Hey! I'm baaacckk!! Sorry I was away for so long. I was spending time on
my vacation. Namely South Beach in Miami, Florida (That's in the US if
anyone out of the country didn't know. It's a very hot spring break spot).
But I put a lot of time into this chapter. It's a long one!!! I know a
lot of people have been waiting for it!
Moose: Nope I didn't abandon it! I'm glad you have been so loyal. I hope you like this next installment!
Pagan: I am glad I was able to keep you so interested! And thanks for the complement!
Emily: Thanks for forgiving me! I am sorry for that cliffhanger. (You are going to hate me at the end of this chapter) And it took me a long time to catch up with all the N/S stories. I missed two weeks of fanfiction! It was hard to read all that!
Pdhtgal: I know, I love all the N/S fluff. I got some in this chapter and I was going "Aawww!" at my own writing!
Jd burns: Thanks for all the reviews! I am glad you are enjoying the story!
*Just so you know any sing quotes you see means that is what a person is thinking. That will happen quite a bit in this chapter.*
Disclaimer: This thing is getting kinda annoying. I try to do an original disclaimer every chapter, but I am running out of ideas. So lemme try this one.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation the TV show is a few things such as:
Really entertaining
Extremely interesting
And overall one of if not the best shows out there
Some of the things it's not:
Really Boring
Extremely dull
Owned by me
It never was
And it never will be, so don't sue
So we left off Nick and Sara unconscious in Mr. Rykins basement. Let's see what develops..
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 8: Advice From Your Friendly Neighborhood Inner Self
Grissom and Brass headed down the creaky staircase into the darkness of the basement. Both men had their guns drawn as they reached the bottom. They saw dark shadows in the corner of the room, lying on the floor. Cautiously they inched over. Little by little they could make out three distinct figures.
'This is it' thought Grissom 'I really hope this turns out ok'
"Nick?" he whispered, "Sara?"
A long groan rose from one of the figures. Grissom and Brass saw the shadow sit up. "Aww man that really hurt."
They let out a sigh of relief when they recognized the southern accent.
"Nick? Are you ok?"
"What?" Nick realized the voice belonged to Brass. "You scared me. Yeah, I think I'm ok, besides a possible concussion and almost being strangled to death." He tried to rub the pain away from his head. An awareness came over him "Sara? Sara!" Nick crawled over to where she lay. "Oh god, she is not looking good" He turned to Grissom. "We need to get her to a hospital, she has lost a lot of blood."
During that conversation, Brass had wandered over to the other body lying on the floor. "Nick? Whose this?" He reached down and felt a strong pulse. "I'm not sure, but my guess is Jordan Rykins. He attacked me from behind, but I managed to knock him out."
Brass holstered his gun and took out his handcuffs, as he leaned down to cuff the man, he didn't see the flash in the sharp blue eyes.
Brass was thrown back by a left hook from the seemingly unconscious body before him. Nick and Grissom turned to see what happened. They saw that the man who had been lying on the floor not a second ago was now standing upright with a gun in hand pointed at them.
"Get away from her," he growled. "She needs to be taught a lesson."
"No, she's going to die if we don't help her." Nick still held his jacket to Sara's flowing wound.
"I said get away from her! Both of you! Her dying is all part of the plan and you meddling bastards will not ruin it!" He took a step forward and pointed the gun down at Sara's head. You don't move, and she dies right now in front of you."
Nick raised his hands and slowly moved away not wanting to take away Sara's last chance at life. "Ok you don't have to shoot, see? I moved."
Nick and Grissom slowly walked over to where Brass was lying unconscious on the floor. Jordan trained his gun once again on them.
"Get down on your knees and put your hand where I can see 'em. You men have the pleasure of dying down here with that little slut of yours." He jerked his head over to Sara.
"SHE IS NOT A SLUT!!" Nick couldn't stand him talking like that about Sara. "SHE IS MY FIANCEE AND I LOVE HER VERY MUCH!!!"
Jordan countered that. "If you love her so much, how come you weren't there to save her when she needed you the most? Huh? Answer that pretty boy."
Nick gritted his teeth. Anger flowed through his body as his blood did. His heart was pounding. He was surprised when he heard Grissom's voice come out so cool.
"Jordan, listen to me, what is it that you want? Do you really want to kill more people? Is that what you really want?" Jordan lowered his gun a little. Nick took this as a good sign. Grissom continued. "I think what you wan is revenge, am I right? You have it. She is over there dying cause you got your revenge."
'What is Grissom saying?' thought Nick. 'Is he crazy saying that stuff?'
"That's what you want right? For her to die? You really don't want to kill us, because that's not what you want and-"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WANT??" His voice boomed through the basement. Nick flinched at the sound. This didn't look good for them. "I've decided to kill you all. And I think Mr. 'fiancé' should go first so he could greet her at the gates of hell when she gets there." He pointed the gun towards Nick's head.
