Disclaimer: I don't own.

A/N: Look at me, updating before noon! :) (...before ten at night!) This chapter is longer than last night's, and we see Grissom coming to his senses a little, which should appease some of my readers. ...Ahem.

Btw, Jelly, none of my one year olds can talk that well. ...I have a little girl who just turned two who tried this morning for me, after I read the review. I got a "Make him say... Oh sorry, peas!" :) Although, you were strangely accurate in your descriptions. Are you spying on me? And though I think that Grissom has been a bit OOC in this story, fueled by his mid-life crisis and Sara not being his employee, of course... I don't think the pregnancy lovin' was OOC. Having an affair with a married woman, absolutely. Having sex with a pregnant woman, even if it isn't his baby? No. I could totally see Grissom doing that. Easily. :)

Menage a trois with a baby. Ugh. ...You're going to have to rebuild that wall you know. ...They don't come cheap.

CSIKathy--It's funny. You think I should be afraid of Jelly's anger, and she thinks I should be afraid of yours... I have a feeling you two have these crazy, angry conversations about this story... I'm starting to worry that my death is being planned now instead of Jace. ...Did I mention, to anyone, that I live in China? I do. Just in case anyone's looking for me... China. Ni Hao!

(Yeah, I only know that phrase because of my daycare kids. ...Swiper, No Swiping!)

Chapter Sixty Seven:

Ten million in unmarked bills. Midnight.

I closed my eyes in frustration. God, that wasn't much to go on. "…Were you able to trace the call?" I asked the detective, who had introduced himself to me when we reentered the station—Leda. I had wanted to ask 'and the swan?' but I had a feeling the gruff man wouldn't not have understood nor appreciated the reference, and Sara would have understood and resented my ability to ask a question like that at a time like this… so I refrained.

The fact of the matter was that I was reeling. I hadn't known what to do with the change in Sara… the way she had looked as if, for a brief moment, I was her knight in shining armor come to save the day, and then it had disappeared, to be replaced by a cold and unfeeling woman in her place. We needed to talk about us, but I didn't want to with Jace present… and with Ayla missing, I felt like it would be insensitive to expect her to think about our relationship until she were found.

Detective Leda cleared his throat. "They're working on it—it was a rather short message, but the delay you heard in the beginning may have given us enough time to…" He frowned and ran a hand over his expansive bald spot. "The CSIs are working on it." He replied, clearly not comfortable with the science part of all of this. I wanted to run to the lab and sit in on the analysis of the audio, but I also didn't want to leave Sara right now… and I wanted to talk this ransom message out.

Sara wiped eyes that had been streaming since the first time we'd listened to the message. "They… they didn't say where. …That means they have to contact us again. …If we can keep them talking, this time… Maybe we can ask for proof that Ayla's alive."

I reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but she flinched away. I closed my eyes. "Chances are they're not going to stay on the phone to speak to the police… you two need to be at the house. Jace, you especially."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're the one with the money—you're the more likely target of this."

Sara glanced between us. "…Where are you going?"

"…The lab. …See if I can't offer some help with the audio."

I could see in her eyes that she wanted to come too, but there was no way of knowing whether it was because she wanted to help with the audio as well or because she wanted to be with me. Either way, we both knew it was impossible. "…You'll call… the minute you know anything?" She wiped at her eyes again and then, seeing a tissue offered by Detective Leda, muttered a thank you and took it, wiping first her eyes and then blowing her nose.

"…Of course." My heart ached. I wanted to pull her into my arms. …I wanted to say that this would never have happened if she had left Jace on the cruise ship. That if Ayla had been in my home, she would never have fallen victim to whomever had taken her for whatever reason… but I couldn't say that was exactly true either. I had my share of enemies both behind bars and roaming the Vegas streets.

"…I'll go with you, Jace."

Detective Leda spoke up. "I can give you ride to the lab, Dr. Grissom."

"Thank you."

I watched Sara for a long moment, not wanting to leave her presence, despite the animosity between us. "Jace… stay close to her." I warned, my stomach churning at the thought that had just occurred to me. "Anyone who is trying to get at you through your family… if they'd take a baby, they wouldn't have qualms over harming the wife."

Sara seemed entirely unconcerned, but I saw the genuine fear flash in Jace's eyes… and immediately ruled him out as a suspect. If he was afraid for her, then he wasn't orchestrating this. He bit his lip. "I… I don't have that kind of cash. I mean… I can get it… but it'll take me most of the day. …I don't know if I should just be sitting at the house…"

I shook my head. "We're not even considering giving them anything until we know Ayla's alive… the money is the only power play we have—the only reason they have to keep her alive. …Believe me, it'd be so much easier for them to kill her than to return her safely. …You have to hold out."

