#1 Fan
By Grissbabe
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He waited outside in the bushes in their backyard. He knew he had the right house. He knew their whole story, their anguish. Their daughter, Lauren Kelly, had been brutally raped and murdered ten years ago in this very home. Her parents had been away on vacation. They came home a week later and discovered the badly decomposing body of their daughter in her bedroom on the bed. So sad. BUT....the killer was found. After much evidence collecting and painstaking research the killer was found. By his hero. He idolized him, so much so that he knew what he had to do get his hero's attention. He slowly put on his latex gloves (he'd been watching him from afar while he was working so he could learn) and picked up his kit. He was quite proud of his kit. He put it all together himself. It had all the tools of the trade.
He entered the house quite easily through the back door. He had been watching their house for weeks and knew that they foolishly left their back door unlocked. He walked through the laundry room and through the kitchen to the living room. He took the folded up piece of paper he'd been carrying out of his pocket and opened it up. With a sigh he placed it neatly on the coffee table.
" Time to get to work," he said confidently as he went up the stairs quietly in search of the sleeping couple's bedroom.
He turned the corner at the top of the stairs and instantly found their room off of the stairwell. He placed his kit quietly on the floor and opened it. He took out the scalpel and stared at it lovingly as the reflection of the moonlight shining in their bedroom window shone off the blade. He gazed down at the sleeping couple then slowly approached them.
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The black Tahoe pulled up to the curb in front of the home. Grissom and Sara got out of the SUV with their kits and headed up the walkway where they met Brass on the front porch.
" Sandra and Dan Kelly. Found dead in their bedroom by their neighbor. She was supposed to go shopping this morning with Mrs. Kelly and never heard from her. Said she entered through the unlocked back door and found them slashed up in their bed. I think she's still outside puking in the bushes, " Brass said dryly.
The names unnerved Grissom for some reason. He thought the names sounded familiar. Even the house looked familiar.
" Sara...you go ahead upstairs first. I'll meet you up there. I'm gonna check out the downstairs, " said Grissom.
" Okay," Sara said as she entered the house and ascended the stairs.
Grissom and Brass walked around to the back of the house to the back door.
" Why would the back door be unlocked?" Grissom asked Brass as they entered the house. The eerie de ja vu feeling crept over Grissom once more.
"Neighbor said they never locked their back door. Not too bright in this town if you ask me," said Brass with a smirk.
Grissom scanned the laundry room and kitchen. " They certainly made the killer's job real easy. Easy access," said Grissom dryly.
He cruised slowly through the kitchen to the living room. He was about to head upstairs to help Sara when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A piece of wrinkled newspaper sat on the coffee table. Grissom's eyes never left the paper as he knelt down and grabbed a pair of latex gloves from his kit. He slipped them on and then walked over to the coffee table. He reached down and gently picked up the crinkled, yellowing paper. It was an article dated May 23rd, 1993. It discussed the capture of Michael Curtis for the murder of Lauren Kelly. There was a picture of Grissom along with the story as he was entering CSI headquarters.
" My God," he muttered softly as it all came back to him.
Brass walked over with a concerned look on his face. "Grissom...what is it?"
Grissom paused then shook his head. " I know this couple. I solved the murder of their daughter ten years ago, " he uttered softly. He sighed as he bagged the article. " I'm gonna go help Sara, " he said then disappeared up the stairs.
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Three hours later Grissom and Sara were loading their kits into the back of the Tahoe. Grissom leaned against the back of the Tahoe with his head down. Sara approached him cautiously.
"Gris...you okay?" she said with a slight smile.
"Uh....yeah. I hope some of these prints we lifted will clue us in to who did this. And that article....I don't know," he sighed.
" Relax Grissom. We'll look at the evidence and we'll find the bastard. You're not getting all emotional here are you? I thought that was my department," Sara said with her trademark grin. She looked down and realized that she had reached out and was touching his arm. She quickly pulled back.
He looked up at Sara and smiled his crooked grin. Her smile always lightened his mood. " Come on...let's get back to the lab and see what we've got."
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He hid.....out in the open. He lingered among the few stragglers who hung out in the street watching what was going on at the Kelly residence. He watched as Grissom and a young woman he knew was named Sara Sidle loaded their kits into the black SUV. He didn't much care for this woman. She'd been around for a few years now and he always hated it when she showed up to a crime scene with Grissom. Whenever Grissom spoke to her he always looked...distracted. She was distracting him from the task at hand. No...he didn't care for her one bit.
