Drew continued doing bicep curls in his home gym while Marta sat on the floor in silence. "She deserves everything she gets from that bastard she married. God dammit!" He dropped the dumbbells and shouted, "It's bad enough that the kids have divorced parents, now I have to wait until Lissa ends up 'accidentally' dead one day and tell them their mother's gone! I don't want that. I hate the witch, but I don't want her dyin' at the hands of a psycho. She's the mother of my kids, and I loved her once. I can't…I…would ya say somethin', please!" Dropping his head, he remorsefully said, "I'm sorry for yellin', Sweetheart. I just need to hear somethin' from you." He took a seat on the floor next to her. "It doesn't have to be good, just…try to help me out here, please…because I'm losin' it and you're impersonatin' a mute."
"It's all talk," Marta said, out of wishful thinking, instead of belief. "She wanted to get a rise out of you and she has, but what court in their right mind is going to give her custody? She broke the law breaking into BPAC, she has a history of drug use and from the looks of her tonight, I'd say she was on something. She looks like a bag of bones, whether it be from drugs or her eating disorder, neither makes her a healthy mom. She married a man she barely knew, whose last two wives died in mysterious circumstances. And remember what Carrie said, Cassie is old enough to convey her fears and wishes to a child advocate and be heard in court." Reaching out, she took her man's trembling hand. "Everything will be okay, you'll see." Vulnerable from the day's events and her father's disapproval, she meekly said, "This role, as the supportive girlfriend, is so new to me. I want to help, I'm just not sure how. Did I make you feel any better?"
"Yeah." Pulling her close, Drew released a heavy sigh. "You did good." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry I didn't do better with your father today. You told me he was an Evangelical Christian, but I didn't know you meant a Jerry Falwell type. Your father makes my father look liberal. I really wasn't prepared for him takin' such a hard line about us bein' physical. I honestly thought once he saw us happy together, he'd let that go."
"Me too, but…"
When her gaze drifted to the floor, Drew placed his fingertips under her chin to raise it. "Aww, Honey." Tears were flooding her eyes.
"I didn't want to burden you because of what happened with Lissa, but…while you were in the study with Nick and Carrie, my parents called me to the guesthouse. I thought they wanted to talk, but…they called me there to say they were going home. They begged me to return with them, and when I said no…" Sobbing, she crashed into Drew's open arms. "My Dad asked for my promise ring and said he would pray for me to see the light."
"You were holdin' that in this hold time because you didn't want to add to my stress?" When she nodded, he fell a little deeper in love. "I'm so sorry, Sweetheart." For the second time that night, he was consoling a heartbroken little girl and feeling guilty for being the source of her pain. "Maybe it'll be okay. You know…we'll give 'em some time and try again." Clutching her, he whispered, "I've got you."
Friday - November 25, 2005
The Vartanns
12:17 am
"Shhh, I've got you, Sierra." Becca brought the rattled two-month old to her chest, gently bouncing her. "Let's not wake Uncle Tony, because he had a really rough day. Look what I have." She dangled a bottle. "Your grandma brought ready-to-go formula. All I had to do was pour it into your bottle." When she reached the living room, the nervous aunt squealed with delight, "I'm walking and holding you with a bottle in my hand! That means I'm past the Humpty Dumpty phase."
After flipping on the faux-fireplace, she took a seat on the couch, still beaming from her accomplishment. "Your daddy is at the hospital in case your mommy needs him, or he'd be here with you. I don't want you to think he's bailed on you, because I know how much that sucks." Planting a tender kiss on the baby's forehead, she whispered, "You're way too sweet to be abandoned, and while your daddy is confused for sure, he's not an SOB like my father, so don't worry. You mom will need to spend a little time away probably, but once she's on the right drug cocktail, she'll get better. We just need to be careful that she doesn't come back like a zombie. That's what happened to me the first time I went into the hospital. I was only twelve, and my mother liked me as a zombie, so she didn't try to remedy the situation. Luckily she got a new boyfriend and stopped caring if I took my meds." Smiling at the snacking infant, she confessed, "Uncle Tony said this one-way conversation thing was hard for him, but I like it. It's like therapy without a bill or a person judging you. Between you and me, I do this all the time with Lady Godiva, my pet rat, but this is better, because you're a lot cuter and poop in a diaper."
