Break down

Chapter 5

“Dad, please don’t,” Catherine pleaded again. She felt like a little girl needing her father to take the hurt away from a skinned knee. Of course her situation was worse than that. She was embarrassed with herself for calling out to him. Her face turning a deeper crimson than it already was.

She knew she must have looked like a mess. Everyone was looking at her now, and she could feel their stares and she felt so helpless. She hated that feeling. Warrick bend down beside her for a moment to ask if she was okay or needed anything. He lightly touched her shoulder.

She immediately flinched away. She closed her eyes, and the tears squeezed out from her eyelids. She knew it was just Warrick, and she was furious with herself for acting the way she did. “Sorry, I just…I want Linds, and I’m at a loss. Oh Gosh…he has LINDSEY.” She started sobbing then. She felt stupid it was like she could not control herself.

Sam started walking back to his daughter at that moment. He walked over to her to pick her up. She fought him. Not wanting him to touch her. “You did this!” She screamed at him. “WHO HAS HER SAM?”

She tried to fight him off, as he reached down and picked her up successfully this time. He started carrying her out of the room as her head rested on his shoulder as she cried. He knew how she felt. He was devastated that his daughter was tortured. He did not want to have to face Lindsey being tortured as well.

“I believe the guy you are looking for is Robert O’Brien. I’m not hundred percent sure here, but it makes sense that he would want to get revenge on me,” Sam said to Grissom as he continued to walk out of the room with Catherine. “Oh and Grissom you better find him first before my men do,” was all Sam said as he walked out of the room.

“Wait, Catherine should give a statement for the other night,” Grissom said pointedly.
“Don’t you think she has been through enough at the moment,” Sam said as he scoffed at Grissom. He then went on talking but more in a whisper for Catherine’s sake. “She just witnessed her own rape on the video.”

“I know that,” Grissom said as he looked at Catherine who had her eyes closed as tears silently fell from them. She looked so fragile in Sam’s arms. He wanted to sooth or comfort her. Anything. He had never seen Catherine like this before.

“Your right, bring her in tomorrow though.”

