Typical crime scene stuff, mentions of rape, nothing explicit but implied. This is a GSR, OC is not a romantic interest.
Gil Grissom is bad at people things. Feelings, compassion, and kindness only come out to play when there are innocent people suffering. Lucky for him he is pretty good at that. Talking, not so much. When he meets Holly, a fellow adrenaline junkie like himself, they initially bond over his roller coaster rides. His skills pick up on the fact that something is terribly wrong, however, and he once again finds it increasingly obvious that this case is one of the 'special' ones. That means it will get all of his time and energy until he finds the truth. Luckily Sarah Sidle knows a thing or two about 'special' cases.
It had been one of those long, arduous cases. His mind still raced incessantly with the bits and pieces of a particularly difficult case. One of those that hits you in the gut and doesn't relent in its nauseating drive to unsettle every nerve a man has within him. It had involved young girls, and nothing made Gil Grissom madder at the world than crimes against women and children and defenseless people.
As he dropped off the last of his case notes at his office, that familiar excitement began to tug in his chest. As he always did after difficult cases, he self-medicated with adrenaline.
The New York, New York Hotel's nearby roller coaster was his favorite. The city lights viewed from high up in the front seat were like twinkling, welcoming stars and the rush from the ride helped clear his head and settle his nerves. It made him feel free from all of the blackness he had seen in the past hours and days.
A short drive from the lab, he found his regular parking place and made his way to the line that was steadily getting on the roller coaster.
He was lost in his thoughts, not giving very much interest to his surroundings, when a light tap on his shoulder caught his attention.
He half turned, coming face to face with a young red-haired woman, with a fear in her face that he had seen all too many times. His stomach plummeted. "Can I help you, are you alright?"
She clasped her hands together for a moment, glancing anywhere but at his face, took a deep breath and said "Well, I - I'm scared to ride alone, but I – I'm also scared of strangers, and the operator said – he said you were safe."
Gil's eyebrow raised slightly. Safe? That was an unusual word to use.
"Well, I don't bite, if that's what you are worried about," he replied, half in jest, and half distressed at the fear she displayed.
"Oh no, it's not that," she breathed, now only half paying attention to him. Her breathing was getting more ragged, and he recognized the panic attack coming.
"Hey, hey, kid, my name is Gil Grissom, what's yours?"
"Holly," she replied faintly. "My name is Holly." A stab of grief seared through his stomach as he remembered their recent new hire Holly that had died in the line of duty. She hadn't been with them long before they lost her, and it stirred something in Gil that sought restitution for her loss, absolving him of guilt that she had been sent into the field without being ready – guilt that was not his to bear.
"Holly," Grissom said evenly. "Has someone given you a reason to be afraid of me?"
Her eyes snapped to his face, and her panic deepened. "No, no, I'm not afraid of - you. Just men – men in general...just...men." Her voice was momentarily drowned out by the shwooshing of the roller coaster cars coming into the loading bay, and her hair fluttered across her face at the breeze it brought with it.
He winced at that statement. His job proved every day that she actually had a valid point. "You're just a child," he said softly. "You shouldn't have fear running that deep. Did someone, a man, hurt you?"
Her breath hitched in her throat, just as the operator announced that it was time to board the roller coaster.
She half turned as if to flee, muttering "I'm sorry, I just shouldn't have come."
Instinctively Gil reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, and she yelped and pulled away, stumbling backward and landing in a heap in the dark corner against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest and hiding her face behind her arms.
"Sir, it's time to board," the concerned operator motioned to Gil. The CSI waved dismissively.
"I'll catch the next one, Larry. Keep the crowd moving."
Gil knelt in front of the frightened woman and shrugged off his coat, carefully laying it over her. Her long fingers grasped it tightly and pulled it over her head, hiding her from the world around her. Gil frowned protectively at the staring people waiting for their turn and one look at his piercing eyes made them turn away from the sight, mumbling to each other.
"Holly," Gil breathed softly. "I am a crime scene investigator with the crime lab here in Las Vegas. I won't hurt you. I can help you. Has someone else hurt you, tonight or any other night?"
She poked her head out from under his coat, her hair stuck to her face with tears. From this close vantage point he could see the freckles littered across her nose. It was an endearing feature and he gave her a calm smile. She couldn't meet his gaze, but she shook her head. "Not here. Not tonight."
"Where?" He asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "And when?" The call of the roller coaster was tugging at his gut, but the protectiveness that his team loved about him was calling too and he tilted his head to one side. "Holly? Kid?"
"Can we just ride the roller coaster now?" she asked softly, finally letting her glance meet his eyes. Her face relaxed for a moment, when she finally looked at him, as if in wonder of what she saw. He knew she was seeing compassion, concern, kindness, all things she apparently was not used to seeing.
He knew he wasn't going to let this rest until he figured out exactly what was going on. But for now, he would play the game.
