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fandomgirlz01 · 4 months

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This Can’t Be The End Pt. 3

Nick Stokes X Reader

Imagine on my fandom instagram?: No

Prompt?: No

Request?: No

Requested prompt?: No

Edited: Yes

Word count: 6,175

Ko-fi

Masterlist

Warnings here

You can listen to the story be read out loud here.

Post Date: December 30th 2023

Post Time: 12:27 AM

Summary: Based off of S5 Es24 & 25 When Nick gets kidnapped, the reader is forced to fear the worst for her husband as she and the team work the case with hopes of bringing him home safe.

Third Person Pov:

The computer shows Nick and the countdown that is at 00:00:01. It then clicks off the video and 4672 CARNEY LANE — BOULDER HWY are the words that slide across the screen. Then the words BE THERE IN 20 MINUTES slide onto the screen next before OR DON’T BOTHER COMING slide across the screen too.

Grissom finds himself standing in front of a warehouse that doesn’t look like it’s been used for some time with the bag of money in his hand. He looks around for any sight of anything, but finds nothing out of the ordinary so he takes a step toward the building. He walks up to the building keeping an eye out for anything.

He walks up to the door, grabs the handle and slides the door open. It makes a loud clunking sound as he does, but he pays it no mind. Once it’s open he steps in and takes his glasses off as he looks around the inside.

He sees an SUV parked to his right, but nothing else really. He sets the bag down and reaches around himself to pull his flashlight out of his back pocket. He shines the flashlight out and continues to look around the warehouse.

“Las Vegas crime lab!” He calls out into the void in front of him.

“Through the door!” Another man’s voice shouts out and Gil bends down slowly to pick the money bag back up.

He then starts to walk, shining his light in front of him. As he walks he notices a dead dog laying on the floor with flies buzzing around. He sees other things a dog would need, a bed, food and water bowls.

He sees a box of random things and what seems to be a bed in the corner. He keeps walking and soon makes his way to the door the voice had told him to go through. He walks up a few steps before coming face to face with an older looking man who sits behind a computer watching the feed of Nick.

“Pretty quiet outside,” the man comments as Gil comes to a stop in front of him.

“Almost sounds like you came alone,” the guy continues to taunt.

“I’ve got your money,” Gil tells him and the guy stands.

“Put it down,” the guy commands as he leans on his arms against the table.

Grissom slowly lowers the bag and it makes a light thud as it hits the ground. He stands back up to full straight position before the guy comes out from behind the desk and up to the few steps to the podium he’s on.

“Slide it over,” he commands and Grissom uses his foot to kick it over closer to the guy.

It’s only when the bag stops, maybe about fifteen to twenty feet from him that the man walks down the steps and over to the bag. He uses a flashlight to look down on it and he looks back up at Gil.

“You’re telling me there’s a million dollars in here?” The guy asks and Gil gives a very decisive “yes,” to his question.

“Along with some cute little booby traps? Which is it? A tracker, a dye pack? A…” he asks, trying to figure out if they played any tricks on him.

“Normally, you’d be 100% right, but this time you’re 100% wrong. We want Nick back. No tricks,” Grissom promises him and it goes silent for a moment.

The guy takes a moment before bending down to the bag. He moves it so it’s facing him and unzips it. He digs though for a moment before grabbing a wad of the cash and holding it up to his light. He inspects it thoroughly before starting to chuckle.

“This looks real,” he comments as he holds it up.

“It is real,” Gil proclaims before pausing.

“Where is Nick?” He asks and the guy stands back up dropping the money back into the bag as he does.

“You know, I was under the impression that it was against departmental policy to negotiate with terrorists,” the guy comments, using his free hand to try and motion out his meaning.

“Are you a terrorist?” Gil asks him in a calm tone.

“Depends,” the guy replies in a nonchalant tone before shining the light at Grissom’s face.

“Are you terrified?” The guys asks in a playful tone and Grissom takes a deep breath.

“Look, I really don’t want to talk to you. Where is my guy?” Gil asks in a slightly irritated voice.

“Oh, so… he is your guy, huh?” The man asks in a fake astonished tone.

“Yes, he is. Where is he buried?” Gil asks in a demanding tone.

“Are you two close?” The man asks with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“That’s none of your business,” Gil tells him in a clipped tone.

“What does Nick Stokes mean to you? How do you feel when you see him in that coffin? Does your soul die every time you push that button? How do you feel knowing that there’s nothing you can do to get him out of that hell? Helpless…useless… impotent? How does it feel having to tell his darling of a wife he’s not coming home?” The guy asks again dodging the question with his own million to one questions and Grissom doesn’t respond.

“Good. Welcome to my world,” the man tells him before revealing that he has a bomb strapped to his waist.

“Uh, if I were you, I’d back up a little,” he tells Grissom in a condescending tone, but yet there’s also humor laced in with it.

Grissom takes one, two, no three little steps back and before he has a chance to do anything else the guy presses the button that he’s holding. The whole place gets wrecked with the magnificent boom, windows shatter and wood shards go flying every which way. Once the bomb is done dust over takes the air and starts to rain down along with blood painting the walls.

Grissom wakes and starts to huff for breath as he struggles to sit up. His ears ring and he can feel blood on his face as he looks over the desolate scene in front of him.

Reader’s Pov:

I wake up to someone shaking my shoulder lightly and with a small groan, I open my eyes. The bright light burns my eyes, making me shy away before looking back up to see Warrick standing in front of me. He gives me a small smile as I sit up, the blanket falling from my arm to my lap.

“What’s up, B?” I ask him and he smiles lightly.

“Griss just left to take the ransom money. If we’re lucky, Nicky boy should be home by tonight,” he tells me as his grin slowly grows more and more.

“You mean I’ll get him back?” I inquire softly and Warrick nods.

“Warrick, you better not be playing with me…” I warn him and he shakes his head, holding his hands up in surrender.

“I promise you mamas that I am not messing with you,” he tells me and I take a moment to let the words sink in.

“Oh, B… you were right, he’s coming home,” I whisper out as tears come to my eyes.

“It’s all just a waiting game now, mama. Once Grissom calls in, we can go get our boy,” he informs me and I can’t help but jump forward and hug him.

“Wait…” I pause before pulling back from the hug.

“How did Gil get the ransom money? I thought the department wasn’t going to pay it out. Did Nicky’s parents put it out?” I question and Warrick shakes his head.

“We’re not really supposed to talk about it… because Grissom insists on it staying anonymous, but you have Catherine to thank… she went to her father and asked for the money…” Warrick explains to me and I freeze as gratitude overflows me.

“Where is she?” I ask him after a moment of silence and he shakes his head.

“She’s in her office,” he informs me and I nod as I get up.

I quickly rush out of the break room and down the many halls I know will take me to her office. I slow down once I see the office and lightly knock on the door. She looks up and smiles when she sees it’s me.

She takes her glasses off and gives a small nod, mouthing a small ‘come in,’ before I push the glass door open. I walk in, closing the door behind me and Catherine smiles softly at me as I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. Her walkie-talkie chats quietly from beside her with a sound of static every time someone isn’t talking.

