I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, with RL and the devastating news about George and Jorja, I've been sort of distracted. Keep fighting for them everyone, the addresses and emails can be found on Mossley's site and YTDAW. Remember to sign the petition... Huge thanks to Marlou and Suzy for their beta skills.

Time seemed to stand still around Gil Grissom as he watched silently through the observation room window, his entire body protesting against the strain he had cast upon it. The silence passed, instilling another wave of insecurity to sweep through his heart, knowing that he needed to witness Lurie's downfall for himself as well as for Sara.

Sara's face emerged into his mind, her presence attempting to banish his fears and calm his frustrations, but the second Vincent Lurie entered into the interview room he could already feel the burning anger flooding his veins, the doctor's arrogant attitude earning him another notch against his already fast eroding character.

Seeing Lurie again sent a surge of energy coursing through Grissom's body, filling him with a bombardment of feelings that almost took his breath away. He resented the fact that his treacherous emotions had led him back here when he knew unconsciously that he was needed elsewhere by the only woman who had ever been able to reach him.

Clenching his fists by his side, Grissom watched the proceedings silently only to become increasingly agitated when Lurie showed no obvious signs of remorse. His instincts called out to him, soaring through his body to create a path of angry fire that pushed his primal urges, telling him to burst into the opposite room and rip Lurie apart limb by limb.

His anger shook him, the very power of his need for vengeance overwhelming, so much so that he had to pull himself back from the brink before the force overtook him and he succumbed to his need. Grissom tried to steady his racing heartbeat; breathing slowly to ease the pressure, knowing that justice would be served one way or another on the guilty man in the adjoining room.

Ecklie, Grissom noted, was also trying to hold back his anger. Neither he nor Grissom had really seen eye to eye in all the time they'd known each other, but now, as he watched silently, Grissom could feel a new air of respect for the other man, and for the first time knew confidently that Ecklie would do everything in his power to put Vincent Lurie behind bars for the rest of his life.

Inside the interview room, Ecklie slid a piece of paper across the table for Lurie and his attorney to cast their eyes over. "We matched the DNA from the skin cells beneath your nails to that of Sara Sidle, whose injuries also contained traces of your DNA."

Lurie stared ahead, unmoving, and unblinking, showing neither emotion nor remorse for his violent acts that had already turned an entire work unit upside down and plunged into total chaos.

"Why did you abduct Sara?" Ecklie asked, keeping his voice low as he retrieved another piece of paper and a photo from his file. Passing it across the table, he watched for any reaction from the doctor when he saw the picture of Sara's battered face.

For a few seconds Lurie sat there motionless, his eyes staring at the photo on the table, until a flicker of recognition sparked within him. Lifting a hand he moved his fingers over the image, caressing Sara's face as if she were actually there in the room. "I didn't want to hurt her," he whispered softly, his voice almost inaudible.

Beside him, his attorney coughed uncomfortable. "I'd advise you not to say anything more, Vincent."

"I love her," Lurie continued, ignoring the other men in the room. "I took what was rightfully mine."

"Rightfully yours?" Ecklie asked, his voice rising as the anger sparked within him. "You held a young woman hostage, left her terrified and you say she was yours?"

Grissom clenched his jaw, his anger coursing through him now like molten fire, burning a path of vengeance in its wake. In all the years of doing this job he could count on one hand the amount of times he had wanted to physically hurt a suspect. Lurie had barged his way into his life causing chaos to reside where turmoil already reigned. He had single-handedly forced Grissom to face his feelings, bringing his affections for Sara to the fore when he had successfully survived in denial for so long. Vincent Lurie had hurt Sara in the worst terrible way, robbing her of her freedom and her strength, and Grissom knew he would do everything in his power to heal her.

Movement behind him alerted him to another presence in the room but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene before him. Brass regarded him worriedly before taking a step closer, nodding a greeting when he came to stand beside him. His eyes followed the same path and he too was immersed in the need for justice to find some peace for a woman that they both adored.

"How's Sara?" Brass asked softly, his eyes unable to turn from the glass paneled window that held the man they had both come to loath.

