Disclaimer – Please see chapter 1
A/N – Thank you all very much to those of you that took the time to leave me a review for the first chapter, giving me the encouragement to continue, it really is appreciated. It was rather interesting to read that so far only one clue seems to have been picked up by any of you so far. The story rating will go up and include adult themes, so don't forget to put it on story alert. Long angst chapter today, not all will be like this in length or nature, but some to begin with. Story is beta'd by myself so any remaining mistakes are all mine, so I apologize in advance. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will take the time to leave a review at the end, as this offers us writers great prompts to keep writing & posting. R & R Enjoy!
Fall Out Boy – Chapter 2 Discovery
Another few seconds later Nick stepped into the room "Sara I think we're gonna need......."
Quickly Sara raised her index finger to her lips as she turned to him "Shhhhhhhh" she motioned, then pointed upwards to the ceiling.
Nick froze frowning at her, then copied her in listening intently for any sound coming from above.
After what felt like five minutes, and hearing nothing except the minute sounds of the officers still outside, Nick whispered "What'd you hear".
Sara's eyes left the ceiling over in the direction of the closet to look seriously at him "I heard something in the roof space just before you came in" she whispered as she turned back towards where the previous sound had come from.
Smiling now, Nick stepped up closer to her "It's probably just a bird or a wild animal Sara. We used to get them all the time at home on the ranch with it being near woods and all" he said in a slightly louder voice finishing with a light chuckle.
A little annoyed at Nick not trusting her judgement on something that could be significant to the case, or even the possibility of it being the missing child they were trying to locate, she turned to stare at him sternly "Nick I know exactly what animals in a roof space sound like, you don't have a monopoly on that skill you know" Sara shot back a little harsher than needed, but being more qualified to be the primary on the case, and Nick's obvious amusement at her, had tweaked her irritation at him not taking her word for it.
Defensibly Nick held both palm in front of him as spotted the 'I'm not it the mood for this shit Nick' look from her before he spoke "Look Sara I wasn't trying to be funny okay, I was just making a general comment on what you could have heard" he said his voice still fairly quiet as he watched her trying to listen again.
Nick now wondered if Sara had a real problem with him being the lead on this case, and although nothing had been voiced between the team in any kind of discussion, they were all still wondering about the harsh words spoken between Catherine and her, then subsequent suspension delivered by Ecklie.
He'd noticed that Grissom had either paired Sara with himself, or given her quite easy cases to deal with since she had returned from her two weeks off, he now wondered if there was much more to all this than he first thought.
Nick wondered if he was going to have some problems with Sara getting too involved with the case like she had done with others in the past, he worried that with being so far away from the lab and Grissom, the best person in which to calm her and deal with any of her erupting emotions, he'd be out of his depth with having to deal with her and the case.
Sara turned and was about to speak to Nick again when another muffled sneeze then shuffling noise sounded quite clearly over above where the closet was, she started to step towards it when Nick grabbed her arm "Hold on Sara. It could be the suspect" he said in a commanding tone, Damned lazy cops never clear the scenes properly risking our asses, he thought.
Eyes wide now at hearing it and his nerves racked up high, Nick almost on autopilot reached for the gun in his holster releasing her arm, then took a protective stance in front of her pulling his revolver free then raised the gun out in front "Back me up" he said stepping towards the closet hoping she had her own gun out ready.
Reaching to her holster Sara flipped the flap open and gripped the handle but didn't pull it out, her senses were screaming at her that there was not imminent threat to either of them as she followed closely behind Nick.
Shouting the usual 'LVPD armed police come on out line' Nick flung open the slightly ajar closet door palming his raised gun hand to steady himself in his now action stance, to see nothing and no one, not hearing a a slightest thing.
Now stood behind and to the side of her friend Sara crept a bit closer to investigate the closet as Nick held his position.
Repeating the command louder this time Nick now caught two officers in his side vision entering the room with guns poised and ready.
A few seconds later a small child like whimper was heard along with a shuffling sound above them.
"Nick, that's a child not a perp" Sara said letting go of the handle of her gun and stepping up to the closet door so she could see in better.
"Be careful Sara" Nick said in a low warning tone as he stepped up behind her, his gun still raised but held up by one shoulder ready in case needed, he was also convinced the noise had come from a kid and not an adult.
