Chapter 19

"I think I like this." Grissom whispered in Sara's ear.

"You like what?"

"Standing here, like this, with you. I think I could get used to it. No, I know I could get used to this."

That two-syllable word had made Sara stiffen with fear. However, it quickly disappeared after she heard Grissom tell her he knows he could get used to this. She lifted her head to look at him.

"I know I could get used to this, as well." Sara replied, while she turned around in Grissom's embrace.

"Good, because I'm planning more of these."

Sara couldn't help it, but a smile was making its way on her face. Grissom noticed this, and commented he loved her smile. This resulted into the smile getting bigger and for the first time in months, it reached her eyes.

When first Grissom's cell phone and about two minutes later her cell phone started ringing, both knew their private time was over. Even though they still had a long road ahead of them, they were getting on the right track.

Ecklie had called Grissom, because Grumps wanted both him, and the csi's working both the Yessar case and the murder case in. Grissom tried to explain that all of them really needed some well-deserved time of after all that had happened. Ecklie, however, told him to come in as soon as he could.

"I've informed the others already. Well, except for Stokes and Sidle, who both seem to have vanished!"

Grissom sighed. "Nick is at the hospital, staying with Greg. I'd rather have he stayed there, otherwise you can explain to my daughter why there was no one there in case anything changes! As for Sara, let me see what I can do."

Hearing her name being mentioned, Sara looked up confused. She had been talking to Catherine, who was informing her of the latest developments in their cases and telling her that Ecklie wanted them all in.

Both, Grissom and Sara, ended their calls at the same time, telling the other that Ecklie wanted them at the lab. They smiled at each other, noticing their mind meld.

"Let's go." Grissom said.

Sara nodded her head. "Catherine told us, she couldn't be there. She couldn't find a sitter for Lindsey. Besides, she didn't want to leave Nina alone, the first bad dream already happened."

Grissom grimaced when he heard that bit of information. Once again he had the feeling he was abandoning his daughter. He looked up when he felt a hand on his arm, and saw Sara looking at him.

"You're not abandoning her, Griss."

Grissom shrugged. "It sure feels like I am."

Then he turned around and walked out of Sara's apartment towards the car. Sara followed quickly, since she needed a ride to the lab. Just in time, she hopped into the car and when Grissom looked at her, she merely shrugged and said she needed a ride.

It was then that Grissom remembered they'd gotten here with his car, after they'd went to the hospital. He apologized, but Sara waved his apologies away, telling him she understood. Within fifteen minutes, they were back at the lab, where Conrad Ecklie and Ronald Grumps were awaiting them.

x

Nina woke up with a scream and in an instant, Catherine was by her side, telling her it was just a bad dream. Nina couldn't help but snort when she heard that. How she wished it had been a bad dream when Greg had been shot. She kept seeing it over and over again in her head and she wanted nothing more than for the images to go away.

Catherine's arms around her shoulders really did felt comforting, so she said nothing and allowed the older woman to rock her back and forth like a little girl, trying to make everything fine again. Deep down, Nina knew it would take quite some time for everything to be fine again. All that Raymond had done to her had made her distrustful of everyone. Especially when she'd found out that his boss had known about it, and never once did anything to help her.

Even though Nina had never seen who'd shot Greg, she had the feeling her soon-to-be ex-husband had anything to do with it. He had told her she was his, the last time he'd beaten her up. 'He thinks Greg is getting too close to me. He's right, Greg is getting too close to me. I should have known better.' Tears were now streaming down her face. Catherine noticed this and took Nina's face in her hands.

"Honey, it's going to be alright. Everything's going to be alright."

Nina pulled away, exclaiming how Catherine could know for sure that everything would be okay. "He'll always find me, he will always make sure that I won't forget him. He has this power over me and I hate it! You hear me, I hate it! I want him to leave me alone!" Nina sank down on the ground sobbing and whispering. "Why can't he just leave me the hell alone?"

Catherine stood there quietly when Nina had sunk to the floor. She more or less knew how the young woman must feel. When Eddie was still alive, he still had this power over her.

A sound behind her, made Catherine turn around and she saw her daughter standing in the doorframe. "Go to bed, honey."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, she will be. Now go to bed!"

Lindsey still wasn't entirely convinced that Nina would be alright. However, she was smart enough to listen to her mother this time, knowing that if she didn't, she would be grounded.

Catherine saw her daughter went to her own room and silently told herself she would have to tell Lindsey her thanks tomorrow morning. She walked over to Nina, and made the woman stand up and walk to the kitchen.

"You care for a cup of hot chocolate?"

Nina, still hiccupping, nodded her head. Hot chocolate might just be what she needed to go back to sleep.

While Catherine made both of them some hot chocolate, the phone rang. Nina picked it up, talking to the person at the other end of the line for a while. Catherine looked up, hearing something fall to the floor and saw the colour draining from Nina's face, the phone on the floor. She quickly turned off the water heater and made her way over to the phone, picking it up from the floor.

"Hello?"

"Catherine, is that you?"

"Nick, yes, it's me. Nicky, what's going on? Why are you calling? Has something happened to Greg?"

It became quiet at the other side and Catherine knew something must have happened to Greg. Nothing could have prepared her for what she heard when Nick started talking again.

Author's notes: I know, I know, I'm mean. But please understand that I can't help it one bit, I just happen to read some spoilers on season 7 and for some reason that gave me this idea I needed to explore further. Now, hit that review button, please. Anyway, I'm going to continue on the next chapter.