Chapter 10

Saturday January 29th, 2005
12:15 p.m.
Sara's Hospital Room

The next day just after noon found the group gathered back in Sara's room as she finished her Jell-O glaring at Nick as he struggled to not laugh at her...problems eating.

"I'd like to see you eat with your left hand," challenged Jessica shoving Nick lightly. "You have enough trouble eating ice cream right handed," she smirked.

"Hey!" Nick exclaimed as Sara snorted into her Jell-O. "Yeah, like you can eat ice cream right handed any easier Sara Sidle," he continued looking over at her.

"And how would you know Mr. Stokes. You are not one of the people that I can remember eating ice cream with."

Seeing Jessica's snicker Nick turned to her. "And I didn't see you getting away without a mess with your chocolate."

"Whatever," grumbled Jessica. "Can I help it if when I say extra chocolate the staff gives me extra chocolate. And every girl knows chocolate is much more tasty when eaten off fingers."

"She's got a point," Sara agreed. "Although..." she trailed off with a knowing smile before raising an eyebrow seeing Nick's questioning look. "A girl does not share unless it is with other women so take that look and shove it where the sun doesn't shine," she continued before turning to Jessica. "And speaking of extra chocolate. Where the hell is my share?" she asked eyebrow raised.

"I was wondering how long it would take," mused Jessica with a smile as she tossed a Hershey bar on the bed.

"And she toys with my poor feelings all the more," Sara groaned looking at the candy bar.

"Huh?" Nick asked confused.

"One armed woman given a bar of chocolate. Let's look at the number of ways that woman can go psychotic and the ways she can kill numerous people," Sara mused. "Although I think she'd start with the oblivious cowboy," she added with a smirk.

"Would you like me to open it for you?" asked Jessica in amusement

"Please," Sara answered with a smile.

"Suddenly that Hershey commercial about women and chocolate is so much more believable," Nick murmured as Jessica opened the wrapper.

"Oh and the two of you," Jessica began motioning to Nick and Grissom, "not a word of this contraband to anyone. Understand?"

"Never," Grissom answered and Nick held his hands up in surrender.

"I've learned my lesson," Nick continued.

"Good, cause next time she has a chocolate craving, you get to fill it. And anything else it entails," Grissom smirked.

"I think he might have his hands full getting me chocolate sundaes oh every other day or so," Jessica said with a smirk.

"True," Sara agreed with a smile "Hmm wonder what ideas I'll be able to come up with and make Nicky sick to his stomach on runs with."

"Just how many ways can one come up with to use chocolate?" Nick asked curious.

"We'll find out in a few months, won't we," Sara replied before she broke down into giggles.

Jessica could not contain her giggles anymore than Sara could. "Oh the poor simple Texan. I so have to in...introduce you to the way we do things in California."

"I wasn't even talking about those Chica," Sara giggled as she thought.

"Umm what is this about California?" Nick asked looking at Grissom.

"Sara?" Jessica asked in concern, sobering immediately. "What's going on?"

Sara choked slightly as she took in a breath in the middle of a giggle before glancing up at Jessica. "First, I have to tell Nick, you're asking the man who likes chocolate covered grasshoppers remember," seeing Nick turn green slightly she sighed as she turned back to Jessica. "Give Nick a few months and he might be making runs to make hot fudge sundaes for us but I may be having pickles with mine," she explained having no idea what other way to tell Jessica she was pregnant. Wasn't something she had much practice with...

Jessica's eyes widened with comprehension. "Sara, you're not...you can't...oh God, you are, aren't you? Are you okay with this? I mean, with you know..."

"Breathe, Baby Girl," Sara whispered as she leaned back against her pillows. "Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes...I'm okay...and before you ask. Yes, you're going to be a godmother," she whispered softly.

Jessica squealed before launching herself, very carefully, at her friend. "Uhm...Sara," Jessica began suddenly as realization dawned on her. "Are you sure your okay with this? I mean, given who the father..."

Sara sighed softly. "Sweetie, I had the option, I chose not to take it," she explained carefully glancing up at Grissom to see what he thought about it. Grissom cleared his throat as he nodded and she nodded ever so slightly in response. "John isn't the only possibility of a father for my child. But even if he was, I couldn't abort my own child. I just can't," she trailed off with a slight shrug. "So get use to it missy. You're going to be a godmother and there's nothing you can do about it. Oh and by the by. Be ready, I ever need a break, the little one is going to see Aunt Jyn."

