Chapter Nine: The Plan
Watching the lively little girl kicking her legs up in the air, while she waved her sticky little fingers around, Nick smiled down at her, feeling a sudden sense of relief lifting off his shoulders, that he had been carrying around as a burden for the past three months that she had been in there. "This is the most active I've seen her in weeks. Is she okay?" Nick asked, looking up at the doctor. "Can I take her home?"
"She's stable." The doctor nodded, closing the chart in his hands. "I'd like to keep her in for another day though. I know that it's been three months already, but I'd just like to keep an eye on her for another day. We'll have to run some tests to check the damage..."
"You mean, she could be deaf or have some kinda disability?" He feared.
"Maybe." The doctor gave him a slight nod. "It's hard to tell at this stage, especially with a baby. Some people can come through recovery with no after effects, not permanent ones anyway. The most common after effects are things like memory loss, epilepsy, speech problems, hearing problems, learning difficulties, loss of sight... but it's usually... one in twelve survivors who have a disability. It depends on the severity of their meningitis. But so far, your daughter has responded much quicker than any of my other patients. She's a little fighter."
"She's... she's not my daughter." Nick spoke softly, brushing his fingertip across her little toes. "She's got no one left though."
"Oh," The doctor nodded, reading in her chart that Nick had been appointed as her temporary guardian by the court, while she was in the hospital. "Well, one more day, then you should be able to take her home and get everything else in order. She's always more active whenever you've been to see her. The nurses always have trouble changing her or what not, she squirms and screams her head off, but with you, she's a perfect little angel. You two are perfect for each other."
Nick smiled at him, turning his attention back to the gurgling little girl beside him. "I don't know if I'm ready for a baby though. I've only changed diapers here and there, but I've never had one full time."
"Don't worry; I'm sure you'll do fine." The doctor winked at him, gently tapping him on the shoulder, before he turned for the door, getting back to some of his other patients.
Nick continued to watch Willa squirming in her crib, giving her a smile as she gave out an excitable shriek. "I s'pose I better get ready for you, huh? You wouldn't mind sharin' a room with your big sister for a while, would you? I'd let you have Bradley's room while he's in Texas, but he complains if I even vacuum in there." He smirked, reaching for her little hand with his index finger and thumb. "I'll see you tomorrow, baby girl." He whispered, before he leant to press a kiss to her forehead.
Gently brushing down her short strands blonde hair, he looked into her eyes, seeing more of Miranda and his own daughter in her features, then he did the unspoken father. He couldn't blame a child for what her father did.
She was still just an innocent baby girl.
Taking a cautious step into the room, Greg slowly removed the flashlight from his vest, directing it towards the body across the room. He moved the beam of light to look at the blood splatter across the carpet, gulping at the sight of the large machete looking knife, carelessly left lying in a pool of the victim's blood.
He tried to take a step closer for further inspection, but his legs refused to move, keeping him glued to his spot at the door.
Meanwhile, Sara was hugging the wall in the next room, making her way towards the second body, despite her size at nearly six months pregnant. She was glad that she had finally decided to tell people around the lab about her pregnancy, especially after someone made a comment to her about getting a little heavier.
But it didn't make her job any easier.
"How you doing?" She called out to her partner, setting her kit by the door of the room she was in.
"Good. Is there really that much blood in a human body?" The younger man cringed, taking another small step into the room. "That's a... that's a lot of blood." He gulped back the rising bile in his throat.
"Do you want me to take that room? This one doesn't have so much." Sara suggested, realising that most of the collection in this room required her to get on her hands and knees, which both her doctor and future husband had warned her not to do.
"No, I got it. Catherine will be here in a minute, and Grissom said he's sending Nick out to help us, once he's back from the hospital. I don't think you should be around all this blood anyway."
"Why, because I'm pregnant?"
"No, because I'm a man. Men are supposed to do this stuff." He gulped again, clicking his flashlight off, so he couldn't see the blood for a moment's breather. "You know, I can't believe that this is your last day. Didn't you wonna spend it doing something fun, rather than another double murder case?"
"It's my job, Greg." She chuckled softly, noticing a vase full of wilting red roses sat on the bedside table. "I have to give up my career to raise these twins; I might as well spend my last responsibility free day doing the job I love." She pointed out to him, photographing the roses, wondering why Grissom hadn't given her any roses in a while, especially since she was carrying his children inside of her.
"I still can't believe you're having kids with Grissom."
"Jealous?" She smirked, kneeling down to try and pick up a fibre from the floor. "I'm sorry Greg, but last I heard, you were gay. I guess I just settled for another genius." She tried to comfort him.