"She's…coping."

His voice broke through the stillness and Brass slowly turned to cast a worried gaze over his friend. "And what about you?"

"What about me? I wasn't the one he terrorized," Grissom murmured, unable to return the gaze. "I want to be able to go back to the hospital and tell her that the nightmare is over. I want to be able to look into her eyes and see—" breaking off, Grissom stopped mid sentence, unable to reveal to anyone else just how deeply his feelings ran, and how much Sara's attack had affected him.

Brass watched him knowingly and turned back towards the window. "She's tough."

"She's not as tough as she pretends to be."

"She could surprise you, Gil."

"She surprises me constantly," Grissom sighed, before forcing her image to the back of his mind. Standing a little straighter, he drew in a ragged breath trying to regain his composure.

Both men watched silently as Lurie smiled down at the photo in his hands, "She's beautiful, even with bruises…"

"Those are the bruises that you gave her," Ecklie reminded.

"She made me, I couldn't help it." Dropping the photo onto the table he leaned forward towards Ecklie, his voice deliberately low. "I had to keep her in her place."

"By hitting her?" Ecklie seethed, anger dripping in every word.

"Don't answer that Vincent," his attorney warned, putting a hand on his arm to stop him, but Lurie shrugged it away.

"She's a whore, just like Debbie…"

"Debbie Marlin?" Ecklie asked, taking advantage of Lurie's anger. "The nurse who had her throat slit?"

"Yeah, her…and the bastard who she threw me over for…they deserved to die," he seethed.

"For the record I'd like it to be noted that my client is acting against my advice," The attorney muttered, his resigned posture slumping back into his chair.

Ecklie nodded slowly before turning his attentions back towards Lurie again. "Did Debbie need to be put in her place Vincent? Did you hurt her too?"

"This case relates to Sara Sidle not to Debbie Marlin," the attorney pointed out, hoping in some way that he could control Lurie's right to explain himself, even though deep down he suspected that his client was guilty.

"Of course," Ecklie nodded, returning his eyes to the photo that Lurie's eyes still caressed. "So, why Sara?"

Lurie smiled in remembrance, recalling the first time that he'd seen her and the effect she had upon him. "She took my breath away," he whispered, closing his eyes with the memory. "I thought I was seeing things at first, that Debbie had returned to me and I don't know, I acted on impulse."

"You waited for your chance and seized it?" Ecklie baited, his expertise preying on Lurie's weakness. "You followed her and struck when she was alone…"

"NO!"

"You waited until her friends left her and you saw your chance didn't you?"

Lurie suddenly rose from his chair, slamming his fists onto the table in utter rage. "SHE IS MINE!"

Detective Thomson, who had been perched on the edge of a table against the far wall the entire time exchanged a triumphant glance with Ecklie. Standing slowly, he walked closer to Lurie who had started to sit back down into his chair, realization hitting him hard. "You really should learn to control your temper," he told him, waving a hand to two police officers to take Lurie away.

Grissom took a step back when he saw Lurie rise from his chair again only to have his hands cuffed behind him. Part of him was relieved that Lurie would no longer be free to prey on Sara's nightmares, but the other part of him still wanted blood and some kind of satisfaction that he had at least been able to release some of his anger.

"Gil?" Brass asked suddenly, as if he knew what Grissom was thinking. Putting out a hand he tried to stop Grissom's rapid departure.

"Save it Brass!"

Grissom shrugged Brass' hand away from his path and stormed out into the corridor just in time to see Lurie being led away. With a sudden surge of energy he started to follow the doctor but Ecklie stood in his way, effectively blocking his view.

"Get out of my way Conrad," he seethed.

"You know I can't let you do anything stupid now Gil," Ecklie told him, his voice uncharacteristically low. "Let him go, he's not worth risking your career over."

"He's right Gil," Brass told him, for once agreeing with Ecklie in an unusual alliance that united both shifts. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

Grissom knew that the logic behind both Ecklie's and Brass' requests should have been enough to convince him, and somewhere deep inside his soul he knew that they were only trying to help and prevent him from doing anything rash. Conceding defeat, he nodded slowly and turned back towards Brass. "I'm going to the hospital."