Recalling the signs of gas, Becca gently lifted the baby and began tapping her back. "Let it rip, Princess. It's the only time in life you're allowed without being though of as crass." When her niece complied, she cheered, "Good one! Not quite frat boy level, but close." She carefully returned her to feeding position, and presented the bottle. "Do you think I'll be a good mommy? Ooh! I saw you nod! Thanks for the vote of confidence. We both know your Uncle Tony will be a great daddy. You should have seen him all excited at my first OB appointment. I seriously can't imagine how over the top he'll be when we go for my eight week ultrasound on the seventh. We get to see the heartbeat. I'll be able to relax a lot more when I see it and know it's healthy. Having a baby means the world to your uncle, and this is my chance to do something wonderful for him in return for him doing so much for me." Stroking her cheek, she confessed, "And now that I've spent some time around you, I'm starting to really want it too. I mean…having a baby is something I used to want, but I didn't think I deserved to be a mom after ending my first pregnancy. Can you imagine me with a ten year old right now? No, me either. Did you picture a girl when I asked that? I always picture a girl." Sadly she said, "I wasn't ready for her, and her sperm donor was never going to let it happen. This baby growing inside me now wasn't exactly planned either, but…."
"Hey, Honey."
While Becca lifted Sierra for another burp, she saw Tony padding around the couch wearing his moose jammies. "Hey…"
"I saw you two were gone, so…." Feeling guilty, he hurried to confess, "Actually, I've been eavesdropping for a few minutes. It was really sweet and I couldn't stop myself, then I felt like I was listening in on a therapy session and realized it wasn't cool. Sorry." He pointed over his shoulder. "I debated going to bed and pretending I never came out here, but it sounded like you might need a hug."
"We'd love one." Becca cradled Sierra and waited. "Mmm…this feels nice, doesn't it?" She relaxed in his arms.
"It sure does," Tony replied with a double meaning. Suddenly it was so easy to imagine a similar scene less than nine months away. "This is great practice." Sliding his hand over Becca's womb, his excitement grew. "The way time flies, it won't be long before we're waking up every few hours with our own baby."
"Before all the drama today, your mom was showing me old photo albums." With love in her heart and voice, she said, "If we have a girl, what do you think about naming her Isabella after your grandma?"
"Really?" His joy overflowed. "That's…I loved my grandmother very much. She died shortly after we moved out here and I took it really hard,"
"Yeah, your mom told me all about it"
Surprised he was getting misty from the memories flashing in his head, Tony stroked his wife's cheek. "Thank you. I'm really touched you'd want to name our daughter after her."
"Her super-cool nickname would be Bella."
"Becca and Bella." His chuckle startled the baby. "Yeah, I can see that. And if it's a boy?"
"Zack Vartann. I thin it sounds totally Jocko. What do you think?"
"I think I'm having that feeling again, like this can't possibly be happening. I love it." Moving closer, he murmured, "And I love you…twice as much as when we boarded that plane in Vegas."
The sound of the front door opening had them snapping their necks.
"Reg." Tony was surprised to see his brother. "What's going on? You doing okay?"
"Gina's dad didn't kill me," Reggie stated in exasperation. "Only because Matt intervened and made him believe this wasn't all because of the prostitute. He used this 'what came first, the chicken or the egg' analogy, it was great."
"Yeah, Dad told me that part."
"They may let me see Gina in the morning, so I thought I should probably get some rest." Walking to the couch, Reggie plucked Sierra from Becca's arms. "Thanks for taking care of her for me." With tears in his eyes, he kissed his baby girl. "Daddy missed you, Sweetie."
"Most of her stuff is in our room."
