Sara had to act quickly. Her dad hadn't noticed her enter and so she could
knock him out without him realising beforehand. She looked around quickly
and noticed an unused lamp on a table nearby. She quietly grabbed it,
sneaked up behind Boby and whacked him over the head. Boby went out cold.
Catherine was so relieved but still tramuatised. Sara checked on how
Catherine was. She noticed Catherine was only semi conscious. Sara walked
over to her and opened her arms to hug Catherine. Catherine was grateful
for the hug and cried into Sara's shoulder.
"Oh Sara!" Catherine sobbed.
Sara begun to lightly cry too.
"I'm sorry!. I'm so sorry!. I never thought he'd do this!. I should never have let you come. I never thought he'd swoop this low!" Sara sobbed.
Sara looked around.
"Catherine, we've got to go before he wakes up" Sara instructed her.
Sara looked around deciding what to do. She decided to take his set of keys so he had none and she had some on her. Then Sara helped Catherine to get up and walked her outside. Once outside the room Sara put Catherine down and locked Boby in. Then Sara picked her cell phone and started to dial Grissom's number.
Grissom and Libby were fully dressed by the time Sara called Grissom. They were laying on the grass bank watching the sky together. Grissom looked at his phone.
"It's Sara" he commented.
He picked up the phone.
"Grissom, quick you've got to come back. We've got to pack. We've got to leave. My dad tried to rape Catherine!. We've got to go!" Sara exasperated.
When Libby and Grissom returned they found Sara packing her stuff.
"Sara, I'm so sorry!" Libby exclaimed.
"It's not your fault" Sara replied.
"You're going?" Libby asked
"Well Catherine's not exactly going to want to stick around here is she?" Sara exclaimed.
"How is Catherine?" Grissom asked.
"Shaken. Luckily he didn't get very far. I stopped him before he could do anything" Sara replied.
"Thank goodness" Libby replied.
"Pig!" Grissom shouted and slammed his hand on counter
"What about the conference you were meant to go to on tomorrow and tuesday. That's the whole reason you're here!. You can't miss that!. What about the seminar Grissom's meant to give?" Libby pleaded.
"I'll just have to tell them an emergency came up" Grissom replied in disbelief.
"Mom we've got to go!. Don't you understand?" Sara exclaimed annoyed.
"Of course I do. I just wish you didn't have to" Libby replied.
Grissom had been gob smacked for most of their conversation and interrupted finally saying,
"Neither of you seem very surprised!. Has this happened before?" Grissom asked.
Sara and Libby looked at each other worried.
"Occasionally yeah" Libby replied.
Grissom was gob smacked.
"Remind me why you love him?" Grissom asked Libby.
"Leave it, Grissom" Libby replied.
"Why would he do this?" Grissom asked.
"Fun maybe?. Revenge to me maybe?. I don't know what goes on in his sick brain. He just rapes people sometimes as a hobby. For fun!. But I never thought he'd do it to my friend!" Sara broke down crying mid sentence.
Libby and Grissom went over. They put their hand on her back to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry, Sara" Libby reiterated.
"I'm going to go comfort, Catherine. Will you be o.k. comforting her?" Grissom said sensitively.
Once Grissom had left, Libby turned to Sara after a while.
"Are we going to the police?" Libby asked.
"No" Sara replied stubbornly.
"If Catherine wants to go she can but we're not" Sara added.
Soon Alaney arrived and started packing her stuff. Grissom was busy packing and comforted Catherine at the same time. Sara was busy wondering how they were going to get Catherine's things. Should they leave them?. Sara had an idea. Libby and Grissom weren't pleased. Sara got her gun and went into Catherine's room. She held her now conscious father at gunpoint and made him go in the room next door. Then she locked that room and packed up Catherine's stuff.
Catherine gradually gained more consciousness and decided to thank Grissom and find Sara. A worried Grissom followed as Catherine was still disorientated and traumatised. Catherine found Sara in Catherine's room. Catherine came over and put a hand on Sara's shoulder. Sara turned.
"Do you want me to report him, Sara?. I'll get rid of him for you and your mom" Catherine asked.
"Of course, you're going to report him Catherine!. Sara do a SART exam. I'll go out" Grissom responded.
Sara looked at her with unintentional puppy dog eyes.
