A/N: Thanks everyone for all the awesome reviews. I apologize greatly for
taking so long to update. I didn't think it would take this long, or I
wouldn't have left you in suspense. There's still more to come after this,
so it's not the end yet. Oh, and a special thanks to Sweet Preserves for
her suggestions and help with this chapter.
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She dropped the brush she had been holding and it hit the floor with a dull thud. She tried to scream but nothing came out.
"Did ya miss me?" He asked, sneering at her.
"Hank! How the hell did you get in here?"
"That's my little secret."
He advanced towards her, and she backed away, but only got about a foot before she hit the dresser. He grabbed her arm with a steel like grip and shoved her onto the bed. She fell hard on her back, and tried to get up but he held her down.
"When I'm through with you you'll wish you never left me." He smirked.
"No!" She exclaimed, but it was no use. She couldn't get away, and no matter how much she screamed Nick wouldn't hear her with the water running.
He hauled her shirt off and was going for the button on her jeans. She had to think fast, but her mind was foggy. She screamed as loud as she could, in hopes that a neighbor might hear and call the police. He covered her mouth with his hand and continued.
**********
When Nick left the bathroom, he heard noise coming from Sara's room. He paused for a moment, and heard a male voice and then sobs. He quickly grabbed his gun and walked quietly towards the door.
Upon entering the room, he saw Sara lying on the bed naked, crying, with a man on top of her. As he got closer he realized who it was.
"Nick!" Sara cried and Hank turned around.
"Don't move, or I'll shoot!" Nick shouted.
Hank just laughed. "You wouldn't shoot me."
"You wanna bet?"
The confidence in Nick's voice made Hank pause. Sara began to sob again and Hank suddenly remembered that he was still on top of her. He reached over and quickly grabbed her gun, which was lying on the nightstand.
"I'm warning you Hank!" Nick shouted.
"You're warning me?" Hank laughed. He had the gun pointed directly at Sara's head. "In the time it takes for you to pull the trigger and for the bullet to hit me, she'll be dead." He snickered.
Nick had no idea what to do. It was a lose - lose situation.
Sara couldn't believe that the only thing that was going through her head right now was how ironic it was that she was going to be killed with her own gun, the gun that was there for her protection. She glanced up at Nick, and for the first time she saw fear in his eyes.
"You won't have time to pull the trigger." Nick sated rather confidently for the situation he was in. "You'd have to have awfully quick reflexes."
"Well, if that's a chance you're willing to take." Hank replied.
He looked over at Sara, who gave him a slight nod that Hank didn't notice. He held his breath, prayed to God that Sara knew what she was doing, and fired the gun at Hank. Sara ducked to one side and as the bullet hit Hank in the stomach, he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the bed in the spot where her head used to be.
Hank fell onto the bed, half on top of Sara, blood flowing freely from his open wound. Nick grabbed his cell phone and called 911. Once he hung up the phone he ran over to Sara and helped her up. He pulled down a blanket from the closet and wrapped it around her shivering body.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her a pulled her close.
"Now that you're here." She replied. "Thank you."
**********
"Hey Nick." Catherine said as she entered the waiting room followed by Grissom, Warrick and Greg. "How is she?"
"She's in getting checked out now." Nick replied.
"How about Hank?" Grissom asked.
"He's in the O.R. now, but they're pretty sure he'll pull through." Nick replied, with a hint of anger in his voice.
At that moment the doctor came through the doors and walked over to Nick. "Mr. Stokes?" He asked.
"Yes."
"We did a kit and Miss Sidle was raped. There's nothing serious but Miss Sidle would like to see you." Nick just nodded. "Follow me." He said, and they headed down a long hall and into one of the rooms. "I'll leave you two alone."
"Hey honey." Nick said as he walked towards Sara who was sitting on a table by the wall. She looked as though she had been crying. She looked up and when she saw Nick she started to cry again. "It's ok sweetie. Everything's going to be ok."
"No it's not, Nick. Do you realize we still have to testify in court? Do you realize how long that could take? I'll be just getting over this and they'll bring up bad memories."
"Hey, you'll get through this. You're strong and that's something I've always admired about you. I'll be here for you whenever you need me. I'll be next to you every step of the way."
"Thank you Nick. You are so sweet. I love you."
"I love you too."