"And I have the perfect place to take the little one that I'm sure would fascinate them for hours," mused Jessica. "Especially since we have new foals almost every year, I'm sure that might keep them amused for at least a little while."

"If not, it will keep me relaxed. I'll run away with June," Sara replied with a grin.

"June? You're going to run away with the month?" Nick asked confused.

"Sheria is due to foal anytime now. I can't wait to see the foal my baby has," mused Jessica. "I'm hoping it's just like its mom."

"Oh Sheria's having a baby!" Sara shrieked. "Oh, who's the dad?" she asked excited.

"Shirocco is. I hope the baby gets his size and her temperament," Jessica said as she contemplated the animals in question.

"Hope so too. It does, you gonna keep it?"

"Of course. I'm hoping that if it's a colt that I can use it as another breeding stallion after we get it some high level show experience, which would make it's foals worth so much more. Even if it's a mare it's worth it. With bloodlines like the ones it has, any foal of it's would be worth a pretty penny," replied Jessica.

"So true," Sara agreed knowingly. "By the by, any of the babies in the ring this season?"

"A couple, and they are doing really well. With the way that Kasarino is going in his first year, we should be able to start breeding him within the next couple of years for a pretty penny. His half sister Kalina is doing just as well so we should be able to breed her as well in a couple years," explained Jessica. "I think we might be confusing the hell out of these two," she whispered

"Actually considering Nick here did grow up in Texas he should know about horses. And I do keep up on a number of things," Grissom spoke up with a smile.

"Should have seen that coming," Sara whispered conspiratorially to Jessica, teasing Grissom slightly.

Jessica rolled her eyes before turning to look at Nick. "Nick you okay? Nick?"

Nick shook his head slightly to shake himself out of his shock before looking over at Jessica. "Yeah, I'm fine." he replied with a nod and a small smile.

"So how long have you been in the business Jessica?" Grissom asked rescuing Nick from himself.

"Since as long as I can remember actually. My parents ran two businesses from our home. Horses were one of them, so I grew up around it. When my parents died, the businesses went to me. I was too young to run them so my guardians took over running them. When they passed, I handed the reins, so to speak," Jessica smiled, "to the men that had been reporting to my guardians. I like to stay involved with the horses as much as possible, even though it's a little hard to do here in Vegas."

"Sorry, didn't think about that when I asked you to go," Sara mused.

"It's okay Sara. I understand why you did. I'm glad you think that highly of me that you would want me to replace you, not that that is even possible."

"Bull," Sara began with a wave of her hand. "There's no one I'd ever think of asking to take my place. Besides, you're doing just as good a job in Vegas as I ever did. And if they aren't used to me not being there by now, they're just going to have to get used to it," she added before realizing what she said and glancing at Nick and Grissom quickly. "That came out wrong, really it did..." she trailed off with a groan.

"What do you mean they have to get use to it?" Jessica asked frowning.

Sara glanced at Jessica before looking off towards the window and sighing. "It means I'm not going to be coming back to CSI anytime in the near future. I've got rehab," she shrugged. "Not to mention the fact that I am pregnant."

"And?" Nick asked sensing there was an 'and'.

"And..." Sara began with a sigh. "A CSI needs all of their senses for the business we work in. I can't do that anymore," she trailed off glancing at Grissom.

"You got the results," Grissom spoke; it wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I did," sighed Sara as she shifted.

"Okay. I'm confused here. Would someone kindly explain what's going on?" asked Jessica in confusion

"Yeah, what she said," Nick put his two cents in.

"There's a blood clot from the...well I suppose one could say accident. The bleeding was stopped, but they can't go in and remove the clot," Sara began switching to her scientific Sara mode that each of those in the room knew so well. "It's on my optic nerve. Everything is already darker than it should be, there's a possibility that my sight will continue to fade away. On the other hand, if they do surgery, I could loose my sight anyway. Only time will tell now," she finished before finally looking back at them.

"Well, you always have a place to go if you need it. You know you can use the house whenever you want," Jessica told her.

"It's going to be a while until then, Jyn," Sara replied softly. "When I do get out of here, I'm not going to be able to go anywhere until John is caught, at least not right away."

"I know that but just know that the offer is always there. It's not like I'm making any use of it anyways."

"Hmm does that mean I'll have to dust when I get there," Sara teased.

"No. You know it's always kept clean," Jessica teased with a playful nudge

"Thank God. Can you see me dusting at eight months pregnant or something?"

"Dusting for prints maybe, dusting the furniture? Definitely not," giggled Jessica

"Man can you imagine Elsie's face when she wakes up and sees the place covered in red creeper?"

