A/N: New chapter- we hope to have this one finished by October 6- Enjoy!
A Return to Vegas
Chapter 17
The drive back seemed longer; everyone in the car had questions but knew little about the capture of Alan Caldwell. Arriving at Catherine's, who was still at the hospital, they found her house as bright as a Christmas tree; the guest house and Bob's house the same. Owen seemed to know he was to deliver the Grissom family to the front door of the guest house.
As he helped Sara out of the car, he said, "I'll get your vehicle here by morning."
Sara was barely able to function but she vaguely recalled certain tasks associated with appreciation and gratitude. She said, "Come in—would you like a cup of something?"
He nodded at Libby, saying, "I'll bring your girl—she's had a big day."
Libby had gone to sleep before the boat returned to the boat launch. By the time they answered questions and sorted things out, both children were asleep, tucked against their parent's shoulders, oblivious to everything happening.
Following Owen, Sara said, "I suspect we could all drink something—something strong."
The strings lights around the porch were twinkling; Sara knew Libby loved the lights, wanting to stay awake every night so she could see them. She stumbled as she opened the door and then followed Owen and Grissom into the children's bedroom. Staying behind so she could wipe her children's faces and removed their stained clothing, Sara realized she was so exhausted she could crawl into bed with them.
She did make it back to the kitchen and found four men—her husband, Jim, Owen, and Bob—standing around the counter with drinks in their hands discussing the day's event, knowing nothing new.
Grissom opened a wine cooler, saying, "Bob brought food." Pausing a second, he added, "You need to eat, honey."
Sara could not remember the last time she ate but she took a long swallow of the cooler before moving to the food spread across the countertop. Bread, cheese, fruits, an assortment of rolled meat slices, olives covered a large platter.
"Is this a charcuterie board?" asked Sara.
The men appeared confused.
Jim held up an olive and a piece of meat, laughing as he said, "I call it a feast of good food!" He reached for a slice of bread.
"Tell me what's happening," Sara said as she folded a piece of bread around cheese. "I think I am hungry—Bob, did you bring this over? Thank you—tell me again what happened."
"The cook up at the big house brought it over—said she knew what you'd like." Then he began the story again—of Anthony arriving in the golf cart, finding Lindsey, realizing Libby had been taken. "I should have checked out the truck—but I thought it was someone Lindsey knew."
Sara shook her head, saying, "None of us expected—why did he show up here?" She looked at Grissom who was checking his phone.
He said, "Caldwell was stopped—on his way to Las Vegas PD for questioning." His eyes met Sara's. "We are invited to listen in if we want to."
"No," Sara answered as she pulled a stool to the counter. "I'm going to eat, take a long shower, and hope I can sleep until morning. Bob, thank you for being here—thank you for getting Anthony to me as quickly as possible."
The man smiled. "I wasn't staying behind—I don't remember asking if we could ride in the helicopter—we just got in. And your boy was so excited. He did a grand job of driving that golf cart. His eyes were big as saucers—he was worried about Lindsey." Chuckling, he added, "His sister had ridden off in a truck but he got to ride in a helicopter."
The group settled into a discussion of Caldwell and possible reasons for his actions, talked about the ride down the river, circled back to Caldwell, and finally to the topic none wanted to approach.
Sara asked, "Will they remember this?"
The men were silent until Grissom said, "They don't appear to—to recognize any danger or fear. I—I don't know the answer."
"How much do any of us remember from the time we were three and four?" This question came from Owen.
For a while they talked about early memories, concluding none remembered actual events from an early age but could remember photos and bits of conversations.
Grissom's phone buzzed again and after answering it, he said, "Maxine, I'm putting you on speaker. We want to hear this." He told her who would be listening.
"He has admitted to everything—including the three murders—sleeping in the house—taking Libby." They could hear her sigh before she continued. "It's sad—here's a guy who kills three people—by all accounts, he's always been law-abiding, unnoticed. Yet, something happened to him—something grew like a cancer—that caused him to spend thousands of dollars on a scheme to cause problems for people he'd never met—knew of them from his mother. He killed three people for no reason!"
Everyone remained quiet for a moment.
Maxine continued, "He has no idea of the suffering he's caused—will continue to cause—because he wanted—what? Revenge?" She changed subjects, asking, "How are the kids?" A soft laugh, "He said he liked the little girl—and he has no idea whose child he kidnapped! He drove out to Catherine's to burn down her barn—found them and claims Libby went with him willingly."
Sara had leaned against Grissom, her head on his shoulder as Maxine talked. She said, "They are fine—asleep—see it as a great adventure. And I'm sure Libby went with him. All he had to do was mention kittens or puppies or unicorns." Her voice choked as she spoke and her fingers wiped away tears.
