CSI universe short prompts

89- Lilly Rush/Scotty Valens

Detective Lilly Rush sat alone in her dimly lit apartment, the silence suffocating. The walls seemed to close in, memories of the past echoing through the rooms. She'd lost count of the days since Scotty Valens had been taken from her—the partner who'd become more than just a colleague.

Scotty—the cocky, passionate detective with secrets hidden beneath his tough exterior. They'd solved countless cases together, their partnership forged in the crucible of cold cases. But now, he was gone, and the world felt emptier without his laughter, his stubbornness, and the way he'd challenge her assumptions.

She clutched the old case file—the one they'd worked on tirelessly, chasing leads, piecing together fragments of evidence. It was a murder that had haunted them both—a young woman, Ana Castilla, found dead in a dark alley. Scotty had been drawn to her, his protective instincts kicking in. But Ana had slipped through their fingers, leaving behind unanswered questions and a void in their hearts.

Lilly's phone buzzed—a text from Christina, her sister. "How are you holding up?"

She typed a reply, her fingers trembling. "Not well. Scotty..."

"I know," Christina responded. "He was more than just a partner, wasn't he?"

Lilly leaned back, tears blurring her vision. "He was my anchor."

The memories flooded back—the late nights at the precinct, the shared coffee cups, the way Scotty would lean against her desk, challenging her theories. And then there were the stolen moments—the quiet conversations in the break room, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.

"Lilly," Scotty had said once, "we're more than just detectives. We're survivors. We carry the weight of the past, but we also find hope in the present."

But now, hope felt distant. The grief threatened to consume her—the ache in her chest, the phantom touch of his hand on her shoulder. She'd lost partners before, but Scotty was different. He'd seen her vulnerabilities, understood her demons, and still stood by her side.

The door creaked open, and Christina stepped inside. Her eyes were red, her grief mirroring Lilly's.

"I found this," Christina said, holding out a faded photograph. It was Scotty, his arm slung around Lilly's shoulders, both of them laughing. *"Remember this?"

Lilly nodded, her throat tight. "Our first case together."

"He loved you," Christina whispered. *"And you loved him."

"We never said it," Lilly admitted. "We were too busy chasing ghosts."

"Maybe it's time to say it now," Christina said. *"To honor his memory."

Lilly traced Scotty's face in the photograph. "I don't know how to let go."

"You don't have to," Christina said. *"He'll always be a part of you."

And so, in that quiet apartment, Lilly allowed herself to break down—to mourn the loss of her partner, her confidant, and the man who'd held her together. She wept for Ana, for Scotty, and for the fragile threads that connected them all.

"I love you," she whispered to the empty room, hoping somehow Scotty would hear. "Always."