‹ Prequel: I'll Follow You Into the Dark
This Vegas Sky Is Tainted
IX
Steph’s POV
It had been just after a month now since Anna had headed over to London. She would phone every couple of days to speak to Brandon and also see how me and Lottie were. I would always smile as Brandon spoke to his mum telling her exactly what he had been up to. His little face wearing a smile after he had spoken to her. At the same time he was coping fine without his mum. He would have boy’s days out with Nick and Greg and at other times enjoyed going over the park. He was also great to have around both flats cause he could never fail to cheer people up even after a shift form hell. I had returned to full time work by now to but Grissom had organised shift’s so that most night’s someone was able to have him at home although he would spend the occasional night at the lab as well but he liked heading there on odd occasions as you could guarantee Archie had something new to keep him occupied with.
Tonight was different though. I was supposed to be at home with Brandon put at 11 o clock my phone has started ringing. Grissom needed all of the team in due to a family of 6 having been murdered in their home. Everyone else was on the scene already but he needed me to assist in the lab with processing as there was a lot of evidence that needed sifting through. I headed into Brandon’s room to see he was already awake again. I sat on the edge of his bed and informed him i had been asked to head into work, i watched Brandon’s face light up again as i informed him he would have to come with me. I also explained that if he got tired again that there was a sofa in the break room that could easily double as a bed for him. Once he as dressed again he went into his car collection and took out two little cars as well picking up his favourite colouring book and some crayons.
As the two of us got into work i headed straight to the break room. I was glad to see that Grissom was stood in there making a drink. I sat Brandon in a chair as Grissom explained that the some team would be leaving the scene within the next thirty minutes with the start of the evidence. I nodded as i fetched some juice out the fridge for Brandon and made myself a coffee. Grissom also joined us at the table as Brandon sat happily colouring away.
“How’s he coping with everything?”
“he’s been golden. He seems to be handling things well. He enjoys talking to his mum on the phone but i think he has a feeling of care still and that’s why he’s so settled. He also likes heading in here on occasion to.”
Grissom smiled and we continued to sit and talk. He informed me of all the details he knew form the current case as well as any verdicts from court cases i hadn’t yet been given. In the background i could hear conversations between various lab rats. As we sat there Hodges appeared in the break room. If there was one guy that could annoy me it was Hodges, even more so when he sucked up to Grissom with results he was meant to give you. We didn’t even make eye contact as he asked Grissom a question before disappearing again.
After half an hour Catherine and Warrick had stepped foot into the lab’s again carrying a large amount of evidence, to think this was only the beginning of it. Grissom informed me that he had some cases to file in his office and he would take Brandon in there for a hours so that i could started. Brandon seemed more than happy to go with Grissom, no doubt he would have more bug related facts for me when he returned.
I instead walked alongside Warrick and Catherine as they informed me on what evidence we had to start with. As we all turned into the DNA lab i took my seat on the desk beside Wendy as Warrick placed several swabs down onto my desk before offloading some other’s onto Wendy’s desk.
It was another couple of hour’s before the rest of the team had returned from the scene. I could tell it was definitely going to be a long night ahead as yet more evidence piled onto my desk along with the stuff i hadn’t yet had chance to get through. I started sorting it out depending on it’s label as the printer started spewing the first results out at me. As i set up several more tests filling up all the space i had i left them running as i headed to Grissom. Brandon was by now yawning and i smiled as i took him off Grissom’s hands and took him into the break room. Within ten minutes he was asleep on the sofa as i grab’s nick windbreaker since his jacket was larger than mine placing it over Brandon as a make shift duvet whilst he slept.
I closed the break room door and as i stepped out i was greeted again by Catherine and Warrick. I got them to follow me into the DNA lab as i grabbed their first set of results. From the lab i had a perfect view on the sofa and Brandon’s sleeping form to and i watched Catherine smile seeing where i was watching as Warrick read the piece of paper i had handed him. As they disappeared once more i pulled on some more gloves and continued slowly processing everything glancing up every few minutes to check on Brandon. As i ploughed through what seemed to be a never ending supply of work i heard Greg, nick and Warrick laughing in the corridor and talking rather loud. Luckily i was sat opposite the open lab door so i could talk to them when they passed.
“Guys can you be quiet. Brandon’s asleep in the break room.”
“sorry babe i didn’t know.”
I watched as Greg and Warrick continued walking but instead Nick turned into the lab taking a spare seat beside me.
“I see you guys are been kept busy now?”
“You could say that yeah. You fancy helping?”
Nick nodded and stood up grabbing a jacket before settling down beside me again. As i worked i felt the warmth of his hand through my jeans resting on my leg.
“I’m sure the other guys wouldn’t appreciate that.”
I watched Nick’s smile grow a little as he kissed my cheek gently. As he actually picked up some evidence to help me Lottie stepped into the room. Her hair had small pieces of dust on it and her clothes to were covered in dust.
“You get the short straw on the scene?”
“yeah, i ended up in the loft crawl space. It was a bad scene though I’m exhausted already.”
“i could tell by the amount of evidence that came back. Brandon’s asleep in the break room by the way if you wanted to know. Should have some results for you in an hour or so though.”
Lottie nodded disappearing again once she had collected some results from Wendy. Me and Nick sat running whatever we could whilst Wendy tackled all the fingerprints that had been collected. Within in an hour i had gained a few more ID results that weren’t related tot he family and so took the results and headed to find Catherine. Once i had given her the information i had gotten and spoke to her about a couple of other things i started to make my way back to the DNA lab and endless supply of evidence. It was going to be a very long night and no doubt a long case to.