"Do you want to?" Sara replied.
"Only if you want me to" Catherine replied.
"But do you want to?" Sara asked.
Catherine began to cry.
"No" Catherine muttered, "I'm too ashamed. I don't want anyone to know!" Catherine replied.
Sara began to cry too.
"I don't either!" Sara admitted
They hugged. Grissom was gobsmacked.
"What?!?. But you have to!. You're not going to let him get away with this!. You can't!" Grissom insisted.
Grissom stormed out gob smacked.
"I'm sorry, Catherine. But he's my father!. I just don't want to lose him!" Sara sobbed to Catherine.
"I don't want anyone to know either!" Catherine insisted.
Sara paused and sighed.
"Can we do a SART just in case?" Sara asked.
"Of course" Catherine replied.
"I'll go get the kit" Sara informed them and left.
Fifteen minutes later Catherine went out to find Grissom.
"Your just doing this for Sara, Catherine!" Grissom accused her.
"Yeah partly. But you don't understand the embarrassment, Grissom. It's for both of us, Mainly Sara though. She need someone to look after her" Catherine replied.
"Catherine!. You sound like Sara but worse!. The other day you were moaning that she ignores her own problems because she's so worried about her mom. But now you're doing the same because you're so worried about Sara. Your living for another person just like Sara!. Your situation's worse than Sara's - do you understand that?" Grissom reasoned.
"I don't care, Grissom. I don't care. It's not even just for Sara - I don't want people to know. I certainly don't want to drag this through court. But if Sara had needed me to then I would. But I'm glad she doesn't want me to" Catherine explained.
Once everything was packed in the car, they prepared to leave. Sara and Alaney hugged Libby goodbye. Libby was sad to see them go. Then Libby hugged Grissom and gave him a kiss on the cheek. It was too awkward for Libby and Catherine to say goodbye. As Grissom and Sara got in the car to go Libby said,
"Look after her, o.k.?" Libby told them concerning Catherine.
Sara got into the driver's seat and turned the key. She wasn't sure if she was in a state to drive but Grissom was just as unlikely to be. She decided to give it a shot. She drove fine considering.
As Sara drove up to the part where the road to camp cuckoo joined the B&B road then Sara noticed a teenage boy lying on the side of the road. There were two female teenagers over his body crying. Sara stopped. As she approached she noticed who the three were. She got out the car followed by Alaney. Alaney was really upset. She knew the boy quite well.
"He's dead!" one of the girls's sobbed to Sara when she saw her.
"Oh my goodness" Sara exclaimed.
"Sara, what do we do?" the other girl asked.
"What happened?" Sara asked.
"It was his idea. He said it was just weed" one of the girls insisted.
"Weed doesn't kill you. What was it Angela?" Sara asked.
"I think it might be heroin" one of the girls's admitted.
"What did I say the other day?. Soft drugs lead to harder" Sara commented.
"I know I know. We're not like him though. We'd never" one of the girls sobbed.
"Have you called an ambulance?" Sara asked the girls.
The girls looked at each other.
"We didn't want to get in trouble" one of the girls said.
"How long's he been like this?!?. Are you saying you let him die?" Sara exclaimed.
"No!. It wouldn't have made any difference. He died immediately" one of the girls defended.
"Have you tried CPR?" Sara asked.
"Yeah. It didn't work" whinged one of the girls.
Sara sighed and picked up her cell phone out her pocket.
"Hello. Ambulance please. At Linton forest please" Sara told the 911 operator.
Sara put her cell back in her pocket and went back over to the car.
"What's going on?" Grissom asked
Sara got two pairs of car keys out her pocket.
"Can you drive to the airport and dropped the car off please?. The documents are in the glove compartment. Then can you drive you and Catherine home using my car?. Here are those keys. I'm pretty sure Laney wants to stay. I'm really sorry, Grissom. I'm really sorry to you especially, Catherine. But I've got to stay for a few more days - one of the teenagers has died of an O.D - The community, including my mum, will be devastated. I have to stay. I have to arrange things and comfort people" Sara told Grissom.
"Right. But where are you going to stay?" Grissom asked.
"My parents of course" Sara replied.
"But!. But how can you go back now?" Grissom asked.
