A/N: Alrighty, here we go. Hankies ready? Thanks so much to SSC, she came out of hiding and helped tremendously with this chapter, thanks so much hun, I couldn't be doing this without you.

Chapter 56

On a heavy swallow, Grissom took a single step closer as the captain held out his hand to beckon someone forward. Two people stepped from the crowd. Hank and…Sara.

Grissom's heart pounded.

Sara was smiling, although Grissom thought it forced and he could see by the look in her eyes that she was nervous. Hank on the other hand looked confident and full of himself.

This was not good.

He was right.

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With a look of immeasurable pride, the Captain reached for Sara's hand. Gently kissing the back of it, Sara's eyes watered….and Grissom's nearly did as well.

The Captain turned to regard the group of gathered guests; a beaming smile on his face. "Earlier today, my beautiful daughter made me a very happy man. Every father wants nothing but the best for his child and today, I know that wish has been granted."

Sara's heart pounded at her father's words. As his daughter, she was happy that he was happy. However, she was miserable. Forcing a smile, she kept her gaze on her father's delighted face.

"It gives me great pleasure and an immeasurable sense of pride to announce the engagement of my daughter, Sara, to Mr. Hank Pettigrew. Earlier today, I gave my blessing to their union and it is my sincerest wish that their marriage be a long, happy and fruitful one."

Sara felt the lump in her throat; she choked back a sob. Her hand sweated in her fathers.

"Please join me in our happy moment," the captain encouraged the crowd. "The exact date of the wedding has yet to be determined but we will announce it shortly. Of course, the nuptials will take place here at the Grove."

And then, to add insult to injury, the Captain placed Sara's hand in Hank's.

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The second the announcement was made, Grissom felt as if his whole world was standing still. Everything was motionless apart from his hand which was shaking and the contents of his glass swished from side to side, threatening to pour over the sides. There was no noise, no movement and then, everything changed and the room was spinning.

Around and around.

His legs suddenly felt like jelly.

Was he dreaming? Did he just hear that right? No, surely not. Sara and Hank are…engaged? What…..? It can't be…

He had to drop his drink onto a tray as a passing servant walked by. If he hadn't, he would have shattered the glass between his fingers.

He was hot. His palms were sweating. His forehead formed a tiny layer of perspiration and he couldn't breathe.

Stumbling from the room, he didn't even offer the newly engaged couple another glance as he rushed outside.

Ripping the top of his shirt open, he staggered down the veranda steps and leaned forward, placing his hands onto his thighs. Sucking in several ragged breaths, he battled to maintain any form of composure.

How could she do this?

He felt so, used…

So lost…

So empty, so numb but yet, everything hurt.

Moving, his unstable legs kicked in and he disappeared into the garden.

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Grissom didn't know how long he'd been wandering around the garden. Twenty minutes, thirty…

He'd circled it several times while trying to process what was happening. He still, just couldn't quite believe it.

He was dreaming.

It wasn't happening.

It was just a terrible, terrible nightmare.

Without even noticing, he returned to where he started. The veranda loomed above and before him. His head was bowed, seeing nothing but the grass around his feet but then he was drawn to raise his head.

So he did so.

And there she was.

Sara.

Standing all alone, leaning over the rail, looking upwards and out into nothing but the twinkling sky above.

No matter how he felt, he just couldn't take his eyes from her. She was then, now and always would be, beautiful.

But his heart slumped once again as he appeared behind her and she turned to him.

Hank.

He hated that man and Grissom stood and watched as they chatted for a moment. He couldn't hear what they were saying but then as the younger man leaned forward and brushed his lips over Sara's, he lost all reason to care.

"Hank! Come on in here, I need you for a minute…" Grissom heard McKeen's cheery voice bellow. He continued to watch as Hank took Sara's hand and kissed the back. He said something else to her and she said something back before nodding. Hank then smiled and retreated back to the house.

Sara's return smile seemed false and she watched as Hank walked away before turning back to lean over the short balcony that overlooked the garden. Her smile quickly disappeared though as she looked down and saw him. Their eyes locked and he just stood there, looking up at her.

Grissom felt his heart shatter when Hank kissed her and she didn't push him away. Some naivety inside him thought that perhaps she didn't mean what she'd said to him, that maybe the announcement was a mistake and she would change her mind. Now, he knew she meant it. He knew the announcement was real. He knew it was over.

After a long moment, he finally turned and walked away, without raising his head for a single second or another look at her.

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Sara's hands gripped the rail tightly as she watched him slip his hands into his pockets, bow his head and walk away.

