Chapter 7

Sage never thought that she would be back at Desert Palms so soon. Then again she didn't expect to have a scared eighteen year old girl maintain a death grip on her wrist all the way to the ambulance. The same girl screamed the moment the EMT's managed to separate them and wouldn't calm down until Warrick told her to go with and he would call Nick.

So she rode with the girl to Desert Palms and managed to confirm that the girl's name was Rachel. All the way there, the girl held onto her hand. She kept asking if they were safe. Sage wasn't sure what to say but she knew that she had to keep her calm. So she said that she was safe and that they were going to the hospital to get her checked out. It was the truth and sometimes it worked better than fibs.

Then came the moment of truth when they were actually at the hospital and it became necessary for Sage to let go. It took a bit of convincing but she managed to convince the girl that she wasn't going anywhere but staying outside until the doctor's finished what they needed to do. Surprisingly it worked and the girl acquiesced to being examined and Sage stayed behind the doors rubbing her hand.

Girl has a tight grip.

Things didn't go quite right though. At one point the girl freaked out after the SAE kit was collected and she started trying to throw stuff to get away. Sage was prevented from entering and they gave the girl a sedative. Now she was sleeping and was going to be out of it for some time. Sage watched through the window with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Bruises, a couple of lacerations, a little dehydrated and a couple of contusions to the head and a severe concussion," the doctor was saying.

"So you're saying that she's lucky," Sage replied still looking at the girl. She then looked at the doctor.

Dr. Lee Brewer had seen abuse victims before and had been in the ER for several years. She had seen quite a bit in terms of the injuries. She knew what she was talking about and replied, "Yes. We made out a slight skull fracture so it will be touch and go."

"Any signs of sexual trauma?"

"We took an SAE kit and it's ready for processing," Dr. Brewer replied. She paused a moment before asking, "Is this related to the boy that was brought in? The one with the gunshot to the abdomen?"

Sage looked at Dr. Brewer, "You know I really can't discuss the case Doc." She looked at the girl sleeping. There were dark circles on the girl's eyes and she could make out bruises on her face and the faint patterns of ligature marks. "It's just really lousy that there are things out there that can do things like this to someone like her."

Dr. Brewer studied the CSI staring through the window. Granted the appearance was something that she wouldn't have considered, aka the dog collar, but the demeanor was someone who was a caring person as well as determined to see things through. She agreed, "I agree, which is why there are people like you to speak for the victim."

"We see people on their worst day Doc," Sage nodded as she glanced at her, "We get to know them. Probably better than we do our own families." She sighed, "Well I guess I better get going. Is the kit ready for transport?"

"It is. I doubt she will wake anytime soon. We plan on keeping her sedated until some swelling goes down so it will have to speak for her," Dr. Brewer said as she made some notations on the chart. "I will have the nurse get it for you."

"Thank you, Doc."

Once the doctor left, Sage studied the girl. It marveled and angered her that this girl survived ten years in whatever conditions she was in and then only to end up sedated because of trauma. Her expression was grim as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. She was going to need a lift from someone. She waited until it was picked up, "Hey, it's me. Yeah, I'm fine. Look um is Jim or Lockwood available. Yeah I got the kit."

The voice on the end had her frown a bit and she replied, "Don't be stupid there's the scene to process." She sighed at the reply and acquiesced, "Alright… but I'm not going to obey house rules."

Hanging up the phone, she turned back to watch the girl. After speaking to Robbie, she had read up on the Lawson case. She learned the details of Rachel and her parents, Jack and Debbie Lawson. From all accounts it was like a typical good old fashioned family. Parents both worked but were always home, the daughter played soccer and the whole family volunteered at their local church. She couldn't see what interest murdering them would possibly be. Of course sometimes people were just plain crazy and there was no fancy term for that.

Robbie and Jordan came from a similar background. Robbie was into football and Jordan was a swimmer. Mom was a stay at home mom and Dad was an office type. The foster parents were one of the better sets she had seen. Well certainly better than the ones CPS cited. The only downside was that they gave up on them sort of. One could hardly blame them since they had two others under their care and they were one of the few that were willing to have older children placed with them.

"CSI Parker?"

Sage looked to see the nurse with the SAE kit. "That's me."

"Dr. Brewer said to make sure you get this ASAP."

