Chapter 5

As Sara slept, Grissom stayed vigil at her side, thinking about how he wasn't going to let Hank come between them. Even after what happened, he was going to be there no matter what. He had stood aside long enough and though it took such a blow to his heart at the knowledge of what happened, he couldn't stay away any longer.

Looking up, he gently extracted his hand from hers to walk towards the window so no one would see the silent tear that fell. A moment later, he turned back at the sounds of mumblings.

Moving to take his seat again, he brushed her hair away from her face to rouse her. "Sara honey, wake up. You're dreaming."

"Get off me." Sara whimpered, her face contorting in pain when she moved in her slumbered attack. "Please, get off me."

Grissom's voice was etched in concern as he squeeze her hand and rubbed her arm to wake her. "Sara. Come on Sara, wake up."

"Noooo." She moaned, trailing off as she slightly struggled against Grissom.

Trying not to scare her, Grissom moved onto the bed to take her hands in his to stop her moving around too much and that's when he heard her plea that broke his heart into thousands of little pieces.

"Griss help me."

Those tears from moments ago appeared and his voice broke. "I'm here honey." Choking on a breath, he watched her eyes slowly open; the fear on her face took a moment to fade until she focused on him.

"Grissom?" She could have sworn it was Hank sitting there for a minute, but the tears told her different.

Wiping his eyes quickly, he put on a smile to reassure her. "Hey. It's ok. I'm here now. You're going to be ok." Grissom wiped his shirt sleeve across his eyes once more and sniffled. "Hank is at head quarters being questioned as we speak, so relax ok?"

She could see in his slightly puffy eyes that he needed to hear her voice, to tell him she knew who he was and that she wasn't scared of him. "Ok." She nodded quietly. After a minute of staring at each other, she squeezed his hands as he moved to leave his perch on the bed. "But, what if, what if he comes after me?"

Grissom breathed out a sighed and shook his head. "No Sara. He won't. He's going away for a long time."

"Griss?" Sara whispered as she watched him move to stand.

"Yeah?" He looked at her with worried eyes, his face tired and his whole body looked a little scruffy from sitting in the chair.

"Can you hold me?" She asked him so quietly, he strained to hear. "Please."

His eyes roamed a moment before settling back on hers. He gave a short nod and moved up the bed to settle beside her. He stiffly sat down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she leaned into his side. After she settled, Grissom lifted his legs onto the bed and kicked off his shoes, both listening to them drop and land on the sterile hospital floor with two 'clops'

Before Sara drifted back into sleep, she heard his voice reach her ears. "I'm here Sara. You're safe with me." She snuggled closer to the man she loved.

Head Quarters

"Hank, do you have any idea why you're here?" Asked Brass in his cool cop tone he used with all suspects, but this time it held a tinge of anger.

Hank's cocky voice was the kind of smugness Brass hated. It meant he knew exactly what he'd done, why he was here and well aware that they had nothing to hold him. Well, two out of three isn't all that bad.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I was arrested for no reason."

"Is that right?" Catherine questioned, moving to sit down, the picture of distaste on her face. "I wish it was nice seeing you again Hank, but we all know that's just crap."

"Cut the small talk. Why am I here?" Hank snapped.

Catherine pulled out some papers from a case file and looked down at them as she spoke. "You know why Mr. Peddigrew." She turned professional the instant she looked up. "You know Sara Sidle don't you?" Not giving him the time or satisfaction, she continued on with barely any room for a response. "Well of course you do." She said, mock enthusiastically. "You did date for a few weeks right?"

Hank shrugged casually and sat back, lacing his fingers over his sternum. "Yeah, so? What's that gotta do with you…"

Catherine sighed as she talked on, ignoring him. "Then Sara saw the light. She discovered that you were using her, so she called it off. Didn't she?" Watching Hank's face shift from calm to a glare, she knew he wasn't going to keep up the coolness for long.

"If that's what she told you…" He huffed, barely keeping his anger hidden. "Then she's wrong."

Sighing calmly, Catherine settled back. "I doubt that. Let's see why shell we?" Setting up the evidence in her mind, she was able to talk it through. "The other night, the 23rd of August. You saw Sara. Outside her place of business. Only, Sara didn't want to see you, did she? And of course, that pissed you right off. You then toyed with her, only she once again saw passed your façade and left. Well, that pissed you off even more." Catherine looked up and cocked her head to one side. "Am I on the right track here? Please, let me know if you want to add anything."

