Disclaimer: I do NOT own CSI, but I wish I did.
I hope this chapter is okay. I struggled again.
Enjoy!
Fighting For Love
Chapter 14
Gil saunters down to the coffee machine, bumping into Brass on the way.
"Hey..." says Brass. "Everything okay?"
Gil smiles a little. "It will be once Sean is in custody."
"You on coffee duty? Here, my treat."
"Gee..you're so kind." mumbles Gil.
Brass hands Gil two coffees and they head back into his office, in silence.
Gil sits in the chair, staring into his coffee, praying that Sara will stay safe. He can't believe he didn't notice that there was something psychologically wrong with Sean. He'd sat opposite him and had a civil conversation with him, and he still didn't realise. All he knew was that he wanted Sara.
"Gil?" asks Brass, interrupting his thoughts.
Gil dips his head and lowers his voice. "I'm scared, Jim. I'm scared for Sara's life."
Jim sighs.
"Honestly...me too. But we'll get him. I promise."
"I've met this guy, Jim. I should have...I don't know, spotted that something was wrong."
"Gil, we both know that psychological problems aren't always easy to see."
They sit in silence for a while, until Nick bursts in.
"Guys, Sean Richardson is here, in the building somewhere." says Nick.
"What?" Brass and Gil growl.
"Officer Stewart, on the front desk, seen the photo that we're handing around. He said that Sean walked in about an hour ago, saying he was with the Crime Lab and they let him straight through."
"Sara?" asks Gil, panic stricken. "Have you seen Sara?"
"No..." stammers Nick.
All three men take off running through the the police station, searching every room they pass until they reach the ladies bathrooms.
"Sara?" shouts Gil, as he bursts through the door.
No answer.
Brass and Nick pull their weapons from their holsters and walk in. They slowly pass each cubical, pushing the door to each one open.
"All clear." says Brass.
"Where the hell is she?" growls Gil, more to himself than anyone else.
There's a few seconds silence, everyone thinking the worst.
"Staff bathrooms?" says Nick.
He takes off running, quickly followed by Gil and Brass.
They reach the staff bathroom door and Nick grabs Gil to keep him from barging straight in.
"Let go of me, Nick." he growls and shrugs free of his hold.
He knocks on the door.
"Sara?"
He listens carefully but doesn't hear anything. He slowly pushes the door open, just in time to see Sean pull Sara to her feet by her hair. He steps into the bathroom, his hands clenched into fists ready to fight, to save the woman he loves.
"Gil..." cries Sara.
Sean spins around, pulling Sara with him. He holds her to him, her back to his chest, one arm tightly clamped across her chest, the other holding the knife to her throat.
She can see safety less than six feet away, the safety of Gil's arms and some of the people she loves most. She'd give everything she has, if it meant she could be held tightly by Gil right now. She fiercely starts to struggle against Sean, forgetting about the knife until it punctures the delicate skin of her neck.
"Oww..." she whimpers.
"Sara..." whispers Gil, turning white at the sight of her blood.
Nick and Brass stand with their weapons poised and ready to shoot, if only they could get a clear shot at Sean.
She can feel, and smell, her blood as it trickles down her neck and she starts shaking as she continues to struggle away from danger.
"Sara, look at me." says Gil. "I need you to stop struggling, okay?"
"Shut up." screams Sean. "Shut up. Don't you talk to her."
"Sean, Sara's bleeding. She needs to get to a hospital." pleads Gil.
"I don't like you Gil Grissom." he spits. "Go away, leave us alone."
"Honestly, Sean, I don't like you either, but I am not leaving without Sara."
He looks at his wife and his heart skips a few beats. He's aching to hold her and take away her pain. She looks so scared and the more she struggles, the more bloods she's losing. Her eyes dart around the room in search of a way out.
"She doesn't want you." he barks at Gil, then looks at Sara. "Tell him. Tell that you love me and that you want to marry me. Tell him what you told me when we made love."
Sara's eyes widen and she shakes her head vigorously, trying to tell Gil that it's all lies.
