Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.
Part Eight - Belief
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"Gris -- you okay?"
He was still standing, he realized. Grissom opened his eyes to see Warrick's concerned face. He nodded, swallowing.
"Yeah."
Nick was standing not far from Grissom, his gun still in his hands, aimed at Margie. Catherine was kneeling by the prone woman. "She's still alive. Nice shot, Nick."
Nick nodded. He lowered his weapon, but like the cop he had once been, he didn't holster it, instead keeping it by his side, easily ready to fire again.
"How did you guys --" Grissom began.
"There was no way we were letting this case go by without us at least looking at the paperwork," Catherine explained as Warrick radioed for an ambulance. "Greg noticed a problem in one of the reports - someone had covered up the fact that you were drugged. Once we realized that Margie was the only person who could have done that --"
"We needed to confront her before they arrested you," Nick finished. Grissom looked at the young man. Despite the fact that Margie was unconscious with Catherine trying to stem the bleeding from the gunshot wound, Nick was still holding onto his weapon. Grissom managed to force a smile for the younger man.
"I think you can put the gun away, Nick."
Nick looked down. "Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "Just wanted to make sure…"
Grissom nodded, knowing what Nick didn't say. Given the extent of Margie's effort to frame Grissom, Nick wanted to make sure that Margie wasn't going to be able to try anything else.
"Sara and Greg went to intercept Vega," Warrick remarked as the sounds of police cars and ambulances drew closer.
"Gil…when we got here, we heard what she said…about wanting to ruin your life."
He nodded at Catherine, thinking about how close Margie had come to achieving her goal. He looked down at the woman as the paramedics and cops arrived, the cops immediately harassing Nick because of his drawn gun. Warrick stepped over to play peacemaker. Catherine walked over to Grissom as the paramedics loaded Margie onto a stretcher.
"You know we never believed you were guilty," Catherine said quietly.
Grissom looked at her, and Catherine could see how badly the whole ordeal had shaken him. "I wish I could have had your belief, Catherine."
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Part Eight - Belief
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*
"Gris -- you okay?"
He was still standing, he realized. Grissom opened his eyes to see Warrick's concerned face. He nodded, swallowing.
"Yeah."
Nick was standing not far from Grissom, his gun still in his hands, aimed at Margie. Catherine was kneeling by the prone woman. "She's still alive. Nice shot, Nick."
Nick nodded. He lowered his weapon, but like the cop he had once been, he didn't holster it, instead keeping it by his side, easily ready to fire again.
"How did you guys --" Grissom began.
"There was no way we were letting this case go by without us at least looking at the paperwork," Catherine explained as Warrick radioed for an ambulance. "Greg noticed a problem in one of the reports - someone had covered up the fact that you were drugged. Once we realized that Margie was the only person who could have done that --"
"We needed to confront her before they arrested you," Nick finished. Grissom looked at the young man. Despite the fact that Margie was unconscious with Catherine trying to stem the bleeding from the gunshot wound, Nick was still holding onto his weapon. Grissom managed to force a smile for the younger man.
"I think you can put the gun away, Nick."
Nick looked down. "Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "Just wanted to make sure…"
Grissom nodded, knowing what Nick didn't say. Given the extent of Margie's effort to frame Grissom, Nick wanted to make sure that Margie wasn't going to be able to try anything else.
"Sara and Greg went to intercept Vega," Warrick remarked as the sounds of police cars and ambulances drew closer.
"Gil…when we got here, we heard what she said…about wanting to ruin your life."
He nodded at Catherine, thinking about how close Margie had come to achieving her goal. He looked down at the woman as the paramedics and cops arrived, the cops immediately harassing Nick because of his drawn gun. Warrick stepped over to play peacemaker. Catherine walked over to Grissom as the paramedics loaded Margie onto a stretcher.
"You know we never believed you were guilty," Catherine said quietly.
Grissom looked at her, and Catherine could see how badly the whole ordeal had shaken him. "I wish I could have had your belief, Catherine."
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