"Elsie?" Nick asked confused.

"No, I meant Donna," Sara replied rolling her eyes. "Nick darlin' give up, you're going to be confused."

"Yeah well, it took me a while since it seemed that every time I was any where near him I got hit with a case of the klutz," commented Jessica.

"That would have been a sight to see. Damn, I should have dragged your butt to the lab when you visited years ago," Sara smirked.

"Wait you've been to Vegas before?" Nick asked surprised.

"No, I've been in Vegas for all these years and just never invited her to visit," Sara answered sarcastically.

"Uh huh," replied Jessica with a giggle. The stress of the past couple weeks finally starting to get to her. "Wanted to see all the pretty lights."

Sara burst out in laughter. "Frisco would be so jealous, they don't have enough lights."

"Big bridge, but definitely not enough of those pretty lights," giggled Jessica

"Or gorgeous men who go by the names Chip or Dale," Sara agreed with a laugh.

"Or Nicky...oh wait that's Mickey," Jessica giggled as she fell over on Sara's bed.

"Mickey? Hey when did Disney decide to build a park in Vegas? Where was I?" Sara asked with a giggle.

"I think they've lost their minds," Nick whispered to Grissom as the two men watched them laugh.

Grissom nodded in response, fighting a smile. "Sorry Sara, no sign of Mickey in Vegas, at least not as far as I know. But we should probably let you rest so..." he trailed off.

"Okay," Sara replied with a giggle as Nick made his way over to Jessica.

"Come on Sweetheart," he murmured as he helped her get her feet back on the floor, wrapping a supporting arm around her waist.

"Ooooohhh Sara look, my very own TexasRangercome to save the poor damsel in distress!" crowed Jessica, her knees giving out as her laughter started to turn to the hysterical.

"And this would be your cue Walker to get her out and away from me before both of us are hospitalized for hyperventilation."

Grissom raised a hand to cover his mouth at Sara's comment before looking innocently at Nick as the younger man rolled his eyes at the two. "All right Sidney, let's go. But I'm not going to start calling Catherine Alex, or Warrick Trivette so don't even go there," he added warningly as he carried Jessica from the room.

"Does that make Greg Gage?" Sara mused as Grissom looked over at her.

"God help us," Grissom answered as he shook his head. "Wonder who you, Jim, and I would be in that scenario," he mused.

"Oh I know the answer to that. You and Jim would be Trent and Carlos...somehow...and I'd be the nice CSI from Vegas who comes in to work on a crime scene," Sara laughed.

"Wicked woman. Wicked," Grissom answered with another smile.

"I know. The Wicked Witch of the West was a role model of mine after all."

"Sadly, I can just picture you spending hours trying to perfect her laughter," Grissom teased.

"Damn right. It comes in handy around Halloween," Sara countered. "By the way, you never finished telling me what's been happening in Vegas. You didn't say, did Catherine get days?"

Shaking his head Grissom frowned slightly. "No, it went to Curtis."

"Damn. Poor Cath," Sara muttered before yawning.

"Time for bed, Love."

"Yeah yeah yeah," she agreed with a roll of her eyes.

"Night Sara, get some rest and we'll see you tomorrow."

"You two Griss, you too," Sara answered before he left, leaning back to muse over the possibility of ever getting the whole gang to go for a mass Halloween costume theme together. Hey they could even get the Doc to be CD...

Tuesday February 8th, 2005
12:45 p.m.
Dallas PD Interrogation Room

Another week had gone by when the doctors announced that they were ready to let Sara check out and go to rehab for her loss of sight. And as a result, arrangements were made that would allow Sara to attend rehab in Vegas, where she would be under police protection. The doctors had gone to Sara and asked what she wished to do after she got out of rehab, found out she wanted to return to Vegas and plans were made with local authorities as well as local medical services to allow the poor woman a chance to get back to a place that was normal and 'safe' in her mind so she could deal with everything without additional worry. True it might not be what some considered 'normal'. But circumstances were different with Ms. Sidle, so they made exceptions.

Before she could go though, Dallas needed her statement. And it was decided, on Sara's part mostly, that if the option could be arranged she would like to give her statement once, at least for now. So Gary and Jarod contacted Miami and Vegas and they were able to arrange for her statement to be made over a secure phone line between the station and both locations, as well as video footage that would record her statements so they could have a visual comparison to arrive the day after her statement, other than Vegas, where it would be arriving with their CSIs. San Francisco trusted their case to Jessica so it was decided they didn't need to be in on the call, but would receive a copy of the videotape for the others on the case to look over to catch up.

