Disclaimer: I don't own.

A/N: I'm sooo sorry for the delay in updates. I got caught up reading another story on FF today, and so only wrote half a chapter... and then realized that my fiance had preschool graduation tonight, so I wouldn't be able to come right home after work and finish it. It was super cute though--they all got to say what they wanted to be when they grew up. One little boy said he wanted to be a "knight and shining armor" rather than 'in' and a little boy and girl each said they wanted to be a mommy and a daddy. My fiance is so quick-thinking with stuff like that... "You want to be a daddy, huh? ...I know somebody who wants to be a mommy." ...He's so funny. And cute. :)

Tomorrow I'll be better about writing. I promise. Thanks for the reviews! You guys make me so happy!

Chapter Sixty Six:

"When was the last time you saw her?"

I closed my eyes. This was the fifth time they'd asked me this, which only meant one thing—Jace and I were their prime suspects. Otherwise we wouldn't be going through it over and over, to see if I would slip up. I sighed. "Listen to me. I was a CSI. I know the drill. I get it, you suspect me… but honestly, I don't have the mental capacity to deal with this right now. You know that I checked on her before I went to bed, around midnight, and that she was sleeping soundly, safe in her bed. You also know that I woke up around four, minutes before I frantically called 911. Now, if there's something else you want to ask me… something you haven't asked yet… something that will help you find her, I would be more than happy to hear it. If not, we're done here."

"I've got a new question," said the detective who had spoken to us at our home. He had a receding hair line straight back to the crown of his head and a sarcastic demeanor… he looked like he would be hard to surprise or intimidate. I met his eyes.

"By all means."

"Who is the man you called?"

I hesitated for the space of a breath, before lying through my teeth. "A friend of the family. …But he's the best criminalist in the country. If anyone's going to find Ayla, it's him."

"And he was the only other person at Ayla's birth, is that right? …Are you sure he's just a friend?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, uncertain how he knew that. They hadn't spoken to Jace alone yet…

"The pictures in your room—I recognized the famous Gil Grissom from them immediately. He's done lots of lectures in town here. …You two looked pretty cozy."

I stared at him in silence, and he chuckled.

"Maybe it's worse than just an affair… it seems strange to me that you didn't have a mother or a sister or a girlfriend there, in the birthing room, but you had another man… and your husband allowed it. …Do I sense a little ménage à trois?"

I blinked in surprise. "Oh god. No!"

"But you have slept with Gil Grissom."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't deny it."

"I don't think I have to affirm or deny anything to you… the status of my marriage is not related to the case."

"…No? …You and the hubby are sleeping in different bedrooms. Your room is covered in pictures of Ayla and this man… You don't think it's even remotely possible that Jace did this? Maybe kidnapped her, under pretense, to avoid a messy custody hearing?"

I hesitated again, but shook my head. As much as I had seen another side of Jace, since the cruise… I still knew this was beyond him. "No. …No matter the state of our marriage, he wouldn't put her at risk. …And as far as either of us are concerned, if she isn't with us, she's at risk."

"…Well, feel free to take a seat in the lobby, Mrs. Wendt. We'll be speaking to your husband next…"

I followed them out, sinking into one of the tattered chairs in the lobby, burying my face in my hands. Jace was already waiting in another interrogation room, and though I'm sure they expected me not to hear it, I heard the detective mutter to someone beside him, "…She's hiding something. Twenty bucks says the husband tells us what…"

"Nah… nobody just chooses to live with someone when they're in love with someone else—not in this day and age. She wouldn't still be there if he didn't have his hooks in her."

"…So what does that leave? The husband figures he can only control a firecracker like that for so long and takes the girl rather than lose her, or the wife is tired of being controlled. No baby, no way he can keep her tied down."

I groaned, pressing my fingers against my eyes. These dumb ass cops were so busy investigating us that they were buying the real kidnapper time. …In kidnapping cases, every moment was precious… and they were wasting Ayla's moments! I wanted to scream out my frustration and insist that they send someone who hadn't already made up their mind to process the house… I had half a mind to do just that when the door swung open and I glanced up, out of habit more than anything.

Seeing him again… it hit me like a ton of bricks. I fell in love with him all over again. I mean, he had changed… he looked older, more tired, the corners of his lips bent down. He'd grown a beard, and there was more gray in his hair, a little less confidence in the way he held himself… but he was my Gil. The only man I had ever loved like this… It took my breath away, to see him standing there, light surrounding him from the doorway like some ethereal being, his face cast in darkness. It had been far too long since I'd seen him, heard his voice…

I felt my body shift with the realization. It had been too long because he had intentionally cut me out of his life. …He had abandoned me when I was exhausted and spiraling into a depression and trapped in a loveless marriage against my will. …He had promised me that he would love me, no matter what… that he wasn't going to give up on me just because of my impossible situation. …But he had lied. He hadn't had the fortitude to stick it out, the trust in me to suspect Jace's dishonesty, or the decency to even hear me out.

