Title: Barely Existing
Author: Cindy Ryan
category: angst, Xover
pairings: Jack/Sam, Grissom/Sara
Summary: After 'Play with fire' Sara vanishes, Grissom calls in a favor
Notes: See part one. Thanks for the feedback. :)
Grissom turned to face her.
"It did hurt when you turned me down."
"Sara...."
"I let you say what you had to...."
"Sorry."Grissom apologized as he sat down and waited for her to continue.
"When I was in that room."Sara began."I didn't want to give up. I didn't want to let him win. I figured somebody would eventually notice I wasn't there and start looking.
As time wore on and the air got thinner and hotter. No water, no food, no way out. I-I began to think I wasn't going to see anyone again. Not my family. Not my friends and especially not you.
It sounds cliché but all I could think of was the wasted time. My timing was off as it always was. I should've asked you sooner but then I started dating Hank and we know how well that worked. My relationship with Hank hadn't been serious but I thought I could trust him. Turned out I couldn't.
I'm tired of being alone. But I don't want us to rush into anything just because I was abducted."
Grissom shook his head. "That's not why.....it just clarified things."
"I know."Sara replied tiredly."Can we table this for now? I'm really tired."
Grissom nodded in understanding as he stood. "I'll tell your parents to com in."
"Thanks."
Grissom paused awkwardly in the doorway. "If you need anything...."
Sara smiled. "I'll let you know. Thank you for the roses."
Grissom returned her smile. "You're welcome."he replied as he stepped out of the room.
**********
Jack Malone was packing the last of the paperwork into his briefcase when Grissom stepped into the interrogation room. Everyone else was at the hotel preparing to leave for the airport.
"Heading back already?"Grissom asked as he stopped by the right side of the table.
Malone nodded. "We got another case. If we leave now we'll be able to get some work done by midnight."
"I appreciate you coming, Jack."Grissom stated quietly.
Jack closed the briefcase and stood it on end. "I'm glad it had a happy ending. Wish I had time to meet Sara though. How's she doing?"
"Tired, but expected to make a full recovery."
"Good."Malone replied as he walked past Grissom to the door. "I'll call when I get back and let you know if there's any final paperwork I need to close the case."
Grissom nodded. "If there's ever anything my team can do...."
Jack paused in the doorway coat over one arm. "I hope I never have to call in that favor. Tell Sara that we're glad she's okay."
"I will."Grissom promised. "Have a safe flight."
*********
After her parents left Sara had fallen back asleep. She woke to find Nick sitting in the chair by her bed.
Sara smiled. "You look like hell."
Nick grinned. "I wouldn't talk. Have you looked in a mirror lately?"
"I'm glad you're here."Sara stated her face serious.
"Wouldn't be anywhere else."Nick replied as he leaned forward. "Oh, I snuck you in some junk food."
Sara smiled as Nick pulled two chocolate bars out of his coat pocket."Thanks."
Nick placed both candy bars on the nightstand before turning back to face Sara. "I wanted to process your apartment but Covallo pulled us off the case. I wanted to be out there looking but Brass and the Feds......"
"Nick...."Sara interupted."I know you guys did all you could."
Nick met her gaze and for the first time Sara saw the turbulent emotions.
"You scared us, Sara."Nick stated quietly."Nobody wanted to give up....Warrick, Greg, Catherine. But towards the end I started to think....that I wouldn't see you again."
Sara reached out and took Nick's right hand in hers tears forming. "I'm okay, Nicky."
***********
It was just before visiting hours ended that night when Warrick poked his head into Sara's room. She smiled at him and clicked the tv off as she motioned him into the room.
"Hi."
"Hey."Warrick greeted with a smile as he sat down.
Warrick glanced at the stack of music CD's and walkman resting on the spare pillow.
Sara followed his gaze. "Present from Greg. I think there's every kind of music I could ever want on those. Mixed them himself."
"Typical Greg."Warrick replied with a grin as he leaned back in the chair.
"Yeah."Sara acknowledged as she studied her friend. "You okay?"
"I thought that was my question."
"Warrick."
"I'm okay just haven't gotten that much sleep is all."
"Nick told me the Feds had pegged you as an accompliance in my disappearance."Sara stated quietly. "He told me they questioned you a couple of times."
"My track record isn't exactly clean, Sara."Warrick replied. "You of all people know that."
"Still no reason for them to drag you through the mud."
Warrick shook his head as he leaned forward. "They had nothing else to go on, Sara. The Dayside unit had found absolutely nothing to process at your place. No fibers, no shoe prints, no hairs. From their point of view out of all of us I was the most likely to have a connection."
"Especially since you dropped me off."Sara finished with a shake of her head. "If you need me to talk to them....."
Warrick smiled at her offer. "Thanks, but no. They finally realized I was telling the truth and moved on."
After a moment of silence Warrick glanced at his watch and stood. "Well I better get out of here before they throw me out."
"Thanks for coming, Warrick."Sara stated as Brown walked toward the door.
"No problem."Warrick replied as he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "I'm glad you're back, Sara."
Sara nodded in response as he closed the door behind him. She leaned back against the pillow and was almost instantly asleep.
