As usual, the same disclaimers apply. However, here's a couple more notes. First of all, this isn't beta'd, so I am responsible for all mistakes. As many times as I've looked over this, though, there best not be any! Lol Also, I'm not a lawyer. I've watched Law and Order and CSI for years, but I'm not that adapt to the courtroom procedures and all, so I apologize of those scenes are a little off. In addition, there's some violence/bad language in this chapter. Nothing too serious, at least in my humble opinion, but if that type of stuff makes you squeamish/nervous, turn back now.
You guys asked for Grillows, and here it really begins. Actually, I thought that Grillows started last chapter, but this is where it really picks up as per my crazy outline of the story. Let me just say that this chapter was one of the hardest I've ever written out of any of my stories. Believe me when I've said that I've tweaked, retweaked, and tweaked this chapter numerous times. I've spent many, many hours on this, and I'm very satisfied with the results, and hope that you are too. Please R&R, as if there is any chapter that I'd like feedback on, it's this one. Thanks so much for the positive feedback in the last chapter, too. You guys seriously rule.
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Courtrooms sucked.
That was the sole thought running through Catherine's mind as she sat in the uncomfortable seat next to the judge, patiently answering question after question that the district attorney had asked. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the district attorney said, "Thank you, Ms. Willows. No further questions."
Catherine had to resist rolling her eyes as the district attorney sat down and Adam Novak stood up, the latter smirking slightly as their eyes met. Instead of rolling her eyes, though, she narrowed them, glowering at Novak in a warning not to mess with her. Of all the lowly, crappy things that he had done to her in the past, representing James Cena was probably the worst thing that Novak could have come up with to top those particular moments. When she had first heard that Novak was representing Cena, she had simply rolled her eyes. Catherine knew that he was looking forward to this opportunity, especially after she had gotten Jay Finch convicted the last time that they butted heads…after he had already successfully defended him once.
At first she had wondered how Novak had come across Cena, but…people talked. And Catherine was sure that Novak had heard among the rumor mill that James Cena had a huge issue with Catherine Willows, and when it came to huge issues with the CSI, Adam Novak was the forerunner. He couldn't have anyone be a bigger pain in the ass then he was. After all, Novak was the thorn in her side, the pimple that appeared on prom night. Novak just wouldn't go away and would always pop up when she least wanted him. She could only imagine how quickly Novak had rushed to the prison in order to find Cena and offer his services when he had heard that he had had a few run ins with Catherine.
Catherine glanced over the crowd in the courtroom briefly, her eyes searching for Gil. There weren't that many people in the courtroom. The judge was there, of course, as well as the court clerk to type up transcripts of the trial. In addition, there were three bailiffs. One was standing by Cena, the second was standing by the judge, and the third was standing by the jury. The jury consisted of twelve assorted men and women who were sitting to her left as they quietly waited for Adam Novak to begin questioning Catherine.
The mother, father, and sister of Jane Smelders were seated near the front of the sparse crowd, directly behind the district attorney. They sat huddled together, their eyes on Catherine as they anxiously waited for Novak to begin questioning Catherine in order to come one step closer to gaining justice for their daughter. Every once in awhile, Jane's father would glare at Cena, but other than that, the trio kept their gazes locked on Catherine. Behind them sat Gil and Sara. Catherine brought her gaze to Sara, and the brunette smiled tightly at Catherine. Catherine flinched slightly, knowing in her heart that this was the last place that Sara wanted to be, but had agreed to come for Gil's sake…not hers. She glanced at Gil, not surprised to see her friend looking back at her intensely, an encouraging smile forming on his lips as she prepared to go yet another round with Adam Novak. Her eyes trailed to the rest of the courtroom, noting that there were maybe ten people that she didn't know who were scattered throughout the benches. Catherine briefly wondered why they were in the courtroom, but she didn't have much time to ponder when Novak's voice filled the room.
"CSI Three Willows," Novak finally began after what seemed like an eternity, his lips curling up in that false smile that Catherine had become accustomed to over the last few years when she drew her attention to him. "Supervisor Willows," he corrected himself, drawing out her title. "First of all, let me congratulate you on your recent promotion. If anyone deserves it, it's you." Catherine refused to acknowledge the statement, knowing that he was attempting to antagonize her: that he was trying to get her off her game. Instead, she waited quietly for his first question. "You testified that you first came across James Cena during an interrogation, is that correct?" Novak finally asked, visible disappointment on his face when she refused to take the bait.