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Grissom stared at the bagged article as he sat in his office. They were not able to lift any evidence from the article itself and all the fingerprints they lifted inside the house matched the victims and the neighbor. No stray hairs...nothing. Right now they were dead in the water, and that was a place Grissom hated to be. He took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. With a sigh he put them back on and exited his office. He had a double autopsy to attend.
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Grissom entered the autopsy room just as Dr. Robbins finished his examination.
" Hey Gil, " smiled Robbins.
" Hey...what have we got? " asked Grissom as he put on a fresh pair of latex gloves.
" Savage and brutal killing, that's what. The work seems very precise and brutal at the same time. Throats we cut, but very cleanly. Not bad enough to instantly kill them. The husband was stabbed about 20 times. The wife was also stabbed and she was raped as well."
Grissom shook his head in disgust. He reached over and began examining the stab wounds on both victims. " That's exactly how their daughter was killed. Stabbed and raped. Do you have any clue by the stab wounds as to what kind of knife was used?"
" Based on what I can see it looks like it may have been a scalpel. Uh...I heard that you were on the case of their daughter ten years ago," replied Robbins.
" Yeah....I solved the case. And now I need to solve this one. Thanks, Doc," Grissom said as he pulled off his gloves and left the room.
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THE NEXT DAY
Sara, Warrick, Nick and Catherine all sat in the break room chatting amongst each other.
" So Cath...how's Lindsey?" asked Sara.
"She's doing okay. She's finally stopped having nightmares about the night Eddie was killed. She's holding up. She's a strong kid. Stronger than she should have to be at this age," Catherine replied with a sigh. " So...been seeing anyone since...Hank?"
"Oh...you mean the two-timing asshole? No...been burned too many times, " Sara replied with a growl.
" Geez...so what do you do after shift? Go home and seal yourself in your house? You're getting more and more like Grissom everyday, girl," Catherine said sarcastically.
Sara rolled her eyes at Catherine, but pondered what she said. What was so wrong with being like Grissom? She sat in a daze before being broke out of it by Warrick and Nick. They were playing tabletop football and their homemade football whacked her in the nose.
" OW! " Sara yelled. She winced then picked up the paper football and playfully threw it back at them.
" Sorry," they said in unison while laughing hysterically.
" Okay children. Put the toys away, " Grissom said as he entered the room. " We got three DB's tonight. Catherine, Warrick, and Nick...you guys got two DB's at a private residence off Canal Street. I talked to Brass...he said bring some masks 'cause they're badly decomposed and the smell is horrific...his words not mine. Uh...Sara, you and I got one at the Bayton Motel off of Main Street. Word is that appears to be a suicide, so we may be available if you guys need help."
" Alright. Let us know if you guys aren't busy with each other...in the lab I mean," Catherine replied with a smirk. Sara glared at her with eyes of steel.
" Uh huh," muttered Grissom as he stared at Catherine over the top rims of his glasses. " We got work to do. Let's go."
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Grissom and Sara arrived at the Bayton Motel and walked over to Detective O'Reilly who was waiting for them.
" What's up, O'Reilly?" Sara asked.
" Dead male...age 31. Name's Michael Lawson. It appears to be a suicide, but I'll let you be the judge of that," said O'Reilly with a smirk.
" Thank you. Show us the body," Grissom replied with his trademark half-grin.
They entered the small motel room and Grissom was instantly struck by de ja vu. He looked around the room with a glazed look in his eyes. Sara looked over at him and eyed him with concern.
" Grissom...you okay?" She asked.
He glanced over at the body that was hanging from the closet rod in the closet.
" Anyone touch the body?" Grissom asked aloud.
" No one except the coroner. He felt for a pulse then said to call you guys in," said O'Reilly curtly.
Grissom approached the body slowly. He couldn't get the sick feeling that he'd been here before out of his head. He knelt down and grabbed a pair of gloves from his kit.
" Sara...photograph this," he muttered softly.
Sara began snapping photos from every angle when something caught her attention. Grissom was busy examining the belt used to hang the victim.