Author: Cindy Ryan
category: angst, Xover
pairings: Jack/Sam, Grissom/Sara
Summary: After 'Play with fire' Sara vanishes, Grissom calls in a favor
Notes: See part one. Thanks for the feedback. :)
Grissom turned to face her.
"It did hurt when you turned me down."
"Sara...."
"I let you say what you had to...."
"Sorry."Grissom apologized as he sat down and waited for her to continue.
"When I was in that room."Sara began."I didn't want to give up. I didn't want to let him win. I figured somebody would eventually notice I wasn't there and start looking.
As time wore on and the air got thinner and hotter. No water, no food, no way out. I-I began to think I wasn't going to see anyone again. Not my family. Not my friends and especially not you.
It sounds cliché but all I could think of was the wasted time. My timing was off as it always was. I should've asked you sooner but then I started dating Hank and we know how well that worked. My relationship with Hank hadn't been serious but I thought I could trust him. Turned out I couldn't.
I'm tired of being alone. But I don't want us to rush into anything just because I was abducted."
Grissom shook his head. "That's not why.....it just clarified things."
"I know."Sara replied tiredly."Can we table this for now? I'm really tired."
Grissom nodded in understanding as he stood. "I'll tell your parents to com in."
"Thanks."
Grissom paused awkwardly in the doorway. "If you need anything...."
Sara smiled. "I'll let you know. Thank you for the roses."
Grissom returned her smile. "You're welcome."he replied as he stepped out of the room.
**********
Jack Malone was packing the last of the paperwork into his briefcase when Grissom stepped into the interrogation room. Everyone else was at the hotel preparing to leave for the airport.
"Heading back already?"Grissom asked as he stopped by the right side of the table.
Malone nodded. "We got another case. If we leave now we'll be able to get some work done by midnight."
"I appreciate you coming, Jack."Grissom stated quietly.
Jack closed the briefcase and stood it on end. "I'm glad it had a happy ending. Wish I had time to meet Sara though. How's she doing?"
"Tired, but expected to make a full recovery."
"Good."Malone replied as he walked past Grissom to the door. "I'll call when I get back and let you know if there's any final paperwork I need to close the case."
Grissom nodded. "If there's ever anything my team can do...."
Jack paused in the doorway coat over one arm. "I hope I never have to call in that favor. Tell Sara that we're glad she's okay."
"I will."Grissom promised. "Have a safe flight."
*********
After her parents left Sara had fallen back asleep. She woke to find Nick sitting in the chair by her bed.
Sara smiled. "You look like hell."
Nick grinned. "I wouldn't talk. Have you looked in a mirror lately?"
"I'm glad you're here."Sara stated her face serious.
"Wouldn't be anywhere else."Nick replied as he leaned forward. "Oh, I snuck you in some junk food."
Sara smiled as Nick pulled two chocolate bars out of his coat pocket."Thanks."
Nick placed both candy bars on the nightstand before turning back to face Sara. "I wanted to process your apartment but Covallo pulled us off the case. I wanted to be out there looking but Brass and the Feds......"
"Nick...."Sara interupted."I know you guys did all you could."
Nick met her gaze and for the first time Sara saw the turbulent emotions.
"You scared us, Sara."Nick stated quietly."Nobody wanted to give up....Warrick, Greg, Catherine. But towards the end I started to think....that I wouldn't see you again."
Sara reached out and took Nick's right hand in hers tears forming. "I'm okay, Nicky."
***********
It was just before visiting hours ended that night when Warrick poked his head into Sara's room. She smiled at him and clicked the tv off as she motioned him into the room.
"Hi."
"Hey."Warrick greeted with a smile as he sat down.
Warrick glanced at the stack of music CD's and walkman resting on the spare pillow.
Sara followed his gaze. "Present from Greg. I think there's every kind of music I could ever want on those. Mixed them himself."
"Typical Greg."Warrick replied with a grin as he leaned back in the chair.
"Yeah."Sara acknowledged as she studied her friend. "You okay?"
"I thought that was my question."
"Warrick."
"I'm okay just haven't gotten that much sleep is all."
"Nick told me the Feds had pegged you as an accompliance in my disappearance."Sara stated quietly. "He told me they questioned you a couple of times."
"My track record isn't exactly clean, Sara."Warrick replied. "You of all people know that."
"Still no reason for them to drag you through the mud."
Warrick shook his head as he leaned forward. "They had nothing else to go on, Sara. The Dayside unit had found absolutely nothing to process at your place. No fibers, no shoe prints, no hairs. From their point of view out of all of us I was the most likely to have a connection."
"Especially since you dropped me off."Sara finished with a shake of her head. "If you need me to talk to them....."
Warrick smiled at her offer. "Thanks, but no. They finally realized I was telling the truth and moved on."
After a moment of silence Warrick glanced at his watch and stood. "Well I better get out of here before they throw me out."
"Thanks for coming, Warrick."Sara stated as Brown walked toward the door.
"No problem."Warrick replied as he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "I'm glad you're back, Sara."
Sara nodded in response as he closed the door behind him. She leaned back against the pillow and was almost instantly asleep.