"It's nothing new, Grissom. Anyway, I've got to go back sometime. I might even save my mum mid fight knowing them!. Thanks Grissom" Sara commented.
Grissom got in the drivers seat and drove off.
Sara walked back up to her parent's house. As she approached she noticed the front door open. As she pushed the door open she heard shouting. She sighed in disappointment. She went to the living room to find her dad beating up her mom. Sara just stood at the open doorway, cleared her throat and stood there looking unimpressed. Her dad eventually stopped.
"When you've quite finished - I have news" Sara said angrily.
"What are you doing back?" Libby asked tearfully.
"Interfering!" Boby replied annoyed.
"Johnny Roberts has died from an overdose. I hope your both happy!" Sara exclaimed before storming out.
"Oh my goodness! Johnny Roberts!" Libby commented.
Libby followed after her.
"We don't do that stuff anymore!" Libby pleaded.
Sara sat down and sighed.
"I'm staying until after the funeral - no longer" Sara told her.
Libby smiled and put a hand on Sara's. Sara couldn't help but smile back. Sara hugged her mom and stroked her hair.
"Did he give a reason?" Sara asked.
"For Catherine?" Libby asked.
"For you mom. Why'd he hit you?. What did he say?" Sara asked.
"It's my fault. I just wanted to stand up for Catherine. Tell him not to do that" Libby told her.
"Thanks mom" Sara gestured.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up. I need to talk to dad. O.k.?" Sara told her.
Libby nodded and left.
"Dad!" Sara called out.
Boby turned up.
"What do you want?" Boby asked angrily.
"You bastard!. Why on earth did you do that to Catherine?. She has nothing to do with this" Sara shouted.
Boby laughed.
"I hate you!" Sara shouted in a mature matter of fact way.
She got up to storm off but turned before leaving to say to him,
"And don't take it out on Mom!" Sara exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, what you going to do about it?. Shoot me?. Lose your job and end up in prison for life?. Or is a tiny bag of skin and bones like you going to try and beat me up?. Ooooh I'm so scared!" Boby commented before getting up and leaving.
A week later Sara returned to Las Vegas with Alaney. Sara's first stop after dropping her stuff off in her apartment was to check on Catherine. She'd called Grissom during the week to check on Catherine but couldn't bare to call Catherine herself. Grissom told her that Catherine was sensibly taking a fortnight off work. Grissom also told Sara that Catherine had sent Lindsay to Catherine's sister. Grissom and Sara didn't know whether to worry or not. Maybe it was a sensible idea. Sara and Grissom ended up having an argument over the phone though. It had all began when Sara had noticed that Grissom seemed annoyed with her over the phone. She asked him why and he replied,
"Well frankly Sara. I can't believe your being so selfish. Catherine needs to see that man go down for what he did and you're not letting her. He tried to rape her Sara!. Your going through nothing compared to her!" Grissom explained annoyed.
"Oh for goodness sake, Grissom!. It's not like he actually raped her!" Sara exclaimed without thinking.
Grissom was gob smacked.
"Oh no Grissom wait!. I didn't mean it!" Sara pleaded.
"Obviously you did. I just hope you never have to go through what Catherine did!. I'll see you wednesday, Sara" Grissom slammed the phone down.
Sara felt terrible. She didn't mean to be so blunt.
Sara was nervous as she rung Catherine's doorbell. But when Catherine opened the door she looked happy to see her. Catherine looked run down and meek. She was still quite traumatised. Catherine was wearing no make up and slouch like clothes. Sara had never seen Catherine look this way. It was like Catherine was a different person. Throughout the visit, Catherine hardly spoke or replied to anything. She was just a shell of a person. Sara realised Catherine was taking this really badly. It was like talking to a zombie most of the time. Sara didn't quite know what to say to make Catherine feel better. She just felt useless like she wasn't helping at all. Sara noticed Catherine had stacks of washing up so Sara decided to do that for her. Sara knew Catherine wouldn't be in a state to do it plus it would give Sara something to do. Then Sara remembered something and said to Catherine,
"Have you eaten?. Do you want me to make you something?. I remember when I was raped I didn't eat anything for three days and then I only ate little" Sara commented casually.
Catherine was gob smacked and stared at Sara in disbelief.
"How can you be so casual about it?. When I could imagine it it was already bad. It was ten times worse than I could ever imagine. I can't even imagine what it would have been like if - well if it had actually happened" Catherine commented.
