Disclaimer: Still Don't Own. Please Don't Sue. Reviews Are Always Good! :o)
A/N: I decided to be nice and make sure I updated this before I went away. For those of you who don't know, I'm off to Austria for two weeks!!! I'm very excited, because I've never been and I promise I'll update as soon as I'm back. Ok? Also all you N/S shippers should definitely check out the unfairly 'Truths' by adpi24, which should be reposted on Monday. It's an awesome fic and really shouldn't be missed. Also I'm posting my first-ever pure N/S fic 'Chain Reactions', so check that out too. Well thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: MissyJane, ArodLoverus2001, J gard, krisnina77 and SisterBear. You guys rule!!! Keep them coming and I'll keep writing. Well R&R and ENJOY!! See you guys in two weeks - Bex :o)
10 minutes: that's how long it had been since Grissom gave up on the case for the night, opened his desk draw and stared at the black box inside. He swore - as childish as it may have seemed - that it was tormenting him. As if the object was convinced that the only thing holding him back was his fear rather then the timing. All he had to do was to place it in his pocket, set the right mood - something romantic like an expensive restaurant - give her the speech he'd practised a thousand times in front of the mirror whilst she slept and....
"Hi honey."
Grissom jumped like a shot and swiftly slammed his desk draw. Then - trying to conceal how she's startled him - he smiled at Cath. "Hey. How's the case going?" He asked quickly.
She sighed. "Hardly anywhere. Know the guy's name, record and that he's an ass, but other then that - zilch! His last employer and the prison guards didn't have glowing things to say about him, but we're no closer to knowing who did it and why."
She sat down on the edge of his desk and ran a tired hand through her hair. Grissom moved closer and tenderly squeezed her hand. "But that's not it?" He questioned.
She shook her head. "The killer discarded the evidence really well. We haven't got a thing at the secondary crime scene. He's like the guy who killed Por-" She stopped short and looked at Grissom with glazed eyes. "She never deserved this. Yeah, she was a lousy mother, but she tried. And when she screwed up, she always made an effort to make things right. And she was...was such a good friend. She was always there to watch my back. She didn't deserve this Gil. No one deserves this."
Gris nodded in understanding. Gently, he reached up and pushed the tears from her cheeks. "I'm not going to stop until I find him," He promised.
"I know. I still don't know what to do about Lindsey and Abby. Should I tell her or wait 'till Abby's older and tell them both?"
"We'll tackle that when we come to it. Right now we need to focus on you," He told her firmly. "What do you want?"
"Hold me," She requested quietly and Grissom opened his arms for her. Catherine sunk down onto his lap and he rapped his arm securely around her. He held her close as she rested her head against his chest.
"I love you," He whispered and lovingly kissed her head, "More then anything else."
A tiny smile tugged at her lips. "I know. And I love you too."
~*~*~*~*~
'This is ridiculous,' Nick thought as he reached Sara's answering machine again. About 4 hours ago, he'd lost track of how many attempts he'd made to reach her and failed. Right now he had better communication with her machine and at least that wasn't pissed off at him. 'And who's fault is that Nick?' He snapped at himself. 'Why won't she give me a chance to explain?'
He was just about to aimlessly pick up the phone and try again, when there was a knock at the door. His heart rose as he hurried to open it, praying it would be Sara - though he wondered why she didn't used the key he gave her. "Michelle!" He exclaimed at the woman standing outside his door.
She smiled. "Expecting someone else cowboy?" She asked slyly. Her hair still fell in the shoulder-length chestnut curls; her eyes still dark chocolate and her smile just as enchanting. "You going to let me in or what?"
Nick stepped aside to let her in and she waved a bottle at him as she passed. "Wine?"
"Yep," She confirmed happily, handing it over. "Thought I should bring a peace offering."
"I thought we agreed that there were no hard feelings," Nick reminded her.
"Still, it shouldn't have ended the way it did. I shouldn't have treated you like that," Michelle said quietly, then her smile reappeared. "Want a glass?"
"I shouldn't-" Nick began but she cut him off.
"Come on Nicky," She whined playfully. "Your shift still starts at seven right? You have plenty of time."
"Actually, I have the night off," He informed her.
"Great," She beamed, "That way you won't have to call in sick if you have too much." He had to laugh with her and she eyed the small kitchen: "Are the glasses still in the same place?"
For the next few hours they sat on the couch catching up; laughing and talking like old times. Every time his glass became empty she would fill it up again and he'd began to lose count. A small part of his mind nagged at him to stop; but it was quickly brushed aside with the next sip.
"You and Sara, who'd have thought? She'd always seemed to have a crush on you," Michelle recalled as she topped up his half empty glass. "Never really seemed your type though."
He took a sip. "Sara's great. She's smart, beautiful, caring and considerate. And, what can I say, I'm madly in love with her."
