DMVS Archive | Season Two - Gone In The Blink Of An Eye 1

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Gone In The Blink Of An Eye 1

Episode 14 written by Karen
Original air date:

Disclaimer: The characters in the following fan fiction do not belong to me. They belong to CBS and Viacom and other powers that be. I am only using them for the purpose ofwriting this story. No money is being made from this writing it is for entertainment purposes only. And now on with the show...

It was in the middle of the night when Jesse woke to the sound of someone at his door. He sleepily looked at his clock and sighed in disbelief that someone would be at his door at 12:30 in the morning. Getting out of bed he shuffled into the living room and over to the door and opened it to find Steve Sloan standing there with a small suitcase, "hey Jess, can I stay here for a few days?"

Jesse looked from the bag to Steve stunned, "what's up?"

"You don't want to know," he sighed going past Jesse and into the apartment.

Jesse was now wide awake as he followed Steve into the living room and over to the couch, "out with it Sloan."

Steve was shocked to hear Jesse call him by his last name. It was very seldom that his friend called him by both his first and last name that he caught him off guard, "look if you don't want me here I can go somewhere else."

Jesse watched as Steve headed for the door, "Wait...you know that you are always welcome here."

Turning around Steve smiled at his friend and headed back over to the couch and they both sat down, "thanks."

"No problem...you can stay as long as you want. I'll go get some stuff to make the couch up for you to sleep on," Jesse headed into his room and soon came back out with a load of blanket's, sheets and two pillow's. "This should do, let me fix the couch for you."

Steve looked at his watch and then stood, "you go on to bed. I'll get this fixed up. What time do you have to be at work in the morning?"

Jesse smiled, "I have a day off so I may sleep in a little late."

"Hey great tomorrow is my day off too. Maybe we can do something together," Steve offered.

"Sounds good to me, I'll see you in the morning then," with that Jesse headed for his bedroom.

Same Time at the Beach House

Mark stood at the kitchen window looking out at the ocean and shook his head. How could this have happened? How could one minute everything be so great between him and his son and the next Steve leaving this house.

Four Hours Earlier

Steve and his father were sitting at the dinner table enjoying a nice meal when the phone started to ring. Steve got up from his chair and headed over the phone to answer it, "Sloan."

Mark watched the color drain from his son's face as he waited for his son to get off the phone.

"Thanks for telling me...yeah I'll see you then," Steve hung up the phone and turned his attention to his father.

"What is it son?"

"I can't believe Cheryl...how could she do this," Steve was getting angrier by the moment.

"What did she do?" Mark asked believing he knew what the answer was already.

"She had a background check done on Mandy," Steve couldn't believe that his partner would do that to his girlfriend.

"Steve calm down...it isn't Cheryl's fault. I asked her to run that background check on Mandy," Mark knew that he should have told his son sooner, but he wanted to wait until Cheryl had called him with what she had found out.

He could just stare at his father. What could he be thinking? "Why?" Steve asked still shocked that his father would do this behind his back.

"I just have a bad feeling about her and...I was worried about you dating her," Mark confessed to his son.

"I'm a big boy and don't need your approval for who I date," Steve snapped.

"I know that... and I am not sorry that I did this. There is something about her that I don't like and I am sure that she is hiding something from you," Mark voiced his opinion. "I tried to talk to you about this and you didn't want to listen to me so I asked Cheryl for a favor."

"A favor, you had her go behind my back and..." he couldn't even say it.

"Son look," Mark started but was interrupted by his son.

"I'm going to go for a drive and will see you later...I just need some air." Steve headed downstairs to his room and packed a small bag and headed out into the night.

Next Morning Jesse's Apartment

Jesse could smell the coffee brewing and great smell of sausage and egg's as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked over at the clock to see that it was a little after 9 and he was quick to get out of bed and head into the kitchen to find Steve cooking breakfast, "wow that smells good."

Steve took his eyes off the frying pan to look at his young friend, "I thought I would make a little breakfast."

"Trust me it is better than cereal," Jesse said heading over to the coffee pot to get a cup.

"I thought that after breakfast we could go for a nice run on the beach and maybe take in a little surfing?" He was grinning ear to ear just thinking about spending some time with his friend that he hardly had seen in over a month.

"Sounds good to me," Jesse then sat at the table and started to drink his coffee to try to wake up a little more.

After eating Jesse headed out to the store to get the morning paper, so that Steve could take a shower. He stepped out of this apartment building to find Marybeth Kirkland sitting on the front step looking out at the cars passing by. "Hey Marybeth."