"It was so long ago. I just had to get on with my life" Sara replied flippantly in denial.
"Are you honestly trying to tell me you've got on with life?. Sara stop being so casual about the - the R word!." Catherine reacted.
"Let me make you some noodles" Sara suggested trying to avoid the subject.
There was silence as Sara got on and Catherine just stared at her. Finally Catherine said,
"It must have been so hard" Catherine commented.
"Yeah of course!" Sara replied suprised.
"I mean your dad. Telling him you'd been raped must have been so hard because of the way he is. He doesn't care and he made your mom agree to what he said. Is that why your so flippant about your rape? - it is isn't it. Most parents would emphasise how serious being raped is but your parents - your dad at least - he emphasised the complete opposite. Am I right?" Catherine went into psychological rant like she knew. Funnily enough she did kind of.
Sara finally succumbed to her gloomy pain and admitted,
"Exactly".
"But it is serious Sara" Catherine insisted.
"I know. I really do. But dad - he just doesn't understand. Sometimes I think he thinks rape victims want to be raped. I'm sure he blames for me getting pregnant. He's sick. But this isn't about me - I'm here to comfort you" Sara responded introspectively.
Catherine paused.
"What happened to me - It's not your fault you know" Catherine gestured as she put a hand on Sara's.
"I should never have let you go" Sara confessed.
"I know what it's like to have a criminal dad. I'm so scared that one day someone will turn round and think I must have a bad streak too. But our fathers aren't our fault, Sara. We're our own people. I understand that. You've got to remember that. I don't blame you" Catherine told her.
"Thank you" Sara replied.
"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I wanted to thank you properly. If you hadn't of come when you did - Well I just don't know what would have happened!" Catherine gestured.
"Thank goodness I did!" Sara sighed.
Catherine paused.
"Sara, can I ask you something and answer me honestly?"
Sara was worried about what the question could be.
"It depends what it is" Sara answered.
"Has your dad ever said anything nice to you?" Catherine asked.
Sara was confused and surprised - she hadn't expected Catherine to come out with that out the blue.
"Well umm. Kind of. I mean sometimes he says I'm ugly, fat, a misfit and a failure of a person. But that's just to be spiteful really. Then other times he says the complete opposite. He says he loves me and I'm the second most beautiful woman in the world" Sara replied.
"The second?" Catherine enquired.
"Bar my mom" Sara replied.
"That's strangely kind of sweet" Catherine commented.
"It probably lies!. B.S!. The only compliment I ever believed was true was that he always told me I was clever. I don't really care if the rest is true. He's worthless and so is his opinion. Anyway why do you ask?" Sara asked.
"He's become a very important part of my life and yet I know hardly anything about him" Catherine explained.
Sara was gob smacked and extremely worried by this comment. It seemed a strange thing for Catherine to be thinking.
Two days later Sara was dreading seeing Catherine again. Even though Catherine didn't blame her it was still awkward with Catherine being either silent zombified or asking strange questions. Therefore, Sara was surprised to find Catherine to be the complete opposite of the last visit. Catherine was full of life. She seemed really happy but Sara could tell she was in denial and trying to convince herself she was happy. Catherine was maniac. She was rushing round the house doing jobs and was talking away like anything. Sara recognised this as a fear that if she stopped being busy then she might remember her situation. Sara had never been through a manic state herself but very aquainted with the process of throwing herself into work to avoid the pain of the situation. Catherine was pretending to be fine but Sara knew she wasn't. Sara knew she was in denial or at least trying to avoid thinking about it.
"I woke up yesterday morning and I just felt so much better. I decided I need to drag myself out from the dumps and get on with life!. Yeah!. I mean it's not like anything happened, right?. It's actually made me realise how precious life is and how lucky I am that you came in time. So I've decided I shouldn't be moping about. I should be celebrating that I escaped" Catherine replied.
Sara was worried by the 'new Catherine'.
Everyone was worried about the 'new Catherine'. Catherine returned to work the next Monday. She was acting like nothing had happened. But she wasn't the same Catherine. She was denial Catherine. No one is that naturally happy and bubbly - and Catherine wasn't before. What especially worried everyone was that Catherine didn't take Lindsay back. She said that she wanted to feel single again. This was so unlike Catherine she adored Lindsay. But frankly everyone doubted she should look after Lindsay the state she was in anyway. She wasn't the same Catherine. Catherine had changed. Everyone was worried that the old Catherine may never come back.