Sam left without saying by to anyone. He strode out to his car, and laid his daughter down in the back seat of his vehicle. She was compliant and did not say a word. It was obvious that she was emotionally exhausted. He hated seeing her this way. She was a fighter, and now the fight was out of her.
 
~~~~~

Grissom walked back to his office to think. He needed to concentrate on what he just witnessed, but at the same time he could not get the image of Catherine out of his mind. He witnessed her rape. He saw how defenseless she was, and he knew it must have been humiliating for her to sit back and allow the tape to continue to play. His thoughts were interrupted as Warrick stormed into his office.

“Griss, I processed Catherine’s clothes a few days back, and we have a match.” Warrick said as he rushed in. “Looks like the bastard forgot to clean up her clothes.”
“You got her clothes from that night? Legally?” Grissom questioned.
“Yes, I made her take them off in front of me. So that I could process them. We even have a witness of her wearing them that night.”

“Let me guess its Robert O’brien?”
“Yep!”
“Let’s head out,” Grissom said to Warrick as he picked up his cell phone to call Brass.

Grissom told him about the lead regarding Catherine and Lindsey. How the same man that attacked Catherine a few days back had kidnapped Lindsey. He told him about the DNA match on Catherine’s clothes.

They finally got a break in the story, and he was eager to find Lindsey. Grissom looked over at Warrick who had remained quiet for the duration of the ride. He saw the anger in his co worker’s face. His tensed expressions were a dead give away.

“Warrick…is there something going on with you and Catherine?”
“What?” The question surprised Warrick.
“I need to be able to count on you. I can’t have you going into this house to kill O’Brien,” Grissom said as he eyed him wearily.

“I’d love to pull the trigger on him Griss. But, he’s not going to get away with what he did to Cath or her daughter,” Warrick managed to say through clenched teeth.

They both got out of the SUV and started to walk over to meet Brass. “So how long has something been going on with you and Cath?” Grissom questioned surprised at himself for not seeing it.

“Nothing is going on with us, I’m married Griss.”

Grissom raised his eyebrow at Warrick. Warrick knew he did not believe him. “I have feelings for Cath, but she won’t go there with me because of the marriage.”

Warrick immediately flashed back a few weeks back when they were working together. It was late and they were in the break room, and they were most likely overdosed on caffeine. They were laughing about something that he really could not remember because his attention was focused on her mouth. She was standing against the back wall, and he leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back for a moment, and then pushed him away when she realized what was happening.

“What was that?” She asked with confusion in her eyes. “Warrick?”

He stared at her. She was so beautiful, and he didn’t realize how much he cared for her until that moment. He knew then that she did respect him and his marriage. He knew that if push came to shove he would not have been able to stop himself. But, she did.

He thought about her all the time. He could not get her image out of his head when he was at home spending time with his wife or even making love to his wife. He knew he screwed up when he married Tina because he settled for her. He did not think it was possible that Catherine would ever want to be with him. He was afraid to try. He was afraid he would get hurt. He had fallen hard once for a woman who ended up betraying his love. For him Tina was playing it safe, and Catherine had the power to hurt him.

“Warrick,” Catherine said his name quietly. The care in her voice was apparent.

He could not tell her how he felt. “Cath…gosh I’m sorry,” was all he said as he left her in the break room.

Warrick was brought back to reality when Grissom grabbed his arm.

“I’m serious, can you handle this?" Grissom questioned Warrick one last time.
“Let’s get this bastard.”
 
Chapter 6

The police stormed into O’Brien’s house, and Grissom and Warrick entered in after them. The room was dark because it was dark outside, and all the lights were out. It seemed they came in by surprise, and Grissom was thankful for that.

O’Brien then came running out of a room aiming a loaded gun at Brass. The gun went off, and a bullet cruised past the side of Brass’s head barely missing him, and he fired back immediately. The assailant went down as the bullet slugged into his leg. Brass did not want to shoot him fatally because he wanted this guy to go down hard, but preferably in prison. Brass ran over to O’Brien, and kicked the gun out of his hand. The man was gasping out in pain as Brass reached down and hand cuffed him.

When Warrick heard the sound of gunfire, he prayed that the bastard got hit. He immediately started shouting for Lindsey, but he did not hear anything. He decided to check the room where the kidnapper ran from. He was breathing heavy from an adrenaline rush. He wanted to find Lindsey. He prayed she was ok.

He entered the room, and that was when he saw her. His face fell. Her shirt was nearly ripped off. She had duck tape on her mouth, and she started to hyperventilate when she saw Warrick. Her hands were tied to the bed with a thin rope that had started to cut through her skin.

“Linds, breathe out of your nose ok.” Warrick said as he rushed over to her. He started to take the tape off of her mouth when he hollered at Grissom.

Grissom ran into the room, and stopped immediately upon seeing Lindsey. She cried out loud when she saw him enter the room. He rushed over to her, and began to talk to her so Warrick could work faster.

“Did you call…Catherine?” Warrick asked Grissom.
“Yeah about five minutes ago. I wanted plenty of time for them to get O’Brien out of the house before she arrived here.”

Warrick and Grissom stared at each other obviously thinking the same thing. They were worried about Catherine seeing her daughter like this. They also hoped that they arrived before anything had happened to Lindsey.

They knew immediately when Catherine arrived. “Where is she?” She questioned Brass immediately. Her voice carried a note of anxiety mixed with relief. Grissom came out of the room, and headed over to Catherine. Upon seeing him see ran towards the room, and he again stopped her. “Grissom let me by,” she immediately begged. He looked at her, and tried to stare into her eyes. She immediately looked away, obviously embarrassed. He had witnessed too much about her. The only reason she was able to bring herself here was because of Lindsey.

“Cath, I just want to warn you…” was all Grissom got to say when she interrupted him.
“Stop babying me,” she said at once. She managed to break his hold, and she ran into the room.

“Mom… oh…mom,” Lindsey cried at once as she rushed over to her. Catherine hugged her daughter as she started to cry again.

“Shhh…shhh I’m here honey. I’m here. It’s over,” Catherine said to her daughter. Catherine closed her eyes as she began to sob. She saw her daughter’s shirt. It broke her heart, and she just hoped and prayed that they got here in time.

“Mom…” she cried out again. She clung to Catherine afraid to let go.
 
I'm really glad you all are enjoying this. Gloomy your not annoying. thanks for the encouragement...here is some more!