"That's right," Catherine kept her reply short and to the point, not wanting to get into yet another verbal sparring match with Novak. Lord only knew what number match they were up to anyways, given their history.
"What did you discuss with Mr. Cena?" Novak asked.
"Mr. Cena was initially brought in for interrogation in order to discuss evidence that was found at the crime scene," Catherine replied stiffly.
"What evidence was that?"
"We found a wallet at the crime scene belonging to the victim, Jane Smelders," Catherine answered. "Mr. Cena's fingerprint was on that wallet."
"What did Mr. Cena say in regards to his print being on the wallet?" Novak asked.
"He said that she dropped the wallet in a bar, and that he picked it up for her."
Novak smirked, and Catherine had to fight the shudder that ran through her body. "And you do not believe that's why his fingerprints were on the wallet," he clarified.
"No."
"Why not?" Novak questioned. "It's a perfectly reasonable explanation."
"When someone picks up something, they curve their hands around the item," Catherine held up her hand, curling her fingers to demonstrate what she meant as she spoke. "If Mr. Cena would have picked up Ms. Smelder's wallet, then there would have been four prints belonging to him on the underside of the wallet."
"How could his print have ended up on the wallet, then?"
"Objection," the district attorney called. "Calls for speculation. Ms. Willows was not there when the crime took place; therefore, she cannot determine how his print wound up on Ms. Smelders' wallet."
"Sustained," the judge agreed. "Mr. Novak, do you wish to rephrase the question?"
"Withdrawn," Novak answered the judge. "What happened after Mr. Cena told you how his fingerprints ended up on the wallet?" Novak questioned Catherine.
"Mr. Cena said something that contradicted himself, and when he was called on it, he flipped out."
"How did Mr. Cena contradict himself?"
"When shown a picture of the victim a second time, he stated that he had never seen Ms. Smelders before in his life," Catherine stated. "This was after he identified her as the person whose wallet he picked up in the bar."
"What happened next?"
"When I pointed this out to Mr. Cena, he snapped and flipped over the table while screaming expletives and threats at me."
"What type of expletives and threats?"
"He called me a bitch, and said that he was going to get me."
"Was this your only interaction with Mr. Cena?"
"No, it was not."
"Can you please describe to me your next interaction?"
Catherine nodded, glancing over the courtroom yet again. "About two hours later, I received a call from my boss that Mr. Cena wanted to speak to me in regards to what had happened earlier in the interrogation. I went into the interrogation room and told Mr. Cena that in order to clear his name from the murder of Jane Smelders, all he would have to do was give a DNA sample."
"What was Mr. Cena's reaction?"
"He claimed that he would be framed if he were to do that."
"Is this a normal reaction?"
"For a guilty man, yes," Catherine answered.
"Objection, your honor," Novak said, not taking his eyes off Catherine. "My client's guilt has not been proven."
"Sustained," the judge said. "Ms. Willows, would you rephrase your answer?"
"Yes, it is a normal reaction for someone who has been accused of a crime," Catherine restated.
"What happened next?" Novak encouraged Catherine.
"Mr. Cena threatened me again, and when told that threatening an officer of the law was a felony, he became hostile and spit in my face." Catherine shivered slightly as she said this, resisting the urge to swat at her face where his saliva had been.
"Ms. Willow, when you interrogated Mr. Cena, were you alone?"
"Yes."
"Was he restrained?"
"Yes."
"In what manner was he restrained?"
"His hands were handcuffed to the table."
"Why was he restrained?"
Catherine shifted slightly in her chair, her eyes unwillingly trailing over to where James Cena sat. The burly man was glaring at her, and she suppressed a shudder, bringing her gaze back to Novak. Not that that's much better… Catherine thought to herself.
"Ms. Willows?" the judge prompted Catherine patiently. "Please answer the question."
Catherine nodded to the judge, then said, "As I stated before, Mr. Cena threatened me. After a couple of hours, he wanted to speak to me again, and it was under my terms that I would only speak to him again if he were restrained."
"Why would you want him restrained, though?" Novak questioned again.
Catherine blushed slightly when she realized that she had unintentionally dodged his question. She hoped that the members of the jury didn't notice or look too much into it as she quickly noted, "For my safety. In case you didn't notice, Mr. Cena is about twice my size, and I wasn't about to attempt to find out what could happen in the interrogation if I were in there alone with a hostile suspect. After all, he had attempted to attack me once before with a LVPD detective and CSI in the room, and I wasn't about to press my luck if I were to be alone."
