A/N: You all rock! What a wonderful feeling to have so many enjoying this story. I wanted to write for a long time but I don't think I've ever taken it this far before...and of course there is still more to come, Thanks for the awesome reviews..they make my day and of course, make me type faster. My head is leaking with ideas...back to the keys..

Disclaimer: Sue me...I'll get Brass to kick your...!

She felt the chopper tilt and wheel with the increase of the winds around the rotors as it made it's decent. The pilot turned toward her and smiled warmly. "Sorry so bumpy, winds picked up about 15 minutes ago, normally I wouldn't attempt a landing but I have explicit orders to get you here as soon as possible, not about to ignore Uncle Sam ya know!" he shouted over the din. The look on Sara's face bordered on being green from yet another ride in a helicopter to which she thought back years ago when they had the case of the woman and her boyfriend who staged her kidnapping only to have him turn around and bury her in the desert in hopes of collecting the ransom money for himself. The ride had been made more tolerable at the time because Gil had been beside her the entire time. When they'd finally landed, dug up the supposed victim, Gil had caressed her cheek in concern...how she wished he was here right now but instead, she was flying blindly into a situation in which no one had fully filled her in with the exception of telling her to get there and fast...

Thinking she might get more answers she motioned to the pilot for permission to use her cell. "Don't know how much you'll hear, you should probably just wait till we touch down in 3 minutes." his voice was still raised and she wondered half heartedly if perhaps he perpetually shouted because of his profession. She folded the phone and tucked it back in a pocket.

Three minutes later true to his word he set the machine down with a final bone jarring thud and cut the engine. "Been nice flying with you Ma'am" he saluted her then motioned to the tarmac where a military plane was waiting, she assumed it was for her. The pilot ran out to meet her at the chopper and opened the door on her side then offered his hand to help her down. "Miss Sidle?" he smiled up at her.

"I'm...Sar...Sara Sidle, yes..." she allowed him to help balance her by placing her hand on his shoulder as he put his on her waist. "Thanks" she gave him a gapped tooth grin as her feet finally settled on solid ground once again. "I hate helicopters!" she waved back to her original pilot, ducked to avoid the rotors and continued following the uniformed man in front of her. "Will I be able to use my cell phone on the flight?" she hoped he would agree and felt a sudden fear when he shook his head no. "Won't get any reception on one of these tin cans I'm afraid" he motioned to the aircraft "too many instruments, too much electrical shit!" he grinned. "You need a few minutes?" he motioned to the building across from the waiting plane and suggested lightly "Maybe you need to make a pit stop?" he hinted casually and she got his meaning.

"Thanks...thanks allot" she ran, head ducked toward the building. When she got inside, she looked in the mirror and realized she had no make up on, not that it was a huge concern, she usually wore very little and since her recent trip, really hadn't bothered, the sun kissed coloring of her skin looked different compared to her normally pale 'I work the midnight shift' pallor. Grabbing the phone she quickly dialed the lab and got David Hodges for her efforts.

"Hodges, it's Sidle...what's going on? Make it brief I have a plane on standby" she heard David cover the phone and say something. Wendy pulled it from him and she overhead the ensuing argument. "Someone just put the damned phone to your ears already, I'm running out time here!" she screamed into the mouthpiece. Wendy took the call.

"Sara...omg the lab has been going crazy trying to find you" any futher suspicion that Gil was behind it was quickly alleviated. "Brass has had Archie and Greg searching cross country for you. Where the hell are you?" she was near panic.

"I'm just outside of LA, I'm on my way home but what the hell is going on?" Wendy covered the phone and winced, apparently, when they summoned the CSI home, they failed to tell her exactly what she was walking into..."Wendy, talk to me...please, I know it's about Gi...Grissom, I know he's been injured...I don't know much more than that...please, tell me!" she was begging now.

"Gil was shot...twice during a holdup or something, I'm not exactly sure of all the details., all I know is he's apparently still a hostage, no one knows exactly how bad off he is...Catherine and Brass are working on freeing him...Ecklie's there to, he okayed the lab to use the resources to find you, David's Dad assisted with the transportation as you probably guessed...Sara...he's bad, that's really all I know, he's really bad..." she was in tears now...for a friend who might not get there in time and a boss who...God she didn't even want to think about it. "Just hurry!" Sara closed her phone, tapped it against her lip to gain her composure and fled the ladies room. The pilot was still waiting, military stance but a hint of a smile when he saw her.

"Ready to go?" he motioned toward the steps.

Sara couldn't smile anymore, the tears that had threatened to overtake her earlier were there in full force and the young man simply gripped her arm and led her blindly up the stairs as he offered her tissue. "Thanks...I'm sorry, I'm blubbering like an idiot..." she dabbed at her eyes, blew her nose and promptly took the seat she was directed to. Strapping in she put her head back and closed her eyes.