"I'd ask if you had any last words, but I really wouldn't want to hear them anyway."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
( A/N: This part is kinda like a fill-in 'cause we haven't heard from these guys in a few chapters. Don't worry it will be short)
Catherine and Warrick were going through the evidence that hey had collected at Jordan Rykins apartment. None of it suggested that Sara had ever been there. Catherine had this feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't going right with Grissom and the others. It was this knot like something was wrong, deadly wrong.
Warrick saw that look in Catherine's face. He could tell that she felt the same thing he did. Something was not going right.
"Cath, don't worry. I'm sure they're fine and that they found Sara and she is coming back to the lab only to start working 24/7 again." He looked at her from across the lighted layout table.
"I really hope your right Warrick. It is just kinda funny that they wouldn't call to give us an update. I have this knot in my gut saying that things are not going well for them."
"I have the feeling too. Something doesn't feel right." He finished "I just hope I'm wrong."
(There that fill-in wasn't so bad now was it?)
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(Here is the part I know you all have been waiting for)
Sara still wasn't sure what to do, but during this time she had slowly inched toward the bright light and away from the dark. She was so cold. She needed the warmth it gave her. But there was still one thing that was holding her back from running full throttle into the light.
Nick.
She wasn't sure what was going to happen to him one way or another. He might one day find her and she didn't want him to find her dead and know that she gave up on him. She loved him more than anything in the world. They were going to get married and have a family together. It just went so wrong. In one afternoon, her life changed forever, and no doubt his did too.
The only thing that was holding her back from waking up from this horrible nightmare was what if she had been right. That the only reason she was in this mess was because no one cared enough to come and save her from that hellhole.
Sara could still hear voices coming from the darkness. They were getting a little louder. She could only imagine who was out there with her captor. Probably some accomplice of some sort she figured.
'What do I do?' She thought to no one in particular. She was extremely surprised when someone answered.
'Do what you want to do.'
'But I don't know what I want...Who are you?'
'I'm you. I'm your inner self. Everyone has one, you just never took the time to listen to me or you would know I'm here all the time.'
'If you're saying that you are my inner self, that you are me, then tell me, what do I want? Cause I sure have no idea.'
'I cannot tell you want, it's against the inner self rule book, but I can tell you what you have. You, right now at this very moment, have three things. They would be Atychiphobia, Monophobia, and Nick Stokes. Or to say it simply, the fear of failure, the fear of being alone, and a guy who loves you so much that he asked you to marry him.'
Sara was silent for a second. She knew the voice was right.
'Of course, I'm always right'
'Will you shut up for a second?'
She was scared to fail and to be alone forever, but maybe not so scared that she had phobias, but they were there. She worked so hard at succeeding in life and her fear of being alone only developed after she had started going out with Nick. She was afraid of having him leave her, by herself, with no one there.
'But he loves you so much that he would never do that to you. And you know that'
'Yeah I do, but I am still afraid of what will happen if I go back out there and find out that he has moved on with out me, which would be worse than if I found him dead. Then I would truly be alone'
'You know for being so smart and all you are really thick. Do you think Nick is the only one who really cares for you? What about Catherine, Warrick, Grissom, Greg, your parents? Are any of them ringing a bell? They all care for you too, just as much as Nick does. So you will never really and truly be alone.'
'But even if I do go back out there, I don't think I can win. I am afraid that-'
'No I am cutting you off right there. You know you are not the only one with fears in this world. But what is life if you don't face those fears. You have to take risks once and a while. It is the only way we get anywhere.'
'But I don't take risks, I never was the risk-taker'
'Sara you took the biggest risk of all by loving someone and in turn letting someone love you. Compared to that, this is a piece of cake, cheese cake I might add cause that's our favorite'
Sara once again pondered this.
'I'm still not sure about going back'
'I cannot help you decide whether to go back or leave forever. In the end it's your choice.'
'I hate making decisions. I am always afraid I'll choose the wrong thing'
'Maybe you have Decidophobia'
'Lemme guess, the fear of making decisions'
'You got that right, I knew you were smarter than you looked'
Sara still leaned toward the light. Not really paying attention to the voices that were still coming from the black. That was until she heard a familiar one ring out.
"SHE IS NOT A SLUT!!! SHE IS MY FIANCEE AND I LOVE HER VERY MUCH!!!"
'Did you hear that?!?!'
'Yeah..that voice, it sounded familiar'
'It's Nick you idiot! He's here! He came for me! He said he loved me very much!'
'Didn't I say he loves you so much that he would never leave you alone?'
'Yes, It just means more coming from him.'
