Sorry for the delay. But here you go. :)
Chapter 4
"Have you found Lizzie?" Rick and Kate asked in unison.
The detectives shook their heads. "Sorenson is checking out where Pearson worked." Ryan said.
"He sent us here to see if you were okay." Esposito said, looking at Kate.
"Of course I'm not okay!" She snapped, everyone flinched.
"My daughter was abducted by some crazy stalker," Her voice cracked, but she continued on.
"Who shot my husband," She pointed at Rick, feeling the unshed tears she had tried to hold back for what felt like an eternity burn the corners of her eyes.
"And left him for dead. So no I'm not okay!" Kate felt the warm tears rolling down her cheeks.
Everyone was watching her, waiting to see if she would snap at them again. But she didn't, she took a deep breath, steadying her breathing and letting the tears fall. Nobody moved, nobody made a sound.
"I'm sorry." She breathed. "I'm just…" Her voice trailed off, scared, distraught, worried, tired, on edge, nervous, stressed?
"You're scared." Ryan finished for her.
Kate nodded. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, like Ryan said, you're scared, probably tired and on edge." Esposito said as Kate wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Has Pearson called again?"
"No. I'd call him buy Sorenson said he used a burner phone."
"Yeah. We found in a dumpster across from your building." Ryan said.
"We've put two uniforms on this door." Esposito said, pointing with his thumb to the door he and Ryan had just entered through.
Kate nodded. "I'm taking it that there is nothing new about Lizzie?" She asked.
Esposito shook his head, "I wish there was, but for now we have to wait until Pearson makes his next move."
Everyone fell silent; Rick's mind flew from one scenario to the next, each getting worse and worse as they did. Stopping his current train of thought, he looked around at the faces of everyone in the room; they all wore the same expression, all thinking the same question. What is his next move?
As much as his mind went straight to the worst case scenario. He hated himself for it and tried to forget the thought by counting the dots on the smock he was wearing. He brought his gaze back up to the people around him, all of them looked scared and worried.
The shrill of a ringing phone caused everyone to jump. Kate pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked up at everyone as she answered.
"Hello…" She whispered.
"Kate. It's David Pearson. How are you?" He said as if talking to an old friend.
Esposito mouthed, "Pearson?"
Kate nodded.
"You bastard! Where's my daughter?"
"Kate, what did I say about speaking in front of children?"
"I want to hear her." She demanded.
"Kate-"
"Put her on!" Kate said through gritted teeth. She heard the phone rustle then Lizzie's small voice.
"Mommy?" The toddler sounded scared, but unharmed.
"Hey baby girl." Kate's heart leapt, Lizzie was okay, she was alive and breathing.
But before she could hear Lizzie's voice again, there was a harsh click and the call was ended. She slowly pulled the phone from her ear and looked down at it.
"Did you talk to Lizzie?" Alexis asked first.
Kate nodded. "She's alive." She whispered.
Everyone exhaled, except for Ryan and Esposito. Neither wanted to deliver the fact that they couldn't have gotten a trace on the call, because they didn't have the equipment. But when Esposito's eyes met Kate's she nodded, knowing that they would have gotten the trace if they could have. The room was silent, nobody knew what to say. Kate heard the door open and saw Ryan and Esposito starting out.
"We're going back to the precinct." Ryan announced.
"Thanks." Kate said.
"Sorry about my outburst earlier." She looked at Esposito when she said it.
"Don't be. You had every right." The Hispanic detective replied.
Everyone called their good-byes and waved their hands. After they left Jim spoke up that he better get home and feed Hemingway. Martha said that her husband, William was waiting for her at home; Alexis had gone home with her grandmother because she didn't want to leave the city until they found Lizzie.
Rick and Kate were left alone in the dull hospital room.
"They will find her." Rick said as he watched Kate looked down at the watch on her wrist, the same one that had belonged to her father. Then her hands travel to the necklace, hidden, tucked away safely beneath her shirt, the necklace that held her mother's wedding ring. She was playing with the thin silver chain when Rick spoke up.
