Disclaimers, ect are on the first chapter. Thank you so much for all
the great reviews, I will post again as soon as I can!
Chapter 5- A Name
"I know it was you." She states simply, in an even voice, but Grissom could
tell from her eyes that she wasn't pleased about something and he was pretty sure
he knew what.
"What? What was me?" He asks innocently enough, also keeping his voice even.
She gives him a brief nasty look and continues "Apparently BRASS thinks it's
a good idea they put a man on me when I am not at work. I told him no, it
wasn't necessary; I could handle myself and he said the strangest thing to me."
"What's that?" Grissom was curious that she hadn't raised her voice yet; it
was not typical Sara behavior. Normally she would come in his office screaming
her head off; she just looked tired and worn down to him.
"He said it wasn't his decision. Why would that be? Maybe because you told
him to do it. Dammit, Grissom, I am an adult; I don't need a babysitter." By now
Sara has advanced on his desk and is looming over him. Grissom doesn't flinch.
"This is not about your abilities to handle yourself or that I think you
need a babysitter; we are concerned for your safety, Sara, that's it. No one here
wants anything to happen to you, especially me."
For an instant Sara is stunned by what he said, but quickly composes
herself.
"Yeah, well I am not the person you should be concerned about. How many more
innocent women are going to be murdered before he gets to me or we catch
him? That's whom we need to protect. We need to get the word out, alert the
media." Between this conversation with Grissom and the argument with Brass, Sara is
emotionally drained and simply doesnt want to argue anymore. Add to that the
stone faced look she was getting from Grissom and she knew she wasn't
winning this argument "I get the impression that even if I say no, even if I refuse
this protection, you are going to do it anyway. So fine, but I am not cooperating
one bit. I don't like it."
"Fine." Grissom says, that being probably the closest he will get to her
actually agreeing, "I am going to autopsy; please process the wound track from
tonight. I am going to ask Brass to make a statement to the media; we do need to warn
people without causing a panic."
"Fine." Is all she says as she leaves his office.
Rubbing his temples, Grissom tries to avoid the migraine he knows it coming
on.
Suddenly his door opened again, and this time he snaps:
"What is with people not knocking all of a sudden?" He snips at a perplexed
looking Catherine.
"Sorry, just wanted to know how the talk with Sara went; I saw her in here.
Let me know when you are in a mood to talk." She starts to close the door but is
interrupted by Grissom.
"Wait, sorry Catherine. We didn't have that discussion" he takes in the not
pleased look on her face, "we had the police protection discussion."
Catherine looks at him and takes in the tired look on his face and decides
to leave it as is for now. "Ok. You better get to autopsy, they should be
starting soon."
"Thanks." He says and follows her out the door.
When he arrives in autopsy, Nick is already there waiting for him. After a
short conversation with David he learns nothing new; the victim was killed in the
same manner as the first. Bruises around the wrists, but none in the midsection
this time.
"This one didn't look like she put up that much of a fight," David tells
them. "The only apparent trauma is the obvious cut across the throat; she also
bled out and there are bruises around the wrists. X-ray didn't pick up anything
internal, but autopsy will hopefully show more."
"Well, let's go then." Grissom says. Nick looks up at him, noticing the
terseness in his voice.
An hour later, Grissom and Nick had no more information, and this time no
trace on the body.
"Well, this is frustrating; all we have to work with is the note that was
left behind." Nick states.
"Yep." Grissom says sounding defeated, which is very unlike him "Nick why
don't you start collecting the personal information on the victims so we can start
comparing."
Nick nods and heads off toward the lab while Grissom goes looking for Sara.
While he walks to the lab space, Grissom is debating in his head how to
approach her about this. The last thing he wanted to do was to make it an order that
she talk to someone, but one the other hand, he didn't want her to implode and
be no good to herself or the team.
Walking into the lab, she looks up immediately, giving him that huge smile
of hers that revealed the gap between her teeth that Grissom loved. He inwardly
cringed at the impending conversation, but steeled himself.
"Hey, Grissom. Looks like we have the same weapon: the wound track is
identical." She was almost friendly to him, as if the conversation in his
office had never happened. It made this that this much harder for him.
"Excellent. Sara, we need to talk."
"Bout what?" She asks him; Grissom never just wanted to talk about anything.
"Sara, we need to discuss how this case is affecting you." He starts
tentatively, never in his life has he been afraid of someone's reaction to
him, now he is though.
"Affecting me? I am fine Grissom, I told you that. No problem, just another
case, ok?" She said it with such confidence that most people would have
believed her, but all Grissom had to do was look at her eyes and he knew she was
lying.
"Sara." He sighs, "I can tell this is bothering you; please talk to me about
it, if not me, then someone."