So, the day before everyone was to return to Vegas, Sara was brought to the station after being released from the hospital into police care, with the stipulation she would return to have a check-up before the flight. Everything was set up, and the two officers sat down while Grissom, Nick, and Jessica took up places around the room. Nick was sitting next to Jessica just in case it got to be too hard for her. But unfortunately she was the only representative available from San Francisco. The final person in the room was Calliegh, there to represent Miami for the statement. It had been decided that the two detectives would ask questions, and the other four would speak up if they needed something clarified or answered. So, just after nine a.m. the cameras were started and the phone calls were made. And Sara sat back in her wheelchair to get comfortable as Jarod and Gary turned to the business at hand.

"Ms. Sidle, the man who kidnapped you, do you know him?"

"Yes."

"Who is this man?" Jarod asked.

"His name is Jonathon Abraham Harwood. My mother's twin brother," Sara replied evenly.

"Can you tell us about Mr. Harwood? What reasons he might have for kidnapping you?" Gary prompted, figuring it was best to hear it in her own words.

"John was nineteen when I was born. Once upon a time he had tried to enter the church, but he was kicked out of the school because he was too...zealous I suppose one could say. All this I learned from him and my mother and father growing up. My dad never liked John, but he was my mother's twin, and she asked my dad to let him stay so they did," Sara began with a sigh. "John was...is...disturbed. He believes a good many things, he reads passages in the bible and interprets them as he sees fit. John believed that one day God would bring to him the woman he was meant to spend his life with. Just my luck, he believed I was that woman," Sara paused with a humorless smile. "I was twelve when I first realized that things weren't right. But by then I couldn't change things. When I was thirteen, and had 'come of age' John had declared our union blessed by God and while we were not legally married, in his mind we were married before God and thus every aspect of a marriage was now ours to fulfill."

"So he raped you?" Jarod asked softly.

Sara laughed humorlessly. "Rape would imply once Detective Mitchell. Besides, it wasn't like my life was a piece of cake before I 'came of age'. I was sexually molested since I was five years old. After I turned thirteen he stepped up to rape."

"And you never told anyone?" Gary spoke up.

"Detective, I was a teenager, in the eighties. Rape was not something a person talked about, even then. Besides, who would I have told?" she asked with a shrug. "By the time I was sixteen I truly believed that everything he had always said was true. Yet at the same time, I couldn't bear for the world to know my shame that while the rest of my peers enjoyed life, dating, and such. I had a 'husband' and had since I was thirteen."

"When did things change?"

"When I was in my senior year, I applied for various colleges. My mother and father were thrilled. John however was not and argued with my mother and father about it for months. Finally my mother had enough and kicked him out, told him to never contact her again unless he was willing to accept the fact that his life had turned out wrong but he couldn't ruin the lives of everyone else. She believed his objections were over the fact that he had been denied a future; I knew the truth. He didn't want me to leave."

"What happened after that?" Jarod asked.

"I finished my senior year and was accepted into Harvard. Although before I left I had my name legally changed. After Harvard I returned to San Francisco and started working for the Coroner's Office, later transferring to CSI."

"You changed your name? For our records, what is your legal name and what is your birth name?"

Sara sighed softly. "My legal name is Sara Marie Sidle. My birth name however is Sunshine Princess of Fire," she replied with a frown. "My parents were hippies," she explained.

"I see," Jarod replied with a nod and small smile. "I can understand why you changed your name," he added with a wink. "So, you worked the Birchwood case did you not?"

"Yes. Birchwood first struck in early 1998. I was assigned to the case along with CSI Harrison," Sara began tapping the fingers of her good hand against her knee lightly. "After thirty victims, Birchwood vanished. A few months later I moved to Vegas."

"Is there anything about the Birchwood Stalker that you knew then, or suspected?" Gary asked carefully.

"The last victim, we found a hair in the building. At the time the hair made me think of my uncle for some reason, but I wrote it off, as the hair was black, same as my uncle's. And I thought of him because I was going through an emotional time in my life and in the process of reburying, if you will, the facts about my past that I had proceeded to lock into my subconscious while I was in Harvard. Looking back a few months ago I realized there was a very good possibility that it could have been my uncle. Which is when I contacted Vegas to tell them to compare the DNA they had on Birchwood and Night Stalker against my DNA, which was on file. Just in case," Sara trailed off with a shrug.

"All right," Gary answered as he looked back down at his papers. "You also worked the Night Stalker with the rest of your team?"