"You need a ride?"

"No," he muttered. "Thanks."

"Okay, I'll walk out with you," Brass nodded, watching Grissom as he slowly walked past him, the sunlight and Sara beckoning him away from the lab. Brass nodded to Ecklie in thanks before turning on his heel to follow Grissom out of the doors.

"Sara, you should really eat something," Catherine urged, noting that Sara's sandwich still lay untouched in the cellophane wrappings on her bedside table.

Closing her eyes, Sara laid back into the pillows and swallowed the dread that had suddenly overwhelmed her. Opening her eyes again she met Catherine's worried gaze. "I'm so tired."

"Well why didn't you say something," Catherine smiled, reaching a hand over to pat her arm gently. "I'll leave you alone to get some rest."

"NO," Sara gasped, her voice louder than she had intended. "I mean…God, Catherine, I'm sorry. You should go home and sleep now, I'll be okay."

"I can stay," Catherine told her, grasping her hand gently as she spoke. "You don't have to go through this alone honey, so don't you even try."

Sara smiled slightly, grateful for the support that had been almost overwhelming from the woman beside her. Everything had changed since the impact of her ordeal had come to pass, things that had previously been hidden and unspoken of had risen to the surface, breaking through the wall of pain that had kept her gripped in its depression.

"What are you thinking?" Catherine asked softly, reaching forward to brush an errant strand of hair away from Sara's eyes, noting how silent she had become. "It's really over now, you don't have to worry about Lurie again."

Sara swallowed the lump in her throat, the welling emotion that accompanied it burned behind her eyes and she fought to keep the tears away. "Before this happened…before everything…" closing her eyes, she leaned back into her pillows as she tried to keep her voice from breaking.

Catherine released Sara's hand and pulled her forward while she fluffed up the pillows behind her. She could feel Sara's eyes upon her, piercing her very existence, stirring the guilt that still reared up within her to cause a nauseating wave of regret.

"There you go," she whispered, hoping that her voice had masked her pain as she gently eased Sara back down into the pillows.

"You all seem to think that I'm this strong person," Sara whispered, her voice so quiet that Catherine had to lean closer to hear her. "I wish sometimes that you could see how scared I am."

"Oh honey," Catherine choked, reaching out to wrap her hand around Sara's trembling fingers. "I wish we could start over again from the beginning, maybe things would be different then."

"I couldn't live through all of it again," Sara told her, her husky voice seeping with sorrow. "I don't think I could survive it all a second time."

"It?"

"Yeah…" Closing her eyes, Sara tried to envision a perfect world, one that offered her a life without misery. "The explosion…Hank…everything…I'm just so tired of it all."

"Sara, Hank was an idiot for cheating and he definitely doesn't deserve another second of your time. Everything else we can work on together, all of us." Squeezing her fingers, Catherine coaxed Sara's eyes open again. "Even though you may not think it, you have so many people who happen to think you're pretty amazing."

"Well, people like Lurie don't count," Sara scoffed, her gentle chuckle causing her mouth to ache and she reached up a hand to her swollen cheek. "I bet I look a mess."

"You look…" Catherine saw Sara's eyes widen as she started to speak, fully intending to lie and tell her she looked fine, but something in the younger woman's eyes seemed to beg her for the truth. "He really did a number on you," she whispered finally.

"No one will let me have a mirror," Sara told her tearfully. "My face hurts along with my body, and I've seen the bruises on my arms."

"Bruises fade eventually Sara," Catherine told her softly, "they're not permanent, and even if they were it wouldn't change how we all feel about you."

Her words brought a fresh onslaught of emotions to Sara's eyes and as much as she tried to keep them at bay, still they leaked out to trickle down her cheek. "Oh great," she sniffed as she swiped the tears away from her face.

"Look at us, two weeping women." Catherine told her, she too unable to hide the emotions that had ached to consume her. Leaning closer, she couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her when she saw that Sara was also smiling through her tears. The two women came together, swallowed into a healing embrace that solidified the newfound friendship between them.

