I Need You Now: Chapter 10

A/N: This will probably be my last update on this story for just over a week. I have exams beginning this Tuesday, for a week, so I'll have to concentrate on them.

Hopefully this will keep y'all going until then, and I can come back and finish this off. I actually wrote the end chapter last night, so I just need to write the in between now.

Hope you all enjoy.

-xx

xxx

"Hello there, darlin'. Glad to see you looking a bit brighter than you were yesterday." Nick's southern drawl came from the door of her room.

"Hey, Nicky. Nice to see you." Sara admitted honestly. Sleep had evaded her grasps, although she did try. At least having a visitor would keep her busy.

Her Doctor had visited her only moments ago. Her very first question brought a smile to his lips, wondering when she could go home. She had to stay another night, at least. That she could handle.

"Even nicer to see you, especially now that your famous." He teased, sitting on the bedside next to her. She looked good, better than anyone else would if they had just been brutally attacked. He knew she was one tough cookie. It'd take more than some jumped up scumbag to take her out of the game.

"Famous, huh?" She asked with an arched eyebrow, clearly indicating she didn't understand what he was saying.

"You haven't seen yet?" When she didn't answer, he continued on. "You're all over the news, Sar. Brave CSI beats stabber."

A long sigh left Sara's lips, pulling a groan from her. "Great. Just what I wanted."

"Hey, I know you're a private girl, but I think you deserve it. You're a tough cookie, kid. You work hard, and got the better of some bastard.." He trailed off. It wasn't like him to curse, but it was appropiate. Sara was his best friend, like a sister to him. The thought of someone hurting her like this made his blood boil.

"What else did they say.. About him?" She didn't want to hear anymore about herself. she cringed at the thought, of people who know her, watching the news and seeing what she had been through. She wasn't the type who liked to share every detail of what she had been through, and this was exactly why. She could see the way Nick was looking at her, as if she might disappear, being careful not to so much as breathe too heavily on her, as if he might break her. She couldn't deal with that.

"Well, they said that police have taken an interview from you, and from the man who phoned the police, and with both descriptions, a forensic artist has drawn a profile and handed it out. There was five miles between where you were attacked, and where your cell and purse was found, so Cadets are doing a walk about, to see if anyone recognises him." It could work, Nick was hopeful.

Sara nodded slowly, taking it all in. She wondered how she would feel if they caught him, got him behind bars. Would she feel relieved? She was a woman trianed in self defence, she owned a gun, she locked her doors at night, yet she still managed to get attacked. It could happen again, anytime.

"Look, Sar. You'll pull through this. As I said, you're a tough cookie. And you've got a lot of people who care about you, backing you up here. We're all here for you. I'm here for you."

"Me too."

The unexpected voice came from the hallway, causing both Sara and Nick to jump, turning to look at the door.

"Griss, hey man." Nick greeted, a knowing smile on his lips. Everyone in the lab knew that Grissom and Sara had some history, but nobody was sure what exactly it was. Grissom was private, and so was Sara, but Nick knew Sara better than he knew Grissom, and he could tell that Sara had some feelings for him. "How are you doing?" He asked, pushing himself up from the end of Sara's bed, stealing a glance at the brunette haired woman, a smile playing on her lips now.

"I'm fine, well rested." He said with a soft smile, moving more into the room now.

"I'm just leaving now, I better get some rest before I head back to the lab tonight." He said as he gave Sara a quick hug. "You rest too, you hear me, darlin'? I want to see you back in the lab soon." He said as he turned and walked from the room, not before saying his goodbye to Grissom.

"Now, the main question," Grissom said as he sat back beside Sara on the bed, the spot Nick had only just left, "How're you feeling? Did you sleep?" He asked, hopeful.

"No.. I tried, I did.. But Cath came to take my statement, and I just couldn't get him out of my head." She admitted to him.

Grissom had guessed that she wouldn't sleep, but he had hoped that for her own sake she would. "You should have called me, Sara."

"How important was it to you that I slept?"

"Very important."

"Why?"

"Because, you need to rest."

"Well, that's why I didn't call you." She said with a justifiable smile. He couldn't say anything to that.

"Alright, alright.. I understand." He held up his hands in defeat, knowing she had beaten him.

Her smile faltered for just a moment, her mind in a whirl. It was about time for her to get all of this off her chest. "Griss.. Uh.. There's something I want to say to you.."