"Yes I had been away on vacation, in San Francisco actually, when Night Stalker first struck. After I returned, I worked in the lab to help our lab crew with all of the evidence before going out on my first scene that the Stalker had struck. I was immediately struck with the similarities to Birchwood but at the same time there were a number of things that were different from Birchwood. So, I once again wrote it off as stress. Birchwood's disappearance and victims haunted all of us who worked the case, I saw it as no surprise that I might compare the two cases, but the dissimilarities proved to my mind at least that it could not be the same person," Sara explained as she looked towards the two-way glass that separated the interrogation room from the viewing room behind it. Taking a breath Sara continued. "At the same time however, my personal life was falling apart. I couldn't block my memories anymore and finally ran away to be honest. The night before I left, I had, I don't know a terrifying breakthrough about Night Stalker and Birchwood. One of the few connections between Birchwood's victims had been the age range and the fact that their hair was all naturally brunette. A fact we didn't discover until after Birchwood had disappeared. Night Stalker's age range was a bit higher than that of Birchwood. I realized that for all we knew, they were the same person and he may have started going after older women because he himself had aged. The hair was once again, different shades and such but many were brunettes. Before I left, I left a note for my supervisor telling him to contact San Francisco. At the same time, I had contacted my old supervisor in San Francisco that he might be hearing from my supervisor, I suspected a connection and I wanted to give him a heads up so it wouldn't come quite literally out of left field. And also requested that if it happened, he send CSI Harrison as she was the only other expert on Birchwood. After that, I left."

"Alright, where did you go from there?" Jarod asked.

"I eventually made my way to Miami. Along the way I stopped in Maryland long enough to create my new identity thanks to a women's shelter program. Any more information I can not share, I'm sorry," she added but with a look that said they would have to arrest her and still she would not share. Jarod nodded for her to continue, letting it drop.

"I got contacts for my eyes to change the color and my physical appearance was changed for the time being, although the search for the right hair color took longer than expected," Sara mused as she reached up to twirl a curl of her bright red hair that was much longer than she was used to after her time unconscious, yet not as long as it was in Vegas just yet. "From there I went to Miami where I continued my existence as Alicia Rice. I enrolled in a midwife program at the Miami Birthing Center and started my new life."

"All right." Gary spoke with a nod. "Should we move on to when John showed up in Miami then?"

Sara nodded as she lowered her hand to play with her cast once more. "I finally realized I had screwed up. And I called Vegas to tell them to run Birchwood-Night Stalker's DNA against my own. During the call I heard a noise and begged them to leave the phone on but turn it off on their end so nothing they said would come through. I just had a feeling you know?" she asked glancing up at the detectives and at Calliegh. "I slipped the phone in my purse and had just stood up and walked towards my window to look out to see if maybe a neighbor was passing by and that was what had spooked me when my bedroom door opened. John...well needless to say it was John, and I managed to piss him off I guess. He hit me one time too hard and the next thing I remember is waking up in his car. My hands and ankles were bound, and after a bit of...well an interesting conversation I'm sure Vegas has a copy of on tape I managed to piss him off again and the next thing I knew, I was in a hotel tied and bound once more as he woke me up. He...well, he raped me. And after he was done he left the room and returned a few minutes later ready to go. He threw me into the car and informed me that he we were going home."

"What happened after that?" Jarod asked as he wrote a few notes on his pad.

