Chapter 3

At shift the next day everyone noticed a change in Sara's mood.

"You OK?" Nick asked.

"100% I would say," she said, smiling at Gil.

Gil blushed, "Most definitely."

Catherine chuckled, she caught on just a little faster then the fellas did.

Gil cleared his throat, "Um, let's get to work."

Sara smiled as she took her assignment, "Come on Cath. We have a 419."

Nick took his too, "It's good to have the OLD Sara back."

Gil nodded then smiled, "In more then one way," he said to himself.

Gil picked up his case and headed for the door, Jim walked in.

"We have another one," he said, handing Gil a piece of paper. "36 year old female found raped and choked in a cheap hotel room. Same smiley face picture tossed on her body."

"Damn," Gil whispered.

One his way to the scene Gil kept running the case over in his head. How could they have this much evidence and not be any closer then they were when the first body was found.

More then one time Jim had told Gil that they needed a picture of him. "She is the only one that survived the attack," Jim said.

"Sara can't remember," Gil had told him.

The physiologist had told Gil that, thankfully, most of the attack had been blocked - filtered from her mind, Sara remembered nothing.

In the car on their way to the 419 Sara said something to Catherine that took her by surprise.

"I want to try hypnosis, to see if I can remember what he looks like. If we have a face it may help," Sara said.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Catherine said, "Yes, his face will come back but so may a lot of other memories that would be better left buried."

Sara chuckled, "Gil's answer - word for word. But I want to, I feel like I have to. It is the only way to stop him."

Catherine looked at her.

"His prints and DNA are not in any system, all we have is his face," Sara said, "I just don't know how to convince Gil that it is a good idea."

Catherine laughed, "That's because he is thinking like a husband. You have to get him thinking like a CSI."

"Hum, that may be the right way to approach it," Sara said, getting out the car, "But how do I do that?"

Later on that evening Sara was sitting in the break room, her mind deep in thought. "I could just do it and not tell him," she thought, "But that is not how we do things, we always talk about everything." Sara drew on every bit of courage and walked into his office.

Deciding to set the stage Sara said, "Grissom, I need to talk to you."

GRISSOM was how she addressed him when it was work related.

Gil sat down the paper he was reading, "All ears."

"If it was any one but me that survived the attack you would encourage her to do everything possible to help find her attacker," Sara said.

Gil just looked at her, he knew where this was going and he knew he liked it. "Perhaps," he said, trying to evade her line of thought.

"PERHAPS!" Sara said, "Grissom, I know you would. I have seen you stand at the bedside of a rape victim telling her the only way to catch him was to identify him. I seen you trace down the husband of a different victim telling him that his wife had to testify to bring her attacker to justice."

"Yes, but ….." Gil said.

"But nothing, Grissom," Sara said, "This man's face is locked in my head and we need it to catch him. We owe it to the other ladies who were not as lucky as me - The dead can't speak for themselves or so you are always saying."

Gil tried to come up with a good argument but couldn't, he knew she was right. "I want to be with you," he said.

Sara smiled and tenderly stroked his face, "I couldn't do it with out you."

Reluctantly he sat up the appointment.

The next day Sara sat across from Rex Ball, a hypnotist that the LVPD had used several times before and a close friend of Gil's. Sara told him what she wanted to do.

"It can be done," Rex told her, "But it may also open up some things you don't want to remember. The mind is a fragile organ."

"I'm willing to take that chance," Sara told him.

"Then let's get to it," Rex said.

Sara sat down, drew in a breath and said, "Lets."

Gil had told Rex of his fear that this could have on her and Rex assured him that he would do everything possible for it not to happen.

**** I must admit that I know nothing about hypnotism or how it works, so please excuse the mistakes. Trish J ***************

Rex started talking to Sara in a smooth even voice, within minutes she was deep under:

REX: Sara, go back to that day. Tell me when was the first time you

seen his face.

SARA: I had just come out of the supermarket. Out of the corner

of my eye I seen a red pickup, behind the wheel I could

see a man.

REX: Tell me about the truck.

SARA: Red Chevy Silverado. There was a personalized plate on the

front, a picture of a deer standing by a creek.