"Yeah? Go on.." He had a feeling he knew what was coming, but he couldn't say for sure.

"Well.. I had been going to see you that night.. I wanted to talk to you.."

"To see me? What did you want to say?" Curiosity was getting to him now. Eating him alive.

"Well.. We go back a long time.. I mean.. I've known you since I was a student. You're the reason I got into Forensics.. And when you called and asked me to come to Vegas, I didn't come for the job.. I came for you.. I know we haven't always had the best relationship, but.. I know I shouldn't be saying this.. It's probably wrong of me to say this.. And I understand if you think so.. But I just thought that.. Well, I wanted to say that.."

"Sara, you're rambling." He said with a soft smile. She was getting frustrated with herself, he could see the blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Oh sorry.. Yeah, I just.. I wanted to say that.."

"I love you, Sara."

His words left her stunned, no words came out of her mouth.

"You.. What? You love me?"

"Yes, I do." He said softly, his hand comiing to brush over hers, gently, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "I'm sorry it has taken me so long to realise it. I guess I've always known. But, I could hae lost you last night, Sara. The thought of a world without you, was not something I liked to think about. At all. I don't want to waste anymore time with you."

"Wow.. I'm glad.. Because I love you too." She said gently with a smile on her lips, pulling them wide into a grin. She turned her hand in his, and they entwined their fingers together.

Her skin was soft, warm beneath his. How had he wasted so much time with her?

"Lie down." He said gently to her.

She cocked an eyebrow, pursing her lips. "Why?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I do." She said as she shuffled back on the bed, lying down as she watched him carefully.

He smiled softly, before scooting up in the bed beside her, kicking off his shoes and turning on his side, to face her, and also so that she had enough room to remain comfortable.

"What are you doing?" She asked, but she already had an idea. She wasn't a CSI for nothing.

"It isn't what I'm doing, it's what you're doing."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"You're going to sleep, and I'll be here beside you the whole time, so you will be perfectly safe."

"Thank you, Gil.." She said, turning her head slightly so that she could face him. As she did, he slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his chest, his lips pressing a small kiss to her head.

"Sleep, Sara. We'll talk more when you wake."

She was exhausted, she knew that, but she didn't realise how fast it would hit her. She snuggled into his hold, allowing her eyes to drift close.

"Mmm.. G'night, Griss.." She mumbled, before she succumbed to her sleep.

This was perfection. He knew this was the right thing to do. He would deal with Ecklie later, but right now, Sara was the only person who mattered to him. He was going to make this work, with everything he had.

xxx

Peter couldn't take his eyes off of the television. He didn't know what to feel right now. Relief that he was not a murderer, or pure fear that the cops were looking for him.

Of all the people, he had to get a CSI, that just made it more personal to those who were investigating. It was one of their own.

That girl was trained to solve crimes. Of all the people, why her?

He felt almost like he was going to throw up. He ran his hands through his hair, rubbing his jaw line.

What was he going to do?

What if they knocked at his door? Showed his picture to his wife? Would she recognise him? Put two and two together, that he hadn't been at hime, so he had no alibi.

Beads of sweat began to form on his brow, and he hurridly wiped them away.

He looked down at his hands, unable to get rid of the image of her blood covering his hands. He was a monster.

He was raised on morals, on doing the right thing always, no matter how hard it was. He knew he should go, confess to what he had done. Maybe if he confessed, they would go easier on him.

If he explained the cicrumstances, he wasn't in his right mental state, he was high. He couldn't control his actions.

"It's unbelievable." His wife's voice came from behind, startling him. "Some people.. That poor innocent girl. Some people need to be locked up, never seen again.. They disgust me." She said as she began to unpack the shopping she had just walked in with.

"Yeah.. They're disgusting.." He mumbled, more to himself. He snapped off the television, unable to watch it any longer.

He couldn't come clean. He knew he couldn't. His family would hate him.

It left only one option, for him. That CSI was the only person who saw him, the only one who could identify him. They only had some drawing, it couldn't be brilliant.

If he got rid of her, he solved his problem. He couldn't be identified.

xxx

A/N: That was fun to write, I enjoyed it.

I hope y'all did too. Let me know with a review ;) It'll make me happy before my exams.

Hopefully another update in a week.

-xx