" Gris...look at his right hand," Sara said as she knelt down.
Grissom directed his attention to the victim's hand. It was closed in a fist, but Grissom could see something poking out. He gently turned the hand at a better angle so Sara could snap a photo of it before he removed the object from the victim's hand. What he saw made his jaw drop.
Sara saw Grissom's face and leaned closer to him to get a better look at what he was holding. It was another newspaper article. This one was dated January 15, 1997, documenting the solved case of the staged suicide of one Karen Baker.
"He...he was her boyfriend at the time she was killed," he said slowly while gesturing to the victim. "Her ex-boyfriend killed her in this motel room by strangulation. Strung her up in the closet with a belt to make it look like a suicide."
" How do you know about this case, Gris?" Sara asked.
With a distant voice he replied " Because I was the one who solved the case."
" Grissom...we've got a serial killer," Sara said while gripping his shoulder.
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Catherine, Warrick, and Nick walked with Brass as they entered the residence off Canal Street.
"What we got here, Brass?" Catherine shouted above the crowd of onlookers and news stations reporting outside.
Brass looked at his notepad then stated," Two DB's. Two women...shot dead. Found in the mother's bedroom. Been dead at least a week according to the coroner and it smells...".
"Yeah..I know...horrific," Catherine said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.
"Yeah...well, it's all yours. Breathe through your mouth," Brass said with a smile.
"Thanks. Let's go boys. Let's hope this doesn't take all night," Catherine said with a sigh as they headed toward the bedroom.
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Grissom and Sara had processed their scene and returned to the lab with nothing but fingerprints that came back belonging to the victim. They sat in Grissom's office discussing the case.
" Whatever Nick, Warrick, and Catherine find on their case needs to be passed on to dayshift. I want all hands on deck for this case," Grissom said sternly.
"Okay. God, Gris....where do we even start? We've got nothing. No fingerprints...no hairs. Just those articles. Well....and there is the connection with you," Sara said.
" It may just be a coincidence," Grissom mused.
" Or not. Face it Grissom...someone out there's got a thing for you," Sara replied with a smirk.
"Not funny, my dear," Grissom said as he peered at Sara over his glasses.
They sat staring at each other in silence when suddenly Grissom's phone rang, causing them both to jump. He hastily answered the phone.
" Grissom."
"Hey Gris...it's Cath. I'm down in the autopsy room with Doc Robbins with our 2 DB's from tonight."
" Yeah...about those. You guys need to pass that on to dayshift. We got a serial killer case here and I need you guys," Grissom replied.
"Yeah...well about that...I think you need to come down here and see this. I think you and I are looking for the same killer," Catherine said.
Grissom furrowed his brow. " I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and looked to Sara. " Come with me. I think our case has just gotten worse."
Sara rose from her chair and walked briskly through the hallways trying to keep up with Grissom. They burst through the doors of the autopsy room.
"What is it, Cath?" Grissom asked.
"Well...our 2 DB's are females. Janice Ryan, age 47, and her 17 year-old daughter Stacy. They've been dead at least a week. Both shot in the head. Point blank range with a 45. Got the bullets, but no gun. While examining the bodies Doc Robbins found this...inside a plastic bag shoved down the mother's throat," said Catherine calmly as she held out a discolored cut-out newspaper article.
Grissom grabbed a pair of gloves and quickly slid them on. He gently took the article from Catherine and began to read it. Sara peered at the article over his shoulder.
" David Ryan...age 40. Shot in the head at point blank range by his business partner. Solved by lead C.S.I. Gil Grissom. February 28, 1995," Grissom read with a sigh.
" So....still think it's a coincidence?" Sara asked slowly.
"No...it's murder. And we need to stop it, " Grissom replied.
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The team was gathered in the break room discussing the case and what little evidence they had. They were getting nowhere. Greg came in with test results.
" Fingerprints came up with nothing. So, please tell me you got something on those hairs we found, Greg," Catherine asked pleadingly.
"Sorry Catherine...hairs all belonged to your vics," Greg replied timidly.
"DAMMIT!!" Grissom yelled as he threw a file down on the table and stormed out of the room.
Nick and Warrick stared at each other in shock.
"I've never seen him like this before," said Nick.
"Yeah...he doesn't get attached to cases like this," said Warrick.
