Title: Me against the bad guy's
Author: nixie noo
Pairing: Sara/Sofia
Fandom: CSI
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Abandoned WIP. Angst warning and a few sexual references.
Notes: This is my idea of a challenge because I find it hard to keep to plots. This is strictly a plot based fic but for the readers, I hope for nothing but suspense :) Enjoy!

***

The night was dark and the time was late, all I expected to do tonight was sleep. How can I explain why now a few hours later I’m laying here holding a towel around her fragile frame, why I am pushing the lost threads of hair away from her clenched jaw and shivering chin. I can’t. 

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“All you have to do is tell us what happened; you know the drill so why play it out?” I don’t know this cop, I have never seen his face before and for me, it means this is a bad. He’s aggressive using his fists of fury on the table between us, his wedding ring taking a beating as he does. 

He leans in now I can tell you he is a chain smoker. His wife doesn’t know that he hasn’t quit yet because he covers it with a bad aftershave, probably some duty free crap from one of his business trips.  

I blink my throat stings when I swallow. 

“Stop this silent treatment Curtis and give her up cus I tell you soon enough we won’t need a statement from either of you!” He leans in closer and I smell something else - his mistress. I don’t need a statement from him to know about the kind of business trips he takes. 

“I have already told you what I know” I breathe more than speak, and thanks to my female witness who tells him I’m not looking very well I get to have a moment to clarify my story.

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I pull the blinds down and pull the curtains. I take a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a hooded jumper from my draws and throw her cloths into a black bin bag. 

She calls me as she cries and I go to her. “Hey sweetie, it’s OK, I got ya! It’s Ok!” I take her hands and kiss them softly, I don’t consider anything to much or to little I simply do as my heart tells me. 

I calm her down and help her up careful not to let her slip on the bathroom tiles. She is hardly able to stand so I take her weight all the while trying to keep her covered with the towel. Still she cries and my heart weeps with every step. 

I get her to my bed and help her with the cloths then lay her down next to me. I stroke her head and whisper words to keep her safe, like a mother would do to her child, or a brother to a sister, or dare I say it a lover to a lover.

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I’m sat outside, their questioning her. I wished now that I could have done something more, like slipped a note, maybe I can scrap our names into the oak wood of this bench that I’m sat on? It might make it real, it might catch her eye… or theirs; no I decide then not to. 

The minutes pass and I have thought of nothing but that night and the only thing that brings me back is the squeaking of the door and her; there she is. I Smile masking my fear, she smiles and see’s everything I’m hiding. 

We’re not allowed to talk to each other now; we both know this but some how it just isn’t enough to stop us. I watch her and wait in what feels like hours in a few seconds and then she mouths these words to me “Keep me safe” and places her hand on her heart.

“That’s it, no communicating!” The guy has her elbow and pulls her away. 

I go to speak but nothing comes out, my voice has gone in the one moment I need it the most. It’s too late, she is gone.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

When she wakes I still have her, my arms like the bars of steal, my lips the lock and her heart the key. It’s still dark outside and we both lay looking at each other but can’t be sure. 

“I can’t do it Sofia” she whispers but all I hear is my name. 

I play with the pull sting on the jumper twirling it in my fingers and again all I hear is my name. I look hard at her “I will keep you safe, I wont let anything happen.” My promise is my wish and she fears it as much as I do.  We don’t speak, eventually the light catching us looking into each others eyes. I wonder to myself how I am going to keep my promise, and then she breaks my heart.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…” I think by now she must be all out of tears, I can see her eyes are red and sore, I can see the creases around them speak of nightmares to come.

I feel a single tear slip and like the larva from a volcano it burns my skin as it travels down. That’s when I turn and look at my clock, to think of what to do next… how do I save her?

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I’m not allowed to speak to her or anyone now. I’m not to call any of them, not Gil, or Brass, not even my mum. They think I am here as a witness, I will be. They also think I will give the evidence that will save her, I will try. What they don’t think, is that we are playing for different sides. when we are. 

I will make my one call - choosing carefully, who do I call? 