"Oh Sara!" Catherine sobbed.
Sara begun to lightly cry too.
"I'm sorry!. I'm so sorry!. I never thought he'd do this!. I should never have let you come. I never thought he'd swoop this low!" Sara sobbed.
Sara looked around.
"Catherine, we've got to go before he wakes up" Sara instructed her.
Sara looked around deciding what to do. She decided to take his set of keys so he had none and she had some on her. Then Sara helped Catherine to get up and walked her outside. Once outside the room Sara put Catherine down and locked Boby in. Then Sara picked her cell phone and started to dial Grissom's number.
Grissom and Libby were fully dressed by the time Sara called Grissom. They were laying on the grass bank watching the sky together. Grissom looked at his phone.
"It's Sara" he commented.
He picked up the phone.
"Grissom, quick you've got to come back. We've got to pack. We've got to leave. My dad tried to rape Catherine!. We've got to go!" Sara exasperated.
When Libby and Grissom returned they found Sara packing her stuff.
"Sara, I'm so sorry!" Libby exclaimed.
"It's not your fault" Sara replied.
"You're going?" Libby asked
"Well Catherine's not exactly going to want to stick around here is she?" Sara exclaimed.
"How is Catherine?" Grissom asked.
"Shaken. Luckily he didn't get very far. I stopped him before he could do anything" Sara replied.
"Thank goodness" Libby replied.
"Pig!" Grissom shouted and slammed his hand on counter
"What about the conference you were meant to go to on tomorrow and tuesday. That's the whole reason you're here!. You can't miss that!. What about the seminar Grissom's meant to give?" Libby pleaded.
"I'll just have to tell them an emergency came up" Grissom replied in disbelief.
"Mom we've got to go!. Don't you understand?" Sara exclaimed annoyed.
"Of course I do. I just wish you didn't have to" Libby replied.
Grissom had been gob smacked for most of their conversation and interrupted finally saying,
"Neither of you seem very surprised!. Has this happened before?" Grissom asked.
Sara and Libby looked at each other worried.
"Occasionally yeah" Libby replied.
Grissom was gob smacked.
"Remind me why you love him?" Grissom asked Libby.
"Leave it, Grissom" Libby replied.
"Why would he do this?" Grissom asked.
"Fun maybe?. Revenge to me maybe?. I don't know what goes on in his sick brain. He just rapes people sometimes as a hobby. For fun!. But I never thought he'd do it to my friend!" Sara broke down crying mid sentence.
Libby and Grissom went over. They put their hand on her back to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry, Sara" Libby reiterated.
"I'm going to go comfort, Catherine. Will you be o.k. comforting her?" Grissom said sensitively.
Once Grissom had left, Libby turned to Sara after a while.
"Are we going to the police?" Libby asked.
"No" Sara replied stubbornly.
"If Catherine wants to go she can but we're not" Sara added.
Soon Alaney arrived and started packing her stuff. Grissom was busy packing and comforted Catherine at the same time. Sara was busy wondering how they were going to get Catherine's things. Should they leave them?. Sara had an idea. Libby and Grissom weren't pleased. Sara got her gun and went into Catherine's room. She held her now conscious father at gunpoint and made him go in the room next door. Then she locked that room and packed up Catherine's stuff.
Catherine gradually gained more consciousness and decided to thank Grissom and find Sara. A worried Grissom followed as Catherine was still disorientated and traumatised. Catherine found Sara in Catherine's room. Catherine came over and put a hand on Sara's shoulder. Sara turned.
"Do you want me to report him, Sara?. I'll get rid of him for you and your mom" Catherine asked.
"Of course, you're going to report him Catherine!. Sara do a SART exam. I'll go out" Grissom responded.
Sara looked at her with unintentional puppy dog eyes.
"Do you want to?" Sara replied.
"Only if you want me to" Catherine replied.
"But do you want to?" Sara asked.
Catherine began to cry.
"No" Catherine muttered, "I'm too ashamed. I don't want anyone to know!" Catherine replied.