Grabbing her flash light from her vest pocket Sara clicked it on, she shined it at the ceiling, revealing an open hatch with a rope hanging down attached to some loft ladders, a few smudges of blood could be seen around the frame work and some further up on the rope.
Leaning in to see, Nick saw the rope too "I'll go up" he said in a no nonsense way as he grabbed and pulled releasing the ladder to the ground.
The child's whimper heard before, sounded more distressed a couple of times as the clang of the ladder descending seemed to echo in the room, quiet sobs now accompanied them.
Grabbing the hand rail, then placing a foot on the first rung of the ladder and looking at Nick sternly, Sara spoke "Nick you'll probably frighten it, when it's probably scared to death right now. No offence, but I think it's best I go,okay. Besides the child may be injured so we need to asses the situation asap" she said hoping he would see the sense in her words.
With a deep frown and not a hundred percent comfortable with the idea he acquiescence and gave a small nod "Okay but no heroics Sara" he said sternly, letting her know he'd be pissed if she pulled anything stupid.
Sara climbed the ladder, then as she got top the top into the roof space she guided her light around to try to see where the muffled, sniffles and sobs were coming from.
Dusty boxes scattered about, some stacked, containing what looked to be kitchen equipment, then unused furniture covered in dust sheets, were mostly what she could see until her gaze caught a movement in the corner.
A think dark grey, large dirty looking blanket covered what she assumed would be the child crouching under it, in the the vicinity of where the crying was coming from.
Climbing into the roof space onto her knees, she indicated with a flat palm downward to Nick not to come up after her, then turned back towards the corner "Hey there, I'm not going to hurt or harm you" she said in a soothing voice.
The sobbing increased as the rumpled blanketed child now shook.
"My names Sara, I work with law enforcement and I promise I'm here to help you.........Shhhhhh" she said quietly as she crept nearer avoiding the couple of bloodied scuff marks she could see.
The figure wrapped in the blanket seemed to try to scoot tighter into the corner as she spoke calmly, accompanying the increasing sound of the distressed child.
"Hey there, please..............Shuuuuushhhhh. I wont hurt you..........I promise okay. What's your name, so I know what to call you sweetheart?" Sara soothingly said on getting nearer.
Between a loud sniffle and a sob, a timid sounding, quiet voice choked out "Kye".
"Kyle" Sara smiled a little knowing her approach was working, and happy that she'd established that it was a little boy under the blanket, plus hoping she'd heard right before repeating his name.
Snuffling then hiccups, between sobs were heard then a more determined "No. Kye" was spoken.
"Okay, sorry Kye" Sara said as she stopped her forward motion just two foot away from him "Can you uncover yourself for me sweetheart so I can see if your hurt?" she asked him gently.
A couple of minutes later the blanket slowly came away from the face of a very upset and tear stained face, a thick mop of dark brown wavy hair, and watery brown eyes stared back at her.
Sara gasped at the very young looking distressed little boy that was trying to squirm back down into the blanket as she stared in shock, she was expecting a child of around eleven or twelve, but not this young, on first look this boy only looked to be at the very most six or seven years old.
"Hi there Kye. Are you hurt sweetheart? I can't see from over here" Sara said with a soft smile and soothing tone holding the boys eyes with her own as his tears continued to fall.
Rubbing his eyes with one hand he shook his head as he smeared his face, rather than answer vocally then sniffling again.
Noticing the smeared blood on Kye's hand now transferred to his face, she wasn't convinced yet that he was uninjured, could just be transfer, but she didn't want to take that chance, so she edged forward asking "Can I take the blanket of you, so I can check you over, to make sure your okay?".
Kye looked away from her down into his pulled up knees, before looking back up at her sniffling a sob, then nodded hesitantly.
"Thank you Kye. If you want me to stop just tell me and I'll stop. Okay" Sara said softly as she reached out and pulled the blanket of him slowly, all the while watching for any change in him, he looked very scared and cautious as his eyes kept flicking over towards the hatch into the room.
Once the blanket was fully off him, he hugged his legs tightly putting his face down into his knees, as he trembled with a small whimper, no visible injuries present on first scan Sara seemed a little more relieved than before.