"Sure," he nodded once, and got to his feet, holding out a hand. She took it and he helped her up, shocked at how light she was. He had to correct his use of force the moment he tried to pull her up, because he barely needed any of his strength at all. Worry furrowed his brow again, but he quickly hid it as he tucked the coat around her. "You keep that, it gets a little chilly the higher you go."
She nodded, letting him make his way back toward the entrance to the coaster, with one guiding hand on her shoulder. They stood at the front waiting for the coaster to complete its circuit and return to the loading bay, the screams of the other riders echoing off the walls around them.
"Sorry I – I just got scared," she said softly, leaning on the gate, head down, hair falling forward to hide her face. "Didn't mean to make a scene."
Gil swallowed hard. "Nothing to apologize for. I – I shouldn't have grabbed you without warning."
I just didn't want you to go, he thought to himself. The idea of this fragile person being out in the rough streets did not sit well with him.
"S'fine." she replied faintly. "I wasn't thinking clearly."
"That makes two of us," Gil replied comfortably. The incoming roller coaster drowned out anything else they might have said, and then the gate opened. The CSI carefully stepped into his favorite seat and held out a hand to help Holly step in too. Once she was settled, she looked at him with wide eyes, sparkling for the first time.
"I haven't been on one of these in years." She reached up, pulling down the shoulder restraints. "I went with my – dad – the last time."
"How old were you?" Gil asked grinning slightly, relieved at the change in her demeanor once she stepped onto the ride. An adrenaline junkie just like him.
"Five," she replied faintly. Grissom's face immediately lost its smile as her lip quivered and she turned shiny eyes toward the sky, closing them softly as the ride began to move.
With each up and down and twist and turn, the knots inside of him usually unwound, fading into the bath of adrenaline and epinephrine that his brain produced. But this time, that release did not come, and he leaned forward slightly to glance at his impromptu companion. Her eyes were still closed, face stoic, like the figurehead on a ship, a beautiful, carefully carved image of regal Irish femininity. His practiced eye could tell she was very young to be out in the Vegas world all alone, and something fatherly stirred inside him.
Typically, he was trying to forget the world around him, and wouldn't have given her a second glance. Today, his priorities were different. If a girl tells you, as a stranger, that you are safe, then what kind of hell had she been through with people she actually knew?
Her clothing, her demeanor, her expressions, all told him she was afraid, alone, and dumped into a world that would eat her alive with its vices and disasters. There were people out there just looking for something so fragile to pound into an object, a trophy, and drag into the murky underworld, if they didn't kill her first.
So for what felt like the first time, the tight ball of emotions in his gut was still there when the ride stopped.
As the riders began to disembark, she sat there for a moment, looking up at the stary sky, then glanced at Gil. "Can we do that one more time?"
He half smiled. "Sure." He nodded at Larry, who was used to Gil's frequent presence on the ride and waved for the two to stay in their seats.
Twice turned into five rides before she was ready to get off. Gil wasn't complaining, he loved the ride. When they finally disembarked, she shoved his jacket into his hands, then drifted into the crowd, but he was right behind her.
"Hey," he called, jogging after her. She stopped, taking a few steps back, that old fear in her eyes again, and he held up his hands. "Sorry, hey, just wanted to tell you that was - fun. It's not often I find someone who likes roller coasters as much as me. And look, I'm-" He paused at the expression she gave him, and he studied her face for a moment, and with a sinking feeling, he sensed what she thought he was going to ask of her.
She looked like a teenager but obviously her experience was well beyond her years.
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to get some dinner before you go wherever it is that you are headed." She took another step back, as if looking for something to hide behind, and his heart ached. "Look, look, I am not looking for anything from you. I promise. Look, I am old enough to be your dad. I promise, I want nothing from you, just – just making sure you are okay. I've been around the block a few times, and a little thing like you out here in a place like this...you – you worry me."
Her eyebrows went up a little bit. "I worry you?"
He rested his hands on his hips. "Well, yeah. Kid like you out here in this kind of world, alone."
"Who says I am alone?" she countered, a fiesty tone seeping into her fear and he smiled slightly. There was the real girl. There was the fighter.
"Well, you just spent a half hour with a stranger riding a roller coaster over and over, so that kind of says 'I'm alone' or maybe it says, 'whomever I am with is either boring or hurts me and I don't want to be around them'."
Her face fell a little bit, and Gil took a tentative step forward. "So, am I right? Which is it?"
"All of the above?" she said softly, and turned, walking away. Anger boiled up into his chest at the implication, and he watched her walk toward the hotel, her head down. He only had one chance to make a move before she was lost in the massive network of Vegas streets.
He moved quickly after her and stepped in front of her. "Kid, I am not trying to be pushy, but I am trying to tell you that I want to help you."
She hesitated. "I know." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and a shiver ran through her as the cool night air brushed past them. He shrugged off his coat again and held it out.
She stood there for a moment as if paralyzed, and he ducked his head to try to see her face. "Are you afraid to let me help you, Holly?"
She hung her head, wrapping her arms around herself, and nodded once. His face softened and he carefully swung the coat round her, settling it on her shoulders.