Novak nodded, then asked, "Ms. Willows, why would you go back to the interrogation if Mr. Cena had threatened you before, knowing that this was a hostile suspect?"
"It was something that I needed to do personally in order to combat fear," Catherine answered truthfully.
"What do you mean, Ms. Willows?"
Catherine swallowed, her eyes finding Sara's before she spoke. She wasn't even sure why…maybe it was because she felt that as a woman, Sara would understand where Catherine was coming from. However, Sara's gaze was blank, and she averted her eyes when she saw Catherine looking at her. Catherine briefly closed her eyes, then said, "In my line of work, I come across hostile males all the time. I've been threatened before…attacked, even, and this shook me. If I were to not have faced Mr. Cena right then and there, then I would have been scared to face the next hostile witness that I came across."
Novak nodded, smiling to himself as he went in for the kill. "So, this isn't another," he emphasized the word, "Case of you targeting an innocent man to satisfy your dislike for males?"
Catherine knew that he would bring up their history in court, but she was still shocked to hear it come from the man so abruptly. She heard murmurs in the courtroom mixed with the district attorney's protest of an objection and the judge's call to order. However, one voice rang above the rest, as Adam Novak stepped back, his hands in the air. "No further questions."
The district attorney shot out of her seat as Novak sat down, prepared to do damage control. "Redirect, your honor?" At the judge's nod, she continued. "Ms. Willows, would you tell the members of the court what Mr. Novak is referring to?" she asked Catherine.
Catherine couldn't help but make eye contact with Gil as the district attorney spoke to her. He nodded slightly, encouraging her wordlessly. She nodded briefly in return as she began speaking. "Approximately three years ago, Mr. Novak was a suspect in the murder of a woman who went to a nightclub," Catherine said. "I had a brief interaction with him before the woman wound up dead, and when I turned down his advances, Mr. Novak became violent."
"Can you please define violent?"
Catherine swallowed, refusing to look in the direction of Novak or Cena, not wanting to see their pleased reactions as she was picked apart in court. It wasn't even as if Novak was the one picking her apart, either. He had created a situation where the district attorney had to clean up his mess, and Catherine could only imagine how satisfied Novak was about that. She worked to keep her voice level as she responded, "Mr. Novak and I were kissing in the parking lot of the bar that we had met at while we were both off duty, and when I broke off the kiss, he held my door shut so that I could not get into the car. I told him to go to hell, and he released the door suddenly and it hit me in the face."
"What happened as a result?"
"I suffered a bruise and cut under my eye."
The district attorney nodded, facing the jury as she asked, "Ms. Willows, do you hate men?"
"No," Catherine answered clearly.
"Do you have some sort of plot to get revenge on Mr. Novak?"
"No."
"What about Mr. Cena?"
"Absolutely not," Catherine answered. "My job is to collect evidence in order to convict suspects of crimes, whether they are male or female."
The district attorney nodded, satisfied with her damage control. "No further questions," she told the judge.
The judge nodded before glancing at Adam Novak, warning in her eyes as she looked over the sleazy defense attorney. "No further questions," Novak called out almost lazily. While the district attorney had done a decent job of cleaning up the mess that he had made, there was still the notion in the minds of the court that perhaps Catherine had something to gain in getting revenge on him. His job was done…so far.
"Thank you, Ms. Willows, that's all," the judge told Catherine.
With a nod, Catherine stepped off the witness stand, intent on getting out of the courtroom as quickly as possible. After a grueling morning on the witness stand, the last thing that she wanted to do was go out dress shopping. She wanted to go home, make a stiff drink, and go to bed. But….a promise was a promise, and she could only hope that this wouldn't take all day like her last dress shopping escapade with Sara…well, that and that Elizabeth wouldn't be there. God, she hated that bitch.
Catherine didn't want to make eye contact as she walked past Cena and Novak, but she couldn't help it. What happened next happened so quickly that she wasn't even sure how it had happened. As their eyes locked, something snapped in Cena. With a roar, he shoved Adam Novak out of his chair, the smaller man falling to the ground, scrambling on his hands and knees as he attempted to move away. The bailiff moved in to attempt to restrain the huge man, only to be shoved away while having his gun snatched out of his holster in one swift movement.
Catherine stood frozen as Cena easily shoved the table out of the way, reaching the strawberry blonde in two long strides. She winced as he roughly grabbed her arm with his free hand, yanking her to his chest. Her back thudded against his chest, and he moved his arm so that it was across her throat, trapping her. Catherine cringed as she sensed the arm holding the bailiff's gun raise. She braced herself for the feeling of the bullet ripping into her skin, but it didn't come.