I turned away from him, and caught the sight of Jace moving through the hallway, back to me. …That had been fast. Apparently he hadn't given them any new information either. He didn't see Gil—he just sat beside me and pulled me to him, seeking comfort as much as he was offering it, and I took it. Because I didn't know for certain how Gil felt about me or about Ayla, but I knew how Jace felt. …Certainty was rather reassuring, right now. It was what I needed.

The next time I looked up, he was moving over to us. I nudged Jace and he followed my gaze. His arm slid off my shoulder and we stood together, as a single unit, united in our grief. I swallowed convulsively, not knowing what to say to him and a part of me uncertain if I even cared… Ayla was missing. No matter how much he'd hurt me, it couldn't compare to what I was going through right now.

Jace offered his hand and put a false smile on his face, no doubt to keep the awkwardness of our relationship from the detective who had led him back out here and who was no doubt observing our interactions. We didn't know what they'd do if they knew about my relationship with Gil, but there was the chance they wouldn't let him help with the case anymore, and I didn't trust them to find Ayla on their own. …Gil would find her.

With that determination in mind, I offered the ghost of a smile—the most I could muster with the gaping hole of emptiness within me—"…Thank you for coming so quickly, Gil."

He met my eyes, and in a moment it was clear the façade was understood. "I'm sorry we had to see each other under these circumstances… any updates?"

I frowned. "No… the way they've been questioning us, I wouldn't be surprised to hear they haven't eve processed anything from the house yet…"

"They suspect you?" He asked in surprise, and I knew that he meant me specifically… He wasn't above suspecting Jace either, apparently.

I shrugged. "Half the time. …Did you notice anything at the house?"

His eyes flickered away uncertainly and he shuffled his feet. "…I was just looking around. I'm… not allowed to process… Listen, let's… head out to the car, yeah?" He said, clearly wanting to speak away from the detectives still watching up.

The man who had questioned me stepped forward. "Before you do that… I was wondering if I could just have a minute with you… ask a few questions."

Gil leveled a stare on the man. "I just got here, and a quick call to the my lab will give you my alibi for when Ayla went missing. So that means that, if you're any kind of a detective, you've already ruled me out. …So the only point of questioning me would be to delve into my relationship with Jace and Sara. I'm a friend of the family. …Questions answered. We'll be just outside, if you need to reach us."

He turned and led Jace and I back outside and, with uncertain glances back at the detective who looked entirely nonplussed by Gil's outburst, let him lead us to Jace's company vehicle. Jace passed his driver a tip and told him to take a coffee break, and we all slid inside. It was not a large vehicle—Gil sat in the passenger seat and Jace and I sat in the back, on either side of the car. There was a long, long moment of silence, and then Gil sighed.

"Be honest with me—enemies, threats… Jace, you especially. You work for a high-profile company. …Chances are this is targeted at you, not Sara."

"…None."

"Sara?"

"None." I said, thinking that he was crazy if he believed that we would not have told the police this much. If we had any inkling who would do this, we would have of course told them.

"How long have you been on antidepressants?" He asked, and the question caught me off guard.

"Excuse me?" I sputtered, uncertain, and Jace frowned deeply.

"What does this have to do with Ayla?"

Gil frowned too. "It has to do with my ability to trust the two of you. …Jace, for example, has been manipulative and deceiving, but he's never told an outright lie to my face. …Sara, I'm not so sure about."

I gasped at the insinuation, filled with anger that was only fueled by the ache of not having my child. "God, you're an asshole! I didn't hide being on the drugs, I got on them after you stopped talk to me. …Because you stopped talking to me!" I slammed my fist against the back of his armrest, so fucking sick of people making this about me or Jace… this was about Ayla. Why couldn't anyone see that?

Jace tried to reach out to take my hand and calm me, but I snatched it out of his grasp. "Don't do that! Don't play supporting husband with me!" At the alarmed look on his face, I sighed, feeling resentful that he'd made me feel guilty for my outburst. "…I… I just… I'm not wrong here. Why aren't we talking about Ayla?"

I jumped and yelped in surprise when a tap came at my window—the detective. God, what was his name? I opened the door and he bent down. "…You just received a phone call at your home—the kidnapper left a ransom message."