My Way is Clear

by Simply Ginger

Nick meets a paramedic after getting injured at a crime scene. In an AU, this is their story. This is not a slash and all the characters from CSI show up eventually.

25. Back at One

A/N: Chapter is in memory of my sweet dog, Lucy, who passed away 12/27/10

Chapter 25 – Back at One

"Ma'am? Are you okay?"

I looked over to see who Sara was talking to and saw that the wife of the suspect was doubled over in pain in the middle of their kitchen. Catherine was sweeping broken glass from the floor into an evidence bag while Sara was keeping watch on the wife. The lady groaned and put her hand over her stomach," No, I'm not."

After casting a glance in Catherine's direction, Sara reached for her radio, "What is it?"

I pulled a chair out from the dining room table and told the lady to sit down. "My stomach hurts. He hit me before you got here."

By this time, Catherine had stopped processing and was watching all of us, "Do you need an ambulance? Do you want to go to the hospital?"

The woman didn't answer Catherine's question and instead doubled over in pain again as she almost fell out of the chair as she moaned. One of the two officers with us at the scene took a step back to hide behind me. When Sara and Catherine started to help the lady, I saw that as my cue and I stepped up. "I got it. I'll call."

"So we can't arrest her?" The rookie officer that was hiding behind me looked heartbroken. "We have to call the medics?"

"Yeah. We do." I pulled the officer towards me as I started to move out of the kitchen. "No arrests just yet. Even if we know they're faking it, we have to call an ambulance if they ask for one."

"Damn." The officer put his handcuffs back in the holder on his duty belt. "I haven't even arrested anyone yet. I've only been on duty a week. My FTO said I could handle this one."

"You can go with the medics to the hospital. How's that?" I didn't give him a chance to answer as I took another step out of the kitchen so I could use my radio and call dispatch without the woman's moans in the background. I made the call in to the dispatch center and the dispatcher said she'd dispatch an ambulance and they'd be here momentarily.

I stepped back in the kitchen just in time to see the woman throw up all over the floor. Catherine jumped back and onto the counter and Sara stepped out of the way just in time as the woman threw up in the exact place Sara was just standing. "Great. Where's Greg when I need him?" Sara reached in her field kit for a jar to put the new evidence in. "Low man on the totem pole. This is perfect lackey work for him."

While we were waiting on the ambulance, the two officers helped the lady lie down on the couch. We had just gotten her situated when I saw the flashing red lights through the window. "Ambulance is here. Be right back."

I left Catherine, Sara, the two officers and the lady as I left the house and started down the driveway. "Hey Nicky."

"Anna. Hey"

Bryan cleared his throat and acted like he was hurt that I didn't realize he was there. "And me? Hello?"

"I was getting there. Hey Bryan."

"Better. Whatcha got for Aggs and me?" He pulled a pen out of his pocket so he could start in on the run report "Anything good?"

"Woman's inside her house. We got the call originally for them being suspects in a burglary at a check cashing place up off the strip. PD made the scene and then they called us. Woman said she got hit in the stomach during the argument with her husband that they were having right when we got here. After PD took the husband in custody and they found out she had an open warrant and were about to arrest her, she started saying her stomach hurt and that's when we called you. The officer inside is a newbie and hasn't arrested anyone yet. He was upset that he couldn't use his handcuffs until I told him he could ride in the ambulance with y'all."

"We'll indulge but it's somewhat strange." Bryan looked over at Anna, "Chrome induced ischemia normally doesn't happen this quickly. It's usually once they're in the squad car on their way to the slammer."

I was confused as I helped Bryan pull the stretcher out of the back of the ambulance, "Chrome induced what?"

Anna smiled as she took over for me, "Medic slang for when the patient develops inexplicable chest or abdominal pains after being arrested and handcuffed." I still didn't get what Anna was saying. She saw my confusion and continued, "The handcuffs go on and the arrestee starts complaining something hurts, their asthma acts up or they're dying. It's basically just an excuse to go to the ED rather than jail right away."

"And she's not even in handcuffs yet much to the disdain of the newbie."

Bryan shrugged, "She got a head whack?"

Anna repeated Bryan's shoulder shrug as she looked over at me. "That's medic speak for a shot to the head."

"I don't know. She didn't say anything about being hit in the head when we got here. Whatever it is, she's yours." I was beginning to feel sorry for dumping this woman on the two of them, but it was their job.

"And most men just bring their women flowers." Anna reached in the back of the ambulance and got the AED bag out and tossed it on the stretcher as Bryan started pulling it towards the house.

"Hey Nick?"

I looked over at Bryan, "Yeah?"

"Bout damn time you brought Aggs home. I've been bored as hell without her."