"Okay."
As Reggie walked off nuzzling his daughter, Becca looked at her empty arms. "Wow."
"What?"
"I want a baby!" Grinning, she met Tony's gaze. "I miss that one and it's not even mine. I've got my maternal mojo back!" The rush overwhelming her, she pounced on his lap. "We're having a baby, Baby! Mmm, if we weren't already, I'd definitely be begging you to make one with me right now."
"Hey!" Loving the gleam in his wife's eyes, Tony teased, "How is it fair to be penalized for getting the job done ahead of schedule?"
Mike and Lissa's Love Nest
12:47 am
"Ugh!" Lissa sat back on her heels and glared at her new husband. "Exactly how much longer are you gonna take?!?"
"What?" A quick check of the clock got him laughing. "It's only been four minutes, Sweetheart!"
"My lips are fallin' asleep, Baby," she pouted. "Does it always take you this long?"
"Not when the quality's good, but your technique is awful and I've been spoiled by Hoovers like Amy and Marlene."
"I guess you get what you pay for." With a self-satisfied smirk, she replied, "I'm your sweet little wife, not a trailer trash tramp, or a workin' girl. Maybe you should do what Drew did…outsource."
"Outsource? What the hell happened to that unbridled enthusiasm you had earlier, when you realized my plan worked like a charm?"
"Did you see the look on Drew's face?!" Lissa shrieked when she slid into the passenger seat of her rental car. "It was priceless!"
"I told you."
Flying high from a mix of pills, champagne and adrenaline, she grinned at her savior with fire in her eyes. "You're my hero."
"And we all know what the hero gets…the girl." Without stating his intentions, he climbed into the spacious back seat of the luxury sedan. "I scratched your back, Lissa, now it's time for you to scratch mine…literally." Thoroughly enjoying the surprise in her eyes, he worked open his jeans.
"Right here?" Lissa peered out of the window. "In front of my old home?!"
"Happy Honeymoon, Sweetheart." He patted the backseat. "It's not Paris, but it works for me." When she joined him in the backseat, he sweetly said, "I hope you had the good sense not to wear panties to the chapel."
"Find out for yourself." She shivered from at the first touch of his icy fingers gliding over her bare thighs. "Cold hands."
"Yeah, but I have a very warm heart," he rasped in her ear. "And you don't wear panties. I think I just might learn to love you, Sweetheart."
"How much did you say you'll have in the bank once your dead wife's policy money is deposited?"
"A little over three million."
"Mmm. I think I might just learn to love you too."
Reclining against the leather, Mike released a contented sigh. "After my winning performance at Drew's front door, I think it only fair that you give me a little show in return. I'll play the part of the millionaire, and you my Dear…will be the supermodel sucking up to me for my money. I want the full effect…pouty lips, bitchy attitude...brazen nudity."
"Like this?" She hiked her pencil skirt to give a proper tease.
"You're on the right track." When she mussed her hair and lowered one shoulder of her blouse, he clapped in approval. "Now we're talking. Work it, Baby!" he yelled like a demanding photographer. "Work it!"
"Look at you droolin'."
"I swiped the copy of your Vogue cover shot from the folder Schultz has on you."
With catlike grace, she pounced on his lap. "You ever fantasize about me while lookin' at that picture?" Running her hands over his stocky chest, she realized there was a motherload of muscle hidden under his shirt, so she popped the buttons quickly.
"Hell, yeah, I fantasized about you," he answered while slowly dipping her onto the leather seat. "One of them was about having you in the backseat of a car."
Lissa dug her nails into his shoulders in reaction to his sudden and possessive move.
"I'll obviously be checking that fantasy off the list tonight."
"You should be wearin' protection." She struggled to position her head from repetitively slamming into the side wall.
"Eww, you're right. I totally forgot you've been banging a French guy."
"Ha! You're worried about me not being clean?" she chortled. "You spent a year in prison and then you married Marlene. If anyone has cooties, it's you."
