Disclaimer: these characters are the property of CBS, inc.

Spoiler: Unbearable.

This is a little longer. I won't have time to post again until Sunday. I hope tomorrow's CSI is a good one. I will miss it and WaT. So sad. Family event. In the meantime, I hope I am keeping your attention. There is no immediate wrapping up of events. I feel like I can't use Danny as a device and then drop him as if he didn't mean anything. Plus all these people came to Reno. I can't just let them sit there. They need something to do. Your reviews are so encouraging. I work with kids in crisis, some homeless kids, during the day. Love it. But am so tired when I get home. I so look forward to your words of appreciation. Thank you.

Sheila

Chapter 14

Afraid of the Light

The nurse poked her head in the door. On the wall were the frantic noises of a speedway. Danny lay asleep in his bed, but Sam and Nicky were furiously manipulating controls elbow to elbow. The screech of a car accident and Nick was on his feet, jumping up and down, doing his best to keep his cheering subdued. Danny never stirred during the impromptu celebration. Sam rolled her eyes at the display and then caught the glare in the nurse's eyes and tugged on Nick's jeans. He saw the stern woman and squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment, sinking back into his chair. The nurse cocked her head, and then beckoned with her forefinger. Nick sighed heavily and followed her out into the hall.

"I'm sorry. Promise to keep it down from now on." He apologized as soon as the door shut behind him.

"Oh, believe me, that little circus is on my list, but right now, we have a bigger problem." She beckoned and Nick followed the nurse down the hall. She turned into Sara's room, and pointed at the improbable sight of Grissom spooning Sara on a twin sized hospital bed. Nick's eyebrows flew up into his forehead.

"I have asked Mr. Grissom twice to vacate Miss Sidle's bed and return to his own. He refuses to comply."

Nicky wrinkled his brow. "And you want me to do…what?"

"You're his friend, colleague. Perhaps, he would listen to you."

Grissom and I, friends? Colleagues maybe, but I wouldn't bet the farm."

She planted her hands on her rather substantial hips and glared at him. "Do you want me to call the police and report that we have a noncompliant patient and a possible assault?"

Nick put his hands up. "Now hold on, Ma'am, I don't see anything criminal going right now. Let me see what I can do."

Nick approached the bed carefully. He thought about nudging Grissom's shoulder, but thought that might stir his hand. Instead, he leaned over. "Griss? Ah, Griss?"

Grissom's head shifted and one blue eye opened reluctantly.

"Ah, the nurse here wants to get you in your own bed, okay?"

Grissom mumbled, "Tell her to go away."

Nicky snorted. "Don't think she wants to."

"I'm doing research here." Came another mumbled reply.

"Must be some study, Grissom." A grin was beginning to form at the edges of Nicky's mouth.

"Better for Sara. She's sleeping well now." Grissom closed his eyes and buried his head again in a pillow. Sara snuggled back into his chest.

Nick turned to her and shrugged. "I think we better leave them."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "The rules are around for a reason, Mr. Stokes."

"She's probably sleeping the best she has in weeks. If they're happy, leave 'em." A tinge of annoyance masked his down home manners.

She folded her arms and gave him a hard stare. "Are they involved?"

Nick blinked for a moment. "Ah, yes they are. Engaged, in fact. Nuptials planned for late summer. Can't live without one another. She probably wouldn't know what to do without him laying by her side."

"They don't look like they suit one another." She had a sour look on her face.

Nick threw his arms up. "Well, that's love for you. You find it where you least expect it."

"I still don't like it."

"That's okay, Ma'am. They do, and that's what matters. Right?" He steered her toward the door. "Now I believe we have the other matter of unauthorized video gaming down the hall. Let's put your considerable energies into that infraction. Shall we?" He guided the reluctant nurse down the hall.