Her heart cried for him but what could she do? She wanted to shout to him, tell him that she loved him, that she needed him, that she didn't love Hank and that she was only trying to save her family.

But she couldn't.

For she had made her decision and it wasn't for herself or for Grissom, it was for her father…..to save the Grove he loved so much. She felt so empty and when Hank had kissed her, so cold. She shivered.

Sniffing hard, she fought away her threatening tears and watched as he faded away into the darkness…

Taking her heart with him.

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Half way back to his cabin, Grissom finally raised his head. He gritted his teeth, hard. She'd taken him for a fool, a god damned fool.

He'd been used, by everyone, but no more.

He was no longer required.

His stride increased. By the time he reached his door, he was almost running. His heart beat wildly through his pain and anger as he burst inside. He roughly grabbed paper and ink, slamming it down on the desk.

His decision was made; he wrote the letter quickly and packed whatever belongings he could fit into his satchel. He didn't really care about possessions at this point, nothing mattered anymore. He only packed the necessities; the barest of clothing and toiletries, his Bible and his rifle.

As he was about to leave and his shaking hand reached for the door, he stopped and propped the rifle against the wall. Slipping his fingers inside his shirt he pulled his silver chain over his head and removed the ring Sara had given to him that night. After placing his chain back where it belonged, he stared at the ring for a long moment before letting it slip through his fingers. It dropped to the wooden floor with a chink. He took his rifle, yanked the door open, stormed from the cabin and headed for the outer stable.

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When Grissom reached the stables he was immediately greeted by a hoard of horses, carts and wagons. Robert was walking around with a bag of apples, ensuring the horses were all happy and offering them a little nourishment.

"Evening, sir," Robert said as Grissom approached him. But then the younger man took a step back as he spotted the rifle in Grissom's hand.

All Grissom did was nod his response. He sighed and reached into his pocket. "Can you do me a favor, Robert?" he asked.

The boy nodded quickly. "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"

Grissom looked at the letter in his hand. "Can you please give this to the captain?" He held it out.

"Of course, sir," Robert replied, taking the letter.

"But…" Grissom hesitated, "…you don't have to worry about it until later, alright? Wait until the party is over."

"If that's what you want, sir."

"Thank you."

Robert nodded his head in acknowledgment and once again his eyes passed over the rifle. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"No," Grissom responded shaking his head. "You can…" He nodded towards the horses, "…carry on."

"Yes, sir." Robert slipped the letter into his pocket and hurriedly returned his attention to the horses.

Grissom ran a hand through his hair then bowed his head before walking slowly into the stable.

He approached Dante's stall, opened the door and stepped inside. Horse and master immediately locked eyes and both were as equally sorrowful. Grissom stroked Dante on the bridge of the nose and reached for his saddle and bridle which hung off to the left.

"Come on, boy," the rancher whispered, stepping back out of the stall.

Dante's head dropped and he sluggishly trotted from the stall. He turned and looked to the next stall and to Pandora, who had her head sticking over the stalls half opened door. The horse rubbed noses with his lady love and Grissom felt the weight on his shoulders grow, just a little bit more.

Working his jaw, he placed the saddle on Dante's back and tacked him up. Once the horse was ready, Grissom secured his satchel and placed his rifle in the saddle holster.

"Come, my boy, time to go." He took the reins and pulled but Dante refused to budge. His attention was still clearly focused on Pandora but he did turn his head to look at his master. A soft snort fell from the horse's nose and he stomped his back leg.

"I'm sorry," Grissom said, firmly clenching the reins between his fingers and feeling his anger mounting again. "We…we are no longer needed here, boy. We have to go. Come…"

He gave another gentle tug on the reins and this time Dante did follow behind but not before giving Pandora one final look.

The duo exited the stable and Grissom mounted quickly. He navigated Dante through the other horses and transportation. As soon as they were clear he gave him a delicate kick and they trotted away.

Grissom avoided the house, taking the long way out of the estate and when he reached the end of the driveway he stopped and turned Dante around.

He took one last look up the driveway and at the estate and land before him. He sucked in a long, deep breath of the cooling air and felt his whole body shiver.

Gil Grissom knew now that he was destined to spend his whole life alone.

At least that's what he convinced himself.

How could he have been so stupid? He shouldn't have allowed her to get so close let alone fallen in love with her.

But he had and he'd fallen hard.

A broken heart was not a pleasant thing to acquire; he would never let it happen again.