“What do you need, y/n?” she asks me as she folds her hands on her desk.

“Rick… he, uhh… told me what you did. I… I don’t know how to thank you,” I answer her in a choked tone and she smiles softly at me again.

“No need to thank me, y/n. Both you and Nicky are family. I hated seeing you and him in pain,” she explains softly before reaching her hand out to me.

“No. You deserve a thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t be getting my husband back. I… I wouldn’t have made it if—” I start but she squeezes my hand as she cuts me off.

“Don’t even start to wonder. That road can be a dangerous one, y/n. Just think of what you’ll do with all your time off,” she tells me and I give her a confused look.

“Time off?” I ask in confusion and she nods as she pulls her hand back.

“Nick gets time off for mental evaluation after all of this. I assume Griss will make you do the same thing,” she informs and I purse my lips as I nod.

“Honestly, we need the time off anyway. We were hoping to put in for some after these cases finished up,” I tell her and she grins, making me smile too.

“And you guys deserve it. You’ve done a lot of work with no breaks lately,” she muses and it goes quiet with the radio static being the only noise.

“Would you like to—” Catherine starts, but gets cut off with a voice coming over the radio.

“Dispatch, this is Gill Grissom of the crime scene lab. I request assistance at 4672 Carney Lane - - Boulder HWY. There’s been an explosion that needs analysis as soon as possible,” comes Grissom’s voice over the radio and I quickly suck in a breath as Catherine picks it up.

“Copy that, we’re sending units to your location right now,” Dispatch replies and Catherine looks up at me.

“You stay here. Someone will update you if we find anything at all, I promise,” she tells me as she stands up and I nod quickly.

After Catherine and the others leave, I’m left alone so I decide to take a shower and change my clothes. I walk to the locker room and open my locker.

Immediately I regret it when I see a picture of me and Nick on the inside of the door:

I smile softly at the old picture as I look at Nick and me from back when we were still in our second year of being CSI’s. With a soft smile, I find myself mentally thanking Nick’s sister Janet for taking the picture. I reach up and touch the picture as I sniffle.

I sigh and grab my change of clothes and a small toiletries bag before closing the locker. I go over to the shower and grab a towel from the cabinet before setting all my stuff on the counter. I then get into the shower and monotonously go about it.

I stay in the shower until the water runs cold and sigh as I reluctantly turn it off. I make work of getting out and quickly drying off before getting dressed. After I’m dressed, I drop my towel in the hamper and walk back to my locker.

I open it and set my toiletries bag in first before folding my clothes up. I put my clothes into the locker and catch sight of another one of the pictures I have hanging up:

I smile as the memory from college plays in my head and all I can hear is Nick’s laugh. That day was just one of our many lazy days that turned into him forgetting that he had a project to finish for his class. He ended up working on it while I sat reading my book, until I got bored and reached over for my camera that was on his bedside table.

~Flash back~

“Hey, Nicky,” I sing-song to him.

“Hmm?” he hums out, not even looking at me and I roll my eyes.

“Look over here, babe,” I tell him and he takes a moment to lean back in his chair, looking over one last detail before looking at me.

He smiles when he sees me and I grin as I take the picture. He laughs while shaking his head, making me grin even more.

“You and taking pictures of me. Did it at least turn out good?” he asks through his own grin and I pull the camera back to look at the screen.

“Hmm. Yes, it did. That one’s being printed,” I comment, only to giggle when he shakes his head before going back to his work.

~End of Flashback~

“Come home to me, Nicky,” I whisper, wiping at the tear that falls as another picture makes me giggle softly:

I remember that day so well. Nick was working on a separate case alongside Greg and I just so happened to walk by and see them both in really deep thought. Me being me, I decided to take a picture of them and send it to Nick with the text “someone looks a little grumpy :(”. He had immediately looked up to see me after reading the text and smiled at me, making me smile back softly before continuing on my way.

I sigh as I look over all the many pictures I have of us from over the years. Some Janet had taken, some taken by Nick’s brother Shane, as well as his brother Mason, sister Piper, and brother Braxton, all of whom saw me as a sibling the moment me and Nick started hanging around each other. There’s some we took together and some of us just being goofy together:

I let all the memories slowly play out in my head before shaking myself out of my thoughts.

“He’s coming home. He’ll be ok…” I keep repeating to myself in my head. I bite my lip and look over all the pictures one last time before closing my locker.

I wipe away tears that I didn’t even notice had fallen and start to walk to the break room. Once in the break room, I decide I should try to eat something, so I start looking for something that seems appetizing. I find a bowl of leftover spaghetti in the fridge with the name ‘Stokes’ on it in big bold letters. I shake my head at the note I find under it:

Sweets, I know you’ll find this. You better eat it, I know you haven’t had anything at all today. Remember I love you and EAT the damn food please.

~Nicky ^>^

“Even when he’s not here, he’s still taking care of me,” I comment out loud to myself, shaking my head as I give a soft chortle.

I take the foil off the top of the glass bowl and open the microwave. I then set the bowl in carefully and close it before setting it to three minutes.

As it warms it up, I walk back over to the fridge to get my soda from earlier this morning out before walking back over. I then grab a plastic fork from a container on the counter just as the microwave comes to a stop and beeps. I take the food out and walk over to the round table in the center of the room.

I sit down and start to stab at my food, but all of a sudden it doesn’t seem appetizing anymore. I twirl some on the fork and take one bite in hopes it’ll at least taste appetizing, but it doesn’t. I sit there trying to work up to wanting it, but it just keeps looking gross.

I sigh and push the bowl away from me before putting my hands over my eyes. I sit there for a few minutes with my hands over my eyes when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Warrick standing there with a solemn look on his face.

“What happened?” I ask him and he sighs, moving to sit down next to me.

“The bastard blew himself up. Talk about cowardice to end it all,” he chortles in disbelief, shaking his head.

“Griss was lucky and didn’t get hit by the blast. He has minor hearing loss, but unfortunately no Nick,” he continues to explain and I suck in a breath.

“You process the scene yet?” I inquire and he pursues his lips.

“Yeah. Me and Greg worked on the car. GPS wasn’t a lot of help at all. All we got was general information of around where he was,” he informs me and I bite my lip in hopes of holding my emotions back.

“What— what about a body? Did the guy have anything on him?” I question and he pauses a moment as if debating whether to tell me.

“There wasn’t much of a body. He was literally in pieces… and no, we didn’t find anything on him,” he answers me and my face changes to one of anger.

“Did you guys find anything useful at all?! Or did you just quit?!” I angrily seethe out, my hormones completely out of whack and Warrick looks shocked for a moment.

“Mamas, I know you're angry. You have every right to be, but you gotta stay calm or I’m taking you home,” he informs me and I nod as my anger washes away.

“You're right. I’m sorry. I don’t know what just came over me,” I apologize as I put my head in my hands again and sniffle.

