Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of its characters.

A/n: Thanks to everyone for being so patient. My greatest thanks go out to Aussieforgood and Chelles who have helped me immeasurably. You guys are the GREATEST!

Chapter 10

Sara pulled her rented car into the car park facing the bay and found an empty parking space. She shifted into park and sighed as she looked up and took in the view in front of her. The water in the bay lapped gently as the setting sun streaked across it.

She hadn't been able to put this off much longer, and she sighed again as she looked down at her phone. It had been a full day since she'd talked to Gil and she was disappointed that he hadn't been able to get back to her before she'd had to leave the hotel.

She watched as a boat chugged its way out to one of the many oyster farms in the bay and wondered why life couldn't be as simple for her.

Getting out of the car she walked around to lean on the hood watching as the boat kept going; steadily working its way through the whitecaps.

She stood there until the boat had disappeared and the sun sank lower into the sky. She sighed and glanced at her watch. It was nearing seven o'clock and Sara knew if she didn't leave soon she'd have to wait until morning. She straightened and walked around to get back in the car. The time for stalling was over, she was ready to face the final barrier to a happy future.

Unfortunately it was out of her hands.

Sara pulled up to the B&B and as the headlights bounced across the sign she noticed that the name was different. That didn't really surprise her as she didn't expect her mother to keep the name her father had given to it, but the name itself WAS surprising. "The Tickle Your Fancy Hideaway Inn," Sara read out loud.

She parked in a small lot next to the house that hadn't been there before. When she'd lived there the guests would have to find their own parking, usually in the back yard causing her mother's temper to rise. "Looks like she finally put a stop to that," Sara muttered as she got out of the car.

She walked up the front steps, her gaze locked on the door. When she reached it she took a deep breath and opened it with a quick pull.

The sight that met her was shocking to say the least. Where the hall walls had once been a soft cream they were now a deep red with thin stripes of black. The once gleaming wood floor was covered in black carpeting, and a chandelier with dangling black and gold beads hung where there had once been recessed lighting.

When she walked into the living room she found more changes. Before she could really wrap her mind around the décor, a woman came forward, extending her hand. "Welcome to The Tickle Your Fancy Inn, I'm Rona Wilder," she said looking behind Sara as though she expected to find someone there. "Will your partner be joining you later?"

Sara cleared her throat. "My partner?"

Rona shrugged. "Or partners, we don't discriminate, the more the merrier."

"I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong idea," said Sara as her gaze traversed the room. "I-I'm looking for Laura Sidle. She used to own the Inn."

Rona smiled and nodded. "Ah, yes, that's who I bought the place from."

Sara frowned. "Would you know where she is now?"

"I'm sorry Darlin', we only met the once and even that was only for a few minutes." She gestured to one of the black leather couches that now resided in the room. "Why don't you sit down, I'll get you something to drink. Is coffee okay?"

Sara nodded numbly and barely noticed as Rona left the room. She had never thought of this possibility. Her mother had always been so attached to the house. Sara had been surprised that she'd returned to it after she'd been released, but her mother had been adamant that she live here, or so her mother's lawyer had said. As for Sara, the last time she'd seen her mother had been in the hospital. She had thought it would be the last she would ever see her mother.

Sara stared wide eyed at the imposing white building as the car pulled under the awning. She turned to look at the man sitting at the wheel and wanted to scream at him to take her away from here, but not a peep escaped her. The lawyer turned to her and smiled. "Your mother will be glad to see you. I know you must be worried about her, but she'll only be here a short time. We're confident that she'll be found to have acted in self defense and be released to get back to her normal life. You'll be back together in no time, just wait and see.

Sara blinked up at him and wanted to say that she didn't want to be with her mother, but her voice seemed to be frozen in her throat, so instead she nodded and turned to open the door.

They walked up a long path and Sara looked around noting the flower beds that were flourishing with pansies. Small round bushes dotted the lawn and Sara was certain that in spring roses would bloom from them. They reached the front doors and the lawyer held one open for her. She took a deep breath and walked in.

Her first impression of the room they entered was of space and light. The marble floor gleamed, and in the sitting area a grouping of tan sofas and chairs surrounded blonde oak coffee tables. The windows were covered in gauzy white and gold curtains. The ceiling soared overhead and there were several gold and crystal chandeliers hanging from it.

The lawyer lead Sara to a large desk at the back of the room where they were greeted by a stout woman wearing a severe suit, her grey hair done up in a tight bun. "How can I help you?" she asked as she looked at them over her wire rimmed glasses.

The lawyer pulled out his ID and gave it to the woman. "I'm Jerold Joiner, lawyer for Laura Sidle and I have with me her daughter, Sara Sidle." He took his ID back and stuffed it into his pocket. "We'd like to see her as soon as possible."

The lady peered down at Sara who was still glancing around the room. "Take a seat, I'll let them know you're here," she said, nodding at the grouping of couches.

Sara sat, shivering even though the room was warm. She was surprised at how nice the place seemed for a mental institution and she was torn between being disappointed that the place her mother was in wasn't a little drearier, and being glad that the place wasn't as scary as she'd imagined.

There was a loud buzzing and a tall man in a lab coat came out of the door next to the desk. He gestured for them to follow him and they made their way through the door.

The atmosphere on this side of the door was far different. The smell almost took Sara's breath away. It was a mix of stringent floor cleaner and cigarette smoke, with a hint of peppermint. The walls were a stark white as was the tiled floor and except for the odd grey cart or yellow 'wet floor' cone, there was no color anywhere.