Gil gives her a quick nod of his head, telling her to go along with Sean's story.
"I...I..." she cries.
She tries, but she can't do it. She can't even pretend to love Sean, not even to save her life.
"Tell him." Sean screams in her ear, making her whimper again.
Sean's starting to get really angry and his hand starts shaking again.
"Okay, I'll tell him." he says, then looks directly at Gil. "She loves me. We made love and she told me that she'll leave you for me. Our future's planned, we want children and everything." says Sean, looking quite proud.
"No..." screams Sara.
Gil looks pained as he avoids his wife's eyes and looks at Sean.
"Sean, look at me." he says, trying to keep calm.
He's surprised when he raises his eyes to look back at him.
"Sean, please let Sara go. If you love her like you say you do, please let her go." pleads Gil. "Why are you hurting her?"
"To make her see sense and to keep her away from you."
Sara's vision is starting to blur and she's struggling to breath as Sean holds her tightly.
"But you say that you're in love with her. You shouldn't want to hurt her, in anyway."
"I do love her." says Sean. "Obviously more than you do. You live in Paris, leaving Sara alone here in Vegas. She deserves better, much better."
Gil stays silent for a while, trying not to let Sean's words affect him.
"Sean, do you remember how you felt when Sara left and when Gemma died?" he asks. "Do you remember the agony you felt with the loss?"
"Don't say Gemma's name. You didn't know her." snarls Sean.
Sean stands in silence now.
"Answer me, Sean."
"Yes. It was awful, I wanted to die." he whispers.
"I feel like that when I'm away from Sara." whispers Gil. "She's my world, Sean. Please don't take her away from me."
Gil's still trying to avoid looking at Sara, her sobs are breaking his heart and, although he's not looking at her, he can see the blood trailing down her neck and shoulder onto Sean's arm.
He finally looks into her eyes. He can tell she's struggling to breath and her eyes keep closing as she loses focus.
"But I don't care about you. I want what's best for Sara." he says.
"Me too. Let her go, Sean. Let her choose who she wants. If you hurt her, what chance have do you have with her?"
Sean loosens his grasp around Sara, he's still holding her firmly and with the knife but he knows that she's to weak to struggle away from him.
Pain rips through her lungs as she can finally breath, she starts coughing and gasping for air.
He repositions her, so that she's almost facing him, and he smiles at her.
"I love you, Sara." he whispers and softly kisses her lips.
Gil's eyes turn hard and dark, he growls and Nick has to grab hold of him, to stop him from lunging at Sean.
Sean takes a step away from Sara and smiles confidently.
"Who do you want, Sara?" he asks.
It takes all her strength to stop herself from falling to the ground. She steps towards her husband, slowly and shaking."
Gil moves quickly towards Sara and wraps his arms around her before she collapses.
"No..." screams Sean.
He lunges for Sara, only to be knocked to floor by Nick.
Gil ignores what's happening around him, his attention fixed only on his sobbing wife.
"I...I...I...didn't sleep...with him. None of what...he...said was true. I promise." she cries as she tries to catch her breath.
"Sshh...I know, honey. I know." he whispers. "Sara, I need you to breathe slow, okay."
He holds her as she sobs into his chest, forgetting about her bleeding neck until he feels the warmth and stickiness of her blood. He gently moves her away from him to examine her neck, before applying pressure to the small wound.
"Oww..." she cries.
"I'm sorry sweetheart."
"Gil...I'm...I'm cold."
By now, Brass has removed Sean from the bathroom and he's back, with Nick, to help with Sara.
"The paramedics on their way." says Brass as he places his jacket over Sara's shaking shoulders. "She's going into shock." he states.
"I...love you, Gil. Only...you." she cries.
"I love you, too." he replies and kisses her head.
"Stay...with me. Please..."
"I'm not going anywhere, Sara. I promise." replies Gil, his tears now falling thick and fast.
Sara's hold on Gil loosens, her shaking subsides and her eyes fall closed.
TBC...
Chapter 15 should be up Wednesday or Thursday.
Please review.
Lynne x