“It’s okay, mamas. You're entering the anger stage and not to mention you're probably hungry. I get it. It’s hard when all you want is him here with you,” he sympathizes with me as he pulls my chair to his and hugs me.

“Did you get anything at all, though?” I ask him and he nods.

“Yeah. Sara got a thumb, so we got a thumb print. She just went to run the print to see what we get,” he explains to me and I sigh.

“I just want him home, Rick,” I tell him and he pulls away from our hug to look me in the eyes.

“And he will be, mama. He will be, but for now you gotta take care of yourself, you hear me? He wouldn’t like knowing that you didn’t,” he says and I sigh, shaking my head.

“I hear you. I do, I just…” I trail off and he nods.

“I get it mama, I do. Have you eaten?” he questions and I motion to the bowl in front of us.

“I tried, took one bite and just wanted to throw up. So, no, I haven’t eaten,” I answer and he sighs.

“Ok. Here’s what we’re going to do. Grab the bowl and come with me,” he commands and I give him a shocked look, knowing what he’s doing.

“But B, there’s no food in the lab,” I reiterate the rules of the lab and he shrugs.

“Will you eat if you can see he’s doing ok?” he questions and I take a moment to think about it.

“I mean, maybe…” I tell him and he nods again as he gets up.

“I’m sure Griss would allow it this one time,” he explains as he pushes his chair in and I smile softly at him.

“Ok. Then let’s go,” I agree as I get up and grab the bowl.

“That’a girl. Let me just get myself a coffee, then we can go,” he tells me and I nod as he walks over and grabs himself a cup.

He quickly pours the coffee and adds a little bit of sugar before turning back to me. “Let’s go,” he says as he walks over to me and I nod.

Together we walk through the hallways and some of the labs before coming up to Archie’s computer lab. We see him sitting at the computer, just watching the feed as we walk up next to him.

“How’s he doing?” Warrick asks as he walks up to the chair next to Archie, who looks over at him.

“Hard to say… about the same, I guess,” he replies to Warrick before looking at me.

“Hi, y/n,” Archie greets me with a small sympathetic smile and I give a small one back.

“Hi, Arch. Is it ok if I eat my food in here? I just needed to see him,” I question him and he nods.

“Definitely. Just don’t make it a habit,” he jokes and I smile at him again.

“I promise I won’t,” I playfully joke back and he nods.

“Here. You can have my chair. I’m gonna go get some coffee,” he informs us as he gets up and I send him a thankful smile.

“Yeah,” Warrick agrees as he sets his coffee down on the table as I sit down next to him and Archie leaves.

Once Archie is gone, I finally turn to the monitor and sigh when I see Nick. He just lays there so still, but I can tell he’s still breathing as his chest rises and falls. Warrick reaches up and rubs at his tired eye before holding his balled up fist next to his mouth and looking over at me.

“Eat,” he tells me as he taps my leg under the bench, effortlessly pulling me out of my fixed stare on Nick.

I nod and lift the bowl up before taking a bite. I chew slowly and the food doesn’t taste as bad as before, but it’s still hard to get myself to eat. Nick then turns to the air vent that’s to his left and breathes before the video slowly closes out.

The ‘YOU CAN ONLY WATCH’ pops up again and Warrick quickly moves to click the link again. The video comes back on and Nick mouths something, but it’s hard to make out. I continue to take many slow bites of the food and soon it’s gone.

I set the bowl on the table and Warrick looks over at me, then the bowl. “Good job, mamas,” he praises me and I nod my thanks. He pulls me over and wraps an arm around my shoulder and I lean into it as we continue to just watch Nick in silence.

Again all too soon, though, the video goes off again and Warrick moves to click the link again. Nick mouths more words that are hard to make out and my eyes start to well up a bit. We continue to watch and it’s only a little later that we watch him take out some gum from his pocket. Warrick and I look at each other, intrigued before looking back at Nick as he chews the gum.

He then takes the gun out of his mouth and shoves it in his ears. Warrick and I both sit up a little as we watch in wonder of what he’s doing.

“What are you doing, Nicky?” Warrick voices the question we’re both thinking as Nick lays his head back for a moment.

He reaches down to his side and I let out a gasp as his service weapon pops up. He holds onto the barrel for a moment and then takes it off.

“What are you doing, Nicky?” Warrick voices again as we both fully get out of our chairs.

He turns the barrel to his chin like he’s going to shoot himself and all the air leaves my chest as I quickly turn around. I regret turning around that fast as everything spins and the sick feeling from earlier returns. I close my eyes as I try to regain my equilibrium while I wait for Warrick to react in any way.

“Don’t do it, Nicky!” Warrick exclaims as he continues to watch when I can’t.

“Ahhh!” Warrick shouts and I jump, a sob escaping my mouth.

“You son of a bitch!” Warrick screams out and another sob leaves my throat as I bring my hand up to cover my mouth.

The shock takes over and I slowly start to sink to the ground as all sounds become muffled. It’s only a second after my knees hit the ground that I hear Warrick again.

“Shit. Y/n. He’s ok. Look, mama. Look. He just shot the light,” Warrick informs me as he comes over to me and lifts me up so I’m standing.

“Look at the monitor, mama. Look,” he prompts me and I shake my head.

“Come on. Look. He’s still alive…” he tells me and finally I listen.

I look at the screen to see my husband still breathing and alive, just now he has a glow stick as his light. I let out another sob and turn to Warrick, throwing myself into his arms. He sighs and wraps his arms around me, rubbing my back as I continue to cry.

“I’m so sorry you had to see that. I wasn’t expecting it and I should have. I am so, so sorry mamas,” he apologizes as he leaves a kiss on the side of my forehead.

“I…it’s ok, B. You… you couldn’t have known,” I tell him though my hiccups as he holds my head to his shoulder and sighs.

Warrick’s Pov:

After Nick shot out the light, I held a sobbing y/n in my arms for a few minutes. She cried until she made herself tired and fell asleep on my arm. I carefully carried her back to the break room and set her on the couch.

I make sure her head is on the pillow and then cover her with the blanket she’s been using. She lets out a puff of air and I smile sadly at the girl who’s like my baby sister. I make sure she stays asleep and I’m glad when she does, knowing she desperately needs it.

I sigh as I run my hands over my face. I decide to leave, knowing if she wakes and needs me she’ll come find me. I walk to the locker room and open my locker, but stop before I get anything out of it.

I rub my forehead as my emotions start to hit. It’s then that I remember that only just this morning I had been laughing and talking with Nick in this very spot. I slam my locker closed and sit back on the bench he’d sat on before taking a deep breath.

The tears started to flow and I let them for a while, just taking time for myself. After a few minutes, Catherine walks in and looks at me.

“Griss wants you, me, and Greg back at the scene. He wants us to look for anything else we can find,” she informs me and I rub my face.

“Ok. Let me just get my gear and jumpsuit. I’ll meet you guys there?” I ask and she nods before turning around and leaving.

I take a moment of silence just to try to process everything before sighing and pushing myself up off the bench. I quickly grab all my gear and head out to my car to drive back to the scene.