'So what are you going to do now? Sit here in you mind talking to yourself? Or are you going to get out there and fight? I mean we have great pancake breakfasts here and all, but you always seemed to really enjoy eating the ones that Nick made special for you.'
'I have to go out and help him.'
'That's the ticket.'
Sara started running into the darkness until she stopped and she shouted back, 'I'll never forget you! Thanks for your help and I'll try take listen for you again.'
'You know there's nothing like a near death experience to get you intone with your inner self. Goodbye! Have a nice life!'
'Goodbye! And thanks again for everything!' Sara ran off into the black. It was deathly cold and the voices she was hearing were getting louder and clearer.
She could hear Grissom's voice now.
"Do you really want to kill more people? Is that what you really want?"
He came for her too. The inner voice was right. They did care for her. How could she have ever doubted them?
Sara could feel the feeling coming back throughout her body. After a few more seconds she was back in the real world opening her blurry eyes to a horrifying sight.
Nick and Grissom at the mercy of her captor and Brass lying on the floor
She stayed silent and didn't move. She knew that she may not have a lot of time left and she had to help them.
Sara scanned the area around her and spotted someone's gun but it was to dark to se whose. She carefully moved her hands toward the firearm, trying to make as little noise as possible from the chains that were still around her wrists.
She heard Grissom speak some more.
"That's what you want right? For her to die?"
It was a trick. Sara could tell.
She managed to wrap her hands around the gun. She slowly brought it to rest on top of her heaving chest. She was startled to hear Jordan's voice shout out.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WANT??"
She didn't like what she heard next.
"I've decided to kill you all. And I think Mr. 'fiancé' should go first so he could greet her at the gates of hell when she gets there."
She saw him point the gun at Nick's head. It was now or never.
"I'd ask if you had any last words, but I really wouldn't want to hear them anyway."
"THEN MAYBE YOU WILL WANT TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY!!"
Sara shouted these words as she sat up and directed the barrel of the gun to Jordan's back.
He hadn't even turned all the way around before Sara had emptied the gun into his body not missing a single shot.
She saw his eyes stare at her and he fell to his knees in front of her.
Sara heard him whisper only loud enough for her to hear as smoked rose from his chest.
"I'll see you in hell."
He was dead before his head hit the floor.
Sara's chest was still heaving. She dropped back to the floor and let the gun slip from her fingers. There was pain all over her. She was extremely dizzy from the lack of blood that was flowing through her system. She closed her eyes.
'I did it. I got him. I saved Nick and Grissom. We won.'
'See? I told you piece of cheese cake!'
'Yes, you were right. Am I coming back?'
'Do you want to?'
'I-'
"SARA!"
She slightly lifted her eyelids to see Nick running to be next to her. He knelt down next to her and cupped her face in his hands.
"Oh my god, I was so worried about you. All this time I thought you were dead and by some miracle, you were brought back to me. It was horrible without you. I could never look at any woman the same."
Sara saw tears in his eyes. "Yeah I'm back, thanks to you. I love you very much too."
"Nick! You need to get Sara into the car and get her to the hospital!" Grissom had revived Brass who was now sitting on the floor rubbing his head. "I'll stay here with Brass and call this in. Now Go!!"
Nick nodded in acknowledgement. "Ok Sara, just hold on. I'm going to pick you up and we are going to the car. Just stay with me here."
"Ok" she whispered back.
Nick flung his blood soaked jacket onto his shoulder. He slid his arms underneath her broken-down body and lifted her up. He was surprised to feel how light she had become these past couple weeks.
"Come on Sara, Stay with me." He trudged up the wooden staircase through the god-forsaken kitchen and out into the bright Nevada sunlight. He looked down at Sara who had her eyes closed. She was deathly pale, which made sense since she had been in a dark basement for over a month, but it still scared Nick.
"Here we go Sara, we are getting into the truck now and you will be at the hospital soon, ok?"
"Yeah Nick. Whatever you say." Her voice shadowed with oncoming fate.
"Keep talking Sara. Let me know you are still here." He slid her into the back of the truck and put the jacket once again underneath her slowly flowing head wound. He buckled her in and closed the door gently.
Nick got into the driver's seat, turned on the car and sped away from a place he would never have to see again.
"He Nick?"
"Yeah Sara?" He glanced into the review mirror at her, being glad to know she was still alive.
"What took you so long?"
Nick chuckled a little through his watery eyes. He let a few drop. We all thought you were dead Sara. Right after I got off with you on the phone, they say that there was a gas explosion in you're apartment and the whole complex burnt down. We had a funeral and everything. After that, everything felt so final."
"Mmm..For a while I thought is was cause you didn't care about me enough to go look for me." She murmured back.
"Oh No Sara. I love you more than life itself. If I had known you were still out there alive, I would have never stopped looking until I found you. You are my world."