She looked at him, her eyes glassy. "I know, but I'm so scared." She moved toward the bed and took a seat next to the writer.
"I know." He said cradling her body in his arms.
He held her close for a long time, placing gentle kisses in her hair and on her forehead. He held as the sky outside darkened, moonlight replaced the twilight sunlight that had been filtering in between the blinds obscuring the window. He felt her breathing steady, and become slow. He looked down and saw her eyes closed. He moved over gently, careful not to wake Kate and pulled the sheet up around her, holding her close until he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
X-X-X-X
Kate woke, cuddled next to Rick. His arms wrapped protectively around her. She moved out of his strong grasp and walked carefully out of the room. She pulled the door closed gently behind her, and turned for the elevator. She was sitting in the visitor waiting area when a nurse or doctor came up next to her.
"Are you waiting for someone to come out of surgery?"
Kate jumped a little. "What? Oh, no. My husband is upstairs, I just needed to get out of there."
The girl gave a worried look. "No, no." Kate defended thinking she might still have some of Rick's blood on her hands or face. "He's not like that. I just… It's been a hard day."
She nodded. "Sorry. If we can help you with anything just find someone."
"Thanks." Kate said as the girl stood. "Wait." Kate called as the thought hit her.
The woman turned around. "Yes."
"Where's the nearest 24 hour drug store?" Kate asked stopping next to her.
"A block from here." She answered. "It's just up at the corner." She motioned to her right.
"Thank you." Kate said.
Kate walked out of the hospital and turned right. She walked a block up and found a Walgreens sign lit along with an open sign. Kate walked in, looking around she saw a teenage boy sitting behind the desk, flipping through a sports magazine. She gazed around and found the pharmacy, walking over she scanned the shelves. Grabbing a box of the pregnancy tests she walked back to the front desk. The boy reluctantly put down his magazine and glanced at the box then Kate, his eyes traveled down to her stomach. After she paid him she left the Walgreens, bag in hand.
Entering the hospital she found the first bathroom and entered. All the stalls were empty. She walked to the one on the end marked with a handicap sign.
After a few minutes Kate was standing over the sink, looking down at the three pregnancy tests, she could feel the one from the precinct pressed firmly into her upper leg. She pulled it out of her pocket and placed next to the rest. All had a small plus sign.
X-X-X-X
Dreams filled with the memories from earlier, Lizzie's tear streaked face as Pearson held her and pointed a gun at Rick. Her cries when he crumpled to the floor. Kate's voice commanding him to stay with her. Sirens fading as he lost all consciousness. Ryan and Esposito saying that they didn't have news on the case. Kate's bloody clothes and blood shoot eyes. His family gathered around him, all but Lizzie. Memories of his three year old daughter, flooded his mind, good and bad. The worst was instead of seeing his own body, bleeding on the floor of Lizzie's room he saw Kate's, he rushed to her and picked her up, but he was too late.
He woke with a start, jerking up in surprise. Kate wasn't next him. He looked around frantically. Relieved when he saw sitting the chair beside the bed. Dark bags under her eyes, her hair a mess of knots, her eyes puffy and blood shot, but still a glimmer of hope. She looked up at him when she saw him stir.
"You okay?" She asked, seeing the concern in his eyes she stood and moved toward him.
"You were on the floor… you were bleeding… I ran to you and… and I lifted you up… but… I was too… late… you were dead… I…" He stuttered trying desperately to catch his breath, Kate hugged him, stroking his short chestnut hair gently. His breathing started to steady.
"I'm here." She whispered. "I'm always right here. I'm okay." She pulled away and ran the tips of her fingers gently over his lips.
Neither spoke for awhile, but Kate sat close to Rick on the bed their hands clasped between them, her head resting on his shoulder.
"No word?" He asked.
"No." She whispered squeezing his hand. The same silence enveloped them.
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