Jace frowned at this, but said nothing, gesturing to Sara that he was going to get in the car now and then sliding in. …I noticed that despite the occasional offers of comfort which seemed directly related to Ayla's disappearance, he didn't touch her… Even when I'd been in town for Ayla's birth, he had touched her a little bit. …It was like he felt he wasn't allowed.

Sara's eyes met mine again. "…You're sure about the ransom?"

"You know how this works Sara. You give them the money, they have no reason to keep talking to us…"

She looked conflicted. "…But if we make this more difficult for them…"

I stepped forward, laying gentle hands on her upper arms and feeling the tiniest of victories that she didn't pull from me or flinch at my touch. "…Trust me, Sara. ...Trust yourself. You know that we're far more likely to find Ayla following evidence than following directions. …Right?"

Her eyes were brimming again and she drew in a shaky breath, nodding. "Right. Right. I know, but…"

"It's harder when it's your own child. …I feel it too, honey." I said, unintentionally. I hadn't meant to open myself to such vulnerability, but it slipped. She blinked at the tears and looked up at me in surprise, like she wasn't sure if she should believe me… or trust that the term of endearment meant something.

"…I… can't do this with you, Gil. I…" She shook her head and closed her eyes, the actions causing two tears to race each other down her cheeks. "…I just need Ayla. …I don't want to get in the middle of you and Jace grunting and flexing your testosterone… I don't want either of you, I just want my baby back." She pulled out of my grasp, a sob slipping between her lips, over-bright from crying and her teeth worrying them all morning. "Just find her, Gil. …Please."

She turned her back on me and climbed into the back seat with Jace, though she made no move to seek further comfort from him as they drove away. I sighed and turned to Det. Leda, who was still standing there waiting for me, his hands in his pockets. He snorted under his breath. "Friend of the family, huh?"

I sighed. "…Let's just get to the lab."

The red tape I'd been expecting at their house was in full force at the lab… I had to sign so many forms before they'd let me back that my hand was cramping. I was guided to the AV lab where a kid who looked like he should still be in high school sat in a lab coat and a backwards hat, some sort of hip hop music playing in the background. …I found myself grateful for Greg, who only played music in labs where it wouldn't affect his ability to interpret evidence. In the AV lab, music was a much bigger problem.

Once I was offered a set of headphones, however, it blocked out the other noise while the shaggy-haired tech played the ransom message—There were several seconds before the message, and then the voice I'd heard in the police station repeated the ominous message. We listened several times, the CSI beside me picking out different parts and asking about reversing the voice distortion. …Hearing the real voice gave me hope—while it was an average voice of a man… in his thirties, if I had to guess… that none of us recognized—it wavered a little. The hesitation wasn't audible when the voice was distorted, but when it was clear… the man seemed nervous. Uncertain. My instinct told me he was the hired help, not the master mind.

"Play it through again," I said, hoping I might pick up something else distinguishing about the man. Once again, it played through… and though I didn't catch anything in his voice, there was something… "Again." I directed. The CSI beside me huffed, but I ignored him. I strained to hear and this time, I was certain. "There's something, right before he speaks… it's partially obscured by him inhaling. Can you isolate it?"

Despite the tech's deceptive appearance, he was quick to pick out the section, play it, and isolate the specific sound. I didn't even have to ask that he loop it. He could give Archie a run for his money… He hit play, and we listened to the sound repeat itself. It was a rasping ffpt! sound, following with a dull click. …No matter how many times I listened to it though, I couldn't place it. …It just sounded so familiar!

After listening for what seemed like an endless five minutes, I sighed and removed my headphones. When the CSI beside me, younger than me, followed suit, I took it as a cue that I was unofficially running the show. He might not like it, but he was deferring to me—between us, I had the power. "Were you able to trace the call anywhere?"

The tech frowned. "We traced the phone—disposable cell phone, the carrier has the name 'Mickey Mouse' attached to it. Purchased a week ago, in town, with cash. The store doesn't have a security system, so no video. Nobody remembers who bought it. …We tried to get a location, based on cell towers, but the signal cut out on us too quickly. I mean, I could tell you which half of the city he's in… but not much else. …When there's another signal, we'll start tracking it, but in the mean time…"

"Right." I sighed. In the mean time, nothing. Our only hopes at this point were that he would use the same phone to call to give a drop off point and the strange noise I could not for the life of me identify. I turned to the CSI. "…You guys get any prints from the room, any hairs… anything that didn't come from Jace, Sara, or Ayla."

