*AN: Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming. Apologies for the delay in the uploads.*

Chapter 11

Sara woke up, her head was foggy. She couldn't remember what had happened, she knew Greg had come to see her, but she didn't remember falling asleep. There was something sticking in her arm, it was uncomfortable and irritating, she raised her hand to scratch it away.

"Woah there, don't do that." A voice broke through subconscious, dragging her away from her dream land.

"Gris?" She croaked, her throat was dry. Her eye's flicked open, she tried to shift herself up only to find a hand preventing her from doing so.

"Hey, don't do that. I'm here." She looked to her right, and, sure enough, he was there. Sat close to her bed, his left hand on her knee while his right held her down. "Relax." She did.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Well, you gave us all a bit of a fright."

"What happened?"

"You refused medication, then, when they told you you'd have to have a drip, you kind flipped out."

"A drip?" Her eyes widened and flicked down to her arm. "Oh, no." She scrambled to get the needle out of her, only to have Grissom capture her wrist.

"Sara, don't."

"Get it out, Grissom please." She struggled against him, he pinned her down.

"Sara, listen to me. Please," Grissom pleaded with her. "You need to have this drip."

"No, Grissom, I can't."

"Sara, please." Grissom held her down, his voice breaking through her panic. She stopped thrashing about and he brushed her hair out of her face. "Please listen to me. Are you listening?" She nodded. "You need to take your medication."

"I don't ne-"

"Listen to me, you do need you medication. You're in a lot of pain, you're not going to get any better if you don't take your meds."

"I don't like needles." She said, quietly. She hated Grissom seeing her like this, so weak and pathetic.

"I know you don't honey." He said, softly. "You don't need to have needles, if you took the pills they wouldn't need to do this." He gestured to her arm. She glanced at it and quickly looked away as a wave a nausea hit her. "Please take your medication."

Sara looked at him, her eyes scanning his face, trying to see if he was lying.

"No needles?" She asked, her eyes still looking for any form of a lie.

"No needles." He promised. She nodded and Grissom pressed the call button. A few moments later Sally walked through the door.

"Looks who's back with us," She said, good naturedly. "Well, Miss Sara, are you ready to take some medication." Sara looked to Grissom and back to the nurse, she nodded. "Wonderful. Let's get that drip out of you then, shall we?"


A week later, Sara was doing a lot better. So much so, the doctor was walking to her room, intending give her the good news that she could go home early. She hadn't refused any of her medication, had done everything they had asked her – well almost everything – she hadn't stopped working, but she did agree to do all her work from her bed, resting as much as she needed. Dr Grissom had helped a lot on that respect, if she wouldn't listen to them, she'd listen to him.

"Doctor Logan?" A nurse called, waving her over. The doctor changed her course, walking around the mail cart going past. "Mrs Lewins results have just come in, you said you wanted them as soon as they did."

"Yes, thank you Sally." Dr Logan said, walking away with the file I her hand. She glanced up and saw her colleague. "Dennis," she called. "Can you go and give Mrs Lewins her test results, I'm just going to see Ms Sidle."

"No problem, Doctor," The junior doctor replied, taking the file off her. Dr Logan carried on walking towards Sara's room, she was three doors down when she heard shouting coming from her room. She paused and looked up, that was when it happened.

The door was blasted away, fire following blowing up. The floor shook and Doctor Logan was blown off her feet, she could feel the heat coming from the room. The glass around her had shattered, showering everyone with small translucent bullets. The hall was filled with thick black smoke, making her eyes water and her throat burn. Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear the muffled sound of people running and shouting.

Doctor Logan opened her eyes, blinking so that they would go back into focus. The back of her head hurt, her back was stiff and her arm was at an awkward angle beneath her. Someone ran up to her, she could hear their voice but couldn't make out what they were saying. The next thing she knew, someone was pulling on her arm, sending pain all through her body. Blurry figures were running past her, her vision going in and out. Someone put a mask on her face and clean oxygen filled her burning lungs.

