Chapter 44

Sara woke to an empty bed. She reached out an arm to Grissom's side, finding it warm but vacant. She sat up; her heart thumping hard until she saw him slip in through the door. He closed is gently behind him, trying not to make any sound. Carrying two mugs of coffee in his hand. His face softened when he noticed she was awake.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he placed a mug on her bedside table and handed her the second. Sara scooted up the headboard and took the warm mug in her hand, inhaling the aroma of Catherine's very expensive blend. She took a sip and sighed.

"Better," she said, smiling up at him. "Thank you." She cupped his cheek, willing the depth of her gratitude to shine through. She was spiralling, she knew it, but he kept her grounded. Held her all through the night.

"You don't need to thank me, honey," Grissom replied. "That's what I'm here for."

"I'm still grateful," Sara said.

"Anytime." Grissom leant down and brush her lips with his own, before picking up his coffee. They sat in silence, Sara trying to brush away the last remnants of sleep from her brain. She leant back against the board, happy to watch her husband.

He had gotten dress while she slept. Wearing a navy blue checked shirt and jeans. He hadn't done his shirt up, so it fell open showing a slightly baggy black t-shirt underneath. His hair was curling slightly at the nape of his neck, a little damp. Sara frowned a little at it.

"What time it is?" She asked. Grissom turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"A little after nine," he replied, unconcernedly.

"Nine?" Sara cried, sitting up so fast she almost spilled her half-drunk coffee. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because you needed the rest," Grissom said, calmly, taking her coffee. "You were awake half the night, Sara. You were finally sleeping. I wasn't going to disturb you."

"Gil," Sara started, but Grissom just put a finger to her lips. Effectively silencing her.

"You're not going to make me feel bad about this, Sara. You needed sleep."

Sara sighed, pursing her lips together. He was right, she did need the sleep, but she wasn't about to let him know that. Grissom smirked at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. He bent over her and kissed her cheek.

"So stubborn," he said against her skin.

"So are you," Sara replied, not letting herself give in.

"But you love me," Grissom replied, pressing a kiss to the underside of her jaw.

"Mmm," Sara hummed. "The jury's out at the moment."

"Really?" Grissom asked, lips grazing her neck. "And how long will the deliberations take?"

"Undecided."

"Anything I can do to speed them along?" A kiss to the crook of her neck.

"I can think of a couple of things," Sara replied. Her pulse fluttering under his touch.

"Well," Grissom said, pulling back a little. His breath brushing against her cheek. "I've already brought you coffee. How about some pancakes?"

"Mmmm, that sounds good."

He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth and rose to retrieve her dressing gown. "Come on, dear. I'll fix you some breakfast." He pulled her to her feet and wrapped the garment over her shoulder.

Vibrations sounded on the bedside table. Sara sighed a little and looked over to the device. Instantly alert when she saw the caller ID.

"Greg?"

"Sara, Archie's finally got into Jimmy's computer. You need to head to PD right away."

The pancakes will have to wait.

She looked up to Grissom, but he was already putting her things together. Sara smiled in thanks as she started to dress, switching the phone on to speaker as she did.

"What did he find?" She asked as she pulled on her trousers.

"Jimmy."

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

The office was full. Russell was perched on the edge of Brass' desk, Nick sitting on the sofa. Brass was leaning on his chair. And Sara and Grissom were standing, side by side, by the cabinet. She flicked through the folder Nick handed her.

"Brian Colston. Born April 28th, 1970, in Las Vegas Nevada. Parents Janet and Keith Colston, both deceased. One sibling, Charlotte Colston. Born January 15th, 1974. Colston worked as a mechanic at his father's garage until he disappeared in 2006."

"That would be around the time Dr Jimmy Thompson turned up," Nick said as Sara read aloud. "We've found nothing on Colston since that time. It seems Jimmy rewrote his entire history."

"There is no record of a Jimmy or James Thompson prior to 2006," Brass put in. "His certificates, his degrees, all fake."

"How did he get away with that?" Sara asked. Surely the hospitals, the practice would have done some form of background check on him. Someone had to have found something.

"He's good," Brass said. "Probably cost him a small fortune, but it is possible."

"How could Jimmy afford this?" Grissom put in. "He was a mechanic. They don't exactly make the sort of money needed to pull something like this off."