It had been just after a month now since Anna had headed over to London. She would phone every couple of days to speak to Brandon and also see how me and Lottie were. I would always smile as Brandon spoke to his mum telling her exactly what he had been up to. His little face wearing a smile after he had spoken to her. At the same time he was coping fine without his mum. He would have boy’s days out with Nick and Greg and at other times enjoyed going over the park. He was also great to have around both flats cause he could never fail to cheer people up even after a shift form hell. I had returned to full time work by now to but Grissom had organised shift’s so that most night’s someone was able to have him at home although he would spend the occasional night at the lab as well but he liked heading there on odd occasions as you could guarantee Archie had something new to keep him occupied with.
Tonight was different though. I was supposed to be at home with Brandon put at 11 o clock my phone has started ringing. Grissom needed all of the team in due to a family of 6 having been murdered in their home. Everyone else was on the scene already but he needed me to assist in the lab with processing as there was a lot of evidence that needed sifting through. I headed into Brandon’s room to see he was already awake again. I sat on the edge of his bed and informed him i had been asked to head into work, i watched Brandon’s face light up again as i informed him he would have to come with me. I also explained that if he got tired again that there was a sofa in the break room that could easily double as a bed for him. Once he as dressed again he went into his car collection and took out two little cars as well picking up his favourite colouring book and some crayons.
As the two of us got into work i headed straight to the break room. I was glad to see that Grissom was stood in there making a drink. I sat Brandon in a chair as Grissom explained that the some team would be leaving the scene within the next thirty minutes with the start of the evidence. I nodded as i fetched some juice out the fridge for Brandon and made myself a coffee. Grissom also joined us at the table as Brandon sat happily colouring away.
“How’s he coping with everything?”
“he’s been golden. He seems to be handling things well. He enjoys talking to his mum on the phone but i think he has a feeling of care still and that’s why he’s so settled. He also likes heading in here on occasion to.”
Grissom smiled and we continued to sit and talk. He informed me of all the details he knew form the current case as well as any verdicts from court cases i hadn’t yet been given. In the background i could hear conversations between various lab rats. As we sat there Hodges appeared in the break room. If there was one guy that could annoy me it was Hodges, even more so when he sucked up to Grissom with results he was meant to give you. We didn’t even make eye contact as he asked Grissom a question before disappearing again.
After half an hour Catherine and Warrick had stepped foot into the lab’s again carrying a large amount of evidence, to think this was only the beginning of it. Grissom informed me that he had some cases to file in his office and he would take Brandon in there for a hours so that i could started. Brandon seemed more than happy to go with Grissom, no doubt he would have more bug related facts for me when he returned.
I instead walked alongside Warrick and Catherine as they informed me on what evidence we had to start with. As we all turned into the DNA lab i took my seat on the desk beside Wendy as Warrick placed several swabs down onto my desk before offloading some other’s onto Wendy’s desk.
It was another couple of hour’s before the rest of the team had returned from the scene. I could tell it was definitely going to be a long night ahead as yet more evidence piled onto my desk along with the stuff i hadn’t yet had chance to get through. I started sorting it out depending on it’s label as the printer started spewing the first results out at me. As i set up several more tests filling up all the space i had i left them running as i headed to Grissom. Brandon was by now yawning and i smiled as i took him off Grissom’s hands and took him into the break room. Within ten minutes he was asleep on the sofa as i grab’s nick windbreaker since his jacket was larger than mine placing it over Brandon as a make shift duvet whilst he slept.
I closed the break room door and as i stepped out i was greeted again by Catherine and Warrick. I got them to follow me into the DNA lab as i grabbed their first set of results. From the lab i had a perfect view on the sofa and Brandon’s sleeping form to and i watched Catherine smile seeing where i was watching as Warrick read the piece of paper i had handed him. As they disappeared once more i pulled on some more gloves and continued slowly processing everything glancing up every few minutes to check on Brandon. As i ploughed through what seemed to be a never ending supply of work i heard Greg, nick and Warrick laughing in the corridor and talking rather loud. Luckily i was sat opposite the open lab door so i could talk to them when they passed.
“Guys can you be quiet. Brandon’s asleep in the break room.”
“sorry babe i didn’t know.”
I watched as Greg and Warrick continued walking but instead Nick turned into the lab taking a spare seat beside me.
“I see you guys are been kept busy now?”
“You could say that yeah. You fancy helping?”
Nick nodded and stood up grabbing a jacket before settling down beside me again. As i worked i felt the warmth of his hand through my jeans resting on my leg.
“I’m sure the other guys wouldn’t appreciate that.”
I watched Nick’s smile grow a little as he kissed my cheek gently. As he actually picked up some evidence to help me Lottie stepped into the room. Her hair had small pieces of dust on it and her clothes to were covered in dust.
“You get the short straw on the scene?”
“yeah, i ended up in the loft crawl space. It was a bad scene though I’m exhausted already.”
“i could tell by the amount of evidence that came back. Brandon’s asleep in the break room by the way if you wanted to know. Should have some results for you in an hour or so though.”
Lottie nodded disappearing again once she had collected some results from Wendy. Me and Nick sat running whatever we could whilst Wendy tackled all the fingerprints that had been collected. Within in an hour i had gained a few more ID results that weren’t related tot he family and so took the results and headed to find Catherine. Once i had given her the information i had gotten and spoke to her about a couple of other things i started to make my way back to the DNA lab and endless supply of evidence. It was going to be a very long night and no doubt a long case to.