" Yeah well....someone's making this real personal," said Catherine with a sigh.
Sara got up from the table and ran out of the room. She scanned the halls before spotting Grissom outside in the parking lot. She passed through the doors and slowly approached him as he stood leaning against his Tahoe.
"Gris...hey," Sara said softly.
"Hey," he said while turning away.
"Hey...look at me. What's going on with you? You're taking this too personal, Grissom. You always..."
Grissom quickly spun around to face her and cut her off. " Personal?! I'm taking this personal Sara because someone has made this personal. Someone is killing innocent people that were involved in cases I solved. And I feel responsible...so yeah...I'm taking this personal, " Grissom yelled.
Sara's eyes got wide and they began to flash an emotion Grissom had seen one too many times: anger.
"You always yell at me about needing to remain objective and to pay attention to the evidence. Put the empathy aside and solve the case. And you're out here feeling sorry for yourself. Well fuck you! Quit bitching, stop standing there staring at me like an idiot and get in there and help us solve this thing," Sara screamed.
Grissom stood facing Sara with a look of total shock. He didn't speak. He just scanned her face intently with his eyes.
"HELLO!!" Sara yelled. " I said stop standing there staring at me and get in there."
He made no move.
"What the hell's the matter with you?! Why won't you stop staring..."
"Because I can't!" Grissom shouted, cutting her off. " I just...can't."
Now it was Sara's turn to look shocked. Grissom suddenly realized what had just came out of his mouth. He quickly averted her piercing gaze. He paused as if he was going to say something, but instead he quickly retreated back inside. Sara watched him walk away, shaking her head.
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Now was his chance. She was alone, standing by his car. His original plan was to wait outside for Grissom before following back to his hermetically sealed condo where he would do what he had done for the past ten years: study the man. His hero...his idol. But....she was alone. This presented him with his chance to get rid of this little distraction once and for all. But he could also use her to his advantage...use her to bring his hero to him. Then....he could use her as his own "victim". Have Grissom teach him. Maybe he could kill her and have Grissom teach him about how the insects come to the body and in what order based on time of death. That part always intrigued him whenever he saw Grissom give one of his lectures. Yes....he would use her to bring his hero to him.
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Sara shook off the shock she felt from Grissom's words. She turned around to head back inside, but was caught off guard by a blinding flash from what appeared to be a camera.
" Hello Ms. Sidle," he uttered.
Sara never knew what hit her. Before she could react to defend herself she felt a sharp blow to her head, then she sank into darkness.
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Grissom sat inside at the table with the others looking at the articles trying to piece together some kind of theory that would give them ideas for suspects. His mind kept wandering back to what he said to Sara in the parking lot. Had he revealed too much? Sara...Sara? He began to realize that Sara had not returned from the parking lot.
"Gris....Where is Sara?" Warrick asked with a touch of concern, as if he was reading Grissom's thoughts.
"What'd you do....piss her off again, Gris?" asked Nick with a chuckle.
Grissom ignored their questions and got up from the table. He began searching the hallways, asking everyone he saw if they had seen Sara. He went through the doors to the parking lot where he had left her, but she was nowhere in sight. Had she gone home? He searched the parking lot and saw her car still parked in its normal slot. He was about to turn around and go back into the building when he saw something on his Tahoe's driver's side window. He squinted trying to figure out what it was. He slowly approached the car. When he reached the window he saw exactly what it was. It was a Polaroid of Sara with a note written below the picture. 'Come and get her. I'll be waiting for you'. Grissom's jaw dropped and he felt like he was going to pass out. He reached out to the Tahoe to steady himself. He quickly composed himself then, grabbing the spare latex glove he always kept in his back pocket just by habit, he gently grabbed the picture then sprinted back inside the building.
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The others sat in the break room still sorting through the small amount of evidence they had. Grissom suddenly burst through the door looking frantic.
"Grissom...what the hell is it?!" Catherine asked frantically.
He threw the picture on the table in front of the others. " He's got Sara. The bastard's got her." He ran his hands through his hair and began pacing the room. Then rational thought kicked back in. " Where's my Red Creeper? Catherine...see if there's a useable print on that tape on the picture. Nick...Warrick. Let's go process my Tahoe. That's where I found the picture. We need to work quick or he's gonna kill Sara too."
