Grissom was relieved the next day when he realised it was Sara Sidle's day
off. He always thought she needed it but especially after yesterday. She
probably had to discuss Laney's future with her parents anyway. So when
Grissom sat in his office looking at his assignment forms he was in a
dilemma. He had five assignments - and only four fully fledged members of
his team in today - he'd already called the other shifts to see if they
could help - but all the other shifts were on overtime. Why was Las Vegas
murder central today of all days?!?. He would have to page Sara. He had
no choice.
Sara heard her page go off as she sat in her apartment stressing.
"I don't believe it!. I knew it!. I knew it!. Of all the days I needed to be off work and he pages me!. I can't go in!" she thought to herself.
Sara burst into tears just as Laney was entering. Laney saw this, ran over and hugged Sara.
"I'm so sorry!. I'll just go back to Tamales Bay!" Laney said as she burst into tears.
"No!. You're not going anywhere!. You're staying here!" Sara demanded. Sara wiped her eyes, got up and dialled the phone.
"Hello Grissom. Its Sara - what did you want?" Sara spoke down the phone.
"I'm really sorry, Sara. I know it's your day off - and you really need this day off - but I really need you to come in!" Grissom pleaded.
"I can't Grissom. I'm sorry - not today. I'm ill!" Sara replied hostilely.
"Sara please!. It's an emergency!. We have 5 cases and I have only 4 of us.and all other shifts are on overtime!. There's no one else!. We're all going to have to be solo anyway!. That's how much of a emergency this is!" Grissom pleaded.
Sara silently sobbed and said,
"I can't Grissom!. Not today!".
"Please" Grissom expressed.
Sara thought for a second.
"O.k." Sara hesitated.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Grissom said.
Sara put the phone down and turned and gave Laney a concerned look.
The gang were all sitting in the break room getting assignments when Sara entered.
"Great!. Sara - you have a smash and grab in one of Las Vegas's top jewellers" Grissom said handing her the assignment slip.
"Looking cool!" Nick joked to Sara.
"Pardon?" Sara said in a bad mood.
"The sunglasses indoors!. It's not like you to be so fashion conscious!" Nick joked.
"We're going outside in just a second Nicholas - so there's no point me taking them off then putting them on!" Sara snapped condescendily.
Sara walked out in a huff.
"What's up with her?" Catherine commented.
Grissom passed one of the labs, when he noticed Sara standing there looking at a microscope - but not down it!. He went in.
"You alright?. You stuck for answers?" Grissom asked.
Sara said nothing but just turned round and stared at him speechless. She was still wearing those stupid sunglasses!.
"Sara, take those sunglasses off in here!" Grissom said slightly worried and went to take them off her face.
But she stopped him.
"Sara?" Grissom questioned.
"Don't jump to any conclusions!" Sara defended.
"What is it?" Grissom asked.
Grissom went to take Sara's sunglasses off again. He stood speechless and stared at her.
"Sara! - I am going to ask you one last time!. Is your father violent?" Grissom asked quite angry.
"No!. No!. He isn't!" Sara defended.
"Sara, don't lie to me!. You have a black eye!. Just tell me the truth!" Grissom said angrily.
"No.I knew you'd think this!. That's why I didn't want to come in!. It was an accident!. My father is a pig but he's not violent!. We were having an argument and he gave up and left for a bar. He's an alcoholic but not the violent type - just the verbally abusive type!. He went to a bar mid argument and so I followed him - and when I got there he was having a bar fight - I tried to break them up - and the person he was fighting with accidentally hit me instead" Sara explained panicked.
"You've got to believe me Grissom!. Please don't jump to conclusions!" Sara pleaded.
She grabbed his face in her hands and made him look her straight into the eyes and said directly to him
"Grissom, you've got to believe me!. You do believe me don't you?. This isn't my past. I'm not in danger!. He isn't violent - he's just a rude, verbally abusive drunk - but he's no danger - this!. This was done by a stranger - it has nothing to do with my father!. You do trust me don't you?" Sara insisted.
Grissom sighed angrily and left.
Sara put her hands in her face looking stressed. He did believe her didn't he?. Sara ran out after him and started yelling,
"Grissom! Grissom!".
Warwick, Nick and Catherine came walking down the hall. They saw Grissom walk off and Sara's black eye.
"Are you o.k.?" they all said in unison rushing over.
"Where did you get that from?. Did a suspect attack you?" Nick asked.
"It's nothing. It was an accident - ask Grissom!" Sara said stressed and walked off.
Catherine indicated Nick and Warwick to stay and she went to find Grissom. She found him immediately - he was outside testing his pulse.
"How much?" she asked.
"110!" Grissom replied.
"What!?!. Sit down your going to keel over if you're not careful!" Catherine exclaimed.