"You settled for the older bug guy, instead of the cute young guy." Greg called back to her, making Sara chuckle to herself. "I actually meant, I can't believe you're having kids with Grissom. Now everyone has kids but me. I'm gonna be the loneliest, single guy in the world."
"Aww, that's not true, you've still got me, hot stuff." Catherine suddenly appeared behind him, playfully pecking a kiss to his cheek.
"Like you'd ever date me." He remarked. "I barely own my car, and I dye my hair more than you. Girls don't like competing with their guys to look good, and you like rich guys." He pointed out to her, knowing she had a thing for rich, naturally good looking guys, not broke dorks, who fussed with their hair.
"You'll find someone someday, Greggy." She assured him. "You just have to be patient."
"I was patient, he dumped me." The younger man reminded her. "I can't be bothered to date anymore. I'm waiting for my moment with Mr Right."
"By Mr Right, I assume you mean a certain, Mr Stokes?" She presumed, setting her kit down by the door. "I thought you woulda gotten over him by now, it's been what... four months since he broke up with you. Isn't that a clear sign that he doesn't want to be in a romantic relationship with you anymore?"
"Nope, we kissed when I was in the hospital, but I told him that I wasn't ready to start our relationship again. I'm making him wait for me. It's all in my plan."
"He keeps going on about this plan of his." Sara rolled her eyes in his direction, joining them in the first room. "Have you told Catherine about your stupid plan of absence makes the heart grow fonder? Do you really think that a guy like Nick is going to stay on the market for you, so you can sweep him up when you're ready?"
"Yes." Greg sounded so sure of himself. "He did promise me. He never breaks his promises, and he really is missing me. He tried to kiss me the other day, asking if I could trust him yet, but I want him to wait a little longer."
"Oh I see." Catherine figured him out. "You want to get him right where you want him, before you give in and become his loyal little whipping dog again?"
Greg shook his head, "Nick doesn't whip."
"Really? How on earth did you stay with him for so long?" She teased, snapping some latex gloves on. "Well, I think it's a good plan, just don't leave it too long. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, but time apart leaves the heart open for temptation, and a big ole Texas heart like Nick's, it's easy to give into that temptation."
After leaving the hospital, Nick made his way over to Tayla's school, so he could wait for her for a few minutes earlier than usual. Grissom had already sent him the address of his first crime scene, understanding that he had to get Tayla home to the babysitter first.
While he was waiting for the teachers to dismiss their classes, Nick's phone suddenly started to ring. He reached for it off the dashboard, giving out a soft sigh, as the caller ID read, 'Samantha.'
For the past few weeks, their relationship hadn't exactly been on the best of terms, mostly because of Nick's conflict with his own family, but more to do with the fact that Nick had refused to take Bradley, while he was still trying to get Tayla settled.
"What?" He answered her.
"Nick, Bradley's gone. He stole some of my money. Some of his clothes are missin', and I can't find his passport anywhere." Her voice sounded panicked and worried, a tone he had never heard from her before. "He asked me where it was the other day, but I didn't think anythin' of it. The point is... he's gone!"
"You think he's run away?" He held the phone closer, feeling his heart racing in his chest at the news.
"Der!" She shouted at him. "He didn't come home from school yesterday, so I assumed he stayed with a friend. I spent the whole night callin' around, but apparently he never even went to school yesterday. So I called the police, but they told me that he was a teenager, so it was normal. I called them again this mornin', and they took a little more interest, but they're never gonna find him, because they have to wait forty eight hours, before they can do anythin'."
"Yeah, I know the drill."
"Please Nick, he's our son. You tell me about these kids you find dead all the time; I don't want that to happen to Bradley. Not my baby."
"Okay. I will, I promise." Nick assured her. "I'll find him, Samantha." He spoke softly, before snapping his phone shut.
He quickly climbed out of the truck to go and get Tayla from inside her school, wanting to get her to the babysitter, so he could start looking for his son.
"Thanks for your help, Maya." He thanked his babysitter, grabbing his keys and things, once he had got Tayla settled. "I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I'll give you a call."
"Sure. No problem, Nick." The twenty two year old held the door open for him, assuring him that his daughter would be fine.
"Thanks. Goodbye, sweetie. I'll be back soon." Nick pressed a kiss to Tayla's forehead again, before he hurried out the door, calling Grissom to let him know that he had something else to do.
His supervisor understood, knowing that family was more important, especially a missing thirteen year old.
Samantha pounded her fist into the door again, folding her arms across her chest, while she anxiously waited for them to answer. She peered through the window to her left, watching a shadowy figure climbing to his feet from the sofa, reluctantly making his way towards the front door to answer.