"I love you too Nick. Promise me one thing."
"Anything in the world."
"If I don't make it, don't look back. Move forward with your life. Live it to the fullest and don't let me be your burden. I'll be waiting for you."
"Sara, don't talk like that. Of course you're going to make it. I lived life once without you and I don't think I could ever do it again."
"Promise me."
"Yes, I promise, but I would never keep me from thinking about you everyday of the rest of my miserable life without you. But that's not going to happen cause you will pull, and we will get married and we will have a family."
Nick was met by silence. By this time he had reached the highway and was going full speed down the stretch of road. He still had about 15 minutes until he reached the closest hospital.
"Sara?"
More silence
"Sara? Are you still with me?"
He glanced into the backseat of the car. Nick saw her with her eyes closed. Her chest was slowly rising and falling.
"Shit Sara, don't die on me here." He urged the car to go faster. The 15 minutes went by like 15 hours. He finally swung the car into the emergency center of Tonopah Hospital.
"Come on Sara. You have to pull through this. I'm lost without you." He took her out of the back seat and rushed her in through the sliding glass doors.
"Please! I need someone to help!"
A young female doctor ran up to him.
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"She's dying that's what's wrong! She has lost a lot of blood and has had no response for the past 15 minutes. She needs help!"
"Hurry! Bring her this way! Judy!" She called out to a nurse. "Get me Dr. Stevens into Emergency room 2! I need him on this one and I don't care what he is doing right now! We have a life to save!"
Everyone who was sitting in the waiting room with broken arms and other non- fatal ailments watched in awe at the sight before them.
"What's her name?" said the young doctor as he motioned to Nick to lay her on a gurney.
"Sara"
The doctor pulled on his stethoscope as he tried to listen to her heart. Nurses had started to come around and wheel her into the ER. One was hooking up an IV.
"Sara, my name is Dr. Kelly. I am going to be helping you. If you can hear me or if something hurts, please let me know."
No response.
"Sir, Sir! I need you to stay out here." A nurse held Nick back from going past the large swinging doors.
He watched through the windows as they wheeled her into one of the Emergency rooms and the doors that she had gone through completely shut.
Now it was the worst part.
The part where he had to wait until the doctor came out and delivered the news.
Nick stood there, his feet planted to the ground.
"Sir, please come and sit down."
The nurse guided him to a chair.
'She has got to come out of there. I don't know what I would do without her again.'
Nick's face fell into his hands. He was awoken by his thoughts by his beeper ringing. He looked at the number. It was Catherine. He got up and walked to the payphone across the lobby. He deposited the change he had in his pocket and dialed her cell number.
"Hello?"
"Hey I got your page."
"Where are you? I tried your cell but it went right to your voicemail. Why?"
"I'm at Tonopah Hospital, you know no cell phones."
"What? Are you ok? What happened?"
"It's a long story, but to make it short, we found Sara."
"You did?"
"Yeah but she is in really bad shape. They are working on her in the ER right now. She lost a lot of blood, not to mention whatever else this guy did to her. It's not looking good Cath, I can't lose her again."
"Nick, sit tight and call me if anything develops. Warrick and I are on our way. Where are Grissom and Brass?"
"They are still at the brother's house."
"Ok well I'll call them and see what's happening over there. We should be out there in a few hours. Everything's gonna be ok."
"I really hope your right Cath. I'll see you in a little while."
"Ok, see you."
Nick sat back down and waited. No one came out to give him any news. He did have to fill out some forms about Sara. He had been there for over an hour when Grissom showed up.
"Any news?"
"No, nothing. Where's Brass?"
"He had to go back to Vegas."
Grissom sunk down to the chair next to the younger man. He patted his back. "Don't worry. I have known Sara for a long time, and she never gives up that easily. You know just as well as I do how stubborn she is."
Another half hour passed and Grissom had fallen asleep in his chair. Nick was pacing about the lobby when he saw Catherine, Warrick, and to his surprise Greg, walk through the sliding doors of the ER. Nick woke up Grissom.
Catherine went over to Nick. "How is she?"
"We don't know. There hasn't been any information at all. She has been in surgery for almost two hours now. I'm starting to get really worried."
Nick eye's widened when over the top of Catherine's head he saw the lady doctor he had talked to earlier with her hands and smock covered in blood coming over to him.
"Oh my god." He whispered.
"What is it?" Catherine turned around. Her eyes welled up when she saw the sight before her.
Her solemn scared the group.
"You must all be friends of Sara, well I have some news for you."
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Hey that was a long chapter! I know. I left you hanging off a really high cliff, but I will make it up to you in the next chapter, which might be awhile. I really hope you liked this chapter! I worked extra hard on it! It's like 11 pages long so you know I love you guys. I hope to be writing again soon! Pleaz read & review! You can say "You Rock" or "You Suck" and you don't have to say why either! Just click and type away! Or AIM me at ShootinStarz1575!! Thanks!!