"Thank you," Sage replied as she accepted the kit. "When the patient is off the sedatives, can you call the lab? We'll need to question her."

"Dr. Brewer has your number."

Sage nodded when she felt her phone go off. She knew that was her ride was there and headed out to meet them. She was out the door when she felt a huge yawn come up and tried to stifle it. It was going to be a long case.

Robbie sat looking bored. He looked around the room he had been put into and observed the people moving in and out. He then looked at his hands on the table and studied them. The backs of his hands looked relatively fine with just a couple of scratches from the accident. It was the palms that were a different story.

He turned his hands over and looked at them. He could make out faint scars from the when the ruler cut his palm. Some were when he fought back the last couple of times. His right pinky was a little crooked having been dislocated and it hadn't healed quite right after he set it.

His wrists were red and bruised from the rope. Some parts didn't hurt anymore since he had been tied so often. He ran his thumb gently over the ligature marks and studied them to see what he needed, if he needed anything for them. It really wasn't too bad. All he would need was a salve of some sort. As he rubbed them, he thought about his brother and Rachel.

He remembered how scared Jordan was when they were first taken. His little brother looked up to him to make sure that things were going to be okay. He did by being the one that asked the questions and getting in trouble even though it was easily Jordan's fault according to Old Moses, the creepy guy that said that they were chosen… whatever the hell that meant.

He had only told the bare bones to the woman CSI Parker. He wanted to tell the whole truth but he had learned how to be careful with what he said and did especially when Bob was around. Now that he thought about it, Brian must have been a snitch on them when they made plans. Five long years they waited and now it is this. He only hoped that they could find Rachel.

He rested his head on his arms to get some sleep. He couldn't really get it in the hospital and he had nowhere else to go at the moment. At least here he felt relatively safe but he only trusted so far the woman CSI. Her partner needed to earn that but he got a good feeling about him especially when he stepped in to protect her when he swatted her light away when he got agitated by the light.

Nick paused a moment to study the kid before coming in with a bottle of water and a sandwich he grabbed from the deli. "Hey Robbie, you hungry?"

Robbie looked up to see Nick holding out the sandwich and the water. "A bit thirsty."

Nick handed over the water and set the sandwich down as well. He had no idea what they were going to do about the kid. Legally he was an adult and didn't have much in terms of options in regards to child services. He was sure something could be worked out once a few loose ends were tied up and he knew Sage would probably lead a crusade to at least find somewhere for him to go if the foster parents didn't want to assume responsibility.

"You don't have to babysit me. I can find a shelter and stay. I'm not going anywhere… unless you think I'm a suspect," Robbie said as he looked at Nick. He took a sip of water and didn't touch the sandwich. He was hungry but he didn't feel that hungry and he hadn't asked for food and he didn't want to take it without asking either.

"Just working protocol," Nick explained.

"Yeah sure."

"You know you got a chip on your shoulder."

"No more than you have with your partner," Robbie shot back. "Then again I don't know what you'd call it but it's cool. At least you watch out for your partner. " He paused a moment and then added, "I did the same for Jordan."

Nick studied the kid and noted the bruises and lacerations. The idea that someone abused this kid hit him the wrong way. At least he hadn't punched in a wall or a door like he did with that one case. He got the impression that maybe with Sage not there, they could talk some more about things that were sensitive. "You did what any big brother would do. I guess it must have felt like you didn't do all you could sometimes huh?"

"Sometimes," Robbie replied. He played with the cap to the water bottle a bit. "Jordan was more… he voiced what he didn't like more often than he should. Sometimes I could take the heat for it and sometimes I couldn't. Bob watched us like a hawk." He went silent for some time and looked at Nick and then around before asking, "Can I trust you with something?"

Nick saw that he was being given an opportunity to at least get something more out of the kid. "Yeah."

"I know I can have a lawyer and stuff like that but I don't want one."

Nick had to admit that the kid was smart enough to know how it worked when it came to the cops. He came her on his own and waived his right then when he said that he wanted to talk to Sage. He nodded, "Okay then."

Robbie swallowed a bit before saying in a whisper, "Bob looked at Jordan funny a lot. Jordan never said anything when they would come back from chores but I knew something was wrong. I'm glad he's dead for that."

