A/N: Ehhh...I'm getting too lazy to write boring, legal stuff up here. Damn! Oh, well. The characters don't belong to me. I'd love to own Grissom...wink, wink...but alas, he is property of CBS.
"Sara --- !"
"No, Grissom, you listen to me, now! You have hurt me, you have disrespected me, and you don't seem to believe in apologies. Would you just make up your mind? I'm not taking anymore of these mixed signals! Speak now, or forever hold your damn peace."
Grissom had tried to build up his confidence of late. He wanted to tell her, and at this point he though it was going to be easy, yet now...the words were lost.
She folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. He stood, mouth agape, eyes darting everywhere in the office, from his fetal pig to his bug collection. When he was just about ready, she started talking.
"Is this really what it feels like to be in love, Grissom? Hell, I've only been in love once in my lifetime, and now the object of my affections is standing in front of me, a deer in the headlights. Of course, you've been in love before, haven't you? Terri Miller ring any bells?"
He closed his mouth. "What?"
"Or what about that dominatrix? Was she so fascinating to you that you wanted to get to know her more...intimately?"
"Sara!"
"No. No, you know what, Grissom? I-It's over. You're too late. I'm going back to San Francisco for a job offering. And that's a good thing, you know why? No more flirty glances, no more brushing against each other innocently, no more oblique hints, no more anything. You have lost all my respect, and now whatever friendship we may have had is gone."
She turned to leave his office. He lunged forward and grabbed her arm.
"Sara, if you would let me speak --- !"
"Why the hell should I? Are you gonna throw me some stupid little remark like, 'the lab needs you here'? Let go of me!"
He didn't want to...but he did.
She stormed down the hallway, hands balled into fists, breathing heavily. He stood by his door, head down.
Was he going to lose her now, after all he had done?
Hell, no.
::::::::::A Few Minutes Later::::::::::
Two strong, lethal thumbs pressured her throat, pushing at her airway and suffocating her.
She grabbed both his wrists and twisted them with ease. Struggling to release herself from his grasp, she kicked him near his groin and took off running.
Sara didn't get far, however. Her assailant was faster than she had imagined. He ran up behind her and pounced on his prey, wielding a dagger in hand. With a grunt, he jammed the blade into her back, right where he knew or thought he knew where her heart was. He was pretty sure of the human anatomy. He wanted her to take it where it would hurt the most.
The brunette being straddled let out a scream.
He heard commotion and quickly got up off her. The pounding of steps on pavement told him there were people coming. He had to get out.
"Please...I need...help..." she sobbed, fighting for life.
He stared down at her with cold eyes, but he said nothing.
And so, here she was, lying near death on the sidewalk of the Las Vegas Police Department. Her own place of business. He had the nerve to track her down where she felt the safest.
In a pained gasp, she called the name of the only person in her mind.
"Grissom..."
Before the commotion of cops had even gotten to her, through her blurred vision she saw someone running to her. Scared that was her attacker, she rolled over, curled up, and cried as the pain grew.
Suddenly, a hand came behind her head and held it up, but before she could see who had saved her, she blacked out and fell into unconsciousnes.
The person holding Sara's head up was, in fact, Grissom, and he was searching in her eyes for some sign of life, something that would tell him she'd be alright. Her eyes were wide open, not blinking, not even winced. He feared the worst. He thought...
No. He couldn't let himself think that.
Just as his two fingers fell onto her pulse, a whole patrol of police officers rushed to him.
"How's her pulse?" one asked feverishly.
Grissom was relieved to feel a beat. "She has one; call an ambulance!"
A senior officer pulled out his cellphone and stepped to the side. Another bent down to help Grissom.
"We heard her scream a minute ago," the man said. "Her attacker must have fled. Any chance of catching him?"
Grissom shook his head. "He'll be in his vehicle and on the highway before you even stand up. Our priority is Sara."
The officer, who Grissom noticed was named Ayden, gasped at seeing the horrendous knife wound in Sara's back. "Oh, my God. I think it may have punctured her heart!"
Grissom hadn't seen her would, and when he hand brushed over it and her blood seeped onto his fingers, a sob escaped his mouth. He pulled his now reddened hand to his eyes, staring at it.
This was Sara's blood.
He put his clean hand to his eyes to hide the oncoming tears.
After many painful minutes passed, a siren and red flashing lights approached. Grissom was reluctant to let them take Sara, knowing that since he wasn't family, he couldn't go with her, but he gave her up. They strapped her to a stretcher and went to work while loading her into the back through the bakery truck doors. The ambulance took off, and all went quiet.
Grissom turned at looked at Ayden, who in turn gave him an apologetic look. He ran to into his car, past the bystanders, and put the key in the ignition.
TBC