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Catherine began processing the tape to see if there was a useable print while Grissom, Nick, and Warrick began processing the Tahoe. Warrick looked for footprints while Grissom and Nick dusted the Tahoe for prints. They found numerous prints in the vicinity of where the picture had been taped up as well as numerous prints all over the vehicle. They lifted as many good prints as they could.
"Nick...bring these into Catherine and have her start running them. Let's just hope we get a hit on something," Grissom said.
"Okay Gris," replied Nick as he sprinted back inside the building.
Nick practically ran into Catherine as she was coming out of the evidence lab.
"Did you get anything, Cath?" Nick asked eagerly.
" A bad partial print. I've got Jacqui working on it right now. It might yield something...might not. I'm crossing my fingers. What did you guys get?" Catherine asked.
" A ridiculous number of prints. Grissom asked me to have you start running these....I'll help. Otherwise this is gonna take forever, " Nick replied sounding defeated.
Grissom and Warrick came running through the door from the parking lot, evidence baggies and lifted footprints in hand.
"Anything on the tape?" Grissom asked impatiently.
" Jacqui's working on it, Grissom. But it was a bad partial. She might be able to find something, but I'm not optimistic," Catherine said.
"Warrick...get to work on the footprints. Nick...Catherine...start running the fingerprints. I'm gonna start examining some fibers we found near the Tahoe," Grissom stated as he carried the evidence bags into the evidence lab.
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He watched from his car. He had gotten a nifty pair of night-vision goggles from his Aunt Ethel for Christmas last year. He made sure to drop hints around her for weeks about them. He was thankful that she finally listened to him and didn't buy him another dreadful sweater. The woman was bound and gagged in the backseat, still unconscious. She had a slight gash on her forehead that trickled small streams of blood down her porcelain features.
" Jeez....this is gonna take too long," he muttered to himself. He wanted so badly to meet his hero. He thought it would be more fun to see if his mentor could follow the clues to him, but he was just too impatient. He tried to leave some fingerprints, but not too much evidence. He was now regretting that. He was like a giddy child. He just couldn't wait any longer.
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Grissom stared at some of the fibers he had found around the driver's side door from the Tahoe through the microscope. He raised his head and sighed. He thought of trying Sara's cell again. He had already tried to get her to answer dozens of times in the two hours since this nightmare began. 'We're gonna be too late,' he thought sadly to himself. Just then Catherine burst into the room.
"Grissom...come quick. I think Jacqui may have a hit on that partial I lifted from the tape."
Grissom immediately sprinted out of the room with Catherine to Jacqui's work area.
"It was not a great print, but I was able to pretty much recreate the whole print from what I did have...I hope. I've been running it for a couple minutes...nothing so far. Could be minutes....could be hours, " Jacqui stated.
Grissom groaned in sheer frustration. Just then his cell phone rang.
"Jesus...what the hell..."he started to say before his voice froze. The call was coming from Sara's cell. He showed the caller ID to Catherine before quickly answering the call.
"SARA!?? Where are you...are you okay?" The words tumbled out of his mouth faster than he could form them.
" Hmmm.....I don't think she's able to come to the phone right now Mr. Grissom. This really is Grissom...right?"
Grissom's mouth went dry. " Yes.....where is she....WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER!?"
" Mr. Grissom....we have business to take care of. Very important business. Don't you know who I am yet?"
The man's voice was very calm. Just then, as if on cue, the computer kicked out a name.
Grissom paused then calmly answered. "William Barker."
" You win the prize, Mr. Grissom. I'm flattered that you took the time to learn my name. I need to meet you. I've been a fan of yours for so long."
" Tell me where Sara is...I'll meet you wherever you want....just tell me where, " Grissom replied. He looked at Catherine, whose eyes were wide with fear.
" The old Rosemont warehouse on Templeton and Orange. Come alone....no cops. If I hear or see any cops I might just have to start without you."
"What do you mean?" Grissom asked, the fear evident in his voice.
"Mr. Grissom....don't forget your kit. We're gonna have a lot of work to do."
With that the man promptly hung up. Grissom relayed the conversation back to Catherine.
" Gris...you can't go up there alone. This guy is a nutcase," Catherine shouted.
" If I bring anyone with me...if he sees anyone following me he will kill her. I'm not gonna risk Sara's life," he shouted back.