Anna hit Bryan in the back of the shoulder as he changed places with her so she could go in first, "Yeah and the only reason I came back was because I missed you. It had nothing to do with Nicky."

I smiled, "She made good on that lasagna promise yet?"

It was my turn to be playfully hit, "Nicky, not you too."

"All I meant was I never got a call saying you had cooked." Admiring the way the two of them kept their job interesting, I followed behind them as we went back inside. I knew how miserable I was without Anna but it hit me now all the times I saw Bryan without Anna when I saw him at work made sense now. I was miserable without my girlfriend and he was miserable without his best friend.

Once in, Bryan started assessing the woman as the two officers stood off to one side to observe. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Bryan and this is Anna and we're your paramedics for the day. What's the problem?"

"My stomach hurts." The lady had sat up when she heard us come in but was doubled over in pain on the couch again, "Do something! Help me!"

"Well, that's no good but you're in luck." Bryan motioned to Anna to move. She tossed something in her kit and stood to the same side as the officers as Bryan took charge of the case. "This week and this week only, we're running a special on abdominal distress and all for a very reasonable price." Anna just shook her head and helped the woman to her feet and told her to lie down as Bryan started strapping her in as he continued, "That low price includes parts, labor, a ride to the hospital and a check of all vital systems as well as a five year, 50,000 mile warranty, whichever comes first." Bryan reached over and got the last set of straps to the board and tightened them on his side of the gurney. "Sound good?"

The lady had no response as they started shoving the gurney towards the ambulance as Anna waited on the rookie officer to go outside first, "God, I've missed you."

"About time you admitted that." Bryan reached to his right shoulder to grab at the microphone to his radio. "Medic 78 to base."

"Need a cop to come with us."

At Anna's statement, the rookie cop's partner shoved him towards the ambulance. "Rick, go." The other officer watched as the rookie's face lit up. He took a step forward and helped Bryan load the stretcher in the back of the truck as the dispatcher answered. As they were getting in the back of the rig, Bryan called in to dispatch that they were en route to Desert Palms. "And we're off. Later, Nicky."

Catherine stood between the older officer and me while Sara stayed inside. "Welcome back, Anna."

"Thanks Cath. We're outta here."

I stood back and watched as Anna made short work of the distance between the back of the ambulance and the driver's door. I told her I'd text her later on and watched as they drove off. "Baptism by fire apparently for her."

"How's she doing?"

I didn't get a chance to answer as Sara came out and headed towards her truck at the edge of the driveway. "I'm taking this blood and vomit evidence back to trace before we lose it. Meet you guys there."

"Be there in a bit." Sara got in her truck as Catherine reached around me and tossed her field kit in the back of her truck. "Anna looked happy."

"Oh, she should. She's a completely different Anna from the one that left here months ago after all the mess with Nigel then with his sister happened to us. I couldn't be happier and neither could Anna."

Catherine eyed me as she shut the back door to her Tahoe. "Got you alone so now I can grill you without Sara or Greg." Greg was working with Sara on this case but when the husband was arrested, Greg went with the cops to process, leaving Sara alone. Catherine and I had finished up on a home robbery and Grissom asked us to help Sara while he was stuck with Warrick on a double homicide in the alphabet neighborhood. I left my truck at the lab and rode with Catherine up here. As she started her truck and got in, she was staring at me as I walked to the passenger's side, "There's something you're not telling me."

"Catherine, we're fine."

As soon as I opened the door, she started in again, "That part I figured but something else is going on and you're not telling me." I watched as she went from friend to investigator with her line of questioning. "Anna looked happy to be back."

"Didn't we already cover this?" I took my vest off and tossed it in the back seat on top of my field kit. "She is happy. We both are." I shut the back door and got in on the passenger's side of Catherine's Tahoe. "We're both fine. Anna is back. We're both happy. I'm happy. New dog is happy. The world is as it should be."

"Yeah, but there's something else." Catherine paused as she started to change gears on her truck. "And I will find out about it. I'm sure if I just go over what you already told me, I'll be able to figure it out." I took a drink of water from a bottle I had left in Catherine's car on the drive over and waited on her to tell me her latest theory. "She's pregnant?"

I snotted water all over Catherine's dashboard. "No." I started coughing as I choked on the rest of the water that didn't come shooting out of my nose. "No, no, no. Anna is not pregnant. My mother and sisters already asked me that while we were in Texas. Repeatedly."

"Judging from your reaction, I can move on from that. Let's see...she's not pregnant so that leaves what exactly? Promotion at work?"

I knew I'd get nowhere fast if I didn't just tell her Anna and I were engaged. "Anna and I are engaged."