~Jax
Moose: Nope I didn't abandon it! I'm glad you have been so loyal. I hope you like this next installment!
Pagan: I am glad I was able to keep you so interested! And thanks for the complement!
Emily: Thanks for forgiving me! I am sorry for that cliffhanger. (You are going to hate me at the end of this chapter) And it took me a long time to catch up with all the N/S stories. I missed two weeks of fanfiction! It was hard to read all that!
Pdhtgal: I know, I love all the N/S fluff. I got some in this chapter and I was going "Aawww!" at my own writing!
Jd burns: Thanks for all the reviews! I am glad you are enjoying the story!
*Just so you know any sing quotes you see means that is what a person is thinking. That will happen quite a bit in this chapter.*
Disclaimer: This thing is getting kinda annoying. I try to do an original disclaimer every chapter, but I am running out of ideas. So lemme try this one.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation the TV show is a few things such as:
Really entertaining
Extremely interesting
And overall one of if not the best shows out there
Some of the things it's not:
Really Boring
Extremely dull
Owned by me
It never was
And it never will be, so don't sue
So we left off Nick and Sara unconscious in Mr. Rykins basement. Let's see what develops..
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Chapter 8: Advice From Your Friendly Neighborhood Inner Self
Grissom and Brass headed down the creaky staircase into the darkness of the basement. Both men had their guns drawn as they reached the bottom. They saw dark shadows in the corner of the room, lying on the floor. Cautiously they inched over. Little by little they could make out three distinct figures.
'This is it' thought Grissom 'I really hope this turns out ok'
"Nick?" he whispered, "Sara?"
A long groan rose from one of the figures. Grissom and Brass saw the shadow sit up. "Aww man that really hurt."
They let out a sigh of relief when they recognized the southern accent.
"Nick? Are you ok?"
"What?" Nick realized the voice belonged to Brass. "You scared me. Yeah, I think I'm ok, besides a possible concussion and almost being strangled to death." He tried to rub the pain away from his head. An awareness came over him "Sara? Sara!" Nick crawled over to where she lay. "Oh god, she is not looking good" He turned to Grissom. "We need to get her to a hospital, she has lost a lot of blood."
During that conversation, Brass had wandered over to the other body lying on the floor. "Nick? Whose this?" He reached down and felt a strong pulse. "I'm not sure, but my guess is Jordan Rykins. He attacked me from behind, but I managed to knock him out."
Brass holstered his gun and took out his handcuffs, as he leaned down to cuff the man, he didn't see the flash in the sharp blue eyes.
Brass was thrown back by a left hook from the seemingly unconscious body before him. Nick and Grissom turned to see what happened. They saw that the man who had been lying on the floor not a second ago was now standing upright with a gun in hand pointed at them.
"Get away from her," he growled. "She needs to be taught a lesson."
"No, she's going to die if we don't help her." Nick still held his jacket to Sara's flowing wound.
"I said get away from her! Both of you! Her dying is all part of the plan and you meddling bastards will not ruin it!" He took a step forward and pointed the gun down at Sara's head. You don't move, and she dies right now in front of you."
Nick raised his hands and slowly moved away not wanting to take away Sara's last chance at life. "Ok you don't have to shoot, see? I moved."
Nick and Grissom slowly walked over to where Brass was lying unconscious on the floor. Jordan trained his gun once again on them.
"Get down on your knees and put your hand where I can see 'em. You men have the pleasure of dying down here with that little slut of yours." He jerked his head over to Sara.
"SHE IS NOT A SLUT!!" Nick couldn't stand him talking like that about Sara. "SHE IS MY FIANCEE AND I LOVE HER VERY MUCH!!!"
Jordan countered that. "If you love her so much, how come you weren't there to save her when she needed you the most? Huh? Answer that pretty boy."
Nick gritted his teeth. Anger flowed through his body as his blood did. His heart was pounding. He was surprised when he heard Grissom's voice come out so cool.
"Jordan, listen to me, what is it that you want? Do you really want to kill more people? Is that what you really want?" Jordan lowered his gun a little. Nick took this as a good sign. Grissom continued. "I think what you wan is revenge, am I right? You have it. She is over there dying cause you got your revenge."
'What is Grissom saying?' thought Nick. 'Is he crazy saying that stuff?'
"That's what you want right? For her to die? You really don't want to kill us, because that's not what you want and-"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WANT??" His voice boomed through the basement. Nick flinched at the sound. This didn't look good for them. "I've decided to kill you all. And I think Mr. 'fiancé' should go first so he could greet her at the gates of hell when she gets there." He pointed the gun towards Nick's head.
