Chapter 8


Saturday December 25th, 2004
11:57 p.m.
LV Crime Lab Break Room

"Now you aren't going to forget us right?" Greg asked with a grin as everyone gathered together.

"Grego, she's probably desperate to get away from us," Warrick laughed.

"That would be a no Greg and no Warrick," replied Jessica with a smile. "It's actually nice to finally have faces to the names I've known for years."

"Are we as good looking as she always said we were?" Nick asked with a laugh.

"Do you people mind! I'm trying to take a picture here!" Archie grumbled as he lowered the camera and glared at the group.

"I think Archie is debating killing us..." Catherine mused with a smile. "Come on, we better shape up and get this done before he sics Jacqui on us."

"Yeah yeah yeah. All right people, squeeze together," Warrick instructed as he wrapped an arm around Catherine's shoulders. Next to Catherine was Grissom, and sitting in front of the three were Nick and Jessica, Jessica leaning more on Greg, who was stretched out across her and Nick's laps, his feet on Nick's lap mind you, and sitting up with an arm wrapped around Jessica like she was his lifeline.

"Say Humus!" Greg spoke up and everyone complied as the rest of the group started cracking up. Archie took the picture before he doubled over as he laughed as well.

"Oh and Greg, if you think this will get me to go out with you...forget it," Jessica informed him as she pushed Greg off her lap and onto the floor.

"Oh no," Greg began bringing his hand to his heart as if in pain. "Oh I'll never love again!" he cried dramatically.

"That's fine and dandy, but get your feet off my lap," Nick answered as he pushed the offending appendages off.

"Listen you guys, you've been great and everything but if I want to catch my flight I really gotta book," commented Jessica as she quickly collected her purse.

"I'll send you copies of the pics soon as their developed," Archie spoke with a smile.

"Thanks Archie," replied Jessica as she headed for the door, stopping at the door and turning back to face the group. "Oh and Grissom, if this guy should pop up again you know where to find me and how to reach me."

"Of course," Grissom replied with a smile. "Have a good flight Jessica. And thank you."

"Yeah, have a good flight girl," Warrick continued placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks guys," replied Jessica, waving to everyone as she made her way from the break room and out of the building towards her car. "Damn it," swore Jessica halfway to the airport before turning around and returning to the lab, when she realized she had forgotten her cell phone in the break room. She got out of the car and quickly made her way back inside, cursing herself because she had been cutting it close to begin with and now with having to go back, she risked missing her flight altogether. Her cell phone was right where she left it on the table. She was startled when the phone started ringing the minute she picked it up. Looking at the number of the incoming call she grew concerned when the name and number were not displayed. "Hello?"

"Jyn…"

"Sara?" Jessica asked surprised and concerned as she heard the tone of her best friend's voice.

"Look, can you get everyone to Grissom's office in say five minutes?" Sara responded.

Jessica frowned. "Sara I don't know…can you give me a bit longer?"

"Please."

Stopping mid-step as she heard the pleading in her friend's voice Jessica suddenly became very afraid. Sara never begged…not in the nineteen years they had known each other… "All right, I'll do whatever I have to…Sara what's wrong?"

"Just get everyone there." Sara's quick reply whispered across the line before Jessica heard the dial tone. Bringing the phone down from her ear she stared at it for a moment before pressing the 'end' button. Heading to her speed dial she hit the first number on the list.

"Grissom?"

"Hey, it's Harrison. Sara just called me, she wants everyone in your office, five minutes."

"Jessica…that isn't exactly physically possible…" Grissom began over the line, though she could practically hear the wheels turning in his mind.

"Yeah I know, but she begged Grissom," Jessica replied figuring she may as well start with the big guns.

"I'll be there, you call Cath and Greg."

Hanging up she shook her head before dialing Catherine's number, after having practically the same conversation she dialed Greg's number. After having the same conversation a third time she turned and headed down the hall towards Grissom's office.

/-/What the hell is going on Sara? You disappear for months on end with no contact with anyone, save the letters you left us when you first disappeared and now you call me? And why were you begging? You never beg, ever, so what is going on with you that would cause you to act so out of character.../-/ Jessica thought desperately as she paced outside Grissom's office.

"Jessica?" Grissom's voice caught her attention as she looked up to find not only him, but Catherine, Greg, Nick, and Warrick all heading down the hall towards her. Grissom being the closest, Catherine had just been joined by Greg and Nick, and Warrick was running to catch up.

Jessica stepped back to let Grissom open the door, just as his phone began to ring. Without even stopping to take the keys out he rushed towards the phone. "Sara?"

Jessica glanced back at the others before taking the keys out of the door as she moved to join him. Glancing up at him as she heard what sounded like Sara nearly crying hysterically through the phone, she became even more concerned than she was when Sara first said her name.

"Sara…Sara where are you? Sara…Sara wait…" Grissom tried to interject as the others rushed into the room, Catherine shutting and locking the door behind her before they crowded around the table. "All right, all right. I'm putting you on speaker," he continued a moment later as he reached down to hit the button. "Sara, we're all here," he continued once the phone was on speaker and they could all hear her crying with a radio in the background.