"It's okay.......I wont hurt you Kye.....I'll take care of you" Sara whispered as her heart went out to the boy, she felt instant sympathy and empathy for him after her own experience as a child in in a traumatic incident.
Emotions overwhelmed her as she took in his frightened body hugging posture, one she had and often, and still used when she was upset herself.
Holding out her arms, totally dismissing the fact she would probably be reprimanded for blatantly contaminating evidence on the boy with what she was about to do, she leaned forward speaking in a soft voice "Come here Kye" she said gathering him up into her arms.
At first his whole body stiffened, as the fight or flight instinct in him warred within, he was about to try to make a bolt for it when this woman Sara, pulled him into her chest in a comfortable affectionate way, making him feel safe for the first time in many hours.
"Shhhhhhhhhh..... It's okay..... I've got you now......No ones going to harm you....You hear me" Sara said gently into his hair as she wrapped her whole upper body around him hoping to make him feel protected.
Kye relaxed a little and clung to Sara, his arms tightly grasped around her back clutching her vest in his tiny fists, as his tears continued.
Feeling his posture loosen in intensity, and hearing his much quieter sobs subsiding into the odd hiccup, Sara rubbed his back all the time whispering soothing words to him.
For how long they sat there, her consoling and comforting him, Sara wasn't sure, all she knew was that she was determined to help this vulnerable, possibly trauma damaged child, would do whatever possible, and deal with whatever stood in her way to accomplish that.
The sound of someone climbing the ladder up to the roof space made Kye tense in her arms, then Nick speaking made him cling even tighter to her.
"Everything okay up here Sara?" Nick asked in a quiet tone, shocked and taking in the foreign image of his friend being maternal for the first time he'd ever known her to.
He was amazed at how she was comforting the small child tenderly, a child much younger than he had anticipated, that was obviously and seriously in need of an adults care.
Shuffling on her knees but keeping the same hold on Kye, Sara managed to turn to Nick "Yeah Nick" she sighed heavily "I just need you to clear the way to the denali for me, and get an officer to drive us to the hospital please" she said with a slightly choked voice, as she fought her own tears she'd been holding back.
Hearing the slight break in Sara's voice and getting the full meaning of her words, Nick spoke again "Okay, give me ten minutes and I'll be back to let you know it's all clear" he said then climbed down the ladder.
More worried than ever now about Sara's emotional state, he quickly told the officers to vacate the house, move their vehicles out of sight of the child exiting the lodge, to switch off their lights and stay out of site.
He more or less ordered one officer to the drivers seat of the denali, before telling another to call child services to meet up at the hospital with Sara later, he also made a mental note to call Grissom as soon as Sara left for the hospital.
Nick knew he had to let Grissom know that it looked certain that they might have trouble with Sara's emotions and involvement on this case, plus he needed more help with processing the house now, he only hoped that help would be in the form of his boss in this situation.
Twenty minutes later Sara had managed to coax Kye in to keeping a firm grip of her, and to keep his eyes tightly closed as she manoeuvred them awkwardly down from the roof space, through and past Charlotte Meridian still sprawled on the bed awaiting the coroner, and outside to the awaiting car.
All was watched closely by a tentative and worried Nick who assisted her wherever he could, once the car pulled away out of site of the lodge he yanked his cell phone from his belt then pressed speed dial to call Grissom.
Ambling back around to the front of the house, the officers looked over to Nick as he waited for the call to be answered "Just make sure you don't trample on any potential evidence guys, and thanks for that" Nick called over as he heard the usual supervisor tone of his boss answer.
Walking further away from the officers Nick replied "Griss, I think we got a problem with Sara, and I really could use some more help up here right now" he said finishing with a heavy worry laden sigh.
A/N – I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will forgive me for cutting it off here, but it was a good place to do it before the next bit of the story. There are a few twists and turns in store in the coming chapters, some you may guess others maybe not, but I will warn you there is going to be plenty more angst for the time being,but anyone who knows my stories knows I can't resist writing GSR Fluff, so hang in there please. If I get enough reviews I may be persuaded to post before next weekend!
Please take the time to leave me a review, I love reading them and hearing your enjoying what I write, and they are greatly appreciated each & every one of them.