"I'd ask if you had any last words, but I really wouldn't want to hear them anyway."
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( A/N: This part is kinda like a fill-in 'cause we haven't heard from these guys in a few chapters. Don't worry it will be short)
Catherine and Warrick were going through the evidence that hey had collected at Jordan Rykins apartment. None of it suggested that Sara had ever been there. Catherine had this feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't going right with Grissom and the others. It was this knot like something was wrong, deadly wrong.
Warrick saw that look in Catherine's face. He could tell that she felt the same thing he did. Something was not going right.
"Cath, don't worry. I'm sure they're fine and that they found Sara and she is coming back to the lab only to start working 24/7 again." He looked at her from across the lighted layout table.
"I really hope your right Warrick. It is just kinda funny that they wouldn't call to give us an update. I have this knot in my gut saying that things are not going well for them."
"I have the feeling too. Something doesn't feel right." He finished "I just hope I'm wrong."
(There that fill-in wasn't so bad now was it?)
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(Here is the part I know you all have been waiting for)
Sara still wasn't sure what to do, but during this time she had slowly inched toward the bright light and away from the dark. She was so cold. She needed the warmth it gave her. But there was still one thing that was holding her back from running full throttle into the light.
Nick.
She wasn't sure what was going to happen to him one way or another. He might one day find her and she didn't want him to find her dead and know that she gave up on him. She loved him more than anything in the world. They were going to get married and have a family together. It just went so wrong. In one afternoon, her life changed forever, and no doubt his did too.
The only thing that was holding her back from waking up from this horrible nightmare was what if she had been right. That the only reason she was in this mess was because no one cared enough to come and save her from that hellhole.
Sara could still hear voices coming from the darkness. They were getting a little louder. She could only imagine who was out there with her captor. Probably some accomplice of some sort she figured.
'What do I do?' She thought to no one in particular. She was extremely surprised when someone answered.
'Do what you want to do.'
'But I don't know what I want...Who are you?'
'I'm you. I'm your inner self. Everyone has one, you just never took the time to listen to me or you would know I'm here all the time.'
'If you're saying that you are my inner self, that you are me, then tell me, what do I want? Cause I sure have no idea.'
'I cannot tell you want, it's against the inner self rule book, but I can tell you what you have. You, right now at this very moment, have three things. They would be Atychiphobia, Monophobia, and Nick Stokes. Or to say it simply, the fear of failure, the fear of being alone, and a guy who loves you so much that he asked you to marry him.'
Sara was silent for a second. She knew the voice was right.
'Of course, I'm always right'
'Will you shut up for a second?'
She was scared to fail and to be alone forever, but maybe not so scared that she had phobias, but they were there. She worked so hard at succeeding in life and her fear of being alone only developed after she had started going out with Nick. She was afraid of having him leave her, by herself, with no one there.
'But he loves you so much that he would never do that to you. And you know that'
'Yeah I do, but I am still afraid of what will happen if I go back out there and find out that he has moved on with out me, which would be worse than if I found him dead. Then I would truly be alone'
'You know for being so smart and all you are really thick. Do you think Nick is the only one who really cares for you? What about Catherine, Warrick, Grissom, Greg, your parents? Are any of them ringing a bell? They all care for you too, just as much as Nick does. So you will never really and truly be alone.'
'But even if I do go back out there, I don't think I can win. I am afraid that-'
'No I am cutting you off right there. You know you are not the only one with fears in this world. But what is life if you don't face those fears. You have to take risks once and a while. It is the only way we get anywhere.'
'But I don't take risks, I never was the risk-taker'
'Sara you took the biggest risk of all by loving someone and in turn letting someone love you. Compared to that, this is a piece of cake, cheese cake I might add cause that's our favorite'
Sara once again pondered this.
'I'm still not sure about going back'
'I cannot help you decide whether to go back or leave forever. In the end it's your choice.'
'I hate making decisions. I am always afraid I'll choose the wrong thing'
'Maybe you have Decidophobia'
'Lemme guess, the fear of making decisions'
'You got that right, I knew you were smarter than you looked'
Sara still leaned toward the light. Not really paying attention to the voices that were still coming from the black. That was until she heard a familiar one ring out.
"SHE IS NOT A SLUT!!! SHE IS MY FIANCEE AND I LOVE HER VERY MUCH!!!"
'Did you hear that?!?!'
'Yeah..that voice, it sounded familiar'
'It's Nick you idiot! He's here! He came for me! He said he loved me very much!'
'Didn't I say he loves you so much that he would never leave you alone?'
'Yes, It just means more coming from him.'
'So what are you going to do now? Sit here in you mind talking to yourself? Or are you going to get out there and fight? I mean we have great pancake breakfasts here and all, but you always seemed to really enjoy eating the ones that Nick made special for you.'