"Yes," said Maxine. "Unfortunately, that's true—no matter how much we as parents try to impress upon young children. A stranger is no danger if there is a kitten or a dog—or a unicorn—involved. How's Lindsey? Any news?"
Owen spoke up, "She's resting. Her mother and her husband are with her. Catherine says she'll be fine—home tomorrow."
"His ass is going to get charged with assault and kidnapping on top of multiple murders." Maxine went on to talk about Caldwell's remorse, his concern about his mother and aunt, adding, "Doesn't matter."
They were still sitting around the kitchen counter an hour later when Sara yawned and stood. She said, "All of you can sit here all night—I'm going to shower and to bed."
Ten minutes later, her husband joined her. As he removed his clothes, he said, "I ran them off. Bob says he has a surprise for Libby tomorrow and Jim will be back in the morning."
Sara moved out of the shower waterfall to lean against the warm tiles "These have been the worst hours of my life, Gil."
His arms opened and all the fear, the frustration, the terror and dread of the day began to disperse. His arms closed across her back as her arms went around his neck. For long minutes, they stood, locked into an embrace, holding each other, both recognizing the whirlwind of emotions of the day.
Folded in his arms, pressed against his chest, Sara felt her breathing ease into deep rhythm for the first time in hours. Lifting her face, their lips met in a melting intimacy that sent a shiver through her body. Feeling the tremble, Grissom turned the flow of water to a warmer stream and after a long stroke over her back, he managed to bathe her as he would a child.
His movements were deliberate, slow, as he soaped and rinsed until a veil of mist filled the bathroom and Sara was pink and glowing. Sara filled her hand with the same body wash and proceeded to work the lather over her husband's shoulders—and got no farther as his mouth met hers.
A few minutes later, she was wrapped in a huge bath towel and guided to the bedroom. His scent rushed over her, fresh and clean and she wanted to drown in the wonderful, familiar smell of him.
"Make love to me, Gil," she whispered.
In the darkness, his fingers played with her damp hair. "Darling," he said, a note of amusement in his voice, "we've had a quite a day…"
She cut him off with a kiss that showed her determination; nuzzling in half-open caresses until she felt his pleasure growing. She continued to kiss him, her mouth wandering to his jaw, to his ear; she heard a groan of contentment as they rolled into the wide bed, losing her towel in the process.
His hands cradled her face; his face looked younger, softer. His eyes changed, looking at his wife with a fiery absorption that blocked out every other awareness. Leaning over her, he kissed her until he found the dark bud of her breast and closed his mouth over it.
Sara pushed upward with the need to enfold him completely, reaching for his head, slipping her fingers into his white hair. He understood her need; his hand sliding across her stomach, a finger circling her navel. His fingers slid lower, gently touching the folds of her sex.
Sara responded with a quiet sound of desire while her body coiled into a tightening urgency as his fingers searched delicately, parting her, grazing over her with gossamer-light strokes. At the moment when she thought she would burst with sensation, he shifted.
His mouth was on hers as he fit between her legs, pushing inside her in a slow, deliberate slide. Easy, deep, tender, every movement drawing a thrill of pleasure as her climax built, shattering into a burst of ecstasy. Her body clenched with contractions as a deep growl came from her husband's throat. In a shuddering orgasm, he lowered his body over hers, his mouth at the nape of her neck.
Minutes passed before they moved and Grissom left the bed, returning with a warm, damp cloth. Sara let him bathe her as she touched his face, running her thumb over his mouth, causing him to smile. She held her arms up so he could slip her shirt over her head.
She whispered, "You know you are my rescuer. Today…"
"No, dear, you are the one who held us together today—you were a furious crocodile." He lay beside her and twisted a lock of hair in his fingers. "I think you could have walked on water to get to Libby."
Sara smiled, thinking of their little girl. "She was looking for unicorns."
Grissom chuckled, saying, "Bob has a surprise for her—tonight, he said he has a friend who has a unicorn—and the unicorn will be here tomorrow."
Snuggling against him, Sara laughed. "A unicorn—she'll pee her pants."
"We'll have dry pants for her. Bob feels responsible—no matter what I said."
"A unicorn—I'm kind of excited myself."
Grissom kissed her forehead, saying, "We need to sleep—maybe the kids will sleep late."
Making a deep sigh, Sara said, "What a day." She nestled her face next to his and kissed him. "I love you, Gilbert."
A/N: Thank you for reading. Thank you for your kind comments!
We appreciate all of your support through the years as fans of GSR! Looks like the new 10 episodes CSI: Vegas will be a fulfillment of GSR!
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