" Then we need to think of a plan, " Catherine said with a sigh as they graciously thanked Jacqui and exited the room.
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Grissom's Tahoe pulled up outside the old warehouse. He slowly got out of the vehicle and felt his side to reassure himself that he remembered to grab his gun. He looked around outside the front of the building before being startled by a voice behind him.
"My God....it's really you."
Grissom spun around to see William Barker, a short , stocky man with not a strand of hair on his head or body as it appeared.
"You like the hair? I was...inspired...by another one of your cases," William stated proudly.
Grissom recognized the look immediately. " Syd Goggle. That's why you left no hairs at the scenes."
" Bingo," William said with a smile. It was at this point that Grissom noticed the .45 in his left hand, which he had been hiding behind himself. " Shall we go inside, Mr. Grissom?"
Grissom swallowed hard, trying to prepare himself for what he might see. "Yes...I'd like that very much."
Grissom entered first, squinting at the darkness inside, trying to focus on something in the room. He couldn't see anything.
"You know Mr. Grissom...I know you. I know you well," William said slowly. " I know everything about you and your work. I'm quite a fan. Your number one fan if I do say so myself."
" Is that so, William?" Grissom asked calmly.
" Yes. It's been my dream for years to meet you." He gently pushed Grissom forward into another room. Grissom's heart was pounding so hard he thought it would jump out of his chest. " But this person kept getting in my way."
With that, he flipped on the lights to reveal a petrified and tearful Sara, still gagged , sitting in a wooden chair that she was completely bound to. Grissom's heart sank at the sight of her. Sara's eyes met Grissom's. He saw extreme fear and pleading in her eyes.
William began walking in circles around Grissom with an odd fascination in his voice." I have watched you for years, Mr. Grissom. I know your habits....I know your work methods. I know everything. I know you go home to a lonely house and sit at your table with a drink every night thinking...probably about her. She's your greatest distraction Mr. Grissom....do you mind if I call you Gil?" William asked sincerely.
Grissom gulped, his eyes quickly dropping from Sara's piercing and shocked gaze. " No...not at all." This man knew Grissom better than he knew himself. Just how long had he been stalking Grissom?
" I have been there studying you. Watching you at every scene I could get close to. Learning from you. You're a brilliant man and an excellent teacher, Gil. I must thank you sincerely for everything you've taught me thus far. But I want to learn more."
"What do you want to learn, William?" Grissom asked calmly.
William chuckled slightly. " Actually...the bug process. The way the insects come to a body after death. That fascinates me. I want to watch it happen. And here's our test subject," William said, gesturing toward Sara with the gun in his hand.
Grissom's heart felt like it was going to explode. " No....we can't use her. I refuse to teach you that using her," Grissom said firmly.
William was getting visibly upset. " Look, Gil....I've gone through a lot of trouble over the years to get to know you. The LEAST you can do is let me kill this bitch so we can begin our lesson. I'm very eager to get started. You don't really care about her. You don't need her. She's a distraction from your one true love: Science. You'll never be lonely as long as you know that you have an eager student wanting to learn from you. " William began to pace nervously, getting more and more upset. "DAMMIT!! I deserve this!! I have earned this right! After all my hard work." He began to weep like a child. " I've waited for so long to meet you. You're my hero...my idol. I owe my life to you."
Sara looked into Grissom's dark blue eyes. There was a storm raging in them...something that she didn't recognize. Something that scared her
Very calmly Grissom answered, " Okay, William."
William began to jump up and down like a child. "YES!"
"Just one thing..." Grissom said slowly, never taking his eyes off Sara. Sara stared at him with a look of sheer terror.
" Anything sir...anything," William blurted out.
" You have to let me say goodbye to her," Grissom said sadly.
Was he really considering this?? ' What the hell is wrong with him??' Sara screamed inside her mind. She suddenly didn't know the man in front of her. The man that she harbored deep feelings for.
"Uhh.....yeah...I guess," William said, jumping from foot to foot like a hyperactive four year old. He pointed the gun at Sara's head , about three feet from actually touching her.