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Brass' eyes were blurry despite the long shower he had taken. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't just go back to bed. But the glare of the sun peeking through the edges of his curtains and the sounds of laughter outside his door had him curious. He opened his door and blinked hard at the sharp daylight. The motel was built around a large pool. When his eyes adjusted, he saw a collection of familiar characters seated at a table next to the pool. He ran his fingers through his wet hair and ambled over.

Catherine, Warrick, and Nick were sitting around the table with a lovely blonde woman. They seemed to be enjoying a story Nicky was telling. He caught the tail end of it. "…and I said, Ma'am, they seem to be doing fine, why don't you come down the hall and put your considerable energies into the illegal video gaming we have going on down there."

Another wave of laughter erupted.

"You should have seen it when she came in," The blonde continued the story. "She ripped the playstation right out of the T.V., stuffed it in a box, and then marched out."

Warrick slapped his knee and threw back his head in laughter. Catherine leaned back in her chair in a tank top, sunglasses on, and laughed hard. She spied Brass and sat up.

"Jim! Come join us. We're having a little unauthorized fun."

He dragged a chair over and positioned it under the shadow of the large table umbrella. The blonde leaned over and shook his hand, introducing herself as Sam Spade. His eyebrows rose at this improbable name.

"Sounds like I'm missing a good story."

Catherine gave him a wide smile. Brass knew that, with few exceptions, this woman could have any man she wanted, and he got a kick out of being a part of this woman's inner circle. "Wanna hear it?" She teased.

"Lay it on me, Sister." He drawled.

She handed him an empty tall neck, and looked over her shoulder. "First, we're going to need five more counting you. Lounge is that way." She gestured with her head.

He shook his head and headed off in the area of the motel lounge. Catherine called after him. "Here's a clue. Keep all your weekends free come August or September. Nick announced an engagement today." He stopped and furled his heavy brows, but got no illumination from his smiling friend. Then he disappeared into the lounge.

Catherine turned her attention to Warrick. "Your friend's got a nice little place here."

"Yeah, she does."

"She?"

"Desiree used to be a showgirl in Vegas."

"A showgirl?" Catherine put her finger up to the bridge of her nose and drew her glasses down, catching his emerald eyes with hers.

Warrick looked her straight in the eyes. "Is that a problem…Boss?"

She pushed the shades back up on her eyes and leaned back. "You and I are going to have a long talk about this one day real soon."

He blinked, exchanging looks with Nick. "Well, all right then." He picked up his beer and downed the rest of it, and thenhe set it down, wearing a slightly bewildered look on his face.

Sam watched as if at a tennis match. She had no idea of what the dynamics were yet, but they were as thick as a bowl of Texas red. She was about to start asking questions when a voice bellowed from across the pool.

"Samantha!" They all turned their heads to see Jack Malone, hair tousled, barefoot in a pair of jeans and t-shirt outside an open motel room.

Sam winced a little. She turned to her companions. "Okay, this is going to be a little loud so I think I'll take it to that side of the pool." She got up, grabbed her beer, and walked over to where Jack was standing with a big scowl etched into his features. Catherine watched her take him by the arm and guide him back into the room.

"What do you suppose is going on there?"

Nick shrugged. "You know, not everything has sexual undertones."

Catherine raised her eyebrows at him and chuckled. She swiveled as she saw Jim coming toward them loaded down with a cooler of beers. "All right, Jim. You know how to do it up in style."

Jim shoved it under the round patio table and settled into a chair. "Okay, so who's getting married?"

Catherine grinned wickedly. "Nicky, take it from the top."

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Sam put the toothpaste back in her overnight bag. She took out mascara, blush, and lipstick to do some final touches on her make-up. Outside the bathroom door, her boss paced impatiently.

"Two agents! There are only two agents manning the office. I was having enough trouble sleeping just knowing there were three of you. And now there are two!"

Unperturbed, Sam brushed her cheeks with a dusty rose. "They are fine. New Jersey picked up a couple of cases. I got authorization to leave."