"I don't know, you're telling the story, not me." Hank shrugged, his voice only briefly coated with panic.

"That's right. I am." Catherine gave a fake grin and continued. "Next, you beat Sara to her apartment. Cuz of course, being an EMT, you would know quite a few short cuts. So, with that task completed, you waited."

"Sara was walking up to her door, and that's, where you jumped her. Didn't you Hank?" Brass questioned, moving to stand beside the table, looking down at him.

"I don't have a clue what you're on about." Hank sighed.

"Well Hank, that's where we've got you." Catherine informed him. "You were sloppy."

Hank turned his head to look at her with a confused expression. "How? I took…" He stopped just in time and squinted at her.

"Precautions?" Catherine pulled a sheet of paper out of the collection she held and pushed it towards Hank. "This is why. That's a DNA test. It says there that your DNA was on Sara."

He turned white.

Brass stood up straight. "We got you." As two officers entered the room to take Hank, Brass spoke his question he'd been holding in. "Why?"

"She didn't want anything to do with me after what had happened." Hank told him.

"I can see that." Brass nodded.

"It was always him. Him this, him that." Hank sneered. "Well you tell me how he's taking it now!" He said, strained laughter in his voice.

"Who?" Catherine asked, though she clearly knew whom he was talking about.

"That, that…" He stammered in his rising anger. "That old man! He's old enough to be her dad! Gil Grissom!" Hank chuckled, but the humour was not there, only defeat and prison time. "I fixed him, didn't

I? He won't have a bar of her now. She's damaged goods!"

"I'm afraid not Hank. That man is down at the hospital as we speak. He's there, not you." Brass said calmly, watching the cuffs go on. "Take him away."

The door opened and closed, leaving Brass and Catherine alone in the interrogation room. "Thank God for that. Now Sara can relax." Catherine breathed out.

Brass nodded, taking the seat beside her. "Yeah."

The Lab

As Greg was carefully cataloguing Sara's case evidence, Nick and Warrick walked into the room.

"Hey Greggo." Warrick greeted. "Where are the others? I mean, I can't find Grissom. He's not in his hideout. Sara's not answering her cell."

Nick leaned against the lab table. "I can't find Catherine either."

"Catherine is with Brass. Saw them not half hour ago." Greg filled them in as he finished up.

"So? What's going on?" Nick asked. Of Greg's silence, he pressed. "Come on Greg, spill it."

Greg looked up slowly. "You really want to know?" As the other two nodded, he sighed. "You can't find Grissom, because he's with Sara and you can't find Sara because she's at Desert Palm."

Warrick and Nick sprang up. "What?! Why?!"

"Greg?" Nick insisted.

"Sara was attacked." Greg told them.

"Oh God. Is she ok?" Warrick asked him.

"Don't know. All I know is that Catherine and Brass arrested Hank." Greg looked from one to the other before continuing. "For Rape."

The room fell silent as this all sank in.

Greg finished putting the evidence away as Nick and Warrick finally made a move.

"I'm outta here." Nick announced.

"I'm with you." Warrick nodded.

"Give Sara my best ok?" Greg asked as he watched them walk away.

"I'll drive." Warrick told Nick as the walked down the corridor.

"Ok." Nick sighed.

Warrick quickly patted his shoulder. "She's gonna be ok Nick. She has us."

"Yeah, I know. Let's just hurry up man; I need to make sure she's alright."

Desert Palm

"Griss?" Sara asked the silence as she moved her head to look up at him, her cheek brushing against his stubbly one. "Why don't you go home?" She looked up to find his barely open eyes looking down at her. "You must be tired."

"I'm ok. I'm more worried about you." He sighed tiredly and gently pulled her against him again. "Can't you let someone worry about you for a change? I mean, you are always there for everyone else, why can't you let me take care of you?"

"Ok. I'd rather you than anyone else." She confided just as the door opened to reveal Nick and Warrick and shortly after they arrived, Catherine and Brass walked in.

"We got him." Catherine told them.

TBC