"He sold the garage," Russell said. "When his father died, the garage went to him. From what we've gathered, Colston sold it not long before Jimmy came into being."

"That doesn't answer the question: why?" Sara said. "What happened to the sister?"

"We haven't been able to find anything on her," Brass said. "Vartann's checking it now. The name sounds familiar, but I can't place it."

"We can answer that," Catherine said as she and Vartann entered the already crowded office. She handed Russell a file.

"Charlotte Colston went missing, nine years ago, on her way home from work," Vartann added.

"I remember now," Brass said, moving around the desk to read over Russell's shoulder. "She was never found."

"No," Vartann continued. "The theory at the time was that she left. There was no evidence of foul play. No body."

"Was Jimmy the one who reported it?" Sara asked.

"No," Catherine said. "That would have been her fiancé. Marcus Fuller. Both he and Jimmy were brought in for questioning, but with no evidence, the case went cold."

"That must be where you first crossed paths," Grissom said, looking over at her. "We spend just as much time here as we do at the lab. It's not much of a stretch to suggest he saw you here."

Sara nodded. Was this it? The start of it all. But why her? Why did Jimmy fixate on her? Sara wasn't one for false modesty. She knew she was an attractive woman, but she wasn't remarkable. How could it be, a chance encounter could turn into a decade long obsession?

"Jimmy's already in a vulnerable position. His sister had run off, for reason's unknown, and he had lost his parent's not long before," Russell muses. "He sees Sara, and he falls in love."

"If you call this love," Nick comments, sarcastically. He was frowning up at his supervisor. "Seriously, Russell. You really think this sounds like love?"

"To Jimmy it is," Russell say's calmly. "I have no doubt he truly believes he loves Sara. He's created this fantasy world, where he's convinced himself that she could love him too. If…"

"If he can get Grissom out of the way," Sara finishes for him, her hand seeking out her husbands.

"The problem is," Catherine said, glancing up at her from the corner of her eye. "As soon as he releases, she'll never have him, even with Grissom out of the way, he'll lose it. He'll…"

"He'll kill me," Sara said, matter-of-factly. She tried to keep her face neutral, even as a frisson of fear sped down her spine. Grissom tense beside her. It was a possibility. Almost a certainty. Jimmy was ill. Seriously ill. And a seriously ill person with an obsession turns ugly for all involved. And, in this case, those who aren't.

"No," Nick said, standing. "No way. No one is dying. Not you. Not Grissom."

"Nick," Brass said, holding his hand up. "We're not going to let anything happen to them."

"Damn right we're not." He clenched his fists together, and for the first time, Sara could see fear on her friend's face. His phone rang, Nick didn't take his eyes off the detective as he answered. "Stokes. What have you got Archie?"

Sara watched as Nick spoke to the AV tech. His posture relaxed slightly, and a triumphant smile formed on his lips as he looked over to her.

"That's great, Arch. Send it over, we'll check it out." He shut off the phone. "Archie's found two properties listed under the name Colston. One belongs to his sister, a cabin in Mount Charleston, and another under his mother's name in Henderson. Greg's going to meet me at the mothers."

"Great, someone will need to check out the cabin," Russell said.

Sara looked over to Grissom. It was dangerous. If Jimmy was there, there's no telling what he might do. He had the advantage of home field. The unaccounted for explosives.

Grissom raised an eyebrow. He wouldn't ask her not to go, and she wouldn't ask him to stay behind. They needed to end this, now. Together. He nodded, small and almost imperceptible, but Sara squeezed his hand.

"We'll check out the cabin," she said to Russell. He looked as if he was about to argue, but his phone rang.

"Yeah, Morgan?" Whatever the young CSI was saying was enough to take Russell's focus. He frowned and turned away. "You sure? Ok, I'll be right there. See what else you can find." He turned back to the group. "Ok, Nick, meet Greg in Henderson. Sara, take Grissom and Catherine to the cabin. Both of you make sure you have back up. Jimmy may not be there, but I'm not taking any chances."

Sara nodded and the four of them left.

Sara sped out of the car park, followed by three black and whites. This was it; she knew it. Whatever happened next, it would be over. She'd make sure of it. Sara just hoped she could keep Grissom out of the crossfire.