The man led them to a small waiting room where they were asked to sit in hard plastic chairs. The man introduced himself as Dr. Cantrell, the doctor in charge of her mother's care. He explained that Laura was holding up well, but that she did miss her daughter, and he was glad that Sara had come for a visit.

He excused himself and Sara's heart began to pound. She hadn't seen her mother since that night, and she was nowhere near ready to see her now.

It seemed only a minute later that the door opened again and her mother was standing there in a pink robe and slippers. She smiled on seeing Sara, but Sara could see the coldness behind the smile.

Laura rushed to Sara and threw her arms around her. Sara tensed and Laura whispered, so only Sara could hear, that Sara had better hug her back or she'd regret it.

Sara reluctantly wrapped her arms around her and patted her back awkwardly. When Laura pulled back she gave her the same cold smile. "How are you doing, Darling?"

"Fine," Sara whispered.

Laura looked at her lawyer, her smile turning warmer. "Jerold, Dear, how are you?"

The lawyers eyes had glazed over and he nodded absently. "I'm doing well, but how are you?" he asked, and Sara barely restrained from rolling her eyes. Her mother had this guy wrapped around her little finger.

"Oh, well, things could be better, but I'm being treated well and I know I'll soon be out of here and back home where I belong."

"But surely you don't want to go back to that house!" Jerold said in surprise. "You shouldn't go back to where your life was such a misery."

Sara nearly gagged, but Laura just smiled. "Dear, it's my home. No, my time there was never easy, but I put a lot of myself into that Inn and I still want to make something out of it. I'm not going to let that bastard take that away from me."

At those words Sara saw red and she jumped up. "How dare you! My father always did what needed to be done to keep that place up and running. He dealt with you and your demands and always managed to have a smile on his face when I came home. How dare you suggest he did anything less?!"

Laura did not move from where she was sitting, she simply smiled her cold smile and shook her head. "Dear, I know that's the way it seemed to you, but there were things that happened that you aren't aware of. Your father only showed you his good side. He kept the other side of him, the cruel side, just for me."

Sara shook her head so hard that her hair whipped around her face. "What about all the times he had to go to the hospital, huh, and all the times HE had cuts and bruises?!"

"Your father loved nothing more than to work in that shop of his; unfortunately he was always a rather clumsy man and would injure himself frequently."

"Yeah, and that seemed to happen whenever you would visit him down there. What a coincidence," Sara scoffed.

At this point the lawyer piped up. "Sara, Dear, children can often be blind to the abuse that goes on right under their noses. I know you loved your father, but you're going to have to come to terms with the fact that he hurt your mother. But your mother is still here for you, and when this is all over you and she can get back to a more normal life."

Sara stared at him but jerked to look at her mother when she spoke. "Yes, Dear, You and I will have such a wonderful time together." She reached a supplicating hand out to Sara.

Sara backed up, shaking her head. "NO! That will never happen! I don't care what happens to you, but I won't be there. I'd rather live with strangers than to ever see you again!" she yelled. She turned and ran out of the room, running all the way back to the front room, out the door, only stopping once she reached the car.

A few minutes later the lawyer came out and silently unlocked the car. Once they were on their way he spoke up. "I know that right now you're feeling very emotional. Your mother understands, she said that she'll be ready when you want to talk."

But that had never happened. Sara had only gone to the trial to see what happened, and she had never seen her mother. After the trial, where her mother had been found to have acted in self defense, Sara had gone to live with her Aunt June, father's sister, who lived in Massachusetts.

Aunt June had been the one to encourage Sara in her studies and had helped her when she decided to attend Harvard.

For a while after the trial her mother's lawyer would call, trying to get her to come back and live with her mother, but Sara had resisted and eventually he'd stopped calling. Her mother had never called, and for that, Sara was grateful.

Sara heard a noise and looked up. Rona was coming back with the coffee. She took the mug she was handed and thanked her, slowly sipping the hot liquid. "Do you happen to know where she went, Laura Sidle?" Sara asked without looking at Rona.

"I'm sorry, no. She mentioned that she wanted a new start and the only way she'd get that was to sell this place. It was actually in quite bad shape when I bought it, and hadn't seen a guest in months, if not years." She watched as Sara sipped her coffee. "May I ask why you're trying to find her?"

Sara looked up with a jerk. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled before she answered. "She's… she's my mother. I lived here when I was a child, we… um, we haven't seen each other in years, but I've found recently that I needed to talk to her."

Rona shook her head. "I'm truly sorry. Maybe someone in town knows where she went. I know she talked of a couple of friends she would miss. I'm sure someone knows something."

Sara sighed. "I suppose, would you happen to have a room available?" she asked looking around.

Rona cleared her throat. "Sure, but I must warn you. This isn't the quaint Inn it once was. This is a place where people looking for a little privacy can come to live out their fantasies, their sexual fantasies that is. Our motto is, 'You Fancy It, We'll Provide It".

Sara looked around again, taking in the room again. On closer inspection she could see that the paintings were of nude people laying about in fields and luscious rooms, enjoying the attentions of other nude people. "Oh, well, I live in Vegas, so there's not much I haven't seen. As long as it's all legal I guess it's your right to run the kind of business you want. Is it possible for me to get a room away from your other guests? I'm not a prude, but running across an experimenting couple on the way to my room at night might be a little much."

Rona smiled. "Sure, that can be arranged. Follow me."

TBC…