The little girl looked up and gave a bright smile like always, "hey Jesse."

Jesse sat down next to the seven year old girl and looked out at the passing cars, "so, what are you up to today?"

"Nothing much."

Jesse looked at her little arm and noticed that she had several fresh bruises and some older looking ones on it, "what happened?"

She lowered her head to look at her arm then looked back up at Jesse, "I sort of fell yesterday."

"Marybeth get back to our apartment right now," a voice shouted from behind them.

Jesse watched as the little girl quickly got to her feet and headed into the building and couldn't help but feel angry at George Kirkland, "may I have a word with you Mr. Kirkland?"

George was a taller man and looked down at the young doctor who was now standing in front of him, "what can I do for you?"

Jesse knew that George must have been a foot and a half taller than him. He didn't care about that though he was worried about Marybeth. "I noticed that Marybeth had some bruises on her arm and was hoping that I could take a look at them."

"She is just fine...just fell yesterday at the park is all," George explained.

"A fall at the park?" Jesse asked sarcastically.

"That's what I said."

Steve came out of the building and came to where Jesse stood, "what's going on here?"

George angrily pointed at Jesse, "ask the little doctor over there and keep him away from me and my daughters." He then headed back into the apartment building leaving Jesse to and Steve behind.

Steve turned his attention to his young friend, "what was that about?"

Jesse shook his head as he rubbed his face with his hand, "Steve I think that someone had been hitting his daughter. I asked him about it and he got all defensive."

"What can you tell me about him?" Steve asked getting out a little notebook from his jacket pocket.

"I don't know much. They moved into the building a few months back and it is just him and his twin daughters, Marybeth and Tess. I have seen them three times and well they are just so quiet and always have some kind of bruise." He felt helpless and wished that he could do something to find out what was happening to those little girls.

"What is his name?"

"George Kirkland."

Steve wrote the name down as they headed toward Jesse's car, "lets got get a paper and I'll have his name checked and find out a little about this guy."

Kirkland Apartment

"Marybeth get in the living room right now," George shouted as he entered the apartment.

Both Marybeth and Tess entered the room and walked slowly to their father.

George looked at Tess, "did I call you? Get in your room unless you want to get in on this conversation that me and your sister is about to have."

Tess shook her head and ran out of the room leaving a scared Marybeth behind. She closed her eyes as she closed the door to her room and just listened to his father hit his sister. Finally after a few minutes the screaming and sounds of the hitting stopped and she went to the door and peaked out to see her father leave the apartment.

After the apartment door closed Tess ran out of her room into the living room to see her sister lying on the floor unconscious. She knelt down beside her putting her little head in her lap whispering over and over, "please wake up."

Minutes Later

Jesse and Steve got back to the apartment building with the paper and some groceries that they had stopped and got. As they neared the stairs Jesse heard his name, "Doctor Travis?"

He looked to see Tess Kirkland standing next to her apartment door, "yes."

"My sister is hurt pretty bad...I know that my dad would be mad at me but can you come see her?" Tess was almost in tears as she shifted from one foot to the other hoping that her father wasn't near by.

Jesse's eyes widened as he rushed to the apartment door. Steve was right behind him as they entered the small living room and went to the little girl's side. Jesse reached down and checked for a pulse and then looked up at his friend and shook his head, "she's gone."

"No, no, no you have to save her she's my sister," Tess shouted at Jesse.

Jesse just stared at the little girl as his eyes filled with tears, "I wish that I could."

Steve pulled out his cell phone and called the death in. He then watched as Tess went to Jesse and started sobbing in the young doctor's arms.

Jesse stayed with Tess until Family Services came then slipped out of the apartment to go to his own.

Steve watched as he left and pulled out his cell phone and started to dial.

"Mark Sloan."

"Hey Dad, it's me," Steve hated how his father and him left things off the night before and knew that he was going to need his help with Jesse.

"Steve thank God...I have been so worried. Where did you stay last night?"

Steve just smiled grateful that his father worried about him and pushed the events of the night before to the side, "I stayed with Jesse...which is the reason that I'm calling."

"What's the problem, Son?"

"I will explain when you get here, but I think Jesse needs someone to talk to and I know that you are just the person to do that," Steve heard his father tell him that he was on his way hanging up the phone he headed over to Tess.

"Can I go where my mommy is?" Tess cried.

"Where is that?" Anne Rowe asked the young child.

"I don't know my dad moved us a few months ago...and....and we haven't seen her since," she started to cry as she looked up at Steve. "You will help me find her?"

Steve knelt down in front of the little girl, "I will do my best. Come on lets get you out of here."

