Chapter 17
So this is the last chapter of this story. Thank you all for taking this journey with me, especially everyone who reviewed or sent me a pm. I didn't expect it to be so inspiring to get support for what I write. This is the first story I have finished in a long time and perhaps I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the support of readers and reviewers :-).
Lauren sat with her back against a wall in her mother's condo. Dt. Sanchez had been the one to put her out of the line and he had helped her to stand but she found her legs wouldn't support her just yet and just slid down against the wall of the corridor leading to the master bedroom. Her knees were bent up, her elbows bent up on her knees, she put her head in her hands and just tried to take deep breaths to control the trembling of her body. She didn't know how much time had passed, when she smelled a familiar flowery whiff of her mother's perfume just before she felt her mother kneeling down next to her and her hand on her shoulder and that was when the tears came. Sharon sat fully down and gently drew Lauren into her arms who buried her face against her mother's shoulder sobbing, shaking more violently all over. The Captain couldn't hold the tears of relief at bay but managed to let them flow down her cheeks in silenc, while her hand wandered soothingly over Lauren's back.
Around them the Team and their backup took care of everything. Provenza ordered to bring Mr. Gull downtown and reminded Sanchez and Sykes not to accidentally let him run into a fist or something, before he called the D.A.'s office.
Flynn knelt down by the Captain and gently took Lauren's still zip tied hands and cut her loose with his pocket knife. Sharon mouthed a "thank you" and concentrated on her daughter again. She mumbled soothing nonsense for quite some time and waved the paramedic off. Just when she thought Lauren might need some medication to calm down the shaking subsided along with the sobs. She waved off the paramedic for the third time. Andy silently offered another handkerchief, which Sharon took and handed to her daughter. Lauren took it and leaned back against the wall, cleaning the remains of her tears from her face and blew her nose, not caring that she ruined her makeup in the process.
"You got him?" she finally asked her voice barely more than a whisper.
Her mother answered with a hum.
Later at the Station downtown they waited for a D.D.A.
"I guess you can't win twice in one day", Provenza mumbled, when he saw who the D.A.'s office had sent. It was, as if she was always there when least wanted, the infamous Emma Rios.
"Damn, that idiot again", Flynn added also silently.
Lauren raised a brow.
"That's D.D.A. Emma Rios", Tao provided.
Lauren nodded humming. She had heard about her. Someone who could make her mother loose her temper was certainly someone she so didn't want to meet today.
"Is it true that the profiler attacked by your killer is your daughter?" was the first thing she asked seeing Captain Raydor.
Sharon turned and Lauren knew the look it was one that made everyone who knew her mother shut up. Rios however was oblivious to the Darth-Raydor mode. "Couldn't you keep your family out of your work?"
Before Sharon could answer Lauren cut in "Shut the fuck up!" she yelled emphasizing every single word and before she could continue it was Flynn's turn "Yeah, stow it!" followed by Provenza's "If I were you I'd follow those suggestions Emma. Dr. Raydor was here on Chief Taylors call and if it weren't for her we might have never found him, so Emma go in the interview room and make a deal that makes certain this psycho never sees the outside of a prison anymore. If you need some inspiration we have some vivid pictures from his 4 victims for you and just so you know, I'm not sure I have seen something worse than victim number 4."
He held her gaze till she swallowed and nodded "Ok, let's make this deal", she finally said and turned toward the interview room with hunched shoulders. When Sharon started to follow Provenza just held his hand up "I've got it. You go home, now."
Sharon nodded and remembered they had forgotten something. She looked at Lauren "Just a moment", she hurried off to another occupied interview room.
"I'm so sorry Mr. McGregor", she said slightly embarrassed.
"No Captain, I'm sorry. I heard from your technician your plan worked. I had no idea Mr. Gull was capable of …." he made helpless gesture "…this." He was angry, Sharon could see the rage in his blue eyes.
"Neither did we, till Lauren talked to him, when we interviewed you here yesterday."
He nodded "I see now why you arrested me."
She hummed "Of course you are free to go Mr. McGregor."
"Thank you, Captain", he said and they shook hands, him holding on thinking about asking her out, but it wasn't right, not today, so he let go of her. "Are you going to celebrate?"
Now that he mentioned it she had an idea. "Perhaps a little", she said and lead him to the murder room to have him escorted out by Sykes.
"How about we meet up at Sansone's after you all finished here?" she asked. It was quickly settled. They would meet at 8.00 p.m. at the Restaurant. It gave Sharon and Lauren time to pick up Rusty and go home to take a shower and change.
On their arrival at the condo they were greeted by Laurens luggage.