"Oh God…oh God, I should have done this before…"

"Sara, Sweetie please talk to us," Jessica tried as everyone glanced at each other in concern.

"I shouldn't have left…I shouldn't have gone without telling you…but I couldn't face the truth, the possibility, my damn past…" Sara continued as she started choking, an obvious sign she had been crying for quite some time. Finally getting her breath she continued, "Oh God, oh God forgive me…" she whispered.

"Sara Sunshine Marie Danny Patalli, breathe Chica Marie," Jessica spoke softly as everyone turned to look at her like she had lost her mind. Ignoring them she leaned over the desk to be closer to the phone. Hearing Sara take a deep breath she smiled. "Come on Chica Marie, one more. Don't make me find you and throw you to Peter and the rest of the nuts that run the lab back in Frisco, we both know they'd be shoving meat down you faster than you could threaten their manhood," she continued with a smirk as she heard Sara giggle slightly. "That's my girl, now talk to me. No one else is here, tell me what's going on," she continued as she glanced up at the others. Nick and Greg were both looking at her, easily able to tell that they wanted to ask questions about whatever the hell she was going on about, while Grissom was watching her with a bit of a smile and an admiring look.

"I think I know who he is," Sara's whisper gathered her, and the others' attention once more.

"Birchwood?" Jessica asked softly.

"Birchwood…God I shouldn't have run, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't face what happened. And I thought that I had to be wrong, it had to be a coincidence of the worst kind; that the universe was deciding to make my life hell…I shouldn't have done it…those women…oh God, what have I done…."

"Sara…Sara, it's not your fault, whatever happened it's not your fault," Jessica hurried to assure her as she heard Sara's voice taking on that slight hysterical tone once more.

"But it is…if I'm right…I could have stopped this all years ago..." Sara whispered. "You have my blood on file, run it against the DNA."

"What?" Greg asked in shock before the others could even speak.

"Do it…God knows I hope I'm wrong…but you have to try," she whispered before everything became dead silent other than the music in the background. "Turn the phone off on your end," Sara ordered suddenly.

"What?" Grissom asked sitting up.

"Just do it, whatever you hear, don't say a word…promise me."

"Sara…" Grissom and Jessica began in unison.

"Promise me!" she ordered as they looked up at each other.

"Promise," Jessica whispered as Grissom hit the button that would keep anything they said from going over the line to hear.

"What do you think is going on?" Catherine asked after a few moments before they heard a whoosh.

"She just put the phone in a bag," Greg spoke up knowing that sound.

"Damn, damn, damn." Sara's whispered voice came more muffled than before, and then they heard a door bang open.

"Hello Sara, it's been a long time."

"John?" Sara asked in shock as they heard someone moving around. "Look just stay away from me," she continued in a rush.

"Sara Sara Sara…you know me better than that. I haven't been looking for you all these years to just 'stay away from you'," the man continued.

"Please John…" Sara asked softly.

"Now look Sara…I haven't been looking for you for the past fifteen years for you to pull this now," they heard him growl before hearing Sara gasp.

"John…I'll do whatever you say…just…put the gun down…please," Sara pleaded as they heard two people moving, two distinct sounds of steps.

"Are you going to be a good girl?" John asked before they heard the sound of something or someone hitting the wall lightly.

"I think she just backed up into the wall," Greg whispered.

"John please…just put the gun down…Please," Sara begged as she started to whimper.

"Sara, stop that!" John ordered causing her to only whimper more. "Sara! Stop that! NOW!"

"Greg, go tell them to run a trace on my phone," Grissom ordered.

"Gone," Greg replied as he stood and rushed over to the door, only to fight with the handle as it wouldn't open until Catherine stood and rushed over. Unlocking the door she opened it for him.

"Oops," he spoke before taking off down the hall. Catherine shook her head before hurrying back to the others.

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please…" Sara started to beg, repeating herself over and over, each plea becoming more desperate.

"Damn it Sara!" John yelled as they heard the sound of skin striking skin, before they heard a loud thump.

Seconds later they heard a grunt and a few moments later the door opening and closing. Minutes later they heard the door open again. "All right, her purse. God knows she's probably going to need that for some reason." John's voice spoke before they heard everything gain a bit of static. Hearing the door shut again and the sound of the radio disappear they realized she must have dropped the phone in her purse. Moments later they heard a car door shut before the engine started. "Sara…come on Sara time to rise and shine," John spoke as they heard the car moving. "Sara! Wake up!" he growled before they heard the sound of what had to be him tapping her cheek.

"What?" Sara asked before they heard the sound of something moving against fabric. "Oh God, it wasn't a dream…" she continued before they heard the sound of struggles.

"It's not worth it Sara girl. You know as well as I do that no one can tie a knot like me…Well except you perhaps," John spoke as Greg came into the room.

"It's up, running now…" he spoke before someone shushed him.

"Why are you doing this?" Sara whispered.