For the first time in months, she questioned herself on the real purpose of having left Vegas, Gil and everything behind. She loved him, God yes, she had loved him since the beginning...she wanted to marry him, would gladly carry his last name and finally put Sidle to rest if he preferred...but what if he'd changed? What if her having not contacted him had made him change his mind? Maybe he didn't want to marry her anymore...wouldn't he have tried to contact her if he really loved her? Wouldn't he have had Brass try before this?...No, no she'd asked him for time and Gil had promised he would wait...he promised! But now what? What if she got there too late? Would the rest of the team blame her? Would Brass ever be able to look her in the eye again? He'd sounded angry when he called her...but she brushed it off as being the situation...but what if? What if he was so mad at her, if he lost his best friend, he'd probably hate her, Catherine would. She could easily picture the blonde blaming this all on her.

The plane was in the air for awhile, the thoughts and memories had her crying most of the time. The co-pilot had passed her a box of tissues and a plastic bag to deposit her used one in but other than that, hadn't really spoken to her. She'd been left to wallow in her own misery. When the plane finally landed toward the hangar section of McCarran airport, she could see flashing lights of a waiting squad as she descended the steps. Turning to the pilot and co-pilot she gave a brief thanks than ran toward the waiting SUV. Nicky was standing there, with Greg waiting for her and the minute he spotted her, Nicky was running in her direction, arms opened wide.

"Oh My God Sara, it's so good to see you.." he picked her up and hugged her to him. "You look fantastic!" he put her down and Sara could see the worry on his and Greg's face. Greg gave her a hug but it was more reserved. Sara gave him a questioning look.

"Sorry" he shrugged putting his hands back into his pockets. "We have to go Nick!" he turned back to the vehicle and walked away. Sara looked at Nick who simply shrugged his own shoulders then put a hand on her arm.

"It's been...different" he moved to the vehicle "Without you here...the lab, the people.." he got in and waited for her to join him. Greg had left her the front passenger seat and climbed in back where he kept his eyes on her but remained silent. Sara could feel his gaze boring into the back of her head.

"Just say it Greg!" she turned, eyes full of tears. "Tell me how this is all my fault, how if I'd been there, this...whatever it is...this wouldn't have happened!" she shouted., she needed to release the pent up tension and his attitude wasn't helping. "Tell me how I shouldn't have left, how I let everyone including Grissom down..." she continued and didn't notice that Nick had slid his hand onto her thigh until she felt him squeeze it gently. Greg turned his head and stared out the window. How do you tell someone something they've just acknowledged themselves. He knew he wasn't being fair but just the same...it had hurt when she left. It had hurt more than just Grissom., it had shaken the team to its very core and right now, he just couldn't forgive her for that...even if it wasn't justified, Greg needed to be angry as well. He had his target!

The rest of the drive was in silence, Nick mindlessly drawing small soothing circles on her thigh, Greg staring out the window, arms crossed in defiance and Sara sitting there wondering what the next hours would hold. When they drew up to the liquor store, Brass was there to greet her. Warrick came over and gave her a supportive hug and Catherine smiled and touched her arm.

"I'm glad you made it back..." she pulled Sara along with her to the vehicle that had been their base since this started. "Grissom answered a call for what was supposed to be a B&E, I offered to go with him, so did the others., didn't think it was necessary." she looked to make sure Sara was following her. "Brass was with him but then got a call for a missing child...turned out to be a hoax and no, as far as we can tell the two were not related." she continued. "Brass left him, he had one officer for backup so he felt it was okay to leave, when he came back, hell has come to Vegas, three perps returned, all armed, two with weapons one with a knife" she was reciting from memory. "Apparently Gil managed to talk one of them into leaving...when he tried to flee the leader tried to take him down...and Grissom was shot, once in the leg, and from what the perp we apprehended told us, he took a shot under the armpit...missed his vest...yes he was wearing it, has since you left" she smiled reassuringly.

Sara's hand shot to her mouth. "How is he?" Catherine led her to the monitor where they could still see him laying there, one of the perps leaning over him tending to his wounds.

"He hasn't moved since the leader pushed him onto his back, I don't know Sara...I honestly don't know...the blood pool has gotten bigger" they could see a dark stain under Gil's body. "But we've had no communication since. No demands, no nothing!" she saw Sara turn to Brass.

"Why are we standing around? Someone needs to go in there and talk them out., talk them into letting us get medical help for Grissom!" she was distraught but keeping it together for now.

"Cookie, we're waiting for the oldest one's Mother..." just then a squad car pulled up and a heavy Hispanic lady got out and walked along side the police that accompanied her. "That must be her" he turned toward the woman in question.

Sara was right along side him as he moved to the older woman "Your son has one of my men in there!" he pointed to the front of the store where you could still make out the fallen shape of Gil Grissom "I need to get to him, do you think you can talk him out?" She nodded.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know what Julio was thinking about….he's a good boy.." she knew the Policeman in front of her had his doubts but her son was her son. "If you let me talk to him, I'm sure I can get him to…." she burst into tears. "I cannot believe that he's done this…he shot the man didn't he?" Brass nodded. "I'm so sorry….he's done other things but never has he ever shot someone before."

The three of them made their way to the front door. Brass picked up a bullhorn and called to the men inside "Julio, your Mother is here, you have a chance to make this situation better, you need to give yourself up, and you need to release the injured man…NOW!" his voice was booming through the device and Sara stared through the glass doors.