Sara began to cry too.
"I don't either!" Sara admitted
They hugged. Grissom was gobsmacked.
"What?!?. But you have to!. You're not going to let him get away with this!. You can't!" Grissom insisted.
Grissom stormed out gob smacked.
"I'm sorry, Catherine. But he's my father!. I just don't want to lose him!" Sara sobbed to Catherine.
"I don't want anyone to know either!" Catherine insisted.
Sara paused and sighed.
"Can we do a SART just in case?" Sara asked.
"Of course" Catherine replied.
"I'll go get the kit" Sara informed them and left.
Fifteen minutes later Catherine went out to find Grissom.
"Your just doing this for Sara, Catherine!" Grissom accused her.
"Yeah partly. But you don't understand the embarrassment, Grissom. It's for both of us, Mainly Sara though. She need someone to look after her" Catherine replied.
"Catherine!. You sound like Sara but worse!. The other day you were moaning that she ignores her own problems because she's so worried about her mom. But now you're doing the same because you're so worried about Sara. Your living for another person just like Sara!. Your situation's worse than Sara's - do you understand that?" Grissom reasoned.
"I don't care, Grissom. I don't care. It's not even just for Sara - I don't want people to know. I certainly don't want to drag this through court. But if Sara had needed me to then I would. But I'm glad she doesn't want me to" Catherine explained.
Once everything was packed in the car, they prepared to leave. Sara and Alaney hugged Libby goodbye. Libby was sad to see them go. Then Libby hugged Grissom and gave him a kiss on the cheek. It was too awkward for Libby and Catherine to say goodbye. As Grissom and Sara got in the car to go Libby said,
"Look after her, o.k.?" Libby told them concerning Catherine.
Sara got into the driver's seat and turned the key. She wasn't sure if she was in a state to drive but Grissom was just as unlikely to be. She decided to give it a shot. She drove fine considering.
As Sara drove up to the part where the road to camp cuckoo joined the B&B road then Sara noticed a teenage boy lying on the side of the road. There were two female teenagers over his body crying. Sara stopped. As she approached she noticed who the three were. She got out the car followed by Alaney. Alaney was really upset. She knew the boy quite well.
"He's dead!" one of the girls's sobbed to Sara when she saw her.
"Oh my goodness" Sara exclaimed.
"Sara, what do we do?" the other girl asked.
"What happened?" Sara asked.
"It was his idea. He said it was just weed" one of the girls insisted.
"Weed doesn't kill you. What was it Angela?" Sara asked.
"I think it might be heroin" one of the girls's admitted.
"What did I say the other day?. Soft drugs lead to harder" Sara commented.
"I know I know. We're not like him though. We'd never" one of the girls sobbed.
"Have you called an ambulance?" Sara asked the girls.
The girls looked at each other.
"We didn't want to get in trouble" one of the girls said.
"How long's he been like this?!?. Are you saying you let him die?" Sara exclaimed.
"No!. It wouldn't have made any difference. He died immediately" one of the girls defended.
"Have you tried CPR?" Sara asked.
"Yeah. It didn't work" whinged one of the girls.
Sara sighed and picked up her cell phone out her pocket.
"Hello. Ambulance please. At Linton forest please" Sara told the 911 operator.
Sara put her cell back in her pocket and went back over to the car.
"What's going on?" Grissom asked
Sara got two pairs of car keys out her pocket.
"Can you drive to the airport and dropped the car off please?. The documents are in the glove compartment. Then can you drive you and Catherine home using my car?. Here are those keys. I'm pretty sure Laney wants to stay. I'm really sorry, Grissom. I'm really sorry to you especially, Catherine. But I've got to stay for a few more days - one of the teenagers has died of an O.D - The community, including my mum, will be devastated. I have to stay. I have to arrange things and comfort people" Sara told Grissom.
"Right. But where are you going to stay?" Grissom asked.
"My parents of course" Sara replied.
"But!. But how can you go back now?" Grissom asked.
"It's nothing new, Grissom. Anyway, I've got to go back sometime. I might even save my mum mid fight knowing them!. Thanks Grissom" Sara commented.
Grissom got in the drivers seat and drove off.