When I arrive, Catherine walks over to my car and I turn it off before getting out. I walk to the back to get my kit out and she walks with me.

“Greg and I decided that we should split up. Divide and conquer,” she explains and I nod as I pull my kit out and close the trunk.

“Ok. Who’s doing what?” I ask her and she points at Greg as we walk in.

“Greg’s on sifting, I’m taking the car, so that leaves you with mapping,” she answers me and I nod as I set my kit down.

“Well, let’s get to it, then,” I comment and she nods before going over to the car.

I pull out my clipboard and start to map the place as Catherine takes photographs of the car. Greg sifts through all the stuff that we put into the sifting bucket and we all quietly work on our individual projects for a bit.

After a little while of mapping, it seems hopeless and I roll my eyes as I rip the pieces of paper off of my pad. I throw it down to the floor and try to start over.

“Hey. I found a trigger wire,” Greg announces as he holds it up.

“Maybe once we reassemble all the components, we’ll be able to tell where the bomb came from. Maybe…” Greg starts to explain in hope, but I roll my eyes.

“Yeah, maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe if we count up all the damn ‘maybes’, maybe Nick will be alive!” I cut him off, shouting in anger as I kick a container in front of my foot.

“You know what I’m saying?!” I shout as the container lands next to Greg, spilling onto the ground.

“Was that necessary?!” Greg shouts back as he stands up.

“Never mind my clothes. Look at the evidence!” Greg shouts as he motions to his clothes before throwing his clipboard aside as he looks over the evidence.

“Damn it!” I shout as I throw my clipboard down and turn away from him.

I walk off to the side, my anger seething as I try to push it down. I stop just in front of the door as Catherine calls out to me.

“Hey. Warrick. Hey,” she says, walking up to me as I turn around to look at her.

“Hey. How you holding up?” she asks as she rubs my arm ever so slightly.

“I’m not,” I tell her as I take my glove off and cross my arms, only to uncross them.

“I know,” she comments as she reaches up and moves her mask a bit.

“I just can’t help but think that could have been me in that box. You know?” I voice my thoughts to her and suck in a breath of air.

“We flipped a coin for that trash run,” I add on and tears brim my eyes.

“Hey. Nick is not inside a box because of the flip of a coin,” Catherine cuts in before I can continue.

“If that was me, I would’ve… mmm…” I cut her off, my voice rising as I point to my head like I'd shoot myself before rubbing my finger at my forehead.

“Hey. You know what? I know you. I don’t believe that,” she says with her voice rising as she points at my chest and I back away a bit.

“Okay?!” she asks and I look at the ground.

“No. You’re wrong. I wouldn’t have lasted this far,” I tell her and she shakes her head, scoffing lightly in disbelief.

“You’ve taken care of y/n better than anyone else. I DON’T believe that,” she reiterates herself and I shake my head.

“I had to hold y/n as she cried herself to sleep today. That’s something I never wanted to ever have to do…” I tell her and she sighs as I pause for a moment.

“Catherine, if something happens to Nick… If we don’t bring him back in one piece… she’ll be done for. I don’t think y/n can handle it. I promised her I’d get him home,” I inform her and her eyes widen.

“You prom-” she starts, but stops when Greg calls out for us.

“Hey, guys, come here,” Greg shouts and Catherine turns around.

“I found something,” he adds on as we both start walking over to him.

“Look at this,” he tells us once we’re next to him.

He lifts a bottle of liquid and pours it on the dirt. He pours it in a line with it turning the sand a little darker and sets the bottle back down to the side.

“There’s something underneath there,” he comments as he looks up at us.

Catherine is the first to bend down and help him. They start pushing the sand away with their hands and I use my foot. Once we see something else poke through, I bend down with them and together we all use our hands to push the dirt away.

“Oh, it’s got an edge. Right here,” I tell them as I reach for it.

“All right,” I say as we each move around, still moving sand.

“Another one over here,” Greg calls out as we continue to all feel around in the sand.

“Greg, get some crowbars,” Catherine shouts out and Greg immediately jumps up.

He runs off only to come back a few seconds later. He tosses me a crowbar and hands one to Catherine.

“You think Nick could be under here?” Greg questions as we each grab onto our crowbars and start trying to pry it open.

“I don’t know, man. It would have to be at least six feet long,” I answer him as we continue to pry at it.

Finally it starts to open and together we all push the board away to find more dirt. I sink my crowbar into the dirt and start to dig out as much dirt as I can.

“Yeah, but if he buried him lengthwise— and who’s to say he didn’t— he could be,” Catherine explains the way that she thinks he could possibly be below us.

She puts her mask back on before she and Greg help me dig. I quickly race over and grab our shovels. I hand them both one and together we all dig with the shovels as fast as we can.

About halfway through, Catherine and Greg take a break as others come in to take over for them. I keep going in hopes of finding him so I can get him home to his wife. We all keep digging and digging until finally I hit something.

“I hit something,” I announce as I hit it a couple more times with the shovel to make sure.

I throw my shovel to the side and bend down to it. I quickly make work of moving the last little bit of sand aside. I finally get down to it and we can see what’s underneath it all now.

“It’s plexiglass,” Catherine observes as I keep moving sand away.

“Nick!” I yell out in hopes of getting a response.

“Nick?” Catherine yells out after me as we keep going with our hands.

“Nick, hold on there, buddy!” I shout as I keep going.

“Nick?!” Catherine shouts as we finally can see into the box. Only instead of finding Nick, we find a Dalmatian inside the box.

“What?” Catherine says in confusion as we look down at it.

“It’s a dog,” she shouts out and sighs as she starts to rub her forehead. “It’s a dog,” she reiterates herself as she starts to cry.

I huff in anger as I shake my head before standing up and walking off. I shout out as I kick another container in frustration.

“Who’s gonna tell y/n?” Greg asks and I sigh, letting my head hang.

“I will,” I say and Catherine shakes her head.

“No. I’ll tell Griss and he’ll tell her. I still need you to look over this once we get it out of the ground,” Catherine explains and I sigh, looking at her.

“But it’s not out of the ground yet. Please let me go tell her. She’ll need me. I’ll look it over when you guys get it to the lab, but I’m the only one keeping her going. This will deviate her, I need to be there,” I beg Catherine, who sighs before nodding in agreement.

“Yeah. Ok. Go. I’ll let you know when it’s at the lab,” she agrees and I nod, jumping up and getting my stuff.

“Thanks, Catherine!” I yell out to her and she nods, waving me off.

I quickly head to my car and put my kit in before getting in myself. I sit back in my seat with a sigh as I mentally prepare to go tell y/n. With one last deep breath, I start my car up and head back to the lab.