"Sounds like she's quite something," Michelle muttered into her glass and edged closer. "Why did we break up Nick?"
"I believe it was because you left me for Carl," Nick replied, bitter at the topic. "Something about still being in love with him and needing to give it another try. As I recall it, you called off the engagement and left Vegas with him a week later."
She sighed dramatically. "God I was so stupid then. So stupid not to realise what a good thing I had with you. How good you were to me." As she spoke, she moved ever closer. "Do you ever think about us Nick? About how good we were together? About the chemistry? Do you Nicky?"
The part of Nick's brain not dazed by alcohol was very aware of how close she was. Unsure what to say, he managed a faint nod instead.
"I know I do," She whispered seductively in his ear. Alarm bells blared in his mind, warning him that this conversation was heading somewhere it shouldn't go. But before he could react, Michelle's lips were firmly on his.
~*~*~*~*~
Sara parked her SUV and checked her appearance in the mirror for the tenth time. 'Stop acting like a teenager on their first date,' She scolded herself. 'You're supposed to be mad at him.'
But the words did no good; her stomach still swarmed with butterflies and hands were remained clammy. She sighed with irritation at her nervousness and forced herself out of the vehicle.
In the end she'd been forced to park a block away from Nick's apartment, because there wasn't anywhere closer. Sara took this opportunity to consider how she would start. "Man, this is going to be awkward," She mumbled to herself. "What if....shut up Sidle, you're talking to yourself." She cringed at doing it again and mentally kicked herself.
To her amazement, she soon found herself outside Nick's apartment. She pondered for several minutes whether to knock or use her key. Deciding that he probably didn't have company, she sighed and unlocked the door. And froze.
On the couch in front of her, sat Nick kissing another woman. 'Well then,' She thought numbly, 'I guess should have knocked.'
~*~*~*~*~
Nick angrily pushed Michelle away just in time to see a wisp of familiar brown hair disappear round the side of the open door. 'Oh shit,' He thought desperately, 'This is not good.'
"Nick?" Michelle moaned in confusion, but he ignored her.
He leapt to his feet - hell bent on going after her - when a hand grasped his arm. "Nick?"
He snapped round and glared menacingly at Michelle. "Don't be here when I get back," He ordered and dashed out the door.
Taking the steps two by two, it didn't take him long to rush outside. Out into the rain that had started. And when it rained here, desert always like to put on a show. He glanced around in the heavy down pour and gloom 'till he spotted her. "SARA!" he shouted after her, but she didn't slow her fast pace. Either she couldn't hear him above the storm or she didn't care.
He took off in a lighting fast sprint and quickly caught up with her. "Sara," He repeated again and seized her arm. She flinched as if his touched burned, stinging him deeply inside. "Sara, please just listen-"
She spun around. "No you listen to me. I don't want to hear it Nick," She shrieked at him between sobs. "How could you do this to me?"
"Sara pleas-" Nick started desperately again, grabbing her bicep to stop her walking away.
"FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE NICK, JUST DO ME A FAVOUR AND LEAVE ME ALONE," She screamed above the rain. The words paralysed him to the spot. Her eyes burned with a mixture if loathing, betrayal and agony he'd only seen caused by Hank. Now he had been the cause.
She wrenched herself from his grip and ran off into the night. Numbly, he watched her go, unable to move. He couldn't hear the sound of the rain crashing against the pavement, nor feel it as it bashed into him. All he could hear were her words resounding in his head and feel the anguish tearing his heart in two.
Sara didn't stop running until she reached her car. She pulled the keys from her pocket and fumbled with the lock. The rain had already soaked her from head to toe, but she hadn't noticed through the tears. She just wanted to get out of here.
The keys slipped from her grasp and clattered against the floor. She swore and pounded the window in frustration, until she broke down crying. All the betrayal and pain surged though her. This hurt more than Hank. She had to gasp for air between heavy sobs, leaning against the SUV for support as she begged the suffering to stop. After what seemed like forever, she managed to pull herself together enough to grope for the keys on the ground. She picked them up, and, after wiping her blood shot eyes, managed to slot them into the lock.
Maybe it was her hysteria or maybe the deafening sound of the hammering rain, but she never realised that he had sneaked up behind her.
The first thing whish made her aware of his presence was the cloth pinned across her mouth. Sara struggled; totally bewildered about what was happening, only to have her head bashed against the mental doorframe. The last thing she could remember before the darkness claimed her was the fact - unlike her keys - two strong arms caught her before she could hit the pavement.
A/N: Apart of me feels like I should be laughing evilly * dodges items thrown * Alright, alright! I sorry I had to leave it there and then be unable to update for two weeks, but I want to leave you guys something. Promise that my other fic 'Chain Reactions' is very N/S shipper friendly. How about you take out your frustration and hit that little blue button instead? Bye for now!!!