Her ears rang as Cena pulled off two shots, the perfectly placed bullets hitting the two other bailiffs in the chests. They both fell backwards, landing on the hard floor and not moving as the members of the courtroom scattered, everyone ducking for cover behind benches, desks, or whatever they felt could protect them from a hail of gunfire. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the judge duck down behind the safety of her podium…well, as safe as the wooden podium might be from a hail of gunfire. She was roughly turned around as Cena pointed the gun at the third bailiff, the one that he had disarmed, and shot him as he attempted to recover from being shoved away so easily, the bullet tearing through his right bicep. The bailiff fell to the ground with a cry, his hand instantly coming up to attempt to stop the flow of blood.
"NOBODY MOVE!" Cena yelled, the gun coming up to Catherine's temple as he swiftly turned back to face the members of the court. "IF ANYONE MOVES, I'LL BLOW HER BRAINS OUT!"
The members of the courtroom simultaneously froze as Cena held Catherine against his chest. She could see the two dead bailiffs out of the corner of her eye, as well as the panicked jury. Adam Novak was leaning against the wooden wall behind his table, his papers scattered about the floor as he looked wildly at Catherine, guilt creeping into his eyes. Jane's family ducked beneath the benches, all gripping each other's hands as they cried in fear. No one seemed to be injured, and her breath caught in her throat as somehow, in the chaos, her eyes sought out Gil's.
For a long moment, there was no one else in the room except for the two of them. Their gazes told each other so much.
Please, Gil, take care of Lindsay for me…
Catherine, hang in there, I'm going to get you out of this…
I'm sorry I never told you I loved you before…
You're gonna be fine…
Cena's expletive filled tirade at a jury member who had shifted his position brought Gil and Catherine out of their stupors. "Look, James, it's me that you want, just let them all go," Catherine's voice was shaky, and she was terrified at the prospect of being left alone with this maniac, but the last thing that she wanted was for an innocent civilian to get hurt.
For Gil to be hurt.
"Shut up!" he yelled, tightening his grip on her throat. Catherine winced slightly, her breathing somewhat wheezy as she felt her air becoming restricted. She brought her hands up, trying to relieve some of the pressure on her throat as she desperately tugged on his arm. "You don't talk unless I tell you to! That's your problem! This is your fault!" Cena babbled.
Catherine remained silent as Grissom slowly stood, her eyes wide when she noticed him moving and Cena didn't. "Gil, what the hell are you doing?!" Sara hissed, almost inaudibly. She was currently in a half crouched position, and she currently couldn't see Catherine from her position. She grabbed Gil's hand, only to be shocked when Gil shook her off roughly, his focus on Catherine.
"DON'T MOVE!" Cena screamed at Gil when he saw the older man moving. Cena began backing up, dragging Catherine with him. She struggled to move her feet at the same rhythm as Cena's, cursing the height difference between the two. Cena had a good foot of height on Catherine, and had his arm at an upward angle, the crook of his elbow inadvertently…or maybe it was on purpose…cutting off Catherine's air supply. In order to not choke, Catherine was on her tiptoes in an attempt to relieve some of the tension on her throat.
"Gil, please!" Sara pleaded softly. "Don't get yourself killed!"
"Look, sir…I mean no trouble," Gil ignored Sara and spoke, holding his hands up slowly to show that he was unarmed. "I just…"
"I don't care!" Cena yelled. "Sit down, and shut up!"
"Please, sir. Just…hear me out, okay?" Cena didn't reply, so Gil continued. "Security has undoubtedly heard the gunshots, and they are probably on their way right now to investigate," Gil said calmly. "The best thing that you can do right now is let CSI Willows go, and to let the members of the courtroom go."
"I'm not letting this bitch go," Cena snarled. "In fact, the only thing I'm going to do to her is kill her!"
Catherine heard the members of the court gasp as Cena released the safety on the gun. She closed her eyes, shuddering as she felt the gun pressed to her temple, knowing that the slightest movement of Cena's finger would send a bullet into her brain.
"Please, Mr. Cena. I know that you do not want to hurt her," Gil attempted to negotiate. "Just let her go, and we can work this out."
"We?" Cena scoffed, shaking his head. "There is no 'we' in this, buddy! It's me and this bitch here who ruined my life!"