“Hello?” his voice is heavy; I know it’s been a long night for him.

“Hey…” my voice weighs his down.

“Sofia?”

I shoudn;t be talking to him... “Yeah, I er, I needed to make my call. I have no one left to call so… I’m sorry!”

“No, I’m glad. I wont ya know, I won’t let them know you called me.”

“Thanks”

“So how are you holding up? You OK?”

“Yeah… listen I er, I need you to help Sara, I need for you to help her, promise me!” I start to cry and hold my breath to stop from making any noise down the phone.  

“I will, I promise!” He promises, its heart felt but much like my own promise to Sara.

“You have to promise me…” 

“I promise you!” He tells me again only to calm me down.

The officer tells me my times up and I quickly tell him thank you before putting the phone down.

***

I wake to the sound of clanging metal, immediately I open my eyes. They sting at first until I find a focus; the door. The voices are faint and I tense up in desperate hope, I believe it to be Sara and sure enough the door swings open...

Brass enters offering a sympathetic smile, behind him the chain smoker, I realise now I haven’t paid attention to his name, not that its important. I sit up rubbing my arms to rid the chill, surprised I feel anything over my yernning for her. 

The smoker steps forward first, and this is when I take note of his badge hooked on the top of his trouser leg; Inspector Dawson. “Curtis?” he catches me looking and I acknowledge him with my eyes “you’re playing the part aren’t you Curtis…” he began.  

Brass put his arm out in front of him “It’s ok Dawson, I got this!” and sure enough Dawson stepped back. Brass meanwhile came closer, finally sitting on my bed beside me. “You know, we’re friends, I trust you, but you got to see it from their point of view Ok. They say you wont talk and now I’m not one to make accusations, Sofia you know that, but if you don’t say anything that doesn’t bare well.”

My eyes are watering and I blink to stop them. I nod “have you seen Sara?” my mind jumps to the one thing that matters.

He looks back at the other guy and then to me “Don’t worry about Sara she is fine.”

I look closer at him and he doesn’t flinch, if he was lying he would’ve given me some sign but I see nothing other than an honest man, Brass was just that every time. I look down, and back up at both of them. “Can I see her?” It’s a safe bet that Brass is beginning to figure me out, but I trust he will keep this to himself.

“You’re kidding me right?” The smoker… sorry I mean Dawson; he laughs hideously throwing his head back. Noted, I add this to his ill profile. I look back at Brass to see if he has noted this too but he isn’t paying attention and nor am I as he opens his mouth to answer my question.

“I will see what I can do. Meanwhile, think about what I've said, they won’t be easy on you because you've represented the law you know that. 

“I Know…” I nodded; I know they will be ten times worse because of it.

“I will come back in a bit!” he stood and smiled once more before walking out.
 
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We both shower and pack some things after which we sit eating breakfast like it’s something we do all the time. Except I feel unbalanced, I am watching her with my eyes and she only catch’s me the once but to me this is overwhelming. Her lips are shy for speaking and I don’t think I know how to help her except to not expect anything from her.   

I go and get some money out and delete my credit cards switching my cell off after. When I return I find Sara in tears again. I kneel in front of her bearing my soul “This isn’t about me, you have to decide what it is you want to do with it?” as soon as I ask her I wish I hadn’t.

“I called you for your help…” is all she say’s.  

I think of it as a compliment now but at the time I thought nothing but of her and how to rescue her. I considered this a huge responsibility! I stood and looked about me as if I’d miss placed something. Eventually I remembered and went for the African ingraved pot sat on the top of my book shelf along with some Random photos. 

I go back to Sara showing her the unusual coin. “It’s different isn’t it? When I was eight my rabbit Trigger died… I found this in the dirt. She looked blankly at me. “I know it’s just a coin but when I was younger I used it to make wishes… “She nodded now “Or to help make choices!” I added. 