A/N: I decided to be nice and make sure I updated this before I went away. For those of you who don't know, I'm off to Austria for two weeks!!! I'm very excited, because I've never been and I promise I'll update as soon as I'm back. Ok? Also all you N/S shippers should definitely check out the unfairly 'Truths' by adpi24, which should be reposted on Monday. It's an awesome fic and really shouldn't be missed. Also I'm posting my first-ever pure N/S fic 'Chain Reactions', so check that out too. Well thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: MissyJane, ArodLoverus2001, J gard, krisnina77 and SisterBear. You guys rule!!! Keep them coming and I'll keep writing. Well R&R and ENJOY!! See you guys in two weeks - Bex :o)
10 minutes: that's how long it had been since Grissom gave up on the case for the night, opened his desk draw and stared at the black box inside. He swore - as childish as it may have seemed - that it was tormenting him. As if the object was convinced that the only thing holding him back was his fear rather then the timing. All he had to do was to place it in his pocket, set the right mood - something romantic like an expensive restaurant - give her the speech he'd practised a thousand times in front of the mirror whilst she slept and....
"Hi honey."
Grissom jumped like a shot and swiftly slammed his desk draw. Then - trying to conceal how she's startled him - he smiled at Cath. "Hey. How's the case going?" He asked quickly.
She sighed. "Hardly anywhere. Know the guy's name, record and that he's an ass, but other then that - zilch! His last employer and the prison guards didn't have glowing things to say about him, but we're no closer to knowing who did it and why."
She sat down on the edge of his desk and ran a tired hand through her hair. Grissom moved closer and tenderly squeezed her hand. "But that's not it?" He questioned.
She shook her head. "The killer discarded the evidence really well. We haven't got a thing at the secondary crime scene. He's like the guy who killed Por-" She stopped short and looked at Grissom with glazed eyes. "She never deserved this. Yeah, she was a lousy mother, but she tried. And when she screwed up, she always made an effort to make things right. And she was...was such a good friend. She was always there to watch my back. She didn't deserve this Gil. No one deserves this."
Gris nodded in understanding. Gently, he reached up and pushed the tears from her cheeks. "I'm not going to stop until I find him," He promised.
"I know. I still don't know what to do about Lindsey and Abby. Should I tell her or wait 'till Abby's older and tell them both?"
"We'll tackle that when we come to it. Right now we need to focus on you," He told her firmly. "What do you want?"
"Hold me," She requested quietly and Grissom opened his arms for her. Catherine sunk down onto his lap and he rapped his arm securely around her. He held her close as she rested her head against his chest.
"I love you," He whispered and lovingly kissed her head, "More then anything else."
A tiny smile tugged at her lips. "I know. And I love you too."
~*~*~*~*~
'This is ridiculous,' Nick thought as he reached Sara's answering machine again. About 4 hours ago, he'd lost track of how many attempts he'd made to reach her and failed. Right now he had better communication with her machine and at least that wasn't pissed off at him. 'And who's fault is that Nick?' He snapped at himself. 'Why won't she give me a chance to explain?'
He was just about to aimlessly pick up the phone and try again, when there was a knock at the door. His heart rose as he hurried to open it, praying it would be Sara - though he wondered why she didn't used the key he gave her. "Michelle!" He exclaimed at the woman standing outside his door.
She smiled. "Expecting someone else cowboy?" She asked slyly. Her hair still fell in the shoulder-length chestnut curls; her eyes still dark chocolate and her smile just as enchanting. "You going to let me in or what?"
Nick stepped aside to let her in and she waved a bottle at him as she passed. "Wine?"
"Yep," She confirmed happily, handing it over. "Thought I should bring a peace offering."
"I thought we agreed that there were no hard feelings," Nick reminded her.
"Still, it shouldn't have ended the way it did. I shouldn't have treated you like that," Michelle said quietly, then her smile reappeared. "Want a glass?"
"I shouldn't-" Nick began but she cut him off.
"Come on Nicky," She whined playfully. "Your shift still starts at seven right? You have plenty of time."
"Actually, I have the night off," He informed her.
"Great," She beamed, "That way you won't have to call in sick if you have too much." He had to laugh with her and she eyed the small kitchen: "Are the glasses still in the same place?"
For the next few hours they sat on the couch catching up; laughing and talking like old times. Every time his glass became empty she would fill it up again and he'd began to lose count. A small part of his mind nagged at him to stop; but it was quickly brushed aside with the next sip.
"You and Sara, who'd have thought? She'd always seemed to have a crush on you," Michelle recalled as she topped up his half empty glass. "Never really seemed your type though."
He took a sip. "Sara's great. She's smart, beautiful, caring and considerate. And, what can I say, I'm madly in love with her."
