A/N: Hey all! Long time no see. It's been forever since we updated, (insert lame excuse here). Thanks so much for hangin' in there and being so patient with us. We hope to have regular updates from now on.
Brass's buzzing cell phone interrupted his staring match with Cory Boyd. "What is it Nick."
"Grissom just emailed me. Sara recognized the pictures of Boyd. He's the suspect that returned to her scene seven months ago. Gave her a concussion."
"I remember, thanks Nick." Brass hung up, and turned back to Boyd. "Busted."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Seven months ago."
"Yeah I was seven months younger than I am now." He scoffed. "So were you Captain."
"Seven months ago Sara Sidle was working a trash run on Freemont street. You returned to her scene, stole the evidence and knocked her out."
"If I did what you said I did, then why didn't you arrest me seven months ago?"
"Because Sara just confirmed your identity. Who did you kill?"
"I didn't kill anyone."
"Bull!"
"Listen man, it wasn't my idea. She paid me good money, told me to knock off her kids."
"I take it the she is Laura Sidle?"
"Yeah. Her 'dumbass druggie son' first she said. Then her 'brainiac problem child'." The hit man shrugged.
"So the body you were collecting was her son." Brass wondered if Sara knew her brother was dead.
"Yeah. It was just a nice coincidence that the other kid came to process."
Boyd was making Brass sicker by the second. "So why didn't you off Sara when you had the chance?"
"She told me she was pregnant."
"Yet you're trying to kill her now."
"Laura upped the price."
Brass had to stop himself from strangling the suspect. "Get him out of here." He watched as the two cops escorted the handcuffed man out of the room.
XXXX
"Please?"
"No."
"Come on. Please?"
"No Sara."
"But I want it. And I'm not going back to sleep until I have it."
"Sara I'm not leaving you alone. Just close your eyes honey."
Crossing her arms defiantly Sara turned on the TV not looking at him. "I can't believe you." She sniffled, her eyes still burning with anger as she stared at an infomercial.
Grissom sighed dragging himself out of bed. "Alright Sara. Fine, I'll go."
Grissom shrugged on his jacket and turned around to face Sara who was propped up against her pillows flicking through TV channels.
"So peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch ice cream. Does it have to be peanut butter and chocolate or can it be one of those cup things with the orange wrapper."
"Did I ask for cup things in an orange wrapper?"
"No, it was more demanding than anything." He teased her sitting down beside her on the bed. Sara had woken up with the cravings from hell and had promptly woken him ordering him to find her the brief list of items scribbled down on one of the complementary hotel notepads.
"Don't be mean to us." Sara turned her face to look at him as the TV began booming commercials.
"I couldn't be." Grissom stroked her cheek. "You doing okay?"
She nodded. "Still sad and really freaked out but, yeah."
"Good." He said simply kissing her before laughing into her mouth when her stomach growled. "Alright, alright, I'm going." He rubbed her belly feeling one of the babies press against his hand. "I still can't believe there are two of them in there."
"I can." Sara said pressing lightly on someone's limb though her skin. "Now that I know I really know… It's hard to explain."
"You don't have to. I understand." Leaning in he kissed her again. "Are you going to be okay alone?"
Sara nodded. "I'll be fine, go."
"Won't be long." Grissom stood up and crossed to the door. "Lock the bolt and chain behind me. And don't open the door to anyone but me."
"I will."
"What?"
"Lock it." She waved him off already being drawn back into the program on the television.
Grissom sighed, closing the door behind him as he left the room and carried on down the hallway.
XXXX
While waiting for Brass to finish his interrogation, Greg and Warrick walked to Frank's to get some food before what they knew would at least be a triple.
Greg laid the case file out in front of him as they waited for their food.
"Do we have anything?" Warrick asked.
Sighing, Greg shook his head. "We have the fingerprints from the letters and the house, the results from Watson's necropsy, and a picture of Laura from a year ago when she was released from the San Francisco state penitentiary."
"But she could have changed her appearance." Warrick rubbed a tired hand over his face.
Greg nodded. This case was kicking their asses. He shut his eyes thinking.
A minute later a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, I know her." Their waitress stood at the table with their food on a tray balanced on her hand. She set their food in front of them.
"Wait, you know her?" Greg pointed to the picture of Laura Sidle.
"Yeah, she eats here sometimes. Last time she didn't pay though. We had our busboy follow her home. I think she learned not to cross us."
Greg looked up to see his new angel. "You know where she lives?"
"Yeah…well Ricky does. Hey Ricky!" She called. "Remember that lady you followed home on Wednesday? Where's she live?"
"Uh Hampton Drive." A teenager came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a towel.
"Number 47. Her name was Claire…I forget." He looked apologetic.
"Thank you Ricky." The waitress said.
The boy nodded and went back into the kitchen.
"Best hire ever. That kid is smart. I hoped that helped."
Warrick and Greg nodded putting $40 on the table. "For the food. Thank you. Give some to Ricky." They dashed out of the diner, their food untouched.
XXXXX
Brass knocked on the door at 47 Hampton Drive. "LVPD. Open up."
An elderly woman opened the door. "May I help you?"
"We're looking for this woman." Brass held up the picture of Laura. "Claire?"
The woman adjusted her glasses and peered at the picture. "Ah yes, Ms. Thomas. She's the renter of my basement room. Is something wrong?"
"Is she here?"
"No, she left about two hours ago."
"Did she say where she was going?"
The woman shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I can give you her cell phone number though if you need to reach her."
"I'd appreciate that." Brass said. He jotted down the number as the woman relayed it. Texting it to Archie with the message, 'start tracking that phone.'
"Hey, when you find her tell her her rent was due two weeks ago."
XXXX
The car was parked in the furthest space from the elevator and Grissom rubbed his eyes wearily, yawning as he wondered whose bright idea that had been. Unlocking the car door he sat inside and jammed the key into the ignition. Turning it the car came to life as he felt his phone vibrate against his hip. Fishing it out of his pocket he looked at the caller ID: Brass.
"What do you have?" He asked his old friend.
"We're at Laura Sidle's place. She was renting a room in Henderson under the name Claire Thomas. She isn't here. The owners said she left around two hours ago; Archie's following her phone as we speak. Are you with Sara?"
"No, she's upstairs in our room. I'm headed out to get her some things." Grissom opened the car door. "But I'll head back up now. You're right, I shouldn't have left her in the first place."
"Yeah, well, I know pregnant women and their 'stuff' in the middle of the night. We're on it Gil."
"I know. Thanks Jim." Grissom flicked the phone shut and slid out from behind the wheel. Opening his phone again he dialed Sara hoping that he wasn't waking her if she had managed to go back to sleep. He was about to hit send when he felt a sharp pain slice through his skull and he collapsed to the ground and his phone was propelled from his hand, skidding across the smooth cement floor.
Using his hand to block any further attacks he lashed out with his legs defensively, hitting only empty air. With his head spinning Grissom looked around dizzily for a few seconds before receiving a second blow to the side of his head. Black splotches crept into his vision and he was vaguely aware of a tugging on his jacket pocket and his hotel key card being slipped out before the blackness consumed him.
A/N2: Thanks for reading.
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