'I have to go out and help him.'
'That's the ticket.'
Sara started running into the darkness until she stopped and she shouted back, 'I'll never forget you! Thanks for your help and I'll try take listen for you again.'
'You know there's nothing like a near death experience to get you intone with your inner self. Goodbye! Have a nice life!'
'Goodbye! And thanks again for everything!' Sara ran off into the black. It was deathly cold and the voices she was hearing were getting louder and clearer.
She could hear Grissom's voice now.
"Do you really want to kill more people? Is that what you really want?"
He came for her too. The inner voice was right. They did care for her. How could she have ever doubted them?
Sara could feel the feeling coming back throughout her body. After a few more seconds she was back in the real world opening her blurry eyes to a horrifying sight.
Nick and Grissom at the mercy of her captor and Brass lying on the floor
She stayed silent and didn't move. She knew that she may not have a lot of time left and she had to help them.
Sara scanned the area around her and spotted someone's gun but it was to dark to se whose. She carefully moved her hands toward the firearm, trying to make as little noise as possible from the chains that were still around her wrists.
She heard Grissom speak some more.
"That's what you want right? For her to die?"
It was a trick. Sara could tell.
She managed to wrap her hands around the gun. She slowly brought it to rest on top of her heaving chest. She was startled to hear Jordan's voice shout out.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WANT??"
She didn't like what she heard next.
"I've decided to kill you all. And I think Mr. 'fiancé' should go first so he could greet her at the gates of hell when she gets there."
She saw him point the gun at Nick's head. It was now or never.
"I'd ask if you had any last words, but I really wouldn't want to hear them anyway."
"THEN MAYBE YOU WILL WANT TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY!!"
Sara shouted these words as she sat up and directed the barrel of the gun to Jordan's back.
He hadn't even turned all the way around before Sara had emptied the gun into his body not missing a single shot.
She saw his eyes stare at her and he fell to his knees in front of her.
Sara heard him whisper only loud enough for her to hear as smoked rose from his chest.
"I'll see you in hell."
He was dead before his head hit the floor.
Sara's chest was still heaving. She dropped back to the floor and let the gun slip from her fingers. There was pain all over her. She was extremely dizzy from the lack of blood that was flowing through her system. She closed her eyes.
'I did it. I got him. I saved Nick and Grissom. We won.'
'See? I told you piece of cheese cake!'
'Yes, you were right. Am I coming back?'
'Do you want to?'
'I-'
"SARA!"
She slightly lifted her eyelids to see Nick running to be next to her. He knelt down next to her and cupped her face in his hands.
"Oh my god, I was so worried about you. All this time I thought you were dead and by some miracle, you were brought back to me. It was horrible without you. I could never look at any woman the same."
Sara saw tears in his eyes. "Yeah I'm back, thanks to you. I love you very much too."
"Nick! You need to get Sara into the car and get her to the hospital!" Grissom had revived Brass who was now sitting on the floor rubbing his head. "I'll stay here with Brass and call this in. Now Go!!"
Nick nodded in acknowledgement. "Ok Sara, just hold on. I'm going to pick you up and we are going to the car. Just stay with me here."
"Ok" she whispered back.
Nick flung his blood soaked jacket onto his shoulder. He slid his arms underneath her broken-down body and lifted her up. He was surprised to feel how light she had become these past couple weeks.
"Come on Sara, Stay with me." He trudged up the wooden staircase through the god-forsaken kitchen and out into the bright Nevada sunlight. He looked down at Sara who had her eyes closed. She was deathly pale, which made sense since she had been in a dark basement for over a month, but it still scared Nick.
"Here we go Sara, we are getting into the truck now and you will be at the hospital soon, ok?"
"Yeah Nick. Whatever you say." Her voice shadowed with oncoming fate.
"Keep talking Sara. Let me know you are still here." He slid her into the back of the truck and put the jacket once again underneath her slowly flowing head wound. He buckled her in and closed the door gently.
Nick got into the driver's seat, turned on the car and sped away from a place he would never have to see again.
"He Nick?"
"Yeah Sara?" He glanced into the review mirror at her, being glad to know she was still alive.
"What took you so long?"
Nick chuckled a little through his watery eyes. He let a few drop. We all thought you were dead Sara. Right after I got off with you on the phone, they say that there was a gas explosion in you're apartment and the whole complex burnt down. We had a funeral and everything. After that, everything felt so final."
"Mmm..For a while I thought is was cause you didn't care about me enough to go look for me." She murmured back.
"Oh No Sara. I love you more than life itself. If I had known you were still out there alive, I would have never stopped looking until I found you. You are my world."
"I love you too Nick. Promise me one thing."
"Anything in the world."
"If I don't make it, don't look back. Move forward with your life. Live it to the fullest and don't let me be your burden. I'll be waiting for you."
