Thanks for the feedback from the last chapter, I sincerely appreciate it. I'll post the next couple of chapters this week since I only need to tweak them, and future chapters not long after that. Thanks for reading!

Grissom made it to the lab 5 minutes before Sara, who was trailing a safe distance behind him in her Prius. It was just another one of the ways they tried to hide the relationship. The two of them were getting very good at lying, which wasn't necessarily what either of them wanted. They weren't ready to make the big reveal yet, though. It wasn't the right time.

As soon as Grissom pulled in, Jim Brass cornered him before he could even get out of the car.

"Gil, there's a few things I didn't tell you on the phone. I didn't want to...interrupt your evening."

Gil scoffed. "What is it, Jim?"

"Well, we're going to have to let the press know about this eventually, and I wanted you to know because it's going to get ugly. John Hawthorne, well, he had some secrets. His wife? She's someone we both happen to know."

"Spit it out, Jim. Just tell me."

"Okay then, it's Lady Heather."

Gil just stared at him, mouth unattractively open wide.

After taking a second to regain his composure, he said, "And I take it this marriage was of...a private nature?"

Jim nodded. "A few close friends and people on the team know he's married, but he tries to keep it as secret as possible. They just got married 5 months ago. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that the man was kinky. How kinky, we're not sure, and we don't particularly want the press to know, either. He has a reputation for being a good, family-oriented guy, and if something like this were to get out...he's toast."

Sara had made her way to the lab and into the conversation. Jim gave her a brief rundown, and Sara inquired as to who the wife was. Jim gave a sideways glance to Gil, who nodded his head slightly. She had to know. And he was going to have a very long night ahead.

"Her name is Heather Kessler. She's been--"

"You mean Lady Heather? She's back again? How terrible, she just lost her daughter and now maybe her husband, too. I bet she's heartbroken."

Grissom tried to contain his surprise. He didn't think Sara knew who Heather was, much less have any sympathy for her. Sara still had the ability to shock him, after all these years. That was something he loved about her. One of many things.

"That's the one," Jim said. "It's not looking good for the husband, either."

Grissom and Sara walked into his office, where Catherine, Nick and Warrick were waiting.

"Okay, Cath, give me an update."

"Well, John Hawthorne was kidnapped outside of his office at Viper Stadium. They do have parking lot surveillance, and the tape is on its way over here now. Heather is waiting for you to talk to her," and here Catherine raised her eyebrows just the slightest bit, "and that's about it for now."

"Is there a ransom note?" Sara asked.

"No, no note. I don't think he was taken for the money. I think this was some kind of revenge--"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Grissom was quick to say. "For now, Sara and Nick, process the kidnapping scene. Warrick, stick around and wait for the tape. You and Archie go over every second of that tape. Catherine, go to--ahem--the dominion and talk to the girls there, see if they have any idea what happened. Um, where's Greg?" He asked, finally noticing the young CSI wasn't in attendance.

"Smash and grab on the strip," Catherine replied. "He'll be back soon."

"Ah. Well, we'll figure something out for him later, I guess." He looked at his team, trying not to rest his eyes on Sara. He really did enjoy looking at her, always had.

"So that's it. Let's get started. Be subtle, don't cause a scene, and let's find this guy."

As the team exited Grissom's office, Sara subtly brushed her fingers along his arm on his way out of the office, and he smiled at her back.

But his smile didn't last long. Heather had asked specifically for him, and this made him nervous. He was bordering on conflict of interest, and he wasn't even entirely sure he should be talking to her at all. Especially since just a year ago, he had to stop her from whipping her daughter's murderer to death. After he caught her whip in mid-air, he called for back up. In those brief minutes before they came to take her and Leon Sneller, covered in blood from the whipping he endured, away, Gil let Heather cry on his shoulder. She sought comfort in his arms, and he gave it to her the best he could. His relationship with Sara was in the beginning stages at that time, and he wasn't sure what he would do if Heather wanted more than comfort. He didn't have to find out, because she was hauled away in a police car soon after. She stared at him with her piercing, heartbroken eyes until the cruiser drove away.

Leon Sneller didn't press any charges, he was so completely terrified of this woman. Gil watched her walk out of the station, completely disheartened, completely broken. And his heart hurt for her. He wanted...something...back then. He wondered if he should offer to take her home. He wondered a lot of things that night. Nothing could make him stop loving Sara, but Gil Grissom couldn't say no to a woman in distress. It was one of his flaws.

He didn't make the offer. They went their separate ways, and now he and Sara were living together, and he still felt like he had this secret in his heart. It was one of the few things he never shared with Sara, and one of the few things he didn't want to.

Grissom slowly walked to the interrogation room where Heather was waiting. He found Jim standing outside the door, waiting for him.

"Jim, Leon Sneller hasn't gotten out of prison, right?"

"No, no, he's in there for a while, no parole. We already checked. He's there, making license plates like the rest of them."

"Okay. Let's get started, then."

Jim sighed. "She just wants you, Gil. And you know her, she's very...persuasive."

"Tell me about it," he muttered, before he walked into what was waiting for him.