Catherine forced her eyes open, tears brimming as she searched Gil's face. He didn't make eye contact with her as he talked to Cena in a soft, soothing tone. Basic hostage negotiation, Catherine realized. It had been yet another seminar she, Gil, and the dayshift supervisor had been forced to partake in, and until now, no one had been forced to call upon what they learned that day. In a way, Catherine was glad Gil didn't look at her. If he would have, Catherine probably would have lost it, causing trouble for everyone in the room. "Mr. Cena…" Gil started, only to slam his eyes shut when the doors of the courtroom flew open.
Shouts mixed with screams and yells as police officers flew into the courtroom. However, it was Cena's voice that broke out above the rest. "STOP!" he yelled, his grip tightening around Catherine's throat even more as he pulled her backwards. Catherine struggled to find the floor beneath her feet as she was unceremoniously dragged further away from the doors. "NOBODY MOVE!"
"Sir, please, listen to us," one of the officers spoke up.
"Shut up and get out of here, or I will kill her!" Cena snapped, jamming the gun roughly into Catherine's temple. She whimpered slightly, trying to pull her head away from the gun. She gagged slightly as his grip tightened around her windpipe even more. She shoved against his forearm, trying to create some sort of gap that would allow her to suck in a breath of fresh air. Cena resisted her movements, yanking her back with his forearm. "Stop moving!" he yelled at Catherine.
Catherine complied, settling her movements for the moment. She silently worked on controlling her breathing and shaking legs.
"Sir please," the officer tried again. "This isn't worth hurting CSI Willows."
"This bitch here is trying to ruin my life!" Another jerk. "There's no way I'm leaving here until she's dead!"
Catherine heard a slight gasp as Cena said this, though she had no clue who it came from. It could have been her for all she knew. The gasp brought her back to reality, though, that there were approximately thirty-five innocent people in the room with her…well, thirty-three innocent people, the man she loved with all her heart, and Adam Novak.
"Sir, it's not worth it to hurt her," the officer said. "So why don't you let her-"
His words were cut off when Cena swung the gun away from Catherine's head and shot towards the sky. Catherine's ears were ringing as she involuntarily jumped and the rest of the courtroom members, except for Gil, Sara, and the officer, screamed.
Catherine waited until the screams died down before she spoke up. "Look, James," she said quietly, bracing herself for the shake that she knew was inevitable. Once her bones stopped jarring, Catherine continued, "James, please let these people go. You said that it was me that you want. I'm here, and it's not worth it to hurt anyone else here."
Cena breathed deeply, his cheek against Catherine's head as sweat formed at his hairline. He sniffed, looking over the members of the courtroom as he put the safety back on the gun.
"Get out of here. All of you, except for him and her," Cena finally spoke up, waving his gun at…
…At Gil and Sara, Catherine realized.
Oh…God.
No.
"Sir, we can't leave here because you tell us to," the officer said with a slight laugh, his voice conveying that he thought Cena was the stupidest man on Earth if he thought that they were going to just walk away. "Just let all the hostages and CSI Willows go and we can-"
"Officer, just do as he says!" Catherine gasped when she heard the safety click off of the gun again, the barrel resting against the base of her skull.
"Get the fuck out of here," Cena said gruffly, waving his gun towards the exit. "All of you! GO!" he yelled when the members of the court didn't move fast enough for his liking.
Catherine watched as the members of the courtroom silently walked out, none of them sparing a look back at Sara, Gil, Catherine, or Cena. She couldn't help the feeling of relief that washed over her body as the family of Jane Smelders left the courtroom, huddled together. They had already been through enough at the hands of James Cena, and Catherine would have felt incredibly guilty had one of them been hurt due to Cena's rage against her. The same didn't hold true for Adam Novak, though. Catherine knew that he had planted all types of misinformation in Cena's head, which was possibly why he was currently holding a gun to her head…well, other than the fact that she had pissed him off to no end. Catherine glared at the sleazy man's retreating form as he hastily exited the courtroom, not even sparing a glance backwards at the disaster he more than likely had helped to create. If she could get her hands on him right now, the cut under her eye from a few years ago would be avenged…
When the last person walked out of the courtroom, supporting the injured bailiff, Gil glanced at Cena. "Now what?" he asked softly.
"I want you to go lock the doors," Cena told Gil. "Move slow. No sudden movements."
Gil did as Cena said, walking to the heavy doors and locking the door, effectively secluding the four from the rest of the world. He turned and walked back to the benches, standing next to Sara. His fiancé looked at him fearfully, her eyes betraying her calm outer appearance. Gil attempted to convey with his eyes that everything would be alright, but he knew that Sara didn't get the message. She was terrified, and wasn't willing to trust Gil's wordless promise.