"Laney? Laney, can you hear me?" Dennis' voice came through, it sounded as if she was underwater. She tried to answer, but she couldn't get any words out. All she could do was grunt. Dennis flashed a light in her eyes, making them dilate from the brightness. "Vitals seem alright, get her on a gurney." She looked to her right; Sally was sat against the nurses desk, the side of her face was burnet, not too badly but bad enough. Two other nurses were sat with her, supporting burns and cuts. A couple of doctors, some members from the cleaning crew, visitors were also injured. No one in her line of vision seemed seriously injured.

"What happened?" She heard someone ask, the voice sounded familiar but she couldn't place it. Someone answer, but she couldn't hear what was said. People were around her now, they lifted her up onto a bed. She cried out as pain coursed through her body.

"Easy." Someone said, she looked around and saw Dennis again. "It's ok Laney, you're ok." He reassured her, placing a drip in her arm. Soon she could feel the morphine flow through her veins, encasing her in a cocoon of relief. Her eyes flickered shut, her mind drifting off into sleep.

Laney woke a few hours later, the beeping of a heart monitor sounded in her ears. The ringing had gone, but the sound was still muffled. She could hear footsteps walking around her, opening her eyes she saw the ceiling of one of the hospitals rooms. She blinked a few times, the rest of the room coming into focus. A nurse was checking the monitors. She blinked again and cleared her throat, it was still burning.

The nurse looked over.

"Doctor Logan, you're awake." She smiled at her. "You're going to be ok, a few burns and some smoke damage to your throat and lungs. Nothing too bad though, you'll be fine in a couple of days." As this was said, the nurse poured a glass of water, putting a straw in it and placing it by Laney's mouth. Laney took a few sips of water, wetting her dry mouth. "How are you feeling?"

"Ok?" She replied.

"You don't sound so sure of that," the nurse replied.

"A little pain, I guess," she said, slowly. It hurt to talk. The nurse pressed the morphine button on her drip, the medication went straight into her veins, instantly relieving her. "Thank, Connie."

Connie smiled at her, patted her knee and left the room. As she exited, someone else entered. The man was short, receding hairline, the hair that was there was turning grey. He looked familiar, he was one of the police men that visited Ms Sidle.

"Doctor Logan?" He asked, she nodded. "My names Captain Jim Brass. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess."

"Would it be alright if I ask you a few questions?" Laney nodded. "Do you prefer Laney or Doctor Logan?

"I don't mind."

"Laney then."

"Is everyone else ok?" She asked, before he could say anything else. "Ms Sidle? Dr Grissom? The blast came from her room."

"Laney, did you see anyone go near her room?"

"Just some guy handing out the mail. Are they ok?"

"Do you know what this guy looks like?" Brass asked.

"Yes, tall, dark hair, black. He works here. Captain, what happened to Ms Sidle and Dr Grissom?"


A few hours earlier.

"Grissom?"

"Catherine, what's up?" Grissom replied, placing his cards face down on Sara's lunch tray. The pair had been playing poker for the last hour, Sara's pile of gummy bears was piling up. He glanced over and she smirked at him, picking up a gummy bear and popping it in her mouth. "You're cheating."

"Nope" She said, grinning at him.

"I'll prove it."

"Um, Gris?" Catherine said, over the phone.

"Sorry, Cath. What's up?" He asked turning away from Sara's smiling face.

"We've got a break."

"We have?" He turned back to Sara, putting the phone on speaker.

"Archie has been digging into Charlotte Smith's family."

"I didn't think she had any family?" Sara questioned.

"She does. Charlotte Smith's real name is Charlotte Watkins. Mother died when she was 9, father lives in DC. She has one brother, Darrel Watkins."

"Why the change of name?" Grissom asked.

"Brass got a warrant for her medical records. There were numerous trips to the hospital, broken bones, concussion."

"Child abuse." Sara stated.

"That's what it looks like. She got out of DC, changed her name. Moved to Vegas last year, her brother joined her 6 months ago. You'll never guess where he worked."