~~~~~

Catherine was pacing the waiting room of the hospital to find out about Lindsey’s assessment. She wanted to know how Lindsey’s rape kit turned out, and she prayed it turned out to be negative. She began to shake then remembering how hers turned out negative, and that did not mean anything. She was in fact raped. She took in a deep breathe, and then released it.

Warrick was sitting in a chair watching Catherine. He wanted so much to comfort her, to be able to love her, and more than anything to just be with her. He could see her trembling. He was about to ask her to sit when he noticed her rushing to see Lindsey’s doctor. They were far away from him now, and he could not hear what the doctor was saying to Catherine.

He saw Catherine ask the doctor a question, and assumed she was asking the obvious question. Was her daughter okay? Warrick pressed his hands together as he waited for Catherine’s reaction. Catherine looked up, and then immediately started crying. Her hands covering her face, as she released her emotions. Warrick then saw the doctor place his hands on her arms in an attempt to sooth her. Catherine’s body tensed up, and she said something else to the doctor as she walked away.

Warrick stood as she started to walk back in his direction. Catherine’s posture relaxed and she wiped at her eyes and face. She looked up, and noticed Warrick’s concerned expression on his face. Some how she managed a weak smile, but it was a smile none the less.

“Cath…is Lindsey okay?” Warrick asked as he approached her.
“Yes, the only physical injuries are the ones on her wrists. Her...well, her… rape kit came back negative,” Catherine said as she looked away. She could not meet his eyes when she said the last part.

“Cath…I’m glad to hear that. But, hey…you can look at me,” Warrick said as he grabbed her hand.

“Yeah me too, but I…need to get home,” she said as she stared at her shoe.

Warrick was still holding her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Cath…”

She looked up then, and met his hazel eyes. They said so much to her. They always did, and it scared her. She felt the pull, and the intense attraction. Ever since Eddie, she told herself she would never fall for a man that gave her such a pull physically. Men like that were just not right for her. They hurt her. Men like that also intimidated her, and brought out a shyness that she never knew she had.

Warrick could tell she was embarrassed, and it brought him back to the time when she had to make a court appearance before work. After her testimony she raced back to work, and ran into the locker room to change. Of course he hadn’t realized she was in there changing.

Warrick had walked into the room whistling to himself. He looked up and noticed Catherine undressed. She was basically standing in her undergarments. She panicked, and grabbed at the clothes in her locker, and managed somehow to cover herself up. Her face turned a deep crimson, and she smiled shyly. “Oh…gosh,” was all Catherine managed to say. The locker behind her was now a disaster.

“Cath…I’m…huh…wow…I’m sorry,” Warrick managed to say as he tried to take his eyes off of her.

She quickly threw on her shirt, and then pulled on her pants. That of course made him focus on her hips, and he cleared his throat. Damn was all he could think. He scratched at his head in an attempt to distract himself. Her blue eyes looked at him quickly, and then back down at the floor. That was the first time Catherine had been speechless with him.

Her voice brought him back to reality again for the second time today. “The doctor said that I can take Lindsey home tonight. Since I didn’t drive here do you think you could take us home?”
 
Chapter 7

Catherine and Lindsey both fell asleep on the drive home. Warrick could not help but look at them in the rear view mirror. They seemed peaceful, and Catherine had her arms wrapped around her daughter. Lindsey had her head resting on Catherine’s shoulder. He smiled to himself. He just felt so much for both of them. He knew he needed to end things with Tina. She had already called him three times leaving nasty messages about him not making it home for dinner. He had even told her about the ordeal that Catherine had been through, and she did not seem to care. It pissed him off.