She tried to make him sit down but he wouldn't. He just kept pacing - so Catherine sat down instead.
"So. What did she say about her black eye?" Catherine asked. "It doesn't matter what she said she's lying!" Grissom said angrily pacing.
"You don't know that, Grissom!. What did she say?" Catherine demanded neutrally.
"She said a stranger 'accidentally' punched her when she was trying to break up her father's bar fight - she says her father didn't even accidentally punch her - it was a strange - how convenient!" Grissom replied angrily.
Grissom stopped pacing and looked Catherine right in the face.
"That guy is hitting them and he's getting away with it scot free!" Grissom shouted.
Grissom soon started pacing frantically again. "No Grissom! probably not!. Her explanation sounds plausible enough. Grissom don't jump to conclusions until you have all the facts!. You're the one always saying that!. Always following that!. You have no evidence!. Your just jumping to conclusions!. It just seems the logical answer at the moment - but until you see him hit Sara or her mother or they tell you he does then you can't assume anything!. Don't let personal issues cloud your judgement - we all do - don't let it happen here!" Catherine insisted.
Grissom stopped and calmed down a bit. He sat down next to Catherine and looked her straight in the eyes saying
"I know he's hitting her and her mom, Catherine. I know it!. I knew the moment I met him!. It's so obvious!" Grissom pleaded.
"Grissom, he was angry!. We all get angry sometimes, right?. You just met him at a bad time!. I admit he was a bit extreme - What kind of parent embarrasses their daughter by storming into her work? - But they seemed to think it was that important!. Anyway Grissom - your biased!. Is this about Emily, Grissom?" Catherine said.
Grissom looked at Catherine guiltly.
"Maybe. But!. It doesn't matter whether it is connected to Emily or not!. The fact is that he is doing what I think he's doing!. He doesn't deserve her whether I'm biased or not!. I should have seen it in Sara's behaviour!. I always suspected there was something up with her.she got a little too emotional on abuse cases!. A little too!. It's the answer!" Grissom reasoned.
"No Grissom!. Your fitting the evidence to fit a theory!. You have no proper proof - it just seems like the obvious answer - and that's clouding your judgement. But it probably isn't true - Sara wouldn't lie to you. And Sara's not the type - she's a strong willed girl - you can't just assume!. Plus hippies don't believe in violence!" Catherine suggested.
"I watched Forrest Gump the other day - I saw violent hippies there!. Girlfriend beating!" Grissom proposed.
"Grissom, I'm not saying your not right! - and I do care a lot about Sara. But I'm saying we need more evidence before we jump to conclusions. And at the moment I'm far from convinced. Sara wouldn't lie to us!. I'm sure of it!" Catherine said.
Grissom looked worried as he sat in his office. Sara knocked on his door to grab his attention. She looked a lot calmer and he was a bit calmer, and a bit more open minded, after Catherine's talk.
"I'm sorry I snap at you" she said.
"Did you?" Grissom replied.
"Well. Whatever I did!. Well I just wanted to come explain. Look Grissom!. This is exactly what I thought would happen - but it's just a coincidence" Sara reasoned calmly.
Sara paused, sighed and laughed with a tear in her eye and said,
"Do you ever feel like the man upstairs has got it in for you?".
Grissom laughed and was intrigued by this. It caused him to take his glasses off and stare at her.
"I knew the worst that could happen would happen. What's the worse thing that could happen when your convinced your colleagues think you come from a violent home - your father turns up shouting and bawling and grabbing your wrist viciously!. He's never done that before!. He's just worried Laney will ruin my life! - my career!. And then what's the worst thing to happen next?. And you guessed it - it happened!. I've never been accidentally punched outside work and yet it happens last night - the worst night it could happen!. I can understand you thinking my dad is violent!. I would too in anyone else's shoes - but I swear he's not - look - I'll be straight with you. Since I was a teenager my dad and I have never got along but before that we had our really good times. And he's a pig but I could never lie and say he's a wife beater just to spite him!" Sara confessed calmly.
Sara begun quietly sobbing,
"I love him!. I really do!. I just don't like him!. And I don't want anyone to think badly of him!. Because I love him - and you only have one dad right?".
Grissom came over to her, put an arm around her and sat her down. He continued to comfort her and apologised,
"I'm so sorry, Sara!. I was wrong - it makes more sense now. I'm sorry I should never had made assumptions based on coincidences - I'm a CSI - I should have known better!. I just wanted to protect you - but I'm the only one who's ended up hurting you!".
"And the stranger in the bar" Sara joked through her tears as she wiped them away. Grissom held his hands out to hug her and though she was surprised she accepted and hugged him.
"Sorry" Grissom repeated.