Dante shifted underneath him feeling his master's dismay. Grissom softly ran his finger tips over his neck to reassure him. "Easy boy," he whispered. "Easy….."

Grissom shuffled in his saddle as he took his last look at a place where he thought he had finally found happiness. He tightened Dante's reins in his hands with a sad sigh and a heavy heart.

It was time to go.

He turned Dante back to face away from the Grove. "Yah!" He gave a single kick to his mustang's side and Dante bolted into his stride, dust catching his gallop as he disappeared along the road.

Grissom never looked back…

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Sara tried her best to get through the evening with a smile on her face. It was a blessing that she barely had time to think. From the second her father had announced her engagement, it was one guest after the next offering their congratulations and wishing to know details.

As she and Hank wandered around the house, they only got a few paces before being apprehended by someone.

The best wishes and questions were rather mixed. Some people seemed totally genuine while others did not. Most seemed quite shocked at how quickly it had happened and that no one had even realized they were courting.

Sara just smiled as most of the questions flew straight over her head and Hank did most of the talking. He seemed happy to and he just loved the attention.

There were also lots of whispers in regards to the captain's new partnership and not all of them were good. Some of them were very thinly veiled and the underlying meanings were not lost on Sara.

Throughout the evening, she couldn't help looking around…for him. She hadn't seen Grissom since his fracas with Hank and that troubled her deeply. She wasn't even sure if he even knew about the engagement. Sara knew her father had spoken to him but as of yet, she hadn't been able to gather any details in regards to their conversation.

She had to find out.

Excusing herself while Hank and his Uncle spoke with the mayor, she approached her parents who were stood chatting with Catherine.

But she didn't quite manage to reach them as someone snuck up on her from behind and she jumped when he slipped his arms through hers.

"Good Lord, Gregory," she gasped, slapping her cousin on the arm. "You scared me half to death."

The young man just chuckled and pulled her outside. He released her with a smile and they faced each other.

"My, my, Cousin, we are full of surprises, aren't we?" he said cheerfully.

Sara glared at him. "I'm not in the mood, Gregory," she warned.

"Why?" he asked. "You just got engaged." He leaned closer and raised his brow. "Quite suddenly, may I add?"

Sara rolled her eyes but remained silent.

"I have to say, I was rather surprised," he continued, whispering now. "What happened to…you and…you know…? I thought you were happy…you seemed happy…"

He stopped as Sara's face suddenly saddened and she looked away from him. He frowned. "Sara?" he urged softly.

She refused to meet his gaze and he squirmed a little. No answer came for his question for a long time until she finally turned back to him. Her eyes were now fighting off threatening tears and her chin trembled, just a little but enough for him to see it.

"Sara…I'm sorry I don't know what…"

She cut him off. "I need to be alone for a while," she said swiftly. Before he could even respond, she rushed away, down the veranda steps and out into the garden, leaving a rather bewildered Gregory all by himself.

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Grissom rode into town. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going to go but he knew riding to his place at such a late hour was out of the question.

As he trotted down the main street, his eyes caught the jail and he cringed before quickly passing. He then heard laughter and his eyes were drawn to the town's entertainment facility.

He thought hard before pulling Dante up next to the building. He dismounted, tied Dante to the rail and somberly clonked up the steps and into the saloon. The place was busy and noisy with a feeling of boisterous cheer.

Maybe alcohol wasn't all that bad.

He walked up to the bar and parked himself down on a stool, removing his hat and dropping it onto the woodwork in front of him. Rubbing his hand over his face he clenched his eyes tightly closed and tried to fight off his emerging headache.

The bar tender was quick to serve him. "What can I get ya?" he asked, wiping his hands on a rather dirty looking cloth.

Grissom's eyes popped open. "Is Heather here?" he asked, although he wasn't exactly sure why. He looked over his shoulder at the rowdy group of men currently pulling one of the house's ladies onto their laps in turn.

"No, sorry," the barman replied, placing his palms onto the counter. "She is out for the evening but will be back for closing. Can I get you anything to drink?"

Turning back to the barman Grissom sighed heavily. "Bourbon," he responded.

With a soft nod, the man grabbed a fresh bottle of bourbon from behind him, dropped a glass onto the bar and half filled it. He went to walk away but Grissom swiftly grabbed him arm.

"Just leave the bottle," he said firmly.

"As you wish," the elder man responded and placed the bottle down next to the glass.

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The party was over and everyone had dispersed. Hank and McKeen were the last to leave amid more handshakes and congratulations.

