A/N: Thanks for all the positive comments. Your reviews help me update with enthusiasm. Sofia will return in the next chapter because these two wouldn't stop whispering in my ear about what happened next. Thanks for staying with this story. You are terrific! -Kathy

Grissom unlocked the front door and stepped into Sara's dimly lit apartment. He turned around to close and lock the door quietly. Coming back around he was startled to find himself face to face with an angry Doc Robbins.

"You never learn do you?" snarled the coroner quietly.

"I don't have time for his now, Al" hissed Grissom. "I need to see Sara."

The doctor blocked his path. Moving into his personal space, he bit back, "I don't think that would be a good idea right now."

Panic seized him. Grissom's angry, dismissive demeanor was immediately replaced with a look of worried concern. "Sara?..." he breathed as his eyes flew from Doc to Sara's bedroom door.

A tiny slice of guilt tugged at Al's conscience. He should have realized the worry his comment would cause. But he had been angry at the CSI for the way he left, and he had paced furiously for the last hour waiting to see if Gil would even return.

He had been so sure Gil was going to flee from the commitment that was going to be required of him if Sara was truly to get her life back on track. He had wanted him to feel a tenth of the torment she had endured at his hands. Gil had pulled her in and pushed her away so many times that even the lab techs who were not intimately involved with them had gossiped about his erratic behavior towards her.

There needed to be a consequence for his running away. Those comments were aimed at making Gil worried, a verbal slap across the face to really get his attention this time.

However, now standing face to face with this anxious soul, he felt compelled to put his friend at ease. Doc sighed, momentarily casting his glance away from Grissom.

He said quietly, "She's sleeping, Gil. It was a hard session. I didn't give her any meds, but she should be out for quite a while."

Anger returned to Grissom's features. "Well, it didn't need to be!"

He stepped forward, almost knocking into the doctor's crutch.

"I told you she was fine! No useful purpose was served by your…inquisition…other than to upset her when she is still recuperating!"

Grissom was unprepared for the heavy artillery the doctor was about to wield in his direction.

"Upset her?! It wasn't me who would upset her today by doing the only thing that seems to come naturally to you – running away when she needs you most!" He took a breath to compose himself.

His words were almost whispers, dripping with disdain. "What do you think you are doing here, Grissom? Is this some kind of sick game for you?" Grissom reacted to this by narrowing his eyes and tightening his fists.

Doc was actively opening and closing his own tightly clenched fists, restraining his emotions to keep from decking this man and knocking those rolling eyes right out of his head.

"It's like…a bizarre form of…human Hangman – she guesses the right letter to keep your attention and you let her play for a while, then she randomly guesses a letter you don't want in your well-ordered life and you push her away…to put another bit of the gallows together for her?"

It was getting difficult to breathe, but he needed to finish his tirade.

"Well, let me tell you something Doctor Grissom, she is at the end of her rope!"

This comment made the shocked criminalist wince.

The metaphor had hit home. He had found Sara literally so deep in despair she wanted to end it all.

He had heard it and seen it.

Lady G. had told him in their Better Place.

And he found he still wondered about the rescue at the seashore.

Sara…give me time to make it better.

Gil found his anger returning full force, much of it targeted back onto his own past actions and inaction towards Sara.

There was a long silence as the two men glared into the depths of each other's eyes. This stalemate would have continued if it were not for the faint feminine voice in the background.

"Please…what is going on between you two?"

Gil broke the stare-down, and began to step forward, but his movements were suddenly thwarted by a well-placed crutch.

While his gaze remained on Grissom, Doc Robbins said pointedly, attempting to hide the emotion in his voice, "Sara, why don't you go back and lay down for a bit? We will be in to see you shortly."

Sara just stood there taking in the view. She spotted the red light blinking on the answering machine. Gingerly moving towards it, Grissom spoke tersely, "Leave it Sara…I…I…just left you a message to tell you I was leaving…for a while…and…"

Her gaze stopped him in his track. She braced her hands on either side of the machine as she depressed the memo button. She listened to him attempting to hide the agitation in his voice:

"Sara…I…..couldn't stay any longer…I….I….think….Sara, we need to talk….I will be back later…uh…get some rest, ok?….and Sara…take care of yourself…"

The coroner bristled as Grissom pleaded with her, "Sara…please honey…look at me…"

It took her a while to turn to face him, obviously trying to compose herself to hide her disappointment.

"I'm fine."

She turned to Doc. "I think I will go lie down for awhile."

Sara gulped back the knot in her throat and mustered a weak smile. "Grissom, um, thank you…it was good of you to come back, but I am okay now. I'll…be out for the rest of the week and …I'll see you…later…"

Gil prepared to rush to her, but he was body blocked by the coroner. Furious, he grabbed the doctor by his shoulders, attempting to remove the obstacle in his path without injuring him. The two tangled until they heard a frantic scream from the other side of the room.

"Stop it! STOP IT!...I won't have you at each other!…I know it is because of me!" Sara was becoming lightheaded. Doc noticed the change in her condition immediately.