"I just wish you could be next to me on the stand when I testify."
"I know. But I'll be there with you." He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes. "The rest of the gang is out in the waiting room. Are you ready to see them?"
"As much as I love them all, I think I need some time before I talk about it."
"If you've already given your statement to the police then how about we pick up some breakfast and we can head back to my place if you'd feel more comfortable."
"Sure."
"I brought you a change of clothes. You can get dressed and I'll talk to Grissom and everyone else."
"Thank you Nick."
"No problem." He replied, kissing her forehead.
**********
An hour later they pulled up in Nick's driveway. As they entered the house a black lab came bounding towards the front door and jumped on Nick knocking him over.
"Hey Shadow! It's been so long since I've seen you. Who's the cutest puppy ever? Who's the number one dog?" Nick said in the kind of voice you would use talking to a 2 year old.
"I didn't know. you had. a dog." Sara said in between giggles.
"What's so funny?" Nick asked turning around to face Sara who was nearly on the floor because she was laughing so hard.
"That. had to be. the funniest thing. I have ever.seen." She said trying to catch her breath. One look at Nick's face caused her to burst out laughing again.
"Oh you think that's funny do you?" Nick asked as he started tickling her.
"Not. fair!" She exclaimed through fits of laughter. Shadow started barking, jealous of the attention Nick was giving to Sara.
Nick picked Sara up in his arms and carried her to the couch with Shadow trailing at his feet. "I have to let Shadow out. Do you want something to drink?"
"No. I'm fine, thanks." She said, still smiling. "I'm really tired though.
"You can sleep in my spare bedroom. I'll show you where it is in a sec." He replied before leaving the room to let Shadow outside.
When he returned he led her down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. It was pale blue, and had a double bed under the window and a dresser on one wall.
"I'll get you some clothes you can sleep in, and we'll pick up yours tomorrow." He left the room and returned a few minutes later with a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt.
"Thanks again for everything Nick."
"No problem." He replied as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"Nick? Could you stay with me tonight? I'm still a little nervous. I know how silly it is. He's under police surveillance, he can't get me."
"Hey, it's not silly. You have a right to feel the way you do after what you've been through. I'll go get changed and I'll be right back."
When he returned to the room, Sara was already in bed. He turned off the light and climbed in next to her. "Goodnight Sara."
"Goodnight."
************************************************************************
She dropped the brush she had been holding and it hit the floor with a dull thud. She tried to scream but nothing came out.
"Did ya miss me?" He asked, sneering at her.
"Hank! How the hell did you get in here?"
"That's my little secret."
He advanced towards her, and she backed away, but only got about a foot before she hit the dresser. He grabbed her arm with a steel like grip and shoved her onto the bed. She fell hard on her back, and tried to get up but he held her down.
"When I'm through with you you'll wish you never left me." He smirked.
"No!" She exclaimed, but it was no use. She couldn't get away, and no matter how much she screamed Nick wouldn't hear her with the water running.
He hauled her shirt off and was going for the button on her jeans. She had to think fast, but her mind was foggy. She screamed as loud as she could, in hopes that a neighbor might hear and call the police. He covered her mouth with his hand and continued.
**********
When Nick left the bathroom, he heard noise coming from Sara's room. He paused for a moment, and heard a male voice and then sobs. He quickly grabbed his gun and walked quietly towards the door.
Upon entering the room, he saw Sara lying on the bed naked, crying, with a man on top of her. As he got closer he realized who it was.
"Nick!" Sara cried and Hank turned around.
"Don't move, or I'll shoot!" Nick shouted.
Hank just laughed. "You wouldn't shoot me."
"You wanna bet?"
The confidence in Nick's voice made Hank pause. Sara began to sob again and Hank suddenly remembered that he was still on top of her. He reached over and quickly grabbed her gun, which was lying on the nightstand.
"I'm warning you Hank!" Nick shouted.
"You're warning me?" Hank laughed. He had the gun pointed directly at Sara's head. "In the time it takes for you to pull the trigger and for the bullet to hit me, she'll be dead." He snickered.
Nick had no idea what to do. It was a lose - lose situation.
Sara couldn't believe that the only thing that was going through her head right now was how ironic it was that she was going to be killed with her own gun, the gun that was there for her protection. She glanced up at Nick, and for the first time she saw fear in his eyes.