Sara had managed a small amount of time alone, not that it had done her much good but she had been sought out by Hank, who was worried by her disappearance. She made excuses and he escorted her back to the house for more celebrating.

Celebrating

Sure.

It all went over her head. But she played the part well, nodding politely, even when his conversation turned to the life they would share together. She wasn't really listening to anything he said and for now, just agreed. Her mind still battled with thoughts of Grissom though. Where had he gone?

She felt terrible and she knew now that she should try and speak with him. With everyone gone, especially Hank, it would be easier. The problem was, she couldn't find him.

After spending a few moments alone out on the veranda to try and clear her head, she wandered back through the house and past the numerous servants clearing up the after math of the party. She sought out her mother and father. Maybe they had seen Grissom.

She walked into her father's study to find her parents embracing. They separated upon her approach and she saw the ominous look in both of their eyes. She frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"The Captain and Laura looked at each other."

"I have…things to do," Laura quickly said and departed the room with haste; she just didn't have the heart to tell Sara.

"Father?"

The Captain sighed heavily and scratched the top of his head. "Gil…is gone."

Sara felt every ounce of life disintegrate from her body and shook her head. "What?" she gasped.

"He's gone."

"It can't be..."

Walking to his desk the Captain picked up Grissom's letter. "I'm afraid so, my dear, he departed earlier this evening, he left a letter."

Holding out a shaky hand, Sara felt the color draining from her face. "Can…I read it?"

"If you wish, I will leave you, I have to…" He paused and swallowed hard. "…I just need to do some thinking."

After handing Sara the letter, the captain placed a soft hand onto his daughters shoulder. "I am very proud of you. You do know that, don't you?"

With an uncertain nod, Sara tried to smile. "I know," she whispered.

After gently squeezing her shoulder, the captain left the room.

Swallowing the burning lump in her throat, Sara walked over to the window and began reading….

"Captain, Sir,

Firstly accept my apologies for departing in such a manner, it is merely what I thought would be least painful for all.

I came here upon a request from a man whom I love and respect dearly and accepted a proposal I was not expecting. I am sorry I could not live up to your expectations and fulfill my obligation to you but I find myself in a place where I can no longer serve you as effectively as I should and if I cannot give you my best, you deserve someone else who can. The failing is mine, Sir and no one else's.

By the time you read this, I will be gone and I will not be returning. I understand you have faced hard times and maybe now, you have your savior. I hope so, Sir, truly, I do. I simply know my heart is no longer where it should be within and around the estate and I could no longer remain at The Grove. Please, wish my very best to your daughter in her pursuit of happiness; I'm sure she will make you proud.

It has been an honor to serve you, Captain.

Gil

With a gentle sob, Sara held her hand to her mouth and felt herself swaying. The letter fell through her fingers and it flitted, unnoticed by her, to the floor.

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Heather walked into her establishment with a welcoming smile upon her lips. It was almost closing time but the place was still a bustle of lively activity. She didn't mind staying open late though, the money was always good and she employed enough muscle to control any trouble makers.

She sauntered past a few of her regulars who cheered at her presence, causing her to laugh.

Jackson, her most trusted employee was clearing some tables and he greeted her with a smile. "Good evening, Miss Heather."

"Good evening, Jackson. I see business is very good tonight."

The worker nodded, "Yes, Ma'am, very good. It has been busy all night and all the rooms upstairs are taken now also."

Heather's smile grew. "It's so nice to be popular," she beamed.

"Oh…" Jackson continued, "…Someone at the bar was asking after you, Ma'am. The gentleman from last week who brought the two boys in to work."

Turning her attention to the bar, Heather immediately spotted Grissom as fiddled with his glass before downing the contents in one swift gulp. He swayed slightly as he leaned forward, grabbed the bottle and refilled his glass.

"How much has he drunk?" she asked with a frown forming on her brow.

Clearing away the rest of the glasses the worker half grinned. "The bottle was full when he got it."

Heather's eyes fell to the bottle, it was three quarters finished.

"Thank you, Jackson," she said as she approached the bar. The barkeep nodded and continued with his duties.

"Grissom?"

Heathers soft voice penetrated the rancher's foggy brain and he slowly turned his head, blinking a few times before his eyes finally managed to focus. "Hello," he slurred.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and downed another glass of bourbon. His hands reached for the bottle again but Heather's hand quickly covered his. Her hand felt warm and gentle as he looked at her and her eyes twinkled with concern.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" she asked with a tender tone.

"Have…I…?" he mumbled.