"You know the answer to that my Sarai," John replied. "You remember why you are my Sarai don't you?" he asked. After a few minutes of silence they heard the sound of a slap before a thunk against the window. "Answer me Sarai."

"Sarai was the wife of Abram," Sara began after a beat. "Abram the son of Terah. And the Lord said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go into the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you.' And so Abram left, taking his beloved wife Sarai. And Sarai followed him, because she was his wife, and she would follow wherever he led, and do whatever he said."

"Good good, and what happened when they came to Egypt?"

"When they came to Egypt Abram said to Sarai, 'I know what a beautiful woman you are, when the Egyptians see you, they will say 'This is a his wife' and they will kill me. So say you are my sister and they will treat me well and let us both live.' So Sarai did as he asked, and Pharaoh took her into his palace and he treated Abram well for her sake. And God sought revenge on Pharaoh, and Sarai was returned to her husband."

"And Sarai followed Abram's wishes, she went to Pharaoh and became his wife, why?"

"Because she was his wife, and she would follow him wherever he led, and do whatever he said," Sara replied evenly as the door opened and everyone turned expectantly.

"Grissom, I got bad news. Trace just went down," one of the techs spoke up.

"Get. It. Back," growled Jessica as she started towards the tech, grabbing him by the front of his lab coat and slamming him against the wall. "I don't care what you have to do or what it takes but you get that trace back up or so help me God I will not be held accountable for my actions."

The minute Nick had pried Jessica's hands off the tech, she started fighting against his hold. "Let. Go. Of. Me," she snarled. "I have to find her...I have to..."

"Jessica," Grissom's soft whisper stopped her as he laid a hand on her arm. Looking up at him she saw the same feelings in his eyes before he turned to the tech. "Call the sheriff, get another trace system down here. Now!" Grissom ordered. Before another word could be spoken, the tech ran from the room and they were drawn back to the phone as Sara continued to speak.

"Years past, and God made a promise to Abram, that he would be the father of many nations, and Sarai knowing she had born him no children gave to him her maidservant so he might have the life he was promised. Because she loved him and would do anything for him, including give unto him another to bear him children she could not. And Abram took unto himself Hagar, and she bore him a son called Ishmael. Then God came to Abram, and thus the covenant of Circumcision was formed. And God changed Abram's name to Abraham, and Sarai's to Sarah. And God promised to bless her. And Sarah laughed for she was ninety-years-old. But she followed her husband, for she loved him, and would do anything he asked of her. And God blessed them with a child, Isaac, who would be the father of many nations. And through Isaac God gave to the world his only beloved son."

"That's right, you do remember don't you," John spoke proudly.

"Please…let me go," Sara asked softly.

"Now Sara don't start that again," John growled.

"Please," she whispered before the car stopped.

"Sara, shut up," John growled before a door was thrown open. Moments later they heard the other door open.

"No! Please let me go!" Sara pleaded before they heard another smack.

"Damn it Sara, why are you making me hurt you!" John growled before everything grew quiet and they heard a door open farther away. "Damn bloody girl," John growled a few moments later as they heard him no doubt pick up the purse. Hearing the car door slam they listened as John continued to mumble as he went inside the building and down the hall. He dropped the purse on something and they heard him move a short distance away as he continued to grumble. A few minutes later John finally spoke normally.

"Come on Sara, it's time to wake up again."

"Oh God!" Sara cried as she woke. "Please…please just leave me alone…"

"Sara, stop that…You know it's useless to struggle against the ropes," John ordered and the others finally realized what the sounds of rustling were. Sara was tied up.

"Please don't do this…Please…Oh God, please..." Sara begged as she started to cry. "Please I'll do anything…just don't do this…Please…"

"Sara, Sara, Sara…you are my Sarai. You belong to me," John soothed as Sara only began to cry harder.

"Please don't do this…Please John…Don't do this, please…"

"Shh, it's going to be alright Sara," John soothed.

"Oh my God," Catherine murmured as they heard the sound of a zipper being undone.

"Please…Oh God, please…God have mercy…" Sara continued to cry.

"God always has mercy for those who truly deserve it Sara, you know that," John replied as they heard another zipper being undone.

"Oh dear God…Please don't do this…"

"Stop it Sara!" John yelled as they heard him smack her once more. "Now be a good girl and pray," he ordered softly as they heard the mattress shift and Sara start to cry harder. But still she was able to speak amidst her tears.

"Our Father, Who Art in Heaven…Hallowed be…Thy Name"

"That's not how you pray!" John growled.

Sara choked back a sob before starting to sing as she continued to cry. "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven…Hallowed be…Thy Name…Thy Kingdom…come, Thy will…be Done…"

"Oh God!" Jessica cried as she ran to the window as an ear piercing scream echoed over the phone. Jessica bent over as she tried not to be sick. Turning she fell against the wall as she sunk to the floor as Sara started singing through her tears once more.

"On…earth, as…it is…In…Heaven…Give us…this day…our…daily bread…And forgive us…our debts…as we…forgive…Our…debtors…And lead us not…Into…Temptation…but deliver us…from evil…For thine…is the Kingdom…and the…Power…and the…Glory…forever…Amen…" Sara finished surprisingly being able to hold the note of Amen for quite some time before breaking down into sobs.