A shuffling sound from the doorway forced them apart and Catherine leaned away from her to look over her shoulder to see Grissom hovering in the entrance.

Sara followed her gaze and felt her heart flip with his sudden appearance. She smiled slightly, hoping that he would take the tears that rolled down her face as a sign that she was truly on her way towards healing completely.

"Okay," Catherine smiled, pulling back from Sara to stand up beside her bed. "I'm gonna get going."

"Thanks for everything," Sara told her gratefully, offering her a warm smile as she reached out to squeeze her hand in thanks.

"You're welcome," she smiled. "Now if you need anything, you call me okay?"

"I will."

"Okay, see you soon." Retrieving her purse from the chair, Catherine offered her one last smile and made her way towards Grissom, patting his arm while he entered the room. "Make sure she eats something."

He watched her as if she had suddenly grown an extra head, until her words finally sank in. "Oh…I will."

"I'll call you later," she whispered, knowing where he had been and equally wanting to know the outcome.

Nodding silently, Grissom walked past her and moved closer to Sara's bed not stopping until he was perched on the side of her mattress and relishing her closeness.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered as his fingers unconsciously sought hers, linking their hands as if the touch would dissipate his fears and take away everything that had caused their foundations to crumble away beneath each of them.

Sara watched him quietly, his sweet caresses lulling her into a peaceful security and she allowed herself to slip into his healing touch. "I'm okay."

He nodded silently, not having the strength or will to argue with her. For now, all he wanted to do was bask in her closeness and release the fears that had already kept them apart for so long. Lifting his eyes to hers he tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but the love he saw emanating from her deep brown orbs totally took his breath away.

Sara swallowed hard; she had never felt so completely vulnerable before. This whole experience had left her emotions on show and she felt as if she had laid herself bare for all to see now that everyone knew her secrets and the love she carried for her supervisor. Even though he had allowed her to move closer and given himself to her freely, still she waited for the bubble to burst to send her spiraling back down into darkness again.

Grissom knew what she was thinking and he couldn't say that he blamed her; after all, he had done little to ease the pressure he had known she'd been under. Her eyes, though loving still held a tinge of fear that had nothing to do with the last forty-eight hours and he could feel the guilt eating away inside of him because of his previous denial.

"You and Catherine seemed to be getting along," he told her softly, anything to break the silence that surrounded them.

"Yeah," she whispered with a smile. "She's a strong woman."

"She can be a good friend," he nodded. He waited for her to carry on talking but she had seemed to slip into silence again, content to simply watch him.

Grissom had never thought of himself as a desirable man, or that he would ever receive a second glance from a beautiful woman, but under Sara's gaze he felt all those things and for the first time in a very long while, he actually felt loved. He knew she needed a little more from him, another step closer in their very delicate relationship, so taking the courage she gave him, he slipped his other hand into hers and slowly leant closer towards her.

Sara held her breath, his descent causing havoc with her heart rate. As he neared, her eyes closed on their own accord, waiting for the touch that would transport her into the realms of heaven, speeding her recovery no end.

Grissom felt it too, the more he neared her the less fearful he became, until he reached into her personal space and sealed his lips to hers. A soft sigh escaped her as he increased the pressure, his need to show her how much she was adored taking over his movements.

Sara's body trembled with his touch, feeling herself come alive as he slowly untangled a hand from hers to gently slip it behind her, pulling her body a little closer, still careful of the injuries that she had sustained. Breaking their kiss, he pulled away slightly, his breath fanning her face as he tried to slow things down and judge for himself if he was moving too fast. "Are you okay?"

Opening her eyes, Sara gazed up into his and lifted a hand to his bearded cheek, caressing his face with her fingers. "I'm more than okay."

Grissom chuckled slightly and moved in towards her again, his lips touching hers, a little more firmer and a little more demanding. With total abandon, Sara reached for him, pulling him closer to her body to feel his warmth enveloping her.