"Mr Stone, is your son here?" She demanded.
The man looked at her confused, wondering where he had seen her from. "Eh... which one?"
"Deacon!" She almost shouted at him. "Our sons are in the same year, they've been best friends for years, who else would I be here for?" She snapped, nervously biting her fingernails. "So, is he here or not?"
"I don't know. Who knows what those kids do." He took a step away from the door, ushering her into the house. "His rooms at the top of the stairs, the first door on the right. You're welcome to look. What's he done?"
"My son's missin'." Samantha hurried up the stairs, barging into the room he had instructed. Inside she saw three beds, two desks and a whole lot of clutter, but no Deacon, or anyone else. She sighed heavily, hurrying back down the stairs to talk to the man who had sat himself in front of the television again. "When was the last time you saw, Deacon?"
"I don't know. Yesterday, he told me he had football after school. He'll probably be home in a few hours. What's he done?" He asked her again, turning up the volume of his television, instead of down.
"I just told you, my son is missin'. Your son might know where he is."
"Well, I haven't seen 'im." He shrugged, trying to look round her towards his television.
Samantha rolled her eyes at him, before she reluctantly left his place, getting more and more anxious about her son's whereabouts as the hours ticked by. She hadn't slept a wink of sleep all night worrying about him, but she couldn't stop now, she had to find him.
Taking a seat on the steps of the house they had just been processing, Sara inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, moving one of her hands to her side, feeling a sudden twinge in her abdomen. For the past few weeks, her doctor had been keeping a close eye on both her and the babies growing inside of her, as her blood pressure had been rising with each passing month. She gulped hard feeling the familiar rise of bile in her throat, something that had become a lot more permanent since the growth of the babies inside of her.
"Hey, are you okay?" Catherine asked, making her way down the steps with a box of evidence in her hands.
"Yeah... I just, I needed some air." Sara assured her, brushing her hair back behind her ears. "I'll get back to processing that bed in a sec..."
"Don't worry about it, Greg and I can handle it. Do you want me to call someone to give you a ride back?" She suggested, taking a seat beside her on the steps. "You don't look so good. Are you sure you feel okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll get my own ride back." As she struggled to her feet, she had the sudden urge to throw up again.
Only this time, she couldn't hold it.
Bending over, she placed her hands on her knees, purging the bile from her throat. By the third round, she had thrown up everything she had eaten in the past few hours, but she still didn't feel empty.
Catherine left her side for a moment, grabbing one of the bottles of water she kept in her car for her colleague. She unscrewed the cap once Sara was done, handing the bottle over to her. "See, now I know that you're not okay. Do you want me to call Grissom for you?"
"No." She shook her head, taking a swig of the water. "No, you don't need to worry him."
"Worry him? Sara, you're... carrying his unborn children. Don't you think that entitles him to..."
"No, I mean that you don't need to worry him, because it's just morning sickness. I've had it for a while now, and my doctor told me that it was normal." She assured her, leaning against the low brick wall around the drive of the house. "I really can't wait for these babies to get out of me though. Six months is already too long to carry this much weight around."
"Alright, but I still think that you should go home. Get some rest." She advised her friend, helping her to her feet. "I'll call someone to come and getcha. I don't think that you should be driving right now."
"Just don't call, Grissom."
Catherine looked at the expression on her friend's face, giving her a slight nod, before she turned back towards the house for her phone.
After hours of processing, Greg started to gather his evidence, ready to take it down to the Denali outside. As he was making his way down the stairs, he paused a moment, hearing a creaking sound coming from upstairs. He knew that he was alone in the house, as Catherine had already left with Sara, and the officer sat out the front of the house had to leave for an emergency call out, so he didn't know who it was.
Greg set the evidence boxes from his hands onto the floor, before he slowly made his way back up the stairs. As he reached the landing, he heard the creaking sound again. He cautiously looked around the empty halls, suddenly wishing he had asked someone to stay with him.
A hand suddenly clasped down on his shoulder, making him shriek with fright, before he whirled around to face his attacker.
"Easy, it's just me." Warrick raised his hands. "Catherine said you were all alone here, so I came to help you out. Nick's a no show. Sara's gone home. So it's just you me and Cath now. You finished processing the house then?"
"Yeah..." Greg looked up at the ceiling, wondering if the noise was coming from up there. "I just... I packed everything up. Do you hear that?" He spoke softly, looking for the door to the attic.
Warrick followed the younger man's gaze, hearing the creaking sound that must have startled him. Reaching for his gun from its holster, he gently pushed Greg behind him, taking a look around the bedrooms.