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“You were planning on escaping the country am I wrong Curtis?” his eyes lingered over me like a shadow and I looked at Brass for some light; he’d said nothing yet. “You and Sidle, the Cop and the CSI. Sounds like a good concoction; I would’ve considered placing my bets on you too. Bet you thought you could cover your tracks, thought you had the upper hand with your back ground knowledge?” 

“No” I tell him simply. I have no fight with him I’m going to tell him enough so I can leave this room… and possibly see her.

“Then explain to me, why? What other reason did you have to pack your bags?”

For some reason this makes me sit up straight, and swallow hard, it clears my thought s “We had plenty of reasons!” I was surprised by my own voice, and along with them I was suspended with what I had to say next. Brass pushed himself off of the wall coming closer to listen. I continue “We needed a break,”

“But you didn’t tell anyone? Seems a little conspicuous don’t you think?”

This is the moment Brass chooses to interrupt him “Wait…” he steps forward “Sofia, tell me if I’m wrong but you and Sara, you did’t get along to well, What changed?” his head tilted, I've seen this happen to many times before, I know its meaning.  

I look up and I ask myself, do I tell him?
 
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I clean up each room one at a time just like I would on Sunday given the chance. I take my mum’s car telling her mines in service and she will get it back in a few days; this wouldn’t be the first time, she wasn’t suspicious. 

Sara is sat on the sofa watching me, every now and then I look at her and see her thoughts; I was thinking much the same. I bring our things out ready to put in the boot “I think that’s everything.” I tell her.

She takes her shades from the neck of her top and covers her eyes “Ok.” She stands up and nodding.

“Ok?” I ask her again not convinced, squinting to see past the black circles.

“Ok!” she reassured me by putting the sunglasses on her head as if to say; See no tears.  

I close the boot and look back to see her kicking dirt from her shoes against the bridge of the step. I head towards her and swiftly brush passed placing my hand on her hip as I go. She places her hand on top of mine and I stall.

“I haven’t said thank you” her voice is low and dry. 

“Don’t, not yet!” I reply softly and she lets my hand slide away.

***

They waited for an answer, while I close my eyes and concentrate on breathing; with any luck I might disappear into the darkness.
 
“You don’t have to give any intimate details” I flinched “we just need a basic idea.” I don’t answer I don’t know how to! Intimate details? “Ok…” Brass didn’t try to pry it out of me, and I wondered now if Sara had given him any indication, or maybe I had given him enough? 
 
“Sofia…” My eyes open to Brass’s face directly in front of me “They found fresh prints on the glove box of Sara’s UV…”he hesitated “…that connects you to the crime scene!”
 
I sighed “It wasn’t like that..." I paused only to find the words "...I was in Sara's UV earlier that day.”
 
“Are you suggesting it was an accident and that you had no part in it?” Dawson spat, Brass seems to have an effect, and it only takes one look to silence him.

 I explain in random statements “There was frost on the windows, I used the, err… Ice defroster to give us a clear view”

“Sara was driving? Was this during the day or...” 
 
“My prints aren’t on the steering wheel. We were on the same case, same crime scene, same lab, made sense to go in the same car” I informed him, though it wasn't required information. 

“So how about later on in the day, when was the last time you saw Sara?” 

“I left before she did, err I think it was about 8, no Half past maybe.” 

“Ok, let’s start from the beginning.” Dawson stepped closer again. 

Damn this is going to be a long hall. I sat forward in my chair “Brass, you said I could see her… 

He nods. “Ok, Dawson stay here! Let’s take a break, give me five ok?” 

I nod and he leaves me with Dawson grinning; a child with candy. This only makes him happy and It reminds me of how ironically perverse he is.  

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“Can I ask you a question?" 

I try and catch a glimpse of her while driving… her body is stiff; she is nervous and playing with a folded piece of paper in her hands, which I hadn’t noticed until now. “Yeah…” I change gear only to slow down to look over at her if only for a second. 

“Do you feel anything, I mean I feel…”  I don’t answer her yet, seems she hasn’t finished “Sick in my stomach.” She catches her breath in her throat and I imagine tears in her eyes.  