"Shhh…shhh it's alright Sara…don't cry," John soothed. "Sing and it will be all better…"

"Sing Sara!" he ordered when she continued to cry.

"Sing what?" she asked finally.

"Power in the Blood," he answered.

"Would…you be free…from the burden…of sin?…There's power…in…the blood…"

"Oh God..." Catherine murmured as she started to sink to the floor, only to be caught by Warrick.

"power in…the blood…Would you over…evil…a victory win?…There's wonderful….Power…in the blood…There is power…Power…wonder working power…In the blood…of the Lamb…There is power…Power…"

"This can't be happening," muttered Nick as he made his way towards where Jessica had curled in on herself against the wall.

"…wonder working power…In the…Precious…blood of the…Lamb…Would you be free…from your passion…and pride?…There's…power in the blood…power in the blood…Come for…a cleansing…to Calvary's tide…"

Greg was the next to react, as he sunk against the wall next to Grissom's door hands clenched as he tried to keep his breathing even.

"…There's wonderful…power in…the blood…There is power…Power…wonder working power…In the blood…of the Lamb…There is power…Power…wonder working power…In the precious…blood…of the Lamb…"

"Shh..." Warrick murmured as he lowered his form to the floor as Catherine started to cry as well. Running a hand soothingly across her hair and back he looked up at the phone, keeping his own emotions in tight check.

"…Would you…be whiter…much whiter…than snow?…There's power…in the blood…power in the blood…Sin stains…are lost…in its life…giving flow…There's wonderful…power in the blood…There is power…Power…wonder working power…"

Nick had managed to pull Jessica close to him as she broke down, glancing up at the others he shook his head as he fought back his own cries, both from hearing what was happening to the woman he thought of as a sister and from the sight of those in the room.

"…In the blood…of the Lamb…There is…power…Power…wonder working…power…In the precious…blood of…the Lamb…Would you…do service…for Jesus…your King?…There's power…in the blood…power…in the blood…Would…You…live daily…"

Grissom was able to keep his reactions tightly sealed under his emotional barriers for only so long. But this was Sara...he would not cry, but his hands were shaking with the effort to not press the button and tell this man...this John exactly what he thought of him, to tell Sara that they were there and going to find her...but he knew they needed more time to run the trace. And if they spoke, John would know and hang up the phone in the very least...if not hurt Sara more than he already had...But oh God...this was his Sara...and it was killing him...

"…His praises…to sing?…There's…wonderful…Power…In…the…blood. There is…Power…Power…wonder working power…In the blood…of the Lamb…There is power…Power…wonder working…power…In the…precious…Blood…of the…Lamb…" Sara trailed off as she simply cried.

"That's my girl," John murmured before they heard the bed shift once more, the unmistakable sound of someone getting up. Moments later they heard the door shut before hearing the bed shift once more as Sara cried harder.

"God save me…Please…please," she begged before the line suddenly went dead.

"No!" Grissom growled as everyone looked up at the phone. Greg scrambled to his feet before fleeing the room as if the devil himself were after him.

Behind him, he left Warrick rocking Catherine softly as she wept. Grissom just stood as he had, but his eyes were filled with more emotions than anyone had seen in him in all the time they had known him...not that they knew, they were too busy dealing with their own emotions. Near the window, Nick tried to comfort Jessica as she sobbed. But nothing seemed to get a reaction out of her, not even when the line went dead. It was as if she never heard it in the first place...

Minutes later, Greg burst back into the room, out of breath but carrying a piece of paper. The others turned to him, except Jessica who was still crying on Nick's shoulder, and waited for him to catch his breath. Before he had truly 'caught' his breath, he spoke anyway. "Trace wasn't exact...but pinpointed to a city...Miami..."

"Miami?" Warrick asked shocked.

"More..." Greg answered before taking a breath. "The phone is registered to an Alicia Rice from the Miami area."


Sunday December 26th, 2004
9:43 a.m.
Miami International Airport

"Catherine Willows."

"Horatio Caine," Catherine replied with a smile as she walked over and shook his hand. "I heard about Speedle, I'm so sorry."

Horatio smiled sadly before nodding. "Thanks. We heard about your girl too. Any news on your end?"

Catherine just shook her head in response before turning to Jessica. "Horatio Caine, this is Jessica Harrison, Jessica, Horatio."

Jessica smiled slightly as she nodded but otherwise remained silent. Horatio returned both gestures as well. "Ms. Harrison, it's a pleasure." She remained silent but nodded once more. "Well, we've been over at Ms. Rice's house; I have my best team working this one. We've found a number of prints, still being run through AFIS. Would you two like to stop at your hotel first or just go to the lab?"

"Can we go to the house?" Jessica asked surprising him, more by talking then the actual question.

Horatio nodded. "Of course. Delko and Calliegh are there now." Jessica smiled in response before heading over a few feet away as her phone rang. Glancing at Catherine he raised an eyebrow in question. "Saw a picture of your girl…are they sisters?"