The smell of blood invaded his nostrils, bringing on the familiar feeling of light headed, dizziness.
With his gun out in front of him, Warrick carefully opened the hatch to the attic, jumping back as the ladder immediately collapsed in front of him. He took a look into the dark hole above him, checking Greg was still behind him, before he climbed the ladder.
Inside, he could see thick cobwebs, dusty old boxes and furniture that the family hadn't used in years. He reached for his flashlight from his vest, trying to see if anyone was in there.
But there was no sign of anything.
"There's nothing up here." He assured the younger man, turning his head away from the darkness.
As he did, something suddenly jumped out at him, lunging for his face.
Warrick instinctively jumped back, slipping off the ladder.
The flashlight from his hands dropped to the floor, while his hand rushed to hold his chest, feeling his heart frantically pounding against the surface of his chest.
"It's alright!" He called out to Greg, seeing what the scary creature was that just attacked him. "It's just a cat."
"I thought it was a ghost from the way you screamed." Greg grinned at him, picking up his flashlight for him. "Nick wouldn't have screamed."
"Oh really?" Warrick groaned, snatching his flashlight from the younger man's hands. "Maybe next time, you should get your big strong Texan to defend yah from the killer cat."
"Hardly a killer." Greg pointed out the cat, now sat washing its dusty fur.
Warrick rolled his eyes, following Greg down the stairs to help him with the rest of the evidence. "Why would you wonna go out with Nick?" He suddenly asked the younger man, leaning against the side of the Denali. "I mean, out of all the people in the world, why Nick? He even told me that he'd never date someone from the lab. He said it would be like bringing his work home with him."
"He never said that to me."
"So it wasn't complete paradise, huh? You never told anyone about your relationship, and you didn't share intimate details." Taking a moment to think, the man surmised, "If you ask me, I think you're both better off. Sex buddies don't last for a reason."
"We weren't..."
"I'm just saying, man." He cut him off.
"But that's not what we..."
"It ain't none of my business what you guys did together, but I think you're both better off." He did it again, not letting Greg get a word in edgeways. "What with you trying to start your career, and Nick becoming a full time father. You're both better off. Sex always complicates things, especially between guys. Anyway, I'll see yah back at the lab."
Greg wanted to defend his relationship with Nick, but decided to just let him walk away, thinking he was better off not knowing that his best friend actually loved him. He waited for Warrick to pull away from the house, before he climbed into the Denali, driving it back to the lab, so they could get started on processing the evidence.
Once he arrived at the lab, Nick stepped out into the coolness of the garage, looking around at the cars in the parking lot. He shoved his keys into his pocket, hurrying towards the elevator, so he could go and see Greg. He had been making calls for the past few hours, trying to get hold of his son.
None of his friends or family had seen him, making him worry even more.
Nick hurried his pace as he reached the lab floor, apologising as he bumped into Judy the receptionist on route to Greg. "Sorry, have you seen Greg anywhere?" He knelt down beside her, helping her to collect the files she had dropped.
"Last I saw, he was in the layout room." She pointed down the hall, gathering her dropped files from the floor. "How's that daughter of yours doing, Mr Stokes?"
"Better." He answered, before hurrying down the hall to find Greg. He sighed in relief as he saw the younger man sat at the table, resting his chin in his hands, while he flipped through the photos and things in front of him. "Hey, Gorgeous," He pressed his lips to the side of Greg's head, gently placing his hands on his shoulders, as he asked, "I need a favour."
"A favour?" Greg spun his chair round to face Nick, giving him a curious look. "What kind of favour?"
"Nothin' big, well... to me it is. I just need you to do somethin' for me. I have to go away for a while."
"Where?" The younger man immediately asked, sounding hurt by the news.
"My son," Nick didn't see any point in lying to him. "He's missin'. I'm goin' to Texas to find him. He's only thirteen. I can't leave him on his own..."
"Course." Greg nodded, not needing an explanation. "So, what do you need me to do?"
"Tayla." He spoke softly. "I need you to take care of her for a little while. I don't trust anyone else to do it. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I've gotta find him. I know you can do it Greg, plus she loves you. You're still her hero."
"Okay." The younger man agreed, not wanting to tell Nick he had no experience in looking after children.
"Thanks, Greg." Nick pressed another kiss to Greg's forehead, before he retrieved the keys from his pocket. "The usual babysitter, Maya is with her now. I've already told Maya that you're gonna be lookin' after her, so she knows the drill. There's no school next week, and I'm sure Maya can help you out to take care of her. Her number is on the fridge, along with the doctor's and her Aunt Angela's. If you really can't cope, you can leave her with Angela, she really won't mind. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Nick, wait." Greg stopped him from hurrying out the door. "What am I supposed to tell, Tayla? I assume you haven't told her, so what if she asks. You know I'm not very good at lying."