To Be Continued…

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#nick stokes imagine #nick stokes imagines #nick stokes x reader #nick stokes fanfiction #csi x reader #csi imagine #csi imagines #nick stokes #csi vegas #This Can't Be The End #TCBTE #fandomgirlz01 #this can't be the end

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honestlydarkprincess · 1 year

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i hereby give this fictional man the ultimate stamp of approval (babygirl status)

#jess.text #text post #evan buckley #eddie diaz #will graham #jake hangman seresin #kaz brekker #bucky barnes #sam wilson #jamie tartt #nick stokes #steve harrington #eddie munson #wylan van eck #robert bob floyd #hmmmm who else #trying to think of all my babygirls #i KNOW there’s more #honestly i could list so many it’s embarrassing

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nickngreg · 2 months

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#CSI #Nick Stokes #Greg Sanders #S08Ep17 #For Gedda #nickngreg #VegasS08

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ilariyalavorowrites · 14 days

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Stalking Me, Stalking You (CSI Nick Stokes) Part two

Imagine: You never saw it coming, you never knew he was there until the moment he struck. For months, this individual had stalking you from the shadows, trying to find a way into your life. Never quite able to but in his mind, time was running out and soon enough you would be completely out of reach. This was the moment to act, to ‘rescue’ you and steal you away.

Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, kidnapping, hurt but eventual comfort. Suffering, lots of suffering, slow-moving plot, stalking, obsessive behaviour.

Pairings: Nick Stokes x Reader and Reader x OC (one-sided)

Word count: 3,338 words

Universe: CSI

Reader gender: Female

Part two of ten

Tagged: @just-call-me-the-old-hag @horsedragonllama @space-helen @kneelforloki

Previous / Next

Tuesday, 8 AM

It was hard to even comprehend what, the how but most importantly the why as you lay upon the lumpy, uncomfortably firm bare mattress. There was not much within the room that could easily make out through the darkness covering every inch from wall to wall. A small window was your light source, far too high up and tiny to even be considered a viable escape route.

A bare-bones cell, where you were completely dependent upon your captor for all your necessary needs except one. How long had it been since you had been placed within these four walls? It was hard to say with any degree of accuracy but you could hazard a guess after watching the sliver of light move across the room. At least twenty-four had come and gone which gave you ever a little hope.

As you thought over the few details you remember when he had last opened the only possible exit, an empty pendant that hung in the middle of the ceiling and one single chair and table on the other side of the room and that blinking red light staring down, watching. A camera poised just out of reach, following your every motion from within the safety of a room far beyond that locked door.

You could only focus on what was important, surviving through until an opportunity presented itself. One, where you'd find a way out and into the welcoming embrace of freedom. Until such a time arose, you would bide your time knowing that your mother’s arrival would herald the alarm being raised, you had not known a moment in time when she hadn’t been resourceful when left to her own devices.

She wouldn’t have remained at the airport for longer than what she deemed a necessary length of time to wait before flagging down a taxi. You hated to envision the sight of her arriving at the house, only to discover that you were not there. Only to try and reach out again, nervously calling again and again but never able to reach you and elevate that rapidly growing concern.

Fear was your constant companion, never knowing what was going to happen the next time that the door opened. With one hand, you pushed yourself up until you were sitting on the edge of the makeshift bed. As soon as you sat up, the waves of nausea returned but you could ignore it for now.

Your eyes turn upwards, staring straight at the camera. As your analytic mind ran through possible scenarios but for now, it was best to comply with your kidnapper. Play along, act like the part that he wanted you to play as you observe every word spoken, the slightest action and reaction to find that gold window to escape.

It would take time but then again, right now that was all you had. It had taken more than a moment, to mull over where you had seen him before, trying to place the man who had imprisoned you against your will. Then it hit you like a ton of bricks. Your eyes widened, in suspense at the realisation of who he was and the extent of the resources he had available to play with.

Money to make his problems vanish at the drop of a hat, with one well-placed phone call to the right person. You would have to play your cards carefully and hold them close to your chest as one wrong move could send you spiralling down a path that might not come back from.

Taking baby steps as you blindly walked over broken eggshells. The click of the lock turning alerted you to the fact that you were no longer alone. He was coming through.

“Darling, did you sleep well? “He affectionately crooned, pushing the heavy door inward, and entering the box-sized room. There was a sense of anticipation for you to reply in his tone as he stiffly stood mere feet away, with a food-laden tray in one hand, carefully balanced but his eyes were glued to your frame. Lingering a fracture of a second longer upon your abdomen before darting away.

You could have screamed at the top of your lungs, demanding pointless answers to the mountain of questions you plucked of out the air, as to what had led him down this dark path, but what good would that do? You had seen the various outcomes, seen bodies dumped and victims torn asunder for questioning their killer’s motivations.

“My back aches but I did get a little sleep” You forced the words out, much like you would dry swallow tablets if you had no water. Your answer seemed to be good enough, as he quickly turned on his heel to place the tray down on the table.

You followed his few short steps, hesitating to move from your seated position. The table itself was bolted down to the floor, as was the chair. To keep you from wielding either as a weapon against him. He had thought through each likely eventuality, combing out stray paths that could allow you to find your way out.

This was going to be harder than you had initially considered but the security camera should have the first indication that he was smarter than most of the criminals you tangoed with daily.

“Your breakfast will get cold, come eat” There was underlying sharpness to his words as he spoke still in that disturbingly affectionate tone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Monday, 9:15 AM

As Officers Jack Rodriguez and Francis Sawyer rolled up to the scene, their eyes glanced from left to right taking in all the necessary details that would need to be relayed to dispatch first and then to whichever CSI would be assigned to gather evidence.

It was a standard one-up, one-down house that looked much like the ones on either side. Nothing special from the outside. The perfect starter family home for any citizen who looking to live in this part of town.

Rodriguez pushed open the driver’s side door on the cruiser, as Sawyer silenced the siren that had flashing the blues as they raced across town straight from the police station. It was their first call of the day and they both wanted to get the ball rolling. His eyes then searched for the woman who had placed the call in the first place, one Mrs Evelyn….

Her surname had been a familiar one but then again, there were likely to be countless individuals with that particular surname. He pushed against the notion as his eyes landed upon an older lady frantically pacing in front of the homestead with Its front door wide out to the elements.

His keenly trained eyes noted the suitcase lying on the grass verge, remembering that the dispatcher had mentioned that this lady was the mother of the property’s inhabitant and was visiting from out of town.

“Sawyer, I’ll speak to the lady who phoned this in, whilst you secured the scene” Rodriguez stated to his partner who nodded and moved in the direction of the front door. They had always worked well together, becoming in sync over the last decade of their partnership.

Jack with a gentle smile approached Evelyn carefully, trying his best not to startle her already frayed nerves. “Morning Ma’am, I’m Officer Rodriguez” He quickly introduced himself to try and begin an open line of communication between the two of them.

With his gun in one hand, poised in front of him Officer Francis Sawyer slowly approached the property. His eyes swept from left to right, to make sure that nothing would catch him off-guard as he moved through the threshold and into the entrance hall.

“Las Vegas Police Department” He loudly announced as he took the first step past the doorway. There was nothing but silence as he continued onwards, taking in every little detail from the empty coat hooks on the left side to the different pairs of shoes lined up on the right.

Nothing out of the ordinary thus far as he ventured further into the domain until he stopped at the threshold of the living room. This room told a completely different story. The sofa and chairs were knifed and torn into tatters, the coffee table shattered into a thousand different pieces and every drawer and cupboard gone through.