"You won't have time to pull the trigger." Nick sated rather confidently for the situation he was in. "You'd have to have awfully quick reflexes."
"Well, if that's a chance you're willing to take." Hank replied.
He looked over at Sara, who gave him a slight nod that Hank didn't notice. He held his breath, prayed to God that Sara knew what she was doing, and fired the gun at Hank. Sara ducked to one side and as the bullet hit Hank in the stomach, he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the bed in the spot where her head used to be.
Hank fell onto the bed, half on top of Sara, blood flowing freely from his open wound. Nick grabbed his cell phone and called 911. Once he hung up the phone he ran over to Sara and helped her up. He pulled down a blanket from the closet and wrapped it around her shivering body.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her a pulled her close.
"Now that you're here." She replied. "Thank you."
**********
"Hey Nick." Catherine said as she entered the waiting room followed by Grissom, Warrick and Greg. "How is she?"
"She's in getting checked out now." Nick replied.
"How about Hank?" Grissom asked.
"He's in the O.R. now, but they're pretty sure he'll pull through." Nick replied, with a hint of anger in his voice.
At that moment the doctor came through the doors and walked over to Nick. "Mr. Stokes?" He asked.
"Yes."
"We did a kit and Miss Sidle was raped. There's nothing serious but Miss Sidle would like to see you." Nick just nodded. "Follow me." He said, and they headed down a long hall and into one of the rooms. "I'll leave you two alone."
"Hey honey." Nick said as he walked towards Sara who was sitting on a table by the wall. She looked as though she had been crying. She looked up and when she saw Nick she started to cry again. "It's ok sweetie. Everything's going to be ok."
"No it's not, Nick. Do you realize we still have to testify in court? Do you realize how long that could take? I'll be just getting over this and they'll bring up bad memories."
"Hey, you'll get through this. You're strong and that's something I've always admired about you. I'll be here for you whenever you need me. I'll be next to you every step of the way."
"Thank you Nick. You are so sweet. I love you."
"I love you too."
"I just wish you could be next to me on the stand when I testify."
"I know. But I'll be there with you." He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes. "The rest of the gang is out in the waiting room. Are you ready to see them?"
"As much as I love them all, I think I need some time before I talk about it."
"If you've already given your statement to the police then how about we pick up some breakfast and we can head back to my place if you'd feel more comfortable."
"Sure."
"I brought you a change of clothes. You can get dressed and I'll talk to Grissom and everyone else."
"Thank you Nick."
"No problem." He replied, kissing her forehead.
**********
An hour later they pulled up in Nick's driveway. As they entered the house a black lab came bounding towards the front door and jumped on Nick knocking him over.
"Hey Shadow! It's been so long since I've seen you. Who's the cutest puppy ever? Who's the number one dog?" Nick said in the kind of voice you would use talking to a 2 year old.
"I didn't know. you had. a dog." Sara said in between giggles.
"What's so funny?" Nick asked turning around to face Sara who was nearly on the floor because she was laughing so hard.
"That. had to be. the funniest thing. I have ever.seen." She said trying to catch her breath. One look at Nick's face caused her to burst out laughing again.
"Oh you think that's funny do you?" Nick asked as he started tickling her.
"Not. fair!" She exclaimed through fits of laughter. Shadow started barking, jealous of the attention Nick was giving to Sara.
Nick picked Sara up in his arms and carried her to the couch with Shadow trailing at his feet. "I have to let Shadow out. Do you want something to drink?"
"No. I'm fine, thanks." She said, still smiling. "I'm really tired though.
"You can sleep in my spare bedroom. I'll show you where it is in a sec." He replied before leaving the room to let Shadow outside.
When he returned he led her down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. It was pale blue, and had a double bed under the window and a dresser on one wall.
"I'll get you some clothes you can sleep in, and we'll pick up yours tomorrow." He left the room and returned a few minutes later with a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt.
"Thanks again for everything Nick."
"No problem." He replied as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"Nick? Could you stay with me tonight? I'm still a little nervous. I know how silly it is. He's under police surveillance, he can't get me."
"Hey, it's not silly. You have a right to feel the way you do after what you've been through. I'll go get changed and I'll be right back."
When he returned to the room, Sara was already in bed. He turned off the light and climbed in next to her. "Goodnight Sara."
"Goodnight."