“Sara, if you didn’t feel anything, then I’d be concerned.” she’s silent and looking out of her window at the vast waste land. I imagine those tears tracing her cheeks now.  

“If I told you…” she pauses. She doesn’t say anymore. 
 
“You don’t have to say anything.” Now she looks at me and I watch her wipe her chin where the salty drops have collected. She recognises the look I give her and I quickly turn back to the road. 

We continued now in silence.  

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Brass opens the door but I don’t see her until I walk right in. She looks up from the opposite side of the desk that we're familiar to. Her eyes are red and heavy.  

She looks at me and smiles; I’m paralysed by the thought of someone seeing something between us. Finally she pulls me closer “Hey…” I begin, my tone lower than I had expected. 

“Hey.” Her voice is drawn like a thin line, week but visible.  

I sit down opposite her, the table being the only thing between us “How you holding up?” She doesn't answer yet, I don’t know how else to start this conversation, but I dive right in “Sara I…” 

“I’m ok…” She stops me nodding furiously to convince me.
 
I’m not fooled “Sara… ” she watches my lips move but nothing comes out. They want nothing more than to kiss her. She unexpectedly puts her hands on mine which are open on the table. I look back at Brass and he turns to look out the door as if to check no one’s around. She in-twines her fingers with mine and that’s when I feel something in my hand, when she pulls away I see the coin in my palm. 

“I made a wish…” she laughs through her faded smile. 

“Did it come true?” 

She nods.
 
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I pull in at a gas station; the day passing quickly I suggest we get something to eat. Sara's remained quiet for some time and this is no exception, all I get is a murmur. Stepping out of the car I watch her "Sara you need to eat, I won’t watch you take the fall for this, and I won't watch you kill yourself with guilt!" I walk around to her side to look at her face to face.

"I don't deserve to feel this... "She holds her breath "It's not just guilt."

I know what it is she is feeling, I feel the same thing. My head swings from side to side slowly "No, but don't feel guilty for feeling good about something else."

"Sofia, I knocked a guy down"

"There was a storm!!" I raise my voice.

"I knew he was dead and I left him there!"

"You called me!" I held onto her fore-arms to control her.

"I ran away from it!"

"We had no choice!"

"We should not be creating a silver lining Sofia, we shouldn't..."

I leaned forward putting my face a few inches away from hers "This, us, it's not the silver lining, it's everything" I lean in to kiss her.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

We sat for a moment in silence looking at each other.

“I’m sorry!” she tells me.

I look over at Brass and he’s still looking away, I whisper “Baby, do me a favour and don’t be sorry. This is going to get sorted, and then we are going to take a trip together and this time we will have no clouds I promise.”

“You’re giving me the one thing that a person in my position should not be given. Hope!”

I pull back and go to speak but Brass beats me to it “We gotta wrap it up; the boss is on his way in.”

I don’t look away from her “There’s hope, trust me…” I hold up the coin as I stand to leave “please?” 

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“What can I get ya ladies?”

We sat opposite one another a menu between us. I looked at Sara for an answer but she wouldn’t look up so I went ahead and ordered “Can I get a burger, a vegetable burger and two fries please.”

She waits for the waitress to leave then she looks up “You think she knows?”

“Don’t go paranoid on me!” I smile and she tempts the idea. 

“Sooo…”

“So?”

“Our plan?”

We make eye contact, I look for th words she's trying to say anmd I say it for her  “So, we eat, we drive and then sleep.” 

“Right. How long would you say we have?”

“Twenty four hours, thirty at the most.”

She nods with no surprise. We move on to talk about the best rout to take; I suggest there is a safe place, a lake used to go to as a kid. A little time passes and our foods on the table. By the time I have finished she’s taken two bites.

“I think we should’ve opted for food to go.”

“I, I just can’t eat sorry!” She pushes her plate away.

I wave the waitress over “Everything Ok ladies?”

“Is it possible to take this with us?” The waitress nods and takes our plates. I catch Sara’s attention “Well if you don’t eat it then I will!” My attempt to lighten the mood seems to pay off.

***