Papers and possessions were thrown about the place, littering every inch of the floor. It was a complete and utter disaster as if a mini hurricane had come through here. As he inched deeper into the room, the crack of photo frames underfoot drew his gaze downwards. Seeing the image of one that he had crossed paths with in the past, at the shift change when she was on her way out. He blanched, as a sudden realisation hit him hard like a ton of bricks.

This was the home of one of their own. The name rang around his head once more, embedding the notion of this violation of privacy as if it was his own home that this stranger had entered and recklessly destroyed.

“LVPD, if anyone is there come out now” He tried once more but still was met with a wall of silence. He carefully wandered through the remainder of the rooms, sticking to the walls as he cleared each one. Francis went from one end of the house to the other until he stood in the kitchen at the back of the residence. Taking note of the broken glass that covered the ground underneath one of the windows. Once he finished his walk-through, he exited back out the front door to rejoin his partner to stand guard until the forensic unit took control of the scene.

Evelyn continued to listen and answer to the best of her ability the Officer’s endless barrage of questions. “Once I saw the state of the living room, I left the way I entered as I didn’t want to find myself face-to-face with the intruder” She had recalled the advice that her daughter had given her on one of their weekly catchups when she had told her about their cousin’s plight when she found her home broken into.

“I have been trying to reach my daughter since I landed, but my calls remain unanswered and this makes me think something has happened to her” Evelyn said, words drenched in heavy layers of fear and worry for her child. “How did you get in Ma’am?” Jack questioned, as he continued down this path as the picture of what had led to the phone was coming together.

“My daughter came me a key the last night I was here, last October but the door had been left ajar which is not like my daughter at all. She would always check and make sure the door was locked before leaving” Evelyn answered honestly as this had been her child’s way even before moving to Vegas. Forever worried about her safety within and outside her residence.

As Sawyer returned, Jack could not ignore the troubled look on his partner’s face. He had found something within those four walls as he watched him relay to dispatch an update. The familiar radio codes alerted him that there was more to this scene than what they had been informed en route. “Ma’am, is there any reason that your daughter would deliberately go missing” It was a question that needed asking, even if it left a bitter taste in his mouth as the words passed through his lips.

“No, she was looking forward to this visit. We had plans, including dinner reservations with her partner” Evelyn blurted out, annoyed at the notion that her daughter would just up and disappear like this.

“Do you happen to know the name of her partner? Had your daughter mentioned any concerns about them?” He pressed, knowing that any romantic entanglements would always be the first point of call in any investigation.

“His name is Nick but I don’t know his last name. They meet through work but she has never expressed any concerns. She always seemed happy when talking about him” Evelyn replied as she failed to recall any conversation where her daughter had spoken negatively about Nick. Jack nodded, noting down this in his notepad as the CSI’s rolled up.

“Thank you, Ma’am, I have your contact details and my partner will drop you off at one of the hotels as this is now an active crime scene” Jack started to explain before adding “I will let my superiors know to update you when we have more information” He tried his best to calm her but knew that she would likely be beside herself until that phone call came through.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------Monday, 11:30 PM

Captain Jim Brass entered the room without meeting the gaze of any of his colleagues. Conrad Ecklie followed close behind, much like a shadow would.

“Thank you all for waiting, at 8:45 this morning, officers were alerted to a burglary at the home of one of our own. From the testimony of the detective next of kin who had discovered the scene, dayshift CSIs have gone over the home with a fine tooth comb but it seems that this was just a distraction” Jim stated, taking a breath before continuing.

“The detective has not been sighted since 10:45 am yesterday, the availability of evidence has led u to believe that this is now a 427, that she has been kidnapped” As Jim spoke her name, he watched the expression on each of the faces change.

“We are pooling all resources together but as there will be a conflict of interest. The graveyard shift will be hands-off, using eyes only when reviewing the evidence. As Dayshift will be taking the lead. This time, Conrad spoke with authority that went above and beyond the department as Undersheriff of the entire LVPD.

Nick was beyond speechless, his face pale as the shock continued to rush through him. He could not find the words to express the true extent of his abject horror. His partner was missing and the order from up on high had all but reduced his capacity to assist in bringing her home, back to him.

In a sense, he was an observer looking through a pane of glass, whilst others had the control and power behind his rescue. It was maddening, his blood boiled at the frustration and anger rising within. With his fist clenched, hanging by his side, to stood and listened knowing that verbally lashing out would get him nowhere fast.

Nick knew that he would need to come clean to Russell and Catherine to the extent of his relationship with the now-victimized detective. However, that meeting would come sooner rather than later, as Nick’s body language had not escaped DB Russell’s observant gaze. It was dissimilar to how the other had responded. The quiet fury reminded the older man not of a colleague or friend but of a deeper, more passionate connection.

His keen and well-trained eyes had moved through the room, watching how each of them had reacted. Frustration and annoyance hung in the air, they all wished to help to get to the bottom of this. They had worked alongside the Detective in question, some for many years, others not quite as long. He had only worked with the Dectivictive on a handful of cases but still, she was an easy-going well trained and personable individual.

Nick was a man bounded by limitations but ready to fight back when the opportunity arose, to go to the end of the earth, searching under every rock along the way. His eyes told a story, one that would be similarly reflected in his own if his family had been the ones to be taken.

He needed to speak to Nick Stokes the seasoned Criminalist before Nick Stokes the man and loving partner took hold and crossed a line that he could not come easily back from.

There was no personal connection for him, Russell would view the evidence objectively without bias but his colleagues would likely struggle. They would most definitely try but Stokes was an unknown element. A match that could easily spark into a blaze, he would need assistance in quelling this fire before it started. Catherine Willows would be an ideal second, to tag along into this meeting.

With this knowledge, the cogs in his mind begin to turn. “Catherine, A word if you wouldn’t mind” Russell’s focus shifted back to the blonde woman standing across from him. He gestured with his left for her to follow him. She quickly nodded, before the pair of them exited the room,

His eyes flicked back to the layout as the two of them entered his office, walking as the lone Texan stepped into the hallway. His entire posture was tense, driven by powerful emotions that could send him spiralling down a dangerous road.

“What do you want to talk about DB?” Catherine enquired, from the other side of his desk, patiently waiting for him to answer. “Close the door please, As this pertains to Nick Stokes,” He said calmly, taking a seat behind the desk in his recently acquired office, decorated with his little personal touches.

Catherine quickly closed the door but turned sharply back when Nick’s name was raised. “Nick? Relating to what exactly?” She questioned, taking a step closer to the man who was effectively her boss and superior.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Sunday, 7:30 PM

His eyes remained fixed upon the long strait of the road ahead as he passed a sign on the side of the road. The twenty-five foot high tall incandescently lit up sign that marked the Vegas limits as his eyes briefly lifted to take in the words upon the back of it.