Nick listened to what Robbie just said and put two and two together. He had read the prelim on Jordan and he was glad he hadn't been there. He probably wouldn't have been able to keep it together and that was a can of worms he didn't want to tell anyone, least of all Sage and for reasons that had nothing to do with trust. He looked at Robbie who finally started to take the sandwich and unroll it slowly. He observed how the kid kept looking at him as if to reassure himself that he had permission to eat.

Nick saw that he was observing survivalist behaviors of a type. The wariness, the constant looking around; the kid was ever alert about his surroundings and reassuring himself that he had found a safe place. Maybe that was what Sage saw when she interviewed him before taking off for the house. He knew he could read her notes later but most terms were psychobabble as she called it but she always made a layman's connection before filing her reports.

Robbie slowly finished unwrapping the sandwich. He saw that he wasn't going to be pounced on for it and picked at it. He did know that he was being observed and while it made him uneasy, he could get where they were coming from. "I know that sounds bad," he began, "But it was bad. We were supposed to be like Old Moses, the guy who said we were special. We didn't agree even though we knew the same things. Bob tried to kill me. Jordan was protecting me."

"Hey I get it," Nick replied as he wrote something down. "I know. If you can think of anything that might help us find your friend…"

At that moment, Nick's phone rang. He excused himself and went to take the call, "Go ahead Rick."

Hey I need you to play taxi service.

"Why?"

We found the girl. She's being taken to Desert Palms and Parker is with her. Collecting evidence.

"What about the scene? You need a hand?" Nick glanced at Robbie who was slowly eating the sandwich that probably tasted better if it had been homemade.

I got it and Brass cleared the scene.

"Alright I gotcha," Nick replied, finishing the call. He went to inform Robbie that he had to go out and that someone will keep an eye on him. He knew that Lockwood was tracking down possible relatives that may have not been mentioned in the initial reports and the officer guarding the door was watching. He informed the detective that he was leaving and went to his checked out Tahoe to help Sage out.

"Long shift?"

Sage looked up from the cup of iced tea she was nursing and saw the waitress. Ever since Greg showed her the favorite hangout of the graveyard shift, she made it a point to come in at least once a week for breakfast. Most of the time, she just went home or did whatever she did before catching a few Z's before next shift.

She had dropped the SAE kit off with DNA and clocked out knowing that she would have Sheriff Mobley on her back about the overtime. She made that mistake already once within three months and decided to not do that again anytime soon. She made the joke that she might as well save it for if the sheriff had her on a case he had a vested interest in and she and the team would do all the work and he gets the glory. It produced laughs but she hardly felt them now.

In short she felt like a wimp in that she was calling it quits to catch up on her sleep. She always did and she always felt like she was letting people down when she took a break. As Grissom was fond of saying they were human too. It didn't help that Warrick told her to go home too and usually he was the one teasing her about being a Robo-girl.

Taking a sip of tea she replied, "Something like that." Her stomach growled but she wasn't sure if she should eat something. The case had her bothered to the bone.

The whole thing regarding the kids being abused was one thing. The abuse on something like her faith was another. It never ceased to amaze at what people would do to their fellow man for whatever reason they conjure up. She had read the report on Jordan Callen and inwardly she cringed at that and her fist reflexively clenched into a fist.

Homicide was what she was known for back east but she was also known for her work regarding 428s and it was appreciated by CPS then. It was not that much different from the 426s except the victims had often been smaller but the look was all the same. It was one aspect of her work that she kept from everyone else when she was supervisor. Ripley was the only one who knew and would be her tagalong officer since he was a cop.

"What did that glass do to you?"

Sage frowned and looked in the direction of the newcomer. "What?"

Nick had shamelessly followed Sage to the diner and he could give the legitimate excuse that he was hungry. Besides he was off the clock too along with Warrick. They all knew the deal with overtime and Mobley's concern with that regarding the budget. He just wanted to see if she was okay since she hadn't said much on the way back to the lab with the SAE kit and only spoke the bare minimum. That she was spent was easy to see.

He took in the clenched fist that was now white at the knuckles. He pointed at it and said, "Just saying since you seem ready to take out that glass of tea."

Sage looked at her hand and realized she had done it again. She loosened her fist and felt the soreness from where her nails had dug into her palms. She kept her palm face down and tapped the counter. "Oh just… thinking."