"According to my doctor, I'm the picture of health." Mike flexed his bicep. "I plan to live to a hundred, just to piss off the people who want me dead." He picked up the pace. "Oh yeah…this is way better than the fantasy. It helps that your ex and Nick are probably watching out the window. Is it working for you too?"
It was hard to speak with her hair flying in and out of her mouth as she gasped for air. "So…hot." She decided to fake her own finale to encourage him to finish.
"Sounds like someone is enjoying herself."
Wondering exactly how long he could keep up the rugged pace, she anxiously asked, "Are you close, Baby?"
"No, don't worry. I may be forty-three, but I've got the stamina of an eighteen year old."
Lissa's eyes flew wide.
"Oh, yeah…"
Crime Lab Parking Lot
1:34 am
"This could take all night!" Nick huffed to Sofia as he slid behind the driver's seat and noted the time. "I bet Irving is bummed you had to bolt on Thanksgiving, huh?"
On the way to meet Detective Cavaliere at the suspect's home, she decided to use the time to vent. "Honestly, I don't know if Irving and I are going to make it."
"Really? Wow, I'm sorry to hear that." Driving down the quiet suburban street away from the scene, Nick couldn't help but probe, "What makes you think you're not gonna make it?"
"Little things, I don't know. The longer we live together, the more obvious it is we're not compatible. He's a really nice guy, don't get me wrong, but…I don't know."
"Maybe it's just hard livin' with someone after livin' alone for a long time. It was for me. You have to separate that from the person though."
"Maybe." She shrugged and watched the street lights zip by. "Maybe we should have eased into living together. We didn't even take a vacation first, you know?"
Chuckling, he said, "Carrie and I are far more incompatible on vacation than we are livin' together. For me, time away has always been about campin' and outdoor activities. Carr's ideal vacation is a resort retreat filled with opportunities to wear pretty shoes and go to the spa."
"Ugh, I'm with you. If the vacation doesn't involve an outdoor activity I can die doing, I don't want to go."
"See, we'd have no problem on vacation, but we probably couldn't live together."
I disagree. Those three nights you spent at my place were a little slice of heaven. "You're going to Maui for your honeymoon, right?"
"No, after Carrie gave Greg and Tawny our honeymoon locale and plans, she didn't want that anymore. Believe it or not, she let me plan the whole thing."
"To quote Jim Brass…shocking! What did you pick?" Please don't say Australia or New Zealand, because those are my dream honeymoon spots.
"Australia." Nick radiated excitement. "I know watchin' Carrie walk down that aisle will be spectacular, but I've wanted to see The Great Barrier Reef ever since my uncle showed me pictures of him divin' there, so I'm just as psyched about the honeymoon as I am the weddin'."
I hate happy people. "Wow, that's gonna be great."
"We're spending four days in the outback, three days in this tree house resort in the rainforest that looks phenomenal, then we go to Lizard Island for four days, that's this resort in the Great Barrier Reef, it has somethin' like twenty-four private beaches. We wrap it up with a few days in Sydney gettin' pampered and eatin' well, before flyin' home."
"Is that it?" His sweet laughter only made matters worse. Why did I throw you out of my apartment again? Ugh. Stupid, stupid, stupid! "All courtesy of the Spleen Lottery I assume."
"Yep. Now that I can see my money workin' towards BPAC, I've gotten over feelin' guilty about splurges now and then. Wanna know my super secret birthday surprise for Carrie?"
Wait! Let me get my barf bag. "Sure," she replied, trying to be excited while chiding herself for wishing she was on the receiving end of Nick's affection.
"A horse. This gorgeous white mare named Sonnet. I got me one too, so we can ride together."
Dammit! I love horses! "Does Carrie even like horses? I really can't picture her dealing with the smell."
"She loved ridin' when we went to Flag not too long ago, so I'm hopin' so, yeah." Making the final turn toward the suspect's home, he breathed deep. "In case she doesn't, I'll have her Christmas gift on hand. It's a diamond bracelet, but I don't think I'll need it. I think she'll love the horse."