DRIVE CAREFULLY, COME BACK SOON

A smirk spread across his lips, as he turned his attention back to the road. A thought crossed his mind. He had no intention of ever returning to this city again, especially now that he had what he craved the most. All tucked away in the trunk of the car, she would still be knocked, thanks to the cocktail of drugs that he had administered not long before leaving the shack where his prize had been concealed.

This was just the beginning of their life together, as long as she played her role to perfection like he knew she would. The winding road would indeed be arduous, for it would be a long while before they reached home. Yes, it would be their home to spend the rest of their days together.

She was different, unlike the others who tried and failed to live up to his high standards. She was the ideal candidate. She would succeed, where the others had been dismally disappointing. Those who let him down did not deserve to breathe the very same air as he did but they were not worth another wasted moment of his time, even to reflect upon.

“Here’s to the next chapter of our lives Darling” He smugly announced confidently, knowing that there was no one else around to hear his words. Not even his darling, who was lost to the drug-induced slumber. For there were no loose ends to tie up, they had all be swiftly taken care of, one way or another.

No direct evidence linking back to him, all the angles had been carefully considered before taking action. Oh, how wished that he could watch them scramble around like lost little lambs trying to find their way in the dark. Alas, that could not be, it was the risk that was too high for him to take without compromising his escape. It had needed to be a clean getaway, without that the probability of discovery rose to a level that could lead the cops right to his door.

He would not lose her, not after all the time that he had invested in his venture to simply obtain her, to rescue her and make her his.

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lilcathsmith · 29 days

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Greg in every episode of CSI (4/328)

#csi #csi s1 #csi 1x05 #greg sanders #catherine willows #gil grissom #nick stokes #sara sidle #warrick brown #there he is! my favourite white boy!#own post #mine: every episode

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ilkkawhat · 1 year

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GEAW Week 2: Sunny Days (Nick Edition)

#csiedit #csi cbs #nick stokes #george eads #geaw #george eads thirst club #mk.op #mk.gifs #mk.edit #unlike jack nick owns like twenty pairs of sunglasses lmao #something i'm sure jack would tease him about

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coping-via-clint-eastwood · 10 months

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Happy Father's Day, Gilbert Grissom 💙

#grissom the righteous man #gil grissom loving #gil grissom #warrick brown #nick stokes #catherine willows #greg sanders #billy petersen loving #billy petersen #william petersen #gary dourdan #george eads #marg helgenberger #eric szmanda #csi #c-v-c-e gif #flashing gif cw

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addictedtostorytelling · 4 days

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sara sidle + acting like she's the exception to grissom's rule supervisor's wife doesn't have to be sorry

#csiedit #csi cbs #csi #gsr #gil grissom #sara sidle #sara x grissom #otp: gsr #nick stokes #greg sanders #william petersen #jorja fox #george eads #eric szmanda #**#my gifs #my graveyard gifs #csiverse #06x21

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sidlesbitch · 7 months

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every CSI episode:

04x11 - Eleven Angry Jurors

#csi #csi 04x11 #gil grissom #nick stokes #catherine willows #greg sanders #warrick brown #sara sidle #george eads #marg helgenberger #eric szmanda #william petersen #gary dourdan #jorja fox #ece

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userkatz · 7 months

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#csi crime scene investigation #nick stokes #george eads #tvedit #userkatz

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hotchestokes · 1 month

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My Roman Empire is when Grissom was describing an autistic witness and explained what that entailed, Nick replied “kinda sounds like you” in a completely honest and genuine voice.

Like he wasn’t joking, he wasn’t trying to tease him - he just genuinely thought ‘huh, that’s what you’re like’

It’s just a sweet lil Nicky moment.

#csi #csi crime scene investigation #nick stokes #Gil Grissom #george eads #not to mention this came out in 2000

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aaronswifey · 1 month

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How you sleep

Part 2

Ncis:

Anthony DiNozzo:

Ziva David:

Leroy Jethro Gibbs:

Timothy McGee:

CSI:

Gil Grissom:

Warrick Brown:

Nick Stokes:

Greg Sanders:

Sara Sidle:

#Ncis #Ncis preferences #Anthony DiNozzo #ziva david #timothy mcgee #leroy jethro gibbs #CSI #CSI preferences #gil grissom #warrick brown #nick stokes #greg sanders #sara sidle #gif #Gif imagines #gif preferences #preference #imagine

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ilariyalavorowrites · 29 days

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Stalking me, Stalking you(CSI Nick Stokes)

Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, kidnapping, hurt but eventual comfort. Suffering, lots of suffering, slow-moving plot, stalking, obsessive behaviour.

Pairings: Nick Stokes x Reader and Reader x OC (one-sided)

Word count: 2,240 words

Universe: CSI

Reader gender: Female

Part one of ten

Tagged: @just-call-me-the-old-hag @horsedragonllama

Sunday, 10:45 am

With your acquired piping hot morning cup of decaffeinated coffee, confined to the conveniently supplied to-go cup, you were ready to head out, to head back home and get the final chores finished before your mother arrived. Tomorrow could not come soon enough, it had been way too long since your mother last visited a few years back but this would be different.

Dinner reservations had all but been confirmed. You were awaiting the relevant information as soon as your partner had it in his possession as he had insisted on handling this little task himself. This would be the first time your mother and he would be in the same room. It was rather nerve-racking as you hoped that nothing would go wrong and they'd get on like a house on fire.

Lost in your thoughts, as you wandered through the crowded little coffee shop, one that you had regularly visited twice a week over the past four years. You only saw the stranger coming once it was too late to prevent the collision. His shoulder knocked into yours hard enough to send you spinning and before you could react, your coffee flew out of your hand, spilling its dark content all over the tiled floor.

“Damn,” You said, mildly annoyed but knowing the popularity of your favourite coffee shop. There was always a chance that something like this could easily happen. It's just your turn. You would look back and laugh about this later with your mother.

“It’s my fault, sorry about that. Let me buy you another one” An unfamiliar smooth baritone voice spoke, catching her attention. You raised her gaze to meet theirs, ready to politely decline as after all, it was just one cup of coffee nothing to cry over. With a friendly, nonchalant smile upon your lips, you open your mouth to reply…

Monday, 9 am

Evelyn had never been truly comfortable flying but when her daughter had called around two and half months back with an open invitation and her airfare fully paid, she jumped at the chance. After sending one more message to both her daughter and husband, Evelyn boarded the plane.

Driving down had been an option, Evelyn had never been the most confident driver, especially over long distances. On those long lonely straits of road, she would always worry needlessly about every little thing, even if her husband had been along for the ride. Flying had been the only option since her husband was still not back from his fishing trip. An hour and a half was nothing, it would be over before she knew it.

Just before she turned off her phone, Evelyn checked one final time to see if either of them had replied. Her dear Bob had but her daughter had not. This hadn’t been the first message that she hadn’t responded to.

Evelyn had spoken to her the previous morning to confirm what time she would arrive at the airport so that she would be prompt to pick her up but after that, it was utter radio silence. This was hardly unusual due to the nature of her daughter’s job but this felt different. For her daughter was truly a creature of habit, always calling back if she had missed more than one call that day from either parent and replying to text messages by the next morning.