"I can't do this…be the cause of this!" It had been two days without a substantial meal. Her blood sugar was low. The excitement, compounded by her weakened state, was causing a sharp drop in blood pressure.

"Just go home! Both of you!" She noticed a few fuzzy dots in front of her eyes. Gil's training alerted him to the change in the strength and volume of her voice. "Sara!"

They both had left their positions from the doorway as she uttered her last weakened plea.

"I don't need you…either of you…I'm…fine…..just…go……just…" she felt the darkness overtaking her. She would have plummeted to the ground had Gil's strong arms not been there to support her beneath the knees and shoulders.

He lifted her gently, moved to sit on the couch, holding her in his arms with her legs sprawled out over his lap. Doc was there assessing her condition.

He raised his eyes to Grissom briefly, before searching for something to raise her legs. Doc spied the balled up quilt in the corner of the room and crutches clicked as he dashed to retrieve it.

All the while, Gil was holding her tightly to him, pleading softly with her to come back to him. He found himself using the same words he had spoken so lovingly before the start of all the hell she had endured today. They were truths to him now. His heart pleaded with her, as his voice soothed over and over:

"Sara…I love you.

Sara…you're safe.

Sara…it's ok, honey.

Sara…I have you.

Sara…I will never leave you.

Sara…you are everything to me.

Sara…I want you with me always.

Sara…honey, please wake up."

Once again, the doctor stood and observed the scene. It should have squelched the doubts he had about Gil's sincerity. But a sliver of concern made his next statement sting.

"Words are great, Gil. But actions speak louder."

Grissom's gaze flew from Sara's face to angrily settle on Doc's. Through gritted teeth, he spoke:

"I mean every word. I do love her. And the hell with you if you think I have to prove it to you!"

The staring contest resumed, both men adamantly resolved to protect Sara from the designs of the other. It might have gone on longer, except for Sara's low moan and slight movement.

"Sara!" Gil said softly, holding her to him.

"Sara, look at me," the doctor intoned at the same time.

For a moment, he wondered if Gil would release her and allow him to examine her. But his friend was so concerned about Sara that he instinctively gave her over to the doctor's capable hands.

Having finished a quick check, he sat on the coffee table and waited for Sara's grogginess to dissipate before speaking. All the while, Gil held her in a secure grip while Doc refused to relinquish her hand.

All the attention made Sara claustrophobic and she became combative, fighting off their concern by flailing her arms and legs and shouting repeatedly,

"Let go of me!"

As she started to struggle in earnest, she found herself being pulled back to the darkness. She hated this feeling. What is wrong with me?

The two men who cared for her deeply noticed the changes also. They began in tandem to reassure her and get her to calm down.

When she voluntarily stilled her movements, Doc set about to check her vitals somewhat frantically.

Observing the doctor's concern made Gil react by clenching her tightly and running his hand through her hair in an attempt to calm her.

Doc Robbins sighed, knowing the reception his next statement would receive.

"Sara, I think it might be best to get you to a hospital for a few days…to stabilize your condition."

Those words made Sara lay perfectly still.

Her thoughts envisioned an admit slip with the diagnosis of DEPRESSION.

Her mind's folly saw all kinds of doctors prodding and invading her personal space.

No. She knew she wouldn't be able to endure it.

They would give her drugs and make her take them against her will.

No. She would lose her control. She needed to maintain control of her life, or …it would happen again. Someone would violate her again!

The nightmares would have free rein without her control intact.

No.

NO!

"NO!" she screamed forcefully, the stark terror evident in her pleading brown eyes.

"Sara," Doc began gently, trying to take hold of her hand only to find her slapping at his attempts in an uncharacteristically hysterical fashion.

"SARA!" Doc said sternly as tried again to gain control of the situation.

Sara turned her face to Grissom, pleading with him.

"Gil, please…no hospitals…please…help me…please...save me…"

He had heard these words from her nightmare. He remembered his promise:

"I will never knowingly do anything to hurt you,

and that includes going against your wishes.

That is my promise."

"Honey, relax. It's ok. You are not going anywhere you don't want to go", he cooed softly into her hair. She relaxed against him.

He returned the angry glare coming from the coroner. But before Doc could utter another word, Gil deftly had maneuvered them to a standing position. And without a word, while Sara burrowed herself into the safety of his arms, he made his way towards the door.

Stunned, Doc could only watch as they moved through the now-opened doorway. He sighed as he continued to watch the empty space of the doorway. After a few moments, he turned to view the scene around him. What had just happened here?

With a small crooked smile, Doc moved towards the answering machine. He stared at the blinking red light for a long moment, remembering the hurt in Sara's eyes as she finished listening to Grissom's message. I'll protect you, Sara,…from Grissom himself if need be. This is not over, Grissom! Make your moves wisely from now on…"

And with that, he hit the Memo button, following the instructions to delete the current message. The red light removed itself from the display.

And the doctor removed himself from the apartment, still anxious about what would happen to Sara. He tiredly headed home, looking forward to hugging and loving his waiting wife.