Shaking her head in agreement Tess took Steve's hand and let him lead her to the car of the Family Service Agent. "Are you going to come with us?" She asked her voice coming out in a low whisper.

"No, I have to get to work on finding your father...you will be safe with Anne," he explained.

"Ok," she then got into the car and just looked out the window at the apartment building.

Across the Street

George Kirkland watched as Anne pulled the car out of the parking lot. He then turned his attention to where Steve stood talking to another officer, "I will get my daughter back Cop. You and your friend will pay dearly for getting into my business."

Later Jesse's Apartment

After spending a few minutes with his son learning what happened to Marybeth Kirkland Mark headed up to Jesse's apartment and knocked on his friends door and waited for him to open it.

Jesse was lying on his bed when he heard the annoying sound of someone at his door. He sighed as he headed into the living room and opened the door to see his friend, "Hey Mark."

"Jesse, can I come in?"

Jesse could see the worried look in Mark's eyes and gave his friend a half smile, "sure."

Mark enter the apartment and waited for Jesse to close the door before he said anything more to him, "Steve told me what happened."

"Did he tell you that knew that something was going on and did nothing to stop this from happening," Jesse shouted angrily.

"He told me that you had a heated discussion with her father. He also told me that you were worried about her and her sister...this wasn't your fault."

Jesse just shook his head...if only he would have called Steve before when he saw the bruises then Marybeth would still be alive, "yes it was."

"Look at me Jesse Travis. I have known you for a long time and I know that you would do anything in your power to help that little girl," Mark knew that he had to be hard on him to make him see reason. He also knew that Jesse was just as stubborn as his son.

"If I did everything that I could or her and her sister why is she dead Mark...can you tell me why this happened to her?"

"Let me ask you this, why didn't you go to Steve before when you saw her or her sister hurt?"

"Because they were only one or two bruises that could have be caused by an fall, but what I saw today on her little arm...Mark it was awful," Jesse looked away from his friend and walked to the couch and sat down.

Mark came to his side and took a seat, "and what did you do when you saw the bruises this morning?"

"I confronted him about them," Jesse said in a whisper.

"Steve said that he has a back ground check in the works after you and Kirkland talked, Jesse you did all that you could," Mark then waited for Jesse to say something.

"I just felt so helpless when Tess came to get me. I had to tell her that her twin sister was dead," a single tear ran down Jesse's face as his eyes teared up.

Mark looked at his watch to find that it was a little after eleven, "hey come back to the beach house with me. I can make lunch and maybe you can go to the beach...surf."

"I don't think that I could surf, but lunch sounds good."

Mark just smiled knowing that food always made his young friend feel better, "good then lets get out of here."

Later That Afternoon at the Station

Steve sat at his desk going over George Kirkland's police records to find that he had been arrested once before. Ten years earlier for drunk driving, but nothing else appeared on his record.

Cheryl came over to his desk and laid a file in front of her partner, "his wife, Rachel Kirkland has been missing for four months," she explained.

Steve picked up the file to read on learning that the last time Rachel had been seen was just three days before George and the girls moved into Jesse's apartment building.

"The house that they lived in is still in George's name so do you want to head up to San Fernando?" Cheryl asked grabbing her jacket from her desk.

"Sure, I feel like a nice drive anyway," Steve them picked up his jacket and followed his partner out.

Beach House

Jesse stood on the deck watching the wave's crash onto the shore and smiled, "this is a great day to be at the beach..."

Mark looked up from his seat, "it sure is."

"Thanks, for inviting me over this morning, this is just what I needed...to get a little fresh air."

"Want to take a walk with me down the beach?" Mark suggested.

"Sure."

As they started off the deck and onto the sand they never noticed that there was a pair of eyes watching there every move. George Kirkland smiled evilly, "soon you will pay, Boy."

Kirkland's House, San Fernando

Steve pulled up beside the local police as he and his partner got out to meet them, "LAPD," Steve said showing his badge. "What have we got?"

"There was a note sent to Rachel Kirkland's family the day before they left and since then they haven't hear anything else." The officer went around to the front door followed by Cheryl and Steve.

"Have you found anything here?" Cheryl asked.

"Nothing much but we haven't been here for long... Officer Mitchell got a key from Rachel's parents," he explained just before an officer from the basement called up for them, "We found her."

Steve and Cheryl headed down the stair just in time to see Rachel's body being taken out from under the floor boards. Steve noticed how she was wrapped in serveral plastic trash bags.

As her head was taken out of the bag Steve knew that this would be very hard to explain to Rachel's daughter.

To Be Continued...