Catherine flexed her fingers slightly, wishing that Cena would loosen his grip on her throat. While she was far from losing consciousness, it was really uncomfortable…not that Cena really cared about Catherine's comfort if he had just been bellowing in her ear minutes ago about blowing her brains out…
"You," Cena's voice broke Catherine out of her thoughts as he spoke. She dared to glance backwards, only to grimace when Cena roughly shook her in a warning not to move. Catherine glanced at Gil and Sara, and when she saw the apprehension in the latter's eyes, she realized who Cena had been talking to. "Come here."
Sara glanced warily at Gil, who nodded slightly in encouragement to simply do as Cena said. Sara slowly moved forward, her palms outward in a non-threatening manner as she stepped up to Cena. "Go get his gun and bring it to me, handle first," Cena said to Sara. She nodded, walking slowly to the bailiff, keeping her eyes on Cena the whole time. While Sara didn't think that Cena would shoot her, as it seemed to be Catherine that he wanted to harm, she still didn't want to take any chances.
Sara made her way to the first bailiff, pulling his gun out by the butt. She slowly turned and walked to Cena, looking at him questioningly for the next move.
"Drop it on the ground," he ordered. Sara complied, dropping the gun at his feet. With a nod of his head, he told Sara to do the same action with the other dead bailiff. She did so, looking up at Cena after she had deposited the second gun by his feet. "Now go get his handcuffs," Cena said gruffly.
Handcuffs? Catherine thought warily, a frown marring her features. Why does he need them?
With a glance towards Grissom, Sara walked over to the second deceased officer, pulling his handcuffs out of the pouch on his belt. She shakily walked back to Cena, meeting gazes with Catherine.
Sara couldn't help but be bewildered as Catherine looked at her. Despite the fact that she was being held at gunpoint, a crazy man's arm restricting her movement and breathing patterns, the strawberry blonde still managed to smile at the brunette. Granted, it wasn't an all out grin, and if you blinked you would have missed it, Catherine still managed to keep her cool, calm, collected head even while facing death.
Sara was broken out of her thoughts when Cena roughly turned Catherine so that her shoulder was against his chest, the gun resting lazily against her breast. "Cuff her," Cena ordered Sara. Sara looked up at Cena, not comprehending what he was asking at first, the metal of the handcuffs cool against her clammy hands. Rolling his eyes, Cena reiterated, "Put the fucking handcuffs on her or I'll shoot her, you, then lover boy over there."
Sara cringed inwardly as she looked at Catherine, seeing fear in the blonde's eyes when she awkwardly turned her head to look at Sara. Nevertheless, Catherine nodded slightly at Sara in order to let her know that she understood that this wasn't Sara's fault. With nothing but pure apologies in her eyes, Sara moved behind Catherine and guided her hands behind her back. Sara placed the handcuffs as gently as possible on her wrists, locking the metal bracelets around her friend's slender wrists. Sara watched, almost transfixed, as Catherine moved her fingers awkwardly in an attempt to try to get her arms comfortable despite them being restrained behind her back. She squeezed Catherine's fingers in apology and support, waiting until Catherine returned the gesture as best as she could before stepping back and hurrying to Gil's side with Cena's wordless command. Catherine couldn't help but feel some jealousy as she watched Gil hug Sara gently before bringing his inquisitive gaze back to Catherine and Cena.
Cena yanked Catherine back towards him, breaking her out of her stupor as Cena trapped her arms between her back and his chest. "See, bitch, that is what a real woman is supposed to do: fucking listen," he said. Keeping the gun pressed into her chest, he reached down between them, tightening the notches of the cuffs against her wrists until they wouldn't tighten anymore. Catherine wanted to cry out as she felt the handcuffs bite into her delicate wrists. The right handcuff was settled directly against her wrist bone, and she had to bite her lip to avoid crying out in pain. She couldn't move her hands to relieve the pressure, and she feared that her arms were going to go numb within a few moments. "That's better," Cena said. "I don't have to worry about you causing any more trouble for me."
"I…I'm not going to cause you trouble, James," Catherine stammered. "I just…I'm sorry. I was just doing my job."
"'I was just doing my job'," Cena mimicked in a singsong voice, reminding Catherine of her encounter with Leo Finley. The troubled young man had said the exact same thing to her only a couple years ago. While he had threatened her, nothing had ever come of it. Leo seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth…not that Catherine really minded. The last thing she needed was him popping up at her house and killing himself on her front lawn. Imagine trying to explain that one to Lindsay. She broke herself from her thoughts, forcing herself to listen to Cena's rambling in order to try to convince him that he was making a mistake. "You are not! All you want to do is get revenge on an innocent man! Don't think that Adam Novak didn't tell me all about you! You're a man hater!"