"Sara, don't talk like that. Of course you're going to make it. I lived life once without you and I don't think I could ever do it again."
"Promise me."
"Yes, I promise, but I would never keep me from thinking about you everyday of the rest of my miserable life without you. But that's not going to happen cause you will pull, and we will get married and we will have a family."
Nick was met by silence. By this time he had reached the highway and was going full speed down the stretch of road. He still had about 15 minutes until he reached the closest hospital.
"Sara?"
More silence
"Sara? Are you still with me?"
He glanced into the backseat of the car. Nick saw her with her eyes closed. Her chest was slowly rising and falling.
"Shit Sara, don't die on me here." He urged the car to go faster. The 15 minutes went by like 15 hours. He finally swung the car into the emergency center of Tonopah Hospital.
"Come on Sara. You have to pull through this. I'm lost without you." He took her out of the back seat and rushed her in through the sliding glass doors.
"Please! I need someone to help!"
A young female doctor ran up to him.
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"She's dying that's what's wrong! She has lost a lot of blood and has had no response for the past 15 minutes. She needs help!"
"Hurry! Bring her this way! Judy!" She called out to a nurse. "Get me Dr. Stevens into Emergency room 2! I need him on this one and I don't care what he is doing right now! We have a life to save!"
Everyone who was sitting in the waiting room with broken arms and other non- fatal ailments watched in awe at the sight before them.
"What's her name?" said the young doctor as he motioned to Nick to lay her on a gurney.
"Sara"
The doctor pulled on his stethoscope as he tried to listen to her heart. Nurses had started to come around and wheel her into the ER. One was hooking up an IV.
"Sara, my name is Dr. Kelly. I am going to be helping you. If you can hear me or if something hurts, please let me know."
No response.
"Sir, Sir! I need you to stay out here." A nurse held Nick back from going past the large swinging doors.
He watched through the windows as they wheeled her into one of the Emergency rooms and the doors that she had gone through completely shut.
Now it was the worst part.
The part where he had to wait until the doctor came out and delivered the news.
Nick stood there, his feet planted to the ground.
"Sir, please come and sit down."
The nurse guided him to a chair.
'She has got to come out of there. I don't know what I would do without her again.'
Nick's face fell into his hands. He was awoken by his thoughts by his beeper ringing. He looked at the number. It was Catherine. He got up and walked to the payphone across the lobby. He deposited the change he had in his pocket and dialed her cell number.
"Hello?"
"Hey I got your page."
"Where are you? I tried your cell but it went right to your voicemail. Why?"
"I'm at Tonopah Hospital, you know no cell phones."
"What? Are you ok? What happened?"
"It's a long story, but to make it short, we found Sara."
"You did?"
"Yeah but she is in really bad shape. They are working on her in the ER right now. She lost a lot of blood, not to mention whatever else this guy did to her. It's not looking good Cath, I can't lose her again."
"Nick, sit tight and call me if anything develops. Warrick and I are on our way. Where are Grissom and Brass?"
"They are still at the brother's house."
"Ok well I'll call them and see what's happening over there. We should be out there in a few hours. Everything's gonna be ok."
"I really hope your right Cath. I'll see you in a little while."
"Ok, see you."
Nick sat back down and waited. No one came out to give him any news. He did have to fill out some forms about Sara. He had been there for over an hour when Grissom showed up.
"Any news?"
"No, nothing. Where's Brass?"
"He had to go back to Vegas."
Grissom sunk down to the chair next to the younger man. He patted his back. "Don't worry. I have known Sara for a long time, and she never gives up that easily. You know just as well as I do how stubborn she is."
Another half hour passed and Grissom had fallen asleep in his chair. Nick was pacing about the lobby when he saw Catherine, Warrick, and to his surprise Greg, walk through the sliding doors of the ER. Nick woke up Grissom.
Catherine went over to Nick. "How is she?"
"We don't know. There hasn't been any information at all. She has been in surgery for almost two hours now. I'm starting to get really worried."
Nick eye's widened when over the top of Catherine's head he saw the lady doctor he had talked to earlier with her hands and smock covered in blood coming over to him.
"Oh my god." He whispered.
"What is it?" Catherine turned around. Her eyes welled up when she saw the sight before her.
Her solemn scared the group.
"You must all be friends of Sara, well I have some news for you."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hey that was a long chapter! I know. I left you hanging off a really high cliff, but I will make it up to you in the next chapter, which might be awhile. I really hope you liked this chapter! I worked extra hard on it! It's like 11 pages long so you know I love you guys. I hope to be writing again soon! Pleaz read & review! You can say "You Rock" or "You Suck" and you don't have to say why either! Just click and type away! Or AIM me at ShootinStarz1575!! Thanks!!
~Jax