"Where?" Sara and Grissom asked together.

"DA's office. Chloe Turner's assistant."

"He didn't report her missing? That's odd." Sara looked over at Grissom, they shared a look.

"Where is he?" Grissom asked.

"Europe, London to be exact. Archie found flight information, he's been there for 2 weeks. Due home tomorrow. Brass' calling him."

"Thanks Cath." Grissom hung up the phone then. "What are you thinking?" He asked, looking over at Sara.

"I'm thinking, I want to speak to Mrs Turner."

"You sure it's a good idea to go poking the bear without evidence?"

"I wasn't going to accuse her of anything." Grissom gave her a sceptical look. "I just want to know why she didn't tell us it was her assistant's sister in our morgue."

"Maybe she didn't know," he suggested.

"Come on Gris, do you honestly believe that?"

"No, but you're not going anywhere. Not until the doctors clear you for duty," Grissom told her, sitting back down, picking his cards up.

"I'm gonna go crazy if I stay here any longer."

"That's why I'm here." He picked through his cards. "Your deal." Sara dealt out the hand.

"That's the only reason you're here?" She asked, exchanging one of her cards.

"No." Exchanged a card. "I'm in." He put 10 gummy bears in the middle.

Sara watched him, he looked up at her through his glasses. His dark eyes darting between hers.

"Call." They laid out their cards, Grissom won the pot.

"Sara-"

"It's ok, Gris."

"No, I need to say this."

"No, you don't. It's ok." She said, picking the cards up and shuffling them. Grissom took them from her hands, placed them on the tray and pushed it away. Sara put her hands together in her lap, staring at the door.

"Do you honestly not know the extent of my feelings for you?" He picked up her hand, holding it gently in his own. "Sara, look at me. Please." She did, he could see tears pooling in her eyes. "I'm, I'm not good with saying how I feel. I've never been good at it." He paused, trying to gain the courage to say what he had wanted to say for years.

"I know, Gris. You don't need to-"

"Yes, yes I do. Not just for you, for me as well. I need to say this." He cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb across her skin. "I love you. I've loved you for years, I've just been denying it. Running away from it."

"Why?" She asked softly.

"Fear, I guess. You're young, beautiful, and I'm… Well." He smiled, a little uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being so open about his feelings. He dropped his hand and looked down at his other, still cradling hers. His eye's shot up when he felt her free hand touch his cheek. She smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against his. His hand found its way to her hair as the kiss deepened, her hands locked round his neck. She pulled him over until he was sat on her bed.

Grissom's hand made it down to her waist, pulling her hospital gown up a little, while Sara brought hers round to his chest, pulling on it, keeping him close. Her fingers started working on his buttons when he pulled away.

"Gris?" She opened her eyes to find his staring at her. He kissed her lightly again before pulling away.

"Honey, now really isn't the place and you're still not up for anything strenuous."

"Strenuous? How romantic."

"Sara." He warned.

"Fine." She said, good-naturedly, leaning back in her bed. She let go of Grissom's shirt, he moved to stand up. "Uhuh, that doesn't mean you have to move." She said, grinning at him. He grinned back, sitting back on her bed. Sara pulled the tray back over. "Your deal?"

The pair went back to their game, stopping when the mailman knocked on the door. Sara called for him to enter.

"Hey John." She said as the black man entered.

"Hey Sara, got something for you." He handed her a parcel.

"Thank you." She took the parcel, exchanging a curious and excited look.

"Get better." John said as he exited. Sara ripped the tape from the top, pulling the flaps from the top. There was some paper in the box, she took it out and froze.

"Sara?" Grissom looked over, in the box was a bomb, a timer counting down.

16

15

14

"Sara, give me the box."

12

11

"Sara, give me the box."

9

Grissom took the box off her.

5

4

He ran over to the window and opened it. No one was there.

3

2

1

*AN: Sorry for the cliff hanger. Well, not sorry really. :-) Please review!*