The slight tremble in his lips brought a new wave of strength as she parted her lips beneath his, hoping that he could feel their connection as much as she did only to be taken into ecstasy when he readily complied and surrendered to her.

They lost themselves in each other, banishing everything else from their lives to leave only this moment and the emotions it brought along with it. Sara had never felt so completely worshipped before, Grissom's kisses piercing her soul making her come alive in his arms.

Pulling her closer, he felt her gasp in a breath and suddenly realized that she was wrapped tightly in his arms, their need for completeness totally overriding the rational thoughts. Breaking away from her lips, he loosened his hold and gazed down into her face, noting with some kind of male pride how her lips were slightly swollen from his passionately tender assault. "I'm sorry honey."

"It's okay," she whispered with a smile as she tried to maneuver herself into a more comfortable position without losing his touch. "It's still a little sore."

"I should have been more careful—"

Lifting her hands to his lips, she stopped him mid sentence and offered him a warm smile. "No more regrets Grissom."

He shook his head, agreeing with her only to kiss her fingertips before pulling her hand away to hold it in his. "No regrets."

Her eyes scanned his face, taking everything about him into her memory. She loved this man with all of her being and she couldn't remember now why she had tried to move on and forget him. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she offered him another smile. "Have you eaten yet?"

With a small shake of his head, he watched her carefully, her beautiful smile capturing his heart and careering him towards oblivion.

"Want to share half a sandwich with me?" she asked him then, and he couldn't help but return her smile with a bright one of his own.

"I'd love to," he told her, reaching across her bed for the wrapped sandwich to open it and offer her half. "Ladies first," he grinned, her small chuckle infectious.

"Thanks," she smiled, lifting the bread to her lips to take a small bite only to wince at the aching in her jaw. She could see the concern in his eyes and masked the moment by lightening the tone a little. "You know this isn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked you to have dinner with me!"

"I'm sorry, Sara," he whispered, his voice tinged with sadness when he was transported back to the past year.

"The past is over," she told him softly as she tried to read his eyes, anything to tell her that this new step forward for them was going to be ongoing and not just cease when she was well again. "Is it over now?"

Grissom lifted his eyes to hers and stroked the back of her hand with his fingers. He had hurt her so much with his actions over the past year and nothing could take away those feelings of remorse. Looking into her eyes now he knew that he had was indeed a lucky man to have her in his life. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I know."

"I want to be with you, Sara," he told her quietly, the words slipping surprisingly easily from his lips. "That's if you still want to give us a try."

Sara held her breath, unable to speak. The sandwich that she had only taken a meager bite from lay forgotten on the tray beside her, food no longer an option. Grissom's eyes were gazing into hers, silently pleading with her for some kind of answer. Her eyes dropped to his hand surrounding hers and suddenly everything seemed to clear in her mind.

"I want to try," she whispered softly, lifting her eyes to his only to be shocked when she saw the tears welling in them. Reaching forward, she ignored the pain in her chest as she slowly lifted her arms towards him, pulling him towards her, capturing him in a warm embrace.

No more words were needed as they held each other, their closeness healing one another and closing the distance that had forged a void between them for so long. Slipping his arm around her back, Grissom slowly pulled away from her and retrieved the forgotten sandwich from the tray only to look down at it with disdain. "You really want to eat this?"

Sara shook her head slowly, the edges of her lips tilting upwards into a smile when he threw both halves of the sandwich into the bin. "Catherine's gonna kill you."

"I specifically heard her say that you had to eat something, but she didn't say anything about a sandwich," he grinned, pulling himself away from her to stand up beside her bed. "I'm going to get us some real food."

"Okay," she nodded, his smile becoming infectious. "Remember…"

"I know, I'll get you some of that vegetarian stuff that you like so much, and coffee, we gotta have coffee." Leaning down, he kissed her soundly and stepped away from her before she could respond. "I'll be right back."

Sara watched his retreating form in awe and had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn't actually dreaming. She could feel the changes in their relationship, and suddenly the future didn't seem so bleak. Laying back into the pillows, she closed her eyes slowly and waited for the man she loved to return.

TBC