"We made our way to Texas over a number of days, he liked to find a comfortable place and spend a few days there. After my fourth attempt to escape he resorted to keeping me tied up the majority of the time. Once we reached Dallas, he grew comfortable and we'd been there for a number of days when he left me alone. I managed to get up to my knees and scooted my way across the bed over to the phone and called my supervisor in Vegas. He was the first person I could think of to call..." Sara trailed off with a sigh. "I told him to put in a trace and turn the phone off on his end because I thought I could hear John coming back. I set the phone back in the cradle praying I hadn't turned it off and hurried back over to the position he had left me in. Unfortunately I must not have been exactly right as he knew it was wrong." Taking a breath Sara thought back to that night. "John didn't want to take no for an answer that night, and repeated the same ritual that had become the norm once more in my life. But after...after he had raped me once more, I asked him to stop and he hit me once more. By then I didn't even know if the call had hung up...until Nick's voice came over the line as he told John to leave me alone. I was never so...thankful...to hear another person's voice as I was in that moment," Sara smiled softly as she glanced over at Nick before looking back down at her cast. "John was...well initially he was hurt. And I knew he was caught and told him so. I'll never forget the look on his face in that moment..." she trailed off with a soft smile. "John started to look for a way to run, and I managed to piss him off once more. He actually pulled the gun on me, but I knew he wouldn't kill me and told him so. He reacted before I had a chance to even think. He grabbed the rope he had been forced to use before and tied it to the rope around my ankles, sitting on my legs as I fought him. And he attached the rope that held my arms to the headboard before he flipped me over..." she paused as she licked her lips and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"He...he sodomized me then, the first time he had ever done that. And then he ordered me to sing, nothing unusual honestly. That was how John worked. Whenever...whenever he 'consummated' our relationship I was to sing. Any hymn really, he usually chose. This time though...I couldn't think to start singing until I heard the gun cock and felt it against my temple. I knew then that I had pushed him too far, and that he could..." Swallowing she opened her eyes and bit her lip for a moment before continuing. "So...so I began to sing, Amazing Grace. First time I ever truly believed those words. I stopped once...when..." Sara paused and a slight tremor traveled over her body. "I didn't think to not continue the song, I knew better than to push him by then. He finished before the song for once, but ordered me to finish the words so I did. I could hear him gathering things, but in that moment I didn't care. Before he left he stopped next to the headboard on the far side of the bed and hit the headboard in his frustration, I actually heard the headboard falling more than I felt it. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital a number of days ago now," Sara finished with a soft sigh

Gary nodded as he glanced at the CSIs before looking at Jarod. "I think that is all we need for now Ms. Sidle. Thank you for coming down to talk with us," he spoke gently.

Sara looked up and nodded at him once. "Of course. Are you sure there is nothing more that you need now?"

"We're sure. If we need anything else, we'll come to you in Vegas," Jarod explained with a soft smile.

"Of course." Sara agreed with a nod. "Well then, if you all would excuse me," she began glancing at the two way mirror, where she knew another detective waited to wheel her from the room once her statements were done. Moments later the man entered the room and walked over to take her from the room. Once she was gone Jarod turned to the CSIs.

"I'm not positive about Miami, Vegas, or Frisco. But if we can catch Mr. Harwood, we should be able to arrest him immediately. And I honestly can't see him getting out of this without at least 20 years."

Calliegh nodded in agreement, as did Grissom before Gary rose from his seat. "Well ladies, gentlemen. Thank you for coming here today. Hopefully we won't have a need to work together in regards to Mr. Harwood other than our capture of him. Although I think we'll have quite the fight on our hands over who is going to get him first," he added with a slight growl. Nick snorted after hearing that.

"Something tells me that Frisco and Vegas will get priority based on the amount of cases against him. But don't worry, Miami and Dallas will get their shot at him too," he added with a frown. "At least they give the death penalty for murder," he grumbled under his breath as he rose while Jarod ended the calls with the various other agencies.

Helping Jessica up Nick quietly asked if she was all right as Grissom walked over to shake hands with Calliegh.

"I think I need to get out of here for awhile," replied Jessica quietly. "I need some fresh air."

"Okay. Do you want me to come?" he asked softly, concerned.

"Yes please."

Nick nodded and dropped a hand to the small of her back as he led her from the building outside. Once there, he stayed by her side to give her a chance to talk if she wanted, or to simply stay silent if that was what she wanted as well. His answer came quickly as she remained silent and let her head simply rest on his shoulder. Nick responded by gently wrapping his arms around her waist, letting her know he was there without invading her space too much.

Minutes later Grissom came out of the building with Sara, her free hand resting on his hand that was pushing the wheelchair slowly so it wouldn't make too much sound. When they saw the two a little ways away in the shadow Sara smiled softly. "I'll call them," she spoke up before Grissom had a chance to ask. "Hey, you guys ready to get out of here and go home?" she called with a smile in her voice.

Nick looked up and smiled when he saw the two. "Damn those words never sounded so good," he called. "Besides, sooner we get back to Vegas, sooner the three of us can disappear and avoid being killed by those we left behind," he added with a smile as he glanced down at Jessica. "You ready?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," agreed Jessica quietly as she pulled away from Nick slightly.

Nick nodded before holding a hand out to her in offering.

Jessica took Nick's hand and they made their way over to where Sara and Grissom were waiting.

"Let's get out of here and get that damn appointment over with so we can head back to Vegas," Sara smiled as she looked up at the three around her. Grissom smiled and nodded before pushing her towards the waiting vehicle, the other two following behind.