Sara's eyes began pleading with Grissom's as tears of terror flowed down her cheeks. She whimpered and moaned through the gag in her mouth. Grissom slowly approached her and knelt down in front of her. He gently removed the gag from her mouth. Sara's sobbing had stopped as she stared in amazement into his eyes. He brought his face very close to hers, so close she could feel his warm breath on her lips. He slowly turned his lips away from her face and toward her right cheek, the cheek not facing the gun-wielding William. He brushed his lips across her cheek and softly whispered in her ear, " Trust me." With that he suddenly yelled out loud, " NOW!!!". As if in slow motion, Sara felt Grissom cover the top half of her body with his as he brought the chair she was bound to to the floor, quickly slipping one of his hands under her head to shield her from the fall. Glass from the windows flew everywhere as shots coming through them and tore into William's body. William dropped the gun behind him, where it fired off against the wall. It was at this moment that Sara realized she was screaming. William fell to his knees. He turned his head to Grissom, blood already pouring from his mouth.
" I....I was your number one fan...I..." was all he could say before his body slumped to the ground.
Grissom slowly sat up and began undoing the restraints that held Sara to the chair. When he finished she quickly buried her face in his neck and embraced him, sobbing uncontrollably. He soothed her as he smoothed her hair with his fingers.
" Shh....it's all over, Sara. It's all over," Grissom said as Brass came running into the warehouse. Moments later numerous squad cars rounded the corner with their lights flashing.
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Grissom made sure that the paramedics thoroughly checked Sara over, though she protested loudly. Though visibly shaken, all she had was a nasty bump to her forehead with a small cut the required a few butterfly stitches. Brass approached the two of them while the paramedic finished applying the stitches.
" Damn...that was close. I'm just glad I didn't miss...and that he didn't search the truck," Brass said with his usual sarcasm.
" How did you get him?" Sara asked in confusion. " I heard him when he called Grissom. He told Grissom to come alone or he'd kill me."
" He hid in the back of the Tahoe under a bunch of blankets and equipment. I left the back hatch slightly open. When we came inside the warehouse Brass slipped out and waited for his chance to take him out, " Grissom stated with pride. " I had back-up if that didn't work, " Grissom said as he flashed his gun to Sara.
Sara shuddered slightly then said, " You both could have been killed."
Grissom gave her a warm, lopsided grin and stated, " You were worth it. Now come on...I'm taking you home."
" Grissom...I'm fine. Just take me back to C.S.I. so I can get my car and..."
He cut her off sharply. " I'm taking you home. You are not driving. Jim, give me a couple hours to take her home and go home and change. I'll be back in the office to do all the paperwork."
" No problem. Sara...I'm glad you're okay," Brass said with a smile and a wink as he went back to brief the other officers.
"Thanks, Jim," Sara said before turning to Grissom.
" Come on, " he said with a smile as he took her arm and led her to his car.
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The drive to Sara's apartment was silent as they both decompressed from a very stress-filled, frightful night. He pulled the Tahoe up in front of Sara's apartment building.
"Let me walk you up to your apartment," Grissom said as he got out of the Tahoe.
The walked into the building and got on the elevator to go up to Sara's floor. They rode the elevator in silence while stealing furtive glances at each other. When they got to her floor they came off the elevator and walked to her door.
Grissom was visibly uncomfortable. " Are you sure you're okay, Sara?"
" I'm fine Gris....what about you?" she asked.
" What about me?" he replied, confused.
" Are you okay? I mean...you just found out tonight that this wacko guy has been stalking you for years. That's a lot to handle, Grissom. I'm worried about you," Sara said softly.
Grissom looked down to avert her gaze. " Don't be. I'm fine. I really don't know what's so interesting or special about me that would compel someone to want to stalk me for so long," he said as he tried to laugh off his obvious discomfort about the subject.
Sara lifted his chin gently with her delicate fingers and looked deep into his sapphire blue eyes. " I do," she said softly. Her hand stayed on his chin and they stared deeply into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before Grissom broke the spell by gently grabbing her hand and softly holding between both of his hands.
" I gotta go....please call me if you need anything," he said as he slowly released her hand and briskly walked down the hallway back to the elevator.
He rode the elevator down and walked back over to Tahoe and got in. When he shut the door he let out a long, audible sigh and glanced back at Sara's apartment building. ' I most certainly do not know what to do about this,' he thought as he started the car and pulled away, the hot Vegas sun slowly rising like a phoenix from the ashes.
The end