"I am not a man hater," Catherine tried to reason as she attempted to meet Cena's gaze over her shoulder. "Adam just said those things because he has a personal vendetta against me. Please. We can end this right now before anyone else gets hurt."
She was unprepared when Cena roughly pulled on the chain holding the handcuffs together, pain shooting through her arms and shoulders at the action. Catherine bit back a cry, looking up at Cena with tears in her eyes. "Oh, I plan on hurting you no matter what," Cena said lowly, pressing a kiss against her cheek. Catherine instinctively pulled away, only to freeze when she felt the gun press against her chest roughly.
Catherine looked at Gil as Cena's lips assaulted her neck, her eyes filled with tears that she refused to allow to fall. She wasn't sure how she had gotten into this mess, and she had no clue how she was going to get out if it. It was bad enough that she was involved, but now she had to deal with the fact that Grissom and Sara were there. She had wanted to scream when Grissom started talking, and she about had a coronary when Cena had refused to let him leave. It was a suicide mission, and she feared what could happen, especially since Cena had refused to let Sara leave as well.
"So where do we go from here, James?" Gil finally broke the silence, inching his way up to the gate that separated the members of the courtroom from the judge, jury, defense attorney, and prosecutor. It pained him to see Catherine hurting. He hadn't missed her wince when Cena had tightened the handcuffs too tightly, and he sure wasn't missing the tears that were threatening to fall. "I know that Catherine upset you, but hurting her isn't going to fix anything."
"Yes, it will," Cena answered, shaking Catherine slightly as he finally stopped kissing her neck. "How does it feel to be locked up like an animal?" he asked Catherine, his breath hot against her ear. "How does it feel to be trapped?"
Catherine glared up at him, her eyes briefly hardening. She wanted to do nothing more than spit in his face and yell 'Fuck you!', but she just knew that that wouldn't end well for her. More than likely it would wind up with her, Gil, and Sara on an autopsy table, and that was not a risk she was willing to take. So instead, she just stood there, biting the inside of her cheek and listening to Cena berate her.
"What, you have nothing to say? Cat got your tongue or something?" Cena sneered. "I find that hard to believe, you cowardly whore." He reached between them again, and for a second, Catherine feared that he was going to grope her backside. It was bad enough that he had pressed his disgusting lips against her, but for him to touch her in a spot that was so intimate? Hell…no. She squirmed slightly, determined not to allow him to touch her. "Stop moving!" Cena yelled, his free hand finding the handcuff chain and pulling it roughly. Catherine grunted as the too tight handcuffs bit against her wrists, tears threatening to overflow as the action sent stabbing pins and needles up her arms yet again. "I wouldn't waste my time on you anyways, you fucking slut," Cena added, yanking the chain again in satisfaction when he saw Catherine's struggle to keep her anguish covered. "The only reason I kissed you was to piss off your lover boy over there."
"He…he's not my lover boy," Catherine told James. "So why don't you let him and her go and it can-" Another yank on the chain. Catherine bit her lip to avoid crying out. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting her.
"Oh, trust me, Cath," She winced at the nickname that maliciously fell from Cena's lips, "He loves you. I can see it in his eyes. Why else would he stay in a room with a man who has a gun, three hostages, and nothing to lose?"
Catherine glanced at Gil and Sara. Sara was looking at the ground, not making eye contact with Catherine as she studied the pattern on the floor. Catherine briefly wondered why, whether it was out of embarrassment or relief that she wasn't being treated the way that Catherine was. Or maybe it was anger. She certainly hoped that Sara didn't believe what Cena was saying. Granted, it was true that she loved Gil, but she would never attempt to ruin his relationship with Sara.
Gil, on the other hand, was seemingly ignoring Cena's words. Instead, he was focused on Catherine, searching her face in an attempt to make sure that the blonde was okay, that she was surviving this for the time being. His eyes held nothing but concern for Catherine, and bless his heart for trying to convey the message to Catherine that she was going to be okay: that she…as well as Sara and Gil…were going to make it out of here alive.
Catherine wasn't sure that she would, though.
"James, it's me you want," Catherine attempted to reason with him yet again. "Please, just let them go…"
"Shut up," Cena hissed, pressing the gun against her chest.