"Every way except biological," Catherine replied with a sigh. "Best friends for nineteen years. Only person who knows Sara better than Grissom."

"I see, how's she doing?" he asked concerned.

"All of us were hit hard when we heard…" Catherine trailed off. "It hit Griss and Jess hardest. Poor woman…God knows it's hard to listen as someone you know is raped…but your twin basically…"

"We had heard something along the lines about the call…that it was bad, hadn't realized exactly what happened…" Horatio trailed off with a sigh. "Is the machine back up and running?"

"Yes, Grissom made sure that happened ASAP. Gave him an outlet for his anger for a while," Catherine smiled.

"That was Greg," Jessica began as she rejoined them, taking the initiative during a lull in the conversation.

"How is he?" Catherine asked with a smile.

"Good, wanted to make sure we made it okay. Nothing new there and Grissom is the same."

"When we get back, I'm dragging that man out of his office, hog-tying him and throwing him in the car, and locking him in his house for the next twenty-four hours, if I have to board the place up to keep him there," Catherine muttered.

"Something tells me you just might," Horatio chuckled.

Jessica smiled briefly before turning to Horatio, "Shall we?"

"Of course," he replied before they made their way to his vehicle and towards the house. Along the way he told them what he knew about Alicia Elizabeth Rice. 5'9" with green eyes, she had short dark mango hair as one neighbor described the color, mango being a shade of red. She was attending the Miami Maternity Center, training to be a midwife, and lived in Coral Gables, a suburb of Miami. A full time student, she lived on a Pel Grant and welfare. No family; no boyfriend, very few friends. Spent most of her time studying. The friends she did have were classmates and were already being, or had been, interviewed. Last anyone had seen of her had been three days earlier now, the same day Sara called Vegas.

Along the way, Jessica remained silent and Catherine kept up the conversation with Horatio. Finally they arrived at the condo that was the home of Alicia Rice. Moments later, the three met up with Eric and Calliegh. Introductions were made in regards to Jessica before she wandered off without a word. Eric and Calliegh glanced back at Horatio and Catherine and said their own hellos to the woman they had met months before, only then did Eric ask about Jessica as politely as possible of course. Horatio sent him a look before Catherine answered.

"Jessica and Sara are like twins, not just physically. And Jessica is naturally quiet as it is. It's not personal, honestly," she answered them.

Calliegh nodded in understanding before turning to Horatio. "Prints came in, all matches to Ms. Rice's classmates, except one."

"Oh?"

"Prints belong to Sara Sidle," Eric replied, "but no prints belong to Ms. Rice through AFIS. I called the lab, they're comparing Ms. Sidle's prints to the prints Ms. Rice turned into the school."

"Good job Eric," Horatio smiled. "Anything on…"

Catherine looked up as he purposely remained silent and raised an eyebrow.

"We got DNA, but no match in the system," Calliegh replied softly.

"DNA from what?" Jessica asked surprising them. Eric and Calliegh glanced at Horatio who remained silent for a moment.

"We found semen on the bed."

"DNA profile?" Catherine asked after a beat.

"Not yet."

"Anything in regard to contacts?" Jessica asked looking between the three Miami CSIs.

"No prescription, or contacts, but I did find cleaning solution under the bathroom sink," Calliegh replied.

"Contacts make brown eyes green. She probably keeps them in her purse."

"Which would be with her, hence no contacts. And she probably got the contacts in Vegas," Catherine continued on Jessica's point.

"I suspect that the DNA found here will match what we have. I think this 'John' person we heard on the phone is our Birchwood-Night Stalker," sighed Jessica. "What I don't understand though is why Sara?"

"We might not get the answer until we find her unfortunately," Catherine agreed softly.

"I know," agreed Jessica dejectedly. "I just hope we find her in time."

"Perhaps we can move this back to the lab. And maybe we can arrange for a comparison between your Birchwood-Night Stalker's DNA and the DNA that we found," Horatio suggested after a moment.

Everyone agreed and the group moved to the lab. By the time twenty-four hours had passed, Catherine and Jessica found themselves back in Vegas, a bit wiser, a bit sadder.

After dropping their stuff off, they made their way to the lab and met up with the others. Once everyone had coffee and was settled around the familiar table in the case room Jessica sighed softly.

"It was him," Jessica informed them, her eyes on the table.

"Damn," Warrick sighed as he ran a hand over his face wearily.

"You're sure?" questioned Nick.

"Yes. DNA proved it. This John is our Night Stalker," replied Jessica sadly. "And he has Sara."

"There's never been any other cases that match Birchwood-Night Stalker...well John's...MO that we could find," Greg began after a moment. "He's only appeared in San Francisco and here in Vegas...John said that he's been trying to find her for fifteen years...what if that's why he struck as he did."

"He's been following her?" questioned Nick, disbelief in his voice.

"But Sara's been gone for a number of months," pointed out Catherine. "Why was he still collecting victims if she was his reason for doing everything?"

"Me," replied Jessica.