"Don't tell her anythin', I don't want her to worry."
"Nick . . . if you're not there, she is gonna worry." The younger man pointed out to him. "I have to tell her something."
"Just... don't tell her anythin'. Please, Greg." He quickly stole a kiss from Greg's lips, not knowing that his former friend was watching him. "I'll explain everythin' to her when I get back. She's only just been through hell herself; I don't want her worryin' about her brother too."
"Okay." He reluctantly agreed, tasting the Texan's familiar scent in his mouth from their brief kiss.
"Thanks Greg, I owe you one."
"Hey, call me... as soon as you know anything." He warned him. "I mean it, Nicky. You better keep me posted."
Nick gave him a nod, before he turned for the door, heading in the direction of Grissom's office. He let his supervisor know what was going on, telling him he was going away for a while to find his son.
Grissom understood, telling him he'd clear it with Ecklie. "Bring him home safe, Nick."
"I will." Nick gave him a smile, before he turned for the door to leave, bumping into Warrick in the hall.
"Are you still lying to me?" Warrick demanded to know.
"What?" Nick looked at him confused.
"I just saw you, Nick. You kissed him in the middle of the lab. You told me it was over."
"It is." He assured him, before pushing him out of the way. "I don't have time for this. I have to go."
"Spreading more lies." He snapped. "Can you ever tell the truth, Nick? Has our whole friendship been a joke to you?"
"Get out the way." Nick pushed him aside. "I'm sick of this. You've got a problem with me and Greg, then that's your problem, not mine or Greg's. All we did was fall in love. We haven't done anythin' wrong, and we're not hurtin' anybody by bein' together either. It's people like you that make us too afraid to tell the truth. And for the record, we're not together, you've seen to that. Now if you don't mind, I have more important things to do than argue with you about my love life again."
Warrick stood back and watched his former friend walking away, trying to think of something else he could say. He soon caught Catherine staring at him, with a disappointed look on her face, as he was supposed to be making things better with Nick, not worse.
Dumping his bike in the long grass outside, Deacon lifted his bag off the back, hurrying into the open doors of the large barn. Just as he suspected, the shivering form of his former best friend was still crashed on the floor beside the couch, staring into space. "Here, this is all I could get." He climbed over the old tattered sofa, handing the younger boy the half empty bottle of scotch from his hands. "My Dad won't notice it's gone. He probably hasn't even noticed that I'm gone yet."
Bradley weakly reached out for the bottle, dropping it to his lap, where he was curled up against the battered cushions of the couch, with his knees pulled close to his chest.
"Bradley, I think you should see a doctor." Deacon suggested, watching the boy quickly shaking his head. "You haven't moved since yesterday. Your mother's already been round mine, worried sick about you. Why can't you just tell her?"
"I don't want her to know." He clutched the bottle tighter against his chest, wondering how much he would have to drink to kill himself.
"Want her to know what? You still haven't told me what happened." He desperately wanted to know what was wrong with him, as he was starting to have feelings for his childhood best friend, stronger feelings than he had ever had for anyone in his life. "C'mon Bradley, you've gotta give me somethin'. You told me not to tell anyone you were here, and I haven't. You can trust me. You told me to get you some pain killers..."
"Not what I meant." Bradley indicated towards the bottle. "I meant real pain killers, as in the pill kind."
"Are you hurt or somethin'?"
"Don't touch me!" The younger boy shouted, pushing Deacon's hands away from him. "Just leave me alone. I shoulda never called you." He immediately winced from the pain in his body, only making Deacon worry about him even more. "Please, just leave me alone. I want to be alone."
"Bradley..." Deacon helplessly looked at him, wondering if the boy could even move. He didn't know what had happened to him, but it was something serious enough to limit the movement of his body.
He desperately wanted to tell Bradley's mother or his own, but he had made a promise to his best friend.
Sorry, another cliffhanger.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter though. And I know you're all probably getting sick of Warrick, me too, and I'm writing him :D But there is a point to it. He's not just doing it to constantly annoy you.
Thank you DeliciousSin, Dreamer22, lovingthemlovingeachother, SunshineAndDaisies, Krazy13, Jebeth, Leggomygreggo21, janet1982 and Alisa123 for your reviews, I'm glad that you're all enjoying it. And I'm really sorry I made you cry, Dreamer22 :(
Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think so far.
~ Holly