"James, please-"
Catherine winced as he pulled on the chain again, sending shockwaves of pain down her arms despite the fact that they had gone numb minutes before. He moved the gun from her chest to her back, using the butt of the gun to slam in between her shoulder blades, the blonde wincing with pain as her knees threatened to give out beneath her. The only thing that kept her from standing was Cena, who swiftly yanked her back to his chest, the gun moving back to her chest. "WHAT PART OF SHUT UP DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" he yelled. Catherine flinched as his voice pierced her still ringing ears.
"I'm sorry," Catherine murmured, cringing as Cena pulled on the handcuff chain again in an attempt to shut her up. He knows that he's in control and is using the handcuffs to do so, Catherine realized. Every time I cry out, he feels that he's in control of the situation even more. She silently vowed not to flinch or cry out if he pulled on the chain again.
The four stood in silence for several long minutes, the only sound coming from outside the barricaded doors as officers and SWAT team members determined in hushed voices what to do in order to end this peacefully.
It's not going to end peacefully, Catherine thought. The three other people in the room knew that too. It was going to result in a bloodbath, and Catherine could only pray that it wasn't her, Gil, or Sara who ended up hurt.
As each second ticked by, Catherine could feel painful needle pricks shooting up and down her arms as she waited for Cena to speak or make a move. She glanced at Sara, noting the way that her hand was on Grissom's forearm, the brunette drawing strength from her fiancé. Gil didn't seem to even notice, however, as he locked eyes with Catherine, smiling the briefest of smiles at his friend despite the tense situation.
"James," Grissom finally spoke up softly after awhile. "Is there anything you want me to do? Can I see if the police will get you anything?"
"I want you to shut up," James growled, pulling down on the handcuff chain again.
This was getting ridiculous, Catherine thought as she bit down on her lip to stop the cry of pain that emitted from her throat. She was tired of being the victim, and this was going to end right now.
Catherine glanced at Gil, their eyes locked once again. Somehow, Gil knew what Catherine was thinking.
Please, Cath, don't do it…
Trust me, Gil…
It took several long moments for Cena's grip to loosen in the slightest, but when it did, Catherine was prepared to act. "James," she started, bracing herself for the tug of the handcuff chain that she expected. When he pulled the chain, the gun pointed away from her, Gil, and Sara, she moved quickly.
Catherine dug her foot down Cena's shin, digging her heel into his flesh and shimmying away from him. She briefly glanced at an obviously pissed and pained Cena before kicking one of the guns at her feet towards Gil, the weapon sliding underneath the gate separating the members of the court from the benches where family and friends sat. She hadn't expected Cena to recover so quickly from her surprise attack, and Catherine grimaced as she felt the butt of Cena's gun immediately slam against the base of her neck for the second time. If she could have fallen to her knees, she would have, as the blow sent shockwaves of pain down her spine and numb arms, spots forming behind her eyes as she fought to keep her balance. She felt more pain in her arms and couldn't help the scream that finally tore from her lips as Cena grabbed the chain attached to the handcuffs and yanked back as hard as he could. Her legs felt wobbly as she fell back, leaning against Cena's chest briefly as she struggled not to pass out.
Catherine heard the gun cock behind her, and she closed her eyes, prepared to meet her maker as she involuntarily fell to her knees thanks to a shove in the back from Cena. A gunshot rang out, and Catherine screamed again, waiting for the pain to fill her body. She heard Cena curse, and she realized why. Gil had shot at Cena, and the unexpected gunfire had startled Cena. Two shots were fired from behind Catherine, and from her vantage point, she could see Gil ducking down, shoving Sara behind the courtroom bench for protection.
Catherine twisted slightly from her position on the ground, looking back at Cena over her shoulder. She was unprepared for the foot that connected roughly with the side of her ribcage, the field goal like kick sending her sprawling to the ground on her back, her arms protesting the motion when she landed directly on her handcuffed limbs. She was stuck like an overturned turtle, unable to move or scramble out of the way as her breath caught in her chest from what was undoubtedly broken ribs. She weakly cried out, her vision blurring from the pain shooting through her arms as she looked up at Cena, a maniacal look on the murderer's face as he aimed the gun at Catherine's forehead.
This is it, Catherine realized as she closed her eyes, defenseless. She was out of options and fight, and this was her end. Catherine waited for the inevitable, hating that the last person she would ever see was Cena and she prayed that Lindsay would be okay without her mother.
Catherine Willows passed out as a fourth shot rang out in the courtroom, silence finally reigning.
~/~
End Part 9/?
A cliffhanger?! Haha, please review!!!