"We all mistook Jess for Sara the first moment we saw her, makes sense even this John might make the same mistake. He has only seen Sara from afar for fifteen years," Greg pointed out carefully.

"But why did he go underground a few months ago? And how did he find Sara? Even we couldn't do that..." Warrick spoke up.

"He probably went underground when he realized the person he was watching was me and not Sara," offered Jessica. "If he's been watching her for fifteen years from afar, my guess is that he may know her somehow but how he found her, I have no idea."

Grissom sat back as he sighed. "I may know the answer to that," he whispered.

"So what might it be?" asked Nick.

Grissom took a heavy breath. "Sara was here."

"What?" cried Jessica as her head whipped up to look at Grissom.

"What do you mean she was here, Griss?" asked Nick

"You're only telling us this now?" demanded Catherine.

Grissom sighed once more as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table as he tented his fingers in front of his face. "I was stopped at a red light on my way back here after the Night Stalker's Victim 58. I looked up and crossing the street right in front of me was Sara. I was shocked and watched as she and a group of women walked into the Mirage. I couldn't stop then and returned here."

"Wasn't that the night you took off last minute?" Catherine asked as she thought back.

"I think we all know why now," Warrick added with a half smirk.

"All right, all right, I admit it I called in, and went to the Mirage at ten," Grissom replied rolling his eyes. "I found out her room thanks to a picture and an observant manager. And I went and knocked on her door."

"And?" Jessica demanded


"Guys I told you, I don't want to go out for a drink," Sara's voice came from the other side of the door before she opened the door and Grissom swallowed.

She was only wearing a towel that ended halfway between her hips and knees.

"Grissom?" Sara's startled voice drew him back to the here and now.

"Hi."

"Hi...um..." she began looking around before sighing. "Do you want to come in for a moment?"

"Yeah. Thanks," he replied as she moved back to let him move past her into the room. Once he was out of the doorway she shut the door and slid the security lock in place.

Grissom spend the first few moments looking around the room, seeing little touches of Sara among the normal standard parts of a hotel room. Her bag resting next to the bathroom, her brush on the counter next to the TV, a robe thrown over the desk chair.

Finally turning he found her still facing the door. "Sara?" he asked softly before seeing her take a deep breath. Turning to him she smiled slightly, a smile that he noticed didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm guessing you must have seen me around town today."

"Yeah, you sort of crossed the street right in front of me," he replied with a smile as she shook her head.

"I knew I shouldn't have let them talk me into this," she muttered as she walked over and picked up her brush, moving to the window she flipped it over and over in her hands. "Anyway...how have you been?" she asked looking up at him.

"Honestly?" he began with a frown. "Terrible. But I'm learning to accept it," he admitted.

"I'm sorry...is it work?" she asked concerned.

"Somewhat...it's other things too," he replied with a half smile. "What about you? God, we've been trying to find you...you're one hard woman to locate, you do know that," he teased softly and she smiled slightly.

"I know how to disappear Griss," she answered as she turned to look out the window. "What are you doing here?" she continued emotionless.

"I had to come see you," he whispered as he took a step closer to her.

"Why?" Sara asked with a laugh.

"Because it's you," he admitted softly. "God Sara...I didn't realize until I lost you... "

"Griss don't..." she began looking up at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Our friendship died a long time ago...neither of us were willing to admit it. Don't use that as an excuse now."

"Who said I was talking about our friendship?"

"Griss...I heard you," she countered as she turned to look at him and he nearly took a step back at the hardness in her eyes.

"Heard me?" he asked confused.

"Laurie, Griss. I heard you with Dr. Laurie," she replied before turning back to the window. "Not that I can blame you...after all, I probably would have done the same thing to you that she did to him...It took me a long time to accept that I am who...what I am. Nothing is going to change that," she continued softly.

"Sara...what I said that day...I was wrong," Grissom began as he moved over to her.

"No you weren't," she replied not turning to look at him.

"Yes I was," he argued as he carefully turned her around to face him. Tilting her chin up to look at him he smiled slightly. "You are worth the risk. I should have realized it long ago."

"No..." she argued as she shook her head.

"Yes you are," he argued back as he caught her head in his hands and brushed the hair from her face. "Do you trust me?" he asked echoing a statement he had made so many years before. But this time she had a chance to answer.

"I've always trusted you," she admitted with barely a whisper. But he heard her still, and smiled.

"Good, cause I've always trusted you too," he replied as he tucked the hair behind one of her ears. "Sara...I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago," he continued a moment later as she glanced up at him.

Watching her eyes he slowly lowered his face before her eyes fluttered shut. Smiling softly he gently pressed his lips to hers. For a moment she seemed unsure as she raised her arms slightly then paused. After another few moments she cautiously raised them to wrap around his neck. Feeling her relax he gently began to tease her lips, kissing her as he often dreamed.

Finally he pulled away enough to look at her. Sara's tongue darted out as she licked her lips before she finally opened her eyes and raised them to his. What he saw made him go back for another kiss. When they finally parted from the second kiss, he gazed down at her to find the passion he felt smoldering in her eyes before she slowly pressed herself against him as she hugged him fiercely. Stepping back a fraction of an inch she raised her lips to his once more, and he was lost.