It went past me then circled back again.

REX: Do you remember any of the license number?

SARA: A-E-G. I thought it funny because it's the baby's initials.

REX: Sara, you are now in the hotel room but all I want you to see is

his face. He can't hurt you, just concentrate on his face.

Sara's body trembled, tears started to flow from her eyes. Gil had to stop himself from going to her and comforting her.

SARA: Gil? Gil, please, I'm so scared!

REX: Gil is standing next to you, he just took you in his arms, the

man can't hurt you.

SARA: I see it clear, I see his face.

REX: Every time you see his face it will be behind bars, he's

locked away where he can't hurt you ever again.

Sara, when I count to three you will wake you, you will

remember nothing about that day except the mans face.

1.…2.….3.

Sara opened her eyes, "I can see it." Sara started crying and Gil went to her, wrapping her in his arms.

"Are you ready?," Gil asked.

Sara nodded her head, "Let's do it."

Their next stop was a police artist who proceeded to sketch the face of the man who had attacked Sara.

"Mrs. Grissom," Billy said, "Is this the man that attacked you."

Sara looked at the picture, tears fell as she said, "Yes."

Gil kissed her, "I'm so proud of you."

Tears were falling from her face, "Let's get this out so we can catch the bastard."

"I'm on it," Jim said, taking the picture from the man.

In record time there was a BOLO out for the man and his truck. Just as quickly Nick was on the computer matching DMV photos with owners of Red Chevy Silverado with A-E-G in the plate.

"We'll have him in no time," Catherine tried to convince Sara.

"Let's hope," Sara said, walking out the door, "Tell Gil I'm going home, please."

Sara stopped at the sitters and picked up Amy and headed for the house, right now all she wanted was to be with her little girl, the rest of the world would have to wait.

"It's just Mommy and Amy time, right," Sara said at the laughing little girl that was chasing a butterfly on very shaky legs. Sara smiled, Amy had learned to walk just a few weeks ago, at a eighteen months Amy was already starting to prove that she was her father's girl - bugs and butterflies.

Sara called to Hank, "Let's take a walk. Amy, come here, you and I am going to take Hank for a walk now, then how about a picnic in the back yard?"

Amy Elizabeth smiled and ran to her mother, "Yeahhh!"

Sara picked up Amy and called Hank, then she went into the kitchen and fixed a picnic lunch. Out in the back yard Sara lay a blanket and set up their fruit, sandwiches, veggies and drinks. Sara heard a noise, raising her head she seen a doe and her fawn.

"Look," Sara whispered, pointing to the deer.

"Baby?" Amy squealed with glee.

After they ate Sara lay on the blanket, Amy, nestling next to her, soon fell asleep. Sara turned her head toward her child, kissing her she smiled to herself.

"You are truly a miracle," Sara said, closing her eyes.

Once again she heard a noise, opening her eyes she found herself staring into the eyes of her husband.

"Hi," he said.

Sara smiled.

"I called for you," he said laying next to her, "When I noticed that the back door was open I thought that this was where you had disappeared to.

Sara lay her head on his shoulder, neither spoke.

A little later Amy opened her eyes and sat up, "Daddy."

"Hi Butterfly," Gil said, as Amy jumped on him.

Gil picked up Amy as Sara gathered the blanket and picnic basket, calling Hank they started back to the house.

"There is something I want to talk to you about," Sara said, setting everything in the kitchen.

"All ears," Gil said, putting Amy on the floor.

"I want to give Amy a baby brother," Sara said.

Gil looked at her, "I would love to but….."

"I know," Sara said, "We had a lot of complications with Amy. After the attack you know I went to see Dr. Davis - you know to make sure that…" Sara's voice faded off, one of her main concerns after the rape was a pregnancy.

"I know," Gil said, taking her in his arms, "But it didn't."

Sara kissed him, "While I was there I asked her about the possibility of a second child. Sharon said that, of course there was no way she could guarantee it would not happen again, but she also said that it may not."

"I just don't want to lose you," Gil said, "We will talk to Sharon together before we decide."

Sara hugged him, "I love you."