"You want to me to talk to someone? Oh that's good, Grissom, this from the
man who never lets any emotion show, who is so locked in himself that no one can
get through." She spits back at him, angry with him, angry at the situation, and
Grissom placed himself right in her line of fire. "I am not going to talk to
someone Grissom, I don't need to. For the LAST time, I am not the one to
worry about. I am still breathing, and my parents aren't planning my funeral. God,
why can't any of you see that, quit worrying about me and focus on finding this
guy. And since when are you concerned about my mental health?"
This statement takes Grissom aback, he thinks since her leave of absence
request he has put more effort into thinking about the feelings of the people he
works with and not be so aloof. She notices the sad look on his face and starts to
retract what she said, but before a word can come out of her mouth Catherine
pops her head in the lab.
"We got a print." Both Sara and Grissom turn to her and quickly follow her
into office.
"You run it yet?" Grissom quickly asks as Nick joins the group.
"We are running it through AFIS right now, didn't match the victim. We found
it on the very corner of the note." Warrick explains and turns to look at Sara
and Grissom who are standing there with no expression on either of their faces.
Both look deep in thought.
As the group waits for the computer to share the name of their potential
suspect, Sara thinks about what she said to Grissom. She hadn't meant it.
She knew that he had been trying lately; she was just so frustrated with
everyone asking if she was ok. Truth be told, she wasn't; that's probably what made
her lash out at him. This was scaring her far more than she let anyone know, but
if she ever told anyone that, she was afraid of people thinking she was weak or
unable to handle her job. Sara never, ever let anyone see her fear, maybe
because she wasn't frequently afraid. If she got emotional, that was a
different story; those emotions helped her, pushed her to solving cases. Fear would
get her nowhere. Looking up, the computer was still processing, going through
thousands of prints a second to find a match. She quietly goes over to the
coffee machine in the office and pours some into a ceramic mug. She was
starting to get exhausted, she hadn't slept well the night before. She was plagued by
bad dreams; the coffee would keep her going for a little while longer. Suddenly
the computer stops and beeps to indicate it has a match, everyone at once looks
at the name of the man who they suspect has now killed two women. Before anyone
can even turn and ask the question on all their minds, the horrific sound of
Sara's mug shattering on the hard floor resonates in the small room.
tbc..........
*********************
"Grissom, can you come tape me up?" Sara
"I love my work." Grissom to Catherine
"It shows" Catherine
the great reviews, I will post again as soon as I can!
Chapter 5- A Name
"I know it was you." She states simply, in an even voice, but Grissom could
tell from her eyes that she wasn't pleased about something and he was pretty sure
he knew what.
"What? What was me?" He asks innocently enough, also keeping his voice even.
She gives him a brief nasty look and continues "Apparently BRASS thinks it's
a good idea they put a man on me when I am not at work. I told him no, it
wasn't necessary; I could handle myself and he said the strangest thing to me."
"What's that?" Grissom was curious that she hadn't raised her voice yet; it
was not typical Sara behavior. Normally she would come in his office screaming
her head off; she just looked tired and worn down to him.
"He said it wasn't his decision. Why would that be? Maybe because you told
him to do it. Dammit, Grissom, I am an adult; I don't need a babysitter." By now
Sara has advanced on his desk and is looming over him. Grissom doesn't flinch.
"This is not about your abilities to handle yourself or that I think you
need a babysitter; we are concerned for your safety, Sara, that's it. No one here
wants anything to happen to you, especially me."
For an instant Sara is stunned by what he said, but quickly composes
herself.
"Yeah, well I am not the person you should be concerned about. How many more
innocent women are going to be murdered before he gets to me or we catch
him? That's whom we need to protect. We need to get the word out, alert the
media." Between this conversation with Grissom and the argument with Brass, Sara is
emotionally drained and simply doesnt want to argue anymore. Add to that the
stone faced look she was getting from Grissom and she knew she wasn't
winning this argument "I get the impression that even if I say no, even if I refuse
this protection, you are going to do it anyway. So fine, but I am not cooperating
one bit. I don't like it."
"Fine." Grissom says, that being probably the closest he will get to her
actually agreeing, "I am going to autopsy; please process the wound track from
tonight. I am going to ask Brass to make a statement to the media; we do need to warn
people without causing a panic."
"Fine." Is all she says as she leaves his office.
Rubbing his temples, Grissom tries to avoid the migraine he knows it coming
on.
Suddenly his door opened again, and this time he snaps:
"What is with people not knocking all of a sudden?" He snips at a perplexed
looking Catherine.
"Sorry, just wanted to know how the talk with Sara went; I saw her in here.
Let me know when you are in a mood to talk." She starts to close the door but is
interrupted by Grissom.