Sara walked back up to her parent's house. As she approached she noticed the front door open. As she pushed the door open she heard shouting. She sighed in disappointment. She went to the living room to find her dad beating up her mom. Sara just stood at the open doorway, cleared her throat and stood there looking unimpressed. Her dad eventually stopped.
"When you've quite finished - I have news" Sara said angrily.
"What are you doing back?" Libby asked tearfully.
"Interfering!" Boby replied annoyed.
"Johnny Roberts has died from an overdose. I hope your both happy!" Sara exclaimed before storming out.
"Oh my goodness! Johnny Roberts!" Libby commented.
Libby followed after her.
"We don't do that stuff anymore!" Libby pleaded.
Sara sat down and sighed.
"I'm staying until after the funeral - no longer" Sara told her.
Libby smiled and put a hand on Sara's. Sara couldn't help but smile back. Sara hugged her mom and stroked her hair.
"Did he give a reason?" Sara asked.
"For Catherine?" Libby asked.
"For you mom. Why'd he hit you?. What did he say?" Sara asked.
"It's my fault. I just wanted to stand up for Catherine. Tell him not to do that" Libby told her.
"Thanks mom" Sara gestured.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up. I need to talk to dad. O.k.?" Sara told her.
Libby nodded and left.
"Dad!" Sara called out.
Boby turned up.
"What do you want?" Boby asked angrily.
"You bastard!. Why on earth did you do that to Catherine?. She has nothing to do with this" Sara shouted.
Boby laughed.
"I hate you!" Sara shouted in a mature matter of fact way.
She got up to storm off but turned before leaving to say to him,
"And don't take it out on Mom!" Sara exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, what you going to do about it?. Shoot me?. Lose your job and end up in prison for life?. Or is a tiny bag of skin and bones like you going to try and beat me up?. Ooooh I'm so scared!" Boby commented before getting up and leaving.
A week later Sara returned to Las Vegas with Alaney. Sara's first stop after dropping her stuff off in her apartment was to check on Catherine. She'd called Grissom during the week to check on Catherine but couldn't bare to call Catherine herself. Grissom told her that Catherine was sensibly taking a fortnight off work. Grissom also told Sara that Catherine had sent Lindsay to Catherine's sister. Grissom and Sara didn't know whether to worry or not. Maybe it was a sensible idea. Sara and Grissom ended up having an argument over the phone though. It had all began when Sara had noticed that Grissom seemed annoyed with her over the phone. She asked him why and he replied,
"Well frankly Sara. I can't believe your being so selfish. Catherine needs to see that man go down for what he did and you're not letting her. He tried to rape her Sara!. Your going through nothing compared to her!" Grissom explained annoyed.
"Oh for goodness sake, Grissom!. It's not like he actually raped her!" Sara exclaimed without thinking.
Grissom was gob smacked.
"Oh no Grissom wait!. I didn't mean it!" Sara pleaded.
"Obviously you did. I just hope you never have to go through what Catherine did!. I'll see you wednesday, Sara" Grissom slammed the phone down.
Sara felt terrible. She didn't mean to be so blunt.
Sara was nervous as she rung Catherine's doorbell. But when Catherine opened the door she looked happy to see her. Catherine looked run down and meek. She was still quite traumatised. Catherine was wearing no make up and slouch like clothes. Sara had never seen Catherine look this way. It was like Catherine was a different person. Throughout the visit, Catherine hardly spoke or replied to anything. She was just a shell of a person. Sara realised Catherine was taking this really badly. It was like talking to a zombie most of the time. Sara didn't quite know what to say to make Catherine feel better. She just felt useless like she wasn't helping at all. Sara noticed Catherine had stacks of washing up so Sara decided to do that for her. Sara knew Catherine wouldn't be in a state to do it plus it would give Sara something to do. Then Sara remembered something and said to Catherine,
"Have you eaten?. Do you want me to make you something?. I remember when I was raped I didn't eat anything for three days and then I only ate little" Sara commented casually.
Catherine was gob smacked and stared at Sara in disbelief.
"How can you be so casual about it?. When I could imagine it it was already bad. It was ten times worse than I could ever imagine. I can't even imagine what it would have been like if - well if it had actually happened" Catherine commented.
"It was so long ago. I just had to get on with my life" Sara replied flippantly in denial.
"Are you honestly trying to tell me you've got on with life?. Sara stop being so casual about the - the R word!." Catherine reacted.