"My updates on Danny were fine!" Through the bathroom mirror, she could see him passing back and forth in front of the bathroom door. She stifled a grin.

"Jack, he's got a big hole in his chest. He is most definitely not fine."

"He's getting better." As he passed by the door, his arms went up in exasperation.

"He can't stay awake more than 30 minutes at a time. He's in a lot of pain, and he's still fighting infection in the wound. He laid there in the rain for awhile, you know."

"I had a handle on all of that."

"You didn't tell us any of that stuff." She put the mascara back into her bag, and came out into the room. He turned to look at her. "We are his family, Jack. Do you understand that? We are it."

He sat down on the bed.

"You wanted to know about the cases, but you didn't bother to ask us about how we were doing. Vivian and I understand what we mean to Danny. We have signed on as family and all that entails. Martin is getting there." Sam pointed a finger at him. "We were not doing well. We were scared, and all we got out of you was, 'he's fine. How's follow-up on the Travanti case?' Not good, Jack. Not good."

Jack let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry. I guess I was trying to keep all the balls in the air at the same time. I didn't realize."

She sat down on the double bed opposite his. "We're not machines. You're not either. This is authorized. New Jersey can back us. We did the same for them when one of theirs was killed two years ago."

He nodded.

"I am staying. It's all worked out. Doctor says he can get on a plane the next 2-3 days. I am going to be there. You can't do it alone."

"Okay. I am officially chastised. You win. We better get you a room." He got up to call the front desk.

She shook her head. "They are all booked."

"Damn. Well, there is another motel about two blocks down. We'll try that one." He reached for the phone book.

"Yeah, Jack, it's okay. Don't worry about it. Nick Stokes already offered to share his room with me. Two beds. I think that's going to work the best. We don't want to get the accountants too excited about our expenses."

He furled his brow. "You met this Nick only hours ago, and already you're sharing a room."

"It's the new millennium. Anything goes." She had a glint in her eye. Besides, he seems like a good guy. Very polite. Southern manners. I like that." She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.

"I don't know about this." He growled.

"Nobody's asking you, Jack." She said as she slipped out of his room.

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Sara was aware of her surroundings long before she opened her eyes. She was reluctant to move. For the first time in a long time she felt warm and safe. The many blankets left her sweaty but she didn't care. Most of all, she was aware of the man glued to her body who was snoring softly into her back. Maybe she could arrange for nurses to bring food and drink so that the two of them would never have to move. They would lay there quietly, the two of them, forever, and she would feel safe. Moving would be their undoing or talking or looking at each other or not looking at each other or not talking or whatever. Something always seemed to get in the way of their connection to one another.

As the minutes passed, her thoughts drifted. It was a perilous journey through her mind. Every turn was fraught with memories of cold air, musty basements, disembodied voices talking calmly about torture, rocks cutting into her feet as she ran, and the lying still hours upon hours when all she wanted to do was scream and beg and claw at the door. Desperately, she tried to pull away from the memories and situate herself in a reality where she could survive and flourish. Her mind turned to thoughts of Danny, and she remembered what happened and where he was. She sat up slowly, carefully not to jar Grissom's wounded paw. Carefully, she slid off the bed. Her feet met the cold floor and pain shot up her legs. She put a hand to her mouth and sank to the ground beside the bed. She had forgotten the sores and cuts on her feet. Two cuts had even warranted stitches. Tears stung her eyes as she willed herself not to disturb Grissom. She slid her feet out from under herself, and looked at them. They were mottled red and purple, littered with bumps and cuts. She dropped her face into her hands and sobbed softly. The nightmare seemed to follow her every move. She tried to pull her knees up to her chest, but her feet were too sore to hold any weight. She leaned her head against the metal frame of the bed and squeezed her eyes shut, the tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.

Above her, the bed creaked and she froze.

"Sara?" came a grainy voice.