"Wait, sorry Catherine. We didn't have that discussion" he takes in the not
pleased look on her face, "we had the police protection discussion."
Catherine looks at him and takes in the tired look on his face and decides
to leave it as is for now. "Ok. You better get to autopsy, they should be
starting soon."
"Thanks." He says and follows her out the door.
When he arrives in autopsy, Nick is already there waiting for him. After a
short conversation with David he learns nothing new; the victim was killed in the
same manner as the first. Bruises around the wrists, but none in the midsection
this time.
"This one didn't look like she put up that much of a fight," David tells
them. "The only apparent trauma is the obvious cut across the throat; she also
bled out and there are bruises around the wrists. X-ray didn't pick up anything
internal, but autopsy will hopefully show more."
"Well, let's go then." Grissom says. Nick looks up at him, noticing the
terseness in his voice.
An hour later, Grissom and Nick had no more information, and this time no
trace on the body.
"Well, this is frustrating; all we have to work with is the note that was
left behind." Nick states.
"Yep." Grissom says sounding defeated, which is very unlike him "Nick why
don't you start collecting the personal information on the victims so we can start
comparing."
Nick nods and heads off toward the lab while Grissom goes looking for Sara.
While he walks to the lab space, Grissom is debating in his head how to
approach her about this. The last thing he wanted to do was to make it an order that
she talk to someone, but one the other hand, he didn't want her to implode and
be no good to herself or the team.
Walking into the lab, she looks up immediately, giving him that huge smile
of hers that revealed the gap between her teeth that Grissom loved. He inwardly
cringed at the impending conversation, but steeled himself.
"Hey, Grissom. Looks like we have the same weapon: the wound track is
identical." She was almost friendly to him, as if the conversation in his
office had never happened. It made this that this much harder for him.
"Excellent. Sara, we need to talk."
"Bout what?" She asks him; Grissom never just wanted to talk about anything.
"Sara, we need to discuss how this case is affecting you." He starts
tentatively, never in his life has he been afraid of someone's reaction to
him, now he is though.
"Affecting me? I am fine Grissom, I told you that. No problem, just another
case, ok?" She said it with such confidence that most people would have
believed her, but all Grissom had to do was look at her eyes and he knew she was
lying.
"Sara." He sighs, "I can tell this is bothering you; please talk to me about
it, if not me, then someone."
"You want to me to talk to someone? Oh that's good, Grissom, this from the
man who never lets any emotion show, who is so locked in himself that no one can
get through." She spits back at him, angry with him, angry at the situation, and
Grissom placed himself right in her line of fire. "I am not going to talk to
someone Grissom, I don't need to. For the LAST time, I am not the one to
worry about. I am still breathing, and my parents aren't planning my funeral. God,
why can't any of you see that, quit worrying about me and focus on finding this
guy. And since when are you concerned about my mental health?"
This statement takes Grissom aback, he thinks since her leave of absence
request he has put more effort into thinking about the feelings of the people he
works with and not be so aloof. She notices the sad look on his face and starts to
retract what she said, but before a word can come out of her mouth Catherine
pops her head in the lab.
"We got a print." Both Sara and Grissom turn to her and quickly follow her
into office.
"You run it yet?" Grissom quickly asks as Nick joins the group.
"We are running it through AFIS right now, didn't match the victim. We found
it on the very corner of the note." Warrick explains and turns to look at Sara
and Grissom who are standing there with no expression on either of their faces.
Both look deep in thought.
As the group waits for the computer to share the name of their potential
suspect, Sara thinks about what she said to Grissom. She hadn't meant it.
She knew that he had been trying lately; she was just so frustrated with
everyone asking if she was ok. Truth be told, she wasn't; that's probably what made
her lash out at him. This was scaring her far more than she let anyone know, but
if she ever told anyone that, she was afraid of people thinking she was weak or
unable to handle her job. Sara never, ever let anyone see her fear, maybe
because she wasn't frequently afraid. If she got emotional, that was a
different story; those emotions helped her, pushed her to solving cases. Fear would
get her nowhere. Looking up, the computer was still processing, going through
thousands of prints a second to find a match. She quietly goes over to the
coffee machine in the office and pours some into a ceramic mug. She was
starting to get exhausted, she hadn't slept well the night before. She was plagued by
bad dreams; the coffee would keep her going for a little while longer. Suddenly
the computer stops and beeps to indicate it has a match, everyone at once looks
at the name of the man who they suspect has now killed two women. Before anyone
can even turn and ask the question on all their minds, the horrific sound of
Sara's mug shattering on the hard floor resonates in the small room.
tbc..........
*********************
"Grissom, can you come tape me up?" Sara
"I love my work." Grissom to Catherine
"It shows" Catherine