"No surprise there. That seems to be as natural as breathing for you," Nick countered ordering a glass of tea for himself. It sounded good for the hot Nevada day even though fall was approaching.

"I do it too much I know," Sage replied. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and added, "So are you following me and spying on me again?"

"No. I'm off and I'm hungry."

"I am too but nothing sounds good," Sage replied as she fished her wallet out and pulled out some bills to pay for the tea. "I do know the bacon and eggs are good," she added forgetting that it was late midday and the only things available were sandwiches and other things. "I'm just going to go home."

"You should eat something at least," Nick countered.

"I'll eat when I get home."

"Give your word?"

Actually Sage wasn't in the mood for food even though her stomach was telling her otherwise. She could lie and say that she would but just go home and veg out doing her usual techniques of unwinding. A jog was out of the question but if she caught a couple of hours, she would be ready then. Then there were her other activities that kept her busy and were relaxing. She didn't want to lie though, not to Nick so she remained silent at that and fished in her pocket for her keys to her place.

Nick took that response to be that she had no intention of doing what she suggested and she wasn't going to lie about it either. "Parker?"

"No promises," Sage replied.

"Meaning no," Nick countered. He asked for the tea to be placed in a carry out cup and made to pay and leave. At least he was standing close enough so their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "Don't be stupid about it."

"I'm not stupid."

The remark came out like a random quote and there was some heat to it. Nick realized that he may have touched a nerve with that one. "Parker, just don't do this to yourself. You don't do anyone any good if you don't…"

"Don't even go there with that one Stokes," Sage countered. She knew his intentions were good and she saw his point. Her thoughts were on other things and at the moment the basics like food and water seemed like a nuisance to her. "I told Warrick that I have my means of keeping up the first time he saw me eat two pretzels in the span of twenty minutes. I just don't feel like heavy diner food."

Nick motioned that he wasn't trying to be a pain in the ass with this. "Okay then. What do you feel like?"

Sage looked at Nick like he was crazy. She then looked out the door and stared at nothing for a moment. One food came to mind and she knew she hadn't had time the last week or so to buy more. It sounded silly but hey… She looked at Nick and said, "Peanut butter."

"What?"

"I feel like peanut which reminds me…" She gave the cash over for her tea and added, "I gotta buy another jar."

Nick paid for his and walked with her out. Sometimes she said bizarre things just to stir up the pot. Other times she was serious and he was a bit envious that Greg had her figured out already. "You want peanut butter?"

Sage shrugged her shoulders as she stood outside the diner. She made sure she had change in her pocket since she knew that she was hitching a ride today. "It makes me feel better and I just happen to like it."

"Whatever happened to chocolate?"

"I prefer to wallow in peanut butter," Sage replied hoping that would satisfy Nick's curiosity enough to go home and she could make a trip to the store. She could pick up other stuff there too. "Just one of those things I guess."

Nick looked at his partner and wondered if she just said that to get rid of him. She never really came out and said for someone to go away. Most of the time she would imply it in a question or something like this. "Okay. Do you need a lift?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your car's not here and it's not back at HQ."

"Keeping tabs on my car now?" That time she was teasing since she knew that Nick appreciated her classic beauty. Warrick thought it was a nice piece of work too and Greg was over the move when she let him drive it.

"Just noticed that it wasn't there."

"It's getting serviced. Today was the only day that Padre could get to it so… I have the bus." Sage shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "Padre picked it up while I was working."

"So you let someone else drive your car?"

"I let you sit in it so there," Sage replied and stuck her tongue out giving a slight smirk. She sobered and added, "Look, I know Padre. I've been to Vegas before I moved here. I used to come yearly and that's how we met. It was Padre who sold me the car. He keeps it running for me."

Nick studied his partner and had almost laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him. It reminded him of his two older sisters when they squabbled and he was caught in the middle. He felt like he stuck his foot in his mouth when he got excited about her car in the hands of someone else. "So you need a lift?"

"I'm not helpless Stokes," Sage said with a smile. "I can manage a bus."

"Come on, Parker. At least a ride to the store."

"I don't want you to think I twisted your arm."

"Not a chance."

A/N: Looks like another piece to the puzzle is added and some levity is needed between Sage and Nick. Stay tuned for more Desert Secrets...