"And we talked," Grissom replied looking up at her.

"Bull," Jessica snapped as she sat back in her chair. "Why the hell didn't you tell us about this before?"

"Because I didn't want to tell you 'Oh hey guys, guess what happened yesterday? Well I ran into Sara…Oh but sorry to get your hopes up. See she disappeared this morning and there is no way to find her, trust me, I tried'," Grissom snapped lightly before letting his head fall into his hands. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong," he continued softly.

"What happened?" Catherine asked softly.


Grissom rolled over and smiled softly before realizing the other side of the bed was empty. Sitting up he glanced around before his brain actually processed what he was seeing.

Sara wasn't there.

And neither was her stuff.

Getting up he hurried over to the bathroom to find that her things were gone from there too. Moving back into the main room he glanced around before sinking onto the bed. Closing his eyes in defeat he sighed heavily. She was gone…

But maybe he could find her.

Grabbing onto the hope that entered his heart and mind he quickly dressed and grabbed his things. Straightening his hair as best he could with his hands he headed back to the check-in counter to find out any information he could on the room Sara had been in. When he finally got the information his heart fell even more. She had reserved it in her name, giving her residence as her old apartment there in Vegas. And paid in cash. Other than that, the only thing the manager could figure was that she might have been in town for one of the conventions…It was just his luck that there were five different conventions going on that weekend…Each with at least two-hundred people in attendance.


"She disappeared quite frankly. I went to the manger and got the information on her room. There was nothing there that could help locate her. One of the bell boys thought she might have been in town for one of the conventions," Grissom replied to Catherine's question.

"Wait a minute," Greg began thinking back. "There were five different conventions that weekend. It was convention row."

"Exactly. And there was no Sara Sidle listed as a participant in any of them," Grissom replied as he looked up at them. "Look, I know I probably should have told you. But I couldn't see telling you to get your hopes up only to destroy them just as quickly. Especially not with everything else going on with the Night Stalker and such. And I know sorry isn't going to cut it, but it's all I've got," he added as he looked over at Jessica.

She remained silent before visibly grinding her teeth together. Finally nodding slightly he knew that he wasn't forgiven, but she wouldn't make this an issue that would affect the search for Sara. Nodding slightly in response he looked at the others and found them looking at him with some sort of slight smile. They understood…At least they weren't debating killing him…

Everyone remained quiet for some time as they processed all they had learned, and also figure out what might have happened that night that Sara had last been in Vegas. When suddenly Greg sat up.

"Okay so, here's the thing. This dude, he's a creep in the first degree. Been looking for Sara for fifteen years, she obviously knows him, and he knew her long enough to become obsessed with her right? So he follows her, has a weird bible fetish...you know that explains the bibles the last victims were found with..." he mused before shaking his head. "Anyway...we can't find him the normal way. What about looking back at Sara's past. Who knew her fifteen years ago? She would have been what...eighteen then?"

"Umm I hate to point out the obvious here..." Warrick began. "But Jessica knew Sara when she was eighteen. I think she'd have a better knowledge of who Sara knew then than we would..."

"Wait..." Greg spoke up as he hunted for a folder. "I just remembered, I ran Sara's DNA against John's like she asked. With everything going on..." he trailed off as he hunted. "Aha..." he began as he read before looking up at them and pushing the folder towards the center of the table. "She was right, they're related," he continued with a sigh.

"Any family members that disappeared from Sara's life when she was eighteen?" Grissom asked softly.

Jessica frowned as she thought back...


"Sara!" Jessica called as she hopped out of the car in front of the Sidle Bed and Breakfast.

"She's in the tree house Jessica," Sara's mom called from the kitchen window.

Jessica nodded and turned to run towards the tree house that was in the backyard of the Sidle Bed and Breakfast. Finding the ladder rolled up she shrugged and reached for the nearest branch. Pulling herself up she thanked God for the fact that this tree house was not very high up and that a 'balcony' like thing had been built with a step-ladder joining it and the main tree house. And that the balcony was reachable with three strategically placed branches. Truthfully she sucked at tree climbing, but she just had a feeling something was up with her friend.

Pushing the door open at the top of the step-ladder she popped her head in and raised an eyebrow at the older girl. "All right, why in the name of everything decent in the universe did you just make me climb this damn tree?"

"Not now Jess," Sara snapped before turning back to the window as she looked out.

Jessica frowned, even more concerned before she stepped up into the tree house and locked the door behind her. Heading over to the window she placed a hand on Sara's shoulder. "Hey...what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah and I'm the Wizard of Oz," Jessica replied bluntly. "This is me Sar, talk to me..."

"It's nothing alright," Sara snapped as she stood and walked across the room. She flung her small frame against the far wall as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know, I've seen you go through a hell of a lot of stuff. So do you honestly think that this is going to stop me from worrying about you?" Jessica countered as she stood and leant against the wall by the window.

Sara didn't answer and Jessica sighed after a few minutes. "Fine. Be a witch. I'll just call Clair and have her come back and pick me up."

