Hey guys! So, I'm doing this personal check type thing. I write a chapter and then publish one (I'm four chapters ahead) so that I don't get caught without anything to publish and have to throw something to together or worse, drop the story. Plus I was at a double sleepover at my besties :) Anyway, enjoy :)
"I'm James Beckett, Katie's dad. My wife died when Katie was at Stanford, studying to be a lawyer. She was back in New York for the weekend and Johanna and I wanted to grab some dinner with her. Johanna called before and told me she found some stuff on the case she was working and would probably be a little late for dinner. 15 minutes she said, tops. But before Katie and I knew it, 15 minutes passed, then 30, soon enough 3 hours had gone by. We figured Johanna had just gotten wrapped up in work and lost track of time, she did that sometimes. So we decided to head back to the house. When we got there, Detective Raglan was waiting for us, he told us Johanna was dead. Katie was so shocked she ended up losing her dinner. She locked herself in her bedroom for a few days, wouldn't come out. Katie knew Johanna's friends Diane and Jen, they'd come over for dinner every once in a while, she liked them. I'm not really sure if she'd ever met Scott, though. Katie had a rough time as a teenager, she made some bad mistakes, but there's no way my daughter could ever do something like this."
The files were spread out over Kate's island counter. They stretched from one corner to the next so that you couldn't see any of the granite counter top underneath it. She'd tried to stop looking into it, she did. And she'd lasted for a while, Kate hadn't looked into it since she'd gotten out of jail. But she'd gone to bed early to try and catch up on sleep and the nightmares had come again and she'd promised her father not to drink anymore. The only thing she felt she could do now, was investigate.
It was like a carousel ride. She could keep staring at the pictures and notes and files as long as she wanted, but she would still end up in the same place that she started once she finished. Every once in a while, she'd piece together a new theory, and then Kate would realize that it was the same theory she'd gotten fifteen minutes ago, just worded differently.
A loud rumble from her stomach made her realize that she hadn't allowed herself a break for an hour. Deciding her eyes needed a break, Kate pushed the stool she was sitting on back away from the island and hopped off, walking off to the fridge.
As she pulled on the handle, Kate remembered that she hadn't run to the store so the only thing on the shelves would be that stupid alcohol. She was about to shut the door before she had to see it again, but something caught her eye. Again, she switched the force on her hand, pulling the door open the rest of the way.
It was filled. The fridge was filled. With milk, vegetables, fruit, bread, peanut butter, jam, dressings, condiments, meat, anything she could really need. On the carton of milk was a piece of paper taped to the side, with the words 'Honey, you have got to take better care of yourself'. Kate grinned and rolled her eyes. Lanie knew her too well. She'd always been able to know what it was Kate was thinking, or not thinking.
Kate extended one hand towards a bag of grapes. When her fingers brushed the plastic, Kate tightened her fingers into a fist and then it stayed still before floating off towards the two bottles of alcohol. Grabbing one, Kate brought it into her left hand and took the other with her unoccupied hand, pushing the door closed with her elbow.
Setting both bottles down on the counter, Kate spun the cap off one, held it up and then turned it upside down over the sink. She held her chin up and refused to let herself reconsider anything she was doing. This was for the best. For everyone.
When the first bottle was empty, Kate moved on to the second one. Half way through, Kate's cellphone rang. She'd slid it into her pocket earlier just to keep track of time, she sort of had a bad habit of losing time. Pressing the accept button on her phone, Kate placed it against her ear, still pouring out the contents.
"Beckett." Kate said, trying to rearrange everything in her hands to a more practical position. Whoever was on the other end didn't answer, but Kate could hear heavy breathing. "Hello? Is someone there?"
"Mom?" A girl asked, timidly.
Kate's hand with the bottle dropped until her wrist was resting on the edge of the sink. She took a deep, jagged breath and whispered, "Samara?"
"Yeah." She answered, sounding a little guilty. Kate set the bottle down and walked slowly towards the stool she'd abandoned earlier.
"I thought you were dead." Kate said, quietly, unable to raise her voice.
Samara forced a chuckle, "That's what you were supposed to think. You and everyone else. I think I'm breaking every single rule in the book by calling you."
Kate brushed some hair behind her ear, "How are you?"
"We're fine. Mom, I don't have much time before someone knows I'm calling you." Samara said, lowering the volume of her voice.
"We?" Kate asked. "Your dad and Carson, are they alive, too?"
Samara hesitated, "Dad is. Carson didn't make it." Her voice trailed off for a few seconds. Kate felt like Carson just died all over again. "Mom, I have to ask, are you looking into grandma's case again?"
"Where are you?" Kate asked, "Can I come see you guys?" A couple of tears fell out of her eyes.
"No, you can't." Samara said, her voice cracking as though she were crying as well. "Are you investigating Grandma's case again?"
After a moment's pause, Kate nodded, "Yeah, yeah I am."
"You have to stop." Samara rushed, "You can't keep looking into it."
"Why," Kate's voice wavered and she sniffed, "Why not?"
Samara let out a quiet sob, "Please, just stop. We both want to come home, but this is not the way to do it. If you keep investigating, we could really die. Eventually we'll be able to come home, mom, but not now. Not like this. Please," Samara said, her sobs becoming louder.
"Okay, baby, okay. I'll stop." Kate nodded, brushing the tears off her face. "You're smart, Samara, you know that?"
"All honors classes." Samara said, "I have to go, mom."
Kate sat upright, "Wait, if I want to talk to you guys, how do I?"
Samara took a deep breath, and whispered, "You don't. Bye, mom."
"Samara, wait." Kate cried, but the girl had already hung up. Once the phone was on the counter, Kate stared off into space for a few seconds and then her eyes closed. Her forehead leaned against her palm, her elbow balanced on the surface of the counter top. Tears slipped out from under eyelids and her shoulders began to shake.
They were alive.
So was it any good? When I reread it it sounded sort of cheesy... Please leave a review and let me know how you think the story's going and where you want to see it go! Seriously, I'm hitting a wall in a few parts of this story... Anyway, thanks for reading!
~XOXO, Becksbiggestfan