Chapter 4

"Oh God Sara! Why didn't you tell me?" Grissom pressed his fingers lightly to her cheek, but she tried to move her head away.

The pain and aches stopped her moving far. She was a little hesitant to everyone that entered her room after she had looked herself in the mirror. Hank really did a number on her.

"Grissom," Sara sighed. "I didn't want you to know… because of my face." She tried to lighten up the situation. "You have to admit, I'm not looking my best right now." She looked up at him to see worried eyes.

"Sara please, I would have been there for you." He found her hand and held it in both his. "You know that, right?"

Sighing tiredly, she couldn't keep up the fight anymore. "Yeah Griss, I do."

After a few quiet minutes, Grissom was about to say how he feels, but the door opened to reveal Catherine.

"Oh damn, Grissom? You're here. How did you find out?" Catherine spluttered before turning to Brass, who stood behind him. The look Grissom was giving her was close to the death glare.

Grissom left Sara's side, his stiff movements and face showed his just barely held in anger. "How did I find out? Well, at least I get the truth out of some of my employees." He paused, shaking his head before looking back at Catherine. "Jesus Catherine! How dare you keep this from me?"

Catherine looked from Sara back to her irate boss and friend. "I'm sorry Gil. I was only doing what was best for Sara. I'm sorry for lying to you. She didn't want anyone to know."

"Griss, please don't be mad." Sara whispered, tears falling. "I didn't want Nicky or Warrick to know. I especially didn't want you to know, because you might have thought I brought this on myself." She stopped when Grissom moved towards her on a gasp. "My history with Hank isn't that great.

"God Sara, you thought that little of me?" He asked sadly, standing beside her bed, his head bowed.

"No Griss, that's not what I'm talking about and you know it." She sighed tiredly.

"I don't know what to think about that." He told her, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She was talking about his behaviour towards her when she was seeing Hank.

"Please Griss, if you keep thinking about that, then you just let Hank win. And he bloody well knows it too because he practically said it to my face before I left work." Sara's voiced cracked as she cried.

"You don't need to worry about Hank any more. He was sloppy. He left enough evidence on you to nail his ass to the jail door." Catherine informed them, breaking the tension in the room.

"What you mean Catherine?" Grissom asked warily.

"I mean," She continued. "There was semen stains on your top. Greg analysed your clothes and put the DNA through CODIS. CODIS spat out Hank Peddigrew." Catherine looked at Brass briefly. "Brass got a warrant and we arrested the scum bag. So you don't have to worry about Hank anymore in the near future."

Brass nodded solemnly and decided it wasn't the time for a social visit. "Well, I'm glad that you're gonna be ok Sara. I might go down to headquarters and have a little talk with this guy." On his way out the door, Catherine called his name.

"Hang on Jim. I'm going with you. I want to have a few minutes with this guy." The anger in her voice all too evident. "I catch you soon, ok Hun? I leave you in Gil's capable hands."

"Thanks guys, for being there for me." Sara murmured, trying not to fall asleep, but the medication the nurses gave her for the pain was making her sleepy.

"Sleep now honey. I'll be here when you wake up." Grissom promised her.

Sara still had her doubts and in her sleepy state, her mind and voice were out of her control. "Why? I'm ruin goods now." Her whisper was so soft, he almost couldn't hear it. "Griss, why would you want me?"

He tried to say something, but it was too late. She was fast asleep. He wanted to make some kind of comment like, because you the love of my life. Instead, he bent down to kiss her lips softly and whispered his words into her ear. "I love you."

TBC