"Nicky! Oh, Nick! Really? I didn't see a ring on Anna's finger and I've been on ring watch ever since you two got back."

"Anna won't wear it at work. The ring will tear the latex gloves." In her moment of excitement, Catherine wasn't paying close enough attention to the road and started to drift into the breakdown lane. "Can I drive?"

"Why?"

"Well, I won't be able to actually get married if you drive off into a ravine and kill us both."

"Sorry Nicky." She slowed down and turned her attention back to the highway. "I just never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Ouch." I put my hands on my chest over my heart. "Go for the kill shot why don't you? I'm feeling the love here. First you try to kill me by running off the road and now you're telling me I was destined to become the crazy spinster man who will die alone and be found a week later in my own home, half eaten by wild dogs."

"You underestimate me, Nick."

"How so?"

"I wouldn't let you get found a week later. It'd only be a couple days. Three or four at most. I mean, come on. You get eaten then I'd get stuck with your case load and then what?"

"Not funny now. Funny later."

"Congrats though. See, I told you when you and I talked that day that she'd be back and look what happened. Anna's back. So when's the wedding? Can I be a bridesmaid?"

I laughed, "That one is up to Anna. I know she's asked her friend Bryan's wife to be her maid of honor."

Catherine looked over at me as we coasted to a stop at a yield sign, "Doesn't Anna have a sister? She didn't ask her?"

"Anna does have a sister but she didn't ask. Her sister has a toxic personality that borders on radioactive. When I went to pick Anna up to bring her back to Vegas, her sister said some pretty nasty things to us that really hurt Anna. She hasn't spoken to her sister in about a month."

"Sorry I asked. Even if I'm not a bridesmaid, I better be invited to the wedding." Catherine shut the truck off as we got to the lab, "I am your supervisor."

After assuring Catherine she'd get an invitation, we dropped the evidence off inside and Grissom told us we could break for lunch. Sara stayed in the lab with Griss and Cath and I took off to go find Anna. I had gotten a text message in the truck with Catherine but didn't get a chance to read it until we broke for lunch. Bryan had sent me a message telling me Anna made good on her lasagna promise and told me to come eat. I snapped the phone shut and got in my truck and drove over knowing a good meal was in store.

After knocking, Bryan let me in. "CSI Man. Welcome back. Lasagna's in the kitchen. As per my text, Aggs finally made good on her promise." He told me to help myself as he walked by me and sat in one of the recliners in the day room. "Grab a plate and come join us. Cathy brought Backdraft by earlier."

"I thought firemen hated that movie?"

"We do." Anna came out of the kitchen and handed me a plate of lasagna before disappearing back in the kitchen. "Well, we don't hate it per se, but it is kind of insulting in some areas. We'd be fired if we tried stuff in that movie."

"Tried what?"

"Take your pick." Anna reappeared with her own lasagna. "No air masks at fires? Jeans under our turnouts? I could go on and on." She took a seat on the couch just adjacent to Bryan and patted the cushion next to her. "Sit. Watch Backdraft with the two of us and enjoy the lasagna I made. Engine crew is missing out. They're on an alarm call at the Tangiers."

Bryan hit the play button on the DVD remote and looked at me. "Ever seen any Mystery Science Theater: 3000 movies?"

I took a bite of lasagna, "Yeah. Why?"

"Consider me Mike Nelson and Anna is Crow."

"Why do I have to be Crow? Why can't I be Gypsy?"

Bryan shook his head, "Watch the movie, Aggs."

Anna took a bite of her lasagna as the opening scenes to Backdraft played on in the background. True to Bryan's word, they both added their own running commentary to the movie, done MST3K style. I found it funny to listen to the two of them add their own one liners, "All that's missing is the silhouette at the bottom of the movie theater chairs."

I stayed with Anna long enough to get to the scene at the bar in the movie and had to go when I got paged. Calling Grissom back, I got up to leave with Anna following me into the kitchen, "Griss?"

"Nick, I need you and Cath to come to where I am. I just got a call from dispatch about a 419 in Twin Hills. Single victim found dead in her home by her sister. PD is on the scene and Vartann said it looks staged."

"Damn." I stood up to take my plate to the kitchen as Bryan paused the movie, "Is Catherine with you at the lab?"

"No. She left right after you did and I was on my way to the PD when dispatch called." I could hear Grissom saying something to someone in the background before he turned his attention to me, "9622 Oak Hills Road. Meet Cath at the lab then meet me here."

"On my way now." I told Anna that I'd see her later and went back to the station to find Catherine. She was back in one of the labs with Bobby Dawson going over ballistics evidence from the scene we worked earlier, "Grissom needs us now. Single 419 in Twin Hills."