"Let me make you some noodles" Sara suggested trying to avoid the subject.
There was silence as Sara got on and Catherine just stared at her. Finally Catherine said,
"It must have been so hard" Catherine commented.
"Yeah of course!" Sara replied suprised.
"I mean your dad. Telling him you'd been raped must have been so hard because of the way he is. He doesn't care and he made your mom agree to what he said. Is that why your so flippant about your rape? - it is isn't it. Most parents would emphasise how serious being raped is but your parents - your dad at least - he emphasised the complete opposite. Am I right?" Catherine went into psychological rant like she knew. Funnily enough she did kind of.
Sara finally succumbed to her gloomy pain and admitted,
"Exactly".
"But it is serious Sara" Catherine insisted.
"I know. I really do. But dad - he just doesn't understand. Sometimes I think he thinks rape victims want to be raped. I'm sure he blames for me getting pregnant. He's sick. But this isn't about me - I'm here to comfort you" Sara responded introspectively.
Catherine paused.
"What happened to me - It's not your fault you know" Catherine gestured as she put a hand on Sara's.
"I should never have let you go" Sara confessed.
"I know what it's like to have a criminal dad. I'm so scared that one day someone will turn round and think I must have a bad streak too. But our fathers aren't our fault, Sara. We're our own people. I understand that. You've got to remember that. I don't blame you" Catherine told her.
"Thank you" Sara replied.
"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I wanted to thank you properly. If you hadn't of come when you did - Well I just don't know what would have happened!" Catherine gestured.
"Thank goodness I did!" Sara sighed.
Catherine paused.
"Sara, can I ask you something and answer me honestly?"
Sara was worried about what the question could be.
"It depends what it is" Sara answered.
"Has your dad ever said anything nice to you?" Catherine asked.
Sara was confused and surprised - she hadn't expected Catherine to come out with that out the blue.
"Well umm. Kind of. I mean sometimes he says I'm ugly, fat, a misfit and a failure of a person. But that's just to be spiteful really. Then other times he says the complete opposite. He says he loves me and I'm the second most beautiful woman in the world" Sara replied.
"The second?" Catherine enquired.
"Bar my mom" Sara replied.
"That's strangely kind of sweet" Catherine commented.
"It probably lies!. B.S!. The only compliment I ever believed was true was that he always told me I was clever. I don't really care if the rest is true. He's worthless and so is his opinion. Anyway why do you ask?" Sara asked.
"He's become a very important part of my life and yet I know hardly anything about him" Catherine explained.
Sara was gob smacked and extremely worried by this comment. It seemed a strange thing for Catherine to be thinking.
Two days later Sara was dreading seeing Catherine again. Even though Catherine didn't blame her it was still awkward with Catherine being either silent zombified or asking strange questions. Therefore, Sara was surprised to find Catherine to be the complete opposite of the last visit. Catherine was full of life. She seemed really happy but Sara could tell she was in denial and trying to convince herself she was happy. Catherine was maniac. She was rushing round the house doing jobs and was talking away like anything. Sara recognised this as a fear that if she stopped being busy then she might remember her situation. Sara had never been through a manic state herself but very aquainted with the process of throwing herself into work to avoid the pain of the situation. Catherine was pretending to be fine but Sara knew she wasn't. Sara knew she was in denial or at least trying to avoid thinking about it.
"I woke up yesterday morning and I just felt so much better. I decided I need to drag myself out from the dumps and get on with life!. Yeah!. I mean it's not like anything happened, right?. It's actually made me realise how precious life is and how lucky I am that you came in time. So I've decided I shouldn't be moping about. I should be celebrating that I escaped" Catherine replied.
Sara was worried by the 'new Catherine'.
Everyone was worried about the 'new Catherine'. Catherine returned to work the next Monday. She was acting like nothing had happened. But she wasn't the same Catherine. She was denial Catherine. No one is that naturally happy and bubbly - and Catherine wasn't before. What especially worried everyone was that Catherine didn't take Lindsay back. She said that she wanted to feel single again. This was so unlike Catherine she adored Lindsay. But frankly everyone doubted she should look after Lindsay the state she was in anyway. She wasn't the same Catherine. Catherine had changed. Everyone was worried that the old Catherine may never come back.