"I can tell." He knelt, looking up into her face, like one would a child. For a moment he considered calling Catherine to meet them. She was so much better at the people thing than he was. He was also a stubborn man, and he wanted to try to get it right. "Hey, I'm not good at all this but I want to help you. Are you hungry?"
She nodded once, and he stood, awkwardly stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Alright. Let's fix that first. Come on, there's a coffee shop along that way, or a pizza place. What would you like?"
She considered for a moment. "Coffee shop."
"Alright," he nodded. "Let's go."
The trip there was in silence, except for a few typical catcalls, and the quick flash of his badge instantly silenced them. The coffee shop was quiet, and after ordering sandwiches for them, tea that she hesitantly requested and a black coffee for himself, they settled into a quiet corner by the window.
"So," he began, resting his elbows on the table, coffee balanced in his hands. "Maybe we should begin by getting introduced."
She took a bite of her sandwich, eyes still warily glancing between his hands and his face, and she nodded.
"Should I go first?" he asked lightly, trying to get that furrow between her brows to relax. Again, she nodded.
"Alright." He sat back in his chair and took a steadying sip of coffee. "Name is Gil Grissom, I am a night shift supervisor for the Las Vegas Crime Lab. I like studying bugs, riding roller coasters, and anything science related. Your turn. Go."
Holly wrapped her hands around her cup. "Well, my name is Holly."
Gil nodded once. "Already got that. Does Holly have a last name?"
"I – I work at Excalibur."
"The Excalibur Swimming Park?"
"Yeah. I'm a lifeguard there."
Gil's eyebrows raised appreciatively. "Good for you."
She fell quiet, her gaze fixed on her cup, the muscles in her jaw clenching and unclenching. He reached out a finger and tapped her hand. "Go on. Last name?"
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she looked at him and sighed. "I - I walk over to the New York New York area to ride the coaster sometimes. I – I've seen you there before. Normally I ride alone too. But Larry said you were safe. I didn't feel safe tonight, so I asked to go with you."
"Was someone following you tonight?" Gil asked, suddenly wary. She said nothing, but the fear in her face told him the answer was yes.
"Holly," he said slowly, shifting into his investigator voice. "Is that person in this coffee shop?"
She furtively glanced around, then her body relaxed, and she shook her head. "No."
"Do you know the person that was following you?"
She grimaced and looked away, her hands instinctively squeezing her cup tightly. He tapped her wrist again. "Relax. Helping, remember? Don't break the cup."
She sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes again, relaxing her grip and he frowned. "Holly?"
"I slept with him, okay?" she finally blurted out. "I just got here a few weeks ago. It's just me, my mom is dead, my dad is in jail, and I left my hometown and came here. They all gossip about each other, always talking, and before you know it, everyone stares when you walk down the street."
"Were they gossiping about you?"
Holly pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "Doesn't matter. The first night I was here, I met this guy when I was at the swim park picking up my uniforms and name tag. I had applied for a job there that morning and they took me. Swimming, see, it's - it's my roller coaster."
Grissom nodded in understanding, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. Everyone had their cure. Then his face drifted back into interrogation mode. "You met him there, but did he work there?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him working there. But he told me all kinds of nice things, and I was alone, and afraid and I – I just went along with it."
"Did you fear for your life? Did he threaten you?"
"No," she stammered. "He didn't - threaten me."
"He didn't threaten to hurt you if you didn't comply with his demands?"
"No. He just was pushy, insistent, and I – I just - went along with it. I didn't have - a choice."
Gil frowned. "Holly, if he didn't hurt you or threaten you, then why did you go along with it, you could have simply said no? If you didn't want to, that's statutory rape."
"No doesn't really mean no, though, does it?" she mumbled, ducking her head to drink her tea. "Better to go along than end up in an alley somewhere beaten senseless."
Gil studied her for a moment, his mind running through explanation and her fear of saying no, as a chilling realization sent adrenaline rushing painfully through his chest.
"Holly, your dad is in jail for sexual assault, isn't he?"
She ducked her head wordlessly, her hands tightening around the cup.
"Holly," he pushed softly. "Kid, come on, trying to help you here."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"You know I can find out," Gil commented, confidently. At that moment, his pager went off, its message calling him back to the office on a case. He read the message carefully, tilting the pager to see all the information clearly. "Just a second," he flashed her a kind smile. Pulling out his phone, he took a few steps away, and placed a call to Sarah Sidle. They talked for a moment, then he snapped the phone shut and walked back to the table. "Ah, sorry kid, I've got to head back to the office. Why don't you come with and meet my team?"
He looked up expectantly, hoping she would take his offer, but the seat across from his was now empty, her half-filled teacup spilled on the table, his jacket crumpled on the floor, a dusty boot print glaringly obvious on its navy surface. His heart plummeted. He had only left her for a moment.
Now Holly was gone.
Please review! It means the world to me! This story is going to cover some personal experiences, so it is a bit of catharsis for me. I am grateful for each one of you that come along on the journey with me :) This story is in active writing process, and will be completed, so no fears on abandonment!