"No," Sara spoke up stopping Jessica mid-step. "Look, I'm being a bitch. I haven't seen you in two weeks. I'm sorry Jess."

"No problem Sar...but what's going on?" Jessica asked with a small sigh.

Sara sighed heavily. "Mom just kicked my uncle out and told him to never come back."

"Your uncle?" Jessica asked confused. "You have an uncle?"

"Yeah." Sara smiled slightly, though it was more a smile almost as if she was expected to smile more than one that she meant. "You know the guy that you ask about once in a while? The one that's always watching me from the upstairs window?"

"Yeah the creepy guy. He's your uncle!" Jessica asked floored. "Man, I thought he was some dude that your parents tolerated because he paid well. So why did your mom kick him out?"

"It's nothing. He was just against me applying for scholarships to go to college."

"Why the hell would he be against you going to college? This is nearly the nineties for crying out loud."

"Yeah, well he's stuck in the 1890's," Sara replied with a smile. "But enough, you're here and I have discovered a new place for us to visit."

"Oh, where's that?" Jessica asked with a smile.

"Fairfield. And Lake Berryessa. You did bring your swim suit like I told you right?" Sara asked as she headed towards the second door and tossed the ladder down.

"Of course," Jessica replied with a grin.


"Well...," thought Jessica. "There was an uncle that her mother threw out of the house around the time she was eighteen. That's the only family member I can think of. I was actually kinda glad that her mother finally threw him out, he gave me the creeps."

"He did? How?" Grissom asked concerned.

"He was always watching her, no matter what we were doing or where we were, he was watching her. Creeped me out," explained Jessica, rubbing her arms as if she was suddenly cold.

"Hmm," Catherine mused. "Well, why don't we see if there is a John Sidle out there in the world...or a John of any sort in her family tree..."

"Gone," Greg spoke up before disappearing out of the room.

"You know, I think I'm starting to like this not having to tell him what to do thing we all got going," Nick mused before Warrick smacked the back of his head.

"Now's not the time," Warrick explained when Nick turned to stare at him with a puppy dog face.

Catherine giggled which caused both men to look at her.

"Oh that's funny is it?" Nick asked glancing at Warrick conspiratorially.

"Well...yeah..." Catherine replied with another giggle.

"Oh payback is mine," Nick answered as he stood and started to stalk towards her. Her attention on Nick, she didn't notice Warrick coming from the other direction.

"What are you doing?" she asked before Nick lunged and started tickling her sides. As she tried to get away Warrick blocked her and helped him out.

Jessica glanced at Grissom who was smirking slightly and she just figured what the hell and gave into her own laughter. Nick looked up from Catherine and smirked. "Oh you think it's funny too do you?" he asked as he started towards her. Catherine took the moment to leap to her feet before Warrick grabbed her around her waist to tickle her sides as she fought to get free, shrieking with laughter.

"Oh no you don't," ordered Jessica, holding her arm out to try to keep Nick at bay.

Nick merely smirked as he lunged at her and picked her up around the waist as she tried to run away. Of course he wasn't expecting her to kick against the wall in her fight to get away, which propelled them back into the chair she had just vacated. After his initial 'oaf' he realized that they were now in the perfect position for him. Keeping one arm around her waist he proceeded to tickle her sides.

Greg returned a number of minutes after he had left to find Warrick tickling Catherine and Jessica in Nick's lap being tickled as well. Grissom was leaning back in his chair watching with a half smile of his own. "Hey! Why wasn't I invited?" he asked with a pout.

"Weren't wanted," Nick answered with a grin causing Greg to pout even more.

"Fine, I'll take my information with me then..." Greg replied turning to the door.

"NO!" cried Jessica as she tried to pry Nick's hands off her sides. "What...what did you find?"

Greg smirked as he looked back at them, leaning against the door frame as Warrick let Catherine go.

"Let her go Nick, we should get back to business," Grissom spoke as he waved Greg in. Jessica stood and waited for Nick to leave her seat before she took it back. Nick and Warrick returned to their own seats and Greg moved back into the room.

"Found an uncle John," Greg began as he set the few papers he had on the table. "John Harwood, brother of Laura Harwood, Sara's mother. John was born in 1952, he and Laura were twins. Trained to be a minister but was rejected by the church. Too...overzealous. Lived in Tamales Bay at his sister's Bed and Breakfast until 1989, then simply disappeared. Nothing on him in the last fifteen years."

"Well, we have a name at least..." Grissom sighed.

"And not much else," Catherine answered with a sad smile.

"Other than a string of victims we can't tie him to," commented Jessica sadly.

"Look, it's been a long day, for you two especially," Grissom began looking at the two women. "Everyone go home, get some rest. We have other cases to work on, and we'll continue looking for anything on John Harwood tomorrow night."

"Works for me," sighed Jessica as she rose from her seat and started towards the door, smacking Nick on the head as she walked by.

Warrick snickered at the look on Nick's face before rising and offering a hand to Catherine. "Night boys," he called as he held the door open for her.