He honestly believed her this time. Well, nearly completely believed her. But if it wasn't her dad then who was it?. Was she involved or just someone close to her?. Was it a family member?. Or a friend?. Or had an ex hurt her?. Or a stranger?. He couldn't go investigating every person Sara had ever met!.
Sara heard her page go off as she sat in her apartment stressing.
"I don't believe it!. I knew it!. I knew it!. Of all the days I needed to be off work and he pages me!. I can't go in!" she thought to herself.
Sara burst into tears just as Laney was entering. Laney saw this, ran over and hugged Sara.
"I'm so sorry!. I'll just go back to Tamales Bay!" Laney said as she burst into tears.
"No!. You're not going anywhere!. You're staying here!" Sara demanded. Sara wiped her eyes, got up and dialled the phone.
"Hello Grissom. Its Sara - what did you want?" Sara spoke down the phone.
"I'm really sorry, Sara. I know it's your day off - and you really need this day off - but I really need you to come in!" Grissom pleaded.
"I can't Grissom. I'm sorry - not today. I'm ill!" Sara replied hostilely.
"Sara please!. It's an emergency!. We have 5 cases and I have only 4 of us.and all other shifts are on overtime!. There's no one else!. We're all going to have to be solo anyway!. That's how much of a emergency this is!" Grissom pleaded.
Sara silently sobbed and said,
"I can't Grissom!. Not today!".
"Please" Grissom expressed.
Sara thought for a second.
"O.k." Sara hesitated.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Grissom said.
Sara put the phone down and turned and gave Laney a concerned look.
The gang were all sitting in the break room getting assignments when Sara entered.
"Great!. Sara - you have a smash and grab in one of Las Vegas's top jewellers" Grissom said handing her the assignment slip.
"Looking cool!" Nick joked to Sara.
"Pardon?" Sara said in a bad mood.
"The sunglasses indoors!. It's not like you to be so fashion conscious!" Nick joked.
"We're going outside in just a second Nicholas - so there's no point me taking them off then putting them on!" Sara snapped condescendily.
Sara walked out in a huff.
"What's up with her?" Catherine commented.
Grissom passed one of the labs, when he noticed Sara standing there looking at a microscope - but not down it!. He went in.
"You alright?. You stuck for answers?" Grissom asked.
Sara said nothing but just turned round and stared at him speechless. She was still wearing those stupid sunglasses!.
"Sara, take those sunglasses off in here!" Grissom said slightly worried and went to take them off her face.
But she stopped him.
"Sara?" Grissom questioned.
"Don't jump to any conclusions!" Sara defended.
"What is it?" Grissom asked.
Grissom went to take Sara's sunglasses off again. He stood speechless and stared at her.
"Sara! - I am going to ask you one last time!. Is your father violent?" Grissom asked quite angry.
"No!. No!. He isn't!" Sara defended.
"Sara, don't lie to me!. You have a black eye!. Just tell me the truth!" Grissom said angrily.
"No.I knew you'd think this!. That's why I didn't want to come in!. It was an accident!. My father is a pig but he's not violent!. We were having an argument and he gave up and left for a bar. He's an alcoholic but not the violent type - just the verbally abusive type!. He went to a bar mid argument and so I followed him - and when I got there he was having a bar fight - I tried to break them up - and the person he was fighting with accidentally hit me instead" Sara explained panicked.
"You've got to believe me Grissom!. Please don't jump to conclusions!" Sara pleaded.
She grabbed his face in her hands and made him look her straight into the eyes and said directly to him
"Grissom, you've got to believe me!. You do believe me don't you?. This isn't my past. I'm not in danger!. He isn't violent - he's just a rude, verbally abusive drunk - but he's no danger - this!. This was done by a stranger - it has nothing to do with my father!. You do trust me don't you?" Sara insisted.
Grissom sighed angrily and left.
Sara put her hands in her face looking stressed. He did believe her didn't he?. Sara ran out after him and started yelling,
"Grissom! Grissom!".
Warwick, Nick and Catherine came walking down the hall. They saw Grissom walk off and Sara's black eye.
"Are you o.k.?" they all said in unison rushing over.
"Where did you get that from?. Did a suspect attack you?" Nick asked.
"It's nothing. It was an accident - ask Grissom!" Sara said stressed and walked off.
Catherine indicated Nick and Warwick to stay and she went to find Grissom. She found him immediately - he was outside testing his pulse.
"How much?" she asked.
"110!" Grissom replied.
"What!?!. Sit down your going to keel over if you're not careful!" Catherine exclaimed.
She tried to make him sit down but he wouldn't. He just kept pacing - so Catherine sat down instead.
"So. What did she say about her black eye?" Catherine asked. "It doesn't matter what she said she's lying!" Grissom said angrily pacing.