A few hours later found the group on a private plane as they made their way through the five-hour flight that would bring them to Vegas. Once they arrived Sara was immediately escorted away by Jim and other police officers to the safe house that was waiting for her as Nick took Jessica back to her apartment while Grissom made his way into the lab to let the others know they had arrived before heading over to meet with Sara as she checked into the hospital rehab program.

Friday February 11th, 2005
11:46 p.m.
LV Crime Lab

Four anxious days after Sara returned to Vegas...anxious days for her co-workers and friends who had been denied seeing her while she was in rehab, the core group was seriously debating tying Grissom up and torturing him for information about Sara's whereabouts. Just as Nick threw another suggestion out about how they could accomplish their goal during the lull in cases, they heard someone clear their throat and looked up to find Grissom regarding them from the doorway of the break room.

"Interesting choice of topics. Although I do hope you had other plans besides hog-tying me and dragging me behind a horse in order to torture me," Grissom drawled as he regarded them.

"Of course. But I didn't think locking you up with a few thousand bugs would really be torture for you...unless we were killing them," Catherine mused as she realized that fact.

"You are an evil woman Catherine Willows," Grissom answered with a slight shudder. "But, if you four are done with plotting my new nightmares, I need you in my office," he continued before turning and leaving the hallway.

"Nightmares?" Greg asked looking at Warrick, Nick, and Catherine. "Wonder what nightmares he has otherwise, considering bugs aren't an option for him it seems," he mused.

"Greg, I don't think we want to know what Grissom sees in his nightmares," Catherine answered softly as she rose and made her way to Grissom's office, the other three joining her. Once they reached his office they piled in and regarded Grissom sitting behind his desk, nothing in front of him as if he had assignment slips.

"So, what's up boss?" Nick asked after a moment.

"Yeah, did we get some new assignments finally? And if that's the case, where's Jess?" Greg continued. Since the return to Vegas, Jessica had made arrangements to stay at least until Sara was back on her feet.

"She's here. And no we aren't here for assignment slips," Grissom replied with a smile.

"Yeah, I've been here since he went to find the lot of you," Jessica continued as everyone turned to find her sitting on Grissom's couch next to Sara.

"SARA!" Greg exclaimed as he dove for the woman in question who had just enough time to lift her injured arm before she was being squished by their one-time resident lab rat.

"Breathe...can't breathe..." Sara struggled to get out glancing over to Jessica for help. Before the other woman had a chance to suggest anything Nick and Warrick pulled Greg off. "I guess we can assume he's a little glad to see me. Just keep him over on that side of Grissom's desk. I don't want to be the cause of any blood shed tonight," Sara teased as she caught her breath.

"Yeah, but the question then would be, who would be the one Brass is arresting for the bloodshed, unless we claim he said, she said," Nick mused as he walked back to the couch. "Girl, it's good to see you back here finally," he continued as he leaned down and hugged her gently.

"Yeah, it's been entirely too quiet without you here to drive us nuts," Warrick continued as he hugged her.

"That and since we lost Greggo here and his music in the DNA lab, hearing you sing once in a while is our only means of entertainment," Nick called with a smile.

"Not to mention watching you and Grissom do the tension tango," Greg continued before the majority of the group, other than Sara and Jessica, turned to look at him with glares. While Sara was shaking her head in disbelief, Jessica quietly rose and left the room.

Sara looked up just in time to see her disappear out the doorway before she frowned in confusion. While the boys pulled Greg aside to 'chat' and Catherine took the chance to bug Grissom about something since it was in the air, Sara sighed before carefully rising to her feet. Catching Grissom's eyes she waved her good hand before making her way out of the room in search of her best friend.

She started her search in the closest lab, and after having to stop and say hello to everyone she finally found herself checking outside praying she'd find Jessica there. Luckily, she did. "Jyn?"

"What?"

"Chica, what's wrong?" Sara asked softly.

"I'm fine Sara. It's nothing. Really," replied Jessica.

"Really? Then when did I become the Queen of England and where was I during my own coronation," Sara answered

"Sara...really don't worry about it. I'll be fine. You should go back inside. Everyone's dying to see you," commented Jessica, stressing the last word more than she intended to.

"Jess," Sara began with a sigh as she thought over the last half hour. "Sweetie, they aren't comparing us. They think the world of you too. They're just a bit over the top seeing as I'm basically back from the dead in their minds," she continued softly.

"Sara, maybe you don't see it but I do," argued Jessica. "The minute they saw you I became invisible to them that's if they ever really saw me in the first place."