He swallowed. "I… I'm not sure. I didn't even go to the scene—they just pulled me from another case to work the audio."

I nodded in slight frustration. I mean, it was nice that they were pulling people in hopes of rescuing Ayla alive… but I wanted someone who knew something. "Can you take me to someone who would know?"

"Gil Grissom." The voice came from the doorway. I looked up in surprise, and recognized Mark Foster, the Lab Director. I stood up and moved to him, offering a hand.

"Mark Foster. It's good to see you again." I said, because we'd been introduced a time or two at Forensic Academy Conferences. …I wished, suddenly, that I had been more politic at the time… Mark was rather territorial, and it wouldn't have hurt me to have gotten to know the man better.

"It's a surprise to see you again," he countered, gesturing with his head that I follow him out of the AV lab and down the hall. "I am under the understanding that you're going to be hands-off, is that correct?"

"Absolutely," I rushed to reassure him. "I just… Another pair of eyes never hurt, right?"

"No," he agreed. "Especially not yours. …I know it might not seem like it—Det. Leda has a rather no-nonsense attitude—but this is a rather high-profile case. I'm sure you're aware that Mr. Wendt's company makes sizable donations to most of the local politicians… the sheriff among them, but it goes up to the Mayor, the Senators, members of Congress…"

"I was not, actually."

He glanced at me out of the side of his eyes. "Well… a member of a company who is so… influential… in this town… having his infant daughter kidnapped… Let's just say that it puts me in a difficult position."

"Only if you don't find her alive." I countered, feeling that a little extra pressure to do this right wasn't a bad thing. He smirked at me.

"And people say you don't understand politics, Gil. …Listen, here's what I'm getting at… We're taking every available resource and applying it to this case. …Now, when we do find her… I don't want the headlines reading, 'Out of Town Hero Cracks Case.'"

I rolled my eyes. "Like I care about the publicity!"

He smiled, "No, I knew you wouldn't… I also don't want headlines in a few months to read, 'Evidence on Wendt Kidnapping Thrown Out—Visiting CSI Compromises Case.'" I frowned, and he nodded. "I think now we understand each other… I need to know what your relationship to Sara Wendt is. Because I'm not risking my entire Crime Lab so you can keep this hush-hush from her Sugar Daddy."

I snorted. "He's not her… what you said. …This information stays between the two of us?"

"Of course."

"…And you're not going to let me stay and 'assist' unless I tell you."

He offered a smile. "I'm not." He gestured to his office, which we were now outside of. I stepped in and he closed the door behind us. "Would you like to take a seat?"

I shook my head. "I'd rather be done with this as fast as possible. …Sara and I met just before she and Jace got married, which is why we never pursued a relationship… we ran into each other about a year and a half ago, roughly, and one thing led to another. We had an affair. Jace found out. …We stayed in contact, and I came for Ayla's birth… Jace allowed it, because Sara said she wouldn't allow him in the birthing room unless I could be there too. A few months later, we… had a fight and stopped talking. …When she told me about Ayla, it was the first time I'd talked to her in months."

"…Do you like the husband for it?"

I tilted my head. "…At first, I wasn't willing to rule him out, but… he seems genuinely afraid and uncertain. …I've seen the man when he thinks he has power and is calling the shots… It's drastically different."

"…What about Sara?"

I shook my head. "It wouldn't be hard to find motive, but she doesn't have it in her. …Plus, it was her idea to call me. …She wouldn't call me in if she were guilty… she'd know I'd figure it out."

"You have a healthy ego."

"I'm realistic."

He chuckled. "…Alright. Don't flaunt these details—if we don't have to answer questions about it, that's by far the better outcome."

I nodded, glancing at the door. "…Am I allowed to check in with the other labs?"

"Feel free," he nodded. "But I can tell you there's nothing to see, yet. …A few partials around the window that don't match the family, a show print in the garden… no matches to anything yet. …We're working on it."

I sighed. "Okay… I think I'm gonna head over to the house for a while then… Will you call me, if they get a hit on any of the prints?"

"Personally," He replied, which set me at ease. He was worried about his lab, of course… that was natural… but he was on my side in this, and that made all of this much easier to deal with. I thanked him and jotted down my cell number before hurrying from the room. I needed to relay some of this vital information…and I needed to see her again. …Maybe when she realized that we were making some progress, she'd calm down. …Maybe we could talk. …Maybe the bastard would slip up and leave his phone on, and we could track him down in the next hour… giving me the time to figure out what to do about this and how to explain myself.

Maybe she still loved me.