She rubbed furiously at her eyes, and tried to pull herself upright. This put too much weight on her feet, and she collapsed back onto the floor. A sob escaped her trembling lips. The bed rattled again, and then Grissom was climbing off the bed. An audible groan told her how much his hand was aching. Then he was on the floor next to her.

"What happened?"

She shook her head furiously as she couldn't trust her voice.

He saw her feet gingerly resting on the floor. "Oh, Sara. I'm sorry. Honey, you need to stay off them a few more days. You just need to let them rest a bit."

She nodded, careful not to catch his eyes.

"Sara, put your arms around my neck."

She complied without hesitation. He leaned back and started to stand. When weight transferred to her legs, he leaned over and scooped up her feet with his right arm. In an instant, she found herself deposited back in the bed.

"Sara, what were you trying to do?"

"I wanted to go see Danny."

"Oh." He moved back a step.

She sat silently on the bed, staring down at her hands folded in her lap.

"Are you sure you're ready to be up?"

She didn't answer.

He sat down next to her. "You want to see Danny."

She looked at him and nodded slightly. Grissom searched her eyes for a moment, and then got up. He found a robe for her, and then went to the hallway. In a moment, a nurse followed him in with a wheelchair. She allowed the nurse to help her into the chair. Grissom followed her and the nurse to Danny's room. Danny lay propped up pillows. He smiled wide when he saw Sara, and she managed the first grin she had in several weeks. He reached out his arm for her as the nurse wheeled her up to him.

"Hey Pretty Girl, am I glad to see you."

Her smile deepened. She laid her hand in his and pressed it tightly. Grissom felt something tug at the pit of his stomach.

Danny looked up. "Hey Grissom, heard you finally got that hand taken care of."

Grissom nodded. "You're looking good, Danny."

Danny turned to Sara. "Your boss saved my life."

She looked confused for a moment, but turned to Grissom and murmured a thank you. Grissom felt heat rise in his face. Despite his discomfort, he tried to make light banter. "I knew Sara would give me hell if I just left you lying there." It came out sounding awkward and he regretted saying it.

The two of them began talking as if they had known each other for years. Sara rested her head gently on his arm, and they talked in soft tones. Grissom stood against the door ignoring the aching in his non-elevated hand. He saw that they were deeply engaged with one another and he carefully opened the door and started to ease himself out. Before the door could close behind him, he heard her.

"Grissom!"

He swung open the door again. She was sitting up straight, eyes wide. "Where are you going?"

"Ah, just giving the two of you a chance to catch up."

"Are you leaving?" Her voice rose a little.

He shook his head slowly. "No, I'm just going to lie down again."

"You are not leaving?" She persisted.

"No Sara, I promise."

"You will be there when I get back."

He nodded. She blinked as if ingesting it all. Then she swallowed and nodded back. He eased out the door and let it close gently. For a moment, he stood there, eyes closed. The emotions building in him were more complicated than he knew how to handle. A nurse walked by and offered to assist him, but he waved her away. Slowly, he made his way back to the room and lay down. He didn't close his eyes. Instead, he watched the minute hand on the wall clock slowly circle the dial.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Hatfield sat in the small, cold cell with his hands folded neatly into his lap awaiting lunch. The overweight deputy had pulled a tray off the cart and opened the door to his cell.

"Hey Hatfield. Heard about you on the news. You lied to investigators, and so the deal's off. You, my friend, are going to fry in the electric chair." He spoke nonchalantly as he placed the tray on a small table across from Hatfield.

Hatfield looked at him and smiled. "I'll just make a new deal."

The deputy snorted. "Doesn't sound like you have much to trade."

Keeping the smile on his face, Hatfield looked away.

"Hey Hat, you still keeping secrets?"

"All in due time, Deputy. I will wait until they come to me. And they will. And they will be offering me a deal."

"Nice daydream there, Buddy."

"Yes it is, Deputy. I assure you that this dream will come true."

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