"I'd like the horse much better, but that's me…an adventurous tomboy who loves the great outdoors."
Chuckling, he parked the car. "Yeah, but as I recall, you cleaned up real well and looked great in lace."
Don't flirt with me while I'm turning green with envy! "Are you looking for a sexual harassment charge, Supervisor Stokes?" She threw open the door. "Just kidding."
As they strolled up the path to the modest home, they were startled when a man rushed from the house.
"Grab him, Stokes!" Cavaliere shouted from the front door, happy to see both CSIs. "That's our suspect!"
"Freeze!" Nick commanded as the guy whizzed by, knocking Sofia to the ground.
"Son of a bitch!" With his pistol drawn, Nick took off running with Cavaliere racing to catch up. "Don't make me shoot you!" he screamed. Luckily, a squad car came speeding around the corner. "Give it up already! You're not gettin' out of this!"
Before he knew what hit him, the fleeing suspect flew onto the hood of the police car and crashed to the ground.
"That works too," Nick approached with his gun pointed at the guy's lifeless body. "We need an ambulance!" Crouching down he went looking for a pulse. "I stand corrected, we need a Coroner."
"The bastard was giving himself up, then he bolted," Cavaliere breathlessly explained. "You need to check on Sofia. She hit the ground pretty hard."
The Grissoms
1:42 am
"Gil?!" Sara bolted out of bed upon hearing a thud. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed upon seeing her husband splayed on the floor. "What's wrong?!"
"I tripped over the damn dog on my way to the bathroom," he grumbled.
"Thankfully I didn't have anything to do with this injury."
"Ironically, I was on my way there to take another pain pill." He shook out his wrist. "Now I have more pain."
"Let me see it." She gently maneuvered his wrist. "It doesn't feel broken."
"I think it's just bruised."
"Like my ego today." Smiling, Sara rose to her feet. "Seeing you floundering on the floor naked because you tripped over our giant basset hound on the way to the potty, really makes me feel better about myself."
"I did it on purpose just to help. See what a great husband I am?"
"Aww, you didn't have to trip over our basset hound and look like a fool to prove it, I already knew you were," she confirmed without skipping a beat. "Need some help up?"
Davis Residence
1:46 pm
"Sofia…" Nick gently helped her to sit up. "Are you okay? I think you whacked your head pretty hard. We're gonna need to have you checked out and file a report."
"Nick?" There were three of him dancing before her eyes. "I…"
"You hit your head." He stroked her hair, trying to find a lump. "Where does it hurt?"
"Hey..." Reaching out with a shaky hand, she caressed the cheek of the Nick standing in the middle of the Nick trio. "No, we both hurt each other. You know…living together is a big adjustment. I kicked you out, that was a mistake, but if you come back, I know we can make it work. It was one stupid fight, Nicky. It was intense because we had these feelings for each other we were trying to deny. Right? And we were both too stubborn to say we were sorry. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"Sofia…" Worried that she had a serious concussion, Nick cupped her face. "Let me see your eyes."
His touch sent a delightful shiver through her body. "I love horses and Australia. How about we move to Australia and buy a horse ranch with your spleen money? Could we do that? Because I don't know about you, but I'm sick to death of death in Sin City."
"Open your eyes for me." He had his flashlight casting light from below. "Nice and big."
"Do you see it?" she dreamily asked through a smile. "The love in them? Oh my god," she giggled, "I've gone soap opera." Without warning, she knocked him off balance with an eager kiss.
Breaking the lip lock, Nick pulled back, startled. "You're with Irving, remember? I'm with Carrie. Think about that while I make a call here."
"Who are Irving and Carrie?" She cocked her head. "Do they work in Trace?"
"Holy hell." He gently helped her to her feet, clutching her wobbly body. "We need to go to the hospital, Sweetheart."