He pulled into Catherine’s driveway, and Sam came out to meet him. He had dropped Catherine off earlier, and remained at her house.

Sam opened the car door, and noticed that they were both asleep. He looked over at Warrick and noticed that he was staring at both of them.

“She hasn’t slept in days,” Sam said at once looking at Catherine. He then looked at Lindsey and noticed the bruises on her wrists.

“Did he…did he…?” Sam asked not able to ask the full question.
“No,” Warrick said.

Sam sighed and went to pick up Lindsey because she was closest to him. He then looked at Warrick, and asked him if he could carry Catherine in.

Warrick shook his head yes. He just stared at her for a moment deciding on the best way to pick her up so that she did not wake up. He reached in, and carried her out of the car like a husband would do for his bride. She woke, and opened her eyes. Her eyes closed again content on who was handling her.

Warrick laid Catherine down on her bed, and took off her shoes. He walked over to her dresser, and sifted through the different drawers. He came across a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

“Cath…wake up. Do you need help?”

Her eyes immediately opened. “Where’s Lindsey?” She asked immediately.
“In her bed,” Warrick replied at once.

She told him that she wanted her in here, and he left the room to get her. She got up and changed into her night clothes that Warrick had selected for her.

Before she knew it Lindsey was lying in the bed with her, and both of them were fast asleep.
 
Chapter 8

Catherine walked around the corner taking in a sigh of relief that none of her co-workers were around. She could not just stay at home and do nothing. She continued walking past Grissom office and cringed when she noticed that he was already here sitting in his office.
Grissom looked up in time to see Catherine walking by his office. He raised his eyebrow wondering why she was here.

“Catherine?” Grissom questioned immediately. He got up from his chair, and walked around his desk. He then walked out of his office to see that she had stopped in the hallway. She had her back to him.

“Cath…what are you doing here?”

She turned around to face him. It was hard to face him knowing that he saw her attack. She just could not think about it. She took in a deep breath, and then released it. “Last time I checked I worked here.”

She continued to walk to her office when he grabbed her arm. “It’s too soon for you to be back, Catherine. Just yesterday, we found your daughter. Don’t you think you should be home with her?”

She opened her mouth in astonishment. His statement made her angry, and she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. “Don’t you DARE tell me what…YOU think I should do?”

“I’m not attacking you Cath. I just think work isn’t something you need right now. You were drugged, attacked, raped, and no telling what else you don’t remember.” He waited to see her reaction, and sure enough he got one.

Her eyes widen with each word recognizing each meaning. Her face fell, but the anger immediately replaced her first reaction. She was immediately in his face, and Grissom was getting her wrath.

“Don’t you dare try and treat me like a VICTIM. I’m not a victim Gil. When life doesn’t go according to plan for you I don’t take away your stupid microscope and tell you to go home. This is pure bull, and you know it.” She was so close to him he actually took a step back from her.

He was now angry. “Fine…hope you’re ready for this case, Cath.” His hands were flexing at his sides.

She just stared at him, and held out her hand for the case file. The file made a loud popping noise as it hit the palm of her hand. Catherine flinched a bit, but kept eye contact with him. He felt like a complete ass handing her this case, but he wanted to prove a point.

“Let me catch you up. Last night a woman went out to a bar, actually the same one you went to. She was given a drug and raped, but her kit came back positive though.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Her mouth opened in complete shock for the second time with Grissom today. It felt like he had just rubbed salt into her wounds. Did he just throw her attack in her face?

“You’re a bastard.” Catherine said as she controlled her emotions.

Grissom reached out to grab her arm because now he felt really bad. He knew he just insulted her.

“NO, I don’t need support Gil. I will work the damn case.” She gave him a go to hell look as she walked away from him.
 
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