The Sansone's was a cozy Italian restaurant furnished in dark wood, while the walls displayed idyllic Italian landscapes. It was run by the Sansone family. The father and oldest son working in the kitchen while Mrs. Sansone her daughters managed the service section. There were several other employees, all somehow related to the owners. Mrs. Sansone greeted Sharon and Lauren with hugging both simultaneously against her big bosom. Lauren and the youngest Sansone daughter had been in ballet school together. They had set a big round table for the team and Rusty. Sharon was flanked by Rusty and Lauren, next to Rusty sat Buzz, followed by Sykes, Flynn, Provenza, Tao and Sanchez who sat next to Lauren.
It was a light mood. Between main course and dessert Provenza told Rusty in great detail about D.D.A. Rios entrance this afternoon. He had the grace to let Lauren and Flynn repeat their words themselves.
"You really said *Shut the fuck up*?" he asked Lauren wide eyed.
Lauren nodded smiling "Couldn't help it".
"Man, I so wished I had seen that", Rusty sighed and everyone laughed.
"So Lauren, when are you going back to the east coast?" Sanchez asked right when their ice cream arrived.
Lauren took a moment to admire the homemade scoops of ice cream, she knew to be some of the best ice cream she had ever eaten in her life, before she answered.
"I'm meeting up with my professor and a colleague in New York to fly to London for a conference."
Sharon interrupted her "Why, I thought you'd take a vacation."
"Yes, I am, right after the conference I was invited to speak at about my dissertation", Lauren shot back "and after that I'm coming back to L.A. to take a vacation at my uncles Ranch."
"Your uncle?" Rusty asked, while the others got into other conversations. Flynn and Provenza debated the latest Baseball games with Tao, along with buzz.
"Yeah, uncle Bill is my father's brother and he has a big horse ranch, just outside LA. You can come and visit too, when I'm back if you like and if Sharon's ok with it."
"I'm right here you know", Sharon chipped in taking another spoonful of her ice cream.
"But you definitely need more time to think about allowing Rusty to meet Bill, because it would mean you had to meet him too, because Taylor will never allow a security detail for a Ranch vacation for Rusty."
Sharon just blew out a breath and continued eating her ice cream. Lauren became engaged in a conversation with Sanchez about the conference overseas, while Rusty, Sykes and Buzz talked about a new comedy with Sandra Bullock they had all seen. Sharon smiled happily that they were all getting along and silently slipped away to get some air.
Her phone indicated a text message when she'd just sat down a bench on the otherwise empty terrace.
You ok?
Of course it was Flynn. He always noticed.
Sure.
It didn't take long till she heard his footsteps she turned and smiled at him.
"You needn't check on me", she said when he sat down next to her.
"I wanted to get away from Provenza before I beat his stubborn ass. He has no clue about baseball."
She laughed lightly. "So everything is back to normal."
He laughed too and nodded. "Is Lauren going to be ok?"
"I hope so. I really hope she takes that vacation, she earned it and she need's it."
"Are you going to take one too?"
"Why would I?"
"Because you earned it and need it."
She smiled at him "That's sweet from someone who passed out not so long ago because of his high blood pressure."
"That was Provenza's fault!"
Another small laugh escaped her "You two are incorrigible", and caught his gaze. They shared another friendly smile, held the gaze for some moments longer and finally broke apart staring into the ground, Andy trying to come up with something to say and Sharon trying to decipher if he was flirting. Lauren, who had witnessed the whole exchange decided to get them out of their misery of not knowing what to say.
"Hey don't let your ice cream melt, you know Mama Sansone doesn't like that!" she called from the terrace door and turned back to their table. Flynn jumped up like a boy caught making out. Sharon managed getting up from the bench more graceful. "Right, we wouldn't want that", she mumbled and headed back in followed by Andy.
The next morning Lauren was up first and made breakfast when Rusty rounded the corner to the kitchen.
"Hey"
"Hey", she answered giving smile.
"You're up early", he observed.
"I couldn't sleep anymore, had a nightmare. Want some scrambled eggs?" she asked and got a nod. Rusty slid on a stool and was served with a glass of milk scrambled eggs and a slice of freshly crisped ciabatta.
"So you are leaving today?" he asked warily.
She hummed and sat down opposite him with a helping of scrambled eggs and a glas of water, no bread.
He picked around in his breakfast and stared into the ground.
"You aren't ready to tell her your secret, yet?" she asked realizing the ultimatum she had issued ran out today. She sighed and continued "Ok here's the deal, take your time but don't wait too long, she'll notice eventually and you want to tell her before that happens."
Rusty let out a breath of relief and nodded. He looked up and said silently "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, I'm sure spilling whatever you think you need to keep from her would be healthier for you. The right thing is usually not the easy thing."
"Say's the woman, who was too afraid to tell Sharon she was coming to profile the Hollywood Ripper", he smirked.
"I don't say I never pick the easier way."
They ate in silence till Rusty said giving Lauren a once over "Didn't you get your own clothes yesterday?" he asked noticing the black blazer, light gray suit pants and the silken light gray blouse.
Laurens face fell and she almost whined "That is mine!"
I hope you enjoyed the story. I had fun writing it and will probably do a sequel.