"We'll go there after The Great Barrier Reef." Throwing her arms around his neck, she released a giddy laugh. "We'll go diving, then we'll go back to our treehouse and I'll clean up nice and wear lace for you." Without warning, her knees buckled and she was at Nick's feet gripping his hips. "Whoopsie!" She glanced up grinning, "I think I drank a little too much champagne at our wedding." Unable to hold up her head, she dropped it straight into his crotch. "I feel a little nauseous."
"Where's the damn ambulance, Cavaliere?!" Nick barked into his radio while stroking Sofia's hair. "I see police backup, but not EMTs. CSI Curtis is in need of immediate medial attention! "
"Thirty seconds, Stokes."
Nick slowly knelt down and took her in his arms. "I need you to stay awake for me." He patted her cheek. "Sofia…"
"I need to lie down." She eased onto her back.
"No, no, no." Looming over her, he gently pulled her back up.
"It's cold."
"Here." Nick hurried to remove his jacket and place it around her shoulders. "Better?" When he saw her smiling at him, he returned it. "You'll be okay."
"I always loved wearing your clothes." Her eyes fluttered closed. "I always loved you."
The Grissoms
2:17 am
"I love you, Sara." Every inch of his body satisfied, Gil sucked in a breath and collapsed onto the bed next to her. "Lots." He broke into an easy laugh.
"You're like the Energizer Bunny of Lovin'," Sara exclaimed while watching him catch his breath. "It's two a.m., you have a 2nd degree burn and a sprained wrist…"
"When you're a stud, you're a stud." He decided not to tell her that he twisted his back in the process and felt a terrible gas attack coming on. "I need to make sure I set the alarm." He'd use the hall bathroom and she'd be none the wiser.
"Okay." Needing to pee like a race horse, she was secretly relieved they wouldn't be savoring the afterglow.
Mike and Lissa's House of Red Hot Lovin'…Not
2:22 am
Unable to sleep, Mike took a seat behind his computer, cracked open a beer and logged onto AOL.
You've got mail!
Recognizing Fromansky's handle in between spam entries, he clicked on it.
I guess Stokes is over Sanders. It's really not what it looks like, but I thought you'd get a laugh.
"Huh?" Mike opened the zip file attachment and was stunned to see photos of Nick and Sofia materializing before his eyes. "Holy shit." His eyes focused on the one of Sofia on her knees, gripping Nick's hips and grinning from ear to ear. "Nicky!" he riotously laughed and raised his beer. After flipping through all them twice, he rested in his chair. Never one to go for the obvious idea, he pondered the opportunity. "How do I get the biggest bang for my buck out of these?"
He closed eyes and let the world around him melt away. Once the movie in his mind began, it didn't take long for a good idea to emerge from the devious swirl in his head.
"Yes," tumbled off his lips.
And just like that…a new plan was in motion.
To be continued in…
LAWS OF MOTION – BOOK 4
He can control what he wants the world to see, but he can't make everyone believe.
Beginning February 13th, 2007
This time…the outcome is deadly.
Author's Notes:
Surprise! I had actually planned two more chapters to this book, but managed to rework everything and close it in one. That's why I didn't give the usually warning.
I hope you've enjoyed this book and that you'll stick around for the last book of the Laws of Motion series!
If you're sitting there thinking 'Mike is going to show Carrie the photos and she's going to dump Nick and it's going to be all about Nick and Carrie breaking up and making up' you're way off base. Mike doesn't go for the obvious and I'm not either :D Mike is not planning on Carrie seeing or hearing about the photos ever. Sofia will not become a stalker or have amnesia. She has a concussion. Depending on the severity, the symptoms are disorientation, confusion, temporary fuzziness lasting minutes to hours are common signs along with weakness, dizziness, nausea and chills. The photos are really VERY small detail in the bigger picture (LOL pardon the play on words!). It was what gave Mike his idea, they're not the story or what the story is even based on. I hope that helps!
The next story will pick up right where this one left off, and after that, I have one more book, under a new title, planned.
KJT and I would like to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who offered support and/or feedback along the way!!
Maggs