As soon as I said the words, Catherine left what she was doing with Bobby and moved towards the exit of the office. "Ritzy part of Vegas for a homicide."

We were out in the hallway when my phone rang again with Grissom on the other end wanting to know where we were. "On our way now. Had to stop by the lab and get Cath."

"Nick, get over here. Now."

"I'm at the lab getting Catherine. We're on our way now." I knew Grissom had a tendency to be impatient from time to time, but the urgency in his voice let me know something wasn't right.

Catherine stopped by the front desk to give some paperwork to Judy before we both broke out in a sprint towards the side door closest to the parking lot where her Tahoe was, "Tell Griss we'll be there in five."

I relayed the message before hanging up the phone. Catherine didn't say anything until we got to the scene. "Haven't had too many call outs here in this part of Vegas, well, at least not for a 419. Usually it's B&E." Catherine turned around to look me as she waited on me to get my stuff, "I almost feel out of place."

"I know the feeling." I got my field kit out of the truck and I took in a deep breath and walked as slowly as possble to the front of the house with Catherine a few steps behind me, "I'm with Grissom. Something's off and we haven't even been inside yet." Greg and Warrick looked up at us before we went in. I made eye contact with both of them before I took the first step inside the small townhome. Grissom was already at work when we walked in.

"Nick, you and Catherine can take the victim." Grissom put his camera over his right shoulder, "Sara and I will go out and talk to the sister. Warrick's doing a once over of the yard with Greg. When the coroner gets here, I'll send him in."

I barely heard him as I stared at the body of the young woman in front of me. "She does look posed."

Catherine was doing her best not to disturb the body as we waited on the coroner. "Look at her shirt. It looks like whoever put this on her, put it on her after she died. It's crooked across her chest. No woman with clothes like this would be caught out in public looking this sloppy." Catherine brought her camera in front of her and snapped a few pictures as we waited on someone from the coroner's office. "The flower in her hand. What is it? A lily?"

I shook my head, "Nope. It's a tulip."

"Since when did you become a botany expert?"

"Since I found out pink tulips are Anna's favorite flower." I looked down and tied to the stem of the flower was a plain white business card with the Gemini astrological symbol. "Florist symbol?" I studied the business card tied to the flower with a pale yellow satin ribbon, "Her date surprises her with a single flower then what?" I looked around the room for clues, "Smashes her head against the floor? I don't see any spatter anywhere."

"Eddie would bring me flowers every time we fought. He used to tell me we fought so much that I turned his truck into a mobile floral shop but I've never seen a florist advertise with a blank business card before, nor have I ever seen that logo. We can get Archie to see if he can find anything with that symbol in the Vegas business database."

I got up and stood next to Catherine. "Something isn't right here. Something's off." The scene was bothering me. It was too neat. There was no castoff, no spatter. Nothing. "Not a single thing out of place." The lady's magazines were stacked neatly in the center of her coffee table. Her cell phone was on top of the latest Nicholas Sparks novel on the table by the door. "One of my sisters is reading that same book."

"Nick. Catherine." I turned to see Doc Robbins coming in. "You get me tonight."

"And to what do Cath and I owe this to? Where's David?"

Doc Robbins was directing his assistant towards the gurney in the doorway. "Busy on a call out from swing. Bus crash. We're gonna be backed up all night. What do we have?" He directed his assistant to wheel the gurney in and open the body bag as he hit the button on his earpiece so he could record what he saw for his pathology reports. "White female, no apparent GSWs or external signs of BFT. Single white flower, possibly a rose..."

Catherine interrupted, "It's a tulip."

"I stand corrected. A single white tulip." Doc Robbins looked up at Catherine who looked pleased with herself. "No signs of defensive wounds and as it stands now, no visible COD." He stood up and motioned for his assistant to get to the body ready for transport. "I'll have to wait until I do the post until I find out what your COD is. No bruising on the skin under these lights, but I'll check with the ALS when I get back. Anything standing out here?"

"Not a thing." Catherine started to walk around the room, "Every single thing in her house is in place. The only thing Nick and I noticed when we got her was that her shirt didn't look right. Looked like she was redressed."

Doc Robbins's assistant got the body loaded, "We'll page you when I know something." The two of them gently pushed the stretcher out of the house, leaving Catherine and me to wonder what happened to this woman.

A/N: Rewrote the first part of this chapter at least a dozen times before I found something that fits. Reviews please? Happy New Year everyone.

Not as long as the other ones, but...Story arc! Story arc! Story arc! Then in the upcoming chapters, Nick and Anna's wedding will be featured along with a whole other host of surprises. Stay tuned!