She had done neither of these as Evelyn had tried calling last night and once more before leaving this very morning. She even used the keypad to text carefully a goodnight message and the one before boarding. She preferred to call over using the messaging function on this newer model of phone that had been purchased as a Christmas present. Her family wanted her to try and keep up with the times and have a way of contacting them whenever she left the house.

It had been sweet though but it wouldn’t have been her first choice of present. She knew that her daughter worried about her, but then Evelyn deeply worried about her child’s safety especially since they had not lived in the same state for the last five years.

All she could do was wait until her plane landed safely at Las Vegas Airport and the sight of that ever-infectious smile beaming from just beyond the barrier in the Arrival Hall. The pleasant image would be enough to get through the flight as she laid back in her seat, closing her eyes and relaxed as much as she possibly could.

An hour and a half flew past and Evelyn found herself standing in the right place with a suitcase in one hand and her purse dainty held in the other as her eyes scanned the crowd. She had checked the signage on the walks to ensure that she had gone in the right direction, as it was most definitely possible that the airport had more than one arrival hall in this terminal but this hadn’t been the case.

She had been walking up and down for the last twenty minutes, her eyes passing over each of the many faces staring back at her from the barrier. None of them were the ones that she had been expecting. This was strange as her plane had not been delayed and her trip through security had not taken long. Maybe her daughter had been held up in a traffic jam, yes that had to be it.

Evelyn made her way through the crowd, all whilst looking for a seat to rest and continuing to wait as she was certain that her child wouldn’t be much longer.

Minutes ticked past, soon becoming tens of minutes and before long an hour had passed. Evelyn was concerned as her eyes had remained fixed upon the exit doors, watching as they opened and closed as people flooded in and out but her daughter had never stepped foot across that threshold.

With one hand, she fished out that dreaded mobile phone and swiftly dialled her daughter’s number. It rang for a few moments before being diverted to voicemail. Without hesitation, she spoke knowing that she had few options in a city where knew no one beyond her child.

‘Sweetheart. It’s your mother. I’ve been at the airport for a little while. I know you are on the way and have likely been caught up in some dreadful traffic on the way here so I’ll get a taxi as I do have your address and you head home. I’ll meet you there

She placed the phone back in the depths of her purse before heading outside to find a taxi as seeds of worry and doubt blossomed into life.

Monday, 11:10 pm

Detective Captain Jim Brass had seen it all. There was not much that shook him to the core anymore, after all the years spent with all that he had seen with the ever-loyal team of hardworking CSIs that made up the graveyard shift.

His officers were just as hardy as he was, well maybe a few were still green and somewhat naive but in time, they would be as hard as diamonds on the outside at least. Seated in his office, he was ready to burn the midnight oil when a quick succession of knocks alerted him to the presence of someone at his door.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, to summon them to cross the threshold and enter but this individual did not wait as the door was swiftly pushed open. He frowned, annoyed at this sudden intrusion but as his gaze fell upon the familiar face of Officer Rodriguez of Day Shift, a thousand questions rose erupted within his mind.

Why was he still here? His shift ended hours ago but yet he remained within the department. His pale and drawn face was far from the usual for this stern man who lived for the badge.

“Sir, I’m sorry for just entering but I felt that you needed to hear this” His voice lacked its normal steady tone, it was similar to that of the many terrified fathers that he had encountered over the years. “I’m listening, Rodriguez” He patiently spoke briefly, to allow the man to find the rest of his words.

“My partner and I were called to the scene of a 406, from the information that we had received from dispatch just seemed like a run-of-the-mill job. However, when Sawyer and I rolled up at the address, it was far from ordinary”

Jim watched on silently as the story began to unravel. “A distraught older woman was waiting outside the property for us, and quickly it was established that this was the mother of the individual that owned this unit” It was plain to see the professional nature waning as the officer continued to relay his report.

“The owner was discovered to be one of our own” As he heard the name, the cogs began to turn, as he tried to make sense of what had led to this but yet, he lacked the whole picture as if only a few matching pieces had found and place down upon the table, the jigsaw was slowly coming together.

However, this still perplexed Jim, why was a simple burglary being hand-delivered to his door, unless there was more to this than a case of a stranger breaking into the home of a member of law enforcement and taking anything that wasn't nailed down.

A small case that dayshift would need no assistance from either swing or graveyard but this didn’t feel as if they were reaching out for a fresh set of eyes to look over the evidence. He would bite and see where he ended up.

The memory of the morning still fresh lingered at the forefront of Rodriguez’s mind. It was hard to push aside as he relived each step, trying to see if he missed any detail. No matter how miniscule it initially seems could open doors down the line.

“She’s been paid leave for thirty-six hours as her mother was due to arrive this morning. Using a few vacation days left over from last year” He relayed the information readily to the younger man. A basic set of facts that most of the department was already aware of. She had been rather openly vocal about the pending arrival of her beloved mother.

Each shift had been part of the active countdown that drove many mad but much like any other family, they took in on the chin and revelled at the sight of her excitement. Both men remembered the smile that never faded, it didn’t matter which end of her shift they encountered her, there it would be.

The years of service had not yet tarnished and hardened her heart, but it would come eventually. That one case that they could not get past, sleepless nights and a drive to find a way to justice that went above the call of duty. Jim had his, he knew that Rodriguez had his own.

The sight of Conrad Ecklie and the click of his office door closing behind the said man spoke volumes, this was not going to be good news in the slightest. “Sir, The Detective in question never turned up at the airport to pick up her mother and has not been seen since the morning before that”

Monday 11:20 PM

Nick held his phone as he walked through the station’s front doors, his focus transfixed firmly upon the tiny screen of the device. Still no message back but then again he wasn’t expecting her to answer straight away especially now that her mother was in town. He had the breakfast date to look forward to once he finished this graveyard shift.

Tomorrow was going to be his day with his girl, meeting up with her at their regular breakfast joint and then sitting down to dinner with her mother later in the evening. Nick would message her the details later on during his first break of the night.

Nothing could easily railroad this wonderful feeling, for the first time, in a long time things were going swimmingly with his love life. He never knew that these were famous last words, ones that would haunt him in the days to come.

As his eyes rose from his screen, he could not help but notice the scene in Brass’s office. Ecklie was a familiar sight, flitting in and out whenever the need arose but an unfamiliar Officer who should have clocked out hours ago, now that was unusual.

Catherine lingered in the hallway near the locker room, leaning into the wall behind her with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes trained upon the glass-walled office. “Evening” He greeted his dear old friend as he stiddled up beside her. “Do you know what’s going on?” He enquired curious to know if she had any insight into the strange situation.

“No, but I don’t doubt we’ll be in the dark for long. All I do know is that it’s do with one of the day shift’s newest cases” She replied, her curiosity had been piqued the moment that she entered ten minutes earlier.

In tandem, their phones beeped and the same text message was displayed on each of their devices. What a way to start a shift, Nick knew that he would have to tell about this in the morning.

FAMILY MEETING

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