"Sounds like she's quite something," Michelle muttered into her glass and edged closer. "Why did we break up Nick?"
"I believe it was because you left me for Carl," Nick replied, bitter at the topic. "Something about still being in love with him and needing to give it another try. As I recall it, you called off the engagement and left Vegas with him a week later."
She sighed dramatically. "God I was so stupid then. So stupid not to realise what a good thing I had with you. How good you were to me." As she spoke, she moved ever closer. "Do you ever think about us Nick? About how good we were together? About the chemistry? Do you Nicky?"
The part of Nick's brain not dazed by alcohol was very aware of how close she was. Unsure what to say, he managed a faint nod instead.
"I know I do," She whispered seductively in his ear. Alarm bells blared in his mind, warning him that this conversation was heading somewhere it shouldn't go. But before he could react, Michelle's lips were firmly on his.
~*~*~*~*~
Sara parked her SUV and checked her appearance in the mirror for the tenth time. 'Stop acting like a teenager on their first date,' She scolded herself. 'You're supposed to be mad at him.'
But the words did no good; her stomach still swarmed with butterflies and hands were remained clammy. She sighed with irritation at her nervousness and forced herself out of the vehicle.
In the end she'd been forced to park a block away from Nick's apartment, because there wasn't anywhere closer. Sara took this opportunity to consider how she would start. "Man, this is going to be awkward," She mumbled to herself. "What if....shut up Sidle, you're talking to yourself." She cringed at doing it again and mentally kicked herself.
To her amazement, she soon found herself outside Nick's apartment. She pondered for several minutes whether to knock or use her key. Deciding that he probably didn't have company, she sighed and unlocked the door. And froze.
On the couch in front of her, sat Nick kissing another woman. 'Well then,' She thought numbly, 'I guess should have knocked.'
~*~*~*~*~
Nick angrily pushed Michelle away just in time to see a wisp of familiar brown hair disappear round the side of the open door. 'Oh shit,' He thought desperately, 'This is not good.'
"Nick?" Michelle moaned in confusion, but he ignored her.
He leapt to his feet - hell bent on going after her - when a hand grasped his arm. "Nick?"
He snapped round and glared menacingly at Michelle. "Don't be here when I get back," He ordered and dashed out the door.
Taking the steps two by two, it didn't take him long to rush outside. Out into the rain that had started. And when it rained here, desert always like to put on a show. He glanced around in the heavy down pour and gloom 'till he spotted her. "SARA!" he shouted after her, but she didn't slow her fast pace. Either she couldn't hear him above the storm or she didn't care.
He took off in a lighting fast sprint and quickly caught up with her. "Sara," He repeated again and seized her arm. She flinched as if his touched burned, stinging him deeply inside. "Sara, please just listen-"
She spun around. "No you listen to me. I don't want to hear it Nick," She shrieked at him between sobs. "How could you do this to me?"
"Sara pleas-" Nick started desperately again, grabbing her bicep to stop her walking away.
"FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE NICK, JUST DO ME A FAVOUR AND LEAVE ME ALONE," She screamed above the rain. The words paralysed him to the spot. Her eyes burned with a mixture if loathing, betrayal and agony he'd only seen caused by Hank. Now he had been the cause.
She wrenched herself from his grip and ran off into the night. Numbly, he watched her go, unable to move. He couldn't hear the sound of the rain crashing against the pavement, nor feel it as it bashed into him. All he could hear were her words resounding in his head and feel the anguish tearing his heart in two.
Sara didn't stop running until she reached her car. She pulled the keys from her pocket and fumbled with the lock. The rain had already soaked her from head to toe, but she hadn't noticed through the tears. She just wanted to get out of here.
The keys slipped from her grasp and clattered against the floor. She swore and pounded the window in frustration, until she broke down crying. All the betrayal and pain surged though her. This hurt more than Hank. She had to gasp for air between heavy sobs, leaning against the SUV for support as she begged the suffering to stop. After what seemed like forever, she managed to pull herself together enough to grope for the keys on the ground. She picked them up, and, after wiping her blood shot eyes, managed to slot them into the lock.
Maybe it was her hysteria or maybe the deafening sound of the hammering rain, but she never realised that he had sneaked up behind her.
The first thing whish made her aware of his presence was the cloth pinned across her mouth. Sara struggled; totally bewildered about what was happening, only to have her head bashed against the mental doorframe. The last thing she could remember before the darkness claimed her was the fact - unlike her keys - two strong arms caught her before she could hit the pavement.
A/N: Apart of me feels like I should be laughing evilly * dodges items thrown * Alright, alright! I sorry I had to leave it there and then be unable to update for two weeks, but I want to leave you guys something. Promise that my other fic 'Chain Reactions' is very N/S shipper friendly. How about you take out your frustration and hit that little blue button instead? Bye for now!!!