"Jessica, they could never confuse the two of us. Yes, we're a hell of a lot alike. But we're a lot different too. And I can bet that if you go back with me, they're going to wonder where you got to just as much as they wonder where I got to. No one can look at the two of us and only see me. You stand out too much," Sara argued right back. "And I mean that in a good way," she added with a smile.

Before either had a chance to continue, Grissom came out the front doors looking around quickly before spotting them and making his way over. Sara looked up and sent him a look before he reacted so by the time he stopped he seemed relatively calm. "There you two are," he began with a smile. "Figured you two had run away from the nutcases back there in the office. But why don't you head back in, Greg was looking for you Jess, and I need to have a few words with Sara in regards to her appointment tomorrow," he continued softly.

Jessica nodded and made her way back in to the building to search out Greg, leaving Sara and Grissom alone

"What were you doing out here Sara?" Grissom asked carefully after Jessica had left earshot.

"Looking for her," Sara replied with a shrug.

"Damn it, have you lost your mind?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sara asked confused by his anger as well as his question.

"Sara, there is a madman out there in this world who is intent on finding you. And yet you go outside without the required protection and are putting your life at risk!" Grissom growled. "Damn it Sara, are you trying to kill us all? We can't lose you again."

"What do you mean asking me something like that? And do you think I could forget I have a psychopath after me. I'm related to him remember!" Sara snapped now pissed. "I came outside seeking Jessica seeing as how no one else noticed she had left. And that only proves her theory that now that I'm back no one gives a damn about her. Well you know what, if I had known this might be a result of my coming back, I damn well wouldn't have called you that night. As much as I wanted out of the hell my life is, I would rather be there than here knowing my presence is hurting her because the rest of this lab is so freakin' stupid as to ignore her."

Whatever statement Grissom had been thinking went out the window the moment she said she would have not called him. Finding himself with no thoughts of his own, he had time to contemplate what she had said and sighed softly with understanding. How stupid could they be...but... "Acushla I'm sorry," he began after a few moments of silence. "I shouldn't have jumped on you like that, but I panicked when I couldn't find you, then to find you outside...well, I reacted badly..."

"That's an understatement," Sara snorted before sighing. "But I get why you reacted as you did. I'm not use to having to do everything I'm told, and we both know how I react to being told to do things. And this was, is, Jyn. I couldn't let her leave without following."

"I know," he whispered softly. "Come on, let's get back inside and knock some sense into the rest of the group we work with."

"Okay," Sara agreed with a nod as she took his proffered hand. "It's too damn dark out here anyway," she muttered as she looked around.

Grissom nodded as he glanced around and sighed mentally. Her sight was going too fast for his liking...let alone for her own.

Sunday February 13th, 2005
8:09 a.m.
Sidle Residence

"Hey." Sara smiled softly as she opened the door.

"Hi."

"What brings you by?" she asked after Grissom walked inside and she had shut the door.

"No reason," he replied with a shrug.

"Sure," Sara countered with a smirk.

Shaking his head Grissom nodded towards the kitchen. Smiling, Sara moved to walk in front of him as they walked to the kitchen. Making her sit down, he set to work pulling things out of the fridge, pouring each of them a glass of orange juice before cutting up a few peaches, kiwis, bananas, strawberries, and two pears. Setting the plate of fruit on the table he turned back to grab the container of whipping cream he'd brought and poured it in a bowl before reaching over to smack her hands lightly as she reached for a peach.

Sara rolled her eyes as he turned back to his work and added powdered sugar. A few minutes later he was satisfied with the consistency and dropped the beaters in the sink before turning back to the table bowl in hand.

"Sara."

"What?" she asked with a smile as he set the bowl down.

"There's a peach missing," he continued with a frown.

"Really? Where?" she continued glancing down at the plate.

Shaking his head Grissom stopped fighting the laughter he was trying to hold in. "Impatient aren't you," he continued as he picked up a peach slice and dipped it in the cream before handing it to her.

"Figured you'd have known that by now," Sara countered with a smirk as she took the slice before taking a bite.

Shaking his head once more Grissom sighed softly. "How are you feeling Acushla? Really?" he asked after a few moments.

"I'm okay," she shrugged slightly. "Okay, we both know that's a load of crap, but I can't really talk about it right now..." she trailed off glancing past him.

"It's okay, you don't have to. But I'm here if you want to," Grissom reminded her softly.

"I know Gil, I know," she answered softly.

Smiling in response Grissom picked up a strawberry before dunking it in the cream and handing it to her. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"I don't care," Sara shrugged before taking a bite. "You pick."

"Movies?"

"Movies."