A tiny smile formed on her lips. "I know you are not a heavy drinker, Grissom. You never were."

He thought for a moment, trying to focus as the room began to spin a little. "Well…people change."

"Yes, they do," she replied, looking deeper into his eyes. After staring at him for a long moment she opened her mouth to continue but the sounds of a crash behind caused her to jump and she looked around. A table had ended up on its side, sending glasses crashing to the floor and the occupants of the table were currently laughing about it.

Heather watched as several of her workers approached the group and tried to sort out the mess.

"How about we go and talk somewhere a little quieter?" she suggested.

Grissom didn't even bother answering and stood. But it seemed as though Heather was right. This was confirmed as soon as his feet touched the floor; he almost lost his footing. Oh, he was dizzy.

Heather managed to swiftly slide an arm around his waist though and he recovered his balance. "Easy Grissom…Come on…" she sighed, grabbing his arm and flinging it over her shoulders, "…let's get you upstairs, you need to sleep this off."

He looked at her through bleary, glazed eyes. "You don't have to do that." His words were slurred again. "I'm…fine, I really am…I think…"

"Luckily for you, I don't believe you. Can you walk?"

"Maybe…" He didn't sound too confident with his answer and Heather shouted to the barman. "Carter, come and help me will you please?"

The young man nodded quickly and was by Heather's side in a shot. "Yes, Ma'am?"

The lady of the house nodded towards the stairs. "Just…help me get him upstairs would you?"

"Sure thing." He grabbed Grissom's free arm and the two of them began climbing the stairs, with Grissom firmly held in the middle. His feet were very unsteady as each step was climbed and he floated his glance between his two helpers.

"You don't have to do this," he tried to insist but Heather ignored him.

Once they reached the top, they turned to the left and down the corridor until they reached the very last door.

"The house is full tonight but you can have my room," she said pushing the door open. "I can share with one of the girls."

All Grissom did was look at her, his eyes now struggling to stay open, his eye lids very heavy. "Thank you, Carter, I can take it from here."

"Yes, Ma'am." The worker released Grissom as Heather tried to take the majority of his weight.

"In you go," Heather urged and helped him into the room.

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Sara ran to the cabin as fast as her legs would carry her. She needed to know if it was true. She needed confirmation that he had actually gone, for in her heart she couldn't quite believe it.

Bursting through the cabin door she stopped and panted for breath. After gathering a little composure she looked around. He still had things here, lots of thing in fact so maybe he hadn't gone after all.

Then again, he'd obviously left in a hurry, so had he even bothered taking much with him?

Then, something on the floor caught her attention. She crouched down close to the bed and saw the ring. With trembling fingers, she slowly picked it up and placed it in the palm of her hand. Her chin quivered and her blood ran bitterly cold as she stared at the piece of jewelry.

He'd left it.

He was gone.

She had destroyed the only man she had ever loved, she still loved. Her legs couldn't hold her anymore and she slumped onto the bed.

Tears streamed down her face as she tightly clasped the ring in her hand. So hard, it dug into her skin but she ignored the pain.

She deserved it.

What had she done?

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Grissom managed to shrug off Heather's assistance and he stumbled into the room. She watched as he fell onto the bed and rolled onto his side. Walking to the foot of the bed, Heather reached for his feet and removed his boots.

The rancher just laid there, his eyes dropping closed and then fluttering back open every few seconds. He battled to try and stay awake but he was losing the fight. Everything was just spinning.

The sound of his boots being dropped on the floor made his body jump, more on reflex than anything.

Heather sat beside him for a moment and took in the features of his face. His eyes were closed now but he still looked ever so sad. She reached a hand to his face and delicately brushed her fingers over his cheek. He didn't acknowledge the action nor push her away.

She smiled, stood and moved back to the foot of the bed, kicking his boots underneath so no one would trip over them. She would give him a little time and then come back and check on him once everything had been closed up downstairs. Heather held no doubt in her mind that he would probably sleep through the entire night considering the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

Opening the door she went to step through it but suddenly, she stopped when she heard his gentle words.

"Heather…" he began but paused for a long moment before continuing, "…would…would you stay?"

The lady of the house stood static, looking through the open door. She only thought for a moment though and with a gentle sigh, she stepped back into the room and closed the door behind her.

A/N: Ok, don't hate me, at least in my story you will find out what happens the next morning! Poor Grissom, poor Sara. OMG, what am I doing? Bwahahaahah. You know I love all your reviews, so please leave more. I need the inspiration to write right now as I'm sick as a dog. Reviews help :)