"You don't know that, Grissom!. What did she say?" Catherine demanded neutrally.
"She said a stranger 'accidentally' punched her when she was trying to break up her father's bar fight - she says her father didn't even accidentally punch her - it was a strange - how convenient!" Grissom replied angrily.
Grissom stopped pacing and looked Catherine right in the face.
"That guy is hitting them and he's getting away with it scot free!" Grissom shouted.
Grissom soon started pacing frantically again. "No Grissom! probably not!. Her explanation sounds plausible enough. Grissom don't jump to conclusions until you have all the facts!. You're the one always saying that!. Always following that!. You have no evidence!. Your just jumping to conclusions!. It just seems the logical answer at the moment - but until you see him hit Sara or her mother or they tell you he does then you can't assume anything!. Don't let personal issues cloud your judgement - we all do - don't let it happen here!" Catherine insisted.
Grissom stopped and calmed down a bit. He sat down next to Catherine and looked her straight in the eyes saying
"I know he's hitting her and her mom, Catherine. I know it!. I knew the moment I met him!. It's so obvious!" Grissom pleaded.
"Grissom, he was angry!. We all get angry sometimes, right?. You just met him at a bad time!. I admit he was a bit extreme - What kind of parent embarrasses their daughter by storming into her work? - But they seemed to think it was that important!. Anyway Grissom - your biased!. Is this about Emily, Grissom?" Catherine said.
Grissom looked at Catherine guiltly.
"Maybe. But!. It doesn't matter whether it is connected to Emily or not!. The fact is that he is doing what I think he's doing!. He doesn't deserve her whether I'm biased or not!. I should have seen it in Sara's behaviour!. I always suspected there was something up with her.she got a little too emotional on abuse cases!. A little too!. It's the answer!" Grissom reasoned.
"No Grissom!. Your fitting the evidence to fit a theory!. You have no proper proof - it just seems like the obvious answer - and that's clouding your judgement. But it probably isn't true - Sara wouldn't lie to you. And Sara's not the type - she's a strong willed girl - you can't just assume!. Plus hippies don't believe in violence!" Catherine suggested.
"I watched Forrest Gump the other day - I saw violent hippies there!. Girlfriend beating!" Grissom proposed.
"Grissom, I'm not saying your not right! - and I do care a lot about Sara. But I'm saying we need more evidence before we jump to conclusions. And at the moment I'm far from convinced. Sara wouldn't lie to us!. I'm sure of it!" Catherine said.
Grissom looked worried as he sat in his office. Sara knocked on his door to grab his attention. She looked a lot calmer and he was a bit calmer, and a bit more open minded, after Catherine's talk.
"I'm sorry I snap at you" she said.
"Did you?" Grissom replied.
"Well. Whatever I did!. Well I just wanted to come explain. Look Grissom!. This is exactly what I thought would happen - but it's just a coincidence" Sara reasoned calmly.
Sara paused, sighed and laughed with a tear in her eye and said,
"Do you ever feel like the man upstairs has got it in for you?".
Grissom laughed and was intrigued by this. It caused him to take his glasses off and stare at her.
"I knew the worst that could happen would happen. What's the worse thing that could happen when your convinced your colleagues think you come from a violent home - your father turns up shouting and bawling and grabbing your wrist viciously!. He's never done that before!. He's just worried Laney will ruin my life! - my career!. And then what's the worst thing to happen next?. And you guessed it - it happened!. I've never been accidentally punched outside work and yet it happens last night - the worst night it could happen!. I can understand you thinking my dad is violent!. I would too in anyone else's shoes - but I swear he's not - look - I'll be straight with you. Since I was a teenager my dad and I have never got along but before that we had our really good times. And he's a pig but I could never lie and say he's a wife beater just to spite him!" Sara confessed calmly.
Sara begun quietly sobbing,
"I love him!. I really do!. I just don't like him!. And I don't want anyone to think badly of him!. Because I love him - and you only have one dad right?".
Grissom came over to her, put an arm around her and sat her down. He continued to comfort her and apologised,
"I'm so sorry, Sara!. I was wrong - it makes more sense now. I'm sorry I should never had made assumptions based on coincidences - I'm a CSI - I should have known better!. I just wanted to protect you - but I'm the only one who's ended up hurting you!".
"And the stranger in the bar" Sara joked through her tears as she wiped them away. Grissom held his hands out to hug her and though she was surprised she accepted and hugged him.
"Sorry" Grissom repeated.
He honestly believed her this time. Well, nearly completely believed her. But if it wasn't her dad then who was it?. Was she involved or just someone close to her?. Was it a family member?. Or a friend?. Or had an ex hurt her?. Or a stranger?. He couldn't go investigating every person Sara had ever met!.